This is just a compiled list of resources to getting started into the hobby and game of Warhammer 40k

Picking an Army

Rules and apps come second. First is finding an army/faction that you really love! Here’s some videos to help you decide:

Rules

Hard to play a game if you don’t have the rules…and there are a lot and they’re spread out across multiple locations.

  • Official Rules:
    • Warhammer Community: Downloads. From there, download the following. (Not using links because these docs can change)
      • Core Rules: obviously a must-have
      • Balance Dataslate: Important! for playing “real” Warhammer with the latest rules updates.
      • Munitorium Field Manual (aka MFM): latest points values for units and enhancements.
      • Your Faction Index PDF (if applicable)
      • Rules Commentary: Mostly optional
  • To play, you or your opponent will also need the Chapter Approved: Leviathan Mission Deck. NOTE: A new set of mission rules is coming soon “in just a few months” called Pariah Nexus which will replace the Leviathan Deck.
  • Unofficial Rules. With Codex releases, rules are no longer freely available, but (ahem) “alternative” sites exist:

Apps:

  • Official 40k App. Obviously. However, all Codex content is locked behind a QR Code you get at the back of a physical codex book. Free version gives you one free list but Codex content is still locked away even in the paid version without a Codex code.
  • Tabletop Battles app. A must-have when playing games. Tracks score keeping, Primaries, Secondaries, and Command Points.

Free Army Building Apps:

Hobby

Gear

This section is the most opinionated and honestly the least important. Find what works for you and your needs. None of this is by any means truly necessary and I’ve just found these things work for me and maybe they will for you too!

  • Case - Jucoci - I’d highly recommend this case. Fits my purposes very well. I tried making plastic bins with magnet sheets work but I much prefer this case:

I personally prefer non-Citadel products. No real reason. I just prefer The Army Painter as they’re a solid budget option:

Similarly for primer, with horde armies, you can go through Primer quickly so I prefer non-Citadel:

Again, for horde armies, you go through a lot glue too, so these $10 20g bottles are nice: Loctite - 20g Super Glue

Again, these are just budget alternatives to Citadel’s products. Citadel works just fine.

For the following, you could use anything, it doesn’t much matter:

Finally, the most unnecessary and ridiculous splurge spend: Fancy dice from Baron of Dice

FAQs

Q: What’s a Faction? Codex? Index? Detachment?

A: First, “faction” is what Warhammer calls the different armies, chapters, etc. For example, Tyranids are a faction. Blood Angels are a faction. There is more nuance for factions like the various Space Marines but you probably get the idea.

At the start of the 10th edition of Warhmammer, each faction starts with an initial set of rules, called their Index

The Index contains their Army Rule and a single default Detachment. With only one Detachment, if you choose that Army you get that Army Rule and Detachment Pair.

As time goes on, each army gets an updated rules book which replace their Index rules, called a Codex. A Codex (generally) contains more Detachments, which are the styles of play for a faction, and has some rules updates to their units.

When you pick a faction, you get that faction’s Army Rule. Then you get to pick one Detachment from among their available Detachments. If your faction’s Codex is not yet out, this generally means you have just one Detachment to choose from.

Upcoming Codexes in Summer 2024: Adepta Sororitas, Genestealer Cults, and some unknown “Redacted” Codex!

NOTE: Exceptions of course exist. Some factions got Army Rules changes (e.g. Death Guard) or even new Detachments (e.g. Drukhari) before their Codex came out, as they were needed for balance.