Warhammer: Easy to Learn, Hard to Master, Fun to Play

Hello all!


If you’re stumbling on this, then you’re somewhat curious about the world of Warhammer. You may know the gist of it- models to build, paint, and play. But it expands beyond just the game- Warhammer is truly the hobby to embrace. 

I’m going to level with you and not pretend it’s cheap- a core rulebook for example costing $70 new from Games Workshop. You then have the pleasure of picking the codex for your desired army, followed by the models and paint. Not trying to scare anyone off as most hobbies come at a cost. But once you get into it, it can open a door you won’t want to get out of.

While Warhammer has multiple games and universes to explore, I’ll cover the main two you’ll see most play.


Warhammer 40k

40k is a sci-fi game set in a grimdark future, focusing on ranged combat and a vast, detailed universe. Factions include Space Marines, Armies of the Imperium, Armies of Chaos, and Xenos Armies. 

Age of Sigmar

If you’re a fantasy lover, AoS is for you! It’s set in the Mortal Realms, emphasizing close-quarters combat and magic. Alliances include Order, Death, Chaos, and Destruction.

While 40k and AoS are separate games, there are few armies that are involved in both universes due to having lived through the past and future. For example, many Chaos Daemon models can be used in both games, though their rules and roles within the armies differ.

While this seems like a lot of info, we wanted to give you some opinions. We’ve asked several of our staff to try out Warhammer for the first time and here’s what they had to say.


00GEK

I heard about Warhammer awhile back when I was still in high school but back then I was already into gunpla and plot stories. It was just a pass by conversation really so I didn't find it interesting back then. Though I reconnected back with those thoughts when I started doing Uber and during breaks, customers started telling me about playing warhammer. It got me interested in it again, comparing it to gundam. Back then, what scared me was the price, trying to decide what faction to play with, and of course how to play. Although I still know next to nothing when it comes to the game, I'm willing to learn and play so I can understand the game better. I have chosen to play with the T'au empire because of how technologically advanced they are. Plus with this, it gets me excited for the gundam version of this that will eventually be released in the future.

Yozora

Warhammer is something that I first heard about through the recently released Space Marines II video game on the PS5. Around then I had little-to-no interest in the game other than the fact that it’s what inspired Helldivers and its sequel. But recently, I had learned that even though Warhammer is expensive, there is another version of 40k out there that is cheaper and a tad easier to play: Kill Team. The 40k Kill team Format is the first format of WH I’ve learned at the Warhammer Store in Murrieta and it is definitely my favorite. It’s cheaper mainly due to the fact I had to buy only 1 box to have a playable army. Kill Team is more strategy-based and fast-paced so during one of my games, I had to make sure to position my Space Marine sniper out on the farthest point on the field top to even gain an advantage. From the rolls of the dice to decide the fate of a battle and managing my 6 Units to stay alive against a horde of 12 doped-up bugs, having my Space Marine Captain live on purely 1HP for a good 75% of the game was tense but so much fun. I definitely will be playing Kill Team again and by that time, I will have built and painted my own squad of Chaos Space Marines, willing to shenanigan my way through the devastating combats found within the Kill Zone.

VK

For me, I was fortunate enough to receive the Battle Sisters set during its 8th edition release. Both my fiance and his friends all played, but I never really bothered to try as some games can take hours and they tended to play late at night. However, during the start of the pandemic, I was living in Japan and most places were closed, including my job. So I had about two months of free time. It was the perfect time to actually open up the box set. I had all the tools and paints I needed, so I took my time building and painting each soldier. I found it incredibly therapeutic to focus on the small details. Before my “vacation” was done, I had painted up several groups of shooters and Mortifiers. That’s when I started to read up on the faction’s background- and I grew to love it! I was lucky there were a few shops in Sapporo that carried 40k. So once they reopened, I started buying tanks and core characters for the faction.

When I moved back to the states, I started learning to play on the battlefield. It was a little intense as there are different objectives available. My first game started out with many of my models getting wiped out, which was discouraging- only to find out I was actually winning because I had claimed more objective markers. An hour later, and we were only finishing up the second turn! While long, it was honestly really cool to see my painted models (which by the way get you extra points if your whole army is painted) on this torn battlefield with blown up buildings and artifacts. 

4 years later, and I now have 5 armies between 40K and Sigmar. A combination between the vast storylines as well as the fact that they keep updating the characters’ models every few years is keeping me hooked. I look forward to seeing what releases they’ll come up with next!

Novice Coordinator

Just like Yozora, it was the 40K Space Marine 2 that drew me into the world of WarHammers. At first I tried to play it for fun and might learn something about the Factions within the game context.  However, as the game progressed, I really found that Warhammers isn’t simply another third person shooting game. It is rich in lore and meaningful purposes of the warriors who served the Empire. For the Emperor!!! Every time a Space Marine enters the battlefield, it's like the words Banner that echoes through the warzone. They fight gravely side by side with one another and even die together all for a single purpose: to protect and serve the Imperium. Especially Titus, a former Death Watch member, who died during tyranids invasion and then resurrected as UltraMarines. His comrades doubted him, thinking that he was corrupted by Chaos, but he proved himself not through words but his action toward the Imperium by eliminating the Chaos Heretics. Some might wonder why he wasn't corrupted by chaos- “He was just a Space Marine and not even the Grey Knights whose minds were completely free from corruption and manipulation!” Some said that because of his unwavering devotion for the Imperium that shielded him from all of the Chaos’ manipulations as he swore an oath after he resurrected and rejoined the Space Marine: “My Honor is my Life; My Duty is my Fate; My Fear is to Fail; My Salvation is my Rewards; My Craft is Death; My Pledge is Eternal Service!” To me it was not just an oath that he spoke, but his determination when saying those words really drew my feelings toward this man as I wanted to become his battle brother.

 It was Lieutenant Titus that led me to the world of WarHammers because of his braveness, absolute devotion for his Emperor, and the strong bonds that he has with his comrades that totally grabbed my mind and gave me the reason to love WarHammers. 

I think Space Marines will be my faction on the game table of WarHammers. Simply not only because of Lieutenant Titus' influence on me, but also the space marine codex that he and most of his battle brothers believed in, one line such as: “My brother shields me, I shield my brother”, said Scipius. An unwavering brotherhood bond that has touched me. Hence, I can't wait to learn about the game from others as soon as possible and have my hands on Space Marine battle brothers figures and prepare myself for battles.
-FOR THE EMPEROR!!!!   >:D

 

So if you’re even a little curious about Warhammer, don’t be afraid to take a look into it. I feel like Warhammer is something most model hobbyists can find interest in, whether it’s building, painting, lore, play, or all the above. 

Until next time!

-VK

Games workshop

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