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Made in gb
Fresh-Faced New User



Bedfordshire, UK

Hey Everyone,

 

I am a UK based ( East/South East of England ) and have been playing WFB (8th) for about a year now at my local club.

 

There are four of us who play regularly and we just had a 5 player mini-tournament over a weekend a couple of weeks ago.

 

But the future for 8th looks like it will be set to dwindle and fall into obscurity, especially with certain army books routinely exceeding £60 on ebay and most GW models now being based on rounds and I am guessing future releases will fit less and less well on 20mm squares, it will become increasingly expensive to maintain numbers of players to play and will soon remain the domain of those of us who either got in as others were getting out ( such as myself ) or those who have had armies for a very long time who did not sell up.

 

Kings of War has been out, yet I have heard very little positive about it, ( we have yet to dip into it ourselves ) and the general opinion I have read is a distinct neutrality on it, with the prevailing sentiment from what I have read thus far being that the game is rather boring.

 

On the other hand 9th ( which again, we have not played ) seems set for tournaments and has a lot of the random elements lopped off, ( something my Orc & Goblin playing friend bemoans from reading the Army Book )

 

Lastly there is Age of Sigmar, which one of our number refuses to play based on the way the Old World’s demise was handled, which I personally partially agree with ( I think I can probably play the rules, but the setting throws me hugely and reads like a bad acid trip in places ) Plus, frankly, it is not anything like WFB and if I wanted to play 40k, I’d play W40k 8th ( Well actually probably 4th, but that’s a different subject )

 

In short I am concerned about the future in this regard, personally I’d like the option of going down to GW and playing a game there, but also I’d like the option of playing in a proper tournament, but feel excluded because I have not gotten with the current release.

 

Eventually, 8th will fall away and become a rarely played game by a few players dotted around the world and will have to compete for attention with other versions of the game which are now also out of print.

 

So I guess what I am looking for here is some advice, how do these games ( 9th, KoW, AoS ) compare, are they fun? I hear 9th is in a bad way from certain people? And does anyone who is in England have any insight into what tournaments are occurring and what rule sets are popular?

 

I like head-canon from my encounters in games, some sort of story, which may conflict with a tournament driven rule set that I hear 9th is.

 

I’d love to feel relevant, even if I never take up the opportunity.

 

I’d like to continue to buy models without having to buy more bases for every purchase and I’d love to be able to by quality models, which Mantic, honestly, struggles with greatly. ( Their zombies are pretty great though! )

   
Made in us
Been Around the Block




Hello!

Thank you for sharing how you're feeling and your options. Allow me here to provide some thoughts and feedback based on your post:

- I also continue playing 8th. As do many people (a minority? Maybe. But there's many of us still playing). I invite you to join the EEFL (Eight Edition For Life) group, where we chat about all things 8th Edition and even had a US-based tournament this past November: http://eefl.freeforums.net/

- It is true, however, that until (and IF) GW re-releases WFB like they did Blood Bowl and Necromunda, 8th will continue being played less and less. BUT - if you have the opportunity to play it and group to play wit with, I ask you: do you NEED 1,000,000s of people playing? You have a group, with whom you can do tourneys, campaigns, escalations, etc. That's huge! Many people I know on the internet would lvoe to have a fellow 8th edition player near them, let alone 4!

- In re: to the other games, I'd suggest you try them all once. I have and found that AoS was fun the 1st few times and then it became all the same. Plus, I don't like where they're going story-wise. (WTF were those Space Dwarfs??) - KoW, hdoes have support, unliek 8th edition, but I've found that it's either really played in some areas, or never heard of in others. Which one corresponds to your location will depend on how much you can play. 9th also has great support and they just released version 2.0 which is supposed to be stable for a while. I don't liek what they did to magic, and liek your friend said, the elimination of the random aspects of the game, which made it fun. But it's what is most LIKE 8th edition out there. Try one game out and see!

-

LiveWaaaaagh.com 
   
Made in us
Adolescent Youth with Potential




Agree with other poster on KoW. Its seems to be very regional. Its fairly popular at my game store, managing to have a regular group with 3-5 people every week.

