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I have been involved with the Games Workshop hobby for about 16 years. I have had ups and downs, but when I look back on the past 16 years, I have to say that GW has provided me with inestimable enjoyment. My very first exposure to our hobby was back in '94. I was 14 years old and there was this really nerdy kid at my school. I happened to be passing him as he was putting something that caught my eye into his locker. I proceeded to seize what I would later identify as ultramarines from his hands. This was memorable for two reasons: I had never seen such detailed and intricately painted "toys", and, the shriek of fear and rage that he let out was chilling as he slammed me back against the bank of lockers hard, glaring at me with contempt. It seemed silly at the time, but he had the look of someone protecting something cherished. It was a real WTF moment for me. A few months later I was walking down Queen street in Toronto and I came across my first GW store, recognizing the same blue models that the kid had had. The flame of interest flickered, but I never stepped in. Months later, I was in a bookstore and happened on a White Dwarf. I think this was the catalyst. Soon thereafter, every month I would check out the latest issue--reading it cover to cover while standing. I really enjoyed those days.

Eventually I bought some models--metal death company, as it happened. I should mention that my family life was...rocky. The combination of paint fumes and painting away the hours was a kind of bliss. I guess that for me, the painting aspect of the hobby was, and perhaps still is, the most enjoyable component--perhaps because I have never been able to convince a single person to pick up the hobby, and thus gaming opportunities were limited in those early years. It's not that I'm not persuasive, I think it's just an expensive and time consuming hobby. Over the last decade, there have been lots of snapshots: my wickedly hot cheerleader girlfriend discovering my "little men" and subsequently, my realization that I would have to dump her, using superglue to close deep wounds, discovering the fraternity that comes with meeting and becoming friends with other hobbyists, and one day, many years ago, finding a website called "dakkadakka" where I could glut myself on material related to my ever-increasing hunger for the hobby. So many more memories, I couldn't list them here; though even if I did, I don't think I could convey the sweet nostalgic feelings that they conjure in me.

Eventually, I came to a point where life squeezed the hobby out. It happens, I guess. For six or seven years my interest lay dormant, fed only by surfing dakkadakka on occasion. Wholly unworthy substitutes replaced it. Like WoW, for example--what a waste of two years! Then about six months ago, something interesting happened. I realized that I had grown up. I don't know how it happened. All of the sudden, I had graduated university, was in a stable career, was living alone in a foreign country, had a sweet and supportive girlfriend, and I had been unconsciously cultivating myself by picking up those things expanded my mind, and letting go of that which did not. So I decided to get back into the hobby. It always had a kind of gravity to me. Maybe, it's focusing on something small in your hands for hours at a time, but I just let go of all my stress and my mind goes sort of blank. It's great when you live in a city like Tokyo.

When I said "get back into the hobby" I meant diving in, full force. Now, I've been that hobbyist gamer guy budgeting for that next blister, shaking my fist at GW for their unabashed wallet grabbing. These days however, I appreciate that this hobby is very fulfilling for me and I don't mind paying for it. That said, to get back into it, I really went to town. I bought two full armies worth of models (Tau and Space Wolves), and every modeling supply you could think of. I do mean everything. What follows now will be my space wolves army, which you can follow in the P and M blog section, aptly titled "AesSedai's Overly Ambitious Space Wolf Army". I named it so because not only is it my first attempt at anything modeling related in several years, it will be a "truescale" (I don't like this term really--lets say "suitably big and imposing like you'd picture in yer head") space wolf army. I'll talk more about the specifics in the blog.

Well I've rambled on long enough--

Cheers

I was going to yell "WALL OF TEXT CRITS YOU FOR OVER 9000" and storm off, but then I actually read it.

Welcome back to the brotherhood.

Thanks friend, it's good to be back!

Regarding the wall of text, how can I fix that? It's painful.

Make things into paragraphs.. you know with the enter button. Just hit it twice.

Done, still hurty though.

I pity the fool who sees my post and doesn't understand what just transpired.

Well.

I played Dawn of War. I thought the Space Marines were cool. Thought the Orks were lame the moment one opened its mouth all I could think of was killing him family. Then!!! the Chaos Marines and SINDRII!!!!!! entered. And I was sold. However my parents looked at the prices of the models and pointed me at Magic Cards and stuff.


Years later I got a paper route. and I decided to buy the CSM battleforce and the Codex. And made a army. I was Iron Warriors or something first. Then I traded my Chaos army for a IG army.
Then I sold the IG for money and now I'm 100% sold with Chaos.


Vampires?

Well I always thought undead soldiers were badass, this got me into it. Although I don't like Vampires after "Twilight" and the recent pussifying of Vampires.
Yea I made up a word, I'm that crazy.

Where it's going?
Gonna hit 2k points with my Nurgle Marines then the same for Vampires. After I buy Drums and a 360.

Then it's time rock!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHADOWBRAND! What are you doing?

