"Why Should a Player of Historicals Try 40K?" Topic

Make your best case.

Fun to paint

Corrects your posture by considerably lightening your wallet

For a bit of fun and a larf

If you are a creative type who likes modeling, painting, kitbashing and conversions then 40k gives you lots of scope to do some stuff with miniatures you just can't do with historical miniatures (assuming the historical bit matters to you). The same goes for the background and history of your army in historicals it's pretty much set in stone, where as, in 40k there is plenty of scope to create a whole history for your imperial guard regiment or space marine chapter if that's your thing.

This isn't so much a 40k thing but a sci-fi/ fantasy thing. I enjoy both fantasy and historical gaming. If I'm doing historicals I'll do research and try and make my model army as close to history as I can. Sometimes it's nice to have the freedom to just use my imagination on an army and that is were fantasy gaming comes in (unless it's Tolkien. Tolkien fans are like the fantasy equivalent of Napoleonic button counters)

Howay! I am a Tolkien fan and accept variations in fantasy armies/dress, if players oppose me with their own interpretation of Tolkienesque troops I am fine!

I play Oathmark which is the nearest game to Tolkien I have tried, and though I paint my figures as I imagine them to be in Tolkien, there is a lot of uncertainty as to what they look like, I am happy with that!

There is plenty of scope for creativity in historical wargaming, just of a different kind to fantasy. Play periods that don't have uniforms, build terrain or 'personalise your tanks (as real life tankers did). Imagination comes in with scenario design, you don't always have to refight actual battles, 'what ifs' are fun too.

As masochistic tendencies run, it doesn't do any physical damage. And it's legal.

Don't waste your breath, or ink, on me. 40k simply holds absolutely no interest for me.

I enjoy historical and fantasy games, but when I see a game of 40k it just looks odd, groups of creatures/marines with massive weapons all grouped together on a small area. Some of the original artwork showed future soldiers with lasers etc moving Napoleonic fashion!

Tally Ho!

It's a TTMWG. You like TTMWGs. You might like it.

It would be no worse a waste of your time than that one(?) historical game in your period of favour that you tried and really hated.

Not a fan of the system or GW

But perhaps
A. If my kids been interested I would have played
B. If I enjoyed tournament play and any tournament will do
C. If I needed a break from history
D. If my science fiction and future interests leaned that way (Personally much more of a fan or Orge/GEV or Traveler)
E. If my hobby budget was a lot bigger than it is now

I don't play 40K. Don't like the game or the setting or even the minis.

But I love Space Hulk. So I'll take it from that standpoint.

Space Hulk is every "killer monsters invade a closed location" movie ever made, rolled into one game. It's fast to play, and evocative, with a really good "fog of war" element for the Space Marine players— you know that *something* is moving down that side corridor… maybe. Could be one killer monster, could be 2 or 3 or 4 or God-help-you 5… or it could be nothing at all but faulty intel. It's tense, you've got a squad with different capabilities, and tactical thinking is a must. Plus, if you use the 30-second timer rule, you're frantically figuring out how to move and place your squad, and if you don't get it right before the timer stops… well, better hope that blip on the detector screen is a glitch.
No, it's not a simulation or a recreation of a historical event… It's just a great game.

They shouldn't. They should try One Page Rules "Grimdark Future". Better, simpler rules. And they have their own line of resin cast minis, all the quality and half the cost of GW miniatures.

onepagerules.com

Dave

Our group uses the miniatures for our own rules developed from TSATF. Good fun but I'm not interested in collecting or painting the figures.

Jim

If you truly enjoy "the lesser of two evils", go for it.

Never have and never plan too. The only time that I had any interest was the 6mm Space Marine era. I never could enjoy the background for the human.

I've tried it and while not my cup of tea, a significant number of my gaming friends have armies and enjoy the game tremendously. I respect what GW have done for the hobby both in terms of attracting people to gaming and in many cases, providing the economic driver ( along with Magic+other cards ) for many FLGS to stay in business and carry Historicals.

Other guys in the club play 40K. It's not my thing, but since they occasionally play the goofy historical miniatures games I like playing, I will occasionally play their goofy 40K games.

pjm

It's got Marines, and pretty badass ones at that!

