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So, I logged onto GOG a few minutes ago and forgot that I had picked up a White Dwarf issue at the store a year ago, and It had a code in it for GOG, and it gave me a ton of warhammer games.

I think I actually tried to join B&C years ago, but I had issues signing up. Anyway, It looks like the site has been redesigned, it's looking good! I'm totally for forums, but this blog focus seems great. It's also nice to see people share hobby content in formats that aren't A) youtube (not that it's terrible at all, but it's a lot of work editing videos and therefore still somewhat inaccessible.) B) Not on facebook. Some years ago I deleted my FB, but had to get an account again for hobby stuff. Not gonna lie, I wish tabletop communities didn't rely so much on Facebook. So I'm glad that I was able to sign up just now to the B&C!

I was a bit older but not by much. I found out about Warhammer 40k when I met my friend @The_Oni_of_Hindsight in HS (1996-1997). He has been playing for a while and I had some Pewter Chaos models I got a plastic model hobby shop. I eventually bought the starter set for 2nd Edition playing the Space Marines, then I saw the army that would be my favorite army of all time, Sisters of Battle. I was engaged with my HS Sweetheart during this time and as we were young and immature, there was lots of issues that resulted in us breaking up. One issue was my gaming with my friend, while she was working. Over the years I have built multiple armies, but usually had a space marine army and sisters of battle. During Covid I really started working on my Grey Knights and now that is my largest painted army I have ever owned, I blame @Grotsmasha and his 12 Months of Hobby Challenge, such a great motivator. Last year my Long time GF and I broke up and I received a friend request from my HS Sweetheart. We started reconnecting as we missed each others friendship as we knew each other since we were 11 years old. As we reconnected we realized we were still in love with each other. She asked me if I was still gaming and I told her yes, and she said that was good, and she should never have used it as a reason for us to break up. I told her it helped me with the break up. Now we are engaged again, getting married in November of this year, and some her adopted kids are going to be starting on their own armies (Death Guard, Genestealer Cult, and Blood Angels), our "Office" is half her area and half my Hobby area. PS for our honeymoon in April 2025, we are going to be Traveling through Ireland, Scotland, and England, including going to Bovington Tank Museum and going to hit a little bar in Nottingham called Bugman's.

This is a really profound story and thank you so much for taking the time to share it. This really shows how acutely the hobby can touche on our lives. It's crazy how the history of the game grows with us and becomes intertwined to points in our lives. Similarly for me, my participation in the hobby adapted to my situations and as a constant it was always there!

I saw the display for this new game called "Rogue Trader" when I was moseying through my local comic and games store as a teenager and the rulebook cover and miniatures immediately drew my eye. My previous wargaming experiences (not counting Chess and the like) had been chit and hex wargames from Avalon Hill and something not unlike H.G. Wells' Little Wars where my brother and I painted our army men, set them up, and then sat back and shot rubber bands until only one of us had figures still standing. I had seen some historical tabletop miniature wargames played and I thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle of armies of well-painted miniatures engaged in battle, but my love of science fiction was drawn to the weirdness of the Rogue Trader setting. Unfortunately, my living situation didn't allow me to actually collect armies with which to play the game in those years, so my hobby participation during the 1st and 2nd editions of the game was mostly painting miniatures and reading lore (lots of White Dwarf and a few codices/army books). My living situation changed around the time the 3rd edition of the game was published, allowing me the time and space to actually paint an army and play games. Space Elves (as they were called at the time) were my first love, with Space Marines coming in a close second. Disclaimer: I would never shoot rubber bands at my WH40K minis (or anyone else's, for that matter).

