The Return of the Hobbyist: How to Get Back Into Warhammer After a Break

It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? Much like a lost Baneblade emerging from the mists of Armageddon, Handful of Dice is rumbling back onto the battlefield — tracks squeaking, paint chipped, but with all the same determination to bring you guys some great Warhammer content. We’ve had a break, and wanted to start our comeback discussing getting back into Warhammer after a long period away.

Taking a break from Warhammer (or writing about Warhammer) is completely normal. Life, work, burnout, other interests — they all pull us away sometimes. And when you finally get that itch to come back, it can feel daunting. Where do you even start when everything seems to have moved on without you?

Here’s how we’re tackling our return to writing — and how you can tackle a return to your hobby interests too.

Step 1: Accept the Gap

First things first: you didn’t “fail” your hobby. Taking time off isn’t a weakness. Warhammer will always be there — just like that half-finished Land Raider judging you from the shelf.

Own your break. Maybe you needed rest. Maybe 10th Edition lore drop-off made you want to go touch grass. That’s fine. No guilt needed. 

Once you’ve accepted that the break was what you needed, you can start planning the comeback.

Step 2: Pick One Easy Win

Trying to ‘catch up’ on everything will just burn you out again. Look at your pile of shame opportunity and see what gets you feeling the itch. Read the blurbs of a few Black Library books (or judge their covers, if that’s what it takes). Go to your local Warhammer store and check out their displays. Pick yourself up a mini of the month while you’re there. 

Pick one simple, fun thing to get the ball rolling.  

For us? We started this post. Thought of an idea that grabbed our interest, took an evening and started writing. Our suggested hobby equivalent? Grab a single model off the shelf — no pressure to finish an army or read every FAQ. Just one model, one evening, one painting session. It will break the “where do I start” paralysis instantly.

Maybe for you it’s building a squad, watching some battle reports on YouTube, or listening to a podcast on your commute. Keep it small, but keep it fun.

Step 3: Curate, Don’t Consume

The Warhammer world doesn’t stop — new codexes, army updates, endless releases. Trying to stay up to date on news is a challenge when you’re engaged. Trying to catch up on every point change or new model during a break will make your head spin.

Instead: curate your re-entry.

Pick one system you’ve always preferred (say, 40K or Underworlds). Pick one army – logically whatever your main faction was. Ignore the rest — for now. The galaxy will still be there when you’re ready. 

Get on the Warhammer community website and read through the latest news about your faction. If there’s a new codex for your army then pick it up and have a read. Find some new lore from the Black Library. Dip your toe back into the warp with whatever aspect of the hobby was the most engaging for you, and expand from there. 

Once you’re finding engaging in the hobby in small ways easier, you can start to plan a bigger expansion. We wrote this article, and during the process planned a few more. Once we had a few drafts settled we made a bit of a plan for a release schedule, and the momentum kept on building from there.

Step 4: Connect With Someone

It’s way easier (and more fun) to reignite your hobby when you’re sharing it.

An easy first step is going to your local store and chatting through your current project. Or messaging a few friends and asking if they want to do a hobby evening. Maybe then it’s signing up for a local event, or starting an escalation league with some friends. Even just lurking in a Discord server or skimming through some subreddits can give you a bit of that community buzz again.

Humans are social creatures, and engaging in activities in groups inherently makes them more enjoyable and repeatable. Even the strongest Orks need to have their Waaaghs, right?

Step 5: Hobby Your Way

Finally, just remember: you can change the way you engage with a hobby if it fits your life better.

Maybe before you were hardcore into tournaments, but now you just want to kitbash weirdo Inquisitors. Maybe you loved painting meticulously, but now speed painting feels more freeing. You can switch up what you’re focusing on if that’s what helps you get back into the swing of things. There’s no reason you have to go back to trying to slog through the same army that burnt you out in the first place. Switch from 40k to an Underworlds warband, or mix up your paint scheme entirely to keep it fresh – there’s no reason your Space Marine force can’t have a detachment from one of it’s sub-chapters joining the fray.

Evolve your relationship with the hobby. Let it fit into your life now, not your life back then. Maybe you got into Warhammer when you were a teenager with loads of free time and now you’re in your twenties with a job and other responsibilities? Long afternoons working on big projects start-to-finish just might not be feasible anymore. Instead, plan a couple of productive hours in the evenings. Make the hobby work the way you need it to.

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Coming back after a break can feel strange — but it’s also exciting. It’s a fresh start, a new Waaagh, a second sunrise over Commorragh (okay, bad example).  

Whether you return swinging a power fist or just dabbing a bit of Nuln Oil, the important thing is: you’re back.  

And so are we.

Let’s roll some dice.

Did you enjoy this article? You could always tip the author with a coffee (or something stronger). If you want to pick up anything to help get you back into the hobby then check out Element Games. They have great deals on a wide range of minis, paints and basing materials. Finally, make sure you’re following us on Instagram to stay up to date and get involved in our community!