Switch Theme:

Ideas for Tutorial Army  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


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.




Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User





I am making two 500 point tutorial armies to show off the game to new people at my shop. The armies are going to be imperial guard and space marines. What would you guys suggest the regiment/chapter be, and what units to include to keep it fairly balanced while teaching the various aspects of the game (psychic, shooting, combat and weapon types)?
   
Made in us
Regular Dakkanaut




So the thing about showing off to people new to the hobby is that rule bloat will absolutely scare them off if you do it with rules as written.

What I recommend is that you pick the two best looking armies (of which IG are certainly not), do up a squad or two of them, and do a quick little mission where you do things like roll to hit and wound on 4's, simple and quick saving throws, and avoid all this re-rolling, advancing, invul saves, etc. minutae.

Also wouldn't recommend two imperial armies--pick Space Marines as the poster boys and some of the better looking Xenos (maybe Tyranids/GSC or the new Orks since their new boyz are lookin' good).

If you're starting them as a store army that you'll lend out to people that want to play, just start with ye olde Ultra Marines since they'll always fair new editions well, and they'll be generic enough not to step on anyone's toes. I'd say just go with your stock basic units that are easily replaceable in case people get five finger discounty (I'd avoid Gravis armored units, for example). Maybe make your favorite looking dreadnought the centerpiece for the army.

The second army can be to taste, but I recommend one whose sculpts are from this decade, non-offensive, and are distinct enough from your first army (so no Eldar from the 90's, no daemons/dark elder, no chaos space marines, and so on).
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User





Altima wrote:
So the thing about showing off to people new to the hobby is that rule bloat will absolutely scare them off if you do it with rules as written.

What I recommend is that you pick the two best looking armies (of which IG are certainly not), do up a squad or two of them, and do a quick little mission where you do things like roll to hit and wound on 4's, simple and quick saving throws, and avoid all this re-rolling, advancing, invul saves, etc. minutae.

Also wouldn't recommend two imperial armies--pick Space Marines as the poster boys and some of the better looking Xenos (maybe Tyranids/GSC or the new Orks since their new boyz are lookin' good).

If you're starting them as a store army that you'll lend out to people that want to play, just start with ye olde Ultra Marines since they'll always fair new editions well, and they'll be generic enough not to step on anyone's toes. I'd say just go with your stock basic units that are easily replaceable in case people get five finger discounty (I'd avoid Gravis armored units, for example). Maybe make your favorite looking dreadnought the centerpiece for the army.

The second army can be to taste, but I recommend one whose sculpts are from this decade, non-offensive, and are distinct enough from your first army (so no Eldar from the 90's, no daemons/dark elder, no chaos space marines, and so on).


I might do Tyranids. The reason I wanted to do guard was that I had a lot just lying around.

I wanted to do 500pts, though, because I can just do small mission using kill team, which is already popular. I'm trying to move people from kill team to 40k.
   
Made in de
Ork Admiral Kroozin Da Kosmos on Da Hulk






When I do tutorial games, I use my DG and orks, because that's what I have.

Essentially I try to give each army one shooty unit, one fighty unit, one big thing (tank/monster), a melee character and a support character - preferably a psyker.

Try to avoid all units which have some sort of gimmick to make them work, and keep weapons to simple stuff that just rolls to hit and wound regularly. For example, a missile launcher is fine, people can wrap their head around frag and krak. A weapon that automatically wounds on a hit roll of six or stuff that deals mortal wounds under specific circumstances is better avoided.
If you have a psyker, make sure it either has simple buffs or damage spells.

During the game, I just put two objectives in the middle and have each score 5 VP when held at the beginning of their turn. For stratagems, I give them 3 CP and just command re-roll. Usually, I also explain overwatch when/if it comes up and allow that to be used as well. Skip all army and sub faction rules - doctrines, chapter tactics and so on are way too much for a tutorial game. I also know that newbies get very confused by guard orders, so if you stick with guard, make sure that you "pre-select" a single order to use every turn.

That said, don't make the armies too bland. Most people interested in 40k these days have already played video games more complex than the whole game before, so if you give them nothing but bolter marines and chainsword marine, they are going to be bore. Put some special weapons in there, even if they aren't optimal choices.

If they come back after that first game, you can drop the whole load that is 40k on them, but for the first game keep it simple and show off the main aspects of the game. Unless balance is completely off, you don't need to pay much attention to it either - most likely the game will be riddled with tactical errors anyways.

