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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"40K" redirects here. For the number, see 40,000. For the isotope 40K, see
Potassium-40.
Warhammer 40,000

Manufacturers Games Workshop, Citadel Miniatures, Forge World

Years active 1987–present
Players 2+
Setup time 5–20+ minutes
Playing time 30–180+ minutes
Chance Medium (dice rolling)
Skills Strategic thinking, arithmetic, miniature painting
Website warhammer40000.com
Warhammer 40,000 (sometimes colloquially called Warhammer 40K, WH40K or 40k) is a
miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature
wargame in the world,[1][2][3] and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom.
[4] The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, and the
tenth and current edition was released in June 2023.

As in other miniature wargames, players enact battles using miniature models of

warriors and fighting vehicles. The playing area is a tabletop model of a
battlefield, comprising models of buildings, hills, trees, and other terrain
features. Each player takes turns moving their model warriors around the
battlefield and fighting their opponent's warriors. These fights are resolved using
dice and simple arithmetic.

Warhammer 40,000 is noted for its science fantasy setting in the distant future,
where a stagnant human civilisation is beset by hostile aliens and supernatural
creatures. The models in the game are a mixture of humans, aliens, and supernatural
monsters wielding futuristic weaponry and supernatural powers. The fictional
setting of the game has been developed through a large body of novels published by
Black Library (Games Workshop's publishing division). Warhammer 40,000 was
initially conceived as a scifi counterpart to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, a medieval
fantasy wargame also produced by Games Workshop with which 40,000 shares a number
of tropes and concepts despite not being set in the same universe. The game has
received widespread praise for the tone and depth of its setting, and is considered
the foundational work of the grimdark genre of speculative fiction.

Warhammer 40,000 has spawned many spin-off media. Games Workshop has produced a
number of other tabletop or board games connected to the brand, including both
extrapolations of the mechanics and scale of the base game to simulate unique
situations, as with Space Hulk or Kill Team, and wargames simulating vastly
different scales and aspects of warfare within the same fictional setting, as with
Battlefleet Gothic, Adeptus Titanicus or Warhammer Epic. Video game spin-offs, such
as Dawn of War and the Space Marine series, have also been released.

Overview
Note: The overview here refers to the 9th edition of the rules, published in July
2020.

The rulebooks and miniature models required to play Warhammer 40,000 are
copyrighted and sold exclusively by Games Workshop and its subsidiaries. These
miniatures, in combination with other materials (dice, measuring tools, glue,
paints, etc.), are generally more expensive than other tabletop games. A new player
can expect to spend at least £200 to assemble enough materials for a regular game,
[5][6] and the armies that appear in tournaments can be many times more.[7]

Miniature models

The assembly and painting of models is an aspect of the hobby as important as the
game itself.
Games Workshop sells a large variety of gaming models for Warhammer 40,000, but no
ready-to-play models. Rather, it sells boxes of model parts, which players are
expected to assemble and paint themselves. Each miniature model represents an
individual soldier, vehicle, or monster. Most Warhammer 40,000 models are made of
polystyrene but certain models, which are made and sold in small volumes, are made
of lead-free pewter or epoxy resin. Games Workshop also sells glue, tools, and
acrylic paints for finishing models. The assembly and painting of the models is a
major aspect of the hobby, and many customers of Games Workshop buy models simply
to paint and display them.[citation needed] A player might spend weeks assembling
and painting models before they have a playable army.[8]

Playing field
The current official rulebook recommends a table width of 44 inches (1.1 m), and
table length varies based on the size of the armies being used (discussed below).
[9] In contrast to board games, Warhammer 40,000 does not have a fixed playing
field. Players construct their own custom-made battlefield using modular terrain
models. Games Workshop sells a variety of proprietary terrain models, but players
often use generic or homemade ones. Unlike certain other miniature wargames such as
BattleTech, Warhammer 40,000 does not use a grid system, so players must use a
measuring tape to measure distances, which are measured in inches.

Assembling armies
All the models that a player has selected to use in a match are collectively termed
an "army." In Warhammer 40,000, players are not restricted to playing with a fixed
and symmetrical combination of game pieces, such as in chess. They get to choose
which models they will fight with from a catalogue of "datasheets" presented in the
rulebooks. Each datasheet corresponds to a particular model and contains any
relevant gameplay statistics and permissible attachments. For instance, a model of
a Tactical Space Marine has a "Move" range of 6 inches and a "Toughness" rating of
4 and is armed with a "boltgun" with a range of 24 inches. Both players must
declare which models they will play with before the match starts, and once the
match is underway, they cannot add any new models to their armies.

