Hi folks,

DISCLAIMER: No link to be found with my recent paint jobs on inquisition and inquisition-like organizations. For them ignorance is power. To be applied to all and any of the other ones except the wise =][= itself.

This is more related to the capacity you (I) have to control yourself (myself). Specifically, as a matter of compulsory purchases.

I have faced this dilemma recently as I have been very tempted to buy the Aeldari Corsair box. A good bargain was offered by a reseller and the box was at 160€ more or less. A real opportunity. I almost hit the purchase button but at the last minute I've refrained. Because of a single question that came to my mind: do I need this?

I already have difficulties to align a Aeldari force of 1500 pts out of my 4000 pts gathered collection for a single game, do I need extra 700/800 pts? Of course the miniatures are gorgeous and can technically fill tactical roles that are missing. But is a tactical role that does never hit the table really missing? Of course not. I therefore scanned the content of the box and I have asked myself what might be the content of it that I would really commit in the medium range? The answer that came was a pair of Starfangs, Yriel and maybe one or two units of Skyreavers - most of the box in fact.

Not this one...

But will these need to be bought now (and should it include also Karseth and one more Voidscarred unit)? I had to conclude that it was a big No. At short term only Yriel could be in fact on the rooster list, but more for a painting project than for a gaming purpose. I therefore gave up the idea of the box, knowing that the units I have in mind will still be available with a decent discount on a stand alone basis later (To understand better that statement it has to be considered that, for miniature collection, Medium range scales for me in a 2 to 4 years row. It would even not be surprising if I might decide myself at dawn of 12th Ed probably...).

This is the second time it happens to me this year. A few weeks earlier it was with the Battle-pilgrims and Vulturax automata. The price reduction was so appealing that it made me feel like it was not that important paying a little bit more than a bare Vulturax model if I had also 16 footsloggers and a Marshal. But I do not play HH (yet) with AdMech and all models that could have been easily proxied from this box are either fully sourced in my 40k army (I already have 3 Marshals) or are not that needed atm as I still have backlog to paint (why would I store for months a Vulturax as a potential Fusilave proxy if I am going to build it this summer? Why would I proxy Skitarii Vanguard with Battle Pilgrims as I never field all the Vanguards and Secutarii I have?).

Once again I had deliberately occulted the fact that the bargain at online reseller will still be there in a few months for the Vulturax. No need to hurry. Even if this bargain will probably be lower in a few weeks...

... Neither that one ...

But reaching this awareness has not been that of an easy task; the way it stepped was more likely related to asking myself: “You have to choose between buying models for ToW and finishing these 2 army of yours you game with monthly, or keep on buying in all directions stuff you do not need”.

Compulsory purchases used to be my way of doing during 15 years (this is how I have started Aeldarii when they were still called Eldars). Then I had a long hiatus of 10 years with limited purchases. Over the past 4 years I have managed canalizing my bad habbits. It is certainly not now that I should fall back in that bad practices again... I want here to thank Saint Wallet and Holy Amex for reminding me the basics of proper cash flow management…

The result has therefore been unexpected: I went back building up a list of purchase, rating priority orders and even looking for alt sources. SOmething I did not do for 10+4 years. And even before it was done without real purpose or backbone. Hunting bargains through Ebay (sometimes), Resellers (often), and (for ToW) 3^rd party models is now part of the process. These sources  clearly compete with official GW channel and sometimes even beat them in quality and often prices (com’on!: 100€ for a unit of 16 slayers (inc. command group)? Being genuine models of Warhammers’ Mecca is certainly not a sufficient enough reason for justifying this price. And what to say of a 5 men strong unit sold 50€ - 10€ for 5 g of plastic??? It is not that I am not greedy but...).

And if I have a list, what is written on it for 40k?

-          Yriel

-          Dark Reapers

And later:

-          Dark Eldar Reavers

... But these, maybe.

Nothing more... Until release of the new AdMech Hastarii models and IK Destrier. And even there, it will this time depend on the rules. This has been a serious reduction, hasn't it?. Will I hold the bar?

What is remarkable though is that I did not set any date in front of these entries. So it remains a relatively opened wish list that may evolve in the next months; I haven't bought anything for a while ('xcepted 2 MTO pieces on scenery in December that have been delivered last week) and I am still working only with models and kits from on my backlog. But I feel like I might commit these purchases rather sooner than later...

See you.

Future will tell