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My Brother lived with me for a while, before he emigrated for work. Anyway I was cleaning out the loft and found some of my brothers left over war gaming stuff


A load of paints, and tools (There are some paint brushes also not pictured)


Some models; i'm assuming this is all 40K stuff

My life at the moment just seems to be based around my job, so i decided i needed a hobby. Due to this serendipitous discovery, table top gaming shall be said new hobby

Hi i'm Andrew, i'm new to table top gaming

So i figure i can used a bunch of this stuff to build a small army, and pop down to a local Games Workshop, and see if i can get someone to teach me how to play.

I'm assuming what i posses at the moment isn't enough to be considered an army, so firstly can anyone tell me what i've got?


These guys are Space Marines... Right? i'm fairly confident i've guessed them correctly!!?!



These guys kind of look like Space Marines albeit with out the helmets or jet-pack-things. They're made of metal and pretty cool looking, but what are they?


This is a close up of the metal guys, they have lost their arms though, where do you buy arms? I tried searching google for "buy arms", but that wasn't very useful, and also i may now be on a CIA watch list


These little fellas are awesome, look at their massive hats!! brilliant!! Are these actual Games workshop figures or something else? Please ignore the paint job on them, it seems my brother vomited paint at these guys, before fleeing the country.


More fantastic massive hat guys, this time with a fantastic massive gun!

So what have i got here, and what would i need to buy to make this a viable army which i could use to have an introductory ruckus?

Welcome to dakka.

You appear to have some good old space marines. and a bunch of nice out of production vet squads which is always cool.

The guys with the poofy hats are vostroyans which is a different army. they be GW models but they are also Out of production so you couldnt really build on it.

Welcome to 40k and dakka.
Yes they are space marines, Desubot hit the nail on the head regarding the vets aswell.
You can buy arms for space marines but this is usually rather tedious and unnecessary. You buy models in full multi part plastic kits (metal models are a rarity as of the last few years), complete with arms, legs, heads etc. along with that unit of models wargear.

You should really visit the gamesworkshop website and look at the newer models, some are really impressive and will provide some inspiration for you.

Cheers Desubot, much appreciated

That's disappointing about the Vostroyans, they're are definitely my favorites. It takes a certain amount of panache to rock up to a battle wearing such preposterous head attire. It also means my fledgling army has just shrunk considerably.

If the vet squad is also out of production, am i able to use them? I assume they're the same army as the space marines?

Is there a minimum amount of men i would have to field in order to have a game with them?

I have attached an image of some fully painted vostroyans, they are still in production on the games workshop site available to buy.

Well if you are really interested in getting into the game then you will need a get all the rules to get started.

There is no minimum or maximum points to the game so it depends on the people you play with.

Kill teams would work decently well (though that is a add on game to the normal rules)

the Vets can still be used no issues. and the Vostroyans should fetch a pretty penny so could easily be traded or sold for more plastic crack.

Id suggest going to a LFGS. ask to check out the rules or books or potentially get in a demo game.

edit: OH didnt realize they still had them. they still cost an arm and a leg and have no real options no?

Thanks Ustis; just had a look at the Games Workshop site. There's loads of stuff!! i definitely want a tank, who doesn;t want a sci-fi tank!! Is there a starter kit that would have enough stuff in it to enable me to have a battle?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I do like the Vostroyans, but i think i will heed Desubot's advise and maybe sell them.

Also what is FLGS? Edit - never mind - Friendly local gaming store

 Desubot wrote:
Well if you are really interested in getting into the game then you will need a get all the rules to get started.

There is no minimum or maximum points to the game so it depends on the people you play with.

Kill teams would work decently well (though that is a add on game to the normal rules)

the Vets can still be used no issues. and the Vostroyans should fetch a pretty penny so could easily be traded or sold for more plastic crack.

Id suggest going to a LFGS. ask to check out the rules or books or potentially get in a demo game.

edit: OH didnt realize they still had them. they still cost an arm and a leg and have no real options no?

