Picking an Army: A Recap

When choosing a Warhammer 40k army, there are a number of factors to take into consideration. You need to consider things such as the difficulty, paint schemes, and the number of different models/units the army has. Below is a list of my favorite armies, from highest to lowest.

1. Tyranids
2. Necrons
3. Space Wolves
4. Dark Angels
5. Orks
6. Space Marines
7. Chaos Space Marines
8. Grey Knights
9. Chaos Daemons
10. Tau Empire
11. Dark Eldar
12. Imperial Guard
13. Eldar
14. Blood Angels
15. Sisters of Battle

Everyone has different preferences however. If you have access to the Codex (either old or current) for a particular race you are interested in, be sure to check them out to make sure there is a color scheme you like and are skilled enough to do. Old codexes are an invaluable resource for reference material. You can usually scoop them up cheap as soon as the new one comes out.

Next is my list of best races for new painters. This is based mostly on how easily the models can be painted to look good with relatively low skill (I am mostly thinking of basic infantry, as heroes other HQ choices are generally hard to paint regardless of the army). Again, these choices are just my opinion. If you disagree, leave a comment and say why you disagree. As long as you're respectful, I value your opinion!

1. Necrons
2. Space Marines
3. Dark Angels
4. Tau Empire
5. Chaos Space Marines
6. Blood Angels
7. Tyranids
8. Dark Eldar
9. Eldar
10. Grey Knights
11. Sisters of Battle
12. Imperial Guard
13. Space Wolves
14. Orks
15. Chaos Daemons

Still, only take this list as a recommendation. If you are someone new to the hobby and see your favorite army at the bottom of this list, I say you should still go for it. Always pick the army that you are most interested in, because if you don't, it's more likely that you will just give up on painting them altogether. When I started painting, I bought Dark Eldar. Even though they were pretty easy to paint, I gave up on them because I just wasn't interested. I then became super interested in Chaos Space Marines, which then became my new army.

Overview: Pick the army you can see yourself painting. Also, read up on the races. Getting to know the races a little better can allow you to make a more informed decision on a first army. You can always look at the Games Workshop website to see the units from every race. The link to their website is here : Games Workshop

# 15 : Tyranids

Tyranids

 The Tyranids, the Great Devourer, are the greatest threat to both the Imperium of Man and the rest of the galaxy. They have only the sole purpose of consuming all genetic and biological material in the universe for reproduction. Origination from some distant galaxy, the Tyranids are believed to have already destroyed thousands of galaxies and millions of intelligent species. Controlled by a collective "Hive Mind", individual tyranid organisms are generally mindless, instinctive creatures. They have to be controlled by Syanapse creatures, usually larger Tyranids such as Hive Tyrants, warriors, zoanthropes, etc. The Tyranid race is constantly morphing, evolving to better suit its needs. This makes them lethal to any fighting force. Additional information can be found here : Tyranid - Lexicanum. I advise anyone to read that article, as I can only explain them so well, and they are a race with extremely complex physiology.

Tyranids are definitely my favorite race. Not only do they have a near-infinite number of color schemes, they are easily converted. Even entirely new models can be created, because of the dynamic nature of the race. The more common hive fleets (Behemoth, Leviathan, Kraken) are pretty easy to paint, and there are numerous other hive fleets with color schemes ranging from easy to very difficult. They are a race with something for everyone.

Overview: Give Tyranids a look. Even if you don't chose them as an army, they are still awesome.

#14 : Tau Empire

Tau Empire

 When Imperial scouts discovered a new race in the outskirts of the Imperium that had just created fire and mastered simple tools, the world had been labeled for cleansing and colonization by the Imperium. But before this could occur, the planet became surrounded by a giant Warp-storm that lasted 6,000 year. By the time the Imperium revisited the planet, they faced technology unparalleled in all the galaxy.
The Tau evolved extremely quickly. With resources limited, those who employed tools and developed superior weaponry survived. The race split into four castes: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, each group was named for the element that best described their behavior. Civil war erupted, and a divided Tau struggled for survival. Then came the Ethereals, Tau who spoke of peace and understanding between the entire race. The Tau  united behind them, creating the beginning to a great civilization.

