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.

Hey guys I’m new here. I just started table top gaming in September and immediately got hooked. Right now some buddies of mine are trying to get me into 40k. I would love to start playing because this is what I wanted to play originally. (They talked me into warmachine already). The problem I’m having is finding the right faction to start with. I’m still really new to gaming so all advice helps. I have a couple of factions in mind but don’t want to say them because I’m pretty open to anything.

Thanks for the help.

I don't know that we can do anything with such a broad question. Plenty of folks can come in and describe what their favorite stuff is and why they like it but we might be able to be more helpful if you told us more about what you like the look of and how you like to play.

Look into Kill Team first. It's a superior game and 8th edition is garbage. I very strongly recommend against getting into 8th edition 40k.

Generally I would suggest just checking out some of the fluff on Lexicanum and decide what fluff appeals to you and then look into that faction.

If you must play 40k, Space Marines are in a good spot and very friendly to newer players on both the gameplay and hobby aspect. Playing the CA19 Maelstrom Missions is imho the best way to play and don't go above 1500 point games.

 AnomanderRake wrote:
I don't know that we can do anything with such a broad question. Plenty of folks can come in and describe what their favorite stuff is and why they like it but we might be able to be more helpful if you told us more about what you like the look of and how you like to play.

Alright so with everything ive looked at I really like the looks of adeptus custodes, adepta sororits, sisters of silence, chaos space marines, and the harlequins. Currently i am still learning my faction in warmachine so everytime i play is different. I am trying all aspects of the game, i have tried to have some guns on the table to run shoot and then get back. I also play to where I send in a lot of heavys to do damage, losing one doesnt bother me because ive got 6 more. So i really dont have a play style because im still learning. I understand the game but the people i play against have been playing for years and so i constantly watch their games and pick up stuff while making mistakes. I kind of like sitting back and shooting but that gets kind of boring. I like having heavy hitting on the board that are hard to take off the table.

Of that list would suggest picking Sororitas or CSM to start off with. General summary:

Custodes: Powerful melee units, but tend to be difficult and random (charge ranges) without expensive Forge World models and even with them they're still going to be an uphill slog.

Sororitas: I don't know all the gimmicks in the new Codex but they're a well-rounded force, generally emphasizing mid-range shooting but with strong melee elements.

Sisters of Silence: One unit, unlikely to be expanded to an army anytime soon. There isn't much reason to use them at the moment, Sisters of Battle and a Culexis Assassin can do everything they do better. Might suggest proxying them as SoB units if you really like the models.

Chaos Marines: A good place to start because of the broad range of reliable models; you don't need to buy/paint as much stuff as horde armies, the range is big, and in general you always have stuff you can do. The competitive lists tend to rely on stacking defensive buffs on a big unit screening a ball of melee characters.

Harlequins: Difficult. Squishy, killy, and unforgiving, transport-rush aggro melee that needs to get into the enemy's face and kill everything very quickly. Easier with DE/Craftworld allies to provide a bit of firepower.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Look into Kill Team first. It's a superior game and 8th edition is garbage. I very strongly recommend against getting into 8th edition 40k.

Generally I would suggest just checking out some of the fluff on Lexicanum and decide what fluff appeals to you and then look into that faction.

If you must play 40k, Space Marines are in a good spot and very friendly to newer players on both the gameplay and hobby aspect. Playing the CA19 Maelstrom Missions is imho the best way to play and don't go above 1500 point games.

There’s little about this post I agree with...kill team is just a crappier necromunda; and 8th is the best edition of 40k since it’s all about objective play and not just shoot them off the table play. Maelstrom is the worst 8th can get...random bull crap cards let’s you Mr. Magoo into wins...and 1500 is a pretty lowsy point level.

However; I would say pick look and lore above all. Probably look up 3 of your favorite looking armies that sound cool and go from there. Much of Internet wisdom is just...wrong...and it’s because people still play 8th like it’s old-school 40k and build mega-cannon armies to slap eachother around with.

 AnomanderRake wrote:
Of that list would suggest picking Sororitas or CSM to start off with. General summary:

Custodes: Powerful melee units, but tend to be difficult and random (charge ranges) without expensive Forge World models and even with them they're still going to be an uphill slog.

Sororitas: I don't know all the gimmicks in the new Codex but they're a well-rounded force, generally emphasizing mid-range shooting but with strong melee elements.

Sisters of Silence: One unit, unlikely to be expanded to an army anytime soon. There isn't much reason to use them at the moment, Sisters of Battle and a Culexis Assassin can do everything they do better. Might suggest proxying them as SoB units if you really like the models.

