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.