They have enough options for a blob guard army and are not that expensive only £20 for a full infantry squad which is only £2 more than a cadian squad. There are also heavy weapons teams and command squads still sold and in production.

mkalpha there are plenty of astra militarum (more commonly known as imperial guard) boxsets which can get you started with a full army such as the cadian defence force. Unfortunately gamesworkshop only focusses on two types of soldier regiments fully; the cadians and catachans, so the boxsets wont have vostroyan models in them.

So yeah if you want a vostroyan army for definite you will have to buy it piecemeal, and I agree completely on the tanks point its the biggest attraction for imperial guard players.

Hmmm i might keep the Vostroyans then. If there is no minimum amount of figures to have a game, i could build two small armies and buy the rule book, and bribe a friend in to playing with me. I rekon if i promise to ply them with Gin, i can get a game out of someone

mkalpha wrote:
Hmmm i might keep the Vostroyans then. If there is no minimum amount of figures to have a game, i could build two small armies and buy the rule book, and bribe a friend in to playing with me. I rekon if i promise to ply them with Gin, i can get a game out of someone

Well if you aren't living in the middle of nowhere, almost every UK town/city has a FLGS. Just pop in and they will give you a completely free no strings attached introductory game, they've been doing this for new players for years and I thoroughly recommend it to get a grasp of the rules if you have no friends who play.

Buying the rulebook is questionable, but completely up to you if you can afford it (it's overpriced brace yourself) although there is no better substitute for learning to play than playing games whilst being taught how to play first hand.

It's really good you've taken a shine to the vostroyans, many people find it very difficult to pick one of the numerous exciting factions.

welcome great way to get into the hobby
i would get another box of marines
and paint up the marines before i get a tank
two squads a vet squad an hq and a rhino is how i started...

Good god, is the rule book bound with gold leaf and encrusted in jewels?? That is expensive

There are quite a few FLGS's near to me, so i will take your suggestion Ustis, and go and blag a free game

Cheers for the purchasing suggestions LordRahl, it is tempting to go and buy the massive tank before acctually having enough men

mkalpha wrote:
Good god, is the rule book bound with gold leaf and encrusted in jewels?? That is expensive

There are quite a few FLGS's near to me, so i will take your suggestion Ustis, and go and blag a free game

Cheers for the purchasing suggestions LordRahl, it is tempting to go and buy the massive tank before acctually having enough men

I'm not going to go around telling people to not buy the rulebook but all I am saying is the rules can be found in complete form online and you can manage without them for the most part (if you know how to play or are being taught by an experienced player). However there are much cheaper small formats of the rules available for about £25 in certain stores (you were probably looking at the full monty of the rules, an additional book for the games lore and another book which I think is a gallery of painted models).
Yeah they will be more than inclined to give you a game they have to anyway (not that they don't enjoy it, who wouldn't? )


Another piece of advice do not buy a £85 huge tank, you will probably put it together incorrectly and HATE yourself for it later. Trust me I've done it a few times. Perhaps try your hand at painting and making a smaller tank first like a leman russ. I know it sounds patronizing but make sure you carefully follow the instructions provided when assembling any models.

Happy wargaming!

Yea it would be just like me to blow £85 on a giant tank, and then toally ruin it The Leman Russ for £30 looks pretty good, and is probably much more achievable.

Think i was looking at the full monty rule book plus painting guide thing, will try out a game at a LFGS and see how i get on with it.

Cheers everyone for all the help, it's very much appriciated

mkalpha wrote:
Good god, is the rule book bound with gold leaf and encrusted in jewels?? That is expensive

Ah, the rules on GW's site are a 3 book set: Fluff, Pictures of models, Rules.

I shall now tell you how for to Vostroyan on the cheap in the UK.

For starters, you don't need that book set - but you want the rule book, so you can just go onto eBay and grab one of the A5 copies that come in the starter box. If it has a red or a green space marine on the front, that is what you want. Should run you £18-25 depending on your patience.
"Mini rules 40k" "Small format rules 40k" "a5 rulebook 40k" just bash at it until you hit gold.

To find out a starter army that suits you, yeah, hit your local GW, but be sure to say "I want to stick to a budget, and I am not buying today." - most GW are cool, but some staff have a Labrador approach and you end up holding arms of boxes you don't want. Ask them to help you make an army list for Vostroyan IG, enough to run under 500pt.

