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New to Dakka. Been reading here for years and never actually registered for some reason. So, hello all. Quick background. Imperial Guard player for not sure how long, with a small Ork warband, and I used to play Undead, back before the schism to TK and VC, not a clue when that was, but I'm sure it was around 4th edition when I shifted to 40K. The only reason I started playing 40K in the first place was that no one played fantasy when I went to college. Moved to Norway last year, cos no work in England where I lived and thought I'd start fresh and the missus is Norwegian, so was better for all concerned. Recently my brother in law has gotten into WHFB and it's got me infected with the bug again. Left all my IG back in Blighty at my mum's till I can sort out getting it all here.
And so, I have no idea where to begin. How do the armies fare these days? ALOT has changed from the few rules I've looked into, and while I know it's different to 40K, I forgot just how drastically different it was.

So, dead quick. I like the looks of just about everything. I would like to get back into the melee styled game, so thinking a tough and strong army for a foundation, but I'm not averse to magic. Money isn't an issue when it comes to collecting. I'm an obsessive and the amount of time the hobby takes up, I consider it well spent, as does my wife, who likes me out of the way and out of her hair. The armies I like most are:

Orks - Because Orks.
Skaven - Not even sure why. I just like the idea of massive rats. I'm an IG player, so guessing it's somewhat similar to that but without the range
Elves - I like all the elf armies. They look great to me. I know they're paper thin armour though, which puts me off a little. But the models are really nice. WE in need of some serious updating and HE strict in colouring, which I'm not keen on.
Brettonia/Empire - Knights are appealing. I think they're in need of an update from what I've read?
Lizards - They have dinosaurs!
Orgres - I don't know that much about them, as they were never around, but they look like they'd be alot of fun.
Vampire Counts - Purely because I used to play Undead, and I believe VC are closer to the old undead.

But really, can't say I know how they play these days. I've considered getting IoB. Good starting base for models, and can get my hands dirty for a bit before I get too serious, and it's a cheap start. But really, it's a minefield. With 40K I knew what I wanted to do right off the bat, because IG has a great regimented style compared to other armies. Now though, I'm a little lost because everything looks good, and while I like the idea of Skaven and HE (cheap option), I don't want to really start an army without having a reasonable idea of the pros and cons. And who better to ask than players.

Any input would be really great. I'm leaning more at the moment towards HE and Dinosaurs. Fun is priority though. Not just ruining folk with Teclis, who I hear is a bit of a friend killer.

Well, I'd probably need a bit more info before I can properly advise which army you should start, but I'll run few a few pros and cons of each.

OnG - Not as strong a melee army as you might thing, as their strengths come in cheap warmachines, chaff and other stand-out units such as Mangler Squigs. The Savage Orc Horde is a good melee unit however, and a completely melee focused army does work, you just wont be winning any tournaments with it.

Skaven - Skaven are a pretty good army, with powerful shooting and magic, but not that great in combat. Despite IoB, I wouldn't recommend starting them, unless you're set on the army. Their book is quite complicated (the FAQ needed alongside it is huge) and, being one of the few 7th edition books, will be updated fairly soon.

Elves - Like you say, WE are very outdated so I'd avoid starting them, but both HE and DE are great beginners armies, that can operate well in all phases of the game and run various different viable lists. Durability is an issue, but there are plenty of ways to work around it, or simply just kill more enemy models!

Brets - Again, very outdated, I'd hold off starting these guys until a new book arrives. They can work (and if you like Knights you're in for a treat), but I don't think it's worth it.

Empire - These guys certainly can work, and are one of the best beginners armies around. They're jack of all trades, and very average, which really allows you to get to grips with the game and experiment with several different playstyles.

Lizards - Lizards are another strong beginners army, and they have great close combat and magic, with some stand-out units and good monsters, if that's your kind of thing. They're quite slow however, and their shooting is rather limited.

Ogres - These guys are another fantastic beginners army as they're cheap to collect and have a simply playstyle with some very strong builds. They're not quite as flexible as HE or DE, but most of the units in the book are viable. They have fantastic close combat and pretty good shooting, magic and chaff as well, alongside some brilliant magic items. Their only real disadvantage is their elitist nature, you'll almost always be outnumbered (often by a large amount) in battle.

VC - These guys are a good army, with plenty of viable builds and good combat and some brilliant characters. However, I'd not recommend them as a starting army, unless you're set on them, as they completely disregard many of the important rules and facets of the game, that affect pretty much every army. This, combined with their complete lack of normal shooting, means they're not a great army to learn the ropes with.

