Age of Sigmar is Warhammer's fantasy wargame, and one of the most rewarding ways to spend a weekend if you go in with clear expectations. You will build plastic miniatures, prime them, paint them, and push them around a tabletop. The cost is real. The learning curve is steep. The hobby is genuinely excellent. Here's how to start without buying the wrong things first.
By Colin B. · Published June 5, 2026 · Last reviewed June 5, 2026
The starter set runs $60, but a complete paint kit, tools, and a proper army push you past $300 fast. Budget $150 to try it; $380 to commit.
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At a glance
Our top pick in each category
The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category.
Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.
The Army PainterThe Army Painter, Hobby Starter Brush Set, 3 Paint Brushes for Acrylic Paint incl. Drybrush, Small Detail & Standard, Fine Tip Model Brush for Miniature Fantasy Painting
Prime your models before painting. It sounds optional. It isn't. Paint without primer chips off in a week. A $15 spray can of Citadel Corax White or Army Painter Matte White is one of the most important purchases you'll make, and most beginners forget it until they've already painted something and watched it peel.
Pick one faction and commit. Age of Sigmar has dozens of armies, and browsing the full range is a trap. Find the aesthetic that makes you want to paint and stop there. Your first army should be something you genuinely want to look at, because you'll be spending 40-80 hours building and painting it.
The hobby has three phases: building, painting, and playing. Many people love two of the three and tolerate the third. Know which phase is your draw before spending big.
The gear
What you actually need
Starter Sets
The starter set is the most important decision you'll make, because it determines your first faction and first experience of the rules. The Warrior Starter Set is the official beginner product: two small warbands, a condensed rulebook, and dice. It gets you playing in an afternoon. Once you've decided which full army you want, the Spearhead box for your chosen faction builds it properly at a 25-30% discount versus buying units separately.
Starter Sets — what's the difference?
A few common shapes, each making a different trade.
Warrior Starter Set
Two factions, full rules. The standard starting point.
Models
~20 total, 2 factions
Rulebook
Condensed included
Game size
Small skirmish
Best for First-time AoS players who haven't picked a faction
Tradeoff Forces too small for most organized play formats
★★★★★Our rating· Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
The official front door to Age of Sigmar. You get two small warbands (Stormcast Eternals and Kruleboyz), a condensed rulebook, and enough models to learn the game before committing to a full army. At $60, it's the honest way in. Build both sides, play ten games, then decide which faction deserves your painting hours.
What we like
Two factions included, so you can try both before choosing
Condensed rulebook teaches the full game, not a stripped demo
Lowest cost way into actual Age of Sigmar
What to know
Warbands are small, not tournament-legal without more models
No paints or tools included, add $80-100 for a basic kit
Once you know Stormcast is your faction, the Spearhead box is how you build your army. It contains 16 models at a solid discount vs. buying units separately, plus warscroll cards for every model inside. Stormcast are the most beginner-friendly faction to assemble and paint. Every major AoS army has its own Spearhead box.
What we like
25-30% cheaper than buying the same units individually
Includes warscrolls for every model, no separate app required
What to know
One faction only, commit to your army before buying
Budget 8-12 hours to assemble and paint the full box
Every plastic GW kit comes on a sprue. You cut models off the sprue with clippers, remove flash with a file, and glue parts together with plastic cement. These three tools are non-negotiable. The Citadel Essentials Set bundles clippers, glue, a brush, and starter paints for beginners. If you want only the clippers, the Tamiya side cutter is the professional standard at half the price.
Best starter
Games Workshop
Warhammer - Age of Sigmar Paints + Tools (2024 3rd Edition)
$42.00 as of Jun 22, 2026
★★★★★Our rating
The all-in-one starter kit: clippers, plastic glue, a base brush, and 13 paints in a single box. The polystyrene cement fuses plastic with no visible join lines. If you've never built a plastic miniature, buy this and stop researching. The included paints get you started while you figure out which colors you actually need.
What we like
Clippers, glue, brush, and 13 paints in one purchase
Polystyrene cement bonds plastic with no visible join lines
Official GW kit designed around their plastic sprues
What to know
Clippers are adequate but pros use Tamiya side cutters instead
Small file wears faster than dedicated metal files
★★★★☆Our rating· Only 4 left in stock - order soon.
The best clippers in the hobby at any price, and they cost $18. Flush-cut blade removes models from sprue without leaving a nub to file down. Used by competitive painters and speed-painters alike. Pair with any plastic cement and you have a better cutting setup than anything GW sells.