Maybe not 40K, but Necromunda can be massaged into a variety of "comic book history" periods for WWI, Vietnam, or Old West. Semi- serious fun.

Played it at my old club once because a couple of the blokes played it and wanted to do a big, multiplayer game. Lots of figures and vehicles with huge weapons, lots of dice throwing, lots of charts looked at, lots of banter and the 40K players seemed to enjoy it.

Once was enough for me, though.

My son got into 40K when he was younger. I played a couple of times with him. It was okay but didn't really grab me.

Temporary insanity.

Nothing – other than not wishing to offend a close friend who had invited me – would induce me to play 40K, but I would play Warhammer. Luckily, none of my close friends are interested in 40K.

Perhaps the most destructive product line to the future of historical gaming. Diverts time and resources of both players and manufacturers. Paint companies now focus on ridiculous color palates that are of little use for historical gaming. A plastic arms race with the only purpose of forcing players to buy the next "invincible" squad. Insane, over detailed sculpting that takes forever to paint. Grotesquely large figures that cause scale creep to the point where newer players are unable to handle old school 15mm and 28mm. If you think Flames of War games look like parking lots, any 40K game looks like an auto salvage yard. The games appear to be little more that face-to-face battles of attrition (and more and more historicals are following this bad habit.) No space for tactical maneuvers. I can't think of a more boring afternoon.

I wonder about the youth of today who caveach about their bleak futures where they can't afford housing and their lousy salaries when they are fine with dropping $500 USD on a starter 40K army……….Oh, don't get me started!

There are two issues with 40k—the models and the rules. The rules are a bloated mess, and even a large number of fanboys are objecting to them these days. The models, on the other hand as many above point out, are varied and interesting, and allow for a lot of creativity to scratch a sci/fi itch. I think any discussion of 40k should probably separate and mention these two issues.

Let's be honest here. They are two different hobbies. There is a vague intersection, but not much.

+ 1 Old Contemptible.

Nope Games WorkShop is overpriced ,and Elitist

I play 40K because some of my friends do. It is not my favorite game, but they like it, and as a courtesy, I participate by collecting some models and playing. In turn, they play the games that I like, which tend to be historical. A value exchange that builds lasting friendships and improves everyone's modeling skills.

There are plenty of opponents.
Second hand armies or borrowed armies are easy and available (?)
A local group would probably welcome a new player.
Plenty of videos about how to play etc.
A chance to make some friends, especially if you are new to the area.

I have no need or interest in this game, but do recognise that it is a very popular game with many players.

Good luck to anyone who joins in with other games whatever they are.

martin

Because if you actually played it you might find that you like it. It's a bit like "knowing" you won't like Brussel sprouts having never had them

We are seeing a steady stream of disaffected 40K players stop by our Historical evens and are very interested in what we do.

Maybe you've moved to a new place where few historicals are played but there's an active 40K audience, that would be a good reason to take it up. Perhaps you could interest your knew friends in historicals in return.

I'm absolutely done looking down my nose at those who don't play what I play. Frankly I need the social aspect of the hobby more than I need gamers to like what I like.

It's a well supported subculture with a dedicated fan base so you will be able to meet some fun gamers. The down side is the cost and just isn't worth it for me.

Martin as well as others have touched on the pros, the biggest cons: 1) cycling of whats good in the game, 2) discontinuing miniatures at a moments notice thus invalidating them in future games.
If you're slow at building and painting…or just get a few games a year in, this could be a huge waste of money.
Just my two cents having 9 40K armies and 2 AOS armies. My AOS armies were made obsolete (mainly my Stormcast) by the new edition. I won't be playing AOS anymore.

For those who are tired of being called to task by rivet counters, 40K is refreshing. Since everything is held together by bonded ceramite, aeldari magic, and plasteel, there are no rivets.

Errr, why not just play the Edition where your figures are "valid"?
That's one glaring advantage that Historicals have over "The GW Hobby". Tiger tanks and Old Guard Grenadiers don't go obsolete when a new edition of the rules come out.
I am still "allowed" to use British Infantry when TSATF 45th Anniversary comes out. Or, at least I hope so. 😄
I'm still pissed off at seeing my Forest Goblins, all 120 of them, rendered obsolete by a new "codex".

