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There are so many factions and so many builds in 40k. What attracted you to the armies you love?

Was it the lore, the look of the army, or its ease of play? Maybe it was something else... like choosing the hated foe of one of your friend's forces, or perhaps you just thought, "I can win with these models."

What caused you to choose your current army?

Define 'current'. I tend to bounce around a lot.

I like Tzeentch because of the connection with magic and fate. The Blood Ravens are just an extension of that for me, since I'm pretty sure every 40k player is required to have at least one Marine army.

For my Custodes, I'd be lying if I said that last year's lore update didn't influence my decision.

In 2nd edition the space wolves were the most unique looking marines and I loved wolves and vikings. Their portrayal as not as hide bound and dogmatic as the other chapters also helped.

They stayed my main army into 4th edition, but I picked up eldar during that time due to the 2nd ed codex providing IMO still the best background and introduction to a faction 40k has ever had.

Eldar following the ninja/samurai/kung fu master tropes of following a path to perfection and literally developing supernatural powers as a result was very cool. The idea of exarchs transcending their mortal flesh to be incarnations of the war god khaine, and the complex philosophies that underpinned all eldar culture were fascinating.

Even today, the eldar represent the most 'complete' cultural creation in 40k in a way that even the imperium doesn't manage.

I started out in WFB with the Empire, so when I started looking at all 40K factions I wanted something more than just normal man against the horrors of the universe. Most factions didn't grab me until I saw them in all their glory:

Nuns with Guns!

I mean the Sister of Battle. Warmed my Catholic boy heart. Then their dystopian yet effective faith sealed the deal. What a great army for a grim dark universe.

Well in 40K

Tyranids - the BIG draw for me - and this was back in 2nd edition - was that they were aliens. Not men in armour; not elves or orks in space, Tyranids were aliens. Proper sci-fi aliens with bioweapons and everything.
This was back when warriors had exposed guts under skeleton chests and all.

Even today they are still the most alien - no bipedal "its mostly humanoid" design elements here! Just pure unfathomable alien horror and intelligence.

genestealers are really funny for their mutations and what that does for models and modeling, and i appreciate the lore too; however, above all else, it's the gameplay. the tricky, tricksy style is definitely what i'm interested in

my other main army is custodes, and that was because i wanted something completely different from genestealers

more recently, since my girlfriend got me into heresy, my choice was emperor's children, which was mostly because they have a lot of cool models in 30k and 40k (especially now), and noise marines in particular are the coolest thing 40k ever did. also i like painting purple (my custodes are also painted purple)

The cover of the Rogue Trader Compilation and the front of the 2nd Edition box set convinced me that Blood Angels must be the first army for me.

Secondly, footsloggers always appealed to me, but it was the original Last Stand at Glazers Creek (WD222) they solidified the knowledge that I would one day have an Imperial Guard Army of my own.

I still have both armies and they are favorites of mine, but "Current" is something of a moving target as I have several armies that I quite enjoy fielding in my frequent Grimdark Future games.

However, if forced to choose, the Imperial Guard would likely win out.

https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-24779-13756_Melk%2037th.html

I guess my "current" army is Chaos Knights.

Why CKs?
Because I was already in the process of building a trio of Cerastus Knights (1 Castigator & 2 Lancers). I had 2/3 already built. I was intending them for some 30k play....
But then 3 things happened almost simultaneously:
1) The CK Grotmas detachment dropped.
2) Local shop A announced that a new Crusade was beginning 1st week of January.
3) Local shop B announced that a new Escalation League was beginning the 1st week of January.

How convenient, I had the bulk of a new force about to roll off the assembly line just in time for both events! (Hmm, lets see what these guys do in 40k....)
Wow, I really like the free Tank shock on the Lancers in 40k!
But the thing that sealed the deal was the Grotmas detachment rules about sacrificing "Damned" units within range to the Knights for either Sustained 1/Lethal (or both via the enhancement). That just amuses me.
So I added 1 Stalker & 2 Brigands to the build list & pulled out enough IG infantry to serve as the hapless Chaos Cultists ("Damned" KW).

So I picked the current force because "Models that I was going to use anyways" + "amusing Rule".

