One of the main criteria I have when buying new models/units is whether or not I like the models. If I like the models then the unit will find a place in my armies, regardless of how effective they are on the battlefield. Likewise, if I really dislike a model there's no way I'll pick it up purely for how good it is in game. Since I lean more toward being a collector than a competitor it's not a problem, but I was wondering if competitive/tournament players buy/paint/play models they dislike as models, but like for their use in the game.

E.g.: I like the IG, but I know I'll never run a Taurox. I like the Eldar, but the Wraithknight is probably my least favourite model in the entire Eldar range.

On the flipside, do you ever run sub par units purely because you do like the model and/or the fluff?

Great topic!
I'm the same way. If the figure is lame, I won't use it, I don't care how great it is on the table. If the figure is super awesome I'll try to find a place for it.
However, if the rules are so awful that fielding it is harmful to winning, then I won't use it. My favorite figure is the Penitent Engine, but its so painfully useless that I just can't use it.
I actually don't like the exorcist model, but I love the rules so I convert whirlwinds.
I like the jakero's rules, but hate the concept of the figure, so I convert.
I love dreadnaughts, but they suck, but I use them anyway.
I try to find a balance between looks and effectiveness.

I have penal legion and old kroot in my army. Along with tanked out sergeants and commissars. No heavy weapons. I sold off my competitive armies recently and now im left with the mediocre but really nice to look at imperial army.

I am definitely style over substance.

I balance it a lot. You can expect both units like Nurgle Spawn and melee-equipped Khorne Chosen in my armies, simply because I like both.

My Biker squad is full of plasma guns but I would not have taken plasma guns if I thought they were ugly.

Same thing with my Melta-Raptors, my winged DP, et cetera ad nauseam.

I just can't resist fielding massive swarms of hormagants, they just look so cool on the battlefield and they seem like the sorta thing every Tyranid army should have.

However on the flipside, I love the Lictor model but dropped him from my army back in 5th, after his spectacular death streak.

I've never been tempted by the biovores, pyrovores. I hate the models. So I guess that means I'm all about style too!

I am all Theme/Style over Substance.

For my IG -
I have Rough Riders and a Fortress of Redemption.
No Flyers, No Leman Russes.

For my Necrons -
I have Flayed Ones and a Doomsday Ark.
No Flyers, No Annihilation Barges.

I will use what I like, looks/fluff wise even if they are sub-par units.

As for the flipside, I'd like to grab a Penitent Engine someday, even if they're somewhat ineffective on the tabletop. They have a cool model and fun fluff.

I wouldn't use a model I didn't like, however I would build or convert something else in order to fill a slot.

I've done that a lot for my Tyranid army, partly to make everything fit the theme of snake creatures.

My CSM army at this point, is pretty much my style, and fun army. I use stuff like Daemon Engines, Warpsmiths and even regular CSMS!

I'm not too fond of fortifications, but I sometimes use an ADL with my Dark Angels. Never with my orks. Hiding behind some slabs of ferrocrete? That's not something the boyz would do!

I use missileside's even though I hate the model pose over the railside.

Swastakowey wrote:I have penal legion and old kroot in my army. Along with tanked out sergeants and commissars. No heavy weapons. I sold off my competitive armies recently and now im left with the mediocre but really nice to look at imperial army.

Why no heavy weapons? I ask because the only ones I use for infantry squads are the missile launcher teams and maybe the mortars. I just don't like the look of more than one guardsman on a single base.

When the stormtalon came out I was on the fence about it’s looks. The mechanics pushed me over the edge to picking one up, and it’s grown on me since.

I don’t own any centurions. They offend me from a fluff stand point, and I dislike the look. That said, I’ve seen nice things done with the kit, and am willing to have some flex on what I include.

Back in 5th? edition of WHFB I was fielding a rot-free undead army. No zombies, no ghouls. Just skeletons, wights, wraiths and the like. Then my friend got me a flock of carrion. Rotting giant bird things. “Nev, you need these” he said, and was correct. They added a fast moving unit to harass war machines or lone backfield wizards. Something my shambling horde could not get to easily. But they were a slap in the face to the “style” of my army. I fielded the little buggers though, and made my friend regret getting them for me.

