I know I'm not the only Warhammer nerd on here, let's get a thread going. For those of you unfamiliar, it's the biggest tabletop game in the world made by a company in the UK called Games Workshop. The most popular version is Warhammer 40,000 (commonly called 40K) that's basically a sci-fi / high fantasy mash up in a grimdark setting that's wildly over the top.
I've been playing since 2nd edition in 1996ish. I might be more into this hobby than even cars...
I started a new army a couple of weeks ago the "Astra Militarum" (Imperial Guard to us old players) that I'm customizing as multiple regiments on a snow covered world. Here's what they look like now:
These guys and girls are the quintessential underdogs, actual normal humans fighting a galaxy full of immortal demons, sentient fungus, psychic elves, and insane robots.
I love this hobby because the background is truly impressively deep (Black Library has been printing books for over 40 years and there's an animation channel called Warhammer Plus with all sorts of content) and you have the freedom to build and invent to your heart's content. In fact narrative play is one of the most popular ways to play.
My "main army" is Orks though. They are absolutely hilarious and literally have rules for red painted things going faster simply because they believe it's true.
So where are the rest of you?
How timely I haven't played for a couple of years (last game I played was probably in 7th edition) but went and watched a friends game this weekend. I'm an old Guard player too although I have bits from other armies that I've painted over the years. Digging through my photos it looks like I last went on a model building and painting spree in 2015 which makes me feel a touch old..
You know why it's called 40k?
Because that's how much you have to spend.
Sorry, I've got nothing useful beyond that. I think it's cool and would be interested in playing the game. I'm just not much of a model painter/collector. Same way that I'm one of those people who sees wrenching on cars as a means to the end of driving them fast, rather than an inherently rewarding task. 40k seems more focused on the process. So I stick to my pen and paper RPG's.
slefain
PowerDork
5/6/22 10:04 a.m.
My bro-in-law has been gaming with my boys using Tabletop Simulator to play 40k. I've always been surrounded by tabletop gamers but never got into it myself. My middle son is all about playing Orks. He's been planning a Stompa build in his head for weeks. Reminds me of "The Can" from Total Annihilation.
I admit the Tabletop Simulator is really awesome from what I've observed. It lets the kids build their armies and try out new units. Plus keeping track of everything. Oh, and not needing a big space to play.
That being said my bro-in-law has a 3D printer and has been tinkering with making his own terrain. The idea is if the boys are really interested in playing, then they will drop coin on miniatures. Thank goodness bro-in-law already has a full paint shop setup (with airbrush), so I don't have to kit the boys out fully.
Me and the wife fully support RPGs, it's good skills building. We even used it as a homeschool class (critical thinking skills).
In reply to dclafleur :
Those are nice!! The weathering on the Baneblade is awesome.
I don't play, but I've gotten into the lore, races, and general universe of 40K just for entertainment. "Over the top" is a great description.
You diehards have probably already seen it, but here's one of my favorite fan films, "Astartes". The overall effort people put into this universe is impressive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7hgjuFfn3A
In reply to Matt B (fs) :
Fun fact: Astartes was such a good fan project that Games Workshop hired the creator to make films for them! Astartes 2 is in production.
If you enjoy the sheer insanity and over-the-topness, than I highly suggest checking out Adeptus Ridiculous on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Adeptusridiculous
They go over the lore and models with someone who is new to 40K and laugh at the sheer mental-ness of it all.
This bit was so good they made a shirt:
And yes, I immediately bought the shirt! I need to make my own "Imma tank" one day...
Javelin said:
In reply to dclafleur :
Those are nice!! The weathering on the Baneblade is awesome.
Thanks, I used to stage themed model competitions with my friends to keep them making progress with their painting. Working from home killed a lot of my motivation since I spend 10-12 hours in my office every day makes it hard to stay in the chair in the evenings too. I'll get back to it at some point.
Beer Baron said:
You know why it's called 40k?
Because that's how much you have to spend.
Sorry, I've got nothing useful beyond that. I think it's cool and would be interested in playing the game. I'm just not much of a model painter/collector. Same way that I'm one of those people who sees wrenching on cars as a means to the end of driving them fast, rather than an inherently rewarding task. 40k seems more focused on the process. So I stick to my pen and paper RPG's.
LOL! I honestly hadn't heard that one yet! It is an expensive hobby, but it doesn't have to be.
I am a big fan of the process, I think that's the best part of the hobby for me. Building kits and modifying them to suit my preferences and painting them in an original scheme. I love that whole aspect and the narratives that can be built out of it.
