Gaming on budget

[Overread]

So as of right now we've 16 pages of chatter about being priced out, clearly price is a big issue for many of us. 

So I thought it would be good to have some chat on methods and your experiences of hobbying on budget. That is when push comes to shove and you're really at the tight end of things and its hard to afford your hobby. From simple ideas to creative ideas to even concepts that some of us might not have thought of. It would be great to hear from those who have been or are on that line where its really hard to afford to keep going with the hobby and what you've done to alleviate it 

 

 

 

A few tips from myself

1) Organise your hobby. Often as not its very easy to get disorganised and end up picking up a lot of "at whim" purchases. Side games; other games; models that look cool etc... Of course spreading your money thin like that can mean that no single project gets near completion. Now that might not be a problem at all if you're more into painting and collecting; but if you're more into or want to get into, the gaming side; spreading your time and money out thin will reduce the chances of finishing and getting a playable force. 

So organise it - write out and work out what you're after. Basically set it up like you'd budget for the weekly shopping; lists, ideas, a focus and a plan to help you stick to things. If you're on a limited budget this might also help you achieve milestones and targets and have a long view of things. 

1a) Be honest with yourself. When you are organising and working out a budget do have an eye on how long things might take you. If you want to play games and see that a 2K army is 3 years away at the very best then it might be time to re-evaluate. Perhaps using cheaper methods to get hold of models; or perhaps considering a different game - perhaps warcry or even other brands. This is all about being honest with what you want and the timescales you are looking to work with. You might be willing to wait 3 years or not, but that's all down to you. Organising and being honest with yourself is the key to it. 

2) Secondhand. Do check forums, facebook, ebay and ask around locally. There are often a lot of models surplus in the system (because of the build and paint aspects its very easy for a gamer to overload on models and then need a clearout) so having an eye on the secondhand market can really help you out. You might well find some stock going cheaper than retail and whilst it might be assembled or even painted before you get it, it would at least give you an option to get a larger number of models for less cost. 

At the local level sometimes you can even pick up better deals when someone is more concerned over an army they don't use getting used; rather than the purely profit angle. 

2a) Learn to paint-strip. Put some time into reading about the chemicals you can use (esp for different materials - what works on metal might be dangerous to use on plastics or resins). This is a bolt onto getting secondhand models, but can also mean that if you're more into painting you could strip older models for very little cost and then repaint them; rather than always buying new. 

3) Proxy - ergo using a model to represent a different model. Whilst you might not be able to do this at your local GW tournament or such; it might well work well at the local level. You can get some more interest in the game side and provided you are sensible about it; it might well let you get around not being able to buy new models when still wanting to vary your setup. 

There's also no shame in admitting that you are using proxies because you just can't afford things right now. Most gamers are more than willing to accept such situations and focus on getting a fun game for both of you. 

 

[EccentricCircle]

Here's one which is particularly relevant now that meeting up is becoming difficult again...

Play using a virtual tabletop. 

Its trivial to turn the pictures from th GW web store into counters and upload them to roll20 or one of the other similar packages. There are loads of maps and terrain files out there, many of them either free or cheap. 

Moving counters in large blocks is slightly tricky, but once you get the hang of it is ok. You can play using only the free rules, or focus your limited budget on getting a battle tome if you want allegiance stuff.

Admittedly that only helps with the gaming fix, not the hobby one. It could though let you play and try out lists while slowly building and army, and staying within your means both in terms of money an time. (I feel like very few of us do the latter).

 

There are things we can do as individuals to keep costs down, and I'm sure we'll see some good ideas. There are also things we can do as a community. Let's reduce peer pressures to always buy the next big thing. Let's be more accepting of proxies,kitbashes, third party models, slight differences in scale or things not being wysiwyg. If someone wants to print out cardboard pawns tk try out a new list, or proxy old orcs as Ironjaws or whatever, so that shouldn't be frowned on. Not every game is  tournament, and not every game has to use battletome rules. If your opponents can't afford their factions book then don't insist on using yours. Play the free version of the game.

 

[Shearl]

I think a big one for me is the ability to manage hype. The constant release schedule and articles can do a pretty good job of making you want to spend more money. Unless its something that you've been waiting to come out for an existing army, try and wait a week or two after its released and see if you still need it.

There's been plenty of times I've been really tempted to get a new release, but after waiting a while often the necessity goes away and I more rationally consider of I actually need a new Necromunda gang or whatever. 

