Warhammer 40,000 vs Age of Sigmar: which should you start?
Pick 40K for grimdark sci-fi and the bigger community; pick Age of Sigmar for high-fantasy and a cleaner, faster ruleset. Both start the same way — one faction's starter box.
SprueSentry strategy commentary, not official rules. Games Workshop updates points and rules regularly — always confirm against the current official rules and your latest dataslate before a game.
Games Workshop's two flagship games share a lot of DNA but feel different on the table and on the shelf. This guide compares them honestly so you can pick the one you'll stick with — the most important factor by far is which world's models you actually want to paint.
Either way, SprueSentry tracks live prices for both, so you can start cheaply once you've chosen.
The quick answer
- Choose Warhammer 40,000 if you love grimdark science-fiction — Space Marines, xenos, endless war in the 41st Millennium — and want the largest player base and event scene.
- Choose Age of Sigmar if you prefer high fantasy — gods, monsters, and the Mortal Realms — and a slightly cleaner, faster ruleset.
There's no wrong answer; both are excellent. Buy the setting whose miniatures you find yourself staring at.
Setting and aesthetic
40K is dark, gothic sci-fi: power armour, tanks, bio-horrors, and a galaxy at war. Age of Sigmar is mythic fantasy: celestial warriors, undead legions, orruk hordes, and elemental gods across fantastical realms. This is the single biggest deciding factor — you'll spend far more time building and painting than playing, so pick the look you love.
How they play
Both use the same modern core engine (alternating phases, dice, objectives), so learning one makes the other easy. 40K leans a little more into shooting, vehicles, and ranged firefights; Age of Sigmar leans into movement, combat, and its 4th-edition battle-tactics scoring. Age of Sigmar is often described as the slightly cleaner, faster of the two, but they're closer than they've ever been.
Cost and how you start
Identical entry model: pick a faction and buy its starter army box — a Combat Patrol in 40K, a Spearhead in Age of Sigmar — then add glue, clippers, and the free core rules. Both games' entry costs are comparable. Browse 40K boxes or Age of Sigmar boxes for current prices, and see Combat Patrol vs Spearhead vs Battleforce for the value breakdown.
Community and support
40K has the larger global community, more events, and more third-party content, so finding games and tutorials is marginally easier. Age of Sigmar's community is smaller but passionate and well-supported. Check what your local store plays most — the best game is the one your nearest opponents are already playing.
So which one?
Sci-fi heart → 40K. Fantasy heart → Age of Sigmar. Can't decide → go to a local store, look at both ranges in person, and buy the starter box for whichever faction you can't stop thinking about. You can always play both later — the rules overlap enough that a second army is an easy jump.
Common questions
Is Warhammer 40K or Age of Sigmar better for beginners?
Both are beginner-friendly and start the same way (one faction's starter box). Age of Sigmar's ruleset is often called slightly cleaner, but 40K has the larger community. Pick the setting — sci-fi or fantasy — whose models you like most.
Are the rules different between 40K and Age of Sigmar?
They share the same modern core engine, so learning one makes the other easy. 40K emphasises shooting and vehicles a bit more; Age of Sigmar emphasises movement and combat with its battle-tactics scoring.
Which is cheaper to start?
They're comparable. Both use a single-faction starter box (Combat Patrol in 40K, Spearhead in AoS) as the cheapest entry, plus basic supplies. Check live box prices to compare specific armies.
Can I use my 40K models in Age of Sigmar?
No — they're separate games with separate model ranges and rules. Some players collect both, but an army for one doesn't transfer to the other.
Written by SprueSentry with SprueSentry editorial (hand-authored, research-grounded), grounded in the cited sources — original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.