Come away from GW with your list.

Head towards one of many many discount online retailers (or go in person, which county are you in? If you narrow it down, I can tell you of discount stores within reasonable travel):
Leicester: http://giftsforgeeks.org.uk/shop/tabletop-wargames%7Cgames-workshop
Manchester: http://www.fanboy3.co.uk
London: https://www.darksphere.co.uk
Do not buy from Wayland Games unless the item is listed as currently in stock with a quantity: http://www.waylandgames.co.uk

For OOP Vostroyans, you have the option of eBay, or heading to several wargaming shows that happen around the country. Many of them have at least two or three sellers with trays of OOP 40K taped to card at stupidly low prices. if you're able to clean and paint, you're onto a winner. Alternatively find someone who's going and give them a list of what you're looking for.
Triples (Sheffield), World Wargames (Derby), Partizan (Newark), Recon (Pudsey), Salute (London), etc etc They are excellent for picking up terrain, paints, tools and deals.

For cheap painting, the key item is a good primer. Do not believe GW staff who will tell you to buy their £10 concentrated pixie farts in a can. Acrylic primer (for metal) and acrylic spray for plastic. that's all you need. Halfords will do you a massive can for £7.50-£9, and smaller independant auto repair places will do you some for as low as £3.50

Do not buy your glues, drills, tools, etc from GW. They are rebranding the wheel and charging you for it.

Do not believe GW about their brushes being anything above the ordinary. Quite honestly to begin with, brushes from The Works will do for blocking in. Smaller detail you could do worse than sucking it up and getting some GW brushes, or if your town has a Boyes (worth a trip to another town if not) load up there. They also sell all the kit GW to and more, at a fraction of the cost.


...Most of this I learned vicariously through being dragged around the country by a wargaming addict. I apologise for the length.

No need to apologize for the length of the post, that's really useful, and packed with great hints and tips.

I'm based in Lancashire; i'm a little bit out in the sticks, but Manchester, Bury, Bolton Blackburn are within easy striking distance for me, and i will definitely check out fanboy3 in Manchester. Will keep an eye on e-bay for a cheap copy of the box set rule book

I did pick up some GW spray paint at the weekend, but when that runs out will check out a halfords for some cheaper stuff. I wasn't sure what i could and couldn't use on the models.

I have a mate who works at a model shop. They stock a small amount of GW stuff but don't really have any knowledge on it. He did however point me towards a different cheap paint range and cheaper tools. Also got a mates discount which is nice.

Will definitely take your advise and get GW staff to put a 500pt list together for me, that would be really useful.

Cheers for the great post, it's much appreciated

Ah, I was born in Wigan, and go home monthly, so I know where you mean!
Fanboy3 would deliberately do you a good deal if you went in and said you'd like to start with GW. the guy that runs it delights in beating them at their own game. Might have to order what you need in, but it'll be discounted.

In all cases, when getting used to painting, you want Acrylic. You can use artists acrylics, you can use any brand. You'll also want some varnish for your metal models, as they're heavier and will get chipped. That's where your mate will be useful - spray varnishes.
To begin with, don't use Purity Seal from GW as it's not a great varnish, but again, it is very expensive. It is also Satin, which is neither here nor there.

Brilliant, will certainly go and visit Fanboy3 and see what he can do for me.

I hadn't thought about varnishing the models, will look in to that. I'm getting the impression that most of the GW painting and modeling stuff is over-priced and lesser quality than the alternatives?

Their paints themselves offer a very good range of colours and work well on miniatures. They are also super easy to find if you want to replicate the shade you used. Their tools are exceptionally overpriced, as is their glue.

It's good to know what is worth spending the money on, and where a cheaper alternative might be just as good or better, so cheers for that. Makes sense about the paints, as they do seem to have a huge range, and it is quite easy to find somewhere selling GW paints


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Further rummaging has turned up these



Are any of these of use, or are they out of date? There was a 2006 GW catalogue with them so i guess they probably date from around then.