I got into the hobby through 1st edition necromunda (though I had been painting minis for about a decade prior, first D&D and then battletech) - a friend of mine had it, and I played it with him a few times. I had previously played other GW games (a little Space Marine [the original epic] and I translated a high school mate's heroquest into Spanish at one point for him) and had eyed games like Dark Future and the rogue trader marines (too expensive for me as a teenager), but wasn't really involved in the hobby until I started playing Necromunda in university. My Necromunda introducing friend then bought me the 2nd ed. sister's of battle codex, as one of my main RPG characters in high school had been a religious nutter (in the post-apocalyptic RIFTS RPG by Palladium). Not sure if he bought me any of the minis - in any case, I started buying and painting them, but not yet playing. Then, my best friend and I each bought a box to play, then bought the 3rd ed. box set together - I discuss this in my in memoriam thread to my best friend. Incidentally, the friend who I first played necromunda with was the one who piloted my late friend's army in my recently posted battle report. Sisters of Battle were my first army (you can see most of my models here) and I played them a lot in 3rd and 4th ed., first with the rules in the back of the 3rd ed ruleset (which were horrible, horrible, horrible), the Chapter Approved ruleset (which were pretty good, but some players didn't like them because they required attached priests to sisters units to allow sisters to benefit from their faith rules, and the redemptionist rabble was usually a better choice than sisters units), and the 4th ed. Demonhunters codex (which was... okay - it addressed the priests issue, but the acts of faith were clunky and definitely less powerful). Played them a bit in 5th and 6th as well, but by then I had shifted to imperial guard as my main army. And now I play chaos.

Oh can’t believe I didn’t mention this White Dwarf: issue 196 with the Eldar Civil War battle report! That is so crucial to my intro to the hobby. First WD I ever bought and so inspirational for my love of the Eldar.

I love all these stories. So great to hear how people got the bug! My story starts in 1996. When I was younger than that, my dad and I used to build WWII model planes, and when the local bobby started a modelling club in my village I went along with some of my friends. Somehow, after we’d been there for a few weeks, a copy of the 2nd edition Warhammer 40,000 starter box mysteriously turned up at the club. We put together all the figures and played a series of games in which we pretty much ignored the rule book. The space marines always won because we hid both armies behind the cardboard buildings and had decided the missile launchers could fire over them. Not really sure what we were doing but we had a ton of fun! My first army was purchased on my birthday in May that year. I still remember the excited feeling 12-year old me had walking up Friar Lane to enter the Nottingham Games Workshop store for the first time. I came away with Eldar Guardians, Striking Scorpions, Dire Avengers and Fire Dragons, along with the Eldar paint set. Hawk Turquoise and Warlock Purple, among other great and weird colours. Warhammer became a huge part of my life from then on. The only friend I’ve kept in contact with from my childhood is the one friend I used to game with all the time, usually his World Eaters charging madly and getting blown to bits, with the occasional salt pot Bloodthirster proxy in tow. I’ve now introduced all my kids to 40K over the years and my middle son is so nuts on the hobby he has just joined this forum and entered the Call to Arms! Edit: so many silly auto-correct errors!

My Origin story starts as a 9,10, or 11yr old me is travelling home on an interstate bus at the end of the school holidays (15hr, overnight ride), travelling unaccompanied with my younger brother. We were sat with another unaccompanied kid, maybe 15ish, he was reading White Dwarf, I was reading MAD Magazine, we traded once we'd finished. I don't recall the issue I read on the bus, but I do recall the first issue I bought for myself when I got back to Brissie, 212, that classic Sisters of Battle art on the front. It was with the next issue however, that had me hooked for life. 213 with the Dark Angels and the Priscina campaign. I've been with the Dark Angels ever since.

Hmm. Always an important question. Mine are painted for the first company, mostly because my army is meant to be a joint 1st-3rd company battlegroup, so they're matched more to my terminators than my intercessors. If you're mostly going to be running 4th company, I think they would look fine in matching green, and using them as a bodyguard for the Captain is going to look better that way anyway. So yeah, I vote for 4th company Bladeguard.

