Warhammer 40,000 can look impenetrable from the outside - a wall of armies, models and jargon. But getting started is straightforward, and you can be assembling and painting your first squad within a day. This guide covers the hobby side: picking an army and getting models painted. (For rules, your starter set's booklet and the official app are the place to go.)
Step 1: Pick an army you like the look of
The single best way to choose a first army is simple: pick the one you think looks coolest. You'll spend far more time building and painting than playing, so visual appeal matters most. Browse the faction painting guides to see the signature look of each - and how hard each is to paint.
Good first armies tend to be ones that are forgiving to paint and quick to assemble:
- Necrons - metallic, drybrush-friendly, fast to a tabletop standard. See how to paint Necrons.
- Space Marines - clean armour panels, the classic learning canvas. See how to paint Space Marines.
- Orks - forgiving, characterful, mess is a feature. See how to paint Orks.
Step 2: Get a starter set
A boxed starter set is the cheapest, easiest entry point - you get models, paints, a brush and the basic rules in one box. From there, add a Combat Patrol or boxed unit for your chosen army.
Step 3: Build and paint
Assemble your models (clippers, mould-line removal, glue), then follow how to start painting miniatures for the basecoat-wash-highlight process. Pick your army's colours in the scheme generator to get an exact paint recipe.
For the gear you need, see the starter kit checklist, and to buy below RRP, check our discount retailers list.
Tips
- Buy the army you find coolest - motivation beats meta when you're starting.
- Start small - paint one squad well before committing to a whole army.
- Use the tools - a scheme recipe and a faction guide take the guesswork out of your first models.