Getting into wargaming can feel a bit daunting at first, but it really is a superb hobby. Obviously we're Warhammer 40,000 players although we are interested in Infinity and have dabbled in Flames of War.
The unfortunate fact is that Warhammer 40,000 doesn't come cheap, but I'll make a few suggestions as we go along to help with that.
As mentioned I've been into Warhammer on and off since it was launched.
Find friends and build a network
Wargaming is a social activity, so you need people to play against - I've been lucky, as a child I had a brother into this, as well as several close friends from school. In Burton we also had the excellent Spirit Games.
Today I have a keen son who got me into the hobby, meaning there is always someone who wants to play a game nearby.
If you're lacking a combatant, try talking around a sibling or parent. Or seek out a local games shop like a Spirit Games or Games Workshop, and see if they know of any clubs.
During our time we've played at,
Both of which are diverse clubs which play more than just Warhammer. In fact one of my favourite games was at Farnborough playing a Wild West wargame that was just crazy!
Try out wargaming
Go along to a club or shop, and watch some games - talk to people about the armies they have, and what they like about them. Wargames are overall social, and love being told how great their armies look! But as general etiquette, be aware figures are fairly brittle, so don't pick up or touch without the owners permission.
If you want to just try out a game, and are really new to wargaming - why not try downloading Starship Marine. It's a free tabletop game designed to be used with toy soldiers (which are cheap enough to get hold of), and not associated with Warhammer, but it's a great way to get used to the mechanics of wargaming. I absolutely adore Starship Marine, because the game is quite simple (but offers challenges), and plays at a good speed. It's the game me and my son played a lot on the way to Warhammer 40,000.
If you're lucky, you might chance upon someone who has more than one army, and will let you play as one. My advice, don't go for epic battles at first, start will small 500-750pt skirmish battles to learn the rules. Again, etiquette, treat their figures like they are precious. I'm personally always uncomfortable using someone elses figures for that reason.
Choosing an army...
Okay, you're hooked, and you want to start collecting. Great. But which army? There are so many to choose from, it's no wonder many people have multiple armies.
But building an army is expensive, and time consuming, so it helps to make the best decision you can and focus on one army at first. Asking around really helps - people love to tell you the strengths and weaknesses of the armies they have. If you have a Games Workshop store, spend time looking through the codexes of the armies you're interested in.
Space Marines- pretty much Warhammer 40k's signature army. They are modified superhuman troopers in powered armour. They are pretty tough and a good all rounder army, but cos of this, you don't get a lot of them to field. You will also find that they lack some of the special rules and offensive monsters that other armies have access to. A lot of people have a Space Marine army - including yours truly. But all this toughness comes at a cost - mainly that the size of army you field will always be smaller than your opponents.
Chaos Marines - pretty much the Space Marines turned to evil. Another very popular army - they have access to most of what the Space Marines have, then availability to monstrous creatures like demons on top. Some people like that for some reason ...
Imperial Guard - these are Earth grunt infantry in space. Infantry wise, they are quite weak - but benefit from numbers and some of the most awesomely tough vehicles and firepower. They are artillery mad!
Orks - these aren't everyone's cup of tea. You have to have a good sense of humour to play - they have some mad and daft rules. But I can confirm (we have a small army) they are a lot of fun to play. Like Guard, you can field a large army, they don't have great armour, but then you often find your enemy simply won't have enough fire to stop you.
Eldar / Dark Eldar - I'm not really an expert, but they have some really impressive toys. Mainly they have some awesome weapons, good speed and often get the initiative to strike first. But against this they don't have super toughness or army. You need to play really aggressively with this race, and strike first.
Tau - an alien race with a certain level of Star Trek technology, there is a lot to love about the Tau. For my money they have the most beautiful figures Games Workshop have ever produced, including a Manga inspired super-sized mecha, the Riptide. This is a race that excels in firepower.
Tyranids - imagine playing Starship Troopers as the bugs side. Tyranids are an insectoid race who consume whole planets like an angry swarm. They have a large hoard, and numerous monstrous creatures.
Necrons - pretty much a robot zombie army. They're pretty tough and can regenerate from the dead. But often you find they move slowly around, like a steam roller, so not great on manoeuvrability.
You'll find more information to help you here, but again - ask around your local hobby shop and talk to people about the armies they collect. See if there is an open copy of a codex to read through.
Ready to start collecting?
Cool! Games Workshop does some great startup sets which usually save you some money called Battleforces. You'll need to get a leader and some troops to start your army, and possibly a Codex for your army.
A good way to save money is to check eBay for anyone selling pieces, this can typically be a great way to save about 50% and more on purchasing. Don't worry if they're painted in a colour you're not going to use - there are ways to strip them down (Luke at our Games Workshop recommends soaking them in Simply Green for a couple of days then using an OLD toothbrush to clean off the old paint job).
Another great haunt is games tournament - often people will sell pieces. We always go to Fields Of Blood in Wellington with cash in our pockets - we've picked up tanks, squads and last year a Dark Eldar army for $100. But it can obviously be hit and miss.
Painting
Actually not my favourite bit - and I'm still learning. This site might help.
It obviously helps to know what scheme to use. Your Codex will have some ideas. I like myself having my own army - one I can write a back story for as I please - as this to me is one of the fun parts of owning an army.
You might want to go with a standard Ultramarine, Iron Hands, Cadian etc army, which is fine.
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