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Evening all, I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. In case you haven't seen my other posts around here, I have just started playing AOS along with my son and we have been having some trouble finding games around us. So while we are trying to help our local game store grow their AOS scene, we are wanting to join their larger 40k groups. After seeing how much fun we have been having, my wife has green lit us buying two 1k armies. My Son has fallen in love with the Tau. He's a sucker for Gundams right now so I guess I can see why. So after that long winded introduction, I can finally get to my questions, How do I choose an army? What drew you all to you main armies? I guess I'll soon have more minis for my painting blog here.
I know I have said it a bunch, but I want to say it one more time, thank you for all the help and putting up with my questions. You all have helped me a lot over the past few weeks and I cannot wait to see what comes next.
All but one* of my 40k armies have been chosen because of the models. It's as simple as that. I don't buy/own/use models I dislike. If I like the models? Then whatever the rules, I can make the army work.
*My 1st 40k army was Space Wolves - a long long time ago. It was specifically chosen because rules-wise it was the most broken thing at the time & offered the best odds of obliterating my friend Dan's Eldar.
Mision accomplished. That initial list was not actually fun to play though & I fleshed it out over the next few years. I did happen to like the models, but that was not a factor of why I built them. Everything that's followed though....
Right now, here in 9th ed, my 2 main armies are:
*Necrons
I liked the shear goofy look of the original metal models way back in '96 (97?) when they were introduced. Then I got a very sweet deal on a force someone traded in at the local shop. And I discovered I really liked the challenge of making this very limited list work (back then there were only 5 total units!). It was also cool to be the only guy around running this particular force.
Then in 3rd ed they got a proper Codex & expanded roster. All kinds of cool new units were added.
6th ed saw the line expanded & revamped again. Even more cool things. Including one of my favorite models - the Night/Doomscythe.
9th ed saw even more cool models for the Necrons. Some were re-vamps of existing stuff. Some were brand new. One of my favorites is the Doomstalker.
I've essentially built this army 4 times. I'm at the point where I have all but 2 units that I want (both Forgeworld kits).
*Gretchin/Grots. Not Orks, Grots.
Have you seen the Grot Tanks on either Forge wWorld or Kromlech's sites? Those are so cool! I wonder if I can make an effective army around them? A: Yes, yes I can. And then there's the fact that it's Orks. You can kitbash, customize, & incorporate almost anything model/bitz-wise. Especially for their various Mek/Big Gunz (Mek/Lobba/ZZaap/Kannon) & Killa Kanz.
The more I play this force the more I customize it bitz wise based upon what it wins against.
They're fun build, paint, & play. Their also pretty damned effective wich has caught a number of my opponents by surprise.
For picking an army, you want one that connects to you. Read the lore, look at the pictures, figure out the basic play styles. See what calls to you.
Do you want hordes or elites? Melee focused or gunlines? What colors do you like? How evil? By the book, or conversions?
Don’t get too caught up in the rules of the day. Those change. What’s hot today might be tomorrow’s shelf warmer. Build the core of your army around stuff you like. You can swap in other units to help make it viable on the battlefield.
Zylem wrote: So after that long winded introduction, I can finally get to my questions, How do I choose an army? What drew you all to you main armies?
Aesthetics of the models and general style of playing of the faction. You'll get tired of your army very soon if it's either boring to paint or you don't like the factions' general tactics. I mean if you love fast and choppy stuff you should avoid something like Astra Militarum, if you like an army of super elite soldiers stick to custodes, harlequins or even SM and avoid hordes, etc...
Then keep in mind that it takes quite some time to be ready for playing random pick up games at the stores. Joining larger groups is awesome but avoid the competitive crowd, stick with people that enjoy playing with someone new to the hobby. It takes years to be on par with the competitive meta.
I’ve always liked the idea of regular dudes in space fighting all manner of unimaginable terrors. So I was drawn to the im... Astra militarum. Also likes the ork because the more random stuff you have lying around the more conversion potential they have.
Edit: you might want to consider your armies relationship with your sons Army. The taus greatest enemies are the Tyranids and the orks. To a lesser extent the Imperium. They have been known to ally with the ultramarines and have occasionally worked togheter with the imperium as well.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/06/23 11:58:18
His pattern of returning alive after being declared dead occurred often enough during Cain's career that the Munitorum made a special ruling that Ciaphas Cain is to never be considered dead, despite evidence to the contrary.
I completely agree with choosing armies that appeal to you to both paint and field.
If you are new to 40K then playing one of the more elite armies might be a good idea as you will be able to get it painted faster and also play games faster. A horde of Tyrannid gribblies covering the battlefield like a living tide may be cool but if it takes you months to pain and hours to take your first movement phase, it may start to kill the buzz.
I stand between the darkness and the light. Between the candle and the star.
Nevelon wrote: For picking an army, you want one that connects to you. Read the lore, look at the pictures, figure out the basic play styles. See what calls to you.
