Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi, I've played 40k for quite a while now, almost 5 years and now I would like to see if I like Warhammer. I like the miniatures and I would like to know what race is good for a starter. I don't have a real favorite of the models. I just don't like the Empire and Bretonnian Armies. Any other race I would be open to try. I'd also like to not spend too much money so I'd like an army that's more cost effective (not like guard for 40k).
Sorry if this is the wrong part of the whfb-forum for this post.

I just recently started playing WHFB (had my first set of games last weekend) and loved it. Completely different tactics and strategy involved in the game than what you use in 40k. I started a dwarf army because I love the stunties and wish they were still in 40k as squats. In terms of cost effective armies I've never looked into that myself, but maybe ogre kingdoms, because you field so few models? I find that if you just pick an army you really like you won't notice the cost as much. Where as if you pick the most cost effective currently, you may find you don't like them and in the end you waste money because you will probaby end up buying an army you do like instead.

Well I like all the armies and I am on limited funds so if I choose the most expensive army it will take me forever to build an army. I do know what you mean, but I really do like all the armies and I just need to find people to play with. Which won't be very hard.

Looking over the GW-site again the armies that I really like are: High Elves, Ogres, Hordes of Chaos, Dwaves and Wood Elves. Of those armies Ogres would be the cheapest, but at the same time probably the hardest to use properly. The most expensive would probably be Dwarves or Chaos but besides for Ogres the other armies are all about the same cost.
My other important questions are, which army is easiest to paint to a nice standard and also from a gaming standard what is a good army for beginners?

dwarfs can be cheaper with the starter kit but will not be that flexable and you will not move much

chaos cost a ton of points but same with cash if you want deamons and the really cool units but eamons will drop in price soon

i play high elves and are cool with the new update but are hard to play will cost a little green for good units like sword masters.

wod elves are like highelves but with no armour and better arrow shooting

finally ogres in my opionare the best for you . the paint job dose not mater but they have a lot of rules

go for chaos. Lots of plastic and you can excited about the upcoming releases.

Dwarves and Goblins both have cheap infantry available via the starter kit and online resellers.

http://www.thewarstore.com/BattleforSkullPassBits.html

I would only go Ogres if you really like the minis.

chaos is probably the best bet, as of now you can still use elements from any of the chaos books in any one chaos army, so they are very flexible. also you have tonnes of room for conversions. many of my area gamers (mike butcher and such) have been making things like knightgors (centaurs in heavy armor) to use as chaos knights, and marauder centaur cavalry. Also they just love the custom dragon ogres.


here are some example conversions
http://www.wwhfb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5421
http://www.wwhfb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5525
http://www.wwhfb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6696
http://www.wwhfb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6371

Go Dwarves for sure. Two of the BFSP sets will net you 24 Warriors, 20 Handgunners, 2 Cannons, 16 Miners, and a handful of Heroes. Since you get double the command models it's more like:

21 Warriors (20 is great for a normal fighting regiments, Dwarves are cheap enough IMHO to go 25.)

Handgunners are tricky. As a rule of thumb, missile regiments shouldn't get command (since they are mainly for combat bonuses.) The Pistols on the Champion are certainly less overall useful than an extra Handgun shot. However, I do have a friend who regularly puts command and shields on his Handgunners. Enemy units usually used to take out light units such as these are now struggling to beat these Handgunners in close combat. I still prefer 10 naked Handgunners, which two BFSP will only yield you one unit's worth of.

2 Cannons are always good.

13 Miners is an odd number. 10 Usually get the job done (sneaking up on enemy warmachines.) I have another opponent who plays with 15, and they absolutely wreck my back line when they show up.

Because Dwarves have a solid basic trooper (Warriors,) strong leadership, great mid-range shooting (Organ Gun, Handgunners,) and the best (tho expensive points wise) artillery in the game, I'd go Dwarves. Be aware they are slow and usually make for defensive (and boring) battles. If you're going to add an elite unit I'd go Ironbreakers, as it's hard to argue with a 2+ save in combat for an infantry unit. Good gaming!

Zoned

Let me steer you to the Warhammer forum: http://warhammer.org.uk/PhP/viewtopic.php?t=12169

Truthfully, the easiest army for beginners is brettoonians, you just line up your army and run forward, using your 2+ save and 6+ invulnrable to make sure you make it to combat. But, you don't like them, and they're boring. In my not so humble opinions, the best army for you is skaven. Skaven are cheap (all you really need is to buy a couple of battalion boxes and ratling guns), have a lot of different tactics, are easy to paint and play, and most importantly, you get to experience every part of the game. You get to move relatively fast, so you get to learn moving tactics. You get to use magic, and lots of it, so you get to learn how to drain your enemier dispel dice pool. You get to have an extremly powerful shooting phase, and of course, you get to overwhelm your enemy in assaults. Yup, skaven make for the most involved games there are. The next best bet are the orcs, basically the same thing as the skaven, except they don't have as good of magic or shooting, but instead have more powerful assault units. The next best bet are the high elves.... you basically get the same thing as the skaven and orcs combined, except they cost more ( point wise and cash wise), you don't get a horde army (having lots of models helps make up for making "rookie mistakes". With the high elves, you basically get an army that's really good at moving/shooting/magic/ and assault, but has fewer models. The other issue with high elves is that people expect them to be "pretty".... that means lots of detail work in the painting. That's why I just bought chaos marauders, converted them up to look like spartans (I converted spearmen, swordsmen, phoenix guard, and repeater bolt thrower crew, and the characters all from the same boxed set), and use the high elf rules for them.... It's more converting work, but you don't hafta paint little details

Dwarfs and Brets were indeed the armies they told me to go with. Some tell to go with O&G or empire, because of the possibilities. Chaos is a solid choice too, being GW's lovechild and all, having a great range of really nice models and the option to go with two army books. You could easily make a point&click army with them, the only trouble is: they don't have shooting (unless you take into account the chaos dwarf whatchamacallit...hellcanon?)