I don't like vendettas , because they weight a lot and are hard to transport , but I use 2. I never wanted to play marines , but I have 20 grey hunters , a rune priest and coteaz . I never wanted to buy fortifications , but I had to buy an aegis . I didn't realy like how IG look like , but until I got my hands on a lot of cheap resin Infinity Volenteers .

I don't think I realy liked how any of the IG models look like , save for karskin veterans.

When I play 40K, the Rule of Kewl trumps all. I play with several models just because they look kewl, not because they are very good on the table. For example, when I was running my Dark Angels, I had an entire squad of Veterans armed with Bolt Pistols and Plasma Pistols. I called them "The Gunsligers". At about 40 pts a model, the unit was the most expensive one in my army, but seeing this on the table:

This was just pure awesome in my opinion (wish I would have taken pix when they were painted. :( )

On the flip side, I strongly dislike (hate is too stong of a word) the idea of a genetically modified super soldier wearing power armor riding a motorcycle into battle. It makes no sense to me. I know, it's sci-fi and all that, but when you have Rhinos, Land Raiders, Drop Pods, Jump Packs, Thunderhawks, Storm Ravens, and heck, even teleportation, why would an army ever use a motorcycle to ride into battle? And the rules for them is just... they make me go "what?". My Space Marine suddenly gets tougher, faster, and can shoot more often while on a motorcycle? And when they turboboost, they gain an invulnerable save? How do they get the motorcycles to the battlefield? I've never even heard of how they transport them. Do they use Thunderhawks? Do they teleport to the battlefield, then race off as the vanguard? It just doesn't make any sense to me. I can see Scouts using motorcycles- they would need something fast to get around with. However, scouts have access to Land Speeder Storms, so... I could accept Jetbikes. Heck, I prefer jetbikes. It's sci-fi, and a jetbike in this setting seems appropriate. Motorcycles? Huh?

Off my soap box for a moment- I like to play with the units that look good to me. If it just so happens that the unit works well on the battlefield, great. When I ran Blood Angels, I actually ran Sanguine Guard and Assault Troops with jump Packs- and no Dante (such a horrible, horrible model). I really liked the fluff behind Meph, but hated the model. So I made my own and started using him.

The Centurions are one of those models that... just eh. The rules where intriguing, so I purchased a unit and played some games with them. The results where mixed- and even though the model is well sculpted, I just still can't get over the "Yo! I heard you liked Power Armor so I made you Power Armor that you can wear while you wear Power Armor! Bling!". Then you look at Terminators, and the sudden, inevitable thought enters your mind: "Why aren't these Terminator rules?"

Using a model or unit I don't like but is effective on the battlefield just makes me feel... dirty. Or sad. Like I've betrayed why I play 40K.

I use Biovores even though I don't like the official model, but I converted my own.

Rule of Cool is the only rule worth following. If the unit in question is onbjectively and irrevocably the worst unit in the world, detrimental to winning, then I'll still run it if it has cool fluff/looks/model/theme.

Sometimes cool models and effectiveness coincide, but I'd never play anything just for the competitive edge it grants.

I have 60 hormogaunts, 6 warriors with nothing but scything talons, an old one eye, and a swarmlord.

I totally go for the power units.

I drew the line of fluff vs effectiveness with the Repentia and Penitent Engines. They're too expensive and so utterly useless that I have to consider it a victory if they even reach close combat. Their so expensive that if I field them its almost a guaranteed loss for me.
There's nothing in the SM dex that I wouldn't take.
For Chaos, Mutilators, 1Ksons and maybe warp talons.
IG, Rough riders
Tau -
Eldar, Howling Banshees even though I love the figures and fluff.

Much like the OP, playing is something I do with my miniatures, rather than miniatures are something I buy in order to play.

I will absolutely play sub-optimal units if I like the models (or I'm pleased with my paint job) partly because I'm not that bothered by being über competitive and also because I like to test things out for myself rather than rely on Internet wisdom.

My one concession is I will try to run sub-optimal units as optimally as possible, so will give serious thought to wargear options, attaching characters, unit size etc, to try and give it the best chance possible.

But run models I don't like? Never. Absolutely the last thing I'd do in a wargame. If I want to run a unit that has models I don't like, I find some counts as stand-ins that I do.

