One of the most popular miniature games of all time, Warhammer 40K, is Games Workshop’s Grimdark mass-combat wargame set in the 41st millennium. Although the number of models needed to reach 2000 points has decreased, it can still be overwhelming. This is especially true for someone who wants to start playing 40K and doesn't know where to begin.

However, if you’re a fan of larger scale battles with around 40-60 models on average, set in a dystopian future where the Imperium of Man struggles to survive against forces of Chaos and Xenos alike then Warhammer 40K is for you and many, many others! But now the question of how to get started, and to answer that we have two words - Space Marines.

Space Marines

Most people have seen Space Marines on posters, boxes, merchandise and books. These powerful soldiers usually wear blue armour. But there is a reason the Space Marines are so prevalent throughout all Warhammer 40K - they are fan favourites!

Their focus on easy-to-build humanoid models makes them equally easy to paint for beginners to the hobby. Many painting guides and suggestions online provide inspiration.

Another advantage of how well-liked they are as a faction is that they are very well-supported with new releases that will help keep your army fresh and powerful.

A good place to start your Space Marine army would be the Space Marine Combat Patrol. This set offers a detachment of miniatures you can build and play against a similarly-sized army to try out Warhammer 40K and get a feel for the game.

The box offers a good mix of units, containing both vehicles and troops as well as a Lieutenant in Phobos Armour. This allows you to become acquainted with many aspects of 40k combat whilst being a cheaper alternative to building your army from a list or picking up separate boxes. 

This combat patrol is also a great starting point as it allows you to expand your army easily by picking up HQ units like a Space Marines Primaris Captain.

There is one boon of starting your adventure into Warhammer 40K with Space Marines and that is that you don’t have to stick with the blue-armoured poster boys if you don’t want to - and we recommend you don't!

A Chapter is an autonomous military made up of many Space Marines or Astartes (usually 1000) that usually have their own Chapter Homeworlds and unique characteristics and looks. By starting with Space Marines you can find what play style fits you and specialise your units into a Chapter that excels in that tactic with a simple change of paint scheme and minimal unit swapping.

But this strikes up yet another question “Which chapter should I pick?”. Well, we have some suggestions depending on what you’re looking to get out of your army.

Ultramarines

One of the strongest Space Marine Chapters, the Ultramarines are great all-rounders that, similar to regular Space Marines, offer a great way to learn the game by touching on almost all aspects of combat. They are iconic and incredibly recognisable with a lot of lore based around them for those looking to dive deeper into the story of their army.

A great place to start with this Chapter is the aforementioned Combat Patrol Space Marines as well as the Space Marines Codex as it offers rules and stratagems relevant to almost all Chapters. You can also pick up the Ultramarines Supplement for history, rules and stratagems that are specific to models only available to the Ultramarine Chapter.

The Ultramarines are unique in the fact that they are one of the only Chapters to have a Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, who would serve as a great centrepiece to your army - and is very tricky to deal with.

Another good choice of leader for your army is Chief Librarian Tigurius with his Psyker abilities and ranged abilities. One final recommendation for the Ultramarines would be the Space Marines Marneus Calgar with Victrix Honour Guard as the protection it provides to your other units is second to none.

Blood Angels

One of the more popular Chapters of Space Marines, the Blood Angels focuses on getting up close and personal with their enemies and launching a barrage of devastating melee and ranged attacks. They aided in this through their jump packs and as such are perfect for anybody looking to play a lot more aggressively without being punished.

The Blood Angels have a wide range of unique units that allow you to either customise your army exactly how you would like or bring a mix of differing units within your army.

Mephiston, Lord of Death is a great addition to any Blood Angel army as he is a key character in the current Warhammer 40K story and so will stay relevant through future storylines and releases. He also provides a great advantage against other Psykers as he provides a bonus to Deny the Witch tests and his Speed of the Primarch allows him to strike first - making him a thorn in your opponent's side.

Dark Angels

One of the most secretive of the Space Marine Chapters, the Dark Angels pose as aiming to serve the Emperor but their ulterior motive is shrouded in mystery. The benefit of choosing to play Dark Angels is the ability to specialise to a specific playstyle further by choosing to bring Deathwing or Ravenwing.

If you are looking to build either Deathwing or Ravenwing then the Combat Patrol Dark Angels allows you to build models from either side and the Dark Angels Codex Supplement provides rules, stratagems and inspiration for both of the companies.

Deathwing

Featured prominently in Space Hulk, the Deathwing are a well-known Chapter of Space Marines who prioritise fitting as many Terminators as possible into their armies. These iconic miniatures are often the first thing people think of when you say “Warhammer 40K”, and for good reason.

These hulking brutes get up close and pack a serious punch with their hammers and are a must-include due to their pure damage potential.

Ravenwing

Almost a stark contrast to the Deathwing, the Ravenwing forgo the lumbering protection of Terminator Armour for the quick and nimble speeders and bikes. Their increased mobility leads to a playstyle in which flanking and outmanoeuvring become your greatest tactic. Taking shots when you can and dodging incoming attacks allows for a simultaneously aggressive yet defensive playstyle.

Adeptus Custodes

If Space Marines aren’t your thing, and you’re looking for something a little more special that stands out from the crowd then those chosen by the Emperor himself may be a good choice - Adeptus Custodes

Far more powerful than any Space Marine, each Custodes model stands out from the other as they all hold unique strengths that set them apart. This strength leads to the points cost of each unit being quite expensive compared to Space Marines which, while on the surface looks like a negative, just means that fewer models are needed to build your 2000 points list. This means that not only do you have fewer models that need building and painting but you won’t have to buy as many models and can save some money.

A quick way to start a detachment would be the Adeptus Custodes Combat Patrol Box.

To start an Adeptus Custodes army you would want to pick up the Adeptus Custodes Custodian Guard as it allows you to build 5 Custodian Guards.

Another benefit of the Custodes is that often their models can be built multiple ways to make different units which allows for customisation and options for your army at no extra cost. For example, the Custodian Guard box can alternatively build a Shield-Captain or Vexilla.

There is also a new Adeptus Custodes Codex that provides the rules and options available to you and can help you build a Warhammer 40K army for cheap with just a few boxes with variations included.

Hopefully from this, you can see that although it may be difficult to know where to start with Warhammer 40K, looking at what you would want from an army and what an army provides in terms of playstyle, model count and aesthetic can make knowing what to build far easier.

But what if after all this you’re thinking “Maybe Warhammer 40K isn’t my game”? Well, there are plenty of alternative options when it comes to wargame offerings from Games Workshop.

If you prefer smaller-scale battles set within a fantasy setting (The Mortal Realms) where magic is abundant and a conflict rages between the four Grand Alliances: Chaos, Order, Death, and Destruction, then Warhammer: Age of Sigmar could be a better alternative for you.

If you still think that neither of these is for you then there are plenty of other games to explore: from the massive army sizes of Apocalypse to the small gangs of Necromunda and even Kill Team.

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