Where does a new player start?

[Stark]

"Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk."

 

Long story short: Friends show me game. Friends want me to play. I purchase the rule book to read. Everything sounds great, right?

 

My friends (and their other friends who play) all want to be helpful and tell me what army I should start. I know their intentions are good. They love their armies for their own reasons. They like how they play with them. They like the background from the stories about their armies. 

 

It seems like a fun hobby. I haven't built models in years - many of the different armies look and sound fantastic. Space Marines sound like a solid choice, but there seems to be a huge variety of them too (not to mention all of the codex books for each army). My friends are anxious for me to join them at their hobby shop to play - but I don't know enough about the game as they do it seems.

 

Do I just take the plunge and start buying a codex and models for that army? What helped many of you decide? Any recommendations?

 

Thanks. 

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

Look at the armies that have the coolest looking models to you, then look into them a little more to see if their style, story, and how they fight sounds appealing.

 

Visuals and background are the two most important parts of picking your army. Like, maybe 99% importance. That's why people who only pick their army based on strength or some other reason always end up complaining or switching armies whenever something changes, but cool looking models and badass stories are forever.

[M@verik115]

I always recommend to first get acquainted with the lore and various army backgrounds. 
Space marines are a solid choice for a starter as they are pretty easy to learn with. Always go vanilla, ie ultramarines, imperial fists, salamanders etc. 
They are easiest to start with and you can branch off with them at a later date. 
When you learn a bit more and have more games under your belt, you might find yourself leaning more towards what you REALLY want to collect, be it orks, tyranids, guard, eldar etc, and by that time you should have enough experience to do it properly. 

I suggest to buy one of the starter sets and just start playing. The models there are more than enough to learn and have fun with, without being too expensive to sell off later  or just put it aside to get your true army. 

[Soldier of Dorn]

In all honesty, I'm not sure there is a good way to pick out an army from the start. More likely than not, you'll pick an army and have a couple false starts before you get settled -- I know that was my experience -- but eventually you settle into a rhythm and find one that speaks to you on a deep enough level to stick with.

 

But yeah, Tyberos has the right of it when he says that visuals and background are the primary deciders of what army to play. Playstyle is mutable: you can really play most playstyles with most armies. Perhaps not as effectively as those armies that are predisposed to such, and with less margin for error, but you can do it, and not only that, but you adapt your playstyle to suit the army your playing if need be. The background and the look of the models are what's going to get you to make it through the slog of getting an army built and painted for the tabletop.

 

You talk about having interest in Space Marines -- that's good. Space Marines are a great place to start. They're really the jack of all trades of the tabletop -- a tight, semi-elite army that can do most things with little to no issue. There are a couple camps of Space Marines, generally referred to as Codex chapters -- that is, most of the chapters that are found in the Codex: Space Marines book -- and non-Codex chapters -- the ones that are based around other books, such as Blood Angels, Deathwatch, Dark Angels, and Grey Knights. To start off with, you'll probably want to go with a Codex chapter. Make no mistake, there's joy to be found in the other ones, but they're both a tad more limited thematically and tactically. By all means read up on them, though, if they sound interesting. But I'd suggest just picking up a copy of the Space Marines codex and reading through it, and seeing if there are any chapters that speak to you.

 

Modelwise, there's the Space Marines Start Collecting set, which is a reasonably good price for a few iconic units (a Terminator Captain, a Tactical Squad, and a Venerable Dreadnought.) Alternatively, the Dark Imperium box might be a good investment if the look of the Primaris Marines appeals to you, especially if you need the main rulebook and can split or trade the Death Guard to someone else. Either of those are a pretty good way to get started with in this edition.

 

But those are just my two cents. I'm sure other people have better advice than I to offer on this.

 

EDIT: I just reread your first post and you mentioned having the rulebook. My apologies, it's late and I just missed it. In that case the Start Collecting set is probably a better bet than Dark Imperium, in my opinion.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Soldier of Dorn

[Kinstryfe]

Good advice so far. In my opinion, rule of cool is probably the most important thing. When you look at armies, what looks really cool to you, or sounds like something you like the idea of? I've found that if your goal is to play with models and have fun (as opposed to say, wanting to win at all costs), then picking models that you'll like building and painting may mean more to you in the long run.

 

I would recommend (in no particular order):

Trying to get a game or two in with your friends, running one of their armies, just to get a feel for the game. Do this with someone who's willing to let you take charge of the army, and who is willing to not go for the jugular. A good demo game will let you know the basics, and you'll have an idea of what you'd like (i.e. I really liked the assault phase, or wish I'd had more psykers, etc)

 

I absolutely love my Astra Militarum, but definitely know that big armies of lower points cost models equal bigger costs and much more time you'll spend painting. Astra Militarum, Orks, Genestealer Cults, Daemons, and some Tyranid armies can rely on a high number of models, and that means a bigger investment before you're able to play larger games.

