Warhammer 40,000

Finding one for sale was a feat and a half, but it was worth it. :) My 39th Kiavahr Chevaliers weren't about to go into battle with a male Commissar Lord, and I could never get a conversion to look very good. Had to do enough conversions with my other models, as I couldn't find enough female Guardsmen models for my 1500 points of the Emperor's fury. Well, more like 2000 points in light of the models I don't use all the time, but have as options.

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULK.

Ahem. Yeah, the new version of Space Hulk came out. And it is awesomeness "condensed" (although it's hardly condensed, considering the size of the damned thing) into FOUR KILOS (about 9 pounds, for you imperial system users) of plastic and cardboard. Woo.

So, I just found some 40k players at the school I go to, and I'll be getting my starter kit soon (Assault of Black Reach IIRC). Any tips for a beginner?

This troper used to work for Games Workshop, and the US delegation was late to a meeting regarding the new plastics (the second skeleton sprue was the topic, to give you some sense of the timing). This took place in the UK studio. We all walked in late, and the UK manager says:

"Ah, the USA, late as always."

The US Manager responded,

"Well, we heard you were getting your ass kicked, and we're here to bail you out."

This was more than a decade ago, and I'm STILL laughing!! :)

edited 21st Sep '09 10:46:31 PM by chainsawpenguin

^^^WAIT WHAT NEW SPACE HULK

FUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS.

Despite my mixed feelings about Warhammer I think Space Hulk is awesome.

I play Tau, and I like them. I play them because I personally believe they are not evil - certainly they are a shade of grey, but I believe they are slightly towards the lighter side of it. And lord above, one thing I can't stand are all the Tau haters coming up and going "Tau are evil and they only survived because of luck." Tau are NOT evil, they just aren't quite "good", as such.

Hi there all, now I have been reading Shinji and Warhammer 40k having only known the NGE part well and knowing only very little of Warhammer and after reading it I am very interested in the Warhammer universe.

But there's a small problem...I don't care for minature games at all but as far as I understand it there are a lot of not-minature games that I can use to read about the Warhammer universe. I would love to know what are the best of this expanded universe stuff is...like the books and stuff.

Hope you guys can help!

edited 11th Oct '09 5:46:37 AM by MetaRidleyX

I can personally recommend Ciaphas Cain. Gaunts Ghosts and the Horus Heresy are also well-thought-of, though I haven't read them. As well, the Dawn of War games are very awesome.

Tau are NOT evil, they just aren't quite "good", as such.

That's the same reason I played them for a while. Whenever I play a race or faction in any game I always choose one that I agree with ideologically. Of course, as a half-witted little youngster I couldn't really tell that the Tau Empire was basically a rigid caste-based society secretly under the sway of a select few that uses entire race(s) to achieve their goal of eventual galactic subversion and ruthless domination, I just thought "oh hey these are the real good guys I'll play them". And apparently they also sterilize other races to better control them, but I don't know where people get that, sometimes I wonder if some fans just can't stand a race with comparatively high moral standards in Warhammer 40000. I know that the whole point is to see how off the charts they can ratchet up the Grimdark meter, but I think the lore can stand to have the Tau as they are right now to counterbalance the abhorrent atrocities committed by everyone else.

I'm over-thinking this aren't I?

I'm over-thinking this aren't I?

Not really. You're not the first to think what you did, you won't be the last. You won't be the last to be shouted down, either. It's not so much that Tau are "good" guys as they're far too restrained. 40k is a World of Ham on many different levels-if technology could be said to be hammy, 40k's would be. Then the Tau come along who are restrained-they are not insanely over-the-top like every other faction, and behave with dignity, rationality, and intelligence.

A race acting that way Just. Doesn't. Fit.

Well in Soulstorm they did construct a Death Ray on the moon! But I hear what your saying. Hey, what if the Tau got robots that shot cyborg bats made out of lava, and the bats shot beetles out of their mouths at the speed of sound, and the beetles ate their targets and excreted acid that they would use to bore holes into the center of the planet so they could eat the planet core and use the energy to jump out onto the surface of the planet again and weave bulletproof energy fields around the cyborg lava bats, which would in turn then use the protection to wreak havoc on the enemies that didn't get eaten by the beetles?

No that's just stupid.