*Make no mistake, this is by far not the only 40K force I own or play. Merely the one I'm using the most this Jan - March.

My friend played Khorne CSM (back in 7th).
He got me into Nurgle CSM, since that'd be red and green.

And then I discovered how much better Daemon Codex Daemon Princes were than CSM Daemon Princes. And then it just accumulated.

I was interested in CSM because of their background, then I found out about their subfactions and found Death Guard the most interesting one as it gave me lots of ideas for conversions, using 3rd party bits and bases and try Green stuff modelling. This was at the end of 5th edition. I was also very interested in Orks because they were the most fun in DoW and I played Orks in lotr, too. However, 7 Plague Marines at the time were about the same point costs as 30 Boyz... So DG it was because of conversion ideas and financial reasons. 10 years later I also started Orks.

I started with Space Marines because they came in the box and although I liked the background for Orks better the models were not very appealling to me at that time.

When Gorkamorka came out with an aesthetic update for the range and especially when Brian Nelson re-did the Warboss and Nobs and plastic kits I went all in on Orks. I always liked their humorous background and I loved their 3e-5e playstyle. I really enjoyed painting Ork boyz as well. The 4e codex is probably my favourite codex of all time with so many fun army styles.

I also like playing "the baddies" and underdog factions, and I liked being a foil to the marine armies around. Everyone is always happy to see an Ork army coming because you'll always get to kill loads of them and have a fairly fluffy game no matter what.

I still love my Orks but I'm slowly collecting smaller forces for most of the main factions atm and there's something to like about all of them really. 40K is a really cool setting if you don't get too hung up on some of the dumb stuff that's been introduced over the years.

What sold me for the Death Korps at first were the Grenadiers, then I got more into the lore and playing them on the TT was pretty fun, at least on my end.

Scions because I like elite human armies, usually, and they're pretty much that. Though at first I was mostly collecting cool Stormtrooper models here and there and GW release the Scion codex.

Personality




...that's the correct answer, right..?

I went for guard because 1. I really liked the lore of being baseline humans, basically poor f***ing infantry trying to survive the horrors the universe throws at them. No crazy supertech, no supersoldiers, no genetic superiority, just your average Joe
2. looking at the model line 80-90% of their models screamed "damn that looks cool" to me
3. endless conversion ideas to personalize them and build my own unit variants.

I started AdMech as a minor second army due to part of their model line looking pretty cool to me, mostly the characters and Infantry. Especially to scratch that "now for something totally different" itch after painting lots and lots of Guard

The last army on my list, that I haven't started yet are Orks, similarly to AdMech, because at least part of their model line (especially all the small/grot vehicles, Tanks, supertanks, Killakans, Killcopters) look really intrigueing to me and I like the lore of them having mighty fun in all that endless war.

When the game was more active locally - I liked the look of the old metal grey knight terminators and kasrkin... but an army with no fast attack or heavy support slots was awkward so I started filling it out with seraphim, then a canoness for more faith, some more sisters, celestians... and suddenly I was playing a witch hunters army.

And a 30k mechanicus force because at the 11th hour I decided to enter armies on parade and it was easier to paint an army to match the terrain than it was to assemble new terrain... and may have gotten a little carried away.

I first looked into the game around 4th-5th edition and really liked Black Templars but was told I should wait for their codex to get updated. That never happened, but in the meantime I painted up some marines for the Deathwatch RPG and bought in when Death Masque was released in 7th.

After that I've mostly just played a few games now and then, keeping up a bit with new releases. 10th was the first edition I've enjoyed enough to get a second faction, and my favorite playstyle for a second faction is brain off charging, so Orks it is.

I've also got some Knights due to 8th but I've never really enjoyed them so they only kind of count. 8th also resulted in some Sisters and Grey Knights, but I'm not sure I have 500 points of either.

I began with an SM army because I didn't favour the Orc models and those were the choices way back in RT times.
While collecting SM (painted as various chapters) I quickly jumped into Eldar and collected a large army of space elves. And Harlequins. I do love the Harlequins.
I played both and continued collecting until about 4th Ed, including snagging some stuff I just liked the look of and wanted to paint: a bit of chaos, a handful of Guard, some DE, a handful of Tyranids and GSC. I even had some Squats.

