The Best Warhammer 40K Combat Patrol in 2026: Every Box Compared
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The best overall Warhammer 40K Combat Patrol for new players in 2026 is the Space Marines Combat Patrol. Space Marines have the largest model range, the most tutorial content, the most forgiving rules, and are featured in the upcoming 11th edition launch box — meaning faction support will be unusually strong throughout 2026 and into 2027. For players who already know they want a different aesthetic or playstyle, this guide breaks down every major Combat Patrol available, what's actually in the box, who it's right for, and where it falls short. As an authorized Games Workshop retailer, MOD Shop sells every Combat Patrol covered here — and we play most of them ourselves.
What Is a Combat Patrol?
If you're brand new to Warhammer 40K and haven't decided whether to start at all, begin with our [complete 2026 beginner's guide] — this article assumes you've already committed to starting a faction.
A Combat Patrol is Games Workshop's curated starter product for a single Warhammer 40,000 faction. Each box contains a pre-selected collection of miniatures sized to play the Combat Patrol game format — a faster, smaller version of standard 40K designed for 30-to-60-minute games on a smaller table. Combat Patrols are designed to function as complete starting armies for one faction, with assembly instructions, datasheets, and a rules card included.
Combat Patrols typically retail between $140 and $170 USD, contain 15 to 50 miniatures depending on faction, and represent a 25-30% discount versus buying the same kits individually. They're the standard recommendation for a new player who wants to start a single faction in 2026, and they remain fully valid in the 11th edition launching in June 2026.
How We Evaluated Every Combat Patrol
The recommendations and rankings below are based on four criteria that matter to actual buyers, not marketing copy:
Painting difficulty measures how much skill, time, and patience the average new hobbyist needs to get a Combat Patrol to "tabletop standard" — meaning every model is primed, base-coated, washed, and based to a level that looks acceptable across the table from another player.
Beginner friendliness measures how forgiving the faction is to learn — the complexity of its rules, the availability of tutorial content, and how punishing the army feels when played poorly.
Aesthetic uniqueness measures how visually distinctive the army is on a table full of Space Marines, which matters more than people admit when you're choosing what you'll be staring at for hundreds of hours.
Long-term hobby investment measures how well the Combat Patrol expands into a full army — whether the faction has a deep model range, whether the units in the Combat Patrol stay competitive at higher points levels, and whether the lore will keep you engaged past the first few games.
Combat Patrol Comparison Table
| Combat Patrol | Approx. Models | Painting Difficulty | Beginner Friendly | Aesthetic | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | 15-20 | Easy | ★★★★★ | Heroic, classic | First-time players, broad appeal |
| Blood Angels | 15-20 | Easy-Medium | ★★★★ | Red, vampiric | Players who want Space Marines with identity |
| Necrons | 15-25 | Very Easy | ★★★★★ | Robotic, metallic | Painters who want fast results |
| Orks | 30-40 | Medium | ★★★★ | Green, chaotic, scrap | Personality-driven painters |
| Tyranids | 40-50 | Medium | ★★★ | Bio-horror swarm | Horde-army enthusiasts |
| Chaos Space Marines | 15-25 | Medium | ★★★★ | Corrupted, spiked | Creative painters, lore lovers |
| Adeptus Mechanicus | 15-25 | Hard | ★★★ | Cybernetic, intricate | Detail painters |
| T'au Empire | 15-25 | Medium | ★★★★ | Anime-influenced sci-fi | Long-range tactical players |
| Astra Militarum | 25-40 | Medium-Hard | ★★★ | WW1/WW2 military | Players who love tanks and infantry |
| Aeldari | 15-25 | Medium-Hard | ★★ | Elegant space elves | Experienced gamers wanting depth |
Approximate model counts reflect typical Combat Patrol configurations; specific contents vary by faction and are sometimes updated by Games Workshop. Verify current contents on individual product pages before purchase.
The Best Combat Patrol by Use Case
Rather than picking a single "best" product across all buyers, the more useful question is: best for whom? Below are six common buyer profiles and the Combat Patrol that fits each.