Do you want hordes or elites? Melee focused or gunlines? What colors do you like? How evil? By the book, or conversions?
Don’t get too caught up in the rules of the day. Those change. What’s hot today might be tomorrow’s shelf warmer. Build the core of your army around stuff you like. You can swap in other units to help make it viable on the battlefield.
This is good advice. Ignore as best you can the meta as a primary factor unless you are super competitive.
My tastes have changed over time, but I have mostly focused on what I think looks good and want to paint since as mentioned the rules invariably change. The times I have regretted my choices were when I convinced myself to get something almost solely due to the meta and then felt like it was a chore either building, painting, or that I had given away my agency.
The more specific advice I have in choosing a first 40K army would be if you are having trouble deciding, maybe go with a more elite army, i.e., low model count or a more elite build of an army. Benefits are quicker to get on the tabletop, fewer models to build/paint, maybe less money, and if you decide as some point that it doesn't fit your style, not enjoying the build/paint experience, or some other aspect of it has turned you off, you are less likely to feel as much regret at putting it on the shelf as you move on to the next project.
"Preach the gospel always, If necessary use words." ~ St. Francis of Assisi
Thanks for all the advice. Right now I am leaning towards Orks or Tyranids. Orks seems like a lot of fun to paint and personalize into your own army. I haven't sat down and tried to read the backstories of all the factions yet. Last time I searched around, I was overwhelmed with all the lore. Which site would you all recommend to start reading?
Thanks everyone for all the advice. After reading more of the lore, watching a few videos and looking over the models. I have chosen to go Ork. There were a lot of things that won me over with them but the biggest thing was how the are so stubborn that they just will things to happen. and I love their vehicles. Besides the vehicles my favorite item is the Flash Gitz set. I love the idea behind the Freebooterz too.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/06/26 01:27:59
Models every time. Good choice on Orks. I've known people unhappy with the rules and power level at the the time, and the occasional groan about MORE green to paint, but every Ork player I know (self and son included) LAUGH when playing orks.... enjoy!
His pattern of returning alive after being declared dead occurred often enough during Cain's career that the Munitorum made a special ruling that Ciaphas Cain is to never be considered dead, despite evidence to the contrary.
jeff white wrote: Buy the new heresy boxset, and use wahapedia and E.g. Battlescribe for 40K.
Still new to things and learning all the terms, could you expand on this a little more? are there good unit in this boxset of new Ork players? I thought heresy was a separate game type like AOS. I check out wahapedia, thanks for the recommendation.
jeff white wrote: Buy the new heresy boxset, and use wahapedia and E.g. Battlescribe for 40K.
Still new to things and learning all the terms, could you expand on this a little more? are there good unit in this boxset of new Ork players? I thought heresy was a separate game type like AOS. I check out wahapedia, thanks for the recommendation.
No orks there, it's a box that contains old school space marines, that are perfectly compatible with 40k marines armies. A good deal in price but you get those specific models.
Orks are the best faction in the game, that's a much better choice .
While on the lower end of the "competetive" side of things, you can have great games with Orks in a casual environment. Pretty much all of the units can be useful if used right - so you can go after what you like from looks and background. Orks are probably the army for conversions and kitbashes, and in terms of colours you can go as easy or as fancy as you like.
The current Combat Patrol box is actually a nice start. Other than that you should have a look on the Bay Of E's for used Ork models - due to their overall popularity you can get lots of things for cheap.
P.S.: Ignore that "buy the heresy box" comment. It was most likely a (bad) joke.
While on the lower end of the "competetive" side of things, you can have great games with Orks in a casual environment. Pretty much all of the units can be useful if used right - so you can go after what you like from looks and background. Orks are probably the army for conversions and kitbashes, and in terms of colours you can go as easy or as fancy as you like.
The current Combat Patrol box is actually a nice start. Other than that you should have a look on the Bay Of E's for used Ork models - due to their overall popularity you can get lots of things for cheap.
P.S.: Ignore that "buy the heresy box" comment. It was most likely a (bad) joke.
Thanks, I was looking at the combat box for my first purchase, but ended up getting the commando kill team instead. Our local gmaes shop has been teaching people how to play kill team and recommended I start there. We just finished my son's Tau pathfinder team so not I need to scramble and get mine together before next weekend.
I'll keep an eye on Ebay, I have heard that you can pick up cheaper lots of boyz there which is something I have been told I'll need a lot of. I haven't put a lot of thought in to what I want for my army yet. Just been looking what seems the coolest to me. So far its Mozrog Skragbad and Flash Gitz and Killa Kans. So I'll most likely get the Combat patrol and one of those next.
Kill Team is a great way to get into the 40K verse - just keep in mind that it is mechanically a completely different game.
You can easily build a couple of different Kill Teams for a faction and build up a small 40K army in the process. KT is also great for trying different factions in terms of building and painting other models than you are used to so far - with a new option for gaming on top!
