With so many GW games available to dip your toes into, which one is right for you? Here’s which Warhammer game to play and why!
Maybe you’re new to the hobby or just want to branch out from one of the more popular games like 40k. Whatever your hobby background, there are plenty of games out there that you may love.
Warhammer 40k
Starting off with GW’s bread and butter, if you’ve heard of GW you’ve probably also heard of 40k. This setting takes place in the distant future (the 41st Millennium) with genetically enhanced super-soldiers, alien lifeforms, and Chaos fanatics (This includes traitors of the Imperium and Creatures from another dimension).
As far as the game goes, it’s fast-paced and is probably the most “shooty” of all GW’s tabletop games. Rules constantly change and supplements/books are continually added to keep the meta fluid.
Horus Heresy
The Horus Heresy is set in the time before 40k. It’s essentially a story of the rise and fall of the Imperium of man, thus focusing on Marines specifically. It’s basically 40k with a different ruleset and no Xenos. These games can be huge, bringing massive Titans to the table as well as other wargear that you won’t find in 40k. (Spoilers, it’s all very good against power armor).
The rules for this game are much more intricate than 40k and will take a higher learning cap for new players jumping in. With that said, the meta/rules don’t change nearly at the pace as 40k does so you won’t have to worry about being left behind if you take a break for a month or two.
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Age of Sigmar
Age of Sigmar is a game similar to 40k in size. However, this takes place in a medieval fantasy setting focusing more on melee and magic than shooting. Factions range from a whole host of Undead to Goblins that hide in caves, Rat people called Skaven that are absolutely mad, Dwarves, Orruks (Orcs), and Tree people called Sylvaneth just to name a few.
Each one of these factions has a different playstyle so there’s a very good chance you’ll find a faction that fits you perfectly. The battles are also fought in different realms. (Similar to different planets in 40k), and usually offer some kind of magical artifact/spell that armies can take, which is a nice fluff bonus.
As far as in-game details go, Age of Sigmar is more of a friendly, non-competitive environment. Whereas in recent years, 40k has grown to be extremely competitive as far as tabletop games go.
Warhammer Underworlds
Warhammer Underworlds is a scaled-down version of Age of Sigmar with each player bringing a handful of models inside a Warband. Keep in mind that you aren’t allowed to customize which models you take in the Warband. However, you also get a deck of cards that have objectives you try to score, tricks that you can use at a moment’s notice, and gear to equip your warriors with.
All of the cards are completely customizable and the games are usually short. (About 10-20 mins in length).
The game is fought on a tiled board with a similar configuration each time. However, the players have to be very good at thinking multiple turns ahead while still accounting for what kind of tricks their opponent might have in their hand. Of all the games covered previously above, it’s also very cheap to get into.
40k: Kill Team
Similar to 40k and Warhammer Underworlds combined, Kill Team is a scaled-down version of 40k that brings a handful of elite models. Players can customize these models with different wargear and rules for their games.
We’ve actually seen a ton of decked-out squads meant for Kill Team that look amazing when they appear on the table.
However, as far as the games go, you fight on a much smaller board than you normally would for games like 40k, AoS, and Horus Heresy. These maps are usually littered with terrain and tight spaces. You’ll have different objectives to accomplish while trying to outmaneuver your opponent and keep your guys alive. Each loss in this game is brutal compared to casualties in larger-scale games.
Adeptus Titanicus
Adeptus Titanicus is the affordable version of playing with Titans. While normally, they are the size of a four-year-old, you can also buy these in a much more scaled-down game and play them with rules exclusive for fighting other Titans. This game is very tactical and requires you to take into account that Titans aren’t very mobile. As each Titan has a crew along with shields and weapon systems, you have to be very good at resource management.
These games are all extremely immersive and narrative as they take place in the days of the Horus Heresy. Most objective cards you draw for your games give some kind of back story and go into detail as to why you’re fighting. Plus, GW has given them multiple campaign books for players to explore with narrative missions.
This game has received a bunch of new support in the last year and is continuing to grow in popularity as more and more options for the tabletop emerge. If Mechwarrior was a game you loved to play back in the day, Titanicus might be perfect for you.
Necromunda
Necromunda is a super fun skirmish-style game that adds in far more of a narrative and campaign style. If you love the look of 40k, but don’t want to play with a million minis and want each game to affect the next, this is the game for you. It’s super fun to see your gang increase and individual models grow as the campaign progresses.
While you can play one-off games, the fun really comes when you’re running a longer narrative. Because the gangs have been fighting forever, might as well take part in a snippet of history.
The minis for Necromunda are also totally unique and the line is pretty amazing. So you can use some minis from your collection, but the gangs are worth buying on their own. Also, since you don’t need a ton of minis, it is a pretty affordable game to get into.
Aeronautica Imperialis
If you love ships speeding around the battlefield, you need to check this game out! It uses a smaller scale and is all about the ships of the 40k Universe. It doesn’t take place in the depths of space either. It’s all about the air battles fought on planets for supremacy. While the ground battles are all well and good, this is all about battling for the skies.
Since the game is hex-based the movement and ranges are super easy to understand and be accurate with. Like with many of the boxed games, it is far more affordable since you don’t need tons and tons of minis. You can get into it for around $100.
The minis are also pretty fun in this one! While you can’t use them for any other games they look great and it is a fun game on its own.
Blood Bowl
Finally, Blood Bowl is an off-shoot game from the Age of Sigmar setting. If you like football where murder is completely legal, this game might be right for you. Almost every faction from Warhammer Fantasy has a team in this game, from Halflings to Ogres, the players on your team are fighting over the ball while trying not to get taken out of action by enemy models.
While there are still even more GW games out there, these are definitely the most popular as far as we can tell!
After looking at the games from above, have you played them all? Which one is your favorite?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