 

The opposite, extremely low model count armies can be comparatively inexpensive, but much less forgiving on the battlefield.

 

When in doubt, with eBay, starter sets, and other second hand markets, Space Marines are always an ok starting option. They offer a lot of options for how to play them, are usually very forgiving models if you're a newer painter, and between the starter sets and the easy to build models, you can get a good feel for them without spending a million bucks. They also have a ton of variety, which tends to make them fairly popular. They're the pizza of Warhammer 40k; most people like them well enough, very few really hate them, and they come in a million different varieties.

 

Once you've made a decision on the army you want to collect, I would do a few things. I would buy the army's Codex, and pick up a good set of dice and measuring tape if you don't already have them. I would then start by trying to fill out a detachment for your army. That gives you the sort of minimum models that you can really field and call it an "army". A couple HQ choices and a couple troops choices are always a good option, as they'll generally be usable as you scale up your army.

 

Sorry it's kind of all over the place, it's a bit late for me. Welcome to the hobby :)

[Pearson73]

I'd definitely agree with all the above, background and visuals are really why I'm in the hobby, so having a look at the different factions' codices and models will be helpful. I'd also advise looking at some of Black Library's work to see some more background on the factions at a closer level.

[Ishagu]

I think it's absolutely imperative that you chose an army you like the look and lore of, instead of one that might be "easier to play" or might be suitable for beginners or one that is considered competitive above all else.

 

A warhammer army takes time and effort to complete. If you collect it for the wrong reason you'll lose interest in it or grow dissatisfied with your choice.

[Warpmiss]

As has already said, go for the rule of cool. What's cool to you, that is, both visually and lore-wise! Remember that there are several forms of playing the game even if you don't pick the army that will win all the time.

 

You already have the rulebook so that is the perfect place to start to learn about each faction. I'd suggest reading through them and once you've found some of your favorites, if you don't have the time to read their codex or a Black Library novel featuring them, you can check the different wikis dedicated to 40k which have articles on each of the factions and many other articles about the lore of 40k. Alternatively, you could also watch some lore/fluff videos on YouTube!

[Major_Gilbear]

Firstly, welcome! :)

 

Secondly, I agree with the others; have a look at the models and artwork, read-through some basic background (the big rule book is great for this), and choose something that appeals to you.

 

Then, I'd find a friend or local who can take you through a few low-point intro games (ideally, they would lend you a force of the faction you're interested in). This will give you a feel for the game before you go off and sink a lot time and money into it. I say this, as lots of people like collecting the models and reading the background (and even playing the RPG or computer games), but not everyone who's into 40k likes playing the game - if you are totally new to tabletop games, you might not know yourself until you give it a go.

 

Next up, if you're looking to buy some models, chances are high that you'll bump into GW's "Start Collecting" series of boxed sets. Please note that these are literally sets of models priced at a deep discount to help you collect models for that faction. They are *not* starter armies, nor are they balanced against each other (or in some cases, at all). They are still fantastic value for money though, and it's very likely that you'll end up buying one (or more) to build up a collection pretty easily. Some armies are quite compact/elite, and some are based around swarms of models (and can therefore be more expensive to collect in the long run) - this is also worth keeping in mind as you choose your first faction.

 

Finally, I would advise that it's very easy to buy a load of stuff, and then struggle to build and paint it all. Everybody does it at some point, but as you're new you start with the advantage of no backlog! I would recommend that you make a point to get your stuff painted as you buy it, and concentrate on getting a nice neat paintjob rather than one that will win awards. Almost nobody is a Miniatures Michaelangelo when they start, and getting your stuff painted and gaining experience along the way doing so is more important than getting everything perfect. Worst case, you'll always have a neatly-painted army that you can fall back on in future. If you ever need help or advice, you are always welcome to ask here on B&C (in The Forge section).

 

Good luck, and I hope to see you around! :)

[Crimson Ghost IX]

You have been given the best of advice already.

Consider building towards the factions that grab you in the lore is your best bet.

 

Watch some more games and get command of some forces if you can is a good idea.

Take it slow is my opinion, make sure you really wanna get into this hobby.

It is not new bass boat expensive, but take it slow and make sure it's your thing first =)

 

I would advise against getting into a horde army as although they are often appealing to new players (Orks especially in my experience)

The time to get the horde sourced, built and ready can big a tall order and really rather frustrating for a newbie too.

