Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have not played any 40K for years, so I'm way out of date on the rules and advantages and disadvantages of the various codexes. I'm giving some thought to getting back into the game but I'm on the fence over which faction to go with? Right now, the factions I'm considering are:

Death Guard - I've never played Chaos in either 40K or WFB, but I always thought that Nurgle was the most visually interesting faction. With the Dark Imperium box set, the new codex and a number of new sculpts recently released, make this faction very attractive. Lots of variety and looks like lots of fun to paint. From the talk on the interwebs, it sounds like DG are a solid choice, would you agree? Any choices I must have or should avoid at all costs?

Craftworld Eldar - Another new codex, but not a lot of really new models. The advantage for me here is that I have quite a lot of Eldar miniatures I bought before I stopped playing, with the intention of building a Saim Hann force (so lots of jetbikes and vipers). How do the new Eldar stack up in the game? Is a Saim Hann themed force still a good choice?

Necrons - I don't think their codex was updated recently(?), so I'm curious how they stack up? I always liked the look and concept of an army of relentless robots, and it would probably be the fastest to get painted up to a decent tabletop standard. I've got a box or two of different Necrons in my closet, but not really enough to influence my choice.

Imperial Guard - Another older codex AFAIK? So, again how do they look in the current game? This is another force I had started collecting a while ago, with the intention of building a "Air Mobile" themed force using the Catachan miniatures (sort of a Viet Nam inspired list). So, lots of infantry (including some ogryn), multiple Valkyries, and a bunch of Sentinels. Is something like this competitive in the current game or would I really need to bulk up on heavy armor. This is probably my least favorite choice for getting back in, but it would probably be the cheapest to do so, at least if I don't need to buy a bunch of tanks.

Any advice or suggestions are welcome! Thanks!!!

These factions have quite different playstyles.
IG/AM is very strong these days. Their tanks are resilient and their shooting is very good. An army of tanks like one Baneblade and several Leman Russes is a strong contender. Add a few (cheap) units of Conscripts to bubble wrap the tanks and this army is hardly stoppable atm.
Necrons need a new codex to be playable at top or second tier. I played Necrons in the 6th and 7th ed and it was very rewarding. But now not anymore. I've shelved them.
Eldar is my main army beginning with the 3rd ed. I shelved them in the 7th ed as they were too strong for my liking. Playing Eldar is not so easy but very rewarding if you can master ''the flow of battle''.

Wait until Christmas for Chapter Approved to release - it’ll include rebalancing (points costs) for every army out there; the ones without a codex are desperately in need of it. Also, it might change how you build your army, even if your codex is already released; so... better to wait a month then risk your money.

Death Guard are solid, but not overpowered (Mortarian is a beast).

Imperial Guard are REALLY strong right now - and a number of people refuse to play against them because of it. Just be prepared to be playing a “top tier” army if you decide upon them.

CW Eldar just got a codex - they look solid all around now; time will tell how strong they really are. But regardless of if they’re the new top dogs, they are in a good place, for fun and competitive.

Necrons need a codex, or chapter approved. Better to wait on them.

Again; Chapter Approved may change all of this.

Having quaffed a big glass of the Death Guard Koolaid, I have no problem recommending them. They are very easy and fun to paint, and if you're willing to do a bit of chopping you can get the bulk of your forces very cheaply by buying the Death Guard portions of the starter sets. In terms of codex strength, they are not necessarily super competitive on their own, but they are pretty well-rounded and have a lot of fun tricks up their sleeve.

OP: I think some questions to you will help answer your question:

1) Are you back to 40k due to the claim of a bit more balance to the game?
2) Is it some attraction to the new line of models out?
3) Is it that the story line has moved forward and you figure the grim-dark can be more fun than it has been?
4) Have you seen an influx of players and you want to get on the bandwagon?

Now, to answer as best I can:

Death Guard: If you are starting out and want very characterful models and a reasonably competitive force: these are the guys. I think for people who really like their painting this is the army to get. Any army with a Primarch makes them competitive. Plagueburst Crawler is out and has some nice elements to it. Has a Codex.

Imperial Guard: Is considered highly competitive even with some of the FAQ nerfs handed out recently. I would say this is the army spoiled for choice. Has a Codex.

Eldar Codex is out so you can read some reviews or get the Codex and see if you want to proceed.

I "think" this is a very good time to get back into the hobby, I am pretty excited with what I am seeing and how the game plays.

I'm in a similar situation to yourself. Haven't played for years. Got back in early this year, but mostly just to the modelling and painting side. Haven't yet played a game since going back in. Sounds like you might have a decent starter force for a couple of armies. Maybe see if you can take a look at the Codices, or at least look at the Warhammer Community posts about them, and see if they appeal.

I'm going to be doing Eldar myself, but Guard sound VERY strong on the table. Death Guard aren't bad by all accounts and are the force that are getting the most model love recently, some of them look very fun to paint up so if that's a draw, might be a good choice, with the Dark Imperium box, and a few other starter sets offering the ability to get a large amount of models quickly and relatively cheaply.

Necrons? They're a thing I suppose. But not really right now. If you have any, or are considering, I reckon you'll have to love them or else don't bother til we hear more about a Codex

Death guard, eldar and IG are all solid choices. Pick the models/lore and play style you like best and have fun. You cannot go wrong with any of these 3.

As for saim hann, it offers a lot for Vypers and jetbikes. Banshees love the charge reroll. But there has been some movement shenanigan changes you will want to read up on. If you are playing casually, it won't disappoint. Competitive you may want to look at other craftworlds.

There are some noticeable imbalances between those that have a codex and those that are using an index. Hopefully chapter approved fixes some of these issues.

Necrons are an index faction, i have not seen one on the table since the weekend of IG codex dropping.

My only recommendation is don't build a new army off an index, and be careful expanding an existing army.

Thanks for all the feedback!

Right now, the Death Guard are sounding like a really attractive alternative, a fun army to paint and play, good without being OP. An excellent all around choice that seems to push all my buttons.

Eldar sound good too. Not quite as attractive as the DG but I've got all those boxes and blisters of Eldar figures.... Have to think about the choice between these to a little more.

Imperial Guard I think are going back on the shelf. I'm just not that excited by them and it sounds like its the tank heavy lists that excel, which isn't what I wanted to do with them.

Finally, based on the generally negative response I think I'll give up on doing a Necron army, at least for now.

Thanks again, and if anyone has anything else to add I'd love to hear from you.

Death Guard + Renegades and Heretics is one of the more powerful builds out there. If you have Earthshaker cannons, quad mortars or other indirect fire weapons in your IG forces, you can create a list that makes it *really* hard for people to take out your big guns.

One of the other reasons I love DG is the fact you don't need as many models. You actually might be set if you pick up a couple Dark Imperium boxes to use in your army.

Good luck!