Warhammer 40K Starter Set Guide: Contents, Price, and Beginner Options

Quick Answer: Which Warhammer 40K Starter Set Should You Buy?

The right 40k starterset depends on what you want out of the box. The Warhammer 40,000: Starter Set is the full two-army option: it comes with complete Space Marines and Ork forces, terrain, and rules for two people to play straight away, for around $250–$255 USD. The Introductory Set is a smaller, cheaper taster (roughly $77 / £47) that includes a handful of models from both sides plus paints and a brush, aimed at someone who isn’t sure they’ll stick with the hobby yet. The Getting Started with Space Marines and Getting Started with Orks boxes (around $170 / £105 each) skip the two-army format entirely and instead give you a full single-faction Combat Patrol force with paints, built for someone who already knows which side they want to play.

What Is a Warhammer 40K Starter Set?

Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniatures wargame published by Games Workshop, in which two players build, paint, and command armies of push-fit plastic miniatures across a model battlefield. A “starter set” is Games Workshop’s entry point into that hobby: a boxed product that bundles miniatures, rules, and (in some cases) paints and terrain, so a new player doesn’t have to buy models, a rulebook, and tools separately just to try the game.

Games Workshop currently sells starter products at different sizes and price points rather than one single box, because new players arrive with different needs — some want a complete two-player game night out of the box, others just want to see if they enjoy building and painting a model before committing further. The full Starter Set is explicitly built around Combat Patrol, a small, fixed-army game format that GW uses as the standard “first proper game” size across its product range, so the miniatures inside line up with that mode rather than needing extra purchases to reach a playable army size.

Current Warhammer 40K Starter Sets

Product	Main Purpose	Factions	Miniatures	Paints Included	Rules Included	Terrain Included	Suitable For
Warhammer 40,000: Starter Set	Complete two-player game	Space Marines & Orks	46 (2 full Combat Patrols)	No	Full Core Rules + Starter Handbook	Yes — 15 terrain pieces + 2 game boards	Two new players, or one player wanting both armies
Warhammer 40,000: Introductory Set	Small taster of both factions	Space Marines & Orks	12	Yes (6 paints + brush)	Introductory rules only	Card terrain + play mat	Complete beginners unsure of commitment
Getting Started with Space Marines	Single-faction hobby start	Space Marines only	13 (1 Combat Patrol)	Yes (11 paints + brush + texture tool)	No standalone rulebook (Core Rules is a free download)	No	Players who already want Space Marines
Getting Started with Orks	Single-faction hobby start	Orks only	33 (1 Combat Patrol)	Yes (11 paints + brush + texture tool)	No standalone rulebook (Core Rules is a free download)	No	Players who already want Orks

All four are current as of this guide’s publication. Games Workshop also released a large limited-run launch box called Armageddon alongside the 11th Edition in June 2026, but that box is aimed at collectors and veterans rather than the ongoing beginner range, so it’s addressed separately below rather than in this main comparison.

Read More: https://gamespuma.com/warhammer-subscription/

Warhammer 40K Starter Set: Full Contents

The two-army Starter Set is the largest of the current beginner boxes.

Miniatures

The box contains 46 multipart plastic push-fit miniatures, split into two complete Combat Patrol-sized forces:

• Space Marines (13 models): 1 Captain with Relic Shield, 1 Librarian, 5 Intercessors, 5 Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs, and 1 Land Speeder.
• Orks (33 models): 1 Warboss, 1 Weirdboy, 20 Ork Boyz, 10 Gretchin, and 1 Wartrakk.

The miniatures are push-fit, meaning they clip together without glue, though plastic glue can be used for a stronger permanent bond if a builder prefers it. Models arrive unpainted and require assembly.

Rules and Handbooks

• An 88-page softcover Core Rules booklet covering the full rules of the game.
• An 88-page Starter Set Handbook guiding players through building, painting, and playing their first games.
• Two double-sided reference sheets with army rules, stratagems, enhancements, and datasheets for Combat Patrol-scale games.

The Core Rules included are the complete current rules rather than a stripped-down version, so nothing further is needed to play Combat Patrol-sized games straight from the box. Larger games will eventually call for a faction codex/battletome.

Terrain and Game Boards

• 15 push-fit plastic terrain pieces: four large and four small Manufactorum Ruins, a Shock Array, a Capacitor Stack, two Rockcrete Barricades, a Generator Shrine, and two Galvanic Pylons.
• Two foldout cardboard game boards.

