Getting Started
So you’re thinking of starting at-43? Here is a starter guide to get you going. If you are coming from 40k please read this guide it will spell out the differences between 40k and AT-43. All of the armies listed here are basic at-43 armies that will get you into the game without buying any minis that will be a “waste”.
Get the Rulebook
I can’t stress this enough. Getting the rulebook should really be the first step if you want to start a new game, at-43 is no exception. I still use mine and it is by far the most heavily thumbed through resource for AT-43 that I have. Second get your army book. Many of the units have special rules that are covered in there.
Build a Basic Army
You’ve got 5 choices currently. Karmans, Red Blok, Therians, UNA and Cogs. Oni will be released shortly.
If you and a friend decide to play Therians and UNA I would suggest getting 2 Operation Democles Boxes and splitting the minis then round out the armies with additional models. If you are interested in Cogs or Red Blok there are starter sets available for them new. The other factions will have starter sets released but there is no date available at this time. Otherwise check out the basic 800 point starter lists. This will give you the bare minimum to get a feel for the game.
Both Red Blok and Cogs have 2000 point army boxes out. This is a very good starting point for any player and I would highly recommend getting them as a first purchase. You get all essential units and it provides a perfect base to build upon.
If you are interested in getting a full army check out the 2000 point guides for Karmans, Red Blok, Therians and UNA. These are guides to give you a good base of miniatures that are core to each army. if you have a specific list in mind though, go for it. The EasyAT43 Army builder for windows and the pyat43 for linux/OSX are great tools to play around with army lists. Not all of the rules are represented in them so they should be used as a guide for creating a list. You should always double check that a list is acutally legal.
Play Some Scenarios
At-43 really shines when playing a scenario so give them a go. After you’ve got a few games under your belt the campaigns of Operation Democles and Operation Frostbite add a large variety of missions that you can play, as well as introducing new units, rules, and heroes.
At-43 has a great player community and the official forums are always a great place to go to ask questions. Have fun!
Check the Rules Errata
Rackham is well known for its poor rulebook translations. This is being addressed for the newer rulebooks but as it stands there are a lot of clarifications and rules errata that have been made. The Errata Section covers a lot of these rule changes. They are mirriored in the rules section on the official AT-43 message boards.
