Construction. I became a 40k fan 25 years ago, my job had very little to do with it.
In my circle our group is diverse. Chefs, lawyers, tech, I'm probably the knuckledragger of the bunch.
EDIT: Construction was a cheat code before pre-measuring was allowed. A guy at my LGS when I was a kid was a master glazer, and he could eyeball distances with uncanny accuracy. Would pre-measure everything just looking at the table.
I'm a machinist. So, a blue collar boy as well.
I don't think career and interests outside of work. I can also eyeball within the 0-9" with ease. Anything beyond that is out of my realm. I've got incredible fine motor skills from tight tolerance deburring though. Building minis and painting are like work but therapeutic.
I'm a medieval historian. I started getting into 40k in late 4E in college/grad school because my mentor (a history professor who ran our "historical gaming club") had been playing since Day 1 and introduced a few of us to it.
Anecdotally, I know at least half a dozen other medieval historians who play (or at least paint and/or follow the lore).
I'm medieval historian and teacher in France, i have open a club Warhammer in my school last year and the teenagers love it. Ready to launch the second year in september.
Very cool! Where in France (if you don't mind me asking)? My university/program has a partnership with the Université de Poitiers and have done some exchange programs and events there.
I'm teaching and living near Paris in a town name Orly (international airport). I work with teenagers from 6th grade to 9th (middle school for you but WE name this "collège").
We paint and play W40k and with the V10, we will start a crusade with many combat patrol (i thin this is the best for them)
Ha, well, my mentor had been into WHFB before Rogue Trader/40k ever came out, but the rest of us never really got into it! I know a few medievalists who do AOS, but I personally don't like the aesthetic. That said... there's a GOOD chance I'll be getting into Bretonnians when The Old World comes out, if only for painting rather than playing!
There are PLENTY of historical wargames out there with various levels of fantasy elements, and historians/medievalists do like those too! (Shameless plug: Some friends of mine, including a medievalist, are about to launch a new game inspired by old WHFB and PC RTSs like Civ and Age of Empires, called [Margrave: The Marcher Lords](https://www.margravethemarcherlords.com/), so check them out!)
40k has the right combination of cool minis, backstory, etc., that it's just right for me!
I'm an IT service desk engineer.
But I came to warhammer when I was around 13-14 thanks to two things:
- Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels
- My cousin who had started a Dark Angels army.
I started off during 2nd edition and ended up getting the editions equivalent Leviathan box which was £50 back then.
Good Times.
Stone mason(specifically headstones/graves), used to collect Lord Of The Rings minis when I was a kid, saw an ad on TV years back for the Warhammer Conquest partworks.
"Ohh, used to like doing that stuff."
Now I'm in too deep.
Had an ex army supervisor in a traveling department. Super redneck guns fishing hunting etc. imagine my surprise when he invites me to dinner and he has a 2k home brew Tyranid hunting space marine chapter sitting on the shelf.
Do you take your minis on base and on tour and stuff? Sorry if that's a dumb question. I know nothing about the military. I just have this instinctive feeling that you're supposed to travel light? And wargaming supplies take up space and can be awkward to store.
I never took them overseas. I live on base though, so all of them are on base. I've had the guys at the gate search my car a few times and had them ask me to open my carrying case with my minis.
Edit- Living around military bases is AWESOME since there are so many gaming and nerd stores. A lot of nerds who couldn't afford minis as kids finally have money for the first time when they join. Games Workshop and other hobby stores know this and open up very close by.
Ex-Army officer here, who got into 40K while in the service (at age 25 for the first time, no less): ColoSpgs has several good shops and there was one in Monument as of a few years ago. Sorry I forget their names but there is definitely a 40K community around Carson!
My friend group in the army was mostly into magic, but I’d tag along when they’d go to the LGS on base, which is how I was drawn to it. It really surprised me how popular it was within the army compared to the general public.
Army, and I play orks and death guard. The way orks do leadership is kinda like the army, only your physical strength counts and very rarely does a clever Ork get put in charge (usually through un orky measures)
😂😂😂 so I could be a real space marine! I wish, but I'm not an US marine (huge respect for you guys!) I'm an Italian Marine, from CNPM task force (it's basically amphibious force)
Fellow Marine here, been into 40k since I was much younger never really had stable enough income to get into it.
Then I picked up the SM Combat Patrol box for an insane discount while in France last year w the 22 MEU. Been hooked on plastic crack ever since.
Now back In CONUS all my new boots saw all my models and bought armies of there own so it worked out well.
Soldier in the German military, I got into 40K a year ago because of the YouTube algorithm.
I‘m now a proud owner of a 1000pts Farsight Enclaves army. I really had to hold myself back from getting a Manta several times now.
I'm an engineer, but I've been in the hobby since I was 10. I've found this hobby tends to attract all sorts of people, though certain factions tend to draw more specific groups of people (looking at three of my friends who are all vets and play different guard regiments.)
Took me a moment to realise you meant ex-military and not people who worked with animals and wondered what the connection between that and imperial guard armies were 😅
I was interested in Warhammer since I was a kid but my exposure to it was limited to video games. I got a government job and I pass a Games Workshop store on my way to the office, so one day I decided to pop in and have a look, left with a chunk of my paycheck gone.
I'm a priest, and have been into Warhammer since I was 7 or 8. I saw a box of skeleton horsemen in a toy shop and have been hooked since then. My love of 40K naturally grew alongside my love of Fantasy. Now I mostly play 40K, running either Sisters or Daemons, and have a little 40K group at my church.
I know 2 other priests that play, although I'm sure there's more out there!
Edit: grammar
Curious. What's your take on the great irony of the emperor worshipped as a god, despite his adamant protestations that organised religion is the death of innovation .
Firefighter in UK.
First got sucked in by Space crusade. Excellent game at the time. Then krept onto space hulk. Got pretty decent at painting so generously painted minis of players at my local game store.
I collected Imperial Fists of Which I had a pretty big collection. Stop playing around the third edition. I still don't know what happened to them possibly still in my mum's loft...
Back now with a Grey Knights army for 10th. Currently on the painting easel getting them looking sharp.
Had a few friendly games but still learning the rules again and my 44 year old brain can't take it.
Im an ICU Nurse, but I don't know anyone at the whole hospital I'm working in, that even knows about warhammer. I got into it in elementary school when the older brother of a friend of mine introduced it to us
Museum curator and archaeologist. I learned about Warhammer around 1994 when my best friend went to the UK, and came back with the 2nd edition 40k starter set. Played off and on until about 2001, got back into the hobby last year.
Maybe unlike what others are sharing, I see a very direct line between my interest in Warhammer as a kid, and my subsequent university studies and choice of profession.
Construction monitor/inspector here. The lore grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I asked someone to teach me the table top. In hindsight I should have just found a drug dealer and taken up meth.
I actually was a meth addict for years. When I finally quit I had enough extra income to pursue the hobby that I had enjoyed reading the lore of for years. So glad I took the leap into it. I love playing casual games with the Mrs. And trying to get better at painting is difficult, but rewarding.
I work with an organisation that helps the homeless in the UK.
The job can be pretty bleak for a lot of reasons, so being able to sit down and just build / paint is an amazing way to decompress and focus on something positive in my personal time.
