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Hello,

I was wondering if someone could enlighten me on a few things as I'm new to 40k and a bit confused. I'm not actually brand new, I dabbled about 15 years ago but to no great degree. I'm finding it difficult to understand what exactly I need to get to have all of the rules of this game nowadays. I'm sure when I last played you had a rulebook and a codex and there were about 6 armies in the game. Now there seems to be loads of armies , some have codexes and some don't and some of those that do don't have 'proper' codexes, there seems to be all sorts of official variant rule sets such as Apocalypse and Kill Team and I have no idea what data slates are. I just want to start playing but I don't want to find that I turn up for a game and have not read half of the rules because they're in a different book to the Rulebook and/or the codex I have is out of date/ amended and I didn't know. Please help!

Dude, if you really want to play (make sure you do first), just get the rule book and the codex. No need for anything else. As you play more and talk to people you will learn what the other books contain and if you need them. Chances are there will be books you have never heard of.

So dont worry. Just get the main rules and codex if you want to play. You will be set rules wise.

If you want to be up to date (we dont use FAQs personally) then the GW website should have FAQs there to help you out for tournaments if thats your thing. Or pick up games. Luckily they are free.

What army are you getting? Just in case.

Also, the amount of armies has only increased by a couple since 2nd ed - dark eldar, tau I think are the only 2 that did not appear in some form in 2nd ed...

Knights and Tempestus technically count but yea.

Pretty much most of these new books and so on are just extras you may want to use. Rather than necessary purchases.

Data Slates are generally a unit with rules you may want to buy. Or a supplement codex has additional rules to add onto the codex if you wish. So its not new as much as they are just extras.

Thanks for the replies, perhaps I'm getting overwhelmed for no reason then!

To answer the earlier question, I'm collecting a blood angels army purely because that's what I used to have and I like their backstory. I'm not intending to ever play tournaments so I thought I'd just go with what I liked!

By the way, do I need the space marine codex and the blood angels codex or just the latter? I'm not sure if the specific codices are intended to replace the generic one or add to it.

The_Alien wrote:
Thanks for the replies, perhaps I'm getting overwhelmed for no reason then!

To answer the earlier question, I'm collecting a blood angels army purely because that's what I used to have and I like their backstory. I'm not intending to ever play tournaments so I thought I'd just go with what I liked!

By the way, do I need the space marine codex and the blood angels codex or just the latter? I'm not sure if the specific codices are intended to replace the generic one or add to it.

You just need the blood angels one.

But you can use the space marine one instead if you dont mind finding chapter tactics that suit them. The space marine one is updated so it may be better. But thats something a space marine player will fill in the gaps for I think. B

Ruleswise you've got 3 options

1)Mini Rulebook: as contained in Dark Vengeance.£61.50(full boxed set with two small armies) or £15-£20 Ebay for just the book (possibly with templates)
These are the full rules, softback in a small A5ish format 160 pages

2)Warhammer 40,000. The Rules: £30
These are the full rules, hardback (nice quality) in a small A5ish format 160 pages

3)Hardback Full 40k Rulebook: £45
These are the full rules 160 pages, hardback with an additional 300 pages of fluff and hobby section. large A4ish format.

All 3 options are full colour and have identical page numbering for reference.

You'll also want.
Blood Angels Codex. £20, dice, tapemeasure and templates

All prices quoted from GW's webstore unless otherwise stated. There are cheaper well known auction and discount sites Codex blood angels is typically £7 on ebay.

Hope this clears up some options. All of the other books are for bigger toys, larger battles, more complex terrain rules etc etc

As others have said the rulebook, your codex and relevant FAQ's are all you really need to have to play, all the rest are optional really and any that your opponent wishes to use they should bring with them to the table and be able to give you a run down of what they entail.

Obviously some people like to have all the available knowledge at their finger tips and be as up to date as possible so as to avoid surprises.

Below are a couple of useful tables that were put up on BOL's a couple of weeks ago. They are useful if a little overwhelming.

Firstly a complete list of playable armies and where to find them:


Secondly a list of all up to date rules sources:

Thanks, that's very helpful.

 WisdomLS wrote:


Firstly a complete list of playable armies and where to find them:


Secondly a list of all up to date rules sources:

I feel so overwhelmed now. Just getting back into playing again, and my god. I feel like quitting again. I can't even remember the basic rules.

Davor wrote:

I feel so overwhelmed now. Just getting back into playing again, and my god. I feel like quitting again. I can't even remember the basic rules.

No need to feel overwhelmed. Just start with the rulebook and the codex of your choice. That is all you will need. All that other stuff is just optional.

Actually that is what I am doing Iron_Captian. Keeping it simple.

 WisdomLS wrote:
As others have said the rulebook, your codex and relevant FAQ's are all you really need to have to play, all the rest are optional really and any that your opponent wishes to use they should bring with them to the table and be able to give you a run down of what they entail.

Obviously some people like to have all the available knowledge at their finger tips and be as up to date as possible so as to avoid surprises.

Below are a couple of useful tables that were put up on BOL's a couple of weeks ago. They are useful if a little overwhelming.

Firstly a complete list of playable armies and where to find them:

Spoiler:

Secondly a list of all up to date rules sources:

Spoiler:

I do not see Craftworld Iyanden on the playable army list.

I can't say I'm a vet or anything of the sort ( I just started like a month ago),
If you can get to your LGS do it. At mine they got me started on my army list,
played an intro game and I learned a ton in the first day
Plus, all guys are awesome

The_Alien wrote:
Hello,

I was wondering if someone could enlighten me on a few things as I'm new to 40k and a bit confused. I'm not actually brand new, I dabbled about 15 years ago but to no great degree. I'm finding it difficult to understand what exactly I need to get to have all of the rules of this game nowadays. I'm sure when I last played you had a rulebook and a codex and there were about 6 armies in the game. Now there seems to be loads of armies , some have codexes and some don't and some of those that do don't have 'proper' codexes, there seems to be all sorts of official variant rule sets such as Apocalypse and Kill Team and I have no idea what data slates are. I just want to start playing but I don't want to find that I turn up for a game and have not read half of the rules because they're in a different book to the Rulebook and/or the codex I have is out of date/ amended and I didn't know. Please help!

You speak volumes

Yeah, the game has changed a lot recently. No longer do you buy the rulebook and a codex so that you can play an army. Now, what you do is buy the rulebook, and then any extra rulebooks, codices, supplements, WD, Forgeworld books, dataslates and formations that have the rules in them for the miniatures that you want to field.

So, what you do is get the rulebook, get a bunch of minis that you want to play with, find their rules, and then find out how they all fit together into a single playable force.

Which, yeah, is very different to how it worked even six months ago.