StruManChu Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Greetings Frater! Given that we're likely to see an influx of new Heresy-Friends over the coming weeks and months with the release of the Betrayal at Calth boxed game, as well as a rumoured third in-store main line of 30k-related products, I thought it might be a good idea to post a basic FAQ for anyone who's interested, especially as the 'Legion for You - Community Assistance Thread' is now a somewhat unwieldy beast at 50+ pages. So you want to join the Heresy, the most exciting, brutal and evocative setting on the tabletop today? Great! Welcome to the Age of Darkness! You'll find everyone here really helpful and willing to lend a hand or a sage word of wisdom. Straight away, probably the most important thing I can tell you is that you've just started a journey on a very particular mode of transport - the Heresy Train. And you'll hear, probably from each of us at different times, that the Heresy Train has no brakes. What this means is that once you get started, it's really hard to slow down. This is mostly because the enthusiasm and love that the people here have for the setting is so genuine that it's almost impossible not to get swept up in it. I've always thought that the B&C was and is one of the best online communities that I've been a part of, and since I started my journey on the Heresy Train, I've found the Age of Darkness to be a high point in the B&C Family. Our board mods, particularly Hyaenidae and BCK, have a great love of the setting and Hyaenidae in particular can change the way you view a Legion's characteristics in a single, very well written post. Tactical geniuses like Slipstreams and Hesh Kadesh prowl through threads dispensing thoughts and advice to help you win your games. Modelers and painters aplenty post fantastic conversions and completed minis which help us see the 30k universe differently, or inspire us to work on our own armies. Guys like Iron Hands Fanatic create new units and vehicles and other stuff that add a level of depth to the setting that makes it all the better. My point is that if you're just starting out, you'll find a wealth of knowledge and ideas here that will help you get your dream army out of your head and onto the table. Just ask! That sounds amazing! But how do I know which army/Legion I should choose? That old chestnut. The only right answer is the answer that's right for you, and to figure that out you'll probably need to think about what drew you in to and keeps you interested in the hobby. Are you a painter/collector, a gamer, or a bit of both? If you want to play games with a competitive force, read the Tactica threads and download Battlescribe (an absolutely fantastic resource managed with help from our very own Millicant) and play around with some lists. If you're a fluff-head like me, read the books. Read all the books, and then the e-books. Listen to the Audio books. Read stuff online. Buy the core books from Forgeworld and read them too, because FW have done an excellent job of fleshing out and giving depth to the Legions and the 30K universe. If you want to paint something and have it look gorgeous in a display cabinet, look at Forgeworld's Character Series and maybe pick a Character, or just a model you like from the range, and base your force around them. If you want all of the above, then it's really up to you. You just need to be decisive! Having said that, you probably already have a shortlist of maybe four or five Legions that you're trying to decide between. That's a hard calll, and many of us didn't or couldn't settle on just one Legion! The Heresy Train, after all, has no brakes. It depends on what you think you're going to do. The new Betrayal at Calth set is a great place to start, because it gives you the solid core of an army at a really low buy in price. The minis aren't marked as Ultramarines or Word Bearers either, so you can literally paint them however you like! Alternatively, if you can't decide, just buy two basic plastic Tactical squads from GW, build some marines and paint one of each of the 18 Legions. Pick the one you enjoyed the most or you think looks the best, then use the remaining two models to refine your technique. That way you don't waste expensive resin on experimentation. If you still really can't decide, then don't! Book 6 from Forgeworld, which is due early next year, is supposed to have rules for playing Shattered Legions lists, which means if your two favourites are Ultramarines and Emperor's Children, there's a good chance that you'll be able to make a viable army out of them with speical rules and units and everything pretty soon. Isn't it just about Space Marines fighting different-coloured Space Marines? BORING. Not entirely. I don't think many would argue if I said that most of the focus has been on the Legiones Astartes since Forgeworld starting doing Heresy stuff, but there's a wealth of not-Space Marine options, and they're all relatively shiny and new with the ranges being added regularly. Forgeworld have done magnificent work in giving a huge amount of background to the Titan Legions and the Imperial Knights, as well as fleshing out the idea of the Mechanicum (predecessor to the Adeptus Mechanicus) as a fighting force. There's also the Solar Auxilia and the Imperial Militia and Cults lists to give you the feeling of what it would be like to be a mortal in an age of warring gods. Want more robots in your life? Try a Legio Cybernetica army. Want a fast, hard-hitting force that rewards tactical play and looks great? Get started on your Solar Auxilia, soldier. Want to put the fear of God into your opponent before