So far I'm really enjoying Crusade (week 4, which is the end of Phase 1 of our campaign) and am probably going to continue playing it whenever I can, with whatever army I'm able. I wasn't super enthusiastic at first- why play with old models that have been sitting on the shelf for a half-decade, but it has turned out to be one of the better 40k experiences I've had recently. Getting to go back and re-do all my lore, turning the Forgotten into extremely angry, bitter Fallen rather than the noble knights that they were originally intended to be is just fun. Since the Forgotten were supposed to be Fallen hunters, I find it quite amusing that they are now Fallen themselves, though disdainful of the gifts of Chaos and those that use them too frequently. They are similar to Iron Warriors or Night Lords who look down on the corrupted as weak and foolish, everything is about their own misery and anger- they need to help from Neverborn deceivers. Which does mean as the Crusade goes along I'm going to walk a tight-line of not using some of the more powerful CSM Crusade options such as daemon weapons, ascending to Daemonhood, or even Chaos boons. Or perhaps the Forgotten will have to comprimise their honor to gain and advantage in the battles to come... Nachmund rules are really interesting as well. Phase 2 is when we will start using the Tactical Reserve rules (Phase 1 was to ease in new players to the general game/Crusade specific stuff like upgrading), so I'm pretty interested to try out the Reinforcing Wave reserve stuff and Precision Deep Strikes. I think my army style will play right into it, as I'm going heavy on termies, bikes, transports, and advancing Chosen packs, which will allow me a fast base list and reinforcements designed to keep hammering the enemy.

Very nice models, pics and photoshop job. As always may I say.

So, I'm very, very hesitant to dip my toe into your fan project because it involves your actual religious beliefs and that's an unbelievably huge kettle of worms. However, taking the concept in hand, I do want to say I disagree with this concept from a Christian perspective; 'Religion of the populace is heavily regulated as allowing outside beliefs often leads to a weakening of the faith for the entire community.' My objection is based on two points; 1) Regulating religion is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 13:24-30) 2) I don't really believe that allowing outside beliefs leads to a weakening of faith. It leads to a broadening of knowledge and understanding of others, but if that consequently leads to a lack of faith then the problem lies with that person. The passage about POW's I think could be expanded on or maybe rephrased, as it looks now that POW's are given the choice to convert, leave or die, which is certainly contrary to Jesus' teachings. Conversion under duress is not faith and there is a responsibility towards compassion. Jesus' second greatest law is, after all; "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," not "You shall love your neighbor as yourself...but only if he believes the same as you."

You’re not bad at painting! I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been proud of a model, then photographed it and been like “what is this foul abomination I’ve created?!?!?” Zoomed right in, the details are always going to look a bit funny, but my trick is to take the photo from further away so when you zoom in the resolution isn’t as high.

The thing about the 40K canon is that a Galaxy is a big place, and 10,000 years is a long time. Hard to say 'X is true' and have that somehow cover all that and catch every single exception. And, frankly, I'm just in favour of more custom successor chapters, regardless of origin or canon alignment. Making your own thing is the heart and soul of this stupid hobby.

And here's the terminator guy. Incidentally, these pictures also let you see how well the "rust" is differentiated from the metallic bronze/gold colour, even if they're both metal and reddish brown. This is something I actually really like when it comes to not just Death Guard, but also terrain painting, where it's nice to have the possibility to differentiate between different kinds of metals. Again, I think I might actually have overdone it with the metal step as the rust texture is almost too subtle, which is kinda weird for a technique which is basically all reddish-brown rust colours Again, I know it's not exactly golde daemon standard or anything, but I really think the recipe works quite well for how easy it is and how good it looks (especially at army level and/or at a distance).

