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In some other threads, I've heard GW criticized for catering to their "core market," a group of players who allegedly play every faction, switching armies constantly to whatever is the "new hotness." This, some people say, is why 40k is categorically and eternally unbalanced and has such odd release schedules.

It seems to me that there are several problems with this theory:

* Who has the money to play like this?
* Who has the storage space to play like this?
* What about Warhammer Fantasy? I'm newer to Fantasy than 40k, but the game doesn't seem to have nearly the same issues of balance and scheduling. The game is far from perfect, but nowhere near as bad. I don't know if Middle Earth Battles is plagued by any of the same problems.

The fact is, I've never met or even heard of someone who falls into this category. I've met and heard of people who serially sell and buy armies on eBay, sure, but that doesn't help GW. I've met and heard of people people who play the new hotness by proxying in their old armies. But I've never met the guy who has a Blood Angels Army that he boxed to play Space Wolves, which he put away to play Imperial Guard, which he boxed to play Grey Knights... I just don't think he exists.

What do you think?

Only a very rich person can do this! I know people who do jump about but only one person I know has seriously started most of the armies, he has all bar two of the 40k factions I think but even he does not have them all!

The example you gave of Marines poses a problem.

The "every army player" you mention in that case is an individual who, usually, will just claim that their Red Marines are really Grey Marines and X weapon is really Y.

It's far harder to do such a thing with minimal effort for Fantasy, where the majority of races have very different things going on.

More than enough players bandwagon the shiz outta 40k. Others simply play the armies they like.

I own 4 armies, all 3000 points +. I wish I had a few more, but I know my limits (painting... UGHHH)

I know a few players who have 4-6, one 8, but it's hardly bandwagoning or because they're rich, it's because they have been playing forever

I own:

Tau
Tyranids
Eldar
Chaos Daemons
Ogre Kingdoms
Dark Eldar

and I used to own Necrons

I have not bandwagoned any of these armies, I have owned them all for years and years, with the exception of Daemons which I started collecting recently (acquired a large bit in an awesome trade) and Dark Eldar (started more or less by accident). I haveplans to start additional armies as money/time allows.

Ive had tyranids since I started collecting years ago..

but over the last couple years i got bored, and have had forays into eldar, dark eldar, and recently grey knights, all because of various models and fluff that i liked and wanted to buy and paint up.

Think im on about 1500-1000-500-800 tyranids-eldar-DE-GK, and thats only cos grey knights units are a lot more pointspermodel so its easier lol

money wise, im skint tbh, most of its been finded through ebay or bargains in local stores. I would assume thats how most people manage it!

I keep wanting to find my perfect army though, but you need at least 1000points and a couple games before you can really see if you enjoy it. Until then its just models and fluff.

Which is why I may soon end up with a defiler on my shelf, but oh well!

Yeah, a lot of my stuff is funded by trades/sales/discounted product/tourney winnings, etc. so GW ain't getting much of my money, and I hardly consider myself to be GW's "core market" since I supplement my stuff with lots of third party minis. I buy what i buy because i like the fluff and i like the models, not because im a rabid fanboy.

I own BA/SW/DA/UM, and sisters form the imperial side. I have Tyranids, Orks, Eldar and Chaos form non imperial. The only ones i dont own are the tau, necrons and DE and thats because my mates got them.
All of these armies are at least 2k pts except sisters(1.5k). I`ve been collecting since start of 2nd edition but had been playing longer.
I may be that type of collector but i always did it for the look of the thing or some such reason but never for wins. Also never really on impulse i tend to plan my purchases out over a period.
I think looking back over all the years i think ive spent on average about £30 a month, and i mean every month almost without fail, over 15+ years. Not too bad for a hobby i love.

The only codex i suppose you could say i bandwagoned was the nid codex. I had a bunch of models and thought wahey perfect time to start my nids up proper, Learned that lesson.

kryczek wrote:I own BA/SW/DA/UM, and sisters form the imperial side. I have Tyranids, Orks, Eldar and Chaos form non imperial. The only ones i dont own are the tau, necrons and DE and thats because my mates got them.
All of these armies are at least 2k pts except sisters(1.5k). I`ve been collecting since start of 2nd edition but had been playing longer.
I may be that type of collector but i always did it for the look of the thing or some such reason but never for wins. Also never really on impulse i tend to plan my purchases out over a period.
I think looking back over all the years i think ive spent on average about £30 a month, and i mean every month almost without fail, over 15+ years. Not too bad for a hobby i love.

The only codex i suppose you could say i bandwagoned was the nid codex. I had a bunch of models and thought wahey perfect time to start my nids up proper, Learned that lesson.

YOu said the only ones you don't own are tau necrons and DE, but that still leaves chaos (whichever one you didn't mention) GK and BT...

I think I can happily say ive never gone on any bandwagons... I got into eldar a year or so after their last codex, and only cos I liked the avatar and wraithlord models and the aspect stuff.
The closest Ive come is starting up grey knights a couple of weeks ago, which was all cos of seeing their new models on the GW website (after a year of not playing or buying any 40k at all...) and liking the dreadknight model and the paladins stuff.

