Warhammer Starter Guide for Beginners
If you have been eyeing up the Warhammer shelves in your local hobby shop or seen painted miniatures pop up on social media, you are in the right place. Warhammer can look intimidating from the outside, but getting started is more straightforward than it seems. This Warhammer starter guide takes you from curious to confidently planning your first army.
What is Warhammer, in Plain English?
Warhammer is a miniatures-based tabletop wargame made by Games Workshop. Two players bring armies of painted plastic models to a table, set up some terrain, and play out a battle by moving the models, rolling dice, and following a set of rules. Some people love the gaming side and play every weekend. Others care mostly about modelling and painting. Both are valid ways to be a Warhammer hobbyist.
Warhammer 40k or Age of Sigmar: Which Should You Start With?
Warhammer 40,000 (40k for short) is set in the 41st millennium, a dark, far-future where humanity is at war with aliens, demons and itself. The vibe is gothic and grim. Space Marines are the famous faction, alongside Orks, Tyranids, the Aeldari, and many more.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar is high fantasy in the Mortal Realms, with godlike heroes, dragons and elves. The tone is heroic and mythic. Stormcast Eternals and Skaven are two of the most popular factions for newcomers.
For your first system, pick the one whose settings genuinely appeal to you. You will spend hours assembling and painting these miniatures, so the vibe matters more than the meta.
What is A Combat Patrol?
A Combat Patrol is a pre-built army box from Games Workshop containing a curated selection of miniatures from a single faction, sized for smaller games. It is the most efficient way to start an army in Warhammer 40k because you get a balanced force, in one purchase, at a better price than buying the individual kits separately. Age of Sigmar uses a similar concept called a Spearhead.
Your First Purchases as A Warhammer Beginner
Here is what you actually need to get started:
A Combat Patrol, Spearhead, or starter set for your chosen faction.
Citadel hobby clippers for cutting models off the plastic sprue.
A small bottle of plastic glue (not superglue).
A modest set of Citadel paints (a starter paint set is fine).
A couple of brushes in different sizes.
A copy of the core rules.
A Combat Patrol in the UK typically sits between £80 and £130, with paints and tools on top. You do not need to buy a whole army on day one.
Assembling and Painting Your First Models
Warhammer miniatures arrive on plastic sprues. You clip the pieces off, clean up the small lines where the mould meets, and glue them together with plastic glue. The Combat Patrol box comes with assembly instructions for every model.
Painting starts with priming, so the paint will stick to the plastic. From there, you move through base coats, washes (a thin dark paint that runs into recesses to add depth), and highlights on raised edges. Games Workshop publishes painting guides for every kit on the Warhammer Community website. Nobody’s first model looks like the box art, and that is completely fine.
Learning to Play
The core rules for both Warhammer 40k and Age of Sigmar are available as free PDFs on Warhammer Community. Combat Patrol mode uses a streamlined version of the rules, the easiest way for two new players to get a real game in. Most Games Workshop stores run weekly beginner sessions, and many independent hobby shops do the same.
Other Ways to Grow Your Collection
Alongside picking up kits at retail, some hobbyists enter Warhammer competitions to win sets they have had their eye on. WinWink runs Warhammer prize draws on Combat Patrols, Space Marine bundles, and Age of Sigmar boxes, with draws conducted live on Facebook. The WinWink winners page lists real Warhammer winners with links back to the live draw recordings. Competitions are strictly 18 and over and should be treated as a hobby cost, not a discount on retail.
Three Things Not To Do as A Beginner
First, do not over-buy in your first month. The pile of grey (unpainted models you have not got round to yet) grows alarmingly fast. Second, do not try to paint to display standards before learning the basics. Get models to "look tidy on the table" first. Third, do not pick a faction purely because it is currently strong in the rules. The metagame changes every codex update, but the models you have painted are yours forever.
Welcome to The Hobby
Starting Warhammer looks like a cliff face from the outside and turns out to be a series of small, manageable steps once you start. Pick a system, pick a faction whose models excite you, buy a Combat Patrol or Spearhead, and put some paint on them. Whether you fancy starting your first Combat Patrol or want to add to your existing pile of grey, browse the live Warhammer competitions on WinWink and see what is up for grabs.
FAQs
What is the best Warhammer starter set for a beginner?
The best starter set depends on which game system you choose. For Warhammer 40k, the current introductory boxes and the Combat Patrol range are both excellent entry points, with Combat Patrols offering a full faction-specific army in one box. For Age of Sigmar, the equivalent is a Spearhead. Pick a faction whose models you genuinely like the look of.
How much does it cost to start Warhammer 40k in the UK?
A typical Combat Patrol in the UK costs between £80 and £130, depending on the faction. Add roughly £40 to £80 for a starter paint set, plus clippers and glue, and you are looking at £150 to £220 to get a fully painted small army on the table. You can spend less starting with a smaller intro box, and much more collecting at full army size.
Do I have to paint my Warhammer models?
For casual home games, no, you can play with bare plastic if you want. For official Games Workshop store games and most tournaments, models are typically expected to be painted to at least a "Battle Ready" standard, which means primed, base-coated, and based. Many newcomers play their first learning games with unpainted models and paint as they go.
What is the difference between a Combat Patrol and a starter set?
A starter set is designed to teach the rules and usually includes two small forces, a rulebook, dice, and a guide. A Combat Patrol is a single-faction army box at a defined points value, intended for the Combat Patrol game mode and as the foundation of a larger army. Starter sets are better if you want to learn with a friend; Combat Patrols are better if you already know which faction you want.
Can I win Warhammer kits in UK competitions?
Yes. UK competition platforms like WinWink run Warhammer prize draws on Combat Patrols, character kits, big-box releases, and Age of Sigmar sets. Draws are conducted live on Facebook, winners are published on the WinWink winners page, and entry is strictly limited to UK adults aged 18 and over.
