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So, my friend just got into the hobby with the Custodes. I know they aren't particularly competitive, but I really like the models and wanted them myself, but he's so into them that I'd feel really bad if I got them too. It'd feel like I was degrading his army, especially as my brother is getting a couple for his Ultramarine army.

What would you guys do in my situation? It sort of sucks watching them get the models I really like, but I don't want to upset him, especially as it's his first army.

Thanks in advance

Just collect them. Black dress syndrome is not something that should exist in this hobby, yet it does.

Offer to do a joint army, you both get to buy the models you want, you get a full army done faster and you can take it in turns using the army unless you both grow it.

Just need a different army to play it against and winner!

 Grimtuff wrote:
Just collect them. Black dress syndrome is not something that should exist in this hobby, yet it does.

This. Totally agree.

How do you think it would degrade his army? Unless there is a strong drive for "uniqueness" in your group I doubt that anyone will really mind.

Overall the best thing to do is talk with your friend. You can make it into something fun, both of you can have hobby days where you sit around and paint your Custodes. Share different tips and tricks on how to make them look as awesome as you can.

Anybody complaining about GW releasing custodes before new Orks, Dark Eldar, Sister of Battle, or Necron models should read this thread.

In my opinion it's a difficult scenario if you have a relatively small collection of people in your gaming group and more than one wants to play the same army. My personal philosophy is that it doesn't matter - if you have two people playing Tyranids or Eldar, there's a reasonable chance they will end up being different armies in any case - different units, different "chapter tactics", or just end up playing differently due to the difference between the players themselves. In addition, when those two people play each other it's an experience (i.e. playing against the "same" army) that is different to other games.

This is a bit trickier with one-trick-pony armies, like Custodes or Harlequins for example, where the number of different units available is fairly limited, or there are only one or two builds that work. It can feel like you're stepping on his toes, but conversely why should what someone else is doing affect how you spend your money or what cool models you buy?

Do you only play with this small group? Do you play at any local clubs without this friend? Have you been collecting/playing long yourself with other army options available to yourself?

 Tiberius501 wrote:
So, my friend just got into the hobby with the Custodes. I know they aren't particularly competitive, but I really like the models and wanted them myself, but he's so into them that I'd feel really bad if I got them too. It'd feel like I was degrading his army, especially as my brother is getting a couple for his Ultramarine army.

What would you guys do in my situation? It sort of sucks watching them get the models I really like, but I don't want to upset him, especially as it's his first army.

Thanks in advance

First, talk to him about it. That way you can find out if he does mind at all and you can make clear that you in no way intend to hurt his feelings.
If you only want to collect them and playing them is secondary to you, you could get the Custodes models you want and let him play with them against you. In exchange you could play with the whole army from time to time too without the same investment in time and money.

Paint them in a Ghastly Silver.

Do the army you want to do.

You know what you have to do. There can be only one.

Challenge him to a game of russian roulette. Winner gets to play Custodes.

Seriously though - big deal. You'll likely get bored of them quickly, so will he since they have so few models to choose from. Even if you don't, you'll have a full army fairly quickly and nothing to do but start a new army eventually. One of you will expand into IG or one of the SM factions, which will make your army and tactics unique.

I face this frequently. Do you like anything else? I 100% believe that diversity is required in this game in a group/community. I have many times opted to collect a different army because there's too many of what I want in the group already (I Play fluffy so this is a big thing; playing space marines in a group where everyone else plays space marines gets boring as hell very fast unless you're all doing like Badab War or 30k), or because somebody I wanted to join the group decided to start what I was going to start and it would not be good to show them the game by fielding the same thing as them.

Ultimately it's up to you. For me, it ends up being a situation like what I would do in D&D when nobody would want to play a Cleric: I'll play one because we need one, and end up enjoying it anyways. Of course, the fact I like a ton of stuff doesn't hurt because it's never "I really liked X and am being forced to like Y" it's more a case of "I like both X and Y, you chose X so I'll do Y instead"

Collect what you want. Cannot stress that enough.

A long time ago in that fabled year of 2001 i thought about grabbing tau, but a friend beat me to the punch, so i stayed with nids and eldar. Fast forward to 2005 he quits, sells off his army, tells me about it a week later. Fast forward to 2017 i finally get around to collecting and painting a tau army. Then 8th drops and my freshly painted army has been collecting dust on a shelf. But i got my harlequin.

Try playing WWII where literally everyone in your group ends up having a German army.

Collect what you like. If you need an opposing force or something just pick that up down the line. No one should be forced to play a different army, even if you all run custodes to some degree in a 3 man group

 MrMoustaffa wrote:
Try playing WWII where literally everyone in your group ends up having a German army.

Collect what you like. If you need an opposing force or something just pick that up down the line. No one should be forced to play a different army, even if you all run custodes to some degree in a 3 man group

See I disagree with this; I think especially in a small group, not having variety will kill it off (I have seen this happen) because it gets boring. There are some exceptions of course; if you're all playing 30k it can work. If you're all playing Chaos but different factions (or sometimes even the same) it can work, maybe the same with Orks. But in general, if everyone is playing the same thing, somebody has to change what they play (preferably to something else they are interested in, and not just feel like they have to play something they don't want to) or it will stagnate super quickly.

Wow, thanks everyone for the quick and good replies, there's some sound advice in here.

