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Space Marines. 40K has a totally badass posterboy.

WHFB has nothing like it.

40k haz all da dakka in it!

For me its the tanks. I get to build and field large stompy robots, tanks, planes, etc.

Fantasy has some great looking monster creatures, but still nothing compared to any of the larger vehicle kits. You just cant go vroom vroom pew pew in fantasy and I do it all the time in 40K.

I really don't care about the setting, its all about the vehicles for me. As such I almost started an Empire army solely because of the steam tank when it was released. But then learned you only can field one and lost interest.

GW pushes 40k harder than fantasy, I imagine that is one reason. Another could be that fantasy is much more difficult to play than 40k is. Its like checkers vs chess in my mind. Honestly I don't prefer one game over the other, I think both games are excellent and that fantasy is rather underrated. But that's just my opinion

 Avinash_Tyagi wrote:


But on a more serious note, I think the fluff and army variety of 40K is more interesting.

Are you gaking me? There's no way that the armies in 40k are more varied than WHFB.

I've also found that the "grimdark" aspect to 40k can get to be really tiresome. WHFB is a nice break from that. And on top of that, it shows me how much more badass the Warriors of Chaos are than the Chaos Space Marines.

Price and pop-culture

Scifi is more popular then fantasy rite now in pop culture (Halo, Star Trek remakes, Super Hero movies, Titanfall, ect..)

Cost for sure as others have said.

But I find the fantasy minis take longer and are harder to paint. If you just need a tabletop ready army, spray some color base paint, hit a coupla spots with metallic paint, drybrush and viola. Your space marines are done. Hard corners, suits of armor and giant tanks are amenable to single color basecoats and some quick drybrushing.

Fantasy figs always seem a lot harder to get right. Not necessarily more detailed, but harder than a tank.

pancakeonions wrote:
Cost for sure as others have said.

But I find the fantasy minis take longer and are harder to paint. If you just need a tabletop ready army, spray some color base paint, hit a coupla spots with metallic paint, drybrush and viola. Your space marines are done. Hard corners, suits of armor and giant tanks are amenable to single color basecoats and some quick drybrushing.

Fantasy figs always seem a lot harder to get right. Not necessarily more detailed, but harder than a tank.

It all just depends on the army. Lizardmen are pretty quick to paint. Tomb Kings are probably the easiest army to paint, ever. There's a few armies that you can get away with coloured spray basecoat, pick out a few details and then a wash.

You are not going to get a perfect representation of gamers feelings here as you are asking this in a 40k forum... the opinions therefore maybe a bit skewed.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Saying that, one thing I would like to say is - try sticking together a regiment in WHFB and then try putting them base to base. Maybe its because I played chaos, but unless you thought ahead with EVERY model before glueing, they would not end up being able to be put base to base!

 DarkWind wrote:
Price and pop-culture

Scifi is more popular then fantasy rite now in pop culture (Halo, Star Trek remakes, Super Hero movies, Titanfall, ect..)

for me this is it. All discussion regarding which is more tactical or which has the most vibrant back story is opinion. In my opinion fantasy is much harder to master as its all about movement and magic, while40k is all about shooting and cover. I play orks and lizardmen, both unique, and both have great fluff, so i put them equal on that front. I believe people play 40k because its cheaper (less to paint) and scifi is popular at the moment. The fact that fantasy is a more complex game, and that while 40k has the imperium, fantasy has no race a player wants to relate too (would you prefere to be a spacemarine or a spearman) are also key factors for younger plyers.

Poly Ranger wrote:
Saying that, one thing I would like to say is - try sticking together a regiment in WHFB and then try putting them base to base. Maybe its because I played chaos, but unless you thought ahead with EVERY model before glueing, they would not end up being able to be put base to base!

GW have gone absolutely stupid with this. Back when I first started, most models ranked up fine. These days, most models don't rank up without some coercion. And then even the ones that do rank up, when you play a game you won't be able to move them in to base to base contact with an enemy unit because even the ones that rank up overhang the bases and will hit the enemy models.

It's so amazingly stupid that they can't figure out in a system where models are ALWAYS in base contact with another model, maybe, just MAYBE, you shouldn't make models bigger than their bases.

More people play 40k, therefore more people want to play it. Self-perpetuating thing. Cost and "tactics" don't make a big difference either way, in my opinion.

