Welcome aboard!
I think a lot of the active threads fall into a broad "wish list" category of things that regular customers would like to see, which can be fun to check out just for the imaginative ideas. See the "Our Ranges" section for your favorite eras/genres for anything that interests you.
Wargames Atlantic set up a "One Box Challenge" a couple days ago which sounds pretty exciting - the idea is to pick a box of miniatures - any set, any manufacturer - and design a miniature game around the contents. It sounds like it'll be a lot of fun with some really imaginative suggestions!
There's a couple semi-active "how to" threads here and there, but as far as I know, none of them are dedicated to painting for beginners, so I recommend starting some new discussions in "Painting and Modeling" if you have any big questions about things like that - I find that even experienced painters and modelers can learn something new from discussions like that. I'll post a few painting tips in another reply that might help. Feel free to show off some of your work there, too - I for one always get interested and inspired by the creative talents from others.
Some general modeling tips:
Wargames Atlantic is one of several big names in the wargaming miniature hobby producing hard plastic multipart kits; most of the parts by different manufacturers are roughly compatible with each other. Feel free to mix-and-match stuff between manufacturers if you feel inspired by different "bits" - "kitbashing" of this sort is one of more fun aspects of this hobby! Experiment a little with mixed genres, if you are into science fiction and fantasy - there's a lot of crossover between the two, and familiar sci-fi or historical bits can take on a new life in fantasy (and vice-versa!)
To start, you'll probably want to find a nice pair of "side-cutter" snips for clipping plastic parts from sprues, a "X-acto" style hobby knife for clearing off burrs and flashing, and some emery boards for smoothing rough edges and scratches.
To assemble the plastic figures, Cyano-Acrylate (CA) glue - marketed under popular names like "Super Glue" or "Krazy Glue", as well as countless generic names - seems to work best: the glue is commonly available, and the bond is reasonably secure. The glue itself can get a little messy though, and tends to stick to your fingers better than to the plastic - beware! (I've been gluing my fingers togother for decades.....) This glue also seems to bond well between the (typically polystyrene) plastic that popular wargaming minis are made from, and other materials like PVA used in Reaper Bones, the various flavors of white metal used in minis since the '70s, and the resins and epoxies used in 3D printing and other applications. Your mileage may vary with other materials., but I've had excellent luck with using it to glue bits of vinyl window screen and the white styrene "plasticard" sheets and rods sold by companies like Evergreen for use in scratch-building model railroad structures.
As you go along, I recommend picking up a pack of Evergreen styrene "odds and ends" and assorted rods for use in customizing and scratch-building stuff - the rods make great replacement handles for fantasy/medieval weapons, and I've used sheets for basing material and replacement shields, and for modifying vehicle and building parts. (There are manufacturers who make styrene sheets that are textured in tiles, bricks, stonework, planks, metal plates, corrugated sheets, and so on, which might suggest some other possibilities, and there are also those who manufacture assorted bits like pipe valves, ladders, staircases, railings and the like, which can also come in handy!)
Some "bead box" organizer trays/boxes might comein handy over time for storing and sorting spare, leftover "bits". Note that the leftovers can come in handy for lots of different things - for example, sci-fi/fantasy gamers in particular can use bits of broken weapons and "severed" body parts for gruesome materials to doecorate figure bases, vehicles, and buildings with. (If that's might be you, then you might want to buy a box of Wargames Astlantic's Classic Fantasy skeletons just for the spare skulls, bones, and so on!)
Some painting and scaling tips to follow....