Also I've had some pretty good luck with finding deals on Facebook sales pages and Ebay. 

[flemingmma]

get a 3d printer

mortal realms magazine

[Greybeard86]

13 hours ago, EccentricCircle said:

There are things we can do as individuals to keep costs down, [...]

Let's be more accepting of proxies,kitbashes, third party models, slight differences in scale or things not being wysiwyg.

This would be extremely good for players, but GW works very hard to stop it. And it has convinced a whole lot of people that it is for the best, in part because of their influence on key members of the community.

[Overread]

Last I checked GW was very encouraging on Kitbashes.

Most of the time the only places that you can't use 3rd parties and lots of proxies are in GW stores and at GW sponsored competitive events. Outside of that its down to your local area and your local club. 

 

I think there are a few  things to remember with regard to proxies and 3rd parties and the acceptance of the models locally:

1) Quality. Like it or not if you turn up with a mess chances are it will have less chance being allowed than if you turn up with a quality result. This doesn't mean you have to be top; just that it should show a level of effort and care. That you're using a 3rd party or proxy or conversion to enhance the game rather than turning up with a "tin O green soldiers" or some mashed together bits of plastic with some glue poured over them.

2) Clarity. WYSIWYG is nothing new (its been around for 20-30 years) and its all about clarity on the table*. That the close combat weapon is a close combat weapon; that you can tell the witch aelves from the sisters of slaughter etc... As long as what you make can be clear then its got far more case of being accepted.

3) Understanding. Heavy use of proxies, for example, when its clear that you've not bought models in a long while is something most are more than happy to accept when they are aware that you can't afford much else at that time. That you are unable to show your support and enhance your model range because you really are not able to justify nor afford more. 

I think this one gets overlooked, but its there. People like to see others in their hobby support the hobby. From the general support of the main production firms down to local support of stores and clubs. 

4) Correct size. Often base size is a mandatory element in that its got an exact measurement and is a fairly simple shape (its a circle). It does have impact in-game and whilst many will accept some modest variations here and there; if you turn up with wildly different base sizes then its going to affect how your army performs. 

Size of the model is also a key one - but its an area of extremes. People don't want a "shoebox" sized tank turning up that's clearly being used as a mobile shield; equally whilst its a cool idea turning up with a single base with almost nothing on it to represent a burrowed/clocked/invisible unit is going to affect line of sights and such. Again people want to see that you're playing the game, not that you're using conversions/proxies to gain unfair advantage through the game rules. 

 

 

 

NOTE - I don't support the use of 3D printers to cast like-for-like copies of GW models. Similarly recasters are not to be supported. In these cases whilst it might offer you a cheaper way into the hobby, you are also harming the very hobby you enjoy. 3D print files of copied GW models benefit no one; you're not helping a designer earn or develop their vision or skill; recasters aren't putting money you spend on their product back into making more unique models or providing game space or lore or anything. It's all leaching money out of your hobby. 

By all means I understand the temptation; but today with the internet there are so many good quality 3rd party casting firms and 3D print designers who are making fantastic work. At the very least put money into their hands. Help them enhance and provide more for your hobby and support the industry in general. Even if you don't agree with the moral arguments for not using stolen copyright material; then at least appreciate that spending money on legitimately created content is putting money back into the system which will generate more models for you. Heck some of the bigger casting firms might even have stores and game centres in your region/country and help sponsor and organise gaming events.

 

 

*if anything I've seen more push back/relaxing of it in some sense in more recent years than before. 

[EccentricCircle]

39 minutes ago, Greybeard86 said:

This would be extremely good for players, but GW works very hard to stop it. And it has convinced a whole lot of people that it is for the best, in part because of their influence on key members of the community.

Yeah, I never said it would be easy. I agree that the official stance of GW and their supporters very much clashes with this approach. I very much come from an RPG background, and mostly play games that are mini agnostic, so while I enjoy the richness of the GW lore, I tend to get a bit frustrated with just how restrictive they tend to make the models. I'd far rather have a more generic toolbox system and be able to use models a bit more freely.

