Fresh Start - What do you do?

[Gaz Taylor]

So, I was listening to an episode of Facehammer yesterday, which had Russ and Byron discussing their new army projects and the approaches they were taking to them. As I'm thinking about starting a new army for Age of Sigmar, I found this a great episode and got me thinking about a lot of things. But I'm wondering what approach do you guys take when starting a new army project? Do you do something based upon some cool model you wanted to paint, or did you read some cool story and wanted to do something based upon that?

[Shane]

This is happening to me at the moment.

Fimir are pure nostalgia for me. AoS was my reason to pick some up. So I did. 

This led me to think about a force around them. The Colossal Squig. The Troll Hag. 

With that the idea of a Destruction force that is more a band of the unique and weird. I even wrote a brief fluff piece (few sentences) behind the idea. 

I now have six Fimir and a Colossal Squig. The Fimir hero will be a day one purchase for sure.

So to the OP, it was my perception of a unit's imagery that got me started.

Whereas if i was free at the moment army wise I'd probably go for the Ghouls. The idea of how they picture themselves is open to some great conversions and paint schemes.

[Chris Tomlin]

My approach or reason for a project can vary...

Order - I needed an army done quickly for Tournament Play. Stormcast are nice models, paint quick and are effective on the table.

Chaos - Potentially more of a long burn project. Picked purely on aesthetics I wanted a unique army with plenty of conversions and painted nicely.

Destruction - Completely caught up in the shiny new toy hype. 100% sold by the fantastic new models and wanted to paint them decently.

Death - Interestingly the ideas around the modelling side of this project was secondary to me being drawn in by the awesome fluff.

So something different for each of the 4 GA's really. Interesting to see the different reasons or motivations behind each I think!

Chris

[Will]

I've taken the opportunity to paint up a load of metal models that i've wanted to do something with for ages. Its basically the perfect opportunity to dig through my stash and put an army together! The relaxed restrictions on army comp is really refreshing.

[Grimnaud]

I haven't really started a new army since 8th edition when I bought way too much second hand and have since been busy painting and converting everything to fit in AoS. But I'll be picking up the ghoul-box and expanding my undead. It's always a cool story or a cool picture that sets me off on a new army. The description of the ghouls as an insane court, thinking of themselves as noble and fair while feasting on flesh did it for me. Reading the end times books and the return of Vlad von Carstein got me started on the undead, while the image of a stalwart shield wall of dwarfs defending against enemies on all sides are to blame for the 100+ unpainted dwarfs I have gathering dust.

[PJetski]

Before AOS I had not played Warhammer in 10 years. I always loved the Lizardmen but felt like the rules to WHFB were too convoluted and unnecessarily complicated.

I started a Seraphon collection with a Start Collecting! box and I started playing a few skirmish games. I was surprised at how fluid the gameplay was and really enjoyed how well they streamlined the WHFB experience. I wanted to try the Shadowstrike Starhost so I picked up some chameleon skinks and ripperdactyls. The next step was to try the Thunderquake Starhost, so I bought some Salamanders, a Bastiladon.... and before I knew it I ended up buying the entire line of Seraphon miniatures from a GW reseller  

My biggest problem now is finding time to paint all my miniatures and trying to find more time to play games.

[Soulsmith]

For me, it is usually a combination of fluff and models. I have played less games of whfb than I have years of collecting, so for me the models are really important - I want to enjoy painting them as that is what I usually spend most my time doing with them. Once I move this summer I look forward to getting involved in the hobby more and trying some games of AoS with a new orruk force, part new ironjawz and part old salvaged whfb orcs. 

I enjoy dabbling in writing, usually as a GM for my friends. So AoS is quite liberating in that there is so much freedom to write background and setting. For my current tribe of greenskins, I am thinking a mountain or valley with a strong river, one of the main sources of water for miles around in a savannah landscape. Not sure what plane it should be set in though, I'm not too savvy with AoS lore if I'm being honest. I just like the idea that the landscape is many tribes of savage nomads, with forest goblins in the canopies around the river, as well as river trolls. And then in the caves of the valley are groups of night goblins, with the choicest settlement spots and areas of resources owned by the ironjawz, who knit together the tribes for war when spoils run dry. I should really start formulating this properly!

For my Nurgle force, I had always liked the subtle maleficence behind Nurgle; never quite as blunt as the other gods. When the Blightkings dropped it was a good excuse, the miniatures are beautiful, topped only in my eyes by the new ironjawz. I picked up enough models for a small wfhb army and when they're done I will leave them be.

So yeah, I like models and fluff I guess, sorry for the ramble!