I find it to be a very fun game. Its quick with a 2k game taking about 90m. Its tactically engaging, and movement is simple.

I never got to play WFB and by the time I was able to get into the game it was already axed. I have no interest in AoS due to the setting. KoW is a generic fantasy setting, which works better for me than the bad lore of AoS.
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut




The reality is 8th edition is something that's likely only going to be sustained in small groups like yours. If that group still exists, still likes the game and isn't about to break up I'd say keep playing 8th. It will become more difficult to buy new armies as time goes on but it sounds like you're doing OK in that department at the moment.

As far as the other games go, these are all my opinions only:

I've played KoW a few times and found it bland, dull and not nearly as tactically deep as many of its supporters make it out to be. I'm perfectly willing to admit the nuances may well have become more apparent after more games but my group saw nothing in the first half-dozen games that made us want to keep playing to find out. It does have the advantage of being very close in style to 8th edition and being a current, supported game, which may be important for you. I agree that it's quite a regional thing, though. Some areas play it a lot and in others it's unheard of, so that may be a factor for you.

The 9th Age (T9A) is somewhere between the two, IMO. It's a lot more engaging than KoW for me but the relentless stripping away of randomness in favour of razor-edged balance (which has so far not been achieved at all) robs the game of a lot of its fun. The development of it is turning into a frustrating mess as well, IMO. Hopefully the stable 2.0 rules will help but I'm not so sure. T9A being a fan-made game also means it lacks widespread official backing from model manufacturers and it can also prove difficult to persuade some LFGS to allow it on the tables in place of games that actually make money. In the UK at least, the popularity of T9A seems to be only slightly less variable than KoW and I can see support for it dwindling as it struggles to pick up new players. The recent huge changes don't seem to have helped in this regard - if anything they've slowed its momentum.

So I'd say keep playing 8th as long as you're all happy with it. There's no point jumping ship to a system you don't enjoy just out of fear of not having opponents if you already have those opponents anyway.
   
Made in us
Clousseau




T9A is quite frankly a dumpster fire. It is a great case study in creating a game with few random elements though and how much "fun" that is for a game as well as how a committee system works when trying to design a game.

KOW is a great system though echoing the above posters on its regionality... it doesn't see any time in my city pretty much anywhere. There is a store about an hour away that does a couple tournaments with it a year.

If you're just playing with your friends then I don't think it should matter what you play. If you're trying to play a game that has wider appeal, the fantasy realm is quite limited in the states at least.

AOS you've already said is bad for its lore. KOW would probably be your best bet but may require you to put some energy and effort into galvanizing it.

Good luck
   
Made in us
Been Around the Block




Slipspace wrote:
The reality is 8th edition is something that's likely only going to be sustained in small groups like yours. If that group still exists, still likes the game and isn't about to break up I'd say keep playing 8th. It will become more difficult to buy new armies as time goes on but it sounds like you're doing OK in that department at the moment.

As far as the other games go, these are all my opinions only:

I've played KoW a few times and found it bland, dull and not nearly as tactically deep as many of its supporters make it out to be. I'm perfectly willing to admit the nuances may well have become more apparent after more games but my group saw nothing in the first half-dozen games that made us want to keep playing to find out. It does have the advantage of being very close in style to 8th edition and being a current, supported game, which may be important for you. I agree that it's quite a regional thing, though. Some areas play it a lot and in others it's unheard of, so that may be a factor for you.

The 9th Age (T9A) is somewhere between the two, IMO. It's a lot more engaging than KoW for me but the relentless stripping away of randomness in favour of razor-edged balance (which has so far not been achieved at all) robs the game of a lot of its fun. The development of it is turning into a frustrating mess as well, IMO. Hopefully the stable 2.0 rules will help but I'm not so sure. T9A being a fan-made game also means it lacks widespread official backing from model manufacturers and it can also prove difficult to persuade some LFGS to allow it on the tables in place of games that actually make money. In the UK at least, the popularity of T9A seems to be only slightly less variable than KoW and I can see support for it dwindling as it struggles to pick up new players. The recent huge changes don't seem to have helped in this regard - if anything they've slowed its momentum.