In terms of individual narrative moments that capture the imagination, "sci-fi" ideas captivate people more readilly. Incorporating elements from action movies that people have grown up with also helps to trigger an emotional response.

On top of which, in 40k, its easier to have a cinemantic experience on a 1:1 level where you identify with an individual model. It's hard to identify with, or follow the action of, an individual WFB goblin in a unit of 60 of them. But when one of my unfortunate grots ends up being charged by a Howling Banshee Exarch, you bet I can identify with that moment.

It's because most war gamers start out when they are wee little kids.

When you are young, you are apparently attracted to large amounts of violence, walking mechs, tanks, genetically modified superhumans so on so forth.

WHFB does, in some ways, appeal to the slightly older person. Anyone with historical knowledge will happily tell you just how much of a slaughter some medieval battles could be, but it doesn't compare in scope to utterly destroying your foes with a sixty foot tall walking deathmobile.

 Wilytank wrote:
And on top of that, it shows me how much more badass the Warriors of Chaos are than the Chaos Space Marines.

you wot m8

 welshhoppo wrote:
It's because most war gamers start out when they are wee little kids.

When you are young, you are apparently attracted to large amounts of violence, walking mechs, tanks, genetically modified superhumans so on so forth.

WHFB does, in some ways, appeal to the slightly older person. Anyone with historical knowledge will happily tell you just how much of a slaughter some medieval battles could be, but it doesn't compare in scope to utterly destroying your foes with a sixty foot tall walking deathmobile.

I started when I was about 10 years old and started with WHFB, as did most of my mates who started back then.

I second the AllSeeingSkink, although I was slightly older. Teenage me was far more interested in Bretonnia than Chaos Space Marines.

It's actually science fantasy. Same genre as another hugely popular franchise, Star Wars.

MarsNZ wrote:
I second the AllSeeingSkink, although I was slightly older. Teenage me was far more interested in Bretonnia than Chaos Space Marines.

I was doing it as a sweeping generalisation. I was interested in WHFB too, but 40K was cheaper.

 welshhoppo wrote:

MarsNZ wrote:
I second the AllSeeingSkink, although I was slightly older. Teenage me was far more interested in Bretonnia than Chaos Space Marines.

I was doing it as a sweeping generalisation. I was interested in WHFB too, but 40K was cheaper.

I don't think it's really a useful sweeping generalisation when really there's plenty of kids interested in both.

I can get my fantasy fix in d&d, video games, movies (LotR etc) etc.
Sci-fi is more interesting to me, and in lower availability as far as games go, I'd be much happier with having some sci-fi tabletop action with cool units like space marines and tanks and spaceships, than having MORE fantasy

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Wilytank wrote:
And on top of that, it shows me how much more badass the Warriors of Chaos are than the Chaos Space Marines.

you wot m8

Chaos Vikings >>>>> angsty boys with daddy issues.

 Wilytank wrote:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

 Wilytank wrote:
And on top of that, it shows me how much more badass the Warriors of Chaos are than the Chaos Space Marines.

you wot m8

Chaos Vikings >>>>> angsty boys with daddy issues.

Clearly then what we need is CHAOS SPACE WOLVES

I used to do WHFB but it died at my club so i got rid of it all and then it began to come back...

The game itself is good, arguably it is way more balanced than 40k seems at the moment (i'm not joking...).

However the setting seems to be left behind by the ever varied 40k one where pretty much anything goes (even if it does massacre the good old fluff!!!). The Horus Heresy is a prime example, that piece of background has been turned into its own game off the back of 40k. Now as far as i am aware no other game has done that.

Of course fantasy seems to have been done loads of times over the years and has gone stale. Game of Thrones however is a bright spark in that regard i've nearly read all the books and they've been fantastic.

40k has none of those problems all those big bugs, tanks, space marines, riptides etc are far more inspiring to many as they fire your imagination (who wouldn't want to be a riptide pilot ) Warhammer may have the army variety but they seem 'bland' when compared to the 40k offering. That is counting marines as one whole by the way, in saying that 40k has the imperium as the vehicle for the story. Whereas fantasy does not, and i think that is the major issue.

Just my humble opinion...

WayneTheGame wrote:

 Wilytank wrote:

Chaos Vikings >>>>> angsty boys with daddy issues.