I stopped for a few years and when I returned to the hobby there was The Sororitas/Witch Hunters and not only did I like the lore and the look, they're a challenging army to play. So I have been collecting SoBs and finally, after years, painting 'em. With possible intent to play?? Maybe.

I've also gotten into Kill Team and picked up a stack of different teams. Though I haven't played I am enjoying the building and painting.

And from KT I've now decided to begin collecting and building a Krieg army because of course I am!

About 20 years ago a friend of mine brought a copy of white dwarf into school, and when I looked through it I thought Skaven looked awesome. I then found out that my friends played 40k and not WHFB. I went into my local GW about a week later with my dad, where I saw a box of Ork Boys and I immediately thought it was the coolest thing ever. I spent all my pocket money and walked out with a box of Boys, a Warboss and a few blisters of Tankbustas. I've been a big green git ever since.

Mostly for me it's the mix of funny and terrifying that Orks represent, and the limitless freedom you're given when kitbashing and painting them.

For a while in my youth I taught my dad how to play and we bought an Imperial Guard army that he used against my Orks. That was mostly infantry platoons, heavy weapons platoons and basilisks. My dad liked them because he's big on his military history and liked the idea of building a human artillery company with supporting infantry platoons.


I also recently bought a Tyranid army for a friends-only league, but that was more because I could have a dumb 4-model army at 1000 points and I don't mind losing hard if I get to make gribbly monster noises the whole time

When I was a lad, I whipped up a small collection of Eldar models for 3rd edition. The supplement for the Craftworlds was very thin and I should have gravitated toward Biel-Taan with my obsession for Reapers and Banshees, but I really liked the idea of just Farseers / Warlocks and Guardians for Ulthwe. Best psykers in the game leading guardians who were a bit "Spartan" compared to regular guardians from other craftworlds.

Strangely enough I didn't start on that army until recently, and I'm well chuffed with it.

For me, it is easy. I was inspired by a song...

You dig giant robots!
I dig giant robots!
We dig giant robots!
Chicks dig giant robots!

Nice.

fightyourfoes.bandcamp.com/album/chick…t-joe-smith

 Lord Damocles wrote:
Personality




...that's the correct answer, right..?

So 3rd ed Necrons, amirite?

I wanted a Dark Eldar army in 3rd, but for whatever reason (probably money) never got one. From 2nd edition I had regular CWE and some Tyranids instead (mainly hordes of Genestealers from Space Hulk.)

I guess I was one of those unfortunates who thought "elves are cool". But also it kind of fit - as we had loads of Marine players, plus one guy who played Orks and one guy who played IG. I guess the other choice was Chaos, but I remember them being hard to collect around this time. Maybe they had no plastic models. It wasn't an overwhelming consideration, but I wanted to avoid the situation we saw in Fantasy where people were going "snap, I'm also collecting Vampire Counts."

Anyway I fell out of the hobby around the time 4th edition came out due to getting older and going to university.

A bit later - say 2010 or so, various friends started to pull me back in. DE got a range refresh in late 2010~ and I decided to start them as my new 40k army. Great models, interesting rules, cool fluff - what's not to like?

Over the following decade I've dabbled in half a dozen 40k factions, but never quite had the zeal to push forward and collect/build/paint 2k points worth.

I started collecting CSMs in 6th (my mate and I split the starter box) and Dark Eldar around the end of 7th - so I think it's safe to say I wasn't basing my decisions around power on the table-top

Always liked the bad guys!

I've had two main armies, from my two longest times in the hobby (though I've certainly collected many others over the years).

When I got into the game in 3rd edition, it was all about Space Marines. I built my own custom chapter, colour scheme, lore, and ran lots of campaigns with my friends. I still have them all and continue to expand on their story even today. However, I did kinda fall out of the hobby around early 7th edition as by then all my friends had stopped playing as well. (I played Necrons for a while back in 5th and built up a decent sized army, but never got as into them as my SM)

I got back into 40k at the very tail end of 8th, essentially with just enough time to snag the starter set before it went out of print for 9th. However, I wasn't that fussed on the new marines at the time (though I've warmed up tot hem more over the years) and wanted to start something new. I picked up a few of the more recent novels and after reading Blackstone Fortress, Dahyak Grekh was just such a fascinating character in both his relatability and strange alieness that was just off-putting enough. I already had a few Kroot from my time playing Tau for a little in 4th, so I set about expanding them and trying to make them work (I've always been a theorycrafter at heart). Even though they weren't overly strong, I was still able to win games through careful strategy and tactics, which felt very rewarding. Now that they have their new rules, not only do they play like they feel they should based on their lore, but they are good enough that I can actually win competitive events too, which I've found myself getting more into.

