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Hi. I painted some 40k figures maybe 15 years ago and did build many modelplanes an such when I was young. I would like to get into 40k mostly for the painting but also to try the game. But, which faction should I choose? Space Marines have the nicest models and the most numerous, but so many people collect them that it seems a bit dull. I don't want chaos, or Tyranids but appart from that I'm open for suggestions. I'm leaning towards AM, Orks or Tau based on the infantrymodels.

From the 3 you mentioned I would go with tau if painting is the part that interests you in the hobby.
The other two are more often than not horde armies where painting is more of a chore than a joy.

It also depends on what style you like to paint.
Dirty and run down? ->Orks or imperium
Clean and elegant? ->Tau or eldar

The tau infantry is awesome, the heavier gear not so much from my point of view. I guess clean and elegant.. but maybe camo or similar. That might fit tau tactics better if I have understood their style correctly.
The Elysian drop troops from FW look nice to, but are resin and they lack a little in the vehicle section.

This isnt easy

Tau have the advantage of having Kroot be a part of their army as well, and they can look really sweet.



With a bit of luck, their new codex will keep the stronger Vespids and get them some new models too, although I kinda like it when people put jump packs on Tau infantry and run them counts as Vespids.

How much do people use battlesuits? I don't particularly like them.. walkers like the sentinels, and tracked/wheeled vehicles I do like.

Sentinels have historically been completely lacking from the table. They've been terrible for so long that people don't have the models. They seem better now, but conscript spam is so powerful that you still don't see them much.

Just play what you like the look of. I have 8 Adeptus Mechanicus striders (the big chicken models) and they're not very good. But I loved the model, so I built my army around it. I recommend building around the models, because you sound like you are going to like the aesthetic part of the hobby best anyway, and fielding a fully painted army that you like the look of is the best feeling for me.

An armored sentinel with an autocannon is 55 points, which is quite cheap for what stats you get. They suck in close combat.
I guess you can always go for AM and do a parade uniform style if you don't like dirty models but tracked vehicles.

My personal favorite army to paint is necrons. Especially when you deviate from the regular black-green scheme.

Sounds smart. Then I have to look some more. The infantrymodels of Tau are nice (wish they had their human helpers in models or in the rulebook), the battlesuits etc are not my thing though. Maybe Astartes is the thing then. I have never choose the "evil side" in RPGs, but I understand that the Imperium isnt all good from lore and life in the Imperium is quite gakky.

The Imperium is good in the same way drowning a puppy is good compared to whatever the Dark Eldar would do that puppy.

Dirty isn't bad... But painting a generic AM army might not be the thing. I know there are different regiments and such, but it's a difficult pick. How much can the models be customized?


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The underdog status of the AM is one of its appealing things. They fight even against terrible odds.


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Thought you where referring to the AMs fighting skills. Yeah, the Imperium sounds like it's horrible.

For painting and new models wise I would go chaos marines. New nurgle stuff from new boxes should be easy to find especially if you trade or sell off the more in demand primaries stuff. Models are super IMO. Plus the also new thousand sons stuff especially those sweet occult terminators. Plus conversion opportunities abound. But frankly for me I enjoy painting and modeling my orks more than even my inquisition stuff these days. Sure there are a lot of them but take it slow. Love orkifying vehicles. Looted wagon conversions are fun..