The only problem with starting Warhammer 40K is that you’ve got to choose an army to play with. Considering each army and faction is so different from each other, you could get stuck for hours deliberating and deciding. So let me help you streamline this process.
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Choosing an army in Warhammer 40K
Instead of telling you which Warhammer 40K army is the best right now, or which is easiest for beginners, I’ll simply describe why each army is worth choosing in their own right, and what makes them unique.
If you’re starting out, I’d suggest you simply choose the faction, army, or chapter (which have only semantic differences and not practical table top relevance) that you find the coolest, or that you resonate with more. Most players have more than one army, anyway, so don’t feel like you’ll be chained to your initial choice if you change your mind later.
It’s best to just get stuck in with Warhammer 40K and to leave the competitive edges of each army for later when you’re more confident with the game.
Every army has their own rules, playstyles, and general vibe, so you can’t really go wrong as they’re all pretty good.
Do note that my explanations of each army will go over basic pros and cons and their general playstyle. This is just enough information for you to know which armies you’ll be interested in playing.
All Imperium armies in Warhammer 40K
The Imperium of Man in Warhammer 40K is the combined efforts of humanity in the grimdark future of the 41st millenium. In this faction you’ll see a number of armies that defend humanity from the heretics, the alien, and the daemon.
The Astra Militarum
The Astra Militarum, commonly known as the Imperial Guard, is the main fighting force of humanity. Conscripting billions of soldiers all across the galaxy, this army is one bustling with people who’ll likely never make it home.
On the table, the Imperial Guard play like a standard military force, with rows of soldiers, columns of tanks, and tucked away artillery units. They are fantastic at bombarding and shooting away their enemies before they get too close.
However, they are one of the more fragile life forms in Warhammer 40K and will get ripped apart in melee combat. Although, to be fair, a guardsman’s job is mostly to be a meatshield.
For a large and lightly armored force, you’ll want the Astra Militarum.
The Adepta Sororitas
The Adepta Sororitas, commonly known as the Sisters of Battle, are an all-female military order of zealots. This armed detachment of the Imperium’s religion don power armor and their faith allows them to pull of feats otherwise impossible.
The Sisters of Battle present a diverse array of characters and units, presenting the highest skill ceiling of any Imperium army. Excellent at mid and short range engagements, this army is great at purging anything in their way with the flames of the Emperor.
However, this army isn’t the most robust, so their zealotry will only get them so far. Their miracle dice, however, will save them from certain peril should an enemy overwhelm them.
For an unwavering and complex army, you’ll want the Adepta Sororitas.
The Adeptus Custodes
The Adeptus Custodes are the elite fighting force that protects the Emperor of Mankind on Terra, the human home world.
So elite are these units that they are rather expensive to put on the table, so you’ll be fielding much fewer units than your opponents. However, they are incredibly hardy and excel in melee combat. Any opponent will have to give them the space they demand, or they’ll suffer dearly.
The Adeptus Custodes aren’t reliably strong in long-range combat, so you’ll have to make sure your smaller teams get to where they need to be, although they will hold off against plenty of enemy fire.
For a smaller but extraordinarily powerful team of the Emperor’s finest, you’ll want the Adeptus Custodes.
The Adeptus Mechanicus
The Adeptus Mechanicus are a responsible for all Imperium technology, and themselves are fused with machinery that they regard as sacred.
Considering their mechanical forms, the Adeptus Mechanicus excel at ranged combat and can keep any foe at bay. Each turn, they can take on a more defensive or offensive stance, gaining buffs in defending or attacking.
However, their mechanical bodies are also very delicate and weak, and so their prowess at keeping enemies away from them is also a desperate attempt at not getting ripped apart.
For a newer army of bombarding robots, you’ll want the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The Imperial Knights
The Imperial Knights are a collection of noble houses sworn to defend humanity with their incredibly powerful war machines.
These walking mechanical monsters are huge, so it should come as no surprise that this is one of the most elite forces in the game. Each model is incredibly expensive to field, so an army will be composed of much fewer units.
The only drawback to the Imperial Knights is that a prepared anti-vehicle army would lay waste to them, considering they are an exclusively vehicle army.
