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I'm completely new to 40k and tabletop gaming and was hoping to get some help on where to begin. Help a noob out!
- How did you go about deciding on a faction? Did you decide based on the "flavor of the week?" Was it aesthetics? Lore?
- I'm having a hard time breaking down pros and cons with each faction and it's getting a little overwhelming for me.
- Pretty please don't ask me my play style...I don't know yet. I've only painted the models and semi-watched others play larger point games, so I kinda dozed off...
- I'd like to start with learning mechanics and managing a small army so I don't overwhelm myself.
If you can point me to some resources or provide any input, I'd be super appreciative!
I'm completely new to 40k and tabletop gaming and was hoping to get some help on where to begin. Help a noob out!
- How did you go about deciding on a faction? Did you decide based on the "flavor of the week?" Was it aesthetics? Lore?
!
There are as many answers as there are players.
For some it's the rules, for some, it's the models (or even a model/character that grabs you), for some it's the background or the inspiration behind that particular army (eg, 'I like wolves and Vikings. Hey, there is an awesome wolf Viking army!')
Well first, I guess... how competitive are you? The factions are not balanced well... so if you're the type that likes/needs to win there are certain better choices (Eldar and Tau); though this is always subject to change.
For me, after 30-ish years of tabletop gaming it's entirely about the models. The rules / power-levels vary so much from each game edition and each specific codex.
You're going to have to paint a fair amount of models to have a 'working army list' so in my opinion it's best to stick with the models you enjoy painting the most, first and foremost.
I also find that watching batreps on Youtube also help me decide what to field in my specific army.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/24 19:32:17
I chose tau because I've always loved Asian history, and the tau aesthetic of sleek futuristic and clean frankly just appealed a lot to me. I grew up on shows like gundams and Megas xlr. That, and I liked how tau seemed to be the only group in 40k that was winning and had a clean track record, they seemed smart enough to bring a gun when the plebs were using swords, and their army and play style seemed fun. I enjoy min-maxing too and wanted an army that was competitive, whilst still being something I could tune down for friendly games.
All I can say though, is that for you, find the faction that you like the most. Make sure you'd enjoy the models though, that's just as important.
Don't pro/con every faction, narrow down your list to just ones your interested in and then pro/con. You can always make a second army later.
Look into mechanic is after you've nailed down basic gameplay.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/24 19:40:33
1. We can't tell you how to choose a faction, just go with your instinct. I chose chaos straight away because I always choose the bad guys. Remember you can change your faction later, most people have 2-4 different factions.
2. The pros and cons of each faction (fluff wise) are all subjective so you won't get a straight answer. As for on the table top... Top tier armies:Eldar, Necrons, Space marines. Bottom tier: CSM, Orks, DE. (<--That doesn't mean you can't use these guys!)
3. I would say look at some lists/tactics/battle reports to decide your play style. Atm shooting is the current meta and cc armies are hard to pull off.
4. Buy a rule book and find a friend to teach you either using their army, any models you have painted but not used or even just paper.
5. The two sites I use for fluff and rules are lexicanum and 1d4chan respectively. These are great resources.
Ghorros wrote: The moral of the story: Don't park your Imperial Knight in a field of Gretchin carrying power tools.
Marmatag wrote: All the while, my opponent is furious, throwing his codex on the floor, trying to slash his wrists with safety scissors.
I'm completely new to 40k and tabletop gaming and was hoping to get some help on where to begin. Help a noob out!
Always happy to help!
- How did you go about deciding on a faction? Did you decide based on the "flavor of the week?" Was it aesthetics? Lore?
Well, it was something really different at the time. I was heavily into RTS games, and this was a great way to play it at a speed I was comfortable with. I also loved being able to express myself through it. I'm a lot older now, but back when I started, 40k helped me start finding my identity as a person, and apparently that person was a gamer!
- I'm having a hard time breaking down pros and cons with each faction and it's getting a little overwhelming for me.
It is very overwhelming! Not only is each faction pretty unique, but each faction often has sub-factions which are themselves unique! I could say that Space Marines are the best "all rounders", but they can easily go heavy close combat or heavy ranged depending on how you want to build them. If you want to play for fluff and fun, go with the faction that speaks to you the most, that you'd have fun moving the models around, and that you're okay with if they bite the dust now and then. If you're playing competitive, be prepared to fork over a lot of cash, because what's "best" can suddenly change, and usually involves purchasing whole new units or armies!
