Last updated September 7, 2026. By Andrew M. Tan.
Should I start playing Warhammer 40,000? Is Warhammer 40K worth the hobby expense and time? Yes, if building, painting, lore, and the social side are part of what you want. If you’re only looking for a cheap, rules-light game, no. Warhammer 40K asks for time and money, but it gives you several hobbies under one grimdark roof. Its popularity runs decades deep into gaming history. Some love Warhammer 40K. Others think it’s a bad game. It is a tabletop miniature wargame that pits human and xenos factions against one another in a science-fiction universe of never-ending warfare.
In this article, Matt Locker, a talented musician and Warhammer 40K enthusiast, shares his unique perspective on why he has invested in the Warhammer 40K tabletop gaming hobby.
5 Reasons Warhammer 40K Is Worth It
- Warhammer 40K is a massive Games Workshop hobby comprising several hobbies under one umbrella, including books, lore, modeling, kitbashing, and miniature painting.
- The social side of Warhammer 40K brings together people who might never have met otherwise.
- The Warhammer 40K hobby and game satisfy the human need for discovery, achievement, and personal acclaim.
- Warhammer 40K is a fundamentally deep creative experience.
- It’s damn fun.
Whether you started with first edition or are arriving now, Warhammer 40K is a game that has lasted for decades, and the hobby will continue for many more! Continue reading to see why we love this hobby wargame and why you should play Warhammer 40K!
In the Beginning…Plastic
Why do I play 40K?
There I was, six hours into my stay at an overcrowded and dingy game store, slowly asphyxiating on the stench of my fellow gamers’ unwashed bodies and deodorant-less armpits, staring down the barrel of a thousand dollars ($$$) spent on plastic, and countless hours spent assembling and painting that plastic to get me there.
What was I doing here, contemplating the plastic? Why was I playing 40K?
What Is Warhammer 40K?
Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40K is, at its essence, a tabletop game made up of armies of mostly plastic miniatures that you buy, assemble, paint, and rally to do battle in the simulated war zones of the 41st millennium.
It is, however, so much more than that. It is more than a wargame. Warhammer 40K comprises multiple hobbies under its umbrella. 40K is massive. If you thought that World of Warcraft, Star Wars, or virtually any other science-fiction or fantasy universe was big, addictive, or capable of eating your life, be forewarned.
There is so much to the Warhammer 40K hobby:
- Books (check out the best Warhammer audiobooks)
- Lore
- Modeling (great tips for assembling wargame models)
- Kitbashing
- Painting (see more painting miniature articles)
Playing the actual tabletop game is amazing, but let’s also not forget the dizzying array of spin-off mobile, computer, and console games, too!
A Grimdark Road to Warhammer 40K
The road that brought me to that first full-day tournament at an FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) was a long one. But this road was paved in the months before by an interesting turn of events, each marked by milestones only gamers like you and me can understand.
I first saw Warhammer 40K as a kid when I was probably in middle school. Some friends and I were into Magic: The Gathering (MTG, a collectible card game). We had gotten wind of a local store that sold MTG and went to check it out in hopes of finding some cool new card decks we could incorporate into our collection.
That store also happened to carry Warhammer 40K box kits. We were all mesmerized at that first sight. The displays, the art and pictures on the boxes, the miniatures and imagery in the codex books… We were kids in a candy store.
Let’s Talk About the Plastic Candy
The visuals and anticipation of imaginary conflict invaded our boyhood minds and sparked our imagination much in the way that MTG, Star Wars, LOTR, and other infatuations of our youth had.
This was something different, though. Something so much more. Warhammer 40K leaked “cool” in an intoxicating drink… We were ready to drink. The naked models (that is, unpainted miniatures) on display were being turned into these fantastic armies of a horribly fun, dark future in which we could do battle. They hooked us like hungry fish vying for a dangling worm.
In the sweeping campaigns of the 41st millennium, we wanted to start. It was incredible to think about the gaming seed planted in the dirt of that local store.
But with any good drama, there is a tragedy…
Warhammer 40K “Joy” Is a Dish Best Served Cold, Especially for Kids
We didn’t know anything about assembling the models or how to paint miniatures. We knew even less about the lore or history of the game. Oh boy, and we knew nothing about how to play it. The 40K universe was as foreign to us as the responsibilities of adulthood. We would get there, of course. It was just a matter of time.
We could kind of gather that you measured distances with tape measures, rolled dice, and needed line of sight to create firing solutions toward enemy objectives. How do you proxy combat in a miniature world? Sure, we had no idea how to play or how complex the real rules were.
Unfortunately, our hopes and dreams of combat in the 41st millennium were dashed when we saw the price tag…
Well, That Sucks
The game, at least for us to play the way we hoped, was way too expensive for kids. Even with the support of our middle-class suburban families, we couldn’t afford what we needed to get off the ground. Back in the day, and even now, you need a sizeable collection of models to play out large battles on a full-sized tabletop. You can start much smaller with a demo game or a smaller-format battle before committing to a full army.
We would have to be content with hanging out in the store, daydreaming, and flipping through the codex of our favorite miniature army faction.
Suffice it to say, Warhammer 40K is a hobby built for adults with childlike imaginations.
Years later, as a young adult, armed with a real salary, a decent credit score, and a good head on my shoulders, I rediscovered the enormous world of Warhammer 40K. It didn’t take long for me to find the tabletop gaming hobby of my youth. I jumped in headfirst.