Chaos Marines: A good place to start because of the broad range of reliable models; you don't need to buy/paint as much stuff as horde armies, the range is big, and in general you always have stuff you can do. The competitive lists tend to rely on stacking defensive buffs on a big unit screening a ball of melee characters.

Harlequins: Difficult. Squishy, killy, and unforgiving, transport-rush aggro melee that needs to get into the enemy's face and kill everything very quickly. Easier with DE/Craftworld allies to provide a bit of firepower.

actually sisters of silence are getting rolled into custodes with a future PA book according to the rumors.

but yeah of that list I'd go with Adeptus Soraitis, HOWEVER, they're still in the process of a release cycle so not everything for them is out yet (coming in march so you've got a month to pick up the codex, a few boxes of troops and look at it)

Custodes might be a good choice if you're not wanting a lot of models for whatever reason, be it not wanting to build, paint or store a alrge army, you can conceviably have a 2000 point army with less then 20 models on the table.

At the same time if you want a huge army that covers the table.. obviously they're a poor pick. and IMHO sisters of battle or chaos marines are your best pick if you want a large army on the table top (Harliquins I fear would lack varity)

I wouldn't go for Sisters as the first army. Their gimmick opf being a close range army is let down by their lack of tools of getting there and staying there. They are a bit too unforgiving to recommend to a new player IMO.

Chaos would be a much better choice I think. They have way more variety and you can zero in on the stuff you like and ignore the stuff you dislike easier.

Kelsey272 wrote:
The problem I’m having is finding the right faction to start with.

What aesthetics do you like best? Do you want to play an elite army in power armor, a vile villain, a rambunctious technobarbarian, a ravenous horde, a general leading common grunts against impossible odds, holy paladins of the church, something else?

edit : Ah, you answered already. Hrm.

I'd agree with the previous posters, of the factions you like csm and Sisters are the best options. Both have a good selection of units to choose from and have either been updated with new models or are in the process of receiving an update. That means your models will be more up to date for longer.

They also both look great. The new Sisters actually has one the few helmet less heads I like. Sister Furiosa FTW!

Bitharne wrote:

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Look into Kill Team first. It's a superior game and 8th edition is garbage. I very strongly recommend against getting into 8th edition 40k.

Generally I would suggest just checking out some of the fluff on Lexicanum and decide what fluff appeals to you and then look into that faction.

If you must play 40k, Space Marines are in a good spot and very friendly to newer players on both the gameplay and hobby aspect. Playing the CA19 Maelstrom Missions is imho the best way to play and don't go above 1500 point games.

There’s little about this post I agree with...kill team is just a crappier necromunda; and 8th is the best edition of 40k since it’s all about objective play and not just shoot them off the table play. Maelstrom is the worst 8th can get...random bull crap cards let’s you Mr. Magoo into wins...and 1500 is a pretty lowsy point level.

However; I would say pick look and lore above all. Probably look up 3 of your favorite looking armies that sound cool and go from there. Much of Internet wisdom is just...wrong...and it’s because people still play 8th like it’s old-school 40k and build mega-cannon armies to slap eachother around with.

Killteam is really popular locally because of the low buy in cost. It can be a decent option if you want to get into the hobby quick and cheap. Overall I prefer the normal game myself.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
and 8th edition is garbage.

Why are you here?

If you don't like 40k go do something else. Why waste your time with this?

I appreciate all the support. I just talked to my friend that is getting me into it and his dad just bought CSM. So now I am going to do some more research on the Sororitas and Custodes. If the sisters are truly going to be rolled with the custodes then ill probably roll with them. If they arent then ill get the sororitas. Again i appreciate all the help and support this definitely helped me with my decision because i have been up in the air the past couple of days about it.

One thing that's cool about this edition is a] several factions can work as allied forces. Because we have kill team, you can buy a unit or two of each faction you think you like and play them as kill teams, then ally them up to make a 40k army. Now it's not exactly that simple- detachments are bigger than kill teams, especially if you want detachments that pay good command points.

Chaos is neat, because you can play daemons and marines together. People who play Blackstone or Necromunda will also have tons of models that make suitable cultists, etc. Imperial factions are good allies too, although lately GW has been adding army-wide bonus abilities to armies for consisting of only a single faction. Marines have doctrines and SoB have Sacred Rites; they lose these if they ally with another faction. Neither Custodes nor SoS have these kinds of rules yet, but they will likely get them when their part of the Psychic Awakening campaign comes around.