- Pretty please don't ask me my play style...I don't know yet. I've only painted the models and semi-watched others play larger point games, so I kinda dozed off...
No problem. But when you watched others, did you want to join in? Did it excite you to see what was happening next? Not going to lie... dozing off while watching a game might mean you're not really enthralled with anything. But if there's something that really grabs you, try to ask yourself why that is.
- I'd like to start with learning mechanics and managing a small army so I don't overwhelm myself.
I couldn't offer any better advice than this! Also, if your area has some nice players, ask to borrow their army for a quick and small game!
If you can point me to some resources or provide any input, I'd be super appreciative!
I'm not one to push 1d4 chan on folks, but their 40k section is fantastic on capturing the fun!
Hi Cindy,
As a player who only got into the hobby myself about a year and a half ago, I know that all of it can be a bit overwhelming to begin with. I picked me army through a combination of aesthetics and lore really, considering I picked one of the most uncompetitive armies in the game... As a starting point I would pick up a rulebook make sure that it is 7th ed, but you can get this from ebay or buy it from someone on the dakka swap shop. If money isnt an issue then go to GW and pick up the whole ruleset which gives you fluff books (lore) as well as a large chunky rulebook. From there you can grasp some of the basic mechanics and read up on the lore of different armies. Check out 1d4chan.org for some useful information on different factions. However here is a basic breakdown of factions:
Space Marines (inc Blood/Dark Angels SW etc) - These are your generic factions who are good all rounders and in my opinion a bit boring. No interesting mechanics here just good solid performers. Some of the special chapters like DA have some interesting lore behind them. Fairly Competitive
Grey Knights - Space Marines on steroids. Great at everything, but you won't get many models to fill points, and people will cry when you play against them at your local games store. Competitive
Ad Mech (Cult Mechanicus and Skitarii) - An interesting faction that learns more towards being good at shooting, yet they have no psychic. Interesting mechanics and special rules. Fairly Competitive
Imperial Guard (Astra Militarum) - Most like a modern day army, with foot soldiers and tanks. Lots of access to heavy weapons and tanks. You could either do tank spam or infantry spam. Fairly Competitive
Chaos (Daemons/Chaos Space Marines/Khorne Daemonkin) - Space Marines gone bad. Nice aesthetics and interesting special rules, these guys are good in close combat and psychic, but shooting is virtually non existent. Daemons are really competitive, KD fairly, and CSM just no.
Necrons - 'Undead' metal skeletons that JUST WON'T DIE. Lots of leadbelcher to paint. Competitive, and lean again more towards shooting.
Eldar - Very interesting special rules and colour schemes that make this army quite possibly the most competitive in the game. Less survivable than space marines but just as good if not better.
Dark Eldar - Bad eldar pirates who want to raid loot and pillage the gak out of everyone else. Don't know much about these guys but there are lots of skimmers, and they are not as competitive as their good brothers.
Harlequins - Weird eldar clowns who worship the Eldar Laughing God. You have to be good to paint these guys but they don't work well as a standalone army. Better to ally them with eldar/dark eldar. CC orientated.
Orks - Mad greenskinz that can't fire a gun straight to save their lives, but are really fun to paint and play. However they are quite squishy.
Tau - The complete opposite of CSM. Great shooting, yet CC is non existent. GW love Tau, so there are plenty of releases for them. Definitely in the upper band of competitive armies.
Tyranids - Bat gak crazy bugs that eat everything. Lots of bodies, with monstrous creatures and cool psychic powers. However, they are in desperate need of an update and are not that competitive.
I've missed out a couple of the smaller facs above like inquistion etc. probably because you wont want to run them as a standalone army. To get started, I would get one of the great value 'Start Collecting' boxes that GW for most of the major armies. Paint that up and you have a small force which you can use and expand on.
1) Do I want to be the hero? Do I prefer to root for underdogs? Or am I more of a crazy/evil person?
2) Do I like things neat and clean, or messy and crazy?
3) How important are individuals to me? Do I care if each of my models has a story, or am I more happy not having to think about individuals?
4) Do I get easily discouraged or frustrated when I lose things in a game? Or am I more likely to keep an eye on the big picture?
5) how likely am I to want to heavily customize my models? Will I get bored with few options, or overwhelmed by too many?
