# 40k of Awesome



## Zion (May 31, 2011)

We've been having a lot of negative threads lately so I wanted to shift it a little bit with something light for a change. *This is not a thread for bitching about things you **don't like.* We have enough of those already. If you don't agree with someone just let it be and move on. We don't all have to agree here, it's just an open forum to share some stuff so we can talk about things we enjoy for once. So here goes:

What's your favorite thing in/about/around/related to 40k? It can be a model, fluff, rule, whatever. Anything 40k related is fair game.


To start, my favorite tank is the GW Exorcist. I love how over the top it is. An church organ. On a tank. That shoots missiles? Sign me up! It's honestly the model that got me into playing Sisters of Battle, and I love it even more for it.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

To steal a line from St Schwartzernegger the best thing about 40 k for me is :
"Crushing my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

I also like that it can be whatever I want it to be and I can change that depending on my mood.


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

Eldritch horrors whose mere existence you are unable to truly conceive, who will eat your soul.


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

The 'gunslinger' rule and how cool models running with two pistols look.


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## Jace of Ultramar (Aug 2, 2011)

The Legion of the Damned. Sheer awesome those guys are. I'm sad they don't play out well on the table due to cost, but, I love the look and the relentless nature of them. At some point, I will have a maxed out FoC slot just for them.


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## Anfo (Jul 17, 2009)

Bolter porn with large armored muscle men. 

And Lifta-Droppas, Shokk Attack Gunz, Madboyz, Weirdboy Towers are probably the most fun units.


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

In the early days. An ork upgrade, the gyro stabilized monowheel.
The shokk attack gun.
Dreadnoughts. Concept, not rules.
Power armor, i know its not unique to 40k but the 40k original concept is bloody awesome.
The tyranid grabbaslasher. I know its not there anymore but it was cool.
The rules for the ork splatta kannon. That was original.
Madboyz
Beetleback warlord titans. The coolest ride in the 40th milennium.
The original vehicle names in epic 40k for the orks.
Spleenrippa, bowelburna(my personal favorite, sounds like a potent beverage), gutrippa, skullhamma,gobsmasha(Another favorite) and so on. 

Finally the original spacemarine epic scale rulebook. There were fluff pieces in there that i remember to this day, despite being completly unable to find a copy of that book anymore. They were brutal and over the top and i so miss reading those.

Fuck, thats quite a list, maybe i am showing my age.


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## Kreuger (Aug 30, 2010)

Jes Goodwin miniatures. How else is Maugan-Ra still so cool?

Chaos. Evil warping the good. Evil screaming tragically against itself.

Rogue reader era chaos models.


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## Dies Irae (May 21, 2008)

I like the fact that there are so many races, chapters, regiments and stuff that you can pick an army the really reflects your personality. Or create it. Or just pick something completely different.

I like converting every single model, even just a little thing like tilting the head towards the weapon when it is aiming or looking towards where a pistol is pointed.

And finally I love lascannons. Lots of them. I can never have enough.


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

John Blanche, his work is like something from a wonderful nightmare of adolescence when you were young enough to think beyond the reasonable and old enough to tint such thoughts with darkness. That which you cannot turn away from but cannot accept. That is what 40k is to me. A terrible, amazing, twisted and infinite realm.


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

Oh yes, John Blanche. He is probably my favorite part of the hobby—like H.R. Giger gone Lovecraft.


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## maelstrom48 (Sep 5, 2012)

Land Raiders.


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

Kreuger said:


> Jes Goodwin miniatures. How else is Maugan-Ra still so cool?
> 
> 
> > True dat. He is the model that got me started in the hobby 11 years ago.
> ...


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## Archon Dan (Feb 6, 2012)

I really enjoy so many aspects of the hobby. 
1 I can paint my army however I want. 
2 I can create a compelling and fun backstory for them. 
3 I can write fiction about my armies or the universe at large. 
4 The models look good, are fun to pose and fun to play with. 
5 The background is fun to read and talk with others about. 
6 Black Library is comparatively cheap to other sci-fi franchises.


