The art of collecting an army.

[Mr Mystery]

Afternoon.

Just a thought that's been rattling around my noggin, namely, just how do most people go about assembling their force for battle?

Not with clippers and glue assembling, but buying the units that comprise your force.

I ask because many moons ago, when I was young, and some of you were even younger, each of my armies was akin to a part work. Each month or so I'd take the money from my part time work, and procure a new unit, or sometimes two. There was rarely an overarching cunning plan on what my army was going to look like in the end, and certainly no real consideration given to synergy or (and not a word I care for) competitiveness of the end product.

Then, slightly fewer moons ago, when I was still young, and you weren't quite so younger, I entered the world of full time work, and would buy entire armies at a time. This required planning as I wanted to ensure that the single block purchase could be fielded, but again I found myself stopping shy of any fancy themes or competitive considerations. It was just 'these are the models I like, and this is how I can fit them into the point target.

And that lasted for a good old while.

More recently, I'm turning to block bought theme armies, but still without being fussed for ensuring a competitive edge (not a tourny player personally).

So I've taken three different approaches in my gaming career, and now I'm looking at going back to stage one, and just buying up bits and kits I like for a given Codex/Army Book, and eventually trying to shoehorn them in fieldable armies.

But how about you? What's your approach? Has it changed or evolved over time? What is your prime concern?

[Wolfshade]

All my armies were a case oh that is cool, I'll get that. Then up to a point that is the way it goes until it gets to the point where the rule of cool is overtaken by the rule of completeness. That is I must be able to field every possible codex entry in a game, the days of double FOC have meant that my collection needs to double. The other one is my BA that has transcended both of these and are now in a Company by Company mode. Once I have all 10 I will stop collecting them.

[Psychosplodge]

Pretty much that ^
But it's not the BA I'm aiming to eventually posses as grey plastic...

[Chaoschrist]

For me it's mostly

- Pick army I might like based on aesthetic and potential gameplay style
- Look at codex and write list. See if it's viable to play and/or if it's affordable (How much I would love to play nids, I cannot bring myself into buying 180 gaunts; that and the fact that I already have Orks as a horde army. 1 Horde army is enough for me)
- Buy models for said armylist; mostly in short succession. I paint rather quick (and have a decent amount of spare time at times) and tend to go for long painting sessions.
- Write minor variation on list
- Buy additional models

Play said army, eventually exchange a unit here or there. Buy some additonal models.. .and before you know it, you end up with 2500 points for a 1850 points armylist.

[Arkhan Land]

Im not the greatest painter in the world so when I start on a new force I kind of like to practice myself up till by the end of the army im doing really well with a new color scheme/style. So I go from Looks to Fluff to Play oriented builds in that order, that way by the time I'm working on the units I'm going to field the most my brushing/painting colors/shading will be better for the units people will see most often. As an example, most of the tactical squads in my Ultras company look OK, then the Assault Squads look better, then the Bikes Better and then the heavy Armour looks better, etc... helps me put forward my best and as a courtesy to other players who also put forth their best (and often way better painted) models

[desert_hack]

I'm not a competitive gamer, but I do think everyone gravitates to what works on the table. Therefore, in order to avoid what happened with my Templars (spending probably 2,000 pounds on a huge horde too big to ever use, and still lacking the codex units which would be competitive), I've taken to trawling net lists before I start.

I have battlescribe, and I probably write out about 20-30 lists at various points levels, until I settle on one or two lists which contain effective units, and which the consensus on them is good.

I know net listing is generally considered cheesy and bad, but I find it's cheaper in the long run as you basically only buy the units that you are actually going to use, unlike say, mandrakes or flayed ones.

Then I buy a battlefoam bag to store them in. Then I buy the models I need, and paint them.

I've done maybe four or five armies like this in the past six months.

[DarkLink]

In the case of my Grey Knights, I've just been collecting stuff over the years until I could play most any list I felt like. With the other armies I have (Sisters, Space Marines, and Eldar), I've been more focused. Sisters are an allied contingent (from back when you could ally Daemonhunters and Witchhunters), and Space Marines and Eldar are fairly specific competitive lists with relatively little play in my options.