6) do you frequently play/think about fantasy tropes in video games or movies? If you were to play World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, Skyrim or League of Legends, what characters were your favorite?
It's easy to narrow it down if you can figure out the answers to those questions.
"Got you, Yugi! Your Rubric Marines can't fall back because I have declared the tertiary kaptaris ka'tah stance two, after the secondary dacatarai ka'tah last turn!"
"So you think, Kaiba! I declared my Thousand Sons the cult of Duplicity, which means all my psykers have access to the Sorcerous Facade power! Furthermore I will spend 8 Cabal Points to invoke Cabbalistic Focus, causing the rubrics to appear behind your custodes! The Vengeance for the Wronged and Sorcerous Fullisade stratagems along with the Malefic Maelstrom infernal pact evoked earlier in the command phase allows me to double their firepower, letting me wound on 2s and 3s!"
"you think it is you who has gotten me, yugi, but it is I who have gotten you! I declare the ever-vigilant stratagem to attack your rubrics with my custodes' ranged weapons, which with the new codex are now DAMAGE 2!!"
"...which leads you straight into my trap, Kaiba, you see I now declare the stratagem Implacable Automata, reducing all damage from your attacks by 1 and triggering my All is Dust special rule!"
1. I do not mind being the hero, but I play a pretty awesome bad guy and generally pick the underdogs in most situations.
2. I like things...manageable when I'm learning to play. I'm EXTREMELY competitive but I'm not a sore loser because I enjoy learning.
3. I'm drawn to 40k because of its vast lore. I enjoy the story, but my game play does not have to reflect that.
4. If you're asking if I was the kid who liked ditching my Yoshi in Super Mario World, no. I shed tears and am more determined when when I lose units
5. I enjoy the creative process of customization but take pride in simplicity. I do not fear creative options but do get bogged down by vast choices in terms of game play.
6. My favorite characters are always melee units. I'm a barbarian in Diablo II/III, melee DPS in WOW, and became a gamer through games like CS, Quake III, Unreal Tournament, etc. I am more drawn to these characters and like this style of game play. I choose Horde over Alliance. I'm prone to overthinking everything on a daily basis, so I play games with a lack of...complexity, to relax. This is also why I enjoy painted the units. When I play Starcraft, I'm generally Zerg. I've literally spent nights getting lost in lore and want to read every bit of story I can.
I've only painted Eldar units thus far and don't care for them all that much in terms of story. I'm a former history teacher and love the look and spin on modern day tanks, but would LOVE to paint Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Daemons. When I spoke to the guys in my local shop, they told me I might as well not bother playing with them because I'd never win. I don't want to sound too critical, but they were not very informative and kinda brushed me off when I went in there to learn more. They're pretty snobby and I'm a bit sad to say it, but I know I won't have many opportunities to play with them until I'm able to prove to them I'm worth playing.
Look like Chaos are for you then if you like painting them and you like to be the bad guy/underdog.
Also from a fluff perspective they are one of the best and most varied. Everyone decends into chaos for different reasons: hate, greed, persute of knowledge or because of religious reasons.
As for why you aren't likely to win with chaos... Let's just say they are underpowered because if we go into specifics this thread might be derailed. If you want to find out why they are underpowered there are many, MANY threads that cover this topic.
I'll end with saying: if you do decide to go CSM don't be suprised if you need to ally them with daemons or forgeworld.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/03/24 21:30:36
Beware though, nowadays you won't be winning much unless you go full Daemon. Chaos Space Marines are among the bottom tier armies in terms of power levels. 40k has never really been a truly 'balanced' game and it will probably never be, but the power disparity between the current strongest armies (Eldar, Space Marines, Necrons, Tau) and the weakest (CSM, Tyranids, Blood Angels) is probably the biggest ever.
I'm saying this because, while I believe the most important thing about picking an army is truly empathising and feeling 'represented' by said army's flavour, losing 90% of games can end up being frustrating even for not specially competitive people.
Progress is like a herd of pigs: everybody is interested in the produced benefits, but nobody wants to deal with all the resulting gak.
GW customers deserve every bit of outrageous princing they get.
Beware though, nowadays you won't be winning much unless you go full Daemon. Chaos Space Marines are among the bottom tier armies in terms of power levels. 40k has never really been a truly 'balanced' game and it will probably never be, but the power disparity between the current strongest armies (Eldar, Space Marines, Necrons, Tau) and the weakest (CSM, Tyranids, Blood Angels) is probably the biggest ever.
