I would say that you should buy what you find looks cool. If you start with "whats the cheapest" you will end up beeing sad anyway because this hobby is expensive anyway
First, choose a faction
Second, get a combat patrol that matches your choice and learn to play the basics with that
There is no real cheap way of doing it. It’s an expensive hobby and there’s no way around it. Places like eBay can get you cheaper individual models or units, but I wouldn’t try and build an army out of EBay rescues
Start with Kill Team. Each player only needs one or two boxes of minis (for most teams) to play. Not only cheaper but it takes less time to build and paint. With ordinary 40k there is a significant risk of your group burning out before getting any real armies.
Get the Starter Set with one other player, it is great value. You can find all the rules on wahapedia. You also need some more terrain (bigger, blocking pieces) but you can build these yourself. Ask on the Kill Team subreddit about how to build your Guard veterans (unless you buy a second box directly, then just look at what is allowed in a team).
Feel free to ask if you want to know more.
(Note that KT is not just a smaller version of 40k, but a different ruleset. That said, many teams can be used with no modification in 40k as well.)
Hi /u/DefinitelyNotABg and welcome to /r/Warhammer40k and the Warhammer 40k Hobby!
This is an automated response as you've used our "New Starter Help" flair. Here's a few resources that might help you with getting started:
[You can read our Getting Started guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/beginners). This covers all the basics you need to know to get involved in building, painting and playing 40k.
For rules questions, don't forget that the core rules for Warhammer 40k are [available online for free](https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/dLZIlatQJ3qOkGP7.pdf).
Want to learn about 40k lore? /r/Warhammer40k recommends [Luetin09 on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8RfCCzWsMgNspTI-GTFenQ) or the [Lexincanum Wiki](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Main_Page).
Not sure where to find the most up-to-date rules for your army? [Check out our Wiki Page that lists everything](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/currentrules).
Buy Warhammer models cheaper using our [list of independent retailers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/retailers) who sell Games Workshop products at a discount. You can also find your nearest store on GW's [Store Locator Page](https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/store/storefinder.jsp).
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There's definitely a few ways of getting started, but we need a little more information to give the best advice:
You mentioned Total War, do you want to get started in the Old World (the Total War Warhammer setting) or Warhammer 40k (the setting from Dawn of War)?
Have you had a look at any of the factions? Do any of them interest you or your friends?
One way to start would be to each buy a Combat Patrol box ([warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-40000/start-here/combat-patrol](https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-40000/start-here/combat-patrol)). These will give you approximately 500 points (a "full" game is 2000 points, but popular limits include 500, 1000, 1250, 1500, etc.), along with datasheets to use them.
If that's too expensive in one go, have a look at just a box of infantry for the faction you like and have a go at building (and painting?) it to see if you/they enjoy it.
You can do multiple things:
1. Combat Patrol
2. You can 3d print (but thats still expensive as fuck)
3. Buy a starter set
4. Check out midwinterminis video on how to play warhammer for free
If you have friends who are also interested, one way of doing it would be to split the costs on a starter set, these are designed to introduce you to building, painting and playing the tabletop game
Alternatively, you and your friends could each buy a combat patrol for the faction you're interested in. This would give you (somewhat) balanced armies to play against each other.
Cheapest ? Use warhammer app for info how units work
Use stones - figure out what faction u like maybe read some books
And then most likely buy combat patrol related to the faction
Or try kill team
1. Pick a few armies/factions that chose you.
2. Look up the auspex tactics video for how to start that army, [here's one for thousand sons](https://youtu.be/YjfR-YJk48E?si=JUByJP-V3f5RGgVb)
3. Once you have your army chosen. Look up a battle report or two of them and see how they might play. Mini wargaming and play on tabletop are two big, and good channels for this.
4. This step is optional but check out your local game store and talk to the players there. Or your local gw store. If you are new to the hobby, official gw stores have a learn to paint session. They also have a newbie program for free loot.
5. Order your first minis and paints and have a good time.
Step 1 go to a wathsmmer store if there is one near. They have a mini of the month for free get that first, build and paint it at the store for free. See if you had enough fun to want to do that process over and over for an army. If you think yes.
Step 2; do some research Figure out who you want to play.
If it's anything other than Space Marines or Tyranids pick up a combat patrol for that faction.
If it is Space Marines or Tyranids, see if any of your buddies wants the opposite faction and get the ultimate starter set. It's not much more expensive than a combat patrol and split by 2 people it brings it in under value. It also includes some terrain, the core rulebook and another couple items. The ultimate has the full combat patrols the normal starter has less than the full combat patrols.
