The Emperor continues His eternal vigilance

I was at a gaming convention in late 1987 or early 1988 when I first saw Warhammer 40,000. I vaguely recall one of my friends showing me a display case that was filled with these beautifully painted Chaos Marines, and even though I had no idea what the game was, or what they were about, I knew that this was something I needed to play.

I ended up buying a very small Blood Angel army of maybe a dozen Marines, because I thought their name was cool, they looked cool, and one of my friends convinced me that Chaos Marines were lame. You know, remembering that makes me sad. I know my friends had their opinions on things and they didn’t mean anything by it, but I wanted to play Chaos Marines because they looked cool, and I ended up playing Space Marines because I was made to feel like that’s what I should do.

I was just talking about the roots of this yesterday morning when I was still in London: I was raised by all these adults who wanted me to be polite and quiet and follow the rules and above all else, avoid being labeled as “difficult”. I learned early on in my life to be a people pleaser, because being liked by everyone was more important than anything else. It is one of the many reasons I have come to believe that making kids work as professionals is a really terrible thing to do to a person, and why I encourage parents to support their kids who want to perform by keeping them out of the entertainment industry, and letting them do things in school or in non-professional environments where they aren’t treated like regular and age-appropriate behaviour is wrong.

So anyway, I got my Space Marines and went down to this room in the gaming convention that had a bunch of banquet tables set up with Warhammer terrain. I remember that I still knew nothing about the mechanics of the game, or any of its lore. I just knew that it looked so cool, and was unlike any tabletop game I had ever played in my life (at this point in time, other than the D&D I’d played growing up, the only tabletop gaming I had done was a few games of Car Wars, Ogre, and Illuminati. I owe so much that is good in my life to Steve Jackson!) One of my friends helped me build an army — I want to say it was 1500 points, but that seems high — and I spent the next couple of hours getting destroyed by someone who actually knew how to be tactical. It was so much fun, the instant we finished, I picked up my tiny squad, went back to the vendor’s hall, and I bought the Rogue Trader rules. I can’t remember if I bought my first unpainted Marines there, or if I got them a few days later at my local game shop, but within a week or so I was buried in 40K lore and figures. I was never any good at painting, and I’m still just utter crap at it, but for the next several years, I worked on countless figures, usually when I was at Paramount, in my dressing room, waiting to be called to the set. I remember being asked what I did when I was on the set but not in a scene, and that I told the interviewer that I liked to paint 40K figures because it occupied my time, and gave me something to focus on that didn’t take me out of the scene I was in the same way reading a book or watching TV would.

This is all very long prologue to a question I have for the 40K players who are reading this: if someone were to be giving consideration to stepping back into the game, where would that person start today? I looked at a few resources online and I’m kind of overwhelmed by the options. It sort of looks like the 8th Edition rules are expensive and (according to reviews) short on rules and long on reasons I need to buy other books. This reminds me why I got out of the game in the first place, when I got so frustrated with Games Workshop constantly changing the rules and creating what was sort of a pre-Magic: The Gathering chase. This review at Amazon says, more or less, what my experience was:

I’m a long time Space Hulk player who has generally steered away from the W40k tabletop miniature game. From my love of Space Hulk, I’ve developed a strong liking of the 40k lore over the years, I’ve just never been interested in playing W40k itself. From the blast templates to the scatter dice, to the wide open terrain, it just seemed a bit more than I was interested in.

But that love for the lore has kept me nearby over the years. I’ve grown to love putting models together, and painting them, yet other than doing so for the various editions of Space Hulk I own and buying some other miniatures to practice painting on, I still never really cared to try 40k. Yet it somehow still always stayed close by me. I finally got curious a couple of years ago, and watched some “how to play 40k” videos on YouTube. I had to admit, it did look fun, but still not really something I wanted to jump into. But I kept reading 40k books and short stories, and really enjoying them.

Boy did I love Space Hulk! I even tried to paint all the Genestealers before I gave up about five figures in, and I was so enchanted by the Terminator lore, I ended my 40K playing with a single Terminator Squad that had a Librarian with the most amazing and unnecessarily giant banner you’ve ever seen.

I haven’t played since … gosh, 1989? Maybe 1990. I even sold off all my figures when Anne and I were first living together, because we needed to pay our bills. I haven’t thought much about the game since then, but when I was in London over the weekend, I saw a couple of people cosplaying as epic Space Marines, and it reminded me of all the things I loved about the game, especially the fiction and worldbuilding that was in that old Rogue Trader book. I guess I’m mostly interested in exploring the world and the fiction again, and maybe even doing a horrible job painting a small army to use for some narrative play. If I were to do that, where do you recommend I begin?

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158 thoughts on “The Emperor continues His eternal vigilance”

    1. I would look at the start collecting boxes, and the new dark imperium 2 player starter box. it will give you the core rule book and the new start collecting boxes have the index for the army in them. if you are looking at continuing the blood angels you will need index 1 imperium, or if you want to go chaos index: chaos.

  2. My son (15) and I play 40k on and off. I play Tau and he has an Eldar Army.
    The 8th edition is supposed to be easier to play than the past and they have a $10 booklet which could bring you up to speed. We purchased both the new rules and the indexes and are diving into them to see what changes are there for us.

    I think your assessment of where to start again will depend on your local options for playing and how many points you would need but you can likely find a nice assembled and painted used army to start from and then customize with new purchases.

    If you lived closer I would lend you either of our Necro or Space Marine armies we really need to sell, but alas Winnipeg is a wee bit away.

    Any questions, let me know, and I will ask my son 😉

    1. I would add that I like playing the game but recently building terrain has made it evern more fun. Whether its just hot glue and cardboard covered with cheap black paint or something more complex I printed on the 3d printer, building terrain makes each game a little more unique.

  3. Betrayal at Calth is a game-in-a-box for Horus Heresy, and it involves all the rules you need for gaming. It is more balanced in armies, and no fear that GW updates the rules anytime soon.

    Armageddon-Shadow War is similar, but with smaller armies, more akin to border patrol/necromunda. No need for big armies, just smaller warbands clashing in city ruins. Really neat game.

