Warhammer army costs (how much is a Warhammer 40k army)
The cost of a Warhammer army will affect players a lot. The overall price of models can be really discouraging, but some options are available to save money. Additionally, not every army costs the same so there’s one for every budget.
Knowing the cost up ahead is good. It allows us to plan, potentially splitting prices across multiple smaller payments. With all the information circulating, knowing basic ones is key.
What are the costs to start playing Warhammer
Before we even get into minis, here are some things you’ll need to get alongside them. Although prices vary, the below tools are the most important to get in some shape or fashion.
- Rulebook $70
- Codex $55
- Dice $13
- Measuring tape $10
- Hobby knife $15
- Paints (including primer and varnish) $70
- Brushes $20
TOTAL: $253
The average price of Warhammer 40k army
The cost of a Warhammer army is always dependent on its size. Small armies can cost less than 200$ while big ones can go as far as 1000$.
The cost is extremely swingy, being further affected by the difference in faction model prices and inclusions of your specific list.
How much does a 2000 point army cost in Warhammer?
A 2000 point army usually costs around $800.
We are taking into account prices for a moderately competitive army without exceptionally pricey units.
How much does a 1500 point army cost in Warhammer?
Not taking into account the way loss of points could alter an army, a 1,500 points army will cost around $600.
The 1,500-point army may come even cheaper as you lose access to some very expensive units.
How much does a 1000 point army cost in Warhammer?
It’s possible to build a 1,000-point army for $400.
The price of these sorts of armies rose with the mini price increases of recent years. Years back, this size of an army could be made for far less.
How much does a 500 point army cost in Warhammer?
A 500 points army is only about $160.
This cheapness comes from all the available combat patrol boxes. The price usually goes up exponentially with higher values because using multiple patrol boxes for an army rarely makes a decent one.
Examples of different army costs
Considering how big aesthetic and functional differences between armies are, it makes sense their model cost would too. We’ll cover some considerable differences in value here.
How much does an Imperial Guard army cost
At 1,000 points, Imperial Guard will cost you about $500. This number includes a regular combined arms approach to army design, including a ton of infantry and quite a few tanks.
If you wanted to go for 2,000 point army, a common size of battle in games, it would run you over $1,000. Almost a flat double, and that’s all assuming the army uses a standard loadout of units.
How much does an Ork army cost
Orks are even more expensive than Imperial Guard. Generally, you field far more Boyz as troops, and your vehicles are extremely numerous too. Even heavy support like Mek Gunz cost $45 per model, a single unit has three models.
The price of troops alone in a 1,000-point army comes up at about $300, which is being generous as I didn’t stock up the Boyz units with the maximum possible models. Combining everything else leaves us with roughly $800 initial cost.
The main culprit is the Boyz who you need the most, but the prices of others don’t help either. A 2,000-point army may cost you even more than double that, depending on the volume of Boyz. Thankfully, there are dozens of neat tricks online for lowering these prices.
How much does a Space Marine army cost
Now for a shocking twist, Space Marine army worth 2,000 points can be purchased for about $800. This is a very strong list at that, with some extra cost than the base ones we’ve seen before.
As you can see, for that price you can barely get half of the Ork list. This is due to the sharp discrepancy in the model count, which makes it easier to collect non-swarm armies.
How much does a Custodes army cost
Only about $250-300 for a 1,000-point army, somewhere around $500 for 2,000. Yes, the fall in price is that drastic. This is because Custodes have only a few units in their army due to high point costs.
Custodes are still worthwhile and strong but less numerous. You can even cut these costs down if you really want to be efficient by converting one of the troops bought into an HQ pick.
How much does a Tyranid army cost
Once again we dip into the pricey territory. Though Tyranids are often found in a price range between Imperial Guard and Orks. It all depends on the number of large monsters you bring over.
How much does a Chaos Marines army cost
Chaos Marines are close in price to regular Space Marines. Certain Chaos Daemons can bump this price up but generally, they stick around the usual $800 for 2,000 point army cost. Additionally, the choice of faction can change the general price, though rarely by a considerable margin.
What are the essentials of a WH40K army?
The essentials are going to be HQ and troop units. These will be found in almost every faction and every size of the game. The troops are also quite important because they are the most frequent unit to actually capture objectives.
However, if you go for a Brigade detachment while building your army, which is quite possible for 2,000 point games, things change. This detachment has to include not only HQ and troops but the following unit types too:
- At least 3 Elites
- At least 3 Fast attack
- At least 3 Heavy support
With those extra requirements, the point and monetary cost of the army goes up significantly. Especially if you are playing one of the armies that have very pricey models in those sessions.
Should you paint every mini in your army?
Unless you are going to an official event that requires all minis to be painted, it’s up to personal preference.
The minis will look far cooler when painted and can really add to the experience, but it’s understandable if you have no time to do it.
There are no limits when it comes to the act of painting the minis too. Some could just have the base colors covered while others use intricate patterns, do whatever seems the most fun. Even playing with the fully unpainted minis is an option, though there are issues that can crop up.
If both players use unpainted minis, especially those of a similar faction, there could be some confusion. Mixing up each others units is a possibility in these circumstances. Hence why it’s recommended to mark them in some capacity, even if it’s just a tiny bit of paint on the model or a sticker.
How many minis are in a WH40K army?
As army sizes grow so do mini counts. Your most basic game can have as few as dozen minis, while higher level ones reach triple digits at times. Not to mention how much faction choice plays into the size.
Swarm armies will rarely be seen with anything less than 30 models, even combat patrols easily breach these numbers. On the other hand, elite armies such as Custodes may still stay in single digits in small games.
How big can a Warhammer army be?
A 2000 point army can get up to 100 models easily. Often rising above 200 in more numerous factions. It can be a hassle to move around both on and off the tabletop which may impact your purchasing options.
How small can a Warhammer army be?
As few as five models can compose an army.
A Custodes army with two HQs and a single squad of Custodian Guard will number exactly five units, with massive stats to boost. This army has 500 points to use, a standard Combat Patrol value.
Where can you get the best prices for warhammer armies
Money can be scarce for new modelers, hence why finding the best deals can make quite a difference to wargamers new and old. Refreshing your army with a stock of new miniatures is always nice though. To both save money and get a few extra pieces of plastic, here are stores that may have our desired mini for cheaper.
Amazon: On the Amazon store, you can find some of the items for cheaper. The difference in price may not be massive but it can save us cash. Doubly so when buying multiples of the same model.
eBay: Buying used armies is always a good pick. People take great care of their models, especially considering their price, so you’ll rarely get damaged models. If you want to paint them your own color, it’s possible to wash off the old paint.
OnTableTop: UK seller of affordable tabletop gaming items. We will find quite a few things on offer that are much cheaper than the official shop. The selection is constantly expanding so even units not currently available may be added later.
Dicehead Games: US retailer with quite a decent offer. The navigation on site is quite simple and the navigation bar elaborate. You’ll find the desired game, faction, and model in a matter of seconds. However, they do have a limited selection so it may not satisfy all needs.
TistaMini: Lastly, we have a Canada retailer. TistaMinis doesn’t only offer a good deal on prices but a massive catalog of different hobby tools. With multiple brands represented on their store page, you should be able to find a favorite fast.
Conclusion
Army costs will change a lot depending on the faction. However, it’s impossible for any army to come up cheap. This is a simple fact of the whole hobby, but it becomes more bearable if you split the costs into multiple months and use cheaper retailers.
The cost of various extra items you’ll need is also considerable. If you keep playing the game, the cost of these will not feel as impactful. The new models will also be easier to afford once you have a base army. Expanding the available options by a few models is far cheaper.
