Army building rules

[ritter]

I apologize if this seems like a dumb question, but I want to make sure I'm doing this right.

I'm just getting into 40k. I've read the core rule book, so I know the basics of how the game plays. But I'm a bit lost on list building. I picked up a Custodes army, which I understand doesn't have a 9th edition codex yet. So I'm assuming I need the 8th edition codex. But do I also need the psychic awakening one? 

Also, I understand that 9th changes a lot of rules for all armies. Does this mean I need the 9th core rule book as well, just to build a list? 

Is there anything else that I need? 

[raceygaming]

The core rule book does have the missions and the types of detsctments you can use to make a legal list.
However if you are just getting in, you can use a little Google to get a list of the detactment and what they are composed of.

I would highly recommend an app like battle scribe to help out.

[Jack Shrapnel]

battlescribe is pretty awesome for list building.

here's another free site that has all the rules, and all the units and factions:

wahapedia.ru/wh40k9ed/the-rules/playing-this-game/

[Frosty the Pirate]

Cannot recommend Battlescribe (battlescribe.net/) enough, definitely start there.

I would strongly recommend focusing on models rather than rulebooks when you first start out. By time you get to the point where having expansion books like Psychic Awakening will matter (unless you've already got a significant sized collection of models) they'll most likely be out of date. (With Custodes in particular their Psychic Awakening book is still part of current ruleset, it will be replaced by their 9th edition codex when they get it)

Nothing feels worse when you start out in warhammer and spend all your money on rules instead of models. Between the free core rules PDF www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Lw4o3USx1R8sU7cQ.pdf and datasheets (which come printed in the box with every new kit you buy) you can get playing without buying anything but models and perhaps the very basics of hobby tools such as an exacto knife and glue.

Once you become more familiar with the rules, you'll definitely want to pickup conveniences such as the main rulebook, codexes, and expansions. But at first those things just add to the learning curve unnecessarily.

[ritter]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I completely agree about it being disheartening to spend a ton of money on just rule books. That's what I was hoping to avoid. I did see Battlescribe, but felt you almost needed to know the list building rules a bit before you can use it effectively. I wasn't quite sure what I was doing.

I don't have the data sheets, as I got the models from a friend of a friend. But I do have the other hobby basics (dice, tools, measuring, etc).

That all being said, wahapedia is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you so much.

[Jack Shrapnel]

Battlescribe also gives you the rules and points for every unit too!

(and it'll warn you if your list isn't legal)