What Starting Warhammer 40K Actually Costs in 2026: Three Real Budgets Compared

Price was the thing that stopped me getting into Warhammer, not painting, not learning the rules, not even the 40,000 years of lore everyone else already seems to know. "Honestly, Warhammer is expensive," and every time I decided this was finally the month I was getting into it, I would see someone showing off a 180 pound launch box or casually listing two combat patrols, a character, a tank, a codex, cards and dice. I have not come into an inheritance. I think that is something people do not say out loud enough, because the community can accidentally make this feel like a hobby where everyone has unlimited disposable income, while the rest of us are refreshing retailer websites on payday.

I spent ages convinced there had to be a cheaper way in, a way to actually collect, build, paint and play without remortgaging the house. After spending the last year actually doing that, I genuinely think there is. I do not think the biggest fear is the money itself, I think it is spending money on the wrong thing. I got to the point where I was watching Warhammer content most nights without buying a single miniature because I was terrified of getting the first purchase wrong. I have not made every beginner mistake in the book, mostly because I simply could not afford to. Every purchase has taken months of saving, so when your budget is limited you do not get many chances to get it wrong.

Why I Went With Combat Patrol Instead of a Big Starter Set

When you are brand new you already have enough to think about, learning how to build, how to paint, working out why everyone keeps talking about plastic crack. You do not also need two new armies sitting in a box. If you fall in love with Space Marines after buying one of the big starter sets, you also end up with a pile of Orks you never wanted, and it works exactly the same the other way round. Either way you are paying for half a product you never intended to use.

With a combat patrol it is one army, one project, one focus, and you get to actually learn your faction without a second pile of grey plastic judging you from the corner of the room. Every combat patrol is now basically the same RRP regardless of faction, around 105 pounds, which makes budgeting much easier because you are not comparing twenty different entry prices.

If I was starting again today, here is what I would actually buy: a combat patrol, a decent pair of clippers, a hobby knife, plastic glue, a can of primer, around ten paints covering just the colours your army needs plus a shade and a wash, three brushes (roughly a size two, a size one and one very small one), a palette, a water pot, kitchen roll and a tape measure. Notice what is not on that list, no airbrush, no wet palette, no twenty different technical paints, just the things you will actually use from day one. The rules themselves are also free to download on the Warhammer app before you have spent a single penny.

What the Biggest Tournament Says About the Meta, and Why I Am Ignoring It

The WTC, the biggest national team Warhammer event in the world, has every player declare their faction beforehand, which gives a real snapshot of what is actually being played. This year the top two factions tied on 36 players each: Emperor's Children and Orks. I had a look further down the list and was a little gutted that my own army, the Blood Angels, only had two players.

Still, I have loved the Blood Angels since I started, and one tournament is not going to change that. My point is not to let a list like this influence what you buy. If you are brand new, ignore the meta, it changes every few months as units get buffed and nerfed. It is genuinely interesting to see what top-level players are choosing, but buy the army that makes you think it looks cool, because you will still be painting it long after everyone has forgotten this tournament.

Budget One: Buying Everything Direct From Games Workshop, 247 Pounds 50

This is the simplest list: walk into a local Games Workshop, have a chat, get some advice, and walk out with everything you need the same day. No shopping around, no comparing prices. Priced item by item, the combat patrol is 105 pounds, clippers are 32 pounds 50, a hobby knife is 20 pounds 50, plastic glue is 5 pounds, primer is 15 pounds, ten paints come to around 31 pounds 50, three brushes are around 17 pounds 50, a palette is 8 pounds, a water pot is 6 pounds 50 and a tape measure is 6 pounds.

That brings the grand total to 247 pounds 50 for a first day in the hobby. That is a lot of money, no pretending otherwise, but if the budget is there, it is the easiest way in and you are paying for the experience as much as the products. The problem is that not everyone has 250 pounds sitting around for a new hobby. I certainly did not, so while this route is the easiest, it is not the best value.

Budget Two: The Same Shopping List From a Discount Retailer, 210 Pounds 44

For this one I looked at Element Games specifically, because I have bought from them before and always had a good experience. At the time of pricing this up they were consistently around 15 percent cheaper than buying direct from Games Workshop. Crucially, the shopping list does not change and the quality does not change, it is the exact same products from a different website. The combat patrol drops from 105 pounds to 89 pounds 25, and every other item follows the same pattern.

Add it all up and the total comes to 210 pounds 44 against 247 pounds 50 for the Games Workshop basket, a saving of around 40 pounds for doing nothing differently other than ordering on a phone instead of walking into a shop. Element Games are not the only retailer doing this, places like Wayland Games, Firestorm Games and Goblin Gaming tend to sit around the same discount range, though I have personally only bought from Element Games so I cannot comment on the others.

Budget Three: Second-Hand and DIY, Around 128 Pounds

This is my favourite route and, if I am trying to get into Warhammer on a budget, exactly what I am doing. It is not the quickest or easiest way in, it takes patience, but if the goal is simply getting in without spending a fortune, this is the sweet spot. I had a little help putting this together hunting across eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Vinted to get a realistic picture of what is actually out there, focused on Chaos Space Marines, which ties into an ongoing series about whether you can realistically start Warhammer for 100 pounds.

Brand new, sealed combat patrols were regularly sitting between about 75 and 95 pounds, so call it 80 pounds, an immediate saving of 25 pounds. One eBay listing had ten Citadel paints, a brush and plastic glue, all brand new, for 20 pounds, cheaper than buying the paints alone from a discount retailer, though buying paint second-hand does carry some risk and is not always the safest option. Second-hand clippers ran 5 to 10 pounds, a hobby knife was found for 3 pounds, and a basic craft knife cuts plastic exactly the same as one with a hobby logo on it.

Primer does not need to be the Games Workshop version, a Halfords own-brand primer or a DIY primer from somewhere like B&Q works the same way. A palette can be a 90 pence reduced-section find from Home Bargains, or free, using a takeaway tub lid or an old Tupperware lid. A water pot can be anything that holds water, an old mug, a rinsed-out tin, even the storage compartment from a protein shaker. Add everything together and the rough total comes to around 128 pounds, a huge saving on the 247 pounds 50 Games Workshop total, though I want to stress that 128 pounds is still real money given how expensive everything feels at the moment. My own approach is to put a little aside each month, or ask for hobby bits instead of random presents at birthdays and Christmas, because I would rather wait an extra month than rush into buying the wrong thing.

The Final Numbers

Buying everything direct from Games Workshop today comes to around 247 pounds 50. Buying the exact same list from a discount retailer like Element Games drops that to around 210 pounds 44. Being patient, watching eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Vinted, and using DIY alternatives gets a realistic start for around 128 pounds. That finally answers what it actually costs to start Warhammer 40K today, no hidden extras, no constantly being told to spend another 50 pounds.

It is easy to convince yourself online that you need everything on day one. You do not. One box, a couple of brushes, one paint at a time, and the rest can come later.

What is the best second-hand or DIY money-saving trick that has worked for you when starting this hobby?