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Hey everyone,

Collected and painted Fantasy models about 6 years ago, for about a 6 month time period. Was 15 at the time, couldn't drive, and had no income. It was impossible for me to continue the hobby, or find anyone to play against! So I set everything aside, and figured I'd resume at a later date.

That has all changed, and I've been browsing the Dakka forums for a little over a month now. I decided to go with 40k simply because I have an abundance of players in my area. I've been all over the place with which army to pick, and I still haven't decided on where to start! I've bought the rulebook, and have been through it a few times now. I just can't seem to decide on an army! Tomorrow, I have a chance to go and get a Codex + Battleforce (or whatever I decide on for models) before work, and I'm hoping the owner of this GW shop could help me out a bit with what army to narrow in on, but I'm worried I'll get talked into buying whatever is most expensive.

I can't decide on a few armies, and here's why:

Tyranid: My first choice that I looked into! Looove the zerg race in Starcraft 2, and love the idea of a swarmy alien-bug race. Nothing really turns me off about the army overall, except it seems like I'm kind of tunnel-visioned into 1 playstyle and a certain mix of units. Love the look and fluff, but am kind of turned off by the playstyle.

Daemons: Love how many options there are. Also love that there aren't any big huge tanks barreling down the field. It's like a horror movie setup, not some advanced human race. My only turnoff is that they seem to be a pretty random race. What with their reward system and warpstone table, I'm just worried that they are the army that most relies on "luck of the dice".

Dark Eldar: These guys pretty much sum up how I want to play on the table top. Super fast, don't get hit, screw objectives and just get kills. They also look amazing! Post-apocalyptic-savage-punks? Oh yeah! The downside to them, is that I just can't seem to find a unique army list. Get an archon, get a bunch of Warriors, fill up as many Raiders as you own, and hang back. Feels like every game will go the same, and there isn't much room for expanding your sidelines.

I like the idea of one day owning 10,000 points of a single army, and being able to change my playstyle HUGELY from game to game.

Anyways, that's where I'm currently standing. I get to go to my local GW store in a little over 12 hours, and I have no idea what I shall be buying. I'm so excited to start the hobby physically! I've been reading, fantasizing, and watching battle-reports on youtube for a month now. Tomorrow is when I can finally start putting together something of my own, and I'm such at a loss!

Any input is super welcome

Tbh honest take the one you like the look of. Pretty much all armies are good enough balanced that they are able to compete with each other as long as you don´t play in tournaments.
I´d double-check the battleforces reputation. Some are not as viable as others.

I would steer clear of demons in this edition.

Honestly, since you have an abundance of players in your area I think you should get a few games in before deciding what army to play, it could have a big impact on your decision.

Since you have the ambitous goal to make a huge collection, be sure and get something you wont mind spending a lot of time painting!

Should have made this a poll

Of those 3 my first choice would be nids. I think they have some fun models.Plus they can be really easy to paint if you don't want to go crazy (wash them black and paint the claws/teeth white...done).

Bitcly wrote:
Tyranid: My first choice that I looked into! Looove the zerg race in Starcraft 2, and love the idea of a swarmy alien-bug race. Nothing really turns me off about the army overall, except it seems like I'm kind of tunnel-visioned into 1 playstyle and a certain mix of units. Love the look and fluff, but am kind of turned off by the playstyle.

Tyranids have a few builds that work in 6th edition, even if most of them center around Flying Tyrants and Tervigons. it's not the be all and end all though. Plenty of people have success in 6th edition with 'sub par' units. Really, there's only a handful of units in the codex you should outright avoid (Sky Slashers, Rippers, Pyrovores, and Old One Eye primarily).

What exactly do you think their playstyle is?

Tyranids are a short ranged race. They have vast quantities of short ranged anti infantry and anti tank firepower with strong melee units mixed in. Good armies make use of all of this - short ranged anti tank to crack open transports, short ranged anti infantry to soften targets and melee units to finish them off. They also have the potential to bring the most psykers to the table (though that might change with the Eldar codex), psykers that also happen to be hulking behemoths that can tear units apart with firepower or Smash heavy infantry and tanks to peices in assault.

Thanks for input thus far !

And the playstyle of Nids? As far as I've gotten, bring a stack of Genestealers, bring a few Tervigons, and spam Termagants while finding the easiest way to the opponent through terrain. I love the overall aesthetic of the army, but it feels like that's all I've ever seen from them.

Any more input? Such as Dark Eldar discussion

Bitcly wrote:
And the playstyle of Nids? As far as I've gotten, bring a stack of Genestealers, bring a few Tervigons, and spam Termagants while finding the easiest way to the opponent through terrain. I love the overall aesthetic of the army, but it feels like that's all I've ever seen from them.

Yeah, you've got it wrong then.