I'm beginning to think, i won't actually have to buy anything, i'll just keep rummaging around my own house, finding random stuff

Vostroyans are not oop, the squads and command and weapon teams are available direct from gw and are not that expensive

I'm afraid four of those are not current books (first four codexes), but I don't know enough about Titans to know if the other two are.
You could probably ebay them all separately for (a bit) of spendy cash though. People do still play the old versions, and look for them.

 quickfuze wrote:
Vostroyans are not oop, the squads and command and weapon teams are available direct from gw and are not that expensive

Yea they are quite cheap on the GW which is good, plus there's quite a bit of stuff on e-bay. Although they mainly seem to be just men. Do they get tanks, and mechs and such, or is all their power contained in their fantastic massive hats?

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
I'm afraid four of those are not current books (first four codexes), but I don't know enough about Titans to know if the other two are.
You could probably ebay them all separately for (a bit) of spendy cash though. People do still play the old versions, and look for them.

I assumed they were out of date tbh, but it's good to know i might be able to sell them. Will have to check with my Bro first, just incase.

Tanks, walkers, etc have generic guardsmen with them, and then you paint them and add markings to suit your regiment.
If you're really adventurous/silly you can chop one in half and stick them in the top of your tank.
Like so: http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/720257-.html?m=2

There's tank commander stats, if you use someone who looks important and pointy/shouting. Just don't do what I did there and use a commissar.

That looks ace, i like that

Whats the problem with using a commissar?

Well, commissars are supposed to stand amongst troops and inspire/terrify them into doing better, and stop them fleeing. You can't do that sitting in a tank (in the rules).
There's nothing stopping you using a model like that and calling it a tank commander, in all honesty.

There are rules for a commissar tank, but we're talking a whole different scale of army.

Hey, welcome to dakka and to the hobby. One quick word of caution....

....this gak will consume your fething life. Be warned. Be prepared.

Now that the pleasantries are over

I haven't read all of the comments, so apologies if I'm repeating anything here.

The Space Marines are super human, genetically modified soldiers. They have 2 hearts, numerous "after market" body organs, and walk round in some of the most protective armour in the game. They are split in to what are called chapters (think along the lines of different football teams. Each have their own unique tactics, leaders, equipment etc).

As one of (if not the) oldest factions in the game, they have a massive amount of lore (which is commonly known as fluff here) to them. Lexicanum and 40k wiki are excellent sites for background story info.

If you're looking to test the waters with this hobby before going all in and selling your very soul to Lucifer I'm exchange for that one game winning re-roll, or extra box of plastic do-dads, set the vostroyans aside for the time being and focus on the marines. As they're an elite force, they cost more points wise in game, meaning that you need to buy less to get started. If you really want to minimise your starting costs, check out the grey Knights. They are to space marines, what I am to my wife - gods gift (no need to check with her, I promise she'd agree. Honestly....)

The benefit of these guys being that they cost even more in points, as they are FLUFFWISE, that damn good, so there aren't as many of them. They're also a mostly straight silver colour scheme, which I feel is a nice easy colour to paint, which is important when starting out otherwise you'll just feel demotivated if what you see in your minds eye doesn't translate to the model.

Other main chapters include -

Ultramarines (roman-esque)
Blood Angels (good guy space vampires)
Space wolves (viking-esque)
White scars (mongol-esque)
Iron hands (possibly one to read up on if tanks are your thing)
Dark angels ("gentlemen" Knights of old with a dark secret)

And many, many others.

The vostroyans, by contrast, are regular humans with a semi Russian vibe. They, iirc, suffered a massive shame at some point in their history, and fight all the harder to make up for it. Their guns are immaculate family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation, and are imo some of the best Imperial Guard (now known as Astra Militarum, a catch all name for standard human troopers in the 40k universe) models that GW has made. Occasionally, platoon boxes pop up on eBay. If you're not scared of paying top dollar, you can grab one of these to bulk up your force, though at about £150 for iro 30 models, they're not cheap and buying direct from GW may prove slightly less painless.