    I’ve liked 8th edition so far, but I can totally understand your problem. Glad that you have renewed interest in the hobby!

      1. If you’re looking for game in a box solutions there is all The Burning of Prospero, a continuation of sorts of Calth. That being said, 8th edition is actually the most accessible version of the game since I started in the hobby 19 years ago. They have 3 different levels of starter sets, starting around $40 for the rules plus about 15 models all the way up to Dark Imperium, the full sized $160 starter set with tons of models and the full hardcover version of the rules. There’s even an $8 getting started magazine with the basic rules, a bunch of basic lore, painting tips and hobby stuff, plus a free Marine model. Age of Sigmar, the fantasy game, is similarly accessible, and you can get all of the rules for free through the Age of Sigmar app if you just want to browse the rules. Now is honestly the easiest time to jump back into the hobby. Hope that helps!

        1. For other self contained boxed games though there’s also Lost Patrol (a small team of Space Marine Scouts must reach a downed escape pod in the jungles as they are hunted by Tyranids), Officio Assassinorium (a team of up to 4 assassins fights against an “AI” controlled enemy to take down a powerful Chaos Sorcerer), Deathwatch: Overkill (a kill team of Deathwatch Space Marines are sent in to investigate and bring down a rising Genestealer Cult on the planet of Ghosar Quintus), and good old Space Hulk (may not be available on the webstore at the moment, but chances are you can find it in a local gaming store somewhere). Age of Sigmar also has two boxed games with Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower and Warhammer Quest: Shadows over Hammerhal. Both of those are dungeon crawlers where you take control of a hero who must fight their way through a twisting labyrinth. Silver Tower has the enemy and dungeon completely controlled by “AI” where as Shadows introduces a Game Master element and a bit more of an RPG vibe.

          If you want to dip your toes back into the 40k scene I would recommend giving The Independent Characters podcast a listen. They are probably the best 40k podcast out there right now. There is a really cool fan made animated 40k series on Youtube right now based off of one of the novels, it’s called Helsreach. It’s up to part 7 now and probably only about half done if that.

          1. Except Officio Assassinorium and Lost Patrol are no longer available. Right now Deathwatch:Overkill is the only 40k boxed game still available. Both Horus Heresy boxed games are available as well, however those are 30k era games.

  4. I had a similar dilemma recently. I have not got back into it, except for the Dawn of war 1 and 2 video games.

    The cost is prohibitive and my mum gave away all my minatures that I spent hours painting and all of my paper round wages on sobs.

    I suspect a box set might be the way to go, but i recommend youtube for advice, I’d say the cost is about 6 X more expensive now for the minatures or something ridiculous. One youtuber suggested getting the rule book and making models out of card. he calls this “poor hammer”. Others have tried the 3d printing route but the lack of detail makes them difficult to paint.

    DOW 3 is out now, but I’ll hold off for a while until the cost comes down, in the steam sale you can pick up all the DOW 1+2 and DLC for around 40 bucks

  5. Hi Wil,

    I’d say it’s worth getting the rule book. The basic rules ARE light because they’re meant to be fast and easy to pick up, but as well as a tonne of background lore and story (the story’s advanced since the last edition), there are also optional advanced rules that give you things like city fighting or night fighting, or even planetary assault. The 8th edition is much more accessible than previous versions were. From there, pick an army you like the look of, and start collecting and painting. People will have opinions on what the “best” army is, or what works against given opponents, but I’ve found that if you have miniatures that you like to look at, and you enjoy their background and lore, you’re more likely to enjoy the game and less likely to leave it in the box.

    The new 8th edition box sets are also a great place to start. With Dark Imperium, you get two armies, and the full rulebook. Soon after, you’ll probably want the Index or Codex book for your chosen faction, which gives you all the data sheets (stats and abilities) for the models, and helps you to plan out how you’d like to expand. But mostly, see what inspires you there, and have fun 🙂

  6. If you like the 40K lore and not necessarily space marines, I would suggest you read this: http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Eisenhorn_(Novel_Series)

    Dan Abnett is a really good writer (even though he has been absent from 40k stuff lately)

    This triology deals with the Inquisition faction but the writing is very good and the story is interesting imho.

    Have fun!

      1. Third! That series is what got me hooked on 40K novels. Dan Abnett is definitely one of the strongest writers they have, having also done work for 2000 AD, Marvel and DC.

    2. I don’t know how I could agree with this any more. Eisenhorn, and the follow-up Ravenor, are simply fantastic. I’m waiting on him to finish his next trilogy so I can buy it as an omnibus as I have the first two trilogies, but that’ll be a must-buy.

  9. If you have $100 to drop on the new starter set, that might be a good entry into the new rules. Games Workshop appears to be moving in a more digital friendly direction (again?) and books and rules are available via their Warhammer apps. If Ann doesn’t mind playing or you can get friends or your kids to play, you have two small forces to build on.

      2. It’s not all fascists all the way down, mind you, but there are enough that it’s the kind of thing I figured it’d be fair to warn you about. Because your thoughts on the alt-right seem to be similar to mine.

        As the article I linked points out – it’s not Games Workshop’s fault. It’s the inability of the alt-right to recognize satire that causes the problem.

        Lore-wise, most of the fascists are drawn to the imperial factions – Space Marines, Astra Militarum (formerly Imperial Guard), Inquisition, Sisters of Battle, and so on. Any time you see the alt-right referring to the Cheeto as “God-Emperor,” it’s a 40k reference.

        Someone above suggested Shadow War: Armageddon as a way to get into the game – it’s both good and bad for that. SW:A’s rules are based on Necromunda, which, in turn, was built off of WH40k 2nd Edition. The figures are compatible, but the rules have some significant differences from 8th. But SW:A has a smaller buy-in – a less-expensive rulebook and one-to-two troop boxes per team you plan to field. Plus terrain (because every minis game is significantly improved with terrain).

        1. The SW:A box set has been unavailable for quite some time. You would have to buy the rules, scenery, and minis separately.

          1. However, the SW:A rulebook has more stuff than the rulebook from the boxed set (i.e. more than just scout and orc lists), you don’t get stuck paying for mini’s you might not want, and there’s plenty of 3rd party terrain that are vastly cheaper to purchase. As long as you aren’t trying to bring it too an actual GW store, you don’t need official kits.

