What should I buy someone who already has a Warhammer army?
Do not guess a squad. Work out the army from their models, then buy one thing they would not buy for themselves: a single character model, or a better tool. Leave out rulebooks and codexes unless you can check the edition, because our listings do not state it.
Work out the army from the models
You do not need the hobby's vocabulary. Take a photo of two or three of their models, then match them against the pictures in our army pages. Each page lists every kit for one army.
- Super-soldiers in power armour: Space Marines
- Troopers, artillery and tanks: Astra Militarum
- Mobile warriors with elegant weapons: Aeldari
- Battle Sisters in armour: Adepta Sororitas
- Green-skinned brutes: Orks. Insect-like creatures: Tyranids. Mechanical bodies: Necrons. Battlesuits: T'au Empire
- Also: Chaos Space Marines, Drukhari, Death Guard
A friend who plays with them can settle it in one message. So can a look at the lid of a box in the cupboard.
What is safe and what is a gamble
| Gift | Why | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| One character model for their army | One model, so you cannot swamp a collection. It gives a painter a project. | They may own it. Look at the shelf first. |
| Better clippers or a knife | An upgrade on the basic tools from a first box. Super Fine Detail Cutters are £26.47. The painter page has the reasoning. | Low. Ask if they already own a pair. |
| A painting handle or palette | Small, useful and easy to forget. The painting handle XL is £9.68. | Low. |
| A squad of the same army | The obvious choice. | High. Players build armies to a plan, and an extra squad may not fit it. |
| A codex or rulebook | Looks practical. | High. The edition may not match what they play. |
One character model
When you cannot ask, a character model is the nearest thing to a safe model. It is a single kit with a pose to show off. A painter gets a project from it, even if the player never fields it. Here are character models from several armies:
Pick the one from their army. If their army is not shown, its army page above lists every kit.
A tool parcel
Tools suit any army, so they are the other safe gift. A parcel of the Super Fine Detail Cutters, the Citadel Knife and the Servo-Skull Palette is £50.77. The painter page says what each one does.
Common questions
My husband's birthday is coming up and he really likes 40K, but I know nothing about it. What should I get him?
Find out his army from a photo of his models, then buy one character model for it, or better tools such as the Citadel Knife at £16.99. Skip squads and rulebooks.
What do I buy a Warhammer fan who has everything?
Look at tools and accessories before models or paint. A knife, cutters or a silicone palette are less likely to be duplicates, and the painter page covers them. Cutters are £26.47 here.
Is a single character model a good gift for someone with a large army?
It is a good gift if you check their shelf for duplicates first. It is one model, so it cannot unbalance their collection, and painters like a lead piece to work on.
Should I buy a Warhammer codex or rulebook as a gift?
Only after asking. Warhammer 40,000 moved to a new edition this year, and our listings do not say which edition each book is. A wrong-edition book is the hardest gift to swap.
Edition: Warhammer Community, June 2026. Army descriptions: this shop's listings and Warhammer Community, May 2023. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.