As AC-4B's bad luck continued in the melee against the mutants guarding the first generator, Ghanz managed to (finally!) close the gap and take out some of the mutant scum with his axe, which meant the fight turned decisively in our favor. So reactivating the first generator was merely a question of figuring out the technical stuff, which A-C4B proved surprisingly adept at. So on our left front things were looking up. But on the right, more and more mutants streamed into the big chamber and managed to both wound and pin down Stalker under heavy fire, while a mutant champion approached him with malicious intent. Calamity Joe still had a good firing spot and had managed to take down quite a few mutants, as well as sending his faithful Phelynx out to finish off some of the wounded, but both time and numbers were weighed against them, so they desperately needed for their team mate's to "pull their grokking finger out, already!" and join the main fight... At this point, we were very much at risk of getting bogged and/or taken down and so we naturally forgot to take pictures. Oh well. Luckily, we did win as we not only managed to reactivate both generators, but also racked up quite an impressive kill count. It was probably best not to stick around and wait for the real leader of the strange sect to show up, so we high-tailed it home and collected our well-earned rewards! As fate would have it A-C4B (or "Snake" as he generally introduces himself when entering the local establishments to look for clues) was captured by the self-same mutants (which was quite a coincidence, as it was totally random, but it did fit nicely into the emerging story), while gathering information in the local drinking holes, so the next mission was for the team to head to another set of tunnels and rescue him. This turned out rather well, even though the odds seemed unfavourable, as Stalker's webgun combined with a well-planned route through the tunnels meant that the team managed not to alert any sentries without also killing them off before the alarm could be raised. I'd not completely planned out the rules for the rescue scenario, so it was a bit of a surprise to roll the random event meaning we had to play it. But the scenario actually played quite smoothly, although halfway through the game I thought of a much simpler/better way to handle sentry patrolling on zone mortalis boards - but now we know that for next time "someone" gets in trouble because he can't hold his liquor *cough cough* a picture of yours truly moving aaaaallll the sentries, while his poor character is languishing in a cell (although with only a slight hangover and several interesting clues to share with the team, once they bloody get here...)

I was aware of 40k via the internet, and drew a number of (in hindsight, probably disturbing to my teachers and peers) 40k-themed drawings in middle-high school. My first 'proper' models were from the Know No Fear box they put out in 8th during my early college years, I think. A bachelor's degree in writing and many models later, here I am.

It all started when I got given Hero Quest one Christmas. I enjoyed the game, saw the "Games Workshop" logo on the box, and visited my local Games Workshop store. That lead to me picking up some of the old metal skeletons, and my dad getting some orcs, which eventually turned into armies (WHFB 4th Ed). A couple of school friends got Necromunda, so I started with that, and then moved on to 40K 2nd & 3rd Ed. These days, I find myself more enjoying the Specialist Games line (and also 2nd Ed).

I love this, this is such a fantastic origin story and I think really captures the sentiment of this hobby in our lives. This put a real smile on my face, thanks so much for sharing!

It's great to hear a story about parents being supportive of the hobby! And I must say, GW taking full advantage of the screening sounds aboooout right for old James Workshop haha!

There was a GW next to the theater in the Annapolis Harbour center (USA, MD). Dad had just taken me to see Starship Troopers and the GW store had rightly made a display of IG fighting nids. I was like cool lets take a look inside. Now in my early childhood I was very much the geek and introvert. With the usual trappings there of. So after a test game and talking with the staff I did want to get into this game. Sci-fi was always my jam, but dad wanted to pass it by mom cause of the cost. Told mom about what happened and two things perked her interest. 1) This was a game I HAD to play with others and 2) modeling and painting would work on my creative side. She took me back up the store, had a chat with the staff and we grabbed the starter game, SW codex, a box of SW Terminators and some paints. The rest they say is history. Bonus: So the choice of Space Wolves wasn't entirely random. While looking at the shelves of marines as I looked at the SW terminator box I swore I heard a howl in the distance. Granted I wasn't a full blown furry yet either (that happened 2 summers later), but there were signs.

I stepped into it at the age of 13, through middle school role playing club - 2 hours lunch pause every day gave quite a lot of time to kill. It all started with hexagon maps and a few (lead based) models on it with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay first Ed. and Talisman as main GW games (although as years passed, DD, Car wars, battle tech and cyberpunk were added as well as Historic Charge! and of course Space Crusade, Space hulk, Space Marine-Epic and WFB). Then a french fanzine published some rules to adapt 40000 Rogue Trader (ie 1st Ed) into a roleplay using WFRP system. Et voila! Three space wolves boxedset away, 2nd Ed was published and I never stopped being into it, although I had a serious gaming hiatus between 2011 and 2022 - yet I kept on collecting and modelling.

This is a fantastic origin story thanks so much for sharing it! I love it and was thinking about this on my train to work this morning! It goes to show the value of print even in this digital age!

