Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer 40,000 (informally known as Warhammer 40K, WH40K

Warhammer 40,000
or simply 40K) is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games
Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer
40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic
companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game
mechanics. Expansions for Warhammer 40,000 are released Current Warhammer 40,000 logo
periodically which give rules for urban, planetary siege and large-scale
Manufacturer(s) Games Workshop & Citadel
combat. The game is in its eighth edition, which was released on June
Years active 1987–present
17, 2017.
Players 2 or more
Players assemble and paint individual 28-millimetre (1.1 in) scale
Setup time 5–30 minutes
miniature figures that represent futuristic soldiers, monsters and
armoured fighting vehicles. These figurines are collected to constitute
Playing time Varies depending on the size
squads in armies that can be pitted against those of other players. Each
of the game. Usually 1–6
player brings a roughly equal complement of units to a tabletop
hours.
battlefield with handmade or purchased terrain. The players then Random Medium (dice rolling)
decide upon a scenario, ranging from simple skirmishes to complex chance
battles involving defended objectives and reinforcements. The models Skill(s) required Military tactics, arithmetic
are physically moved around the table and the actual distance between
Website www.games-workshop.com
models plays a role in the outcome of combat. Play is turn-based, with
various outcomes determined by tables and the roll of dice. Battles may last anywhere from a half-hour to a whole weekend, and
battles may be strung together to form campaigns. Many game and hobby stores host games, and official gaming events are held on a
regular basis, such as the Throne of Skulls.

Warhammer 40,000's space fantasy is set in a fictional future during the 41st millennium AD. Its various factions and races include
the Imperium of Man, a decentralized yet totalitarian interstellar empire that has ruled the vast majority of humanity for millennia, the
Orks (similar to Warhammer Fantasy Orcs), the Eldar (similar to Elves in Warhammer Fantasy Battle), and Daemons (very similar in
both the Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy Battle universes), among others. The background and playing rules of each
faction are covered in the game's rule books and supplemental army 'codex', along with articles in the Games Workshop magazines,
White Dwarf and Imperial Armour. The game's miniatures are produced byCitadel Miniatures and Forge World.

The Warhammer 40,000 setting is used for several tabletop games, video games, and works of fiction, including licensed works
published by Black Library, a subsidiary of Games Workshop.

Contents
History
Influences
Editions
Rogue Trader (1987)
Second edition (1993)
Third edition (1998)
Fourth edition (2004)
Fifth edition (2008)
Sixth edition (2012)
 Seventh edition (2014)
Eighth edition (2017)
Setting
Gameplay
Supplements and expansions
Forces
Current armies (as of 8th edition)[40]
The Imperium
Forces of Chaos:
Xenos Threat:
Discontinued armies
Movie
Spin-offs and related fiction
References
External links

History
In 1983, Games Workshop released a fantasy-themed wargame called Warhammer, and it proved such a success that the company
asked its designer, Rick Priestley, to develop a science fiction version of it. Since before joining Games Workshop, Priestley had been
privately working on a science fiction tabletop game called "Rogue Trader". Priestley added Warhammer elements such as magic and
science fiction counterparts to Elves and Orcs. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was released in 1987. The first edition of the game
was more of a roleplaying game focusing on small skirmishes, with an umpire overseeing the players. Priestley realized that players
wanted a proper wargame rather than a roleplaying game, and in the second edition the umpire was removed and the players were
allowed to deploy more warriors.[1] Warhammer 40,000 became even more successful than its fantasy precursor, and soon Games
Workshop released a range of spin-off games such as Necromunda, Battlefleet Gothic, and GorkaMorka.

Influences
Since childhood, Rick Priestley was an enthusiastic player of roleplaying games and miniature wargames. Particularly strong
influences on Warhammer 40,000 were Battle! Practical Wargaming by Charles Grant andLaserburn by Bryan Ansell.

Priestley cites J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Dune, Paradise Lost, and 2000 AD as major influences on the setting. Priestley felt
that Warhammer's concept of Chaos, as detailed by his colleague Bryan Ansell in the supplement
Realms of Chaos, was too simplistic
and too similar to the works of Michael Moorcock, so he developed it further, taking heavy inspiration from Paradise Lost.[2] The
story of the Emperor's favored sons succumbing to the temptations of Chaos deliberately parallels the fall of Satan in Paradise Lost.
The Imperium of Man is a critique of organized religion:

To me the background to 40K was always intended to be ironic. [...] The fact that the Space Marines were lauded as
heroes within Games Workshop always amused me, because they’re brutal, but they’re also completely self-
deceiving. The whole idea of the Emperor is that you don’t know whether he’s alive or dead. The whole Imperium
might be running on superstition. There’s no guarantee that the Emperor is anything other than a corpse with a
residual mental ability to direct spacecraft. It’s got some parallels with religious beliefs and principles, and I think a
lot of that got missed and overwritten.