Genestealers haven't been in vogue since 6th edition killed their assault from Outflank ability. The common netlist you'll see touted as 'the Tyranid army' is a pair of Flying Tyrants, a couple of Tervigons, and other models sprinkled in, which is almost there. Flying Tyants are great, and so are Tervigons, but they're by no means the only way to run Tyranids. The problem with the internet is it's a huge echo chamber, once someone starts saying they've had success with a certain build, everyone comes out of the woodwork.

If there's specific Tyranid models you like, list them and I'll give you a pretty honest (though not overly competitive) opinion.

Where in Canada are you? I'm a new player too so if Otown we could get some games in.

If you want hit and run army wait 2 weeks to see what eldar get as they aee getting a reworked army and codex.

Demons I think would be a lot of fun and I was concidering them but from what I researched... they are a strong army that relies on the dice gods to do well. The main issue with demons is that grey knights are the most common army and (I don't understand how since as i said, I am new too) get bonuses against you and shut down your abilities. Someone clarify for us?

Tyranids:. Have a very good looking variety of units. In the end the army you should get is the one you want to spend time painting and playing with not the one everyone says is better. The downside is that tyranids (and necrons) are the only team that cannot ally with another race. For example a demon force could ally with chaos space marines. This would let you build another army while still using your old one.

Don't know much about the eldar except that they have a sick looking aircraft. Sorry couldn't be of more help.

Sorry if my grammar is poor. Typing this out on my phone.


Welcome back to the hobby!

I see what you're saying about how the internet will judge armies, sadly. Something becomes the go-to strategy, and it can quickly become the only strategy.

I'm about a half hour South of Toronto, Ontario
Is that Eldar or Dark Eldar in 2 weeks? I'm liking the Dark Eldar quite a bit, but the Eldar models don't really appeal to me :(

Stuck on what to choose. lol. Been stuck for a month. Narrowed it down to Tyranid, Daemons, and Dark Eldar. Just can't pick from here :(

Bitcly wrote:
Hey everyone,

Collected and painted Fantasy models about 6 years ago, for about a 6 month time period. Was 15 at the time, couldn't drive, and had no income. It was impossible for me to continue the hobby, or find anyone to play against! So I set everything aside, and figured I'd resume at a later date.

That has all changed, and I've been browsing the Dakka forums for a little over a month now. I decided to go with 40k simply because I have an abundance of players in my area. I've been all over the place with which army to pick, and I still haven't decided on where to start! I've bought the rulebook, and have been through it a few times now. I just can't seem to decide on an army! Tomorrow, I have a chance to go and get a Codex + Battleforce (or whatever I decide on for models) before work, and I'm hoping the owner of this GW shop could help me out a bit with what army to narrow in on, but I'm worried I'll get talked into buying whatever is most expensive.

I can't decide on a few armies, and here's why:

Tyranid: My first choice that I looked into! Looove the zerg race in Starcraft 2, and love the idea of a swarmy alien-bug race. Nothing really turns me off about the army overall, except it seems like I'm kind of tunnel-visioned into 1 playstyle and a certain mix of units. Love the look and fluff, but am kind of turned off by the playstyle.

Daemons: Love how many options there are. Also love that there aren't any big huge tanks barreling down the field. It's like a horror movie setup, not some advanced human race. My only turnoff is that they seem to be a pretty random race. What with their reward system and warpstone table, I'm just worried that they are the army that most relies on "luck of the dice".

Dark Eldar: These guys pretty much sum up how I want to play on the table top. Super fast, don't get hit, screw objectives and just get kills. They also look amazing! Post-apocalyptic-savage-punks? Oh yeah! The downside to them, is that I just can't seem to find a unique army list. Get an archon, get a bunch of Warriors, fill up as many Raiders as you own, and hang back. Feels like every game will go the same, and there isn't much room for expanding your sidelines.

I like the idea of one day owning 10,000 points of a single army, and being able to change my playstyle HUGELY from game to game.

Anyways, that's where I'm currently standing. I get to go to my local GW store in a little over 12 hours, and I have no idea what I shall be buying. I'm so excited to start the hobby physically! I've been reading, fantasizing, and watching battle-reports on youtube for a month now. Tomorrow is when I can finally start putting together something of my own, and I'm such at a loss!

Any input is super welcome

I'm biased because I play daemons, but heck, ill say it, play daemons. They are fantastic fun, and very competetive once you figure them out. See, the thing is, you roll random gifts and such, but many people assume that means (If you don't roll x, then give up, you have lost) and that really isn't the case at all. ALl it means is, when you roll for gifts, you need to think how you can use said gift. On the very rare occasion you can't use a gift, you can always swap it for the "Primaris" gift, which is always a fantastically useful weapon. Any 10 point gift, can be swapped for an AP2, master crafted sword, that strikes at initiative order. Khorne can take the same but it causes instant death as well for 10 points! 20 point gifts can be swapped for an AP2, master crafted, initiative order weapon that also increases your strength by 1, or again, other god-based weapons that are almost all fantastic. So in short, yeah, you roll for gifts, but you never waste those points, because you either roll well, and get something fantastic, or roll badly, and just get something that is still well worth the tiny amount of points you paid for it.

