This is a space marine model being painted as a Blood Angel, one of the many different factions available to collect in the game. Victor Labeaume, CMRU.ca
What is Warhammer 40,000?
Warhammer 40,000(usually shortened to 40K), is a massively popular tabletop war game. There are two main parts to this hobby: Painting the models and playing the actual tabletop game with the painted models. With multiple different factions and different paint schemes, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The game is played and enjoyed worldwide and has gained even more popularity this month with the release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a highly anticipated video game based in the universe of Warhammer 40k.
What to do with the models?
There are over 35 different playable races, armies, creatures and factions in Warhammer 40k, which can make the hobby extremely daunting for someone to get into. The easiest and best way to start is visiting a Warhammer store, Calgary has one located inside Chinook Center. The staff can help you pick out your first army or character and will help you start putting it together and painting it. Painting the model is in itself a major task, since some factions have a specific colour scheme you need to follow and the models are quite small usually. This hobby takes a lot of time and dedication, but can be super satisfying and therapeutic. The one downside to Warhammer 40K is the entry price points. To put it boldly it is not a cheap hobby to get into. A starter kit can run up to around $200, without the tools and paint needed to complete your project.
How do you play the tabletop game?
To get started, you need a specific amount of models and their point value(each model has a specific point value associated with it), some dice and a ruler or tape measure. Then you will need someone to play against, you roll a d6 die(your regular tabletop game dice) to see who goes first. Whoever goes first has their movement phase where they move their models according to the rules of their specific faction or race they are playing. They then get an action phase, this is where the battle takes place and again depending on how well you roll the dice will determine what damage has been done. There is also a charge phase where you can attack at close range. You repeat these steps for the other person, since you play someone’s full first turn before moving on to the next turn. There are also objectives scattered throughout the map and you need to capture these objectives to gather points to lead you to victory.
What’s next
Visiting your local Warhammer store is always a good step to start with. Going in and asking for help is always welcomed and by no means embarrassing. Getting better at painting, playing more games and even reading about the vast lore and history is the next step in this hobby. There is always more to learn!
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