Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing Value for Money - Perfect for Beginners
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019
NOTE: You will need plastic clippers and glue to assemble these miniatures! For those that don't know, this is a common expense of the hobby and something you'll need for almost every single kit of miniatures you buy.
It's pretty common knowledge that Warhammer 40k can be a pretty expensive hobby, especially when you factor in all the little outside costs most people don't think about, such as paint, tools, terrain, rulebooks, and carrying equipment. "Know No Fear" is one of the few instances in which Games Workshop actually seems to be giving the customer way more value for their money than usual, especially considering how much some of the other boxed sets cost. This set drastically reduces the amount of outside costs you’ll need in order to start your first game, basically only requiring you to buy plastic clippers and glue before you can sit down, assemble, and play. For a price $10-15 cheaper than most Start Collecting boxes, you're essentially getting two different Start Collecting packs, plus a scenario book, a sheet of rules, a battle mat, and even fairly large piece of terrain (albeit slightly flimsy and printed on the inside of the box). The package is still astounding value for money when compared to most items and starter kits in the Warhammer 40k hobby, as it includes everything you need to play a small game, with a variety of units and models that give each side a lot of different options for approaching combat.
In terms of criticisms towards the kit itself, I tend to find that the Space Marines have a slight advantage in most games, primarily because their side comes with about 100 more "points" (the Warhammer equivalent of unit value) than the Death Guard. The battle mat included in the kit is also fairly small and can make games feel extremely clustered and claustrophobic, especially if the box terrain piece is used on top of it. I'd recommend just playing on a tabletop and using the mat to add some flavor to the scenery, rather than having it be the entire map itself. The box terrain piece, while perfectly functional, also feels a little flimsy, though that's to be expected since it's basically made of cardboard. It's fine for smaller models to stand on but is just a little too floppy and saggy for my taste when supporting vehicles or large numbers of units.
All in all, I still think this is one of the best starter sets that Games Workshop has ever released and it's a perfect entry for newer players or those just looking to bolster their forces. I know some people complain about the colored plastic of the models, since the Marines are blue and the Death Guard are green, rather than them both just being the typical grey, but this is easily covered with a layer of primer for those that want to paint them in their own colors. And in my experience, newer players often find colored units helpful so that they can quickly determine which units belong to them and which belong to the enemy at a glance. If you're interested in Warhammer 40k or have a friend/child that might be, there's no better value for money than this.