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So it seems pretty common knowledge that 40k outsells Fantasy by a pretty large margin, which lets face it is pretty good for what began as a set of additional rules published in White Dwarf!

But I'm curious to find out why the Dakka inhabitants who don't play, erm, don't play it.

I know it's most likely down to personal tastes, but I do find Fantasy to be a far more satisfying game. I have a greater affinity for Fantasy settings over Science Fiction/Fantasy, be it books or films (barring Star Wars, which is clearly made of WIN). The 'more to it' movement rules, the presence of applicable Psychology (in so far as you might never need to throw a punch in HTH to force your opponent from the field), and that I somehow find the character more heroic.

At the risk of sounding like a rampant Fanboi, I just don't see how anyone can not enjoy a game of Fantasy?

So tell me non-Fantasy playing Dakkaites, what's your story?

P.S. Just to make things clear, this isn't meant as an attack on those who don't play it, and I am not for a second trying to insinuate you are somehow a lesser Hobbyist for not doing so. The question is open and frank, and non accusory. Please answer similarly.

Well I can game one night a week at the most and most of the gamers in my FLGS play 40K. That just about settles its. I started out playing Fantasy decades ago but I have a better chance of finding a game if I play 40k. Having said that, it looks like my gaming club is going to be alternating between the two systems starting next year so that will be great because I love playing Fantasy.

Fairly do's.

In case anyone was wondering, I decided against a Poll, as I find it extremely difficult to come up with options which aren't stacked to my own opinion, and I didn't think that was a great way to kick off!

I own armies for LOTR, 40k and Fantasy, and of the 3 my 40k army has always been the winner for me. I haven't touched my Lizardmen in ages :( I find 40k easier to learn and I never had a fantasy opponent until recently. Maybe I'll get back into Lizardmen when my Tyranid army is ready.

I try to collect fantasy armies as much as possible but:

A) most of the armies i would consider getting haven't got very good models for their core units.

B) i can't help but find it boring to paint like 20 models all the same and thats 1 unit!

C) plaguebearers, metal models, 5 to a pack, im probably only going to be interested in a mono-nurgle list so it's a waste of money if they're going to release plastic soon.

other than that i'm all for WHFB.

Daft as it may sound, the thing that really puts me off Fantasy is trying to model minis so they stand together in a regiment. Always seem to end up with a halberd in someone's eye.

I guess it's not that hard for some armies, but for others it's a pain in the arse and detracts from the experience of putting together a collection.

I find the fluff behind 40k so much more involving than fantasy. I play the game because I like the backstory, and I like the models involved. I really don't care too much about the rules, they are more a means for an end. I'll freely admit that fantasy has a better rules set. I still will never play it, because it just doesn't have the same grimdark feel that 40k does, and thats the only reason I love the game in the first place.

The main problem I have is that of money.
I can spend £42 on models for 40k
or I can spend £42 on just the rules and army book for fantasy, and considering that I paint more than I play, I go with the models every time.

I used to prefer fantasy to 40K, but the recent power creep issues have put me off playing. I'm going to give a go with Lizardmen again soon. And I've tinkered with my O&G to get them up and running. But most of my friends are 40K fans, and WOTR seriously competes for my attention.
Someday, I'll have time for all of them!

Flashman wrote:Daft as it may sound, the thing that really puts me off Fantasy is trying to model minis so they stand together in a regiment. Always seem to end up with a halberd in someone's eye.

I guess it's not that hard for some armies, but for others it's a pain in the arse and detracts from the experience of putting together a collection.

Just ran into that meself. Procured Lokhir Felheart to lead my shiny new Corsairs, and because of the angle of his Sword, he can only go in the front ranks left hand corner. Which as a freak about symmetry in my units (Banners ALWAYS in the middle ) narks me somewhat.

Thats the left hand as you look at the Regiment from the front. Doubly annoying, as he has a rule that allows him to move freely within the front rank when in combat.

Fantasy was my first love and I still prefer playing it but haven't had a game in years.

No one else in my group plays with the exception of one guy with a wood elf army gathering dust.

I always felt it was the more tactical game until reading recently of the daemon army, which sounds nothing short of stupid and broken.

Well I want to play fantasy, but I have no army yet.
I do have an army book though.

I have been looking at the Perry twins samurai range and working out how to create an empire army built from them...

I don't like the way the majority of your figures exist just to fill out ranks and be removed as casualties. I also don't like its weird scale issues that it carries over from not being a 1:1 (1 model = 1 man) game such as archers not being able to fire in two ranks.

I prefer skirmish style games and would probably play 40k (still) and LotR if it weren't for their other problems.

I find fantasy to be more on the power gaming side now i dont mind power gaming in tourneys and when doing practice tourney lists but i find it hard to find a casual game for fantasy. With 40k it also only takes an hour or so for a 1500point game compared to 1 and a half to 2 hours of fantasy due to the rules bickering or long magic phase or whatever eats time.

My desire for mediaeval type combat is satisfied by involvement in historical wargames.