      3. There are friendly communities out there on the internet.

        Beasts of War is like family and friends.
        None of the stuff that the obsessive part of 40k is known for.

        http://www.beastsofwar.com/

        Demo 8th edtion : https://youtu.be/0KMAMbzLTVU
        They also do a series called ’40k charted’ just in case you want to know absolutely everything about 40k …

        A good newbie friendly intro is this series by Dael Kingsmill (yep, it’s not just us boys who are into 40k … ):
        https://youtu.be/a5JlOee1x48

          1. I will say in my experience. I’ve been playing since 1992 (2nd edition FTW) and I’ve done tournaments with friends and alone. I also have a strong group of friends who I regularly play 40k and other games with.I’ve done the tourneys both at warhammer HQ itself, and local stores. During that time I’ve only ran intoa total of 2 ‘bad’ opponents. Neither of these we bad in the ‘alt-right’ way, but rather, just unfriendly power gamers.

            The vast majority of 40k players are nice people who just want to game and have a good time. It is the vocal minority that ruin it for everyone with their fascism and crap. Unfortunately it’s these the media have chosen to portray over the years ( maybe because it sells more, I don’t know, I don’t want to get into a media point of view discussion really). The rest of us do our best to show the game and community in a decent light. Which it has always been a great community to me.

            As far as choosing an army, the only advice I can give is; go to a store, find the models you like and evoke the strong reaction to their fluff and go from there. You’ll enjoy it more that way, rather than trying to piece together a whole army ETC which can be a slog.

            I used to collect Chaos, had soo much, but very little of it was painted, despite loving the ‘feel’ of the army. Then one day my wife bought me an Ork Trukk for a gift because the german for it was ‘pikk up der orkk’ on the box and it amused her as something an Ork would actually yell (it was also something that got painted onto the trukk itself). 5 years later I have a fully painted 6k Ork army I love gaming with, because mostly, I love painting and converting the models 🙂 and when I go into the stores, I still look for the models that excite me because they’re the ones I know I’ll paint and use.

            Hope that helps.

      4. As a Brit, I can say firmly that that’s utter bullshit, at least as far as British players are concerned. Everyone is either the friendly kind of death metal rocker or the friendly kind of historical battles reenactment nerd. It is true that there aren’t many women in the hobby and GW doesn’t go out of its way to attract them, but they are never unwelcome, and I have never encountered any kind of alt-right bullshit or fascism. From what I see online, American players are overly obsessed with tournament play and with rules balance and can be a bit ‘comic book guy’ about the rules. Us Brits just change the rules to suit ourselves if we find something broken though. After all, if you’re not playing with friends, why are you playing? As for the lore of the 40K universe, it’s brutally fascistic in the same way Judge Dredd is, with its origins in parody and satire of Thatcher’s 80s Britain. We enjoy it to laugh at it, I never heard of anyone suggesting the 40K imperial ideology is commendable. Even the ‘good’ races like the Tau and the Eldar have mysterious dark sides.

    2. I think you could say that about almost any past time in America depending on where you look. Here in Canada I have never found this to be true with anyone we have played with and it’s sad for this hobby and the gaming genre if the phenomena would end up chasing people away.

  12. Maybe pick up one of the box sets they have with 2 armies and rules in them? I bought warhammer 40k dark vengeance just for the chaos dreadnaught.

    https://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Warhammer-Newest-Games-Workshop/dp/B00M4KEQFY

    I’ve yet to do more than prime the figures so far… Need to eBay them or trade. Space wolf sanctus reach is a good way to go on pc. Check it out on steam

    http://store.steampowered.com/app/502370/Warhammer_40000_Sanctus_Reach/

    I’m hoping they add the other factions eventually.

    Anyway I have yet to play a game of 40k. I was way more into the epic scale. I did enjoy painting the 40k digs though. I’m looking forward to adeptus titanicus with hope of the epic scale coming back.

  13. I’ve often thought that 40K would be fun to check out, but knowing my personality it would probably end up being all-consuming (and bankrupting). I’m also interested to see if others on this thread have ideas about how to just dip a toe into the water without going whole hog.

  14. Wil, I’m in nearly the same boat, I moved to Colorado back in ’96 and lived with my older brother, who had been in 40k since Rogue Trader, and I jumped into the Blood Angel thing, as it was an unclaimed army among our friends. I still have SO MANY unpainted figs, and some amazing old stuff, like those resin Armorcast titans.

    My friends on FB are really falling in love with the 8th Ed rules, as they simplify stuff, but also that GW decided to move the plot forwards for the first time in decades! I’m thinking this is a really good time to get back into it, and maybe get my 13-y-o into it, as she loves art and painting.

    The new ‘Starter Set’ looks pretty nice to dip the toes, so I might get that for fun, as we just got the D&D Starter Set, as both the 13-y-o and the 10-y-o are interested in RPGs.

    As stated by The Emperor of Man himself, “The universe has many horrors yet to throw at us. This is not the end of our struggle. This is just the beginning of our crusade to save Humanity. Be faithful! Be strong! Be vigilant!”

  15. Hi Wil. Great job on BBT.
    8th is actually more cost effective than 7th was. The basic rules are free (but advanced rules enhance everything very well.) The Starter gives you two small armies and the big book to try both Imperial and Chaos. Chaos is back in a big way (rules and models) and it depends on what color you want.
    If you loved Space Hulk, it was redone with Blood Angel models and new Stealers and while out of print can probably still be found at some hobby stores. (It is at one of my local shops anyway)

  16. Before you start playing, a great place to start might be the Miniwargaming channel on Youtube. They’ve recently been doing a series of tutorial videos for the new edition of the game, covering each aspect of gameplay. The rules are about 12 pages, and these should be available for free on the Games Workshop site(someone above included a link). There are advanced rules available which cover different ways to plays and add a little extra depth – if you’re thinking about these, the new Dark Imperium boxed starter set would be a good place to go. You get a hardcover rulebook and a ton of miniatures in the box – the new ‘Primaris” marines as well as a number of Death Guard which are chaos marines pledged to Nurgle, the chaos god of disease. GW has also been doing “Start Collecting” sets for every faction; these are $85, but you get about $100-$120 worth of miniatures in each Start Collecting box. It’s a great way to dive in and get a small force together quickly.

