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Hi all,

I am new to 40k and am looking to make my first purchases, but before I do I want to make sure I am in a good spot as far as faction choice. Currently I am considering Daemons of Chaos, so that I can play both AoS and 40k, however within that I am having a hard time choosing between Khorne or Nurgle. As a new player, is one easier to pick up and still fun in the long run than the other? Am I barking up the wrong tree by choosing Daemons out of the gate? I was able to find some older posts that said not to pick them as a new player but was not sure if that still stood. If daemons are a no go, what would you recommend to start with?

Nebelkrahe wrote:
Hi all,

I am new to 40k and am looking to make my first purchases, but before I do I want to make sure I am in a good spot as far as faction choice. Currently I am considering Daemons of Chaos, so that I can play both AoS and 40k, however within that I am having a hard time choosing between Khorne or Nurgle. As a new player, is one easier to pick up and still fun in the long run than the other? Am I barking up the wrong tree by choosing Daemons out of the gate? I was able to find some older posts that said not to pick them as a new player but was not sure if that still stood. If daemons are a no go, what would you recommend to start with?

Daemons are not overly beginner friendly imho BUT you should ALWAYS buy an army you enjoy the look of first and consider the rules second. You'll always improve with practice.

Daemons are in a good place right now as their codex was just released. Nurgle has a slightly stronger set due to being able to synergise with Death Guard units well. It all comes down to how you would like the army to play. Nurgle are tough, hard to remove but somewhat slow. Khorne are ALL MELEE ALL THE TIME and excel at rushing the enemy and punching them hard in their stupid faces.

Nurgle would be more forgiving for a new player (but as I said, if you think Khorne look cooler or you like the lore better go for Khorne).

Thanks, Honestly if I went soley on looks I'd probably lean towards Adeptus Mechanicus, I was considering daemons more as a way to get into both games without buying a second army and more importantly, looking for something that can take a bit of a pounding and still do OK as I am sure to make mistakes but you don't really learn alot getting blown off the table in turn 1 or 2

Fair enough if you're trying to multitask between the two games then daemons is your only option.

If you're looking for a more tanky army then Nurgle is very much the way to go.

Don't feel the need to buy too much too fast. Start up with 500 point games and work your way up from there.

Cool, the dual games was more for if I ever get into AoS, where I play its mostly 40k with only occasional AoS games, so I'd be more focused on 40k over all if that changes things any.

another good reason for nurgle deamons. you can also buy othe dark Imperium starter set to give yourself some death guard to go along with them as well if you're ever of a mood to "Branch out" into chaos marines.

Well, thousand sons can dual-game with a tzaangor solo army as well soon (led by daemon prince), but that's a rather narrow army.


As for the nurgle VS khorne question-why not both?
It takes more thoughtful list building, but mixing IS an option.

If you are going to start at a single "start collection" kit though, it comes down to choosing more agressive khorne, or more enduring nurgle.

If you stick to single god later on, khorne kits are better varied with the second (or more) thrones being built as cannons instead for some ranged support.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Fair enough if you're trying to multitask between the two games then daemons is your only option.

If you're looking for a more tanky army then Nurgle is very much the way to go.

Don't feel the need to buy too much too fast. Start up with 500 point games and work your way up from there.

You say that, but there's also Thousand Sons now. All the non-marine supporting units (especially if you use Kairic Acolytes as cultists/more tzaangors) are compatible with Age of Sigmar.

As of now your most competitive choice is Eldar. Chaos and Tyranids are a joint second place.

Astra Militarum used to be competitive in the tournament circuit, but due to power creep and excessive nerfs, nearly all of the top players have moved from AM to Eldar or Chaos for tournament play.

With Chaos, I'd still warn you that Morty Magnus tag teams, despite being fun, aren't the most competitive build from the book, and you'll end up playing huge Cultist/Pox hordes if you want to make it at the top. Eldar on the other hand is a fun army to play with the Serpents and Reapers and Hawks and Spears, but it's difficult to say how much the next CA will hit them.

Tyranids are a balanced and very strong book with numerous different builds that can get you wins against top lists. As a new player who wants to keep collecting more and more units and will likely get interested in tournament play at some point, I'd take a strong look at them.

I wouldn't even look at any other factions. The models in this game are so expensive you don't want to be the classic beginner whose first army is completely trash, and who buys a second army after he knows what he is doing.

PS: Adeptus Mechanicus is a dark horse army but require an expert player to navigate through all the cheese others are bringing.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Daemons are not overly beginner friendly imho BUT you should ALWAYS buy an army you enjoy the look of first and consider the rules second. You'll always improve with practice.

100% agree with this! I would add, power level and playability of different factions fluctuate over time. Collecting miniatures is a long term investment in you future entertainment, so if you pick something you like the lore and aesthetic of you won't be too bummed when it's not too powerful. The pendulum swings, and it's likely eventually it will be a strong army.

Conversely, if you pick something because it's strong now but you aren't feeling as much, those wins will be nice for now but in the future when the faction is eventually and inevitably nerfed you'll wish you went with your gut!

This all applies to individual units within a faction, as well as the faction as a whole.

Thanks for the input, folks. I really appreciate it.

Nurgle is a much more forgiving army. Khorne is basically admitting you aren't going to use two phases of the game (shooting and psychic) right off the bat which can make it fun/challenging in games of 40k or AoS.