Review: Warhammer 40K First Strike Starter Set

Publisher: Games Workshop
Category: Tabletop Miniature Game
Player Count: 2
Price: $40 for Starter Set, $75 for Starter Collection

Games Workshop is a well-known brand with popular titles such as Warhammer 40K and Warhammer Fantasy. You may have seen or played some of their related video games, too. Its miniature game products have been considered great quality but very expensive. In July 2017, purposefully to soften this major complaint from customers, Games Workshop started to release a more affordable option for players, the First Strike.

Content Review:

This is a tactical miniature game, with two sides of armies fighting each other through dice rolling on the battlefield.  It may need some parental guidance if children are too young to understand the rules. It can be very family friendly if parents are willing to offer assistance.

Full Review:

My impression of First Strike was that it is more fun and less trouble than most miniature games. No matter if you’re a newcomer or a veteran, the easy-to-build, push-fit miniatures will save you time and energy if you want to jump into the game as soon as possible. You don’t have to paint them since the miniatures come with color on them—blue for Ultramarines and green for Death Guard. Even though they are push-fit, each miniature still looks very detailed and well-made.

Each army has different units with unique weapons and abilities at combat. For example, on the side of Ultramarines, they have three Primaris Intercessors and three Primaris Reivers—strong, powerful, and tough for both ranged and melee attacks. Death Guard features three Plague Marines and six Poxwalkers—great in numbers, and annoying with the trick of being undead. It may be overwhelming to digest the rules and regulations all at once. Fortunately, the game prepares you with a colorful, pocket-sized booklet and helpful guides that you can read and study at any point. It also comes with a double-sided gaming mat and a scenery piece, which will make your battlefield look more realistic. What makes it even more convenient is that you will find six 6-sided dice and a 6” translucent measuring ruler in the box set! With the $75 Starter Collection set, you can also get the clipping tools and different color paints in a same package, which is a very good deal for people who want to get the whole Warhammer hobby experience.

During the game, you and your opponent take turns to move units and complete actions. It may take you a while to get used to, as it does have a learning curve. If you are just a causal player, have fun and remember it is okay to mess it up the first couple times. When you encounter a serious player, you may need to be more cautious on how you play according to the rules. Oftentimes the outcome of each battle could be dramatically turned depending on how you move, attack, use special ability, and even on how accurate you measure. No wonder players want everything perfectly in line with the rule book, so that they could reduce unnecessary loss.

There are different ways to play this game. First: you can follow the missions in the booklet, setting up your units and battlefield to start a quest for your army. Second: you can go with the scenarios that are more complex based on the rules to fight against your opponent. If this is not enough to satisfy your appetite, then you may need to consider expanding your army by getting other unit sets online. The more units you have in one army, the more battle points your army has. The larger the battle you get into, a bigger battlefield may be required. This is just a starter set to activate your interest and to give you a condensed picture of what Games Workshop tabletop miniature game play like. You have to make a decision whether this hobby is for you or not, and those who decide to continue will move further on from the starter equipment.

If you are curious about what a tabletop miniature game is, but don’t want to spend too much money, then this is your best option to get the most from your investment. If you decide to move further and deeper to Warhammer 40K, you will soon find out this is the most affordable, complete product set that they have ever made in the market. Have a lot of fun playing if you decide to purchase, and make the best out of it with your family and friends.