New to forums, new to 40k, looking for help!

[Esco Thomson]

First off, a big hello to all, this seems like a very good forum for helping new players. Seems to have a good community vibe to it as well.

Ok I used to play Warhammer 40k years ago, and then stopped to play fantasy. Now I am coming back to play again and I am having quite the dilema in choosing an appropriate army.

I see quite a few threads that are basically asking people to tell them what to do, so I am not trying to flat out do that, though it is your opinions that I am going to use to try to base my choices off of.

I like Chaos Space marines, but am worried that I would need to use certain things to make it effective. If I made one I'd want it to be Slaanesh themed, but not necesarilly an EC list as I like raptors. Are mixed lists(CC/Shooting) good for Chaos? Daemons?

Eldar appeal a lot to me, but mainly the Harlequins, but I think that they are not legal, is that true?

I'd like to also stay away from an army that is black and white, meaning Tau or IG being pretty much just sit back and shoot, cause I think I'd get bored. I am looking for an army that does require some skill to use, even if figuring it out costs me some losses in the process.

I love painting and converting, so this will be open to any army that will allow me to be creative, money/time aren't factors here. Just really want an army that will be decent to use. I don't want to pick one that is impossible to win with, but it doesn't have to be viewed as an "unstoppable juggernaut" either.

So please if you will, toss some ideas my way. Thank you in advance for your time.

[Tenozuma]

Harlequins are as you said, not officially legal. Although if you have a bunch of good mates, they'd probably let you use them but not in tournements or at GW stores.

I play eldar and they are always a viable for a balance between shooting and combat and are definately not the sort of army where you just sit back and let the dice roll, you really have to use cover and tactics to win, that is why I don't suggest the space marines, because wheather you are asaulty or shooty, it really doens't require that much thought. I am not saying that no marine players put thought into playing and I'm not saying that all marine players have no tactics, I'm just saying that they are probably the opposite to what your're looking for.

Another good choice is Orks, they are very fun to play with and against and they require thought aswell (and a heck of alot of converting).

I don't really know anything about chaos because the only chaos player I know is like maybe 11 years old and uses his army terribly, I have not yet had a game against him that wasn't a massacre in my favor. From what I've heard, they can be a bit more challenging that normal marines (good thing) because of all their demon things and extra units and stuff.

[Ebon Hand]

It seems like Undivided Chaos is what you would like. Chaos is one of the most versatile armies there is, and with chaos you could do combinations of devestating close combat and fearsome shooting. You can get those Noise Marines you like as elites, but you would have to do Black Legion or your own undivided chaos force.

Deamons are very good, and there is a deamon to suit every need, and with undivided you have access to all of them. Its obvious Chaos has plenty of conversion opportunities as well, in fact some things will have to be converted if you choose them(like Kai Guns for example). Tyranids are also an option as they have great versatility and are cool with their new plastic models which offer good conversion opportunity as well.

You shouldn't write Tau or Ig off completely though. I myself didn't like them when I first came into the game, but I came to see that they aren't just stand and shoot armies, and they require their own skill and finesse to play. I've become a big IG fan and I can't wait to start on them. Tau are also getting new additions to their army soon, so you might want to check them out later after they get updated and see if you like them.

Witch Hunters are a rarely picked first choice, but they are one of my favorite armies to see in action. The Sisters of Battle's acts of faith make for some pretty crazy things happening suddenly in the game. Many people say they are challenging to play, and while they have some of the very best models, they pretty much are all metal and therefore hard to convert. Inquisitor Lords and their retinues are really fun to convert though.

[Esco Thomson]

Ok well thanks for the input I will think it over a bit, though in surfing the web I did see that perhaps a Death Guard army may procide most of what I would enjoy playing/modeling.

[Liono]

Have you checked out the new rules? definitely start there. Myself, I always like to play one good guy army and one bad guy army. The recently revamped Space Marines and Tyranids are worth a look, since almost all the models are now plastic, it makes collecting and converting easier and more affordable.

[medic_4077]

Have a quick look at the Dark Eldar, a fair bit of thier model line sucks but can be converted/replaced with some very nice GW Fantasy models. Under the current rules the best army lists are a combination of both Shooty and Assault using a WebWay Portal. They are extremely fast so your CC units are into action on turn 2 and your shooty stuff mops up the flanks. Placement and tactics are pretty key with DE, they have paper armor so if you don't keep in cover properly or use the right unit to attack with you'll likely pay for it. Most people feel the learning curve is steep.