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.

I run Tyranids almost exclusively. Every dollar I've put into my hobby has been either Tyranids or terrain. I picked up a SW battleforce from my brother after he got bored with it, and no matter how I play, model, or proxy that codex, I cannot get into it. I've tried exploring some other codices to see if they excite me similarly, but I can't get excited about another army even half as much as I love my nids. Am I an outlier in the hobby?

Hive Fleet Managarmr is my home, but I want a vacation house sometimes. How do other people go about collecting or playing new armies?

I have Tau as primary and got some CSM when 6th dropped for allies and just started on Eldar. It's odd for me. I refuse to get anything more than just the stuff to run some small ally units and I'm painting them in complimentary themes. I guess I view them more as garnish than actual armies in and of themselves.

No. I started with csm but then I began reading da fluff I haven't touched anything chaos since I got into the da and I have tried just no interest at all.

Well in the 6th edition allies are a great way to start collecting a new army , since you play nids this is not a option for you .
In my case i started with a AOBR set with orks and ultramarines , sold the orks , brought Tau (still in the 5th) got bordered sold them and got a chaos (5th edition) gave then to my brother to get in started ( big mistake!) ,in the 6th i got guard allies for my marines ended up selling the guards to rebuild my chaos army ,why ? well chaos that's way! .
I love my ultras but there is some strange appeal in the chaos lore and models.
Read the books , see the minis , see something that you like and get it , forget if its competitive or not , if it feels right for you get it!

I've ALWAYS played Orks, right from the start.

I've had pretty much every other army at one point or another as a secondary (except guard, i think..) and have gotten bored and moved on after a time.

My current ones seem to be holding steady though. DE are awesome-looking since the update, and i like the playstyle. Nurgle Daemons are more of a painting/modelling project that i'm enjoying, but they do see some table time also.

Yeah, I follow the same kind of pattern of being married to guard, with second armies as being mistresses. They offer me interesting things that my primary doesn't, and are certainly good for a bit of fun, but my main army is the one I'm really invested in.

I have huge armies of orks, Tau, Guard, and Marines (smallest being the SM ), and enjoy each for different reasons, mainly modeling and painting purposes, and break out each one as the fancy strikes, right now its terrain and Infinity stuff, but I hear my Orks a caling again, that or maybe my IG fallschirmjäger force...just have to wait for the muse to strike.

hubbsey wrote:
I run Tyranids almost exclusively. Every dollar I've put into my hobby has been either Tyranids or terrain. I picked up a SW battleforce from my brother after he got bored with it, and no matter how I play, model, or proxy that codex, I cannot get into it. I've tried exploring some other codices to see if they excite me similarly, but I can't get excited about another army even half as much as I love my nids. Am I an outlier in the hobby?

Hive Fleet Managarmr is my home, but I want a vacation house sometimes. How do other people go about collecting or playing new armies?

It's my first army that I can't get into. My first army ever was Space Marines, and I can't honestly enjoy playing them anymore. I love my Chaos Space Marines in 5th edition (2x Lash sorcerors and 9x Obliterators lol), and I love playing my Imperial Guard. I'm currently rebooting my CSM for 6th. I dunno...maybe it's just the crappy paintjobs on my Space Marines.

I've really been itching for a second investment in an army for about a year now, but I'm very persnickety when it comes to big purchases. I've researched and read through the codices of GK, SW, DA, DE, old Eldar, Tau, SM, BA, CSM and CD.

CD get about the closest I can get to investment, but then I think "If I just run Slaanesh cavalry and FMCs aren't I just playing nids?" And then I lose focus and don't buy anything. I want a little pet project and I can't ever commit.

I play orks. I picked them up before i even know anything about the game or the orks themself because i loved their attitude and their details. I was a bit disheartened when i learned they were on the low end of the totempole these days but i still played them because i had so much fun doing it, and kitbashing them were so satisfying.

I picked up Tau before i even know about the new codex because i wanted to ally in broadsides for when i was being serious. Did that maybe 3 times and a new codex appeared out of nowhere lol. I decided i might as well play Tau since i had a small army (2nd hand, 36FW 2 Devilfish, Hammerhead, Ethereal, 3 Crisis, 3 Broadsides, 5 Stealthsuits, 8 Pathfinders, and misc number of drones for 280bucks).
I enjoy the Tau primarily because its the exact opposite playstyle to orks, so it keeps me interested. The problem is all the hate to newtau discourages me from getting more models because i hate being "that guy" thats just "following the bandwagon" even though i had them before i even had a hint about the new codex.

