Just what is it about Warhammer 40k that keeps people returning to the miniatures, background, games and art despite growing prices and a wealth of other options?
With the recent release of GW’s latest experiment (Age of Sigmar), and the staggering price increases of the last three years, this topic seems to be the hot button issue flying around the interwebs. Why stick with GW and 40k? If you’re new to the hobby why not start with another gaming system as opposed to that which takes place in the Imperium of Man?
Of all these conversations, dialogues, and controversies the one I constantly get the most frustrated by, and feel the the most inclined to respond to is:
“I switched to Warmachine/Hordes/Malifaux and everything about the miniatures/universe/system is better, you need to switch too.”
I’ve watched Warmachine with some interest ever since the first warjack appeared on the scene. I’ve bought a few, turned them over, and briefly considered assembling them, but I’ve always traded them off. While 40k has grown, so too has Warmachine and it was only recently that I was able to finally come up with a definitive argument as to the difference between a fan of the Grim Dark and a die hard Warmahorde/Malifaux fan.
And with that, I will seque into my introductory column into the world of 40k blogging with this postulation (big words are fun) as to why there is a Warmahordes/Malfaux vs. 40k split in diehard fans.
Now, please, PLEASE realize I am an artist first, a miniature painter second, a sci-fi fiction fan third and a gamer dead last. Gaming is something I am good at, I can hold my own, make a list, and play tactically but it is the part of the hobby that provides me with the least amount of joy.
This column is therefore 100% in regards to the miniatures/artwork/background of the worlds, and I promise it’s going to offend people, but meh, it’s the internet and that’s what happens here…
What I’ve noticed as the biggest difference between Warmachine/Malifaux fans and 40k fans is that the W/M fans prefer a more cartoony/stylized/anime influenced and “fantastic” visual atmosphere. They like those huge anime swords that defy the laws of physics in every way possible.
‘Super cool, sexy looking wizard with big eyes?’Yes, I must have it!’
‘Is it kind of steampunk, but also anime, is it also a tad classic Sci Fi? Who knows, but it sure looks cool, and I must have it!’
These fans don’t mind if things defy logic or look like they jumped into the middle of a cross between an early 90’s U.S. cartoon and Trigun. In fact that’s exactly what the W/M fan prefers, a little bit of every influence.
The background and storyline are not relevant because the visual imagery is so exaggerated that the background/fluff doesn’t need to be that deep. (Think Dragon Ball Z, on repeat, over, and over, and over again. The only thing that can keep the story going is if the characters/models/art can go “super super super saiyan and beyond”).
40k fans on the other hand prefer a more classically inspired image (ever notice that all of their designers are classically trained in anatomy, and can draw some of the best human faces in the entire realm of contemporary illustration?). Now GRANTED 40k went through a super cartoony phase or two 2nd Edition/Necromunda era and some of the Wayne England Black Library covers that were just horrid. But, ultimately even with these toe dips into a more cartoonish aesthetic GW has always pulled artists that are classically trained with limited or no anime/cartoon influence behind their work. While we may occasionally see comic book style illustrations in GW’s library these pieces were inspired by earlier Marvel/D.C. an industry that is built off of stylized exaggerations of the Classically rendered human form. Sure GW can and does produce imagery and content that defies logic, Terminator armor being the most obvious, but ultimately their artwork and fluff are rooted in a physical reality that makes their material read as physically “possible”.
When one couples the artistic syle with a universe that is also rooted in the classics and inspired/written by people with a broad understanding of Western History one finds a Universe that pulls from the masters in its art, story lines, and its writing. Understanding the depth and extent of the 40k realm will take a bit more time and commitment to dig into.. To immerse one’s self in the world of 40k is a serious commitment, and some people just aren’t interested in it. I get it, and also support that there are fans who want a more fantastical atmosphere from their games. It is important that W/M exist so that GW doesn’t feel a need to change their approach towards the 40k universe. We’ve all seen GW flirt time and again with going for a cartoony, stylized, simplified style and it’s never lasted. I like to think that the W/M fans help keep GW from dipping too heavily into this realm, however the AOS release may suggest that GW is currently trying to get a little bit of both worlds. Since I’ve never been a Fantasy fan I’m willing to let them play with the AOS brand as much as they want, maybe something truly unique will come from this,, but if they let the style influence 40k in any way they’ll kill their money making brand as 40k has never been a Saturday morning style Universe, and those of us who return to it time and again know this and trust that GW won’t totally screw it up.
I could go on and on for hours citing historical sources and specific time periods where the artists and authors have drawn their inspiration for the 40k world, but we’ll leave this first post with this closing statement:
The 40k Universe and Imagery is on par with, and at times far superior to Star Wars and Star Trek and for those of us who are true fans there is no comparison even amongst the top three of all time. 9 Foot swords are not Munitorium approved, and anime eyes are a clear sign of nothing short of heretical mutation. The Grim Dark is a universe that draws from human history in order to create an atmosphere that, while graphic and horrid, fully captures what a galaxy spanning human empire really would look like. Despite all of GW’s shortcomings those of us who are in it for the story, know that 40k has evolved into something truly unique and we wont be easily swayed away from a storyline we’ve dedicated decades towards watching evolve.
-Here’s to the next ten years, as I personally can’t wait to see what comes of the Imperium of Man.
-In The Name Of Him On Earth
Inquisitor Gahvriel Seth