I think I am balanced. Playing SM I use some bikes even though I think they are ugly but refuse to play a WS army because that is just too much ugly. I also think the TFC is the worst quality model made (finecast is crap) thus making it ugly. I have both because they work with my army well. I also buy and convert plenty of models for the cool factor though.

I'm a primarily painting/modeling player, and aesthetics matter to me most of all. I won't use a unit if I don't like how it looks or can't make a suitable conversion. Similarly, I'll include units that are less than ideal (tactical Terminators, powerfist sergeants, Space Marine captains on foot) just because I like the look of the models. Hell, if Rough Riders had cool models, I'd use them too. This is a good idea for a topic though, I'm liking the discussion!

I only field models I like, so no, my armies never include models I don't like regardless of how good they are or their rules.

Crisis suits. I love them, but they have a pretty old model so it is not very sharp, making it kind of crappy
.

For example, I wanted an Inquisitor and her retinue to go with my Sisters of Battle, so I wanted them to be all female. But I didn't really like the female inquisitor figure that wasn't available anyways. I also wanted jakero, but hated the idea of space monkies. I also wanted servitors, but thought the servitor figures were lame. Also, female acolytes and crusaders? Yup, had to find them somewhere else. So, I put them together and finally finished them this week. The two women with enormously huge guns are the jakero, btw. Since I hated the figures for a unit I really wanted I made them how I liked because I'll never use figures I think are stupid.

Dreadnoughts look so cool, I use one in almost every game - even though it almost never justifies it's point cost.

On the flip side, I refuse to run Vindicators or Thunderfire Cannons, because the models look so dumb.

I play Tau but won't use the Kroot cause I don't like how they look. Same with Vespid. If I made some counts as for Kroot I would (like IG or something).

I don't like SM Centurions or Land Speeders, so I won't use them.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Crisis suits. I love them, but they have a pretty old model so it is not very sharp, making it kind of crappy
.

I love the model, since I love 80s robots, but I like to source other weapons for them. I like Eldar lances and Gundum weapons

Annihilation Barges. Ugly as sin IMO, but way too good on the board to ignore.

Same goes with Canoptek Scarabs (non-converted ones anyways), but I guess they're so simple they're at least non-offensive.

On the flippity, the models for sword-and-board Lychguard and Flayed Ones I think look pretty cool, but I've never got any real competitive use out of them, so only played for casual or campaign games.

 doomdreamer wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
Crisis suits. I love them, but they have a pretty old model so it is not very sharp, making it kind of crappy
.

I love the model, since I love 80s robots, but I like to source other weapons for them. I like Eldar lances and Gundum weapons

I love the crisis suit models. I'm putting together a farsight enclaves army with a planned 21 xv-8s.

You have a favorite loadout stylistically? I'm looking forward to my squad of three with double flamers and 2 "heavyarms" squads with double burst cannons.

Depends for me.

If i love a model but its rules are poor, ill use it in casual games.

If its something i really need in my army but hate the model, ill convert my own version of it.

I've avoided SM bikes, centurions, and Wraithknights so far for both looks and fluff I don't like.

I was avoiding Harlequins for looks reasons (their fluff is awesome though), but some of my meta are so sick of Aspect Warriors that I figured I should field some Harlies where I can.

SM bikes have grown on me as a part of a Company. I think one squad would work, so I'm sure I'll get them eventually.

Kilkrazy wrote:I wouldn't use a model I didn't like, however I would build or convert something else in order to fill a slot.

This.

There aren't all that many models that I don't like, but when I don't like them, the quality of the models won't stop me from fielding the unit if I want to field that unit. It just means I need to break out the hobby knife, plasticard, greenstuff, and bitz box.

I don't like the taurox model any better than most, but if I wind up playing tempestus, I'll find some way of making taurox models that I like so that I can play them without feeling dumb.

On the other hand, have I ever played with something just because it looked cool? I don't... think... so. That said, I've included stuff in my army for non-looks reasons that wound up sticking around a lot longer than it probably should have because it looks cool. I'll also stick with an army style longer than usual if it has an appealing look to it on the table. For example, when I started playing the 5-vanquisher russ army I did, I had more incentive to keep sticking with it and making it work as my opponents adapted because it looked so cool on the table.

