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I just found out my FLGS is doing a Start Collecting League where you buy a 40K Start Collecting box from the store and for the entire league you only use those contents. No adding to it later. So I am thinking this might be a good time to start 40K to play. I already collect and have the Tyranid minis already but hey if it gets me to start gaming the $100 price tag is a good way to make new friends hopefully maybe I will start Nids again.

So what I would like to know is, since this will be a "competitive" since we are out to win prizes, but have fun as well, how are all the boxes balanced to each other? While I don't care for loosing, I just don't want to be wasting my time like when playing 4th edition Dark Angles with 5th edition codices. I being a Nid player would most likely get the Tyranid box. If I make a flyer would people complain or whine/cry that it was cheesy? Being a nid player before I quit playing I know Nids were the weaker armies just like DA I use to play with. How would the Nid box hold up against others?

Since I already have the minis for Nids I was thinking of maybe doing Orks or Necrons. Seeing the hate for Necrons, how would they play from the box? Is it balanced or would people not have fun playing against Necrons? I just want to have fun again. I am surprised that there is interest in 40K where I live. I thought it died down but maybe it's slowly coming back.

TL;DR Are the Start Collecting boxes basically equal to each other and which one to play and why?

Based on just the eye test and from playing Orks, I would'nt go with them. Especially since it's based on the box contents and not points. A couple rounds of rapid-fire and they're dead. a 10 man tac squad is not equal to a 10 boy mob

I would say Necrons, they're basically space marines with Gauss rule which would help with auto glancing vehicles.

The ork one is only good in it'd upgrades, but since your playing out of the box then the boyz/nobz will have to footslog.....that is a no go for playing them.
I see the apeal of this tournament, but if someone got orks as a starter then they will sorely be disapoited.

Thanks guys, so I will take Orks off the list. Shame the minis looked great and wife likes Orks. Might pick it up anyways for her, but will not use it to play in the league.

How are the Skitarii? (spelling?) It just looks like it might be fun painting red. How fun would they be?

I haven't seen them played much tbh, but they have some decent shooting. 3+ I believe and 4+ armour, plus the chants or something that can increase that, but I wouldn't quote me on that. I would look on battlescribe at their stats to get a good idea.

The Skitarri is a very strong box. The dunecrawler is one of the better walkers and the weapon options allow it do pretty much anything. I prefer to run it with the Icarus array. The Tech Priest Dominus is a great HQ, with strong shooting, the ability to repair vehicles and heal wounds on himself making him durable. Finally there seems to be multiple versions of the formations. The one I have says Vanguard only, which I personally consider the better option but I've also seen pics online of formations saying you can do Vanguard or Rangers.

Over all it's a solid formation that brings a lot to the table on it's own and one that brings value to pretty much any IOM army in the future

I'm genuinely not sure which boxes are the best here, simply because some of the boxes will be good against some but bad against others.

At first glance I'd definitely say orks are the weakest because they're so squishy on foot, closely followed by marines since tacs are mediocre and dreadnoughts are meh.

The wolves box would only be good if you ran the TWC with TH/SS, nids only if you use a flyrant (which is arguably cheesy in such a small game, where anti-air weapons would be non-existent outside of the dunecrawler with autocannon).

The necron one looks decent, although I admittedly know nothing of the walker. Skitarii are decent and bring AP 4 en masse. Tau would be okay but weak against some of the vehicles. Don't know a thing about demons, so someone will have to help you out there. Guard would only be good because they're bringing a leman russ, it'll be difficult dealing with AV 14 and a battle cannon.

Being a very non-competitive player I'd say pick your favorite, follow your dreams, etc., but if you're looking at competitive those are my choices; crons, skitarii, or a leman russ (lol, a single squad of guardsman? Your army is literally just a tank).

EDIT: on a side note, I'm just starting up on guard so I'm picking up 2 of the starter boxes, and thus I'm mildly biased. I think russes are awesome, but I might be overselling them a bit.

Tau list

HQ
50 points. Ethereal

Troops
45 points. 5 fire warriors
45 points. 5 fire warriors

Fast attack
56 points. Markerlight drones
56 points. Markerlight drones

HQ
52 points. two weapons
52 points. Two weapons
52 points. Two weapons

(Feel free to put them in one unit, but only do this if you plan on kitting them out the same)

That's just above 400 points. Feel free to do some stupid stuff with the crisis suits like tacking on shield gens, or twin linking the guns (dooo iiiit, they won't need markerlights), or interceptor, or making one a Sargent and giving it iridium armor and a power fist (shas'o one punch ftw). You can sink a lot of points into the suits, which you should do if there is no point limit. This list gives you markerlights, a decent amount of shots from the warriors and the suits which should be used to deal with anything that's too hard for ye ap 5 str5 spam.