 

Now the issue of being able to recognise things on the tabletop is an interesting one. I'm genuinely curious as to how many people see this as is a major consideration. (To explain, I'm partially sighted, so there is no way I'd be able to tell what weapon a model was holding without picking it up to look at it. I always have to peer at things to confirm what they are, or ask my opponant for clarification). I find it hard to judge what everyone else does. Do you always glance at models as they are being used to make sure they have swords instead of spears? Would your ability to play the game be impacted if you couldn't remember, and it wasn't clear?
Since I've always had to either remember or ask, its hard to put myself in the mindset that not being able to tell is a problem.

Edited October 24, 2020 by EccentricCircle

[Greybeard86]

5 minutes ago, EccentricCircle said:

Yeah, I never said it would be easy. I agree that the official stance of GW and their supporters very much clashes with this approach. I very much come from an RPG background, and mostly play games that are mini agnostic, so while I enjoy the richness of the GW lore, I tend to get a bit frustrated with just how restrictive they tend to make the models. I'd far rather have a more generic toolbox system and be able to use models a bit more freely.

That is precisely what GW wants to avoid. They have a pretty tight grip over what can be used and that is gold from a sales perspective. Most people believe that they won't be able to use 3rd party minis outside of their homes, and GW loves that.

wysiwyg, base sizes, how tall models are, and a bunch of other things could easily be sorted with better rules but GW has zero incentives to favor it. People play along, some avid tourney players 3rd print like crazy, and some others buy second hand and what not. But overall things are were GW wants them.

[Aelfric]

This is an interesting topic.  On reflection, I realise that I am not organised when it comes to budgeting.  I do not set aside a certain amount of money for hobbying, for example.  I do have some self-imposed limitations, I suppose: I have (now) four main factions that I collect for; CoS, Warclans, Gitz and recently Lumineth and, with a few diversions, stick to purchasing for those factions.  In Fantasy I collected Dark Elves and O&G and the same principle applied, although it took a few years to settle down into those two so I do have a slightly eclectic collection of early models.  The recent addition of Lumineth was really to satisfy my desire for a pure Aelf faction, which is why I have a smattering of Idoneth and Sylvaneth.  It soon became clear with both that, for various reasons, they were not filling the hole.  AOS has turned two factions into four, but the method remains the same.  It also means that much of what is released has no particular interest beyond admiration for the models and how they play in the game, should I chance to play against them.

Also, I have always bought models from new, which may seem odd to some, but I like the only one owner feel (though I'm not averse to a good deal).  This therefore means that hobby is more expensive than it could be, but I'm prepared to pay that extra cost.  (Having thought about this, I realise I would probably buy unopened boxes or blister packs secondhand.)

In the days of metal miniature, I did buy from other makes than GW, Grenadier or Ral Patha, but I generally preferred the GW aesthetic and, prices now being what they are, I tend to stick to GW to maintain a cohesive aesthetic for my armies.

If I want to purchase hobby stuff, then it's a case of seeing how much money I have, what bills are coming up and is there enough left over to use some of it for hobby.  For small amounts, it is relatively easy; for larger purchases I will tend to save for that particular item over several months.  Like all good hobbyists, I am always in a plastic surplus, so a few months of no purchases (except paint, brushes, etc) is not really an issue - and in extremis, I can put more Grots or Dark Elves on round bases. 

Fortunately, I do not have any other particularly expensive hobbys, such as gaming, or habits like clothing, which tends to be worn to death, so my hobby doesn't have a lot of competition for what little is available.

Not sure if my ramblings are particularly helpful, but it's a way that seems to suit me and doesn't add stress to my hobbying.  Hobby is a way of reducing stress, at least for me.  Finding a way to fund your hobby that is least stressful to you seems like a good thought to end on. 

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by Aelfric

[Greyshadow]

Start with Skirmish. You can find the rules in White Dwarf January 2019 which you can purchase for less than the cost of two pots of paint from Warhammer Digital. Rules for a follow up campaign system are in the Feb 2019 issue.

It is a great little bear-and-pretzels game that can be played with as few as three models a side. If you play the campaign mode at the end of it you will end up with the core of a Path to Glory force.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Greyshadow

[Ggom]

For folks who don't have airbrushes - I recommend using Halfords or Rust-Oleum spray cans for priming and/or undercoating. The GW primers cost 3 times as much and aren't any better. In fact, if u ever want to strip ur models for repainting, the GW primers are a huge pain in the doodoo because they bond chemically to the plastic.

