Horus Heresy: Actual Game, or Prestige Buy?

[ElectricPaladin]

I've been wondering about this whole "Warhammer 30k" thing, and I realize that it's come down to one big question: is this an actual game that people actually play, or is it basically a prestige buy, something you buy to paint and paint to display and display so people know that you own it?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking the display mini. Sometimes, for some folks, it's worth it to buy a model because the mini is so beautiful that you just have to paint it, and then show it off. That's part of the visual art side of this hobby, and it's fine. I don't mean any disrespect.

But, think about it like this:
• Warhammer 30k has a much smaller following than 40k.
• In any game with a smaller following, arranging games takes a lot of work.
• Any kind of limitation - trying to be fluffy about who fights who, or following a campaign track - adds to the complexity and the difficulty of lining up games. Fighting out the Horus Heresy seems to be a big part of Warhammer 30k.
• We are (mostly) all adults here, and need to balance our playing time with our painting time, and that with our jobs, families, and other hobbies.

All this adds up to a situation where I feel that this is a legit question: is Forgeworld's Horus Heresy series a game that people actually play, or are people acquiring, painting, and modeling up Heresy-era armies for fun and prestige?

My personal experiences tell me nothing. The Heresy series hasn't really caught on where I am - not even as a prestige thing - so I have no data. I am hoping that BoLS's broader community can help to clear this up.

[Charon]

Vote for prestige buy.
While the models are nice and are an optical upgrade to my 40k Word Bearers they are quite expensive and its even more space marines than the regular 40k.

[eldargal]

Can I vote for 'irritating distraction from xenos projects'? I think it is a bit of both really, it's a real thing but also even more of a prestige buy than FW stuff is ordinarily.

[Arkhan Land]

Although I do think its wildly overpriced, being a fan of historical battle games I can always appreciate the idea that a contingent meta-verse has previous eras with their own units/dilemas/story, though tbh I kind of woulda wished for something from maybe age of strife, or specifically a pre-heresy crusade, much longer periods of time rife with far fewer fluffy specifics but the HH also deals with the one of the most important turning points for most of the 40k storyline, so why not deal with that.

I think this era is amazing to explore, but truthfully it perhaps could have been wrapped up in a matter of beautiful illustrations only books with some novels too (which came out anyways) and probably provide as much detail on the era without having to buy a bgillion lil resin dudes and their whips, but it is nice to be able to see the jerks in 3d. But this brings us to EP the OPs big final question, does anybody play this?
I dont know, I'm not a store hangout-er but I have never-ever seen a 30k game played but I have seen a lot more outrider sqauds in normal 40k armys , they look beatiful, and Ive even seen some of the "New Old" tanks from the HH series within modern armies, they also look about a dozen times better than the standard kits and its always nice to see some variety.

on that note I dont see myself playing 30k anytime soon, even though I have enough RT raiders and rhinos to paint up in old legion schemes and have built enough plastic mk6s and converted mk4s to do it I see them moreso as being cool additions to the near spiritual devotion to legacy and lasting technology that befits an army fielding weaponry sometimes in excess of 20k years old

[Nogle]

It's started out as PRESTIGE, but has grown. This year is the second year that Adepticon has a 30k tourney. A few of us in Buffalo have started playing and a store in Erie, PA allows 30k in their 40k tournies. The best one has placed so far is 3rd. Right now the list has a hard time with flyers and having all of it's special/heavy weapons concentrated in single squads.

My world eaters were started when the "Schwartz" emperors champ came out 10+ years ago. It's always been a counts as army and now we have rules. The trick is to collect the army with other 40k codex's in mind. Right now I'm working on Sternguard/seekers and some thunderwolves(always wanted some). Also thinking about Berserkers/30k tactical marines with ccw/blood claws

[Vangrail]

I vote prestige buy because the difficulty of actually playing a 30k game. Now personally id love to start an army I would do Iron Hands even though i play sons of medusa in normal 40k. That being said in my store we allow 30k vs 40k just before the game explain units and just have fun with it. Just mainly have to remember 30k squads pack a lot of fire power.

[Denzark]

I'm sure if I could be arsed to look back through BoLS of yore, I would find comments such as 'If GW did HH it would be a license to print money'. So to call it a vanity project is a little harsh I think. I think the foregworld route was interesting and GW have attempted (either deliberately or not) to make it more integrated into 40K by the '40K approved' stamp in the FW books. You can use your contemtors etc.

As to the whole game, I have never heard it referred to as 30K. It is a supplement to 40K is it not? You can't play without 40K BRB?

In terms of players, I have never seen a game of this going on. I would think someone would never get into a new game system without anticipating they could actually get a game - especially at those prices. So I think you can split players in 2 - those who agree with friends/gaming group to make a concerted effort to get into HH - thus they know they will get agame - and those who go in on speculation - so thinking they might now and again convince someone to put a 40K codex up against a legion list. There may be people who buy HH for prestige - but I think they would be outnnumbered by people who buy say, the 40K fortress or a full set of Zone Mortalis for prestige reasons.

In short I think HH is for amateurs in the true sense of the word - for the love of it. Rather than 'pro' gamers showing off.

[Nogle]

thought original post used vanity, just followed suit. my mistake,edited my original post

[Denzark]

Nogle - its no biggy and it is admittedly a possibility...

[SquigBrain]

Also, realize there are folks out there buying the models to use in their regular 40k marine armies. Veterans using "ancient relic armors, sacred to the chapter" and so on.