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What is Warhammer, actually?
If you're standing in a shop staring at a wall of boxes with no idea what any of it means — this page is for you. Here's what Warhammer is, and how the different games fit together, in plain English.
It's a hobby and a game
"Warhammer" isn't one thing — it's two, bolted together. It's a hobby: you buy kits of plastic miniatures, build them, and paint them. And it's a game: you take those models and play tabletop battles against other people.
Plenty of people do only one half. Some never play a single game and are here purely to build and paint. Others buy their models pre-assembled to get to the table faster. Both are completely valid — there's no "right" way in.
One universe isn't one game
Here's the thing that trips up almost every newcomer: Warhammer is a family of games, not a single one. Games Workshop — the company behind it — makes several different games, and they split across two big universes:
Warhammer 40,000
The sci-fi one. A grimdark far future of space marines, aliens, and endless war. The flagship — and what this site focuses on.
Age of Sigmar
The fantasy one. Sword-and-sorcery, gods, and monsters. A separate universe with its own games and models.
Within each universe there are several games at different sizes and price points. Below are the 40k ones — the games you're most likely choosing between.
The Warhammer 40,000 games
Same universe, different games. Here's how they actually differ.
Warhammer 40,000
The main gameThe flagship. Two players field armies of dozens of models and fight a full-scale battle over objectives. It has the deepest rules, the biggest model range, and by far the largest community. When someone says "I play Warhammer," they almost always mean this — and most people start here.
Combat Patrol
A small mode of 40k — not a separate gameNot a different game — a smaller, streamlined way to play 40k, built around a single "Combat Patrol" starter box. One box is a ready-to-play force, the rules are trimmed down, and a game takes about an hour. It's the on-ramp: the easiest way to actually learn 40k without buying and painting a whole army first. (This is why "Combat Patrol" shows up all over this site — it's the box we recommend buying first.)
Kill Team
A separate gameA standalone skirmish game set in the same 40k universe. Instead of an army, you control a small squad of individual specialists on a dense, terrain-packed board. It's more tactical and granular than 40k — every single model matters — and much cheaper to get into. A brilliant low-commitment way to try the hobby, and a favourite of people who love painting a handful of models to a high standard.
Necromunda
A separate gameA standalone game about rival gangs fighting for survival in the underhive — the crime-ridden depths beneath a 40k hive city. It's built around campaigns: your gang carries over between games, fighters earn skills, suffer lasting injuries, and get richer or die trying. Smaller, grittier, and closer to a tabletop RPG than a wargame. Deeper and more niche — usually someone's second or third game, not their first.
Wait — is Combat Patrol a game or a box?
Both, confusingly. "Combat Patrol" is the name of the starter boxes(one per faction), and the name of the small game modedesigned to be played with them. It is not a separate game from 40k — it is 40k, just smaller and simpler. When this site says "grab the Combat Patrol," it means the box.
There are even more (don't worry about these yet)
Games Workshop makes a whole shelf of other games — you'll spot them in shops. You don't need to care about any of them as a beginner, but so the names aren't a total mystery:
Warcry
Fast, brutal fantasy skirmish (Age of Sigmar side)
Blood Bowl
Fantasy football. Yes, really — and it's great
Legions Imperialis
40k at tiny "epic" scale — whole armies of small models
The Horus Heresy
40k's history: a bigger, older-era version of the main game
File all of these under "later."
Which should I start with?
Most people → Warhammer 40,000
Via a Combat Patrol box. Pick a faction that looks cool, buy its Combat Patrol, build and paint it, and play the small mode. That's the path this entire site is built around.
Tight budget, or love painting over playing → Kill Team
Fewer models, lower cost, deep tactics, and the boxes come with their own terrain. A low-pressure way to find out if the hobby is for you.
You love campaigns and stories → Necromunda
Just know going in that it's a bigger rules commitment and a smaller community than 40k. Better as a second game once you know you're hooked.
Whichever you pick, the hobby skills carry across — building, painting, and basing are the same everywhere. Start with one, and don't overthink it. You can always branch out later.
Box names, prices, and exact formats shift between editions — treat the specifics here as a rough guide, and check official sources before you buy.
Ready to pick a side?
This site focuses on Warhammer 40,000. The army quiz matches you to a faction in about two minutes — the best first move once you know what you're getting into.