POLL: When Is Your Army Done?

[Bigred]

This poll is to gauge community trends about how we build armies and purchase models.

Hi everybody, it's Hobbyist Poll Time!

The goal is to determine how hobbyists and gamers decide to purchase models and when they consider a collection "done" and move onto the next one.



Some of us like to plan out exact lists in advance and purchase and built that list and only that list.

Some of us are led primarily by the rule of cool and buy only the handful of models that appeal to us aesthetically, regardless of how they perform on the tabletop.

Some of us like to buy a handful of each useful model from the codex based on rules to have a flexible collection that can make multiple legal lists.

Some of us want to play massive battles and buy multiples of every unit, regardless of appearance and rules, amassing a truly huge force.



Which one most defines you when you collect an army?

[Charon]

Multiple reasons. First of all I create an army list and buy 1,5k points. That army should be able to stand for itself against most other armies. So rules matter too.
After a few games I tend to adjust the army and think about different playstyles.
If I like the playstyle and theme of the army it might be possible that I buy every unit at least once (just to complete the collection).
I do not buy by aesthetic. If I like the look of a powerful model all is well. If I don't like the look I either convertt or buy from another source (like the awful Fleshhounds that got replaced by Puppetswar Barghests)

So in short: If the model sucks (rules or look) it is unlikely I buy it.

[Insert_nickname_here]

Definitely how they look. I do want to collect a coherent army, and I rarely care what the model actually does on the tabletop. I've just finished painting a Gorkanaut, which the internet tells me is terrible in game but was an absolute joy to paint. I play so rarely nowadays the rules are not an issue to me.

[ted1138]

I don't just buy miniatures to build armies, I buy them to display, to sell on for profit, and sometimes just for the challenge of painting them. So, all of the above.

[TheCreator]

What about fluff/lore? Some people buy models because of their story. Farsight, for example, does have great rules and a great look but also a great back story. I think a lore option should be here.

[Erik Setzer]

The poll doesn't match the title thread. The title's question, "When is your army done?", would be answered in my case with: "When I'm dead, and not a moment sooner."

But to the actual, real question... there's not a good answer for me, so I went with "Rules-based." I want models that look good, and in some cases won't run something that looks awful or offends my sensibilities even if it's good in-game (like Murderface McMurderpants), but I prefer them to be something that works well in the game, so that it's not just a shelf model. I'm not dropping chump change on these things, so I want to actually get use out of them. The same philosophy applies to other hobbies, like slot cars, where my dad would get nice looking cars to just sit on a shelf and look pretty, but I always got cars that I intended to race (the most "iffy" there, and only because it wasn't sure how well they'd perform, were a pair of Scalextric 320si's, one with the Union Jack and one with the German flag prominently on them... but they seemed to be decent performers on the race track).

I think my biggest questionable model purchase was one of the new Orkanauts, didn't realize how underwhelming it is in-game, but I still bring it out from time to time because it's an awesome looking model (and was pretty pricey).

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

I only buy models that I like the look of. If a new model I like comes out, I'll get it if I can afford it.

[Chaosftw]

BoLs should do a poll to see whether more people buy models to play or just to paint and/or collect ;)

[Zaonite]

I voted army list based. Although that's only the start. The real answer is probably more complicated than those above.

When starting a new army, I tend to work to a "starter" army list, buying the minis I need to play up to roughly 2500 points. After that it can be a combination of how a model looks, performs on the board or simply to round out a collection. All of these factors are driving forces behind a choice, it just depends on the situation at the time.

A collection is "done" when I have at least one of every unit in the main codex; that or when I can't justify buying anymore because I already have 10k plus points for that army. O.o

[Wolfshade]

When is your army done?

I don't understand the question.

My legion is never done.

[silashand]

What means this word, 'done'?

[thrawn404]

I think the poll should be expanded a bit.

I buy models based on appearance but also based on tabletop performance . . . I mean at the end of the day i'll never buy Grimnar Claus, and I'm pretty sure all those Thunderwolf Death Stars users didn't fall in the love with the models first and realized their game winning potential after.

[Clymer]

I'm really surprised to see the results so clearly skew towards appearance. I would have figure this to be pretty evenly divided between A, B, and C. Even when you add A and C together because they're so similar, appearance is still the clear winner.

So I guess GW's "they're not our customers" contempt for players who buy models to play the game is justified, to some degree, byt this poll.

[Deacon Ix]

When is your army done?

I don't understand the question.

My legion is never done.

It's the same with Snowboards and bikes - what's the ideal number? n+1, n being the number you already own

[Erik Setzer]

I'm really surprised to see the results so clearly skew towards appearance. I would have figure this to be pretty evenly divided between A, B, and C. Even when you add A and C together because they're so similar, appearance is still the clear winner.

So I guess GW's "they're not our customers" contempt for players who buy models to play the game is justified, to some degree, byt this poll.


Not really. The poll is limited.

1 and 3 are very similar, so you could almost add their results together. And some people will go with 2 because they feel like rules are important, but they don't want a model that looks awful on the table, so they place value on appearance, even though rules are still a consideration.

If people would buy models for armies they don't play just because they look cool, and that was most of their purchasing, with no gaming intent taken into consideration in the purchase, then perhaps a concept of "the games aren't that important, so neither are gamers" would work. But I think if such a poll was honest, you'd find that it's very rare someone spends a majority of their hobby money on models they don't consider the usefulness of first (and not "Is this the hardest unit I can buy?" but more "Will I actually use this in a game?").

[kublade]

I feel like the titled question and the poll answers are extremely different.