7 Ork facts people always get wrong:
Ragnar did not win against Thrakka, but suffered two crushing defeats within a few days of each other.
A lasgun is powerful enough to sever an ork's appendage or head in a single, well aimed shot.
Orks meks have a better understanding of electrics and mechanics than most Tech Priests.
Orks do not think that purple makes them harder to see. They do think that camouflage does however, without knowing why.
Gharkull Blackfang did not even come close to killing the emperor.
Orks can be corrupted by chaos, but few of them have any interest in what chaos offers.
Orks do not have the power of believe. 
   
Made in us
Gore-Soaked Lunatic Witchhunter







Guard at 500pts are really weird to me; most people I know who play them play them for the tanks, and a Russ at 500pts can be a degenerate thing to play into.

I think you want a non-Imperium army to at least present a fluffier feel to things rather than framing the game as Imperium v. Imperium, but Chaos isn't in a great place to try and do starter games with right now (complicated and underpowered for CSM, Daemons, and TS, frustrating to interact with as a newbie for Death Guard, and not suited to small games for Knights). Eldar, DE, Harlequins, and GSC are glass cannons with a pretty brutal learning curve, and Tau are pretty badly left behind by 9e's scenarios, smaller tables, and damage creep, which leaves you with Tyranids, Orks, or Necrons. They all have contrasting play styles to the Marines, should be straightforward enough to ask a new player to deal with, and either have new models, will have new models soon, or have a pretty timeless all-plastic range.

Balanced Game: Noun. A game in which all options and choices are worth using.
Homebrew oldhammer project: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/790996.page#10896267
Meridian: Necromunda-based 40k skirmish: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/795374.page 
   
Made in us
Automated Rubric Marine of Tzeentch




dorset

i;d also back the use of a Xenos army for the marine opponents. Orks are always a good bet, with a simple and uncomplicated basic lore that can be explained in 30 seconds, and can be emphasised in play by their actions ("your just going to charge straight in, screaming bloody murder? thats the ork sprit! Here, roll for charge...."). they have that almost cartoonish simplicity to them, that makes them a good foil to the "metahuman paragons of masculinity" that are the Smurfs.

Forget doctrines, auras, etc and keep it to just the stat box, and weapon stats for the intro games, but mention at the end that those things exist and bring them in slowly over several games if you can. maybe game 2, add in abilites that are on the unit sheet, then game 3 or 4 add in army-wide rules and auras, etc, once they have the basics down

Keep unit loadouts simple, and avoid special weapons with complex rules or lore, keep it to, say, firstborn tac squad with missile launcher or heavy bolter and flamer vs boyz with Big shootas, even if those loadouts are sub-optimal, as quick, intuitive understanding of the weapons ("this squad has a flamethrower", "these guys have machine guns", etc) is more important that pure firepower if it means the new player can make intelligent choices based on that understanding, and also, seeing and playing though a "poor" loadouts helps them understand why it's a poor loadout as they weigh up the options of move vs shoot vs charge.

Balance the armies differently, so field a "green tide" ork force with a lot of (relatively) disposable boyz against a smaller but more "elite" marine force, this helps showcase the diverse playstyles the game can provide.

If you include psykers, just limit them to Smite, and, honestly, I think they'd be better left for like 2nd or 3rd game as a swap-out for a smash-captain style HQ in game one.

no objectives and points score, just simply kill or be killed. add in that as part of game 2 or 3 (say, a single objective in the center. say its the last surviving copy of the Coca Cola recipe or something silly like that)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/06/19 19:02:28


To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be relearned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

Coven of XVth 2000pts
The Blades of Ruin 2,000pts Watch Company Rho 1650pts
 
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User





I'll do Orks and Space Marines, then. I'm probably going to replace my Ork Boyz and Nobz when they get new models, so I don't mind donating them that much.

I'll probably do Ultramarines too since their chapter tactics kind'of interact with combat.

I'm thinking a librarian, 2 units of intercessors, a dreadnought for space marines.

And for Orks a warboss, a painboy, a unit of 30 boyz and some gretchin.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2021/06/19 19:02:50


 
   
Made in gb
Trigger-Happy Baal Predator Pilot




Scotland

I would recommend sticking to the core rules only. Keep it simple. Open play, no battle forged and probably no SM unless both armies are.
   
Made in de
Ork Admiral Kroozin Da Kosmos on Da Hulk






Cj4594 wrote:
I'll do Orks and Space Marines, then. I'm probably going to replace my Ork Boyz and Nobz when they get new models, so I don't mind donating them that much.

I'll probably do Ultramarines too since their chapter tactics kind'of interact with combat.

I'm thinking a librarian, 2 units of intercessors, a dreadnought for space marines.

And for Orks a warboss, a painboy, a unit of 30 boyz and some gretchin.