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## Zion (May 31, 2011)

I really like seeing this thread have this bit of nice turn out. A lot of good stuff here so I'm going to throw out some more stuff I really like:

-The Chaos Reaver Titan









Not only is this giant monster a bad ass kit of resin, he takes everything about the Imperial Reaver Titan and turns it to 11. It's a great model, it's full of character and it kicks a lot of ass.

-Conversions/Scratchbuilding
I love our hobby community's ability to convert or scratchbuild pretty much anything. I don't have half the talent most of them do at it, but it's still inspiring to see.

-Freedom
A lot of games don't have this. You buy the model and that's it. No extra parts, no changing around what they have, the model is the model is the model, that's it. With 40K if I want a 3 armed Chaos Marine (and I did make one, he was WYSIWYG in the old codex with a CCW, Pistol and Bolter) then it's perfectly fine, infact it's honestly encouraged! 

And just for fun, here's the 3 armed CSM I made:









-The sense of humour
I love that 40k, while being GRIMDARK and very serious has a lot of humour in it, and I don't mean just the Orks. The whole game has a lot of nice bits of parody, satire and even just in-jokes that you don't really see in a lot of games. It makes the game a lot more enjoyable when you find these little nuggets of fun.


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## Dragblud da scrunka (Mar 26, 2009)

Scratchbuilding stuff. Pose changes on models to make them come alive more. I think my squad of termies now look awesome with one doing a THIS IS SPARTA kick and stuff Ill grab a pic but its the most open ended game that is popular and guys and gals can do what they want really. Im still trying to get my ork army going but keep taking ages remodling


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## Jace of Ultramar (Aug 2, 2011)

Mossy Toes said:


> Oh yes, John Blanche. He is probably my favorite part of the hobby—like H.R. Giger gone Lovecraft.


You know what? You're right. I'd never noticed that before, but, you're right.


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

I have loved marines ever since space crusade, I love the fluff (for the most part) and although I never played epic I loved the old beetle back warlord titan and pray to the gods that when forge world do one it is a beetle back. I love the whole concept of the grim dark 40k universe. 

On the gaming side which I hardly ever do as I collect plastic crack at a rate I can't paint, I love the fact you can paint it and model it to suit you and when you get pissed off you just put it back in the cupboard until your inner geek comes out again. I love the way the hobby creates a community which in turn creates things like Heresy Online I wish I'd found out about this place years ago!!

In short I love the complete escapism that it gives me!


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

I just like it all, pretty much everything about 40k is great, its all very wrong, but somehow its so right, 40k can be enjoyed on so many levels and in so many different ways its really hard to find stuff to dislike that cant be overshadowed or glossed over by something else that is just awesome.
But if i had to highlight something it would be the the models and in particular the models Designed by or influenced by Jes Goodwin, deep down i think that while ever GW are employing him, any price they put on a plastic kit is worth it just to keep him with the company.


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## normtheunsavoury (Mar 20, 2008)

Eldar Harlequins, they're made of awesome and are the first army I bought back in Rogue Trader days and are still the only army I've really played. I really should invest in an Eldar army but wouldn't have a clue where to start now. 
Other than that its John Blanche, I've always been a huge fan of his work and the sheer dark insanity of it, it really brings the 40K universe to life for me. 
And finally Chaos, what's not to love? They can be used to represent anything you want, from raging psychopathic evil killers to misunderstood rebels and anarchists.


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## oftenwrong (Mar 24, 2009)

I got my 20 heresy terminators set in yesterday and Hobbygasmed! HAAaaaauuuuuuuuu…


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## The Sturk (Feb 3, 2012)

Trazyn the Infinite, to me, has one of the best fluff in the game. I love the fact that he's an ancient kleptomaniac robot who imprisons living things into holograms and attempts to trap inquisitors into pocket dimensions.

I also got me a box of killa-kans at 10% off the other day.