  17. Myself and my 3 oldest boys (18,17,14) started playing 40k last year with 7th edition and really enjoyed the time spent building, painting and playing together. I stink at all 3 but it’s still great!

    With 8th edition, I feel like some of the over the top complexities are gone and the game flows better now.

    Get the Dark Imperium starter set which comes with everything for 2 small armies and the rules (sans paint and glue) Then you will have a starter space marine army you could expand with a ‘start collecting’ box and paint up as any chapter you like.

    For fiction, start reading the Horus Heresy! Horus Rising, False Gods and Galaxy in Flames are the first 3 books and they are pretty great.

  18. The new edition of 40k just launched last month, nice new starter box, simplified better rules, and great place to restart.

    Ps if your still in the uk pop into the warhammer world, about 2 hrs from London in Nottingham and HQ of Games Workshop.

  19. As you have no models to start with, Dark Imperium starter is a pretty good place to begin. The models are all easy assemble (but look great once built). Comes with the full rulebook (same hardback one you can buy seperatly) rules for all the units in the starter. And for a starter has a pretty solid number of units. (7-8 for each side). Then if you want to expand it they made a $40 box called first strike that adds a few more units to both forces.

  20. Looks like London was good. Love that place. So I’ll ask D about 40k. I know he has this and has painted figures in our adult lives. You guys seem to be born of similar space dust and time. Not my area of knowledge. Not to change the subject but happy birthday to you, your entire family, and can you believe this kid is 7 today? https://flic.kr/p/X5efm7

  21. I wish I could get into 40k. I played 40k and regular Warhammer for a hot minute in highschool. Sadly I don’t have the disposable income, or friends for that matter, to play with….

  22. I just bought the 8th Edition Starter Set (Dark Imperium) for my son last week. We’ve been playing since 4th edition and the new starter set is the best value for money GW has ever done by a fair margin IMHO. You get the full hardcover rulebook unlike previous editions plus playable starter forces for Chaos Marines (Death Guard) and Ultramarines. The rule book and other supplementary materials in the set also contain a lot of the lore to get you into the 40K universe. It was $190 Canadian in the store, so would probably be about $120 US for you. It would be the best place to start for sure if you are starting now.

    Another poster recommended “Betrayal at Calth”. We have this as well but be aware that it is a starter for a different time stream and different army set than mainstream 40K. There is a popular series of books out now based around the “Horus Heresy” which occurred about 10,000 years prior to standard 40K when half the legions revolted and became the Chaos Space Marines. “Betrayal at Calth” and “The Burning of Prospero” are sets from that era.

    It would be good to find a local group to talk to and play some with to see what you like before you spend a ton of money. If the there is a local Games Workshop store that would be a good place to start – they usually host beginner games to help support the hobby, We have one here in Ottawa so I strongly suspect there would be several in a place like LA. Many FLGS will also host 40K groups.

  24. The Horus heresy line is one that is absolutely DRIPPING with narrative. Plenty of solid characters that can be adopted into your force. Lots of sibling rivalry, you can have a force of astartes that are still ‘marines’ and yet their heresy has marked them for change and so you can go as chaos-y as you like while having another squad much more ‘codex’ approved because they haven’t tasted the full power of the dark gods. What I did to start after a long time of playing was just find an older rule set that was easier to get stuck into, then play small platoon level games either against myself (I’m a right bastard apparently) or a close friend. Many of the mechanics will be similar even across major rule editions and once you have a grasp of the core it can be easier to update. Start small. Pick a story from the now monumental achievements of black library’s Horus Heresy series and re-enact any on of the thousand skirmishes detailed in the awesome tomes of the grim dark. Paint some marines codex and some chaos from the same legion they can be chaos friends later and until then they can slaughter each other in small brutal skirmishes. Scenery can make a big impact on immersion so even spending 60-70 bucks on a few nice centre pieces can make all the difference in feel and narrative immersion. Horus heresy will also give you 20 ahem… 18 legions to choose from with a deep and pedigreed past. No trying to choose a middling successor chapter with a colour scheme you like. Customize the look with bitz from eBay which are very cheap and allow you to reeeeally get the look you want for your bonded killers. Chaos can be virtually anything. Green leaf terrain on fb has some amazing and reasonable pieces. Bitz stores are everywhere on eBay. Gav Thorpe, Graham McNeill, Dembski Bowden and of course Dan Abnett have all written stellar novels in the HH series that will fill your narrative needs. There are no battles greater than brother against brother and HH is f’ing stuffed with that. Start small an try to maintain a 3:1 paint ratio so you don’t just end up with a sea of grey. HAVE FUN. Oh and death to the heretics.

  25. You might want to check out the Horus Hearsay for the lore. It’s moderately well written.

    That said it’s also like all GW products in that they string it out over dozens of novels to milk every penny possible.

  26. There is the starter box (Dark Imperium) that gets you two reasonably sized armies (Plague Marines and Primaris Space Marines this time around) and the rules for $160. It really isn’t a bad place to dive back in, I loved my starter box from 6th Ed. If $160 is steep for feeling out the new system, and you find yourself at a convention with a dealer room (GenCon, certainly) you can usually cut a deal with someone who already plays to split the minis and the cost of the box, which gets you a full army and rules for $80-100.

    Chaos Marines are great fun, and many of my friends who are long time players (and burned out over the recent spat of too-many-editions-to-manage) are giving good reviews of 8th Ed. Starting to make me want to play again!

  27. I’d recommend reaching out to your fellow Geek & Sundry fellow (or fellowess): Teri Litorco. She’s an awesome hobbyist and has some amazing insights into the new edition.

    I got into 40K waaaay back in ’96 with 2e and then 3e when it came out not long after. Wound up working for GW for a while and played fairly consistently until 6e came out and just did not like the rules. I basically gave up 40k for about a decade or so.

    But 8e has brought me back into the fold. The ruleset will be familiar, but has changed to be so much more playable. Say what you will about the choices GW made with Age of Sigmar, they figured out that if the game isn’t fun, only the beardy gits will stay with it. And fresh blood is what every game and hobby needs.

