Hobby has lost its ‘Magic’.

[Special Officer Doofy]

Oh I know it's been around for years. The article I read went more into details about how they've recently put more money into it after the more recent increases in profit. It was an interesting read, mentioned kids could get scout badges for model-making haha. Back in the 90's my scouts didn't have cool badges like that.

[ThePenitentOne]

Well, I don't want to invalidate anyone's experience or point of view. I will try to avoid toxic positivity, but trigger warning, I'm going to talk a bit about why there is more magic in this edition for me than ever before.

 

1: All factions finally given as much detail as marines!

 

In Rogue Trader, Marines were Marines. Sure, there were named chapters, and the fluff was being developed, but there were not yet rules to differentiate between chapters, nor were there many bespoke units. But in 2nd ed, we got Angels of Death, which gave us Dark Angels and Blood Angels and we got Space Wolves. And it was a time of great hope, because even if you didn't play marines, you were thinking "Cool- this will eventually happen for my army!"

 

Surpise! It didn't quite work out that way. Now don't get me wrong- SOME editions gave SOME factions a bit of subfaction distinction throughout the years- notably guard, orks, and eldar. Never ever anywhere near the distinction afforded to marines, mind you, but some... So that if you happened to play that one lucky faction who happened to get tweaked for that edition, you could be content, if not happy, that your faction was closer to being as dynamic as marines than other factions.

 

When the Genestealer Cult not only returned, but did so with distinct factions? It blew my mind. I'm an emotional dude, and tears of joy probably come more easily to me than most... But I thought I had lost that army forever. And when I held that dex in my hand, it was like electricity going through my body- this army was my first love, and it disappeared for almost two decades! When I saw new units like Aberrants and Jackals, it took my breath away. But when I found out there were six distinct subfactions that all played as differently from each other as Blood Angels did from Space Wolves? That was the tears of joy moment.

 

2: Crusade!

 

Over the years, GW experimented with several campaign systems- some were excellent, some were mediocre. Some were separate systems that integrated with the base game (City Fight, Planetary Empires) and others were footnotes to the BRB (Kill Team, Combat Patrol). But all of them suffered from the same issue: they created a generic system of round holes into which all the wonderfully different square, triangular and star shaped pegs had to be jammed. A planet strike campaign happened exactly the same way whether you were Dark Eldar, Guard, Eldar or Marines. Ditto on a City Fight. Also, the whole campaign revolved exclusively around winning or losing individual battles. Lose too often, and you just don't grow.

 

Not saying I didn't like Planet Strike or City Fight. I loved them. They made "the game" bigger than just  individual, unrelated battles. But just like non-marine players in second, looking for the flavour that we knew COULD exist, I always thought there was something missing. I houseruled it, and then got accused of houseruling for advantage when I was a player, or houseruling out of favouritism if I was a campaign organizer. And then I'd have a player without my knack for world building show up with an army I knew nothing about, and they wouldn't be able to fit in, because I couldn't come up with the special sauce for them and they weren't inclined to do it themselves.

 

Then Crusade blew the doors off their hinges with bespoke Agendas, which are decoupled from victory conditions, empowering army growth and progress which is not restricted to the winning player. And on top of that, bespoke ways of demonstrating growth and development over time- from the sin, redemption and Sinthood of Sisters, to the cut-throat struggle for territory, resources and reputation in Commorragh, to the insidious infection, corruption and rebellion of the GSC to the recently announced diplomacy and war of the Tau empire. And your opponent doesn't even know what's going on behind the scenes- they are concerned with their own pursuit of growth, which is asymmetrical to yours, or with winning the battle.

 

Losing the battle but winning the war, and doing so in a unique way is a regular part of what makes Crusade great; by comparison, campaign systems like City Fight and and Planet Strike tend to evolve around the win-loss binary. They also have limited impact upon the galaxy within which the game is set: a planet or a city might fall... But how does that affect things back home in Commorragh?

