# starting a warhammer fantasy army



## Silb

I've been playing 40k for a while and I'm thinking about starting to play fantasy. What army should I start with? I was thinking either hordes of chaos or the army that uses zombies (I forget what it's called). Also, what heros and core choices should I get for those armies? Lastly, should I get the Battle For Skull Pass boxed set or should I just get the rulebook?


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## Green Knight

Get the new vampire counts they look so cool. To get started the spear head set and the rule book. The spear head set will enable you to play 1000 point games. Make shore you know the rules up side down and back to front. as well this watch a battle before you start.


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## swntzu

I suggest the complete opposite.

Spending over a ton on a bunch of models that you may not even like is an extremely bad idea.

Go into your local GW, have a chat with a staff member who knows you (i.e. one that won't bombard you with sales pitch) and get an intro game.

After this look at all the races on the website and in store, have a look at some models and speak to some players of the races that you like the look of.

By this time, you should have a good idea of what race you want to play. Only now should you buy stuff. I would recommend a regiment box. This way you can get out quickly if you do not like the race.


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## Archangel

Do what swntzu said. Right now I have boxes of Wood Elves, Bretonnians and Skeleton Warriors for no reason.


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## Hespithe

Yup... Vampire Counts woud be a better choice than Hordes of Chaos (or any Chaos army out right now) as Chaos is next to be revamped and any purchases you make now you may regret later. VC, being the new book on the block, are the safest bet in the game, and have some great modeling and gaming potential.

But, as Swn said, getting a better idea of what you're getting into is ideal. And, don't be sucked in by all the hype. Oftentimes, the big shiney boxed sets are not worth your time. Talk to the local store staff ( if you feel they can be trusted ), and also the local veterans... Ask questions about the armies you have visual interest in, ignoring the rest. Of those, start thinking about how you would like to play your army while watching other games in progress. You'll notice how different gaming styles work out in actualy play, and which armies can successfully pull off which styles. Then, having narrowed down your army choices, you have just that, a choice.

I recommend starting in 500pt blocks, just like the WHFB Rule Book says... and for the same reasons...

BFSP is a great deal, with rules, templates and dice (some not found in 40K) as well as two reasonable armies and lots of spare bitz. If you find that you'll not play either army, ask if there is someone willing to trade for the models, or even go in halvsies with you on the price of the box. Or, even better yet, use all the bitz to make a Chaos Dwarf army! (check the Warhammer Army Tourney for more info on them, lol.)


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## Death Jester

well i think you should get skull pass cause the dwarfs with that you can have a 750 point army straight off and if you go to a beginners day you can possibly swap witha kid startin gobbos

any way a basic skull pass for me would work out like this

12 warriors with sheilds and command-133

10 thunderers with sheilds and command-175

1 cannon and crew-90

thane-65

dragon slayer-50

8 miners with command-113

total- 646 basick so you could just then add a few runes 106 points worth and play 750 nad you could add other things from unit profiles so you could have a nice rounded 750 straight off all you need is the codex


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## Death Jester

Sorry for the double post but this is what i would do for 750 out of skull pass

heros
thane-65
great weapon-4
master rune of gromil-25
master rune of swiftness-25
total 119

dragon slayer-50
rune of fury-25
rune of striking-10
total-85

core units
12 warriors with sheilds and command-133

10 thunderers with sheilds and command-175

Special units
1 cannon and crew-90
rune of fordgeing-35
total 125

8 miners with command-113

total 750


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## Lord Sinkoran

Just get the rule book skull pass is terrible. Vimpire counts would be the sensible choice they have just been re-done and chaos are going to be done soon probaly


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## Death Jester

They are doing a Chaos Deamon Codex for Fantasy, and as for Vamps, yes, they are good but exspensive to start. A Dwarf Skull Pass is a good start to cheaply get you into the game and then once you are experienced enough start Vamps.


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## Pandawithissues...

> they are doing a chaos deamon codex for fantasy and as for vamps yes they are good but exspensive to start a dwarf skull pass is a good start to cheaply get you into the game and once you are experienced enough start vamps


They're not doing a demon army book for fantasy, its a codex for 40k.

Skull pass is a poor choice if the models and armies in it don't interest you, however, a trade deal is good if you can find someone willing.

