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So a bit of a cringy bloggish post of the sort I don’t normally like to make. I want to settle down with my collecting and stop shifting between games and ranges.

I’ve decided that I am going to collect for 6th edition WHFB, keeping and expanding on my Chaos, Chaos Dwarves and Skaven. I have bits and pieces for most other races in 6th too, especially Empire.

But I also want a 40K-ish collection. I’ve been on and off with 40K since I was a boy. I have some 90s Imperial Fists.

Space issues mean I can’t collect everything I might like to.

I have a theory that getting opinions on what you should do, often makes you realise what you really want to do. I am an old edition grognard which might explain my choices.

I have a few options.

1 – 40K Imperial Fists and 1 other army, for 2nd ed rules

2 – 40K Imperial Fists and 1 other army, for 3rd ed rules

3 – 30K 28mm with two forces (IF and Dark Mechanicus??)

4 – Legions Imperialis, play this with 2 armies (IF & WE and / or Dark Mech ??)

5 – Epic Armageddon or NetEpic, with Imperials and Orks

6 – Don’t collect 40K and instead add Empire to 6th ed WHFB

I value your thoughts. Share them with me.

If space is a critical issue, go for 2nd edition or Epic/ Legions, ditch the bits & pieces 6th.

How critical is the 'other army' part? Can you drop down to 1 army per game?

If space is an issue, have you looked at the skirmish games?

Herzlos wrote:
How critical is the 'other army' part? Can you drop down to 1 army per game?

If space is an issue, have you looked at the skirmish games?

Space is an issue in the sense that I can't collect every army. I'm a bit of a I-want-everything guy, and I need to get realistic.

With regards to collecting two armies, currently I don't know any other gamers, and I'm not interested in the current rules for 40K, Old World, etc. I think it might be good to have a playable set for each game in case I convince someone to play, or in case my daughter (now 3) someday takes an interest.

If I have an army for a game, I can always play it. If I get rid of an army and want to play the game, I need to buy an army for it.

40k has never been my favorite game, but I've always had an army on hand because people invariably get excited about it and want to play. 10th is actually my favorite edition so far, but I'd have not given it a try if, when everyone wanted to play, I wasn't able to just go to my closet and pull out the stuff.

I do like having a pair of armies for a bunch of reasons myself. I used to be terrible about wanting everything, but I've found myself more content limiting my collection to 2 and focusing on little skirmish games that take up a fraction of the space, time and budget.

 Cap'n Facebeard wrote:

Herzlos wrote:
How critical is the 'other army' part? Can you drop down to 1 army per game?

If space is an issue, have you looked at the skirmish games?

Space is an issue in the sense that I can't collect every army. I'm a bit of a I-want-everything guy, and I need to get realistic.

With regards to collecting two armies, currently I don't know any other gamers, and I'm not interested in the current rules for 40K, Old World, etc. I think it might be good to have a playable set for each game in case I convince someone to play, or in case my daughter (now 3) someday takes an interest.

I think you need to go meet other gamers before you decide what to build & what editions to build for.
Then build based upon what systems/editions you all agree on.

Yeah. Not much point in having forces for a game if no one within a reasonable drive is playing that game.

So I'm a bit (ok very much) similar in wanting a LOT of games and armies and stuff!

One thing that helps me every so often (when I bother) is to make lists and plans. I find the act of planning out an army and then my collection in general helps a lot in terms of bringing things into perspective.

I don't just mean write out "collect 40K Ad Mech army" I mean proper write out the list; note down what you do and don't own next to each and how many of a thing you'd like.

Put some time into the plan to reflect the collection you'd like to build. Then do it for the next army and the next and so on and so forth.

What you'll find is that steadily you'll realise you've got too many (or not enough). It also helps to have a plan because it can form part of a guide to how you buy and to plan out your purchases and your playing.
I find that it helps me start to both organise and realise when too much is too much and pull back on some ideas or put them into long term waiting.
It's also good because I find it helps sometimes when you then review the "too much" selection and might realise that perhaps you don't really want to build 100 skaven but you would rather like one or two specific models - so now your plan can evolve to just get those as hobby build and paint projects



Even if you don't follow the plan, the act of creating it can really help bring things into perspective with known values and ideas rather than a kind of wishy washy mental list where its harder to envision the whole thing in context.