I started off in 6th with a dark angels army trying to be both. I love deathwing knights, just the whole da robes and power armour look. Of course, i'm actually pretty rubbish at winning per se, so i've started getting more and more into chaos as the aesthetic appeal is taking priority. If im gonna get shot to bits by tau gunlines, might as well look good doing it right

 MWHistorian wrote:
I actually don't like the exorcist model, but I love the rules so I convert whirlwinds.

I used to be ambivalent about the Exorcist - it's a ludicrous looking model - but over time I've come to love it. Despite being a 3rd edition model for a 2nd edition army it's so outrageous it feels like some relic of the RT era, before 40K started taking itself so seriously.

I do wonder if this was the inspiration...



But I entirely get how you wouldn't like it. It is very OTT.

For me, the miniatures are far too expensive to buy any that i find visualy repulsive.

I don't use models I don't like. Even when building a tournament army, I'll build it and optimize it only using models I like. No reason to spend money on buying ugly models, building ugly models, painting ugly models, and the effort of transporting them only for them to sit there and be ugly on a table.

I only buy miniatures when I like the way they look. The rules are only a secondary concern. Rules change, models not, and 40k is primarily a modelling hobby to begin with.

I'll only buy and therefore play models i like.

I have however magnetised scything talons and devourers for my bugs so they can go for looking great to beign good.

I loathe the snake aesthetic some Tyranid units have. So I'll never field them.

I've been tempted by Trygons but haven't given in.

For eldar: Warp Spiders. AMAZING rules...ugly as sin.

For DE: Wracks and Haemonculi. Not ugly per say, but more fragile then a 15 year old girls emotions.

I must be in a fortunate situation, because there are exactly 0 models in the Tau Empire codex I don't like the look of. They are all pretty awesome in my opinion.

Ok, I take that back, old stealth suits look much better than walking toasters. But since I have enough old style suits to field a complete squad I don't really notice.

Most of my lists I like to give some sort of style or theme to them... like putting a 5-man squad of Van Vets w/ jump packs and thunder hammers in a list which is HQ'd with matching captain that has a jump pack and thunder hammer.

I have a RIptide that I built, then promptly ripped apart again when the pose turned out to be utterly meh. I refuse to field it in anything less than the perfect pose, and I'll only ever field one. I didn't plan on getting on in the first place, but GW sweet talked my parents before Christmas.

I don't think I own one model that I dislike.

Its not that they haven't made anything thats lame...or rather things have aged terribly.

I guess the beauty of Orks is that so many 3rd parties make up for the terrible models left on the line, that I don't have to worry about much.

I don't field models I don't like. However, one can always convert if the stock model looks ugly.

I'm an impulse buyer with cash to burn.

Me and my wife's bloated collections can be just about anything.

I generally don't dislike any model, and sometimes just make my own/convert if I really want to.

I need a life.

I use Mandrakes! I win all of you!

Seriously, while i don't always use them Mandrakes and Scourges have some of the most beautiful poses and models in the game by a fair margin. Scourges are sorta useful but they are not competitive and everyone knows about the tactical sense of Mandrakes but when they look that good, who cares?

I love the look of scourges too^^^^^^^^^

Annihilation Barges...I use them, they are ugly

I had to use some old, old, old versions of khorne flesh hounds to get the squad size to 16. The ones that have been around since 2nd edition.

Well, absolutely not.

E.g., Flayed Ones or Wraithguard have no place in my armies.

I would never use the new flayed ones.

Lucky for me, I have 20 of the old ones.

If a unit looks awesome but has awful rules, I will buy it, paint it, and let it hang out on the shelf until I get an Apocalypse game going.

If a unit is hideous but has great rules, I'll seek an alternative model and use it as a count-as. I see no point in owning terrible things like GW Obliterators.

KingDeath wrote:For me, the miniatures are far too expensive to buy any that i find visualy repulsive.

Agreed. This is why I would never in 40,000 years field an Obliterator, or Mutilator, or anything of Nurgle.
Although, though I'm a bit on the edge about the Brass Scorpion, since it's ugly, but seems sort of good and it would be a welcome addition to my Khorne army.
On the plus side, I do think the Lord of Skulls looks epic.

wuestenfux wrote:E.g., Flayed Ones or Wraithguard have no place in my armies.