In official tournaments, it is mandatory for players to only use Games Workshop's

models, and those models must be properly assembled to match the player's army
roster; substitute models are forbidden. For example, if a player wants to use an
Ork Weirdboy in their army, they must use an Ork Weirdboy model from Games
Workshop.[10] Games Workshop has also banned the use of 3D-printed miniatures in
official tournaments.[11] Public tournaments organised by independent groups might
permit third-party models so long as the models are clearly identifiable as to
which Warhammer 40,000 model they are meant to represent. Tournaments might also
have rules regarding whether armies are permitted to be unpainted or must be
painted to a certain standard.

The composition of the players' armies must fit the rivalries and alliances
depicted in the setting. All models listed in the rulebooks have keywords that
divide them into factions. In a matched game, a player may only use models in their
army that are all loyal to a common faction.[12] Thus, a player cannot, for
example, use a mixture of Aeldari and Necron models in their army, because in the
game's fictional setting, Aeldari and Necrons are mortal enemies and would never
fight alongside each other.

The game uses a point system to ensure that the match will be "balanced", i.e., the
armies will be of comparable overall strength. The players must agree as to what
"points limit" they will play at, which roughly determines how big and powerful
their respective armies will be. Each model and weapon has a "point value" which
roughly corresponds to how powerful the model is; for example, a Tactical Space
Marine is valued at 13 points, whereas a Land Raider tank is valued at 239 points.
[13] The sum of the point values of a player's models must not exceed the agreed
limit. If the point values of the players' respective armies both add up to the
limit, they are assumed to be balanced. 500 to 2,000 points are common point
limits. In the most recent edition of the game, power levels are assigned to each
model, which can be used to simplify or vary the process of creating an army list.
[14] Power levels work in the same way as points but are less granular. This makes
them a simpler but less effective way of balancing lists.

Although the rules place no limit on how big an army can be, players tend to use
armies comprising between a few dozen to a hundred models, depending on its
faction. A large army will slow down the pace of the match as the players must
physically handle many more models and consider each strategically. Larger armies
also cost more money and take more work to paint and assemble.

Gameplay

Distances must be measured with measuring tape as there is no grid.

At the start of a game, each player places their models in the initial deployment
zones at opposite ends of the playing field. The players roll dice to determine who
takes the first turn.

At the start of their turn, a player moves each model in their army by hand across
the field. A model can be moved no farther than its listed "Move characteristic".
For instance, a Space Marine model can be moved no farther than six inches per
turn. If a model cannot fly, it must go around obstacles such as walls and trees.
Models are grouped into "units". They move, attack, and suffer damage as a unit.
All models in a unit must stay close to each other. Each model in a unit must
finish a turn within two inches of another model from the unit. If there are more
than five models in a unit, each model must be within two inches of two other
models.

After moving, each unit can attack any enemy unit within range and line-of-fire of
whatever weapons and psychic powers its models have. For instance, a unit of Space
Marines armed with "boltguns" can shoot any enemy unit within 24 inches. Most of
the races in the game have units with psychic powers. Psyker units can cause
unusual effects, such as rendering allied units invulnerable or teleporting units
across the battlefield. Any psyker unit can nullify the powers of an enemy psyker
by making a Deny the Witch roll.[15] After psychic powers are used, each unit can
charge into melee range against enemy units. Units engaged in melee combat then
take turns attacking each other until they all have fought.

When it is their turn to attack, the player declares to their opponent whichever of
the units is attacking whichever enemy units, and rolls dice to determine how much
damage their units inflict upon their targets. The attacking player cannot target
individual models within an enemy unit. If an enemy unit receives damage, the enemy
player decides which models in the unit suffer injury.[16] Damage is measured in
points, and if a model suffers more points of damage than its "Wound
characteristic" permits, it dies. Dead models are removed from the playing field.
Most models have only one Wound point, but certain models such as "hero characters"
and vehicles have multiple Wound points, so the damage they accumulate must be
recorded.

At the end of each turn, dice are rolled to determine if units who have lost models
"lose morale" and flee, or if they remain on the battlefield. Then play passes to
the opponent's turn.

Victory conditions
A game of Warhammer 40,000 lasts until each player has taken five turns. A player
wins the game when the turn limit ends and they have the most victory points. How
players score victory points depends on what kind of "mission" was selected for the
game. The most common way for players to score victory points is by controlling
objective markers. Objective markers are 40mm markers placed on the playing field,
positioned in accordance with the mission rules. Players score victory points on
their turns when their allied models outnumber the enemy models positioned near the
objective markers. Players might also have faction-specific ways to gain victory
points, such as exterminating the enemy or retaining possession of a holy relic for
a certain length of time.

