Best Warhammer 40,000 Starter Sets in 2026 — For Beginners Who Don't Know Where to Start
Getting into Warhammer 40,000 is not complicated — but there are more ways to start than there used to be, and choosing the wrong entry point can mean spending money on things you do not actually need yet. This guide cuts through the options and explains which starter set makes sense depending on what you want from the hobby: playing games quickly, building and painting a proper army, or doing both at once. All products are available at Merlin's Miniatures using coupon code SCALEANDMOTION at checkout.
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The Three Ways to Start Warhammer 40,000
Games Workshop currently offers three distinct entry points for new 40K players, each targeting a different level of commitment and a different primary interest. Understanding what separates them makes the choice straightforward.
The Introductory Set is for complete beginners — someone who has never assembled a miniature, never played a tabletop wargame, and wants the lowest possible barrier to getting started. It includes a small number of push-fit miniatures (no glue required), a simplified set of rules, starter paints and a brush, and enough to play a basic game within an afternoon of opening the box.
The Leviathan Starter Set is the full experience — 72 miniatures across Space Marines and Tyranids, the complete 10th Edition rulebook in a special hardback edition, a mission deck, dice, and everything needed to play the full game. It is the right choice for someone who knows they want to play Warhammer 40,000 and wants to start with a complete, competitive-capable force rather than a simplified introduction.
Combat Patrol boxes sit between the two — a single-faction set of miniatures with enough to play the Combat Patrol format, a smaller and simpler game mode using the same core rules. Combat Patrol is covered in detail in our Combat Patrol buyer's guide. This article focuses on the Introductory Set and Leviathan.
The Warhammer 40,000 Introductory Set — For Complete Beginners
The Introductory Set is the starting point Games Workshop recommends for someone who has never engaged with the hobby before. It contains a small selection of push-fit miniatures — Space Marines and Tyranids, the same two factions as the Leviathan — assembled without glue, a simplified introductory rulebook covering only the mechanics needed for the included missions, five Citadel paints in the correct colours for the included miniatures, a starter brush, and a set of dice.
The simplified rules in the Introductory Set are not the full game. They are a stepping stone — designed to teach the fundamental concepts of moving, shooting and fighting without the additional layers of stratagems, army special rules and mission complexity that the full game includes. The intention is that a player works through the included missions, gets comfortable with the core concepts, and then transitions to the full rules either via the Leviathan set or by downloading the free core rules from the Warhammer Community website.
The Introductory Set is the correct starting point if: you have never assembled a miniature before and want to try the hobby before committing further; you are buying for someone else (a younger family member, for instance) and want to minimise complexity; or you want the lowest possible entry price to test whether the hobby suits you before investing more.
It is not the correct starting point if you already know you want to play the full game — in that case, the Leviathan gives substantially more value and skips the intermediate step entirely.
The Leviathan Starter Set — The Full Experience
The Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan box set is the most comprehensive starter set Games Workshop has produced for 40K and represents the full entry point into the game. It contains 72 push-fit plastic miniatures split between two armies:
Space Marines — including a Captain in Terminator Armour, a Librarian in Terminator Armour, a Sternguard Veteran Squad, a Terminator Squad, a Terminator Librarian, a Ballistus Dreadnought, a Brutalis Dreadnought and Infernus Marines. The Space Marines force in Leviathan is built around the Terminator armour and elite veteran aesthetic of a force deep in brutal close-quarters combat.
Tyranids — including a Winged Tyranid Prime, a Neurotyrant with two Neuroloids, three Von Ryan's Leapers, a Psychophage, 20 Termagants, two Ripper Swarms, 11 Neurogaunts, five Barbgaunts and a Screamer-Killer. The Tyranids force represents the swarming, overwhelming biological horror of Hive Fleet Leviathan — numerous lighter units backed by powerful synapse creatures and heavy monsters.
Alongside the miniatures, Leviathan includes the 392-page hardback Leviathan Core Book — the complete 10th Edition Warhammer 40,000 rules in a special edition that also contains the Crusade campaign system, faction lore and showcase galleries. It also includes a 66-card Chapter Approved: Leviathan Mission Deck covering deployment zones, mission rules, primary and secondary missions and gambits — enough to generate varied and balanced games without any additional purchases.
The Leviathan is the correct starting point if: you know you want to play the full game; you want to start with two complete armies capable of playing against each other immediately; you are buying for two players who want to start together; or you already play one of the two factions and want to expand your collection significantly at a strong overall value.
One practical note: the Leviathan miniatures are push-fit and do not require glue, but they are full-complexity miniatures rather than simplified introductory models. The assembly process is more involved than the Introductory Set, though still accessible for first-time builders.
What Comes After the Starter Set
Both the Introductory Set and the Leviathan are starting points, not endpoints. Once you have played through the included missions and identified which faction you want to develop, the next steps are:
The faction Codex — each faction's dedicated rulebook covering all available units, their special rules and abilities, and the stratagems that give your army its tactical identity. Merlin's Miniatures stocks all current Codexes.
Additional unit boxes — once you know which faction you are playing and which units appeal most, adding one or two unit boxes gives you meaningful army expansion without over-committing before you understand what you want. The pre-owned section at Merlin's is worth checking for this — significantly reduced prices on used but often complete or lightly assembled units are common.
Citadel paints and hobby supplies — if the Introductory Set's five paints have run out or you want to develop your colour scheme further, Merlin's stocks the full Citadel paint range alongside brushes and basing materials.
For guidance on choosing which faction to commit to before buying a Codex, our guide to choosing your first Warhammer 40K army covers the decision in detail.
Browse the Catalogue
Looking for Warhammer 40,000 miniatures, starter sets and hobby supplies? The Scale & Motion Plus curated catalogue organises products by category, all linking directly to verified retailers.
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Further Reading
- Warhammer 40K Combat Patrol Boxes — Which One Should You Buy? — the third entry point covered in detail, covering faction-specific Combat Patrol sets.
- How to Choose Your First Warhammer 40,000 Army Box — faction selection guide for when you are ready to commit beyond the starter set.
- Warhammer 40,000 Starter Sets — Understanding the First Step Into the Hobby — broader overview of all starter set formats including how they relate to each other.
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