Clearly then what we need is CHAOS SPACE WOLVES

Well, if that is what you want, just have your chaos marines paint “feth authority” and “Ⓐ” all over their armors and rhinos, and rename their bolters into wolf-fang-claws-wolf-bolters. You will basically get chaos space wolves in all but name.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

WayneTheGame wrote:

 Wilytank wrote:

Chaos Vikings >>>>> angsty boys with daddy issues.

Clearly then what we need is CHAOS SPACE WOLVES

Well, if that is what you want, just have your chaos marines paint “feth authority” and “Ⓐ” all over their armors and rhinos, and rename their bolters into wolf-fang-claws-wolf-bolters. You will basically get chaos space wolves in all but name.

In other words, what we clearly do NOT need is Chaos Space Wolves.

I'm finding it strange that some people are saying that 40k has been popular, so people are playing it, and that others are saying that the fantasy genre has been popular, and therefore it's stale, so nobody's playing it.

 Ailaros wrote:
I'm finding it strange that some people are saying that 40k has been popular, so people are playing it, and that others are saying that the fantasy genre has been popular, and therefore it's stale, so nobody's playing it.

I agree funny how people have varying opinions on how popularity effects things.
I geuss it all depends on the person, the local club etc.
I do get tired of 40K sometimes so I play my Fantasy army then I get tired of it so I switch back. I don't think I get tired of the genres in general though I always flip flop between the two (read a fantasy novel, read a sci-fi novel etc etc)

 Wilytank wrote:

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

WayneTheGame wrote:

 Wilytank wrote:

Chaos Vikings >>>>> angsty boys with daddy issues.

Clearly then what we need is CHAOS SPACE WOLVES

Well, if that is what you want, just have your chaos marines paint “feth authority” and “Ⓐ” all over their armors and rhinos, and rename their bolters into wolf-fang-claws-wolf-bolters. You will basically get chaos space wolves in all but name.

In other words, what we clearly do NOT need is Chaos Space Wolves.

Regular Space Wolves are already Chaos enough as it is...

 Ailaros wrote:
I'm finding it strange that some people are saying that 40k has been popular, so people are playing it, and that others are saying that the fantasy genre has been popular, and therefore it's stale, so nobody's playing it.

I'm sure it varies from location to location and I'm sure some opinions are wrong as well. From my experience, back when I started both 40k and Fantasy were very popular, so it didn't matter which one you played you could find an opponent. I had a couple of friends who collected 40k, a couple who collected fantasy and a few that collected both. Going to the local store pretty much any day of the week with either a 40k or a Fantasy army in your bag and you could find a game easily.

These days, not so much. It's hard to find a Fantasy game, and while it's not hard to find a 40k game, it's harder than it used to be. So these days, I think the popularity of 40k works in it's favour.

I honestly don't see how fantasy is more expensive....

20 zombies for 35 bucks? Hell yeah!

I personally don't like 40k all that much. I like the primarchs... that's about it.
I think the rest of the setting is utter gak. As for game mechanics, you cant bring fluffy lists that inspire the imagination as many have said, because BOLS said you cant. You have to build a certain way and break the codex to get a good game out of 40k. Otherwise your opponent blasts you into oblivion with ap1 and 2 weapons.

Ranting aside, I still don't see why 40k is so popular! The armies are not varied (pick your marine!) And every gun is a bolter. Some bolters rend, others are range 18... but they are still bolters. There is nothing inspiring about marines.

Now an empire regiment who is campaigning against a vile skaven army is inspiring. If any of them speak of the skaven, they take a permanent vacation from life. But if they don't fight the skaven, then their little Germanic style village will be burned to the ground, and all of the people of the empire would be in danger.

I think fantasy touched on more personal notes with 1 cooler characters and 2, the fact that only heroes are heroes. Not every single guy in a unit can carve out a name for himself.... no. Only those. Blessed (cursed?) Enough to take on vile daemons, cannabalistic beasts, and giant rats (in one sitting some times!) Have the honor of being a hero.

Plus you can tactically set up charges, and dish it out like an ancient battle, its a big grind fest where the better general usually wins. Bring your deathstar! (Looking at you WOC) I'll match it with raw skill.
In 40k I bring a LOC 3 DPs of tzeentch lvl3 (flickering fire) then minimum troops, then chariots. I win, unless I roll gakky, then my opponent wins. Much like rock paper scissors. As opposed to.....chess.