Right now im in a rut with it. I want to get some piranhas so i can be different, i have no new broadsides, and i'd lke a 2nd riptide. But, because i feel like im just going to be labeled as a TFG for playing Tau im kinda tossing the idea around of getting an SM army (not specifically SM, just one of the many chapters not sure which)

hubbsey wrote:
I run Tyranids almost exclusively. Every dollar I've put into my hobby has been either Tyranids or terrain. I picked up a SW battleforce from my brother after he got bored with it, and no matter how I play, model, or proxy that codex, I cannot get into it. I've tried exploring some other codices to see if they excite me similarly, but I can't get excited about another army even half as much as I love my nids. Am I an outlier in the hobby?

Hive Fleet Managarmr is my home, but I want a vacation house sometimes. How do other people go about collecting or playing new armies?

I know that feel. Fluff wise I love my Iron Warriors, but I'm just "meh" in building the army. I was thinking about finally painting them again, especially with the new Space Marines codex (I admit, I was going to proxy them with Guard Battlebrothers. Heretical I know, but it just looks like a better codex, and I play a PH theme anyways... ) As soon as I started saving up, news hit of the upcoming Nidvember, and now I completely refuse to buy those beautiful new Sternguard, just because I want to be able to get my Nids army competitive immediately after the new book hits.

I usually play 2 armies for just about any game system.

1) I get bored.

2) If i don't regularly vary my painting, i stop, and that's bad when you paint as slow as i do.



For the most part i'll play the main army (in my case, Tau), but i always like to have that backup army to play just in case.

Well, I have no second army. Just armies. But in RTTs I currently field either Eldar or Necrons. In our recent Apo battle, I played BA and GK.

My first army was the codex I thought I would enjoy the most.
But then I learned the game, the fluff and saw more models and for my second army I picked the codex I KNEW I would enjoy the most.

Now I try to switch between the two regularly to keep things interesting.

Expansion through envy. I got into Tau because I want to be the one telling people "oh, no, you don't get a save..." and I picked up Grey Knights for kind of the opposite reason. ("Oh, Strength 10 Ap 1, Instant Death, Twin-Linked, Fear causing Witchfire power that repeats in each phase? Yeah, I saved.") Eventually I'm going to move into Dark Eldar because I'm sick of going so slow.

So far I've loved everything I've expanded into.

I have several armies (see sig), but to me my second army is either my RW force or CSM. While that means my top 3 are PA, they really aren't played that similary. I don't have any PA in my CSM list (except HQs) and RW and UM drop pod lists play very differently. All three forces get IG allies fairly often (which can really deepen the play). My UM list is very shooty and CSM very assaulty (so fun, so risky).

I am a big fan of my second choice for an army, that being a Salamanders Space Marine Drop Pod Army. My primary army (173rd Elysian Drop Troop) fit in with this perfectly if I ever decide to mix and match for allies (especially if I can use the Forgeworld rules, that way my whole army can be in reserve) in terms of both gameplay and fluff. That, and the idea of Space Marines storming out of Drop Pods spewing flaming death in all directions or my Special Forces style guardsmen disembarking from Valkyries and Vendettas with both strafing the ground in all directions are both very appealing to me

I got into playing 40K with the Tyranids and still love them. I started a second army (GK) because the person I play the most plays DE and it is no fun loosing all the time. That said I've had a lot of fun learning the GK. people say yhey realy got nerf'd in 6E but since I never played them in 5E that doesn't bother me. I think you need to get into the fluff of an army to really love it. Just played my Tyranids Friday night fo the first time in months and I still love them.

My first army was eldar, my second army was space wolves.

They were fun, but then I discovered my third army - chaos. Now I haven't played my wolves since 4th ed.

My "Second army" Is my Tau, And after picking up my second Hammerhead this weekend, I actually consider it to be "complete" for the time being.

Mostly I like to have a second army, to switch between them and my primary army which is Dark Angels. and I keep finding things I'd like to add to it.

I'd also like to start an SoB army, but I'm waiting until they get a new model range. But I'm seriously considering getting an IG ally force.

My first army was CSM Iron Warriors. I started it in the 3ed where the tanks can only move and shot one gun. My second non official army was nid but I never finished it. My Third and second finished army was my Raven Guard.

Each time I start a new army, it become more and more fun to just create it than play it.

While guard with always be my number one "though if Ad Mech ever get a codex, god emperor protect my bank account". As my second I've always favored crons, EXCEPT back in third edition when Iron warriors captured my heart.

Tau are my bread and butter but after a break from the hobby around 2 years ago I decided to pick up a GK Draigo wing on Ebay (since it was the cheapest army I could get with its low model count) Played one tournament with them and done alright but it just wasnt the same as my Tau. Now their collecting dust and only come out for big games when I can use them with my Tau. Maybe ill try and make more of an effort to integrate the 2 for some half decent ally combinations.

My first force was an UltraMarines codex based chapter. I had one choice of every model type. That was until my buddy's basement flooded with a backed up sewer and ruined that collection.