A relatively young race, the Tau emphasize the "Greater Good" above all else. Unable to access the Warp, Tau are unable to aggressively expand their empire due to their incapability to travel long distances quickly. The Imperium have an uneasy relationship with the Tau, but they are more occupied with wars against Chaos and the Orks to be bothered with the Tau. More information on the Tau can be found here :   Tau - Lexicanum

 The Tau are a good race for beginners and advanced hobbyists. Their basic color scheme of brown, white and black can be achieved with relative ease, while some of their more advanced color schemes seen in their codex take more skill. With Battlesuits, infantry, drones and tank-like ships, along with the very unique Kroot, a Tau army can be equipped with any number of different units.

#13 : Necrons

Necrons

 A legion of undead warriors made of living metal, the Necrons are indeed fearsome. They were once human, but in an epic battle against the immortal Old Ones millions of years ago, they sold their souls to the almighty C'tan, also known as the Star Gods. Becoming nearly indestructible upon receiving their immortal bodies, the Necrons, alongside the C'tan, destroyed the Old Ones in a purge that destroyed whole star systems. Upon accomplishing their goal, the Necrons turned on the C'tan. However, the C'tan could not be truly defeated, and were instead shattered into numerous shards and spread across the universe. The Necrons, with their forces severely depleted, could not stand up to the rising forces of the Eldar. The Necron king, Szarekh, decided to transform all Necron cities into giant tomb worlds, where the Necron race  would sleep for 60 million years, only to emerge and conquer the universe, restoring their dynasties to their former glory. Now, in the 41st Millennia, their numbers are rising from the tomb worlds. Although some worlds have been destroyed or populated by other species, the Necrons are slowly regrouping, and will not stop until their final goal is achieved.

-Side Note- The Old Ones are said to have created both the Orks and the Eldar in an effort to destroy the Necrons.

A Necron cannot ever be destroyed. Each of them possess an internal repair system, capable all but the most grievous of wounds. If their metal body sustains irreparable damage, it merely "phases out", and is teleported to the nearest tomb complex to await repair. Additional information on the Necrons can be found here: Necron - Lexicanum

In my opinion, the Necrons are among the best of starting races. Making a Necron model look good is as simple as a layer of Leadbelcher (also called boltgun metal), and maybe a wash of Nuln Oil (or Badab Black or even just a very thinned black paint). But for the more advanced painters, additional color schemes can be used/ created. The Codex: Necrons contains many other paint schemes ranging from simple to complex.

Overview: Great starting race. Cool to paint. Just generally awesome.

#12 : Dark Eldar

Dark Eldar

The Dark Eldar, the evil cousins the the Eldar, first appeared at the "Fall of the Eldar", when the god Slaanesh consumed the souls of trillions of Eldar. Before that time, the Dark Eldar resided in the giant city of Commorragh, tucked inside the Webway, a vast network or passageways through the Warp. Commorragh was protected from the havoc wrought by the birth of Slaanesh, but its residents soon found their souls being slowly claimed by the chaos god. They also found that if they absorbed the pain and torment from another's soul, they could escape the effects of time. As long as they fed on the souls of prisoners, they could live forever. From that point on, they were doomed to a life of piracy. The Dark Eldar perform sneak attacks, capturing as many hostages as they can, and disappear into the Webway, emerging at Commorragh to torture and sacrifice their victims. Additional information on the Dark Eldar can be found here:  Dark Eldar - Lexicanum

The Dark Eldar have a decent number of units, and also a decent number of color schemes. Their basic infantry can be painted rather easily, but their more advanced units (Grotesques, Wracks, other beasts) take some more time and effort. Their tactics are slightly more complex than most, and winning a battle with them might take some practice. I would recommend Dark Eldar to beginner/advanced to advanced gamers.

