Scale & Motion Plus

Getting into Warhammer 40,000 is not complicated — but there are more ways to start than there used to be, and choosing the wrong entry point can mean spending money on things you do not actually need yet. This guide cuts through the options and explains which starter set makes sense depending on what you want from the hobby: playing games quickly, building and painting a proper army, or doing both at once. All products are available at Merlin's Miniatures using coupon code SCALEANDMOTION at checkout.

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare is one of the most fully realised licensed miniatures games currently available. It takes the post-apocalyptic world of the Fallout video game series — the Survivors picking through the ruins, the Brotherhood of Steel in their power armour, the Super Mutants, Raiders, Institute Synths, Robots and the irradiated creatures of the wasteland — and translates it into a tabletop skirmish game that plays equally well as a competitive two-player encounter, a co-operative mission or a solo campaign against AI-controlled opposition. This guide covers how the game works, what you need to get started, which faction suits which playstyle, and what to buy first.

Combat Patrol is the most practical entry point into Warhammer 40,000—a single box that gives you a complete, playable force at a size specifically designed for the smaller Combat Patrol game format, which uses simplified rules and fits on a smaller table. It is also the format Games Workshop recommends for new players, and for good reason: you get a coherent set of units from a single faction, enough models to start painting and learning the hobby, and a self-contained experience that does not require you to own a full army before you can play.

If you have been spending any time in miniature painting communities — YouTube tutorials, Reddit threads, hobby Discord servers — you have almost certainly heard 'Pro Acryl' mentioned. Monument Hobbies' flagship paint range has built a strong and genuinely earned reputation over the past few years, and it has done so without the decades of brand inertia that Citadel or Vallejo carry. 

Wargaming miniatures sit at an unusual crossroads in the hobby world. They are simultaneously a tabletop gaming system, a modelling discipline, a painting challenge and — for many collectors — an end in themselves. Whether you are building your first Bolt Action platoon, deep into a Warhammer 40,000 campaign army, assembling Fallout: Wasteland Warfare figures between games, or simply buying Gunpla kits as display pieces, the range of products, systems and retailers available in 2026 is broader than it has ever been.

Entering the world of Warhammer 40,000 is a significant step into a hobby that combines complex storytelling, artistic expression, and strategic gameplay . With decades of history and dozens of unique factions, the initial choice of an army box can be overwhelming for a newcomer. This guide focuses on the essential factors to consider when selecting your starting point in the grim darkness of the far future .

Tabletop wargaming and miniature collecting have evolved far beyond simple gameplay. What was once a niche hobby has grown into a structured and highly detailed discipline that combines craftsmanship, artistic expression, and strategic thinking.