Choosing your first Warhammer 40k army is really about finding the faction you’ll still enjoy after a hundred hours of building, painting and playing. There’s no wrong answer, but a few honest questions will point you in the right direction.
Start with the rule of cool
If the models don’t excite you, nothing else will save the project. You’re going to spend hours assembling and painting them, then stare at them across a table for years.
So browse the Games Workshop webstore and flip through the faction galleries. Which ones make you stop scrolling? That gut reaction matters more than any tournament ranking.
The current meta shifts constantly, so chasing whatever’s winning this month is a bad first pick. Build an army you actually love looking at.
Think about how you want to play
Most factions lean toward a style: horde infantry, elite strike force, gunline, fast melee, or giant monsters and robots. You don’t need to know the rules inside out, but you should know what sounds fun.
If you love the idea of a screaming green tide, Orks are a natural fit. If you’d rather sit back and shoot, Astra Militarum or T’au Empire suit that. Armies like Space Marines and Necrons are flexible enough to try a few approaches while you learn.
- Horde and swarm: Astra Militarum, Orks, Tyranids
- Elite and durable: Space Marines, Adeptus Custodes, Necrons
- Shooting-focused: T’au Empire, Astra Militarum, some Space Marine chapters
- Melee and aggression: World Eaters, Orks, Blood Angels
- Big monsters and walkers: Tyranids, Imperial Knights, Chaos Knights
Consider painting and budget
Some armies paint up quickly with simple, bold schemes (Necrons and classic Ultramarines come to mind). Others have loads of trim, organic texture or fiddly detail that takes real patience (Chaos Space Marines, Aeldari, Tyranids).
Be honest about how much time and money you want to spend. Horde armies need more models to reach a playable size, which means more kits, more paint and more hours. Elite armies get you to the table with fewer purchases.
Combat Patrol and starter boxes are the cheapest way in. They give you a small, legal force plus rules, so you can try a faction before committing properly.
The lore hook
Warhammer 40k’s background is one of its biggest draws, and a faction you find genuinely interesting is easier to stay motivated with. There are no real good guys here, just different flavours of survival, ambition and horror.
You don’t need to read a dozen novels before you buy. Skim a wiki, watch a lore video, or read the faction blurb in a codex. If a story grabs you, that’s a strong sign.
The big three groupings are the Imperium of Man (Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Mechanicus and more), the Forces of Chaos (Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Daemons, Chaos Knights) and the Xenos races (Orks, Aeldari, Necrons, Tyranids, T’au and others).
Quick comparison of beginner-friendly picks
| Faction | Style | Why it’s good for beginners |
|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | Flexible all-rounders | Huge model range, simple paint schemes, lots of starter sets |
| Necrons | Durable shooting | Easy to paint, forgiving on the table, strong starter box presence |
| Orks | Aggressive melee and hordes | Fun lore, conversions welcome, forgiving to learn with |
| Astra Militarum | Massed infantry and tanks | Classic military feel, but more models to paint |
| T’au Empire | Long-range shooting | Clean, flat panels make painting straightforward |
Key facts
- Warhammer 40k has more than twenty playable factions, grouped into the Imperium, Chaos and Xenos.
- The rule of cool matters more than the current meta for a first army.
- Factions lean toward playstyles like horde, elite, gunline, melee or monsters.
- Paint difficulty varies a lot: Necrons and Space Marines are simple, Chaos and Aeldari are detailed.
- Combat Patrol and starter boxes are the cheapest way to try a faction.
FAQ
What’s the best first Warhammer 40k army?
There isn’t one. The best pick is the faction whose models and lore you actually love, because that’s what keeps you building and painting. Space Marines and Necrons are often recommended for being forgiving and easy to paint, but they aren’t right for everyone.
Should I chase the meta when picking my first army?
No. The competitive meta changes with every balance update, so an army that’s winning today might not be next year. Pick something you’ll still enjoy when its rules shift.
How much does it cost to start a 40k army?
A Combat Patrol or starter box is the cheapest way in and gives you a small playable force. From there, costs depend on the faction: horde armies need more models, so they tend to cost more to reach a full game size.