Ideally borrow an army for awhile while you read up and find your first love.

 

I don't play Eldar myself, but they are beautiful and well supported with models and power throughout editions and have a great variety of units and playstyles.

If they appeal at all they are a great force to consider collecting and easily sold off later for more money recovered than most marines armies are in my opinion. If you change your mind on armies as you grow with the game I mean.

 

Commonly most player groups have tons of marine players so xenos can be enticing and Eldar are a solid choice model and lore wise.

They also happen to be a very powerful army you can grow into.

 

OMG I just told the new guy to collect Eldar... I feel dirty. =)

Edited February 5, 2018 by Crimson Ghost IX

[Halandaar]

Strongly agree with all the advice above. If you pick an army that appeals to you in terms of visuals and style, you're much less likely to lose interest in it and drop it later on, regardless of perceived notions of it's in-game performance. I would absolutely have that as your priority.

 

That said, there are some other things to consider, if you happen to be stuck choosing between a couple of different factions that satisfy the above criteria;

• Codex Availability - While this isn't going to be a consideration for that much longer, there are some factions who haven't yet received a Codex for the current edition of the game. If you choose a faction with a released Codex, you're getting the full array of options with which to start building your army. Factions whose codexes are yet to arrive might see significant changes to their existing rules, and will get new special rules that influence how they play and how you might want to design your force. 
   
• Flexibility - Some factions have quite narrow focuses on what they are capable of, and what special rules they have access to, where as others have a multitude of options. An army from Codex: Space Marines could choose from one of 7 different sets of Chapter Tactics which encourage and reward different styles of play, and if you wanted you could use a different set of rules each game. Codexes which cover whole factions (i.e. Astra Militarum, Space Marines, Tyranids) have these sorts of rules, where as Codexes of specific sub-factions (i.e. Blood Angels, Grey Knights, Thousand Sons) do not.
   
• Model Count - Armies with low point-cost (or power level) core models like Astra Militarum, Orks and Tyranids can require a lot more models to play, which means you spend more time painting and potentially, more cash on models. That's not to say you can't field these armies using smaller units of more powerful models, but the "fantasy" of these armies revolves around high numbers of cannon-fodder type infantry. If this is something you're not that keen on, you may want to look at factions where the models have a higher in-game value.
  • As an example, lets say you're building an army at 1000 points, and you're including a Battalion Detachment (an organisation of units which rewards in-game bonuses). You could achieve this with an Adeptus Custodes army consisting of as few as 14 models. Conversely, an Astra Militarum army needs at least 32 models to fulfill the requirements for the Battalion Detachment, and those models represent less than 200 points worth of value, so you'll need a lot more stuff to fill out your 1000 points.
• Starter Products - The majority of factions have a Start Collecting box, which includes a few units (usually a Commander, a core Troops unit and then something else) for a substantial discount against buying them individually. Some are better than others, but for a lot of factions this gives you a good core of models to get started with. In addition, Space Marines and Death Guard feature in the various starter games (Dark Imperium, No Know Fear and First Strike), which makes these factions comparatively cheap to get started with. No Know Fear contains a Death Guard and Space Marine force, both roughly equivalent to those found in Start Collecting boxes, but for the same price as a single Start Collecting box, so this is particularly good value if you're interested in either (or both!) of those factions.

 

Anyway, apologies for the ramble, but there really is no wrong answer; pick what you like best and have fun with it. That's the objective, after all!

[Warpmiss]

It just occurred to me that, although your friends have already introduced you to their factions, we also have a forum topic here titled: Why do you play your army? http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/342512-why-do-you-play-your-army/?hl=%20play%20%20your%20%20army Maybe there's something there that can help you decide as well!!

 

If you have doubts about choosing a certain faction for whatever reason, you can also ask in the specific sub-forum!

[Shockmaster]

I have to agree with others, pick an army you like the look of, as models you love are forever, strong rules are temporary.

 

You may wish to aim for armies that are completely or majority plastic though, as GW plastic kits are on the whole, very beginner friendly.

[Trevak Dal]

Bud don't let them con you into picking up an army you aren't interested in. Tyberos has the right of it. I kinda got led into Tau back in 5th.

 

They :cussing regretted it by the time I started lists with 9-11 crisis suits. I was undefeated in 7th. But I got real good at killing space marines.

[totgeboren]

I think reading the background sections in the rulebook is a good place to start. I got sold on my Word Bearers by reading their half-page long background section in the 2ed Chaos codex. Then they got an article in a White Dwarf fleshing out their background quite a bit and I have never looked back since. :)

[RikuEru]

I can only agree to what the others have said.