What we like
Flush-cut blade leaves almost no nub to clean up afterward
Sharper than any GW clipper at half the price
What to know
Clippers only, pair with plastic cement and a file
Overkill if you're assembling just one starter box
Before you paint anything, prime it. A light grey or white spray primer (Citadel Corax White or Army Painter Matte White, ~$15) gives paint something to grip. Without it, your colors chip in a week. After priming, Citadel Contrast paints are the best thing that happened to beginner painters in a decade: one coat does shading, highlighting, and base color at once. Your first model will look like you knew what you were doing even before you did.
Best starter
Games Workshop
Warhammer 40,000: Paints + Tools Set
$38.24 as of Jun 22, 2026
★★★★★Our rating· In Stock
Contrast paints are a genuine breakthrough for beginners. One coat over a grey primer handles shading, highlighting, and base color in a single pass. Your first models look good from day one. The starter set covers the essential colors for most starter armies.
What we like
One coat handles shading, highlighting, and color together
Beginner results look genuinely good, not beginner-mediocre
Full range covers almost any AoS faction's color scheme
What to know
Must use light grey or white primer, not black
Individual pots cost $7-8 each, pricier than Army Painter
The most respected GW alternative. Larger bottles, lower cost per ml, and works seamlessly alongside Citadel washes and contrast paints. Ten essential colors cover most basic army schemes. A solid starter if you'd rather not pay GW prices for every pot.
What we like
Larger bottles, better cost per ml than Citadel pots
Mixes and layers alongside Citadel paints without issues
What to know
Consistency varies more between pots than Citadel does
Less color-matched to GW's official paint guides and tutorials
Nuln Oil is the single most impactful technique product in the hobby. Brush it over painted metal or dark armor and it flows into recesses, creating instant depth and definition. Paired with Agrax Earthshade for skin and leather, these two washes transform flat base-coats into models that look finished. Buy both.
What we like
Flows into recesses automatically, adding depth without skill
Works on any base color, especially metallic armor
What to know
Pools on flat surfaces if over-applied
One color only; buy Agrax Earthshade separately for skin tones
You need three brushes: a large one for base-coating, a medium one for most details, and a small one for eyes and fine work. The Army Painter starter set covers all three at a reasonable price. Don't buy individual sable brushes until you know you enjoy painting, then the Winsor and Newton Series 7 is the professional standard and worth the premium.
Best starter
The Army Painter
Hobby Starter Brush Set, 3 Paint Brushes for Acrylic Paint incl. Drybrush, Small Detail & Standard, Fine Tip Model Brush for Miniature Fantasy Painting
$21.59 as of Jun 22, 2026
★★★★★Our rating· In Stock
Three brushes covering the essentials: a basecoat brush, a standard round, and a drybrush. Everything you need for the first few months of painting at a fair price. Comfortable handles, decent point retention. The honest starter set for someone who doesn't want to research every brush size before they've touched paint.
What we like
Three essential brush types cover 90% of beginner painting tasks
Comfortable handle diameter for hour-long painting sessions
What to know
Bristles lose their point after 3-4 months of regular painting
Detail brush too coarse for eyes and faces, plan to upgrade
The hobby's gold-standard detail brush. A single Series 7 No. 1 holds a point finer than any synthetic at any price and lasts years with proper care. Wait until you have 20+ hours of painting behind you, then buy one and feel the difference immediately.
What we like
Holds a finer point than any synthetic brush at any price
Lasts years with proper care, outlasting dozens of synthetics
What to know
Natural hair requires careful cleaning and reshaping each session
One brush, $12-18 each. A splurge until you know you love painting
Painted miniatures are fragile. Arms and weapons snap in a bag, paint chips on hard surfaces, and the join points on plastic kits are the weakest part. A proper carrying case with foam trays is not optional once you have 20+ painted models you care about. The GW Army Carry Case fits standard GW bases and handles car trips cleanly. The Plano tackle box is the open secret of the hobby: a $15 tackle box with self-cut foam carries 40+ infantry models perfectly.
Best starter
Games Workshop
99239999075 Citadel Battle Figure Case, Black
$96.90 as of Jun 22, 2026
★★★★★Our rating· Only 8 left in stock - order soon.
Custom foam trays sized around GW's base sizes, a shoulder strap, and a handle. Your painted army survives car trips to game night and back. Worth it once you have a force you've spent 30+ hours painting and don't want to transport in a shoebox.
What we like
Foam tray sizes designed around standard GW base dimensions
Shoulder strap and handle for easy transport to game night
What to know
Expensive for a foam-lined bag at GW prices
GW foam trays won't fit all third-party models without adapting
The open secret of the miniatures hobby: a $15 tackle box with foam lining stores 40+ infantry on 25mm bases perfectly. Fits in a backpack. Adjustable dividers protect models in transit. Not glamorous, completely functional, and every experienced hobbyist has at least two.