Other money saving tips on the hobby side - GW brushes are expensive and short lived. Don't bother with them. Cheap synthetic brushes are fine, or get any of the high profile sable brushes and clean them after using them.

Use a wet pallette. I've been painting for years and haven't run out of any pots of paint. Dry pallettes are incredibly inefficient with paint. Don't need to buy a wet pallette - just make one with wax paper and kitchen rolls or sponge.

[swarmofseals]

@Overread -- great breakdown! I just want to expand on a few things:

• Secondhand is incredible if you are patient, but it won't help much if you need to buy/sell quickly. Some corollaries below:
• Avoid hobby ADHD and understand what drives it. New releases are built on hype, and that hype tends to cause people to pick up parts of a new army at release time. Many of those people end up never completing the army and it either ends up rotting away in a pile of shame or ends up for sale for a fraction of what the seller originally paid. Avoid ever buying an army at release unless you are absolutely certain you want to commit to it. Instead, wait a while and see if the army is what you expect it to be -- and then pick up your stuff at a discount from someone who bought in early and abandoned the project.
• If you are entirely a hobbyist and don't care about playing the game, then just don't let unbuilt or unpainted models accumulate ever. I know that is easier said than done, but aside from limited edition and OOP stuff the older something is the easier it is to pick up secondhand for cheap. There is no need to buy something now for more $$$ when you can get the same thing later when you are actually ready to build and paint it (and likely at a discount).
• If you like to actually play the game, GET TABLETOP SIMULATOR NOW. I can't stress this enough. It is slightly awkward to use at first but after even just a few hours of practice you'll probably find that it plays about as well as the actual game. Some aspects are slower and more awkward (movement, particularly over terrain) while others are enormously faster (dice rolling). In fact, dice rolling is so much better on TTS that when I start playing in person again I will likely fire up TTS and use it to roll the dice for my actual physical games.  Anyway, it's a $20 purchase, so basically the cost of a single cheap finecast hero. It very likely will not replace tabletop gaming for you (nor am I advocating that), but what it will do is allow you to try out new factions and new builds extensively before you purchase. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. You can make a purchase with the confidence of knowing that you enjoy playing the army and that the build you settle on plays the way you expect it to. No longer will you buy, build, and paint a big unit (or worse yet, an army) only to find that it doesn't work the way you hoped.

If you follow these guidelines, you will be able to get the most out of the secondary market and rarely end up with purchases that just sit in a closet collecting dust. No matter if you are buying GW stuff, 3rd party models, or 3d printing the secondary market can be a great way to stretch your budget.

EDIT: A few people have suggested starting with a smaller game type like Warcry, Skirmish, or Underworlds. I think if you are inherently interested in these games then absolutely yes do this. But if you really want to play AOS as a complete game, I strongly recommend against it. Instead, get TTS like I suggested above. That will allow you to start learning, building your skill level, and narrowing down what you actually want to buy as opposed to buying models/rules for one system that you might not even use in the system you actually want to play.

Edited October 24, 2020 by swarmofseals

[Overread]

@Ggom you raise a good point about hobby tools and accessories. In general GW's accessories and tools and even paints are all at the upper end of the price chart. They are good quality, but they are also expensive. Paints are high but not too bad in general, but many of the tools can be very overpriced - heck GW now charges £21* for a pair of "fine detail cutters" which are your simple hobby clippers which are more generally sold at the £5 bracket. It's one of their more obscene price disparities. Yes the GW tools are good, but there are a lot of affordable quality and good enough tools out there for hobby work that don't cost a fortune. 

Tools are also something hobbyists can end up with in abundance. If you are very short don't be afraid to ask around locally, someone might have a spare set of this or that they will part with for a tiny cost. 

 

 

If you want a good blade to work with then a Swann and Morton size 3 scalpel handle and size 10A blades will give you a cheap setup. SandM make a whole range of different handle shapes and blade shapes, just if you're getting them get normal (no special mention) or non-surgical blades. Ergo don't get the surgical ones since the only difference is they are cleaned from the factory for medical use, which we don't have to worry about so for models.

 

 

*glue, clippers, blade, files - you could likely get most of that for the same cost as 1 GW tool.  

[Charleston]

Great Post and a wonderfull to tackle the topic from the other thread from a positive perspective!