As for the merits of the edition: there are a lot of sources out there for every faction, which will allow you to develop and hone your army over time as you explore those resources. The new edition focuses on ongoing support for many factions via campaign books, White Dwarf magazine and interactions with other games like Kill Team, Blackstone Fortress and Apocalypse. You don't NEED all of that to play, but all of it is available to you if you want to explore it. Some folks LOVE this huge sand box, and others hate it.

While it isn't true in every cases, generally speaking, people who play casual or story based games with groups of friends tend to think the game is in a good place, and many of us would go so far as to say the game is the best it's been in it's 33 year history. But folks who like competitive games with streamlined, balanced mechanics tend to have difficulty keeping up with all the sources in order to maintain the competitive edge of their own army as well as a reasonable knowledge of the capacity of their enemies.

Dakka can be a bit of a battlefield between these two points of view, and folks on both sides sometimes exaggerate, or get triggered. Both perspectives are valid from their own points of view, so the debate can never truly be resolved. You sound like you've got a group of regular players, and if you do, I think you're really going to like the game. If you're hoping to run the tournament circuit, you may have an entirely different experience.

Either way, I recommend exploring armies that can ally via kill team, and I'd encourage your crew to do the same. This way you see how the models build and paint as well as play before you go all in, and the capacity to ally means that there's always a place for models from the factions that don't make the cut.

BrianDavion wrote:
...actually sisters of silence are getting rolled into custodes with a future PA book according to the rumors...

Eh. They said Talons of the Emperor was going to be a complete army of Sisters and Custodes with Inferno and here we are three years later, the Custodes have 15-odd Forge World kits and four plastic kits, and the Sisters of Silence are still stuck with the one plastic sprue and one resin vehicle, no models for the Excruciatus, Oblivion Knights, or Pursuers, not even resin weapon upgrades for needlers or grenade launchers...

Kelsey272 wrote:
I appreciate all the support. I just talked to my friend that is getting me into it and his dad just bought CSM. So now I am going to do some more research on the Sororitas and Custodes. If the sisters are truly going to be rolled with the custodes then ill probably roll with them. If they arent then ill get the sororitas. Again i appreciate all the help and support this definitely helped me with my decision because i have been up in the air the past couple of days about it.

Sisters are SILENCE, not Sisters of BATTLE may end up being a custodes option in the future. two very differant things.

but yeah, I'd go with sisters, one nice thing about the current rules is you can run various groups as allies, so if you go with sisters and then decide you really want some custodes too, you can easily grab a box of custodes and deploy a small unit of custodes with your army.

BrianDavion wrote:

Kelsey272 wrote:
I appreciate all the support. I just talked to my friend that is getting me into it and his dad just bought CSM. So now I am going to do some more research on the Sororitas and Custodes. If the sisters are truly going to be rolled with the custodes then ill probably roll with them. If they arent then ill get the sororitas. Again i appreciate all the help and support this definitely helped me with my decision because i have been up in the air the past couple of days about it.

Sisters are SILENCE, not Sisters of BATTLE may end up being a custodes option in the future. two very differant things.

but yeah, I'd go with sisters, one nice thing about the current rules is you can run various groups as allies, so if you go with sisters and then decide you really want some custodes too, you can easily grab a box of custodes and deploy a small unit of custodes with your army.

Would that loose out on the sisters creeds/doctrines if you don't go mono ?

@ OP - My advice is pick the thing you like the look of and that resonates with you. This is going to be a long rid if you stick at it. Rules can change rapidly but as long as you enjoy your models that's the main thing if all you want to do is have games with your pals.

 Argive wrote:

BrianDavion wrote:

Kelsey272 wrote:
I appreciate all the support. I just talked to my friend that is getting me into it and his dad just bought CSM. So now I am going to do some more research on the Sororitas and Custodes. If the sisters are truly going to be rolled with the custodes then ill probably roll with them. If they arent then ill get the sororitas. Again i appreciate all the help and support this definitely helped me with my decision because i have been up in the air the past couple of days about it.

Sisters are SILENCE, not Sisters of BATTLE may end up being a custodes option in the future. two very differant things.

but yeah, I'd go with sisters, one nice thing about the current rules is you can run various groups as allies, so if you go with sisters and then decide you really want some custodes too, you can easily grab a box of custodes and deploy a small unit of custodes with your army.

Would that loose out on the sisters creeds/doctrines if you don't go mono ?

@ OP - My advice is pick the thing you like the look of and that resonates with you. This is going to be a long rid if you stick at it. Rules can change rapidly but as long as you enjoy your models that's the main thing if all you want to do is have games with your pals.

you would but unlike Marines sisters mono dex bonus is "nice but not essential"

I do agree though go with what you like, and it sounds like sisters hold the most aestetic appeal. speaking as someone whose built painted and all the armies the OP is talking about I think sistyers holds the most opinion to be fun, custodes as an army list is, if you don;t get forge world kinda small so less oppertunity to mix it up, sisters have a fair bit of varity and can play a few diofferant ways.