— Rick Priestly, in a December 2015 interview with Unplugged Games[3]

Editions
Rogue Trader (1987)
The first edition of the game, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, was published in 1987.[4]
Game designer Rick Priestley created the original rules set (based on the contemporarysecond
edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle) alongside the Warhammer 40,000 gameworld. The
game play of Rogue Trader was heavily oriented toward roleplaying rather than strict
wargaming. This original version came as a very detailed, though rather jumbled, rulebook,
which made it most suitable for fighting small skirmishes.[5] Much of the composition of the
units was determined randomly, by rolling dice. A few elements of the setting (bolters,
lasguns, frag grenades, Terminator armour) can be seen in a set of earlier wargaming rules
called Laserburn (produced by the now defunct company Tabletop Games) written by Bryan
Ansell. These rules were later expanded by both Ansell and Richard Halliwell (both of whom
ended up working for Games Workshop), although the rules were not a precursor to Rogue
Trader.[6]
Rogue Trader - the first
In addition, supplemental material was continually published inWhite Dwarf magazine, which edition of Warhammer
provided rules for new units and models. Eventually, White Dwarf provided proper "army 40,000
lists" that could be used to create larger and more coherent forces than were possible in the
main rulebook. These articles were from time to time released in expansion books along with
new rules, background materials and illustrations. All in all ten books were released for the original edition of WH40K: "Chapter
Approved - Book of the Astronomican", "Compendium", "Warhammer 40,000 Compilation", "Waaagh - Orks", two "Realm of
Chaos" ("Slaves to Darkness" and "The Lost and the Damned"), "'Ere we Go", "Freebooterz", "Battle Manual", and "Vehicle
Manual." The 'Battle Manual' not only changed and codified the combat rules but provided updated stats for most of the weapons in
the game. The 'Vehicle Manual' contained a new system for vehicle management on the tabletop which was intended to supersede the
rather clunky rules given in the base hardback manual and in the red softback compendium, it had an inventive target location system
which used acetate crosshairs to simulate weapon hits on the vehicle silhouettes with different armour values for different locations
(such as tracks, engine compartment, ammo store, and so on). 'Waaagh - Orks' was an introductory manual to Orkish culture and
physiology and contained no rules but was pure background ('fluff'), other Ork-themed books instead were replete with army lists not
only for major ork clans but also for greenskin pirate and mercenary outfits. The "Realm of Chaos" books were hefty hardback tomes,
which included rules for Chaos in Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer Fantasy Battle (3rd Ed.).

Second edition (1993)

The second edition of Warhammer 40,000 was published in late 1993. This new course for the game was forged under the direction
of editor Andy Chambers. The second edition came in a boxed set that included Space Marine and Ork miniatures, scenery, dice, and
the main rules. An expansion box set titled Dark Millennium was later released, which included rules for psychic powers. Another
trait of the game was the attention given to "special characters" representing specific individuals from the background, who had
access to equipment and abilities beyond those of others; the earlier edition only had three generic 'heroic' profiles for each army:
'champion', 'minor hero' and 'major hero.'

Third edition (1998)

The third edition of the game was released in 1998 and, like the second edition, concentrated on streamlining the rules for larger
battles.[7] Third-edition rules were notably simpler.[8] The rulebook was available alone, or as a boxed set with miniatures of Space
Marines and the newly introducedDark Eldar. The system of army 'codexes' continued in third edition.

Towards the end of the third edition, four new army codexes were introduced: the xeno (that is, alie
n) races of the Necron and the Tau
and two armies of theInquisition: the Ordo Malleus (called Daemonhunters), and the Ordo Hereticus (called Witchhunters); elements
of the latter two armies had appeared before in supplementary material (such as Realm of Chaos and Codex: Sisters of Battle). At the
end of the third edition, these armies were re-released with all-new artwork and army lists. The release of the Tau coincided with a
[9]
rise in popularity for the game in the United States.
Fourth edition (2004)
The fourth edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released in 2004.[10] This edition did not feature as many major changes as prior
editions, and was "backwards compatible" with each army's third-edition codex. The fourth edition was released in three forms: the
first was a standalone hardcover version, with additional information on painting, scenery building, and background information
about the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The second was a boxed set, called Battle For Macragge, which included a compact
softcover version of the rules, scenery, dice, templates, and Space Marines and Tyranid miniatures. The third was a limited collector's
edition. Battle for Macragge was a 'game in a box', targeted primarily at beginners. Battle for Macragge was based on the Tyranid
invasion of the Ultramarines' homeworld, Macragge. An expansion to this was released called The Battle Rages On!, which featured
new scenarios and units, like theTyranid Warrior.

Fifth edition (2008)

The fifth edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released on July 12, 2008. While there are some differences between the fourth and fifth
editions, the general rule set shares numerous similarities. Codex books designed prior to the fifth edition are still compatible with
only some changes to how those armies function.[11] The replacement for the previous edition's Battle for Macragge starter set is
called Assault on Black Reach, which features a pocket-sized rulebook (containing the full ruleset but omitting the background and
hobby sections of the full-sized rulebook), and starter Ork and Space Marine armies. Each army contains a HQ choice, either an Ork
Warboss or a Space Marine Captain.

