Forging Your Narrative

Having come to the miniature wargaming hobby from years of role-playing games, I’ve embraced the idea of using my miniatures to tell a story of epic conflict in the 41st Millennium. I wholly  believe even the most competitive tournament player can increase his and his opponent’s enjoyment of this hobby by peppering their games with bits of a story and letting the game itself determine the ending. How does one go about doing this? I’m glad you asked as I’ve got a few tips on that.

Name your Units

Every major battle in the history of warfare has names of generals, pilots and even grunts who did something heroic enshrined in the annals. Names such as Churchill, Patton and Rommel are remembered from World War II for their leadership, command and villainy. Why should it be any different with warfare on a miniature scale? The place to start is with your characters, champions and sergeants. You may be using named characters in your army but don’t let that inhibit your imagination! What good is Marneus Calgar without the legions of Ultramarine sergeants who lead the individual units of power armored soldiers? Whether tactical squad or terminators, the models on your tabletop represent somebody who was born, trained and fought in the grim dark future. And they should have a name! Latin names are used for the Imperium of Man and you can find many examples online. Alternatively there are several name generators for characters in 40K you can make use of online as well.

Create Epithets for Challenges

I can say confidently that challenges between champions in 40K are more memorable when they happen between characters you and your opponent have named. But even still, you can color the exchange between your characters further. It only takes a few minutes of time to come up with an epithet from your army’s point of view to one of the other armies in 40K. My Chaos Lord Molitor loved to challenge loyalist sergeants by saying, "tell your false emperor to defecate or get off the golden throne!" And in 100% of the games in which Molitor said that, the imperial sergeant would stand up. This adds a memorable moment your opponent will remember about your game and for tournament players, a colorful epithet can score you fluff points in a competitive scene where you need every point you can get.

Use the Terrain to Frame the Narrative

If you’re playing on a battlefield full of ruins (which is a favorite for their awesome cover save) it’s a good idea to discuss with your opponent what the situation which led to the meeting of your two forces was. Perhaps your opponent’s Necrons were awakened by your Tyranid’s invasion of an imperial Hive world. Or maybe you've got a lot of forests and hills on your tabletop, spend a couple minutes to come up with a reason your forces are squaring off in the wilderness. Context to the battle can increase your enjoyment of the specifics of the terrain you’re battling on.

Create Elements to Enhance Your Battlefield

Whenever a vehicle gets wrecked, but doesn't explode, it becomes a new piece of terrain. I've found turning a wrecked vehicle over can be dangerous for the topside of your model. One of the easiest, and most impressive, ways I've found to enhance the battlefield is creating smoke plumes for wrecked vehicles. There are many great tutorials on the web, but essentially, you only need pillow stuffing, black spray paint, an electric tea light and hot glue. With it you can add an element to your wrecked vehicles which enhances the feel of the battlefield by simulating a fiery wreck!

In conclusion, I've found adding these elements greatly increases my enjoyment of miniature wargaming, even when I'm losing a game, I’m having a blast! And that’s the entire point of this hobby. If you’re not enjoying every moment of assembling, painting, basing and playing with your models, you may want to try a new hobby.

Acquiring Models for a Second Army

If you’ve come to the decision on what your next army will be your biggest obstacle will be  acquiring the models needed to field your new force. If you are a gamer first, I cannot stress enough that you should have an army list in mind before purchasing models. There are 2 main ways to acquire models, buy them new and buy them used. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but with knowing your options you can get every single model you need to field a force which will shake the pillars of the 41st Millenium!

Buying New

The main advantages of buying models new from Games Workshop or your FLGS is that you’ll have a blank canvas to assemble the models with whatever options your specific needs require. Especially when a new Codex comes out with weapon options not available in older kits, you’ll do well to buy the new kits with those options available. Then you’ve got full control on how the models are assembled, how well mold lines are cleaned, what options are used and most fun for me, how the models are posed. Some of the most fun I’ve had in the hobby aspect of miniature wargaming has been in using the poses of my models to show character not otherwise presented with the model. If you’re buying new you owe it to yourself to experiment with Green Stuff and pinning to take your figures beyond the instructions. When I was working on my Chaos Space Marines last year I knew I was going to have Plague Marines with Power Fists. I had a specific pose in mind for how a particular Plague Marine Champion would be standing, but there was an unsightly gap left between the Power Fist and the torso of the model. I had bought some Obliterators as well as Plague Marines and paid close attention to how Games Workshop modeled the skin on the Obliterators. After taking a chunk of wet Green Stuff and filling the gap on the Plague Marine with it, I used a straight clay tool to create similar lines. The end result was a patch of diseased skin which allowed the form of the model to look complete and enhanced the overall presence of the model.

