Total newb, looking to buy my first set, have some questions!

[Denmaster]

Hi there, I'm a complete beginner and own no miniatures at the moment and have played nothing but the total war games (which I own both of) and have been interested for quite some time now of buying a starting kit to build an army. I've done a few hours worth of research but am finding it difficult to find all the information I need to start in one place so I have some questions! 

First off, I'm looking at first buying the stormcast vs khorne set as it gives me two armies at a fair price so I could play with a friend. I would like to own two armies eventually and build them consecutively hoping to eventually be khorne + tzeench and stormcast + kharadron overlords. 

Mostly curious if the khorne vs stormcast set would be the best starting place for that, or if I should buy the individual starting sets first (more interested in the vanguard than externals set) and if those combinations would even work together. 

Lastly just wondering what all exactly in addition to my starting army I will need to buy to get fully started in a game. 

Thanks alot for any and all help! 

[Kramer]

Hi man! Welcome first of all!

couple of exciting changes coming in the next couple of weeks that might influence your descision. A new edition is coming and is most likely accompanied by a new starter set of stormcast vs nighthaunt.  Check this out! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/05/14/14th-may-faction-focus-nighthauntgw-homepage-post-3/

&

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/05/15/15th-may-faction-focus-stormcast-eternalsgw-homepage-post-3/

but if you like the Varanguard models you might consider the stormcast vs nurgle box.  (Which is close to impossible to find unless you know the name) https://www.games-workshop.com/en-NL/Age-Of-Sigmar-Blight-War-2017-eng

All would be great fun to start out with. So go which you think looks coolest and look at the faction focus articles on warhammer-community.com for a sense of their play-style if in doubt. Maybe even sell half of the starter sets if you won’t end up using them. 

and to answer your final question. A good place to start out is open play. No points not a lot of restriction just the starter set models. Add something models to the armies you like and add some rules like matched play army composition. Etc etc . And definitely don’t buy generals handbook 2017 as it will be outdated in a couple of weeks time. The four page rule sheet plus the age of Sigmar app (for all the model rules) should keep you going for the first couple of games! 

Also have fun ?

 

[TheOtherJosh]

Key thing to remember, is “Go with the force that you’re more interested in”.

If it’s the Vanguard, then the core Khorne/SCE set isn’t going to be optimal. (Though the new set with Stormcast Wizards and Artillery and ghosts looks pretty cool to me ...)

So, points change ... but this is current for Matched Play. (Which has more restrictions.)

The Core Starter (vs Khorne) has a minimum sized legal army at ~820 points

The Blightwar Stormcast Set is ~720 points. But it has no default Battleline units, and needs a Lord Aquilor to be general (which is non-included) to make the Vanguard Hunter unit into battleline. (And you’d need one more battleline unit.)

And welcome to TGA!

[Denmaster]

Thank you very much Kramer ! That new set looks like it is going to be super cool! 

I like the blightwar set quite a bit actually but I think I prefer khorne to nurgle and it's kissing the big guy I love in the vanguard set, do you think the vanguard set would be a better place to start than the stormcast vs khorne one as a beginner? 

Also do yiu happen to know if they would mesh well with the kharadron overlords or the fyreslayers as both of those starter sets have really caught my eye as well! 

Thanks for the heads up that is good to know to hold off on that booklet and that open style does sound nice to begin with. 

[Denmaster]

Thank you TheOtherJosh! Yeah I'm definitely a fan of the look of the vanguard set and my long term goal would be a Mashup army of stormcast, either kharadron or fyreslayers, and a few high elves (because I've always loved them but they don't seem to have much of a presence in aos), I'd also love to have a khorne, tzeencht army as I like the basic khorne units but love the tzeencht monsters! Problem is I have very little money to put into getting into this (first year Uni student haha) and I am undecided on which of those factions to start with. 

Thanks for the heads up on the way that battalion works and that point system does sound simple enough to jump into fairly fast! 

[Kramer]

12 minutes ago, Denmaster said:

Also do yiu happen to know if they would mesh well with the kharadron overlords or the fyreslayers as both of those starter sets have really caught my eye as well! 

 

No worries. Yes and no. Yes you can field them together and they can compensate each others weaknesses and you will definitely have fun! A stormcast shieldwall with met zeppelins flying overhead? Yes please! 

But the Battletomes for those armies add some very cool, thematic rules which will add a lot to your games. But the restriction is, 80%, in points and they are changing soon, needs to be that faction and the rules only apply to them. So that's something you will have to get a feel for, but stormcast make good allies for everyone and are allowed to be the allies in every army and vice versa. 

So my personal advice would be not to plan to far ahead until you have some games in. Then maybe buy the Stormcast battletome and see how those allegiance abilities, as those faction rules are called, change the game. There is so much to explore in those abilities but that is also a opinion  Postpone your choice until that moment as you will know better what you are choosing. And a 50/50 stormcast with something force also gets extra rules and you can find them in the generals handbook (and with a new one on the horizon there is no way to tell you if they will change from the current ones)

[AlphaKennyThing]

I would get the new boxed set in a couple of weeks, it'll give you all the latest information and rules, and some great models. Get used to painting, get used to playing the game with a pal, and then buy whatever models you like the look of!

Feel free to PM me if you want a hand learning to paint stuff (assuming you're new to that too!). I'll suggest some cost effective paint schemes that won't require you to buy 20,000 colours, as that is quite an investment too.

 

[Denmaster]

Thanks again! That's great advice and I really appreciate the help, I'll likely start with thqt khorne vs stormcast set and see where I end up then! 

[Kramer]

19 hours ago, Denmaster said:

Thank you very much Kramer ! That new set looks like it is going to be super cool! 

I like the blightwar set quite a bit actually but I think I prefer khorne to nurgle and it's kissing the big guy I love in the vanguard set, do you think the vanguard set would be a better place to start than the stormcast vs khorne one as a beginner? 

Also do yiu happen to know if they would mesh well with the kharadron overlords or the fyreslayers as both of those starter sets have really caught my eye as well! 

Thanks for the heads up that is good to know to hold off on that booklet and that open style does sound nice to begin with. 

All the changes we mentioned and the new set? They got announced today

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/06/05/soul-wars-announced/

[Denmaster]

Awesome thanks, I'll check it out! 

Also I meant to ask the other day, I had thought that you could mix races within an army as long as they are in the same faction (ex. Grand alliance)? Are there penalties and restrictions when you do or am I totally off the mark?