I like the Tau. They're terrible of course, but they're terrible in a very modern way. For all it's technological might the Imperium is still basically operating with the sophistication of the middle-ages.

I like Commander Farsight the most. He rebelled against the Ethereals, you know.

My favorite faction would have to be the custom faction my friend and I made by taking WH lizardmen and covering them in WH 40 K ork technology. Temporal Prime Directive be damned, I want me some four-armed cyborg lizards with flamethrower faces.

I mostly gave up on 40k due to how seriously all the local players took the background material. I thought that Chaos Tau! would be pretty entertaining, but mostly it just attracted nerd rage.

Played the new Space Hulk yesterday. Previously I'd just played the computer game version, which was fun, but the production values on the third edition set are simply incredible.

Plus, with 12 marines and 23 genestealers (including a librarian and a broodlord), the $100 they're asking for is an absolute steal if you're looking for squads for a Tyranid or terminator army.

You all should know, though that the set is limited edition, they only made 10,000. They're selling online for $150+, so run to your hobby shop soon.

So, I just found some 40k players at the school I go to, and I'll be getting my starter kit soon (Assault of Black Reach IIRC). Any tips for a beginner?

Ah, geez. Hope three months isn't too late to reply...

My accumulated 40K wisdom is as follows:

• Space Marines (or Chaos Space Marines) are the most cost-effective armies. Orks and Tyranids are the least.
• Assemble your models, then paint them. Don't waste time and material painting parts that can't be seen.
• Read your Codex, then assemble your models. It's always embarrassing to have to hack apart models because you went nuts with the weapon options.
• You are not on the 'eavy Metal team. Your models will not look as good as those in the army books. Don't beat yourself up over it.
• That said, painted models fight better than undercoated models. Plastic-colored models will actively try to lose.
• The amount of time spent painting each model should roughly correlate to how long it'll survive on the table and how important it is. Spend your most time on your HQ units and Elites, but don't spend hours detailing each Guardsman or Hormagaunt.
• eBay is your friend, but if you're playing in a store, eventually the owner will figure out where your models are coming from.
• The Tactica Imperium has some good advice.
• Don't buy Dark Eldar models until Games Workshop remembers they exist.
• The rulebooks lie. It is a "rocket launcher." Calling it a "missile launcher" will not help you hit anything.
• People who say Space Marines are for noobs are just jealous.
• Never throw a bit away. You'll find a use for it someday. Especially if you're playing Orks.
• The lore and backstory is interesting and all, but always keep in mind it's all just an excuse for grown men to play with toy soldiers.
• You have not won a game if doing so felt like a chore. You have not lost a game if you enjoyed playing it.

Wow, 3 months already?

Anyways, I went ahead and did Chaos, but I disagree on some things.

My models will look BETTER than the ones in the book, and I will spend however much time I want detailing the mooks. :P

...wait, I'm forgetting something...

Oh yeah, DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPEROR!

edited 11th Nov '09 8:00:32 PM by Black Friday

Chaos, eh? Well that changes things a bit. Since your force is, by lesser armies' standards, nothing but elite soldiers, you can afford to spend that extra time and effort making your basic "mook" look good. You can get a lot done with just fifty models, after all.

And as for outdoing the 'eavy Metal team, well... normally I'd admire your enthusiasm and determination, but doing better than some of the paint jobs in the newest Codex shouldn't be difficult at all. Methinks they were in a hurry to meet the deadline, or else they just didn't care.

Just out of curiosity, are you playing one of the Traitor Legions, one of those new pirate gangs, or something homebrew?

edited 14th Nov '09 12:18:37 PM by Tacitus

Homebrew. Alot of it I'm keeping vague until I'm more experienced however.

Oooh, I have found a Death Metal band that made a song about Kill Maim Burn. I declare it to be the official Khorne hymn now! (Warning, NSFW and very disturbing/narmful depending on your sensitivity).

edited 17th Nov '09 5:14:18 AM by Raw Power

yeah, except the same band already did the Khorne song: Blood for the blood god!

Superior.

edited 24th Nov '09 1:18:42 PM by Rokkit Powah

So there's a group that's specialized in writing music for Chaos? Do we have an orchestra for the Empire?

Do you think these guys are time-travelling Noise Marines?

"So there's a group that's specialized in writing music for Chaos?"

Wouldn't that just be a bunch of random sounds?