Diving into Warhammer 40,000 is one of the best hobby decisions you can make — endless creativity, proper tactical depth, and a universe with more lore than you could read in a lifetime. But standing in front of a wall of boxes for the first time? That bit is genuinely daunting.
With 11th Edition now on shelves, the range has been refreshed from the ground up. So the question everyone asks — "which Warhammer 40k starter set should I actually buy?" — has a new answer.
This guide covers:
- What's actually inside a Warhammer 40k starter set
- Every 11th Edition box compared, from cheapest to most complete
- What to buy next once you've picked a side
- How to paint your first models without ruining them
Still choosing an army? Start with our Warhammer 40k factions guide, then come back here for the box.
|
Prefer to be walked through it? Our interactive starter guide opens every box in the range, lists the exact paints inside each one, flags what's missing, and totals up the few extras you'll need. Same information as this article — just clickable. |
First, the good news about 11th Edition
A new edition sounds intimidating. It isn't. Games Workshop describes 11th Edition as a streamlining rather than a rewrite: your old Codexes still work, your models carry straight over, and the core game plays the way it always has — just tidier.
For a complete beginner that's ideal. Everyone at your local club is learning the same refreshed rules at the same time, and every box below is built for the current edition. There's no "wrong version" to accidentally buy.
If you want the rules explained in plain English before you spend anything, our guide to the basic rules of Warhammer 40,000 is free and takes about ten minutes.
What comes in a Warhammer 40k starter set?
Every starter box is designed to get you from "sealed in shrinkwrap" to "playing a game" without a shopping list. Most contain some combination of:
- Miniatures — push-fit models that click together without glue. You'll assemble and (eventually) paint these. They're your army.
- Rules — a rulebook scaled to the box, from a short introductory booklet up to the full Core Rules.
- Dice, tokens and range rulers — everything you need to actually resolve a turn.
- Paints and tools (in some sets) — a starter brush and a handful of pots, enough for the models in the box.
- Terrain (in some sets) — cardboard or plastic scenery. In 11th Edition terrain matters more than ever, because you now fight over real battlefield features rather than abstract markers.
|
At Loaded Dice we ship next day as standard, Monday to Saturday. Whether it's your first box or your fiftieth, it lands fast. |
Which Warhammer 40k starter set is right for you?
Here's the honest comparison. There is no single "best" box — there's the best box for your budget and how deep you want to go on day one. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
| Box | Roughly | Best for |
| Introductory Set (11th Edition) | £44 | Testing the water on the smallest possible budget |
| Beginner's Complete Kit (11th Edition) | £70 | The Introductory Set plus the paints, tools and painting handle to finish it |
| Starter Set (11th Edition) | £139 | Two proper armies and the full game in one box |
| Complete Starter Bundle (11th Edition) | £162 | The Starter Set with painting kit bundled in — the "one and done" option |
| Two-Player Starter Bundle (11th Edition) | £198 | The Starter Set with a full paint and tool kit for each player |
Want it box by box, with live prices and the exact paint list in each? The interactive starter guide does the comparison for you, and adds the missing bits to your basket in one go. Or see every bundle side by side in our Warhammer 40k bundles.
1. Warhammer 40,000: Introductory Set — the cheapest way in
The Introductory Set is the smallest, cheapest, least scary box in the range. A handful of push-fit miniatures, a stripped-back rules booklet, dice and a small board — enough for a proper game in under half an hour of setup.
Buy this if you're not yet sure the hobby is for you, or you're buying a gift for someone who's only ever said "those little space soldiers look cool". It's the lowest-risk entry point on the shelf.
Note: it comes with six paints and a starter brush, but no clippers to get the models off the frame. If you want the full toolkit, jump to the Beginner's Complete Kit below rather than buying twice.
2. Beginner's Complete Kit — the Introductory Set, finished
The Beginner's Complete Kit pairs that same entry box with the Paints + Tools Set and a painting handle, so you get models, rules, brushes, clippers and 19 paints in one go.
This is the one we hand to most first-timers. Building models is fun; building models you then can't get off the frame because you don't own clippers is a fast route to a shelf of grey plastic.
3. Warhammer 40,000: Starter Set — two armies, the real game
The Starter Set is the proper jumping-on point: two full opposing forces, the complete rules, terrain and everything needed to play games that look and feel like Warhammer 40,000 rather than a tutorial.
Buy this if you already know you're in — especially if you've got a friend, partner or long-suffering sibling to split it with. One box, two armies, two players, done.
4. Complete Starter Bundle — everything, in one delivery
The Complete Starter Bundle takes the Starter Set and adds the painting kit: the Paints + Tools Set, a painting handle and a water pot. Models, rules, terrain, clippers, brushes and paint — nothing else to order, nothing missing when you sit down on a Saturday morning.
It's the box we'd pick if we were starting again from scratch. Buying for two painters? The Two-Player Starter Bundle gives each of you your own Paints + Tools Set, handle and water pot.
Already know which army you want?
If you've read the lore and you're set on a faction, skip the two-army boxes and go straight to a single-force starter instead. Two of 40k's most beginner-friendly armies have their own dedicated entry sets:
- Getting Started with Space Marines — genetically-engineered super-soldiers in power armour. Tough, forgiving to play, and the easiest army in the game to paint badly and still have it look good. Browse the full Space Marines range.