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## MidnightSun (Feb 10, 2009)

I like the fact that crazy, awesome shit can happen in a game. It's tactical enough that there can be good players and bad players, but random enough that you can face a good general with a good army and still have a chance. I know it's hated by most, but 'Forging a Narrative' is fucking awesome. I had a game where I challenged a Chaos Lord with my Imperial Guard Sergeant in an attempt to stop him killing the squad. Of course, he rolls up Apotheosis. Another instance is my Dark Angels Sergeant with Plasma Pistol and Chainsword. I'm not particularly proud of the model, and I throw him into losing situations for overall tactical gain. He still manages wins most of the time. His Chainsword has claimed the lives of Noise Marine Champions, Painboyz, his Plasma Pistol has banished a Daemon Prince that was charging his squad, his Power Armour is scratched and scored from the amount of big guns that have failed their 2+ to kill roll. I don't get to make these kinds of legends with Magic: The Gathering or Dawn of War. That's why I love 40k.

Midnight


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## spanner94ezekiel (Jan 6, 2011)

The infinite possibilities that the game holds, from setting to storyline, to paint schemes, to races, to conversions, to army lists, to homebrew fluff and rules. 

Best bit? The Black Typhoons :wink:

Or Shokk-attak Gunz...


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## the_barwn (Jul 23, 2011)

normtheunsavoury said:


> Eldar Harlequins, they're made of awesome and are the first army I bought back in Rogue Trader days and are still the only army I've really played. I really should invest in an Eldar army but wouldn't have a clue where to start now.
> Other than that its John Blanche, I've always been a huge fan of his work and the sheer dark insanity of it, it really brings the 40K universe to life for me.
> And finally Chaos, what's not to love? They can be used to represent anything you want, from raging psychopathic evil killers to misunderstood rebels and anarchists.


I agrre completely, RT days of Harliquins & Grey Knights used to play the who could have the least models for the most points :laugh:

makes me nostalgic to rebuild my 1st army again an EC warband that could use assault marines


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## Arcane (Feb 17, 2009)

One thing I love about 6th edition are the new allies rules. LOVE them. Used to play that way with Inquisition in 3rd edition and now it's back in the game hurray!

So if you just really love say, Harlequinns, you can make a very small army of Eldar as allies for many armies out there and make a cool little squad of Harleys.

It's also something most players don't think about when they find gripes about their codex. Just ally in whatever you're missing. 

sorry nids...


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

Good point about jes goodwin. He is indeed a legend. I have two of his rt prototype terminator models. Most valuable models i own.


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## Blackwire (Sep 9, 2012)

Things I love about 40k? It's hard to do this without mentioning everything, but there are nevertheless some things that stand out.

Orks. I bloody love 'em. They're insanely quotable and brilliantly and unintentionally hilarious. Plus the whole concept of a race whose methods of going to war are based off pub crawls and football hooliganism - it works. One of those strange things that shouldn't be right, but so totally works.

Sisters of Battle armour design. Here's something I loved for a while coming off my rants of the impracticality of other sci-fi/fantasy female armours. It's the fact that they wear armour that looks like it can take punishment and isn't conceptually designed to win male teens over by arousal. No flesh showing save maybe the face. Seriously, how do other fantasy/sci-fi universes believe armour works? Because an armoured bikini protects close to fuck-all. Pardon my French.

Finally cold-handed space religion on a massive scale. I've never really seen fascism in space done like this in sci-fi. It affects the aesthetic of almost everything the Imperium has. Can you think of another sci-fi that has a bunch of battle-cruisers modelled after cathedrals? It just makes it so unique in my eyes, and gives it a real gift for the kinds of stories one can come up with.

There's my absolutes there. The game & background are already addictively immersive enough, but these are icing on the cake, so to speak.


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## notsoevil (Nov 30, 2010)

I'm with Arcane. Allies is one of the best decisions GW has made recently. It just opens up so many fun projects and builds.

I'm new to 40k. I had my Host of Worms army as an "art project" in 5th edition, but I never even played. Before that, I think I had a demo of 3rd and of 4th.

However, 6th has pulled me in to actually play. I think it started when I decided to finally listen to the first through Horus Heresy audio books. I had tried reading them before to no avail, but listening to them on my commute -- LOVED THEM. It finally cemented the setting in my mind and made me dive back in to my Nurgle based CSM army.