 

3: Escalation

 

Compared to the first two points, this is a minor innovation. Escalation has always existed, of course, and points have always allowed us to fight battles of other sizes with relative ease. However 9th edition takes the concept of escalation and dials it up to 11. First of all, the missions are now designed for games of various sizes. Now, we can argue about how well those missions suit those sizes, and various other factors of implementation, but what is important is the fundamental paradigm shift that recognizes the games of other sizes as equally important as the 2k game. And of course it goes beyond mission- it's detachments, table size, agendas/ secondaries... It's EVERYTHING.

 

And of course, escalation and Crusade are two wheels on the same cart- you couldn't have one without the other.

 

4: Evolving storyline

 

Now this is controversial- it's a double edged sword. The ongoing storyline DOES have the potential to interfere with your little campaign corner of the verse, just as much as your corner of the verse has to interfere with it. And keeping up requires a greater degree of participation than previous iterations of the game. But Dawn of Fire being developed in real time parallel to the game is VERY intriguing, and the capacity to expand upon support for the ongoing narrative using Warhammer+... well let's just say you can choose your degree of immersion. And this brings me to the last point:

 

5: Seasons

 

Now I can't say much about this, because the devil is in the details. It's all about implementation, and we aren't far enough in to know whether GW is going to knock it out of the park, coast through with casual mediocrity or totally screw the pooch. Furthermore, I don't play Matched, so I've never bought a GT Mission pack or paid the slightest attention to points, or meta, or secondaries. None. Ever. And maybe seasons will innovate Matched, and maybe they won't. I don't even have a starting frame of reference. But I can talk about Crusade, and how what I DO know about seasons will impact it.

 

First, it's really, really nice to have a guarantee that there will be four vs. boxes per year- two 40k and two KT- never more, never less. One vs. box per quarter. Nice, guaranteed. Smooth. Also- only two campaign settings per year, meaning two boxes, one KT and one 40k for each. Friggin fantastic! I can plan my whole year. Every year. Now if GW was willing to announce all 4 boxes in advance, so much the better... They won't, of course... but one could hope.

 

We can talk about books too. I anticipate that there will be two campaign books and two crusade mission packs per season as there were for both Charadon and Octarius. Personally, I am content with the campaign books, but I'm not entirely sold on the Mission packs. I wish the two could be combined; so much of the mission packs is reprinted material (core rules every single time) and there is typically more actual Crusade content in the campaign books. So could it be better? Sure. And that's why I probably won't buy into every season. I still need to catch up on Octarius- I really want the second campaign book (Crusade content for Rogue Traders!), and even the first. Less sold on the Mission packs- I'll double check the Goonhammer reviews again before I buy.

 

But I don't regret buying the Charadon campaign books, or even the one mission pack I did buy.

 

My point is that this connects back to all the other things I find so good; the campaign books are Crusade fuel; the progression from KT box to 40k box each season is in itself a form of escalation, and all of it connects with the ongoing storyline and further differentiates factions and subfactions, letting all of us- even players of armies as obscure and marginal as Harlequins, Knights or Custodes feel that our factions are getting as much development as Marines have enjoyed since second. There is a synergy at work here that has never existed before.

 

And if you've only ever played Marines, or even if you primarily play Marines,  all of this can be easy to miss- you've always had Space Wolves and Blood Angels and Dark Angels at least, and they've always felt different. And if your interest has only ever been stand alone, 2k games, all of this can be easy to miss. And if the magic is dying for you, and you aren't sure that you want it to die, try an offbeat army that you've never played and start a 25 PL Crusade. See if it hooks you.

 

I can tell you that personally, I never want to go back.

Edited December 31, 2021 by ThePenitentOne

[Blindhamster]

That was a lovely read, thanks for that!

 

For me I got a bit of magic back by looking to AoS of all things, cow elves caught my interest haha

Edited December 31, 2021 by Blindhamster

[phandaal]

Slaanesh aside, they were struggling to get younger players to start the hobby. They started to do comics, some younger aimed publications, they did that alliance pledge with 2,000 UK schools (enough to get 12 kids set up/hooked at each school). I don't mean that as an insult to GW, it's a smart move to secure long term returns. It's hard enough to get my kid to go outside let alone to do a cool hobby like 40k.