you've even rolled a dice? Turn up with five Imperial Knights from the Questoris Knight Crusades list. Want to put the fear of God into your five-Imperial-Knights-wielding opponent? Let me introduce you to my friend the Warlord Titan. Too much? Maybe try the Mechanicum's Ordinatus Minorii, which is basically a Titan's gun on wheels. That should sort you out. Despite the inherent focus on the Legions, there are a load of options available to you that don't mean collecting more Space Marines, so if that's what you're concerned about, then let me put your fears to rest. Ok! I've picked x, because I think they're the one for me! But I don't like y about them. What do I do?! Don't worry! This is 30k, the home of 'do whatever you want'. Maybe you want to do Imperial Fists, but the thought of painting that much yellow gives you a conniption. Or maybe you want to do a Fast Attack-ish Iron Warriors army. Loyalist World Eaters? Traitor Imperial Fists? One of the Lost Legions? It's all fine! Think about it like this... The average Legion size is around 100,000 marines, which is theoretically around 10% of the number of Space Marines in the 40K galaxy. Think about the diversity of heraldry and varying approach to tactics across 100 different chapters. Now, it's not exactly like that in 30k, but it's only as far off as you let it be. Forgeworld have shown alternate and variant colour schemes for the 13 Space Marine Legions, as well as Titan Legions, Knights, Solar Auxilia and other forces that they've covered so far, so if you don't want to paint 60-70 little dudes in bright yellow, you don't have to! The Heresy era is a place of possibility and whatever you want to do is really OK. Wait! Forgeworld just released this really cool unit/squad/character and they're the coolest thing I've ever seen! But they don't fit in my army! What do I do?! If you're slightly neurotic like me and possibly many of us are, you're probably trying to buy and paint the best possible list or stick to buying models that fit the background you've established for your army. Or maybe you're sticking to a budget because real life costs money too. Regardless, when Forgeworld release a gorgeous unit like the Invictarus Suzerain squad for the Ultramarines when I'm working on not-Ultramarines, it's not very helpful because it pulls me towards something I'm not working on. There are a bunch of us that flick between Legions for loads of different reasons, so here are some strategies that have helped me commit to my project. Set yourself some basic, measurable goals. Start small, and let yourself get into a rhythm of building and painting stuff. If you're a long term 'I've got this great idea!' person who fails miserably to complete stuff, it's nice to get the confidence boost of finishing a ten man squad, because that then lets you shoot for something bigger next time. The monthly Casual Painters thread run by Kor'vesh is great for this. It's helped me paint about 5,000 points worth of stuff in a little over 12 months, which is huge for me, considering that before that I'd barely managed to complete a squad, let alone an entire army. Be disciplined. Commit to your Legion! Once you've decided on what kind of army you're going with, get it built and painted. There's nothing more glorious in all of the tabletop world than the sight of a Legion force marching to war. If you set yourself a goal, stick to it. Paint a full squad then reward yourself with something cool or interesting like a character or a vehicle. Try something different. For me, it was working on two armies at once. This means both grow more slowly, because I can only buy so much stuff at any one time, but it gives me the flexibility to do what I feel like working on rather than what I feel like I have to. I know I'm basically tricking myself by doing that, but it's amazing how much more motivated you can be when you're doing something because you want to. Some days I loathe painting my Death Guard, but some days it's the best thing ever. It's the same with my Iron Hands, but rarely at the same time. Acknowledge hobby fatigue. There's no shame in taking time off. My output's definitely dropped off after ETL finished this year, but that's OK! Fallout 4 is coming out in a couple of weeks, and I intend to play the stuffing out of it. That's OK too. It's easy to get caught up in the hype of starting a new thing, and then as the hype dies off so does your enthusiasm for what you're doing. If that's you, don't panic! As I said, this board is full of people who are the most genuinely enthusiastic hobbyists I've ever had the pleasure of interacting with. Your brothers and sisters will help keep you on track to finish what you start, but you set your own pace. I want my army to be as accurate as possible. What type of bolter/armour/xyz did this Legion mostly use? See above! The only right answer is the answer that's right for you. Across the length and breadth of the galaxy, there's enough room for you to choose how to equip your tiny men. Say you don't like a particular armour mark at all. You don't need to have it! Love Salamanders but hate Mk III? Maybe your Salamanders managed to get a full resupply of shiny new Mk IV armour on their way to Isstvan V. Sure, there might be some headaches converting Pyroclasts over to Mk IV, but it's not impossible. This isn't just true for modelling and painting either. There's enough scope to create a really unique history that adds depth to for your force, which then gives you motivation to carry on with your project. Basically, there isn't a wrong answer. Don't feel like you need to stick to the status quo, because there isn't one. Go nuts, be creative, get building and painting and show us what you can do! From there, the sky's the limit. The galaxy is out there, waiting for conquerors and liberators. Will you answer the call? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frater Cornelius Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Or, if the Legions do not appeal to you at all, look into Mechanicum and the Questoris Knight Crusades, also called Imperial Knights. Do not believe the misconception that HH is all about Marines. There are plenty of other options, include home-made races/factions not yet released, alliances between Legions and non-Marine factions and so forth. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211565 Share on other sites More sharing options...