For a force that can walk in and lay waste to everything it sees, you’ll want the Imperial Knights.
All Space Marine chapters in Warhammer 40K
The Space Marines are another military order of the Imperium of Man, called the Adeptus Astartes. However, these elite castes of super soldiers are made from the genetic material of each chapter’s primarch. Each chapter has their own fighting style and color scheme, allowing for lots of personality.
Despite being able to play as many different Space Marine chapters on the tabletop, you can also simply play as “the Space Marines,” forsaking any specific chapter’s playstyle and bonuses in exchange for greater versatility. Each chapter, then, is simply a modified version of the Space Marine army, gaining and losing access to specific Space Marine units.
Due to each chapter sharing the core foundation of the Space Marine army, I’ll be brief in explaining why you may want to play with their chapter.
Space Marines
The Space Marines, or the Adeptus Astartes, are the Emperor’s Angels of Death who were created to dominate the galaxy. These super soldiers are genetically modified to become rivals with every other force in the galaxy.
When playing as the Space Marines, you’ll get to field a great quantity of strong units that can handle any threat. The ultimate generalists, your Space Marine army—no matter how it’s composed—will give any other fighting force a challenge.
The Space Marines may be straightforward to play, but without a chapter, you may find that they aren’t truly formidable in any one aspect of warfare.
For a forgiving yet devastating army that can handle anything, you’ll want the Space Marines.
The Ultramarines
The Ultramarines are the ultimate generalists and poster boys of the Adeptus Astartes.
This chapter goes a step above the regular Space Marine chapter by becoming even more versatile and ready for anything. However, this does mean they struggle with pushing one specific fighting style.
The Blood Angels
The Blood Angels exemplify both the glory and devastation of the Imperium.
Despite being an elite melee chapter, they are versatile and quick enough for that not to be a glaring weakness. However, this elite nature leads to fewer models on the board than other chapters.
The Imperial Fists
The Imperial Fists are a bulwark force made for sieging.
With incredible resilience, these Space Marines are difficult to budge by any means. This does make them slow, however, and they aren’t the most responsive.
The Iron Hands
The Iron Hands are the closest the Space Marines will get to “living weapon” status.
On the table, the Iron Hands are both extremely resilient and powerful, although you’ll need to be careful about the lower model count.
The Raven Guard
The Raven Guard are a stealthier chapter that strike with precision.
These marines aren’t spectacularly powerful or robust, but they’ll strike their foes with efficiency, dealing great damage from hitting weak points in enemy defenses.
The Salamanders
The Salamanders value innocent life and will purge any threats with their fire and fury.
Great with flamers and melters, these Space Marines are fantastic and close to mid range shooting warfare, although they are rather slow to close any gaps.
The Space Wolves
The Space Wolves are a chapter of savage hunters who relish in the thrill of the hunt.
These melee-focused marines may not be as quick as other similar chapters, but what they lack in speed they make up for in robustness. Being very character-focused may grant them great buffs, but if those characters are slain, the chapter becomes vulnerable.
The White Scars
The White Scars are terribly quick, with a fighting doctrine of fighting swiftly and truly.
These marines prefer lighter vehicles that allow them to get where they need to be quickly and reliably, although this does cost them in terms of heavy vehicle support.
The Dark Angels
The Dark Angels are a resilient and secretive chapter who hunt down their fallen members.
These Space Marines present a great mix between fast units and resilient units, allowing you to flank enemy positions and hold on to your positions. With a lower model count, however, this balance can be tricky.
The Black Templars
The Black Templars believe the Emperor to literally be a God, proving to be the most zealous of the chapters.
Black Templar Space Marines are very strong melee fighters that benefit from long-range fire support. They do lack strong and reliable ranged weaponry, so they need to get stuck into melee as soon as possible.
The Deathwatch
The Deathwatch is an order of veteran Space Marines picked from all other Space Marine chapters to exterminate the Xenos.
Considering the experience of this army, you’ll find the Deathwatch to be extremely versatile. They can be equipped with lots of different gear to face any scenario. Their lower model count is the only bane of this force.
