Advice on choice paralysis

[General Strike]

With so many good options coming out at the head of 8th edition, from new factions such as the awesome Primaris, and disgustingly rotten Death Guard(with a newly revealed Primarch floating around), and every army being viable to some extent, I've found myself stuck. I know many people face these same issues, having so many great options that they don't know where to start. Right now I have about four ideas bouncing around in my head, but the time and money for one of them. From Alpha Legion disguised Primaris, or Bone White Death Guard, to a Black Legion force themed around the Talon of Horus, this hobby has given me more choice paralysis than the menu at sushi-ban. I like to think of myself as a decisive person, having lead in the IRL army, and now my current career requires me to react and make decisions quickly. It's really just this hobby, which holds to much love for me, that causes this reaction in me. I've decided to take some time away, just read Warhammer novels for a while and focus on my other hobbies, especially since I am in process of moving with my S.O. I did want to get your advice on how to deal with this issue, I know logically that I will eventually have a thousand projects done down the line, it's choosing the first one that's got me stuck. Luckily, my other hobbies don't give me this issue, with MTG being a easy sell on me, and reading fantasy novels being a quick grab of a loved author. How do you guys choos your next project, and have any of you dealt with this issue?

[Trevak Dal]

I got black legion as a matter of making the "safe choice" so I could play them as others if they got :cuss rules again, (renegades, Alpha Legion mainly) and I got World Eaters (10 :cuss loads of Berserkers 3 Brutes 2 Maulerfiends the helturkey and the "Stabby Crab" as my nephew calls the Defiler.

 

My loyalist army is still in WIP mode, I'm leaning towards Ultramarines chapter tactics (even though my Black Legion is exactly that way with that playstyle and are very codex modeled with unit and squad designations-in their background they are an alpha legion cell that took The Black and are very regimented and spend long times in cryosleep)

 

I got the models already, (2 betrayal at calth sets) but I wish I'd known about Primaris models because they are how I envision power armor looking (especially the boots, no more "bellbottom" pattern boots) not so much on the Metapod/gravy armored guys.

 

I also got a small force of Grey Knights, 2 squads of terminators, some Paladins (with apothecary and banner guy) a baby carrier, a brother captain and brother champion as well as a interceptor squad.

 

And my biggest/oldest army is my Tau. Or T'au. Got a Enclave bent, lots of crisis suits, lots of firewarriors, but I also got 12 stealth suits, the Metal Gear (Stormsurge) a lot of tanks and pihranas, a lot of drones, some Kroot, some vespids with Shadowsun, Aunshi and new Awesome Farsight.

[apologist]

[...] I did want to get your advice on how to deal with this issue, I know logically that I will eventually have a thousand projects done down the line, it's choosing the first one that's got me stuck. [...] How do you guys choos your next project, and have any of you dealt with this issue?

 

The short answer, for me, is not to make the choice. These days, I have a number of projects on the go, and work on them whenever a combination of time allows and enthusiasm for that specific project strikes. Some have lain fallow for months – even years – but this approach means I always feel motivated for whatever I'm working on.

 

With that said, I'm in that position because I did finally 'complete' an army, which quietened the nagging voice at the back of my head that insisted I treat my hobby as a second job!

 

If you're struggling to work out where to start, then there are lots of different things you can try:

1 Paint for fifteen minutes a day. Doesn't matter what; just the first thing that comes to hand. You'll soon find out what you enjoy, and what's a chore. Go with the former.

2 If your motivation is playing games, then write up the smallest 'core' list (e.g. a leader and a few troops) that will let you play a game with each army. Paint each of these core groups in turn. You'll then have lots of options, and your games will fire your enthusiasm for more painting.

3 Try something new – if you're intimidated by a particular colour, or technique, start by confronting that.

4 Identify which projects will 'work'. From the list you've given, I reckon the disguised Alpha Legion (while a cool concept) will cause a lot of headaches to bring into practise effectively, for example. The Black Legion-inspired itch sounds like it might be relieved by making a diorama, killteam or similar small project, rather than a full army. The Death Guard, meanwhile, sound like a striking scheme that are a fun painting challenge, rather than a stressful one. I'd run with them; and move on to the others once you've got the Death Guard under your belt.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Apologist

[WarriorFish]

If you can't decide, create a list of armies you wish to choose from. Then assign dice results to them, and roll the die (you're a gamer, so let the dice gods decide!). Here's the choice part: if you feel disappointed in any way by the result cross it off the list and roll again. You'll end up with either the choice you really wanted, or one you'd have been happy with if there were more than one potential winners

 

For during a project you can always do the "one box out, one box in" system, but the number of hobbyists I've seen stick to that matches the number of unicorns I've seen riding on a Land Raider...