Flayed ones, sure, but wraithguard?

I don't play with models that have terrible rules on the TT just because they look awesome. But nothing stops me from painting them which is just as fun and a far better use for them. ie. Mandrakes & 1K Sons.

Generally I'll only get models I like, but if there is one I don't, ill just convert one that suits me isntead!

 MWHistorian wrote:

I love dreadnaughts, but they suck, but I use them anyway.

Hah, that's me.

Now that the WD rules for it are out, I've gotten myself the Flaming Chariot kit just for the Exalted Flamer so I can run him off of the Chariot.

Actually, I might not even build the Chariot at all. For $40, I essentially got the Exalted Flamer, a Tzeentch Herald, two Screamers, and a Disc Platform I'd rather use for my BSB in WHFB WOC. Maybe next time.

I don't like dumb looking models, noo way would I take the time to put it together, paint it, and play it.

I often run ten terminators.

I despise the Obliterator models, but want to sometimes field them in my Thousand Sons, so I converted up chaos termies with sorcerer heads and staves made of brass rod and the staff tops/bottoms in the Chaos termie lord kit. Fluffwise, they're a coven of sorcerers whose staves focus their offensive psyker abilities to the point they're as reliable and irresistible as lascannons/meltas/etc.

 the shrouded lord wrote:
I often run ten terminators.

I friggin' love termies but they are soo pricey.

Well, I'm the one that constantly rants about how much I like defilers and think they're better than the dinobots. It helps that the model is a huge angry spider tank.

Didn't like GW oblits so got alternatives, I can honestly say I like every model I own at this point.

Ever since they got that awesome plastic kit, I've run CSM Possessed. 'Nuff said.

 poppa G wrote:

 the shrouded lord wrote:
I often run ten terminators.

I friggin' love termies but they are soo pricey.

I know they 're just so damned awesome looking. I just love the little rhinoceroses.

Agreed, Termies are epic. I need more Termies.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Agreed, Termies are epic. I need more Termies.

agreed. I only have fifteen at the moment (I was forced to corrupt my other five) but I have another five incoming, at the cost of 30 bucks.

I tend to run only models I like. For that reason I will not buy Centurions. I just think they look silly, same with the Thunder Fire cannon. Every game I play these days are casual so the lack of new high powered units and sometimes piles of weak units don't bother me.

shade1313 wrote:
I despise the Obliterator models, but want to sometimes field them in my Thousand Sons, so I converted up chaos termies with sorcerer heads and staves made of brass rod and the staff tops/bottoms in the Chaos termie lord kit. Fluffwise, they're a coven of sorcerers whose staves focus their offensive psyker abilities to the point they're as reliable and irresistible as lascannons/meltas/etc.

Have to say, this is an awesome idea.

I recently converted some chosen from space wolf parts, i like the story behind the space wolves who turn to khorne but i doubt i will ever use them in a game. Way too pricey for what they do. Look cool though.

The great thing about playing orks is that you never have to compromise. If the model looks bad, convert or scratch-build.

Back when I played Tau, I bought Crisis Suits for the rules, even though I hated the models. Tried to convert a few, but never got them looking really good.

Rule of kewl. That being said, almost everything in chaos is kewl As frigg so I have no problem fielding my dream army, (which I admittedly don't own...yet) granted my army wouldn't necessarily be combat effective...

 the shrouded lord wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Agreed, Termies are epic. I need more Termies.

agreed. I only have fifteen at the moment (I was forced to corrupt my other five) but I have another five incoming, at the cost of 30 bucks.

I have four standard Indomitus chaos termies and two chaos terminator lords, but I will be getting a full ten man squad of Cataphractii in due time.

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 the shrouded lord wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Agreed, Termies are epic. I need more Termies.

agreed. I only have fifteen at the moment (I was forced to corrupt my other five) but I have another five incoming, at the cost of 30 bucks.

I have four standard Indomitus chaos termies and two chaos terminator lords, but I will be getting a full ten man squad of Cataphractii in due time.

*jealous*
are we gonna see pics?

I've loved the look and fluff of Asurmen and have fielded him in higher point games despite him not being effecient nor a force magnifier.