[SaveModifier]

I pick up models I like or if I see a good deal, I'll grab one, or if an idea grabs me I'll buy models for that army, so, yeah I'm not very focused!

[chicop76]

I suggest buy the codex you like the most.

Read codex and see what models you like and design list of those models.

Proxy the hell out of said list. Play a few games with Proxy list to see what works for you.

Buy models that worked out really well and put them together. Paint as you go.

Play more games phasing out Proxies until you have full army. Painting as you go.

Once painted if you want to add to said army play with said army with proxy add ons.

Phase out Proxies with the actual model and continue.

I for one don't mond using proxies. I typically at most don't proxy more than 2-3 units. I would buy the bulk of the army at least. However newer players I don't mind facing proxies that is the whole army. However more experienced players I would frown on whole proxy armies if used often.

A good example is with my Tau I may proxy the flyers with my vendetta to see if I should include a Tau flyer. Since I don't have terminator s I have proxied grey knight terminators to see if I should use terminators.

Now legos, army men, cut outs, and the like I can live with a new player trying to learn and figure out what army he wants to use. I don't expect more seasoned players to do that.

[chicop76]

In the case of my Grey Knights, I've just been collecting stuff over the years until I could play most any list I felt like. With the other armies I have (Sisters, Space Marines, and Eldar), I've been more focused. Sisters are an allied contingent (from back when you could ally Daemonhunters and Witchhunters), and Space Marines and Eldar are fairly specific competitive lists with relatively little play in my options.

I actually picked up Daemons since at the time no one played them and it is a good army to face my grey knights against. I picked up Grey Knights cause they look pretty. Tau I liked how they look. With Eldar it was the look and they had combat options. Went to nids since I wanted a huge swarm combat army, which turned into a gun line lol. Guard was due to me playing shooting nids. Marines was due to a escalation tournament. Sisters was due to the fleur de lais.

I can say all my armies I habe I collected not because of the band wagon or for being competitive. Tau and Daemons happen to be the two armies I have had when both armies first came out, so it would make sense I would play them now that they are more competitive. I am still buying Daemons due to the codex rewrites, I liked older Daemons better.

[Deadlift]

I start with an HQ and 2 troop choices, then treat myself to a fun model. Always aim for 1 troop choice for every 500 pts, I tend to go for elite armies. I'm always drawn to armies like Deathwing and my current Iyanden armie. I like specialised lists. Not to power game, they just seem more fun.

I try to paint what I have before I buy more, doesn't usually work out. But my "shiny syndrome" is not as bad as it was.

[SON OF ROMULOUS]

i can say that your break down sounds abou right. when i firest got into the hobby i bought units beause they were cool and because i wanted to use them never had much of a plan and just went with what i liked. now when i build a force i am more critical. i will look at units and will by them because they will help me not get slaughtered or i wont buy them because they are ugly and it would be to muh of a conversion projet to make them not look silly.

What i have also been doing is when i start a force i will work towards 1k at first this will be my core. it's mainly troops and command and some armour and then from here i will add to the force as things change. i will say none of my armies will ever be done per say as tastes change or the meta does i will try a new unit here and there which means new purchases and new conversion.

like right now workign on a converted vanquisher for my tank ompany because i want to try using it in the meta that i am in and see how it works or doesn't work for me.

[Master of Asgard]

I like to field nearly completely kitbashed armies, so I'll often plan out what units I want to take, and then what models I need to combine to make them, and then what I can make with the leftover bits. I try to buy as much as possible at once to have the maximum amount of conversion fodder.

[Chris22]

I always write a 1500 pt list with a few optional units for bigger games and then buy the army one unit at a time usually starting with the troop choices and finishing with the HQ. Just buying random units would drive me nuts so I always have a list and stick to it. I also have a tight budget so buying a bunch of units that I can't actually field doesn't make any sense. My armies are all fluff and theme driven. I make them competitive as I can, but I'd rather have an army that looks cool and stays true to fluff. Needless to say I will probably never win any tournaments, but I'm not a huge tourney gamer anyway.

[Khain Mor]

Well I haven't really changed my primary philosophy when it comes to collecting an army:
Buy at least 1 of each unit, no matter how bad the unit it, just for the pure fun of having it.

