Don’t buy the 6th edition Dark Vengeance set by mistake. Older editions may be cheaper, but you won’t be able to play with most other Warhammer 40K players.
Necrons, Grey Knights, Space Marines, and Chaos Marines are all good options for new players. [1] X Research source Other factions can be difficult to play, or rely on complex rules.
Optionally, you can group units into Formations to get special benefits. See the Rulebook and Codex for more information. An Unbound army cannot form other types of Detachments. You can combine units from different factions, if you have more than one Codex. Look up Allies in the Rulebook to see how this affects your units.
The main requirements are minimum or maximum numbers of each Battle Role, such as HQ or Troops. Each unit’s Battle Role is shown as a symbol in its description. Each detachment must be a single faction, and there are additional restrictions when choosing them.
Ask for help from experienced players, or search for beginner guides to your faction online. Check with the people you’ll be playing against. Some groups of Warhammer players agree on extra requirements for their armies, which you’ll have to follow to play with them. If you can’t find any advice, follow the suggested division of Battle Roles on any Force Organization Chart in your Codex or Rulebook.
Nail clippers or sprue clippers to remove model parts from frame Plastic glue for plastic models, or super glue for metal and finecast models Emery board, nail file, and/or utility knife to clean rough edges
Measuring tape in inches Warhammer 40K Template set (three clear plastic objects showing blast radius; a few extra-powerful weapons require larger templates) A special “scatter die,” sold wherever Warhammer is sold Plenty of ordinary six-sided dice
Avoid the Maelstrom of War missions for now, which add extra Objectives in the middle of the game.
You lose the Warlord Trait bonus if that unit dies. If you have any Psyker units, each one generates psychic powers. Check the unit’s Codex entry to see which psychic disciplines it knows. For each Mastery Level, choose a discipline and roll on that discipline’s chart to see what power the unit has this battle. If you don’t like, it, switch to the discipline’s Primary power instead. [2] X Research source
Warhammer rules always use inches. 12 inches = 1 foot. You don’t even have to play on a rectangular board, but most people prefer to.
If you can’t fit all your units in your deployment zone, read the “Reserves” section of the Rulebook.
The game ends in five turns. Earn 1 victory point for each completely destroyed enemy unit. Slay the Warlord: Earn 1 point for removing the enemy warlord First Blood: Earn 1 point if you were the first to destroy a unit. Linebreaker: Earn 1 point if you have a unit within 12 inches of the enemy table edge at end of game.
If you have a Battle Forged Army, some detachments will have the Objective Secured ability. Units in these detachments can control an objective even if an enemy unit is nearby, unless the enemy has the same ability.
Models in the same unit stick together. A model can’t move farther than 2 inches horizontally from the nearest model in the same unit. If you start your turn with them farther apart than this, they must move back together (or as close as they can). Most terrain slows down most unit types. Check the Rulebook for more info.
Only one model in the unit needs to “see” the enemy. If you’re not sure, put your eye down to the board and look. Banners, wings, weapons, and other “poky bits” don’t count; you need to be able to see the core of the model. There are many shooting rules not covered here. It’s worth reading this Rulebook section in detail.
Pick an enemy within maximum charging distance (usually 12 inches). That enemy gets to make an Overwatch attack, described in the Rulebook. Roll two dice. Move the unit up to the total result, in inches. If the base of one of your models is touching the base of an enemy, the whole units are in close combat.
Models attack in order of highest Initiative to lowest. This includes enemy models. Each model’s Attack (A) value tells you how many attacks it can make. Use the To Hit and To Wound charts to find the results of attacks.