Sounds good for the marines, maybe go for one unit of intercessors and one unit of assault intercessors or a unit of tacticals with special weapon to spice it up a bit.

For orks I'd suggest not bringing 30 boyz, as such an army is not very fun to play at 500, since you've essentially got just one unit. Gretchin don't do anything, and it's pretty much a boring auto-lose for the orks if they move badly.

Instead go for just 20 boyz, add a unit of 5 nobz and spend the rest on something like a dread, a KBB, a unit of lootas or a pair of koptas. Always keep in mind that orks are a combined arms army just like marines, so the need at least some shooting to function.
The painboy isn't the most exiting choice for a support character, I'd rather add a weird boy with warpath, especially with the librarian on the other side. But that's just finetuning, the painboy is fine if you don't have/don't want to give up a weird boy.

7 Ork facts people always get wrong:
Ragnar did not win against Thrakka, but suffered two crushing defeats within a few days of each other.
A lasgun is powerful enough to sever an ork's appendage or head in a single, well aimed shot.
Orks meks have a better understanding of electrics and mechanics than most Tech Priests.
Orks do not think that purple makes them harder to see. They do think that camouflage does however, without knowing why.
Gharkull Blackfang did not even come close to killing the emperor.
Orks can be corrupted by chaos, but few of them have any interest in what chaos offers.
Orks do not have the power of believe. 
   
Made in ca
Commander of the Mysterious 2nd Legion





I taught my dad how to play back about a year ago, we did a small combat patrol of chaos marines and a small combat patrol of sisters of battle (I started with letting him look at my mini's case pick out and army he liked the look out of and built around that) one thing that drew him was "why can you do this but I can't?" (I think he was refering the mircle dice) so there may be a good idea to do a mirror match. barring that, if you're willing to just plunk a second wound on CSMs (don't balance around points, give him an advantage if it means he'll learn the game) I'd avoid giving him any spellcasters (including preists) to start with. as those are a degree of complication your new player doesn't need; and chapter tactics etc are likewise unnesscary. you can slowly add more things in as it goes. IMHO the 6th/7th edition boxed set chaos forces where a solid pick to teach you all the ins and outs of the game, as you got 1 squad of cheap light infantry 1 squad of heavy infantry, a leader and a vehicle.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/06/20 10:36:35


Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two 
   
Made in gb
Esteemed Veteran Space Marine




UK

Marines have really easy to follow rules, an easy to understand stat line etc.

Guard rely on things like orders to be able to remain effective, so I’d avoid using them.

I’d be tempted to use big standard Craftworld, or maybe Necrons to show how a different stat line/ play style works. Fast but brittle and slow but resilient.


 
   
Made in us
Growlin' Guntrukk Driver with Killacannon





Italy

I find for tutorial games it's a lot easier for someone new to learn if you take off a few layers of rules like Doctrines, Warlord Traits, Relics, Chapter Master upgrade, Faction/Sub-Faction rules and just stick with the general stuff like Hit->Wound-Save plus whatever is on the units data sheet.

You can do a 500pt army or just two squads of infantry plus an elite unit to capture the same feel while keeping it smaller.

I'd recommend Necrons as your Xenos rep, a very durable starter army means that mistakes hurt less. Perhaps two blobs or Warriors and the Skorpekh trio versus two squads of Marines and a Dreadnought.
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot





Leicester, UK

I reckon keep it really simple, and don't even worry about points or detachments or factions or anything else. Core rules only. Pick 2 or 3 datasheets for both sides and tell a story. For inspiration see the original 40k introductory scenario, Battle at The Farm. Make sure to explain the game is way more complex but that you get to choose what you make it.

Here's an example:

An imperial governor has dared to turn against the imperium and the space marines have to sent in to crush the rebellion. In this skirmish, an outpost being held by a rebel garrison is being assualted by a tactical squad and a terminator. There are estimated to be 3 squads of troops with heavy weapons holed up that need flushing out before a tank arrives to reinforce them.

Remember also you have to be able to explain it to a 10 year old kid and you'll need some cheat sheets. Good luck!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/06/20 14:45:57


My painting and modeling blog:

PaddyMick's Chopshop: Converted 40K Vehicles

 
   
Made in gb
Stalwart Tribune





I think this box (or similar) is probably the sort of thing you want to be looking at for two starting armies.
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Warhammer-40000-Command-Edition-EN-2020

Praise the Omnissiah

About 4k of .

Imperial Knights (Valiant, Warden & Armigers)

Some Misc. Imperium units etc. Assassins...

About 2k of  
   
 
Forum Index » 40K General Discussion
Go to: