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So come on people of dakka, how important is the fluff to you? So important you would never think to play against a fluff breaking army or so insignificant you feel that chaos grey knights are a good idea?

Personally, I don't feel it's something to be taken too seriously and if someone wants to play me with their all female chaos grey knight with chaos tau allies army then that's fine so long as I get a good game out of it or if what they've made looks good as I tend to focus more on the playing/modelling side of the hobby. That’s not to say however I don’t find the notion of the army extremely silly but hey, that’s maybe why the person made it in the first place.

So how about you guys?

I love the 40k fluff, and my armies are heavily fluff based. If someone was to make a my little pony army for example however, I'd find that both hilarious and awesome, and enjoy playing against it.

If people write horrible fluff, to each their own. It has no part in "my" 40k, but I'd happily play them. I'd probably enjoy playing against more fluffy things a bit more though, but yeah it wouldn't stop me.

Edit: Missed the why. It's important because I love large and detailed settings with lots of history. Fitting characters and armies into those settings, expanding on it, making it believable and realistic (inside the setting) is fun for me. The Riftwar series is one of my favorites because it goes over hundreds of years and multiple generations, so you're reading about the great-great-great-great-great grandkids of the characters from the first book. 40K is good for similar reasons.

Fluff defines the races you play in 40K, the story of a certain race, it's heros and its relations with other races. I like good Fluff. Fluff also sets the tone of a race, example, blood angels lost their primarch and got the black rage and red thirst from the same event. Since then the proud chapter has become alot darker in nature. If it wasn't for good fluff then I wouldn't have been interested in 40K to start with. Fluff is important to me.

 Cypherus wrote:
Fluff defines the races you play in 40K, the story of a certain race, it's heros and its relations with other races. I like good Fluff. Fluff also sets the tone of a race, example, blood angels lost their primarch and got the black rage and red thirst from the same event. Since then the proud chapter has become alot darker in nature. If it wasn't for good fluff then I wouldn't have been interested in 40K to start with. Fluff is important to me.

heh, now that you put it that way you've just reminded me why I love my blood angels so much and my reason for playing them

Very important, the story is what driven me into liking 40k. How it is well written and how most thing seemed logical back then even for sci-fi/fantasy setting.
That is why I don't like when Ward comes in and makes an anime out of it .

 Yonan wrote:


Edit: Missed the why. It's important because I love large and detailed settings with lots of history. Fitting characters and armies into those settings, expanding on it, making it believable and realistic (inside the setting) is fun for me. The Riftwar series is one of my favorites because it goes over hundreds of years and multiple generations, so you're reading about the great-great-great-great-great grandkids of the characters from the first book. 40K is good for similar reasons.

Same here bro. The fact thaty it goes over hundreds of years is probably my favorite part of the story.

For me its the entire reason I even play 40k. There's better rule sets out there, better models, better just about everything. But the story. The fluff is what really sets it apart for me. I chose Space wolves over the fluff. Never picked up a codex, I'd already chosen. Then I read about these guys who are awesome, but with some... weirdness. I don't care how good your sense of smell is, how the feth are you aiming and from inside a tank? then running to... ah but I digress >.<
I'll play against people running an unfluffy army. Chaos GK? Bring em on! Corrupted SOB? I'll purge them. Pony Marines? meh, sounds like it could be fun. I just won't take their stories as cannon. Because as much as I love the game, and the fluff, it's still just their take on it. It's why I believe Ward should never be allowed to touch the fluff. His rules are ok, a little OP but whatever. But his stories? Is it too hard to get a writer for him? He comes up with the ideas, they put the life into it.

Fluff is Great, once again as other people said, i wont mind playing against unfluffy armys, but i always make a backstory for my armys, names for the characters etc. for me it just adds to the hobby and experience of playing.

its also one of the main reasons i got into 40k.

I refuse to play against MLP armies, Chaos GK and such. If you cant keep within the establised lines of your army keep the frakfest away from me. So yes, fluff is very important to me and its one of the main reasons I have invested time in 40k

When I first bought into 40k, it was the 2nd Ed box set. I didn't touch the models for almost a week because the three books included in the box had me gripped. I was a 13 year old boy learning about the far future, and all the awesome weapons that went with it. Hell, I still have the 2ed Wargear book. It's brilliant!