- Getting Started with Orks — gloriously stupid green aliens who live to fight and shout. Forgiving paint jobs, brilliant models, no pressure to be neat. Browse the full Orks range, or read our Orks army analysis.
Want the tools to build it as well? The Space Marines Army Builder and Orks Army Builder bundles each pair a full Combat Patrol with the Paints + Tools Set, a painting handle and a water pot — clippers included, so nothing's missing.
On a tighter budget, the Intercessors + Paints Set and the Ork Boyz + Paints Set give you a squad and its paints for around twenty quid. Perfect as a test drive, or a stocking filler. Add the clippers and 13 more paints with the Space Marines or Orks Painting Taster bundles.
What to buy after your first box
Once the starter box is built, the range opens up. In rough order of size:
- Combat Patrol boxes — a ready-made small army for one specific faction, at a healthy discount over buying the kits separately. The natural second purchase. Browse them in our starter sets collection.
- Battleforce boxes — bigger still, aimed at players expanding an existing force towards a full-sized army.
- Kill Team — 40k's skirmish game. A dozen models a side instead of fifty, games in an hour, and a much cheaper way to try a new faction.
- Age of Sigmar — if the fantasy setting appeals more than the sci-fi one, the same logic applies. See all Warhammer starter sets.
How to paint your first Warhammer 40k miniatures
Painting is where most people fall in love with this hobby, and where most people also panic. You don't need talent and you don't need forty pots of paint. You need five steps.
1. Get the right kit first. A starter brush set, clippers and a few pots will do everything you need. The Warhammer 40,000 Paints + Tools Set is built exactly for this, or grab an Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set and an AK Interactive cutter separately. Browse the full Warhammer Colour range when you're ready to expand.
2. Base coat. Cover the whole model in one solid colour — your army's main colour, or a dark undercoat. Thin your paint with a little water and build it up in two or three light coats rather than one thick one. Thick paint hides detail, and you can't undo it.
3. Shade. A wash — a deliberately thin, dark paint like AK Interactive Black Night — runs into the recesses and creates instant shadow. It is the single biggest improvement per minute of effort in the entire hobby.
4. Drybrush. Load a brush, wipe almost all of it off on a bit of kitchen roll, then flick it lightly across the raised edges. Highlights appear. A metallic works beautifully over armour plating.
5. Detail. Eyes, weapons, purity seals, insignia. A fine brush like the Vallejo AV Detail Definition Set makes this far less frustrating, and a wet palette stops your paint drying out mid-session.
|
Pro tip: paint one model start to finish before you touch the rest of the box. You'll make every mistake once, on a model nobody will ever look at again. |
For the full walkthrough with photos, read How to Build and Paint Your First Warhammer 40k Army, and browse our miniature paint brushes when you're ready for better tools. Not sure what you actually need to buy? Our 11th edition shopping list breaks it down.
Where to buy Warhammer 40k starter sets
We're a genuine bricks-and-mortar hobby shop that also happens to run a very large website, and we sell Warhammer 40k to complete beginners every single week.
- Next-day shipping as standard, Monday to Saturday, with Klarna available if you'd rather spread the cost.
- Over 8,000 products in stock, so your second, third and fortieth purchase are covered too.
- Actual humans who play the game — if you're stuck between two boxes, ask us. Our help centre has the quick answers, or come and see us in store.
|
"My absolute first port of call for my hobby supplies. A first-rate community-based shop with friendly staff and an excellent and ever-growing selection. Highly recommended." — Loaded Dice customer review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Warhammer 40k starter set for beginners?
For most people it's the Beginner's Complete Kit — it's the affordable entry box with the paints and tools included, so there's nothing else to buy. If you already know you're committed, the Complete Starter Bundle gives you two full armies and a painting kit in one delivery.
What's missing from a Warhammer 40k starter set?
Every box in the range assumes you already own clippers — none of them include a pair. Beyond that it varies: the Introductory Set and the £20.99 testers give you Base paints but no Shade, so nothing to make the detail pop; the Starter Set contains no paint, brush or clippers at all. The interactive starter guide shows the gaps for each box individually and prices up filling them.
Do I need to buy anything else with a starter set?
Not to play. Every box above contains models, rules and dice. You'll want clippers, a brush and a few paints to finish the miniatures, which is why the kits that bundle them in are usually better value than buying twice.
Are older Warhammer 40k models still usable in 11th Edition?
Yes. 11th Edition is a streamlining rather than a reboot, so existing models and army books carry straight over. Nothing you buy today becomes obsolete.
How long does it take to paint Warhammer 40k miniatures?
Your first model might take an evening. By the tenth you'll be doing three in the same time. Base coat, wash and drybrush alone gets a model to tabletop standard in well under an hour — the extra hours are optional, and they're the fun part.
Can I play Warhammer 40k on my own?
Building and painting are solo pleasures, and plenty of people never play a game at all. For actual battles you'll want an opponent — a friend, a local club, or the shop. It's a lot more fun with someone across the table swearing at their dice.
What tools do I need to build Warhammer 40k miniatures?
Four things: clippers to cut parts off the sprue, plastic glue for non-push-fit kits, a decent brush set, and paint. Push-fit starter set models don't even need the glue.
