Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=&categoryId=600005§ion=&aId=2500007a
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=&categoryId=600005§ion=&aId=9600027

Take a look at the links above. It's GW's sample armies, ranging from 1500-2000 points and from $325-$400 at the most expensive for the totals of them.

Now, what's the average Space Wolves tournament army people use going to cost you before discounts?

http://www.kentishrogues.co.uk/index.php?topic=201.0

Just about $500. And that's before buying all the bits for meltaguns and missile launchers. And I assumed the characters were all converted from left over figures from the box sets, which I DIDN'T do for the ones above. With the characters, it'll easily be $550.

Typical Grey Knight spam?

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/440443.page

About $550. And again, that's not including the bits for assault cannons on the RBs or for the TLAC arms for the dreads.

In short, what I'm trying to show here is that yes, 40k is an expensive hobby and GW charges high. However, if you play the game the way it's meant to be played (battles with fully painted armies built for theme and epicness rather than competition, where there are no 2 of the same unit), it's significantly cheaper, as well as the fact that more time is spent on the "hobbying" part, meaning you get more use out of your money.

TL;DR:
So while yes, you can complain that your 6-psyfleman list is ohsoexpensive, keep in mind that GW is not encouraging you to play that way. They encourage lists like a unit of paladins in a Storm Raven, with 2 units of footslogging Grey Knights, supported by a LC dreadnought and all lead by an awesomesauce Grand Master. And that's significantly cheaper. A fun, themed and fluffy list for a game that was never meant to be competitive.

(Disclaimer - even though I recognize that the game was never meant to be competitive, I do have fun playing in competitive tournaments, just not with typical armies )

But they "Secretly" make the best units and bits cost the most, It is all marketing.

Still, they never encourage you to play like that. In no way shape or form other than making certain units good, which I believe is usually by accident with the exception of mechanized armies being better.

You really believe that?

If that were the case GW would not have run a Grand Tournament.

But they did, and they made rules that make them a lot of money.

DeathReaper wrote:You really believe that?

If that were the case GW would not have run a Grand Tournament.

But they did, and they made rules that make them a lot of money.

While they certainly used to, they're moving away from that. They've done away with tournaments, and AFAIK the last one to go was Throne of Skulls - which was very heavy on soft scores.

They still do tournaments in the UK where the headquarters is located

DeathReaper wrote:But they "Secretly" make the best units and bits cost the most, It is all marketing.

... That's a joke, right?

He's joking, guys? Right? Please tell me he's joking.

Raising prices constantly wouldn't really be indicative of emphasizing cost value in playing.

$18 or so for 1 small figurine is ridiculous, but here we are.

Harriticus wrote:Raising prices constantly wouldn't really be indicative of emphasizing cost value in playing.

$18 or so for 1 small figurine is ridiculous, but here we are.

DarkCorsair wrote:
In short, what I'm trying to show here is that yes, 40k is an expensive hobby and GW charges high. However, if you play the game the way it's meant to be played (battles with fully painted armies built for theme and epicness rather than competition, where there are no 2 of the same unit), it's significantly cheaper, as well as the fact that more time is spent on the "hobbying" part, meaning you get more use out of your money.

OP - right on. Good post. I completely agree. You're supposed to make armies because they are *awesome* not because they beat face.

But, honestly, save your breath. This is way over the head of the average 40k player on the internet. Remember - IT'S ALL ABOUT BEATING FACE. ALL THE TIME.

My army is ultra expensive because I wanted it to fit my vision for it perfectly. But it sux in game (my win to loss ratio is just ridiculous). And I actually painted a lot of the models kinda crappily.

LoneLictor wrote:My army is ultra expensive because I wanted it to fit my vision for it perfectly. But it sux in game (my win to loss ratio is just ridiculous). And I actually painted a lot of the models kinda crappily.

Are you having fun?

Yeah, I have fun winning in competitive environments.

The other thing is that, IRL, there is going to be redundancies.


The competitive SW Razor/Longfang spam army is actually what a real military force would look like. With these inbuilt redundancies you will have a more effective force.

I find an army with a unified appearence to be astetically pleasing. I don't like hodge podge ragtag groups where nothing is identical. Its unprofessional.

Chowderhead wrote:

LoneLictor wrote:My army is ultra expensive because I wanted it to fit my vision for it perfectly. But it sux in game (my win to loss ratio is just ridiculous). And I actually painted a lot of the models kinda crappily.

Are you having fun?

Yep. I like making my models.

Chowderhead wrote:

DeathReaper wrote:But they "Secretly" make the best units and bits cost the most, It is all marketing.

... That's a joke, right?

He's joking, guys? Right? Please tell me he's joking.

No, I seen enough competitive army lists plugged into GW pricing, its always way more expensive.

Also, factor in a good reason why GW would choose a "cheaper" army to advertise.
"High prices will initiate buyer's knee jerk reaction when they see it" is a good one to start.

What would be a joke is, if GW allow us to build an super effective yet super cheap army.
They would go bankrupt if thats how they run their game.

Personally I like the fluffier more diverse lists. Be interesting if the new rules introduce limiting factors on unit types similar to fantasy.

Grey Templar wrote:Yeah, I have fun winning in competitive environments.

The other thing is that, IRL, there is going to be redundancies.


The competitive SW Razor/Longfang spam army is actually what a real military force would look like. With these inbuilt redundancies you will have a more effective force.

I find an army with a unified appearence to be astetically pleasing. I don't like hodge podge ragtag groups where nothing is identical. Its unprofessional.

Because half-wolf super soldiers with 2 hearts that can spit acid, eat the flesh of their enemies to gain their memories, and wield hand-sized missile launchers are so very realistic.

DarkCorsair wrote:

Grey Templar wrote:Yeah, I have fun winning in competitive environments.

The other thing is that, IRL, there is going to be redundancies.


The competitive SW Razor/Longfang spam army is actually what a real military force would look like. With these inbuilt redundancies you will have a more effective force.

I find an army with a unified appearence to be astetically pleasing. I don't like hodge podge ragtag groups where nothing is identical. Its unprofessional.

Because half-wolf super soldiers with 2 hearts that can spit acid, eat the flesh of their enemies to gain their memories, and wield hand-sized missile launchers are so very realistic.

Some crazy hobo says he know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy that knows its true. So it must be...


If you want to play a realistic game then 40k isn't it. It's a about being epic and awesome. Not realistic. And while I do like the look of a mech guard army, its boring to play.