Setting
Most Warhammer 40,000 fiction is set around 40,000 AD. Though Warhammer 40,000 is
mostly a scifi setting, it adapts a number of tropes from fantasy fiction, such as
magic, supernatural beings, daemonic possession, and fantasy races such as orcs and
elves; "psykers" fill the role of wizards in the setting. The setting of this game
inherits many fantasy tropes from Warhammer Fantasy (a similar wargame from Games
Workshop), and by extension from Dungeons & Dragons. Games Workshop used to make
miniature models for use in Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer Fantasy was
originally meant to encourage customers to buy more miniature models. Warhammer
40,000 was originally conceived as a science-fiction spin-off of Warhammer Fantasy.
Though the games share some characters and tropes, their settings are separate.

The setting of Warhammer 40,000 is violent and pessimistic: human scientific and
social progress have ceased; humanity is in a state of total war with hostile alien
races and occult forces; and the supernatural exists, is powerful and is usually
untrustworthy if not outright malevolent. There are effectively no benevolent gods
or spirits in the cosmos, only daemons and evil gods, and the cults dedicated to
them are proliferating. In the long run, the Imperium of Man cannot hope to defeat
its enemies, so the heroes of the Imperium are not fighting for a brighter future
but "raging against the dying of the light".[17] Through constant sacrifice and
toil, the Imperium delays its inevitable doom. The tone of the game's setting,
exemplified by its slogan "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only
war", shaped the "grimdark" subgenre of scifi, which is particularly amoral,
dystopian or violent.[18]

As the setting is based on a wargame, the spin-off novels and comic books are often
war dramas with protagonists being warriors of some sort, the most popular being
the Space Marines. Otherwise, they tend be aristocrats of some sort such as
Inquisitors, Rogue Traders, or Eldar princes, because only such people have the
resources and liberty to have a meaningful impact on a galaxy-spanning setting
whose civilisations are mostly autocratic.

The source of magic is a parallel universe of supernatural energy, "the Warp". All
living things with souls are tied to the Warp, but certain individuals called
"psykers" have an especially strong link and can manipulate the Warp's energy to
work magic. Psykers are generally feared and mistrusted by humans. Psykers may have
many dangerous abilities such as mind control, clairvoyance, and pyrokinesis.
Moreover, the Warp is full of predatory creatures that may use a psyker's link to
the Warp as a conduit by which to invade realspace. But for all the dangers that
psykers pose, human civilisation cannot do without them: their telepathic powers
provide faster-than-light communication and they are the best counter to
supernatural foes on the battlefield. For this reason, the Imperium rounds up any
psykers it finds and trains them to control their abilities and resist Warp
predators. Those who fail or reject this training are executed for the safety of
all. Those who pass their training are pressed into life-long servitude to the
state and are closely monitored for misconduct and spiritual corruption.[19]

Influences
Rick Priestley cites J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Dune, Paradise Lost, and
2000 AD as major influences on the setting.

The Chaos Gods were added to the setting by Bryan Ansell and developed further by
Priestley. Priestley felt that Warhammer's concept of Chaos, as detailed by 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 inspiration from Paradise
Lost.[20] The story of the Emperor's favoured sons succumbing to the temptations of
Chaos deliberately parallels the fall of Satan in Paradise Lost. The religious
themes are primarily inspired by the early history of Christianity. Daemons in
WH40K are the embodiment of human nightmares and dark emotion, given physical form
and sentience by the Warp—this idea comes from the 1956 movie Forbidden Planet.[21]

The Emperor of Man was inspired by various fictional god-kings, such as Leto
Atreides II from the novel God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert, and King Huon from
the Runestaff novels by Michael Moorcock. The Emperor's suffering on the Golden
Throne for the sake of humanity mirrors the sacrifice of Jesus.[citation needed]

Humans fear artificial intelligence and creating or protecting an artificial

intelligence (or 'abominable intelligence' ) is a capital offence (though most
'crimes' such as petty theft or adjusting machinery are also capital offences in
the Imperium). This comes from the Dune novels. As in the Dune setting, the
prohibition on artificial intelligence was passed after an ancient war against
malevolent androids.[citation needed]

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 Priestley, in a December 2015 interview with Unplugged Games[22]

Factions

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Models available for play in Warhammer 40,000 are divided into "factions" that are
given fictional backgrounds. In gameplay, under normal circumstances, a player can
only use units from the same faction in their army.

