Warhammer 40k is a tabletop wargame where you command a painted army of miniatures against an opponent on a terrain-covered board. You move squads, roll dice to shoot and fight, and try to score objectives. It looks complicated from the outside, but the core loop is simple once you’ve seen a turn play out.
What you actually need to start
You don’t need a huge collection to begin. A starter set gets you two small forces, dice, a ruler, and a gaming mat in one box, which is the cheapest way to try the game before committing.
If you’d rather build your own force from scratch, pick one faction you like the look of and buy its Combat Patrol box. That gives you a legal, balanced army out of the box, plus a rulebook that teaches the game with those exact models.
- A starter set or Combat Patrol box for your chosen faction
- Clippers, plastic glue, and a brush plus a few paints
- Dice (six-sided), a tape measure in inches, and some terrain
- The free core rules, which cover the turn sequence
Build, paint, then play
Miniatures come on sprues and need clipping out and gluing together. Follow the instructions in the box; they’re written for beginners and the parts only fit one way.
Painting isn’t optional for tournaments, but it’s also the part most people fall in love with. A simple basecoat, a wash, and a highlight is enough to get models looking good on the table.
The turn structure
Every game runs on the same rhythm, no matter which mode you’re playing. A round is split into phases, and both players work through them in order.
Command phase is where you generate resources and use abilities. Movement phase is where you reposition squads. Shooting phase is where you fire ranged weapons. Charge phase is where you try to close the distance. Fight phase is melee combat. Then you check objectives and score.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| Command | Gain command points, use army abilities |
| Movement | Move units up to their stat line distance |
| Shooting | Pick targets and roll to hit, wound, and save |
| Charge | Roll to close into melee range |
| Fight | Resolve melee attacks, both players alternate |
How you win
Killing stuff helps, but it isn’t the goal. You win by holding objectives, completing secondary missions, and scoring more points than your opponent by the end of the game.
Most pick-up games run five rounds on a fixed-size board. You’ll set up terrain, deploy your armies in your own zones, and then play it out. A typical game takes two to three hours once you know the rules.
- Primary objectives: hold the marked spots on the board
- Secondary objectives: secret goals you pick before the game
- Points are tallied at the end of each round
- Tabling your opponent doesn’t guarantee a win
Where it connects to the lore
The game is set in the 41st Millennium, a galaxy where humanity clings on against aliens, daemons, and its own decay. Every faction on the table has a reason to fight everyone else, which is why any two armies can meet.
Your army’s rules reflect its lore. Space Marines are tough and flexible, Orks are chaotic and numerous, Necrons grind back from the dead. Picking a faction you like the story of usually means you’ll enjoy how it plays.
Key facts
- Warhammer 40k is a tabletop wargame played with painted miniatures on a terrain-covered board.
- A round is split into phases: Command, Movement, Shooting, Charge, and Fight.
- You win by scoring objectives, more than by killing your opponent’s models.
- Starter sets and Combat Patrol boxes are the cheapest way to begin.
- Games usually last two to three hours at standard size.
FAQ
Do I need to paint my miniatures to play?
No. You can play with bare plastic at home. Most tournaments and clubs expect painted armies, but for learning the game it doesn’t matter at all.
How long does a game take?
A standard game runs about two to three hours once you know the rules. Smaller formats like Combat Patrol are faster, often under an hour.
What’s the cheapest way to try it?
A starter set or a Combat Patrol box. Both give you a complete, playable force plus the rules you need, and they’re cheaper than buying everything separately.