New additions to the rules include the ability for infantry models to "Go to Ground" when under fire, providing additional protection
at the cost of mobility and shooting as they dive for cover. Actual line of sight is needed to fire at enemy models. Also introduced is
the ability to run, whereby units may forgo shooting to cover more ground. In addition, cover has been changed so that it is now
easier for a unit to get a cover save. Damage to vehicles has been simplified and significantly reduced, and tanks may now ram other
vehicles.[11] Some of these rules are modeled after rules that existed in the Second Edition, but were removed in the Third. Likewise,
5th edition codexes have seen a return of many units previously cut out in the previous edition for having unwieldy rules. These units
have largely been brought back with most of their old rules streamlined for the new edition. Fifth edition releases focused largely on
Space Marine forces, including the abolishment of the Daemonhunters in favour of an army composed almost exclusively of Grey
Knights, a special chapter of Space Marines, which, in previous editions, had provided the elite choices of the Daemonhunter's army
list. Another major change was the shift from metal figures toResin kits.

Sixth edition (2012)

Sixth edition was released on June 23, 2012. Changes to this edition include the adoption of an optional Psychic Power card system
similar to that of the game's sister product Warhammer Fantasy Battle as well as the inclusion of full rules for flying vehicles and
monsters and a major reworking of the manner in which damage is resolved against vehicles. It also includes expanded rules for
greater interaction with scenery and more dynamic close-combat.[12] In addition to updating existing rules and adding new ones, 6th
Edition introduced several other large changes: the Alliance system, in which players can bring units from other armies to work with
their own, with varying levels of trust; the choice to take one fortification as part of your force; and Warlord traits, which will allow a
player's Commander to gain a categorically randomized trait that can aid their forces in dif
ferent situations. Replacing the "Assault on
Black Reach" box set is the "Dark Vengeance" box set which includes Dark Angels and Chaos Space Marine models. Some of the
early release box sets of Dark Vengeance contained a limited edition Interrogator-Chaplain for the Dark Angels.

Seventh edition (2014)

[13]
Announced in White Dwarf issue 15, pre-orders for May 17 and release date of May 24, 2014.

7th Edition saw several major changes to the game, including a dedicated Psychic Phase, as well as the way Psychic powers worked
overall,[14] and changeable mid-game Tactical Objectives. Tactical Objectives would give the players alternate ways to score Victory
ferent points during the game.[15][16]
Points, and thus win games. These objectives could change at dif
As well as these additions, 7th edition provided a new way to organize Army lists. Players could play as either Battle-Forged, making
a list in the same way as 6th edition, or Unbound, which allowed the player to use any models they desired, disregarding the Force
Organization Chart.[17] Bonuses are given to Battle-Forged armies. Additionally, Lord of War units, which are powerful units
previously only allowed in large-scale ("Apocalypse") games, are now included in the standard rulebook, and are a normal part of the
Force Organization Chart.

Eighth edition (2017)

Announced on April 22nd, 2017 on the Warhammer Community page[18] , pre-orders for June 3rd[19] and release date of June 17th,
2017.[20]

8th Edition was a major revision of the previous edition to the game, making it easier for new players to enter the hobby and start
playing. In this respect, the game introduced the Three Ways to Play concept: Open, Matched, and Narrative.[21] The core ruleset
were simplified down to 14 pages, as a free PDF booklet available on the Games Workshop website.[22] The more complex rules still
remains in the game mechanic, found in the updated hardcover Rulebook. The setting behind 8th Edition has also been updated, with
[23] and the Primarch Roboute Guilliman returning to lead the Imperium as
the Galaxy having been split in half by the forces of Chaos
.[24]
the Lord Commander, beginning with reclaiming devastated worlds through the Indomitus Crusade

8th Edition also introduced a new box set called D

" ark Imperium", which featured a new faction to the game: Primaris Space Marines
as well as reintroducing new characters and rules to The Death Guard.

Setting
The Warhammer 40,000 game takes place in a science fantasy universe,[25] whose extreme dystopianism inspired the word
"grimdark" – from the game's tagline, "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war" – as a shorthand for similarly
ultraviolent or amoral fiction.

Most stories are set in the 41st millennium, i.e. some 38,000 years in the future. Humans have settled more than a million worlds
across the galaxy, most of which are ruled by the Imperium of Man, a brutal theocratic regime united in its worship of the immortal
God-Emperor of Mankind. Despite its size and power, the Imperium teeters on the brink of collapse due to a combination of
escalating war, corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and technological stagnation.

The Imperium is in a continuous state of war with a number of hostile forces:

the Tau, a young, idealistic race that wants to unite the races of the galaxy under their rule, in the name of "The
Greater Good." Although they prefer to peacefully absorb other races, they are quite willing to use military force,
forced sterilization, and mind-control implants to subdue resistance.
the Necrons, skeletal robots patterned after the decorative and architectural culture ofancient Egypt. They are a
relatively recent threat, having emerged from a 60-million year slumber , and seek to restore their old empire and
regain their old flesh bodies.
the Eldar, humanoid aliens patterned after thehigh elves common to fantasy fiction. Eldar are long-lived, but dying
out. They often see human as lesser beings, and may either help or fight them to suit their own interests.
the Dark Eldar, cousins of the Eldar who ritually torture other beings to stave of
f death, as the Chaos God Slaanesh
will consume their souls should they permanently die.
the Tyranids, swarms of rapidly evolving, all-devouring creatures from outside the galaxy , controlled by a gestalt Hive
Mind that seeks to consume all life.
the Orks, whose simplistic personalities, reckless tactics and ramshackle technology make them the comic relief of
the setting, but are no less brutal and deadly for it.
The forces of Chaos. A combination of Chaos Space Marines, corrupted humans, and daemons, who serve the
Chaos Gods.
The Chaos Gods live in the Warp, a parallel dimension of unpredictable psychic energy from which psykers draw their power and
through which faster-than-light travel is possible. Chaos is central to the setting and is the fundamental cause of much of the conflict
in the galaxy. Over the millennia, the forces of Chaos have destroyed all the glorious and enlightened civilizations of old, most
recently sabotaging the Emperor of Mankind's attempt to lead humanity back into a new age of enlightenment and prosperity. It
corrupts the body and soul and decimated the Eldar race. It forces the Dark Eldar to perpetually new lows of depravity, and regularly
sends armies of daemons and corrupted mortals to terrorize and massacre the denizens of realspace. Chaos exists only to persist and
spread, the Dark Gods delighting only in the destruction and disorder they sow. The four primary Chaos Gods are named Khorne,
Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh.