    Honestly the Dark Imperium box set is probably the best way to get back into it. It is pricey, but this has never been an inexpensive hobby. I’d love to see you on the table next year at Adepticon in Chicago. My Death Guard will be happy to lose to you.

  28. If 40K as a boardgame is an option besides betrayal at calth and burning of prosperous there is also deathwatch overkill. Deathwatch space marine characters vs. genestealer cult. It’s a boardgame with its own rules, very different from the tabletop.

  29. Wil, I highly recommend you visit Shad at GW Central Ave. He is amazing friendly and knowledgeable. 8th Edition is a great time to get back into the game/hobby! I don’t think that any of the regulars there will bother you, if that’s something you’re worried about. There’s a nice community at that shop. Or give Shad a call and he’ll talk to you over the phone or recommend a slow time that you will feel comfortable going in there. 🙂 Glory to the Omnissiah!

  30. I would read the Gaunts Ghosts series by Dan Annett. These are an awesome education of the 40k world from a common grunts point of view. He also wrote a couple of series about inquisitors that are about the higher level more powerful players in the Imperium, highly reccomended!

    1. Yes anything by Dan Abnett is awesome, and he is THE Dan Abnett, who also writes for Marvel, 2000AD and pretty much everyone else.

  31. An interesting place to look for rules is https://onepagerules.com/ for their GrimDark setting. It’s totally not like anything else out there of course not at all no nope.

    But one thing that’s really important to keep in mind and something the companies don’t really want you to think about: you can still play Rogue Trader. You can still play any edition you have. No need to chase the rules which are changing almost yearly now. This goes for any game. Did a 2nd, 3rd, Nth edition of something come out? That’s fine. You can sill play 1st. Play what you like, you own it after all.

    This doesn’t help players that want to be part of the community which only plays in a tournament like setting. If you need to play the latest to play with the others at a club or store or something, well, you’re stuck with buying the latest set of rules.

    I still think selling the rules to your tabletop miniatures game is just mean. You’re supposed to be making money off the miniatures. If you don’t sell miniatures, then go ahead and sell a book. Otherwise it’s just mean to the player.

    Also want to second the callout to Beasts of War. Good videos of gameplay and hobby time too.

  32. 8th edition is very easy to get into. All the templates have gone and its very fluid and fast. Ive played a few games and really enjoyed it (rolling ones and all) and they are very quickly getting all the rules out for individual armys, so it might be worth starting there.

  33. With 8th edition having just hit, the game has had a hard reset. The rules are only 6 pages now. Yes, the rulebook is quite a bit larger than that, but it’s packed with lore and cool fluff as well. So, GW does charge you the usual premium on the rulebook I’m afraid.

    There’s a lot going on right now with 40K, I’ll be honest, but it’s gotten a lot easier than it used to be. I have a series of articles on playing Warhammer 40K that covers everything from the basis of the game, to choosing to army, to playing your first game. It covers anything I’d say here and saves me the typing 🙂

    https://creativetwilight.com/series/how-to-play-warhammer-40k/

  34. You’re just like me! Blood Angels and Space Hulk was also my gateway drug. I’ve also never really got into the primary 40K game, it’s rules were always a bit too clunky for my liking. But that didn’t stop me reading all the books or collecting cool minis. If you hanker for Space Hulk, just buy the latest edition on ebay or next time it comes back into stock at games-workshop.com. They updated it with amazing miniatures a few years ago. If you want in on the main game, there are plenty of discounted starter sets, and in the past year GW has gone from a stuck in their ways public company always chasing the bottom line, to a rejuvenated customer-first company that is really opening up their customer engagement and really listening to what customers want. So it’s always good to vote with your wallet when you see a company empowering their staff to make bold decisions and acting on customer feedback quickly. Ironically, their stock and profits are way up now that they focussed on what customers’ want instead of focussing on squeezing every penny out of them. Funny that! 8th edition is a big improvement in the game rules, and they sell a basic rules book for 5 or 10 dollars in their stores, as well as various starter sets at different price points with the new rules and minis. But actually these days all the rule books are available as rich ePubs on the warhammer digital website and the ebook versions sometimes get free updates with minor rules corrections and changes so these are the best way to buy them these days.

    1. P.S. if you like Space Hulk try Deathwatch Overkill, a similar, but different game that’s geared to acting out heroic last stands. Also with great miniatures!

  35. If you would like an idea of how the game is played, the flow of it and what the stellar, really cool side of the community is like, I can heartily recommend the YouTube Channel TableTop Tactics (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_KbSd9fby8UeLU7M6eXeRQ). It is a bunch of Brits and Aussies who run a very professional channel, seemingly in their spare time. The models look fantastic, they always explain what is going on and what is most important… they have a lot of fun and it is fun to watch them!

    I have loved the lore for years and have never played a single game.I own Forbidden Stars, which is great, but I was always intimidated by the painting and the cost of the prime game. These guys have me ready to walk into a GW store and play a test game. And then it is all over anyway.

    Also, I seem to remember your friend Jerry being a bit… passionate about the game (https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/04/10).

  36. I would recommend picking up the Shadow War rules from GW. Small skirmish forces which lend themselves to narrative gaming. And due to the nature of the game it really encourages creating individuals for your small force. And these small forces can be used as a starting point for a larger force if you so wish to play with the main Warhammer 40,000 rules (Which have just been updated for a new edition, an excellent starting point with it’s own starter sets).

  37. Tabletop wargaming (whether Warhammer or not) is a great hobby to get into. I find building and painting (and trying to get better at both) is a great form of creativity and even meditation that helps to calm my mind. I listen to audiobooks (sometimes voiced by you) and podcasts (including Radio Free Burrito) while I do it and it’s sometimes the best parts of my day.

    I’ve been making videos about tabletop wargaming on my YouTube channel for almost five years now:

    https://www.youtube.com/tabletopminions

    and I like to focus on beginners and getting new folks into the hobby. I try for high production values and good sound, as well. Please check out some of the videos (new videos every Friday, so there’s plenty to choose from) and/or this playlist:

    which is just about how to paint, and less ‘philosophical’ than many of my other videos.