Keep in mind if you want this list to be really nasty, you can easily kit the suits out to be tailored to the other starter boxes. Just see what the other boxes can build and counter accordingly. I'd suggest actually getting some sky fire suits in order to drop a flyrant. Also a melta suits should hurt the guard tank if you deep strike behind it.

Now, the real issue is who else will be playing what? Because while the Orks box would get it's green arse handed to it by, say, the Tau box, it would be okay against the Guard box. Personally, as a non-competitive player, I'd buy the Ork box just to have the coolest models (totally not biased). But, at the end of the day it's down to you.

With the Daemon boxes:
- The Khorne one can either go with Codex Daemon rules, or, could instead run as Khorne Daemonkin.
Going the latter will mean you pass up the ability to take cheap, horrifically effective ccw's on your characters, but you'll instead swap out Daemonic Instability for Fearless & gain the benefits of the Blood Tithe system.
The former will allow you to tool up your characters a lot more through Gifts, but end up overall squishier due to no army-wide FnP or other bonuses.
Keep in mind as well, the Bloodthrone that's pictured on the box can instead be built as a Skull Cannon, which would not only give you a S8 pie-plate to throw around, but any unit simply hit by the template can then be assaulted with the negative effects of cover!

- The Nurgle box is too slow to function as an army on it's own. The Drones are the only relevant threat in that box, and once they're shot down everyone can simply walk out of range since all Nurgle daemons have the 'Slow and Purposeful' rule.



Honestly, it's a really bad idea to set up any kind of semi-competitive league/offer any sort of prizes based around using only the Start Collecting boxes...

Literally, the only guys who are going to enjoy this are the ones who pick up Tau or Ad Mech, with the Necron, Space Wolf & a Flyrant 'Nid build being the only other guys who can hope to compete.
Anyone picking Orks, Daemons, Guard or Marines is pretty much just going to be a punching bag.

HoundsofDemos wrote:
The Skitarri is a very strong box. The dunecrawler is one of the better walkers and the weapon options allow it do pretty much anything. I prefer to run it with the Icarus array. The Tech Priest Dominus is a great HQ, with strong shooting, the ability to repair vehicles and heal wounds on himself making him durable. Finally there seems to be multiple versions of the formations. The one I have says Vanguard only, which I personally consider the better option but I've also seen pics online of formations saying you can do Vanguard or Rangers.

Over all it's a solid formation that brings a lot to the table on it's own and one that brings value to pretty much any IOM army in the future

Dominus can heal wounds on himself and any model with the Cult Mechanicus or Skitarii factions--meaning if your Skitarii Alphas don't get instant deathed, they can get their 2nd Wound back.

I can confirm that the Skitarii box now has a card with "Ranger" instead.

dam, I guess I'm stuck with vanguard which is how I built them. Nice catch on the healing the Alpha, makes the unit a bit more durable. I love the Dominus model and I've found this formation really add a lot of value to my Space Marine army. I play a mech heavy list so adding in another vehicle, another repair guy, and a troop unit that is dangerous to anything it shots has been a good deal.

Its unfortunate that the box only comes with one of each special weapon option for the vanguard/rangers. Because the formation rule is great for running a plasma squad. The dunecrawler I would prolly use the neutron laser if points dont matter and you are only playing other boxes. I dont think there are flyers in the other boxes. Your Dominus can also repair the dunecrawler.

HoundsofDemos wrote:
dam, I guess I'm stuck with vanguard which is how I built them. Nice catch on the healing the Alpha, makes the unit a bit more durable. I love the Dominus model and I've found this formation really add a lot of value to my Space Marine army. I play a mech heavy list so adding in another vehicle, another repair guy, and a troop unit that is dangerous to anything it shots has been a good deal.

You could always contact Customer Service and tell them that you've seen people get a version with Skitarii Rangers.

I toyed around with it but I already put them together and personally think the vanguard are a cooler looking unit and I like the rad rule.

Thanks everyone for the comments greatly appreciate the help.