A general guide to the hobby in 7th edition

[Voltigeur]

Hi Guys and Gals,
I’ve been in the hobby for closing in on twenty years now and in that time I’ve seen Warhammer & 40k go through some incredible (and not so incredible) changes. This latest edition of 40k feels an awful lot like the game that captured my imagination all those years ago, in that spirit I’ve started this thread for those who are thinking about starting out in the game or perhaps returning after a hiatus.
I’ve put together a general guide for those starting out or starting over in this brave new world of 7th edition. Below are my thoughts on the beginning the hobby as it stands today and some advice on each of the components that make it up.

Step 1: Is this the right game for you?

Unless you are strictly a collector you will want to play with your expensive toys, but depending on how you play, Warhammer 40k can either be amazingly fun or an exercise in frustration. In my experience there are three types of gamers (with some generalization of course): The Tournament gamer, The pickup gamer and the group gamer. You’re enjoyment of the game will be hugely impacted by your play style.

The Tournament gamer: These gamers love the thrill of tightly fought wargames and revel in a well deserved victory. This group of gamers need a clear well defined rule set as they will push the game mechanics to its limit. They enjoy organized play and often take the game more seriously than the other categories. Unfortunately the game in its current iteration makes this type of gaming very challenging. The game has serious issues with balance and Games Workshop is unwilling to support competitive play in anyway. If you feel you fall into this category of gamer you may wish to look elsewhere for a more suitable miniatures game to play. Not to say that there aren’t many tournament gamers playing 40k, there certainly are. The game’s failings just seem to frustrate this player base more than the others.

Good alternatives for Tournament gamers: Warmachine/Hordes, Flames of War, X-wing

The Pickup gamer: This player may live near a FLGS or a Games Workshop and most often plays games with whoever is up for a game in their local shop. These gamers run the gamut in terms of play style and competitiveness. There’s no telling who you might run into on an average night! These gamers much like the Tournament gamers benefit from a clear well defined rule set as they need to easily agree on rules issues and what type of match they are looking for. As 40k exists today pickup games can be a challenge to set up unless both players have a similar idea of what they want from the match; If one player wants to refight a historic battle and the other wants to practice for an upcoming tournament both players will be disappointed. Challenges aside, it is possible to be a successful pickup gamer in 7th edition. You must be willing to have a conversation with your opponent and make sure that you both want the same type of match.

The Group Gamer: These gamers play with regular opponents in small or large groups. Since they play in an insular environment they are free to house rule a game to make it more fun or run thematic matches and campaigns. They are familiar with each other and can solve disputes in a casual manner and can self police to stop excessively unbalanced forces. If you are one of these gamers then congratulations because 7th edition is designed for this kind of play and you will likely have a blast!

Chances are that you will identify with one (or more) of these types of gamers. There’s some pretty heavy generalization going on here but it should help you decide if the investment in 40k is worth your time.

Step 2: Collecting your force.

Collecting a 40k force has really opened up in 7th edition. No longer do you necessarily need to follow the force organization chart. The old advice of buy what you like and make a force out of whatever you end up with is back. Want to field one of each greater daemon in a single list or take the whole Blood Angel Death Company then go for it! This change is exciting for those who have a vision of a themed force but may not be able to fit it comfortably in the force organization chart.

Of course a big part of collecting your force is actually purchasing it. To beginners it may seem like you don’t have many choices of where to get your sweet miniatures fix but in actuality the choices are many and varied. The most obvious place is Games Workshop but it’s also the most expensive. Your FLGS may offer a small discount on GW merchandise usually somewhere in the vicinity of 10% and you can feel good about supporting a local business. If you’re money conscious the best deals can usually be had online. Online sellers will often offer discounts of 20-30% but be wary of shipping fees that can eat up your discount quickly. For those who want really cheap figures there are numerous re-casters mostly based in China that sell for 50-70% off. Many people feel that it is immoral to buy from re-casters but if you don’t have such qualms it is undoubtedly the cheapest way to put together an army.

Another cost effective option is to buy used miniatures from online retailers like e-bay. This is how I’ve collected most of my minis over the past decade or so. You can find some great deals if you have the patience to wait for them to pop up. You can also sometimes find rare out of print models though these sometimes command high prices. With e-bay the discounts range anywhere from 10-60% percent off retail depending on the auction but you need to be savvy and know when to bid and when to walk away.

Finally don't forget Proxies! Our era is a golden age of Wargames and there are many manufactures that make 28mm models. WW2 or Napoleonics make great Astra Militarum. If you're looking at infantry proxies be sure to look for either 28mm or 1/56th scale as these be the closest to GW scale. If you're looking at vehicles I suggest 1/48 scale as 40k tanks are a bit oversize. Remember if you're not playing in a local GW then there's no reason you have to use their models if you don't want to!

Step 3: Building/Painting

Building miniatures hasn’t changed much in the twenty years that I’ve been around the game. Snips, hobby knife, file, glue, and patience!

I’m happy to say that for quality paints Wargamers are spoiled for choice. The GW line of paints has improved by leaps and bounds in the last decade and the Vallejo line remains excellent. There are many fine lines of paint for models and I encourage you to try as many of them as you can, you never know when you’ll find that perfect red for your marines or green for your Orks. I have found success with Polyscale paints which are designed for model railroaders. Even dollar store acrylics come into their own when painting big terrain pieces.

If painting isn’t your bag consider investing in an airbrush. You can get quick good looking results on large models in a shockingly short amount of time with a bit of practice.

Step 4: Playing!

Well here we are, the moment we’ve all been waiting for, playing the game! I find it best to always talk to your opponent and lay out your expectations and ideas for the match. Make sure you’re on the same page and then have a great time! Try your best to win but don’t feel bad if you lose, always keep in mind that when everything is said and done you and your opponent are here to have fun. If the two of you have fun throughout then no matter how you’re playing, you’re doing it right!

So there we have it. What do you think? Am I on the money or way off track? Please add any advice that you would give those starting off in 7th.

[Sainhann]

You are on the right track but some other things to consider.

New players/gamers will need to consider just what army they will want because unlike 20 years ago the prices have gone through the roof. So unless they are fairly well off having 4-5 different armies is not likely to happen.

But as stated above there are other companies that sell miniatures and can be far cheaper. Plus don't forget Ebay, you can catch great deals.

I have found that 1/35th scale vehicle models do go well with GW figures they are bigger than GW models but do go well with the infantry figures.

Like using M-4 Shermans for Space Marine Predators or M-2 Bradleys for Chimeras I even use the British Warrior IFV for a Command version Chimera.

[url]http://www.militaryscalemodelling.com/project/1-35-fv-510-warrior-mcv-finished/[/url]

There are still balance issues with the new 7th Edition and Codexs but not having to follow the FoC is a step in the right direction.

Now you are only limited by the points that you want to play at which is still going to be around 1500-2000 for most games.

[Caitsidhe]

You are also overlooking the obvious fact that competitive players will just house rule or set standards for events and play on.

[Voltigeur]

You are on the right track but some other things to consider.

New players/gamers will need to consider just what army they will want because unlike 20 years ago the prices have gone through the roof. So unless they are fairly well off having 4-5 different armies is not likely to happen.

A really good point that I missed! I've collected too many armies to count over my time, but with costs the way they are today if I was starting out some careful planning would be in order.

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You are also overlooking the obvious fact that competitive players will just house rule or set standards for events and play on.

That's very true, and I want to be clear that I'm not trying to dissuade any competitive minded players from taking up the game. I firmly believe the more people playing the better regardless of how they choose to play. I only want new players to be aware of some of the challenges they might have to overcome to make the game what they want it to be.