Games Workshop’s Sunday Preview revealed the new Warhammer 40,000 Starter Sets and beginner paint bundles, hitting pre-order this Saturday.
Starter boxes always come down to the same question: which one gets a new player building models and rolling dice without torching their hobby budget? GW just revealed a full spread of 11th Edition entry points, from a proper game-in-a-box to a two-mini paint set.
Each one is aimed at a different kind of new player and a different wallet. We track every box over on our Warhammer 40k Starter Sets hub, and the current best-value math is over in our best-value breakdown.
Here’s the full lineup hitting pre-order this Saturday, plus our take on each release.
New Warhammer 40k Pre-Order Releases:
These go up for pre-order on Saturday, July 11, around 1 p.m. EST in the States, with a street date of Saturday, July 25, for store shelves.
And if you’re still waiting on something else to hit pre-order, check out the latest lineup in our updated Warhammer Roadmap for 2026.
Warhammer 40,000: Starter Set
After Armageddon, this is the next biggest box. You get two Combat Patrol armies, one Space Marines and one Orks, plus two battlefield boards, terrain, dice, rulers, a full Core Rulebook, and a Starter Set Handbook that walks new players through the basics. For a lot of people, this is the one box that actually gets them playing 40k.
Veterans might look at two Combat Patrols in one box and start comparing it to buying them separately. Fair enough, but that’s not really the audience here. This is the box for the friend who keeps saying they want to try 40k and needs one clean way in.
Warhammer 40,000: Starter Set Hobby Tips
Build the push-fit Marines and Boyz straight off the sprue, but prime them before you start throwing paint on. Base-coat the two armies in clearly different colors first, because it makes the table easier to see while everyone is still learning what the models do.
Warhammer 40,000: Introductory Set
The Introductory Set might be the most interesting one because it keeps the buy-in lower. You get a Space Marine Lieutenant, five Intercessors, an Ork Nob, and five Boyz, and GW says these are all first available in this box. It also includes six paints, a playmat, card terrain, a starter brush, a range ruler, six dice, and a 48-page handbook. That’s a small but complete sample of the hobby.
Twelve models won’t fill a table, though, and this box isn’t trying to. This is for someone who wants to build a few minis, paint a small force, and play a tiny game before spending full starter-box money. For the curious friend who isn’t sold yet, this may be the smarter first purchase. If you want the full rundown of every box side by side, we ranked every 40k starter set here.
Warhammer 40,000: Introductory Set Hobby Tips
Clip the Nob and Boyz off the sprue carefully, because Ork mould lines love hiding in the baggy trousers. Paint the whole squad with the six included paints before obsessing over tiny details. On your first models, finishing the unit matters more than chasing perfect edge highlights.
Warhammer 40,000: Miniatures and Paint Sets
- Intercessors + Paints
- Ork Boyz + Paints
- Paints + Tools Set
This is the cheap entry tier. The Space Marines: Intercessors + Paints set includes two standard Marines and six paints matched to the classic Ultramarines scheme on the box. The Orks: Boyz + Paints set gives you two Boyz and a Gretchin with enough paint to do them as Goffs. These are the impulse-buy boxes you grab at the counter.
The Warhammer 40,000: Paints + Tools set skips the minis and gives you a brush, clippers, a mouldline remover, and 13 Warhammer Color pots for armor, metal, flesh, and cloth. That one is less about starting an army and more about getting a basic hobby toolkit in one go. A lapsed painter could use it just as easily as a brand-new player.
Warhammer 40,000: Miniatures and Paint Sets Hobby Tips
Thin the starter paints with a drop of water on a wet palette before the first brushstroke. Straight from the pot, they can flood the recesses fast. On the Orks, let the Goff black do the work and use the metal areas to add contrast instead of painting every rivet like it’s a competition piece.
Warhammer 40,000: Getting Started Sets
- Space Marines
- Orks
These two sit between the small paint bundles and the full Starter Set. Pick Space Marines or Orks, and each box includes a full Combat Patrol force plus 11 paints, a brush, a texture spreader, and an intro booklet for that faction. The models are push-fit, so you don’t need glue to get started.