Kelsey272 wrote:

 AnomanderRake wrote:
I don't know that we can do anything with such a broad question. Plenty of folks can come in and describe what their favorite stuff is and why they like it but we might be able to be more helpful if you told us more about what you like the look of and how you like to play.

Alright so with everything ive looked at I really like the looks of adeptus custodes, adepta sororits, sisters of silence, chaos space marines, and the harlequins. Currently i am still learning my faction in warmachine so everytime i play is different. I am trying all aspects of the game, i have tried to have some guns on the table to run shoot and then get back. I also play to where I send in a lot of heavys to do damage, losing one doesnt bother me because ive got 6 more. So i really dont have a play style because im still learning. I understand the game but the people i play against have been playing for years and so i constantly watch their games and pick up stuff while making mistakes. I kind of like sitting back and shooting but that gets kind of boring. I like having heavy hitting on the board that are hard to take off the table.

I'd recommend sororitas or custodes, since they can be freely mixed together as allies. Harlequins and SOS are both extremely limited factions with very few units, with Harlequins in particular if Asuryani or Drukhari aren't floatig your boat they can be a bit boring (those two can mix with Harlequins just like Custodes and Sisters can mix)

Custodes are probably the single cheapest 40k army in existence. One box of their bikers can be something like 1000 points if you run them all as the optional commander characters, lol. Were I just starting out, I'd build a detachment of Custodes, then when I have a solid little army with a few commanders a couple troops squads, I'd add in some sisters for variety once I know I like the game.

You could also play Kill Team wtih a single box of sisters.

 Argive wrote:
Would that loose out on the sisters creeds/doctrines if you don't go mono ?

What you lose out if you don't go mono is the Sacred Rites option. Which is one of six options, or two if you roll for random rites. These are Hand of the Emperor (+1 to charge and advance rolls), Spirit of the Martyr (when a model is removed, 5+ chance it gets to strike back before it is), Aegis of the Emperor (+3 to Deny the Witch rolls), Divine Guidance (ranged to-hit rolls of 6 give the weapon an additional -1AP), The Passion (reroll morale saves).

There is a strategem to reroll your Sacred Rites, which is particularly good for when you roll two of the same (second one still counts as active for the purposes of that strategem).

Bitharne wrote:

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Look into Kill Team first. It's a superior game and 8th edition is garbage. I very strongly recommend against getting into 8th edition 40k.

Generally I would suggest just checking out some of the fluff on Lexicanum and decide what fluff appeals to you and then look into that faction.

If you must play 40k, Space Marines are in a good spot and very friendly to newer players on both the gameplay and hobby aspect. Playing the CA19 Maelstrom Missions is imho the best way to play and don't go above 1500 point games.

There’s little about this post I agree with...kill team is just a crappier necromunda; and 8th is the best edition of 40k since it’s all about objective play and not just shoot them off the table play. Maelstrom is the worst 8th can get...random bull crap cards let’s you Mr. Magoo into wins...and 1500 is a pretty lowsy point level.

However; I would say pick look and lore above all. Probably look up 3 of your favorite looking armies that sound cool and go from there. Much of Internet wisdom is just...wrong...and it’s because people still play 8th like it’s old-school 40k and build mega-cannon armies to slap eachother around with.

Kill Team is only a worst Necromunda if you are looking to do campaign play. I will agree that Kill Team leaves a lot to be desired for campaign play, but as a quick pick-up-game it works great. I find Kill Team to be a generally a superior game to full 40k. The chances of two kill teams being mismatched to the point a winner is obvious is very much reduced from full 40k with two armies. The alternating activation for shooting and melee reduce lethally especially when combined with Injury system. The fact that Kill Team offers option both for the assaulter (to still move at least what they rolled) and the assaultee (Overwatch or Fall Back) gives the players far more chances for important decision points. I also think the Command Point and reduced number of Tactics (Read: Kill Team Stratagems) keeps them from deciding the winner and loser far more that Stratagems do in full 40k. Not that full 40k is a horrible game. I just find the actions I take on the table top matter more in Kill Team which I prefer.

Kill Team is far from a perfect game. I think a lot of its flaws comes from being so strongly tied to being 8th 40k but only with Troop options at about 100-125pts. I certainly wouldn't suggest to a new player to play Kill Team to get a feel for how each faction plays since many factions feel much different in Kill Team from their full 40k size. However, it is a good game to play to get the basics. Remember, not every player is as familiar with the roll to hit, roll to wound, roll to save mechanics as they are breathing. Plus, it allows new players to have a game while they are building their collection to a good 40k size (I think just starts to work properly at about 1,000 points).

