Our idea on the best way for new players to get into the hobby and Warhammer 40k may surprise you.
With so many factions, rules, and hobby aspects to learn all right off the bat, it can be daunting for any new hobbyist to get into Warhammer 40k.
The way we see it, there are four major obstacles facing a new player to 40k:
- Which faction to play
- Learning all the rules (plus rule creep)
- All the hobby aspects (painting, building, and lore)
- Price
When someone comes up to you, or if you’re thinking about getting into the game, the biggest question may be where the best place to start is. First and foremost, it seems like you need something to get you used to how the game plays, what the order of turns feels like, which faction you actually like to hobby on, and if you’ll actually have fun playing the game (or any tabletop wargame in general).
After a lot of thought, we came up with what we hope is the answer to all of those questions… Blackstone Fortress!
Here’s why.
The Best Way for New Players to Get into Warhammer 40k
Let’s go over how this covers all the main issues of getting into the hobby. Because it’s fairly unique for 40k how it really covers every aspect of the hobby and game. Even if you later find out 40k isn’t for you, you have a total all-in-one game that you can play by yourself or with friends.
So really, you can’t go wrong, because you’ll save some cash (on not buying an army), and if you don’t like the hobby you have a game you can play for years without spending any more money. Or conversely, if the need to collect and hobby takes over, Blackstone Fortress has some sweet expansions as well.
If you do end up loving it, you’ll have a head start on both the hobby and basic play mechanics.
Question 1: Which Faction to Play
Perhaps the best thing about BSF is that has minis from a bunch of factions. That really gives you an idea of what faction you like to hobby on. While you can really like the look of a model line, sometimes painting and building them can be totally different.
On top of that, the game gives a good intro into the lore for the faction, so you can really judge if you like the backstory behind your army. Lastly, it also lets you understand how they play. Do they like to be stealthy, charge into CC, or sit back and shoot?
You’ll be able to judge which style fits you the best.
2- Getting the Feel of 40k
Second, it lets a new player get used to how the game plays, through basic play mechanics. While the rules are different, they are similar enough, get you used to rolling fast, and gives you an idea of how the order of operations work. If you’ve never played a tabletop game, just getting used to moving minis, rolling dice, and looking up rules will make you feel way more comfortable when you get to a real game.
3- The Hobby Side of it
Let’s be honest, everyone’s first army was a little daunting to paint. This set allows you to hobby on a wide variety of stuff, work on your painting skills, and gives you insight into what building all those minis is like. That way you can experiment with paint schemes, so when you actually go to paint your real army, they will look better and you will be happy to bring them to the table.
4- Price
We all know 40k isn’t cheap… But for about $130 (retail), you can get into the hobby/game with this. Again, even if you don’t like it, you have an all-in-one game to play by yourself or with your friends.
Where if you grab a whole 40k army, you’ll spend a lot more than that and not really have a game to play if you don’t like it. Overall it’s just a great way to get into the game in one go!
If this has got you ready to dive into the hobby, you can grab the game here!
Get Blackstone Fortress Here
What do you think the best way to get new players into Warhammer 40k is?
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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!
