This guide explains the differences between all the Warhammer 40k starter sets, including their cost, contents, and which set is right for you or the person you’re getting a gift for, and the other ways you can get started with the ultimate sci-fi miniatures game.

New 40k players can feel bombarded with confusing questions: which Warhammer 40k faction should I play? What is a Warhammer 40k codex and why should I get one? Come to think of it, what is Warhammer 40k, anyway, and why are Space Marines‘ shoulders so big?

Fortunately, all the different Warhammer 40k starter sets do a good job of introducing new players to the game. Some allow you to dip your toes into the shallow end of the hobby, others will help you dive in head first – it just depends on what you want to do and what your budget is.

Here are all the different Warhammer 40k starter sets and ways to get started:

Warhammer 40k 10th edition launch box set
Warhammer 40k Introductory Set
Warhammer 40k Starter Set
Warhammer 40k Ultimate Starter Set
Warhammer 40k Space Marine: The Board Game
Warhammer 40k Combat Patrols

Warhammer 40k 10th edition launch box set

A new edition of Warhammer 40k launched this Summer, and Games Workshop released a new Warhammer 40k 10th edition launch box set to go along with it, called Leviathan.

Leviathan contains: 25 Space Marines; 47 Tyranids; a 392-page hardback rulebook that contains the Leviathan narrative campaign, background, and the core rules; and a deck of mission cards. Check out our article for a full rundown of everything inside Leviathan.

Leviathan cost $250 / $150, and in our Leviathan review we found it was well worth the price – provided you’re certain you want to dive in to Warhammer 40k with both feet.

Warhammer 40k Introductory Set

The Warhammer 40k Introductory set costs $65 (£40) and contains:

Citadel paints for miniatures x 5
Paint brush
Model clippers
Tyranid termagants x 10
Tyranid ripper swarm x 1
Space Marine Infernus marines x 5
Dice
Range ruler
Paper battlemat
Rules handbook

This is intended to get new hobbyists started and it really is a complete package, with everything they need to start building and painting miniatures, as well as introductory rules to get playing.

Warhammer 40k Starter Set

The Warhammer 40k starter set costs $110 (£65) and provides two small armies for the Tyranids and Space Marines, as well as dice, measuring ruler, the game’s core rules, a cardboard gaming board, and a handbook. It contains these 39 models:

Space Marine Infernus marines x 5
Space Marine terminators x 5
Space Marine terminator teleport homer beacon x1
Space Marine terminator captain x 1
Tyranid termagants x 20
Tyranid ripper swarm x 2
Tyranid Von Ryman’s Leapers x 3
Tryanid Psychovore x 1
Tyranid Winged Tyranid Prime x 1

Warhammer 40k Ultimate Starter Set

The Warhammer 40k Ultimate Starter Set costs $210 (£125) and contains two full combat patrol armies of Tyranids and Space Marines, as well as dice, measuring ruler, the game’s core rules, a handbook, two cardboard gaming mats, and a set of wargames terrain for your forces to battle over. It contains these 41 models:

Space Marine Infernus marines x 5
Space Marine terminators x 5
Space Marine terminator teleport homer beacon x1
Space Marine terminator captain x 1
Space Marine terminator librarian x 1
Tyranid termagants x 20
Tyranid ripper swarm x 2
Tyranid Von Ryman’s Leapers x 3
Tryanid Psychovore x 1
Tyranid Winged Tyranid Prime x 1
Tyranid Barbgaunts x 5

Warhammer 40k Space Marine: The Board Game

Warhammer 40k Space Marine: The Board Game isn’t really a board game – it’s a starter set for Warhammer 40k 10th edition with a simplified version of the rules. It’s available exclusively in Target stores in the US, though GW says “a similar set will be coming to other territories at a later date”. The box costs $39.99 and contains these 23 models:

Lieutenant Titus
Tyranid termagants x 20
Tyranid ripper swarm x 2

It also comes with dice, a fold-out battlefield board, a plastic range ruler, and simple rules.

Warhammer 40k Combat Patrols

Warhammer 40k Combat Patrol boxes are army starter sets. They retail for around $135 (£80) and provide enough models to field a small force – enough to play a small game with, and a good start for a fully fledged army.

Even better, as Games Workshop will make the rules for Warhammer 40k 10th edition free on launch, you can pick up a Combat Patrol and get straight into the fight. 10th edition will even have a dedicated Combat Patrol mode: you and your opponent each turn up with the contents of one Combat Patrol box, and have at it!

Just about every Warhammer 40k faction has a Combat Patrol box, each with their own range of units, rules, play style, lore, and background.

First, there are the Imperium factions – those aligned with the galaxy-spanning empire of Mankind. If you’re a true servant of humanity, you may well want to build an army of Space Marines – or form a band of more elite battle brothers from among the towering, gold-clad Adeptus Custodes; the alien-stalking special operatives of the Deathwatch; or the psychic daemon hunters of the Grey Knights.

Or, if hulking super-soldiers don’t appeal, you might prefer the cyborg tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus; the hyper-religious battle-nuns of the Sisters of Battle; or foot-slogging infantry and tanks of the Astra Militarum armies. If all else fails, roll out the big guns and take on an army of hulking, robotic Imperial Knights. We’ll categorise the Leagues of Votann – a dwarf-like descendent from the human species – as an Imperial faction for now.

Then we have the Chaos factions – the twisted followers of the dark gods of the Warp. You might take a shine to the Chaos Space Marines – corrupted mirror images of their loyalist brothers – the disease-ridden Death Guard, sorcerous Thousand Sons, or blood crazed World Eaters legions. Take a step deeper into the Warp, however, and you might collect an army of Chaos Daemons, or the terrifying Chaos Knights.

Finally, there are the Xenos factions – the various deadly alien races living in our galaxy. You may wish to lead murderous piratical raids of Drukhari gunboats, or steer a warhost of proud, ancient, psychic Aeldari. You could lay waste to planets as mighty warboss of a wild, untamed Ork Waaagh!, or simply consume all life in your path, at the head of a merciless Tyranid hive fleet.

As Overlord of your own Necron Dynasty, your deathless, soulless robot warriors could sweep the galaxy – or, as a Commander of the high-tech T’au Empire, you could blast them all to wreckage with spectacular firepower. Lastly (for now, at least), you could always lead an uprising of the insidious Genestealer Cults, mutating and indoctrinating the downtrodden underclasses of humanity into alien guerilla revolutionaries. The choice is yours.