I *LOVE* all the little self-contained boxed games that GW does, and they're perfect for introduction to the hobby. I'd recommend looking for the Space Marine Adventures games too, paticularily Rise of the Orks and Doomsday Countdown (although these are all 1vs1 games). Additionally, although a little older, Blackstone Fortress can still be bought from GW for a great price and is up to 4P co-op (officially), and you can ham-fist in a fifth player to act as the enemy commander.

I just bought it, haven't played since it was a new release....

You also seem to be missing Rogue Trader, which is lot of fun - its a tactical RPG type game, though not strictly "table top" 40K. Another is Battle Sector, which is kind of your traditional 3/4 top down turn based tactical 40K game, updated to the current 40K with things like primaris, etc. To be fair, it could be on your list, but just cut off at the top. There is also Sanctus Reach, which is similar to Battlesector but a bit older of a game and centres around space wolves instead of blood angels. As well, I seem to recall it being pre-primaris in regard to unit types, but that might not be correct. Another of this genre, which I haven't played and looks to have more retro graphics, is Armageddon. And, obviously, there is now a Space Marine II, which I haven't played. Another game I haven't played is Space Hulk Tactics, or Space Hulk: Deathwing - and Chaos Gate Demonhunters. And yet another I haven't played is Necromunda: Underhive, though it, like Rogue Trader, aren't strictly 40K as in the tabletop, though. Another in the wider 40K setting is Battlefleet Gothic 2 (and 1), though I haven't played those either. I have, however, played Necromunda: Hired Gun, though the machine can't really handle the graphics. In short, there are a lot of 40K related video games, even just on steam. I may be able to dig up a few more if I look at my own steam list...

Looking forward to seeing the end result! The trim is a pain, but I've started cheating by spraying the rubrics metallic, then filling in the panels with my armour colour, and it's all contrasts for my Tzaangor!

The team takes shape... (left to right: Hon. Br. Adámastos, Vet. Br. Pyrisous, Sanctifier Skeptukhos, Vet. Br. Megasthenes, Lexicanium Vrotoktónus, and Vet. Br. Oplophoris) Before any paint touches these guys, I need to go through another round of filing/trimming, and that icon definitely needs to be fixed.

I am rather confident. First I paked everything with care. Second it went quite fine last time we moved in the other direction. Yet it is sure I did not had all these AdMechies spiky bits last time... I am eventually more concerned by my "other" collections: 200 bottles of wine. What's one may call a heavy load...

I hope everything makes it to your new home safely. I know when I moved or had the previous house remodeled, the added stress out over my models, move, demo and reconstruction did not help the stress I was already under. Cant wait to see no place

Yeah, barrel drilling can cause some headaches. Should be an easy enough fix, though, either with a little greenstuff or, like I did after messing up the barrels on one of my Terminators, snipping it off completely and gluing a new barrel on instead!

Thank you so very much for your input! I understand your hesitation & I’m very grateful for your input as it does give me a number of things to ruminate on. Part of the reason for the way this has been made is to try to fit in with the grimdark themes of 40K, where even the good guys are still somewhat villainous & good deeds often lead to terrible consequences. It’s a bit difficult for me to write as my attention span is difficult to maintain & I’m a very traditional “good always triumphs” type person (I also can’t always put things into the correct/understandable wording). Part of the reason for the regulation of religion has to do with the dangers of Genestealer cults (who I honestly need to do more research on) whose sole purpose is to infiltrate worlds & corrupt the populace. I haven’t written it yet, but I have also been formulating the idea of a library where tomes of other religions are kept & are open to the public, that they may read about other religious beliefs to better prepare themselves against ideals that are contradictory to the Word of God. You are right about the POW section as I should have written more about it rather than give it a sentence in passing. The idea of executing POWs who refuse to convert is less about “convert or die” & is more supposed to be for those who won’t convert, but may not be able to return to their former lives as being held prisoner by my faction may be treated the same as exposure to warp corruption. Their faith in their own faction’s ideology is too strong for them to simply throw it away, but returning home will most likely result in some form of twisted punishment (dreadnoughts, arco-flagellants & servitors to name a few), so the idea is more that my faction offers them the choice to be executed with honor rather than suffer whatever horrible consequences their own faction may inflict upon them. My faction views it as merciful, but it is also a choice that only the prisoners can make for themselves. Once again, I’d like to thank you so very much for your input. Criticism such as this really does help me to think more critically about this & better helps me to be a better storyteller & Christian. It’s also comforting to know that I’m not the only Christian in this hobby (or on this site). God bless you!

