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Hello there, I am about to start my very first Warhammer 40k army but I have stack on what army should I start with.

At first I was in love with IG , but I found out that they need much units/tanks to make a decent army meaning I have to pay tons more mooney.

Now I am between Grey Knights(1), Space Wolves(2) and Dark Eldar(3).
(1) and (2) because I really like the models and the high points of units so i have not to buy tons and (3) mainly because I like the models and their fluff. On the Dark Eldar although I dont know if ill do a decent painting job. Finally I like the tau too but I read in many forums/battle reports that they are hard to master so I thought they are not a good choice for a starter on the hobby.

I would like you guys to suggest me what of these 3 - 4 ? armies to start with and why? points/ratio so i have to get less models at start to have some games under my belt ,some info about the painting duty ill have for each of them and which of them could help a newbie get more into the game in terms of tactics etc.

Thanks in advance
~Aleximus

Whatever army you decide, I would wait 2 weeks untill 6th edition hits before you spend your money.

Dont get GK, cos most people hate them. Also DE are very hard to use, because or their low armour. I would recommed SW as they have good models, tons of characters and are a good army to use

I always say go with what you like the looks of the best. The strongest armies change with books anyway. Not to mention you'll learn to use the army properly if you like it enough. Also at the end of the day if you're painting the models, you probably want to like them.

Sure some have a learning curve that may be higher than some of the others, but if you like them enough it's worth it.

Space Marines/Wolves are a good army to start with because of their armour and their ability to bounce back as they are very forgiving if you make a tactical mistake. You should maybe consider a Necron army as they are also very forgiving, one of the more easier armies to paint (it depends on what you're going for) and can come back to life.. if that's not cool I don't know what is. But it's your choice. You probably should wait until the 6th ed comes out like tuiman said.

I say choose whichever models you like the most since you will spend a lot of time painting them.

Like others, my suggestion is waiting until 6th ed. comes out. Find out what the rules changes are and how it changes the game environment, then start building an army. No point in buying unit X only to find that unit X is now weak due to rules changes.

That said, my suggestion would be either Grey Knights or Space Wolves. Both are Space Marine variants and so good as a first army. Marine armies in general are easy to use, although like any elite army can be brittle. [Elite armies have the problem of having fewer models. Thus probability hurts you more. Yes, the Space Marine has a a better BS than a IG trooper, but for the cost, you get 3 IG troopers, so bad dice rolls even out. Additionally, every casualty impairs the army's effectiveness that much more.]

As for specific army list, can't help you as I have not played the armies you are interested in. A general suggestion would be to get just one HQ choice and two troops choices so you can get a feel for the army, then plan further purchases based on what needs improving.

rednecroncryptek wrote:Space Marines/Wolves are a good army to start with because of their armour and their ability to bounce back as they are very forgiving if you make a tactical mistake. You should maybe consider a Necron army as they are also very forgiving, one of the more easier armies to paint (it depends on what you're going for) and can come back to life.. if that's not cool I don't know what is. But it's your choice. You probably should wait until the 6th ed comes out like tuiman said.

I agree with everything in the above post. I was going to say pretty much that.

Objectively if you want an army that lets you field fewer units (ie an elite army) in order to save money, and time modelling/painting, go with one of the many marine flavours. Primarily I'd suggest picking which ever one appeals to you most ascetically and/or fluff wise. Modelling them and painting them is pretty simple. Some GK have more detail than regular marines, and there is more to a SW than a vanilla marine (wolfy bits) but you'll be painting/modelling fewer of them, so it will even out. Tactics wise, more marine flavours are "easy to learn, hard to master". While some people may disagree with that for particular builds or codices, in general it's true. The army can be as simple or as complex as you make it.

If your main concern is painting, and you want an alternative to marines, those are the two main reasons that sealed the deal for my friend who plays necrons. They are (were) easy and quick to paint. I'm not sure 100% about their newer models, but they I'm pretty sure as an army they are still easier to paint than eldar and dark eldar. Necrons have a bit more of a tactical learning curve to start off, but aren't that much harder than marines for learning the basics with. Plus with them getting back up, they can be a bit more forgiving for newer players.

I would wait until 6th ed comes out in a bit to fully invest in your army. If you are brand new to the game, most of the rule changes won't make an impact on you, but don't get a 5th ed rule book. If you choose an army with a newer codex (ie GK, necrons, or even BA) they will still be playable as an army in 6th. If you don't want to wait, and you decided which one you wanted, getting some troops and starting to play around with paint schemes couldn't hurt. Just keep in mind that some weapons and equipment will probably change, and you may want to be careful what you commit to while modelling. This is why I magnetize everything, which I also suggest trying if you are out to get the most out of every model in order to save time and money. But definitely wait before buying your whole army with all the thanks and elites and such until 6th comes out and you see how they work with the new rules.

In the end, just remember that it's a big investment to get into 40k. So you should pick whatever you like most, for your own reasons. Pick whatever appeals to you the most, and painting/modelling will seem like less of a chore. If you like the look/feel/fluff of GK, or you just want a more forgiving army to start with (or you are just plain looking for an army that is "powerful"), then by all means pick them. Keep in mind there will be a few people who will try and say they are cheese, WAAC, OP... the list goes on. But those people aren't paying for your army, you are, and your enjoyment is what matters. If you think that will bug you, and effect your enjoyment of the game, then maybe consider that, but it will only last until the next big codex comes out, and people will jump on the "I hate OP army X and anyone who plays them is a TFG cheese using power gamer" band wagon.

Actually, 6th hits on the 23rd, which is less than a week away.

I got broke into the game by Eldar but my 2nd army was Wolves so I would naturally lean towards either of them. Dark Eldar are not really an army for a beginner and neither are Tau. Neither of those 2 armies have any forgiving qualities at all especially Tau.

FenWulf29 wrote:Dont get GK, cos most people hate them. I would recommed SW as they have good models, tons of characters and are a good army to use

Not taking an army because most people hate them? Thats just silly. Then SW are out of it too.

Hello again and thanks for your replies. I am now between dark eldar and tau empire because I love their models and fluff, and plus I like the fact that I will have to practise much with them before I get any good so I am up for the challenge.. I waited for 6th edition to be launched but I really want to go get a box of miniatures but I can't really wait to read about the new ruls and then decide... Any advice would be awesome.. Thanks

Tau may have a new codex in the future, (year or two) so probably wait. I say Space Wolves.