Really want to know?

....I'm fapping sir.

-bows head in shame-

That was just... inappropriate...

Then again, I'm just about at the point of posting random stuff too, so maybe we should just sign off for the night and stop disturbing the peace?

-Shakes his hand with his left hand-

Yea... I got work in the morning too.

Oh, and that hand's clean.

Shadowbrand wrote:Really want to know?

....I'm fapping sir.

-bows head in shame-

That...is so off topic.

Anywho- Aes Sedai- I am becoming that person eating up all the models I can find. I have an Ork Army, an in progress Tau army, a mostly assembled Space Marine army, and some Chaos Marines I just picked up in trade. And this is all because my 10,000+ MtG cards and 1000+ DnD miniatures don't interest me atm.

P.S.- I assume you read the Wheel of Time. Good forum name.

Thanks, I enjoyed the series.


Question for you: Are you okay with collecting various armies and having different things on the go? I hadn't really thought about the distinction. I guess there are collectors, painter/modelers, gamers, etc. and every combination and category between. Personally, I am determined to impose a clearly defined structure on my pursuit of the hobby. Like doing all the collecting (done), all the modeling (in progress), all the painting, then all gaming. Meaning no painting until modeling is done, no gaming until everything is 100% painted. What do you think?

All of it is on my floor in various stages of painting/glueing.

So far, orks are about 75% complete, SM all primed and modeled, and Tau/CSM mostly sprued.

It's good to try the models out before committing to them, as an army may not fit your play style.

But is is your call what you want to do. Whatever floats the boats, keeps the kraken from attacking, and the buoy from bobbing.

I tried to do that, with no playing until all the painting was done. Then I realised that I paint so slowly it would actually be several years after I died that I would actually have painted everything

So I play with as many of my painted models as possible, but will still bring out my unpainted or partially painted things to play with as well. After all, you may as well get as much use out of what you have as is possible.

I also suffered from "I want all of that stuff" syndrome and so have 6 different armies (2 WHFB armies - one is for my wife if I can ever get her to play, and 4 different 40K armies). Most of it is 2nd hand and most of it is unplainted or painted badly by prior owners.

Now I am regretting this and seriously thinking of selling a lot of it and concentrating on what I actually want to play.

I agree with WarOne though that it is a good idea to play with them, as you may spend a long time painting them only to find that you don't like a particular unit, or even whole army, so you can cut your losses more easily as it were.

Anyway, best of luck with your hobby, I hope you get a lot of enjoyment from it

Thanks for the advice!

By the way, I clicked on the link to your nurgle army. They're wonderfully grimy. 3500 points must require a good deal of focus to bring to completion.

No problem, and thank you

They are still far from done... only painted a handful of it to completion and I have had them over a year (I am really slow at painting and it is the aspect of the hobby I least enjoy as well - love playing and converting instead )

You make up the army list to start, then get the models up an running, and paint a unit every couple of days.

Ive cranked out a small Dark Angel compant in the past month using this technique.

The real issue is going to come up when you buy a large army on a whim, the start it, trhen get about halfway through the first box of troops to figue out that you absolutly LOATH the army in question.

Wasted 300 bucks on Eldar to learn that lession.

You set milestones and deadlines for youself that are reachable, attainable, and realistic, and then you just get to it.

Started when I was 14.....have had breaks and such but am still rolling strong.

I started with Heroquest. Picked up WD120 for painting tips and never looked back!

Dude, I love your initial post. I'm in a simular situation, grown up in a comfortable relationship, not long back into the hobby. I also share simualr memories to you. It was a joy to read and reminds me of my past hobby memories involving GW and other things such as Magic and hanging out at the local hobby store. Some very good memories indeed.

Welcome back into the fold and thanks for putting a smile on my face.

Thanks man--I knew that there must be others like me out there. I wanted to share it with those people largely because, except for the people I've met through the hobby, my other friends and even my family still give me the old "wow, you still play that game" or "are you doing it for money?". After 16 years you'd think that people could wrap their heads around the idea that its a deep and rewarding hobby with an international following, rather than playing with dolls or some such idiocy. Anyway, I always wonder if I would have preferred having these same people join me from the beginning. In truth, I think I'm glad I did it alone. It's one of the few cases I can personally relate to where being solitary has never once been accompanied by lonliness. Interesting..

All I gotta say is your initial post was amazingly put together. You're right, there are many of us who can relate.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane and reminding some of us where we came from to better appreciate what we've gone through and where we are today (whoa what a mouthful).

Same here! Started in thr early 90's as a young un', stopped for over a decade as real life became the biggest game in town, and now back in the hobby.

You know, I think I enjoy it more this time round! I paint, chill out, have a good laugh and discussions with likeminded people and play the occassional game, an escape from real life for a few hours.

My missus totally gets it, lets me have the "man room" for my hobby and even goes into the GW to pick me up toy soldiers occasionaly! Happy days!