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8th Ed. Which 40K army do you enjoy collecting and why?

Imperial Guard. Main reason is tanks. I love tanks and they have lots, and big ones. Also big guns like the Basilisk. Back in my day these used to require range estimates to fire. I got pretty good at doing these estimates. It was about the only thing I was good at when it came to actually playing the game
 
Wait, what?
was i missing this thread?!?

I think i will cover the 3 big factions in 3 different posts.

IMPERIUM OF MAN
(as i've collected them in order of time)

Space Marines (now no more...)
my very first army, picked a very cheap 2nd hand block and then worked on it
White with red malta crosses (Hospitaller style), initially i was used to play them as successor chapter of Black templars, then i fell in love with Iron Hands.
ATM i've stopped collecting them, i've played a single game with them in 9th edition and nothing in 10th. 4/5 of the army are firstborn and a good half of it is no more playable.
At least, if i will ever play Horus Heresy i am ready.

Grey Knights
mysterious chapter, highly specialized against daemons, best buddies with the dangerous ordo malleus, secretly created by Malcador and gifted with the geneseed of the emperor himself... and never fell to chaos, not a single one of them. One of their champions uses a sword possessed by a daemon, because he's impervious to any temptation. Top badass in a badass universe.
even custodes are forced to admit they are different from all the other SM, what's not to like?
Plus, they have (almost) all miniatures unique and different from all other astartes, and a cool color scheme.

Adeptus Mechanicus
the style of their miniatures is pretty unique and characteristic, the lore is crazy, funny and beautiful, plus they are within the imperium but are not subjected to its laws.
They live by themselves and by their own rules, and are also fun to play.

Imperial Guards
I've started with mechanized units (3 baneblades!), then i've expanded the range.
I play Tallarn (7° armored division, the "desert rats"), everything painted in desert camouflage style, models converted with desert equipment, riders on camels, ogryns with scimitars...
i just love them

I also have 3 armiger, 2 knights and a WARHOUND TITAN, all painted in a way that matches my AdMech.
 
Killer Angel said:
Wait, what?
was i missing this thread?!?

I think i will cover the 3 big factions in 3 different posts.

IMPERIUM OF MAN
(as i've collected them in order of time)

Space Marines (now no more...)
my very first army, picked a very cheap 2nd hand block and then worked on it
White with red malta crosses (Hospitaller style), initially i was used to play them as successor chapter of Black templars, then i fell in love with Iron Hands.
ATM i've stopped collecting them, i've played a single game with them in 9th edition and nothing in 10th. 4/5 of the army are firstborn and a good half of it is no more playable.
At least, if i will ever play Horus Heresy i am ready.

Grey Knights
mysterious chapter, highly specialized against daemons, best buddies with the dangerous ordo malleus, secretly created by Malcador and gifted with the geneseed of the emperor himself... and never fell to chaos, not a single one of them. One of their champions uses a sword possessed by a daemon, because he's impervious to any temptation. Top badass in a badass universe.
even custodes are forced to admit they are different from all the other SM, what's not to like?
Plus, they have (almost) all miniatures unique and different from all other astartes, and a cool color scheme.

Adeptus Mechanicus
the style of their miniatures is pretty unique and characteristic, the lore is crazy, funny and beautiful, plus they are within the imperium but are not subjected to its laws.
They live by themselves and by their own rules, and are also fun to play.

Imperial Guards
I've started with mechanized units (3 baneblades!), then i've expanded the range.
I play Tallarn (7° armored division, the "desert rats"), everything painted in desert camouflage style, models converted with desert equipment, riders on camels, ogryns with scimitars...
i just love them

I also have 3 armiger, 2 knights and a WARHOUND TITAN, all painted in a way that matches my AdMech.
Click to expand...
Yes I missed this thread too! It's funny because I'm having very similar thoughts. Old world games are hard to get in my area and I might need to jump to 40K at some point. I agree with scalenex nearly 100% on his takes on lore. White scars are also my favourite. Comments around Eldar are accurate although I'd add that the Ynarri look very unique and interesting and I'd love GW to flesh them out more. Not as big of a fan of necrons but they are alright.

I'm glad KA just mentioned the Grey Knights, they are up there for me. And scalenex (and me) have pointed out how cool psychic armies are, although I understand 10th has cut down on the enjoyment of this.