From my personal Experience:

• Hobby Clubs that are not tied to a commercial background (like a LGS or GW) are often a better environment to get a "cheaper" approach on the game as there is less stress to buy new stuff and also a second hand market tends to flourish better.
  • Depending on your situation it may be even easier to create a club on your own. Many places offer space for regular meetings for free, sometimes even with storage place to store terrain etc. Depending on your country there may be several possibilities for this, like asking at a youth center or library f.e.
  • Sometimes it may be enough to create a small community using social media or whats app. People communicate and trade differently in such an environment compared to ebay, craigslist etc
• Trade Deals are also worth concidering.  Like, trade a part of your backlog against the backlog of a friend, or someone from your local group.
• Don´t focus on GW Stuff. There are differernt cheaper paints, hobby materials and even great tabletops.

[Frowny]

I'd add

Get good at simple converting. The vast majority of heroes can be converted from a basic soldier with a headswap, a different weapon, a different base size and maybe a base with some height on it. This will save you a lot on character clampacks which are quite expensive per model. And if you use gw substrate for your conversion it'll still be good at any gw store too. The most valuable bits are bodies since most kits come with extra heads and arms. Similarly you can save a ton on units if you are willing to slightly convert. For example, tzeentch acolytes come in boxes of 20 and work great as everything from free guild to marauders to even male witch elves with just a headswap and/or a different weapon or shield etc. 

Don't buy gw paints. They just cost more than equivalents. Not terrible value, but hobby store paints are almost as good and cost half as much. Not quite as good and often. Less selection of colors, but totally usable. Also makes you practice mixing colors more which I view as a plus. I do like the gw specialty paints though.

Ebay and 2nd hand are your friend. Be patient. Wait 2 weeks before your first purchase just to get a sense of what's out there and what you should expect to pay. Don't be sad loosing an auction, there will be more. 

As others have said, avoid gw spray paint. Hardware store spray works just fine and costs half to a third as much. Remember to get matte.

Decide what you like and optimize that-if you like modelling or painting, don't bother trying to collect a 2k army. If you like playing, try not to get distracted by 1 off cool purchases. Obviously this isn't a hard and fast rule, but at least worth considering.

[Maddpainting]

Some armies are also just dirt cheap for this hobby. BoC, FeC, BCR, etc.. anything with a good start collecting where you only need 3-5 of them to make an army with extras is well cheap enough for anyone wanting this hobby.

We also need to not look at it as a short term hobby, most will be in this for years. If you look at a gaming console, $500 with 10 games are an average of $45 is $1000, normally only lasting 4-5 yeears (sometimes longer). When thinking of it in that why 40k is not more costly than video games from a console PoV.

[flemingmma]

3 hours ago, Greyshadow said:

Start with Skirmish. You can find the rules in White Dwarf January 2019 which you can purchase for less than the cost of two pots of paint from Warhammer Digital. Rules for a follow up campaign system are in the Feb 2019 issue.

It is a great little bear-and-pretzels game that can be played with as few as three models a side. If you play the campaign mode at the end of it you will end up with the core of a Path to Glory force.

Also this

[Popisdead]

On 10/23/2020 at 6:34 AM, Overread said:

So as of right now we've 16 pages of chatter about being aged out, different priorities  is a big issue for many of us; and people love complaining.

...

A few tips from myself

1) Organise your hobby. 

1a) Be honest with yourself. 

2) Secondhand. Do check forums, facebook, ebay and ask around locally. There are often a lot of models surplus in the system (because of the build and paint aspects its very easy for a gamer to overload on models and then need a clearout) so having an eye on the secondhand market can really help you out. You might well find some stock going cheaper than retail and whilst it might be assembled or even painted before you get it, it would at least give you an option to get a larger number of models for less cost. 

At the local level sometimes you can even pick up better deals when someone is more concerned over an army they don't use getting used; rather than the purely profit angle. 

2a) Learn to paint-strip. Put some time into reading about the chemicals you can use (esp for different materials - what works on metal might be dangerous to use on plastics or resins). This is a bolt onto getting secondhand models, but can also mean that if you're more into painting you could strip older models for very little cost and then repaint them; rather than always buying new. 

3) Proxy - ergo using a model to represent a different model. Whilst you might not be able to do this at your local GW tournament or such; it might well work well at the local level. You can get some more interest in the game side and provided you are sensible about it; it might well let you get around not being able to buy new models when still wanting to vary your setup. 

