I started collecting Warhammer 40k in late 2020, and have 3 armies ready to play 2,000-point games. Necron’s, Imperial Guard, and Ultramarines. I also enjoy Kill-Team, Necromunda, and every show that has aired on Warhammer Plus so far. Warhammer is a mess, but it is one of the most unique and amazing fictional universes out there and deserves recognition.
This is a ramble of my opinions that have formed in these past years.
The Bad
Games workshop is a mess of a brand, it makes many choices people feel are wrong or incorrect. But in general, I don’t think they make as many bad choices as people say. Warhammer + is a genuine fun time, and their love for Age of Sigmar shows. We have Warhammer New World coming out soonish, and Warhammer 30K getting revitalized with a whole new plastic line as well to give even more options to diehard fans. For those who don’t know, Games Workshop has cracked down on fan animations, specifically the ones that seem to make a lot of money. The controversies are also not as bad as people say, after all, Text to Speech, the Warhammer series everyone loves and stopped due to supposed copyright issues, is still up on YouTube. If Games Workshop was so big on removing all fan creation, they would be down.
In fact, most of the classic fan animations are still on YouTube, and Games Workshop has at the most prevented people from making money off of them. This is the same thing Disney does with Star Wars, and other brands do all the time. This doesn’t make any of these choices good, in fact, it’s downright horrible, which is why I say it is a mess of a brand. I just feel there is a double standard being applied to Games Workshop compared to other large brands.
The last bad thing is Pricing. It is expensive, sometimes prohibitively so. But that’s why I haven’t bought a new mini in awhile and always go secondhand.
The Good
The Mini’s
The mini range is fantastic, they are super detailed and easy to paint. It is a skill in itself to produce these models and one I readily enjoy. The price point is a bit much, but I encourage using the secondary market first. if you are lucky, you can find many good finds for good prices.
The Tau and Eldar ranges in particular are beautiful. They look so different from every other faction out there, and I love how unique they can look with just a little bit of kit bashing. The creativity people show for Warhammer is amazing, and I love it so much.
Painting
I love and hate Painting. It is so much fun, and so frustrating as well. But, with my average paint jobs and seeing a slow progression is so rewarding as well. Below are some of my favorite paint jobs.
Painting is something everyone should try. I have shaky hands due to a medical condition, they are manageable but I thought I would never get into this hobby, ever. As you can see above, patience and persistence work, very well in fact.
Warhammer Books
I love listening to audible and painting minis, it is a ton of fun to relax and listen to. My current book is the Devastation of Baal and almost makes me want to make a blood angels army. Emphasis on almost, I already have 2 blood angels armies in my local group and maybe a third won’t do. White scars don’t sound too bad though.
For a first-timer, I recommend Caiphas Cain or Einhorn. Both are amazing series that I highly recommend. For classic Warhammer into Age of Sigmar, Gotrek and Felix is the classic choice. If your interested in Tau you literally can’t go wrong with the Farsight Books.
How to Start Warhammer
There is no bad way to start 40K. I got the Indomitus box set and went from there. You can look at battle forces, lore, and other factors to make sure it is something you like. Look up faction summary YouTube videos, this one from Bricky is really good. The best thing to do is have fun!
This was more written due to the pride I feel in producing good looking minis with the issues I have faced, and I hope to have inspired at least one person to join this amazing hobby!
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