The first ever tabletop game system I got heavily involved in was Games
Workshops Warhammer: 40k. The beauty of two fully painted armies starring down
on each other across a 6 x 4 foot gaming board really hit home for me. Recently,
I have been convinced to restart playing from scratch (I sold all my models
several years ago, word to the wise...never sell your models unless you really
have to. You regret it eventually). I thought this would be a great chance to
let people know exactly what is involved in getting up and running in this
great game.
Money, money, money...
Firstly, lets deal with the elephant in the room. Warhammer: 40k is an
expensive hobby. There is no denying this. A full setup (rule book, codex,
models, paint etc) will set you back a good few thousand rand if you want to
play larger games. The good news is that you don’t need to go all in and there
are a few tips to keeping costs down to start.
1.
Start
with a friend: Having a friend start at the same time is a great way to reduce
costs. Share paints and rule books. Play smaller games together before you have
larger forces. Plus, playing with a good mate is a great way to stay motivated.
2.
Dark
Vengeance: Games Workshop has a starter box set called Dark Vengeance which
oozes value. It includes a mini rule book (the full rules, just without all the
cool stories and pictures), templates, dice, and two small armies (Dark Angels
and Chaos) for a few hundred rand more than just the regular rule book. If you are
not interested in playing one of the included armies, try to find someone who
wants the models and split the costs. This is, in my opinion, the cheapest and
best way to get started.
3.
Join
your local club: I have never been to a club that has not had people willing to
assist with new players. Getting games in with someone else’s army is free and
a great way to figure out what style of army you want to play (just remember to
be grateful and careful with goodies that arnt your own).
 |
| Chaos Dreadnought from Dark Vengeance box set. |
So many choices...
Now that you are ready to give it a go, the next step is choosing which
army you want to collect. Every army in W40k has its own unique and distinct
characteristics. Whether you prefer getting up close and beating heads with
chain axes, using terrain to hide your forces and shoot from afar, or just
rushing in with hoards and rolling buckets of dice, W40k has an army that will
fit your choice. If you want a detailed description of each army, you can check
Games Workshops website or one of a million forums dedicated to the game (a
simple google search will pick up loads).
Each army has strengths and weaknesses but all are playable and can be
competitive to a point. Most people suggest starting with Space Marines as they
are tougher than most and even basic troops have good stats and great armor. I
agree with this, but would include Chaos Space Marines and Necrons as good starting
armies as they both have really tough basic troups. Armies that are more
challenging to begin with (expect a few losses on your way to learning to play them
correctly) are Dark Eldar or Tau which both suffer from being glass cannons. An
interesting choice if you want to also play Warhammer Fantasy is Chaos Deamons
as the figures are the same for both game systems but use different bases
(round for 40k and square for fantasy) Some simple conversions (I glued figures
to round bases, which can be stuck onto the square bases using prestic with no
overlapping) can give you two armies for the price of one. As much as reading
about armies can give you info, the best way is to play games. Try get involved
with your local club and see each army being played.
 |
| Wargames clubs are the best way to get assistance with new games. |
I have decided to get started with Tau. Think communist aliens using anime
styled battlesuits and heavy firepower to “instill” their beliefs in other
races...before being torn to shreds like wet tissue paper themselves in close combat. I
will post updates on how the army progresses so people can get a sense of how
to increase your forces as well as modelling/painting which is a topic destined
for its own posts.
For more info, please check out the following:
/http://durban.wargamesclub.co.za/ - Durban wargames club, first stop for getting started in Durban.
www.gamesworkshop.com - Games Workshops official site.
http://www.belloflostsouls.net/ - Great place for news related to Warhammer in general.
Feel free to ask any questions or let me know if you are starting a new army.
Hope to see you all soon on a tabletop nearby!
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