Guys guys guys, I appreciate the concerns, but this wasn't really a 'cry for help' thread, and more a 'what do you think of my wacky ideas' thread.

My fault, I shouldn't have put 'help' in the title.

Errrr.. not seeing wacky.....

stroller wrote:
Errrr.. not seeing wacky.....

OK what do you think of my mundane, run-of-the-mill, serious ideas then?

Like I said, go for

If space is a critical issue, go for 2nd edition or Epic/ Legions, ditch the bits & pieces 6th.

2nd can be low model count, 6mm scale you can go nuts

I empathise with your position, I've been feeling similar myself for a while. Settled on Middle Earth and 40K myself, but not really tied to any system for using them in, just the models from those games. I think I'm pretty much "finished" buying stuff for 40K at this point. For Middle Earth there's still things I'd like to get at some point, but no rush really.

But I think this sort of thing is really personal. I feel weird giving you advice about it - because it's like, what would be most interesting to me personally, not what would be most interesting to you.

If I was you, I'd probably go for 3e Imperial Fists with a Xenos army to fight against, probably Orks for the classic match up, but Nids are also a good shout.
Reasoning:
An army for 3e will work in 2e if you decide to switch rules, but the same is not true the other way round as you might be "missing" bits for 3e.
30K to me is too limited and niche, I prefer the broader 40K universe. If you find someone else who wants to play 30K you can always use your Fists for that.
The smaller scales I would stay away from personally, I just prefer painting and modelling with 28mm for troop models and stuff, and you already have troops in that scale. If I was gonna shift scale I would go for the older Epic versions, and skip LI for the same reason I'd skip Heresy 28mm.

As for adding Empire to your collection, I don't see the point. I wouldn't chuck the Empire stuff you have right now, but would hang onto it. Maybe things change, you get a bit more space, or whatever, and in the future you could expand it and do that Empire force.

 Da Boss wrote:
But I think this sort of thing is really personal. I feel weird giving you advice about it - because it's like, what would be most interesting to me personally, not what would be most interesting to you.

Thanks, that was the sort of opinions I was looking for. I often find if I hear a bunch of what other people would do, it crystallises what I would really like to do myself.

Fists and Orks was one of the little ideas I had already and you are right, having a 3rd ed collection essentially gives you a 2nd ed collection as well.

But I do love that LI Thunderhawk! Might have to buy one no matter what.

For me, the collection and state of the collection dictate what I do. I also follow the old “playing no game is preferable to playing a game that I consider a bad game”. What this means is I have spent a lot of time selling off games and ranges I either don’t enjoy playing or have no motivation to paint. I don’t play or collect modern 40k, for example. And a huge chunk of my oldhammer collection has been sold with more still to go.

Painted pieces and/or armies are kept as they’re more a sort of journey of achievements.

For deciding on what to keep and pursue, I’ve gone for things I enjoy, either model ranges or games with a definitive appeal and/or atmosphere. My focus now is GW Epic (AT, AI, LI), rangers of shadow deep, barons war and frostgrave. I do have mothballed ranges that I don’t want to sell, but don’t want to collect either. These I use as pallet cleansers from time to time.

I also keep a miniature inventory of everything pending work. Finally, I keep track of spend, sales and completed pieces over the course of the year. This helps me keep focus as well as helps reduce the spending somewhat

Forget about trying to fit in with the latest thing. The consume product meme is very real.

Collect what you like. Having 5 armies for WFB 6th edition makes more sense than having 1 army for 5 different systems.

Sticking with 6th edition is a good idea. It was a very complete set and the rules were very good. The models from that era are my favorites.

I am steadfastly ignoring everything other than the following;

1. Oldhammer fantasy. Building every army from 3rd edition and the 6th edition ravening hordes booklet. This is impossible for things like Slaan but working on what is possible.