#11 : Eldar

Eldar

 Once the greatest race in the universe, the Eldar succumbed to their desires, resulting in the "Fall of the Eldar". The Chaos god Slaanesh was born through the Eldar vices, and it's birth consumed the souls of the majority of the Eldar race. The result torn a hole in space, resulting in a perpetual Warp-storm known as the Eye of Terror. With the majority of the Eldar wiped out, the survivors sought refuge on giant world-sized ships known as Craftworlds. They are now a broken people, without a purpose. With their numbers dwindling, the Eldar roam the universe in search of a way to restore their noble race to its former glory.

Eldar, similar to Space Marines, have innumerable color schemes. You may choose many of the ones shown in Codex: Eldar or even create your own. They are a great army for beginners through advanced, as their color schemes range from the most basic to the most detailed (The eldar farseer shown to the right illustrates a very detailed and colorful figure).

Overview: Eldar are a good army for any painter. You can choose the difficulty of the color scheme, which is great for people who like their models either very simple or extremely detailed and complex.

#10 : Orks

The Xenos Threat

On to some of the more interesting races of Warhammer 40k....

Orks

Spread across nearly every planet in the universe, the Ork race outnumbers any other race. However, due to their war-like nature, they are split into numerous warbands, and would surely conquer the universe should they ever choose to unite.

Although the initial history of Orks is unknown, it is believed that they were engineered by an ultra-intelligent race for the purpose of universal domination. They possess an innate knowledge of mechanics and engineering on an instinctive level. This allows groups of feral orks, who have spawned in a new area or planet, to form a tribe capable of constructing weapons and war-machines. Their anatomy and physiology is a combination of animal and fungus. As an Ork grows, it released spores into the ground, which grow into Orks or Gretchins after some years. A planet that is infested with Orks will be so forever, and spores can travel across galaxies on a traveler's shoe. 

Orks, unlike most other races, grow their entire lives. An ork tribe is lead by the largest of the group, who changes periodically. Being an extremely aggressive race, Orks fight among themselves until a worthy leader emerges to initiate a Waaaaagh!, a massive unification of ork tribes for a single purpose. The orks will continue their Waaaagh! until a significant number of the orks have died or there are no enemies left to fight. Additional info on the Orks can be found here: Ork - Lexicanum

Orks are a cool race. A general ork army has a lot of units, so be sure that you like painting before you chose them. They have only a few color schemes, but they look great when you do them correctly. You could also try creating your own color scheme, like the one shown above, but it is a little harder then with some other races, like Chaos Space Marines or Imperial Guard.

Overview: Orks are a good race for both intermediate and advanced painters. They are ok for newbies, but be patient as the first few might not look so great.

#9 : Chaos Daemons

Chaos Daemons

 Servants to gods of Chaos, Daemons are created by a fraction of a Chaos god's own power, and can be absorbed back into the god at whim. Each of the four major Chaos gods gains its power from the emotions of mortal beings. Daemons cannot exist in realspace for long periods of time, and are banished to the Warp (an immaterial dimension) upon death. Needing human psychers to open Rift Gates to real space, Daemons very often ally themselves with Chaos Space Marines. A Daemon can also possess a mortal body, bending the host to their will, or opening a Rift Gate using their soul. The opening of these gates can cause distortion of the real space, and cause sometimes consume entire planets.

Chaos Daemons have many different types of units, including Greater Daemons, Lesser Daemons, Steeds and Beasts aligned with each of the four major gods. The four major Gods of Chaos are as follows:

-Khorne,  the Blood God, specializes in ruin and rage
-Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways, is linked to sorcery and magic
-Nurgle, the Great Lord of Decay, represents disease and plague
-Slaanesh, the Prince of Excess, is the lord of pain, pleasure, lust and greed

Chaos Daemons are almost as cool Chaos Space Marines. Their paint schemes are a little bit more difficult, but they do look great when they are well painted. Daemons are for a little more advanced painter, but the payoff is great. I recommend them for pretty much anyone.