Best Overall for First-Time Players: Space Marines Combat Patrol
The standard recommendation for a reason. Space Marines have the most tutorial content on YouTube, the most beginner-friendly rules in the game (high model durability means individual mistakes hurt less), the largest range of expansion units when you're ready to grow your army, and the strongest narrative coverage from Games Workshop itself. They're also half of the Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon launch box releasing in June 2026, which means the new edition's launch marketing will disproportionately favor Space Marines players for the first 12 to 18 months.
Where it falls short: Space Marines are the most-played faction in the game by a wide margin. If you want to stand out on a table full of red and blue power armor, you'll feel anonymous. Veterans often dismiss new Space Marines players as derivative.
Shop Space Marines Combat Patrols →
Best for Painters Who Want Fast Results: Necrons Combat Patrol
Necrons are the easiest faction in Warhammer 40K to paint to a high standard quickly. Their metallic, robotic aesthetic forgives sloppy brush control in a way no other faction does — drybrushing and Contrast paints alone can produce a tabletop-ready Necron army in 8-12 hours of work. Their rules are also among the simplest in the game, with strong durability built into the faction's core identity (the Reanimation Protocols mechanic, which has been a faction signature across multiple editions).
Where it falls short: Their relative simplicity can feel limiting once you've played 20+ games — Necron armies often play similarly regardless of list, which veterans sometimes find repetitive. Necrons are also frequently in high demand and can be intermittently difficult to source through any retailer.
Best for Horde Army Enthusiasts: Tyranids Combat Patrol
If your favorite part of Warhammer is the sheer visual impact of a massive army on the table, Tyranids deliver more models per dollar than almost any other Combat Patrol. The faction's bio-horror aesthetic rewards bulk painting techniques (drybrushing chitin, washing flesh, basing simply) that scale well — once you've painted three Hormagaunts, you've effectively painted thirty.
Where it falls short: The model count cuts both ways. New players underestimate how long even quick painting takes when you have 50 models in front of you. Tyranids also have a higher rules ceiling than Space Marines or Necrons — the faction performs best when played as a coordinated swarm, which requires more positioning skill than other beginner factions.
Shop Tyranids Combat Patrols →
Best for Players Who Came for the 11th Edition Hype: Orks Combat Patrol
The other half of the Armageddon launch box. Orks are the green-skinned, scrap-built foil to the heroic Space Marines narrative, and their faction identity has been front and center in Games Workshop's 2026 marketing. Like Tyranids, they're a higher-model-count army (30-40 in the Combat Patrol), but with much more individual model personality — every Ork in your army can be given a unique paint scheme, weapon configuration, and pose without breaking the faction's aesthetic.
Where it falls short: Ork rules historically swing between "extremely fun" and "frustratingly random" — the faction's identity includes a meaningful amount of dice-based chaos that some players love and others hate. Try a game with someone else's Orks before committing.
Best for Creative Painters: Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol
Chaos Space Marines offer the maximum creative freedom of any 40K faction. No two Chaos warbands look alike — different Chaos legions have different colors, iconography, and themes, and individual warbands within those legions are routinely customized further. If your idea of the hobby is "I want to paint something nobody else has painted before," Chaos Space Marines is the answer.
Where it falls short: The same creative freedom can paralyze new painters who haven't yet developed a personal style. Chaos Space Marines also have a deeper rules ceiling than the Imperial factions — many of their best mechanics involve conditional triggers and resource management.
Shop Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrols →
Best Gift for a Non-Hobbyist Spouse, Partner, or Adult Child: Space Marines Combat Patrol
When buying for someone who has mentioned interest in Warhammer but hasn't pulled the trigger themselves, the Space Marines Combat Patrol is the safest gift. It's recognizable from the broader pop culture footprint of Warhammer (Henry Cavill, the Amazon adaptation, Space Marine 2 videogame coverage), it works regardless of which specific faction they'd eventually drift toward, and the kits expand smoothly into any of the major Space Marines chapters if they want to specialize later.
If you know they prefer red and gold or vampiric themes, Blood Angels is a near-equivalent alternative. If you know they prefer green skin and chaos energy, Orks. If you have no information beyond "they like Warhammer," default to Space Marines.
Detailed Combat Patrol Reviews
Space Marines Combat Patrol
The Space Marines Combat Patrol typically contains a captain or lieutenant character, a squad of Intercessors or similar troops, a unit of Assault Intercessors or close-combat troops, and one to two heavier units (such as a Dreadnought or Gladiator tank). Total model count is on the lower end of Combat Patrols at 15-20 miniatures, but Space Marines kits have higher individual detail than horde-faction kits, so painting time per model is comparable to a 40-model Tyranid army.
