Hobby Starter Gifts: Warhammer, Miniature Painting, Pokémon and Magic

The nine gifts at a glance

Warhammer 40,000: three ways in

Games Workshop’s announcement of its new starter products separates the routes by how much the box includes.

Starter Set. Games Workshop lists complete Combat Patrol armies for Space Marines and Orks (46 miniatures in total), 15 terrain pieces, two double-sided game boards, dice, rulers, the Core Rulebook, a Starter Set Handbook and two rules reference sheets. It is the full two-player package, so it suits a pair of people who will both build and play. Our Warhammer 40,000 Starter Set review goes through the contents and buying checks.

Search Amazon for the Warhammer 40,000 Starter Set (2026)

Introductory Set. Games Workshop lists 12 miniatures, a playmat, card terrain, a range ruler, six dice, six paints, a starter brush and a 48-page beginner handbook. This is the smaller gift for someone who wants a taste of building, painting and playing before committing to an army.

Search Amazon for the Warhammer 40,000 Introductory Set

Paints + Tools Set. Games Workshop lists a brush, clippers, a mold line remover and 13 Warhammer Colour paints, with no miniatures. It fits someone who already owns miniatures, or who builds for any tabletop game, and needs a first kit. Our paint guide for Warhammer miniatures explains what the paints do.

Search Amazon for the Warhammer Paints + Tools Set

Why these three are searches. For these Games Workshop products, the Amazon data we checked showed only third-party sellers, not Amazon.com or Games Workshop itself, so we did not link a single listing. Search results are not a stock guarantee. Match the product name and the 2026 edition, because earlier boxes such as the Recruit Edition belong to retired editions. For the person’s first game, our Warhammer 40K beginner guide explains the basics.

Miniature painting: paint plus brush

The Army Painter Speedpaint Starter Set 2.0. The Army Painter lists ten 18 ml Speedpaints, a free basecoat brush and a painting guide . The brand’s directions are to prime first with a light primer, shake the bottle well and apply one generous coat. It also advises a hard palette rather than a wet palette, because the paint can bleed through the hydro sheet and stain the foam. If the recipient already uses a wet palette, read our wet palette guide before choosing this paint style.

View the Speedpaint Starter Set 2.0 on Amazon (sold by The Army Painter US)

The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set. The brand lists three brushes: a standard brush, a small detail brush and a drybrush. It is a modest add-on for a paint gift. For a deeper brush decision, see our guide to miniature paint brushes .

View the Hobby Starter Brush Set on Amazon (sold by The Army Painter US)

Speedpaint is one brand’s paint line, not the same product family as Games Workshop’s Warhammer Colour paints. For help choosing between paint sets, see how to choose a hobby paint set .

Pokémon: a deck that is ready to play

Pokémon TCG ex Battle Deck (Tapu Koko ex). The Pokémon Company’s product page lists a ready-to-play 60-card deck, three reference cards, a rules booklet, a single-player playmat, damage counters, a large metal coin, a deck box, a strategy sheet and a code card to play the deck online. The product page says the decks include everything needed to play right away, and it does not name an age. It suits someone who wants to play rather than open packs. If the recipient wants to open packs instead, our guide to Pokémon booster boxes versus bundles explains the formats.

View the Tapu Koko ex Battle Deck on Amazon (sold by Amazon.com)

A Battle Deck is a fixed 60-card deck. For someone who will build their own, our first Pokémon deck guide is a better next read.

Magic: The Gathering: learn first, build second

Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box. Wizards of the Coast lists ten 20-card Jumpstart half-decks , including two tutorial decks (Aang and Zuko), plus five tokens, two playmats, two how-to-play guides, two reference cards, two spindown dice and a reference booklet. It is a two-player box designed for people learning Magic, and the Avatar theme suits fans of the show.

View the Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box on Amazon (sold by Amazon.com)

Foundations Starter Collection. Wizards lists 387 cards including 26 traditional foils, three Play Boosters, 90 basic lands, 13 tokens, two reference cards, a deck-building booklet and a click wheel. Wizards describes it as being for players who have learned the basics and want to build a first deck, so it is a poor first gift for someone who has never played. It is sold in English only.

View the Foundations Starter Collection on Amazon (sold by Amazon.com)

A small add-on: sleeves

Sleeves protect cards from handling wear. Standard-size matte sleeves work for both Pokémon and Magic cards, but check the card-fit label rather than the name. Our Magic sleeve guide , Pokémon sleeve guide and sleeve size explainer cover fit.

Search Amazon for Dragon Shield Matte standard sleeves, 100 count

This is a search because the Dragon Shield Matte listing we checked (the one our Magic sleeve guide uses) showed a third-party seller, not Amazon.com or Dragon Shield.

Check these before you pay

1. Name and edition. The 2026 Warhammer boxes and earlier boxes are different products.
2. Seller and condition. Choose a new, sealed item. Check the seller shown at checkout, because the offer can change after this guide was written.
3. Language. The Foundations Starter Collection is English only; check any other card product for language.
4. The recipient’s setup. Speedpaint and a wet palette are a poor match, per the brand’s own advice. The Paints + Tools Set includes clippers and a mold line remover, while Games Workshop’s descriptions of the other Warhammer boxes do not list them, so confirm what the person already owns.
5. Return terms. Look for gift-receipt and return options before the holidays.

How we picked these

This is desk research. We compared publisher and brand pages for contents and checked Amazon product titles and sellers on October 19, 2026. We have not built, painted or played with any of these products. Exact Amazon links are used only where the title matched the product and Amazon.com or the brand’s own U.S. store was listed as the seller for a new, in-stock item; otherwise the link is a labeled search. Stock and sellers change. See our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure : as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Sources

• Games Workshop starter products, Warhammer Community
• The Army Painter Speedpaint Starter Set 2.0
• The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set
• Pokémon TCG Tapu Koko ex and Iron Leaves ex Battle Decks
• Magic: The Gathering Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box contents
• Magic: The Gathering Foundations Starter Collection contents