#8 : Chaos Space Marines

Forces of Chaos

Finally departing from the Imperium of Man, we move on to the forces of Chaos. 

Chaos Space Marines

             

Once all men loyal to the Emperor, the Chaos Space Marines are now twisted, mutated beings, dedicated only to inflicting pain and misery upon the universe.

The origin of the Chaos Space Marines is one of treachery and betrayal. When the Emperor saw the doom of mankind approaching, he began the Primarch program, creating twenty super-humans out of his own genetic code. The Chaos gods, jealous of the Emperors power, scattered the Primarchs across the Universe, sowing the seeds for greatness and betrayal. As the Emperor discovered the Primarchs one by one on his conquest of the galaxy, giving each of the twenty Primarchs a Space Marine legion of their own. The Emperor had a fighting force that was unstoppable, and he had no idea his biggest enemy was his own army.

Lead by the most most praised of the Primarchs, Horus, fully half of the twenty Space Marine Legions betrayed the Emperor, launching a full-scale attack on Earth. At the end of an epic battle, Horus lay dead and the Emperor lay mortally wounded. The traitor legions abandoned their siege of Earth and fled.  What followed was "The Scouring", a witch-hunt throughout the galaxy for all those still loyal to Chaos. The traitors were hounded into the 'Eye of Terror', a giant warp storm light-years wide. There, the traitor legions found themselves under contorted and corrupted, creating a race of evil renegades, made of rage and fury - the Chaos Space Marines
For more information on the Horus Heresy and the Chaos Space Marines, look here : Horus Heresy - Lexicanum   Chaos Space Marines - Lexicanum


 

The Chaos Space Marines are a great race. Not only do they have a lot of great units, including some from the new Dark Vengeance box set, they have innumerable painting schemes and can be allies with the Chaos Demons (almost as awesome). Also, they are very easily converted. Because Chaos Space Marines can have mutated limbs, Nurgle's Rot spewing out of their armor, or extra weapons growing from their bodies, this makes green stuff (a modeling epoxy used for converting) very useful.

Overview: Chaos Space Marines are a lot of fun. They are a little harder to paint than their Imperial brethren, but not by much, and have just as many color schemes. A great choice for new and veteran gamers alike.

#7 : Sisters of Battle

Sisters of Battle

 Also known as the Adepta Sororitas, the Sisters of Battle are the all-female subdivision of the Inquisition. Their chief duty is to defend the many shrines and fortress-cathedrals throughout the Imperium, as well as their sacred relics. Also, the Sisters of Battle are called upon to escort hierarchs through war zones, eliminate heretical leaders and launch surgical strikes to recover long-lost artifacts from enemy hands. Additional information on the Sisters of Battle can be found here : Adepta Sororitas - Lexicanum

I don't know a whole lot about the Sisters of Battle. What I do know is that they don't have that many units. The squad shown above is one of the only ones they have. Their paint schemes however, are relatively simplistic. I think they are a great pair with the Imperial Guard, now that the new Warhammer 40k rules allow allies.


Overview: The Sisters of Battle, in my opinion, are a little boring. With so few units and a boring paint scheme, they are just not for me. The only way I would use them is as a supplement to Imperial Guard. 

#6 : Imperial Guard

Imperial Guard

The "Hammer of the Emperor", the Imperial Guard, are the main and most numerous fighting force of Mankind. Scattered across the universe, divided into countless armies, the Imperial Guard are concentrated mostly where the fighting is most fierce. With hundreds to thousands of infantry, battle tanks and thunderous artillery, the Imperial Guard crush the foes of the Imperium with brute force.

The  Imperial Guard probably have more  units than any other army. With regular infantry, Catachan fighters, Ogryns, Kasrkin Squads, Sentinels, Valkyries, and tons of tanks, you have so many choices if you choose to paint Imperial Guard. 

Painting Imperial Guard can be pretty difficult. Besides the basic infantry, the armor on most of the units is pretty detailed and hard to paint. Also, faces are very, very difficult to paint ( at least for me - I have never painted a face that looked even close to human). And because almost all infantry units have uncovered faces, you will run into this problem a lot. In my opinion, a model with a poorly painted face makes the whole model look bad.