There's also no shame in admitting that you are using proxies because you just can't afford things right now. Most gamers are more than willing to accept such situations and focus on getting a fun game for both of you. 

 

These are great points and people should be looking very in-depth at focussing on them.

1) a Kanban diagram will help you finish a goal.  Plus nightly updating makes you enjoy that sense of of accomplishment.

1a) I keep thinking about how I've just got too many armies still.  Sadly I'm a hobbyist with a love of the lore.  It's also good to remember, you don't need to have an army that goes 5-0.  Podcasts are pretty good for information and bad for driving people into a buying frenzy.

2) locally second hand is an idea.  People sometimes just give away stuff or sell it cheap for a myriad of reasons.  Can't be bothered, unable to ship stuff, random auction cheap units in the closet

2a) sometimes you can even just fix up a paint job.  usually it's not house-paint thick.

3) I jsut used two old 5th ed Treelords, some Citadel trees and a Cygor rock to build up a "sylvaneth" Celestial Hurricanum.  There are loads of ways to recycle models and people often have bitz you can utilized to make them themed and work well.

Good write up.  

[MarkK]

My suggestions for budgeting in addition to above advice (more from a painters view):

• Learn to mix paint - cuts down on needed paints, often the darkest shades and highest highlights don't need that particular paint called for in a tutorial. Paint is pricey and can add up over time. 

• Finish that unit - Complete a project/unit before buying anything else. If your not working on anything, and have have unfinished figures sitting in boxes, don't buy something you may not work on for months. I would suggest not buying a massive chunk of any army in one go, but buying in batches of about 500 points. When you finish one batch , buy the next. That way you can find out where you want to go with the army with future purchases (favourite units, rules, etc), and if you step back from the project you won't have more than a couple hundred points of unfinished models and will still have something to game with.

• Big starter or dual army boxes are a big commitment in time and money, and although can offer great savings, will you have the time to work on them? Do you have an interest in both armies? Can you split the box with someone if not? It's not great savings if the box is quietly pushed onto a pile of other to be started projects.

• Kickstarter - Can be another trap; buying an entire game/line of miniatures upfront about a year before you receive them may seem like a good idea at the time 😉, the savings look great, but do you need them?

I backed the Desert of the Dead Kickstarter last year for a couple of figures I liked, but when the Pledge Manager opened I started adding units upon units, thinking this was a great idea, I could build a DoK/Elf army for half the price of a GW one. I came to my senses before completing the pledge, and only spent about €50 in total. I didn't need a DoK army, but the FOMO can pressure people into spending more than planned (also see GW dual boxes). In the same Kickstarter, I've seen people comment that they had spent over 2k on the project. 

Saying that, I have a Dropfleet Commander pledge sitting in a wardrobe worth €200, that has yet to see a lick of paint 🤦‍♂️

• Skirmish games - There's a great selection of skirmish games out there in every setting; cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, WW2, Pulp, Modern Warfare, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, etc. Most don't need specific miniatures so are cheaper to get into. A single Necromunda gang box could pull double duty in several different games; cyberpunk gang, post apoc warband and generic sci-fi.

Cyberpunk games include: Reality's Edge, Zone Raiders, Hardwired

Post Apoc: This is Not a Test, Gaslands, Zona Alfa, Scrappers

Sci-fi: Kill Team, Necromunda, Rogue Stars, Stargrave (space version of Frostgrave, released next year), Infinity

Fantasy: Frostgrave, Warcry, Song of Blades and Heroes, Warlords of Erehwon, Burrows and Badgers

WW2/Modern: Force on Force, Chain of Command, Bolt Action, Black Ops

Pulp/Steampunk - Malifaux, A Fistful of Kung Fu, Dracula's America, Last Days, In Her Majesty's Name

• Scenery - hundreds of tutorials on YouTube, special mention to Broadsword Wargaming for full board builds on their channel.

That was a longer post than I was planning! Hopefully it's of some use to someone reading it.

[Hannibal]

My way(s) to save money:

First and foremost I once started to collect NOTHING BUT DAEMONS. Reasons was that I wanted a set of models that can be used in different games. No more: THAT Fantasy army, THESE 40k projects, here some Warcry warbands, ... 

THese days I can play my collection of Chaos Daemons as ...