Kill Team is probably a gateway for the youngsters in addition to being GW's toehold in the Skirmish scene.

[Blindhamster]

a little off topic, but for those of you that tried new kill team, whats your thoughts? it sounded pretty good on paper to me, might be a good motivational game to try and complete some models for me maybe?

[Rik Lightstar]

a little off topic, but for those of you that tried new kill team, whats your thoughts? it sounded pretty good on paper to me, might be a good motivational game to try and complete some models for me maybe?

A few friends and I have had some great fun with it.

 

Not unexpectedly the Kill Team specific units are better than the compendium ones but not by a huge margin either.

 

Especially since Custodes got justifiably hit with the Nerf-Bat.

 

For me it's opened up the opportunity to consider projects that are great for 5-10 models but you'd be insane to attempt on an army.

 

Rik

[The Neverborn]

I was thinking of this post when looking at the some of the rail gun rules.

 

While early 8th wasn't especially balanced, it was however low powered.

 

The rules were something akin to a normal commander had a +1 to a stat, an exceptional had a +2, a legendary commander had a +3 and the best in the game had a +4.

 

At the moment it seems like rules put a hat-on-a-hat-on-a-hat-on-a-hat.

 

The whole process of :OP, to Meta, to Counter, to Nurf, is making me jaded. I just want to put some minis on the table and stuff to go boom.

 

At the risk of being labeled toxic, my suspicion is that  this is done at least in part intentionally to sell the next fad.

 

And that makes me sad.

[Slave to Darkness]

Maybe it looses some of its magic because we have to buy things ourselves now and not rely on parents and xmas, birthday gifts. :lol: 

[Brother Immolator]

Sorry for this, but reading it again, this looks like a rant rather a proper post....I had no intention but....it got out that way.

I went out of the hobby around ten years ago due to financial problems. I was fortunate that things didnt get completely out of hand and I was not forced to sell a single bit of them, I packed them up and waited my return. I chose to burn all bridges with the hobby till I was financially secure again, so that I wouldnt feel bad (you know, getting to see all these great models and not affording them).

Fast forward this year and about Decembers start I decide that I am back (been on a peak financially). And I start reading the fluff....I started with the DA fluff over at lexicanum and pardon the French, but I was so excited I had a hard on. Then I read the tidbit about the primaris.....Now I am not someone to turn down something at first sight but what I read and saw didnt exactly sound either interesting or visually appealing (I consider the new armor types and vehicles to be the worst things produced since the days of yore when they couldnt design for @@@@, as ideas not scupt, sculpts are extremely skilled, the aesthetic choices are botched).

But that wasnt the problem because frankly, I dont care. I collect only what I like and its not that I need a competitive list to play. If I want to field primaris I can play it 'counts as'. I discovered that it wasnt bad fluff or bad aesthetics that I disliked (after all the current DA range is absolutely insane....except Belial....We dont talk about Belial.....What Master of the deathwing model? It doesnt exist). What tired me withing a single month of my return is that marketing strategy that goes "UP YOUR FACE". I cant read anything 40k in the internet, without the hymnal about how awesome and great the primaris are, and how we need to primaris everything else (I read a freaking article that the author literally asked for primaris Guardmen....I mean if you have to pay for an advert do it the smart way dammit....). I mean ok, I understand it they are the new thing (as far as I can tell they have been around for some years?) but STOP. Like right now. Combine this with the weekly (?) new releases, what I presume to be "EXCLUSIVE THIS EXCLUSIVE THAT"  and somehow I feel burned out before I even started....And I havent bought anything as a result as I still try to think this through...

 

More and more it looks like that every day now (this is a personal fear/feeling) they will just discontinue the 40k marines and keep the primaris and the HH era and be done with it. And this is something I cant stomach. I havent made my mind yet but I think ill just build a force 'firstborn' DA, just adding the vehicles I was missing from my existing force and call it a day....

Its sad really because I was planning to return full force

 

Happy new year to all!

Edited January 1, 2022 by Brother Immolator

[Slave to Darkness]

Sorry for this, but reading it again, this looks like a rant rather a proper post....I had no intention but....it got out that way.