StruManChu Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 You're absolutely right... I actually meant to address that. I'll edit the OP. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211571 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Rohr Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Or, if the Legions do not appeal to you at all, look into Mechanicum and the Questoris Knight Crusades, also called Imperial Knights. Do not believe the misconception that HH is all about Marines. There are plenty of other options, include home-made races/factions not yet released, alliances between Legions and non-Marine factions and so forth. Oh god yes. Between the Solar Auxilia, Mechanicum, Knights, and Militia you can build pretty much any force you want and have it remain competitive, if you're into that. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211596 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frater Cornelius Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Aye, that is the beauty of the Heresy. You can play what you want as opposed to what is cheese. The balance it superb, especially because there are pretty much no abuses. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211615 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 And let's not forget that, if you fancy evoking an early-crusade feel or simply like B-Movie style laser guns, then the MDRC is the place for you. ;) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211617 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frater Cornelius Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 And let's not forget that, if you fancy evoking an early-crusade feel or simply like B-Movie style laser guns, then the MDRC is the place for you. ;) CHOOOOOOOOM! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211634 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black_out Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 And don't forget....THERE ARE PRIMARCHS! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211710 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legionary Pallas Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 And let's not forget that, if you fancy evoking an early-crusade feel or simply like B-Movie style laser guns, then the MDRC is the place for you. CHOOOOOOOOM! Why do I get the impression that maybe, just maybe, Olis has an obsession with Volkite? Don't know why I think that. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211720 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slips Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Olis is the one with an obssession? Come check out the club, hes not alone :p Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211723 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Why do I get the impression that maybe, just maybe, Olis has an obsession with Volkite? Don't know why I think that. Come now, brother, obsession is such a loaded word. I'm just... highly interested. :P Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211728 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legionary Pallas Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Why do I get the impression that maybe, just maybe, Olis has an obsession with Volkite? Don't know why I think that. Come now, brother, obsession is such a loaded word. I'm just... highly interested. To be fair my obsession with 30k left me devoid of proper cognitive function & got in the way of my education, & I don't even have any models or books! Perhaps a more specific obsession is healthy compared to trying to stop your brain from thinking about all 18 legions at once. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4211744 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodKlaw Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Great post, has helped me with direction, many thanks for the writing Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4212154 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Centurion Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Thanks! This helped me pick out my army, so expect to see some Blood Angels Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4212236 Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostMalone Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 And also please don't flood the forum with a new to 30k or need help Deciding on a legion threads. We have dedicated threads for this and honestly if you can't find someone's projects and get inspired just research research research. We don't want to loose all the amazing heresy projects in this subforum. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/315485-so-you-want-to-join-the-heresy-a-30k-faq-for-new-starters/#findComment-4212653 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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