And I got into 40k and fell in love with the Eldar Grav Tanks, so that's why I choose them. I have always fielded them with multiple Falcons/Serpents/Prisms owning a total of 11 non-superheavy Grav Tanks for Eldar. Of course, when 6th Ed Codex hit, I became TFG for my army. :-P

I picked the army because I enjoy most of the models to begin with so that helps. Also not afraid to kitbash or replace models with identifiable and approrpriately sized replacements if I don't care for them. That comes less out of a "this is powerful" and more of a "this is cool" which admittedly is a blurry line.

I often use use models I love the look of over something more competitive(Scourges/Flyrants with LashSword and HVC). I don't buy models I don't like. If I do want to run something, I'll find a way to convert it to my tastes, or do without. These models are far too expensive to buy something that looks ugly- looking at you Hierodules.

My hobby is collecting and painting models, with which I can play games afterwards. If I'm spending money on a model, I want it to look good. In short, I care about looks over substance. If I don't enjoy assembling and painting a model due to not liking its looks, then what's the point of buying it in the first place? And so what if my cool-looking models are underpowered, I'm playing the game to have a good time, not to win. I wanted to test out some Obliterators in my CSM army, but I absolutely hated the fleshy look of the stock models. So, to fix that, I took some Terminators and converted them up to be carrying an abundant amount of guns. It works for me, they're very cool units. And my Vindicator? Khorne Defiler? Three Chaos Dreadnoughts? They may not be great, if even good options to take in 6th Edition, but that's ok, I enjoy seeing them on the battlefield, and have fun playing them. That's what counts.

That being said, I may sometimes have a list or unit that people find overpowered because I wanted to buy the cool models. It's been a few years that I've been dying to start a Tau army, but I told myself that I would wait until they get a new Codex before putting any money down on them. Once the first leaks of the new Tau units came out, I saw the Riptide and told myself that I had to buy that thing. It was so cool! Only after I was done painting it did I realize that people found it overly powerful, as well as the rest of Tau. Same goes for the R'Varna. I saw it, fell in love, and bought one.

Crisis Suits are sort of the exception to this rule, however. I absolutely love the design of Crisis Suits, but their models are gak. I bought some anyway, and cut them up and stuck them into more dynamic and interesting poses. They were a pain to work with, but it was worth it in the end, I think.

Only models I have that I really dislike are Oblits [God they're ugly]. Having said that I will 'counts as' with nicer models. E.g. I often run my Hell Blade as a Heldrake, and a Decimator as a Forgefiend. Annoys my friends a little but I don't see why I should have to buy a model I don't like just to run it.

I look for alternate to models I dislike but want in my army, but I wouldn't take units just on style grounds.

 the shrouded lord wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 the shrouded lord wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Agreed, Termies are epic. I need more Termies.

agreed. I only have fifteen at the moment (I was forced to corrupt my other five) but I have another five incoming, at the cost of 30 bucks.

I have four standard Indomitus chaos termies and two chaos terminator lords, but I will be getting a full ten man squad of Cataphractii in due time.

*jealous*
are we gonna see pics?

Yes.

We are gonna see pics.

I have not bothered to update my blog as I have been a little off the hobby of late, but in due time, things will come...

The Termies are not the top of my prio list, though. I have lots of unpainted stuff and I need to develop my colour scheme further before I can take on those centrepiece badasses.

I play Eldar but hate the way Warwalkers look. I will never buy one or field one...EVER. I am a painter first and player second and the idea of painting a warwalker is almost revolting.

I will never/rarely field a model I do not like.

 Erik_Morkai wrote:
I play Eldar but hate the way Warwalkers look. I will never buy one or field one...EVER. I am a painter first and player second and the idea of painting a warwalker is almost revolting.

I will never/rarely field a model I do not like.

It's funny how opinions can differ. To me the War Walker is one of the best models in the eldar range. This year I aim to build an Eldar combat patrol size force so I can finally own a few of them :p

Style for the most part. Biovores are considered to be great in the new nid dex but I can't stand their look so I won't touch them. That being said I really don't like bringing the same list every game so Im always painting up new models, eventually I'll have to bring biovores.

Style - I love my Harlequins :-) and I think Lelith is uber cool so my assaulty dark elder get plenty of opportunity to be shot to pieces!