In reply to Javelin :
I keep joking with my bro-in-law thanking him for getting them into table top gaming so they won't have money for drugs later on.
Javelin said:
I am a big fan of the process, I think that's the best part of the hobby for me. Building kits and modifying them to suit my preferences and painting them in an original scheme. I love that whole aspect and the narratives that can be built out of it.
I understand why that appeals to people. I understand why people like to make cool, custom cars. It's just not my thing.
I liked the suggestion earlier of using Table Top Simulator to play 40k. I'd like to try playing it with a friend and see what's up. Like, one of my critiques of D&D combat is that it's sort of light-tactical. I'd rather have something more streamlined and narrative, or actually encouraging serious tactical thinking.
I wish GW would do something like Tabletop Simulator but with high quality 3D models. Basically recreate the tabletop game on PC. I love playing but I hate the subjectivity that gets injected into games concerning distance and rules interpretations, etc.etc. Last edition I played (6th), there were so many rules, you'd finish a game and realize you had given up some critical roll because you forget some rule Your Guys had.
But I loved painting and modeling. I played Tau and Space Wolves, my favorites.
Anyone read Abnett or Dembowski?
In reply to slefain :
Oh man, orks are the best for new players! You can make units out of literal trash and other players will respect you all the more for it. TTS is a great way to play the game as well.
Once the new CSM codex is released and if I can make a semi competitive Word Bearers army that is my next one. CSM need more wounds right now for sure.
Also the books are fantastic if you find a author you like. Just starting "infinite and the divine"
In reply to thatsnowinnebago :
Absolutely.
The red ones also go faster. In older editions if you painted your ork vehicles red, they got an extra inch of movement, and so did your opponent if theirs was red too.
In reply to wearymicrobe :
The books are probably the strongest thing about 40K right now. Black Library had some seriously talented sci-fi authors.
I used to be, but I got over it. GW is such an FU company I got real tired of giving them money.
for a time I was developing a flash cartoon called dorm-of-war, which was a spoof of MTV's real world starting an Ultramarine, a Noise Marine, A guardsman, an Ork and a Dark Eldar sharing an apartment which they came back to after their day jobs of fighting in the grim-dark. We got a lot of it storyboarded annd even started some voice work but abandoned the project when we realized how sue-happy GW was.
Have I mentioned how much GW sucks?
I did recently acquire this lovely piece of overpriced out of print joy:
I figured I should get reacquainted with the rules as I've been invited to reprise the role of Malachi, the fallen Black Templar for a friend's twitch game.
I'm doing a "new year, new army" build and completed all the kits in just over a month!
That's 627 points before upgrades of "Astra Militarum". I have more for the overall army, but this everything in this battalion detachment as this is the max of this style of model (Cadian regiment) that I want to own. I frankly hate these troops and converted most of them, which was a giant pita. I'll add more tanks for this division, but no more foot sloggers.
I still have Gaunt's Ghosts, a Dearh Korps of Krieg veteran squad, and a unit of Armageddon Steel Legion to add. I'm waiting for new models for anything else non-vehicle.
Oh man... The Ghosts are something else. I think Abnett's talents are wasted on 40k. The moment when Kolea confronts Cuu after the miracle (and the miracle itself) are such amazing moments.
And the wire-wolves from 'Traitor General' are simply put the most terrifying horor monsters I can imagine. I've definitely stolen them for a couple of D&D games I've run.
In reply to AClockworkGarage :
Okay. Now I'm really curious. What are you referencing? What do I need to check out?
I really love including horror elements in the games I run. This sounds like something I need to steal.
In reply to Beer Baron :
A series of novels about "Gaunt's Ghosts" by Dan Abnett, who is a fantastic scfi-fi writer. They have an element of horror in them that's truly original and cool.
In reply to Beer Baron :
Gaunts Ghosts is the Band of Brothers of 40k. It follows a small band of guardsmen from a dead world as they fight in the Sabbat Crusade. You'll find a favourite character and it will hurt when they die.
In one novel they have a covert mission to a chaos held world to aid the insurgent resistance. One of the means of suppression they use are wirewolves. Please understand that my description will not do them justice.
Wirewolves are like scarecrows. Rusty scrap metal roughly formed into the vague approximation of a humanoid suit of armour, bound together with sections of barbed wire and hanging from a gallows like structure. They sway in the wind and clatter like unholy wind chimes.
Should you alert the wirewolf a dæmonic spirit will arise and inhabit the suit and chase you relentlessly. A ghost in armour.
It is spectacular.
Abnett's Heresy-era stuff is also great. Propsero Burns took me from Space Wolf-curious to a full blown fanboy.
