Stormcast Eternals or Skaven: which should you start first?
Box facts checked 29 October 2026.
Pick Stormcast Eternals if you want a few big, armoured models and a quick first win. Pick Skaven if you like painting a crowd of the same model. Games Workshop's own Introductory Set splits them five against twenty.
If you cannot choose, buy the Introductory Set at £34.76. It holds both armies, so you find out which one you reach for.
The two armies in your first box
| In the box | Stormcast Eternals | Skaven |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Set | 5 Liberators | 20 Clanrats |
| Starter Set | A Lord-Veritant with Gryph-crow, 3 Prosecutors and 5 Liberators | A Grey Seer, a Warlock Engineer, 3 Rat Ogors and 20 Clanrats |
| Faction paint set | Stormcast Eternals + Paint Set, £18.57 (in stock) | Skaven + Paint Set, £18.57 (in stock) |
| Spearhead box | Yndrasta's Spearhead, sold out at the moment | Skaven, sold out at the moment |
What it means at the painting table
Games Workshop describes the Introductory Set as five hammer-wielding Stormcast Eternals Liberators and a horde of twenty Skaven Clanrats. Five Liberators are a short project with a visible result. Twenty Clanrats are one kind of model, built and painted twenty times.
Trying each army cheaply
- Both armies in one go: the Introductory Set at £34.76.
- One army with a brush, six paints and models to practise on: the Stormcast Eternals paint set or the Skaven paint set.
The paint sets let you try an army. Their models are for practice and will not make up a force. The Starter Set holds both armies too, so skip it if you only like one. When you commit, a Spearhead box is the next step. If the box for your army cannot be ordered, browse Stormcast Eternals or Skaven kits instead.
Common questions
Do the Stormcast Eternals and Skaven paint sets include a brush?
Each one has a brush, six carefully selected paints and models to practise on, Games Workshop says. They are separate from the larger Paints and Tools Set.
Are Skaven a good army for a complete beginner?
They suit someone who likes the look and the many-model painting. In one r/ageofsigmar thread (May 2026), replies to a new player said to pick Skaven if you like the look, expect a lot of Clanrats to paint, and not to pick them for an easy win.
Can I play a game with only the Stormcast half of the Introductory Set?
Not on its own, because a game needs an opponent's force too. The box holds both forces and a mat, ruler and six dice, so the two sides can play each other.
Do Stormcast Eternals and Skaven each have a Spearhead box?
Both have one: Yndrasta's Spearhead for Stormcast Eternals (sold out at the moment) and the Spearhead Skaven box (sold out at the moment). The City of Ash box also holds a Skaven force.
Box contents: Warhammer Community (Games Workshop's news site), 15 July 2024, and our own Introductory Set listing. Spearhead boxes: our own listings and Warhammer Community, 1 May 2024 and 14 April 2026. Prices and stock: this shop.