For underpreformers I love my 2 max squads of Cadian Rough Riders. They do not always preform well and I know there are much better choices, but it is always fun to have them running around the board. I also have a squad of vets that I use with Harker that has 3X Sniper rifles. They always die for little gain, but the fluff of my army and how they are modeled just makes them fit too well to leave home.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/448593-Rough%20Riders.html?m=2

I leave behind some units that are "auto-takes". I refuse to buy a Manticore as I really don't care for the GW model. I liked the FW one, but as I can't find one I will not field the GW model. Happy that I already have 2 FW Hydra's as the open GW one just dosn't sit right with me either.

There's only one exception to my "I buy what I love" rule.
Penitent Engines.
I love the fluff. I love the looks. Heck, its my favorite looking model of the GW range. I've stated previously that I'll never actually field them because they're utterly useless, but I also won't buy any more because I've never seen a model that was so painfully un-fun to put together. You have to drill and peg every freaking piece. You have these long gangly arms in ball sockets with zero support from anything. Oh yea, its all metal too. So, you're drilling this heavy metal model that is as fragile as a "major award." It looks great once finished but after two I called it quits.

My army is 100% looks.

If it's a horrible looking model, it gets no purchase by me. I have completely useless units just because I think they're hawt, across all my armies. Conversely, very effective units in some armies are missing, because they are utterly atrocious to look at.

The Dakkajet i love, it's a warhammer Mig and just had to be converted for my Guard, i feel like the Cadians spoil my theme a bit but due to me fielding a Tanith squad just for the "rule of cool" i guess i have to let it go. Tau i play for looks too, hence why i have no riptide, it looks good just not 50 quid good. I also think the whirlwind is a great looking model which i may buy just for a painting job along with the "Master of relics" With that guy he looks like a legit 40K vox caster, not a WW2 radioman in the wrong time period.

I dont really run into a point where I have to choose, as I like all of the Tyranid models to some extent. But I assume I would go Aesthetic over Gameplay advantage. I mean, even with one under-preforming model that looks cool as hell you can still win with your ruthless cunning, right?

 DanielBeaver wrote:
On the flip side, I refuse to run Vindicators or Thunderfire Cannons, because the models look so dumb.

Really? I love vindicators (got my 3 when the Apoc box came out, before they were available as singles), and Thunderfire cannons (got mine in the SM spearhead for 5th, with all the other new metal kits, the drop pod, and the codex.)

Nope if I don;t like a model - I won't buy it.

I don't really play in tournaments so proxying models I do like is not normally an issue in the local community.

I will not buy of these for my armies:

Centurions, any of the plastic Space Marine flyers, Dreadknight, Taurox, Crisis Suits, Broadsides and Riptides.

O the other hand - I have not fielded some of my fav models in 6th ed for a long time such as Howling Banshees and Wyches.

Haven't seen a Tyranid models that's been a miss so far.

 -Loki- wrote:
Haven't seen a Tyranid models that's been a miss so far.

Now that I think about it, the only model I didnt like was the forge world Sky-Rippers. And those are completely useless anyway.

I've amassed three reasonable armies and didn't really consider my buying antics until now.


I'm pleased to say that I love all my models - maybe not the building and painting part (who could imagine painting 5 drop pods would be in any way stimulating unless you were sitting on them?)

The models I have I am very happy with and I don't dislike any of them - in fact I rather like all of them. The reason for this is that if I don't like the original model (for example Cato Sicarius' stance) I build my own using the same war gear. In Cato's case I used the Captain box with Death Watch parts.


In this way I have units and characters with the correct items / war gear / size and look, but in the style I want. I can use the rules for heroes but with the actual model accurately proxied - and this pleases me and it's clear to other players who can just look at the model to see what it's armed with (as well as my army list). It helps that my 5K C:SM army is based on an entire 'Death Watch' company (100 marines in that force + scouts and support). They look different but function exactly (and look exactly) as the codex defines they should.


The 2.5K / 3K (soon to be 5K with the addition of a Warlord Titan) Thousand Sons army was much easier as the models I wanted all looked awesome (I love the Rubric marines and there are plenty of parts to modify and construct sorcerers). I must admit the Heldrake was bought when I was having a 'meh' moment but it's grown on me considerably as I've painted it in the Thousand Sons colours (the black/red with gold images I had seen before didn't inspire me)

My Dark Eldar look... well, like Dark Eldar. It's a Sliscus based army with plenty of Trueborn, Raiders, Venoms and some Wytches which I like the style of very much. I only wish I had more Reavers.


