"Most efficient way to start building a Warhammer 40K army" Topic

In the ages of yore, I managed to build two WFB armies, but now my son and I are building armies together and I'm really trying to keep costs down. For instance: do we *need* the 8th edition rules set, or will the starter rules sets suffice? I presume we both need 8th edition codexes of our armies. And isn't it more efficient financially to build an army and then buy the models? I'm afraid if I start buying groups of models that I'll fall victim to mission creep of one kind or another. Thanks!

The starter rules and codices are all you need. GW offers various Battleforce and smaller "Start Collecting" box sets that are cheaper than purchasing the models in them individually.

It REALLY depends on the army. If you just want to do any two armies your best bet is doing marines and death guard and buying the dark imperium starter set and then adding the first strike set and some of the easy to build boxes for both sides.

That way you get the main rule book, a ton of models and all the stats you need to play them.

If you have other armies in mind that changes.

For necrons and mechanicus there is the forgebane set and both sides also have fantastic Start Collecting boxes.

For elder and marines you have the wake the dead set and then the marines have the easy to build sets and the elder have a start collecting set.

If either one of you wants to do chaos the wrath and rapture set will get you a crap load of daemons for a good price.
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If you want to play casually, buy what's cheap :)

Competitive will get you into more expensive models. Of course, if you're just playing with each other or with friends, proxying is usually the cheapest option.

If you can still get them and you don't want to buy codex books the index books will give you the data sheets for several different armies in one book at a lot less money than the codex books. I guess the stuff in the index books will slowly go obsolete but if you are just playing friendly games who cares?

Also bear in mind a lot of the miniatures contain the data sheet rules in the box now so you play with them without needing a codex book.

Also the basic rules are available free on the games workshop site

link

so you could get the rules free pick up an index book (or two) and get the rules for several different armies and have more to spend on miniatures.

I recently bought a Space Marine Company (through a few auctions) cheaply through ebay, I'm not planning on using them in 40K though…..i'm using them as a evil faction in my games as a religious crusading faction with a hatred of AI, distrust of technology in general (leading to them confiscating any they find), hatred of non-believers, abducting young boys as new recruits and using the other captives as fodder for their servitor slaves.

Anyway if your open to using the now smaller tacticals, devastators, assaults, terminators etc. Its possible to put together an army fairly cheaply.

Thanks for the advice!

My son wants to build Death Guard, so that seems fairly easy as they're so popular and well-represented among the starter boxes.

However, I want to build Dark Eldar, which is a bit more complicated. Perhaps that's an army that can be compiled via Ebay.

Heaps of models going cheap on ebay all the time and then there's the flea market stands at Conventions (just get good with paint stripper :)). My son and I only rarely need to buy anything retail.

1) I'd say rules from Amazon at a discount.
2) Pick up 2 start armies (assuming you want one each for you and your son. Again, from Amazon for a discount).
3) Pickup additional cheap "troops" units from Amazon or from Bits on Ebay (though these can be over priced).
4) Some of the info for armies (data sheets) can be found online but eventually you will need codicies for your armies.

When you are about 750pts for each army then you are in beginner game turf.

Some time you can even find an out of date Starter army that has different units than the current starter army. By picking up both you've got a decent starter army at a good discount.

The "Cheapest" way is … to get another hobby !

Or scale 40K down to 6mm?

6mm rules of course !

"The "Cheapest" way is … to get another hobby!"

Come on Bro, lol, that's like telling a Junkie to give up dope!

"Or scale 40K down to 6mm?"

Unless you've seen some of the prices for epic stuff on ebay. Then you might think the 28mm stuff is pretty decent these days.

All I do is 6mm sci-fi … so …

But with all the good 6mm Sci-fi out there today … Who needs GW !

Their share holders!