Welcome to the /r/Warhammer40k Beginners Guide. This article will give you all the info you need in order to get started with the 40k tabletop game.
(Please note, this guide uses links to UK websites to illustrate each point. You can use these links to identify the right products in your own region).
What is Warhammer 40000? #
Warhammer 40000 is a science fiction universe created by Games Workshop. Set 38000+ years in the future, Warhammer 40000 follows the plight of humanity; alone in the Universe, beset on all sides by aliens, mutants and the dread forces of Chaos. Warhammer 40000 is not a bright, happy setting. It is one of death, constant war and the desperate struggle for humanity’s very survival.
This universe is mostly represented through the associated tabletop wargame and miniature hobby of the same name, along with a huge variety of books, cartoons, graphic novels, art work, video games and more.
Pick a Faction #
First of all you need to choose which faction you want to play. Generally it’s a good idea to pick a faction that you like the look of and like the lore for. Don’t worry too much about how the army performs on the tabletop. You can read summaries of the info about each faction on the official Warhammer 40000 website.
Get your Miniatures #
Once you know what faction you want to play, you’ll need to get some minis. If you choose either Space Marines or Tyranids then one of the new starter sets would be a great choice. All of the Starter Sets include all the rules you need to play with the contents of the boxes, and offer a discount compared to buying the same products separately. If you’re on a very tight budget or just want a small taste of what the 40k hobby is like, /r/Warhammer40k recommends the Introductory Set which contains minis, paints, tools and rules. If you have a larger budget, /r/Warhammer40k recommends the Ultimate Starter Set. This set includes two complete Combat Patrol armies, plus all the terrain and rules you’ll need. Paints and tools aren’t included in this set, but read on for recommendations.
If you decided to go with a faction that isn’t Space Marines or Tyranids, then GW sells Combat Patrols for most factions that you can pick up. Each Combat Patrol contains a complete army in a box, so is a great place to start. Combat Patrols also offer a discount over buying the same kits separately just like the Starter Sets, so they’re a good financial choice as well.
Of course, if none of the bundles take your fancy, you can buy individual kits instead. Just be aware that this is the most expensive route. In general, /r/Warhammer40k would recommend picking one of the Starter Sets or one of the Combat Patrol boxes as your first purchase.
Once you’ve got your minis, you’ll need tools to build them. The easiest way to get a full set of tools is to pick up one of the tool kits aimed at Gundam builders on Amazon, like this one for example. You’ll also need glue for your minis. The plastic glue sold by Games Workshop is good, although there are loads of other options. Revell Contacta Professional is almost exactly the same as GW’s own glue. Tamiya Extra-thin Cement is also widely recommended.
Here’s a simple tutorial on how to build GW minis.
At this stage, it’s worth pointing out that you do not need to buy LOADS of minis right from the start. You will commonly hear talk of 2000 point games being standard. 2000 points can be a lot of models. You do not need to start with a full 2000 point army. There’s nothing wrong with starting small and then building up your collection over time. We generally recommend starting out with no more than 500 points, which is roughly what you get in a Combat Patrol box. That gives you enough minis to learn how to build, paint and play without being overwhelmed.
You can find a list of retailers that sell GW minis with discounts here.
Once your minis are built, you’ve got two options: You can either jump straight into playing, or start painting.
Play the Game #
If you want to jump straight into playing and bought one of the Space Marine vs Tyranid starter boxes then you have everything you need. The starter boxes include all the rules you need to play with the minis you get in the box.
If you didn’t choose a Starter Box or have already played all the Starter Box conent, then you’ll need a few things. The Core Rules for 40k and all the Combat Patrol rules are free to download from the Warhammer Community Website: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/downloads/warhammer-40000/
Currently, 40k is in it’s 10th Edition, and GW is in the process of releasing new army rule books for each faction, called Codexes. Many armies don’t have their Codex yet though. For those factions you can download a free Index from the Warhammer Community website. Codexes for factions that have them can be bought from the GW website.
You’ll need the Core Rules PDF, the Codex or Index or Combat Patrol Index for the Faction you’ve chosen, and the Munitorum Field Manual, which includes points values for all the units in the game.
You can find a list of all the most current rules for each army and which book they’re in here.
Paint your minis #
Painting your minis can be one of the most rewarding steps of the hobby as this is where the minis become truly “yours”. You might decide you want to replicate an official colour scheme that GW uses on it’s minis, or you might decide to create your own colour scheme. The important thing to remember is that there are no rules for how you paint your minis. If you want to paint your minis bright pink with yellow spots or like your favourite sports team, then go right ahead!
The most important step of painting your minis is to prime them. Primers are a special type of paint that etch themselves into the surface of the mini, creating a very strong solid base for other paints to go on top of. Painting a mini without priming will lead to a weak paint job that can easily get scratched, chipped or rubbed off.
Games Workshop sells a range of primers in spray cans in a variety of colours. Other companies also produce coloured spray primers such as Army Painter, TT Combat and Colour Forge. Alternatively, if you simply want black, grey or white primer, it’s often possible to source them from companies like Krylon or Rustoleum.
Once your minis are primed, you can then move on to painting properly. You’ll need some brushes and, as with the tools earlier, a cheap set from Amazon such as these for example will be absolutely fine to learn with. As a new painter you will ruin some of your brushes so buying cheap will save you the heartache of ruining a more expensive brush.
You’ll also want a small pot for water to clean your brushes in, and some kitchen towel to dry your brushes off. For water pots, try to avoid using a mug or a drinking glass… It’s very easy to mistakenly pick up your water pot and drink from it (and trust me, that’s not a pleasant experience)! Old jam jars are often a good idea.
A palette is also an important tool. Instead of painting directly from a paint pot, palettes allow you to control how much paint you are using, and also allow you to thin your paints easily. GW sells it’s own palette pad or you can use something like a kitchen or bathroom tile or an old dining plate.
Wet palettes are also an option. Fundamentally these are used like a normal palette, but they also have the benefit of keeping your paints wet and usable for much longer. Army Painter and Redgrass Games are good options, although you can make them yourself as well.
Once you’ve got all your tools sorted, paints are the next step. GW produces it’s own range of paints but there are plenty of other options available such as Army Painter, and Vallejo. GW paints are good, but they are expensive and the pots they come in are fairly awful. Army Painter and Vallejo use dropper bottles, which are much better than GW’s paint pots. Paints from other hobby brands such as Tamiya, Humbrol and Revell can also be used.
Finally, a note on paints bought from craft stores: While it is possible to use acrylic paints from craft stores such as the widely available Apple Barrel range, /r/Warhammer40k does not recommend them. These paints aren’t designed for painting finely detailed miniatures and won’t produce results that are as good as using paints designed for use with miniatures.
For painting tutorials, there are many great options online. Here’s a few:
Warhammer TV (Games Workshop’s Official Youtube Channel)
Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy