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After creeping about the forums off and on for a couple years I've noticed a few people bring up learning about your opponents' codices as much as you can. Now for me, this is sound logic as I always try to learn how my possible opponents can play first hand when I get into a game. But I obviously will have trouble doing it in a game where to get a single army up to minimum for a 250-500 pt game will eat a few hundred dollars. So I wanna know, how common is that practice of collecting the codices of all the active armies?

Most people who have copies of every codex did not pay for them.

Or have battered second hand copies.

Well, when I got back into 5th I did manage to pick up a load of second hand Codexes, all save for Orks and Nids. It's not just for "knowing thy opponent", though - I like keeping up on the fluff as well (within the bestiary entries as well as the main background section at the front).
As 6th rolls along I've been getting each Codex as it comes out for the same reasons - so, chalk me up as one of those "more money than sense" (though not TOO much, as I'm not getting all the supplements too!!)...

I can understand that too, I enjoy the fluff a lot and so far most of the dexes I've gotten were a fun read. (UM sucked a bit). I have some plans on getting all the dexes but those are off a bit at best.

I have nearly every codex between 2nd and 5th ed. I used to buy them all as I really liked reading the fluff, looking at the rules and working out imaginary armies - £30 a codex has stopped me.
Mainly because I try to buy every horus heresy book too...
When I win the lottery, I'll have to catch up...

I have nearly every "current" codex, bar a couple (inc a couple of 6th), but that probably has more to do with owning most of the armies as well!! It always helps to have an idea of the basic rules for the armies you face if possible, especially as a couple of people in my group seem incapable of remembering their rules even though they only play one army!

That one always baffled me, I have had 3 dexes for a month tops and I'm well on my way to remembering all of them.

After so many editions (and codices) and the lack of a photographic memory I can't remember the exact specifics of each rule in each codex I own. General statlines/rules outlines yes, but I haven't yet met anyone who knew the exact text for multiple codices.

Most of us normal mortals will always need the codex/rulebook at hand to consult.

 laginess wrote:
That one always baffled me, I have had 3 dexes for a month tops and I'm well on my way to remembering all of them.

You'll get there. After I was into 40K for a bit the codices became much easier to remember. As for collecting them, I only pay for codices if I use their respective armies. Otherwise, I acquire them through other means. After all, it sometimes seems that there are a torrential amount of codices.

If you want to get the idea of what an army can do, isn't that the (other) purpose of the release-day articles in WD?

Before 6th? Nope, I replied on my opponents to tell me when they were doing something from their codex. Did it catch me out, yeah. That's war.
After 6th, there's no way I'm spending £30 for each army. I did buy the Blood Angels codex as allies for my SM, though.
When they announced the £20 ebook version, I was tempted.

Well, I own 3 modern codexes, so I have those memorized. Then, every time a new codex comes out, I pour through the rumors and the updates to figure out what they can do, then finally borrow a copy from a friend and read it all. I also always make a copy of the last page in the book (the summary sheet with all unit/weapon stats) and carry that around with me in a nice folder.

 Peregrine wrote:
Most people who have copies of every codex did not pay for them.

I wouldn't say most, and you have literally zero evidence that this is true despite repeating it as fact every chance you get.
"Just pirate it." isn't an acceptable answer.

Prior to my collection being stolen I had physical copies of every codex. I'm starting to do (legal) digital copies as much as possible - mostly to save shelf space.

I think it's not too common, but there is a significant number who do have many codices.
Also, wouldn't this be better in GD?

You can get a good idea of what armies can do by using ArmyBuilder. Create some lists in it that you've seen posted online and you can see the stats and abilities, though you'll need help to determine what the codex based abilities do.

I have a physical copy of all codexs for all edtions up to 6th Ed but the price is now too much for me to willingly keep up - I can afford it but I won't.

I will pick up the ones I want - have both Eldar ones and try and get the rest on ebay.

Don't think I will get the Space Marine ones any time soon with them being polluted by the images of the new Centurions.

Djdom wrote:
I have nearly every "current" codex, bar a couple (inc a couple of 6th), but that probably has more to do with owning most of the armies as well!! It always helps to have an idea of the basic rules for the armies you face if possible, especially as a couple of people in my group seem incapable of remembering their rules even though they only play one army!

This is me as well. New codex means time to update that army, paint some of the backlog of models and game with it for a few months.

I like to buy the IA books as well as they are lovely to look at/read but I draw the line at buying the second editions of the IA books at the moment as I'd rather have the money for models. Some point I need to catch up on the HH rule books from FW, been borrowing a friends during HH gaming sessions but I want my own copy as it is very pretty.

I greatly prefer owning the actual codex rather than the ebook, there is something really appealing to me about having a shelf full of them.

I'm buying a physical copy of every new 40k Codex and most likely, Supplements.

Not because I want to know and memorize what the other armies do, but because I absolutely love the new books: Hardback, color, beautiful images, fluff, all of it just screams "BUY ME". I really love reading the darn books

Edit: But I'm still missing the Chaos Daemons one... *sigh* I honestly don't like Blanche's art when it comes to Daemons. I flipped the pages and felt so disappointed with the pictures. Ah well, I'm leaving that one for last.