The Imperium of Man

See also: Space Marine (Warhammer 40,000)

An imperial guardsman
The Imperium of Man is described as an authoritarian human empire that comprises
approximately 1 million worlds and has existed for over 10,000 years. The faction
dislikes aliens to the point that associating with aliens is a capital offence. The
state religion of the Imperium is centred around its founder, the Emperor of
Mankind, who united humanity millennia earlier. Although the Emperor is its nominal
ruler, he was mortally wounded in battle and is unable to actually rule. Despite
his condition, his mind still generates a "psychic beacon" called the Astronomican
by which starships navigate through space which is vital to the Imperium's
infrastructure.[23] Although the Imperium has highly advanced technology, most of
its technologies have not improved for thousands of years due to a religious taboo
on scientific inquiry and innovation. Most Warhammer 40,000 fiction is written from
the perspective of the Imperium, often with humans as protagonists.

Of all the factions, the Imperium has the largest catalogue of models, which gives
Imperium players the flexibility to design their army for any style of play. That
said, players tend to build their armies around specific sub-factions which have
more focused playstyles. For instance, an army of Space Marines will consist of a
small number of powerful infantry, whereas an Imperial Guard army will have weak
but plentiful infantry combined with strong artillery.

Chaos
"Chaos Space Marine" redirects here. For the song by Black Country, New Road, see
Ants from Up There.

A Chaos Space Marine

Chaos represents the myriad servants of the Chaos Gods, malevolent and depraved
entities and daemons who formed from the base thoughts and emotions of all mortal
sentients.[24] Those exposed to the influence of the Chaos are twisted in both mind
and body and perform sordid acts of devotion to their dark gods, who in turn reward
them with "gifts" such as physical mutations, psychic power, and mystical
artifacts.[25] Like their gods, the servants of Chaos are malevolent and insane,
adopting the aesthetics of body horror and cosmic horror in the design of their
models and story details. The struggle against Chaos is central to the setting of
Warhammer 40,000.[24]
As with the Imperium, Chaos players have access to a large variety of models,
allowing them to design their army for any style of play. That said, players may
theme their army around a particular Chaos God, which focuses the style of play.
For instance, an army themed around Nurgle will consist of slow-moving but tough
troops.[26] Likewise, a Chaos army themed around Khorne will lean towards melee
combat and eschew psykers.[27]

Necrons

A Necron warrior
The Necrons are an ancient race of skeleton-like androids. Millions of years ago,
they were flesh-and-blood beings, but then they transferred their minds into
android bodies, thereby achieving immortality.[28] However, the transference
process was flawed, as they all lost their souls and all but the highest-ranking
ones became mindless as well. They are waking up from millions of years of
hibernation in underground vaults on planets across the galaxy and seek to rebuild
their old empire. Necron designs evoke ancient Egypt in their design, although they
are not based on the Tomb Kings of Warhammer Fantasy.

Necron infantry have strong ranged firepower, tough armour, and slow movement.
Necron units can rapidly regenerate wounds or "reanimate" killed models at the
start of the player's turn. All Necron models have a Leadership score of 10 (the
maximum possible), so Necrons rarely suffer from morale failure. Necrons do not
have any psykers, which makes them somewhat more vulnerable to psychic attacks as
they cannot make Deny the Witch rolls. The Necrons possess "C'tan shards" which
function much like psykers, but since these are not actual psykers, they cannot
make Deny the Witch rolls, nor can their powers be countered by enemy Deny the
Witch rolls.

Aeldari

A Craftworld Aeldari warrior.

The Aeldari (formerly called the Eldar) are based on High Elves of fantasy fiction.
Aeldari have very long lifespans and all of them have some psychic ability. The
Aeldari travel the galaxy via a network of magical tunnels called "the Webway", to
which they have exclusive access. In the distant past, the Aeldari ruled an empire
that dominated much of the galaxy, but it was destroyed in a magical cataclysm
along with most of the population. The surviving Aeldari are divided into two major
subfactions: the ascetic inhabitants of massive starships called Craftworlds; and
the sadistic Drukhari (also known as "Dark Eldar"), who inhabit a city hidden
within the Webway and must inflict pain on others to survive. There are a number of
minor subfactions too: the Harlequins, followers of the Laughing God Cegorach; and
the Ynnari, followers of the death god Ynnead. Although it has been 10,000 years
since their empire's fall, the Aeldari have never recovered, due to their low
fertility and aggression by other races.

Craftworld Aeldari infantry tend to be highly specialised and relatively frail,

often described as "glass cannons" because of their lack of staying power and
flexibility, Aeldari armies can suffer severe losses after a bad tactical decision
or even unlucky dice rolls, while successful gameplay can involve outnumbered
Aeldari units that outmanoeuvre the opponent and kill entire units/squads before
they have a chance to retaliate. Aeldari vehicles, unlike their infantry
counterparts, are very tough and hard to kill because of many evasive and shielding
benefits. With the exception of walkers, all Aeldari vehicles are skimmers which
allow them to move freely across difficult terrain, and with upgrades, at speeds
only matched by the Dark Aeldari and the T'au armies. Dark Aeldari are similar to
Craftworld Aeldari, with the major difference being that they have no psykers.