Hope this helps, if you have any more questions, just ask!

Didn't even think about mentioning experience and goals. My bad.

It's highly unlikely I'll be playing in tournies. I live in the middle of nowhere, and even then, I'd need to get into the game again before even thinking about it. I'll be playing more with a bunch of friends, and anyone who plays in the general area (if I can find anyone). And I really enjoy painting and collecting, and I used to convert stuff. Only one GW in Norway and it's a long way away from me. Not seen anything that looks like a mini hobby store round abouts, but there may be one lurking on the next island somewhere. I'm not a bad player, and learning to play isn't going to be a problem, so something being difficult won't worry me too much.
Can hold my own quite well with IG in 40K, and I'm big on tanks (shock horror), so I think monsters would feature well for me? Not too worried about ranged combat. Played guard for a long time now, so something more melee oriented would be interesting for a change of pace.
The last time I played fantasy I've got down to about 1997, so it's been at least 15 years since, if not longer. Curse you Space Marines! Stealing all my friends with your shiny armour!

So right now I'm thinking either Lizards, HE/DE or Bret (though I guess I should totally ignore them for no in case an update is forthcoming). I like the looks of the three, and they'll be good for cutting my teeth on.

Ogre Kingdoms would be in the list, but as she said, she doesn't want anything uglier than me stinking up the place.

Lemme tell you a fewthings about current armies:

1.Beastmen:
+ Killers in close combat especially if buffed.
+ Strong characters, both in fighting and casting.
- Poor shooting.
- Overcosted units with poor defence.

2.Bretonnia:
+ If they charge they make big damage.
+ Mages are protected, access to good items.
- Limited choices, poor flexibility.
- Overcosted units, rely too much on charges,

3.Daemons of Chaos:
+Hard to kill units.
+Lots of choices, can adapt to any opponent.
-Chaos=random, daemons can destroy themselves.
-Pricy characters. Strong, but if someone goes wrong you lose many points from one bad roll.

4.Dark Elves:
+Destructive in close combat.
+Strong magic.
-Some units/characters are useless, which limits your choices,
-Low armour/defense.

5.Dwarves:
+Cheap and strong war machines,
+Strong anti-magic.
-Low mobility and manoeuvring.
-Poor magic.(no magic at all in old book, and not too many choices)

6.High Elves:
+Many and good shooters.
+Strong mages, with good items and lots of magic.
-Fragile army.
-Fast moving units are weak and/or pricey,

7.Lizardmen:
+Strong and hard to kill mages.
+Strong monsters(dinosaurs!).
-Poor shooting.
-Their mages must be protected at all costs, if not, you have problem because they cost many pojnts.

8.Ogre Kingdoms.
+Strong in close combat, especially if they charge.
+Mages can buff them and make them indefetable.
-They have problems against cannons due to multiple wounds, or spells and stuff with multiple wounds.
-Every army has few models, so they can be targeted easily from range.

9.Orcs & Goblins:
+Many and cheap choices, especially for high mobility and close combat.
+Strong magic, good mages.
-Not so strong shooting.
-Much randomness, things can easily go wrong.

10.Skaven:
+Cheap models, you can havemany units and confuse your opponent tactically.
+Strong magic, both in spells and items.
-Poor combat and leadership.
-Quite random magic and shooting which can destroy the army.

11.The Empire:
+Flexibility: you can do anything you want, countless choices.
+Many war machines, more reliable than others.
-Not very strong hitting force.
-Their "detachments system" is too situational, you may find yourself spending points for nothing.

12.Tomb Kings:
+Strong magic, many mages and items to choose from.
+Cheap units, you can brings huge numbers, and ressurect them if they die.
-Poor movement.
-If their mage dies, you practically lose the game.Not always!

13.Vampire counts:
+Strong characters, both in fighting and casting.
+Many choices for close combat, also good monsters.
-Same with TK, mage dies, you have problem.
-No shooting. At all.

14.Warriors of Chaos:
+Amazing infantry, they kill and they endure.
+Their combat characters can kill anything.
-Poor and unreliable shooting.
-Pricey models, you need to spent points to protect them from shooting/mages, in order to get them in combat.

15.Wood Elves.:
+Good archers.
+High mobility, which can combined with shooting.
-Overcosted models, you spent points for situational abilities,
-Poor magic choices,

Thanks a bunch for the help guys. I think I'll go with Lizardmen, and maybe get a few Bret to paint, and hope they get an update for a second army in the future. I like the idea of charging a group of knights into the fray.