Beginning a New Army

Whether you are just starting out assembling an army, replacing your current army, or adding another army to the other three you have already got, what attracts you to a new army? Why would you want to change from an army that you have spent a lot of time collecting and assembling, just to do it all over again?

Two questions, most probably a million different answers. Everyone will have their own attractions to each army. Some will like the marines all round ability, while others will prefer their armies to pack large numbers such as Orks or Tyranids. Then you have the large guns each army can pack, with the Imperial Guard packing a fair few. Of course, these are not the only reasons for each of the armies mentioned. Some will just like playing the bad guys while some armies just look plain cool and so people will want to replicate that.

For me, personally, I only have my Space Wolf army operational at the moment. I first picked them up as spotty teenager, back in 2nd Edition, and loved the thought of Bjorn the Fell-Handed and Ragnar Blackmane ripping their way through a battlefield. After a ten year break from the 41st Millennium I returned and started playing with my Wolves again (Ragnar is still ripping up those battlefields, but nowhere near as much as he used to, must be getting old). I do, however, have to side projects that I am slowly working my way through.

The first is a Tyranid army. It is still very much in its infancy and one that I have looked toward as the army can play in a vastly different way to how I can use my Wolves. The idea of a horde army is the attraction here and having swarms of units to swamp the battle table coupled with a few monstrous creatures is the opposite to how Space Marines operate with a limited number of men and a light spattering of galactic heroes.

The second is a Chaos Space Marine army that will be based around the Emperors Children. Largely inspired by The Horus Heresy novels, Fulgrim especially, this army will give me the opportunity to be one of the many bad guys in the universe to combat the many good guys armies out there. Work on these Marines may be a bit slower than imagined originally due to the rumours to do with 6th Edition that began appearing over the last month and the possibilities the Chaos Legions may open up.

I would be very interested to hear about why everyone has chosen their particular army/armies. Is there something about them that you particularly like, or do you just enjoy playing with the latest codex, or do you like the modelling options the army opens up to yourself? The many different reasons may be vast and I would love to hear some of your thoughts, so please leave a comment and let me know about your army.