 

I went out of the hobby around ten years ago due to financial problems. I was fortunate that things didnt get completely out of hand and I was not forced to sell a single bit of them, I packed them up and waited my return. I chose to burn all bridges with the hobby till I was financially secure again, so that I wouldnt feel bad (you know, getting to see all these great models and not affording them).

 

Fast forward this year and about Decembers start I decide that I am back (been on a peak financially). And I start reading the fluff....I started with the DA fluff over at lexicanum and pardon the French, but I was so excited I had a hard on. Then I read the tidbit about the primaris.....Now I am not someone to turn down something at first sight but what I read and saw didnt exactly sound either interesting or visually appealing (I consider the new armor types and vehicles to be the worst things produced since the days of yore when they couldnt design for @@@@, as ideas not scupt, sculpts are extremely skilled, the aesthetic choices are botched).

 

But that wasnt the problem because frankly, I dont care. I collect only what I like and its not that I need a competitive list to play. If I want to field primaris I can play it 'counts as'. I discovered that it wasnt bad fluff or bad aesthetics that I disliked (after all the current DA range is absolutely insane....except Belial....We dont talk about Belial.....What Master of the deathwing model? It doesnt exist). What tired me withing a single month of my return is that marketing strategy that goes "UP YOUR FACE". I cant read anything 40k in the internet, without the hymnal about how awesome and great the primaris are, and how we need to primaris everything else (I read a freaking article that the author literally asked for primaris Guardmen....I mean if you have to pay for an advert do it the smart way dammit....). I mean ok, I understand it they are the new thing (as far as I can tell they have been around for some years?) but STOP. Like right now. Combine this with the weekly (?) new releases, what I presume to be "EXCLUSIVE THIS EXCLUSIVE THAT"  and somehow I feel burned out before I even started....And I havent bought anything as a result as I still try to think this through...

 

More and more it looks like that every day now (this is a personal fear/feeling) they will just discontinue the 40k marines and keep the primaris and the HH era and be done with it. And this is something I cant stomach. I havent made my mind yet but I think ill just build a force 'firstborn' DA, just adding the vehicles I was missing from my existing force and call it a day....

Its sad really because I was planning to return full force

 

Happy new year to all!

Happy new year to you too!!

 

But, what do you still like about the hobby? Is there anything now that still ignites that spark in you??

[Scribe]

 

Happy new year to you too!!

 

But, what do you still like about the hobby? Is there anything now that still ignites that spark in you??

 

 

The setting. The concepts. The imagery.

 

The sheer insanity of it.

 

Like just look at the Cawdor, or Inquisitors, or Sisters of Battle, or Space Marines.

 

On any kind of level, its a crazy setting.

 

That stuff never goes away, if one can engage with it.

 

Happy New Year. :)

[Brother Immolator]

 

Sorry for this, but reading it again, this looks like a rant rather a proper post....I had no intention but....it got out that way.

 

I went out of the hobby around ten years ago due to financial problems. I was fortunate that things didnt get completely out of hand and I was not forced to sell a single bit of them, I packed them up and waited my return. I chose to burn all bridges with the hobby till I was financially secure again, so that I wouldnt feel bad (you know, getting to see all these great models and not affording them).

 

Fast forward this year and about Decembers start I decide that I am back (been on a peak financially). And I start reading the fluff....I started with the DA fluff over at lexicanum and pardon the French, but I was so excited I had a hard on. Then I read the tidbit about the primaris.....Now I am not someone to turn down something at first sight but what I read and saw didnt exactly sound either interesting or visually appealing (I consider the new armor types and vehicles to be the worst things produced since the days of yore when they couldnt design for @@@@, as ideas not scupt, sculpts are extremely skilled, the aesthetic choices are botched).