    I know how much the hobby helps me, and I hope that it can help you, too. Ask me any questions at @tabletopminions on the Twitters.

    1. Sorry, didn’t know it was going to embed the playlist in the comment. Feel free to take it out, if you want. And those “production values” I mentioned got better in the newer videos, as well. Some of the older ones look rough to me now.

  38. Hey Wil,

    I have been playing 40k for over 20 years now (started by playing Space Hulk), and I can tell you that if you have an interest in the game then now is a great time to get back into it. 8th edition is the most functional and easy to learn version of the game that I have played. I help judge one of the largest 40k competitive events in the world (like the 40k Championships at the Las Vegas Open), and run narrative and competitive events in my local area, and while the game is still going through some growing pains with the edition change, I’ve had more fun running and playing games in 8th edition than I have in a long number of years. I also am GM’ing a “Dark Heresy” RPG campaign by Fantasy Flight Games set in the 40k universe, I write for several tabletop miniatures blogs, and am part of the Forge the Narrative 40k podcast. I play most of the tabletop board games and video games set in the 40 universe that I can get my hands on. I’ve been totally swallowed and captivated by the game and its universe, and love an opportunity to help people get into it.

    First off, if you’re getting into it again, play what you want to play. I play Blood Angels because that is the faction that I relate to the most (Space Hulk helped that as well haha), and while my loyalist blood cries out against people playing traitors (because I’m committed like that), if Chaos is what you are the most interested in and will have the most fun with, then that’s what you should play with. We all get a bit of a ribbing for picking the factions we do, so expect a bit of that haha. There’s some great fiction out there from Black Library about the Chaos marines. My favorite stories about them are the Night Lords books by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and the Talon of Horus/Black Legion books by the same author. He does a great job of making these superhuman warriors remain aloof but still relatable. There’s an almost bottomless well of lore around, but those are great entry points in my opinion.

    Secondly, I would make sure you find the right people to play with at the beginning. If there’s a friend you have that’s already into it, or if you know someone else who is interested, start collecting something with them. Depending on your area, you might have a good group of gamers at the local GW or Freelance Local Gaming Store (FLGS). Finding the right people is an important part of starting in any hobby, and 40k is no exception. When playing new people, I tend to “play down” or take army loadouts that are not competitively built (or both), but not everyone is like that. If you’re going to spend a bunch of time painting or playing with people, it’s good to make sure they are the right people. There are always a few sour apples here and there to play against, but my experience has been that the wide majority of players are rolling dice for the fun of it.

    Thirdly, start small. You don’t need to get a huge army right away. There are several ways to play 40k, you can do it narratively or competitively and I find that narratively is the easiest way to get into it. Tournaments take some preparation for and require larger armies, and tend to bring out the more “serious” player in people. Right now, GW is doing a global campaign, and you can do games of any size to participate. This is a great opportunity to score some points for your faction in a global campaign that you can pace yourself with.

    Lastly, don’t get hung up on winning or losing while you are still learning. I see people sometimes get discouraged by an early loss, but that is to be expected, especially against someone who has been in it for a long time. I spent years on the low-end of winning before I started understanding the tactics and making the best decisions on the table, but even with the best decisions when playing, you are still playing a dice game, and the dice gods giveth and taketh away at their leisure.

    If you’d like, I’d be happy to send along some of the narrative background summaries I’ve been writing for Geek and Sundry’s reference. I’m also happy to help if you have questions about the gameplay or hobby aspects as well. I don’t want to come off as ‘promoting’ but I can tell you that my podcast Forge the Narrative is another way to get some good and practical info. It’s a hobby and a passion project and we don’t make money off the show; it’s just another way to share our love of the game with people. We do interviews with the game designers and authors to help people get that extra bit of perspective that helps them enjoy their hobby more.

    Anyways, hope that helps and welcome to the GrimDark!

    Chris “Captain” Morgan

  39. 40K prior to 8th was a big, intimidating thing to get into. I don’t think any sensible player of the game would deny that. That’s the primary reason GW practically rebooted the game with 8th. I heartily recommend checking out both https://www.warhammer-community.com/ and the new(ish) https://warhammer40000.com/ for the “official” introduction. 8th edition is my favourite edition since 2nd, and has made me fall in love with the game all over again after 25+ years at it 🙂

    Many of the GW studio and community teams are now active on Twitter – such as Pete Foley (Lead Designer, @GeekJockPete) and Andy Smillie (Community Team and Author, @andysmillie) – I’m sure they’d love to help you out! Although as you’re currently off Twitter, that’s maybe not the best route for you… Alternatively, there’s a YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdh3MTrFq3sXlB4ct8B-Fg, a Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/warhammer (Wednesday – Friday) or Facebook if that’s your thing.

    Geek and Sundry have been writing about 40K recently, which could be worth your reading time – http://geekandsundry.com/tag/warhammer-40k/ (this is my favourite article – http://geekandsundry.com/i-went-looking-for-warhammer-40ks-lore-and-found-its-amazing-community/)

    As others have mentioned, there are multiple practical routes into the game with 8th edition. You can get the Core Rules for free on the official 40K site linked above, or you can buy one of the 3 starter sets at whichever price point you feel most comfortable with for “dipping your toe in” – which is the route I’d recommend as they all come with the core rules plus the rules for the units in the set.. There are “Advanced Rules” which come in a big hardback book, and other books which focus on extra rules for specific armies, but every GW retail staff member I know would recommend trying out the game with the core rules and a few models first. It’s worth noting that the extra rules are just that – extra. There’s no need to use them until you are comfortable and want to add more to your games. I do recommend the big book if/when you want to start Narrative scenarios and campaigns, but that can wait until later.