The main disadvantage of buying models new is the price. Many hobbyists experience sticker shock when they see how much a new kit will run. Personally, I look at prices for models as an investment in time. I look at how many hours the price of the model would require me to work and compare it to how much time it would take to construct and paint the model and how often the model would get fielded. If you’re a hobbyist who enjoys assembling and painting, the amount of time used in those endeavors should go in the, "pro," category for purchasing the model. If you’re more interested in playing a game with the model and plan to pay somebody else to paint it, you’ll want to factor in the cost for painting with the cost of the model itself. If the model is a lynchpin in my army and I know I’ll get many hours of play out of it, the purchase becomes all the easier. There are many who lament the cost of miniature wargaming, but I truly feel if you compare the amount of time you’ll spend assembling, painting and gaming with the model, you may find the cost per minute of enjoyment is actually relatively minute. Compare it to the cost of viewing a 90 minute movie at your local theater, for instance, and you may find that $50 Space Marine kit is actually much less of a cost per minute. Still, nobody is made from money and you may find the cost of a new kit to be prohibitive to making the purchase for a variety of reasons. Which leads us to your next option in acquiring the models you want.

Buying Used

Cost is one of the biggest advantages for buying models used, both in time and money. If assembling models is not something you enjoy, finding a fully assembled Hive Tyrant on eBay can be a no-brainer for you, especially if you can get it for half the cost of buying the kit new. The value of searching eBay is even better for model parts. Say you want to kit-bash a model that has never been supplied by Games Workshop, like a Twin-linked Devourer for your Hive Tyrant. You would like to use pieces off a Tyrannofex to do it, but buying a full Tyrannofex kit new doesn’t meet your cost analysis, chiefly since you aren’t planning on fielding Tyrannofexes or really using the rest of the kit but the 2 pieces you’re interested in. Bits sellers on eBay and across the web can be the most economical solution for you. These individuals and in some cases companies, open up model kits and sell pieces off the sprues separately. You may end up paying a premium for an individual piece of a kit, but if it’s the only piece you need from that kit and it’s a 1/6 of the cost of the kit itself, it just may be worth hitting, "buy it now." Alternatively, if you’re looking to start a whole new army, purchasing somebody’s used army off eBay can be a great savings in assembly time and monetary cost. If this is the case you find yourself in, I recommend carefully considering which models are in the auction. The best deals are those which have a variety of the units you’re planning to field and in generous numbers. As always, a few minutes of price research can save you money. If you’re looking to play Chaos Daemons with a majority of Khorne units, compare the number of models in the auction to what you actually plan to use. Then go to the Games Workshop website or Amazon.com and compare the cost of buying the models new to the overall cost of the auction. If there are models you don’t plan on using in the auction, make a plan for what you’ll do with those models you don’t wish to field. There is an advantage to keeping those models as it allows you to vary your tactical options, but if you get a Great Unclean One you never plan to hit the tabletop with, you may want to see if there is anybody in your local community who could use it, then make a trade or outright sell the model to anybody interested. But there are also downsides to buying models used.

The biggest detriment I’ve found to buying used models has been getting models in a shoddy paint-scheme which you’ll need to spend time undoing. It’s not the end of the world if a used model arrives in colors which clash with the rest of your army. Dipping models in Simple Green for a few days and brushing off the paint can be quite easy, if the previous owner didn’t coat the models with a sealant. Additionally, some gamers don’t clean mold lines or perhaps poorly cut pieces off the sprue leaving the model with an obvious indicator of poor workmanship. Finally, used purchases can already be based in a manner which does not gel with the rest of your army. All these sorts of blemishes can take time to repair and should be factored into your assessment before purchase. If you will spend more time fixing a used model to your liking than you would spend assembling a new model, the initial monetary cost can quickly be offset with time and frustration. This is doubly so for models which were assembled in a manner so they cannot be easily disassembled. If you want to swap arms on a Monstrous Creature, for example, and the original owner used plastic glue to assemble the model, you may do severe damage to the model trying to pry off the bonded arms. But if you go into the purchase aware of these risks, you can very quickly assemble the necessary components to get your forces on the tabletop.