So I'd say keep playing 8th as long as you're all happy with it. There's no point jumping ship to a system you don't enjoy just out of fear of not having opponents if you already have those opponents anyway.


Honestly, what he said is right on point. I want to mention again for emphasis that you're lucky that you have a group of friends still playing and willing to play 8th edition. Who knows? With Total War, you might find a few new players in the future.

LiveWaaaaagh.com 
   
Made in us
Spawn of Chaos




Baltimore, MD

To the OP:

you have four...FOUR guys in a group you get together to play WFB 8th with?! I would do unspeakable things to have half that number of dedicated players.

You have said it yourself we are embers of a magnificent, dying fire... the pessimist in me believes this is the only way the Old World and 8th edition will survive, so in that regard you are fantastically lucky. believe me when I say some of us sit staring forlornly at their models reliving in memory the games they once had!

You ask about the others? KoW is a washed out, seldom played variant... AoS is poison and fills me with bile and hatred and T9A soared briefly before crashing and burning spectacularly.

I might have considered the ruleset produced bu AoW, but that is rare to the point of being inexistent.

for the time being consider yourself envied!
   
Made in es
Longtime Dakkanaut





Keep an eye on Oathmark. That looks like it might have potential.

I think KoW attracts a slightly different crowd that moves away from some of the more random elements of 8th and seems to be more marmite - always be wary as negative views predominate generally. On the other hand aren't the rules free so you could try it out?

As for AoS I tend to agree with what has been said. I agree the way it was handled was poor, but did try it but found that it tended very quickly to feeling the same regardless of what models I put on the board. That the differences in armies was more aesthetic than play style. Though that is probably a limitation of the very simplified ruleset.

I would try those you haven't played but otherwise stick with a version of WFB you like. I think it will come back eventually simply that IIRC if you abandon something for so long (25 years) after that point someone else can pick it up. So GW might reintroduce it just to stop that happening.

"Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. " - V

I've just supported the Permanent European Union Citizenship initiative. Please do the same and spread the word!

"It's not a problem if you don't look up." - Dakka's approach to politics 
   
Made in us
Keeper of the Flame





Monticello, IN

KOW boasts Alessio Cavatore (sp?) as one of its creators. None of the other game systems have that going for them.




I'm lucky as I have a dedicated opponent for 6th Edition, an extended circle of people willing to play 6th locally, and the classichammer community to at least keep it alive enough that I could potentially find new opponents. You've got a club that sticks with a ruleset, just bomb the sales threads and ebay for the occasional deals on the models you want.

www.classichammer.com

For 4-6th WFB, 2-5th 40k, and similar timeframe gaming

Looking for dice from the new AOS boxed set and Dark Imperium on the cheap. Let me know if you can help.
 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Its AoS, it doesn't have to make sense.
 
   
Made in gb
Fresh-Faced New User



Bedfordshire, UK

Hi Everyone,

Firstly thanks for all the replies, I will probably give KoW and 9th a shot at some point, but it seems what I heard elsewhere was true about those rulesets.

Don't get me wrong, I know I am very lucky to have the friends I do to match up with and are still willing to put money down for new armies and expanding their current ones.

( I currently have nearly 6k of VC, 2k of Dwarfs and 1.5k of Empire )

I adore 8th, it has its issues but it is an engaging experience and the randomness only adds to the engagement for me.

I'd love to see it continue ( and like many old GW games i'm sure it will ) but in slowly decreasing numbers.

I'd happily travel to other clubs in SE England for games to keep things going.


   
Made in gb
Scouting Shadow Warrior






DocVanq wrote:

There are four of us who play regularly


After last night's Grave Guard and Vampire Lord induced murder spree you are down to 3 :p

I have expressed most of this to you already but this is broadly how I feel:

With no plans for any of us to move away, we will be able to continue playing 8th edition for as long as it interests us with our existing armies. It's an unfortunate fact that investing in new armies will become more difficult and I can imagine many of the new AoS releases will be compatible, but I would expect third party manufacturers to continue to release replacements (of varying quality).