Orks
An Ork Boy
The Orks are green-skinned aliens based on the traditional orcs of high fantasy.
Orks are a comical species, with crude personalities, ramshackle weaponry, and
Cockney accents. Their culture revolves around war for the sake of it. Unlike other
races who generally only go to war when it is in their interest, Orks recklessly
start unnecessary conflicts for the pleasure of a good fight. Orks do not fear
death, and combat is the only thing that gives them emotional fulfillment. Ork
technology consists of dashed-together scrap that by all logic should be unreliable
if even functional, but Orks generate a psychic field that makes their ramshackle
technology work properly or more effectively (for example, vehicles painted red are
faster, simply because the Orks believe it to be so). If a non-Ork tries to use an
Ork gadget, it would likely malfunction.

Ork infantry models are slow-moving and tough. The Orks are oriented towards melee
combat. An Ork player can re-roll failed charge rolls.[29] Infantry models are
cheap (by point cost), so a favourite strategy of Ork players is "the Green tide":
they field a large horde of Ork infantry and march them across the playing field to
swarm the opponent. Orks do have a number of specialist units with abilities such
as psychic powers or vehicle repair, but typically Ork warfare is about brute force
and attrition. Ork gameplay is seen as fairly forgiving of tactical errors and bad
die rolls.

Tyranids
"Tyrannids" redirects here. For the bird family Tyrannidae, see Tyrant flycatcher.

A Tyranid warrior
The Tyranids are a mysterious alien race from another galaxy. They migrate from
planet to planet, devouring all life in their path. Tyranids are linked by a
psychic hive mind and individual Tyranids become feral when separated from it.
Tyranid "technology" is entirely biological, all ships and weapons being purpose-
bred living creatures.

Tyranids have a preference for melee combat. Their infantry models tend to be fast
and hard-hitting but frail. They have low point costs, meaning Tyranid armies in
the game are relatively large (many cheap weak models, as opposed to armies with
few expensive powerful models such as the Space Marines). Tyranids also have the
most powerful countermeasure against enemies with psychic powers known as the
"Shadow in the Warp", which makes it harder for nearby enemy psykers to use their
psychic powers and is mostly held by leader organisms or psychics.[30]

There is a sub-species of the Tyranid race called "genestealers".[31] When a human

is infected by a genestealer, they are psychically enslaved and will sire children
who are human-genestealer hybrids. These hybrids will form a secret society known
as a genestealer cult within their host human society, steadily expanding their
numbers and political influence. When a Tyranid fleet approaches their planet, they
will launch an uprising to weaken the planet's defences so that the Tyranids may
more easily conquer it and consume its biomass.

In earlier editions of the game, Genestealer Cults could only be used as

auxiliaries to a regular Tyranid army, but since 8th edition, they can be played as
a separate army. Although there is a dedicated line of Genestealer Cult models, a
player can also use models from the Imperial Guard (a sub-faction of the Imperium)
in their Genestealer Cult army. This is an exception to the common-faction rule and
is based on the logic that these "human" models are actually genestealer hybrids
who look perfectly human. Like other Tyranids, Genestealers are fast and hard-
hitting but fragile. All Genestealer Cult infantry and bikers have a trait called
"Cult Ambush" that allows them to be set up off table and later be set up on the
table, instead of being set up in the designated starting zones at the start of the
game (similar to the Space Marines' "Deep Strike" ability).

The visual design of the Tyranids was inspired by the art of H. R. Giger, with the
genestealer sub-race being further inspired by the Xenomorphs from the Alien
franchise.[32]

T'au

A T'au warrior
The T'au are a young race of blue-skinned humanoid aliens inhabiting a relatively
small but growing empire located on the fringe of the Imperium of Man. The T'au
Empire is the only playable faction in the setting that integrates different alien
species into their society. They seek to unite all other races under an ideology
they call "T'au'va" ("the Greater Good"). Some human worlds have willingly defected
from the Imperium to join the T'au Empire. Such humans tend to have a better
quality of life than Imperial citizens because the T'au practise humane ethics and
encourage scientific progress. The T'au are divided into five endogamous castes:
the Ethereals, who are the spiritual leaders; the Fire Caste, who form the T'au
military; the Air Caste, who operate starships; the Water Caste, who are merchants
and diplomats; and the Earth Caste, who are scientists, engineers, and labourers.

