Whether you’re a new or veteran hobbyist remembering these two big things will save you time and money over a lifetime of hobby adventures!
The hobby world is growing and if you’re just jumping into the scene, here are a few things that you don’t always need to do, (despite companies making you feel like you need to).
When Picking Out Your Army
Diving into the topic of picking out your army, when it comes down to it for games like 40k/AoS, you need a lot of points. Most games are run at a 2,000 pt limit and depending on your faction, you could be running anywhere from three models up to 200+. That being said, getting a faction to 2,000 pts comes with a price tag. Bottom line: You don’t need to spend all of your money to get all of your points immediately.
Grab just the necessities you need to play a legal game of whatever your game is and test things out. Get a feel for your army and look at their strengths/weaknesses before you go and drop $300+ on units that you may never use. When you do finally decide that there is a unit out there that looks good, go grab a friend and proxy a model as that unit before you buy it.
Warning: Don’t turn into THAT GUY that proxies a model for 6+ months and takes those “test models” to tournaments. Play a few trial games and make the decision if you should get the actual model or not.
When Getting Your Hobby Supplies
If you’re jumping into the hobby, you’ll probably be looking at painting guides, popular streamers, or even the miniature company’s site like Games Workshop. You might feel like you have to get XYZ hobby supplies that will end up setting you back more than you want.
In reality, you don’t need to spend $33 on a pair of snippers or $20+ for a paintbrush. (Yes, GW has multiple brushes going for $20+). While we can make the case for some paintbrushes out there if you’re new to painting and want to get a feel for everything, go to Hobby Lobby and buy a pack of twenty brushes for $10.
As you get more practice, you can venture out into higher quality things!
Ultimately, the hobby is as expensive as you want to make it. And while you might be pressured to buy all of these bells and whistles, just find what works for you and keep practicing. Pace yourself when it comes to building up your army as well. Take your time and paint the models you have before you drop another paycheck on more boxes.
If you are looking to save some hobby dollars with discount codes from top hobby manufacturers, consider supporting us on Patreon for access to our discount codes page:
Veterans of the Long War, or Spikey Bits Patreon supporters can get discount codes to use right now!
What are some tips you’d like to share with new hobbyists? How long did it take you to get to a 2k pt list? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and sign up to get your free hobby updates newsletter (with discount coupon codes) each morning as well!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