[APH]

I always start with fluff.  For my Age of Sigmar project, I crafted my fluff from the old Dark Shadows campaign, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and a little bit of Magic: The Gathering to wrap my head around the new Realm system (compared to the typical monolithic Fantasy setting).  I'm in a similar boat as Shane - I love old/abandoned factions, and the Fimir fit the bill.

[DamonRafael]

From my side, I started Warhammer again with AoS release. I ordered the first box, and I was impressed by the quality of plastic - last time I had a miniature in my hand was with the comparison of the first Saurus.. I still have my metal Stegadon on the painting table!

Since then, I kept buying Chaos stuff, as I shared the Stormcast with my brother. 

To summarize.

Seraphon - My first love, I started them when I was a child, and I was in love with dinosaurs

Chaos - had them from the starter set, therefore it was kind of easy to keep going with Khorne Bloodbound.

Death - I always loved the idea of an undead army, in all fantasy book I've read I was always impressed by how they were characterized  -> therefore, I bought a Start Collecting and I now ordered a Flesh-Eater army  

[Dez]

It's usually a combination of things for me, usually sparked by a cool model. I'll then get an idea for a conversion and/or theme for an army. Then I'll start reading and researching and get even further into it. 

For instance, I've wanted to do a Goblin Spider themed army since Battle for Skull Pass came out. I recall seeing a picture somewhere, which used Night Goblins instead and they had bandanas to cover their faces. I've wanted to do that since. I also thought, well Night Goblins are crazy to eat mushrooms...wouldn't they also consumer spider venom? Wouldn't they create Strange Brew from it? Of course they would! They'd also be working alongside lots of Squigs I'm sure, and there probably wouldn't be any foot troops because they are too slow to keep up. It goes on and on.

I'm also struck by how awesome the Ironjawz are, and just read Fury of Gork and their Destruction Book. I entered The Stronghold Orruk Megaboss competition, and just made something up on the spot:

Quote

Deffgob da Giteater

It's rumored that Deffgob had spent some time in the Ogor Stronghold Fighting Pits, where he picked up some unique fighting techniques...and habits. The only thing that strikes more fear into the heart than facing him in battle is knowing afterwards he'll feast on your remains. Any of da boyz that speak against it get invited to talk about it over lunch. 

So I started thinking about it, that would make a great themed army! A bunch of Orruks who learned from the Megaboss who was brought up in the Maneater Fighting Pits, and learned to eat the flesh of his opponents. All live in fear and awe of him, and are careful not to get too close lest they get gobbled up. Then I thought it would be cool to add in some Ogre stuff, I always loved the Stonehorn and stuff like that. I could use Ogre bodies, but convert them into super fat Orruks who consume their opponents (in this case Stonehorns, Thunderstusks, Mournfang, etc). Which would explain why they are morbidly obese.

So I guess it's my imagination that starts running away, and my modeling and painting hands that try to catch up!

[polarbear]

I'm a fairly weak painter but I enjoy the painting side of it most, so for me the most important thing is I like building and painting the models. The point of me spending money on Warhammer is largely for the X number of hours assembling and painting the kit. If I come up with a vision to do the army in a way that suits my preferences, I'm pretty much good to go. I've found when I base my interest off rules I like more than the models, I lose my motivation.

[Sete]

Weeks of indecision, of thinking on several different projects, each morning bringing a new idea that I would like to bring to life.

Just this week I went from Chaos to Death and now Fyreslayers, because suddenly im in the mood of slayers and giant axes.

I want chaos, then I see shiny new models and think, yeah why chaos doesn't have new warriors?

Then I check death but all Vampires are Finecast and that bums me out...

And then you see a stuntie with a huge axe and you go hell yeah! I want some of that!

Lets see what tomorrow brings...

[Dez]

Hehe sometimes I have the same problem, Sete. That's why I work on several projects at the same time

[Aaron Schmidt]

I am usually struck by a model, or an idea for a conversion of a particular model first. Then I try to build upon where that leads with a theme. I figure out what would support that theme in terms of models. I am a conversion junky so usually my next step is to figure out what I can do with stock models to make them more interesting or fit the theme better.

When I am driving around or taking the subway to work I ponder the models a lot, mostly how I will do the above. This is my 2nd favorite part of a project (1st is seeing it done on the table)!