As far as I was aware, the next army to be redone is not Chaos, its dark elves, with chaos after that.
http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5573
Neither army is a bad choice though, as they aren't likely to alter many of the miniatures, particularly the dark elves. They'll get new plastics, and get the HE character treatment, but that's all. Chaos will probably get new marauders, and HE character treatment, so neither is a bad choice.


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## Death Jester

Pandawithissues... said:


> They're not doing a demon army book for fantasy, its a codex for 40k.
> 
> .


its in this months white dwarf the march issue quote 

"This may sees the arrivel of a true games workshop event. We're realesing Warhammer Armies: Deamons of cahos and codex:chaos deamons at the same time" they are relesing a 40,000 and fantasy deamon codex they also show off the new blood letters unit and really nice deamonetts. so ha!


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## Hespithe

Yup... Daemons for both, at the same time! With a little ingenuity, you can get two armies for the price of one! Just makes you wonder if either will be any good, or too good...


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## Pandawithissues...

I stand corrected

Shame about the new models though.



> really nice deamonetts


There's where you lost my respect  they are uke:


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## Death Jester

well i prefer the old ones but these ones look morelike humans who were sucked into warp and mutated


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## neilbatte

ugly or not they are plastic so should be at least almost affordable who here would be happy buying even 1 unit of 20 metal deamons let alone a full army


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## Death Jester

not me thats for sure


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## Pandawithissues...

> ugly or not they are plastic so should be at least almost affordable who here would be happy buying even 1 unit of 20 metal deamons let alone a full army


I would.

I'd rather buy something i like and spend more, than spend less nd have something that looks like dog excrement.


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## Death Jester

meh i dont even play anything with deamons anyway i dont care lol


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## neilbatte

the new deamons just mean my deamon hunters will finally have something to kill


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## Silb

I know that daemons are getting a new army book but if I do start a chaos army I want it to be a mortal chaos army (I really like the look of the chaos warriors). Are they getting a new army book soon? Vampire Counts also seems like a good army (who doesn't like having a horde of zombies and skeletons?). Since I like the looks of both armies' models equally, I want to start the army that is most effective (and easy to use) in games. I've already looked at what it says about both armies on the Games Workshop website, but I still can't decide. 

Also, are there any dice or templates that are in the Battle For Skull Pass set that aren't something a 40k player would have? And if so, how much would it cost to get those dice/templates?


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## Pandawithissues...

> Also, are there any dice or templates that are in the Battle For Skull Pass set that aren't something a 40k player would have? And if so, how much would it cost to get those dice/templates?


Not as far as I can remember.

It is rumoured mortal chaos will be getting a new book around the end of the year. The chaos warrior models probably wont be changing much, if at all. Chaos will be easier for a beginner to use, as well as requiring less models to buy and paint.

Here's a reason NOT to buy the Vamps: The skeletons are now sold in boxes of 10, which is nowhere near enough to be effective. Chaos warriors are sold in boxes of 12, which is easily enough to bring the pain...


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## Hespithe

Also keep in mind that Skellies are easily picked up from Ebay by the horde.

Yup, Hordes of Chaos (Mortals) is on the list for release during this year.

As for the box set pieces... the only thing that WHFB uses that 40K does not is the Artillery Die. This one as the numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and a 'Misfire' symbol. It is mainly for use with warmachines, tough some other units like Ogre Kingdoms Leadbelchers use it as well. These can be purchased separately, I believe, and are also sold is dice sets by GW.


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## swntzu

There's the artillery dice but I'm sure a friend will have a spare one.


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## Silb

Wow, no one has posted on this thread for a while and nobody has answered my question about what heroes and core choices are good for Vampire Counts or Hordes of Chaos.


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## asianavatar

The mortal chaos rules that are coming seem to be a white dwarf thing, kind of like the BA article. Heard chosen knights are dropping in points.

Not sure about chaos, but for Vamps your main core are pretty much all skeletons. Maybe a unit of zombies just to hold stuff up and a unit of dire wolves for flank charges. A corpse cart might be useful too. But the Vamp army becomes great with its characters and Elites and special. You can easily give a unit of grave guard a banner with regen along with raise, just an example. Think a unit of 20 grave guard with a vamp, in CC armour save on 4+, 5+ ward plus regen. Than if that fails, just raise em again next turn.


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## swntzu

Interesting. Free rules are always good.

Good heroes for vampire counts are, well, vampires! They can cast and fight but do be wary of spending too many points on them. A wight king is always good for the killing blow but his statline is not so good.


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