It's the classic story:
Boy plays 40k 5th edition.40k releases 6th edition.
Boy tries a new game system.
It's not that I have a huge issue with rules changes, nor am I completely incapable of using my existing models to play well established games. My real issue with Warhammer 40k comes from the fact that I can spend 2 weeks painting a full unit, only to have them wiped out on turn 3. Thirty whole figures lovingly pigmented in my very minimal available free time, made meaningless by a round of shooting from a single tank. If I had been in on the ground floor of the game, in a "tale of # gamers" scenario, or perhaps having actually been working on an army since 3rd edition some 12 years ago, my feelings might be different. Sadly, in order to play competitively, that means a lot of painting needs to be done before I can even show up to the table.
Certainly I could remedy this by playing a force such as Grey Knights, where "5 figures and a vehicle, repeat thrice over" is a playable army. Unfortunately some part of me keeps shying away from power armor armies, and wanting to play the alien menace. In this case, that's tyranids and space orks, both of which are only valid options if one chooses to paint and field loads and loads of figures. I'm certain that 6th edition will do nothing to alter the sheer number of figures required to be effective in game, and my opponent, with his 3 vehicles and 15 terminators will have no interest in playing lower points games where I can actually field painted armies.
And thus, wanderlust sets in. I decided, upon trading in a fair amount of collectable card gaming materials, that I'd dip my toe into Hordes. I understand that with as few as 9 figures, one can have a pretty reasonable force with which to play a very tactical game in under an hour.
Sounds pretty good, right?
Of course, it's self delusion. There's no way I want to start buying armies one figure at a time at full MSRP. I'd want, much like I'd want with Warhammer 40k, to be able to field any available combination of units at any time just as fast as my brush can ready them.
So, how far overboard am I?
Blame www.bartertown.com for making it so very easy to locate other gamers who want to swap off their goods. They list what they've got, and what they want (other games, money, whatever you've got), and you make the deal. There's no fee to list, and no cut taken by bartertown. If you end up making a cash deal, chances are that the buyer will be responsible for shipping, and the seller will end up getting some of their gains eaten by paypal fees. Aside from that, it's a much less treacherous environment in which to do business than eBay.There's a fairly good turnover of players who are leaving some game to start another, and who are liquidating their collections at 50% off retail. Some of the forces are "pro-painted". Some come with fancy storage bags. Some are one of damned near every model for a faction up to a certain point in time.
Let's just say I have a very good chance of being able to field anything at all on the standard allocation list for Trollbloods and Khador... Any caster.
And not only that, any unit up to but not including war wagons and colossal units. That's right... I'm in way over my head.
Once you've done something crazy like I have, and your packages start rolling in one after another, with scores of figures you must paint and learn how to use, where does one begin? I've had a few ideas on the subject:
Plan 0) Paint what looks cool.
This was my first plan, and while I did get a couple of figures completed
-Grissel Bloodsong
-Fell Caller Solo
and a few figures started
-Winter Troll
-Pyre Troll
-5x Man O War Demolishers
I can't boast that it's anywhere near a playable force no matter how nice they look.
Status: Rejected - Too random
Plan 1) Paint what would be in a basic battlebox.
For the trolls, that would be:-Madrak Ironhide (pMadrak)
2x Troll Impalers
1x Troll Axer
For Khador, that would be:
-Sorcha
-Juggernaut Warjack
-Destroyer Warjack
That would mean 7 figures to make a playable game, and then adding on afterwards. My ignorance about the game hampers me when I go to choose figure #8. That makes this plan a good stepping stone, but not a great overall plan. I've got mountains of figures to pigment.
Status: Accepted
Caveat: Limited use, will fail after roster fills out.
Plan 2) Pick a Netlist, any Netlist
Allowing some internet general to dictate my painting is a way to get a war host that has a playable composition. Unfortunately, this leaves me with a question. After all my hard work and painting, will I have a list that a rookie player can handle, or a bunch of figures that it takes a rocket surgeon to pilot to victory? Some amount of guess work can be done on this account, but I'd hate to pour my attention into a list that is too complicated to use.I've done my best to read up on all the Khador and Trollblood units over at http://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/ . It has been an invaluable tool for getting to grips with how some of the factions handle caster/unit synergies, but I'm still not ready to trust myself to a tournament list that wrecks house if there's a chance that it's exploiting some mechanism or subtlety that I cant grasp.
Status: Rejected until further in game experience can be had.
Plan 3) Going by the book.
When the Warmachine game started out, there was one book. Just one.In that book there were some basic forcelists. Since that time, the game has added army books, got upgraded to Warmachine Prime, had Hordes added, and is now in Mk 2 editions with additional books like Wrath and Domination and Colossals (Oh My!).
My point, if there is one, is that once upon a time, there was one book. Each faction had 3 casters, some Jacks of beasts, a couple of unit types, and some solos. Nothing too crazy at all.
The painting schedule for this plan would be:
1x each warcasters/warlock
1x each beast/jack
1x max unit of each type
1x each solo.
Sure, it's a lot of painting at least 6 individual leaders, probably about 8 beasts/jacks. Some 50 figures for troops and a half dozen solos... When it's all said and done, I'll be looking at 70 painted figures. It sounds like a lot, but really, that's nothing compared to the number of Orks and Grots I'd have to paint to make max units in 40k.
The real beauty in this plan, is that it's the same one that the original players had. Maybe they didn't sit down and write a couple thousand words about it, but when you can only get your hands on those basic units and starting casters, it's the plan you go with because no other plan is available.
This can be extended by following the book/unit release schedule that the publisher followed. With a little research, I can figure out when each figure/book was released, and make a chronological list of what units get painted in what order. This would be the same order that players were learning to use the units in, and should be a good roadmap to follow.
Status: Strong Possibility.
If I can get a painting schedule sorted out, and I know what I'm working on currently, and next, then it becomes a lot easier to learn about one unit at a time as I'm getting it table ready, instead of trying to sort out 3 dozen different kinds of troops per faction in a single go.
If I can keep my wits about me, I'll take up posting in-progress photos here, mostly for my own benefit, but also for those who may have stumbled their way in. Here's to hoping my text-out-loud ramblings make some sense.
~Pyg~