This may help mate from this article way back in 2018: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/JAcksor8/the-model-photograph/

While I've always tried to strike a balance between cordial, respectful and productive feedback on one end, while also being honest about my opinions and maybe even challenge others' (as that is what I want from others. Within reason, of course), I know I've misstepped a few times over the years. And while I personally miss some of the passionate discussions that used to take place in the Liber, I also think it's good to be reminded from time to time that this site is about helping each other enjoy the hobby. So, thanks for the reminder. Also: More brown marines!

Thanks, I am trying to go for 2k as of right now, Maby more once I get to that. My goal once I get good at painting is to get some Horus Heresy and some Death Korps of Krieg then jump back into Black Templars.

Of course, WAR! Take your time! Congratulations!

Scout Kill Team so far.

And here's the less than perfect shading (just using Snakebite Leather and water; might've turned out better with contrast medium...). It doesn't look quite as bad in this pic as in real life, but again, the beauty of painting plague marines is that another splotchy coat of brownish goop isn't really gonna hurt, at the end of the day...

Good, productive start there.

Hell yeah. I'll be honest, I think Crusade is the only way to play 10th - or 40K in general - right now, it's just has the sauce. As a veteran of two Crusades with Marines, you'll wanna get used to glorious last stands, I know I had to. What Detachment are you running? I had a lot of fun with Firestorm.

Thank you. The balance between simple colors, heraldry, and complex freehand designs was something I had to consider throughout the whole process. I appreciate it.

That makes sense too as Janus was a Thousand Son. Im just not a fan of the whole Emperor Geneseed idea. I tried it out last night....Lessons were learned.

Honestly they still do to this day. Christmas since then has been like 50% GW product. Now a days they other 50% is anime.

This is such a great story, I love happy endings and it's great to see how the hobby is such a pillar of your life like it has also been mine! This part in particular made me really smile, God bless you! Enjoy Bugman's! This is great! Love the fact you started on the real OG games!

I, personally, do not share your enthusiasm. Even if the production level of the rule books looks hight/top. I will apply the "Wait-&-See" politics. "Wait" to get more insight on the DW rules and "See" if it is worth maintaining expansion/legalization of my DW army or just keep on using what I have already: indeed it is likely that my 100% firstborn DW based mostly on Veterans will be enough for fielding a set of supporting units as covered in the news as a small add-on force. The opportunity to get GK Termies is however tempting... A la GK teleporting to assist SW like in 1st War for Armaggeddon... Can´t deny it

Another vote for green! For all the reasons stated above! If used as a retinue, the green will provide coherence and I reckon it will all look pretty stunning on the tabletop.

They look lovely, I agree the night world scheme pops beautifully! ...I do find the idea of the whole army painting their armour black to hide on a dark world, all except for the ambulance, which stayed brilliant white, kinda amusing...

This is a very good point and is something that I think I'm going to look to try out on the next batch I do - they'll be skitarii so it doesn't matter too much if I mess up slightly! I feel I've got the reflected glow about how I want it now, but yeah the actual source could benefit from a bit more light/dark contrast. These are all excellent points. I will endeavour to stay strong!

Love this. All great of my kids have been into 40K. My eldest is now grown up and still likes it but doesn’t collect anymore. My daughter isn’t mad keen but she does have a Necron army with she painted pretty well. My middle son is nuts about it and managed to start off half a dozen other lads at school in the hobby too, as well as turning the board games club into a Warhammer club! Enjoy this with the kids; it’s an amazing hobby for children and is also so motivating for yourself as well.