The T'au are oriented towards ranged combat and generally shun melee. They have
some of the most powerful firearms in the game in terms of both range and stopping
power. For instance, their pulse rifle surpasses the firepower of the Space Marine
boltgun,[33] and the railgun on their main battle tank (the Hammerhead) is more
powerful than its Imperium counterparts. The T'au do not have any psykers nor units
that specialise in countering psykers, which makes them more vulnerable to psychic
attacks. Most T'au vehicles are classified as flyers or skimmers, meaning they can
move swiftly over difficult terrain. The T'au also incorporate alien auxiliaries
into their army: the Kroot provide melee support and the insectoid Vespids serve as
jump infantry.

Leagues of Votann

A Hearthkyn warrior of the Leagues of Votann

The Leagues of Votann are a confederation of abhumans known interchangeably as
Squats and Kin, which are based on the dwarves of fantasy fiction. They are a
spiritual successor to an earlier Squat faction that was removed from the setting
for not fitting in aesthetically.

Though Squats are a subspecies of humanity, the Leagues of Votann stand independent
of the Imperium of Man. Unlike the Imperium, the Leagues of Votann have no qualms
about using artificial intelligence, treating their androids as fellow Kin. Kin
culture is centred around the Votann, extremely powerful supercomputers responsible
for managing the majority of Kin society and keeping records. The Kin are extremely
competitive and capitalistic, with powerful corporations (referred to as Guilds)
regularly strip-mining entire planets for resources. While the Kin have no natural
psychic abilities, they do have artificial psykers referred to as Grimnyrs, who are
responsible for communicating with the Votann.

The Leagues have a preference for ranged combat and siege tactics. Their infantry
is slow but sturdy.

History
In 1982, Rick Priestley joined Citadel Miniatures, a company started with support
from Games Workshop that produced miniature figurines for use in Dungeons &
Dragons. Bryan Ansell (the manager of Citadel) asked Priestley to develop a
medieval-fantasy miniature wargame that would be given away for free to customers
so as to encourage them to buy more miniatures. Dungeons & Dragons did not require
players to use miniature figurines, and even when players used them, they rarely
needed more than a handful.[34] The result was Warhammer Fantasy Battle, which was
released in 1983 to great success.

Warhammer Fantasy was principally a medieval fantasy game in the vein of Dungeons &
Dragons, but Priestley and his fellow designers added a smattering of optional
science fiction elements, namely in the form of advanced technological artefacts
(e.g., laser weapons) left behind by a long-gone race of spacefarers. Warhammer
40,000 was an evolution of this taken to the opposite extreme (i.e., mostly
science-fiction but with some fantasy elements).

Since before working for Games Workshop, Priestley had been developing a spaceship
combat tabletop wargame called "Rogue Trader", which mixed science fiction with
classic fantasy elements. Priestley integrated many elements of the lore of "Rogue
Trader" into Warhammer 40,000, chiefly those concerning space travel, but he
discarded the ship combat rules for lack of space in the book.[citation needed]

Games Workshop planned to sell conversion kits by which players could modify their
Warhammer Fantasy models to wield futuristic weaponry such as laser weapons, but
eventually Games Workshop decided to create a dedicated line of models for
Warhammer 40,000.[citation needed]

Initially, Priestley's new game was simply to be titled Rogue Trader, but shortly
before release Games Workshop signed a contract with 2000 AD to develop a board
game based on their comic book Rogue Trooper. So as not to confuse customers and to
satisfy the demand for the Rogue Trader game which had been promised since 1983,
Games Workshop renamed Priestley's game Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and marketed
it as a spin-off of Warhammer Fantasy Battle (which in many ways, it was).

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader received its first full preview in White Dwarf #93
(September 1987).

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was released in October 1987. It was a success and
became Games Workshop's most important product. In the January 1988 edition of
Dragon (issue 129), Ken Rolston raved about this game, calling it "colossal,
stupendous, and spectacular... This is the first science-fiction/fantasy to make my
blood boil."[35]

First edition (Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader) (1987)

The first edition of the game was titled Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, and its
rules are based on Warhammer Fantasy Battle.[36] "Rogue Trader" had been the game's
working title during development. The "Rogue Trader" subtitle was dropped in
subsequent editions. It was published in 1987.[37] Game designer Rick Priestley
created the original rules set (based on the contemporary second edition of
Warhammer Fantasy Battle) alongside the Warhammer 40,000 gameworld. The gameplay of
Rogue Trader was heavily oriented toward role-playing rather than strict wargaming.
[citation needed] This original version came as a very detailed, though rather
jumbled, rulebook, which made it most suitable for fighting small skirmishes.[38]
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.[39]

Also, supplemental material was continually published in White Dwarf magazine,

which provided rules for new units and models. Eventually, White Dwarf provided
proper "army 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
Warhammer 40,000: "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" changed and codified the combat
rules and 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 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. It contained no rules, but background material.
Other Ork-themed books instead were replete with army lists for major Ork clans and
also for pirate and mercenary outfits.

