When an Army We Don’t Even Like Suddenly Looks Amazing
We know this feeling a little too well.
One minute we are completely convinced that a given army is just not for us. No spark, no plans, no hobby budget allocated, nothing. And then someone drops a few photos into chat and the whole internal balance collapses instantly.
This time it was Michał, who openly admitted that Wood Elves do absolutely nothing for him in general — and then immediately got ambushed by the new Highlands Miniatures range. And honestly… we get it.
The first reaction was basically: “I’m not into Wood Elves at all, but these new Highlands Miniatures models are incredible.” Which is probably one of the most dangerous sentences a Warhammer hobbyist can say out loud.
Because once that thought appears, the next step is always the same.
Not a full army, of course. That would be unreasonable.
Just a small force.
Just 500 points.
Just enough to paint a few cool models and maybe play a tiny game or two.
And as Michał very wisely pointed out: it never ends at 500.
That is one of the most relatable parts of this whole hobby. We tell ourselves we are being restrained. Sensible. Mature, even. We are not starting a new army — we are merely appreciating some nice sculpts. Maybe buying a handful. Maybe printing or ordering a little test batch. Maybe building a compact list.
And then somehow there are characters, core units, support pieces, alternate sculpts, movement trays, paint schemes, lore ideas, and a growing sense that this army has actually been our destiny all along.
What makes this one especially funny is that the rational voice was still present in the conversation. Michał even delivered the full blog-worthy warning to himself: don’t do it, Michał. There are still unfinished 500-point armies waiting in line.
And not just one or two, either.
Skaven. Cathay. Vampires. Renegade Crowns. Bretonnians. Lizardmen.
That is already a pretty serious queue of “small” projects that were definitely supposed to stay small.
So this post is partly admiration, partly confession, and partly a public service announcement.
Sometimes an army does not appeal to us at all — until we see the right version of it. A great sculpt line can completely rewrite our opinion in about thirty seconds. And while we should probably be encouraging self-control, better planning, and finishing old projects first… honestly, this kind of thing is also exactly what we love about Warhammer.
The hobby keeps surprising us. New models can suddenly unlock an army we never expected to care about. And even when we know it is a terrible idea, there is something deeply enjoyable about that moment when our brain goes:
Fine. Maybe just 500 points.
We all know how that ends.
The lesson?
Probably: stay strong, finish the backlog, and do not let one beautiful miniature range derail your entire hobby plan.
The actual lesson?
We are absolutely vulnerable to cool models, and we suspect most of you are too.
If you want to see the range that caused this moment of weakness, here is the relevant link:
For now, we are calling this what it is: a purchase temptation of the highest order.
Whether it remains “just 500 points” is a problem for future us.