40K vs WFB – Armies and Player Choice

So we have a lot of hard data now on what armies people play for 40K and Fantasy but I have a burning question…

First lets take a look at the data from the recent academic poll of wargamers:

Now look at THE RATIOS between most popular and least popular armies in 40K and Warhammer:

40K: Most popular: Space marines: 1075
40K: Least popular: Sisters of Battle: 293

WFB: Most popular: Warriors of Chaos: 306
WFB: Least popular: Tomb Kings: 149

Why is ratio between the most popular and least popular army in 40K so much higher than what it is in Fantasy?

What makes the popular armies in 40K SO much more popular than in Fantasy, and why does Fantasy promote a more evenly spread selection of players amongst it’s armies?

Miniatures?
Rules?
Marketing?
Culture?
Cost?

~I’m genuinely curious?

Author: Larry Vela

Dad, Gamer, Publisher, Pilot, Texan. All games all the time since junior-high. I started BoLS Interactive in 2006. I’m a lifelong tabletop & RPG gaming enthusiast, and internet publisher working to entertain and inform my readers every day. I've been playing RPGs and Tabletop Games since the 1970s. I'm been playing and covering Warhammer and Warhammer 40K for over 35 years.