I was seriously put off WHFB by my experiences with early editions. I know it has improved since then, but even so.

WHFB doesn't offer as scope for building and converting tank kits, etc, which is how I get a lot of my fun out of the hobby.

I have enough on my worktable doing 40K.

Spare energy goes into my various historical interests.

i have after looking around the gw site decided and reading the tournament articles in white dwarf decided to start playing fantasy more often it's currently between the following:

vampire counts,
tomb kings,
empire (though i hate the new great swords),
skaven,
daemons and finally
lizardmen(not liking the cold one cavalry)

any help on these? any armies i might like but have overlooked? i like to play armies that i can theme.

Sounds like it's your opponent there Vindicator#9. I think any game, when bogged down in rules bickering/one phase taking too long soon loses it's appeal. Guys I play with are well versed and experienced, and we can knock out a 2,000 point game in little over an hour.

To add i also dont like the way the units are so close together and never seem to stay square. I obviously prefer skirmish type formation so if all are in range of firing weapons all can fire.

As for which army, what appeals to you about each one listed. Only one I wouldnt reccomend right now would be Tomb Kings, on account they should be getting redone in the not too distant future (after Beasts of Chaos I hope!). They can still compete like, but I suspect the range will be getting an overhaul, and with any luck the models will get better and better. Roll on plastic Tomb Scorpions!

@mad dok grotsnik you are prolly correct but i still have a hard time finding anyone who wants a casual game where you throw together a random list to see how it does.

There are more 40k players than Fantasy players, so it's easier to get a game in. I also don't have the time or money to learn a new game system and start a new army. I have one friend who wants to play though, so things might pick up.

I've played tons of fantasy games in my time and fantasy never appeals to me as much as sci-fi, or sci-fantasy. The medieval orc/dwarf/human aesthetic doesn't do too much for me, even with all the weirder armies out there.
Edit: By "fantasy" I don't mean "Warhammer Fantasy" - just other games like it.
PS: I don't like magic in games.

The only reason I don't play Fantasy is simply that I prefer the fluff to 40k, and I guess I've always had a fondness for sci-fi settings instead of 'swords and sorcery'.

Don't get me wrong, I have considered playing Fantasy a couple of times, but my brother collects 40k so it's much easier for us to stick with the same gaming system.

However, if I went into a local GW and was asked to try Fantasy, I definitely would give it a shot.

I got tired of opponents being all anal and snarky about ranking up. I take a fairly casual approach, that if they're in a generally geometric formation, that's good enough. If one more melon-fether had reached over and started straightening my front rank, I would have murdered the bastard.

I just don't 'get' fantasy.

In any case, I blame my mother, who put me onto SF at the age of 6 (I went for a hearing test where it was determined that I only had 40% hearing - since surgically remedied (now at 80%) and afterwards, she took me to the local SF specialist bookshop.).

I tried reading Lotr at school, and it bored me to tears.

The movies (later on) still didn't help - I slept through them - yes, even Pellennor fields (sp?) - apparently one of the louder scenes - and the climactic battle in RotK.

40k combined all of the SF tropes into one melange. It had elements of Dune, Starship Troopers, Judge Dredd, Foundation, Deathworld 1-3 - which was what I had been reading at the time.

Fantasy doesn't have enough guns or tanks.

It does if you play Empire.

(actually, one of the reasons I like WOTR a lot is that it has no guns or steam powered stuff. I like me some steampunk, but it's nice to have some classical straightforward fantasy too.)

Flashman wrote:Daft as it may sound, the thing that really puts me off Fantasy is trying to model minis so they stand together in a regiment. Always seem to end up with a halberd in someone's eye.
I guess it's not that hard for some armies, but for others it's a pain in the arse and detracts from the experience of putting together a collection.

Kilkrazy wrote:
WHFB doesn't offer as scope for building and converting tank kits, etc, which is how I get a lot of my fun out of the hobby.
I have enough on my worktable doing 40K.

Neith wrote:The only reason I don't play Fantasy is simply that I prefer the fluff to 40k, and I guess I've always had a fondness for sci-fi settings instead of 'swords and sorcery'.

George Spiggott wrote:I don't like the way the majority of your figures exist just to fill out ranks and be removed as casualties.

What they said.

Flashman wrote:Daft as it may sound, the thing that really puts me off Fantasy is trying to model minis so they stand together in a regiment. Always seem to end up with a halberd in someone's eye.

This. I started with High Elf spearmen (facepalm). Moreover, I could happily play just about any faction in 40k but find almost none of the fantasy ones interesting at all. Even so, I'd love to field Chaos Warriors.

Time.

I only have the time to paint, write about, and promote one game at a time.

Though I do sneak Fantasy projects into my painting queue.

I am just not into Fantasy when I game any more (whether RPG or Wargaming). 40k probably fulfills whatever "need" I have for Orcs & Elves in my liife, so that might be part of it. I do collect LotR somewhat but I like that rulesystem better than I do either WFB or 40k. I do not think I have played WFB since 40k came out (yes, that long ago).