You want to start with Warhammer 40k but due to the wide variety of miniature factions present you don’t know which one to choose? Don’t worry: by following a few relatively simple steps, you’ll be able to choose the army that suits you best.
Choosing a faction is an important decision before you get into the game. There are more than twenty factions, each with its own history, abilities, strengths and weaknesses, which you will need to take into account to make an informed choice. Below are all our tips to help you choose your miniature faction in Warhammer 40k.
Gather as much information as possible about the different factions in the Warhammer 40k Universe
The first piece of advice we suggest is to immerse yourself in the Warhammer 40k universe, to learn more about its history, the scenery and the different races that inhabit its territories. The world of Warhammer 40,000 sees a myriad of factions facing each other in armies all equally interesting and divided into 3 main Camps.
You have thus:
- The Imperium Camp, made up of 14 factions including the Space Marines of the Imperium, the Blood Angels, the Space Wolves, the Adeptus Mécanicus, ..
- The Camp of Chaos, which groups together 4 factions including the Demons of Chaos, the Space Marines of Chaos, the Thousand Sons and the Death Guard.
- Finally, the Xenos Alien Camp, made up of 9 factions including the Tau, the Aeldari Craftworlds, the Orks, the Necrons, the Dark Eldar and the Tyranids among others.
Knowing these different factions will help you choose the one that suits you best.
Warhammer 40,000: Armies of the Imperium
Warhammer 40,000: Armies of Chaos
Warhammer 40,000: The Xenos Armies
Choose a faction that you like
Once you have a more or less extensive knowledge of the Warhammer universe and its armies, the second advice we can give you is to choose the miniature faction you like the most. By choosing a miniature army you really like, you will probably have more fun assembling it, building it from scratch and playing with it. This will probably not be the case for an army chosen without any real motivation or attraction.
Take into account the abilities of the faction to choose from
The choice of an army you like is certainly an important detail, but it is not enough. You have to be somewhat realistic: the Warhammer 40k universe is a tyrannical world with no mercy for weak armies. You will therefore make sure to reconcile your desires with the fighting power of your miniatures. Each faction has its own special powers that determine its strengths and weaknesses.
Moreover, each army can be declined in several units (tactics, assaults, support, …) with a specific fighting style: Close combat, shooting or psychic abilities. Some master only one style, others several. The latter are called polyvalent. You will thus take care to choose for example a faction mastering the shooting or the psychic, but quite as capable of doing well in hand-to-hand combat with a good resilience to the critical blows of your opponents.
Finally, to enlighten you and learn more, note that the Rule Book and the mastery of the CODEX for each faction of miniatures will be of great help to you to make the right choice.