By Carter Estes · April 7, 2026
Let me be direct with you: there has never been a more interesting — and, yes, slightly complicated — time to walk into Warhammer 40,000 for the first time. A new edition is on the way. Games Workshop just dropped one of the biggest announcements in recent memory at AdeptiCon 2026. And every new player standing in front of a store shelf right now is asking the same reasonable question: what should I actually buy?
I'm going to answer that question — with an actual opinion, not a hedge.
The News You Need to Know First
At AdeptiCon 2026, Games Workshop officially confirmed that Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition is coming this summer. The launch box is called Armageddon — Blood Angels versus Orks — and GW is billing it as the biggest starter set in the history of the game. New miniatures, a new hardback rulebook, a new era of the setting.
Here's what matters for beginners: this is a refinement, not a revolution. All current 10th Edition codexes remain valid when 11th Edition launches. The armies being built today will work just fine when the new rulebook drops. GW has been clear about this. So the question isn't whether to start — it's whether to start now or wait a few months for the launch box.
I'll give you a framework for that decision in a minute. First, let's talk about what's actually on shelves right now.
Combat Patrol Boxes: The Best Entry Point in the Game
If you know which faction you want to play, the Combat Patrol boxes are — without question — the best place to start in 2026. Every major faction has one. Each box gives you a self-contained force designed for smaller, faster games, packaged at $170 MSRP with roughly $50 to $60 in value over buying those same units individually.
That's not marketing math. That's what these boxes actually pencil out to, and it matters when you're making your first real investment in the hobby.
A few standouts from the current lineup worth knowing about:
Space Marines Combat Patrol — Still the most supported army in 40K, and for good reason. Straightforward to build, paint, and play. If you're genuinely uncertain about what faction to pick, Space Marines remain a reliable first choice — not because they're exciting, but because the ecosystem around them is deep enough that you'll never run out of resources, guides, or opponents who know the matchup.
Night Lords Combat Patrol — A strong addition for anyone drawn to Chaos Space Marines. The Night Lords have some of the best lore in the 40K universe, and this box is a genuinely good starting point for that faction.
T'au Kroot Combat Patrol — If you're a T'au player who wants something different on the table, this is interesting. Kroot play differently from the standard gunline. Worth a look if the aesthetic speaks to you.
The Combat Patrol Starter Set — recently rebranded from the Ultimate Starter Set (same models, new name — GW made the change to prevent confusion heading into 11th Edition) — is worth considering if you're buying for someone with no prior context. It gives you both the rules framework and a set of miniatures without requiring you to pick a faction from jump.
Should You Wait for Armageddon?
This is the real question, and I believe the answer depends on one thing: how ready are you to actually start?
If you're ready — if you've decided this is the hobby you want, you know roughly which faction interests you, and you have time to paint — don't wait. The best army is the one that exists on your table, not the one you're planning to buy in four months. I learned this the hard way. Buy the Combat Patrol, build the models, make your painting mistakes on those first units rather than the shiny new launch box.
If you're still on the fence — if this is a gift, if you're not sure about the faction yet, or if you're the type who genuinely prefers to start at the beginning of a new edition — then yes, waiting for Armageddon makes sense. Launch boxes historically pack in serious value, and Blood Angels versus Orks is a compelling matchup with tons of narrative weight behind it. Both factions have enormous personality. Neither is a bad starting point.
What I'd caution against: using "I'll wait for the new edition" as an excuse not to start at all. I've seen it happen. Summer becomes fall, fall becomes "well, the new codex is dropping soon," and suddenly a year has passed. The game is waiting for you. Start.
The One Piece of Advice That Actually Matters
Walk into a store and look at the models.
I mean this completely seriously. Warhammer 40,000 is a hobby where you will spend hundreds of hours painting, building, and thinking about these miniatures. The faction you pick should be the one that makes you want to sit down and work on them at 11pm after the rest of your day is done. Pick the army that makes you feel something when you look at it — the lore you want to live in, the aesthetic that grabs you.
The rules matter. But the passion matters more, especially in the beginning when you're still learning everything and losing a lot of games. Make no mistake: you will lose games. That's fine. It's how you learn. The players who stick around are the ones who love their armies even when those armies are getting tabled.
We keep The Game Station well-stocked with Combat Patrol boxes across all the major factions, and we're happy to walk you through the options in person if you're in the Amarillo area. When the Armageddon launch box drops this summer, we'll have it. In the meantime, the shelves are full — and the hobby is better than it's been in years.
Come get started. We'll help you figure out the rest.
About the Author
Carter Estes is a co-owner of The Game Station and a competitive Warhammer 40,000 player who fields Aeldari and Thousand Sons. A Harvard Kennedy School graduate and fifth-generation Texan, Carter has been deep in TCGs, wargames, and tabletop RPGs since childhood. He went 4-2 at his first Grand Tournament — the Rocky Mountain Open in Denver — and co-hosts the Star Wars Station Communication podcast. You'll find him at the store most weekends, probably painting Aspect Warriors.