This is the choice for someone who already knows which army they want. A full Combat Patrol is a real force you can build from, and getting the paints in the same box makes the first step a lot cleaner.
Best of all, if you’re comparing these to Combat Patrols, our Combat Patrol value guide breaks down which boxes give you the most plastic.
Warhammer 40,000: Getting Started Sets Hobby Tips
Push-fit means no glue is required, but a small dab on the joins keeps the Combat Patrol from popping apart in a transport bag, or conversely, clip the little pegs a little on the end so they push together more easily, and you don’t have to use any extra glue, et cetera.
Black Library: New Pre-Order Releases
The latest Black Library pre-order titles are here. If you want new Astra Militarum sniper drama, Blood Angels war stories, or fresh hardback editions, this week’s book stack has a few worth checking out.
Ghosts of Cadia
- Hardback
- Special Edition
Ghosts of Cadia by Rob Young is the sequel to Longshot. It follows sniper Darya Nevic after loss has pushed her to the edge. A chance encounter gives her a way to strike back at the heretics and settle a debt she thought she’d never be able to repay.
It comes in regular hardback and a Special Edition. The Special Edition is only available while stocks last, so if that’s the version you want, don’t wait around forever.
Longshot
If Ghosts of Cadia sounds good and you haven’t read the first book, this lines up nicely. Longshot, also by Rob Young, is Darya Nevic’s first story. The veteran sniper has to choose between becoming her regiment’s unwanted figurehead or listening to the tempting promises of the T’au Empire.
It’s getting a new hardback edition, and like the Special Edition above, this printing is only available while stocks last.
The Devastation of Baal
The Tyranids have reached the Blood Angels’ home world, and the sons of Sanguinius are fighting for survival. The Devastation of Baal by Guy Haley covers one of the major battles of the 41st Millennium, and it’s coming back in a new hardback edition.
If you play Blood Angels or want one of the stronger siege stories on the shelf, the new printing is worth a look before it disappears again.
FAQ About the New Warhammer 40k Starter Sets Sunday Preview
What does the Warhammer 40k starter set include?
The Starter Set is a complete game in a box: two Combat Patrol armies (Space Marines and Orks), two battlefield boards, terrain, dice, rulers, a full Core Rulebook, and a Starter Set Handbook.
Which Warhammer 40k starter set is best?
It depends on your budget and what you want out of it. The Starter Set gives you a full two-army game, the Introductory Set is a cheaper sampler with some first-available minis, and a Getting Started set gives you one push-fit Combat Patrol force plus paints.
Is a Warhammer starter kit worth it?
For a new player, these boxes bundle rules, miniatures, paints, and tools so you don’t have to buy everything one item at a time. The final value call depends on the pricing GW still hasn’t confirmed.
Final Thoughts on Warhammer 40k Starter Set Pre-Orders
This pre-order wave gives 11th Edition a full beginner shelf, from small paint sets to a full boxed game. A new player can spend a little on two minis and paint, or go straight into a complete starter box, all inside the same starter set wave. That’s a useful range for getting more people into Warhammer 40k without making the first step feel like a full-on army project.
Pricing is still the most important part. Until GW confirms those numbers, we can’t say which box is actually the best deal. Expect that to firm up by pre-order day, and GW has already teased another faction reveal coming this week too, so this beginner wave may not be the end of the Orks vs. Space Marines story.
🔗 Related Reads:
- New Warhammer 40k Starter Set Hides Brand-New Minis in the Cheapest Box
- Warhammer 40k Starter Sets: News, Articles, and Updates
- Best Warhammer 40k Starter Set Value Right Now
- Every Warhammer 40k Starter Set, Ranked
- Combat Patrol 40k: Best Boxes Ranked by Value
- Updated Warhammer 40k 2026 Roadmap
What do you think of the new Warhammer 40k starter sets, and which one are you pointing a new player toward?