 

But that wasnt the problem because frankly, I dont care. I collect only what I like and its not that I need a competitive list to play. If I want to field primaris I can play it 'counts as'. I discovered that it wasnt bad fluff or bad aesthetics that I disliked (after all the current DA range is absolutely insane....except Belial....We dont talk about Belial.....What Master of the deathwing model? It doesnt exist). What tired me withing a single month of my return is that marketing strategy that goes "UP YOUR FACE". I cant read anything 40k in the internet, without the hymnal about how awesome and great the primaris are, and how we need to primaris everything else (I read a freaking article that the author literally asked for primaris Guardmen....I mean if you have to pay for an advert do it the smart way dammit....). I mean ok, I understand it they are the new thing (as far as I can tell they have been around for some years?) but STOP. Like right now. Combine this with the weekly (?) new releases, what I presume to be "EXCLUSIVE THIS EXCLUSIVE THAT"  and somehow I feel burned out before I even started....And I havent bought anything as a result as I still try to think this through...

 

More and more it looks like that every day now (this is a personal fear/feeling) they will just discontinue the 40k marines and keep the primaris and the HH era and be done with it. And this is something I cant stomach. I havent made my mind yet but I think ill just build a force 'firstborn' DA, just adding the vehicles I was missing from my existing force and call it a day....

Its sad really because I was planning to return full force

 

Happy new year to all!

Happy new year to you too!!

 

But, what do you still like about the hobby? Is there anything now that still ignites that spark in you??

 

 

 

 

 

Happy new year to you too!!

 

But, what do you still like about the hobby? Is there anything now that still ignites that spark in you??

 

 

The setting. The concepts. The imagery.

 

The sheer insanity of it.

 

Like just look at the Cawdor, or Inquisitors, or Sisters of Battle, or Space Marines.

 

On any kind of level, its a crazy setting.

 

That stuff never goes away, if one can engage with it.

 

Happy New Year.

 

 

Scribes reply, pretty much. And the fact that though I havent been able to paint for a long time, last year that I could do so uninterrupted I felt great. I Still enjoy reading the novels and fluff as well. More and more I am deviating to simply continuing things in my pace and not allowing release after release to gut me by trying to keep up. I will keep collecting what minis I like and Ignore what I dont. Which still its pretty much. But in all honesty? I believe they should use that break a bit :P

[Marshal Rohr]

I lose drive to hobby fairly frequently. I have an problem with completionism and don’t break my projects into manageable chunks (I build 120 bonereapers and 30 knights in a month this spring and now they sit unpainted on a shelf bc I burnt out so fast). But seeing cool models and cool pics of those models and cool paint schemes will never not be magic to me.

[MithrilForge]

I think the loss of magic for me has been the way GW has changed over the years… it’s now a greedy corporate giant with shareholders … that’s not really holding the spirit of 40K/fantasy anymore… even though they’re making heaps more stuff and sometimes cooler models it feels like to me I’m just being baited into buying something really expensive off an uncaring but smiling face… buy more buy more…. Their greed is like nurgle’s rot tainting everything I see….

It sounds crazy but I’d be happier if GW was still a tiny company without shareholders that made a small but nice set of models and codexes each 3 year cycle and didn’t try to ram stuff down my throat with warhammer+ and fomo releases and limited edition stuff….

I honestly feel it’s imbalanced and more about the money than the cool models and the playability of the hobby…

 

I miss the Rick Priestly days…

 

 

Mithril

[Azekai]

 

 

This is such a big thing to me. When I came back in force to the hobby I had time, and money, and was old enough to both budget, and do whatever the heck I wanted with my money.

 

Its why I always laugh at the 'target demographic is early teens'. They have no money! lol

 

They have no money, and most are physically incapable of the kind of patience required to build an army anyway.

*shrug*

 

When l was 15-18 I painted armies of high elves, wood elves and Moria goblins, no problem… but then again, that was before smartphones.

 

I think targeting teens is likely a good way to wring a few bucks out of mom ‘n dad, make a bit of money from whoever wanders in. Then there is always the off chance the kits get built and the kid gets hooked; if so, great, if not, hey, doesn’t hurt GW.

[phandaal]

 

 

 

This is such a big thing to me. When I came back in force to the hobby I had time, and money, and was old enough to both budget, and do whatever the heck I wanted with my money.

 

Its why I always laugh at the 'target demographic is early teens'. They have no money! lol

 

They have no money, and most are physically incapable of the kind of patience required to build an army anyway.

