Depending on what Warhammer game interests you the most, chances are you can still jump in relatively cheap. Check out what we recommend.
Coming from the angle of a brand new hobbyist, we’ll be looking at some options for 40k and AoS to get you started for just $150.
Hobbying For $150: What We Recommend on Getting Started
Before we jump into the models, it’s probably a good idea to go over the materials you need. The Army Painter offers a great bundle package coming with glue, snippers, and a hobby knife. You can get this thing for just under $20 leaving us with $130 left in our budget.
Getting Started: Warhammer 40k $90-95
You can really pick your poison here, but GW’s Start Collecting boxes are honestly the most popular way to go. Sure, you can split boxes of things like Dark Imperium and Wake the Dead with a friend, but they’re less consistent and can be somewhat tricky to find. These Start Collecting: [Faction] boxes are commonplace among any hobby store.
All this being said, some Start Collectings are better than others. If you want to make sure you’re getting units that you can use, you might want to stay away from these Start Collecting bundles:
- Chaos Marines
- Space Marines
- Craftworlds
- Orks
These boxes have relevant models, but for the most part, don’t give any of the most solid units from the faction.
Some good ones to pick from are:
- Drukhari
- Space Wolves
- Imperial Guard
- Militarum Tempestus
- Tau
- Necrons
- Deathwatch
These have some solid choices that are at least semi-competitive and give you a nice starting point that you can definitely build off of. Now for AoS…
Star Collecting: Age of Sigmar $90-95
AoS is a bit of a different beast from 40k. The units found inside the AoS Start Collecting bundles are all totally viable. That being said, some factions have more support than others. The factions that haven’t had all of their rules re-tuned after AoS 2.0 are:
- Beastclaw Raiders
- Ironjawz
- Slaves to Darkness
- Kharadron Overlords
- Seraphon
As we said, these are factions that are totally playable. But it’s worth mentioning that they are operating off of an older book and could use a tuning. Now for the factions that DO have a book are:
- Skaven
- Fyreslayers
- Flesh-eater Courts
- Idoneth Deepkin
- Sylvaneth
- Beasts of Chaos
The Best Value Around Start Collecting Daemons: $90-95
The factions with the most value are undoubtedly Daemons. They can be played in 40k, Horus Heresy, and AoS. If you want your models to go farther than any other faction for the money, you’ll want to pick up Daemons. Keep in mind that 40k and AoS have two totally different metas. If you plan on playing 40k, the best options for you are probably going to be:
- Nurgle Daemons
- Tzeentch Daemons
These are the two Daemon factions that have been routinely seen at the top tables. However for AoS:
- Slaanesh
- Khorne
- Nurgle
- Tzeentch
are all very strong options. Slaanesh just got their book and are a popular option. However, Nurgle can creep up the board and not give up an inch of ground. Khorne lacks any spellcasting but can devastate in melee (which there is a lot of in AoS). Tzeentch is also another great option when paired with Endless Spells support.
Ultimately, depending on which Start Collecting box you choose to go with, you’ll still have about $30 left over to spend on a few paints and brushes to get the hobby ball rolling, or purchase your appropriate rules book for your faction.
Remember, we haven’t covered ALL of the options extensively, but have highlighted a few of the Start Collectings that we recommend. If they are still available the special edition battleforces, and even starter sets are always a great buy. However, they generally don’t leave you with room for additional hobby supplies though.
With all this being said, how did you get into the hobby? Which Start Collecting has the most value in your opinion? Which faction would you like to see get a Start Collecting box next?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and sign up to get your free hobby updates newsletter each morning as well!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