I love the hobby parts of the game the most. GW plastics are the best in the industry, without a doubt. So much so that I feel embarrassed for some companies who have recently started doing plastics.

The extra bits, the magnetization options, the ease of assembly and cleaning. All joys. I'm not the biggest on painting, but converting is my true passion.

I can't wait to get more involved in the local scene, even though I usually avoid LGSs, especially in campaigns.


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

Eldar. Something about a race of people who have such strong psyches they survive into death, the concept of the Infinity Circuit, the Dome of Crystal Seers, Wraithguard, Phoenix Lords... The list goes on.

The Second Edition rulebook, Codex Imperialis and Wargear book, plus the codices. Such an amazing collection of art, fluff, narrative and crazy effects. When I was 11 there was nothing cooler than Codex: Eldar and Codex: Angels of Death.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

As a second bite of the cherry I'd like to say that in reading through the thread I find myself thinking "Yes I feel like that" and even better "Wow, I never thought of that I'll have to give it a go". Great to see that from a bunch of ppl from all over the world.

I'd also add to that the fact that I can walk into any GW shop anywhere and immediately have a common ground with whomever is in there and I know pretty much within a few moments of walking in someone will come over and say "Hi"


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

Magpie_Oz said:


> I know pretty much within a few moments of walking in someone will come over and say "Hi"


And try to sell you Dark Vengeance and a Space Marine Battleforce, complete with paints and glue. Amirite? :laugh:


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Sethis said:


> And try to sell you Dark Vengeance and a Space Marine Battleforce, complete with paints and glue. Amirite? :laugh:


Not in my experience, but if it does happen what else would you expect to happen in a shop?

Contrast that to my regular experience of pursuing sales staff through the aisles of a shop trying to track them down so I can force them, beg them, to allow me to buy something off them


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## Antonius (Jan 10, 2012)

Playing Imperial Guard. I feel its awesome that humble humans, whether they be canned food or ground-pounding, can stand up on their own two feet and present a threat in a universe largely dominated by super-engineered post-humans, foul, fierce and powerful aliens / daemonic forces. IMO the fluff sees IG die in vast numbers, but on the tabletop (lol), a mech army is pretty damn tough. 

And, because i am sooo obsessed with mech, METAL BOXES!!!!!! True tank armies (IG in particular, IMO), can do some awesome tank armies of similar type to the armies of WW2-present. Tanks that have logical structure, and functional appearances similar to the MBTs and APCs we have currently


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## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

Sethis said:


> The Second Edition rulebook, Codex Imperialis and Wargear book, plus the codices. Such an amazing collection of art, fluff, narrative and crazy effects. When I was 11 there was nothing cooler than Codex: Eldar and Codex: Angels of Death.


2ed still makes me all warm and fuzzy :read:

*glances lovingly at the well-thumbed Codex: AoD on the bookcase*


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

I spent a lot of time collecting old 40k codices and rulebooks. They are allways great for a read through, paid a fortune for visions of heresy and the big chaos book,the imperial armor books, the fluff is so addictive.


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## Battman (Nov 2, 2012)

The storys, the models, the game, the hobby.

Particularly the Space Marines and Orks


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## TyphoidLmJ (May 20, 2012)

The sick scale of everything. Titans hundreds of meters tall. Palaces the size of continents. Cities the size of planets. Everything is so damn big and over the top. 
Thats the way humans should be doing it. We should have buildings to space by now.


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## bobahoff (Nov 24, 2011)

blood angels, bless em' they get a lot of stick but i don't care, i love em, especially astorath, death coy. and furioso librarians, i dont care what the best combo of powers is, i always use wings of sanguinius, no better comedy than the look on an opponents face the first time a dread goes 12" across the battle field.

game wise , i love dice rituals, watching guys donate ''unlucky'' dice to the shop or smashing them or shouting at them never fails to entertain.

and just generally the whole universe, the fact you have sites like lexicanum which are full of the fluff.

and of couse Jes Goodwin, that man is an absolute legend


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