Choosing a starter army for Warhammer 40,000 involves balancing playstyle, cost, and hobby accessibility. For new players prioritizing ease of painting alongside a good gameplay introduction, these factions stand out:
Top Choices for Easy Painting
- Space Marines (Any Chapter): Large, flat armor panels are forgiving for basecoating, washing, and highlighting. Their straightforward humanoid structure is visually intuitive. Standard tactical layouts offer a solid learning curve.
- Necrons: Known for their simple, effective "Leadbelcher + Nuln Oil + Drybrush" scheme. Skeleton-like forms lack intricate details. Fewer models per unit simplify batch painting. Their durable, straightforward mechanics are beginner-friendly.
- Orks: Chaos-like creativity is encouraged. Mistakes blend into battle damage or grime. Contrast/Speedpaints excel on their textured skin and cloth. Hordes can be daunting but are forgiving for practicing batch techniques.
- Adeptus Custodes: Require few models per army. Gold spray paint followed by a wash (Reikland Fleshshade) yields impressive results quickly. Details are large and bold. Elite nature keeps model count low.
Honorable Mention
- Death Guard (Chaos): While textures seem complex, they excel with washes/Contrast paints over zenithal priming. Mistakes hidden as pus, grime, or battle damage. Requires slightly more technique than others above, but very forgiving.
Key Painting Tips for Beginners
- Start Simple: Focus on base colors, a shade/wash, and a basic highlight or drybrush.
- Batch Paint: Paint 5-10 models of the same type simultaneously to speed things up.
- Utilize Contrast/Speedpaints: These paints create shading and highlights in one step, ideal for beginners.
- Spray Primers: Use colored spray primers (e.g., Macragge Blue for Ultramarines, Leadbelcher for Necrons, Retributor Armour for Custodes) as a massive time-saver.
- Don't Fear Imperfection: Tabletop standard looks great on the battlefield. Detail work improves with practice.
Ultimately, Space Marines and Necrons offer the most streamlined path for new players seeking an army that is both manageable to build/paint and competitive enough to learn core gameplay.