I, like you, would like the option of rocking up somewhere and playing a pick up game or in a tournament even if I never take that option up. Realistically that is only gong to be possible with AoS as it's the only current fantasy game with a widespread playerbase in the UK. 9th Age and KoW may have a tournament scene but don't seem to be played in our FLGS of a weekend, unlike GW games. So we would probably be stuck playing in our game group if there is a rule set we prefer over WHFB 8th. The upcoming rank and file games like Oathmark and Conquest (https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/740261.page) look interesting but I doubt will come close in proliferation to the GW juggernaut in the UK.

Unfortunately unless GW decide to re-release a rank and file game, our options are relatively limited.

Obviously, if you want to try one of the other rulesets, I will always be keen!

EDIT: It does look like there are rare 8th ed tournaments happening from time to time, could be tempting!

http://warhammer.org.uk/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=13

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/08 13:39:37


(3000+ Points)
Lizardmen (3000+ point 8th ed army)
GSC (1500ish points)
Cothique High Elves, Legio Astorum, Flesh Tearers, and plenty more on the go.

Hobby blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/773927.page 
   
Made in gb
Fresh-Faced New User



Bedfordshire, UK

I guess my point is less about us, more about ways we as a wider playerbase keep this going.

It's good there are tournaments. I'm certainly up for going and losing terribly to be one more person to keep this going for as long as possible, for more than just our group.
   
Made in us
Been Around the Block




And do please join us over on EEFL forums, where you might find additional players to play with as well! http://eefl.freeforums.net/

LiveWaaaaagh.com 
   
Made in si
Foxy Wildborne







KoW is the best massed fantasy battle system by any objective metric (complexity of rules vs complexity of play, clarity of writing, game balance). Of course personal preference is king in wargaming. If you like random charts, scattering templates of instant death and gak exploding on the table then it is not for you. It's a tight, tournament-oriented system. If someone tells you it's boring, they should probably think X-wing is boring also.

Posters on ignore list: 36

40k Potica Edition - 40k patch with reactions, suppression and all that good stuff. Feedback thread here.

Gangs of Nu Ork - Necromunda / Gorkamorka expansion supporting all faction. Feedback thread here
   
Made in es
Inspiring Icon Bearer




 lord_blackfang wrote:
KoW is the best massed fantasy battle system by any objective metric (complexity of rules vs complexity of play, clarity of writing, game balance). Of course personal preference is king in wargaming. If you like random charts, scattering templates of instant death and gak exploding on the table then it is not for you. It's a tight, tournament-oriented system. If someone tells you it's boring, they should probably think X-wing is boring also.


I don't think boring is really the most appropriate criticism of KoW. Flat would be more like it.

Flat as in a significant lesser number of "moving parts" compared to warhammer.

To me 9th age gets that lego feeling of playing with literally hundreds of tiny pieces, whereas KoW feels more samey-same across armies.

It's not bad per se, but to me it reminds me more of, say, DBMM, FoG or Hail Caesar than a fantasy game, which is why we dropped it for the most part. Haven't checked KoW historical but the base is very solid so it should make for a good enough game.

   
Made in nl
Stone Bonkers Fabricator General




We'll find out soon enough eh.

For my money, KoW is a great ruleset for models of a much smaller scale than WHFB. Fill those bases up with 15mm or even 6-10mm models and a streamlined ruleset starts to feel more appropriate(and it also lets you model characters with a bodyguard).

I need to acquire plastic Skavenslaves, can you help?
I have a blog now, evidently. Featuring the Alternative Mordheim Model Megalist.

"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal 
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

If you want to play warhammer I suggest you begin hosting it.

Make several large armies to play against each other, preferably ones with local access to each other n the fluff. Dont let that stop you from collecting say Lizardmen vs Ogre Kingdoms, two factions a hemisphere away from each other, however Empire vs Chaos or High Elves vs Dark Elves or anyone vs Orcs is recommended.

