How many sides do you build and paint?

[pixelgeek]

For 10mm Fantasy I think I had 15+ armies at the last count - which is probably a bit excessive.

Excessive? How? 

[fusilierdan]

I usually paint both sides. I have a few projects at the moment that have only one side done but the plan is to rectify that.

[SotF]

It often depends upon the requirements to play the game and how interested I am in the game.

With Warhammer Fantasy, back when it was being played locally, I only had one army because it was relatively expensive to buy them and took a lot of time to paint up, especially since I liked Vampire Counts. I'd considered a second army, but local interest died when Age of Sigmar came out, and didn't have the modivation to hunt down the second army I wanted...though, technically, I had two different vampire armies since I had a customized one for the vampire pirates list, but the restrictions on it meant that I could only use it as a detachment size. I'd wanted to do a Brettonian force as a second army with some wood elves as a detachment there.

I have a small 40k force that was, I believe 3rd edition that was more of something that used very small point forces as a lunch thing that I only have my Imperial force that was more of a Marines with Inquisition leadership thing that's now impossible due to the lack of a heroes of the Imperium thing. Didn't expand the force due to it needing to be transportable at the time along with a major lack of funds and time at that point.

I've got a commando squad for a minis skirmish game that a few friends at the shop had put together, I built it up over time, also had a couple other factions squads for it...it was an oddball thing with a more X-Com type feel with the government facing off with aliens, demons, vampires, werewolves, cults, and a lot of other things.

Of Gods and Mortals was one where I got a force together, but the others stopped playing (That was more of a compromise between the historical and the fantasy players with what they wanted to have opponents for.

With Ronin, I have a couple different Buntai. Rogue Stars is one where I have several, but that's mainly because I used the WotC prepainted star wars minis for it after that game ended.

(A)SoB&H is the one that's gotten the most of my attention, I've got a pile of forces, partially because it crosses over with my D&D minis.

I did have 2 SW Legion forces, then the dog managed to get into my rebels, costing me about half the force that I haven't replaced yet...haven't really done much more with my Imperials now.

[N.C.S.E]

Both sides for me.
I enjoy hosting and enjoy having creative control (tm) over what sort of thing we're playing in. It's not so much about locking people out (if they have the other side, awesome!), but more that I can say: "these are the precise things they had at this time and place, so we're playing under those kinds of conditions." Getting all the research I've done down onto the table is part of the fun. My interests are also often niche enough that I have to assume I'm on my own in doing a period.

[v_lazy_dragon]

Both sides - my interests are so niche I have given up finding anyone with matching forces. That said, some overlap with my  main gaming buddies collection; but then we just tend to collect/paint what we fancy and pool resources for a game (often both contributing stuff to each side)

[Jemima Fawr]

I generally always paint 'both' sides (which in many cases can be a lot more than just two armies) for the reasons mentioned above.  As a registered misanthrope, there are also occasions when other armies do exist in my locality, but they belong to someone I simply don't want to play wargames with... 

Most irritating of all is when one of 'those people' latches on to a project that I've started, starts building armies and enthusing about it... That can get awkward... 

[Vis Bellica]

Both sides for me too, which can be frustrating sometimes as I want my figures to fight other people's figures rather than more of my own: feels too much like civil war!

[fred]

Excessive? How? 

Oh well, as long as you think its not excessive, then I’m fine with that! I’ll regard it as just a starting point then!

[swiftnick]

Usually both sides plus extras.
When the club did game of thrones I did Greyjoys, Tully's and Lannisters.

[AKULA]

Usually both sides plus extras.
When the club did game of thrones I did Greyjoys, Tully's and Lannisters.

Ooh...pictures please.


 

[swiftnick]

Already put the pics up when I did them.
Actually should dig them out again. Never finished the lannisters and the second manderley force.

[Harry Faversham]

Both sides every time, that way you a reliant on nobody. This daft way of doing things is now paying dividends, as I drift rudderless, into Billy-no-Mates wargaming.

[FierceKitty]

Usually more than two sides, but always at least one opponent. This was my policy even when I lived in Europe, and in South Africa, which has a lively wargaming scene; all the more necessary now I live in Thailand. My wife is my main wargames partner anyway, so there would always have to be a range of choices in the house.

[RSDean]

At least two, with the exception of club skirmish campaign games (e.g. Frostgrave) in which I’ve generally just done the figures I needed to play, since they are few and can generally be absorbed into the larger pool of skirmish game figures.

I’ve also absrobed a certain amount of DBA/HotT influence, so I tend to feel like “six” is a good number of sides for a compressed bsattle game, enough to build a viable campaign settimg.

[metalface13]

I'm the outlier, I just paint stuff for myself. I don't really have many non-gamer friends that I try to bring into the hobby. My kids are pretty young (8 and 5) so I've only introduced them to wargames a little bit. That's going to change when I introduce them to Rangers of Shadow Deep. I digress, but for the most part I'm just painting stuff for myself to play games with others. I have two exceptions to that, as I have multiple Blood Bowl teams painted and I have two armies for Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game, but only one of those is painted so far.