Are You Overwhelmed By Army List Building?

Coming up with your army list for a game system, especially when you're new to wargaming, has been described as "overwhelming" - but it doesn't need to be. Uncle Atom has some simple guidelines for you to follow.

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[Grimmlocked]

"Smashing landraiders together on the table"- is that what the kids are calling it these days?

[NerdySatyr]

I'm the complete opposite to be honest, the list building is one of my favorite parts of the game! I love theorycrafting new lists and (only to buy the minis and never paint them! X_x)

[AynOtori]

I just buy the models I think look cool for the army I play and then plan a list later and add models. Works for me.

[dougsundseth]

First, miniatures are just markers. They're pretty markers that I've spent way too much money on, but they're just markers. It's entirely possible to play any game with much simpler markers (say bases with labels of what might eventually be on them). With that, a simple, practical way to build an army:


1) Pick an army that seems fun for whatever reason.
2) Build a list without worrying too much about it and make up proxy markers for the army.
3) Play a game with that proxied army. If your friends tell you that's not legal, find new friends.
4) If you still like the army after you have played it a few times, start buying models. If not, start over with a new army.
5) Buy only the figures every list for that army needs and start painting them. If you're not an accomplished painter, paint the rank and file first, because they're not what people pick up to stare at anyway. By the time that you get to the leaders, you'll be a better painter.
6) Play more games, using your painted figures and markers for whatever else. Each game, tweak the units you're using and find out how to set up the army to work with the way your brain works.
7) As you play, you'll figure out what you really need for your version of the army. Buy the stuff you know you want and paint it too.
8) Iterate until the army is fully painted.
9) Start over with a new army. (Not required, but realistically, .... 8-) )

[audioweasel]

"We each have a dozen land raiders and fight each other" you know... that sounds tempting

[OnPointHQ]

I'm primarily a Bolt Action player and list building is aided by the theatre selectors in the army books. You choose your period and use the units/vehicles that were available at that point in time. What I always try to do is pick a theatre list and then research to find an actual division, regiment etc that fought in the campaign or battle and frame my list around that. Often my lists are 100% likely to lose but broadly historical and I'm perfectly fine with that :)

[gratuitouslurking]

Good lord, the stuff around 9:39 feels like the EXACT situation I'm in. Over the last year I've been slowly trying to get my listing to something that can actually win at the 2k level (still no luck thus far, but I feel like that's also because A: vanilla CSM and B: heavily ITC area, so there's a lot of top-level meta to boot). I've been given models by various people they weren't using that helped expand my arsenal, but honestly the stuff I've been given I've either never used or just not gotten a good combo of things to make work. The Land Raider and old Iron Warrior warpsmith guy I was given in particular is the prime example of this. I plan that later on in the current Escalation event to try and give it a spin, but as it stands about the models I've gained of the gifts that's been most useful is the metal Obliterators, a few heavy weapons and a termie sorceror. The near constant year of getting my shit kicked in certainly isn't helping my mood either as I try to find some meta to get at least middle road foothold instead of middle of the pack bottom brackets even on the 'casual' tourney events. My plan for holiday/birthdays is to get my guard stuff I also have sitting around as well, but that listing is also far better planned, so I hope that even with a 'not meta' addition in the form of a Baneblade variant, I may have better luck with both playstyle and unit options, not to mention the fact I'm glitzing them up as renegade guardsmen so kinda also in a decent hobby groove.

[CatchFlipsidE]

One other thing I would highly suggest before even buying rules is to find the subreddit for the game you want to play. For example I’ve just recently started painting up an army for Star Wars Legion, and the people over at the SWL subreddit have been INCREDIBLY helpful for a newbie to SWL like me.

[captorofsin]

There is a shocking lack of helpful information on this topic. Thank you sir!

[fatdelinquent]

addition to number 1, if you plan on playing Bolt Action, get their starter-pack. The best starter pack in the game.
You get the box and you have everything to start playing (after building the models). Complete rulebook, a bit of scenery, 2x quick rule reference sheets, dice, a written guide on how to build you models (like what guns etc you need.) and that guide also guides you to your first game step by step.
Can't get easier into the hobby.

[petrinafilip]

I built 3 1000 pts 40k lists before I realized that detachments exist. Luckily, I had everything required for atleast a batallion.

[wezab]

I am a big Excel nerd and I build my own table using excel for list building. I have learned to use query boxes so that nowadays I just update the points or stat's as they change without having to rewrite the whole sheet. Though I do admit there was a little more work involved when they made bikers fast attack. The other advantage of doing it this way is you learn the weapons and points really well. So now I key letters and numbers and my spread sheet populates the fields for HQ, Elite, Troops etc.. And it makes it so much easier to trial your own ideas.

[PigeonPrint]

Just wanted to say thank you, I recently turned 40 and your videos have given me the confidence to start printing minis. Such a wealth of information and inspiration on this channel.

[chriswiggy]

Something I did as well is made multiple lists that ramped up to the full list. Which was a lot of “listhammering” but I do enjoy that. It also allowed me to have smaller list I could play while still getting and painting models. Just a thought.

[NotTheStinkyCheese]

not knowing the play style/strategy you prefer ... kind of makes building lists really hard.
I do like what Battlefront has done with its 'slow grow league' for 'flames of war' where you build lists in segments, so it is easier to manage.

[spencerschaepman]

Thinking about whether or not you want to paint all of the models before you commit is a mistake a made several times as a rookie. I like the *idea* of horde armies. I don't like the tedious work of horde armies. I went through Imperial Guard and Skaven before I figured that out.

[overdriveactive]

I love building lists but I don't play (yet). It is a bit overwhelming so I'll definitely commit more to using Battlescribe. I keep seeing it but it feels awkward to use. Guess some more time on it will get me over the hump and help deal with the ungodly amount of options out there :)

[markoirv]

Haven’t watched the video yet but I had this moment this morning. Looking forward to watching this Uncle Atom!

[samuelsanfratello]

Super helpful video, Sir! I buy and paint Tyranids, but have never played them. I've played Space Hulk using Genestealers, but that's all. I don't even own a codex! Someday that may change and this video will be my inspiration!

[that-mccormick-guy]

15:14 That sir, is how you get pink eye.