I'm a little worried that, within out little gaming group, it'll get rather boring playing a Custodes brawl, especially as they're quite a Small Force without many options, as a few of you have pointed out.
I think, mainly, I like nice models, and recently GW have been producing some really beautiful models. And these models have some what spoiled the other factions for me. The Custodes are rediculosuly nice looking minis, so they really grab my attention. I'm not really sure I like any of the other factions quite as much visually, and I keep going on and off them, as if they aren't quite the one for me. So I may just wait and see if they update a faction's range or bring out another new, cool looking army

Variety is essential for a gaming group, especially small ones. You could collect Custodes, but I would advise against making them your primary army. Custodes are a small army that will quickly get boring if you have nothing to mix it up with. Your Custodes-collecting friend will probably find out about this eventually and branch out into a different faction (or drop out).
Generally, you want to have your main army be one of the primary factions that have a large amount of different units, themes and builds available. Smaller armies are more something of a side project, good for an occasional game or for mixing into your larger army, but not as a main army unto itself. Just my opinion though, based on experiences of playing with a small group of friends.
If I were you I would still collect Custodes just because I love the miniatures so much, and then use them occasionally as an allied continent to a different army. That is how I am going to be using the Custodes myself. I really love the theme of these great legendary giants leading hordes of lesser soldiers, so I will be using them with my Imperial Guard mostly.

They likely won't be expanding the Custodes range further for a long time to come, so I would not wait on that. GW has a very slow release schedule, so it could easily be years for the Custodes get new stuff or they release a new faction.
And if you like nice models, are you really sure you do not like Genestealer Cults or Dark Eldar? Those ranges just have such amazingly great models imo... I have been collecting DE since I started, and I am still in love with them.

This all depends entirely on how large your gaming group is. I agree with Iron_Captain that diversity in the armies is a good thing. If you only have three people playing 40K at the moment and you all collect the same army, it will become stale.

If you have twenty people locally, then who cares? I only ever recommend buying models/armies that appeal to you (even if they suck in the game).

If he's your main opponent the games might get a little stale, but they will anyway with Custodes as the model range is pretty small until the HH stuff arrives properly. I wouldn't worry about offending your gaming buddy though - that shouldn't be much of a consideration.

If they're the army you're set on I don't see a problem with you getting them.

If anything you can share tips on how to play the army together and really bond over the army.

Don't make it a pissing contest.

Looking at the Thousand Sons, they're quite swish looking. I was tempted by Dark Eldar but we have a very selfish player in our gaming group who'd kick up too much of a fuss and be annoying to deal with haha, and I'm not keen enough on them to care anyway.

Our group consists of a Mechanicus player, a Dark Eldar player, a Tyranids player, an Ultramarine/Custodes player, a very occasional Tau player, when he rarely gets into the hobby haha, and now a Custodes player. I keep going on and off different armies and I've never managed to actually collect a full army in the years I've been into the hobby. Custodes do look beautiful, but you guys might be right in the fact that they'd get boring as an army anyway. So they might not be the army for me.

I'm considering then perhaps looking into Thousand Sons and I have a small collection of Eldar which I like but haven't managed to fully break into yet.

 Tiberius501 wrote:
Wow, thanks everyone for the quick and good replies, there's some sound advice in here.

I'm a little worried that, within out little gaming group, it'll get rather boring playing a Custodes brawl, especially as they're quite a Small Force without many options, as a few of you have pointed out.
I think, mainly, I like nice models, and recently GW have been producing some really beautiful models. And these models have some what spoiled the other factions for me. The Custodes are rediculosuly nice looking minis, so they really grab my attention. I'm not really sure I like any of the other factions quite as much visually, and I keep going on and off them, as if they aren't quite the one for me. So I may just wait and see if they update a faction's range or bring out another new, cool looking army

Play an Imperium army and take a small detachment of Custodes at some point. My suggestion would be Ad Mech as they really have the same armor style.

Perhaps collect Custodes but consider using them as part of an allied Imperium force. Have a detachment of Custodes and a detachment of Space Marines or Grey Knights for example.

 Tiberius501 wrote:
So, my friend just got into the hobby with the Custodes. I know they aren't particularly competitive, but I really like the models and wanted them myself, but he's so into them that I'd feel really bad if I got them too. It'd feel like I was degrading his army, especially as my brother is getting a couple for his Ultramarine army.

What would you guys do in my situation? It sort of sucks watching them get the models I really like, but I don't want to upset him, especially as it's his first army.

Thanks in advance

That is not how you degrade something.

If you want to know how to degrade something, ask my wife.

Convert your dudes into Chaos Custodes.

Collect them anyway. Paint them different. Or paint them the same and lend/borrow models as needed.

My suggestion? wait a week or two and see if you still want the custodes.that way you know if you want em or if it's just the new shiny. that said if you want em, play em, playing what you like is important.

I think the best bet is to mix them with a larger force. If you're trying to be different from you group you could try an Inquisition army. Have Scions be the bulk of your troops, then throw in an inquisitor (maybe Greyfax because she's new) with custodes. Then throw in whatever models you like. Admech, Grey knights...

Recognize your Heresy, start a Sisters of Battle army as penence.

 dracpanzer wrote:
Recognize your Heresy, start a Sisters of Battle army as penence.

Spending way too much money on old, overly expensive metal models surely is an appropriate form of penance, if not outright self-flagellation.