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That is, an army size where you think: "That's it, I'm not buying anything more for this faction. Time to start another army."

I've noticed for my part that I tend to stop collecting a faction once I reach the neighborhood of 3,000 points. That is, a wide enough variety of units to run several different 2,000-pt lists. All three of my 40k armies (Imperial Guard, Drukhari and Sisters of Battle) and both of my AoS armies (Seraphon and Nighthaunt) are about that size, depending on upgrades. Part of the reason for this, beyond practical considerations such as the diminishing usefulness of expanding an army above a certain level, is simply that I want to try painting something else.

But I see people here who say in their signatures that they have armies upwards of 10,000 pts, and to be honest, I'm not sure what's the reason to go that high... If I had the time and money to collect 10,000 pts worth of models, I'd split it between 3 factions.

.

10,000 points of painted models looks mighty nice and like a real force all lined up on display is the main reason i suspect!

Once I get bored of either playing or painting them. Varies wildly between armies. For Tzeentch, that was 500pts. For Tyranids, it was 1.5k. Etc, etc. But, I may end up coming back to the army years later. Who knows? It sure ain't me.

I voted "other"

I stop collecting an army when it represents a complete force in universe. For example, I have stopped buying models for my Superheavy Tank Regiment because it is fully complete - 7 companies of 3 tanks each, plus one command tank. The 8th company (essentially H&S) has 3 Trojans, 3 Atlases, and a variety of Mechanicum and Departmento Munitorum personnel. The Regimental HQ has staff, advisors, essential PAX and bodyguards.

Conversely, I continue to buy units for my Chaos Daemons and mortals as the Court of Czumneth grows, and the populations of her Daemon Worlds continue to expand.

There is not a fixed point size. I want enough models in the force to be able to field an assortment of different lists, and have all the models I think are cool. This is generally in the 3-5k range, but points are not why I stop.

Model releases can also boost this. I was pretty set for my Eldar. Decent force, all the stuff I wanted that was in plastic (they did not translate to finecast well). But the recent release? Probably tacking another 1,000 points onto my army.

My marines grew to their stupidly large size by habit and persistence. Grab a few kits a year for a few decades it adds up. Some were new units with editions, or the guys from the starter set. Or just shiny sculpts I needed to have. For them I also had organizational goals. Getting a full battle company, and now a full primaris one.

Definitely situational for me.

I have factions that I play regularly and will add to / adjust army composition based on several different factors; primarily correcting noticeable deficiencies in performance, but also trying new things (e.g. new codex) and/or newly released models. The current meta being the most irrelevant factor - in fact I almost never consider it.

Next I have several armies that I have collected. I may chose to collect a particular army because...
1) The models were included in a box set and I added a few things to them to put into a display cabinet and/or...
2) The models captivated me and I chose to put together a small force to have a bit of fun with. The composition of these armies ends up being something very specific (e.g. only models from a newly refreshed line and/or something narrative).
In either case, once I get the specific models I want, I consider the army finished and will not add anything to it.

My armies feel "Complete" once they have all the units they need to fulfill their role in the story. For some armies, this is HUGE. For others, it is quite small.

My sisters collection will be MASSIVE- it requires at least one patrol detachment from each of the six Orders and larger forces for three of those. The story involves all six Orders finding and capturing the artifact that their order contributes to the Triumph of Saint Katherine and then bringing all six of those artifacts together for the first ever Triumph.

My GK, on the other hand, are meant as a retinue for my Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, and they aren't likely to ever go above 25 PL... And that includes the Inquisitor.

My GSC will grow as large as it can before it is discovered by the Imperial forces; if they can stay under the radar, this army has the potential to be massive enough to rival the sisters... But if they are clumsy, they may only get to 50-75 PL.

Points, or in my case PL, are almost irrelevant in determining whether or not an army is complete.

I don't generally base the 'completeness' of my collection on points. That might be a useful indicator when I first start collecting a faction and am just working towards a standard-sized army but beyond that it's not really what I look for.

Instead, I'll ideally aim to have sufficient numbers of the models I want to use (of course, money is a significant limiting factor, so if anything I'll probably have to settle for less than what I might ideally want).

Also, I enjoy conversion projects so I might well keep adding characters or such even to a 'completed' army just because I had ideas that seemed cool at the time and also had the bits available.

I don't judge an armies "completeness" by pts.
1st, pts shift all around edition to edition & even in an edition....
2nd, I have a different idea of what "complete" looks like for each of my forces.
3rd, in general I'm not opposed to adding stuff later - GW releases new stuff, I have an additional idea, I come across a deal....

I only have 3 forces that I'd consider actually complete;
*Ultra-Marines 9th Company.
Built using only RT era stuff. This one truly IS complete. I've collected the entire company. All the marines, all the support models, all the rhinos.... I even have extra models for each heavy weapons marine so that I can make each squad whatever mix I desire. Including as just boltguns. There is literally nothing left to collect for it unless I break my RT era theme & add something new like a Razorback. I will not do that.