The fluff and general backstory of the game has come about through nearly 30 years of writing and is ever expanding. I read more than I play, and that's the biggest reason that I got into 40k in the first place. Yes, the minis are ok, the rules are fine but there are sharper rule sets out there. It's the whole universe I like, and still do, despite certain writers (cough *Ward* cough) trying to bend or even snap the already established canon to suit his needs.

All in all, I love the rich universe and this is what keeps me coming back to 40k, even after 18 years.

Fluff is cool to read and I respect the people that make fluff armies. I just hate hearing their cries as they poop their pants when they lose games. I like 40k for the game. In a game I play to win the game, not lose gracefully. I don't paint or mod my army into some 9 color circus it's uniformly painted in a way that the army would be. The biggest complainers are the chaos space marine players. Hands down biggest babies in 40k. I apologize if this is insulting, again no disrespect. It's just from my personal sample size.

 Goat wrote:
Fluff is cool to read and I respect the people that make fluff armies. I just hate hearing their cries as they poop their pants when they lose games. I like 40k for the game. In a game I play to win the game, not lose gracefully. I don't paint or mod my army into some 9 color circus it's uniformly painted in a way that the army would be. The biggest complainers are the chaos space marine players. Hands down biggest babies in 40k. I apologize if this is insulting, again no disrespect. It's just from my personal sample size.

The bold area highlights that you do actually play a fluff army, just a competative one.

OP: In my view the fluff is very important, but i have no problem playing against a none-fluff army. The problem I have occurs when the guy goes 'I wrote some fluff for my army' I have no interest in reading awefully written drivel that in no way fits the universe (i can happly read awefully written drivel that does). If a person want to have a none-fluff army they should respect the rest of the community by just playing.

 DPBellathrom wrote:
So come on people of dakka, how important is the fluff to you? So important you would never think to play against a fluff breaking army or so insignificant you feel that chaos grey knights are a good idea?

My circle takes it fairly serious. At the end of the day, it is a game and we're all cognizant of that. However, that doesn't mean we'll have choas grey knights or female space marines or MLP in power armor.

 Goat wrote:
Fluff is cool to read and I respect the people that make fluff armies. I just hate hearing their cries as they poop their pants when they lose games. I like 40k for the game. In a game I play to win the game, not lose gracefully. I don't paint or mod my army into some 9 color circus it's uniformly painted in a way that the army would be. The biggest complainers are the chaos space marine players. Hands down biggest babies in 40k. I apologize if this is insulting, again no disrespect. It's just from my personal sample size.

To be fair, if they play Slaanesh then they kind of have to. His whole thing is stupidly obnoxious colors that don't make sense, really.

And when people make their own fluff, I don't really care as long as it's something that makes sense or they can justify. I have "Chaos" Tau, but they aren't really Chaos Chaos. They're always taken as an allied detachment to my Chaos Space Marines who have enslaved them and beat the ever loving crap out of them because they hate them. The Tau aren't Chaos by choice and the Chaos Gods don't even acknowledge them because they're so pathetic and useless. They don't feel the influence of the gods, they don't have any mutations, and they don't actually worship Chaos at all. The Traitor Marines just feel betrayed by their original chapter and want to inflict the same misery on everyone else, so they systematically abused the enslaved Tau until their will finally broke.
That's understandable, is it not? Moreso than Chaos Grey Knights or something. Although, I wouldn't mind a Rogue Inquisitor army (Use the GK codex but don't take any GK).

It's important to me but I won't get angry if someone had something not fluffy. I also have fluff for my own army though I wouldn't ask an opponent if he wanted me to read each detail about it. I came to play with some toys not read stories.

Considering about 90% of 40k fluff is about burly angry men smackin each other about gameplay is more important than fluff.

For me the fluff is almost completely irrelevant. I haven't done more than glance at any of the fluff in any of the codex or army books I've bought. I've bought no Black Library books and don't intend to. I respect that it's important to others but the fluff doesn't drive any of my list building. I'm not a WAAC person though, I really enjoy playing and making sure my opponent has a good time as well. I'd never paint my army in My Little Pony colors because I think it looks stupid, but I'd never refuse a game because someone wanted to paint his toy soldiers that way.

I got into the hobby because my kids were playing it and I wanted to be able to spend more time with them, doing something they liked. I built a lot of models when I was a kid and I really enjoy that part of this hobby. So perhaps because I got into this game as an adult, the fluff in a lot of the codexes (codices?) seems like fan fiction, it's just not very well written.