This is enough scenery and board space to play a full Combat Patrol game directly out of the box, without buying separate terrain first.

Dice and Measuring Tools

• 10 dice.
• 2 range rulers.
• Reference sheets covering unit stats and stratagems (see above).

What Is Not Included

The Starter Set does not include paints, brushes, plastic glue, clippers, or a mould-line remover. Buyers who want to paint their models, or who want a cleaner build, will need to purchase these hobby tools separately — the box is built around gameplay and assembly, not a full painting kit.

Warhammer 40K Introductory Set

The Introductory Set is a smaller, lower-cost alternative aimed at people who have never built or painted a miniature and want to try the hobby before spending on the full two-army box.

It includes:

• 12 push-fit miniatures: a Space Marines Lieutenant, 5 Intercessors, an Ork Nob, and 5 Ork Boyz. These particular sculpts debuted in this box before appearing anywhere else in the range.
• 6 paints and a starter paintbrush.
• A fold-out play mat and a set of folding card terrain.
• A range ruler and 6 dice.
• A 48-page Introductory Set Handbook, covering basic lore, assembly guidance, painting instructions using the included paints, and a short set of beginner training missions rather than the full Core Rules.

The Introductory Set is designed for someone who has never picked up a hobby knife or brush before — it teaches building, painting, and a simplified version of play in one self-contained box. It is not intended as a long-term army-building product: the model count on each side is small, and the rules included are introductory rather than the complete Core Rules used for standard games. Someone who enjoys it and wants to keep playing will typically move up to the full Starter Set, a Getting Started box, or a Combat Patrol box for their chosen faction.

Getting Started With Space Marines and Orks

New for the 11th Edition beginner range, Games Workshop has for the first time split its starter offering by faction rather than only selling combined two-army boxes.

Getting Started with Space Marines

• 13 push-fit miniatures, forming a full Space Marines Combat Patrol: 1 Captain, 1 Librarian, 5 Intercessors, 5 Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs, and 1 Land Speeder.
• 11 paints chosen specifically for painting Space Marines, plus a paintbrush and a texture spreader tool for basing.
• A comprehensive guidebook covering lore, model assembly, and step-by-step painting instructions using the included paints (it covers base coats and shading, but not advanced highlighting techniques).

Getting Started with Orks

• 33 push-fit miniatures, forming a full Ork Combat Patrol: 1 Warboss, 1 Weirdboy, 20 Ork Boyz, 10 Gretchin, and 1 Wartrakk.
• 11 paints selected for painting Orks, plus a matching paintbrush and texture spreader tool.
• A similarly structured introductory guidebook covering lore, assembly, and painting.

Neither Getting Started box includes an opposing army, game terrain, a game board, dice, or a range ruler. They are built for someone who already knows which faction they want and is prioritising a complete single-army hobby experience — models plus the paints to finish them — over a ready-made two-player game. To actually play a game with the models, you’ll need an opponent’s army (their own or a friend’s) and the free Core Rules PDF from Games Workshop’s website, plus your own dice and a tape measure or the range rulers from another box.

The practical difference from the combined Starter Set is straightforward: the Starter Set gives you both factions and everything needed to play a game out of the box, but no paints; a Getting Started box gives you one faction plus everything needed to paint it, but no opponent, terrain, or dice.

Starter Set Contents Comparison

Feature	Full Starter Set	Introductory Set	Getting Started (SM or Orks)
Intended audience	Two new players, or one wanting both armies	Complete beginners testing the hobby	Players committed to one faction
Factions	Space Marines & Orks	Space Marines & Orks	One faction only
Number of miniatures	46	12	13 (SM) / 33 (Orks)
Paints	No	Yes, 6	Yes, 11
Brush	No	Yes	Yes, plus a texture spreader
Tools (glue/clippers)	No	No	No
Rules	Full Core Rules + Handbook	Introductory rules only	None included; free Core Rules download
Terrain	Yes, 15 pieces	Card terrain	No
Game board or mat	Yes, 2 foldout boards	Yes, play mat	No
Combat Patrol progression	Full Combat Patrol both sides	Smaller than Combat Patrol	Full Combat Patrol, one side
Two-player play out of the box	Yes	Yes, on a small scale	No — needs an opponent’s army
Additional purchases needed	Paints, brushes, tools	More models for a full army	Opposing army, terrain, dice, glue/clippers

Current Pricing and Availability

Prices below were checked in September 2026 from official product listings and current retailer pages. Games Workshop has made regional price adjustments before and can do so again, so treat these as a snapshot rather than a permanent figure.