READ MORE: SIMPLE TIPS TO MARKET YOUR HOBBY FOR CASH
My Success Story and Why I Play Warhammer 40K
There is a social aspect to why people love Warhammer 40K and why you should try it out. It can also give a sense of pride unrivaled in most board games or video games. You are playing with models and miniatures that you built and painted with your own hands.
There is no pastime that can give you the sense of pride and accomplishment of a hobby wargame. The fun doesn’t end with glue sticking, paint drying, or even dice rolling.
Personal and tactile, the Warhammer 40K game itself is an incredibly engaging way to spend an afternoon. It is even more fun because you play through epic scenarios with figurines you built and painted the way you want them to look. You are their creator (or destroyer, if you so wish).
The Consummate Hobby Wargame
The customization aspect of modeling in Warhammer 40K is probably the most rewarding part of the hobby and what sets it apart from any other.
Modeling, kitbashing, and converting miniatures to fit your vision give you a chance to be creative and escape from the real world while still doing something constructive. The vast array of factions and the unlimited number of color and paint schemes you can try make it a wholesome experience.
In the Warhammer hobby, you grow as a craftsman, an artisan, a miniature painter. You are constantly learning new things, and the hobby grows with you. The more you paint, the more you want to paint. It’s a beautiful thing.
Warhammer 40K Is Your Community
The community around the hobby is amazing. Most everyone in the Warhammer 40K community is supportive and loves to watch others develop as painters and players.
You can get lost in an almost “Zen-like” state for hours while you paint your armies. For many hobbyists, that focused time offers a way to deal with everyday stress. Model making has also helped some combat veterans living with PTSD.
If that wasn’t enough, when you are done, you get to take your miniature creations and field them in a game that is an absolute blast to play. The hobby makes you that much more invested in what each little figure does as it works through the scenarios on the tabletop.
It is an in-person, tactile experience that engages you in a way video games simply cannot. You can reach out and touch the battlefield in three real-life dimensions.
Nothing beats holding sci-fi miniatures that fight on your behalf to the death, only to return to the battlespace time and again.
Oh, and there are so many ways to win and lose in Warhammer 40K. Experience a legendary battle in the span of a single dice roll. There are so many opportunities to achieve immortal glory in a single weekend before dinnertime.
Boltgun Battles From Tabletop Triumphs to Video Game Victories
Hey, so there’s one more reason I thought of for getting into Warhammer 40K.
The release of the licensed video game Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun brought it to mind. Developed by Auroch Digital and published by Focus Entertainment, this first-person shooter transports players into the heart of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, where you battle Chaos Space Marines and daemons as a Space Marine armed with the titular boltgun (source).
The game draws inspiration from classic first-person shooters of the 1990s, such as Doom, while incorporating modern features. This blend of old and new provides a fun way to experience the Warhammer 40,000 universe and, of course, to wield the symbolic Space Marine boltgun.
And it is the boltgun, I think, that brings me back to those early memories of the game and modeling side of the hobby. It’s amazing how a boltgun on a miniature only about 35 mm tall could make such an impression.
The boltgun, with its legendary status within the game, becomes an object of personal achievement and acclaim for hobbyists, myself included. From the moment you unbox your first starter miniature or digitally wield it against the forces of Chaos, this unassuming standard-issue Space Marine weapon holds its own. From the barrel of a sci-fi “gun” emerges all the pleasure of escaping… well, anything.
And it’s simple. The power of the boltgun is unique in its purpose, both visually and mechanically. It shoots things until they are dead. Its design aesthetic fits perfectly within the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40K: a short barrel, a boxy shape, and a grip made for a Space Marine’s massive hand.
Really, Really Simple
Warhammer 40K, much like the famed boltgun, offers power to anyone obedient enough to wield it. Whether you’re a tabletop wargamer or a video gamer, you’re sure to find a home in the 40K universe. Do you jump in, guns blazing?
If you’re excited by the thought of plunging into a rich, layered universe of never-ending tabletop warfare, real or virtual, the answer is a resounding yes.
Final Word on Whether Warhammer 40K Is Worth It
The Warhammer 40K universe is immense and well thought out. With hundreds of books to explore through the Black Library and audiobooks, plus days’ worth of YouTube lore, you will never become bored. You will constantly learn and daydream about the world your plastic army lives in.
To get into all the aspects of the universe that is Warhammer 40K would fill volumes stacked to the height of Mount Everest. The Warhammer universe is out there for you to explore however you please. Dip a toe or jump headfirst. Free solo or go with ropes.
To say the least, I can’t wait to find myself in many more, hopefully not so dingy, game shops and surrounded by many more, hopefully not so sweaty, fellow hobbyists. This game has given me so much more than a hobby or pastime.
All I can advise you to do is go check out the Warhammer 40K universe. Find the faction you think is coolest (the “rule of cool” is a highly respected way to start), then try a free demo game or a small set of models. Build from there.
About the Author, Matt Locker
Matt Locker is a saxophonist and Warhammer 40,000 enthusiast. Matt plays Dark Angels, Tyranids, and Genestealer Cults. When not painting or list building, he can be found playing World of Warcraft or hanging out with friends.
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Andrew is a commissioned miniature painter with more than 20 years of hands-on experience painting tabletop miniatures, photographing models, and testing hobby tools in real-world use. Read his full bio.
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