This time around around I choose IG. I choose them for 4 reasons. With the IG, you can not only field squads of Infantry but whole platoons of infantry, (ie. 55+ man groups.) This was the first reason.

The second reason I choose the IG was all the Armored Vehicle selections possible for.squadron useage. Correct me if I am wrong, but the only codex that I have seen that allowed heavy vehicle squadrons was the IG.

And with that above statement, the IG is also the only codex that can field Batteries of Heavy Artillery. That being the 3rd reason why I choose the Imperial Guard this time around.

The fourth reason I choose IG, I am getting my son and daughter into the hobby now that they are both old enough to handle the minis and rules properly. My daughter chose Eldar.
My son chose Tyranids. I chose IG also because they can ally
up with everything but Tyranids.

I got into the hobby by buying a buddies small Sisters of Battle army at the start of 3rd edition. Love that army, and its what I am most invested in.

I started buying Space Marines because I was not a good painter and didn't want to paint my Sisters until I got better. Painted a Relictors army, but then the rules changed for unit sizes and I didn't want to go back and change them all.

So I painted about 2500 points of Ultramarines based around Chaos Gate.

Then I went back and repainted my Sisters of Battle and now have about 3500 points of them, and I love that army even though I don't paint much. Just got some Redemptionists so I can make a 3rd squad of Zealots.

Got my hands on some Adeptus Arbites, and I am loving painting them and they will likely be my second favorite army when I'm done. Not strictly 'legal', but probably the army I will have the most fun with.

I'm an Imperium kind of guy, I guess.

How do I feel about my 'second' army?
I can't even remember what my second army was. My favourite army is my next army. I love planning, converting and building armies more than playing with them. Unfortunately over the years I have had a lot of disposable income so I collected a lot of armies. I find them all still fun to get out and play with, but thinking about my next one (and it usually changes week to week) is the most exciting

Triple_double_U wrote:
How do I feel about my 'second' army?
I can't even remember what my second army was. My favourite army is my next army. I love planning, converting and building armies more than playing with them. Unfortunately over the years I have had a lot of disposable income so I collected a lot of armies. I find them all still fun to get out and play with, but thinking about my next one (and it usually changes week to week) is the most exciting

I'm very similar.

I own sizeable collections of most 40k armies so for me its just a question of finishing off any models that aren't painted and divining from the rumours what I can get in advance and what I need to get on release day. I've been preparing a ton of new marines ready for the new codex for the last couple of months, now its about to hit and I'm starting to prepare for Orks & 'nids. I start the prep for the next army early as it gets very boring painting a ton of blue or green or purple, for example I'm currently painting ~80 Marines and 6 Mega Nobz.

I'll play Marines until the next codex hits and then I'll switch armies. Yes I am TFG. However I play the same half a dozen people year on year so it would get very boring if we played the same armies each week, switching codexes every few months keeps it fresh.

When I decide to collect a new army I first decide on how I want to theme that army. The theme then drives what kits and bits I need to fill out 3000 points and most of the codex options. I then slowly buy everything I need then build and undercoat everything over a long weekend in one go. I try to spray everything in the base colour, weapons I keep off the model and spray separate if I can as this greatly reduces painting time for things you are bulk painting. I don't aim for anything other than basic tabletop for anything other than the ICs or super heavies, I am simply not bothered about that.

I try to keep my main two forces, Ultramarines & Chaos, fairly balanced with FW goodness but it doesn't always work out and one side has to play catch up. At some point I'll start getting FW stuff for my other armies but not yet.

Main army: Orks
Second army: Tyranids
Other armies: Necrons, Space Wolves, Space Marines.

I keep going back to my Orks because they are fun to play, fun to build and I have the most success with them.

As for my second army, my Tyranids... I love the look of the models. Unlike my Orks my Tyranids army is all painted the same (except the Ymgarls), they look pretty good on the table even with my meager attempts at painting. But I have very little luck with them, only won a couple of games and I feel they lack the opportunity to for unique modelling. I find the same problem with Necrons & Space Marines.

@OP I feel for you with Space Wolves. they used to be my second army. I love the fluff but I lack all inspiration when it comes to modelling and painting them.

They aren't my seconds, they are my alternates. Generally a different play style. If one is shooty, one alternate will at least be CC focussed.

When I get bored of playing with the first one, I switch. It keeps you from getting complacent.

My "first" army was Eldar, followed a couple of years later with marines (codex:Ultramarines 2nd ed). This is diiferent from "first minis" (for 40k) which was a mix of marines and eldar.

I'll always like my CSM best, as they were my first army. My Guard are my second army and I rate them almost as highly, as I always wanted a Loyalist army and a Traitor army. My SM are very much second-string at present, I mainly have them because I like the Crimson Fists' fluff, which means available funds are usually directed to the other two armies.