What we like
Under $15 and fits 40+ infantry in a standard backpack
Adjustable dividers protect models during transport
What to know
Foam must be self-cut for taller models and cavalry bases
No shoulder strap, less practical for armies over 50 models
The hobby has three phases: building, painting, and playing. Most people love two and tolerate the third. Here is what to actually expect in your first 30 days.
Age of Sigmar asks more of you upfront than almost any hobby you can name. You have to build the models, then prime them, then paint them, and only then do you get to play the game. Most new players underestimate this. The box looks manageable. Then you open it, count the sprues, and realize you’ve committed to 40 hours of work before your first real game.
This is not a reason to stop. It’s a reason to know what you signed up for.
Here is what your first month actually looks like.
Week one: the build
The Warrior Starter Set includes two warbands on plastic sprues. A sprue is a frame, and the models are attached to it by thin gates that you cut with a clipper. Your first job is to assemble your models.
Before you cut anything, watch the assembly video for your specific kit on Warhammer TV. This sounds obvious. Most people skip it and then glue a shoulder pad on backwards and wonder why the arm doesn’t fit. Five minutes of video saves an hour of frustration.
Two tools you need:
Plastic clippers (side cutters), to remove models from the sprue
Plastic cement (polystyrene glue), not super glue. Plastic cement melts the surfaces and fuses them permanently. The join becomes invisible. Super glue leaves a white residue and a weak bond.
Cut each piece as close to the model as possible. File down the nub with a hobby file or the back of a knife. Hold the join for sixty seconds while the glue sets. Don’t rush this.
Your first assembled model will have small gaps and some rough edges. This is normal. Your tenth will be clean. Your hundredth will be invisible.
A painted model without primer will chip. The paint has nothing to grip on bare plastic, and it will flake off the first time you pick the model up with a slightly sweaty hand. This is not optional. Prime everything before you paint anything.
For beginners using Contrast paints, the primer should be light grey or white. Citadel Corax White spray is the standard choice. Spray from about 12 inches away in light coats, rotating the model. Don’t try to cover it in one pass. Two thin coats are better than one thick one.
Once you’re primed, Contrast paints work as follows: brush one coat over the primed surface and put the model down. The paint flows into recesses and pools in crevices, creating shading automatically. It looks wrong while wet. Give it 20 minutes to dry. Then look again.
It looks like you know what you’re doing. You don’t yet, but you’ll take the credit.
For your first model, pick one Contrast color per surface: one for the armor, one for the cloth, one for the skin. Don’t try to do 12 colors on a single Stormcast Eternal. Three colors finished looks better than seven colors started.
Week three: washes, basing, and detail
After your base colors are dry, apply a wash. Nuln Oil is grey-black, suited for metal and dark armor. Agrax Earthshade is brown, suited for skin, leather, and warm-colored armor. Brush it over the entire model and let it do the work. Don’t try to guide it. It flows into the recesses, adds depth, and makes a two-color model look like it took three times as long to paint.
Basing is the step most beginners skip and then regret. The base is what grounds the model visually. A painted model on bare plastic looks unfinished even if the paint job is excellent. Apply some texture paint (Citadel Technical Astrogranite is easy and fast), let it dry, then drybrush it with a light grey. Done. Your model is now a finished miniature rather than a painted toy.
Once your first unit of five or ten models is complete, stop and look at them together. They should look like a coherent force, not individual experiments. If they do, you’ve learned the fundamentals.
Week four: your first game
With even half your Warrior Starter models painted, you can play your first proper game.
The rules can feel overwhelming at the start but settle quickly. The core loop is simple: move your models, shoot if you have ranged weapons, charge into combat, roll dice for attacks. The complexity comes from the special abilities on each warscroll (the unit’s rule card), which you’ll learn organically over the first five games.
A few things that trip up new players:
Coherency. Each unit must maintain coherency: every model must be within a set distance of at least one other model in the unit. Break coherency (usually by spreading too wide) and you have to spend your movement correcting it.
The priority roll. At the start of each battle round, both players roll a die. The winner decides who takes the first turn that round. This single mechanic means every game has a different rhythm.
Command abilities. Most armies have special actions (run and shoot, redeploy, rally to recover wounds) that cost command points. New players forget to use them. They change outcomes significantly.
Don’t try to optimize in your first five games. Play through, make mistakes, and notice what happens. The game rewards players who understand what their units are for, and that understanding comes from playing, not from reading.
If you enjoyed all three phases (building, painting, playing), welcome. This is a deep hobby and you’ve only seen the surface.
