From http://www.games-workshop.com

Thinking of starting a 40k army? Here's a guide:

GETTING STARTED

So you've decided the Warhammer 40,000 game looks awesome and you want to play. Where do you start? In order to play - you'll need an army. The only step before you can start collecting your force is making a decision on which particular army you want!

There are many factors that can influence how Warhammer 40,000 players pick their armies and here are just a few :

-Some choose the models that appeal to them most

-Some pick an army based on how they will fight on the battlefield for instance, the alien Eldar are characterized by their quick hit-and-run strategies, while the human warriors of the Imperial Guard tend to be more defensive in nature

-Some are inspired by the ideology behind the army - for instance Space Marines are the elite last line of defense for humanity, and Orks are barbaric warriors who exist only to battle

There is no right or wrong way to decide - and there are plenty of ways to find out more information about an army before you make a decision. Your two best bets for learning more about an army are this Web site and the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. Both of these resources have loads of pictures and backgrounds for many of the different forces of the 41st Millennium. Another great way to discover more is to find and talk to other players (or even staff) at your local Games Workshop store or independent retailer. Most veteran gamers will gladly tell you the strengths and weaknesses of their forces (in fact, you'll probably have to tell them to shut up after awhile!).

WARHAMMER 40,000 CODEX BOOKS

Once you've chosen your army, you'll want to know even more about it - like how it fights and what special models it can include. YouÕll find all of this and more in the Warhammer 40,000 Codex book for your army. Each Codex tells you more about the race, history, uniforms, paint schemes, weapons, troop types, and more.

COLLECTING YOUR TROOPS

Most people purchase (and paint!) their army a squad at a time. This allows you to try out the "flavor" of your army as you build it! In the beginning it is best to stick to a squad or two of "basic" troops. It is easier to start off by not worrying too much about points, or which particular special weapon would be the most destructive - just get some squads out on the battlefield. After all, there is no "perfect" way to build an army, and playing is the best way to find out which combinations of troops and vehicles work best (and are most fun) for you.

Ultimately it is ideal to have more models than you need for any battle, as this allows you to use more strategy and "tailor" your force for a particular opponent or type of terrain. For instance, a Space Marine player may prefer to equip each squad with a Plasma gun against heavily armored and tough opponents (like Chaos Space Marines!) and switch those weapons out with flamers when playing armies that attack en masse or in dense terrain (as flamers ignore any cover!). It is this sort of detail and fantastic variation that makes Warhammer 40,000 such a fun game AND a tactical challenge!