The Grey Knights
The Grey Knights are a secret order that works solely to hunt down Chaos and heresy.
This psychic chapter can teleport around the board, and prove devastating at close range with their psyker abilities and strong weapons. However, their complexity and low model count can prove hard to navigate on the board.
All Chaos armies in Warhammer 40K
The forces of Chaos are starkly opposed to the Imperium and its false God Emperor. The terrible Chaos Gods have corrupted humans and Space Marines since the Horus Heresy, allowing for lost traitor chapters to take on corrupted forms inspired by their new Chaos God.
Chaos Space Marines
The Chaos Space Marines are Adeptus Astartes units that have fallen victim to the Dark Gods, granting them unholy powers.
They are as resilient as the Space Marines, although they favor melee combat to annihilate their foes. When fighting, they can call upon a boon from one of the Dark Gods, granting them more power, although this may backfire.
Due to the cost of their greater daemonic and unholy units, the Chaos Space Marines typically field less units than their Space Marine counterparts. This could open up problems if the elite units aren’t utilized accordingly, or are countered efficiently.
For a ruthless army that serve the Chaos Gods, you’ll want the Chaos Space Marines.
The World Eaters
The World Eaters are pledged to Khorne, the Chaos God of blood, rage, and death.
You’ll find this army to be quicker than their Chaos counterparts. With incredibly melee strength, the World Eaters are savage in melee combat and can close the gap quickly.
They may not be as tough as the other Chaos units, but their ferocity in combat will mean they shouldn’t have to suffer many hits for too long.
For a relentless and frenzied daemonic army, you’ll want the World Eaters.
The Thousand Sons
The Thousand Sons are pledged to Tzeentch, the Chaos God of change, time, and sorcery.
This army benefits greatly from sorcery, and the more casters you have on the field, the more powerful their magics are.
Despite being rather slow, the Thousand Sons make up for that with their magical abilities as they smite down their foes from afar.
For magic and daemons, you’ll want the Thousand Sons.
The Death Guard
The Death Guard are pledged to Nurgle, the Chaos God of pestilence, disease, and decay.
Although the Death Guard are incredibly slow, they are a stalwart tide that slowly but surely spread their pestilence across the board, infecting objective points with a debilitating aura.
They are highly resilient and are excellent at close range thanks to their debuffing aura, although their slow speeds will mean they are not responsive to threats.
For an unwavering force of decay, you’ll want the Death Guard.
The Knights of Chaos
The Knights of Chaos are corrupted nobles that have turned against the Imperium and fight alongside Chaos Space Marines to sow and reap terror and death.
Like the Imperial Knights, this army is an expensive one to field and is weak against an organized anti-vehicle force. However, their ability to crush through the battlefield and lay waste to all in its wake is almost unmatched.
This army may be fewer in number, but many in armaments, allowing you a plethora of ways of crush your enemies.
For mighty walkers with screaming metal bodies, you’ll want the Knights of Chaos.
Chaos Daemons
The Chaos Daemons are pure manifestations of the warp, and include the Chaos Gods themselves. Beings of pure devastation and corruption, they are as gruesome to look at as they are in battle.
There is a huge variety in this army considering that there are four Chaos Gods, each with their own lesser and minor manifestations. The versatility and variety of this army allows for devastation no matter who you’re up against.
Despite this, these daemons typically rely on getting up close to maul or tear their opponents to death, making this army generally vulnerable to ranged specialists.
For daemons and creatures beyond imagining, you’ll want the Chaos Daemons.
All Xenos factions in Warhammer 40K
Humans and their corrupted counterparts aren’t the only living powers in the galaxy in Warhammer 40K. There are many alien factions out there each fighting for their own reasons.
The Orks
The Orks are a savage race of brutish creatures who live exclusively to fight. The bigger the fight, the better.
This force of great green brutes are very good at combat, and their huge variety of vehicles, weapons, and ways to kill things will allow an Ork player to rattle off a lot of shots in their action phase.
Although their shooting is powerful and numerous, it is also wildly inconsistent, and their Ork bodies are squishier than a Space Marine’s power armor. Thankfully, there are so many more Orks on the table.
