Is the Warhammer 40,000 Introductory Set still worth buying?
Last checked 29 October 2026.
As a cheap first try of building and painting, yes. As your way into the 11th edition game, no. The Introductory Set we list is the 10th Edition box, with Space Marines and Tyranids, at £33.58 (RRP £42.50). It is in stock.
Games Workshop announced a new Introductory Set on 5 July 2026, with an Ork Nob and Boyz in place of the Tyranids. Check the edition in the title before you buy.
What our 10th Edition set holds
- 5 Infernus Space Marines
- 10 Termagants and a Ripper Swarm (11 Tyranids)
- A 48-page Introductory Set Handbook, a game mat, a ruler and 6 dice
- Starter clippers and a starter brush
- 5 paints: Macragge Blue, Abaddon Black, Naggaroth Night, Balthazar Gold and Wraithbone
The miniatures come unpainted and need some assembly. Its contents list names no glue and no primer.
What the 11th edition changes for this box
The handbook in our box belongs to the 10th edition. Warhammer 40,000 is now on its 11th edition. Games Workshop said its app would not support older editions after the June 2026 update. You would play these models with the free 11th edition Core Rules and the current datasheets for each unit.
Games Workshop published downloadable Faction Packs for the new edition on 8 June 2026 for Space Marines and on 9 June for non-human armies, including Tyranids. Before you build around a unit, look it up in the Warhammer 40,000 app.
Our set against the new one
| Item | Our 10th Edition set | Games Workshop's new set (5 July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | 5 Infernus Space Marines | A Lieutenant and 5 Intercessors |
| Opponent | 10 Termagants and a Ripper Swarm | An Ork Nob and 5 Boyz |
| Paints | 5 | 6 |
| Terrain | None listed | A set of card terrain |
| Tools | Starter clippers and brush | Starter brush, no clippers listed |
| Handbook | 48 pages | 48 pages |
Do the Marines have to be blue?
Our listing calls them Space Marines and gives them no colour scheme, so any colours will do. The five paints in our set include Macragge Blue, and you can buy others for a different look. Which army to collect for a colour has more.
Who it suits
For £33.58 you get a Marine squad, a Tyranid brood, a brush, clippers, a mat and dice. That is enough to find out whether you enjoy building and painting. For a game under the 11th edition from the first day, a Combat Patrol (rules free in the app) or the Starter Set is the surer start.
Common questions
What does the Warhammer 40,000 Introductory Set contain?
Our listing names 5 Infernus Space Marines and 11 Tyranids (10 Termagants and a Ripper Swarm). It adds a 48-page handbook, a game mat, clippers, a brush, 6 dice, a ruler and 5 paints. It is the 10th Edition set.
Does the Introductory Set come with clippers, glue or a primer?
It has starter clippers and a starter brush, but no glue or primer: the listing names neither, and none of the five paints is one. Buy those separately if you need them.
Can the 10th Edition Introductory Set be used with the 11th edition rules?
The models can, with the free Core Rules and each unit's current datasheet. The app no longer supports older editions, so check every unit in it before you plan around it.
Our listing: product page read 29 October 2026. The new Introductory Set and paint sets: Warhammer Community, 5 July 2026. App and Faction Packs: Warhammer Community, 8 to 15 June 2026. Core Rules download: Warhammer Community, 1 June 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.