r/battlefleetgothic • u/horizon_fleet • Jan 26 '23
How to start with Battlefleet Gothic!
Hey all,
Since it is a returning question, this post might be really convenient if you decide to jump into the wonderful game that Battlefleet Gothic is!
Let us start with a link to the main rulebooks. On the following you will find the remastered rulebook and fleetbook:
Battlefleet Gothic Remastered Rulebook & Fleetbook
One of the great things which has been created at the end of 2021 has been the digital starter kit, this is what you will find in it, but first the link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Kpg6ZuDmFc5axXa6sUBiJrQiFuZIlbAu?usp=share_link
These are the folders:
Assets - All the cardboard markes and extras you need.
Rules - this contains the latest version of the remastered official rulebook (original including updates) and a quick start guide for your first battle! There is an English and German edition.
Fleet Lists - two prewritten fleet lists for the Imperial Navy and Chaos. Plus a sheet how you can pit them against each other in three games increasing in size
3DModels - two folders with the STL files for the ships listed in the fleet lists. So you can print (or let someone print them) to play with. You will also find other STL here like markers.
Please note: those models are distributed under CC-BY-NC-SA, i.e. noncommercial use only.
And in the pdf "How to - Starter Kit " you'll read everything you need to know about the starter kit.
And we have added the starter kit advanced with Corsair Eldar and Orks Looted FLeet!
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dxTeLC2bTnlUfzN_RJF788wHmYBhMa6C?usp=share_link
Subsequently here is the link to the main rules hub, here you will find the rules mentioned but also links to a large folder of fanmade/homebrew rules and magazines like Warp Rift:
Wait, there is more! If you want some ideas on lists to start with (for collecting) the following article might be a good source of inspiration (check the pdf which you can download with it):
https://portinvicta.weebly.com/bfg-tactics/starter-fleets
But what about miniatures to play with? Aside of the free STL in the mentioned starter kit there are several great designers with STL files available at sites like Cults3d, check the Discord server for a list on them. However, not everyone has his own printer so I list some webshops with great proxies:
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/product-category/battlegroup-helios/
https://www.scourgescenics.co.uk
https://wintersbioforge.com/product-category/space-bugs/
https://tabletop-stuff.de/Science-Fiction/Raumflotte-Kolossus/
And finally we have a Battlefleet Gothic Discord with a fun community in case you are interested:
Happy gaming and feel free to ask questions!
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u/Filmdeg Jan 27 '23
As someone who picked up a physical copy of the rule book this week and looking to get into the game, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Will be reading this over the weekend!
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u/horizon_fleet Jan 27 '23
That's cool. Even though more than a decade old it's still a great thing to have even though several things have been through a FAQ.
Enjoy!
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u/horizon_fleet Feb 27 '23
And we have added the starter kit advanced with Corsair Eldar!
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dxTeLC2bTnlUfzN_RJF788wHmYBhMa6C?usp=share_link
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u/Devildog_627 Jun 30 '23
Just landed here and this is a huge help.
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u/horizon_fleet Jun 30 '23
Have fun and feel free to ask any questions about BFG!
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u/Devildog_627 Jun 30 '23
Thank you! I never played BitD but wish I had.
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u/horizon_fleet Jun 30 '23
Well, as you can see the game is still available to play with all the free rules and even a starter friendly approach. Including a good community. So never to late to start!
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u/l-Electronaute Jun 19 '23
Hey, hi and thank you for your work !
Many documents are no longer on the drive (and in particular the Well if you liked it), and the link for the Rules Hub is dead. Do you have another way to access it?
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u/horizon_fleet Jun 20 '23
Heya,
Thanks for replying! I fixed the rules hub link (the forum changed a bit) but you can acces them.And we reshuffled it a little. "How to like" is now this file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nA3pRHIT7z33-6qY_23CIJniwLj-RjfB/view?usp=drive_linkI'll update the post. Thanks for notifying!
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u/Fichtenwald Dec 18 '24
Thank you so much for the German Edition in the Digital Starter Kit!
May I ask you a question: What software did you use to create these great looking and formatted digital PDF books (I especially like how the word division in the German Edition PDF is done)?
Thank you!
BTW: Are there plans to also release a German Edition of the entire remastered "Rulebook" (that is only available in English in the Digital Starter Kit right now)?
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u/Blueeyedmonstrr Jun 14 '25
An awesome weekend campaign to add is the Fall of Hydra (intro originally in German), if you have a copy.
It ties in 40k, boarding actions, and BFG.
If needed, I can share a copy.
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u/lilith_knight Nov 25 '24
might be a long ask, but any chance of getting the starter kit models without the resin supports? filament printers would like to give it a try too 🙏
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u/horizon_fleet Nov 25 '24
Heya,
I'll ask if we can make that happen.3
u/lilith_knight Nov 25 '24
dont worry too much over it - I found that by shoving em in blender i could separate the objects and get the supports off, though it would still be nice to do for anyone else lookin to plastic print em 👍
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u/horizon_fleet Dec 13 '24
Check out the folders. Italianmoose has added version without supports.
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u/eposone1979 Feb 23 '26
Im new, and seeing the battlefleetgalaxy models they seem more detailed but also very pricy. What are your take on this? I don’t have printer so I need to buy finished models. Thanks
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u/horizon_fleet Feb 23 '26
Heya,
Battlefleet Galaxy is indeed one of the more expensive ones. But the miniatures are really high quality. And their design is lovely.
A lot of people build a fleet and add one of Battlefleet Galaxy as a centerpiece for example.
Some people add one cause they ranked top 3 in the monthly Facebook painting competition and earn a voucher.
