Warhammer is an incredibly fun hobby that has been around since the eighties where two or more players can pit large armies of Space Marines, Orks, Aeldari, etc. against each other. In the same way that Magic: The Gathering is the most well-known trading card game out there, Warhammer is the most well-known wargame out there. Given the combination of its age and popularity, it’s understandable for someone to be intimidated not just by the different price points of trying to enter into the hobby, but also by trying to sort through all the info on how to enter into the hobby.
This is where the Warhammer combat patrols come into play, not only are they a decent way to get into Warhammer on a budget, but are also a great way to field an army without needing to do a ton of research on how to build your first army. Not all combat patrols are made equal though which is why I’m going to highlight the best ones I think are the best bang for your buck. Disclaimer: There are links in the article that could earn me a commission if purchased from.
Pick The Army That Looks Coolest To You
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One of the best pieces of advice I received when getting into Warhammer is to “pick which army looks coolest to you.” It’s understandable to want to get the strongest army but if you hate how they look/play, you’re not going to enjoy them much. I play Warhammer about two to three times a month which means the rest of the month my guys are sitting on a shelf looking cool. Even if the combat patrol you go with isn’t the strongest, as long as you like how they look/play is all that matters.
Factions
Warhammer 40k is home to three factions with different sub-factions within the main ones. The first and most well-known faction is the Imperium of Man which houses not just different Space Marine chapters like the Space Wolves and Blood Angels, but also the Imperial Guard, Adeptus Mechanicus, Custodes, and Sorotitas. After that, we have the Chaos faction which is home to Chaos Space Marines which all serve a different god of Chaos such as Nurgle, Khorne, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh. If Chaos Space Marines aren’t your thing, you can instead play Chaos Demons. Finally, we get to the Xenos which include the Aeldari, Drukhari, T’au, Necrons, Tyranids, Votann, Genestealers, and Orks.
Faction Abilities
Each faction and each army in Warhammer has their own specific abilities unique to them such as Space Marines being able to use Oath of Moment which allows you to re-roll hit and wound rolls. Chaos Space Marines on the other hand get access to Dark Pacts which allows them to apply Sustained Hits or Lethal Hits to their weapons. For the Xenos faction, the Aeldari get an army-specific ability called Strands of Fate which at the beginning of combat, the Aeldari player can roll twelve D-six dice(six dice in regular play)which are called the Fate dice. Fate dice can be used to replace saving throws, hit rolls, wound rolls, etc.
Number Five: Aeldari
Speaking of the Aeldari, I’m slotting the light elves from Warhammer in at number five. As much as I’d love to put my favorite army in at number one, the amount of Windriders it comes with makes me hold it back. Windriders aren’t a bad unit at all, it’s just they’re a very hit-and-run style of unit and if that’s not your thing, you more than likely won’t like the six Windriders the box comes with. It also comes with infantry which can either be Guardian Defenders(shooting)/Storm Guardians(melee), a Farseer(psyker/warlord), and a Wraithlord which the the box’s large mech. Overall, it’s a solid box.
Number Four: Necrons
Necrons in Warhammer are a race of robotic fighters who were once made of flesh and blood but traded for cold, hard metal. For $168, you’ll get ten Necron Warriors which are the battle line for patrol, three Scarab Swarms which can go behind enemy lines and self-destruct to deal massive damage, and three Skorpekh Destroyers which are a decent melee unit. Also included is a Canoptek Doomstalker which is the heavy armor unit of the combat patrol and then a Necron Overlord which acts as the leader of the patrol. If you’re looking to start playing Necrons in Warhammer, this a pretty good box to start off with.
Number Three: Blood Angels
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Blood Angels are one of the many chapters of Space Marines in Warhammer and their combat patrol is pretty solid. For the same price as a Necrons box, you’ll get a Primaris Librarian which is the warleader for the Blood Angels, a five-man Intercessor squad that saves on three or more with two wounds a piece. You’ll also get a five-man squad of Infiltrators which are solid for defending objectives, a three-man Aggressor squad which hit hard with Twin-Linked Twin Power Fists, and an Impulsor. Not only does the Impulsor have a Toughness of nine with eleven wounds, but it also acts as a transport for your Blood Angels.
Number Two: Astra Militarum
The backbone of the Imperium of Man in Warhammer, the Astra Militarum is comprised of average everyday humans looking to do their part for the empire. Relying on numbers and artillery, the Astra Militarum box includes a Cadian Command Squad with an officer and a bodyguard, twenty Cadian Shock Troops who while weak with three Toughness and one Wound, make up for it with access to good firepower like a Meltagun, Plasmagun, or a grenade launcher. You also get a Scout Sentinel which is like an AT-ST from Star Wars, and a Field Ordinance Battery which looks pretty strong.
Number One: Drukhari
If you’re the type of DnD player who likes to play Drow, you’ll more than likely want to play the Dark Elves of the Warhammer universe. For Drukhari you’ll get an Archon to lead your army, ten Kabalite Warriors which make up a bulk of the patrol and can get access to Dark Lances, and five melee-focused Incubi to cover the foot portion of the combat patrol. For vehicles, you’ll be able to run both a Raider and a Ravager with the Ravager being able to wield a Dark Lance or Disintegrator Cannon. The Raider also gets access to those while also being able to transport infantry and act as a firing platform.
If this article convinced you to pick up a Warhammer combat patrol, tell me in the comments below which one you went with. Also, if you wanna just talk about your favorite army that’s also cool.
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