In my opinion, there are three parts to this hobby: Gaming, Modeling / Painting, and the Fluff. Every person is going to prioritize them differently. For me it looks like this:

Gaming > Modeling / Painting >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fluff.

Fluff is important to my army because it makes it more fun to play. tailoring my list around how a Snakebite warboss would fight makes for fun playing.

That's an excellent point, undertow. The hobby means something different to everyone.

My priority is:

1. Modeling
2. Fluff
3. Gaming.

I don't get in many games, but I like the modeling and painting side of the hobby, most. I'm really enjoying the HH series from the Black Library, as well as some stand alone books (Helsreach) or short series (Night Lords).

I'm all about the fluff. Without it, I'd rather be playing chess in the park.

The background to a game is one of the most important things to me.

Being honest, its the only thing 40K has left.

Fluff is very important to me. All my armies stick to their fluff and I refuse to field them any other way even if the lists are not competitive.

For example; in my White Scars army I have no dreadnoughts, all my infantry are fielded in transports, on bikes or wearing jump packs and my predators don't have side sponsons.

 Yonan wrote:
I love the 40k fluff, and my armies are heavily fluff based. If someone was to make a my little pony army for example however, I'd find that both hilarious and awesome, and enjoy playing against it.

If people write horrible fluff, to each their own. It has no part in "my" 40k, but I'd happily play them. I'd probably enjoy playing against more fluffy things a bit more though, but yeah it wouldn't stop me.

Edit: Missed the why. It's important because I love large and detailed settings with lots of history. Fitting characters and armies into those settings, expanding on it, making it believable and realistic (inside the setting) is fun for me. The Riftwar series is one of my favorites because it goes over hundreds of years and multiple generations, so you're reading about the great-great-great-great-great grandkids of the characters from the first book. 40K is good for similar reasons.

This here. I really care about the fluff (though sometimes I edit it for myself the parts I dont like) and would find it slightly annoying if someone fought me with his female Chaos Grey Knights but I would play them in a heart beat and wouldnt say a word about it out loud. I would keep it to myself


so its

Fluff >>>>>>>>> Modeling > gaming

Fluff is important to a degree. When a person's fixation on fluff ruins their experience in gaming, they've taken it too far.

Just like when a person's fixation on gaming ruins their experience with the fluff, they too have taken it too far.

Fluff bunnies and WAAC's are too equally problematic extremes that neither found the balance with which the game can be most well enjoyed.

Fluff is great... If you are playing Deathwatch.

For a tabletop wargame, I could take or leave the fluff and it really would not make a difference to me.

To me, the fluff is very important. I would still play an unfluffy army, though I would be a little annoyed. Still, it's their army and they can do what they want with it, even if it goes against every bit of fluff in their codex. All of my armies more or less have a theme. My Eldar are an Alaitoc army, my Orks are Speed Freeks, and my Chaos are heavily Black Legion with a heavy emphasis on Slaanesh and Nurgle. I do deviate from these themes occasionally when I want a change, but I'd rather play an army that makes sense fluff wise and lose than play a spammy net list and roll over all my opponents any day.

For me the fluff isn't super important, but its something really that's really neat and nice which is necessary for the full effect.
Like the music in a good movie, makes the whole thing come alive.

For me the most important thing is the gaming (which I have yet to do much of), the converting (which I'm digging right now) and then the fluff (which I could spend hours reading without fault).

I love the fluff, but mainly I only keep to it for my army, and the RPGs. As long as the person I'm fightin' has a real army (or uses the legal rules) I'm fine.

pretty interesting veiw points so far ^.^

TheCaptain, I really have to agree with you on those points, I've always found it odd that fluff can ruin playing a game for some one though after reading though the comments on here I guess I can see why

I love the fluff. Before I had ever heard of warhammer 40k as a wargame I saw the dark heresy RPG rule book. This was when I was 13 or so and still playing DnD. I flipped through the pages and bought it to take it home. I never actualy played it. Because nobody in my group really understood it. But I loved the idea of this dark and grim universe where people were so obsessed with Technology they started replacing their own body parts. (I was fascinated with the Techpriests) but I forgot about it eventually. Till about two years ago a friend introduced me to the hobby. And it didn't click till I read the fluff of the 5th edition Rulebook, but I'd found this wonderful setting again.

Ahem, sorry about the nostalgia, but in short I like the Fluff>Game>Modeling. I wouldn't mind playing an unfluffy army. I just wouldn't make one.