Gameplay
Two or more players take part in the game,[26] each fielding a group of units. The
size and composition of these groups, referred to as armies, are determined on a
point system, with each unit (figurine) assigned a value in points roughly
proportional to its worth on the battlefield; a better unit or model is worth more
points. Before a game, the players agree on how many points will be used as the
maximum army size and each assembles an army up to that limit. The composition
of these armies is usually constrained by rules contained within the Warhammer
40,000 rulebook, as well as in several army-specific rulebooks called codexes. These
Battle between Daemons and Tau
rules and preparations are generally taken seriously among players.[27] Common
with dice and terrain elements
game sizes are between 500 and 2,000 points and played on tables four feet in width
visible. Most miniatures here are
and four to eight feet in length, but it is possible to play much lar
ger games. unpainted.

At the start of each game, a set of rules and goals is determined for that battle. These
are collectively referred to as the scenario or mission being played. Players are assigned basic goals which range from the defense or
capture of sections of the board to the destruction of enemy units. Additional rules may represent conditions for fighting various
times of day (such as 'night fighting') or in environments that affect troops' abilities. These scenarios may be straightforward, taking
only an hour or so to complete, or they may be quite complex and require several hours or even days to complete.[28] A series of
scenarios may be organized into a campaign, where two or more players fight against each other in a number of battles. These
campaigns may feature their own special rules, and are typically tied together by a storyline that can evolve based on the results of
each scenario.[29] Many scenarios and campaigns are designed by Games Workshop and printed in the codexes, rulebooks or White
[30]
Dwarf. Alternatively, players may design their own scenarios or build new campaigns from premade scenarios.

Play is divided into "phases" where each player moves, manifests psychic powers (if
possible), shoots, and/or engages in close combat with various units. In the
Movement phase, a player determines the direction and distance individual units will
travel, unless a special rule states otherwise. Some units can travel further than
others in a single move, and terrain may inhibit movement. In the Shooting phase,
the player has the opportunity to make long-distance attacks with units that are
within range of the enemy. In the Assault phase, units may engage in close-quarters
fighting with nearby enemy units. The Assault Phase is divided into two sub-phases
- the charge sub-phase and the fight sub-phase. In the charge sub-phase, the player
declares the unit(s) he wants to charge. Next the enemy resolves
'Overwatch'(reaction) fire. In the fight sub-phase, the troops engage in a 'swirling
melee'. The units pile in and the ones with the higher initiative score (sometimes
inhibited by the weapons chosen) strike first in the combat. Casualties are resolved
and usually one side will have to pass a morale check or fall back. There is also a An unpainted plastic miniature of a
Psychic Phase, in which players can utilize models known as Psykers to perform Tyranid Trygon, manufactured by
Games Workshop.
special actions (which are determined, some randomly, before the game ) that no
other models can. After one player completes all four phases play is turned over to
the opposing player. Contingent events such as weapon hits and misses are determined by the roll of a six sided die (note that the
rulebooks use the word "dice" to refer to a single die) and unit characteristics.[31] A special die called a scatter dice is used to
determine deviation for less accurate events such as artillery barrages or reserve units deploying onto the battlefield through irregular
means.[32]
Unlike some wargames, Warhammer 40,000 is not played on a hex map or any kind of pre-defined gameboard. Instead, units can be
placed from 12 inches from the edge to the edge of the table. Range between and among units is important in all three phases of play.
Distance is measured in inches using a ruler. Determination of line of sight is made at "model's eye view": players may bend down to
observe the board from the specific model's point of view.[33] Victory is determined by points, awarded for completing objectives
and/or destroying enemy units.

Benjamin Fox, in "The Performance of War Games", argues that player interaction on the battlefield reflects all portions of a
"performance": script, drama and theater. He compares war games like Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 to role
playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and notes the dynamic nature of battles, where each conflict is different from the
last.[34]

Terrain is also an important part of play. Although Games Workshop sells terrain kits, many hobbyists prefer to make their own
elaborate and unique set pieces.[35] Common household items like soft drink cans, coffee cups, styrofoam packing material, and pill
bottles can be transformed into ruined cathedrals, alien habitats, or other terrain with the addition of plastic card, putty, and the skill
and creativity of the modeller.[36]

It is also possible to play Warhammer 40k by Internet through the Java-based VASSAL Engine for which a Warhammer 40k Module
has been released. This is a simulation of the board game and can only be played against other players. After the release of the 5.2
[37]
version of the module Games Workshop demanded that the lead developer cease development of the module.