I actually got really invested during lockdown. I had some 40k models when I was a kid, but watching some lore / Play On battle reports got me to jump in.
Really brilliant, I became very close with all of the cast members and Henry himself was nothing but amazing. A gentleman, funny and a very generous actor.
I'm an Educator/Kindergarten Teacher playing Death Guard, my GF is a Surgical Assistant playing Orks, we both started one Month ago and we're 24 and 19 :D
I do Quality Assurance. I play tabletop rpgs, and some members of my gaming circle play Warhammer, and I'm a beginner. I've got the 4th edition book, and I'm collecting Drukhari. The lore around the Haemonculi is fucked up and I dig it.
I work IT, and my experience is that the hobby attracts tech fields more than others, but locally we have a bunch of people in the mining industry too (which is a major employer here).
I'm a surgeon. My brother has introduced me to 40k in 9th and I just fell in love.
I always wanted to play fantasy when it was popular but as a teen I didn't have any money. Now I have money but don't have much time.
When the Votann were announced I bought them all because I just love dwarfs, especially space dwarfs. I love playing with them regarding how bad they are at the moment, but my LGS usually don't go full meta so the games are fun.
ROCK AND STONE !
Im in Security, got into 40k because I saw terminators and thought they were cool as shit, fast forward 5 or so years after and lockdown and I impulse bought a Dark Vengence box.
Started 40k when I was a pastor. I play Word Bearers and Drukhari. Now I work in education administration. Warhammer definitely helped keep me sane in my previous line of work.
Edit: To clarify - as I'm aware of the bad reputation this line of work has - I should add that the only thing I am "anti" is hate.
Story time..
A few years ago I had a procedure that required a day or so of bed rest after. I was randomly scrolling through youtube and came across warhammer 40k videos. I was aware of 40k but I did not know what it actually was. I binged a lot of videos and really struck with Tabletop Tactics and PlayOnTableTop.
Fast forward to this year, I was still watching warhammer videos here and there and decided to hit up the local comic shop to see about 40k. I walked in through the door and was greeted by the most pleasant and friendly shop keeper around (we're now texting buddies) and I stated "I'm interested in warhammer" He immediately lit up and was very excited to show me about it.
The shop has a pretty decent selection so he escorted me over and started discussing the lore, history, different chapters and factions, etc.. It was so overwhelming. I mentioned to him that I'm more interested in mech/soldiers/tanks/war stuff rather than aliens, demons, dragons, etc.. He showed me Chaos Raptors which are incredible visually. I mentioned that these look amazing. I said I'll have to do some research as to what all the chapters mean as I was interested in Space Marines. I was about to head out and he handed me some free sprues that I rushed home to put together.
Fast forward a little more. Fathers Day 2023.. I've expressed interest in warhammer to the family just to plant some seeds. So the family went to the shop a couple days before, ran into the same shop keep and said "Escape Deez Nuts is my husband, he came in here before.. he wants warhammer, where do I begin?" He once again gave her the same spiel that he gave me, lore, history, factions, etc.. She's just "uh huh.. uh huh.." LOL.
She said to him, he likes mech and soldiers and doesn't like (as I mentioned before) demons, monsters, etc.. So we suggested the intercessor set, threw in the raptors as well. The wife said "more!" So he threw in a Blood Angels Furioso Dreadnought. She said to him "do you have any tanks too?" He said to me later that he felt like he was upselling her but that wasn't the case.. we go big during holidays and shit. He then suggested the Executioner which was thrown into the bag.
As she was about to check out she said "Oh, he needs paint too!" So the shop keep added a few paints. She kept asking "what about this and this and this" pointing to the other colors. Again the shop keep didn't want to sound like he was upselling said that it was optional colors. She asked "does he need it? if so, throw it into the bag" So 18 or so paints later she finally checked out.
Needless to say my Fathers Day was pretty legit with a great variety of sets to get me involved in the wild crazy world that is Warhammer 40k
Salesman here. I was first confronted wirh 40k as a 13 year old kit in a shop for kid toys and other hobby games. I a set of space marines, but didn't had any clue how to play the game nor anyone to play wirh me. Now, 13 years later i am 26 and met two guys on a birthday party who were interested to try the hobby. That was two months ago and now i have a necron army which struggles to fight tyranids AND space marines at the same time xD
Nurse practitioner, and I came to 40K through a friend. He showed me a video of something and I was instantly hooked on the insanity of it. I was also drawn to the fact that everyone sucked and humans were maybe some of the worst of them.
I’m a maintenance operations manager for a large airport before when I got into 40K and now a large hotel chain. I think the table top strategy game is what brought me in. My job is based around managing resources such as labour. I think it translates well to the game.
I was a factory worker in my early 20s when I first got in contact with Warhammer, bought a starter set with a colleague.
Then like for the most of is, it moved in phases. No gaming for years, restart, start another game (Warmachine, Infinity), another hiatus... Meanwhile I learned another profession I'm today a freelance IT consultant and over 50yo and after having a break during Corona am just starting new again with 10th.
I just work at a department store. I got into Warhammer before I got my job after listening to a friend tell me about it. After I got my job I started to actually buy minis and participate in the hobby proper.
I was an infantryman for 12 years on active duty US army, a combat engineer in the national guard for 5 years and I work in the Veterans Administration. I play imperial guard because I am one
Career: disabled badly enough that I can't have one through conventional means 😭. Though I'm an excellent writer and am about 60k words into a novel and the nice thing about that is if I have one of my bad days, the novel will wait, whereas an employer will get pissy that I'm not in perfect working condition 24/7.
Faction: Tyranids because I think they're funny. I dunno. Something about eldritch space bugs just makes me happy. No politics, no discrimination, just slaughter for the purpose of collecting biomass and improving the species. They're also VERY fun to paint.
I’m a lawyer in the UK (solicitor). I got into 40K when I was a kid, dipped in and out through uni, and then picked it up again last year once I realised I had the money to get into it. Now it’s my main hobby and I love it.
My job has nothing to do with it, as I've been into 40k since I was seven or eight years old. I only got back into the hobby in 2020 because of COVID and going through a divorce so I needed something to occupy my time.
I'm a project controller, so I work in the finance sector. I came to 40k through Dawn of War back in the halcyon days of my youth, and came back to it in my late 20s during the pandemic to give me a creative outlet.
National Guard System Administrator and I started Warhammer when a colleague sold me the Dark Vengeance set for dirt cheap, i fell in love with the Dark Angels and never shook it. Wife calls them the prostitute i fell in love with.
I work in the Rail Industry, when I was a boy the local toy shop had boxes of 40k on the shelves, thought the artwork was cool, been collecting since I was about 6 or 7
Was working at HP and Xerox in my late twenties, early thirties. Then I moved over into getting my CNA, and currently work at Providence hospital in Portland
IT support specialist. I knew of warhammer but my girlfriend wanted to get know more about it during the pandemic. She got into it and I got into it more and next thing I know she has 3 armies and I have 2 and currently I have lost every match against her lol. Besides that she’s a terrific painter. Super talented.
Been a paramedic for 12 years and on fire rescue for 8, a co-worker threw out the idea of getting i to 40k said he always thought it was cool but couldn't afford it when he was a kid but as an adult he can. So like 6 of us felt the same way and got teams and play mostly garage hammer.
