If you're like me, then you probably have a whole host of problems, but you also might find yourself having an irresistible impulse to collect an opposing faction (or several) for the faction you have or plan to have.
Maybe you get introduced to a new game by friends or at a convention. Maybe you hear about a new game soon to be released... such as SAGA by Gripping Beast that I've been anticipating. I wonder how many of you experience a similar reaction to the one I have. I am not talking about building an army for a game system, playing it for a good while, getting bored of it and wanting to start a different army for that game.
No, it's not as benign as that.
What I'm describing is when you start to play a new game system, or decide to pick up some miniatures for a game that you don't even know if you'll have a chance to play, inside you think "Which other faction will I get? Because I should have an opponent for the army I'm going to build...what if I want to play with someone who doesn't play already? What if the game company goes out of business?" and more until there is no doubt... I am going to get a 2nd faction.
When I could resist the call of Ancients no longer I bought many boxes of Celts to make an Ancient Britain army, but soon bought some Romans too.. after all, they need someone to fight right? Nevermind the fact that 2 out of 3 gamers have Roman armies. Just recently when I ordered some spaceships from Hydra Miniatures I bought a fleet of both Zenithians & Imperials. I have several factions for Hordes. I also bought two Malifaux factions (that I haven't done anything with yet). A couple years ago when Zombiesmith released the Royalist Quar I could no longer resist buying some Quar: I loved the look of the Royalists... but was that all I bought? Of course not. I had to get Crusaders to oppose them (O.K. yes: and Partisans). Same with World of Twilight: I got an equal powered force of Fubarnii & Devanu. When I bought some 15mm fantasy minis it was with knowing that I'll be getting some for another army once Khurusan reopen their complete store again. And lets not bring up the multitude of 15mm sci-fi factions I have! Our local gaming group has been gearing up for Weird World War II and I have been building the Belgian Liberation Army. I thought I had dodged the call of the Opposing Faction, after all, there are many who will be playing too.. but no: the call of an opposing force was too strong when I had an idea for one.. which I'll be revealing soon.
It doesn't make it any easier when I think I may move to Europe at some point. The possibility of moving makes it even more compelling to have an opposing force for every game.
Maybe it is easier for those who primarily game with big armies for systems with a very big following, or maybe creating Opposing Factions just take too long & cost too much. Or maybe it's no easier to resist for them either.
So tell me, am I alone in this compulsion?
Maybe you get introduced to a new game by friends or at a convention. Maybe you hear about a new game soon to be released... such as SAGA by Gripping Beast that I've been anticipating. I wonder how many of you experience a similar reaction to the one I have. I am not talking about building an army for a game system, playing it for a good while, getting bored of it and wanting to start a different army for that game.
No, it's not as benign as that.
What I'm describing is when you start to play a new game system, or decide to pick up some miniatures for a game that you don't even know if you'll have a chance to play, inside you think "Which other faction will I get? Because I should have an opponent for the army I'm going to build...what if I want to play with someone who doesn't play already? What if the game company goes out of business?" and more until there is no doubt... I am going to get a 2nd faction.
When I could resist the call of Ancients no longer I bought many boxes of Celts to make an Ancient Britain army, but soon bought some Romans too.. after all, they need someone to fight right? Nevermind the fact that 2 out of 3 gamers have Roman armies. Just recently when I ordered some spaceships from Hydra Miniatures I bought a fleet of both Zenithians & Imperials. I have several factions for Hordes. I also bought two Malifaux factions (that I haven't done anything with yet). A couple years ago when Zombiesmith released the Royalist Quar I could no longer resist buying some Quar: I loved the look of the Royalists... but was that all I bought? Of course not. I had to get Crusaders to oppose them (O.K. yes: and Partisans). Same with World of Twilight: I got an equal powered force of Fubarnii & Devanu. When I bought some 15mm fantasy minis it was with knowing that I'll be getting some for another army once Khurusan reopen their complete store again. And lets not bring up the multitude of 15mm sci-fi factions I have! Our local gaming group has been gearing up for Weird World War II and I have been building the Belgian Liberation Army. I thought I had dodged the call of the Opposing Faction, after all, there are many who will be playing too.. but no: the call of an opposing force was too strong when I had an idea for one.. which I'll be revealing soon.
It doesn't make it any easier when I think I may move to Europe at some point. The possibility of moving makes it even more compelling to have an opposing force for every game.
Maybe it is easier for those who primarily game with big armies for systems with a very big following, or maybe creating Opposing Factions just take too long & cost too much. Or maybe it's no easier to resist for them either.
So tell me, am I alone in this compulsion?
No, you are not alone. Sadly, with the plethora of great 15mm SciFi figures around, I find myself buying figures from multiple sources because they all look so darn cool. My painting speed lags behind my buying speed, so the lead mountain is growing faster than I can knock it back.
ReplyDeleteNot a bit of it, I got stung once when a friend said we should take advantage of a deal and buy one side each, that was 15 years ago and he still hasn't painted them, I also like the possibility of how many others I could them against, the more the better.
ReplyDeleteThis is just silly, an opposing force for an army you have or are planning to have? try 10 opposing forces and thats just in 15mm scifi.
ReplyDeleteBeen there, done it...with me it was Romans...they needed an opposing force but that was a year or so after I had restarted the hobby and by then I had a couple of hundred romans. Building the celtic army took me away from painting romans and eventually I gave up (more or less) on both projects. That´s why I´m doing generic medieval armies, both sides are so similar it´s easy to swop and change to make up two equally sized armies.
ReplyDeleteCheers
paul
I've been doing that for ages... eventually with more popular games I end up selling my 'secondary' army, and buying a different one a couple years later.
ReplyDeleteNo, not alone! That is the main thing keeping me from getting some 15mm scifi figures... thinking about the cost of getting TWO armies.
ReplyDeleteI know most people eventually pick up a second faction (or third, fourth) but didn't realize so many others suffer from the compulsion to start with a set of opposing forces too ;)
ReplyDelete15mm sci-fi seems to be the siren with the strongest call for this effect. I must have about 4 or 5 large sized factions and a score of small skirmish forces for other factions, with the intention (or illusion) that many can be mixed & matched to create larger groups of lose alliances.