Supplements and expansions

There are many variations to the rules and army lists that are available for use, typically with an opponent's consent.[38] These rules
are found in the Games Workshop publication White Dwarf, on the Games Workshop website, or in the Forge World Imperial Armour
publications.

The rules of Warhammer 40,000 are designed for games between 500 and 2500 points, with the limits of a compositional framework
called the Force Organisation Chart making games with larger point values difficult to play. In response to player comments, the
Apocalypse rules expansion was introduced to allow 3000+ point games to be played. Players might field an entire 1000-man Chapter
of Space Marines rather than the smaller detachment of around 30-40 typically employed in a standard game. Apocalypse also
contains rules for using larger war machines suchas Titans

Cities of Death (the revamp of Codex Battlezone: Cityfight) introduces rules for urban warfare and guerrilla warfare, and so-called
"stratagems", including traps and fortifications. It also has sections on modeling city terrain and provides examples of armies and
army lists modeled around the theme of urban combat. This work was updated to 7th Edition with the release of Shield of Baal:
Leviathan.[39]

Planetstrike, released 2009. Sets rules allowing players to represent the early stages of a planetary invasion. New game dynamics,
such as dividing the players into an attacker and a defender, each having various tactical benefits tailored to their role; for example,
the attacker may deep strike all infantry, jump infantry and monstrous creatures onto the battlefield, while the defender may set up all
the terrain on the battlefield.

Planetary Empires, released August 2009, allows players to coordinate full-scale campaigns containing multiple battles, each using
standard rules or approved supplements such as Planetstrike, Cities of Death or Apocalypse. Progress through the campaign is
tracked using hexagonal tiles to represent the current control of territories within the campaign. The structure is similar to
Warhammer Fantasy's Mighty Empires.

Battle Missions, released March 2010, this expansion contains a series of 'missions' with specific objectives, each 'race' has 3 specific
missions which can be played, these missions are determined by a dice roll and are usually chosen from the 2 armies being used.
They still use the standard rules from the W
arhammer 40,000 rule book.
Spearhead, released May/June 2010, allows players to play games with a greater emphasis on armoured and mechanized forces. The
most notable change to the game is the inclusion of special "Spearhead Formations;" and greater flexibility in force organization.
"Spearhead Formations" represent a new and altogether optional addition to the force organization system standard to 40K. Players
now have the ability to use all, part or none of the standard force organization. Spearhead also includes new deployment options and
game scenarios. This expansion is being released jointly through the Games Workshop website, as a free download, and through the
company's monthly hobby magazineWhite Dwarf.

Death from the Skies, released February 2013, contains rules for playing games with an emphasis on aircraft. There are specific rules
for each race's aircraft, as well as playable missions. A notable inclusion in this release is "warlord traits" for each race that deal
specifically with aircraft. This supplement still uses the same rules as the Warhammer 40k rulebook. Got updated to 7th Edition with
Shield of Baal: Leviathan.

Stronghold Assault, released in December 2013, is a 48-page expansion that contains more rules for fortifications in the game, as well
as rules for more fortifications that listed in the main 6th Edition Rulebook.

Escalation, released December 2013, contains rules for playing games with super heavy vehicles, normally restricted to Apocalypse
events, in normal events.

Forces
For a current list of codexes, seeCodex (Warhammer 40,000)

Current armies (as of 8th edition)[40]

The Imperium
After the Emperor's most favored son, Horus, failed in his heresy, the still loyal legions of Space Marines were split into smaller
chapters of 1000 marines each, to prevent a heresy on the scale of Horus's from happening again. In the 41st millennium nobody
knows exactly how many Space Marines there are due to the constant state of war the Imperium of Man is in. A common belief is
that there are 1,000 chapters each with 1,000 marines.

Space Marines

Ultramarines
Blood Angels
Dark Angels
Deathwatch
Iron Hands
Imperial Fists
Grey Knights
Space Wolves
Salamanders
Raven Guard
Astra Militarum
Adeptus Ministorum
Adeptus Custodes
Sisters of Silence
Adeptus Mechanicus
Inquisition
Imperial Knights
Officio Assassinorum

Forces of Chaos:
After the civil war called "The Horus Heresy" ended and the legions who had joined Horus were defeated, they fled towards The Eye
of Terror to escape into The Warp. 10,000 years later, the fractured Chaos Space Marine legions have divided into numerous
warbands, however the original nine legions still exist in some form, and some are more unified than others.

Chaos Space Marines

Death Guard
Alpha Legion
Iron Warriors
Black Legion (formerly the Sons of Horus)
World Eaters
Word Bearers
Night Lords
Emperor's Children
Thousand Sons
Renegade Knights
Renegades and Heretics
Chaos Daemons

Xenos Threat:

Orks
Eldar/Craftworlds
Dark Eldar/Drukhari
Harlequins
Ynnari
Necrons
T'au Empire
Tyranids

Genestealer Cults

Space marines are split into chapters. The Xenos forces are a major threat to the imperium.oTdeal with this an
elite force was created, called Deathwatch. Members are especially picked from all the dif
ferent chapters to fight
for the deathwatch.