I'm a caretaker for people with disabilities and an aspiring social worker.
Been into WHF like 15 years ago, when I was a young teenager, hit puberty and did some other stuff and now, as I became a father, I needed a hobby to do for when my little girl has nappy-time.
Started painting Kommandos and now wanna do a whole zoggin' WAAAGH! so you can say, I'm hooked again.
Discovered Games Workshop while I was a Business Analyst. It’s cost motivated me to become a cyber SME. Little did I know how good that move was for my marriage and future financial security.
Been working in the service industry (restaurants) for somewhere around 20 years, got into the hobby back around 2nd/3rd edition.
Tau is and likely always will be my #1 choice, I love the aesthetics and lore/ideology of the Tau. I also have Eldar and Tyranids as my next two armies and a votann army that I have yet to dabble with. I just love the xenos factions, but all factions are cool in their own ways imo.
Used to wreck in multiplayer Dawn of War 1 and 2, and I have a shit ton of hours in Gladius as well, still wreck with same 3 factions haha -- they are all solid games but I feel that Gladius best represents the tabletop experience.
I'm a counselor.
I used to have a big problem with gambling, so I started playing board games and TTRPGs to sate my dice throwing addiction. From there the move to minis was bound to happen. Now I have a 40k addiction instead and I can't afford to gamble, so problem solved.
I play mostly Blood Angels, but I've gotten into Tyranids and Necrons as well recently, and am eyeing CSM...
I work as a Military Police.
Got into 40k when i saw the assault on black reach back in the day. Got the box and split it with a friend. 19 years later, i ha e a full force ork horde, necrons, and space wolves with a bit of seraphon sprinkled in.
Got into cuz it makes me more relaxed. Very nice outlet!
I am a former business owner doing large-scale industrial art on HOT ASS Florida concrete. Before that, I was an educator and about to go back to being an educator. My work had nothing to do with me getting into Warhammer. If anything, it would have been a momento, Mori. My 8-year-old little boy died about a year and 2 months ago and an accident. My mother died three weeks after that from heartbreak. She had always had health issues, and this just took her under. After laying in bed for around 5 days, not eating, not drinking, not doing anything. I had called a Memento Mori. I am in the Deep South and am a closet dork. I've always wanted to paint Warhammer but was worried about the stigma of it being just a little bit too dorky. I love the books and the video games and the lore. Painting them is something I have wanted to do ever since I was a small child. I have worked my scale up over the past year to where I think I'm ready to tackle the model of The Returned Lionel Johnson. I got some interceptors first just to make sure that I'm ready, but I'm doing it in my little boys honor. It's going to be his model, his statue!
SWAT operator at a police department. No one at the club or who I play 40K with have any idea I’m a cop. I like people to get to know me for me before they know. I’m told people are very surprised when they find out. I feel like I’m the only one on earth because the profession and 40K usually attract totally different people.
I'm surprised to see another LEO on here. I'm a deputy and on our our SRT, because swat too aggressive apparently. There's another guy on swat and a couple between patrol and our Jail that play as well.
Network Technician, and trough Total War Warhammer franchise.
I was aware of both Fantasy and 40k before, but never got really into it.
And yet, once I started reading the wiki of Fantasy, I jumped then to 40K and AoS lol.
Now I'm looking if I can get hold of some books...
Editor of a financial newspaper. The lore and novels drew me in. Learned how to paint. Love playing the tabletop game, but the lore drops, novels and lore YouTubers are easily my favorite part.
I am a researcher in education at a university and I discovered 40k/Warhammer via Blood Bowl (I don't even do/watch much sports but I love the siliness and of that game and its mechanics)!
I’m a manager in the field of finance, have about 9 staff who report to me.
I got into Warhammer the year my dad died. I was lost, none of the things I did brought me joy. I saw a therapist who told me “you need a hobby without a screen. And, working out isn’t a hobby, it’s a necessity of a healthy life”
My friend had just got into Warhammer, and he loved the customization - I do too.
So I watched lore videos, and the Tau really called to me - but when my friend and I went together to buy stuff, the Blood Angels won my heart.
Now I have Orks, Blood Angels, Guard, and Tau. And some chaos killteams
I’m in home improvement retail. Have my BSc in Computer Science but I love what I do and the hours I work. I got into the hobby as a kid around 14ish during early 3rd edition. Boy have things changed since those glory days. I miss my all MC nid army.
Police officer. Been doing the hobby on and off since 1996. Walked past with my mum one day and went in bought a starter paint kit and here we are 27 or so years later.
I work in finance, specifically 401k and retirement investing. I am something a project manager though instead of working with the actual investments.
I was introduced to 40k by my brother and am hooked. I always like anything sci fi or fantasy, and dint think I would care that much for the models and hobby side of it, but once I got into the lore and put together my first minis I alone every aspect of the hobby! I played my first tournament about 3 months ago and have a resin printer just to add to the 4k points of space marines I bought.
Vice principal at an upper secondary school but have a technical background before I decided to become a Swedish teacher.
Saw the Spacehulk game when I was browsing games in my local tech store (mid to late 90s) and fell in love.
Didn't actually start with the tabletop hobby until recently. Time and cost being the main reason I waited so long.
I'm a geek and used to work in their retail side in the UK. I liked the models in the shop window. I know schedule recovery trucks but I haven't had a career as such.
In the technical manager of a theatre. I’ve been into 40K since I was a kid (30 years ago!). I have a new theatre company with me every few days, and I regularly meet someone who’s into the hobby!
I'm an IT and Social Media coordinator for a growing construction company. I handle online leads, images, web development, Facebook and Twitter, etc. Basically, if the company posts online, it was me behind it.
I'm given a lot of freedom with my schedule so long as I perform well enough, and that led me to really dive into Warhammer and get my stuff built, painted, and playable. I've been into the hobby for years, but could never afford to buy much nor had the time to get much done. It's been a really great feeling to both excel at work, and have the time to pursue my hobby.
This isn't meant to be a brag post, I'm just stating what I do. I am very, very fortunate to have such a position in the company. To be able to work in an interesting and challenging but rewarding field, and to be able to paint and play with toy soldiers and afford it. Life has treated me well so far.
Also, I knew a lot of military people played, but damn. A *lot* of military people play Warhammer.
I think you'll get quite a nationality split here. I did it the other way around, getting into WFB in the late 80's and 40k in the early 90's as a kid after the gateway drug of Heroquest and my older sister getting me into dungeons and dragons, where I played a Halfling named Andy with a penchant for hat pins.
Then later I studied and then worked in science, although just for a short time before moving into insurance pricing and then data science in my 20's. I even chose Nottingham as my uni in part for Warhammer World! Back then you could run your own tournaments there, they had a hosting package!
Late 2000's the Internet was kicking off and I co-ran a fairly successful early website and forum. But then a combo of the game systems not being great, having to move for work, and a big improvement in mmorpgs (eve online forever) made me fall out of the game. One thing I did learn - that game was becoming hugely popular in the US military!
I returned in 2016 with the release of 8th ed, and haven't looked back. Crazy to think that was 7 years ago.