I'm saying this because, while I believe the most important thing about picking an army is truly empathising and feeling 'represented' by said army's flavour, losing 90% of games can end up being frustrating even for not specially competitive people.
I completely agree with you. When I was talking to the guys in the shop, they told me almost everyone playing in their shop right now plays stronger factions.
I would recommend looking into Chaos Daemons, with no focus on a specific God, or looking at Khorne Daemonkin.
Both are mid tier competitive, have access to good melee units and have builds that have durable, dependable units that are fun to paint. Daemons probably have a bit more variety than khornekin but khornekin is a much stronger melee army.
"Got you, Yugi! Your Rubric Marines can't fall back because I have declared the tertiary kaptaris ka'tah stance two, after the secondary dacatarai ka'tah last turn!"
"So you think, Kaiba! I declared my Thousand Sons the cult of Duplicity, which means all my psykers have access to the Sorcerous Facade power! Furthermore I will spend 8 Cabal Points to invoke Cabbalistic Focus, causing the rubrics to appear behind your custodes! The Vengeance for the Wronged and Sorcerous Fullisade stratagems along with the Malefic Maelstrom infernal pact evoked earlier in the command phase allows me to double their firepower, letting me wound on 2s and 3s!"
"you think it is you who has gotten me, yugi, but it is I who have gotten you! I declare the ever-vigilant stratagem to attack your rubrics with my custodes' ranged weapons, which with the new codex are now DAMAGE 2!!"
"...which leads you straight into my trap, Kaiba, you see I now declare the stratagem Implacable Automata, reducing all damage from your attacks by 1 and triggering my All is Dust special rule!"
Seconding Khorne Daemonkin. They seem to be solidly midtier, they include both (Khorne) daemons and marines in a single codex, and as an added bonus you can use the models from the Dark Vengeance starter set for them.
Jaxler wrote: I chose tau because I've always loved Asian history, and the tau aesthetic of sleek futuristic and clean frankly just appealed a lot to me. I grew up on shows like gundams and Megas xlr. That, and I liked how tau seemed to be the only group in 40k that was winning and had a clean track record, they seemed smart enough to bring a gun when the plebs were using swords, and their army and play style seemed fun. I enjoy min-maxing too and wanted an army that was competitive, whilst still being something I could tune down for friendly games.
All I can say though, is that for you, find the faction that you like the most. Make sure you'd enjoy the models though, that's just as important.
Don't pro/con every faction, narrow down your list to just ones your interested in and then pro/con. You can always make a second army later.
Look into mechanic is after you've nailed down basic gameplay.
This basically sums me up as well, but I also like Roman and Carthaginian history when I can get it. Much harder to find stuff on Carthage though.
Edit
Chaos Renegades from FW is expensive but is is a viable Chaos faction and placed well at the ITC events and under their FAQ/Tournaments. So that's an option if you want Chaos stuff that can win that isn't deamons.
Edit
This is why I play Tau.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2016/03/25 00:01:27
I will also toss in a vote for you to look at Khorne Daemonkin.
They are a mix between marines and the Daemons. You do not have to worry about the complex Psychic Phase, (Khorne is anti-Psychers) they have great melee units backed up with just enough shooting to keep some pressure on.
I started with Necrons because I figured they are easy enough to paint and at the time 5th edition fluff did appeal to me. Now, I have 5k worth of Necrons and just under 2k worth of Daemonkin.
If I would you I would go on one of wikis and read up every faction. Try to find one that speaks to you. Maybe you find a couple. From there look up the play styles of each army and try to narrow down further. Then If there are still a too many candidates go on to the GW website and look at individual units and build from there.
The problem with 40k is since the balance and some of the rules are so out of wack that it can be demoralizing playing. One of the GW mottos is Forging the Narrative, which everyone makes fun of all the time and rightly so some times. However, really that is the main appeal of the game. You have a pretty great setting that has so much depth for your to really have fun playing an army you way. I play IG and what sold me on them was the Catachan regiment which is essentially an army of Rambos and 80s action starts like in Predator. I love the just regular human aspect of my team and it is really satisfying when they puch above their weight in fights they should statistically lose. And that is the secret. Make an army that is yours AND plays how you want. You are probably going to lose hard in the beginning anyway. However, once you get some back stories with your army down you probably won't care cuz you will be having too much fun building team that is really you. One of the advantages of the setting is really can do just that. Most armies have tons of ways to play and themes to use. The sky really is the limit.