*shrug*

 

When l was 15-18 I painted armies of high elves, wood elves and Moria goblins, no problem… but then again, that was before smartphones.

 

I think targeting teens is likely a good way to wring a few bucks out of mom ‘n dad, make a bit of money from whoever wanders in. Then there is always the off chance the kits get built and the kid gets hooked; if so, great, if not, hey, doesn’t hurt GW.

Yeah that is why I say "most." I'll wager that any of us who started as teens or even earlier would read my post and say "wrong, I had no problem!"

 

But we do have to acknowledge that by virtue of being in this hobby back then we were all a little bit different.

[Noserenda]

Kids completing armies is a funny one, I had a couple but then I was a store brat and most of my peers were too, which meant we were a bit more directed and game oriented than average I suspect. That said I had loads of little projects from random models or gifts from clueless relatives :)

 

Also one of those armies was undead based around the skeleton horde/army box which was essentially cheating :P

[Dark Shepherd]

I think theres a lot of "misfit" teens/studenty stypes who do or would love 40k/the hobby in general

[Kite Senet]

I personally lost most of my 40K momentum with the release of 9th edition, but my 40K group (all starting in early 8th edition) has been able to reignite a few sparks by going *back* in time. We're now enjoying building lists for "historical" versions of our armies in 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th editions after buying used copies of older codices, and it's done a lot to help rekindle the "magic" of 40K for us after we found the launch of the 9th edition rather soggy and disappointing.

[ThePenitentOne]

One thing about the cellphone/ instagram culture of teens is that you need stuff to take pictures of and post.

 

Isn't this hobby ideally suited to that? Especially if you're not a particularly photogenic person who leads a relatively boring life?

[phandaal]

One thing about the cellphone/ instagram culture of teens is that you need stuff to take pictures of and post.

 

Isn't this hobby ideally suited to that? Especially if you're not a particularly photogenic person who leads a relatively boring life?

Gonna go out on a limb and assume any kid posting pictures of their 40k minis on Instagram already falls into the "different" category.

 

But this line of discussion is certainly off topic. Assume people want to keep discussing it because many of us did in fact enjoy wargaming as teens or have gotten our teenaged family or relatives into the hobby, and we are determined to show the exception that proves the rule.

 

Bottom line is there are other activities which appeal more to that age group, which is totally fine and does not spell the death of the hobby any more than it did 20-30+ years ago.

 

If anyone wants to keep discussing this topic please start a new thread rather than derailing OP's any more by responding to me here.

Edited January 3, 2022 by phandaal

[Brother Kraskor]

If the hobby loses its magic, the citizens of the Imperium would be much safer with a quiet Warp. 

[Tawnis]

I don't think that the hobby has lost it's magic, but I do think that the magic has changed over the years. Back in the old days, the smaller scale stories felt much more personal (especially in RT), where it felt more like a tabletop RPG with army squads. The rules seemed to be there to just supplement what you wanted to do rather than being the only way to play. I still fondly remember many games with terribly painted models that my friends and I constructed to play out our character narratives. Now a days there's more magic in the spectacle of things, everything feels like it's supposed to be high quality, from the models, to the expected paint skill, to list optimization. Everything is bigger and more bombastic, which does to a point fit the setting, but looses some of the personal touch. 

 

As time has gone on, what I've found magical about the game has changed, but there has always been something that draws me to it. I do think that a lot of it has been growing up. I fondly remember the bright eyed pre-teen that got his first monopose free painting lesson marine in grade 4 and thinking it was the coolest looking thing ever. Then seeing the 3rd ed codices with squads vs squads that felt like they all had a thrilling story behind them. Now a days with the massive scale of armies and the income to afford them lead to massive apoc games where even the mightiest heroes can easily fall and worlds hang in the balance, yet if feels much less personal. Though to a point, that does also fit the setting. 