I got into 40k during highschool when Rogue Trader was released. Former Marine, now an office plebe.
Lots of history nerds and former military play 40k, or at least that was true back in the day.
Stone Mason here, though I'm not much like stereotypical tradesperson. Got into warhammer through a love of fantasy and sci fi, and eventually saw some people with the models, or walking past stores that I thought, this looks cool. And then it all went from there, got sucked in.
I was into it before I became a Mason though so I'm not sure if that changes anything
Engineer here, Aerospace by degree but Biomed by job. Got into 40k with a few friends who were all in the same boat, one of which is also a Biomed. We were interested in the lore and gameplay, but had no one to play with so we never started. Well, we realized we all wanted to play and so all started armies at the same time. It's only snowballed from there.
Well I'm studying law, I feel like most people that do Warhammer are gamers/ex gamer nerds who tend to study computer science, engineering or other natural sciences
I'm a mortician and I have been playing Warhammer since I was 14 and my dad introduced me to Orks through the Space Marine video game. I also love Death Guard and anything Nurgle (Shockingly).
I’m a former plumber, current stay at home dad and door dasher. Army of choice is Eldar.
I got so much (loving) flak at my old job for not hunting or boating or working on cars. You’re much more likely to have retail associates, veterans, and warehouse workers here than bankers and underwriters, at least in the Midwest. Magic, 40k, DnD are not exactly affiliated with professional class people. It may be different where other people live though so idk. And I’m not looking down on working class folks, I’m one of them, I just don’t see a lot of people who wear non elastic collars to work at the hobby store.
I work in arboriculture (climbing mostly), been into 40k since I was a kid. I collect Deathguard as my main faction. I always thought they'd be the most terrifying faction when I was a kid and when I came back to the hobby after a 18 year break they finally had amazing models.
I’m an astrophysics student / TA.
First encounter with Warhammer was when my grandad used to take me to hockey games and we’d stop by a hobby/comic store in the mall attached to the arena. Always wanted the cool space man toys but he said I was too young for models like that (I was very young and liked breaking things, he wasn’t wrong).
Cut to 15-20 years later and I bought my first set a few months ago when I happened upon a Warhammer store near where I live now. Feels like I was destined for it from a young age.
I’m a book binder, found about 40K when I was younger, probably 4th ed?, because we had a wizards of the coast store that had some models but wasn’t able to get into until I was older because children don’t have money.
I’m an accountant. On a client engagement out at their offices, I was making small talk with a new coworker about extracurricular activities outside of work. He reluctantly said that he plays “Warhammer 40K”, and started showing me pictures of his painted up Space Wolves on his phone. So one thing leads to another, and he starts telling me more about the game and strategy. A couple months later he invites me over to his buddy’s house to watch a game, and then within a couple weeks I was buying models.
I'm deputy manager of a theatre.
Background in AV and Sound, mainly sound....
I was into Warhammer for a few years in secondary school. Just thought the models were cool looking lol.
Then fell out of the hobby due to changing interests.
BUT! Got back into it during COVID lockdown....and I absolutely love it.
Currently collecting and painting Black Templars (and painting custom guys too 😁)
Have been a geek all my life (started collecting D&D age 8), played lots of wargames (historical), massive LotR fan so when they released the strategy game I bought that, then was hooked on Warhammer Fantasy and 40k, all while at Uni (degree is in ancient history with a focus on warfare).
Gave up WHFB when AoS was released, and came back to 40k properly last year.
Jobwise... I have a senior role and earn enough to afford it - but the real joy now is that my son is into it as well.
Construction. I became a 40k fan 25 years ago, my job had very little to do with it. In my circle our group is diverse. Chefs, lawyers, tech, I'm probably the knuckledragger of the bunch. EDIT: Construction was a cheat code before pre-measuring was allowed. A guy at my LGS when I was a kid was a master glazer, and he could eyeball distances with uncanny accuracy. Would pre-measure everything just looking at the table.
You're not a knuckledragger.
I only partly kid. Most of them have their doctorates and I've only got a mere Master's. Great group though! No rules lawyers like real lawyers...
More than I've got! Do job -> make coin -> spend coin on GamesWorkshop.
Should probably just see if I can get my paycheck in GW store vouchers...
Lol same, they may aswell give me paycheck straight to G dubs
I’m still knuckle dragging like it ain’t no thing…
I'm a machinist. So, a blue collar boy as well. I don't think career and interests outside of work. I can also eyeball within the 0-9" with ease. Anything beyond that is out of my realm. I've got incredible fine motor skills from tight tolerance deburring though. Building minis and painting are like work but therapeutic.
Yeah but you're a machinist, so that 0-9 covers the what to every ten thousandths of an inch. You probably see wiggle in the push to fits. Lol
Hi-Vis soldier!
You can probably do more work faster with a speed square than an architect with Unreal Engine. So there's that.
I'm a medieval historian. I started getting into 40k in late 4E in college/grad school because my mentor (a history professor who ran our "historical gaming club") had been playing since Day 1 and introduced a few of us to it. Anecdotally, I know at least half a dozen other medieval historians who play (or at least paint and/or follow the lore).
I'm medieval historian and teacher in France, i have open a club Warhammer in my school last year and the teenagers love it. Ready to launch the second year in september.
Very cool! Where in France (if you don't mind me asking)? My university/program has a partnership with the Université de Poitiers and have done some exchange programs and events there.
I'm teaching and living near Paris in a town name Orly (international airport). I work with teenagers from 6th grade to 9th (middle school for you but WE name this "collège"). We paint and play W40k and with the V10, we will start a crusade with many combat patrol (i thin this is the best for them)
You don’t all play Warhammer fantasy or Age of Sigmar?
Ha, well, my mentor had been into WHFB before Rogue Trader/40k ever came out, but the rest of us never really got into it! I know a few medievalists who do AOS, but I personally don't like the aesthetic. That said... there's a GOOD chance I'll be getting into Bretonnians when The Old World comes out, if only for painting rather than playing! There are PLENTY of historical wargames out there with various levels of fantasy elements, and historians/medievalists do like those too! (Shameless plug: Some friends of mine, including a medievalist, are about to launch a new game inspired by old WHFB and PC RTSs like Civ and Age of Empires, called [Margrave: The Marcher Lords](https://www.margravethemarcherlords.com/), so check them out!) 40k has the right combination of cool minis, backstory, etc., that it's just right for me!
I'm an IT service desk engineer. But I came to warhammer when I was around 13-14 thanks to two things: - Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels - My cousin who had started a Dark Angels army. I started off during 2nd edition and ended up getting the editions equivalent Leviathan box which was £50 back then. Good Times.
College student, studying Computer Science. Came to 40k due to a random youtube rabbit hole I fell down
Studying marketing, and same, random YouTube video. Little did I know when I was watching it, my wallet woulf never financial recover from this xd
Same field, came to wh40k via semi-interest in killteam -> big 40k
same here
My names is James Workshop and I own a toy company.
Hi James, I am wallet.
Stone mason(specifically headstones/graves), used to collect Lord Of The Rings minis when I was a kid, saw an ad on TV years back for the Warhammer Conquest partworks. "Ohh, used to like doing that stuff." Now I'm in too deep.