Discontinued armies
Squats aka. Space Dwarves (removed from the background and setting at the end of 2nd Edition, though they are
mentioned for the first time in almost 20 years in the 6th Edition main rulebook)
Daemonhunters (superseded by Grey Knights during 5th edition)
Witch Hunters (superseded by Sisters of Battle during 5th edition)

Movie
On December 13, 2010,[41] Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie was released directly to DVD. The movie is a CGI sci-fi
based around the Ultramarines Chapter of Space Marines. The screenplay for the movie was written by Dan Abnett, a Games
Workshop Black Library author. The movie was produced by Codex Pictures, a UK-based company, under license from Games
Workshop. The movie utilized animated facial capture technology from Image Metrics.

Spin-offs and related fiction

Games Workshop has expanded the Warhammer 40,000 universe over the years to include several spinoff games and fictional works.
This expansion began in 1987, when Games Workshop asked Scott Rohan to write the first series of "literary tie-ins". This eventually
led to the creation of Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop, in 1997. The books published relate centrally to the
backstory in the Warhammer universe. Black Library also publishesWarhammer 40,000 graphic novels.[42]

Several popular miniature game spin-offs were also created, including Space Hulk, Battlefleet Gothic, Epic 40,000, Inquisitor,
Gorkamorka, Necromunda and Assassinorum: Execution Force. A collectible card game, Dark Millennium, was launched in October
2005 by Games Workshop subsidiary, Sabertooth Games. The story behind the card game begins at the end of the Horus Heresy arc
[43]
in the game storyline and contains four factions: the Imperium, Orks, Eldar and Chaos.

During the 1990s, Games Workshop partnered with Strategic Simulations (SSI) to produce squad-based tactical games such as
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gateas well as turn-based operational simulations likeWarhammer 40,000: Rites of War. Space Crusade,
the earliest video game of the series, was praised for being "a faithful conversion of the board game, with a board that could be
viewed in 2D or isometric projection views (Barker, 1992)."[44][45]

Games Workshop licensed Warhammer 40,000 to THQ in 2001 and produced a first-person shooter titled Fire Warrior.[46] The game
received generally mediocre reviews, including a 6.0 out of 10.0 from IGN.[47] The later releases from THQ were real-time strategy
games: Dawn of War, Dawn of War – Winter Assault, Dawn of War – Dark Crusade, and Dawn of War – Soulstorm. Developed by
RTS veterans Relic Entertainment, who had previously created the award-winning Homeworld and Impossible Creatures, these were
considerably more popular and well received, with Dawn of War netting a 4.5 out of 5 from GameSpy.[48] (who was the host for
online part of the game).

The sequel to Dawn of War, Dawn of War II, was released in February 2009, and its first expansion, Chaos Rising in March 2010 and
second expansion Retribution in March 2011.[49]

Another game entitled Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, developed by Relic Entertainment, was announced on May 28, 2009. It is
1.[50]
a third person action/shooter for thePS3, Xbox 360 and PC, and was released on September 6, 201

Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade is an online third-person shooter video game. The game was released on September 23, 2016
for Microsoft Windows.

Although there were plans to create a full-fledged Warhammer 40,000 "pen and paper" role-playing game from the beginning,[51]
these did not come to fruition for many years, until an official Warhammer 40,000 role-playing game was published only in 2008,
with the release of Dark Heresy by Black Industries, a GW subsidiary. This system was later licensed to Fantasy Flight Games for
continued support and expansion.

Formerly Games Workshop licensed a number of Warhammer 40K themed products to Fantasy Flight Games. Fantasy Flight Games
specializes in board, card and role-play games. Included in the licensed product were:

Horus Heresy - a board game focusing on the final battle of theHorus Heresy the battle for the Emperor's Palace;
this game is a re-imagining of a game by the same name created by Jervis Johnson in the 1990s.
Space Hulk: Death Angel- a game with a merge of board and card game mechanics, based on the popular "Space
Hulk" board game, featuring Space Marines against Genestealers.
Space Hulk: Death Angel, The Card Game- the card game version ofSpace Hulk. Players cooperate as Space
Marines in order to clear out the infestation of Genestealers on a derelict spaceship.
Warhammer 40,000: Conquest- a Living Card Game where players control various factions of theWarhammer
40,000 setting in order to rule the sector.
Forbidden Stars - a board game that pits 4 popularWarhammer 40,000 races against one another to control
objectives and secure the sector for themselves.
Relic - an adaptation of the board gameTalisman to the Warhammer: 40,000 setting.
Dark Heresy - a pen and paper role-playing game where players may assume the roles of a cell of Inquisitorial
acolytes, or assume a different and equally small-scale scenario following the game's rules. The recommended
scenarios and ruleset present a good balance between investigation and combat encounters.
Rogue Trader - a pen and paper role-playing game sharing many of its core mechanics with Dark Heresy, where
players assume the roles of Explorers, whose rank and escalated privileges allow for travelling outside of Imperium's
borders. Due to extensive expansions uponRogue Trader, campaigns can be largely different and alternated by
 game masters. Its most significant difference from any of the other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaytitles is that it
contains rules for capital spaceship design and space combat.
Deathwatch - a pen and paper role-playing game, also sharing many of its core mechanics with Dark Heresy and
Rogue Trader, it allows players to role-play the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes, who are the gene-enhanced
superhuman elite combat units of the Imperium of Man. In light of this, its ruleset heavily emphasizes combat against
difficult or numerically superior enemies, rather than negotiation and investigation, compared toDark Heresy or
Rogue Trader.
Black Crusade - a pen and paper role-playing game, also sharing many of its core mechanics with Dark Heresy,
Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch, Black Crusade allows players to role-play Chaos-corrupted characters. This
installment will be concluded with supplements. It is notably dif ferent in that it allows much more free-form character
development, with experience costs being determined by af filiation with a Chaos God.
Only War - The newest installment of FFG's pen and paper W arhammer 40,000 role-play, Only War puts players in
the boots of the Imperial Guard, the foot soldiers of the Imperium of Man. Despite the human-level capabilities of the
characters, it also emphasizes combat over interaction, much like Deathwatch.

