Holiday Gift Guide for 40k Widows, Widowers, and Moms, Part 1

Hello, fellow 40k denizen. Is your girl or guy complaining about not knowing what the hell to get you for the holidays? Click on the "read more" link below, slide your laptop/ipad/phone over to your significant other, and scuttle out of the room like a 2nd generation genestealer. Now scat!

OK, here we go...

Hi there, significant other or parent of a Warhammer gamer! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. So are you wondering why your lovable neckbeard (or female equivalent) shoved this blog post in your face? It's because they love you and want to make your life easier. I'm going to give you a very quick set of gift recommendations, and they will be applicable whether you just met this nerd on OKCupid.com or you are rolling into your 25th anniversary and wishing you could vacuum up all those little half painted toy soldiers.

What you should NOT buy

So the love of your life (or awkward bedroom fumbler) plays Warhammer 40k. Do you know what that is? No? Well, it doesn't matter, because the last thing you should buy as a gift (if he didn't explicitly give you a list) is anything related to Warhammer 40k or anything at all from the parent company, Games Workshop.

Marshall, Marshall, Marshall!...Helbrecht. Don't worry about it, it's funny.

 
That's right Marcia. You see, 40k gamers are very particular about their armies, and there are a LOT of different armies in the game. The chance of screwing up and buying the wrong thing is very high for someone not into the hobby, and that in turn exponentially increases the chances of witnessing a grown male human pitching a hissy fit. And that's a lose/lose situation. So avoid gamesworkshop.com for gift purchases; in fact, avoid it altogether.

What you SHOULD buy.

So where to go? The good news is that 40k gamers need a lot of supplies. A LOT of supplies, and most can be found on Amazon, big box retailers, hobby shops, and craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby in the U.S.

Sprue Cutters

These are basically clippers, but one side is flat so they won't deform the little plastic parts, and no one wants to deform their little bits with a clipper. They actually get dull very quickly, so even if someone already has a pair, it will still be appreciated.

Here's a sweet one at Amazon

And a less expensive one

They are also available at most places where plastic models are sold (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Hobbytown USA).

Cutting Mat

Cutting mats are one of those things that are indispensable but largely forgotten. Every 40k gamer I know has one, and they are almost always paint-covered and generally jacked-up. If you are not remotely crafty, this is a plastic mat design to self-heal when you cut on it. There are a billion different shapes and sizes; be sure to get one that will actually fit the desk that is used for painting.

Here are a bunch at Amazon

And a bunch at Uline

Storage

Have you completely trashed a vacuum cleaner or two on tiny plastic arms? Are you constantly stepping on dice, plastic discs with a slot in the middle, or, gods forbid, an Xacto blade? Then it might be time to invest in some organization. Gamers love this shit, and if you are OCD, make sure you buy a pair of the same kind (or even three) so he/she won't keep buying slightly different ones.

Stackable, briefcase style

Old school from Meijer

The holy grail, but you might not let it in the house

Hope this helped

Tomorrow (later this evening, actually), I will post part 2 with some higher ticket items. If your gamer HAS asked for something, what is it? If it universal, I'll add it to the next post. Happy Holidays!