Starting somewhere in the middle

So where do you start when you are collection 1,000 marines? I wanted a small army that I could play with pretty soon and that would embody the drop pod aesthetic that had really captured my imagination. With only a limited grasp of the mechanics of 5th edition, I put together a 5 drop pod 51 marine list that filled out nicely with 30 jump pack-less assault marines and a Dreadnought.

With such a heavy weight to the assault marines, the first chapter I was going to paint was the 8th, the Ultramarines reserve company, dedicated to assault.

 List clutched in my hand I turned up at Warhammer world and with my friends help bought the entire army outright. 6 drop pods, 6 boxes of assault marines, the Assault on Black Reach boxed set and a tactical squad box along with a few of the metal shoulder pads. The WHW staff gave me a great box to haul it all home in, a green plasma ammunition crate that I am still using to haul my armour around in.

Warhammer World started it all

Warhammer World is an international Mecca for fans of the Warhammer and Wahammer 40k hobby.

I did not actually visit until 2010 and I was blown away by the fantastic atmosphere and great gaming tables.

I had been out of the hobby for a while and I had agreed to meet a couple of friends for a game. This was my first encounter with drop pods and it was these that re-ignited my passion for the game and lead me to collect my first 'human' army. This, I decided, was how Space Marines were supposed to play!

Why the Ultramarines? I liked the fact that the Ultramarines are the definitive Space marines of the 41st millennium. They are part of the core cannon and have some pretty epic battles. They also fit pretty well with the rest of my Eastern Fringe collection, with Iyanden Eldar, Tau and a smattering of Orks. Last but not least there is a fairly clearly defined number. More or less 1,000 marines, meaning that however distant, there was an end point for me to reach to.