The Combat Patrol expands smoothly into any of the major Space Marines successor chapters. A new player who buys this Combat Patrol can pivot into Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, Salamanders, or any other chapter without buying redundant kits — the same Intercessor and Assault Intercessor sculpts are used across nearly every chapter.
Who should buy this: New players who want broad applicability, low risk, and the strongest tutorial content ecosystem in the hobby.
Who should skip: Painters specifically looking for visual distinctiveness from other players' armies.
Necrons Combat Patrol
The Necrons Combat Patrol typically contains a character (often an Overlord or Royal Warden), a unit of Warriors (the faction's basic troops, usually 10-20 of them), a unit of Immortals or scarabs, and a heavier unit such as a Ghost Ark or vehicle. Model count is in the 15-25 range depending on the specific box configuration.
The faction's painting accessibility is the single biggest reason it's recommended to new players. Necron schemes built around drybrushing a metallic base coat over black primer, applying a contrast wash, and finishing with selective highlights produce strong results in a fraction of the time a Space Marines army of equivalent size demands.
Who should buy this: New painters who want quick visible progress, players who hate losing models (Necrons get to roll dice to bring dead models back to life), and hobbyists who find traditional layering techniques intimidating.
Who should skip: Players who want tactical complexity in their first faction, and players who specifically want a high model count army for the visual impact.
Tyranids Combat Patrol
The Tyranids Combat Patrol typically contains a small monstrous creature (Tervigon, Trygon, or similar), one or two squads of small troops (Termagants, Hormagaunts, or Gargoyles, often 20+ models per squad), and a mid-sized synapse creature like a Warrior unit. Model count is among the highest of any Combat Patrol at 40-50 miniatures.
Tyranid painting rewards efficient batch techniques. Once you've developed a paint scheme for one Hormagaunt — typically a chitin color, a flesh color, and a wash — that scheme scales to forty Hormagaunts with the same brush strokes. This makes Tyranids feel slow for the first ten models and fast for the next forty.
Who should buy this: Players who want the visual impact of a massive army, painters who enjoy bulk technique work, and hobbyists drawn to the bio-horror aesthetic.
Who should skip: Anyone underestimating how long even fast painting takes when you have 50 models to finish, and players who want individual model personality rather than swarm coherence.
Orks Combat Patrol
The Orks Combat Patrol typically contains a Warboss or Big Mek character, a mob of Boyz (20+ models), a unit of more specialized infantry (Nobz, Lootas, or Stormboyz), and occasionally a vehicle or large monster. Total model count is in the 30-40 range.
Ork painting is one of the most forgiving styles in the hobby because the faction's aesthetic is built around inconsistency. Different Boyz can be painted slightly differently. Weapons can be rusted, clean, or scratch-built from any spare bits in your collection. Mistakes can be passed off as character. Many players find this liberating after the precision demands of Space Marines.
Who should buy this: Painters who want creative freedom, players who enjoy the personality and humor of the Ork faction, and anyone specifically excited about the 11th edition launch box (where Orks are one of the two featured armies).
Who should skip: Players who want tight, competitive rules execution — Orks include intentional randomness in their core mechanics.
Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol
The Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol typically contains a character (Chaos Lord, Sorcerer, or Dark Apostle), a squad of Legionaries (the faction's basic troops), a unit of more specialized infantry (Chosen, Possessed, or Terminators), and occasionally a vehicle or daemon engine. Model count is in the 15-25 range.
The faction's strength is its breadth. A single Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol can be painted as any of the named Chaos legions (World Eaters, Death Guard, Thousand Sons, Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Alpha Legion, Black Legion, Night Lords) or as an entirely original warband. Each direction has rich lore to research and distinct aesthetic conventions to learn from.
Who should buy this: Painters who want maximum creative latitude, players drawn to the deeper villain-faction lore in the setting, and hobbyists planning a long-term army project rather than a quick first faction.
Who should skip: Players who want fast time-to-table — the painting choice paralysis can stall progress for new hobbyists.
