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As I finally settle on an initial list I can really start planning acquisitions. I'm just not sure where to go next.

How do you guys decide? Is it which units can be found for the best deal at the time? Do you break up your list into smaller lists and buy tactically, do you just go on a whim or by unit type?

I've got 750-800 ish pts of a legal army (with some Sky Claws proxying for GH) but not sure where to go. I wanted to do my termie unit, but won't be able to effectively use them without my DP. Though I would probably be able to acquire the DP before the WGT were ready. Then there's the TWC, those could be used right away and be fun........

See the dilemma?

 Badger_Bhoy wrote:
As I finally settle on an initial list I can really start planning acquisitions. I'm just not sure where to go next.

How do you guys decide? Is it which units can be found for the best deal at the time? Do you break up your list into smaller lists and buy tactically, do you just go on a whim or by unit type?

I've got 750-800 ish pts of a legal army (with some Sky Claws proxying for GH) but not sure where to go. I wanted to do my termie unit, but won't be able to effectively use them without my DP. Though I would probably be able to acquire the DP before the WGT were ready. Then there's the TWC, those could be used right away and be fun........

See the dilemma?

I tend to browse different sites and stores to see what the deals are. For example, when I bought my current army, a local gaming store was having a half off deal on purchases over $100, which prompted me to get a large amount of the things I needed in one shot. Just tap all your bases, play the field, and spring on what deals you find.

The dilemma is the fun, or at least a big part of it. I'm new to 40k (well... recently returned after a decades-long absence), but no stranger to this in other gaming hobbies. Whatever you decide (fun to paint, fun to play, fun to win with), just make sure you live with it for a while and get the most out of it. Don't choose option A and then cave in a month later and choose options B and C too. With enough money and/or credit card debt, you can have all the options, but in the end it will be just a tick on a checklist instead of a great experience.

I frequently check Ebay and the two discount sites I've found to be the best in pricing for the 3 or so units I'm needing to acquire next. Which almost led to the unexpected purchase of a battleforce. So far no major deals, so that's becoming less of a factor.

I came close to doing that. I had a list figured out. Up to 2k and was going to get comfortable with it, or at least familiar before switching things up. Just as I start looking at cases and such, I decide to do a major revision. So now I've got something I'm happy with, that I didn't expect I'd play but still remains true to the concepts I had initially. I'm sticking with it because I think it's solid, and I'm getting to the point where I've acquired all the units that carry on through the various revisions.

For the reasons you list, namely financial, I had to decide on a list and I'll stick with it. It'll be fun. I think I know which way I'll go next, but still not completely positive. So, I figure I'll see how others make the decision. I don't think there's really any WRONG way to do it.

My usual order of operations:

-Write an armylist
-Post it on Dakka
-Tweak it
-Run it with proxies against someone at the LGS
-Tweak it
-Buy everything at once.

I only have models for the armylists I use this way. It ends up being cheaper (no models purchased and unused), and its easier to motivate yourself to paint stuff when you know it's pivotal that your list include it.

I think it depends on whether you want to be able to play smaller versions of your full list or not. it's not always easy to take an 1850 list that makes sense as a whole and pare it down to a 1k list. you might end up missing key units that tie everything else together. that might tempt you to buy other units as stop gaps for your smaller lists that you have no intention of using later in your full list.

I started my salamanders army last year with the aobr box, then added new units to it in a fairly random order. I didn't have a particular list in mind, I just bought stuff that seemed cool and then figured out how to fit it into my army later. not the best approach, but at the time I was more into the painting then playing anyway.

when I started my night lords army this year, I put together an initial 1500pt list. then I made a few 2k lists to get some ideas for how to expand the original 1500 list with units that complimented what was already there. with that in mind, I scoured ebay for good deals for a few weeks and ended up buying the first 1200ish points in one go. it'll take me months to paint all that up, so while that's going on I'll keep looking for good deals on the rest of my list. I don't plan to field my night lords until I have the full 1500pt list painted, so I can afford to buy the other 300pts of models in whatever order they present themselves in.

in the meantime, I just play my salamanders and try not to expand them too much (don't want to distract myself from my night lords :p)

So far the only unit I've purchased that I regret a bit was my Land Speeder. I like them but it probably won't get much use. Same with the free one that came with it. Other than that, I should have purchased all my GH prior to my Sky Claws but that's no biggie really.

Since this is my first army, I do want to play as I go, which I suppose makes deciding which unit to get easier.

if you want to play as you go, I'd say focus on your troop choices and HQ first, since that's the core of your army. from there, add transports (if you plan to use 'em) and then branch out into specialized units like elites, fast attack and heavy support. I'm speaking from a C:SM standpoint, though, so this advice may not make as much sense for wolves

They still on a basic level work the same. I have my HQ, if I proxy my Sky Claws as GH then I have my two troop choices and I have rhinos for both GH units. I think I'll probably acquire my TWC next, then the Wolf Lord that will go with them, then either my terminator DP squad or another GH unit. Unless some crazy deal comes up.

On a whim, and how the models look.

I started with a squad of 10 Grenadiers, then special weapons for it, as well as an Engineer squad. Then a bunch of guardsmen to make a basic platoon. Soon I'll have a Commissar-General ready and then my CCS should arrive.

I also bought a few used models, like the Centaur and a basilisk, as well as an extra Earthshaker canon, but the last two are missing crewmen.

Oh, and I have a Valkyrie on its way.

I've always been leery of buying used models. They usually require stripping which I've never done, and who knows how they're put together. Even if they were just pre assembled that leaves no modeling for me! I have seen some decent prices that make it tempting though.

The Centaur was the right color scheme and painted better than I could have done at the time, so for 15$ it was perfect.

The Basilisk I disassembled to use the Chimera base as a Hellhound and the canon as an Earthshaker Carriage, same for the other Earthshaker I got, which was free.