They are very quick. They can be either hordey, or elite. They can be shooty or assaulty, or a mix. They can be strong, or quick, or resillient in assaults, depending on what you pick, and how you fit them out.

In short, they are great. And while there is a small element of randomness (That is often greatly exaggerated, it's really not that bad at all`), the trick is, if you are the player that knows how to adapt to a random event well, then you will always have the advantage over your opponent's who rely on everything going "According to plan". Because daemons throw a spanner in your enemy's plan's, and test your ability to adapt. They are also, just damn good, and fairly unique, as in, not many other's play them.

If you go with Dark Eldar...

Check out my stuff in the swap shop

The new codex is for eldar. I think dark eldar just got an update?? If dark eldar look the best and have the fkuff you like go for it! Only brough up Eldar because I think eldar and dark eldar can be battle brothers, meaning if you find something yu are lacking with DE you may be able to fill in the gap with Eldar.

According to a few posts up though demons sound damn fun, and they ally with Chaos Space marines which are a damn cool and a very strong army...kind of makese regret going tau....

But just remember you will, at least in the begining, spend more time building and paiting yout army than playing. So strength of army while a factor, should be the least important one.

If DE did just get a new dex. Then it may not have changed much, I just did a qquick browse and it looks like poison nomb, while a fun strat, is the only competitive strat for DE. You may wish to check that for yourself.

My vote would be for demons or dark eldar, just because you can't expand later on by building an ally army. Thus making tyranids a poor choice for someone just getting into the hobby. Nids can't take allies, not even allies of covience just to clarify.

Go dark eldar! If you are still reading this before you get your army.

There are plenty of unique strategies to make with this army. From running wracks to beastmasters, to lots of reavers and hellions with the baron and the duke,

While that is true, they have no psykers, Shaso_Keo brings up a good point in their Eldar battle brothers. Take some of their new psyker awesomeness to fill in that gap.

But if you like the look, AND you like the playstyle, I dont think you can go wrong.

Bitcly wrote:
Tyranid: My first choice that I looked into! Looove the zerg race in Starcraft 2, and love the idea of a swarmy alien-bug race. Nothing really turns me off about the army overall, except it seems like I'm kind of tunnel-visioned into 1 playstyle and a certain mix of units. Love the look and fluff, but am kind of turned off by the playstyle.

Daemons: Love how many options there are. Also love that there aren't any big huge tanks barreling down the field. It's like a horror movie setup, not some advanced human race. My only turnoff is that they seem to be a pretty random race. What with their reward system and warpstone table, I'm just worried that they are the army that most relies on "luck of the dice".

Dark Eldar: These guys pretty much sum up how I want to play on the table top. Super fast, don't get hit, screw objectives and just get kills. They also look amazing! Post-apocalyptic-savage-punks? Oh yeah! The downside to them, is that I just can't seem to find a unique army list. Get an archon, get a bunch of Warriors, fill up as many Raiders as you own, and hang back. Feels like every game will go the same, and there isn't much room for expanding your sidelines.

Any of these make a good army. The only issue I see is that the 'nids and Dark Eldar are not the one dimensional armies you make them out to be. Tyranids have eminent variety and can be a force mostly made up of hugh hulking monstrous creatures or a massive swarm of little buggers and anything in between. On the Dark Eldar side you have two basic paths as well: The fast raider warrior/wych assault to rack up as many kills as fast as possible, or the slower more ponderous haemonculous creations list that has more solid staying power and doesn't need as much speed. Of course you can also combine the two for a more balanced force. Either way, both forces have a lot more options in how to present and achieve their goals than just a single option each that you comment on above. Just because some people consider something to be the "best" build of an army doesn't mean that it *is* the best build, nor is it by any means the only build that you can play.

Daemons are also very varied and different. They can be set up to just always use the default values from the reward tables to limit the randomness of the dice rolling aspect. If you always choose the baseline reward you don't really even need to roll all things considered. They also have such a variety of units and nowadays all of the various factions are viable when before you primarily saw nurgle and tzeentch daemons spammed all the time. Now slaanesh can be a really tough opponent, and khorne is still has hard hitting up close as ever.

Lots of variety of units and options in all three of these armies. Only thing you can really do is just pick one and go with it. Start out with a small force and play some games. If you don't like it, sell them on ebay and try the next one until you find the one you prefer to play. All folks here can do is give you more details. The final choice of which to play is still one you have to make yourself. Of course you could pick two and build up 5k of each. 5k points in most armies is way more than enough to have multiples of most most units allowing for great variety of force selection when you play at 1500-2000 points.

Skriker

The suspense is killing me! tell us what army you bought!!!

I KNOW.

Also I hope it's Imperial Armored Battlegroup. Not that I'm biased or anything.

Go for the Dark Eldar/Eldar wombo combo