However after spending a month or so reading lore and battle reports and generally thinking, I'm leaning towards Thousand Sons. They are unique in my meta, apparently no one plays them as a first army. Psychic heavy and I like the sculpts. And I really like the Lore. Magnus was arrogant, not evil. The emperor failed him many times over. Then he made bad choices, but even now the imperium treats their psykers like slave garbage, so how could they be loyal even if they wanted to. (I studied for 6 months in Latvia and I remember their history museums talking about how they initially loved the Nazis for invading their country in WW2 because of how bad it was under the Soviets who invaded a few years beforehand.) And tzeentch is the most interesting of the chaos gods.

My biggest issue is apparently the army book is really outdated and narrow in meta, but they are due a new one mid 2025 so the guessing goes. So I'll keep painting my lizardmen and see what happens. Could also be tempted by Ynarri but seems unlikely GW will go all out on them.
 
XENO Races
(again, as i've collected them in order of time)

Tau
at a certain point i was looking to expand my collection over mere Imperium.
i didn't wanted Eldar, but then i've stumbled upon a large 2nd hand Tau army, which was also painted in a different way than usual (dark green)
The lore was good, as for once you are not dealing with psycopath killers and it offered the chance to having allies (i also went for conversion of tau warriors using uman heands).
The playing style was good (at least in theory): finesse and shooting over brute force, but alas it doen't live up to the tabletop: when you have basically just one damage phase, if it works it seems you are OP, if it doesn't the opponent just mops the floor with you.
But hey, every once in a while they are fun.

Necrons
this ones i really love them, to the point they are my largest army
cool models, amazing look, great lore, they also offer a large number of options from a gaming point. They are never boring
Plus, they are easy and fun to paint... i've also managed to avoid somehow the doom of the "monochromatic scheme" metal and green, as there are the "crazy" necrons that have corrupted protocols, so i use for them a reddish tone instead of the green one, to show how their "illness" actually spoils their vital energy.
 
40K is how much money you spend if you collect Orks or Imperial Guard :D

...and I have both. :meh:

I have been playing my Skaviir Dominion army (Imperial Guard rules for a Xenos or Traitor Guard army) in some way, shape, or form, since 1992. They were Skaven in the Rogue Trader rulebook back in the day, then basic Imperial Guard in 2nd/3rd edition, then Lost and the Damned when the Eye of Terror codex came out, then a Vraks Traitor army when Forge World bought that out. When 8th edition came out, the Vraks Traitors weren't viable anymore, as they never got Objective Secured. If you don't know what that means, you're not missing anything. Let's just say it was very hard to win anything at the time. I got fed up, and a friend pointed out that I was playing them more like loyalist Guard than Traitor Guard, so I went back to using those rules. I love tanks, I love Sentinels, I love the feel of a massed infantry gunline. I love that they're not superhumans, but normal people trying to survive in a harsh, unforgiving future. Also tanks. Did I mention tanks? TAAAAAAAAAANKS.

20240619_214237.jpg
RATGURLS UNZ PANZER!!!

The problem is, Orks? Honestly, that is probably what I SHOULD have been running, all along. I ran my space rat-guard for 30+ years, I've been using Orks for, hmm, 6 or so, but my win record with Orks is about 40% vs my 15% win record with my spess rats.

Orks are simple. You yell WAAAAGH!!! and charge them into melee. Orks die? You don't care, throw more orks into the melee. Orks don't shoot well, but grots do, and I love me some kitbashed/scratchbashed Grot Tanks:

20211208_140732.jpg

I like my rats, but there is something simple and fun about Orks. You know what is awesome about Orks? Pretty much every vehicle kit GW makes is an Ork kit with a little bit of kitbashing. Seriously, EVERY. ONE. OF. THEM.

I've got about 2500 points of Skaviir, and if I combine my three Ork sub-armies, I'm sitting closer to 4000 points of Orks. I love both. Guard are fun to make up lore and stories for. Orks are just fun to play. I've tried almost every 40K army GW makes over the years (except 'nids and the new Votann), and I keep going back to Guard and Orks. That should tell you something, but I'm not sure what. :woot:
 
When I got into 40k back in 2002, I pretty much jumped into playing Space Marines and Imperial Guard, the former because it was my first army and the latter because I was a bit of a "tread-head" at the time (I was already building and painting scale model tanks and aircraft long before I got into Warhammer). I still retain models to those two starting collections as relics of sorts, including a Baneblade and a couple of Leman Russ hulls (one's done up with a Stygies-Pattern Vanquisher cannon, the other is an Exterminator converted using a turret from a LAV-AT kit).

After a bit of a hiatus following the release of 6th Ed, I got back into 40k near the end of 7th Ed, at which point I considered picking up IG again, this time actually working on an army project for a change. Unfortunately, rules updates going into 8th Ed pretty much neutered the idea of doing anything vehicle-related in that system, and as such I wound up picking up Horus Heresy instead back in 2015.