Adeptus Mechanicus Combat Patrol
The Adeptus Mechanicus Combat Patrol typically contains a Tech-Priest character, a unit of Skitarii (cybernetic soldiers), a unit of more specialized infantry, and occasionally a walker or large creature. Model count is in the 15-25 range, but the individual model complexity is the highest of any starter-friendly faction.
Adeptus Mechanicus kits feature dense detail — cables, gears, ornate robes, and intricate weaponry on every model. This makes them rewarding to paint for hobbyists who enjoy slow, detail-oriented work and punishing for anyone who wants to finish an army quickly.
Who should buy this: Detail-oriented painters, players drawn to the cybernetic and gothic-industrial aesthetic, and hobbyists who view painting time as the main reward rather than playing time.
Who should skip: Players who want to be game-ready within a month of starting, and anyone newer to acrylic miniature painting who hasn't yet developed brush control.
T'au Empire Combat Patrol
The T'au Empire Combat Patrol typically contains a character (Ethereal or Commander), a unit of Fire Warriors (the basic infantry), a battlesuit unit (Crisis, Stealth, or Broadside), and a Devilfish transport or similar vehicle. Model count is in the 15-25 range.
T'au play and paint differently from any other 40K faction. Visually, they're influenced by anime mecha design — clean lines, hard-edge highlighting, and bold color blocking. Tactically, they're a long-range shooting army that punishes melee-focused opponents but struggles when forced into close combat.
Who should buy this: Players who specifically want a shooting-focused playstyle, painters drawn to clean sci-fi aesthetics, and anyone who finds traditional fantasy-influenced 40K factions visually overdone.
Who should skip: Players who enjoy close-combat heroics — the T'au don't do this, by design.
Astra Militarum Combat Patrol
The Astra Militarum Combat Patrol typically contains an officer character, two units of Guardsmen infantry (the human soldiers who define the faction), a heavy weapons squad or specialist unit, and a tank such as a Leman Russ. Model count varies but is typically 25-40 miniatures including the tank.
The Astra Militarum (often called Imperial Guard by veterans) appeals strongly to hobbyists with historical military interest. The faction's aesthetic borrows directly from World War I and World War II infantry, with tank designs influenced by mid-20th century armor. Painting an Astra Militarum army can feel closer to historical military modeling than typical sci-fi miniature painting.
Who should buy this: Players with historical military hobby backgrounds, anyone who specifically wants tanks in their army from day one, and hobbyists drawn to massed infantry aesthetics.
Who should skip: Painters who underestimate how long it takes to paint individual faces and gear on 30+ Guardsmen — this is a higher hidden-time-cost faction than the model count suggests.
Aeldari Combat Patrol
The Aeldari Combat Patrol typically contains a character (Autarch, Farseer, or similar), a unit of Guardians or Dire Avengers (basic troops), a specialist unit (Howling Banshees, Striking Scorpions, or Rangers), and a fast or heavy unit. Model count is in the 15-25 range.
Aeldari are the most experienced-player-leaning Combat Patrol on this list. The faction's strength is speed, precision, and fragility — they require positional skill to play effectively and often punish new players for the first 10-20 games as they learn the army's specific tempo.
Who should buy this: Experienced tabletop gamers (including players coming from other systems like Warmachine or Infinity), painters drawn to elegant elf-like aesthetics, and anyone willing to lose their first several games while learning the faction.
Who should skip: Absolute beginners — Aeldari are not the right first faction unless you have a strong reason to choose them.
What You'll Need Beyond the Combat Patrol
A Combat Patrol is the army, but not the full hobby setup. To go from unboxing to your first game, plan on the following additional purchases:
Tools — plastic clippers, a hobby knife, plastic glue, and a small file. Budget $30-$50.
Paints — a faction-appropriate paint set or a starter Contrast paint set. Budget $50-$90 for a complete starting palette. Many Combat Patrol buyers underspend here and regret it.
Primer — black, grey, or white spray primer matched to your faction. Budget $15-$25.
Brushes — a basic brush set covering size 1, size 2, and a drybrush. Budget $20-$40 for quality starter brushes.
Dice and measuring tools — 12-20 six-sided dice, a tape measure, and ideally a set of dedicated movement gauges. Budget $20-$40.