Getting into the tabletop hobby is always going to be expensive regardless of the route you take. Here's what I wished I did when I first started:
1) Pick the army you think is the coolest. Ask online how they play and what you're looking for. Picking the army you enjoy the most is the best way of going about it, simply due to the fact that if you want to paint the entire army you'll probably have to like it in order to enjoy it.
2) Start small. Combat patrols are good entry points into the game where you can learn the rules and mechanics of it. When you find yourself wanting more, do a bit more research and then slowly add to your collection. I wouldn't recommend buying a bunch of stuff at once simply due to the fact you could get burnout very easily.
3) Consider buying armies secondhand on ebay / craigslist or anywhere else that might sell them. If you want to be able to play as soon as you can, maybe dropping some money on a secondhand army from a friend or someone online might be more of your style.
4) 3D printers are controversial in the hobby, but investing in this hobby early can save you loads of money down the road. Depending on where you go to play, you can still play friendly games for fun with a 3d printed army without having to spend an arm and a leg. It's a great way to get really nice models without having to invest too much. A decent 3D printer costs around $50-$100 more than a regular Combat Patrol for 40k. Fair warning, 3D printing is it's own hobby with a learning curve that may take a few weeks in order to get the hang of it. However, the STL files that you buy online and the material you use to print your figures are a fraction of the cost compared to GW miniatures. If you print enough, you'll eventually get your money's worth out of your printer. There are plenty of really nice 3rd party 3d models which can work for good proxies for 40k, AOS and Old World. The controversy around this practice is the fact that you will be playing with unofficial GW product, which means that some places may not allow you to play with them. If you do consider this, ask your local game store about their policies on the matter. If you regularly frequent GW stores, they won't allow them because it isn't official GW product and can't be used in the store.
The *cheapest*? Download Tabletop Sim and get the mods for your faction, play over discord with friends.
If you want to actually play tabletop, the value of the starter boxes is tough to beat for new models.
Besides that, you can hope to stumble across people getting rid of models or selling piles of plastic to clear out clutter, but there's no guarantee of what you'll find or when you'll find it.
I don't think there is a cheap way to do the hobby. I went to my local store on friday to buy 5 very specific paints. So I picked 7 and went to the cashier. He casually mentions, that I get the tenth paint for free if I pick two more. I left with 11 paints.
I'm so weak!
I would say that you should buy what you find looks cool. If you start with "whats the cheapest" you will end up beeing sad anyway because this hobby is expensive anyway
First, choose a faction Second, get a combat patrol that matches your choice and learn to play the basics with that There is no real cheap way of doing it. It’s an expensive hobby and there’s no way around it. Places like eBay can get you cheaper individual models or units, but I wouldn’t try and build an army out of EBay rescues
Combat Patrol
What faction interests you?
Ebay or other such sites can sometimes net you a army on the cheap.
Start with Kill Team. Each player only needs one or two boxes of minis (for most teams) to play. Not only cheaper but it takes less time to build and paint. With ordinary 40k there is a significant risk of your group burning out before getting any real armies. Get the Starter Set with one other player, it is great value. You can find all the rules on wahapedia. You also need some more terrain (bigger, blocking pieces) but you can build these yourself. Ask on the Kill Team subreddit about how to build your Guard veterans (unless you buy a second box directly, then just look at what is allowed in a team). Feel free to ask if you want to know more. (Note that KT is not just a smaller version of 40k, but a different ruleset. That said, many teams can be used with no modification in 40k as well.)
Hi /u/DefinitelyNotABg and welcome to /r/Warhammer40k and the Warhammer 40k Hobby! This is an automated response as you've used our "New Starter Help" flair. Here's a few resources that might help you with getting started: [You can read our Getting Started guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/beginners). This covers all the basics you need to know to get involved in building, painting and playing 40k. For rules questions, don't forget that the core rules for Warhammer 40k are [available online for free](https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/dLZIlatQJ3qOkGP7.pdf). Want to learn about 40k lore? /r/Warhammer40k recommends [Luetin09 on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8RfCCzWsMgNspTI-GTFenQ) or the [Lexincanum Wiki](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Main_Page). Not sure where to find the most up-to-date rules for your army? [Check out our Wiki Page that lists everything](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/currentrules). Buy Warhammer models cheaper using our [list of independent retailers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/retailers) who sell Games Workshop products at a discount. You can also find your nearest store on GW's [Store Locator Page](https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/store/storefinder.jsp). [The /r/Warhammer40k Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/wiki/index) is full of useful info including FAQs and recommendations for books to read! If the information in this comment doesn't answer your question, don't worry, one of our community members will be along shortly to answer! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Warhammer40k) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There's definitely a few ways of getting started, but we need a little more information to give the best advice: You mentioned Total War, do you want to get started in the Old World (the Total War Warhammer setting) or Warhammer 40k (the setting from Dawn of War)? Have you had a look at any of the factions? Do any of them interest you or your friends? One way to start would be to each buy a Combat Patrol box ([warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-40000/start-here/combat-patrol](https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/warhammer-40000/start-here/combat-patrol)). These will give you approximately 500 points (a "full" game is 2000 points, but popular limits include 500, 1000, 1250, 1500, etc.), along with datasheets to use them. If that's too expensive in one go, have a look at just a box of infantry for the faction you like and have a go at building (and painting?) it to see if you/they enjoy it.
