For the 200th post of this blog (yup I said 200!) I wanted something special. I tossed around some ideas in my head but nothing really struck me as noteworthy. Someone pitched an idea at me to mirror my ‘look ahead’ previous post and that was a look back at where/what my armies have been. That’s right… special is me!
(Also, I looked back and found no official introduction post for myself…)
Way back, circa 1990, I walk home from high school and pass a small hobby store each day. Already an avid AD&D player and comic book fan, I visit the store so much they ask me to work the counter for them. I sell a lot of battletech minis, one guy in particular buys them by the dozen, and before long I’m painting giant robots… in miniature scale. This leads me being invited to “the club” to see how the game is played (There’s a game??). I think it was the end of ’91/early 92 I finally visit and see the biggest game of battletech ever. I’m hooked and become a regular with ProdigalSon. A few weeks/months later one of the other regulars runs a small demo of a game called Warhammer 40,000. I’m assigned a small squad of space marines. ProdigalSon takes over driving my Rhino (with powerfields) and drives over many Eldar. We’re hooked instantly.
I switch to painting a few Chaos Marines that come 2 or 3 to a blister. I try out some Genestealer Hybrids as well. I’m starting to like the Chaos Marines but soon after find a model I fall in love with. I name him Rolf and become a Space Wolf player. I soon am taking home models in lieu of pay. It’s a habit. I’m painting sporadically now until I have The Dream. A White Dwarf is released and we find that Marines now have a 4 toughness. All is right with the world.
Second Edition drops. We’re so excited we tear into the box in the parking lot. Plastic Marines. A new habit forms. Some guy buys everyone’s ork half of the box. So many templates. Characters become king. I love my Thudd Guns. I’ve bought some guard models “for a rainy day” and secretly a Hive Tyrant to go with all the Genestealers from my copy of Space Hulk.
Third Edition drops. I had just gotten married and my poor Wolves gather dust. On a rare visit to a GW store I peruse the 3rd edition rulebook and scoff at things like “AP” and “instant death”. Tank crews no longer can escape? My world is tipped.
My Nostalgia… my NOSTALGIA!
Edition 3.5. ProdigalSon moves back to town and finds me freshly divorced, weeping, clutching a rolled up copy of the 2nd edition rules. He dusts me off, gets me back in the game, teaches me how to lose vs his blasted Tau and takes me to my first tournament. I’m hooked all over again. People marvel at the odd-looking Land Raider and weird Rhinos. I threaten them with my metal dreadnought. I buy some more Tyranids.
Fourth Edition – Somewhere along the way I purchase a game store. I unleash the full fury of my near-secret Tyranid army. People fear the Genestealer. One guy moves out of town. Eventually Apocalypse drops. I decide I want a grav-tank army but don’t want to paint millions of troops. I start collecting my Eldar army, no one walks – tanks and jetbikes for everyone! Fourth ed D&D is announced, rumours of Fifth 40k surface, sales wane and my store sadly, closes.
Fifth Edition hits. I’ve moved to a new state, and my Eldar are in full force! I discover swap meets at the local store. I trade my Space Wolves for Orks and some other things for Sisters of Battle. I trade my way into a Guard army as well. I’m now rocking five full 40k armies. Eldar, SoB, Tyranids, Guard and Orks. There are some Chaos Marines there somewhere as well.
Sixth Edition. I think that I’ll switch to Tyranids for the new edition. My first game is a wash. Second one too. The new Overwatch rules wreck my Genestealer charges. A minor setback. I switch to guns (and Eldar). The ranks swell. I start the War Dolls. I also begin running tournaments at Giga-bites. I meet the Warboss along the way. She begins her journey into nerd-dom with me and then takes my Orks. I’m okay with that.
Seventh Edition. We’re both all in at this point. The Ork army becomes larger and more powerful than I ever imagined. Eldar ranks swell too, I add some of the dark kin. I become Mrs Warboss!! I sell off the Tyranids (but keep the Genestealers and that first Tyrant). We move back (for me) to Mississippi. The Chaos Marines, my long time forever project, are tearfully sold away.
Here we are today. I’ve sold off the Dark Eldar, but now have a nearly 100-strong Stealerbug Genestealer Cult force. Over 9000 points of Eldar that are painted. A satisfactory 2000 point Adepta Sororita force and the previously mentioned Guard army. We’ve made some good friends and nestled into the local club. It’s only upwards and onwards from here!