 

I remember each and every one of my first 50ish or so marine models because for basically a decade, they were all I had. Lovingly (but terribly) painted, they took on any challenge the 41st millennium could throw at them and I loved it, but I did also see the first Apoc book and wished I could do something like that. Now I can, but most of my models, while cool, just feel like part of the army, there's rarely a personal attachment to any given model (the recent exceptions being a Tau shield drone affectionately named Hodor who got a unique paint job after he protected a battlesuit commander from over a dozen lasscannon shots, as well as Chuck, a humble guardsman who punched a Riptide to death before failing morale where he determined that he'd done his duty and bailed;) but when it happens those are the exceptions rather than the rules. 

 

I don't think that "the magic" can really hold forever. The old editions and styles still exist, and we can go back and play them if we want, but we change as well. When I got into 40k, all I cared about was the story, and back then, it felt like that was much more the focus. While I still love the narratives and still run campaigns for my friends, the tactical challenge of list building and semi-competitive play is a big draw to me too. Homebrewing a list that no one expects to do well and pulling off an upset is one of my favorite personal challenges. (See my all Kroot list that I posted if you're curious.) I've changed a lot as a person and what I love about the game has changed too. 

Not sure if that derailed too much from the point, but it's what I thought of while reading this thread. 

[Monstra Sumus]

I don't think that the hobby has lost it's magic, but I do think that the magic has changed over the years. 

 

Hard agree. 

 

I fondly remember doing the Mad Dog store challenge in Luton in 1999 and winning my first hobby pin. I can remember the sheer gravitas the store manager was exuding as he role played Abaddon the Despoiler in a store wide Eye of Terra game, it was a day long event and the score sheet was sent off the Warhammer World for sorting in the wider Campaign points. Same for Armageddon, I remember facing down hordes of greenskins one day and then bullying space marines the next with my own orks. The imagination was wild and the memories are colorful. From running down thieves to get product back through to wincing as I remember a guy dropping the old metal dreadnought onto his foot whilst he had sandals on. 

 

Now the magic is different. It is found in the satisfaction of fielding a painted army, of trying new techniques at the hobby table, or blending lore and miniature together to tell a story. Do I miss those days? Absolutely. Do I miss them enough to let it impact my love for the hobby now? Not at all. 

[ThePenitentOne]

I don't think that the hobby has lost it's magic, but I do think that the magic has changed over the years. Back in the old days, the smaller scale stories felt much more personal (especially in RT), where it felt more like a tabletop RPG with army squads. The rules seemed to be there to just supplement what you wanted to do rather than being the only way to play. I still fondly remember many games with terribly painted models that my friends and I constructed to play out our character narratives. Now a days there's more magic in the spectacle of things, everything feels like it's supposed to be high quality, from the models, to the expected paint skill, to list optimization. Everything is bigger and more bombastic, which does to a point fit the setting, but looses some of the personal touch. 

 

As time has gone on, what I've found magical about the game has changed, but there has always been something that draws me to it. I do think that a lot of it has been growing up. I fondly remember the bright eyed pre-teen that got his first monopose free painting lesson marine in grade 4 and thinking it was the coolest looking thing ever. Then seeing the 3rd ed codices with squads vs squads that felt like they all had a thrilling story behind them. Now a days with the massive scale of armies and the income to afford them lead to massive apoc games where even the mightiest heroes can easily fall and worlds hang in the balance, yet if feels much less personal. Though to a point, that does also fit the setting. 

 

I remember each and every one of my first 50ish or so marine models because for basically a decade, they were all I had. Lovingly (but terribly) painted, they took on any challenge the 41st millennium could throw at them and I loved it, but I did also see the first Apoc book and wished I could do something like that. Now I can, but most of my models, while cool, just feel like part of the army, there's rarely a personal attachment to any given model (the recent exceptions being a Tau shield drone affectionately named Hodor who got a unique paint job after he protected a battlesuit commander from over a dozen lasscannon shots, as well as Chuck, a humble guardsman who punched a Riptide to death before failing morale where he determined that he'd done his duty and bailed;) but when it happens those are the exceptions rather than the rules. 

 

This is exactly why 25PL-50PL Crusade is my favourite way to play. If this is what you feel the hobby has lost, you've got to try it. Because from this post, I can only assume you haven't.

Edited January 4, 2022 by ThePenitentOne