Yeah getting started is definitely a pain in the ass lol. I recommend the guides over @ wiihacks.com, they helped me get through my soft mods without breaking anything.
I had to experiment with different combos before I finally got everything functional. I forget which cIOS or IOS I have but I do remember WAD manager 1.4 was the only version that worked for me. Sometimes certain newer games dont work and I have to google for individual/isolated fixes for whatever symptoms I have. FEELSGOODMAN.jpg when I fire up my games without getting up to change discs, and guests cant contain their jelly.