A Thousand Points of Light: Introduction  by Patrick Eibel
Warhammer 40,000 is a great game because of how accessible it is to new players. A person just starting out can pick up a few figures and begin playing and enjoying the game almost right from the start (there is that boring bit of reading the rules first). 

One of the most frequent questions that new gamers ask is how to go about collecting an army. With over a dozen codices and several articles in White Dwarf, there is quite a variety of armies to choose from. Likewise, the range of figures is so vast and look so good that it may be difficult to focus on what you really need for your army (rather than just buying cool stuff).

This series of articles will present a 1,000 point army list for each codex and army list (including White Dwarf), along with a buying guide, including prices in US dollars and British pounds. Obviously, creating an army list involves a lot of personal choice to suit your playing style and some people will not agree with my selections. That is fine. These lists are only offered as one person’s suggestion as to what is possible, and perhaps may start you thinking on how to create your first (second, fourth, tenth…) army.

I set forth some guidelines before writing each list: 

1. I chose a 1,000 point limit to keep things simple and relatively small. 

2. I tried to maintain the “flavor” of the army.

3. I tried to have a diverse mix of troop types.

4. All armies are tournament legal and do not use any custom or optional rules or figures (ie. no specially designed vehicles using the Vehicle Design Rules).

5. Generally, figures are bought “as is” and do not require customization. Whenver possible, I tried to include boxed sets in the lists, as boxed sets are usually more economical. I prefer not to include Army Box sets as these contain more than the allotted points and may have figures the new player may not need at first.

6. These lists are meant for brand new players or for players looking to start a new army. These lists are not meant to be "killer" lists for winnings tournaments or trouncing people at the local gaming shop. Rather, they are foundations that players can build upon as they desire.

Suggested army lists for new players:
Armored Company
Black Templars
Blood Angels
Chaos Space Marines, Part 1
Chaos Space Marines, Part 2
Chaos Space Marines, Part 3
Daemonhunters
Dark Angels
Dark Eldar
Eldar
Eldar, Craftworld
Imperial Guard
Necrons
Orks
Space Marines--REVISED
Space Wolves
Tau--REVISED
Tyranids--REVISED
Witch Hunters

Posted: June 2001. Used with permission.
 

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