References
1. Owen Duffy (11 December 2015)."Blood, dice and darkness: how Warhammer defined gaming for a generation"(htt
p://cardboardsandwich.com/features/blood-dice-and-darkness-how-warhammer-defined-gaming-for-a-generation/)
.
2. Owen Duffy (11 December 2015)."Blood, dice and darkness: how Warhammer defined gaming for a generation"(htt
p://cardboardsandwich.com/features/blood-dice-and-darkness-how-warhammer-defined-gaming-for-a-generation/) .
"“Bryan’s idea of Chaos was very much derived from [science fiction and fantasy author] Michael Moorcock,” he said.
“I always thought it was a little too close for comfort, it looked like we were just copying.”
“But I’d always had this sense of Chaos existing as described in Paradise Lost. I’d tried to bring elements of that into
the background and gradually change it from a description of demons into a kind of force out of which came realities,
a kind of literal primal chaos.”
“Unless you’ve read Paradise Lost you don’t get it. The whole Horus Heresy is just a parody of the fall of Lucifer as
described by Milton.”"
3. Owen Duffy (11 December 2015)."Blood, dice and darkness: how Warhammer defined gaming for a generation"(htt
p://cardboardsandwich.com/features/blood-dice-and-darkness-how-warhammer-defined-gaming-for-a-generation/)
.
4. Priestley, Rick (1987) [1992]. Rogue Trader. Eastwood: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-872372-27-9.
5. "The High Lords Speak".White Dwarf (UK edition). Games Workshop (343): 35–36. June 2008.
6. White Dwarf (June, 2008) pp. 34–35
7. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998). Warhammer 40,000 (3rd ed.). Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-000-5.
8. Driver, Jason. "Warhammer 40K, 3rd edition"(http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_1577.html). RPGnet.
Skotos Tech. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
9. Guthrie, Jonathon (July 31, 2002)."Games Workshop runs rings around its rivals" (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
did=143827561&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=11148&RQT=309&VName=PQD) . Financial Times. p. 20. Retrieved
2008-09-29.
10. Chambers, Andy; Priestley, Rick; Haines, Pete (2004). Warhammer 40,000 (4th ed.). Nottingham: Games Workshop.
ISBN 1-84154-468-X.
11. "in the Pipeline" (343).White Dwarf (UK) [editor Mark Latham]. July 2008.
12. "Games Workshop" (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440160a&prodId=pro
d1620012a).
13. Harden, Dan. "White Dwarf, the herald of things to come…"(http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/What's-New-T
oday-from-the-White-Dwarf-Team/2014/05/01/White-Dwarf-the-herald-of-things-to-come). Games Workshop.
Retrieved 11 May 2014.
14. NEW! Warhammer 40,000: The Psychic Phase (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDDcX8a-9uA&list=PLEaPE4sL
DA7uq91iOuAUyP2mrBaSOAsv-&index=5). 16 May 2014 – via YouTube.
15. NEW! Warhammer 40,000: Maelstrom of War Missions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE4H93c7U5Y&list=PL
EaPE4sLDA7uq91iOuAUyP2mrBaSOAsv-&index=6) . 16 May 2014 – via YouTube.
16. "Warhammer 40,000: Tactical Objectives - Games Workshop Webstore" (http://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/W
arhammer-40-000-Tactical-Objectives;jsessionid=8C6F7FA6456A6521163193168C667F1C). Games Workshop
Webstore.
17. NEW! Warhammer 40,000: New army organisation options (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JnMByJVUow&list=
PLEaPE4sLDA7uq91iOuAUyP2mrBaSOAsv-&index=4) . 16 May 2014 – via YouTube.
18. "Breaking News! – Warhammer Community"(https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/04/22/breaking-news/).
Retrieved 2017-07-16.
19. "Dark Imperium Pre-orders – Warhammer Community" (https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/06/03/dark-im
perium-pre-orders/). Retrieved 2017-07-16.
20. "New Edition Now Available – Read the Rules, Get the T-Shirt! – Warhammer Community"(https://www.warhammer-
community.com/2017/06/17/new-edition-now-available-read-the-rules-get-the-t-shirtgw-homepage-post-1/)
.
Retrieved 2017-07-16.
21. "New Warhammer 40,000: Three Ways to Play – Warhammer Community"(https://www.warhammer-community.co
m/2017/04/24/new-warhammer-40000-three-ways-to-play/)
. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
22. "Rules | Games Workshop Webstore" (https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Warhammer-40000-Rules).
www.games-workshop.com. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
23. "New Warhammer 40,000: The Galaxy Map –Warhammer Community"(https://www.warhammer-community.com/20
17/04/23/new-warhammer-40000-the-galaxy-mapgw-homepage-post-1/)
. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
24. GUY., HALEY, (2018). DARK IMPERIUM (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/989984121). [S.l.]: GAMES WORKSHOP
LTD. ISBN 9781784966645. OCLC 989984121 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/989984121).
25. Stableford, Brian M. (2004).Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Literature
. Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-8108-
4938-9.
26. Crockett, Stephen A. (July 1, 2002)."In the Games Workshop, a Chance to Exercise Your Demons" (https://www.wa
shingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/07/01/in-the-games-workshop-a-chance-to-exercise-your-demons/c6b17d82
-bc6c-4250-83f2-5cbec3e5840b/). The Washington Post. pp. C01. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
27. Cova, Bernard; Pace, Stefano; Park, David J. (2007)."Global brand communities across borders: the W
arhammer
case" (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/02651330710755311). International Marketing Review.
Emerald Group Publishing Limited.24 (3): 321. doi:10.1108/02651330710755311(https://doi.org/10.1108%2F02651
330710755311). ISSN 0265-1335 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0265-1335). Retrieved 2008-09-29.
28. Brodwater, Taryn (September 8, 2001)."War and pieces: Good battles evil in Warhammer 40K, a fantasy game
played by true believers"(https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27318173.html). The Spokesman-Review. Cowles
Publishing Company. pp. H8. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
29. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 131, 157-158
30. Snyder, Tom (January 9, 1997). "Battle on the board: Futuristic fantasy board game is allhe
t rage at Anaheim Hills
store". The Orange County Register. Freedom Communications. pp. Anaheim Hills News, p. 1.
31. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 41
32. Alswang, Joel (2003). The South African Dictionary of Sport. New Africa Books. pp. 285–287.ISBN 978-0-86486-
535-9.
33. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 42-45
34. Fox, Benjamin N. (2001). "The Performance of War Games". In Mikotowicz, Tom; Lancaster, Kurt. Performing the
Force: Essays on Immersion Into Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Environments(https://books.google.com/book
s?id=B9fAl7lwtMEC). McFarland. pp. 73–76.ISBN 978-0-7864-0895-5. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
35. McGuire, Patrick (March 24, 1993)."In the grip of Warhammer Help your elf to popular fantasy game" (http://articles.
baltimoresun.com/1993-03-24/features/1993083223_1_goblins-warhammer-orcs) . The Sun. pp. 1C. Retrieved
2008-09-29.
36. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 28-29
37. GW V40k Legal Action(http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg246/Dezartfox/scan0001copy-1.jpg)
38. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 270-272
39. Hoare, Andy. Cities of Death. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-749-2.
40. "Warhammer 40,000 | Games Workshop Webstore" (https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Warhammer-40-000?
_requestid=15837112). www.games-workshop.com. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
41. "Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie (2010) - Preview - Sci-Fi Movie Page"(http://www.scifimoviepage.com/u
pcoming/previews/ultramarines.html).
42. Baxter, Stephen (2006). "Freedom in an Owned World:Warhammer Fiction and the Interzone Generation"(https://ww
w.webcitation.org/6C34T196w?url=http://www .vectormagazine.co.uk/article.asp?articleID=42). Vector: the Critical
Journal of the British Science Fiction Association
. The British Science Fiction Association.229. Archived from the
original (http://www.vectormagazine.co.uk/article.asp?articleID=42) on 2012-11-09.
43. Kaufeld, John; Smith, Jeremy (2006).Trading Card Games For Dummies. For Dummies. p. 186.ISBN 978-0-471-
75416-9.
44. Eley, Peter (February 18, 1999)."Complex war game develops cult following"(http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/ne
ws/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=2646). The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
45. "THE GAME ZONE: 'Rites of War' falls short despite good pedigree".The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September
19, 1999. p. 5.
46. Fox, Fennic. "THQ Shows Off Warhammer FPS" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090103060808/http://www .gamepr
o.com/article/news/27300/thq-shows-off-warhammer-fps/). GamePro. Archived from the original (http://www.gamepr
o.com/article/news/27300/thq-shows-off-warhammer-fps/) on 2009-01-03. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
47. Lewis, Ed (February 13, 2004)."Warhammer 40,000: Warrior Review"
(http://pc.ign.com/articles/492/492408p2.html)
. IGN. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
48. "GameSpy: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review" (http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/warhammer-40000-dawn-of-w
ar/548862p1.html). GameSpy. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
49. Caron, Frank (February 19, 2009)."Dawn of War II riles RTS genre with frantic combat"(https://arstechnica.com/ga
ming/reviews/2009/02/review-dawn-of-war-ii-riles-rts-genre-with-frantic-combat.ars)
. Ars Technica. Retrieved
2009-02-22.
50. "Space Marine Game Review"(http://www.40kforums.com/vb/content.php/275-Space-Marine-Game-Review).
40kforums. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
51. Edwards, Darren (1988). "Interview with Rick Priestley".Making Movies (3): 17.

External links
Warhammer 40,000 at Games Workshop
Warhammer 40,000 at forge world "the big guns"

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=W

arhammer_40,000&oldid=821543341"

This page was last edited on 21 January 2018, at 03:50.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.