*Drukahri pain engines
1 complete 9e Heavy Detachment - 1 HQ elf, a Venom for him to scoot around in, 9 Talos & 9 Cronos. Don't need anything more in this force. Infact? I'd drop the HQ elf were I allowed....

*Scout Titan maniple - 3 Warhounds (2 Armorcast & 1 FW Mars pattern).

depends on the army adn what you want to do/have. I just get and paint what is interesting or fits an army theme i want. As an example I am working on painting an ork killa kan group and its 45 killa kans, more than you can run outside narrative, but I wanted a gretchin list of grot tanks and killa kans for narrative/open play of cowardly terrible grots.

No set points value. Mostly I collect until I have a robust array of options I can compile forces from for a standard game, and then maybe some fun stuff on the side.

Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

 Insectum7 wrote:
No set points value. Mostly I collect until I have a robust array of options I can compile forces from for a standard game, and then maybe some fun stuff on the side.

Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

That might be the aim, but one day you look at the shelf and see more than half a chapter of marines looking back at you…

I consider my army 'done' when I can run every permutation of every list I want to be able to run in an edition.

This edition I'm actually just about there. I think I need 1 more box of Retributors and 1 more box of Paragon warsuits.

Next edition I likely won't need anything either unless they do a new release or they make Castigators good for something other than clearing spore mines.

I find this an interesting thread as it's something I'm in the middle of learning. For my Guardsman I was aiming for at least one of every variant of each unit structured around real world army composition. This is no where near complete and I have no idea how many points it will be by the end.

I was going to do the same with my Sisters army (though structured differently). However I have found as much as I love my Sisters I don't have the hobby capacity to be so open ended with it. I need a defined point to finish beyond which I will put the army down, unlike the guard who will perpetually continue. I don't have a feel for how many points an army is but as long as I can play a reasonable size game with the ability to swap out a few options that will do.

 Insectum7 wrote:
No set points value. Mostly I collect until I have a robust array of options I can compile forces from for a standard game, and then maybe some fun stuff on the side.

Same. Points vary too much to care about 'completion' in those terms.
Each faction has a rough shape that looks about right for an army.

Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

So, barring the further options, 2 squads and a captain?

Voss wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

So, barring the further options, 2 squads and a captain?

In the 3rd edition codex where they list the TOE for the Ultras they have 3 active deployments and their assets listed. They are give or take reinforced demi-company forces, 50-75ish marines plus support.

Voss wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
No set points value. Mostly I collect until I have a robust array of options I can compile forces from for a standard game, and then maybe some fun stuff on the side.

Same. Points vary too much to care about 'completion' in those terms.
Each faction has a rough shape that looks about right for an army.

Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

So, barring the further options, 2 squads and a captain?

^ That's certainly the RT way. Well, that and a Dreadnought.

Nah, more like the a typical full-scale intervention sort of thing. Essentially a reinforced Battle Company. The Battle Company itself, plus some array of Veterans, Scouts and Reserves, plus a vehicle pool. What shows up in a Strike Cruiser and a few escort ships.

 Nevelon wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
No set points value. Mostly I collect until I have a robust array of options I can compile forces from for a standard game, and then maybe some fun stuff on the side.

Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

That might be the aim, but one day you look at the shelf and see more than half a chapter of marines looking back at you…

It was all going well until a full company worth of RTB01s and friends fell into my lap! So I'll have a 2nd ed+ reinforced Battle Company collection, plus an entire other RT era army. I'll post pics of those as I do them up. The new HH might be all the rage, but I'll have Mk6s, Rhinos and Land Raiders OG style.

I like big armies. I like to have the models to make unit choices, and for hordes to be hordy.... there's no fixed answer....

Collecting thematic armies is basically my only motivation and I haven't found a stopping point yet.

I have nearly 10k Salamanders and will continue to add to it as I feel works. Pretty much just filling out my FB stuff(I have 6k Primaris) as I've come to the realization that I like Badab & Armageddon more than any "new" lore and Primaris don't really inspire me like the did in 8th.

Metallica Skitarii & Knights(3500pts)are just a $ thing at this point so when I feel like spending cash on them, they'll be pimped out more.

EC & FH (4K) are more a pure modeling project along with Traitor Guard(1500pts) so trying to make them look like a cohesive whole is more important than tabletop performance.

Ynarri(750pts) same as Metallica, just whenever I feel inspired and generous enuff to work on them again(been 4yrs).

This doesn't even speak to the Titanicus Maniples and Necromunda Gangs that are complete...since they generally more easily inspire me than anything in current 40k.

Note: when I started I assumed I entered the hobby to play the game. Meanwhile I realized I fully enjoy building, painting and collecting.

Therefore: no limit as long as there are still models/projects/conversions I want to do. With what is in my table currently I should be at around 7000 points of Guard and friends and looking only at my immediate wishlist I will definitly hit 10k... and likely not stop there.