Overview: An Imperial Guard army has a lot of models, so you should only choose them if you really like painting. I would also recommend them to more advanced painters, as most of their units take some skill to paint correctly.

#5 : Grey Knights

Other forces of the Imperium

Finally, we are done with Space Marines, and onto the other forces of Man. 

Grey Knights

Started at the Second Founding, the Grey Knights are technically the 666th chapter of the Space Marines. They were created to combat the powers of chaos and corruption throughout the Imperium. In over 10,000 years, not a single member of the chapter has ever defected to Chaos. They are not descendants of a Primarch, but instead the Emperor himself. With numbers of only approximately 1000, they are an elite fighting force with exceptional psychic powers. Additional information of the Grey Knights can be found here:  Grey Knights - Lexicanum

Grey Knights, even though I think they are exceptionally awesome, are in my opinion not that great of an army in terms of painting. They don't have that many units (the ones pictured above are about all they have). Also, the shown color scheme is pretty much the only one they have. Making a model look good with only silver and darker silver is pretty difficult.


Overview: Grey Knights are super cool, but in my opinion they are for more advanced hobbyists (with so many of their models looking the same, conversions are a must-have in order prevent them being too boring).

#4 : Space Wolves

Space Wolves

    

The Space Wolves are a very independent chapter that has been around since the first founding.  Their homeworld, Fenris, is a world of fire and ice. The wildlife on Fenris has been determined to be the most dangerous on any planet, making the planet's inhabitants battle-hardened and ferocious. One of the most deadly creatures in the universe, the Fenrisian Wolves, fight alongside the Space Wolves. They can grow up to the size of a small horse, and the Thunderwolf, the apex predator of Fenris, can grow up to 8 feet in height.

The Space Wolves are my favorite Space Marine chapter. Although I don't own as many of them as I want to, they are a great race with lots of variety. In my opinion, they are an army for more advanced painters, as it is slightly difficult to make the light blues, yellows, and browns of their armor look good.

Overview: If you are an intermediate/advanced painter, give the Space Wolves a look. Even if you are a beginner, still give them a look. 

#3 : Dark Angels

Dark Angels

The Dark Angels were the first of the Space Marine chapters. Started by the Primarch Lion El'Jonson on the Death World of Caliban, the Dark Angels fell from grace, due to a horrendous betrayal, around the time of Horus Heresy. Only the innermost members of the chapter know the true nature of this incident, but it destroyed their home planet and nearly shattered the entire chapter. Their honor forever tainted in their own eyes, the Dark Angels strive for redemption and restoration of their honor. More information of the Dark Angels can be found here:  Dark Angels - Lexicanum

The Dark Angels are a great race in general. They have lots of miniatures (lots of new ones, including lots from the new Dark Vengeance box set and from their new codex). With Deathwing squads and lots of great vehicles, there are a great variety of units. They are very easy to paint decently well, and not so difficult to make look really good. 

Overview: Dark Angels are a great army, both for newcomers and veterans. Simple as that.

# 2 : Blood Angels

Blood Angels

 

The Blood Angels, one of the original Space Marine Chapters, was started by the Primarch Sanguinius. They excel at close combat fighting, and are well known for their bloodthirsty nature. Recruiting mostly from their home planet Baal and the surrounding moons, the Blood Angels convert their initiates in the same fashion as any other Space Marine Chapter.   Additional information can be read here:   Blood Angel - Lexicanum

The Blood Angels, very similar to the Ultramarines, are very simple to paint and play with. Their tactics are straightforward, and their color scheme involves mostly red, black, and some yellow. This does not, however, make them boring to paint. As you can see from the above photos, a very detailed miniature can be attained using just those colors (and a few more). 

Overview:  The Blood Angels, like all other Space Marine Chapters, are a great starting race. They are easy to paint, simple to play with, and overall a great army.