• Warhammer 40,000: Starter Set — approximately $255 USD (raised from an initial $250 launch price in an August 2026 price update), with UK retail listings showing an RRP around £155. Available for order; treat as in-stock/standard range item rather than a limited product.
• Warhammer 40,000: Introductory Set — approximately $77 USD / £47 / €61 at launch. Check the official Warhammer store for any change since the August update, as this set wasn’t specifically named in that round.
• Getting Started with Space Marines / Getting Started with Orks — approximately $170 USD / £105 / €135 each (also around $205 CAD and $278 AUD).

Prices vary by country due to local taxes, currency conversion, and distribution costs, so the figures above should be treated as reference points rather than a guaranteed local price. If you’re shopping from a region without a direct official Games Workshop webstore — Pakistan, for example — any USD or GBP figure converted into local currency is only an approximate guide, not an official local price; actual cost through a local hobby retailer or import order will depend on that retailer’s pricing, shipping, and any customs charges, none of which can be reliably estimated here. Always confirm the current price and stock status directly on Games Workshop’s official site or with an authorised local stockist before buying.

Is the Warhammer 40K Starter Set Worth It?

Value depends heavily on who’s buying and what they actually want to do first.

• A complete beginner unsure about the hobby may get better value from the Introductory Set — it’s cheaper, includes paints, and gives a taste of building, painting, and playing without a big upfront cost.
• Two friends starting together are well served by the full Starter Set, since it hands each person a complete faction and a shared rulebook in one purchase.
• A parent buying a gift for someone with no hobby experience might prefer the Introductory Set for its lower price and included paints, or the full Starter Set if the recipient already knows they want to build a proper army.
• A player who already knows they want Space Marines or Orks specifically is likely better served by the matching Getting Started box, since the two-army Starter Set includes a faction they may never use.
• A hobbyist who wants to try Combat Patrol gets a full Combat Patrol-legal force in either the Starter Set or a Getting Started box.
• Someone who already owns paints and tools may prefer the Starter Set or a Getting Started box over the Introductory Set, since the included beginner paints and brush add less value to an established hobbyist.
• Someone who only wants to paint, not play could reasonably pick a Getting Started box purely for the miniatures and paint set, without needing the rules or terrain at all.
• Someone who wants to play full-size 40K immediately should be aware that every one of these boxes is scaled to Combat Patrol, a smaller game size — a standard-sized game will eventually need more units, purchased separately.

None of these boxes is objectively “the best” starter set; they’re built for different starting points, and the right choice comes down to whether you want a ready-made two-player game, a low-cost taste of the hobby, or a focused single-faction start.

What Else Do You Need to Start Playing?

Included in the Box

Contents vary by product exactly as detailed above — miniatures, and depending on the box, rules, terrain, dice, paints, and a brush.

Usually Needed for Assembly

• Plastic glue, if you want a stronger bond than push-fit alone (optional on these kits, not required).
• Clippers, to trim components from the plastic sprue.
• A mould-line remover or hobby knife, used carefully, to tidy up seams — basic safety precautions apply any time a blade is involved.

Usually Needed for Painting

• Paints, if your chosen box doesn’t include them (the Starter Set and both Getting Started boxes don’t include paints in the two-army set’s case, and paints in the faction-specific boxes are limited to the colours provided).
• A decent paintbrush beyond the basic starter brush, over time.
• A water cup and a painting surface.
• Primer, commonly recommended before painting bare plastic, though not included in any of these boxes.
• Basic basing materials if you want a finished look beyond the flat plastic base.

Needed for Larger Games

• A codex or battletome for your faction once you move past Combat Patrol-sized games.
• Additional miniatures to reach standard game-size points totals.
• More terrain and a larger playing surface.
• Mission packs beyond the beginner missions included in these boxes.
• Extra measuring tools if playing with more than one person at once.
• Storage and transport solutions for a growing collection.

Nothing above is required to play your very first game with a starter box — most of this becomes relevant only once you want to expand beyond what’s in the box.

Space Marines vs Orks for Beginners

Both factions included across the current starter range have a distinct identity, and the choice is largely about taste rather than one being objectively easier to learn.