.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/25 00:44:58
I'm completely new to 40k and tabletop gaming and was hoping to get some help on where to begin. Help a noob out!
- How did you go about deciding on a faction? Did you decide based on the "flavor of the week?" Was it aesthetics? Lore?
- I'm having a hard time breaking down pros and cons with each faction and it's getting a little overwhelming for me.
- Pretty please don't ask me my play style...I don't know yet. I've only painted the models and semi-watched others play larger point games, so I kinda dozed off...
- I'd like to start with learning mechanics and managing a small army so I don't overwhelm myself.
If you can point me to some resources or provide any input, I'd be super appreciative!
As far as choosing an army. You simply won't know until you have played a while. Pick the one that interests you now and run with it. Just be prepared to change once you figured it out. My favorite army is the fourth one I built and four years into this silly game. So just be patient.
Chaos is a wonderful choice because of the vast options in painting and conversions opportunities. Current they are a bit lacking in the rules. To what degree is hotly debated here. But they can still be quite fun to play.
I would recommend using Dakka's "find a game" forum to find someone to play against. Joining an existing group at a store can sometimes be difficult due to cliquishness. If you go the store group route. Ask the employee's which people in the group are the most approachable and which ones to avoid.
Crimson Devil wrote: As far as choosing an army. You simply won't know until you have played a while. Pick the one that interests you now and run with it. Just be prepared to change once you figured it out. My favorite army is the fourth one I built and four years into this silly game. So just be patient.
Chaos is a wonderful choice because of the vast options in painting and conversions opportunities. Current they are a bit lacking in the rules. To what degree is hotly debated here. But they can still be quite fun to play.
I would recommend using Dakka's "find a game" forum to find someone to play against. Joining an existing group at a store can sometimes be difficult due to cliquishness. If you go the store group route. Ask the employee's which people in the group are the most approachable and which ones to avoid.
There's only one person within a reasonable distance of me to play with, and he's currently deployed and is extremely impatient...
Gonna have to echo Crimson on the army thing. My first army was Tau, but I quickly fell in love with the Guard and ended up switching full time to that army.
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If you can play the video games. Dawn of War 1 and a few of the better ones to get a "feel" for the factions. Dawn of War 1 and 2 even have painters for the armies if you have the expansion/dlc in question of course. Space Marine is a great Imperial centric game as well.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/25 06:47:37
I'm sure there are more players in your area than you think. I seem to always be finding new people around me, I even once bought a model off eBay and learned the guy lived in the same neighborhood, we play occasionally now.
Beware though, nowadays you won't be winning much unless you go full Daemon. Chaos Space Marines are among the bottom tier armies in terms of power levels. 40k has never really been a truly 'balanced' game and it will probably never be, but the power disparity between the current strongest armies (Eldar, Space Marines, Necrons, Tau) and the weakest (CSM, Tyranids, Blood Angels) is probably the biggest ever.
I'm saying this because, while I believe the most important thing about picking an army is truly empathising and feeling 'represented' by said army's flavour, losing 90% of games can end up being frustrating even for not specially competitive people.
I completely agree with you. When I was talking to the guys in the shop, they told me almost everyone playing in their shop right now plays stronger factions.
Choose a faction or army that you like the look and feel of. Read some of the lore and background story and see if you enjoy it as mush as the aesthetic. Be careful of choosing an army on it's strengths without a connection to an army, even if it was really powerful, you might lose interest quickly. The whole process is supposed to be immersive and enjoyable and let's face it there's much simpler ways of channeling our competitiveness.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/25 09:57:53
Always start with the faction that you find Aesthetically Pleasing first! You'll be spending a lot of time building and painting, you may as well like what you are working on. It sounds like you may not be playing a ton, so just concentrate on the 'cool' factor. Bloodthirster models are awesome...and there is a Getting Started bundle for Khorne as well.
"Orkses never lost a battle. If we win we win, if we die we die fighting so it don't count. If we runs for it we don't die neither, cos we can come back for annuver go, see!"
I dig how in a setting where giant, muscled fungus men ride Mad Max cars and use their own teeth as currency, the concept of little engineering dudes with beards was considered a step too far down the aisle of silliness.
Mordian Iron Guard - Major Overhaul in Progress 