[Tannarak]

I guess I'd recommend waiting until the codex comes out so you can study it thoroughly.  Models - wise, are there any models that are common among the lists that you have in mind?  You *could* start with the models and decide on the army later.

[General Strike]

Thank you guys! I combined all your advice, I really appreciate the suggestions. One thing that I've started doing is deciding on a model based on if I like it, and not reading so much into tactics on them. Plague marines might not be the best, but they look awesome. Edited August 12, 2017 by HCMistborn

[WarriorFish]

Rules come and go, but good models are forever ;)

[Guest uk_crow]

HCMistborn I had this exact same issue regarding choosing a primaris force or a 40K iron warriors force and dwelled on it for months...

 

I bought the chaos index, made lists and nearly bought models and then SM were announced as the first release. So I bought the Space marine codex, read through it and even posted a primaris list on here but I just couldn't get excited about them and kept being drawn back to iron warriors. So in the end I went with my gut and I knew I'd made the right decision, my CSM codex and first batch of CSM minis are on their way now. I'm now making an army as a '10000 years later' of my small HH army. They might not be the most competitive but I just went with what I thought I'd enjoy the most to model, paint and game with.

 

Hope you come to a decision soon!

[the jeske]

Two things to avoid choice problems. Either pick a safe army as far as rules goes, which is marines or eldar, and do counts as of that.

Marines are very good here, because depending on GW rules pack you can more or less play them as any of the sub faction or mix and match with non meq models. GK +inq+assasins are big ?[not saying they are right now] Play an AL army with primaris as the GK, the inq force as renegades and assasins as demons or death cultists.

 

the second thing you can do is to come to terms with the fact, that it is very rare for things to be really good for a longer time [outside of sm/eldar stuff], and that going by what GW is doing right now, everything that is good is going to get is going to get hit by the nerf hammer. Maybe after we get all the codex books out, it is going to be safer. Right now the thing that decides, what you buy should be your wallet. Want to play with primaris models and have money for it? go for it. Who knows maybe when the primaris codex comes out, their changed points costs/special rules will make them better over all.

Rules come and go, but good models are forever

tell that to Refusees roady army.

[Doghouse]

One good way to get around this is build complete blocks of 500 or so points that can ally. That way you can work on different things that take your fancy but still work to an actual army.

 

So for example, you could make say 1000 points of marines, 500 of ad mech and 500 of guard. I think the making mini detachments is a fun way to avoid tying yourself to one force.

[Frater Cornelius]

This problem has plagued me during the entire 7th and latter part of 6th, because I tried to get everything right. It still persists, but to a lesser degree, because I stopped making it about rules. Instead, every choice comes down to idiology. This, in my case, means never to play a faction I perceive as evil. As silly as it sounds, even modelling and converting immerses me into the army and building an evil army results in me having a bad mood. That, and my conscience will not allow it.

 

When it comes to narrow choice, I examine the feel of the available units, play style and the fluff, searching for my own values or values I wish I had. Rules change, but I will need to work on said army for quite a time and tend to be immersed rather easily.

 

Having said that, I tend to examine the units available. If I like the style of certain combination, then this influences me as well.

[Ascanius]

This problem has plagued me during the entire 7th and latter part of 6th, because I tried to get everything right. It still persists, but to a lesser degree, because I stopped making it about rules. Instead, every choice comes down to idiology. This, in my case, means never to play a faction I perceive as evil. As silly as it sounds, even modelling and converting immerses me into the army and building an evil army results in me having a bad mood. That, and my conscience will not allow it.

 

But they're all evil?

[Frater Cornelius]

 

 

This problem has plagued me during the entire 7th and latter part of 6th, because I tried to get everything right. It still persists, but to a lesser degree, because I stopped making it about rules. Instead, every choice comes down to idiology. This, in my case, means never to play a faction I perceive as evil. As silly as it sounds, even modelling and converting immerses me into the army and building an evil army results in me having a bad mood. That, and my conscience will not allow it.

But they're all evil?

Read again. I wrote "a faction I perceive as evil". I know you can not justify plenty of what the Imperium does. But at least some of them try. At least they aren't Chaos. Besides, this ain't the place to discuss who or what is more or less evil. I just gave insight on how I choose in an attempt to offer support. No need to tell me that I misinterpreted my opinion :P