With large collections for each army you can configure your army multiple ways, and more importantly your guests can too. It is recommended to overstack the characters for breadth of choice, and provide at least one of any notable units, excepting those you dislike, an enough core to radically change how your army plays.
I find it helps to collect to a set value, higher than the size of games you are likely to play, and buy units to 75% of that point limit and no further. This will keep your collecting managable and help you not to overspend.

Base everything universally, provide all the terrain needed for your collection books etc.

This works if you are both an avid collector and modeler only. But its rewarding s and of itself an its great to host games.

I have nine armies set for hosting for 6th, 8th and 9th Age 1.1.


n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in nl
Stone Bonkers Fabricator General




We'll find out soon enough eh.

It also helps to win the lottery...

I need to acquire plastic Skavenslaves, can you help?
I have a blog now, evidently. Featuring the Alternative Mordheim Model Megalist.

"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal 
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

Your point?

It is possible to collect armies inexpensively if you are a careful how much you buy and source things wisely.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in nl
Stone Bonkers Fabricator General




We'll find out soon enough eh.

My point is that for most people "just collect half a dozen very large armies including OOP army books and all the terrain you need to use them" is not practical advice. I don't care how frugal you are, that's a big outlay.

I need to acquire plastic Skavenslaves, can you help?
I have a blog now, evidently. Featuring the Alternative Mordheim Model Megalist.

"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal 
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User




An interesting thread. For about a year now I have been trying to decide whether there was anything of interest in wargaming for me still. Friends got me started in 40K and WFB and as 40K devolved into an increasingly large mess, we only played WFB. Time, workloads, and distance put an end to that for most of a decade. Imagine my surprise to return with my lovely 8th ed. Warriors of Chaos to find GW had blown up the Old World. Didn't see that coming... best advice I have seen so far is to play what you like, play what the locals are playing, and play with what you have. These can be somewhat contradictory pieces of advice when you live as far from other folks as I do, but there you have it. I would have to echo that if there were a half dozen WFB players in my area that would truly be awesome. KoW is spotty in the great white north and streamlined for tournament play to the point where a guy with the right 30 models can win a tournament. Not exactly massed battle or rank and flanks, but it is fairly evenly balanced and fast. Still it lacks depth, character, story but can be a fun game nonetheless without some of the eccentricities of WFB ed. 8 and definitely lacking the flavor. Also keeping an eye on Oathmark, Conquest and some of the Kickstarters, but I have to admit my WoC feel like orphans
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

 Yodhrin wrote:
My point is that for most people "just collect half a dozen very large armies including OOP army books and all the terrain you need to use them" is not practical advice. I don't care how frugal you are, that's a big outlay.


The hobby is expensive anyway, and people absorb the costs. Having several armies is not unusual for someone on Dakka, not in the slightest.
Having a reason to collect several armies therefore is a valid concept aimed at a valid target audience.

Besides if you were less intent on finding points to score, you might have read that the hosting strategy includes safeguards against overspending. Work to a master list and don't spend beyond it. My host armies are oftimes smaller than peoples collections on their factions.

Also there is no need to collect six factions to host, two will do, and you get a lot of variety with three.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in us
Keeper of the Flame





Monticello, IN

My brother and I have 4 WFB armies and 3 40K armies. That is more than enough to host games with. Truth be told, we still haven't managed to get a High Elves vs. Beasts of Chaos battle in.

www.classichammer.com

For 4-6th WFB, 2-5th 40k, and similar timeframe gaming

Looking for dice from the new AOS boxed set and Dark Imperium on the cheap. Let me know if you can help.
 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Its AoS, it doesn't have to make sense.
 
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

The thing with hosting is that you need list variety.

Lets take an example of High elves.

Get enough spearelves for two large blocks of 30 with full command. And 30 archers with two commands. This will not cost a lot on ebay.