Games Workshop released two important supplementary rulebooks for this edition:
Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness and Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned.
These two books added the Chaos Gods and their daemons to the setting along with
the Horus Heresy origin story.

The artwork of the 1st edition books was a mishmash of styles from a variety of
science-fiction works, such as H. R. Giger, Star Wars, and 2000AD comics. In
subsequent editions, the artwork of Warhammer 40,000 moved towards a more coherent
aesthetic based around gothic architecture and art.

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.

Andy Chambers reshaped the lore in a way that was more serious and pessimistic in
tone (a direction which Rick Priestley lamented).[40] The new theme of the setting
is that humanity's situation is not merely dire but hopeless, as the Imperium does
not have the strength to defeat its myriad enemies and will collapse in time. This
was not the case in the first edition; the first edition rulebook suggested that
humanity could eventually triumph and prosper if it can survive long enough to
complete its evolution into a fully psychic race, and this was the Emperor's goal.

The second edition of the game introduced army lists, putting constraints on the
composition of a player's army. At least 75% of an army's strength (by point value)
had to be of units from the same faction. This way, the battles that the players
would play would fit the factional rivalries described in the setting. 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 setting, who had access to equipment and
abilities beyond those of regular units; the earlier edition only had three generic
"heroic" profiles for each army: "champion", "minor hero" and "major hero". A
player could spend up to 50% of their army points on a special character. Such
heroic characters were so powerful that the second edition was nicknamed
"Herohammer".[41]

The second edition introduced major revisions to the lore and would go on to define
the general character of the lore up until the 8th edition. The Adeptus Mechanicus'
prohibition on artificial intelligence was added, stemming from an ancient
cataclysmic war between humans and sentient machines; this was inspired by the Dune
novels.

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.[42] Third-edition rules
were notably simpler.[43] The rulebook was available alone, or as a boxed set with
miniatures of Space Marines (one 10-man Tactical Squads with a Sergeant, missile
launcher, and flamer, and the redesigned Space Marine Landspeeder with a Heavy
Bolter) and the newly introduced Dark Eldar (now called "Drukhari") (20 Kabalite
Warriors). The system of army 'codexes' continued in third edition. The box artwork
and studio army depicted the Black Templars Space Marine Chapter.

Towards the end of the third edition, four new army codexes were introduced: the
xeno (that is, alien) races of the Necron and the T'au and two armies of the
Inquisition: 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 T'au coincided with a rise in popularity for the
game in the United States.[44]

Fourth edition (2004)

The fourth edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released in 2004.[45] 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 the Tyranid 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 many similarities. Codex books designed prior to the fifth edition are still
compatible with only some changes to how those armies function.[46] The replacement
for the previous edition's Battle for Macragge starter set was called Assault on
Black Reach, which featured a pocket-sized rulebook (containing the full ruleset
but omitting the background and hobby sections of the full-sized rulebook), and
starter armies for the Space Marines (1 Space Marine Captain, one 10-man Tactical
Squad, one 5-man Terminator Squad, one Space Marine Dreadnought) and Ork (one Ork
Warboss, 20 Ork Boyz, 5 Ork Nobz, 3 Ork Deffkoptas).

New additions to the rules included 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 was the ability to run, whereby units may forgo
shooting to cover more ground. In addition, cover was changed so that it is now
easier for a unit to get a cover save. Damage to vehicles was simplified and
significantly reduced, and tanks could ram other vehicles.[46] Some of these rules
were modelled after rules that existed in the Second Edition but were removed in
the Third. Likewise, 5th edition codexes saw a return of many units that had been
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 of Grey Knights, a
special chapter of Space Marines, which, in previous editions, had provided the
elite choices of the Daemonhunters' army list. Another major change was the shift
from metal figures to resin kits.

Sixth edition (2012)

The sixth edition was released on June 23, 2012. Changes to this edition included
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 included expanded rules for greater interaction
with scenery and more dynamic close-combat.[47] 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 randomised trait that can aid their forces in different
situations. Replacing the "Assault on Black Reach" box set was the "Dark Vengeance"
box set which included 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.