• Space Marines field fewer, more individually powerful models — a small, elite force of heavily armoured soldiers with specialist wargear. They tend to suit players who like tracking a handful of strong units carefully.
• Orks field far larger numbers of comparatively weaker individual models, leaning into overwhelming numbers, characterful war machines, and a scrappier playstyle. They tend to suit players who enjoy managing bigger squads and don’t mind more individual models to assemble and paint.

Both factions have extensive current-range support and plenty of expansion options going forward, so neither choice is a dead end. Competitive strength shifts over time as Games Workshop updates points values and rules, so any claim about which faction is “stronger” should be checked against current official points and balance documents rather than treated as fixed.

Old Starter Sets and Edition Changes

Because Games Workshop reuses product names like “Starter Set” and “Introductory Set” across editions, online listings and search results often mix products from different years. The previous (10th Edition) main Starter Set, for example, paired Space Marines against Tyranids rather than Orks, included 39 miniatures, and came with an outdated rules booklet now superseded by the current Core Rules. An older Introductory Set followed the same Space Marines-vs-Tyranids pairing with 16 miniatures and its own now-outdated handbook.

Those older kits are still perfectly usable as miniatures and can still be built and painted, but their factions, model counts, and rules content don’t match the current 2026 range, and their rulebooks are out of date. If you’re buying second-hand or spot an old listing online, check the box art and faction pairing (Space Marines vs Orks means current; Space Marines vs Tyranids means previous-generation) and the retailer’s stated edition before assuming it matches what’s described in this guide.

FAQ Section

What is the Warhammer 40K Starter Set?
It’s Games Workshop’s main two-player entry box for Warhammer 40,000, containing complete Space Marines and Ork forces, full rules, terrain, and gaming accessories needed to play straight out of the box.

What comes in the current Warhammer 40K Starter Set?
46 push-fit miniatures split into two Combat Patrol armies, a Core Rules booklet, a Starter Set Handbook, two reference sheets, 15 terrain pieces, two game boards, 10 dice, and two range rulers.

Does the Warhammer 40K Starter Set include two armies?
Yes. It includes a complete 13-model Space Marines Combat Patrol and a complete 33-model Ork Combat Patrol, so two people can each command their own force.

Does the Starter Set include paints?
No. The full Starter Set does not include paints or a brush; the smaller Introductory Set and the Getting Started boxes do.

Does the Starter Set include glue?
No. The miniatures are push-fit and clip together without glue, though plastic glue can be used optionally for a stronger bond.

Can two people play Warhammer 40K with one Starter Set?
Yes. Because it includes two complete armies, full rules, terrain, and a game board, it’s designed for exactly that.

What is the difference between the Starter Set and Introductory Set?
The Starter Set gives two full Combat Patrol armies, complete Core Rules, and terrain for around $255. The Introductory Set is smaller and cheaper (around $77), includes only 12 miniatures across both factions, but adds paints and a brush and uses simplified introductory rules rather than the full rulebook.

What is included in the Getting Started with Space Marines set?
A 13-model Space Marines Combat Patrol, 11 faction-matched paints, a starter brush, a texture spreader tool for basing, and a guidebook covering lore, assembly, and painting.

What is included in the Getting Started with Orks set?
A 33-model Ork Combat Patrol, 11 faction-matched paints, a starter brush, a texture spreader tool, and a guidebook covering lore, assembly, and painting.

Is the Warhammer 40K Starter Set suitable for beginners?
Yes, it’s designed as a beginner product, with full rules and a handbook explaining building, painting basics, and play. It doesn’t include paints, so beginners wanting a full painting introduction may prefer the Introductory Set instead.

Do you need additional books to start playing?
Not for your first games. The Starter Set includes the full Core Rules; the Introductory Set includes simplified rules; Getting Started boxes rely on the free Core Rules PDF from Games Workshop. Larger games eventually call for a codex or battletome.

Are the miniatures push-fit?
Yes, across all four current boxes. They clip together without glue, though glue can be used optionally for a more permanent build.

Which starter set is best for someone who only wants to paint?
A Getting Started box (Space Marines or Orks) is the most paint-focused option, since it pairs a full single-faction force with a curated 11-paint set, brush, and basing tool.

Are older Warhammer 40K starter sets still current?
No. Previous-edition boxes paired Space Marines against Tyranids and used an outdated rulebook. The current range (Space Marines vs Orks) launched in July 2026 for 11th Edition.