Starting a Second Army

It happens to every wargamer. After a year, or more, of fielding variations from the same Codex against one of the fifteen armies in the 41st millennium, a gamer begins to wonder. Perhaps Dark Angels being able to take Bikers as Troops with Sammael has got you considering the possibilities of leaving Chaos for loyalists. Or maybe the withering, long-range firepower from a Tau’s Broadside has left you wanting to abandon your boltgun. For some of us, simply wanting to change up your available tactics is enough to cause you to venture out and get a second force to bring to the table. But investing money and time in acquiring, assembling, not to mention painting a new army can be daunting. With some thought you can assemble a new force that is rewarding to collect and play without wasting money or time.

Know Why You’re Playing

Many gamers will already have an idea of which Codex they’ll want to play next. But even if you’re absolutely sure Eldar are the next best force for you to field, it’s worth taking a moment to consider a few things. First you need to know why you’re choosing that particular force. Is it because they have cool-looking models? Or maybe it’s because your next army of choice is smashing face on the tournament scene. Perhaps the fluff you’ve read about your next army was inspiring and you can’t wait to see if it’s as awesome on the tabletop as in the stories. Whatever your particular reason for wanting a second army, knowing what about the miniature wargaming hobby you enjoy the most should be a deciding factor in why you’ve made your choice. Once you’ve answered that you can start exploring your options with a clear purpose.

Research Availability and Cost

One of the main deterrents for investing in a second army is availability of models and cost of said models. Before you jump in head-first on an eBay spending spree, head over to your local gaming store and see what’s filling the shelves. Be careful at this step, as it will be tempting to pick up a favorite model or battleforce box which would defeat the point of this exercise. Make note of which units are available and how much they cost. Some models can only be purchased second-hand or through Games Workshop’s online store. Take this in consideration as well, as I can speak from experience, there will be times where you’ll need just one more specific unit to complete the army list you made for this Saturday’s tournament and your local store doesn’t have it.

See How the Army Plays

After you’ve got an idea of how available the models you need are, make some time to watch a few games of how the army plays. You can do this either at your local store or by looking at video battle reports like the ones at Miniwargaming.com (just be sure you’re watching videos with your army of choice in the current game edition). The advantage to heading to your local store to see how your possible second army plays is that you can ask questions of the people playing the games and get a better understanding of why the army plays as it does. Just be polite and don’t interrupt the people playing the game and you should get some insight into what specific units can do and how effective the army is. It’s also a good idea to head to online forums and read army lists, battle reports and view conversion/painting threads as they can give you ideas of the potential (and drawbacks) of the force you may not have thought of.

After having done this research you should have an idea of the army’s playstyle and whether it aligns with your own. If you’re a player that enjoys aggressively charging at your opponent and sweeping them in close combat, you might want to rethink going with that Tau gunline army. Hopefully you know somebody in your local area who fields the army you’re thinking of trying out. Ask if they’d be willing to meet up with you and loan you some models to play a small 500 point or less skirmish. Whether it’s assault tactics, psychic trickery or mechanized heavy weapons Warhammer 40K armies each bring something different to the table and it’s important you are comfortable with the style of play that works with your potential force.

Get the Codex & Build Lists

If you've gotten this far in the process and are still loving the idea of fielding this force, your next step is to get the Codex. Some game stores have a lending library of books where you can borrow an army Codex for a day or two. Otherwise you can buy the book new at your local store, online or at a used book store if you want to save some cash. A big consideration is whether the army you’re wanting to play with has a Codex created for the current edition of the rules. Older edition Codexes might be fun reads, but they have a limited shelf life when they won’t be any use in tournament play. Pore over that army book to see what unit options are available, what wargear they can get, how many points they cost and start making an army list.

Try to make a list at different point sizes and experiment with which units you include. While you could just look online for whatever netlist is dominating the tournament scene, you’ll get a greater understanding of what the army’s potential is by creating your own combos. It’s all theory at this point, so all you’re investing is a bit of time but this step will help determine the most efficient path to acquiring the models you’ll want to field in your next army. One last consideration before taking the plunge into buying models is whether your second army can ally with your first army. If you’re planning on keeping those models around it’s worth considering if they can fill gaps in your second force. Some of the most devastating lists I’ve played against have been a combination of 2 armies that have amazing synergy together.

Once you’ve gone through these steps you’re ready to buy, build, and paint the models for your next 40K army. You’ll now know which models you need to start playing the new force and remember, 40K armies usually start small and evolve over time. If you take your time to study the army first before buying models, you’ll see the benefits of fielding most, if not all, of the models you have purchased and will have reduced time, as well as cost, of trial and error.