Course then I come on Dakka and find out that everyone hates grey knights, but hey sod 'em lol

I know someone who has a 2 stacks of unopened 40k boxes 6 feet high. Every time i see him at the FLGS he buys a couple more, and he says hes building every army

kryczek wrote:I own BA/SW/DA/UM, and sisters form the imperial side. I have Tyranids, Orks, Eldar and Chaos form non imperial. The only ones i dont own are the tau, necrons and DE and thats because my mates got them.
All of these armies are at least 2k pts except sisters(1.5k). I`ve been collecting since start of 2nd edition but had been playing longer.
I may be that type of collector but i always did it for the look of the thing or some such reason but never for wins. Also never really on impulse i tend to plan my purchases out over a period.
I think looking back over all the years i think ive spent on average about £30 a month, and i mean every month almost without fail, over 15+ years. Not too bad for a hobby i love.

The only codex i suppose you could say i bandwagoned was the nid codex. I had a bunch of models and thought wahey perfect time to start my nids up proper, Learned that lesson.



YOu said the only ones you don't own are tau necrons and DE, but that still leaves chaos (whichever one you didn't mention) GK and BT...

Sorry man i honestly thought that 4 marine armies was enough. As for GK i actually sold them before the codex was released. BT was never my thing also my mate runs an imperial fist successor. Oh yeah it`s Iron warriors with some 1ksons.

Yes, they are out there, but they are not the primary customer by a long shot in my opinion. I can think of two guys at my local store who would fit that category. One buys who armies at a time, and the other peices them together over time.

I myself have a Space Marine, and Eldar army, and I'm currently (very slowly) building a Dark Angel army for my son, who won't be ready to start learning the game for maybe 2 or 3 years.

Well, I tend to work in "projects" by and large (which extend beyond GW). I pick up a concept that interests me and create an army, usually in the 1500 pt range for 40K and play it. Once it gets boring I Ebay. Though I have some "nostalgic" armies I often see myself returning to (Ultramarines), I consider it rather silly to personally "identify" with a certain faction and aim for some form of exclusivity in ones approach to the game. It's a hobby after all, not a marriage.

ElectricPaladin wrote:In some other threads, I've heard GW criticized for catering to their "core market," a group of players who allegedly play every faction, switching armies constantly to whatever is the "new hotness." This, some people say, is why 40k is categorically and eternally unbalanced and has such odd release schedules.

It seems to me that there are several problems with this theory...

The principal problem I encounter is that I find myself wondering on what evidence the statement is based? Naturally redshirts and White Dwarf will pitch every new army as a "must have", but I'm far from convinced that equates to a coherent strategy based upon selling every army to their "core market" (whatever that is). Moreover, given the constant litany of complaints from grognards (myself included) that recent fluff and sculpts represent a kiddification of the game universes, and a drift from the (however slightly) more mature Frank Herbert/Michael Moorcock/H.P. Lovecraft/Fritz Leiber* influences to generic sci-fi/fantasy, and the impression gained upon visiting any of their stores that GW's primary demographic comprises twelve year-olds who will play for a year before getting bored, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe they have any such market in mind, unless you have some compelling evidence to offer to the contrary.

*Delete according to taste and system.

If you buy every army because you were told to by GW, you need to rethink your life. If you're like me, however, and have 3 or more armies because you think they're cool and you like the fluff, then there is no problem at all with owning everything. My budget allows for a lot of spending, as I have next to no expenses, and won't for the next two years at least, so I am free to save/spend as much as I want. Within the limits of my paycheck, of course, I don't have unlimited money

When I was really young and just started playing I started with fantasy with my friends. I started with lizardmen bought a few boxes of stuff. Then the Dark elf army book came out and I switched armies, and did so once again when the vampire counts book came out. I then quit fantasy because after spending hundreds of $ on it I didn't even have a playable army due to jumping around.

And while I originally started with necrons in 40k back before their 3rd edition codex I have since started sisters of battle (who replaced necrons as my favorite army) Black templars, Emperors children, tau, dark eldar, and chaos daemons. That isn't including the models for some armies I have bought just to paint or had an idea and on a whim bought a few starting pieces. (Such as my wraithguard army that never got past 5 wraithguard models and a wraithlord, or my DkoK army that included a few tanks off ebay and a single command squad.)

So while I don't buy the newest army, I have a lot of armies I enjoy playing or painting.

Well, I have several playable 40k armies: BA, SM, GK, Eldar, DE, Chaos, and Orks but wouldn't call me the every-army player, and I don't know a player of this kind.

I currently have the following armies.

Points cost are simply the base with zero options.

Marines: 2600pts
DE: 4500pts
Nids: 3100pts
Chaos Marines: 2800pts
Chaos Daemons: 1500pts
Necrons: 3000pts
IG: 1000pts

I gave away an Ork army to a neighbor that was just sitting on my shelf with about 2000pts.