Accountant…the rules are basically spreadsheets
Army combat medic. A lot of people in the military are into 40k.
Had an ex army supervisor in a traveling department. Super redneck guns fishing hunting etc. imagine my surprise when he invites me to dinner and he has a 2k home brew Tyranid hunting space marine chapter sitting on the shelf.
Do you take your minis on base and on tour and stuff? Sorry if that's a dumb question. I know nothing about the military. I just have this instinctive feeling that you're supposed to travel light? And wargaming supplies take up space and can be awkward to store.
I never took them overseas. I live on base though, so all of them are on base. I've had the guys at the gate search my car a few times and had them ask me to open my carrying case with my minis. Edit- Living around military bases is AWESOME since there are so many gaming and nerd stores. A lot of nerds who couldn't afford minis as kids finally have money for the first time when they join. Games Workshop and other hobby stores know this and open up very close by.
What posts? I don’t think there’s one very close to Carson
I've been to Campbell and Bragg. Right now at Bragg I can go 4 or 5 different gaming stores within a 20 minute drive.
Ex-Army officer here, who got into 40K while in the service (at age 25 for the first time, no less): ColoSpgs has several good shops and there was one in Monument as of a few years ago. Sorry I forget their names but there is definitely a 40K community around Carson!
The army has a 40k team. Two of them are in my area and get to travel to play.
My friend group in the army was mostly into magic, but I’d tag along when they’d go to the LGS on base, which is how I was drawn to it. It really surprised me how popular it was within the army compared to the general public.
Lawyer and I got the 1993 Space Hulk game on floppy disks 🥹
Same, but it was Dawn of War for me. If anything, I’m a lawyer because 40K made me a sociopath early on.
I'm a Marine. And my choice is Raptors. Cause I like their colours
Ok there bud, we all know Marines aren't real outside of the game (/s)
😂 sometimes I wish this was true
Army, and I play orks and death guard. The way orks do leadership is kinda like the army, only your physical strength counts and very rarely does a clever Ork get put in charge (usually through un orky measures)
This is so true
Do you also like the taste of foliage green paint?! Lol
Tastes like green olives. 🤌
Like some kind of... planet... marine?
Another Raptors player in the wild? Impossible
I like tacticool and olive green. Raptors are basically Halo Spartans.
We're the few, the proud and the stealthiest 🦅
Rah, introduced to the lore when I was in Iraq and the game a few years later.
AF vet, glad to see other active duty/vets playing too. Semper Fi.
Rah. I'm a maintainer and play admech. It works out.
Soldier, aviation Mechanic, but I play Imperial guard
Marine as well. Orks are best!
Thought about going Space Force?
😂😂😂 so I could be a real space marine! I wish, but I'm not an US marine (huge respect for you guys!) I'm an Italian Marine, from CNPM task force (it's basically amphibious force)
Also a Marine. I was CBRN. Death Guard.
Fellow Marine here, been into 40k since I was much younger never really had stable enough income to get into it. Then I picked up the SM Combat Patrol box for an insane discount while in France last year w the 22 MEU. Been hooked on plastic crack ever since. Now back In CONUS all my new boots saw all my models and bought armies of there own so it worked out well.
I'm a pizza man. My buddy made me play, I was already interested in the lore.
Salute to you my friend, the world would be a dark place without you pizza guys
I’m a pizza guy who gets my buddies to play, two sides of the same coin
Public servant in labor protectioon. Came to 40k cause of boredom whilst lockdown. Good decision
Doing the world a service!
I work retail and I love World Eaters and Red Corsairs if that says anything
Anyone here that has worked retail/food service understands this...
Need to vent much?
Soldier in the German military, I got into 40K a year ago because of the YouTube algorithm. I‘m now a proud owner of a 1000pts Farsight Enclaves army. I really had to hold myself back from getting a Manta several times now.
Doooo iiiiiittttt..... They are so cool......
I’m a college professor. Arctic scientist, that’s why I chose space wolves!
Nice. I'm doing my PhD on Snake Venom. My army is Salamanders. 😂
I absolutely love this.
I hear the easiest degree to get is in Arctic Agriculture. (That was a joke.)
I'm an engineer, but I've been in the hobby since I was 10. I've found this hobby tends to attract all sorts of people, though certain factions tend to draw more specific groups of people (looking at three of my friends who are all vets and play different guard regiments.)
Took me a moment to realise you meant ex-military and not people who worked with animals and wondered what the connection between that and imperial guard armies were 😅
the only faction with non-mechanical horses?
I was interested in Warhammer since I was a kid but my exposure to it was limited to video games. I got a government job and I pass a Games Workshop store on my way to the office, so one day I decided to pop in and have a look, left with a chunk of my paycheck gone.
The grapevine warhammer cafe got me in the same way. They even have warhammer themed drinks.
I need to visit that place someday.
I'm a priest, and have been into Warhammer since I was 7 or 8. I saw a box of skeleton horsemen in a toy shop and have been hooked since then. My love of 40K naturally grew alongside my love of Fantasy. Now I mostly play 40K, running either Sisters or Daemons, and have a little 40K group at my church. I know 2 other priests that play, although I'm sure there's more out there! Edit: grammar
That's awesome to read! You're our Chaplain so!
I hope that means I get a crozius arcanum!
Sisters or daemons? Fitting army choices for a priest lol
>Sisters of Daemons Now that's a faction idea if I ever saw one
Autocorrect being my downfall again!
A priest playing daemons…. Heresy!
I must admit, part of the reason I play them is purely for the irony
I get uncomfortable thinking of a maniacally grinning priest in his robes playing tabletop chaos demons
Curious. What's your take on the great irony of the emperor worshipped as a god, despite his adamant protestations that organised religion is the death of innovation .
Firefighter in UK. First got sucked in by Space crusade. Excellent game at the time. Then krept onto space hulk. Got pretty decent at painting so generously painted minis of players at my local game store. I collected Imperial Fists of Which I had a pretty big collection. Stop playing around the third edition. I still don't know what happened to them possibly still in my mum's loft... Back now with a Grey Knights army for 10th. Currently on the painting easel getting them looking sharp. Had a few friendly games but still learning the rules again and my 44 year old brain can't take it.
Im an ICU Nurse, but I don't know anyone at the whole hospital I'm working in, that even knows about warhammer. I got into it in elementary school when the older brother of a friend of mine introduced it to us
ED RN here, lots of people at my hospital are into it. I work in Palo Alto though and Warhammer is pretty big in the Bay area.
I'm a Doctor in the UK. A surprising amount of doctors including consultants are in to Warhammer!
Museum curator and archaeologist. I learned about Warhammer around 1994 when my best friend went to the UK, and came back with the 2nd edition 40k starter set. Played off and on until about 2001, got back into the hobby last year. Maybe unlike what others are sharing, I see a very direct line between my interest in Warhammer as a kid, and my subsequent university studies and choice of profession.
Construction monitor/inspector here. The lore grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I asked someone to teach me the table top. In hindsight I should have just found a drug dealer and taken up meth.
I actually was a meth addict for years. When I finally quit I had enough extra income to pursue the hobby that I had enjoyed reading the lore of for years. So glad I took the leap into it. I love playing casual games with the Mrs. And trying to get better at painting is difficult, but rewarding.
