You might recall that I highlighted in my Combat Arena: Clash of Champions review that there are serious gamers who spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to collect, build, paint, and play their Warhammer armies and this has become a life-style for them. This can be intimidating for new gamers who have not been exposed to this level of involvement in the Warhammer universes.
However lately, Games Workshop has been releasing new gateway games to attract new gamers and pique their interest. The release of the Warhammer 40K Leviathan set (10th Edition) this year is a large box set with a parallel price tag. If you’re looking to see if 40K is for you but don’t want to shell out 200 bucks then you’re in luck. Read on!
Today we are taking a look at that Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set from Games Workshop. This tactical 10th Edition game start-up set that pits two squads (Space Marine & Tyranids) against each other and is designed for 2 players and playtime is 30-60 minutes.
Game Overview:
The Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set rule book outlines what and how to use the contents included within this set in the following steps.
Introduction: A short overview of the 40K universe and Warhammer hobby.
Build: This Introductory Set comes with 5 Space Marines and 11 Tyranid miniatures and includes rules for how to remove these from sprues & build each individual one included.
Paint: 5 different paints are included along with a brush and there are step-by-step instructions to paint the Space Marine and Tyranid miniatures.
Read: Warhammer 40K lore is included that outlines the universe at a high level and background information about the Space Marines and specifically the Ultra Marine chapter. Also, included is background information about the Tyranids and specifically Hive Fleet Leviathan.
Play: This section includes 3 training scenarios that will teach players light versions of the rules for 1) how to move and shoot, 2) charging and close combat, & 3) how to apply what they learned in scenarios 1 & 2 in a full skirmish.
Next Steps: This section is designed to give players other options to learn additional rules & tutorials from the core set. Players can also expand their army with new miniatures with these sets as well as other supplies such as Space Marine and Tyranid paint sets.
Game Experience:
I must admit, the Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set is a very comprehensive set with everything a player would need to get their feet wet into the 40K universe. They will learn how to build, paint, and play with the miniatures included. Yes, it does only come with 2 different armies but it nevertheless gives the player a good place to get started, understand the universe, and basic game mechanics. This set is not for seasoned players unless they’re looking for a less expensive way to get their hands on some miniatures and supplies. The rules are too simplistic for that crowd but for a newbie looking to get into this “lifestyle” game, it’s a great set for them to try out for a lower price.
It will come as no surprise to most familiar with Games Workshop games, that the Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set production values and minis are excellent. As mentioned above, you will need to build these unpainted minis but they’re all push-fit and, once built, are awesome in detail. The rulebook includes assembly instructions to paint these minis with the supplies included but also a final of what they could look like with more paints and talent. The game board, walls, and objective & player markers are of lower quality than what is usually included with Games Workshop games but if you become more serious then these are likely disposable pieces not worth an increased price tag to this set so it makes sense about their quality.
I think what most newbies will love is that the rulebook is laid out with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions from build, paint, and play. There are plenty of illustrations and written instructions for players to follow easily and skillfully to get their confidence up. I know it’s always intimidated me to see what Games Workshop artists make the miniatures look like because mine NEVER look so good but the paint instructions are super detailed and watercolors are forgiving even if you make some mistakes. As mentioned above, the game mechanics learned in this set are basic but should have players interested in trying more complex rules from the core set.
The Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set is a much lighter ruleset than the Warhammer 40K Leviathan core game but all gamers will like the price point for this game no matter what. It’s affordable and comes in at about 1/4 the price of the full set and includes 5 Space Marines and 11 Tyranids, 5 paints for both armies, a brush, snips, and dice plus the map and map accessories noted above. This makes the Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set an excellent gateway game for gamers not familiar with the 40K universe and allows players to try it out without a huge investment of money and time.
The last thing I wanted to caution readers on is the following note which is not really a negative for all. I played 40K back in the late 90s and early 2000s and got out of the hobby. I reviewed the Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set with my 13-year-old son and it hooked him and he wants me to get more. Well, that’s where the negative can come in for gamers who may lack the money and time to invest in this life-style/hobby. If you want more, the price tag goes up and so does the time investment to build, paint, and play the game. Now, this is no issue if you have the time and money but for those that might not then this might not be for you.
Final Thoughts:
New players wanting to take some first steps into the 40K universe should enjoy the Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set because it’s a great comprehensive set that includes just about everything a new player should need to get started. The rulebook is made up of easy-to-follow steps with great details to build, paint, and play. The Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set also has the great Games Workshop production values most gamers should appreciate given the lower price tag on this set.
What the Warhammer 40K: Introductory Set does well is getting players about knee-deep into the 40K universe and might have them wanting to try other sets and eventually become fully immersed into this lifestyle game. But those gamers lacking the time or money might not want to take that plunge given the investment of both this hobby can require.
Final Score: 4.5 Stars – An excellent, affordable, and comprehensive gateway set that will teach players how to build, paint, and learn the basics of the Leviathan set 10th Edition.
Hits:
• A comprehensive set
• Great production values
• Easy to follow rules to build, paint, & play
• Affordable & excellent gateway game into the 40K universe
Misses:
• This might make you want to jump into 40K universe
