Games Workshop has three main Tabletop Games. Warhammer aka Warhammer fantasy, Warhammer 40,000, and The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game.
Now this isn’t about which is most popular since these games were released decades apart. Clearly some have advantages gaining a fan base.
This also isn’t about who would win in a fight, sorry guys.
Also try to keep personal genre preference out of the debate. If you don’t like sci fi, or you just can’t stand fantasy then its obvious which you’d pick.
Now I’m really only fit to judge two of these games but I’ll lay down my take on them anyway.
Warhammer 40,000:
Pros:
-Vehicle combat mixed in with infantry combat.
-Games are eventful with frequent casualties (unless you’re playing Necrons vs space marines).
-Diverse model line allows for many troop choices even within the base armies.
-Multi part figures allow for customization of troops
Cons:
-Most expensive of the three, 40k models average about $3 per model. Fielding a basic force usually requires a minimum investment of $65 or more. This cost makes it difficult to take advantage of the wide variety of force options.
-Some may find the background material gaudy and unappealing. Many elements are shamelessly stolen from other franchises.
-Multi part figures require a greater amount of time to assemble.
Side note: for the longest time I hated 40k. I didn’t like the background and found the idea of a world in which the good guys are fascist dictators and the bad guys want to wipe out all life in the universe wholly depressing. Then I discovered the Tau and somehow sympathized with these semi reasonable people besieged by utter chaos. For me the point of 40k isn’t immersing yourself into the whole world and all its races. Its about finding one race you like and hating all the others so you have a genuine emotional investment when attempting to wipe them off the map.
Warhammer Fantasy:
Don’t know much about this one but I know a few pros and cons.
Pro:
-Diverse forces
-Square bases and movement plates allow for quick movement.
Cons:
-Some may find the caricaturesque figures unappealing
Lord of the Rings: Now I’m a little biased here as I own over 400 of these but oh well.
Pros:
-The least expensive of the three, Lord of the Rings figures average $1 per figure. A basic force can be bought for as little as $25 with full starter sets costing $40. This low cost allows players to collect a variety of forces, or build one or two massive armies with literally hundreds of stock troops.
-Easy to learn background material. The LOTR SBG is based primarily on the Lord of the Rings Films with latter expansions focusing on the books. As such you can learn the background material by watching the films.