I work with an organisation that helps the homeless in the UK. The job can be pretty bleak for a lot of reasons, so being able to sit down and just build / paint is an amazing way to decompress and focus on something positive in my personal time. I actually got really invested during lockdown. I had some 40k models when I was a kid, but watching some lore / Play On battle reports got me to jump in.
I'm a librarian, aaaand, I'm a big flaming geek.
Are you a psyker too? 😅
I do get headaches and go into weird trances, but my doctor says that's just ADHD 😔. No one's exploded, yet.
😔 I'll pray the Emperor to give you back your powers
bro I’m like 17 and just really like sci fi and work a landscaping job and use some of the money to make my CSM army
Marine Mechanical Engineer. Been into 40k since 2nd Edition, my best mate at school was into it
I’m an actor! And it’s not really related to 40k for me, other than I did work with our lord and saviour Henry Cavill last year for 9 weeks.
Just watched your short - Radcliffe the Obnoxious?? That's very cool, how was the experience?
Really brilliant, I became very close with all of the cast members and Henry himself was nothing but amazing. A gentleman, funny and a very generous actor.
I'm an Educator/Kindergarten Teacher playing Death Guard, my GF is a Surgical Assistant playing Orks, we both started one Month ago and we're 24 and 19 :D
Hang in there, it does get better.
Ah, a kindergarten teacher! Exactly what we need more of in our local game stores! :D
Tech Compliance. It's like being an Inquisitor but your targets hide their shitty politics behind their even shittier English.
Navy hospital corpsman, my barracks roommate got me into it as an attempt at art therapy after a particularly bad deployment
HM! 🫡 Fair winds Sailor!
I work in hospice and my Grandma introduced me to the game because she knew I had cousins that played and thought I’d like it too.
I do Quality Assurance. I play tabletop rpgs, and some members of my gaming circle play Warhammer, and I'm a beginner. I've got the 4th edition book, and I'm collecting Drukhari. The lore around the Haemonculi is fucked up and I dig it.
Hello Creed from the office
Creed's a legend
I work IT, and my experience is that the hobby attracts tech fields more than others, but locally we have a bunch of people in the mining industry too (which is a major employer here).
I got into 40k at two years ago when i was 16, im gonna study to be a teacher.
Litigation lawyer and i just started like a month ago with Aeldari.
I'm a surgeon. My brother has introduced me to 40k in 9th and I just fell in love. I always wanted to play fantasy when it was popular but as a teen I didn't have any money. Now I have money but don't have much time. When the Votann were announced I bought them all because I just love dwarfs, especially space dwarfs. I love playing with them regarding how bad they are at the moment, but my LGS usually don't go full meta so the games are fun. ROCK AND STONE !
Aviation Mechanic in the Canadian Military. 40K has been a nice way for me to relax and unwind outside of work :3
Cold Lake?
Im in Security, got into 40k because I saw terminators and thought they were cool as shit, fast forward 5 or so years after and lockdown and I impulse bought a Dark Vengence box.
Started 40k when I was a pastor. I play Word Bearers and Drukhari. Now I work in education administration. Warhammer definitely helped keep me sane in my previous line of work. Edit: To clarify - as I'm aware of the bad reputation this line of work has - I should add that the only thing I am "anti" is hate.
Story time.. A few years ago I had a procedure that required a day or so of bed rest after. I was randomly scrolling through youtube and came across warhammer 40k videos. I was aware of 40k but I did not know what it actually was. I binged a lot of videos and really struck with Tabletop Tactics and PlayOnTableTop. Fast forward to this year, I was still watching warhammer videos here and there and decided to hit up the local comic shop to see about 40k. I walked in through the door and was greeted by the most pleasant and friendly shop keeper around (we're now texting buddies) and I stated "I'm interested in warhammer" He immediately lit up and was very excited to show me about it. The shop has a pretty decent selection so he escorted me over and started discussing the lore, history, different chapters and factions, etc.. It was so overwhelming. I mentioned to him that I'm more interested in mech/soldiers/tanks/war stuff rather than aliens, demons, dragons, etc.. He showed me Chaos Raptors which are incredible visually. I mentioned that these look amazing. I said I'll have to do some research as to what all the chapters mean as I was interested in Space Marines. I was about to head out and he handed me some free sprues that I rushed home to put together. Fast forward a little more. Fathers Day 2023.. I've expressed interest in warhammer to the family just to plant some seeds. So the family went to the shop a couple days before, ran into the same shop keep and said "Escape Deez Nuts is my husband, he came in here before.. he wants warhammer, where do I begin?" He once again gave her the same spiel that he gave me, lore, history, factions, etc.. She's just "uh huh.. uh huh.." LOL. She said to him, he likes mech and soldiers and doesn't like (as I mentioned before) demons, monsters, etc.. So we suggested the intercessor set, threw in the raptors as well. The wife said "more!" So he threw in a Blood Angels Furioso Dreadnought. She said to him "do you have any tanks too?" He said to me later that he felt like he was upselling her but that wasn't the case.. we go big during holidays and shit. He then suggested the Executioner which was thrown into the bag. As she was about to check out she said "Oh, he needs paint too!" So the shop keep added a few paints. She kept asking "what about this and this and this" pointing to the other colors. Again the shop keep didn't want to sound like he was upselling said that it was optional colors. She asked "does he need it? if so, throw it into the bag" So 18 or so paints later she finally checked out. Needless to say my Fathers Day was pretty legit with a great variety of sets to get me involved in the wild crazy world that is Warhammer 40k
Glad you had both such a welcoming introduction and such a lovely wife ☺️👍🏼
Salesman here. I was first confronted wirh 40k as a 13 year old kit in a shop for kid toys and other hobby games. I a set of space marines, but didn't had any clue how to play the game nor anyone to play wirh me. Now, 13 years later i am 26 and met two guys on a birthday party who were interested to try the hobby. That was two months ago and now i have a necron army which struggles to fight tyranids AND space marines at the same time xD
Nurse practitioner, and I came to 40K through a friend. He showed me a video of something and I was instantly hooked on the insanity of it. I was also drawn to the fact that everyone sucked and humans were maybe some of the worst of them.
Air force and IT, but started as a 13 year old.
Home Depot, paint department
Therapist, I got into 40k way before I started working though.
I'm a welder and fabricator I got into the hobby 2 yrs ago but have always been into 40k. I first saw it in middle school at my lgs while playing mtg.
Digital marketing consultant for non-profits. No idea why the hell I have the Custodes and Thousand Sons.
I’m a maintenance operations manager for a large airport before when I got into 40K and now a large hotel chain. I think the table top strategy game is what brought me in. My job is based around managing resources such as labour. I think it translates well to the game.
I work in art production and I mostly play against some photographers and a coder. an open hobby for all !
I am a math teacher. So that tracks.
I was a factory worker in my early 20s when I first got in contact with Warhammer, bought a starter set with a colleague. Then like for the most of is, it moved in phases. No gaming for years, restart, start another game (Warmachine, Infinity), another hiatus... Meanwhile I learned another profession I'm today a freelance IT consultant and over 50yo and after having a break during Corona am just starting new again with 10th.