For a horde army that has way to many ways to kill things, you’ll want the Orks.
The T’au Empire
The T’au Empire fight for the “Greater Good” and live in a highly advanced, burgeoning society.
Masters of ranged warfare, the T’au would rather eliminate a threat before they can truly become a threat. Their great mechs and crisis suits allow for a range of bombardment and salvos.
They are a rather fragile race, however, so if their boundless shooting capabilities fail, they simply won’t stand up against a melee-focused force.
To fight for the Greater Good, you’ll want the T’au.
The Aeldari
The Aeldari (commonly known as the Eldar) are an ancient race that once ruled the galaxy, and are now in a bid to secure the prominence they once had.
The Eldar are a diverse force. They generally are great at quicker engagements supported by magical abilities and specialized melee forces. Warfare is a little more delicate with this army, and one wrong move could spiral the battle out of control.
A fragile force, you’ll need to be careful with your every move, although there are many powerful units that can support your army no matter what goes awry.
For a diverse and specialized army, you’ll want the Aeldari.
The Drukhari
The Drukhari (commonly known as the Dark Eldar) are a piratical faction of the Eldar who are concerned with satiating their darker desires and surviving in the brutal 41st millenium.
The more units in this faction kill, the more powerful they get. Speed is the name of the game with the Drukhari, using their gunboats to drop in their melee units to devastate enemy ranks.
This army is very fragile, however, and if caught and surrounded, they’ll quickly see themselves defeated.
For fast and ferocious corsairs, you’ll want the Drukhari.
The Necrons
The Necrons are a terribly old race of warriors whose king traded in their flesh for living metal from the Old Gods. They have recently awoken and wish to rid the galaxy of life.
The Necrons are a powerful force that excel in shredding their opponents to shreds and in blasting them away with their Gauss weapons. Additionally, every turn, their fallen units can be reanimated to fight again.
Although they are slow, their reanimation protocol allows them to endlessly march on, but if a unit gets fully wiped out, those models can no longer revive.
For a deathless army, you’ll want the Necrons.
The Tyranids
The Tyranids are a hivemind of voracious creatures that strip whole planets of their biomass to feed more numbers.
This army is a dynamic horde force, as you can either field huge amounts of smaller units, or can sacrifice some numbers for large monstrosities that are very hard to budge. The Tyranids also benefit from buffs depending on the army they’re fighting.
They don’t have great long-range capabilities, so they will doubtlessly lose some numbers when trying to get up and close to their foes. Most Tyranid units aren’t the most resilient, so you’ll need to be prepared to lose lots of soldiers each turn.
For a swarm of unflinching creatures, you’ll want the Tyranids.
The Genestealer Cults
The Genestealer Cults worship the Tyranids and infiltrate planets to signal the Tyranid hive fleets over so they can consume the planet they’re on – including themselves.
The forces of this army are a tricky horde that are hard to put down for good. With each fallen soldier having a chance to come back again, they’ll plague enemy positions and eventually overrun them. Ambush opportunities also allow for crossfire and tactical plays that expose enemy positions.
They are rather fragile, although having most of the units off the table in deepstrike allows you to preserve your weak soldiers so they don’t get cut down prematurely.
For a weaponized infestation, you’ll want the Genestealer Cults.
The Leagues of Votann
The Leagues of Votann are a clone race of resilient and ancient warriors. They scour the galaxy for resources to make themselves stronger and richer.
This army is resilient and can hold their ground whilst blazing the enemy force with powerful weapons of their own. Also, whenever their number is wounded by an enemy, they are judged, allowing buffs and bonuses to hit against them.
Despite their stalwart nature, the Leagues of Votann aren’t diverse or versatile, so an adaptable or dynamic foe could get the better of them. Thankfully, however, great transport vehicles will protect the units whilst they get into position.
For a hardy clone race that like to settle all their scores, you’ll want the Leagues of Votann.
Now that you know of all the armies in Warhammer 40K, you can finally pick the one that shines out to you the most. Purchasing their Combat Patrol, if applicable, is a great way to start your journey with them.