[Mehman]

New army? Well, I'm not sure. Let's see about a few reasons why I have some of them:

• Beastmen - This was my first true Warhammer army. Apparently, I got in right after they had gotten a new Army Book. Anyway, I chose to start them because I was reading backstory in the Warriors of Chaos book and they seemed really tragic. Plus, I like satyrs, minotaurs, and other Greek mythological creatures.
• Stormcast Eternals - I read Chapter One in Warbeast and decided I had to get some. Dear dark gods that is a great book. They aren't tragic like my Beasts. They lived their lives and made actual decisions that could affect them either positively or negatively. That they get vengeance upon those they hate is why I picked them. Well, that and the little stories I write mainly come from their viewpoint.
• Flesh-eater Courts - You know, I'm starting to see a trend here. It's the stories in the background that make me want a certain army. It's basically the same for these guys, too. Not so much their backstory in the main but more of what I can do with them. They're the main enemies to my Stormcast in the Realm of Shadow. Why? I don't know yet as they haven't told me. We're working on it.

I've yet to see a model that made me want to start an army based off of it but the Flesh-eater Courts come the closest. The only reason I didn't have one in WFB was because of the ridiculous buy-in for an army and the time required to paint everything.

[Xemenes]

I always fall for fluff and aesthetics of an army, not necessarily official fluff, but I see models and like to make up my own characters and lore for my own armies.

[40pluswargamer]

I am, or have been, a very Magpie type of gamer/collector. New shinies come along and I have to get them. This has happened throughout my wargaming career and still happened up until a week or so ago. The new Orruk Ironjawz had come out and being an previous O&G fan I just had to start an army of the greenskins. After placing the order for the Brutes and the battletome I continued to browse the webstore and came across the Destruction battletome. Not only could I collect the new Ironjawz range, but I could muster forces of Shaggoths, Gargants and Grots - oh, my. 

Destruction book ordered.

And then Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower took over, flooding me with a tsunami of nostalgia. Back in the 90's I played that game every week for years, alongside Advanced Heroquest. I had characters that lasted years, journeyed throughout the land that was, joining up with armies to undertake huge campaigns that spanned the world.

And it was coming back. But that meant I couldn't afford to buy new models for the Orruk force for a long time, which would mean any games of AOS would be a long time coming. This is where the Yorkshireman in me takes over and says: can't afford both, me-lad. (backed up by my fiancee who would prefer we got more Dungeons & Dragons stuff).

But wait, what is this... I can make a playable force for AOS using the Tzeentch models from the WHQ box? SCORE!

And so, long story short, while I theme my armies around a storyline, backed up by choosing exciting models (I'm already planning a Marauder army with the Darkoath Chieftain as general), at the end of the day COST is a very big factor. What can I afford to buy right now, which usually leads onto, apart from body organs, what can I sell to get me my toy soldiers sooner?*

Not an exciting response, but a truthful one. Sometimes it hurts being Yorkshire.

*it was the Oruuks in this case. So long Ironjawz, hello Tzeentch!

[hobgoblinclub]

It's always the models for me. An army with a few units I like look of used to be the one I'd go for. The rules would come after I'd bought my favourite stuff. 

I say 'used' because it's changed a little in AoS. I'm not sure how you can find yourself in a position to start afresh, unless you're switching alliances. The Grand Alliance system means I'm constantly adding little bits here and there. I didn't need to 'start' a Rotbringers army and blow £200. I just bought some Blightkings and added them to my daemons.

Army collecting seems much more fluid now, rather than stopping and starting. It's a genius marketing move really. 

[Dez]

That's what I was thinking, I'm not tied to doing an Orcs and Goblins army...I can choose anything in Destruction! My Warriors of Chaios army was Mono Tzeentch, but now I can add in the Nurgke Path to Glory warband I built and even include my Skaven alongside them. Sayl the Faithless will also finally be completed

[Emicus]

I need a combination of model aesthetics and fluff to get me hooked, and when it happens it's a cruel double whammy! Having good rules is also a bonus of course, but there's so many cheeky combinations in AoS it's hard to miss out on those.

TLDR:

1- see model: Drool

2- read fluff: Imagination on fire

3- sucked in: Wallet weeps

 

[Lysandestolpe]

Like many stated in this post, nostalgia definitely influenced my decision. I was very close to go ham on Skaven as it was my first army back in the 90's. However, last minute decision I turned to Orcs as they allowed (according to my set of skills) to convert and build more stuff. That being said my decision was 100% aesthetically based. I have never had a bad time painting Greenskins, even when there was about 120 boyz. 

As for fluff and influence of gameplay, I would be interested in Sylvaneth or High/Wood elves for a second army should my economy bloom.

[Stevewren]

I've just been working on various models that I want to add to different armies as I've yet to find a 'new' force that I want to start. I've enjoyed the chaos stuff, but now I'm back on the wood elf and Sylvaneth kick which is fun. Next up this month is a few dwarf and empire pieces...