36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "Assault on Blackreach" has made its way into your home!, January 20, 2009
= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
This is definitely a great set if you're a beginner in the world of Warhammer 40k like me. This box set gets you up and running immediately. It comes with over fifty miniatures, templates, and a comprehensive rule book! The price is close to that of just the hardcover rule book itself, so if you want to just check out the world of Warhammer 40k without investing too much, then this is where you need to start. This way you can really tell if you enjoy playing through the game and see if building an army is a hobby you really want to invest in. And trust me; it IS an investment after a while.
The ridiculously minor drawback is that you can only get this set with Space Marines and Orks as the two opposing forces. While I'm not so driven to play either of these armies, I can't deny the usefulness in getting acquainted with the game in this set. My friends and I have been using this set in order to learn how to play the game rather than using our main forces. The small 95 page rule book has all the rules of the game; in fact they are the same exact ones you'll find in the hardcover three hundred page book. The only difference between the two is that the hardcover book gives you a lot more background information about the different armies and some good painting tips.
One of the other major benefits to this starter kit is how easy it is to put together. The models are designed to snap fit together, which is great for beginners. I've put together some decently complex models, like the tanks and the Forge-World miniatures, and by comparison the "Assault on Black Reach" set is a walk in the park. It put together very simply for me and I didn't even have to do much touch up work. There was nothing I had to seal with epoxy due to gaps and so forth. You can put together the entire force in a few hours or if you're in a rush to play you can probably put an entire unit together in less than an hour. The only touch ups I really took time to deal with was gluing on a few arms here and there, especially with the Ork army. I found their arms were a little loose a lot of times and tended to fall off.
If you're very interested in painting your newly built army then I actually don't recommend you pick up the "Assault on Black Reach" paint set. It's now out of print, but I managed to track it down. It only gives you enough paint and the colors for the Space Marine units. It doesn't give you anything for the Ork army and it only comes with instructions on how to paint the Space Marines, so if you want to paint that really cool Terminator figure, you're on your own. The upside is the paint set does come with five more Space Marine's so you can increase the size of your force a little more.
If you really want to delve into the world of painting then I recommend you look into the "Battle for MacCragge" hobby set. I don't own this product yet, but it does appear to come with enough paint for the full force in that set. The only downside is it's Space Marines versus the Tyranids, so if you really liked the Orks and wanted to learn how to paint them the same way, then you're out of luck for these starter sets. It works a bit more for me because I want to play as the Tyranids.
Overall I think this is a great beginner product. The only way I think they can improve it is give it more of a story oriented background and involve the new players in the universe a little more. I was kind of half expecting that based on the title of this box set. Maybe I'm too used to other forms of boxed modules. Anyway, if you want to get into this incredibly engrossing hobby, then I highly recommend this set.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Bonding Experience, February 19, 2009
= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
The purchase of this product reminded me of those times that my dad worked with my brothers building models. I am very happy to get the chance to repeat that with my boys. Be sure to get model glue as some of the pieces need help staying in place. Add paints with your purchase so that you are ready to complete your project. The pieces are small and it is very time consuming but I have found the experience to be worth it. Remember to bring plenty of patience as it can be difficult at times.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best GW Warhammer 40,000 Starter Set Ever, January 15, 2009
= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
I've been buying GW products for two decades and this is the highest quality, best bargain, most comprehensive starter set ever produced for Warhammer 40,000. The miniature rule book contains all the rules from the $50 hard cover rule book minus the background section. The simple to assemble starter miniatures in this set are beautiful and look as good as the more complex multi-part plastic miniatures GW sells, but at a fraction of the price. The miniatures in this box would cost more than $300 if purchased separately as multi-part box sets. This makes them great starter miniatures for novice and younger hobbyists because they are relatively cheap and quick and easy to assemble, yet they are good looking enough to bulk out the armies of veteran hobbyists without hurting your toy soldier budget too much. Dice, templates and an introductory book are included as well.
If you've hesitated to get into 40K before due to the lack of a really good starter set, then the wait is over. This set will get you up and running in a cost effective manner with miniatures you'll be happy to have for years to come. If you're interested only in the Orks or only in the Space Marines then it's easy to double the size of your army for the money by trading the half you don't want with someone else who only wants the other half of the miniatures in the set.
Warhammer 40,000 is a creative and educational hobby. This hobby will nurture patience, dexterity, ability to follow printed directions, creativity, imagination and other skills utilized to assemble and paint miniatures. There is a lot of reading involved regarding all the main rules, army rules, and available background information. Playing the game with the models nurtures sportsmanship, strategic thinking, math and probability skills. I highly recommend this hobby for young and old alike. It's also great fun for parent and child to do together.
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