Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review - The Perfect Start

Ever wanted to try out Warhammer 40K, but find the thought of getting into the hobby daunting? The folks at Games Workshop understand your plight, and have created a new starter set just for you! We got a chance to check a brand new way to get into the game, courtesy of Games Workshop, so check out our Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review to learn more!

Want to learn more about Warhammer 40K? We've got a Warhammer 40K Guide that speaks about the game, the lore, and what the newest edition of the game changes from previous releases! Catch up there, then jump back into our Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review!

Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review - What's In The Box?

Let's start with a look at what's included in the Warhammer 40K Introductory Set. This box comes with everything you need to begin jumping not just into the game itself, but into the hobby as a whole. Included in the Introductory Set is:

• 5 Infernus Space Marines
• 10 Termagants and 1 Ripper Swarm
• Clippers
• 1 paint brush
• 5x Citdel paints
• 48-page introductory set handbook
• 1 double-sided game mat
• 6 six-sided dice
• 1 ruler
• Assorted tokens

That's a lot of the core materials you'll need to begin your Warhammer 40K adventure, but let's now dive into how you use the box set, and who it's for.

Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review - How To Use The Set

If you're completely new to wargaming, the first thing you'll likely notice when diving into the Warhammer 40K Introductory Set is that the models are all broken up on sprues. This means that, instead of opening the box and seeing five fully-constructed Space Marines waiting for you, you'll have to assemble them.

What's so nice about the Introductory Set is that these models are all push-fit. Traditionally, Warhammer 40K models need to have their parts all glued together with plastic glue (or, if you have the patience of a saint, with superglue). But with push fit models, you simply snip them from the sprue and interlock the pieces together and onto the base.

The big surprise for me when opening this Introductory Set was the inclusion of clippers used to clip the pieces from said sprue. Don't quote me on this, but I don't think Games Workshop's ever included clippers in a set with models before. Though it may seem like a small inclusion, not having clippers when you don't realize you'll need them (say, for instance, if this was a gift from a parent) can be a real drag.

That dedication to ensuring there are no hurdles to your gaming experience shows what I see as a new shift in thinking on Games Workshop's part.

With clear instructions on how to build the models, the guide book included in the set then goes on to show you how to paint them. Using just the five paints included in the Introductory Set, even a terrible painter like me was able to get a few table-ready models painted up in time for this review.

From there, the guidebook tells you the lore of both the Space Marines and the Tyranids, and then jumps into explaining a very, very streamlined and simplified version of the rules.

It explains the basics of moving and making attacks, and has you walk through a few step by step scenarios to explain the core concepts of Warhammer 40K.

By the end, you'll have built, painted, and played a few simple games of Warhammer 40K using only items found in this box! 

Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review - What It's Not

Also important to understanding the Warhammer 40K Introductory Set is understanding what it doesn't do, and doesn't include. This truly is a product meant for absolute newcomers to the game - and to wargaming as an entire hobby. But as it serves as an entry point, it is very streamlined.

The Warhammer 40K Introductory Set does not include the full rules to play a proper game of Warhammer 40K. Instead, it describes the basic mechanics of the core phases of the game. It also doesn't include the full data sheets (the rules that explain all the stats and special abilities of various models), and the data sheets included are very bare bones.

All that being said, this is all, in my opinion, crucial to onboarding new players. Being presented with the entirety of the rules of Warhammer 40K, or seeing a data sheet full of terms you don't understand, would immediately bounce many newcomers right off the game.

Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review - Final Thoughts

As I'd mentioned earlier in this Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review, I think this box set heralds a new way of thinking from Games Workshop about how they want to appeal to new players. This set is also releasing alongside a more robust Starter Set, and a fully kitted out Ultimate Starter Set, so there's a right entry point for all kinds of gamers.

With paints and a paintbrush, clippers, tokens you literally cut with scissors out of the cardboard lining from the box, and a fun but manageable assortment of miniatures, I think its safe to say this is the most successful entry into the world of Warhammer Games Workshop has ever produced.

Warhammer 40K Introductory Set Review - Should I Buy It?

If you've never touched Warhammer before - or haven't played since you were a kid - this is absolutely the right set for you. If you've already got some of the tools, are vaguely familiar with the rules, or just think you're up for a deeper dive, one of the larger Starter Sets released alongside this one might be better for you.

The copy of the Warhammer 40K Introductory Set used in the creation of this review was provided by the author. It was built, painted, and playtested by the author over 10+ hours of gaming and hobby time. All photographs, except where noted in the captions, courtesy the author.