What should I buy my boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife who wants to start Warhammer?
Ask one question first: which army, or which colour, would they paint first? Then buy the smallest box for that army that comes with paint. For someone who likes the blue Space Marines, that is Space Marine: Intercessors and Paints at £18.78. To play together, buy the Starter Set at £126.40, which holds two armies.
The one question that settles it
The risk is the wrong army. A model can take hours to build and paint, so a gift in the wrong colours sits in its box.
- Ask: "If you could paint any one box first, which would it be?"
- If you cannot ask them, ask a friend who plays with them. Or look at the models on their desk and match them against the pictures in our army pages, such as Space Marines, Orks, Necrons or T'au Empire.
- If all you know is a colour, use the table below. Blue usually points to the Ultramarines, a Space Marine chapter painted royal blue and gold. Other armies wear blue too, so confirm it from a photo.
What to buy for what you learn
| You learn | Buy | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| They like the blue Space Marines | Space Marine: Intercessors and Paints: two Intercessors, a brush and six paints, built around the Ultramarines scheme | £18.78, in stock |
| They like the green Orks | Orks: Boyz and Paints: two Boyz, a Gretchin, a brush and six paints | £18.99, in stock |
| You want to play together | Starter Set (11th Edition): a Space Marines army, an Orks army, boards, terrain, dice and the Core Rulebook | £126.40, in stock |
| They want a proper first army, with paint | Getting Started with Space Marines: a full Combat Patrol (a ready-made small army), 11 paints, a brush and a texture spreader, all push-fit | £86.11, in stock |
| You cannot find out anything | Paints and Tools (11th Edition): clippers, a brush, a mouldline remover and 13 paints. The tools suit any army and the paints are a general spread. If you cannot buy it, gifts under £25 lists the 10th Edition version. | £22.83, sold out at the moment |
How a first gift goes wrong
- Nothing to paint with. The miniatures come unpainted. The Starter Set's contents list has no paints either, so add a paint set.
- Too much in one go. A Combat Patrol is a whole ready-made army, at £82.95 to £86.11. Someone who has never held a clipper may prefer to try two models first, with the Intercessors set. Getting Started suits someone who has asked for an army.
If you want to play too
The Starter Set gives each of you an army. You can build and paint side by side and play the first game on the boards in the box. Let them choose which army they take, and take the other.
The cheaper route is one small paint set each. The Intercessors set and the Orks set together cost £37.77. You get five models between you, a brush and six paints each. There is no board, terrain or rules, so a game needs the Core Rulebook or the free rules as well. If the idea is a shared project, the Starter Set at £126.40 is the better buy.
Common questions
What do I buy my boyfriend who wants to get into Warhammer and likes the blue guys?
Try Space Marine: Intercessors and Paints at £18.78, which is built around the Ultramarines scheme. For a full army with paint, Getting Started with Space Marines is £86.11. Confirm the army from a photo first, because other armies wear blue too.
Is a Warhammer starter set a good gift for someone who has never painted?
Pick one with paint in the box. The Getting Started boxes hold 11 paints and a brush, and the models are push-fit, so no glue. The Starter Set holds no paints, so pair it with Paints and Tools at £22.83, which is sold out at the moment.
What if I do not know which Warhammer army they collect or want?
Do not guess a box, because a wrong army is expensive to swap. Ask a friend who plays with them. If that fails, give Paints and Tools. Its tools suit any army and its 13 paints are a general spread. The 11th Edition set is sold out at the moment, and gifts under £25 lists the 10th Edition one.
Box contents: Warhammer Community, Sunday Preview, 5 July 2026, and the product listings on this shop. Ultramarines colours: Warhammer Community, 3 October 2023. Free Core Rules: Warhammer Community, 1 June 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.