Some just buy a fleet.
By now I own miniatures from various sources including Battlefleet Galaxy. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with miniatures from other webshops like Vanguard or Tabletop stuff.
In the end it will boil down to the question if you want a miniature from Battlefleet Galaxy and if you want to spend (and have available) money on your hobby. :)
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u/eposone1979 Feb 24 '26
Thanks mate for your reply. I thought I will go a similar way. Seen some good other good quality from tabletop stuff and then I will add the largest from bfg and kitbash a bit. I don’t play the game, I will just paint it :-) where can I find some good visual references and sources on fleet liveries? Thanks pal
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u/horizon_fleet Feb 24 '26
Instagram would be the to go place for most images.
Turbidious Tom, BFG_noob, BleachHawk, DoublebaseFanatic to name a few.Here's mine: https://www.instagram.com/horizonmcr/
As official liveries go: except a few they haven't been set by GW. Battlefleet Gothic with green hull and white prow, Battlefleet Koronus with scarlett red prow and dark grey hull. Battlefleet Solar white hull and gold trims, Battlefleet Armageddon sand hull, red prow.
And even that isn't strict.2
u/eposone1979 Feb 24 '26
Thanks for the feedback and will look into this. Thanks for your help Cheers o7
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u/Hefty_Answer8243 Mar 09 '26
Would anyone have any ideas where I could find other models that aren't included in the starter kit but are on the start list ideas pdf (https://portinvicta.weebly.com/bfg-tactics/starter-fleets), such as the Emperor Class Battleship or the Dominator Class Cruiser? Any help greatly appreciated.
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u/horizon_fleet Mar 10 '26
I guess checking the webshops and/or STL pages with Imperial Navy proxies: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bJRTw7_96mM0G0hBfOi1Y4jC6D_ZxdzJsSkGb2ev6PQ/edit?usp=drivesdk
There are various sources for both classes you mention.
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u/Rise_117 Apr 14 '26
Thanks for the guide!
Would any of you know what models would be great for Rogue Traders? Searching STL files for these.
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u/horizon_fleet Apr 14 '26
Check out Bluesquat on cults. He has an awesome collection of ships specially for Rogue Traders.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Apr 29 '26
Thank you greatly for the links.
I was hoping to run an Battlefleet Obscura Reserve Fleet , but the fleet list pdf linked above references page 34 for those rules ... Which is blank! (at least for me).
Any chance someone could let me know where that info was originally taken from?
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u/horizon_fleet Apr 29 '26
Heya, should be referencing to page 36-37. The Bastion fleet list.
The pdf will be fixed at one point.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Apr 29 '26
Oh.
See, I was hoping to run one of the Cardinal Class heavy cruisers, from issue 2 of the magazine. Would that not be in-scope?
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u/horizon_fleet Apr 29 '26
If you and your friends/opponents agree no one is stopping you from using some non-official/fanmade ships in your games.
We also use official as the base rules for all and fleets but we don't mind, with some checking, to use some fanships or fanfleets if we want to.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Apr 29 '26
I appreciate where you're coming from, but it's important to me that it at least has some official reference in the rulebooks, both for the sake of respecting my opponent (who may be a stranger, or who might be leery), and just for my own personal satisfaction that I'm playing as the designers intended.
Is the content from the magazines intentionally not included? Were they never considered anything like 'official' in the first place? Or is it just because it's a WIP?
Oddly, it appears there's an error even within the magazine: The ship is listed on page 38 amongst others in the Bakka fleet, but it isn't actually in the fleet list cruiser options with the rest.
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u/horizon_fleet Apr 29 '26
Heya,
This is an interesting small piece of history:
A Battlefleet Gothic HistoryWhen GW released armada in 2004 it was written that this would supercede the materials from the magazines, warp storm, annual 2002, when it comes to the official status. So, cardinal didn't make the cut. And in 2010 when the FAQ/compendium was made it was left out again.
However, there's a small sidehook: Forgeworld released IA10 in which it had a few ships and a fleet list featuring the cardinal. But as IA was locked behind a paywall opposed to all BFG rules being for free since 2007, and some ships were pretty poor design the community never tracked these as official.
Add the fact Forgeworld and Specialist Games didn't cooperate since 2004 didn't help to sell it either lol.The remastered rulebook is called WIP because of the layout.
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Apr 29 '26
Oh.
This makes me sad :(
Call me a weirdo, but I was rather looking forward to putting together a fleet with all the ancient rare grand cruiser and heavy cruisers I can get my hands on - using the official rules ofc haha.
Many thanks for that bit of history!
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u/horizon_fleet Apr 29 '26
If you go to a tournament like Adepticon or London GT just stick to official.
If you play friendlies local just agree on having fun. :)
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u/Cynical_Cyanide Apr 30 '26
Not that I'm about to fly over and crush a tourney anytime soon - What specifically counts as official for those tournaments? In terms of rulebooks/material sources etc I mean?
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u/ForgeWorld_Maniac Jun 12 '25
What about recasted models of original sculpts? Is it legal to raise that question at all like in general warhammer40k subs?
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u/horizon_fleet Jun 13 '25
They exist..There is a well. Known. Recast website in China
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u/ForgeWorld_Maniac Jun 13 '25
Can I sell my painted fleet here? which is recast of original models
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u/horizon_fleet Nov 10 '25
Not sure on Reddit regulations. You should ask one of the moderators. Sorry for the late reply.
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u/Technojerk36 Jan 26 '23
OP asked me to sticky this and I agreed as it is a helpful post. The previously stickied post can be found here.
As always, if you’ve got suggestions or would like to contact the mods you can reach us via mod mail!