If you loved painting and found the game secondary, look into the painting side of the hobby more seriously. Competitions like Golden Demon exist specifically for painters. Vince Venturella’s Hobby Cheating channel on YouTube is the most technical resource in the hobby.
If you loved playing and found painting a chore, commission painters exist. Yes, it costs money. Yes, it’s worth it for some people. The game is the point; the painting is the path to it.
If you loved everything, start thinking about which full army you actually want to build. The Vanguard box for your chosen faction is the next purchase. Pick based on aesthetic, not tier lists. The meta changes. Your painted models are yours forever.
Save your money
What you don't need yet
Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play
better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.
A second army box — Play ten games with your starter forces before expanding. Most beginners buy their second army before they've finished painting their first.
An airbrush — Impressive technique, steep learning curve, expensive setup. Learn brush painting first and add an airbrush after a full year if you're still painting.
Forge World resin models — More detailed, significantly more expensive, and much harder to assemble and paint. Not for year one.
A full paint range — You need 8-12 paints for your first army. A full Citadel range costs $300+. Resist the urge until you know your palette.
Army-specific accessories — Branded dice, measuring tapes, and tokens can wait. Any six-sided dice and a standard tape measure work fine.
Wet palette — Useful later for keeping paints workable, but a ceramic tile or paper palette does the same job while you're learning.
First week
Your first seven days
A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.
Browse the Age of Sigmar faction gallery and pick one aesthetic that genuinely excites you. · Action
AoS Faction Gallery · Official Warhammer Community: all factions with lore and model previews
Order the Warrior Starter Set. It arrives in a few days and gives you both factions to try. · Buy
Order hobby tools and a basic paint kit so they arrive before the starter set. · Buy
Watch one assembly video for your specific models before cutting anything off the sprue. · Learn
Warhammer TV (YouTube) · Official Games Workshop channel: assembly and painting tutorials for every kit
Assemble one small unit (5-10 models). Don't rush. The glue needs 60 seconds to set. · Action
Prime your assembled models before painting. Don't skip this step. · Action
Paint one model start to finish before touching the rest. It teaches you more than reading guides. · Action
FAQ
Common questions
How much does it really cost to start Age of Sigmar?
Budget $150 to try it (starter set + basic paints + tools). Budget $350-400 to commit properly (proper starter army + full paint kit + case). The note about $300-800 starter armies is real, but you don't have to spend that on day one.
Do I have to paint my miniatures?
Not to play. Most game nights accept grey plastic models. But painting is a big part of why people love this hobby, and an unpainted army at a tournament will likely get you disqualified. Try at least one model before deciding painting isn't for you.
What's the difference between Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000?
Setting only: Age of Sigmar is high fantasy (Stormcast knights, demons, undead), while 40K is grimdark sci-fi (Space Marines, Orks, Tyranids). The core assembly and painting hobby is identical. The rules are different games. Pick whichever aesthetic appeals to you.
How long does it take to build and paint a starter army?
A Spearhead box (20-30 models) takes 15-25 hours of hobby time total. Spread over weekends, that's 4-6 weeks for most people. A full 1,000-point army runs 40-80 hours depending on how detailed your painting is.
Which faction should I pick first?
Pick the one you most want to paint, not the one that's best in the current meta. The meta changes. You'll be staring at these models for a long time. Stormcast Eternals are the most beginner-friendly to assemble and paint. Cities of Sigmar and Nighthaunt are popular starter choices too.
Can I play Age of Sigmar with the Warrior Starter Set, or do I need a bigger army?
You can absolutely play with the Warrior Starter forces. They're designed for learning games. They won't be competitive at organized events, but for learning the rules with a friend, they're ideal. Most people play dozens of games with their starter sets before expanding.
Warhammer Community — Official Games Workshop hub for Age of Sigmar. Rules updates, faction reveals, painting tutorials, and tournament coverage.
Warhammer TV (YouTube) — Official GW channel. Best source for assembly walkthroughs and painting tutorials tied to specific kits. Watch before you cut anything.
Goonhammer — The best analysis site for competitive and semi-competitive play. Start with their Beginner's Guide after you've learned the rules.
Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy (YouTube) — Former GW painter turned independent teacher. Gentle, methodical tutorials. Excellent for beginners learning techniques one at a time.
r/ageofsigmar — Active community. Good for army feedback, hobby progress posts, and 'which faction should I start' questions. Weekly hobby thread is welcoming to beginners.
Age of Sigmar: The App — Official free app with all warscrolls (unit rules) for every current faction. Download it before your first game; most rules questions are answered here.
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Our top pickWarhammer Age of Sigmar Warrior Starter Set
Best starter 