If you can find it with some kind of discount: the original "Kill Team: Octarius" box is great value. On top of the full rules for KT and the expanded rules for Orks and Guardsmen it has the really sweet Ork terrain set and game board (and would net you a second set of Kommandos for all the model versions you can not build with the first set ).
Having said that: maybe start slow, grow your forces at your own pace. Nobody is hunting you, nobody is forcing you to go all in at full pace.
I hope everyone is doing well. Just wanted drop by and give a quick update on my progress. I mentioned I decided to build an Ork army and have been reading through the codex and watching videos on Ork lore. I’m free happy with my choice so far and cannot wait to start building up my deathskull army. I really think it will be fun to “Orkify” different factions vehicles and make them fit in my collection.
My son and I have been busy with his Tau pathfinders in his 40K army and Stormcast on the AOS side. We played our first kill team games and got destroyed but it was a blast and our opponents were very helpful pointing out different plays we could have made. I’ll have a few more pictures to share soon on my painting blog.
In other news, my wife watched us play our kill team games and now she wants in on the action. She dove in on the lore and chose Necrons. So now I guess we are mortal enemies since we are fielding three armies now, we decided to start small with the combat patrol boxes and one extra item. My son and I have our kill teams to add (Tau Pathfinders and Ork Commandos) and my wife added a Canoptek Spyder.
Funny how I went from dipping my toe in the water to diving right in. I’ll have to update the name of my painting blog so we can show all our armies.
I was wondering if there are any “house” variant rules for 1v1v1 or 2v1 games?
Anyways sorry for not being around much the past week, we’ve been busy in our free time building and painting.
1v1v1 can be twitchy as far as rules. I’m sure if you can look, you can find some.
2v1 is easier, you just give the solo player twice the points. You need to figure out how you want to do CPs and other army things, but those minor tweaks. Not whole shifts in how the game works that you would need for a three-way free for all.
Zylem wrote: I was wondering if there are any “house” variant rules for 1v1v1 or 2v1 games?
There have been a few suggestions around the internet for that, I think.
As far as variants for a 2v1 - I would say split the points value in half between the larger team and have them both take a single turn phase-by-phase. I ran a 2v1 "cooperative" mission against a larger Tyranids army that seemed to go pretty okay.
1v1v1 is probably doable though it would take a long long time. I'm sure a more veteran player could suggest something better than I could.
I love threads like this. It's a reminder to me that as much as it pretends to be "cool and hip" family will always be a big part of this hobby.
PS: Wife + Kids +No Space Marines=coolest family ever!
I was thinking for my family about using "The Prize" objective from the Open War Mission as a fun basis for a 1 vs 1 vs 1 game. Definitely recommend the open war cards, they're essential for a casual 40K gaming scene.
Other GW products that have been a big hit in my family are the old citadel combat cards and "Brew House Bash," which is still available online.
We've also enjoyed Gorkamorka, particularly having Gorkamorka games that were just races.
My overall advice for casual gaming is keep it simple and keep it short. 15 PL with no battle forged rules and you should set yourselves up nicely for a good time. Save the more complex stuff for the games at your local store.
"Iz got a plan. We line up. Yell Waaagh, den krump them in the face. Den when we're done, we might yell Waagh one more time." Warboss Gutstompa
Yeah, I thought it was odd that none of us picked space marines since they are the poster children. My main reason for choosing Orks was they looked like they have the most creative freedom with modeling and painting.
My son liked the Tau because of the giant robots, he’s been hooked on Gundam for awhile.
My Wife choosing Necron was a big surprise. I still haven’t read much of their lore but I know the Orks were created to fight them so sounds like some good times are ahead.
I've been playing Orks since 1995 Warhammer Fantasy. (Thank you JRR Tolkien!).
You definitely made the right choice.
Now you just need to get into the proper mind set. Don't believe the Necron propaganda. Orks wuz made by Gork an Mork for krumpin! Dat finking bout da lore stuff is humie nonsense.
"Iz got a plan. We line up. Yell Waaagh, den krump them in the face. Den when we're done, we might yell Waagh one more time." Warboss Gutstompa
Do you have a minute to hear about the gospel of the benevolent Gods of Chaos?
The Necrons hate Chaos with a passion (or more accurately psykers who draw their power from the Warp), if they had any feelings left that is.
Also, the T'au got a first hand experience of the Warp fairly recently in the lore - let's just say if you have seen the film Event Horizon you get an insight into what happened. The survivors were severly disturbed.
Chaos could be an option, but if you go with Orks you will probably get more games than most due to them just being a fun faction.
Please note, for those of you who play Chaos Daemons as a faction the term "Daemon" is potentially offensive. Instead, please play codex "Chaos: Mortally Challenged". Thank you.
That initial list was not actually fun to play though & I fleshed it out over the next few years. I did happen to like the models, but that was not a factor of why I built them. Everything that's followed though....
Ultramarines, 3rd Co. and friends, 16k+ 
4k 
2k Points
Competition Index
