Building a Warhammer 40,000 (40k for short) army can be a confusing and frustrating experience for a beginner. If you take a few moments to plan your army before you make any purchases, you will stretch your dollars further and gain much more satisfaction on the 40k battlefield.
Everyone has their own thoughts and ideas on building an army and I encourage you to develop your own plan as well. This article simply offers some helpful advice and suggestions based on my own experience.
Tip #1 - Start Small
You don't need a 2000+ point army to play a game of 40k. You don't even need 1000 points to play decent game, although larger armies do provide greater flexibility. If you look in the 40k rulebook you'll notice that virtually every scenario requires a headquarters unit and two troops squads. Any new army should start with these core units. Play a few games and get a feel for the rules and capabilities of your army. Games Workshop has placed a great deal of emphasis on basic troops, take advantage of this fact. Once you have your core troops assembled (and painted!!!) and a few games under your belt, you can take another trip to your local game store and buy an additional unit or two.
Tip #2 - Focus on the Basics
It is tempting to go out and purchase all sorts of specialized units because the models look cool or they have awesome stat lines (and equally high points costs!!). While these specialized troops certainly have their place on the battlefield, they will rarely accomplish a mission objective on their own. An army that minimizes regular troops has failed to utilize one of the inherent benefits of the game.
Tip #3 - Finish What You Start
This is the simpliest advice, and also the most common pitfall in 40k -- completely finish a unit (assemble, paint, base, finishing touches) before you start on a new one. If you have too many projects at once, it will seem like you aren't making any progress which can lead to frustration. One of the joys of this hobby is seeing your finished units on the battlefield or on display.
Tip #4 - Plan Ahead
Try to resist the temptation to buy miniatures because they "look cool". Almost every 40k player will fall into this trap at some point, and rightfully so. Games Workshop makes some of the best miniatures in the business and the desire to buy their latest creations are strong. Once you have assembled your core force (1 headquarters and 2 troops units) and played a few games, I encourage you to take a few minutes and develop a plan for your army. Do you want an assault-oriented army, or would you rather sit back and shoot? Are you a treadhead (A subgroup of gamers that enjoy fielding lots of tanks in their armies) or does your army walk? Do you favor slow and purposeful advances or lightning strikes? By asking yourself questions such as these your army will begin to develop a personality. Once you have that personality, you can purchase units that fit your vision.
Tip #5 - Ask Questions
Warhammer 40,000 is a social game, and the power of the Internet has allowed gamers from all over the world to communicate with one another. Take advantage of this. There are dozens of excellent message boards and forums where you can ask questions and get advice from other people that share your interests. M41 has links to several popular forums. The same advice holds true for your local game store, if there are other 40k players around feel free to ask them some questions. Most people are more than happy to share their own opinions and give advice. Just remember that any responses that you get are an OPINION and they may or may not be correct.
Tip #6 - Know Your Enemy
Take some time and read the other army books. There are many special rules and exceptions that only apply to a particular army, it is in your best interest to know what you are facing before a battle starts to assist in your planning (and to prevent a player from abusing or misinterpreting a rule). Remember that this is a two-way street and you should be willing to inform your opponents of any special rules that your army uses.
Tip #7 - Mobility Wins Games
Always remember that MOBILITY WINS GAMES. Virtually every scenario requires you to move around to achieve your objective. You should always have some units that are mobile (i.e. - in a transport). While there are a few scenarios where mobility does not matter, a mobile army provides greater flexibility (and flexibility is extremely important when you make an inevitable mistake).