One thing to consider with the majority of guard armies, is that they're usually built around a horde mentality. That is to say, they need a lot of models, and therefore can cost more to get up and running. I'm not a guard player though, so some of my compatriots here may be able to advise better on that.

To start planning your force, you will need the general rule book, and then the army book (or codex) of the army that you choose. The generic space marine codex has literally just been rereleased this week, and so (we like to think) is most likely to not be updated again any time soon, which would require you to buy another copy of any new editions.

I would recommend your choosing one army to begin with, otherwise you need to buy two army books, doubling your cost on literature alone. If you opt for space marines (the general codex, dark angel, space wolf, or blood angel version) you could use the vostroyans temporarily as scouts (newly recruited space marines in lighter armour) so you can at least use the models.

That is I think everything I have for you right now, sorry if it's information overload, let me know if you have any follow up questions and we'll all help in any way that we can

Welcome again, and just remember to enjoy it

mkalpha wrote:
That looks ace, i like that

Whats the problem with using a commissar?

Welcome to Dakka Dakka!

Impresive old school minis you got there.

Commisars are units that are form the Imperial Guard and give you some good damn moral (leadership points of 10 if i am not mistaken, If I am I guess I'm going to be corrected very soon).

The Codex books on your pictures are Relics and you can either sell them to dedicate fans onr keep them. Also make sure to see some painting tutorials before you start painting

And here are some guidelines if, they are not already given, to overlook before starting an army:

Horde Army - Imperial Guard, Orkz, Tyranids - easy to kill but cheap to buy, overrun you with numbers.
Elite Army - Eldar, Dark Eldar, Tau, Chaos Daemons
Heavy (MEQ) - Space Marines, Chaos Space marines

And the chose also affect your game style, for example Eldar, Dark eldar move fast, around 12 inches, Necrons and Space Marines are slow movers 6 inches and etc. Generally I suggest you check out the Beasts of War guides for WH40K starters. Yeah I know it's for previous edition of the game, but it will help you a lot to understand the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljV-v0oc5Aw

Oo, forgot to say, when buying miniatures, check the description to see if it says the model is plastic, resin, or metal.

Plastic is for the most part, the preferred medium,as it's pretty rugged and usually allows for a good degree of modelling flexibility.

Personally I hate resin. A few years ago GW released a.material that they called finecast. It was utter garbage, with a number of models needing touching up or outright replacing if the quality was subpar. It's important to remember that if you're not happy with a product you've been provided with, get them to sort it for you. GW aftersales service is one of the best I've ever come across, though it does need you to speak up if you have any queries. Don't be shy, they've heard it alot.

Metal is heavier and when dropped can lead to breaks that you otherwise may not get with other materials.

Resin and metal need superglue, plastic needs plastic glue. I have trouble with GW thin super glue, sealing the cap shut. You may have better luck with poundland equivalents to begin with. Their plastic glue is great though.

When painting, prime first (usually with a spray, trial and error will help you to find a method that works for you). I like to prime with a white spray as it doesn't hide all the detail from me. Water down your paints slightly otherwise it'll be caked it and obscure the details of the model. It's better to do multiple thin layers than one thick one.

Check out edge highlighting for a pretty easy way of getting definition and "pop" from your model.

Yes, Finecast is now disguised as "Finely detailed resin models" on packaging and website descriptions.

Also whilst GW's plastic glue is pretty okay, I would say that Humbrol's "Liquid poly" plastic glue is a better place to start. For one, your mate at the model shop will know it, it's the same glue every airfix, model kit, etc uses. For two, I prefer it because it comes with a tiny brush in the lid. It's more controllable and it only costs £3ish a pot.
Mine has lasted me about... errr... I don't remember when in the last decade I bought it, and I've never needed a second.
It saves a lot on spills by not being a squeeze bottle.

Metal vs plastic is a strange beast. Plastic allows (now) for very dynamic, intricate models that fit together seamlessly. Metal has the durability, stability and can be endlessly stripped and repainted. It keeps resale value because of those factors.
I have no shame to admit my primary army (metal IG) would be stripped and on eBay if I ever hit severe financial difficulty. On the other hand, nobody would want my plastic Marines and tanks.