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I can get out a 2000pt SM army now (if I squeeze the Codex until it squeaks) and have been in the hobby for 6 weeks.

What pointage/time length would you recommend I climb to before thinking about a second army?

If I have a second army, should I go with another 40k army or a wfb army?

I dunno. I have an headache. Luckily I know what 40k army to go for if I go that way. I like the adaptability and flufffriendliness of IG.

2000pts. is pretty good. This is a very relative question and it has no answer, but I can tell you what I would do in a similar situation.

I would keep building my SM army until I was 100% satisfied that I could field a force to handle any enemy and also I would not start another army until the entire SM army was painted to completion.

I would also accomplish everything I want to accomplish within one game system before I learned a new one.

woah nelly....

After 6 weeks you can do 2k of marines? If they are painted I will be forced to slap you with a wet kipper

If not, break out your brushes!!!

To be honest, I'd stay with marines for a while. Play plenty of games, work on your painting, try different options (SM are a good base to try different play-styles as they can be built in many different ways).

When you feel you've exhausted the possibilities, then look at changing...

I suggest 1-1.5 years with an army before you move on... i know a kid who tries to get a new army ever week because he can't focus....

Focus

90% painted (I have ze free time). 1 tac squad and one Razorback to go, plus finishing touches on a bunch more.

Hmm, hmmmmmm. Continues to think.

i tend to with marines kind of have a 1500pts base army then for 2000 point games lots of extra 500pt options, so stick it all together and i probably have 3000+ points of stuff. But by doing it that way you have a nice flexible army which will allow you to try different options... i think calvin is right try lots of options and then when you have exhausted most (dont need to do all) the options move on.

If you are thinking of moving on though IG are a pretty good option fluff wise, though it would probably be best to keep concentrating on your marines till they get a new codex and you have a better idea of what you want. I have one guard army and want to build a second but wont do that until i know the kind of changes i can expect.

Or if you simply want a change of things to paint etc see if anyone in your area is up for small skirmish games of 150-250 points, make up house rules for them (for picking units that can be used). It can be alot of fun, and a good diversion when you get bored of painting power armour

My reply is purely opinion, so take it as you'd like.

Six weeks is a blink of the eye for this hobby, especially considering the money involved. Wait until six months or so, then try another force. Play a lot of games, try your buddies' armies, work on painting, and play a few tournaments. If you find yourself buying new armies every couple weeks, unless you have the money to support it then there might be hobbies more suited to your tastes. (a collectible game like Magic the Gathering, for example) Above all, have fun.

I'd build your marines up until you can field 2000 pts. comfortably (ie: you codex doesn't squeek when writing the list). Then, it sounds like you'd like to do Guard. If you already know that much, then that's the direction you should go in. Always heed the call of an army! Forcing yourself into an army is never a good thing, either you like it or you don't. Good luck!

If you really, must, absolutely build another army get a Fantasy army. That way you can paint and play with your SM for a while and get good with them without having another army from the same system to deal with.

For me, an army can be considered complete when you can field 2500 points without being forced into selections. Usually that means 3000 points, but if you have a large amount of customizability in your force it can be less.

You could get some Daemonhunters or Sisters to use as allies.

With the new codex there are plenty of new units in the space marines army to buy and build.

it depends on your own tastes in your own army

for example with marines being as i have been an imperium player from day one every so often i add more units into the army every so often (at last years Games Day i bought the box set of 4 land raiders as i'd never really had any before that) and with the new dex theres stuff i want to add, like i want to have a full company which even though i have 5000 odd points of them i still cant do (god bless 4th ed Las Plas Squads)

however for other armies like guard i like very few specific things about the army, namely infantry and artillery and Leman Russ', hence that is all my army focus on and with the new guard dex i will add some more stuff based on how the list works but still keep it around the 2000 - 3000pt level and not much bigger (the baneblade i have was an impulse by at the GT god bless beer and a GW store being in the same place)

other armies i build specifically for tournaments and leave the army as it is until a new dex comes out and i have to change it, for example i have my friendly iron warrior list and my tourny army im building at the same time, once ive hit the right balanced with the tourny list i leave it as it is so i can get used to the army inside out before taking it to a tournament

so the answer is really down to you, do you want a massive army that can play in the larger games and have the option to be able to swap and change your list from game to game or do you want an army for a specific points limit and leave it at that?

Really, it comes down to what you want to do and what you feel is right for you. You have to ask yourself: Am I in this for the modelling/painting or the gameplay. If's it just modelling and painting, buy and paint whatever model you want. If you're in it forthe gameplay, stick to one army, playtest it extensively and be prepared to have some models sitting on shelves collecting dust because you realize that they suck for your army/playstyle. I'm guessing you're a mix of both so find the right balance.

Since I don't really know you too well, I'll tell you what I've done and hope it helps.

I've been playing 40k for a year. Since I don't have alot of free time, I've slowly been building up an SM army. Got about 1000 to 1200 pts assembled and painted, though they don't make a cohesive army together, especially with the new codex. However, this time has allowed me to extensively playtest my army and get a feel for how I want the army to play.

Also, I'm quickly building 1750 points of Nurgle Daemons. The FLGS is putting on a tourney in a week. When I first heard about it 2 or so months ago, I didn't think there would be enough time to playtest and model a SM army based on the new codex so I set my SM aside and bought my nurgle guys and am scrammbling to get them done in time for the tourney. (Tourney doesn't require complete paint jobs, but it's the principle. Besides it's scientifically proven that the Dice Gods favor painted armies)

Hope that helped and good luck with your marienz!