How do I get into the game?
by, Wolflord Patrick

     On any given league night one can find players of all sorts. There are Grand Tournament veteran players with beautiful armies, new players with armies in progress, and players just trying to get away from their wives for an evening of fun.

     Something that I asked myself recently was if I were a new player to the game of Warhammer 40,000, how would I get into the game? Indeed the vast number of players and armies out there can be somewhat overbearing, not to mention the site of some of the gamers and games being played. The truth be told, and despite contrary belief, it is not only fat, sarcastic, Star Trek fans that play Warhammer 40,000. In addition, it could be said that the rulebook you purchase in the box is not the game that is being played. It might drive some people away to know that not only do they need the rulebook, but both chapter approved books, the latest version of frequently asked questions, and just about every codex and White Dwarf published to make sure your opponent isn’t cheating.
After all that, a new player might ask himself again, “Do I really want another hobby?”

     If your answer is, “No” then you can stop reading.

     I think that new players in the game are the only way that the hobby will continue to grow and expand. After all, once you have the rules, your subscription to White Dwarf with rules updates, and a fully painted army, what more do you need to buy? It is indeed because of this question that we all need to be friendly to the new players and encourage them to stick with the hobby. In that aspect all of us who play at the game store on Wednesday night become mini-ambassadors for Games Workshop and the game of 40K in general.

     A great place to start would be to watch the games in the Building Leagues and at Rogue Trader tournaments. From there you can get an idea of the flow of the game and how it's played. You might even pick up a few strategies and painting tips while you're there. This way you also have a great way to meet the local 40K players. Most players are happy to answer questions for you. I would, however, not recommend asking questions to players in any kind of a tournament setting. The competition just gets to be too much at times, and players want to be able to concentrate on their game with as few distractions as possible.

     Once you've seen a few games, and have gotten an idea of how it works, you are ready for your first purchase. If you have the money, you really can't go wrong with the basic Warhammer 40,000 box set. This box gives you the rulebook, dice, templates, some terrain pieces, and a couple small forces you can learn the basics with. For most players just getting into the game I recommend the Space Marines as their first army. The Space Marines are tough as nails on the table, you can paint them with as much or as little detail as you wish, and you won't need a whole lot of models to play with. From here you can buy your army codex, and possibly some paints, glue, hobby knife, file, ect. As for the remaining models that come in the box, your best bet is to try to offload those extra miniatures to a fellow player. This might even generate a few extra dollars for you to put into your own army.

     From here how you approach it really depends upon you. Some new players jump right in with both feet, and go headstrong buying stuff eager for the next league. I recommend that as a new player you sit out at least one league and watch how the different armies play each other. You might have a great idea for your army, but is it versatile against every army you play against. Spend some time with your codex and come up with a few different lists that you would consider trying out. Then ask one of the local players that has had experience with that army for his opinions and thoughts about your different lists. You may find that what you thought was a good idea for a list, might turn out to be a dreadful waste of points. Or, you may not care. Either way, by now you should have a direction with which to fill out a 1000 point army.

     After you have your 1000 point army filled out, you should then grab some pick-up games here and there so you can learn your army's strengths and weaknesses. Within a couple of games you will soon learn how you want to mold your army around your strengths and your particular play style.

     That being said, you should now be ready for your first building league.