I'm still pissed off at seeing my Forest Goblins, all 120 of them, rendered obsolete by a new "codex".

Errr, why not just play the Edition wher your figures are "valid"?

😄 Heh. That was 20 years ago when I thought that "all the Kool Kids played only the latest version.
In any event, I couldn't get anyone else interested in anything Warhammer-ish, so I sold them.

Good man.

The whole "valid figures" thing is why I have more respect for Oldhammer players than for Warhammer or 40K. Generation Midwych (Sp?) abandoning whole armies because their masters tell them to is not how I see miniature warfare.

Yes. "Their masters". 😄

Let's make that a meme, so we can be kool kids too.

You do, indeed sound like the Kool Kids(TM):

* Anyone who does something I don't like is dumb, evil, or both.

* We blame them for offering a product and an activity, not the peopole who voluntarily participate.

* There's also a derogatory name for the participants.

Just egg a GW exec's car and shove a 40K player in their locker overnight, and you're in.

I wonder what 40K players think of Historical players?

It reminds me of the scene from Casablanca.
YouTube link

I'll admit I tried it once. Couldn't get anyone else interested. I "won" the boxed version (Version 3?) on eBay. It was offered by a local shop "up the line".
Couldn't get anyone else to play. I enjoyed painting the models. Played Space Hulk. I thought the "blips" concept was cool.
I got a lot of cheap Gorka Morka stuff. Again, no interest.
So I sold everything at a flea market.
It was much later that I began to believe that the True Fans were not all there. They were arguing over the correct colors for the various chapters, and so on. Meanwhile I refused to paint the 5th Regiment of Foot (A fine unit!) until I could find the proper shade of paint for Gosling Green. 🤷🙄
So, we're basically the same hobby, except "They" are Heretics. Nerds hating other Nerds.

Wow! I've never been one of the cool kids before. Can you really get in these days by just not hopping around changing rules and armies whenever some suit says so?

This discussion seems to have lost track of who the Kool Kids™️ are. Is it Us, or is it Them? Is it a Good Thing to be a KK, or is it a Bad Thing? 🤔

Well, I don't play it. Tried to once, so there's that.
Now, I'm busy shopping around for furnishings for a Western Saloon Brawl. Hollywood at its most realistic.
I'm glad I escaped 40K, so I don't have to argue about, or care about Female Custodes, whatever the heck they are. Indifference, like ignorance is bliss.

Can you really get in these days by just not hopping around changing rules and armies whenever some suit says so?

Sure … the hallmark of being a Kool Kid is denegrating others because they aren't cool like you. That's how it's always worked.

Nah. There are half a dozen groups in any high school despising one another, but only one gets to be the Cool Kids. The others just have to be content with being the Nerds, the Jocks or whatever.

But you're missing my point, and your response to OFM about "playing another edition" suggests you don't really get it. Playing a previous edition would be Oldhammer, and no one throws rhetorical rocks at Oldhammer players. Warhammer 40K's distinguishing feature is that the players by definition change to whatever GW wants. Rules change, and they complain buy comply. Prices of figures go up, and they grumble and pay. Armies are modified, and they grumble and rebuild. It's behavior so unlike the wargamers I know--who sometimes seem to specialize in converted figures, previous editions and house rules, if not homecast figures and self-created rules--as to qualify as a separate hobby.

GW can say "tsall minnis, init?" but they don't believe it.

When a 40K player looks at something new and official from them and says "nuts to that! I like the previous edition, and I'll buy my castings where I please" he's one of my fellows. But not until.

Warhammer 40K's distinguishing feature is that the players by definition change to whatever GW wants.

So these players lack free will? What is it … blackmail? mind control? Apparently, they don't just choose to particpate because they like it.

As far as complaining, pretty much everybody complains about things they like. It;s a known, documented, and studied part of human behaviour. Most people generally recognize it too. You seem to have some background that would make you familiar with the old saw, "A solider is not happy unless he's complaining."

At the end of the day, you're calling people names because they think the wrong way as evicdenced by liking something you don't like.