 

 

One reminder though:

Aesthetics and Rules LOOK connected.

BUT they are two different factors and you can decide what you want to play and how your army should look!

 

Ultramarines have Greco-Roman Influences.

Dark Angels are robed Knights.

Black Templars are Knights with Tabards.

Grey Knights are Very High-Tech Silver Knights.

Space Wolves are Viking Savages.

 

BUT...

You want to PLAY Ultramarines, but you think you like Red more?

Dark Angels are your playstyle, but you don't like the robes?

You want to style your Black Templars after a certain Order from your hometown or your favourite game?

You want to give your Grey Knights Leathery Cloaks and Animal Skins, so they can look like Demon-Monster Hunters?

Space Wolves are to Nordic for you, you'd rather like a ferocious force with Eastern Stylings?

 

All this is possible!

(And the Brothers within this forum [Especially the PCA Sub-forum) can show you uncountable guides and techniques for conversions, modeling and painting or lead you to fitting bit sites, to realise your ideas!)

The only thing you need to have in mind is that the loadout matches the Unit you want to portray.

(An Emperor's Champion should always have a huge double-handed sword. If it's a huge Khopesh, a Katana, a Claymore or a meso-american Obsidian Blade is entirely up to you)

[MARK0SIAN]

All good advice so far I think, particularly around choosing a backstory that you like. And definitely models and a colour scheme you like as it makes the painting side of it easier (a particular consideration for me because I love building and playing but I’m not a fan of painting).

 

The only extra thing I would say is something that may help if you’re on a budget. Whenever I’m thinking of a new army I try to get some friends to play against me on Table Top Simulator, a game that lets you run table top games on your computer. There’s lots of workshop mods for most of the factions and it means you can see if you can enjoy the way the army plays on there without spending any money.

 

It’s not perfect and nothing beats actually playin on a real table but one or two low point games on there and I know for definite whether I want to collect that army or whether I really won’t enjoy their play style.

[Stark]

Tyberos the Red Wake, M@verik115, Soldier of Dorn, Kinstryfe, Pearson73, Ishagu, Warpmiss, Major_Gilbear, Crimson Ghost IX, Halandaar, Shockmaster, Trevak Dal, totgeboren, RikuEru, and MARK0SIAN...

 

Thank you for the many great responses. Wow!   

 

I may need to start a notebook (or at least a few text files) for all this. Ooh, tactical planning! 

 

Okay, so primarily:

 

Cool looking models and artwork 

Badass background and lore from online articles, Black Library, White Dwarf

Start Collecting sets, secondhand markets

Big armies of low points, more cost and work building & painting

Paint as you buy (reduces backlog!)

Watch games & take it slow (see if you can 'borrow' an army)

Eldar make you feel dirty

Don't be conned into others' choices

 

...and, whenever in doubt, check out the friendly patrons of the Bolter & Chainsword! 

 

(whew!) Time to go to school! 

 

I'm leaning towards space marines, as they seem to be the basic starter whether as friend or foe. It's helpful they come in all varieties (modeling & painting). They have a codex with several chapters - as do their cousins Blood & Dark Angels (not sure of them yet - will need to check out more of their background). One of my friend's friends wanted to sell me all of the Indexes, which are supposed to have rules for ALL factions. After reading above how rules may change when a codex is released, I may have to rethink that option (so, thanks for that tip!).

 

Alrighty then, let me get another cup of Dark God blend coffee in me and get back to reading the rules and plan on a faction.

 

Thanks again, everyone!

[Halandaar]

 

One of my friend's friends wanted to sell me all of the Indexes, which are supposed to have rules for ALL factions. After reading above how rules may change when a codex is released, I may have to rethink that option (so, thanks for that tip!).

 

Yeah I'd maybe hold off on that unless you're being offered them at a really cheap price. The current edition of the game is a substantial change from the previous ones, and essentially invalidated all existing Codexes when it came out. The Indexes were a mechanism to give everybody rules to play the new edition with, regardless of which army they played. So, while they do contain rules for every faction, they are becoming less relevant over time as more and more Codexes are released.

 

While the rules for individual units don't seem to be changing from index to Codex (for the most part), new army-wide rules, abilities and items are changing the way we approach building armies by opening up new synergies between units and abilities, and the pace of Codexes releases so far suggests that no faction will still be relying on an Index for it's rules much past the end of this summer.

 

Just as general heads up, Drukhari, Necrons and T'au Empire are the next factions to receive their new Codexes, and we can expect them within the next couple of months;

[Shockmaster]

I would avoid buying the indexes especially as a new player, as whatever army you choose either has a full codex currently or will within the next few months.