Since then, I've been building up a Salamanders army that in the context of the game is about 5000pts total (inflated to possibly 6000pts in 40k equivalent, even after accounting for Vulkan and a Fellglaive super-heavy tank). Not to be outdone, I also recently got to working on a Luna Wolves army for the same game, currently amounting to about 3250-3500pts worth of models (including a Xiphon interceptor and Fire Raptor gunship). The goal with both armies is to reflect different playstyles within the same general range - my Salamanders are a mechanized army first and foremost, while my Luna Wolves are more or less light infantry commandos with air support.

I still dabble in 40k from time to time to test the waters for army ideas, but I haven't really bothered playing with anything since moving over to Heresy. The last time I did though, it was 2022, and I ported as much of my Salamanders to a legal firstborn-only 2000pt list in 9th that gave a prospective Aeldari tournament player a run for their money.
 
Tk'ya'pyk said:
40K is how much money you spend if you collect Orks or Imperial Guard :D

...and I have both. :meh:

I have been playing my Skaviir Dominion army (Imperial Guard rules for a Xenos or Traitor Guard army) in some way, shape, or form, since 1992. They were Skaven in the Rogue Trader rulebook back in the day, then basic Imperial Guard in 2nd/3rd edition, then Lost and the Damned when the Eye of Terror codex came out, then a Vraks Traitor army when Forge World bought that out. When 8th edition came out, the Vraks Traitors weren't viable anymore, as they never got Objective Secured. If you don't know what that means, you're not missing anything. Let's just say it was very hard to win anything at the time. I got fed up, and a friend pointed out that I was playing them more like loyalist Guard than Traitor Guard, so I went back to using those rules. I love tanks, I love Sentinels, I love the feel of a massed infantry gunline. I love that they're not superhumans, but normal people trying to survive in a harsh, unforgiving future. Also tanks. Did I mention tanks? TAAAAAAAAAANKS.

View attachment 153095
RATGURLS UNZ PANZER!!!

The problem is, Orks? Honestly, that is probably what I SHOULD have been running, all along. I ran my space rat-guard for 30+ years, I've been using Orks for, hmm, 6 or so, but my win record with Orks is about 40% vs my 15% win record with my spess rats.

Orks are simple. You yell WAAAAGH!!! and charge them into melee. Orks die? You don't care, throw more orks into the melee. Orks don't shoot well, but grots do, and I love me some kitbashed/scratchbashed Grot Tanks:

View attachment 153096

I like my rats, but there is something simple and fun about Orks. You know what is awesome about Orks? Pretty much every vehicle kit GW makes is an Ork kit with a little bit of kitbashing. Seriously, EVERY. ONE. OF. THEM.

I've got about 2500 points of Skaviir, and if I combine my three Ork sub-armies, I'm sitting closer to 4000 points of Orks. I love both. Guard are fun to make up lore and stories for. Orks are just fun to play. I've tried almost every 40K army GW makes over the years (except 'nids and the new Votann), and I keep going back to Guard and Orks. That should tell you something, but I'm not sure what. :woot:
Click to expand...
I've always wanted to kit bash an ork tank. I'd get an Eldar fire prism and a cigarette lighter, then carefully burn a massive chunk out of the side. Get some of my kids LEGO wheels and glue them on, and paint orky. So it looks like a salvage job. Haha
 
and finally...

CHAOS
(again, as i've collected them in order of time)

Chaos Knights
at a certain point, having a considerable amount of Imperium and xeno armies, i've felt the need to have some chaos, mostly to guarantee allegiance was available for every faction when we play Apocalypse games.
Chaos knights have the clear advantage that are few in number and (even if you are fixed on them, and I'm not), there's only a limited amount of stuff you need to buy.
Once again, i've searched for a 2nd hand army and I've found a mixed block composed by: a Tyrant, a Despoiler, a Rampager and 3 armigers, only for 300 euros (shipping included).
It was a steal and so i took it, further personalizing the models and converting the armigers into wardogs

CSM
I'm not a great fan of Chaos Marines.
However, an evil and twisted idea came to my mind. And i couldn't erase it, so i've embraced it.
The project was the personal, experimental legion of Fabius Bile, the infamous mad scientist obsessed with bioexperiments.
I've slowly built an army made by the stuff of nightmares, the true embodiment of horror. A mutated horde, empowered by wild genetics but also screaming in twisted pain.
Now, this is a chaos that i can enjoy!
 
I've watching a 40K lore videos. The Imperial Guard are my clear favorite faction now. The others don't even come close.

