WarHammer 40k entry level army?

Question

Ok I'm thinking of starting 40k. And I'm wondering what a good size army to start with is. I'm thinking 1500, but I'm not sure if I should start smaller. Any advice would be great. Oh and if your wondering I'm going to play Tau (big mech suits FTW).

Answer 1

Start with the Tau box set as your core army. Learn how to play them and what works for your play style. After that get together with a fiend and "proxy" some of the models you would like to add and try them out in a few games before you buy any. Build your army up to 1000 points, then 1500, and then 1750 for tournamnents.

Starting off smaller is always better so you learn how each unit works and you can add on from there.

Answer 2

There are several common point incriments.  500's a great place to start with an army to decide if you like it or not.  1000's where you start to get a feel for how an army actually plays.  1500's a great place to start going up to the stores and playing with people playing there.  2000's pretty much the point that most people will play at before reaching apocalypse (not recommended right away, but pick up the book, it's a good read).  Bear in mind that a lot of people want to play whatever point range the next tournament will be at (if you live in a big tourney area, that is, if not, find out what people near you play).  Also, I've been involved in several 1,850pt games, so there really is no "standard" point range, or even one that would be overall better to start at.  For learning the game though, I would *definitely* say 500pts with someone else's army.  It's a lot harder to remember the rules when you're trying to keep track of that many units running around.  It may not seem like a lot at first, but my 1.5k list consists of:

1 commander suit

5 Stealth Suits

1 Monet Suit (Monet=only suit in a unit)

2 Crisis Suits

10 Fire Warriors in Devilfish

10 Fire Warriors in Devilfish

10 Fire Warriors in Devilfish

10 Kroot Carnivores

10 Kroot Carnivores

1 Hammerhead (railgun)

1 Broadside

1 Sniper Drone Team (1 box strong)

Can you imagine keeping track of all of that while at the same time learning the rules of how they work?  Very tough.  My 500pts of Sisters of Battle consists of:

Canoness (Inferno Pistol)

10 Sisters in Rhino

10 Sisters in Rhino

That's a *lot* more managable.  However, if you're comfortable with the game, I would say 1k-1.5k, because that's really when Tau become capable of showing off their "tight mad skillz".  Keep away from assault no matter what you do, and you should be just fine.  If you'd like to see some sample army lists and tactica (or possibly pose your question elsewhere), a great reference is www.40konline.com, I myself use it constantly.  First thing's first though, make sure you have a codex!  I can't stress this enough, as a lot of people think they can make it work without one.  And you can post up army lists before you buy the units and see what people on the boards can say about possible holes in your defenses and the like.  Oh, and with Tau, remember, it is *not* about upgrades.  It's about fielding the most models with the most shots and using cover to your advantage.  I can't stress the utility of gettng Battleforces enough, either.  They are of high value as you'll see on the boards should you peruse them.  2 Battleforces and you can make a decent, balanced 1k list.  No joke, they're very cost-effective.  But, you can read more on my battleforce rants if you check out the boards (I'm Z3R0 on there, I should have about 3-4 B-Force rants going heheh).  I'm not trying to say you know nothing about Tau, I just can't have a back-and-forth with you, so I decided to post up a bunch of random info just in case.

Answer 3

Generally, I advise players to start with the Battleforce boxed set (see Link 1, below), plus the Codex.  This provides the core of a good force at about 400-800 points, depending on upgrades and squad sizes etc.

Playing a few games at 500 points immediately gives you an idea both of how the army plays (and whether it suits you!) and what tactical areas you feel you should stock up on in your next expansion.

Beyond that, I suggest buying in tactical blocks of 500 points; so your next target would be 1000 points and then 1500 points.  Not doing this will lead to ridiculous piles of unpainted boxes of miniatures languishing, useless, in your attic, cellar or painting area of choice (see Link 2, below).

You may also want to set yourself specific goals, such as "only buy another 500 points when I have at least 500 points painted".  These will help keep your army looking good and not resorting to "tinboyism" (harking back to the days of all-metal armies, when players sometimes fielded entire armies of gleaming, unpainted metal in a fiendish attempt to dazzle their opponent).

You may want to bear in mind that there are two ways to buy a Tau army: what wins and what looks good.  The first is less interesting but more satisfying if you play regularly; the latter is better if you're more of a painter (as you're more motivated to paint what you like) but won't help your win/lose ratio.

A friendly tip: those mechanised suits aren't half as tough as you think they're going to be!

Answer 4

1500 is a good start.  Eventually you may want to expand to 2000 for variety.  Tyranids are a great blitzing army if you are looking for something completely different.

Answer 5

Since it's Tau, you're probably set with 1500.

Answer 6

Tau is a good army and 1500 point is a good starting point.  You will probably need more points down the road.