    Hopefully you find enough about the current incarnation of 40K to enjoy the game (again)! If you’re ever back in Scotland I’d love to give you a game some time 🙂

  40. Hello Wil,
    I’ve played WH40K and Fantasy since the late 80’s in the rogue trader era. Let me tell you that the hobby is a weird combination of love and hate for me. I love the models. I have always enjoyed painting and assembling them and creating little narratives in my mind for how the different units slot and fit together into armies and battle groups. I got my first box of models at 6 or 7 years of age and pretty much painted them in a style that would make a Jackson Pollack look neat and tidy. I got into the game because of the models, but have stuck with it because of the epic saga that goes along with the game and how my still-childlike brain inserts my army into it. I started out playing orks, because that’s what the store had that wasn’t space marines. (And of course my older brother was getting them, so I had to play something else.) This started me down the road of losing game, after game, after game to him, as I couldn’t tactically plan letting the dog out, let alone taking down an army of Space Marines with orks. As I got older and the editions changed, I switched to Chaos Space Marines (Because they looked cool, and I like the pitiable villain, I have to admit…) and started creating a glorious crusade against the false emperor and his brainwashed lackeys. (For their own good, of course. They just don’t realize it, yet.) I have since gone down the route of Eldar, and Tau (I know they’re now T’au, but I can’t bring myself to keep writing that apostrophe.) Throughout it all, I have kept my Chaos, because that was where my imagination kept coming home comfortably. Depending on the edition, and the codex, my Chaos Space Marines would go from unstoppable juggernauts of fury, to an army of pillow-fisted kittens that just want free hugs. There were times that I would buy the shiny new models or the super-tank that never pans out to perform well (cough Lord of Skulls cough) that I will never play with, but I enjoyed painting more than I can put into words. I will admit to some frustration that the game has reached a point of needing a seeming small fortune of hobby money just to play, as my first army was less than $100 complete. Now that won’t even get you the starter set.

    Citadel games -> Games workshop has evolved from a company that was passionate about the same things its players were, with free rules, lower prices, (sometimes free games in their entirety contained within a white dwarf magazine) and content and enjoy-ability over profit. I have watched the company evolve into a larger and larger company, with more and more focus on producing beautiful models for what was a great game. Every edition of the game, the quality of the models improved. The problem was that the game rules and enjoyment fell by the wayside, and the company became more interested in profit than the game those beautiful models went to.

    Recently, Games Workshop has decided to change their game models from the more rules-heavy, technical games that appealed to their current audience (read older players that had been with them for years) to a more slimmed-down, easier/quicker played game that can appeal to a new, younger, next generation audience. For Age of Sigmar, this actually worked to alienate a large number of players that were established, but not really spending too much more money than to buy the books and rules, and maybe an occasional new model, in favor of reaching out to a totally new audience netting more profits from sales. Will this pan out for them in the long run? The sales for AoS still don’t prove out one way or the other so far. I will say that the tactical aspect of AoS seem to be more in picking your army than in how you maneuver it around the field. Now, as to advice for Warhammer 40,000 – 8th edition. A lot of things got simplified. This isn’t a bad thing. It streamlines the game quite a bit. Existing player or new player, I would say that the new rules edition was a good choice for Games Workshop. It looks that they learned quite a bit from their release of Age of Sigmar, and there isn’t near the outcry against the changes, as they seem to all be quite for the better. I think that this may actually be a great time to get into the game. Not least of all because of the availability of armies on craigs list and ebay from power gamers rage-quitting and selling their models. As for what army or race you should play? Do some research on the different forums and even Games Workshop’s website to figure out play styles and the appearance of models. Find the force that speaks to you.

    It could be the Necrons, pulling their mechanical skeletons from the sands of a tomb world to mindlessly reclaim a galaxy they abandoned centuries ago. It could be the brutal Orks, moving forth in waves of rage and excitement to clobba’ ’em when ya get stuck in. The ancient and somewhat enigmatic Eldar, who are clinging to the last vestiges of their once galaxy-spanning empire, refusing to go quietly into that good night. They Tyranids. A mindless insect/zerg-like swarm. You overwealm with expendable numbers. Where walls form to stop the tide, the swarm spits out biological monstrosities and living weapons to tear them down, and eat them away. There’s the Imperial Guard. The poor, misbegotten soldier that is a nameless cog in the bureaucracy that is the Imperial might. The death of millions means nothing so long as the result is victory. The Space Marines, genetically enhanced super soldiers, trained from their teenage years to be merciless killers and shock troops in the name of long dead or missing Primarchs, who’s very DNA shapes the tactics and cutures of your Chapter. Then there is the Chaos Space Marines, throwing off the hooks and expectations that the Imperium has placed upon your chapter, shackling your every choice as if you were nothing more than slaves. Or, as one of the Legions that sided with Horus during the great Heresy, millennia of hatred and loathing, with a burning desire for vengeance for everything that you have had to go through, or that the Imperium stands for.

    TL:DR (I don’t blame you, I wrote a lot…) If the world that Games Workshop presents to you draws your interest, don’t be afraid to give it a try. You don’t have to jump in head-first and never look back. There are game shops near you that would be happy to teach you the game and let you play without having to buy and models at all. And last, but not least, play the army that you want to play.

  42. Honestly just find a force you like the look of and delve in.
    Maybe look at Forgeworld, particularly if you want to mess around with what is essentially “Warhammer 30,000: How SHTF”; though it’s all resin (aside from Betrayal at Calth and Burning of Prospero); the Mechanicum are outstanding if you want to learn EVERYTHING about the game by just buying what models you like the look of (in that virtually every army composition is valid) – though it’s a question of how much money you’re willing to bleed. The HH book series (written by the late Alan Bligh), expensive as it is, is drenched in immersive material (though the black books are not necessary for play; however I’ve started and now im much to determind to see it through to the end).
    That’s not to say Vanilla 40k is bad at all (in its current reborn state, it’s probably not been as well balanced since around 4th edition). Its is now annoyingly your only option if you want to play any of the alien factions or full-blown chaos (though you can simulate it damn well in heresy).

    Also to say the fandom is filled with alt-right and fascists is profoundly unfair. What would be more accurate is that it is filled with people who don’t like any manner of outside influence on the setting; it’s largely succeeded in ignoring either side of the clusterfuck of a contemporary culture war and please may it continue to do so.

  43. Two words for you: Dark Imperium

    The new 40k starter set contains pretty much everything you need to start playing bar scenery. There are two smaller starter sets (Know No Fear and First Strike) and while Dark Imperium is the largest (and most expensive) it is not so large as to be over facing but not so small as to be unrepresentative of the game. It also gets you the beautiful hard back rule book, which is up to the usual high production standards you would expect from GW.