In short, I think that the ability to crack out the Bitz Box to build legal proxies has kept me very happy and allowed me to make bespoke armies (or at least characters / units). While some people may tut about kit-bashing, it's what I love about it.

 Hive Fleet Cerberus wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
Haven't seen a Tyranid models that's been a miss so far.

Now that I think about it, the only model I didnt like was the forge world Sky-Rippers. And those are completely useless anyway.

I even like those. I do, however, wish they had a use. Now that we've got so many winged options - Tyrants, Warriors, Harpies, Crones, Shrikes, Gargoyles, it would be nice if Sky Slashers were useful and we could make a proper all winged list.

 -Loki- wrote:

 Hive Fleet Cerberus wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
Haven't seen a Tyranid models that's been a miss so far.

Now that I think about it, the only model I didnt like was the forge world Sky-Rippers. And those are completely useless anyway.

I even like those. I do, however, wish they had a use. Now that we've got so many winged options - Tyrants, Warriors, Harpies, Crones, Shrikes, Gargoyles, it would be nice if Sky Slashers were useful and we could make a proper all winged list.

Wait, aren't Shrikes just winged warriors?
Also, as far as I know, Sky-Slashers are just as usefull as there ground counter parts, the rippers. That is to say, completely useless, but atleast they are equal.

I would never play a model I don't like just because its good.

Having said that I won't waste my money on an army I know I'll never win with, which is exactly what's stopping me from getting back into 40k.
The gulf between competitive and non competitive choices is just too much to allow me to enjoy one properly without the other.

Yes. I do run models that I like. In my IG, I have five vet squads and a CCS of all old catachan models (metal only). I just don't like the plastic catachans. As far as not effective but fun to play, mymCommissar Yarrick, 5 Ogryn, in a Chimera w/ dozer blade. Expensive unit,for,the IG, but a lot of fun.,

 Hive Fleet Cerberus wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:

 Hive Fleet Cerberus wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
Haven't seen a Tyranid models that's been a miss so far.

Now that I think about it, the only model I didnt like was the forge world Sky-Rippers. And those are completely useless anyway.

I even like those. I do, however, wish they had a use. Now that we've got so many winged options - Tyrants, Warriors, Harpies, Crones, Shrikes, Gargoyles, it would be nice if Sky Slashers were useful and we could make a proper all winged list.

Wait, aren't Shrikes just winged warriors?
Also, as far as I know, Sky-Slashers are just as usefull as there ground counter parts, the rippers. That is to say, completely useless, but atleast they are equal.

Yes. Momentary brain fart. But still, we have the units for an all winged list, but just lack the slight FoC shenanigans to make it happen (Gargoyles to troops, Harpy to Heavy Support).

Skyblight Swarm lets you nearly run an all winged army.

I am guilty as charged over fielding Style over Substance.

I am a collector first, casual gamer second and competitive gamer third. I try to make competitive armies out of ecclectic stock, which fortunately does work due to the toolbox natures of my armies.
That being said if the model looks crap it has no place in my collection.

So my Imperial Guard army is footslogger because I dont like Chimera models, and now they have the even uglier Taurox will remain on two feet.
This is odd because all my other armies are partly or fully mechanised.
My Eldar, Tau and SM armies contain one of every unit, no more, no less. Thats the collector talking.
Variably outfitted units like Crisis suits I have enough for multiple squads of, mainly because when you outfit the models differently you get different models, and I have to have a large range of add ons also. Some I don't like such as Wraithguard so I have none of them.
When it comes to my tanks I have one of everything, but the mainstay tank of the faction gets more because its supposed to, not really due to how effective it is. I actually like the Leman Russ model, so I have no problems having two Russ and a Demolisher, but I have no artillery as I dont liker them. My IG army is old and I am not tempted to get more tanks, but might bitz order more turrets and get alternatives this way.
Finally core units are deployed with enough for three to five Troops squads, because it looks better to have a good line of basic infantry. Depending on faction all of this will have a vehicle transport or be mounted on bikes etc.