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I'm interested in starting AT, which starter set would be best for the long term? The Grand Master or standard?

I'd recommend the new starter set to just about anyone. It's a great value that will also show you how the game actually plays (more on that below). It also gives you both Reaver kits so that you have a better range of weapons. Add a Warlord to that box's content later and you have a full Axiom maniple of around 1700ish points, a really solid and balanced force.

The GM box is also a great value, but most people don't need two Warlords when starting out. Especially two Warlords armed identically. The battles you can have with the contents are also awkward and boring, and not representative of the gameplay. It does come with terrain, but the secret there is that it's not enough terrain to fill a table anyway. You'd probably want 4 times that amount. I like the terrain, but there are cheaper options.

The grandmaster is flawed, cuz at the time of its making only the warlord and knights was released and you cannot get a proper battle from that.
The new 2p is mutch better made for both 2 players and 1 player.

If you want the box for yourself, like gorgon said just add a warlord and you have a full matched play legal maniple, or if you are splitting it, then there is alot of options as to what maniples you both can collect. (mutch more options then what you can with just 2 warlords from the grandmaster box)

The knight household battleforce (if you find it) is a complete legal knight only force(basicly army in a box), but the box do not include any rules.

The New Reaver starter kits have me sorely tempted......

Well core rules is pretty good for GW standards, gameplay is mutch better then 40k, but it is dependent on lots of scenery on the table else it is just a target range game.

I belive the only thing that prevents AT from taking off is that the range is not shelfware in the GW shops(how can you sell something that your customers cant see exists?) and that people are a bit set off by the price as they dont fully understand that a complete army in AT is only 3-5 titans, and that the titans themselfs are pretty complex and super detailed kits for 8mm, so in that regards AT is cheaper then 40k and AoS.

 FrozenDwarf wrote:
Well core rules is pretty good for GW standards, gameplay is mutch better then 40k, but it is dependent on lots of scenery on the table else it is just a target range game.

I belive the only thing that prevents AT from taking off is that the range is not shelfware in the GW shops(how can you sell something that your customers cant see exists?) and that people are a bit set off by the price as they dont fully understand that a complete army in AT is only 3-5 titans, and that the titans themselfs are pretty complex and super detailed kits for 8mm, so in that regards AT is cheaper then 40k and AoS.

The setback started with the launch, IMO. The GM set was a good bargain that helped them push boatloads of plastic Warlords, but it was a *terrible* first impression. It made the game seem very expensive to play, and (if played) made it seem static and simplistic...basically a question of whether the knights reach the Warlord.

Meanwhile, it's actually a game of maneuver, planning, activation strategy, and resource management. And while it's certainly more expensive to play than GW's skirmish games, it's just as certainly less expensive to play than their core games. The new starter set is a great 'soft' relaunch, and with it hopefully more people will discover this gem of a game.

Definitely the new starter set with the reavers'n'warhounds. You'll have all you need to setup a strong single army or host a decent two player game.

With the gigantic savings on the set, and if you can get further discount, consider the new factory scenery set...maybe another box of lancers?

Excellent, thanks dudes. I'll have my LGS order me one of the regular ones.

Always welcome. ^_^