Have a Good Warhammer 40K Army

If you're reading this decided to give Warhammer 40,000 a try. Building a good army takes experience, study and lots of play time. Someone to help you test out new builds is invaluable as well. And since a Warhammer 40K army is not cheap to collect, it's worthwhile to examine all of the options open to you before deciding what army to collect and play with.

Steps

Getting started

  1. Find a local hobby/gaming store or club. (listings available from the Games Workshop website) Other experienced players are vital to enjoying and learning the game. Watch a few games. Just note what armies are being used and how they are being used. Do not be afraid to ask questions, most players love to talk about their forces––at length.
  2. Buy the current starter set. It provides a rulebook, two sets of opposing forces and some scenarios to get you started. This set can keep you playing skirmish size battles for months and is a good way to get used to the game and to work out your own preferred method of playing.

Choosing an army

  1. Choose an army once you have the game flow and rules under your belt. Each of the forces in Warhammer 40K have their own style. Styles refer to how they play. Every race has its strengths and weaknesses, so ask yourself what kind of basic strategy you'd like to play. The speed of the Dark Eldar will allow you to outmaneuver the enemy and seize Objectives, while the Necrons and Space Marines tend to be more durable in extended fights. Space marines are "shooty" and the Orcs are "horde-ish". This means the space marines rely on their shooting abilities and the Orcs just form great whopping forces that try to overrun your forces.
    • There are several websites that offer in depth lore about the different armies in the 40K universe. While they will not carry the specific stats on individual units, characteristics of the armies will be available. For example, the Tau's long range weaponry and technology, the Elders specialist infantry, the Tyranids' numberless swarms, the Space Marines' tactical flexibility, and the Necrons' ability to regenerate, among many others.
  2. Understand your own style of play. Is it unsubtle, brute force? Do you prefer to hang back and not directly engage? Do you like long range, brutal area of effect shelling? Perhaps you are looking for a more subtle, controlling type of force? Do you prefer overwhelming the enemy in close combat, a long range bombardment to destroy them, or lightning fast attacks? These preferences will guide you toward selecting your army.
  3. Consider the look of the army. A Warhammer army is a long term investment of money and, more importantly, time. Assembling and painting a single squad takes a lot of time. Make sure you like the basic look of the army you will purchase before you invest these hours. It does no good to buy and play an army you personally find looks dumb just for their stats. If you want the staying power of Marines but hate their look, there are other armies to consider- Necrons, for instance. If you don't like the insectoid Tyranids but love the idea of an overwhelming swarm, consider using an Orc horde instead. Chances are if you like the stats and tactics of one army and not their looks, there's a way to build another army you think looks cooler around the same tactics.
  4. Consult with other players. Throughout the whole process, ask what their opinions are on various races. Advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of assembling and playing their personal armies are great conversation starters. Finally, ask to take a look at their army's codex if they own one. Have them explain rules and warlords, and especially win conditions. Not every game is won by having the most soldiers left on the table!
  5. Choose an army based on your research, basic play, the army's style and your play style. Anything else is doomed to failure. For example, if you play Space Marines but love to rush your opponent, you'll discover usually that Space Marines do not fair well in hand to hand combat, so you will lose often and will need to investigate other forces.

Obtaining the Codex

  1. Purchase your chosen army's Codex. The final step before taking the big plunge is purchasing the Codex of an army. While expensive compared to other books of its size, the Codex will give you a force organization chart to help guide you build your army. If the details in the Codex still don't fit your style, you still have time to return it and find a different army before taking the plunge and buying the actual soldiers.
    • The Codex for each force contains some background information on the army, a few stories and the complete force listing for the army. Read it cover to cover. It provides a true flavor for the army.

Proxying the new army

  1. Find another player who wouldn't mind helping you try out your new army. You will be proxying the new army before buying models. Just be aware that a Games Workshop store will most likely not like you doing this, so maybe skirmish at your local store or home. Some hobby shops frown on it too. Explaining that once you find your force, you'll be more than happy to purchase locally, may help your cause in-store.
  2. Make your proxying forces. Cut small pieces of cardstock that correspond to the base size of your models (guesstimate if you have too) and use these instead of models. Mark the name of the unit and the most important stats of the unit to help you keep them separate. Using your proxies, play a bunch of skirmish sized games (500 - 750 points). Use as many types of units as you like––they are currently free (by proxy of course). You can also ask one of your local gaming friends to try their army out. Play them using their army and they can use yours.
  3. Consider the game play after. Are you happy with your new army? Do you like the way it plays? Have you tried all the forces? Have you compared how you're doing with someone who plays the same force? The key to a good army is that you like the models, enjoy their style of play and it matches your own style of play.

Purchasing your Warmhammer army

  1. Purchase your army. Start small. Build a 1000 point force, and consider buying the introductory army packages from Games Workshop. These are around the $200 mark and include the basic staples of any army––infantry, a few vehicles and one or two specialists. They can be a good first investment in infantry and vehicles before you buy more expensive soldiers and vehicles
    • The larger box sets are definitely worth the money but will take tons of time to paint and outfit. Most local game clubs/shops allow you to play your "greys".
  2. Start playing. Above all enjoy the game, learn from your mistakes and any army can become a great army.

Tips

  • White Dwarf magazine can offer hints, tips and suggestions on different forces and frequently spotlights a specific army.
  • Use proxies to try out new forces to see how they perform.
  • Your local hobby/gaming store is a great place to meet players, arrange matches and possibly get in on some real tournament play. Usually prizes are offered.
  • ebay sellers often offer good pricing on un-boxed models.
  • Look for single models on eBay so that you can learn how fiddly they are to paint.

Warnings

  • Do not buy a 100 models for an army you're just trying out. If you don't like it, now you have lots of models for any army you'll never use!
  • A single match can take upwards of 3 to 4 hours when you are not familiar with the rules.
  • War gaming is not cheap. A good sized army can cost hundreds of dollars for the models alone.

Things You'll Need

  • A friend or group of friends

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