40k Chaos Daemons

AoS Nurgle Allegiance

AoS Tzeentch Allegiance

AoS Chaos Ascendant Allegiance

Warcry: Nurgle, Tzeentch

Kill Team: Chaos Daemons

 

Second, I expanded my collection  based on the Chaos Daemons, ie I got some Slave to Darkness for AoS, some Chaos Space Marines for 40k. All these new additions are based on start collecting boxes and battleforces. Some models I bought second hand, too.

 

Third, my collection of 40k Chaos Knights is based on 2 of those Renegade Knights boxed sets in which you could find 2 Knights and some terrain. I got these boxes for real cheap (due to luck) and could manage to sell the terrain and one Knight out of each box for almost the same price I paid for the whole boxed set, meaning I essentially got the first 2 Knights for free.

 

That being said, my advice is...

• Restrict yourself to a small(er) pool of models. Only buy what you´re going to paint / play.
• IN both AoS and 40k, Chaos offers the opportunity to play different factions with the same models. Or you can get some allies to broaden your collection without the need for a whole new faction.
• Buy those big beefy boxed sets which are commonly available around Xmas. Take what you need and sell the rest of it.
• Be patient and look out on the second hand market. Sometimes you can get models for unbelievable low cash.
• SELL YOUR BITS. It´s unbelievable how much you can get for bits.

 

 

[Praecautus]

Couple of random ideas

Polystyrene and moulded cardboard packing make great scenery after being painted up.

Make your entire list using proxy bases for a test game against a friend before investing

stick to a list and play it a lot, the familiarity w your units and list will stand you in good stead against most people/lists (to a point) without having to invest in the latest hotness. Besides winning w the same list will truly show how good a genera you are 😀

Try a few different game systems. There are plenty with a quick buy in. Fancy a skirmish then try Undaunted Normandy or Undaunted North Africa both about £20 a pop. Bigger modular war game then try memoir 44 w the overlord expansion (2x memoir base sets and the expansion is ~£100) w a socially acceptable number of friends in a up to 4/side battle. After a different painting project try Star Wars rebellion or war of the ring, 153 and 205 minis, respectively and each is ~£70.

[RuneBrush]

Might as well weigh in from a painting perspective 😊

The assembly & painting aspect of wargaming can be one of the more expensive parts of the hobby, but it's also the part that you'll likely spend more time doing than actual gaming.  It's really easy to get carried away, buying lots and lots of things that you don't actually need because somebody has "advised" you that you'll need it.

I could happily waffle on for ages here, but here's my "top tips".

Expensive isn't always best and cheapest isn't always cost-effective.  Research your purchases - ask people's opinion's on forums like this and try to make a balanced choice.

Avoid buying lots of paints.  Collect organically as you need colours and keep an eye on some that can be mixed easily (baraknar burgundy is pretty much 50/50 khorne red and black).  If you don't know what colours you need, have a look on some painting videos rather than guessing.

You don't need "special" glue for miniatures.  Polystyrene Cement and regular superglue work fine and are cheaper than branded versions.

Rosemary & Co series 33 are a great alternative to "premium" sable such as W&N and Artis Opus - and nowhere near the price range.  For a sable brush they're actually not much more expensive than some companies synthetic.

Look after your brushes, invest in some brush soap and don't use dirty water - keep paint away from the metal ferrule.  Also use a "mixing brush", so one dedicated to taking paint out of a pot and mixing on the palette.  This extends the life expectancy of your brush by a huge factor.

If you want to use weathering pigments, you can actually crush some artist pastels as that's broadly speaking all weathering pigments are!

[RuneBrush]

On 10/24/2020 at 10:55 PM, Ggom said:

Use a wet pallette. I've been painting for years and haven't run out of any pots of paint. Dry pallettes are incredibly inefficient with paint. Don't need to buy a wet pallette - just make one with wax paper and kitchen rolls or sponge.

Just to make one point.  Although wax paper will work, ideally you want baking parchment for wet palette's.  Wax paper has a layer of wax on it which will at best make the paint bead up and inhibit the wicking effect, and at worst could interact with the paint.

[Ggom]

1 hour ago, RuneBrush said:

Just to make one point.  Although wax paper will work, ideally you want baking parchment for wet palette's.  Wax paper has a layer of wax on it which will at best make the paint bead up and inhibit the wicking effect, and at worst could interacti with the paint.

Agree. I think boiling the wax paper will help with this if u can't get ur hands on baking parchment. 

[JackStreicher]

Best advice: EBay