Combat Patrol indecision, terrible rolls, and dreams of a full 40k throwdown
Army-building starts with one very important question: what do we actually want to collect?
Our recent chat drifted very naturally into Combat Patrol, and honestly, that feels like the perfect place to start a new Warhammer 40k army. Small enough to be manageable, big enough to get a feel for a faction, and dangerous enough to start a whole new plastic addiction.
This time, we were split between practical questions, hobby panic, and the usual amount of dice-related suffering.
end3r dropped a photo from Thursday and immediately summed up a feeling we all know too well: if only criticals counted on ones, victory would surely come in two rounds. Sadly, the dice gods continue to enforce their own interpretation of the rules.
So… what are we picking from Combat Patrols?
That was the big question.
wilini asked if we had already chosen anything from the available Combat Patrol boxes, and the answers were exactly as decisive as you would expect from hobbyists standing in front of too many cool factions.
end3r is currently bouncing between:
- Leagues of Votann
- Adeptus Mechanicus
- generic Space Marines
Which is a very relatable kind of problem. Three completely different vibes, three very different model ranges, and probably three different versions of “this will definitely be a small project.”
stas took the approach we respect deeply: the models have to look right first. Rules and playstyle matter, sure, but if the miniatures do not click, then building an army becomes a chore instead of a joy. We are 100% on board with that logic.
At the same time, he was also asking the right beginner questions about how vehicles and bigger units actually work in Combat Patrol.
Are tanks fun in Combat Patrol?
The short version from our discussion: yes, but they are not invincible.
stas asked whether tanks and other large units are enjoyable in CP, and whether a normal gun can even damage them at all, or if you absolutely need dedicated anti-tank weapons. That is a very video-game-shaped question, and honestly a good one.
As Michał explained, a tank mainly survives through high Toughness, which makes it harder to wound. So regular weapons can struggle, but that does not mean vehicles are untouchable.
In fact, Michał mentioned that Paweł recently destroyed his tank anyway, so clearly the answer is: if something looks tough enough, someone in our group will eventually find a way to blow it up.
There was also one important caveat: the Chaos Rhino apparently feels pretty heavily nerfed in Combat Patrol. So if someone is dreaming about rolling around the table in glorious armored style, it is worth checking how that specific box actually plays before committing.
Style first, then rules
One of our favorite moments in the conversation was stas saying that, without looking at the models, he would probably want to try Orks.
That feels very correct on a spiritual level.
Even if we are still in the phase of checking boxes, loading pages, comparing factions, and wondering what actually feels good to play, that is the fun part of army-building too. Not every choice starts from a spreadsheet. Sometimes it starts from “these guys seem hilarious” or “that tank looks amazing” or “I will absolutely paint this robe trim,” and that is enough.
Meanwhile, on the painting desk
While all this list-and-faction talk was going on, Michał was also dealing with the very real hobby question of whether he could finish painting a Tallyman and six marines that same day.
That is the other side of starting or growing an army: before the glorious battles come the evenings of basecoats, trim, touch-ups, and the increasingly optimistic sentence: I can definitely finish these tonight.
Not everyone is ready to jump into another system just yet, either. pegie sensibly admitted that he is holding off for now, because he has not fully learned Age of Sigmar yet and still has not finished painting the whole army. Which, to be fair, is probably the most responsible thing anyone said in the whole conversation.
The dream: everyone playing big 40k
And then came the most dangerous idea of all.
Michał said he would love for all of us to play big Warhammer 40,000 together at some point.
That is how these things start, isn’t it? First we casually discuss Combat Patrols. Then we compare factions. Then someone paints a character and a few marines. Then suddenly we are talking about full armies, larger games, and finding a date when everyone can put a proper force on the table.
Honestly, we are into it.
Combat Patrol looks like a really nice gateway here: enough structure to get started, enough faction flavor to help us choose, and enough room for personal preference that nobody has to pick purely for power. We are still in the indecision stage, but that is part of the fun.
And if the dice keep rolling like end3r’s photo suggests, we will at least have something to laugh about while building the armies.
Where we are right now
At the moment, our group seems to be somewhere between:
- choosing armies by vibe,
- asking sensible questions about tanks,
- trying to finish painting what is already on the desk,
- and quietly preparing for the moment Combat Patrol turns into full-scale 40k.
Which, if we are honest, is a very healthy place for a hobby group to be.
If you are also hovering over your first Combat Patrol and overthinking every option: yes, same.
Sometimes the best army-building plan is just to pick the models you want to assemble and paint, get a few games in, and let the rest grow from there.