# Thinking of starting Fantasy. Some basic questions!



## jfoodmaster (Jan 9, 2009)

Hey all! 
I've been playing 40k for about 8 months now and I love it. I've been assembling and painting models like a maniac (Tau, Necrons and now Space Marines).
I read White Dwarf and so I get exposed to fantasy too, so I've become interested. I haven't read any rules at all, but a couple of armies look interesting right off the bat. How good are the following armies for fun/light competitive play:
Wood Elves
Dwarfs
Lizardmen

I really think that Lizardmen look cool and I know they just got a new army book. I was thinking of starting with them. What of the above races would be good for a beginner? Also, as a beginner, is a Batallion box a good place to start? They seem to be better than 40k army boxes as far as the range of models included.

Next, what are the general point sizes for a WHFB game?

What else might I want to think about before buying and trying the game?

Thanks!


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Well of the 3 armies you mention, Wood Elves are the least suitable for a beginner as they require the most finesse to play. Not that you wont enjoy them necessarily, but they can be hard to get the hang of. Dwarfs and Lizardmen are both great first armies, particularly Lizardmen as they are very forgiving and allow plenty of different play styles.

If you like the look and feel of Lizardmen then I would say you have made your decision there, but for what it is worth all 3 battalion boxes are a good way to start an army. Dwarfs have the added bonus of being one of the two races in the Battle for Skull Pass starter set. This is a good way to begin an army as it has the rules and so on as well, however with the price rise recently you might be better off fishing for the bits you want from it on ebay.

Points size varies. 1000 points is a really nice size for quick games, 2000 points is the first size that lets you take lord choices (your best 'HQ' choices) and a lot of people insist on 2000+ because of this. Personally I find 3000 points and more to be a little heavy going for fun play as everything takes so damn long, but then some people love to play enormous, all weekend games.


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## jfoodmaster (Jan 9, 2009)

I think I've made my decision too. I really like the look of Lizardmen. I was just hoping that they weren't the army that would require finesse to play. That's why I asked.

I think I'm gonna start with a couple of metal models to see if I like painting them and then move onto the rulebook and Lizardmen army book.

Thanks for your input!


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## swissdictator (Jun 20, 2009)

Lizardmen have just been updated, so you no upcoming changes. They can do well both on the tournament circuit, and are just fine for casual play. I'd say they're a decent beginners army, the cold blooded rule can be a bit forgiving too. 

Dwarfs: Right now regular Dwarfs are... well... they're not that strong (though not terribly weak), but you really won't get the variety you probably should have when starting. The solid leadership and armor is a strength, but most builds are very similar. However, for casual play they're just fine... and have some cool concepts behind them (I love the slayers personally).

Wood Elves: While I personally loath them, I can see why people love them, it's just a fluff issue for me. They can have strong builds, but they play fairly different that I'd shoo people away from them for their first army unless they truly liked the Wood Elves.


Of the three, I would personally recommend the Lizardmen... and if I was just starting fantasy I'd pick them of the three myself. They do allow for some freedom in painting, and there are enough builds that you can run that you can make it your own.

I recommend the book be your second purchase. Reading the background can help inspire you, plus you can get a better grasp of the army and figure range. At the very least, sit down and read it at your Friendly Local Game Store.

Good luck with the Lizards!


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## Darktheos (May 9, 2008)

Having played Wood Elves, Empire, Dwarves, and now back to Wood Elves in that order I almost always point out I stopped playing Wood Elves asd they weren't a good starting army. I just had a friend come from playing only 40k to both and he is doing well starting with Lizardmen.


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## NagashKhemmler (Apr 28, 2009)

Two armies to avoid a lot are TK and wood elves if you aren't experienced, they're probably the two hardest armies to play, up there in the difficult group would be high elves (to a lesser degree) and ogres (to a similar degree).

Lizards are probably one of the easiest armies to play as they're the newest (and according gw's strategy for army books) the most powerful of them all. For a mere aproximate 10 points, you get a mainline troop choice with 2x S4, 4+ save, T4, cold blooded, options for immunity to psychology and spears (for a whopping 21 S4 attacks when charged!). For the price of most armies standard troop choices. On top of that, you get a slaan, which by itself can contribute the equivalent to an entire armies magical arsenal just by itself....As if that wasn't bad enough, add an engine of the gods to the mix and you have a 1d6 S4/5 attack to everyone nearby.....even in combat, mounted on a thing which hits like a freight train, with all crew getting a 2+ save to boot.

Man, so agitating lol. But by and large, lizardmen are currently THE most powerful army in WHFB by far. Not to say they're unbeatable, but they sure put the hurt on everyone! Your odds of victory with them are greater than with any other army and as a new guy that's good.


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## Inquisitor Varrius (Jul 3, 2008)

How can you say that about Ogres? They need less models and painting, and aside from the fact they get get shot to pieces, they're a blast to play. All ogre-bashing aside, go with lizards. They're a nice starting army, and I'll recommend anything to keep someone from playing dwarves. Best of luck with Fantasy, jfood!


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