So for me, Kroot are, and probably will always be, my main army now. They are the trifecta for me, they look cool / are fun to build and paint, the are a joy to play on the table both when they are and aren't strong in the meta, and their lore (what little of it we have) is fascinating and I love reading it.

I don't really have a 'main' army. I suffer from hobby ADHD a lot. I have 'Main armies' aka whatever I'm working on at the moment.

Put simply

Man I loved Predator, you're telling me I can have an army of mini Dutch/Rambo/Snake Plissken's all wearing solid snake headbands? Sign me the hell up!

Sexy badass italian space vampires with some of the coolest firstborn minis? yep.

Originally wanted to do Iyanden but Dawn of War made me reconsider and pick Biel-Tan. Also did you know Biel-Tan is actually a reference to 'Bealtaine', an old celtic summer festival? (same with Saim-Hann, being Samhain, the original halloween) add them being warlike, aspect warriors, and Bellerophon's excellent blog and you know i had to...

For blood angels, red, huskers, nuff said
Guard, big guns
Orks, kitbashing and looting.

Imperial Guard -- Because they're just normal guys doing all the work and getting none of the credit. Also, I like tanks and artillery. Lastly, they were the first army I started when I got back into the hobby after a long hiatus, and they seemed good both as a "baseline" army and for playing smaller games while I slowly grew out my collection.

White Scars -- I liked the concept of an all-bikers army (back when bikers counted as troops if your warlord was on a bike), so White Scars were the logical choice. Lore-wise and model-wise, they're also one of the most neglected of the original loyalist chapters. My army wasn't that effective, but looked quite striking on the tabletop; there was nothing like it in my local 40k community. Sadly, this type of list became obsolete several years ago due to FOC changes and strict enforcement of the Rule of Three. I sold my army to a 40k dad who wanted to gift it to his son, so I don't feel too bad about it. I'm glad to know my Scars were a kid's first 40k army.

Drukhari -- Evil but also suave and stylish, unlike the brutish Orks and Chaos Marines. Cool models. Given their eccentric, individualistic nature, being one of the few factions in the 40k universe that do not enforce dogma and conformity, you can give your guys pretty much any theme or backstory you want without it being considered "heresy". They don't even have to be evil and sadistic... You can simply make them ruthlessly pragmatic. Hell, they can even ally with other races (they keep Sslyths as bodyguards after all). At the end of the day, they're just Eldar who refuse to conform to the ways of the Craftworlders and Exodites.

Sisters of Battle -- Just the novelty of them, I guess, when GW brought them back from pewter limbo. They seemed a good balance of numbers and eliteness (though these days I wish they trended more on the elite side). I also like that I'm one of the very few Sororitas players in my local community.

Custodes -- This actually started as a pure Vigilators kill team, but I really liked how my color scheme turned out, so I decided to expand them into a whole Custodes army, with the Vigilators being mere objective holders and action performers. I'll soon have 1700 pts ready for the tabletop. It'll be quite unlike anything I've played before: super-elite, and melee-focused.

.

Genestealers... mumble mumble years on, STILL brilliant models....

That would be a combination of 1st edition Space Hulk & the painting guide from "Space Marine Paint set". Been a fan of angels ever since. 2nd edition 40K box only cemented my preference

I believe what really attracts me are cool SciFi vehicles. So obviously imperial guard. Then I fell in love with big stompy robot imperial knights. Primaries Hovertanks while repulsive looked intimidating. Oh neat the plastic Horus heresy tanks. Hello solar auxiliar tanks ... Man those mechanicum tanks look great, and they have awesome robots ...

I'm past collecting an army, I collect some kind of vehicle museum in the 41st millennium. And Necrons, so in a way I'm just Trazyn the Infinite.