    There are lots of other boxed games offered by GW that give you miniatures that you can use in 40k but that don’t get you the rules (Betrayal at Calth, Burning of Prospero, Shadow Wars Armageddon for example). But I think Dark Imperium is your best bet because it’s the 40k rules with two decent sized, opposing forces. And of course, stunning miniatures.

      1. yes, join us … we all float down here.
        eh we’re all one big happy family.
        Good times and helpful people to be found.

  44. Cheers Wil- you can get back into Warhammer 40k very easily and more economical without spending 100’s right out of the gate. The basic rules are free. you can also pick up an “index” book($25.00 each) depending on what army you want to play (Imperial 1&/or 2, Xenos 1&2 , Chaos)which has “datasheets” of all models. However note that there are 10 new codexes coming out before Christmas which may make the Indexes unusable. Space Marines should be out soon(if not already) with Chaos and Grey Knights coming out this month.

  45. Hi Wil, I’m unsure whether to help you because on one hand your show Table top has cost me a small fortune in board games. (usually purchased with a raised fist and cry of WHEATON!!), but you seem like a cool guy so here is my ‘two cents’.

    8th Edition is by FAR the most friendly version of the game for someone wanting to dip in, it has a good starter that for the first time comes WITH the main hardback rule book and two forces and even trimmed down versions of these boxes doing all the way down to a dozen models for £25,00 (sorry i’m British)

    In addition GW has finally learnt a lot of lessons and now has active social media accounts, a youtube channel full of painting tutorials and a Twitch channel where you can see games being played! It really is the most accessible it has ever been.
    They have a whole publishing arm which has a massive range (the Horus Heresy series itself is over forty novels now) as some have said anything by Dan Abnett is gold. So that’s your narrative sorted right there.

    Honestly though, your best bet is really to get down to a local GW (Some have been rebranded as Warhammer) they should be able to run you through an intro game, give you a free copy of the slimmed down core rules and basically give you more of an idea how you want to approach things. After all its the kind of hobby you can put as much or as little as you like in. I will say that i am having more fun with 40k right now than i have in YEARS!!

    Good luck! and a interview or Q&A for my blog (Conclave of Har) sometime would be SUPER awesome (just saying) 😉
    if you do want anymore info i’m happy to help.

  46. Wil (hope you don’t mind a total stranger calling you that) I have to say: 8th edition isn’t so bad – it’s lured me back to the game, and I haven;t bought a new edition of it since 1994(!). In fact, I’ve spent more coin on 8th edition books and 40K minis in the last couple of months than I care to mention…

    That being said, if you want to get back into it but want to focus more on the awesome, dark, weird 40K universe and building/painting/playing really cool models in small warbands and acting out character-driven stories, Google “INQ28” – it’s a fan-driven… well, cult, for lack of a better word, that revolves around those elements of the game and draws heavy inspiration from the guy who drove much of the 40K atmosphere from Day One, John Blanche. (His virtues are extolled in the Blanchitsu section of White Dwarf issues to this day.) And the games are often played with a free rules set called Inquisimunda, based on the excellent OOP Necromunda and Inquisitor games. The community, their ethos, and their AMAZING work are truly inspirational, and make me ache to play the game.

    Another option, if you want to stay “officially supported,” is Shadow War: Armageddon. Again, based off the old Necromunda rules – but a new GW product. Small warbands, small upfront investment in time and money. Probably a good stepping stone to getting back into the community.

    Hope this helps!

  47. Hey, Wil. I suggest you check out The Independent Characters podcast. It’s an awesome, positive take on the hobby as a whole. The recent episodes center on the new edition and what’s been going on at Games Workshop of late. I hope you give 40k a try again because this is really the best time ever to get back in the hobby. It’s a whole new GW and a golden age for the game.

  49. After watching “How to paint Captain in Gravis Armour” I feel like I could make a business of painting Warhammer figures.
    I bet that I am not the first person to think of that, however.

  50. Thought not quite the answer you wanted, I would urge you to take a bit longer to explore. You say you like the world building and I would suggest that there are a lot more games thanks to kickstarters and other avenues of publication that apply to tabletop games. Warhammer has 40k, but also appears to have some minor expansions in 30k and rogue that some people are keeping alive and some interesting models being launched for them like the legios (I like their style a bit more than classic blocky marine vehicles). These may apply a bit better to your story ideas. I started in 40k a while ago because I loved the style of tau (and said to heck with the unimaginative sad jack-of-all-trades space marines(let the hate mail begin). I liked the short lived race that pushed hard for new tech but felt they were underexplored or explored with a very limited imagination people often apply to sci fi races (they are 1-2D projections of a single shallow aspect of humanity), I felt a short lived race would thrive in art as they would in tech to make their mark. Further there was an undercurrent of their leaders that seemed interestingly not quite right. Read up on each race and see which really appeals to you. I later found I got sick of dice rolls (thanks to apocalypse games which I hosted several at a con taking up 4+ tables) I wanted bigger grander games but got hit with just bigger dice rolls. This forced me to expand and it is this time I found a bunch of other games and became tabletop agnostic (more hate mail incoming!). I started painting and creating my own games from cuthroat UFO invasion (x-com esque) to grand space battles like wing commander and battlestar. I loved the story telling, dabbling in the world building, the setting up, and just exploring the worlds with gamers who came to the table. Largely I dont game anymore I just paint for people when their idea strikes my fancy but the pull to get into the story crafting made me suggest you read around a bit. See whats really out there. Visit a few game stores during different times to see what people are playing and have them tell you about it. 40k is a solid standard, but you might find you like infinity, or even some little known game that strikes a resonance with your needs. Or base your desires on hours of google image searches for miniatures that strike your fancy and check out mini art galleries (Warseer, Dakka, etc) to influence your direction. Shop the forgeworld and GW mini (and not so mini for FW) shop to see what stands out. .

      1. Ahhh, yes you have certainly aided in that venture of absurdness 😉 definitely inspired by a mutual dislike of the all too common Marine archetype.

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