 

Their only real use after that would be for fielding models that GW don't sell anymore, which as a new player won't be a problem for you.

[Stark]

 

While the rules for individual units don't seem to be changing from index to Codex (for the most part), new army-wide rules, abilities and items are changing the way we approach building armies by opening up new synergies between units and abilities, and the pace of Codexes releases so far suggests that no faction will still be relying on an Index for it's rules much past the end of this summer.

Just as general heads up, Drukhari, Necrons and T'au Empire are the next factions to receive their new Codexes, and we can expect them within the next couple of months;

 

I would avoid buying the indexes especially as a new player, as whatever army you choose either has a full codex currently or will within the next few months.

 

Their only real use after that would be for fielding models that GW don't sell anymore, which as a new player won't be a problem for you.

 

It seems like it was a good idea when the new edition started. Having a base set of permanent rules for every army would be a great, with additional special rules in codexes as supplements. As the codexes will be eliminating the indexes, there doesn't seem like much point for them in the long run. 

 

Drukhari look interesting in a "Guillermo del Toro" kind of way. 

Necrons, who doesn't like a "Terminator" / "Cylon" vibe?

T'au have a clean and "Robotech" style that hides them being grim and dark.

 

Definitely, these guys are worth considering for a 2nd(?) army. 

 

[edited to include Shockmaster's comment]

(I obviously take too long before finishing my replies. Also, there's a limit on the "Like" button or else more of you would have them from me!)

 

 

Edited February 5, 2018 by Stark

[Warpmiss]

 

I'm leaning towards space marines, as they seem to be the basic starter whether as friend or foe. It's helpful they come in all varieties (modeling & painting). They have a codex with several chapters - as do their cousins Blood & Dark Angels (not sure of them yet - will need to check out more of their background). One of my friend's friends wanted to sell me all of the Indexes, which are supposed to have rules for ALL factions. After reading above how rules may change when a codex is released, I may have to rethink that option (so, thanks for that tip!).

 

 

Marines are also a great way to start painting! Most of the models have sufaces wide enough to test your first brush strokes with ease. 

 

Also if you like marines, I'd recommend the new Primaris models. Notice that just last year Primaris marines were released with the new edition. So far, we have Primaris and regular marines coexisting but it's possible that GW will stop producing the traditional marines in the future so be careful with that. 

[Stark]

 

Marines are also a great way to start painting! Most of the models have sufaces wide enough to test your first brush strokes with ease. 

Also if you like marines, I'd recommend the new Primaris models. Notice that just last year Primaris marines were released with the new edition. So far, we have Primaris and regular marines coexisting but it's possible that GW will stop producing the traditional marines in the future so be careful with that. 

 

Bigger models, less eye strain! 

 

If Primaris have the same options, I may just go with them. If not, secondhand markets (or the blessed Starter sets) may suffice. Looks like I'm going to need a codex sooner than later. 

[Kinstryfe]

 

Marines are also a great way to start painting! Most of the models have sufaces wide enough to test your first brush strokes with ease. 

Also if you like marines, I'd recommend the new Primaris models. Notice that just last year Primaris marines were released with the new edition. So far, we have Primaris and regular marines coexisting but it's possible that GW will stop producing the traditional marines in the future so be careful with that.

 

 

Bigger models, less eye strain! :lol:

 

If Primaris have the same options, I may just go with them. If not, secondhand markets (or the blessed Starter sets) may suffice. Looks like I'm going to need a codex sooner than later.

Primaris and normal Marines do have quite different options. I would definitely pick up the Marine codex before buying too many models, unless it's a starter set or something you know you'll be able to use regardless :-D

[Stark]

 

Primaris and normal Marines do have quite different options. I would definitely pick up the Marine codex before buying too many models, unless it's a starter set or something you know you'll be able to use regardless :-D

 

Yes, I likely will be doing that by the weekend.

At first, I was thinking of starting an army different from my friends, but I want to get to know the game quickly and play. Their armies include Blood Angels, Chaos Space Marines, Necrons, Space Marines, and Tyranids. I do like the look of the Adeptus Mechanicus (Yea! they have a codex!) and Necrons (Darn, they don't yet). As three of my opponents have 'space marine'-based armies, I can learn this type quicker. Plus, as I've been reading people's posts in the Astartes section, there are a few varieties of rules to choose from with the standard marine codex.

 

I.e, if I build and paint silver marines, they can be:

Silver Dragons, Silver Fists, Silver Ultras, etc as long as I use the same "Faction keyword" and have the appropriate models to "count as", right? 

Edited February 5, 2018 by Stark