Apoc did change my view on things, as I purposely transformed some of my armies into apoc armies, while intentionally buying units to form the apoc datasheets.

I base my love for an army mostly on looks and fluff, gaming is seconday, I'm mostly in this hobby for the painting and the fluff, gaming is a third optional bonus, since I do have the models, why not play the game with them, otherwise I wouldn't really do it and it's not a priority for sure.

Now I started when I was 13, any money I got for my birthday or whatever reason usually went into 40k. Later on growing up you always get some small jobs, do this do that for the neighbour, small jobs that give you some quick cash, most of this also went into 40k
A little later in life I started working parttime next to school, made quite some cash, not all of it went into 40k, truth was I earned too much and I already had pretty much everything I wanted. Back then I only had about 2-3 armies, forgeworld wasn't as develloped as today.

When I was at university I had the best job ever, pretty much blew away my cash on whatever crazy amount of 40k I wanted. I was older, meaning my cash did go into other hobbies, going on holidays with friends etc...

Last couple of years I havent bought many more models because of the fact that I already have so much to paint and seeing how last few months I haven't found a new job I can't afford new models either.

My orgininal style of buy 1 of each unit doesn't apply to forgeworld as these are extremely expensive models, though when I have a stable job again I'll start buying all forgeworlds I'm missing as well as 40k I've been thinking of buying.

I'm not as greedy as I used to be (I used to buy whatever I wanted, like when tau first came out, I wanted a ton of suits, I ended up buying a ton of suits) but in the end I do buy a lot of 40k.

Right now I arrived at the point where I'm seriously considering where will I put my 40k if I continue to buy more: I've got like 1500 models probably, + gundam models, if I start buying big forgeworlds I have no clue where I'll put them. I guess I'll have to transform another room into a hobby room. Seeing the sheer mass of unpainted models, it's not the best idea to get more, but I just know I need and want to buy more. I buy less, that's the only way to calm my thirst for models/model addiction.

Now I do admit that over the years I've started getting my units painted and I've got quite nice bunch of models too, but eventually I just know it's an endless dream, I'll just keep buying and painting stuff, till I die or my eyes start failing me.

Forgeworld also confronts me with 2 extra problems: some of these model require a lot of extra assembling work Second problem: when I get a FW model I want to paint it immediately, leaving all my other projects unfinished, basically just adding chaos to my hobby.

Having several ,maybe too many armies is a problem, take my nids, they're all painted, I could start adding more, add forgeworlds, but that would mean I'd have to stop working on my other armies.
I'm currently working on my dark eldar army, a huge army, still a lot to do. I will add some more forgeworlds, while I'm painting the army, I'll just finish it all in one big piece. Afterwards I'll start working on my eldar army, I'll buy all the FW models too, finish the army, then I'll finish my Tau and then only will I go back to adding stuff to my nids.
It's best to focus on one army to make progress, otherwise it's too chaotic.

I also do have a cute necron force that's fully painted, no rush to increase in size, but this army and models are painted very fast, eventually some day I'll get back to this army, otherwise it's purely a couple of cool models I own, but don't really touch, I don't even play games with that army.

[Matt Byron]

I'm definitely a large bulk purchase buyer for my core army. And then I slowly develop my theme and start purchasing new units to place into it to fit that theme over time. I love painting so the hulk purchase gives me theme practice and my specific units end up looking prettier cuz I have my paint style down for the army!

[simiusmagnus]

I decided to start the game after a buddy of mine had been playing for a while and I saw his models and looked through the rulebook a little. Then I looked at all the armies on GW's website (Though they seem to have gotten rid of all those "Getting started with_____" articles. Too bad.) I settled on Orks. They seemed like they'd be fun to play, and the overall aesthetic appealed to me. I started off buying a box of Boyz and when I had fun painting them, I decided to get into it and bought Assault on Black Reach. Bit by bit I added more, mostly based on what looked awesome, as well as adding ever larger numbers of Boyz. That's still pretty much what guides my decisions. "What would be fun?" I kind of want to add another Deff Dread. I'm not even entirely certain I'd use it much, I just want one that's packing all CC weapons. And when in doubt, add more Boyz. That said, my army is just about the way I want it (at least until the new codex/models come out), but I have been toying with the idea of allies as an excuse to try something new.