While I'd love to have Planet Scalenex with a personalized army unique to me with many converted and kitbashed models, but I'm REALLY slow at finishing models, especially customized models. My tiny flavorful army of kitbashed and converted Vampire Counts is enough. I got to stick with standard models for 40K. And Cadia has awesome fluff, so it'd be easy enough to make a Cadian theme army because that is the default for most models.

At the moment, money not an issue, but time is a serious limiting factor. I'd don't have the time to start a new army, and I am concerned about 40K long-term future with the battle for 40K's soul going on now. But if and when I enter 40K, Cadia will stand.
 
Scalenex said:
I've watching a 40K lore videos. The Imperial Guard are my clear favorite faction now. The others don't even come close.

While I'd love to have Planet Scalenex with a personalized army unique to me with many converted and kitbashed models, but I'm REALLY slow at finishing models, especially customized models. My tiny flavorful army of kitbashed and converted Vampire Counts is enough. I got to stick with standard models for 40K. And Cadia has awesome fluff, so it'd be easy enough to make a Cadian theme army because that is the default for most models.

At the moment, money not an issue, but time is a serious limiting factor. I'd don't have the time to start a new army, and I am concerned about 40K long-term future with the battle for 40K's soul going on now. But if and when I enter 40K, Cadia will stand.
Click to expand...

You could also wait for the new Kreig minis (supposedly) coming out next year. I'm tempted to get them and paint them up as Armageddon Steel Legion
 
Tk'ya'pyk said:
You could also wait for the new Kreig minis (supposedly) coming out next year. I'm tempted to get them and paint them up as Armageddon Steel Legion
Click to expand...

Aesthetically, I like the idea of a unified army theme. But looking at the tenth edition rules at looks like they are aiming to make Imperial Guard armies on the table.

It used to be, if you took a themed army, the whole army would get some kind of rules modifier, but now instead of having a Catachan army or a Kriegsman army you have a generic army with a specialized Catachan unit and a Kriegsman unit.

So assuming I ever get a Astra Militarum army, I'd definitely take a few Kriegsmen.
 
Eldar since many year...like their historia as exiliated, elite weapons and troops as well as psychic powers.

I play also kill team and there collect Ad Mech, Warpcoven /Tzeentch and Tau. All armies have interesting weapons and litanies, chapters historia and psyc power and nice aesthetics.
 
I was long a fan of An Ogryn Story and Gav and Bob.

But it turns out Gav and Bob has a part two. And part three. And part four. And part five. And part six.

Having binge listened to parts 2 through 6, I now must play an Imperial Guard army with lots of Ogryn in it...for Bob. In part three, they introduce a Ratling character that is enough to make me kind of like Ratlings.

I need to get some real life and Scarterra things done first, but I think 2025 will be the year I start a 40K army. I'm thinking either a Cadian force with a lot of rattling and Ogryn axillary or I'll make up some lore for Planet Scalenex which would involve Cadian inspired uniforms and gear, but with a slightly different color scheme and a lot of abhuman auxiliary.
 
Killer Angel said:
I knew the first one, but Gav and Bob is a surprise.
I will delve into it!
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Most people decide to slice up onions while listening to those stories. Don't look for Gav and Bob memes until AFTER watching the first two videos at least.
 
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Admittedly, I like the 40K lore more than I like the 40K models

Before I buy new models of any sort, I need to get my house in order...literally

I like 40K lore, and I especially like the granular stuff that covers people on the ground as opposed to broad narratives of of massive clashing armies.

That's why I'm leaning towards Imperial Guards, but I really like the Salamanders.



For grimdark to work best, you a tiny bit of purity in it for flavor.

In my perfect world where I had a bunch of a huge amount of fully painted fluff-tastic models, I like the idea of an army of Imperial Guard with a small contingent of Salamanders backing them up.

But the rules aren't really balanced for mixed faction armies. I am mostly liking the fluff idea of Salamanders/Imperial Guard fighting together but I'm sure a min-maxing cheeser could come up with a broken overpowered combo for a Space Marine/Guard mix.

Just like the models of the Sisters of Battle don't look as sexy as the artwork, it's also hard to find Salamander models that capture their proper scaling and combination of warmth and scariness.
 
Scalenex said:
But the rules aren't really balanced for mixed faction armies. I am mostly liking the fluff idea of Salamanders/Imperial Guard fighting together but I'm sure a min-maxing cheeser could come up with a broken overpowered combo for a Space Marine/Guard mix.
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Come play Horus Heresy, where you can run that kind of army.
 
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