2. 15mm Warhammer 40K. All 3D printed at home.

3. 15mm Weird WW2

Everything else is sold or given away.

I play solo or provide armies for an opponent to borrow.

I also tend to build complete armies. Meaning 5-6000 points where I can select a different build for each game.

So a plan is forming in my raddled brain:

Stick with my favourite aforementioned dudes for 6th ed WHFB.

Collect 'firstborn' Imperial Fists and modern Orks for use in 2nd ed.

Collect both Imperial Fists and Orks for Epic Armageddon.

Sounds like an excellent idea. I unfortunately have a limited budget since restarting in the hobby, and am building an Adeptus/Legios Custodes Army (with Knight Castigator support) that's going to be used in 40k (+ Bording Patrol) and 30k.

So I'm probably not the best person to ask for ideas from right now.

(I'm still upset that I can't play the new Kill Team with Custodes... or Imperial Knights )

I've always struggled to collect one army too!

Something that's helping me is instead choosing a project that allows me to bounce around between different stuff while still making progress.
For me it's project Armageddon; so I can be painting grots one minute, scouts the next and then hop onto some hive gang militia!

There is so much written about Armageddon, and so much potential besides, that I've got plenty to hold my interest.

That's a great idea. Pick a location and build around it. You can collect all the sides in the conflict.

Unless you pick the Siege of Terra, and nobody outside of Warhammer World could build that army.

Cap'n Facebeard wrote:So a bit of a cringy bloggish post of the sort I don’t normally like to make. I want to settle down with my collecting and stop shifting between games and ranges.

I totally get this. I started doing this years ago. For instance, I’m not getting into Primaris marines—not just because I don’t like the design aesthetic, but because I want to finish IG and a small Ork force. I don’t want to do a new army anymore, and I want to finish (in some cases “start”) painting what I already have. I think this reflects a shift from wanting more to appreciating what I have. Same with rules. I’m not interest in edition chasing and edition turnover. I’ve kinda settled on 40k 5th, and I think I almost have what I need for 2nd if I find anyone interested. For WHFB, I don’t know yet. Definitely not going past 6th, and I have nearly all I need for the Middle Earth game. Epic is the real wrinkle in my plan. I really like the LI models and have been assembling forces for that.

I went off on a tangent, but anyway, I just wanted to say that I get where you’re coming from and I’m interested to read your thoughts about it as you progress. Good luck!

Vulcan wrote:Yeah. Not much point in having forces for a game if no one within a reasonable drive is playing that game.

Partly agree and disagree here. If your focus is playing, then I agree. If your focus is the hobby side, you can get enjoyment not just from painting but also from admiring the pieces on a shelf, making pew-pew sounds in your head, and imagining what adventures and grimdeath they are getting into on a random Tuesday.

Sometimes it's fun to own and paint a model that you're probably never going to use.

Everyone has a dream model they love, even if it never gets used.

I've always wanted a Warhound Titan in 40k/HH scale. Like some sort of demented Administratum Clerk who hasn't received confirmation of the vehicle being shipped, I've already named it and come up with a ridiculously cool backstop to share with the Imperial Propagandists.

So I have two more potential plans already, for a total of three to decide from:

1. Stick with my favourite aforementioned dudes for 6th ed WHFB. Collect 'firstborn' Imperial Fists and modern Orks for use in 2nd ed. Collect both Imperial Fists and Orks for Epic Armageddon.

2. Leave the 41st millennium entirely and instead collect more WHFB armies (point in favor, will not need 40K terrain).

3. Stick with my WHFB faves and also collect Imperial Fists for Heresy / LI with no 'enemy' army. This would be more of a passion project for the Fists. Also as its a current game I might find opponents anyway.

I would select option 3, as I have temporarily suspended all 40k Era plans.

I had hopes for a dual 30k/40k list, but I forgot the first rule of the Imperium:

Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

Stick to one WHFB army and your Imperial Fists. Worry about all the other stuff later.

I'd rather have one completed army that excites me than 837 WIP's that live in boxes or clutter the shelves.