How to Start Playing Warhammer
Have you heard about the 11th Edition Warhammer launch? Have you played Space Marine II or Total War: Warhammer and are curious about the tabletop game, but don’t know where to start?
Flipside Gaming is here to help with a comprehensive Warhammer 40k quick start guide that covers the lore books you need to read and the steps to building your first army. Follow our blog to learn how to start playing Warhammer ahead of the newest release.
1. Warhammer 40,000: The Ultimate Guide
This book is one of many guides that can provide you with a visual crash course for the entire Warhammer setting. The 300-page compendium came out in 2023 and provides an overview of Warhammer factions, major wars, key characters, and the general timeline of the last 10,000 years. It’s not designed to introduce you to all the rules; it simply provides the backdrop. Critically, if you’re interested in one faction or character, their specific Codex or Black Library books will be a better introduction to how they fit into the 41st Millennium.
There’s also a number of deep dives into the world of 40k beyond print media, with ample podcasts like Adeptus Ridiculous, or histories on YouTube that delve into the universe and the stories therein. Whether you want to know the entire history of a single weapon, or a massive region of realspace, there’ll be creators writing, speaking, & drawing every chapter of 40k’s story. Given so much of the hobby is spent building and painting your very own army, with its own story to tell, it’s a great idea to immerse yourself in the world while you’re working on minis.
2. Your First Models
Via Reddit
Once you have a grasp on some of 40k’s core concepts from a narrative perspective, it’s time to get building! Whether at your LGS or an official Warhammer Store, there’s often programs running that supply single miniatures—usually a Space Marine—as well as tools on loan to build & paint it. Some stores even run events on specific dates to commemorate the start of editions, complete with everything you’d need to get started! I highly recommend taking the time to find a store you’re comfortable with, and ask about a ‘Mini of the Month’ or starter mini program; an employee should be able to help, and sit you down with core supplies for getting started on your Warhammer journey!
Those actual tools are usually as follows: A hobby knife, clippers, plastic glue, primer, & a painting setup. Let’s quickly touch on what each of these are for. Your knife & clippers are for safely removing the pieces of your kit from its holding, what’s known as a ‘sprue’. Clippers make for clean cuts, but in case you have mold lines or a rough cut, the hobby knife is perfect for cleanup. Plastic glue is actually not glue at all, but instead a type of solvent, which melts and allows for a permanent bond between plastic components, while not sticking to much else. Once a model is assembled & cleaned up, it must be primed—this creates a surface that paint better adheres to, and provides the initial color for a miniature. From there, between brushes, base paints, washes, & a neutral medium (usually Games Workshop’s Lahmian Medium) you’ll see your mini come together with color!
3. Building Up
We’ve touched on the story of 40k, as well as the core hobby, so now it’s time to talk about building up your force, and playing your first games. One of the most important things to note about Warhammer is that, despite having an opponent, you’re still playing a co-operative game. Warhammer is complex, and to avoid disputes & overlong games, it’s best to have rapport with your opponent, and understand both of you are here to enjoy the game! For this reason, finding someone to play with is usually not a problem, and between both LGSes & Warhammer Stores, community is a strong element of Warhammer as a hobby. Still, just your test mini isn’t enough for a game: You need at least a full squad, or ideally, ~500 points worth of miniatures.
500 points tends to be the value enclosed in one of 40k’s Combat Patrols, an amazing bundle box that contains a diverse array of miniatures for one of the game’s armies. I recommend picking up a Combat Patrol for whatever army most interests you, as well as a single box of whatever speaks to you most. Maybe you’re looking to take up arms with the Astra Militarum, but really want to roll into the fray with a tank; picking up Combat Patrol: Astra Militarum and a Leman Russ Battle Tank would be a great start to any force! Once you have that, set aside some time to hobby—build your miniatures, and watch/listen to a ‘Battle Report’, a video condensing a full 40k game into an hour or less. This will familiarize you with some terms that crop up in actual gameplay, and while it might be overwhelming, exposure is the best means of getting into the game!
Avoid These Mistakes
There are so many moving parts when learning how to play Warhammer because it’s a universe that spans over 50 years, and 11 editions. While it may seem impossible to learn everything you need to know, don’t panic and fall into these traps:
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Trying to read all the lore at once and getting burnt out on literal decades of material
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Starting the Horus Heresy as your first introduction to the lore
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Ignoring factions you’re not sure you like (they may end up becoming your favorite)
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Separating rules from the lore, as their connection makes gameplay even better
Learning Warhammer
After reading the two recommended books on this list and starting to develop your army, your work isn’t quite done! You’ll need to stay up to date as Games Workshop releases additional previews and teasers. The more you know before release day, the more comfortable you’ll feel with the material.
Most importantly, focus on learning things a little bit at a time. You don’t need to know the rules of the entire game! Get a handle on the basic core rules and index of the faction you intend to field. Your local community will be more than happy to onboard someone diving into 40k, we guarantee it.
Edited by Carter Kachmarik