60 spearelves is enough to fill out core on a 2k list and a guest can make a massive block of 50 or two more modest units. The archers form a single massive unit of 30, with full command, with three extra, 33 total. Again one large unit, or two units of 15 and 18 both with full command, of three units of 10 for minimax....

For most other units just having one unit is enough, chariots excepted. You will likely have that anyway just collecting HE for yourselves.

the trick with hosting is to have variety in the core and the option to do something different, such as have an infantry or cavalry list. The only real expenditure is in the characters, you need a crapton as then guests can choose different loadouts. It helps here to make a few special characters, or sub them, have guys on foot mounted and on most monster options. If you can magnetise the plastic multiplart charcter sets, building your own elf is fun and it helps guests personalise. They make their elf general their way and can grow attached in game to them.

The amount extra to do to host over collecting an army for yourself is not a lot really. If you can change your list composition significantly where appropriate to the army (some lists only have a few viable builds) and can field a very wide combo of characters you are golden.

You can afford with hosting to miss out a few things, no Dragon Princes, no problem, so long as you have Silver Helms. Or vice versa. Some units could have a minimum token presence too, like one box of one elite unit. But as a whole can you make an infantry list, an elite infantry list, a chariot cavalry list, a bolt thrower/bow line and can you go magic heavy, hero heavy or dragon heavy.
Variety is key, but if you have the one HE list you have a bit to do to add to it for hosting, but it will be less than it seems. And the nice thing about characters is that at a push you can pad points values to match much larger games so long as you have a solid core selection.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in gb
Fresh-Faced New User



Bedfordshire, UK

Orlanth,

I'm curious, you are clearly speaking from experience of having hosted and I have a couple of questions.

Does it generate interest and long term players?

Do some of those people go out and get their own armies in the long run?

What armies do you currently have to make such varied compelling events?

Cheers!
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

Ok, my main experience of hotin is with games you just cant get.

My main hosts are

BFG - Imperial, Choas, eldar, and Necron fleets at 3k plus 2k Marines and Orks.

AT-43 - Therian, Red Blok and UNA

Confrontation 4 - Griffin, Ram, Lion, Scopion and Wolf.

and Frostgrave.

Now none of the first three games are available in any meaningful way. My BFG I built up because I loved it and decided to collect several fleets, it also wasn't (at the time) any great expense. The other two games I bought in firesale.

I get some games in, I also generate a bit of envy sometimes, but those systems are dead, and would be gathering dust were it not for hosting. So there is that.

Warhammer 6th/8th/9th Age is the first game I have decided to host which has a current presence. You can make any faction except Tomb Kings and Beastmen from GW or quality alt-casters and can buy most factions from currect stock. In fact Age of Sigmar starter sets has made it easier to get into, that plus ebay sales of those abandoning the hobby (which is premature IMHO) .So I am currently still collecting.

So therefore hosting CAN create interest for new purchases it seems, but in my experience it has not been an issue.

What it has in the past done is create a lot of interest in the game, but also interest in hosting itself. I don't collect Necromunda, and I wont bother someone else is doing that....

Hosting involves, well hosting! Do you enjoy being a host, laying on the game, providing food and drink (away from the gaming table!!) show off your collection to your guest and always let them take first pick of faction.
It is being a host plus being a collector, you need to enjoy both.

Hosting WHFB is my biggest gaming project by a massive margin, and I have sacrificed any return to 40K or infinity to do so, I will keep to what i have got for any other game. I made an exception to get into Blood Bowl for a league and with stand alone miniatures boardgames. But that is that. I have not regretted my decision.

As to whether it gets people intrested in WHFB, I cant say really. Those interested in my project already are, and my host collection is no way near painted enough yet for the full selection.

but I can say this, back in the day I had an old Empire army, i played it from time to time, but often I would be a guest and my host would have several armies on his wall. Skaven, Chaos, Beastmen - he tended to only collect the naughty armies. He was also a very gracious host. My love of Skaven stemmed from the games I played at his home. I really got into it.