Yeah I feel you with the IA books - I have them all but I am not going to get the updaed version tbh..........

I borrow my friend's codexes regularly.

Keeps me from having to buy them, and i can usually retain the important bits of information (stats, weapons, qualifying factors to rules).

When a new codex drops I will torrent it :O :O so that I can browse through and see what I'll be up against. It really isn't any different from going to the store and flipping through the store copy.

However, if the new codex release is for an army I own... I will of course purchase a physical copy of the book.

Right now the only codices I own are Tau, CSM, DE (at one point I was going to start them, but lost interest), and the first Tau codex.

I did have the chaos 3.5 dex.... but regrettably I sold it.

I have a friend that collects all of them. He reasons it out by saying it is no different then buying a video game.

rigeld2 wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
Most people who have copies of every codex did not pay for them.

I wouldn't say most, and you have literally zero evidence that this is true despite repeating it as fact every chance you get.
"Just pirate it." isn't an acceptable answer.

Prior to my collection being stolen I had physical copies of every codex. I'm starting to do (legal) digital copies as much as possible - mostly to save shelf space.

My gaming group consist of 3 people.

I own 11 Current Codices(including Whitedwarf SoB), BRB, Apoc, IA apoc one and 2 (updated ones), IA 4, 8, 11, Crusade of fire, Aeronautica, Death from the skies, Horus Heresy and a bunch of outdated books.

My 2 friends own 2 Tau codices, 1 Space Marine codex and 1 Guard Codex between them and have both pirated every Codex / IA

So at least in my group it's 2/3 which I guess you could define as most.

I only buy the ones for the armies I own. However I like to borrow others from my friends armies to get a better understanding of how they play.

The only codices I don't own are eldar, nids and dark angels


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I should supplement that by saying the armies I play are daemons, tau, space wolves and guard

I own every codex that has been released.
All of them legal as well.

From 2nd ed to present day.
I don't even want to think what that has cost

I think that my knowledge of the rules and abilities of my opponents armies is what helps my win record.

Back at what was my LGS, when I was going to be picked up from the club late I used to pick up a different codex from the shelf and read it for a while. Then when I left I would just put it back

that's only because I don't have enough money for them all, but I can still understand why you would want them. Even if you didn't use them to find out all your opponent's secret weapons, they make for some great reads and give you a bigger insight into 40k.

 laginess wrote:
After creeping about the forums off and on for a couple years I've noticed a few people bring up learning about your opponents' codices as much as you can. Now for me, this is sound logic as I always try to learn how my possible opponents can play first hand when I get into a game. But I obviously will have trouble doing it in a game where to get a single army up to minimum for a 250-500 pt game will eat a few hundred dollars. So I wanna know, how common is that practice of collecting the codices of all the active armies?

I've done it for years until the year that the prices were raised to $50 each. Now I won't do it anymore. At under $30 it was never that big a deal. I liked having the other books as it gave me ideas for counters to popular enemy units and also gave me inspiration for starting new armies. Now unless I already have the army I am not buying the codex. So GW will not draw in my interest for a new army through my purchases of extra codecies anymore.

Skriker


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Shandara wrote:
After so many editions (and codices) and the lack of a photographic memory I can't remember the exact specifics of each rule in each codex I own. General statlines/rules outlines yes, but I haven't yet met anyone who knew the exact text for multiple codices.

Most of us normal mortals will always need the codex/rulebook at hand to consult.

It is less a need for knowing the codex exactly and completely and more people who play a single army, using the same units in every game and *never* seem to remember how any of those units work ruleswise even when they use them every weekend again and again and again. I don't remember every inch of my codex, but those units I use regularly when I am playing consistently are hard to not remember for me. Same as when I haven't played a given game for a while there is a little fog on the recollection, but after a few games the usual stuff just comes natural again. Some people just never seem to get to that point, ever when playing games.

Skriker


Automatically Appended Next Post:

rigeld2 wrote:
I wouldn't say most, and you have literally zero evidence that this is true despite repeating it as fact every chance you get.
"Just pirate it." isn't an acceptable answer.

Prior to my collection being stolen I had physical copies of every codex. I'm starting to do (legal) digital copies as much as possible - mostly to save shelf space.

I for one have all of the 5th edition codecies except for GKs because I still prefered the Daemonhunters and Witchhunters books and didn't want to replace them. I bought every one of them new. So people do actually do it honestly. At this stage I have bought Chaos Marines, Chaos Daemons and Dark Angels. I only intend to buy Dark Eldar, Space Wolves and Orks after this. I *might* buy the new Space Marine book, but haven't decided yet...

Skriker

Most people who have copies of every codex did not pay for them.

I wouldn't say most, and you have literally zero evidence that this is true despite repeating it as fact every chance you get.

And the award for most naive comment goes to...

 Torrent of Ire wrote:

Most people who have copies of every codex did not pay for them.

I wouldn't say most, and you have literally zero evidence that this is true despite repeating it as fact every chance you get.

And the award for most naive comment goes to...

Hardly naive.
I'm aware that people do pirate them. I'm friends with people who do. Hell, I had digital copies when I owned all the physical copies. After they were stolen, however, I deleted all my digital copies.
Asserting it as fact that most people do (especially repeatedly), when you have literally zero evidence is just being dishonest.