Thursday, March 14, 2019

One Army or Many?

Hey Everyone!  Today I wanted to look at how we all collect armies in our Warhammer Hobby.  Some players tend to jump from between many armies based on preference, event, or competitive reasons.  Others, like myself, tend to primarily play one army and dabble into other armies for fun projects, curiosity, or for allies to use with my main army.  Neither option is better than the other and both have pros and cons I hope to explore a bit today.





As I mentioned above I fall into the camp of playing one army primarily in the form of The Daughters of Khaine.  As you are all likely aware I really enjoy playing the army as well as the lore behind it.  I have spent about a year now painting and playing with them without any thought of stopping as of yet.  Prior to the Daughters of Khaine, I was focused on Stormcast Eternals and while they have been set aside I do consider picking them up for a game every now and then as well as some of the other forces I built for fun or that started out as allies for my Daughters of Khaine.

While I have really gotten to know the Daughters of Khaine warscrolls, battalions, and play style with focusing on them overall I do know that I am missing out on some things due to not branching out all that much.  There are plenty of unique and fun play styles the latest armies are bringing to the table that I only get to experience through my opponents more or less.  Not to mention all the incredible models we are seeing with every single release that I am missing out on building and painting.

Overall while primarily focusing on one army will allow you to get very familiar and win plenty of games as your knowledge increases of how the army functions you will miss out on the latest and newest releases.  While the pocketbook finds joy in not buying everything that comes out I do sometimes wonder if I am missing out on an army I might love playing and hobbying with even more than my Daughters of Khaine.  Regardless of this fear of missing out, I plan to stay the course and keep focusing primarily on one army.

What about those gamers who enjoy picking up the latest army and all of its toys?  While it will hurt one's budget and eat up a lot of time as they learn the new book while painting up a force there is plenty of benefits to living this hobby lifestyle.

You get to grow a vast and varied collection of armies while experiencing every aspect of the game and the nuanced ways each army works within the Age of Sigmar rules.  Hobbyists who play as many armies as they can are rarely surprised on the table as they have likely, written, seen, or played with many lists and know all the powerful combinations within the battletomes.  Hobbyists who play as many armies as possible also have the benefit of having many weapons at their disposal for any type of Warhammer event, be ith a narrative, matched, or even an open play event!  The players who have many armies and plays them regularly can confidently adapt to the meta of a major event or use their collection to craft an incredible story!

While there are pros and cons for both sides it really comes down to what you want as a gamer and hobbyists.  Do you enjoy buying the latest toys or do you prefer focusing on a few things you really like about one army?  Are you wanting to have as many types of armies as possible to combat the ever-evolving meta or do you wish to master one army so you feel confident no matter the competition you may or may not face at an event?  I know I plan to keep my focused approach, but I am curious to know what you prefer, be sure to let me know int he comments and as always, Happy Hobbying!

Chuck Moore