It is ironic that Skaven are still one army I want to collect but have always put off because of the cost and workload. I never really liked the army list either, massive blocks of very samey infantry, and turned my nose up at them until I played them and got into the personality. The other army I wanted on personality are the Dwarfs, and I finally got round to buying them last autumn.

Hosting takes the drag out of gaming, your guests turn up and you instil in them the wonder of the setting, your board is your stage, the armies props and yours guests are the principals. You ask them what army they want ahead of time, you can also ask them what they want to face, but need not. When they turn up you have a backstory in mind, your board out and terrain aside, a list made and all the options in front of the opponent. When I was a guest I borrowed the Skaven book earlier in the week and made my own list and came with it and arranged it on the spot.

If you like offering hospitality you will enjoy hosting games.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in fr
Trazyn's Museum Curator





on the forum. Obviously

 Orlanth wrote:
If you want to play warhammer I suggest you begin hosting it.

Make several large armies to play against each other, preferably ones with local access to each other n the fluff. Dont let that stop you from collecting say Lizardmen vs Ogre Kingdoms, two factions a hemisphere away from each other, however Empire vs Chaos or High Elves vs Dark Elves or anyone vs Orcs is recommended.

With large collections for each army you can configure your army multiple ways, and more importantly your guests can too. It is recommended to overstack the characters for breadth of choice, and provide at least one of any notable units, excepting those you dislike, an enough core to radically change how your army plays.
I find it helps to collect to a set value, higher than the size of games you are likely to play, and buy units to 75% of that point limit and no further. This will keep your collecting managable and help you not to overspend.

Base everything universally, provide all the terrain needed for your collection books etc.

This works if you are both an avid collector and modeler only. But its rewarding s and of itself an its great to host games.

I have nine armies set for hosting for 6th, 8th and 9th Age 1.1.



The problem though is that its a real hassle to find the original boxes with the square bases, and I'll be damned before I justify GW's murder of their first system and the origin of the warhammer brand by buying gak that says Age of Sigmar on the box.
There's also price - one of the reasons why Fantasy died was because GW's marketing team had the strange idea that people wanted to pay absurd amounts of money for a few models in a system that encourages you to take many models. Which is why there's stupid crap like 5 blood knights for 100 euros or 30 witch elves for 90.

That whole thing about how no one was interested in fantasy excuse is bs. There was a huge surge of interest during the End Times event and Warhammer Total War is doing pretty well. Had they not killed the series they would have gotten some sales out of Total War and Vermintide, like what happened with Dawn of War and 40k, as it is basically advertising. Kirby era GW was fething stupid, and the fact they aren't trying to fix it annoys the hell out of me. 9 years of my time and money down the drain and replaced with norse fantasy 40k, something I never asked for or wanted.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2018/02/22 10:00:31


What I have
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Westwood lives in death!
Peace through power!

A longbeard when it comes to Necrons and WHFB. Grumble Grumble

 
   
Made in es
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 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

The problem though is that its a real hassle to find the original boxes with the square bases, and I'll be damned before I justify GW's murder of their first system and the origin of the warhammer brand by buying gak that says Age of Sigmar on the box.
There's also price - one of the reasons why Fantasy died was because GW's marketing team had the strange idea that people wanted to pay absurd amounts of money for a few models in a system that encourages you to take many models. Which is why there's stupid crap like 5 blood knights for 100 euros or 30 witch elves for 90.


Mantic minis are affordable, and provide cheap alternatives for the core of several armies. There are very few GW fantasy entries without at least a couple of alternative manufacturers (even though some of the best looking might end up in GW price range).

If you are familiar on the equivalence between 9th age and WHFB units, there is a nice library of alternative models here:

https://www.the-ninth-age.com/lexicon/index.php?lexicon/462-the-9th-age-miniature-library/

And the company showcase section has a lot of info on new kickstarters as well as news from more established mini manufacturers.

https://www.the-ninth-age.com/index.php?board/259-company-showcase/

MOM has great dwarves for peanuts (and starting to make elves, men, etc.). Norba has some very good looking Bret and Empire minis, and so on.