40K New Year’s Hobby Resolutions Tips

Happy New Year, gamers of the 41st Millenium! It's 2014 and with Warhammer 40,000 6E still going strong with a shiny new Tyranid Codex right around the corner, it’s time to set some yearly hobby goals. While many will vow to paint 120 Termagants before the first local tournament in 4 days, the vast majority will fail miserably within the first day of painting. But you don’t have to be one of those people. If you follow five simple rules for making (and keeping) your New Year’s hobby resolutions, you’ll meet your assembling, converting, painting and basing goals.

1. Make Your Hobby Goals Specific

One of the biggest tips you'll find from the myriad sources of goal-setting on the web is to be specific with your goals. Having a goal such as, “paint more minis,” won’t help you achieve much since if you paint a single mini in a year’s time, then you've technically achieved that goal. A better goal would be, “completely paint a single mini a week,” The difference is the second goal is specific and the first one isn’t. The more specific your goal is, the better you’re able to measure the result.

Similarly, you should specify the level to which you would like to achieve with your painting. Are you going for table-top quality painting or are you looking to win a Golden Daemon? Deciding how detailed you want to be in your painting means you'll have an idea of how much time you'll need to invest per model. Thinking of a specific goal or resolution allows you to plan out your goal and forces you to be more accountable.

Not specific: “I want to paint more minis this year.”
Very specific: “I want to paint 24 Termagants to a table-top standard, complete with bases by February 1st.”

2. Make Your Hobby Goals Realistic

What if you had 72 Genestealers and you told yourself, “You know what? I'm going to have all 72 Genestealers painted to a Golden Daemon standard by next weekend!” While I'd laud you for wanting to spread the Hive Mind’s forces to the stars, you should be honest with yourself: that goal just isn’t realistic (for most hobbyists). The same is true for all your hobby resolutions. If you have 72 Genestealers to paint, don’t try to speed paint all of them in one weekend, and certainly don’t make it your initial goal. A huge painting goal like that can be overwhelming and cause you to get frustrated and give up at the first bump in the road. Instead, set a realistic goal that takes smaller steps toward reaching your ultimate goal.

Not realistic: “I want to paint 72 Genestealers to a table-top standard by next Monday.”
Very realistic: “I want to paint 6 Genestealers to a table-top standard per week for 12 weeks.”

3. Determine Your Hobby Goal Road

Don't think your hobby goals will be reached by only telling yourself you want to achieve them, that’s only dreaming. It’s critical to think about—and more importantly plan out—how you’re going to reach your painting goals. Just like with the hobby goal itself, your hobby road needs to be specific and realistic.

Bad road: “I am going to paint 20 Gargoyles by February 1st by painting more.”
Good road: “I am going to paint 20 Gargoyles to a table-top standard by February 1st by painting 4 miniatures per week instead of painting one a week.”

4. Make Your Hobby Goals Known

Accountability is key if you really want to stick to your New Year’s hobby resolutions. Instead of keeping your goals a secret in a notepad buried under paint palettes and Middenland Tufts, share your goal with your regular opponents, friends, family or coworkers (if they're into miniature wargaming). Post your hobby goals on your Facebook page or blog. Post pictures with updates to the forum on Bell of Lost Souls or a local hobby forum to tap into communities who can help keep you on track, offer advice and cheer you to the finish line. By telling more people, you might find somebody who is attempting to accomplish the same goals you are. If you exchange stories of your struggles and accomplishments you’ll be more likely to see your hobby goals through to the end.

Not accountable: “I told my six-month-old nephew that I wanted to paint 3 Tervigons by the first day of summer.”
Very accountable: “I posted my 3 Tervigons painting goal on Facebook for all my hobbyist friends to see.”

5. Make Your Hobby Goals Rewarding

We 40K enthusiasts have the luxury of taking satisfaction from seeing freshly painted Trygons fielded on the table-top after we’ve painted them. However, just meeting a goal doesn’t always provide sufficient motivation. That's why we're rewarded for many of the things we do. At home your significant other will, likely, let you spend an evening gaming if you've helped out with the dishes. How eager were you to help out at home when you knew you wouldn't have to argue about rolling dice with your buddies instead of watching Downton Abbey? Use a similar tactic with your hobby goals. Create a reward system before you start working towards your goal. A lot of gamers hold to a rule that you can’t buy any new models until you've completed painting an already purchased model, which is incentive to get a new Unit described in the Codex that is coming out soon as well as finishing a model that’s been sitting on the shelf grey for far too long. Once you have come up with your incentive, imagine how great it will feel to get it once you’ve reached your goal, and let that reward be your motivation.

Bad reward: “If I get this Trygon painted by next month I’ll get to see it on the battlefield.”
Good reward: “If I get this Trygon painted to a table-top standard by February 1st, I’m going to field it at the Las Vegas Open.”