The core rules — Games Workshop typically releases the core rules as a free PDF download. With 11th edition launching in June 2026, a printed rulebook will also be available; the core rules PDF will likely remain free.
Total starting cost including the Combat Patrol: $300-$450 depending on faction and paint set choices. MOD Shop's hobby essentials collection bundles the most common starter tools and paints.
Combat Patrol vs. Other Starter Options
Combat Patrols are the right starter for most new players, but not every new player. Each of these paths is covered in more depth in our [starter guide to Warhammer 40k in 2026] The other paths:
The 11th Edition Launch Box (June 2026) — Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon provides both Space Marines and Orks armies plus the core rulebook and missions in a single $299 box. Best for two-player households or friend pairs starting together. Skip if you want a faction other than Space Marines or Orks.
A Single Unit Box — buying one $50-$75 unit kit and slowly expanding from there. Best for hobbyists who want minimal initial commitment and don't mind a longer ramp to playable army size. Skip if you want to be game-ready within 60-90 days.
Used or Second-Hand Armies — buying a pre-existing army from another player. Best for budget-conscious starters who don't mind painting over someone else's color scheme. Skip if you specifically want the assembly and full painting experience as part of the hobby.
For most new players reading this guide, the Combat Patrol is the right answer. The other options are worth considering but rarely beat the Combat Patrol on the combination of price, content, and time-to-playable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Combat Patrols still valid in 11th edition? Yes. Games Workshop has confirmed that existing 10th edition Combat Patrols and codexes remain fully valid in 11th edition. Combat Patrols may receive updated rules or refreshed contents over the first 12-18 months of the new edition, but boxes purchased now are not stranded inventory.
How many points are in a Combat Patrol? Combat Patrols vary by faction but typically range from 500 to 700 points in 10th edition rules. The Combat Patrol game format itself uses streamlined rules rather than strict points values. Larger games (1,000-2,000 points) require expanding beyond the Combat Patrol with additional units.
Are Combat Patrols cheaper than buying the kits individually? Yes. Combat Patrols are typically priced 25-30% below the combined retail price of their contents purchased separately. This is Games Workshop's standard bundle pricing across the product line.
Which Combat Patrol has the best value? Tyranids and Orks Combat Patrols offer the highest model count per dollar, making them the strongest pure value picks. Space Marines and Necrons Combat Patrols offer the best beginner experience per dollar, which is often more important than raw model count for first-time players.
Can I play Combat Patrol games with two Combat Patrols? Yes. The Combat Patrol game format is specifically designed for two Combat Patrol boxes against each other. This is the most accessible introduction to actually playing 40K and what we recommend for first games.
How long does it take to paint a Combat Patrol? At tabletop standard using Contrast paints, most beginners finish a 15-25 model Combat Patrol in 15-25 hours spread over 4-6 weeks. A 40-50 model horde Combat Patrol (Tyranids or Orks) takes 25-40 hours. Higher painting standards add significantly to these timelines.
Do Combat Patrols include rules? Yes. Every Combat Patrol includes a rules card with the Combat Patrol game format rules and datasheets for the included units. The full core rules are released separately and are typically available as a free PDF from Games Workshop.
Which Combat Patrol is most likely to be in stock? Stock varies week to week across every Warhammer retailer. Necrons, Space Marines, and Tyranids Combat Patrols sell faster than average and can be intermittently unavailable. Less popular factions (Aeldari, Adeptus Mechanicus) tend to have more consistent availability. MOD Shop's Combat Patrol collection page shows real-time stock for every faction.
Your Next Step
If you've made it this far, you're ready to commit to a faction. For most new players in 2026:
- If you want the safest, most-supported choice: Space Marines Combat Patrol.
- If you want the fastest path to a painted army: Necrons Combat Patrol.
- If you want maximum models on the table: Tyranids or Orks Combat Patrol.
- If you want maximum creative freedom: Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol.
- If you want to align with the 11th edition launch: Space Marines or Orks Combat Patrol.
Browse every Warhammer 40K Combat Patrol at MOD Shop →
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MOD Shop is an authorized Games Workshop retailer specializing in Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, and collectible miniatures. Every product is sourced directly from Games Workshop and shipped from our US-based warehouse. Have a question about choosing a Combat Patrol? Reach our team at kris@modshop.fun — we answer every email personally.
Last updated: May 16, 2026.