I put together a decent sized Tyranid army, a year into the 6th edition BRB. I enjoyed playing at my local game store nearly two to three times a week. I played for fun, and I certainly did not get models for pure looks and coolness, however that influenced what I would get occasionally. I got what I felt would be a good addition to my army, while being playable.

However I never went for tons of tervigons and flying tyrants, they just weren't fun. I played walking tyrants often, with that amazing +2 armor save they had at the time; I loved using multiple scything talons for those re-rolls on all hits and such. And then came the 6th edition Tyranid book, which took away much of what I loved and enjoyed about my Tyranids, and made them less fun to play. Once more, 7th edition BRB came out, dramatically changed how using Psychic powers worked, and once more kicked another crutch out from under Tyranids.

Since then, I haven't really played much, I occasionally play 7th with a Space Marine army I had also collected on the side for fun, but I certainly won't be buying models for Tyranids until I feel like I can have fun playing them again.

This is of course my personal opinion/experience. But I felt like GW really weakened Tyranids and destroyed the fluffiness of Tyranids in their 6th edition book. So do I buy models to collect them, or play them? Definitely to play, but collecting on the side. If I'm not playing, and/or can't enjoy playing my army, then I won't be collecting more for the sake of collecting.

[Cutter]

From the options given I chose 2, Appearance based, because it's the most relevant of the options listed.

The actual determining factors most of the time? Price and materials.

I've just started messing around with my Battle for Macragge and Assault of Black Reach marines, which have been coloured in as smurfs.

I fancy a Calgar to go with them, my bangles and spikings have a chapter master so why not the smurfs too?

Obviously I'm not going to hand GW 40 quid for a box of failcast/finecost/flailcrap when I can get the same minis in metal off ebay.

[Arkhan Land]

kinda want to clarify I wish there was an other category though from an analysis standpoint aint always useful. My style is I buy what the hell ever used and kit-bash like maaaadddd to build the units I need. whats available has really started to shape my armies. All those DV bikes around for 2 bucks a piece? chaos bike swarm! all those cultists at all used stuff bins? Vraksian Tyrant's Company!

[Fist of Dorn]

Rule of Cool, always has been always will be

[Charistoph]

I buy a few for appearance and fluff and then build to support them and have a variety of options to do so. When I started my Necrons, I like Praetorians, so I purchased for a Judicator Battalion rather than the Canoptek Harvest, even though all I needed to get was Wraiths and a Spyder and still need to get at least one Stalker.

Of course, I've gotten bored of the armies I do that with and sell them off before I get any where near done.

[Rissan4ever]

I buy mostly for army list reasons, but I also buy for appearance. If something looks cool enough, I'll find a way to put it on the table.

[mattblowers]

I buy to collect.

I have 17,000+ of nids, 10,000+ of IG, and 8,000+ of Eldar.

I play a lot too, but I want to be able to field anything from my codex (and I do, though formations is making this harder).

[Wolfshade]

Rule of Cool, always has been always will be

Most important rule

[Joshua Rosenblum]

I chose "size based" but really, none of the choices accurately describe why I collect models.

I collect miniatures because I have a nasty case of obsessive-compulsive disorder that compels me to buy at least one of every undead skeleton figure in the 25-32mm scale. I've been doing this for 25 years give or take. Rules, appearance, army lists, whatever - has no bearing on it. I just keep buying and adding to my massive Skeleton Legion.

So my army is never "done".

[grimmas]

Appearance based, the rule of cool is all.

But an army is never really finished my Guard army has been a work in progress since about 1989 and is still getting added to.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I personally took it as asking what the first thing you consider in purchasing a model is. For me, it's the look all the way, but rules are important too, IMO. I don't look for tournament grade ability, just to see what role a model takes and how I can use it. Fluff is also pretty important for me.

E.g., I have a Broadside I bought when I started my army along with the 6th Ed Tau Codex. I built it with a Railgun because it looks awesome and was cool in Dawn of War. Sadly, as many Tau players know, the Railside is kinda rubbish. Especially compared to the Missile Mitten variant that I personally don't like the look of, despite it being superior in terms of rules. Still, I run my Railside and he occasionally performs, but I painted him up pretty nice so he's not going to be wasted. Same with many of my Forge World Guard tanks, which are often mediocre at best, but look lovely and so get table time now and then because I spent a week painting that Macharius Vanquisher, so dammit, I'm using it!

My current 2K list is entirely made of painted models I'm chuffed with, performs alright, and fits my army fluff. Entrenched Guard list with air support and a Tau list in reserves. Essentially it plays out as my Gue'vesa holding the line with heavy losses, 'til the air cavalry swoop in with outflanking and deep striking Tau who help save the day.

I tell you, the MVP of that list is the Breacher Squad in a Devilfish with Darkstrider. It's always nice when models I enjoyed painting and think look cool also kick some posterior. They relieved my beleaguered Guard and took down a Tervigon and a Trygon Prime each in a single volley of close-up firepower. They play exactly how I like playing Tau: close and risky, but with some serious dakka. :)

[Ruadhan2300]

If I take a step back and look at my collection, I would reasonably say my Necrons and Tau are both done.
I haven't added anything to them in months, I haven't played with them in longer.
They hit a point where I was looking at kits on the shelf and realised I had multiples of pretty much everything and simply no desire to rehash stuff I'd already done.
Both those armies are about 3500 points apiece. I've bought a few kits here and there, stuff like the new Ghostkeel suit, commander battlesuit and probably I'll get around to the stormsurge at some point, but my passion for the army has faded.

But it varies depending on armies. my Guard are still expanding well past 2500 with no sign of stopping, but they have a wealth of model types and unit composition above and beyond those other armies combined.
My 30k era mechanicum are 3500 points and rising too.

Broadly I'd say my army is done when I lose passion for it and move onto something else.