I just work at a department store. I got into Warhammer before I got my job after listening to a friend tell me about it. After I got my job I started to actually buy minis and participate in the hobby proper.
I was an infantryman for 12 years on active duty US army, a combat engineer in the national guard for 5 years and I work in the Veterans Administration. I play imperial guard because I am one
Career: disabled badly enough that I can't have one through conventional means 😭. Though I'm an excellent writer and am about 60k words into a novel and the nice thing about that is if I have one of my bad days, the novel will wait, whereas an employer will get pissy that I'm not in perfect working condition 24/7. Faction: Tyranids because I think they're funny. I dunno. Something about eldritch space bugs just makes me happy. No politics, no discrimination, just slaughter for the purpose of collecting biomass and improving the species. They're also VERY fun to paint.
I’m a lawyer in the UK (solicitor). I got into 40K when I was a kid, dipped in and out through uni, and then picked it up again last year once I realised I had the money to get into it. Now it’s my main hobby and I love it.
My job has nothing to do with it, as I've been into 40k since I was seven or eight years old. I only got back into the hobby in 2020 because of COVID and going through a divorce so I needed something to occupy my time.
I'm a project controller, so I work in the finance sector. I came to 40k through Dawn of War back in the halcyon days of my youth, and came back to it in my late 20s during the pandemic to give me a creative outlet.
National Guard System Administrator and I started Warhammer when a colleague sold me the Dark Vengeance set for dirt cheap, i fell in love with the Dark Angels and never shook it. Wife calls them the prostitute i fell in love with.
I'm an engineer in an injection molding factory. It's completely unrelated. I was playing 40k like 10 years before I got that job.
I work in the Rail Industry, when I was a boy the local toy shop had boxes of 40k on the shelves, thought the artwork was cool, been collecting since I was about 6 or 7
Was working at HP and Xerox in my late twenties, early thirties. Then I moved over into getting my CNA, and currently work at Providence hospital in Portland
IT support specialist. I knew of warhammer but my girlfriend wanted to get know more about it during the pandemic. She got into it and I got into it more and next thing I know she has 3 armies and I have 2 and currently I have lost every match against her lol. Besides that she’s a terrific painter. Super talented.
Cinematographer and camera operator. I started playing 40K about a year ago, and haven’t really seen a trend of professions by me.
Been a paramedic for 12 years and on fire rescue for 8, a co-worker threw out the idea of getting i to 40k said he always thought it was cool but couldn't afford it when he was a kid but as an adult he can. So like 6 of us felt the same way and got teams and play mostly garage hammer.
I'm a caretaker for people with disabilities and an aspiring social worker. Been into WHF like 15 years ago, when I was a young teenager, hit puberty and did some other stuff and now, as I became a father, I needed a hobby to do for when my little girl has nappy-time. Started painting Kommandos and now wanna do a whole zoggin' WAAAGH! so you can say, I'm hooked again.
Discovered Games Workshop while I was a Business Analyst. It’s cost motivated me to become a cyber SME. Little did I know how good that move was for my marriage and future financial security.
Been working in the service industry (restaurants) for somewhere around 20 years, got into the hobby back around 2nd/3rd edition. Tau is and likely always will be my #1 choice, I love the aesthetics and lore/ideology of the Tau. I also have Eldar and Tyranids as my next two armies and a votann army that I have yet to dabble with. I just love the xenos factions, but all factions are cool in their own ways imo. Used to wreck in multiplayer Dawn of War 1 and 2, and I have a shit ton of hours in Gladius as well, still wreck with same 3 factions haha -- they are all solid games but I feel that Gladius best represents the tabletop experience.
I'm a counselor. I used to have a big problem with gambling, so I started playing board games and TTRPGs to sate my dice throwing addiction. From there the move to minis was bound to happen. Now I have a 40k addiction instead and I can't afford to gamble, so problem solved. I play mostly Blood Angels, but I've gotten into Tyranids and Necrons as well recently, and am eyeing CSM...
I work as a Military Police. Got into 40k when i saw the assault on black reach back in the day. Got the box and split it with a friend. 19 years later, i ha e a full force ork horde, necrons, and space wolves with a bit of seraphon sprinkled in. Got into cuz it makes me more relaxed. Very nice outlet!
I am a former business owner doing large-scale industrial art on HOT ASS Florida concrete. Before that, I was an educator and about to go back to being an educator. My work had nothing to do with me getting into Warhammer. If anything, it would have been a momento, Mori. My 8-year-old little boy died about a year and 2 months ago and an accident. My mother died three weeks after that from heartbreak. She had always had health issues, and this just took her under. After laying in bed for around 5 days, not eating, not drinking, not doing anything. I had called a Memento Mori. I am in the Deep South and am a closet dork. I've always wanted to paint Warhammer but was worried about the stigma of it being just a little bit too dorky. I love the books and the video games and the lore. Painting them is something I have wanted to do ever since I was a small child. I have worked my scale up over the past year to where I think I'm ready to tackle the model of The Returned Lionel Johnson. I got some interceptors first just to make sure that I'm ready, but I'm doing it in my little boys honor. It's going to be his model, his statue!
SWAT operator at a police department. No one at the club or who I play 40K with have any idea I’m a cop. I like people to get to know me for me before they know. I’m told people are very surprised when they find out. I feel like I’m the only one on earth because the profession and 40K usually attract totally different people.
Wow. That’s not an easy job. Not many room for re-rolls. May the Emperor protect you :)
I'm surprised to see another LEO on here. I'm a deputy and on our our SRT, because swat too aggressive apparently. There's another guy on swat and a couple between patrol and our Jail that play as well.
Network Technician, and trough Total War Warhammer franchise. I was aware of both Fantasy and 40k before, but never got really into it. And yet, once I started reading the wiki of Fantasy, I jumped then to 40K and AoS lol. Now I'm looking if I can get hold of some books...
Editor of a financial newspaper. The lore and novels drew me in. Learned how to paint. Love playing the tabletop game, but the lore drops, novels and lore YouTubers are easily my favorite part.
I am a researcher in education at a university and I discovered 40k/Warhammer via Blood Bowl (I don't even do/watch much sports but I love the siliness and of that game and its mechanics)!
Machinist, discovered Warhammer by playing total war
I’m a manager in the field of finance, have about 9 staff who report to me. I got into Warhammer the year my dad died. I was lost, none of the things I did brought me joy. I saw a therapist who told me “you need a hobby without a screen. And, working out isn’t a hobby, it’s a necessity of a healthy life” My friend had just got into Warhammer, and he loved the customization - I do too. So I watched lore videos, and the Tau really called to me - but when my friend and I went together to buy stuff, the Blood Angels won my heart. Now I have Orks, Blood Angels, Guard, and Tau. And some chaos killteams
I’m in home improvement retail. Have my BSc in Computer Science but I love what I do and the hours I work. I got into the hobby as a kid around 14ish during early 3rd edition. Boy have things changed since those glory days. I miss my all MC nid army.
Police officer. Been doing the hobby on and off since 1996. Walked past with my mum one day and went in bought a starter paint kit and here we are 27 or so years later.