I voted yes, even though so far I haven't really stopped collecting any of my factions
But there's that far reaching goal of having the army complete that I imagined when I started collecting. My Mordor army is basically finished, for example. I don't even know how many points it is, but I got everything I wanted to have, but when GW puts out new models I'll get them for completeness sake.
My 40K Orks might be finished at some point or at least I have a pretty set goal about what I want to have for this army, but knowing me the collection in the end will be much bigger because of all dem cool 3rd party bits flying around. Or because of GW releasing another fitting subfaction.

Overall rules or points aren't a consideration at all (especially not in 40K where these sometimes change faster than I can paint a single squad)

Edit: I've also realized the enthusiasm about increasing a collection gets lower when I've reached a certain size, that size is when I can make up a list in 5 minutes and everything I'd like to try out is painted and ready, when there's no: damn, I still only have 2 Chaincannons ready, I'd like two more, or: hmm, for that mission it would be fitting to have a fast attack focus but I only have one fast moving squad.
In essence, when there's gamewize hardly a need to get more and every additional miniature is basically for collecting purposes or skew.

+1 for "It's done when I feel like it's done/when it's an appropriate in-universe force". I used to aim for a certain point value, but I found that when I did that I'd keep putting off purchases because "oh, what if I switch out the Tauros Venators for Sentinels?" or "well, there's going to be a points update soon, I'd better hold off in case Chimeras go up in cost and I have to shift things around" or "Oooh, these snazzy new rules seem like they'd work pretty well around my current list, but I'd need to switch regiments to get the most out of them and that means another [month|season|year] thinking up new paint schemes and that regiment probably wouldn't have <unit>...". Switching over to making a coherent/feel-good/in-universe-appropriate force and ignoring the points values helped me break through that and actually start, y'know, hobbying.

I still think points have some value as a rough goal or floor, but given how frequently they change these days, I'm not sure that staying tied to points is that good of an idea for the general 40k populace.

 G00fySmiley wrote:
depends on the army adn what you want to do/have. I just get and paint what is interesting or fits an army theme i want. As an example I am working on painting an ork killa kan group and its 45 killa kans, more than you can run outside narrative, but I wanted a gretchin list of grot tanks and killa kans for narrative/open play of cowardly terrible grots.

You'll find that in play an armored Grot force is neither cowardly nor terrible.

In the past I've generally gone for 2000 + anywhere between 500-1000 extra for casual/alternative playstyles. Given the repetitive nature of some armies it gets pretty boring to carry on past that point.

 Nevelon wrote:

Voss wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

So, barring the further options, 2 squads and a captain?

In the 3rd edition codex where they list the TOE for the Ultras they have 3 active deployments and their assets listed. They are give or take reinforced demi-company forces, 50-75ish marines plus support.

I was thinking more of the novels, where you get things like Uriel Ventris and his handful of guys or the 'of Mars' series where a BT Chaplain and ~5 battle brothers (one of whom is field promoted to Emperor's Champion) get an entire ship for their own use.

Or second edition battle reports, where a couple special characters, two squads and yeah, maybe a dread go off and do battle with orks.

Voss wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

Voss wrote:

 Insectum7 wrote:
Space Marines might be the exception, where the aim is to collect a sizeable (but typical) in-universe strike force, with further options baked in to that.

So, barring the further options, 2 squads and a captain?

In the 3rd edition codex where they list the TOE for the Ultras they have 3 active deployments and their assets listed. They are give or take reinforced demi-company forces, 50-75ish marines plus support.

I was thinking more of the novels, where you get things like Uriel Ventris and his handful of guys or the 'of Mars' series where a BT Chaplain and ~5 battle brothers (one of whom is field promoted to Emperor's Champion) get an entire ship for their own use.

Or second edition battle reports, where a couple special characters, two squads and yeah, maybe a dread go off and do battle with orks.

That’s fair. Depending when/where you look, the scale of forces is all over the place.

i have several armies, and would put the minimum value for complete as "able to feild a 2,000 point force". I might well end up collecting more than that, by way of getting options/ reacting to meta shifts/that model is just damm cool, and the "upper" bound of completness would be a rather vague one, but something along the line of "i can't see a real reason to buy anything else". If i already have, say, 2 tactical squads, will i really be using a third? can I think of a army build that needs more than one implusor, or even one where i would actually use a implusor at all?

I plan to keep going slowly until I can do at least one of everything in my codex. Points is irrelevant as it is about having the full variety to pick and choose from.

I consider an army complete once I have 1-2 of every unit I want to have. "Want" usually depends on a mix of whether I like the unit visually and whether that unit has any value in games.

For example, while I like the stompa visually, I wouldn't buy it because it's just dead weight in a game. On the flip side, I wouldn't want to buy a kill rig either because I hate the model.

I also never accumulate a pile of shame, so unless my previous purchases are at least build and primed, I won't buy anything new.

It entirely depends on the faction and its model range. Typically I consider an army "complete" when there's nothing else I want to add to my collection.


For some factions like orks, tyranids or AM I'd consider a complete army something like 10k points and probably more, for others like custodes, grey knights, harlequins and maybe sororitas something like 2500-3000 could already be enough. Or my SW, which are firstborn only and not interested in other firstborn models, let alone primaris ones, is 100% complete at 3500 points.