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Post by DoubleTap on May 12, 2011 19:46:28 GMT -5
I was curious what everyone's opinion was as to the best army for a 40k noob to start with? I've only very recently discovered the game, and am definitely interested in becoming involved. I have initially been drawn to the Imperial Guard, but others have told me that they can be "boring"...
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Post by fishboy on May 12, 2011 21:01:58 GMT -5
Most guard armies will focus around static gun lines or a lot of vehicles. Ask yourself if you fancy yourself as someone who wants to spend the game in the shooting or assult phase. Me personally I like to come to grips with my enemy face to face heh.
Generic Space Marines-Very easy army to learn and very forgiving. However once you get more into the tourny scene you will learn they don't do as well as most people by that time have learned to beat them.
Blood Angels are a great marine army with a lot of charactor. They have some shooting but excel at Close Combat
Space Wolf's are another great Marine army with a lot of charactor. They are very tough in Close Combat but have great shooting as well.
Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Tau all can have great builds but are harder to learn and less forgiving to mistakes. They are however some of the best looking armies, which I think is very important heh.
Chaos Marines are another strong list with ALOT of options. You will hear some people claim that they are non-competitive but that is rubbish. They can fit any role and be tough as nails.
Demons are fun but again are a finess army.
Grey Knights are pretty new and good looking models. They seem pretty tough in CC with some great shooting abilities. They are however marines so people will eventually figure out how to take them down.
All in all the game is rock paper scissors. Every army has a weakness and any army can win. Look at the armies and see what you like. Read the fluff and see what fits for you. Most importantly find what you think would be fun. Watch some games with the different armies and see what suits you. The only recomendation I would make at this time is to stay away from Necrons. They are easy to paint but have a new codex coming soon.
Hope this helps.
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robm
Marine
Posts: 63
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Post by robm on May 12, 2011 21:19:37 GMT -5
Imperial Guard aren't boring per say, just one sided, they don't have much along the lines of offensive assault that's useful. It's pretty much bring lots of tanks/bodies and shoot the enemy till dead. If you're effective enough, it will be boring for your opponent though.
Most people would agree that for a good starter army, look to Space Marines. They are a kind of jack of all trades and are resilient enough to protect you from some mistakes, not to mention a little easier on the wallet. With that said though, most would also say screw space marines, just play with what you think is cool, and if IG has caught your eye, by all means start with them, just be prepared for a different learning curve.
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Post by hyv3mynd on May 12, 2011 21:44:31 GMT -5
I'm going to agree with those before me said. Marines and their equivalent are the most forgiving and well rounded. They have the best armor and stats.
The xenos raes (aliens) tend to rely more on finesse and synergy which create a steeper learning curve, can be more frustrating, and also more rewarding once you figure them out.
I suggest stopping by Millennium Games this Saturday (5/14)between 10am-4pm and observing the 40k tournament. There will be many veteran hobbyists and competitors to observe and many beautiful armies to drool over.
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sinistermind
Sergeant
Dice, the perfect example of a love/hate relationship
Posts: 315
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Post by sinistermind on May 12, 2011 21:46:53 GMT -5
necrons are what i started with, back when they were the new hotness!!! they are a little clear cutt though with only 1 troops choice and not really any equipment to give anything except the lord, on the other hand i love the models, and they will also be getting a new codex sometime this year i believe so if they get redone like dark eldar your in for a nice suprise!!!
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MajorSoB
Moderator 
The oldest
THE GRUMPY OLD MAN!
Posts: 2,135
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Post by MajorSoB on May 12, 2011 22:15:08 GMT -5
The best army for you to start with is simply the one that you like. Yes there are some armies that are easier to play, some are easier to paint, some have fewer models, but you need to decide what you like and play that. Read about the background on each army, ask some of the guys that you see playing about them and decided what you like. Remember this is your hobby and you can play it for whatever reason you want. Maybe 40k gives you a creative outlet and you a way to enjoy painting. Maybe you are ultra competitive and you want and army that is easier to build up and win with. These are questions you need to ask yourself first then maybe we could assist you with your choice better.
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Post by Krusty (zack) on May 12, 2011 22:54:39 GMT -5
im gunna go along with what doug said...
unless you are hell bent on winning every game, id pick an army that you like for the fluff and models, because you will be more happy with that in the end...
alotta people can tell you that ive had tonnnnssss of terrible losses with my deathwing, but i still love to play em because i like the feel of the army and the deathwing fluff.
it seems like most players will play many different styles of armies over years of playing, but ultimately stick with an army that they started because it was something that clicked with them in one way or another.
obviously people have different ideas of fun and a lot of factors come into play, but if you can have fun with a game whether you win or lose, yer playing the game right.
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Post by DoubleTap on May 13, 2011 10:43:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the help guys, I think I'm going to go with the IG to start. From the fluff that I have read (which hasn't been alot, to be honest), I like the idea of the Guard....a billion-man army of regular guys taking on overwhelming odds.
I guess this brings up my next question.....what do you think would be the best item to purchase first......a starter army, or the rulebook and codex?
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Post by hyv3mynd on May 13, 2011 11:38:15 GMT -5
The IG codex for sure. Borrow or buy a rulebook. Your understanding of the rules and how they effect your army will influence the units you want to buy and use. Getting the rules down first will save you money in the long run.
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Post by inzeos on May 13, 2011 12:10:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the help guys, I think I'm going to go with the IG to start. From the fluff that I have read (which hasn't been alot, to be honest), I like the idea of the Guard....a billion-man army of regular guys taking on overwhelming odds. I guess this brings up my next question.....what do you think would be the best item to purchase first......a starter army, or the rulebook and codex? Buy the rulebook or see if you can read someones copy during open play. Be prepared with guard to fork out a ton of money and time as they tend to be a more pricey army both in cost to buy the models and time to assemble them. |
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Post by Krusty (zack) on May 13, 2011 14:26:28 GMT -5
in addition to all that, ive found its a lot easier to learn the rules if you watch a few games and ask questions about whats going on, that way when you dive into the rulebook it is easier to imagine how what its saying translates onto the table... especially if youve never really played a game like this before.
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Post by DoubleTap on May 13, 2011 14:32:54 GMT -5
I stopped into Millennium on Tuesday, watched a couple games being played for the first time. I think I get the general idea of how its played now, so I think I'm going to go with getting the rulebook and codex first. Most likely will buy my 1st army in a couple weeks (I'm about to be moving at the end of the month)
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Post by evil_red_orks on May 14, 2011 11:40:45 GMT -5
Basically the newer codex u have, the better the army.
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Post by VenoMinoN on May 16, 2011 0:14:03 GMT -5
almost all of the Codices can be viewed at the store, as we have house copies of them all. This obviously won't help you with building, but you can look at what cool things each army has before you start purchasing
Personally, I would choose the army that you like the most based on character and then based on how interested you are in modeling and painting those characters. The more ideas and character you want to add to your army, the more ideas you have for assembling and painting the army, and the more likely you are to paint them and make them look good for the game.
Every army has configurations that can win. Every new player will take time to learn and discover tactics until he gets better. Not every player finishes painting, which is kinda sucky. (I'm even a victim of this, I painted the guys I liked the models for, but got frustrated with the troops and didnt finish them yet)
If you have any questions, feel free to ask at the counter and most likely they can chat with you and give you feedback
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