So, it's finally happened. A confluence of factors has seen me drawn, once more, back into the stranglehold of the Warhammer 40,000 miniatures game. Having given up the game for the past 6 years (back in 5th Edition) I've decided to give the game another try in 7th Edition.Why? - Well, the fact of the matter is that I play games for the social aspect more than anything else, and nobody in my area is playing Flames of War consistently anymore. Plus, the Conquest LCG has reignited my obsession with the 40k universe, which is easily my favorite sci-fi setting.
Let it be known: I'm not at all expecting a ruleset without a few flaws. I'm looking for some fun with my favorite sci-fi denizens.
(pic: visit the artist's official site and be inspired)
Not to get too wishy-washy, but I felt that I'd reached my artistic limits with Flames of War, and Warhammer 40k gives me a much greater outlet for creativity.
In addition to the variety of color schemes and artistic outlets that 40k provides, the games now are much more dynamic that Flames of War. This leads to some ridiculous situations, but on the whole the missions and armies in 7th Edition lend themselves to a positive and varied gaming experience.
How? - Games Workshop's price premiums are notorious in the gaming community, so how am I going to get back into a game that I know is going to require a huge investment? For beginner players, this is obviously a huge obstacle, but luckily I never sold my 40k models, so for the most part I can just bring a few things out of storage. That said, I will be investing some cash into a bunch of the new Dark Eldar models, which are simply fantastic.
2 of my work-in-progress Venoms
Also, having little desire to get back into competitive 40k play, I have sought out a small group that's as engrossed with the fluff as I am, and isn't necessarily looking to break the game at every turn. That's not to say that these guys play to lose, but it means that their armies generally will not be min-maxed to the limit. Hopefully this will keep the game fresh and enjoyable, and bring back some of the camaraderie that I've been missing with the decline of the Flames of War community in my area.
Going Forward - I'm going to get my feet wet with a couple games once I'm done moving, and then just see where that takes me. I'm going to take my sweet time with the painting and really try to build a force that will stand the test of time (a lot of my older models were painted when I was in high school, and I can barely look at them without cringing).
I may post a few battle reports and painting updates from time to time, especially if I make some breakthroughs with the airbrush.
This was from my first game on this new journey. The DE savaged some Blood Angels successors
Let me know if you guys have played any games recently that you hadn't played in a long time. Did the nostalgia wear off? Or did the game breath new life into your hobby experience? Leave a comment below, or get in touch with me on Twitter at the increasingly misnomer-ed @PIflamesofwar
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