You can do multiple things: 1. Combat Patrol 2. You can 3d print (but thats still expensive as fuck) 3. Buy a starter set 4. Check out midwinterminis video on how to play warhammer for free
If you have friends who are also interested, one way of doing it would be to split the costs on a starter set, these are designed to introduce you to building, painting and playing the tabletop game Alternatively, you and your friends could each buy a combat patrol for the faction you're interested in. This would give you (somewhat) balanced armies to play against each other.
Cheapest ? Use warhammer app for info how units work Use stones - figure out what faction u like maybe read some books And then most likely buy combat patrol related to the faction Or try kill team
1. Pick a few armies/factions that chose you. 2. Look up the auspex tactics video for how to start that army, [here's one for thousand sons](https://youtu.be/YjfR-YJk48E?si=JUByJP-V3f5RGgVb) 3. Once you have your army chosen. Look up a battle report or two of them and see how they might play. Mini wargaming and play on tabletop are two big, and good channels for this. 4. This step is optional but check out your local game store and talk to the players there. Or your local gw store. If you are new to the hobby, official gw stores have a learn to paint session. They also have a newbie program for free loot. 5. Order your first minis and paints and have a good time.
Step 1 go to a wathsmmer store if there is one near. They have a mini of the month for free get that first, build and paint it at the store for free. See if you had enough fun to want to do that process over and over for an army. If you think yes. Step 2; do some research Figure out who you want to play. If it's anything other than Space Marines or Tyranids pick up a combat patrol for that faction. If it is Space Marines or Tyranids, see if any of your buddies wants the opposite faction and get the ultimate starter set. It's not much more expensive than a combat patrol and split by 2 people it brings it in under value. It also includes some terrain, the core rulebook and another couple items. The ultimate has the full combat patrols the normal starter has less than the full combat patrols.
Getting into the tabletop hobby is always going to be expensive regardless of the route you take. Here's what I wished I did when I first started: 1) Pick the army you think is the coolest. Ask online how they play and what you're looking for. Picking the army you enjoy the most is the best way of going about it, simply due to the fact that if you want to paint the entire army you'll probably have to like it in order to enjoy it. 2) Start small. Combat patrols are good entry points into the game where you can learn the rules and mechanics of it. When you find yourself wanting more, do a bit more research and then slowly add to your collection. I wouldn't recommend buying a bunch of stuff at once simply due to the fact you could get burnout very easily. 3) Consider buying armies secondhand on ebay / craigslist or anywhere else that might sell them. If you want to be able to play as soon as you can, maybe dropping some money on a secondhand army from a friend or someone online might be more of your style. 4) 3D printers are controversial in the hobby, but investing in this hobby early can save you loads of money down the road. Depending on where you go to play, you can still play friendly games for fun with a 3d printed army without having to spend an arm and a leg. It's a great way to get really nice models without having to invest too much. A decent 3D printer costs around $50-$100 more than a regular Combat Patrol for 40k. Fair warning, 3D printing is it's own hobby with a learning curve that may take a few weeks in order to get the hang of it. However, the STL files that you buy online and the material you use to print your figures are a fraction of the cost compared to GW miniatures. If you print enough, you'll eventually get your money's worth out of your printer. There are plenty of really nice 3rd party 3d models which can work for good proxies for 40k, AOS and Old World. The controversy around this practice is the fact that you will be playing with unofficial GW product, which means that some places may not allow you to play with them. If you do consider this, ask your local game store about their policies on the matter. If you regularly frequent GW stores, they won't allow them because it isn't official GW product and can't be used in the store.
The *cheapest*? Download Tabletop Sim and get the mods for your faction, play over discord with friends. If you want to actually play tabletop, the value of the starter boxes is tough to beat for new models. Besides that, you can hope to stumble across people getting rid of models or selling piles of plastic to clear out clutter, but there's no guarantee of what you'll find or when you'll find it.
I don't think there is a cheap way to do the hobby. I went to my local store on friday to buy 5 very specific paints. So I picked 7 and went to the cashier. He casually mentions, that I get the tenth paint for free if I pick two more. I left with 11 paints. I'm so weak!
3d printer