And if you find a good source of old minis, square DM bases on ebay cost cents (even though GW still sell square bases through their website). It takes more time and effort, but that's the task if you want to keep an older game alive.
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
 Orlanth wrote:
If you want to play warhammer I suggest you begin hosting it.

The problem though is that its a real hassle to find the original boxes with the square bases, and I'll be damned before I justify GW's murder of their first system and the origin of the warhammer brand by buying gak that says Age of Sigmar on the box.


Swallow pride.
Honestly.
If you dont like giving GW coin buy from a third parry retailer, though in my mind GW has improved sufficiently post Kirby I dont mind giving them my coin. Also Age of Sigmar was not a bad idea, I just wished they could have continued WHFb as a specialist game for those who wanted to.

Age of Sigmar getting started boxes are the financial core of my Vampire Counts and Warriors of Chaos armies, and helped with my Ogre Kingdoms army. You just need to source bases.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

There's also price - one of the reasons why Fantasy died was because GW's marketing team had the strange idea that people wanted to pay absurd amounts of money for a few models in a system that encourages you to take many models. Which is why there's stupid crap like 5 blood knights for 100 euros or 30 witch elves for 90.


eBay can be your friend, but only if you are patient. there can easily be s 5x price differentiatial between prices of similar products, and that is excluding genuine pro paints of the more ludicrous prices.
Norba Miniatures is your friend
Mantic is your friend
MOM Miniaturas is your friend
Avatars of War is your friend

There are other odd manufacturers for odd items but the above should have you covered for anything GW don't do. The only armies you have write off at present are Tomb Kings and Chaos Dwarfs, and perhaps Beastmen. All the rest can be covered and the 'death' of WHFb has led to some rare deals.


 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

That whole thing about how no one was interested in fantasy excuse is bs. There was a huge surge of interest during the End Times event and Warhammer Total War is doing pretty well. Had they not killed the series they would have gotten some sales out of Total War and Vermintide, like what happened with Dawn of War and 40k, as it is basically advertising. Kirby era GW was fething stupid, and the fact they aren't trying to fix it annoys the hell out of me. 9 years of my time and money down the drain and replaced with norse fantasy 40k, something I never asked for or wanted.


It wasn't bs, GW at the time didn't know how to market it properly, and Kirby & Co wasn't helping. Mantic is going very nicely thankyou on massed fantasy battles, and Mantic is closeby, there is a lot of traffic between the two companies.

There is a move to reinstate WHFB and a means to make it make sense without touching AoS, but that is for another time. If the idea gains traction in head office there is the chance WHFB might return as a specialist game and a formal 9th edition rulebook, But that is a topic for another time.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in us
Willing Inquisitorial Excruciator





Philadelphia

I enjoyed 8th edition, but no longer play it at all, as all of the WHFB dried up. As to your questions:

I had similar experiences with other systems (KOW, etc.) in that they didn't do it for me, didn't scratch that WHFB itch, and frankly, I'm not looking for a "competitive" set.

I play Bretonnians, and we all know how that went in the new lore for AOS. That being said, I've played many games against my friend's orcs using the pdfs that GW put out at the beginning of AOS. I think I made sure to grab all of them. The lore of AOS is fairly meaningless to me when I have all of the lore of the Old World to draw from. There is no reason that I couldn't continue to play games in the Old World, but using the AOS basic rules. And when I played my Brets, they still acted and played like Brets, and they still looked good on the table crashing into mobs of orcs. I kept my square bases, and it made zero difference to the playing of the game. Most of the old pdfs covered all of the 8th edition armies anyway, you could always just use those.

But I think I would echo several others in the thread by saying to just stick with 8th, make changes to it as you see fit, and continually play the games you want (escalation, campaign, etc.).

I was also a big Warhammer Historical player, and when the 2nd edition came out and GW pulled the rug, it didn't stop me from playing, trying umpteen humdred other rulesets, and returning to WH2, or heck, WH1.5. Everything still works.

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"There is rational thought here. It's just swimming through a sea of stupid and is often concealed from view by the waves of irrational conclusions." - Railguns 
   
 
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