***

As for the OP, I do agree with picking a faction you like the models of since this isn't an exactly cheap hobby for most, and you are likely going to be spending a lot of time painting them. The lore and general style of play are also worth considering, but I would caution about getting caught up with specific rules or who is on currently on top the meta. There is why I call optimized play, "chasing the dragon." It is a fleeting thing that will cost a lot of time and money to do.

I would read a bunch of lore, do a bunch of research, and pick the one you think is coolest. If you pick based on meta, you'll find yourself with a bunch of very expensive paperweights once the meta changes and they get nerfed. If you love your army because of lore, aesthetics, etc... then the meta doesn't matter and you'll enjoy your hobby no matter what.

 Baguls wrote:
I would read a bunch of lore, do a bunch of research, and pick the one you think is coolest. If you pick based on meta, you'll find yourself with a bunch of very expensive paperweights once the meta changes and they get nerfed. If you love your army because of lore, aesthetics, etc... then the meta doesn't matter and you'll enjoy your hobby no matter what.

Well I do believe that it is true, but I would say it maybe not enough as I myself have come to regret some of my choices. In WHFB I fell in love with the dwarves lore and visual identity, but really disliked the way they played.
And recently I have made the same mistake with my 40k orks, I love their look, I love their minis, I find them funny as hell but I hate how they play and the feeling to be the base NPC faction, the kind of enemy that you fight in the beggining of the game before tackling real adversaries.

So to the OP, I think that discovering that it is not the way you like to play could easily happen with custodes and harlequins and maybe sisters, not so much with CSM as they have a lot of diversity and ways to play. So I'd say, you should try out different armies by borrowing your friends', even if they are not the factions you want, just to give you an idea of how you like to play (elites vs hordes, shooting vs melee, armor / infantry, etc...) then it will help you make your decision.

Choosing an army for 40k is not a small comitment money and time wise, it can even be a huge one for horde armies, so you should not rush your decision like I did. On the other hand, with Custodes you effectively can build an army for less money on a "by army" countl (but way more on a "by model" count).

Rule of cool. Buy what you want to paint. Don't like the look of it? Don't buy it. Like it? Knock yourself out. Go with your gut.

Budget. Spend 20% on what you like, 30% on needed supplies, save 50% for the big stuff. Sit on it. Buy if it looks like it will go out of production.

Play for fun. If competitve is fun, play competitively. If lore is fun, play lore. Get what you want out of it.

Go for the faction you won’t mind losing with.

Nothing sucks _and_ blows quite like seeing your Internet Invincibles tabled/rendered U/S by the changing game.

An army you can relate to is more easily forgiven their trespass.

There are limits to how bad an army can be, and how much you may like the models though.

just because someone likes the rogue trader models, I would not advice to build an army build around them.

Karol wrote:
There are limits to how bad an army can be, and how much you may like the models though.

just because someone likes the rogue trader models, I would not advice to build an army build around them.

Well, if you are willing to "count-as" the rogue trader stuff can be a fun start to a guard army.

You see Rogue Traders, I see a company commander, an eversor assassin, a techpriest, an astropath, a tempestus scion squad with volley gun, and a warlord titan perfect count-as.

I guess the dog could be a banehammer or something if you want to keep it in-faction but I think the warlord better represents him on the tabletop.

as other threads shown me here, ones willingness to counts as is secondary to people being open to say okey to it.

Building an army, which you have to play as counts as is asking for opponents to say no to playing with you.

Karol wrote:
as other threads shown me here, ones willingness to counts as is secondary to people being open to say okey to it.

Building an army, which you have to play as counts as is asking for opponents to say no to playing with you.

If you've clearly been passionate about your hobby, and the count-as is obviously not list-tailoring, meta-chasing, or generally being obtuse, there really shouldn't be a reason not to allow count-as. If your opponent refuses a perfectly innocent count-as, they weren't worth playing in the first place.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

Karol wrote:
as other threads shown me here, ones willingness to counts as is secondary to people being open to say okey to it.

Building an army, which you have to play as counts as is asking for opponents to say no to playing with you.

If you've clearly been passionate about your hobby, and the count-as is obviously not list-tailoring, meta-chasing, or generally being obtuse, there really shouldn't be a reason not to allow count-as. If your opponent refuses a perfectly innocent count-as, they weren't worth playing in the first place.

Karol is a gamer not a hobbist, so for him I imagine creative conversions etc aren't really something he thinks much of