I feel like this article could be fairly self explanatory, but let’s see how we get on. Let’s have a show of hands for those people that bought a codex before any model for an army in 40K? I expect there are very few people who’ve done this, it’s idealistic to be fair. In this second entry I will look at using the Astra Militarum Codex as a basis for starting your force and researching what you should and should not do.

No one does their researching first

The way most of us will get into a new army is via one or more of the following methods;

• We love the models.
• We received a model as a gift.
• We bought a starter box which had the models in, but we really wanted the other army.
• We went on eBay and “the deal was just too good to miss”.

None of those start with a codex purchase and I don’t think building a new force should necessarily start with a codex. If it does then you’re probably collecting that force to win rather than for the love of the models or the narrative that surrounds those models.

Your best resources for Researching your Astra Militarum

My Lurch Into The Astra Militarum

I bought ten Cadian Shock Troops first, then another ten and then the codex. I bought the models first because I liked what the Astra Militarum stood for and therefore what those models represented on the table top. They could’ve all been WS1, BS1, T2 and armed with a kitchen sink each. The rules didn’t matter, only that they’d die a thousand times over for The God-Emperor.

That’s me and I expect that’s possibly the same for most people. You’re reading this because you love the Astra Militarum, not because you’re a Win At All Costs kind of a guy and you looked at the Guard codex and thought;

Yes! These boys are the bomb! WAAC!

The Perfect World

In a perfect world you’d have bought the codex first to do your research, in order to try and determine what you want from your Imperial force. If you had looked at the codex and perhaps thought that pure armour was the way to go then my ten man Cadian Shock Troop purchase would’ve been a waste of your hard earned cash. But you wouldn’t know that until you got your head into the rules and worked out how you wanted to play them on the battlefield.

Based on the above I’m going to assume that you;

• Want to build an Astra Militarum force.
• Own one or more units of Astra Militarum, be that tanks, infantry, what ever.
• Either own the codex or are on the brink of purchasing it.
• Don’t always want to win your games of 40K.

This research task shouldn’t be able making up the ultimate Deathstar unit, it should really be about putting together an effective force using the models that you love. The Astra Militarum are not Eldar or Necrons. The current codex is pretty simple and there seem to be very few unit combinations that are must take. Sure there is the Priest and Bullgryns combo, but there is little else.

Homework – Researching your Astra Militarum

Beg, borrow, buy or steal the codex from a friend to get your head into it before going mad and buying 9 Leman Russ Battle Tanks. I’ll assume you’re doing your reading and swatting up on the Lasgun rules before I post my next article.