I wouldn't call myself rich, but I'm certainly not hurting either. Been playing for 3 years.

DE was the only army I bought based on what I saw in the codex. The rest were simply because I liked the look.

So, to summarize:

Most real life players who post on this list have one or two armies.

Those with the most armies - either due to money or long involvement - have upwards of three, but not more than six.

I don't think that the full-bore bandwagoner exists. I don't think catering to that market is the reason for GW's odd choices.

I had a stated goal/dream of aquiring a 1850 army of each and every codex current in 40k.

Then my wife found out.

So.. no longer a dream.

However, I DO have ... (all painted)

40k Marines (home brew chapter), at close to 7000 points (FULL Company with alla da extras) that can run as BA, DA (Deathwing), or vanilla..
Space Wolves - home brew, different paint scheme
Tyranids - 2k worth of stealers
Sisters - 2500 points
Orks - 3500 points, enough to run several builds, not enough to go green tide though
Necrons - about 1500, scarabswarm
IG - 2500 mech build, tank heavy

Partially painted -
Eldar - 3000+ points, can run foot or mech or walkerspam

Unpainted awaiting time
DE Jetbike spam, wych spam
SM bikers - to be added to the homebrew chapter so I can run Ravenwing
Ork Stompa - cause.. why not?
Chaos Daemons of Slaanesh
Nurgle Death Guard (got an army, want a better codex first)

I have never really had the desire to get a GK army, but.. looking at my list, I am sooooo close to the old dream, maybe if I can get it cheap on BT or the Swap Shop... hmmmm...

-Porkuslime

Besides store owners and their children (all who are very cool and open with their stuff), not many people I know own more than 3 armies in any usable quantity.

I own:

UM: 6000+ points maybe more
Tau: 3000 points
Ravenwing: 2500 points (currently ran as WScars)
Templars: 2000 points
Orks: 2000 points
IG: 2000 points
CSM: 1500 points
SWolves : 1000 points
Grey Knights: 1000 points

None or which I've bought while they were "hot" (quite the opposite in fact, I like to by forces when they are at the bottom of the heap, used, abused, and unpainted).

I would value my forces well over $12,000, given their paint jobs and conversions... I'm sure that I have not spent more than $2500 in the past 19 years (how long I've collected 40k stuff).

I've spent a total of $500 tops on "new" 40k stuff, GW does not like me from a marketing standpoint. I bargain shop and avoid their points of sale completely (nothing against them, I just want my hobby money to go as far as possible).

I own 3 SM armies, 3 CSM armies, Orks, Tyranids, Tau and Dark Eldar (and Dwarfs, Orcs, Tomb Kings and Ogres for Fantasy). And I don't even play anymore, so I rarely bitch about the rules. Truly I am the ideal customer.

Loyalty!

I only have 4 armies, and don't intend to get any others, ever.

I have about 20,000 worth of painted tau
I have about 5000 worth of IF (~full company)
I have about 1000 worth of DE
I have about 1250 worth of oldcrons

I wouldn't say I am playing every army but I own 5 armies. I bought Grey Knights as my first new army after Sisters becuase I thougth they looked cool. Daemons I bought becuase I wanted to do a large Slaanesh daemon army. I have about 100 of the old Diaz daemonettes and 15 Diaz Seekers. The IG I bought to supplement my Sisters in Apoc and it grew into a real army as I started buying lots of tanks. The Space Marines I bought I really got into Raven Guard.

IG (around 6000+ points lots of tanks)
Sisters (around 6000 points with the new codex costs)
Daemons (around 3500 points worth Slaanesh daemons, not all GW models though used)
Grey Knights (around 1000 points)
Space Marines - Raven Guard ( around 2500 points)

I own medium-size armies (1,500+pts) of:

Dark Eldar
Eldar
Ultramarines(my starting army from back in 2nd edition)
Legion of the Damned (ala the 3rd ed. cursed founding rules)
SW 13th Company
Oldcrons
Sisters of Battle
Kroot Mercs

But.... I have also been painting and collecting them for over 15 years.

I only play what I find to be cool. I have never played the "bandwagon" army. If anything, like Kroot mercs and SoB from when they (first) came out, I actually like niche armies the best. My Necron army is even 90% metal 2nd edition Warriors/Immortals/Scarabs/Lord.

See sig.

Meh I've got about 2000 points of Tyranids and 1000 points of Tau.

I do want a third army and it will be a MEQ army, im just not sure whether it will be SM/GK/SW/BA etc.

GW's market is the same as it has always been - people in it for the long haul. The game is too expensive to be purchased set-piece all at once up front, so they rely on people getting into the game and then making a whole bunch of purchases over a long period of time.

It just so happens that after being this kind of a consumer long enough, eventually you will, in fact, collect a bunch of points worth of a bunch of armies. As such, GW does technically target those who have several armies, but this is an accident, not a deliberate marketing decision.