I work in finance, specifically 401k and retirement investing. I am something a project manager though instead of working with the actual investments. I was introduced to 40k by my brother and am hooked. I always like anything sci fi or fantasy, and dint think I would care that much for the models and hobby side of it, but once I got into the lore and put together my first minis I alone every aspect of the hobby! I played my first tournament about 3 months ago and have a resin printer just to add to the 4k points of space marines I bought.
Vice principal at an upper secondary school but have a technical background before I decided to become a Swedish teacher. Saw the Spacehulk game when I was browsing games in my local tech store (mid to late 90s) and fell in love. Didn't actually start with the tabletop hobby until recently. Time and cost being the main reason I waited so long.
I'm a geek and used to work in their retail side in the UK. I liked the models in the shop window. I know schedule recovery trucks but I haven't had a career as such.
I work in finance. I play most of my games in london and it seems that a lot of my opponents are lawyers.
I was a 10 year old kid and saw december 2010 issue of white dwarf in a little shop.
Product trainer for a major luxury car brand. dawn of war captured me hard as a kid.
In the technical manager of a theatre. I’ve been into 40K since I was a kid (30 years ago!). I have a new theatre company with me every few days, and I regularly meet someone who’s into the hobby!
I'm an IT and Social Media coordinator for a growing construction company. I handle online leads, images, web development, Facebook and Twitter, etc. Basically, if the company posts online, it was me behind it. I'm given a lot of freedom with my schedule so long as I perform well enough, and that led me to really dive into Warhammer and get my stuff built, painted, and playable. I've been into the hobby for years, but could never afford to buy much nor had the time to get much done. It's been a really great feeling to both excel at work, and have the time to pursue my hobby. This isn't meant to be a brag post, I'm just stating what I do. I am very, very fortunate to have such a position in the company. To be able to work in an interesting and challenging but rewarding field, and to be able to paint and play with toy soldiers and afford it. Life has treated me well so far. Also, I knew a lot of military people played, but damn. A *lot* of military people play Warhammer.
Nah. A lot of Warhammer players just like LARPing. Edit: Live fire LARPing
I think you'll get quite a nationality split here. I did it the other way around, getting into WFB in the late 80's and 40k in the early 90's as a kid after the gateway drug of Heroquest and my older sister getting me into dungeons and dragons, where I played a Halfling named Andy with a penchant for hat pins. Then later I studied and then worked in science, although just for a short time before moving into insurance pricing and then data science in my 20's. I even chose Nottingham as my uni in part for Warhammer World! Back then you could run your own tournaments there, they had a hosting package! Late 2000's the Internet was kicking off and I co-ran a fairly successful early website and forum. But then a combo of the game systems not being great, having to move for work, and a big improvement in mmorpgs (eve online forever) made me fall out of the game. One thing I did learn - that game was becoming hugely popular in the US military! I returned in 2016 with the release of 8th ed, and haven't looked back. Crazy to think that was 7 years ago.
Pharmacologist, so I fit your profile! Chaos Space Marines
I am a corporate strategist, so I guess the logistics planning and strat of ultrmarines spoke to me. Plus i love the lore of the 40k setting
I got into 40k during highschool when Rogue Trader was released. Former Marine, now an office plebe. Lots of history nerds and former military play 40k, or at least that was true back in the day.
Stone Mason here, though I'm not much like stereotypical tradesperson. Got into warhammer through a love of fantasy and sci fi, and eventually saw some people with the models, or walking past stores that I thought, this looks cool. And then it all went from there, got sucked in. I was into it before I became a Mason though so I'm not sure if that changes anything
Engineer here, Aerospace by degree but Biomed by job. Got into 40k with a few friends who were all in the same boat, one of which is also a Biomed. We were interested in the lore and gameplay, but had no one to play with so we never started. Well, we realized we all wanted to play and so all started armies at the same time. It's only snowballed from there.
Well I'm studying law, I feel like most people that do Warhammer are gamers/ex gamer nerds who tend to study computer science, engineering or other natural sciences
Professional wife pleaser, saw some cool stompy robot minis.
I'm gonna need a bit more of a breakdown on everything before that comma.
I'm a mortician and I have been playing Warhammer since I was 14 and my dad introduced me to Orks through the Space Marine video game. I also love Death Guard and anything Nurgle (Shockingly).
Working on a musical theatre major. I just think it’s very fun, was introduced to the game by my CS major brother
I’m a former plumber, current stay at home dad and door dasher. Army of choice is Eldar. I got so much (loving) flak at my old job for not hunting or boating or working on cars. You’re much more likely to have retail associates, veterans, and warehouse workers here than bankers and underwriters, at least in the Midwest. Magic, 40k, DnD are not exactly affiliated with professional class people. It may be different where other people live though so idk. And I’m not looking down on working class folks, I’m one of them, I just don’t see a lot of people who wear non elastic collars to work at the hobby store.
Professional Services Director. Always loved sci-fi, discovered Gaunt’s Ghosts 2 years ago and caught the bug. Came to it late though, 50+!
I got into 40K when I worked for the Park Service. Now I work in miniature wargaming.
I’m a scientist. I was in deep as a kid and got back into it once I got disposable income
I work in arboriculture (climbing mostly), been into 40k since I was a kid. I collect Deathguard as my main faction. I always thought they'd be the most terrifying faction when I was a kid and when I came back to the hobby after a 18 year break they finally had amazing models.
I’m an astrophysics student / TA. First encounter with Warhammer was when my grandad used to take me to hockey games and we’d stop by a hobby/comic store in the mall attached to the arena. Always wanted the cool space man toys but he said I was too young for models like that (I was very young and liked breaking things, he wasn’t wrong). Cut to 15-20 years later and I bought my first set a few months ago when I happened upon a Warhammer store near where I live now. Feels like I was destined for it from a young age.
I’m a book binder, found about 40K when I was younger, probably 4th ed?, because we had a wizards of the coast store that had some models but wasn’t able to get into until I was older because children don’t have money.
I'm an auditor, which I became so I could just stare at numbers all day. Warhammer is the perfect game
I’m an accountant. On a client engagement out at their offices, I was making small talk with a new coworker about extracurricular activities outside of work. He reluctantly said that he plays “Warhammer 40K”, and started showing me pictures of his painted up Space Wolves on his phone. So one thing leads to another, and he starts telling me more about the game and strategy. A couple months later he invites me over to his buddy’s house to watch a game, and then within a couple weeks I was buying models.
I'm deputy manager of a theatre. Background in AV and Sound, mainly sound.... I was into Warhammer for a few years in secondary school. Just thought the models were cool looking lol. Then fell out of the hobby due to changing interests. BUT! Got back into it during COVID lockdown....and I absolutely love it. Currently collecting and painting Black Templars (and painting custom guys too 😁)
i currently work in a fingerjoint mill. Im exceedingly unprofessional at all times,
Politician, getting into 40k had nothing to do with it, but it would surprise people how many politicians are secretly massive geeks
Have been a geek all my life (started collecting D&D age 8), played lots of wargames (historical), massive LotR fan so when they released the strategy game I bought that, then was hooked on Warhammer Fantasy and 40k, all while at Uni (degree is in ancient history with a focus on warfare). Gave up WHFB when AoS was released, and came back to 40k properly last year. Jobwise... I have a senior role and earn enough to afford it - but the real joy now is that my son is into it as well.