Warhammer 40K for Beginners: A Practical Getting Started Guide

Start at Combat Patrol Scale

Start small enough to finish, because a first 40K force that actually reaches the table teaches more than a half-built pile ever will. We recommend beginning with a Combat Patrol-style army or another force that lands near the 500-point range.

That size gives us enough units to learn movement, shooting, charging, and objective play without burying the bench in plastic. It also keeps the first few games readable, which matters more than raw collection size at the start.

A good rule of thumb is simple:

• If we can assemble and prime the first wave in a weekend or two, the force is small enough.
• If the box will leave us with more than 20 models before paint, we should slow down and check our hobby time.
• If we want a fast path into games, we should prefer a small starter force over a large army box.

The trade-off is obvious. Smaller forces give less variety and may feel limited after a few games, but they are easier to learn, easier to transport, and far less likely to stall on the hobby desk.

Pick a Faction We Will Finish

Pick the army we actually want to paint, not the one that looks strongest on a forum thread. A first faction should fit our patience level, our favorite look, and our willingness to repeat the same color scheme across multiple units.

Some armies are friendlier to beginners because they are visually clear and manageable in count. Others ask for more detail, more small parts, or more time per model. That does not make them bad choices, but it does affect how quickly we get from box to battle.

Here is a practical way to sort the options:

If a faction has a lot of trim, tiny decorations, or layered armor panels, the paint job takes longer. If it has simpler silhouettes and fewer models, we get to the table sooner, but the army may feel less varied.

A beginner-friendly filter is this: choose a force we can describe in one sentence. If the answer is, “I like the look and I can finish 10 to 20 models without getting tired of the scheme,” that is a strong sign. If the answer is, “I like the lore, but I am not sure I want to paint that many small details,” we should keep looking.

Collector note: a second army is exciting, but a first finished army is what pays off. We would rather see one fully painted force than two boxes and a growing regret pile.

Budget for the Bench, Not Just the Box

Budget for tools, paint, and storage as part of the first purchase, because the army itself is only one piece of the setup. A Warhammer 40K beginner kit needs a few bench basics before it needs expansion units.

At minimum, we want:

• Side cutters for clean sprue removal
• Plastic cement for plastic kits
• A hobby knife for cleanup
• A primer for paint adhesion
• One small brush and one general-purpose brush
• A tape measure marked in inches
• Dice and something to hold them
• A case, tray, or box for safe storage

After that, we can add paint, a file or sanding stick, and a wet palette if we plan to paint more than a squad or two. Those extras help, but they are not the first priority.

A smart beginner paint plan is narrow, not broad. We do not need a wall of colors on day one. We need enough paint to cover one army scheme cleanly, which usually means a small set of core colors, one metallic, one shade, and a basing color.

The trade-off here is easy to miss. Cheaper tools and random paint buying make the hobby feel expensive later because cleanup takes longer, colors drift, and storage gets messy. A sensible starter bench keeps us painting instead of shopping for fixes.

Fast Buyer Checklist

Use this as a simple yes-or-no pass before we buy anything:

• We picked one faction and one color scheme.
• We chose a force that starts near 500 points or Combat Patrol size.
• We have basic tools, not just models.
• We planned for primer, glue, and paint before opening the box.
• We know where the models will live between hobby sessions.
• We have dice and a tape measure ready for the first game.
• We are not counting on a second purchase to make the first one “work.”

If two or more of those boxes are unchecked, we should slow down. A beginner 40K collection that starts with discipline is easier to enjoy, easier to paint, and easier to expand later.

Mistakes That Cost You Later

The most expensive beginner mistake is buying a big army before we know whether we enjoy assembling and painting it. A large pile of sprues feels exciting for a day, then turns into a long-term project if our hobby time is limited.

A few other mistakes show up again and again:

• Choosing only by lore. Great lore does not always equal a manageable first army.
• Buying too many paints. A broad paint rack looks impressive, but most beginner armies need only a small, focused palette.
• Starting with a centerpiece model first. Big characters and monsters look cool, but they can be harder to paint than a simple troop unit.
• Ignoring storage. Models tossed loose in a drawer chip, snag, and lose bits.
• Skipping primer. Paint on bare plastic is a poor shortcut and usually leads to frustration.
• Buying a second faction too early. A second army feels like variety, but it often delays the first completed force.

The practical fix is boring in the best way. We should build one unit, paint one unit, and learn from one unit before stacking more work on top. That approach keeps the hobby fun instead of turning it into a backlog.

What We’d Do

We would start with a Combat Patrol-scale force from a faction we genuinely like to look at, then buy only the bench tools needed to assemble and paint that first wave. We would keep the first paint scheme simple, finish the models in batches, and wait to expand until the army is actually playable.

That path gives us the fastest route to real games without locking us into a bad purchase. It also leaves room to learn whether we enjoy the hobby side more, the game side more, or both. The trade-off is slower collection growth, but the payoff is a force we can use instead of a stack we have to manage.

If we were shopping at a local game store or through Games Workshop, we would compare starter sets by model count, army style, and how much cleanup the kits seem to demand. For a first purchase, the smartest box is not the biggest one, it is the one we can realistically finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best first army for Warhammer 40K?

The best first army is the one we will actually finish. A small, visually clear force with a manageable model count is easier to learn, and armies with simpler builds are friendlier to first-time painters.

How many models do we need to start?

We should aim for roughly 10 to 20 models for the first hobby wave, or a Combat Patrol-style force if we want a more standard beginner game size. That range is small enough to finish and large enough to learn the rules.

Do we need to buy paints before the army?

Yes, we should have at least a starter paint plan before the first box arrives. Primer, a few core colors, and one metallic are enough to get moving, and they prevent the common trap of owning models that cannot be finished.

Is it better to buy a starter set or build our own army from scratch?

A starter set is better for most beginners because it narrows the choices and gives us a smaller, easier-to-manage force. Building from scratch gives more freedom, but it also makes it easier to overspend or end up with an awkward first collection.

Should we buy second-hand models?

Yes, second-hand models make sense if we are careful about condition, completeness, and cleanup time. The trade-off is that stripped paint, missing parts, or poor assembly can erase the savings if we are not ready for repair work.