The Imperial Knights (Codex: Imperial Knights) were a new addition to the Imperium
of Man faction. Previously found in Epic large-scale battles, particularly the
Titan Legions (2nd Edition) boxed set, the Imperial Knights are walkers that are
smaller than proper Imperial Titans but nonetheless tower over all other Warhammer
40,000 vehicles and troops.[48][49]

Seventh edition (2014)

The seventh edition of the game was announced in White Dwarf issue 15, pre-orders
for May 17 and release date of May 24, 2014.[50]

The 7th edition saw several major changes to the game, including a dedicated
Psychic Phase, as well as the way Psychic powers worked overall,[51] and changeable
mid-game Tactical Objectives. Tactical Objectives would give the players
alternative ways to score Victory Points, and thus win games. These objectives
could change at different points during the game.[52][53]

As well as these additions, the 7th edition provided a new way to organise 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 Organisation Chart.[54] 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 Organisation Chart.

Eighth edition (2017)

The eighth edition of the game was announced on April 22, 2017,[55] pre-orders for
June 3[56] and release date of June 17, 2017.[57]

The 8th edition was the most radical revision to Warhammer 40,000's rules since the
third edition. The game introduced the Three Ways to Play concept: Open, Matched,
and Narrative.[58] The core ruleset was simplified down to 14 pages, and was
available as a free PDF booklet on the Games Workshop website.[59] The more complex
rules are retained in the updated hardcover Rulebook. The narrative of the setting
has also been updated: an enlarged Eye of Terror has split the galaxy in half,[60]
while the Primarch Roboute Guilliman returns to lead the Imperium as its Lord
Commander, beginning with reclaiming devastated worlds through the Indomitus
Crusade.[61]

The 8th Edition introduced a new box set called "Dark Imperium", which featured the
next-generation Primaris Space Marines which are available as reinforcements to
existing Space Marine Chapters, as well as introducing new characters and rules to
the Death Guard Chaos Space Marines.

Ninth edition (2020)

The ninth edition was released in July 2020. With it came a redesigned logo, the
first redesign since 3rd edition. The 9th edition was only a minor modification of
the 8th edition's rules. Codexes, supplements and the rules from the Psychic
Awakening series made for 8th edition are compatible with 9th.

Ninth edition also introduced four new box sets: Indomitus, a limited release set
that came out at the start of 9th edition, and the Recruit, Elite and Command
editions. The four boxes feature revised designs and new units for the Necrons, and
new units for the Primaris Space Marines.

Tenth edition (2023)

Warhammer 40K 10th Edition was released by Games Workshop in June 2023. Significant
alterations were made to the game. Tenth edition revolves around the 4th Tyrannic
War, introducing fresh regulations and units for both Space Marines and Tyranids,
along with significant modifications to the 41st Millennium's setting. The game has
a more straightforward structure, featuring more concise Indexes and a restriction
of six stratagems per army. Instead of the current codices, free and downloadable
indexes are accessible. The Psychic Phase has been eliminated, with "Battleshock"
tests taking the place of the Morale Phase.

Supplements and expansions

There are many variations to the rules and army lists that are available for use,
typically with an opponent's consent.[62] 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 3000 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 such as Titans.
The latest rules for Apocalypse based on the Warhammer 40,000 rules are found in
Chapter Approved 2017, while a boxed set also entitled Apocalypse with an entirely
different rules base was released in 2019.

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 modelling 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[63]
and to 8th edition in Chapter Approved 2018.

Planetstrike, released 2009, sets rules allowing players to represent the early
stages of a planetary invasion. It introduces 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. Planetstrike was updated to the 8th
edition of the game in Chapter Approved 2017.

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. The set has been out of production for many years.

Battle Missions, released March 2010, contained a series of 'missions' with

specific objectives. Each faction had three specific missions which could be
played; these missions are determined by a dice roll and are usually chosen from
the missions meant for the two armies being used. They still used the standard
rules from the Warhammer 40,000 rule book. The Battle Missions format was never
updated for 8th or 9th editions and is no longer compatible with the current
iteration of the game.

Spearhead, released May 2010, allowed players to play games with a greater emphasis
on armoured and mechanised forces. The most notable change to the game is the
inclusion of special "Spearhead Formations;" and greater flexibility in force
organisation. "Spearhead Formations" represent a new and altogether optional
addition to the force organisation system standard to Warhammer 40,000. Players now
have the ability to use all, part or none of the standard force organisation.
Spearhead also includes new deployment options and game scenarios. This expansion
was being released jointly through the Games Workshop website, as a free download,
and through the company's monthly hobby magazine White Dwarf. The Spearhead rules
were never updated for 8th or 9th editions and are no longer compatible with the
current iteration of the game, though the loosened force organization introduced in
8th edition makes them somewhat superfluous.

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 40,000 rulebook. Got updated to 7th Edition with Shield of
Baal: Leviathan. Death From the Skies was not updated post-7th edition, but 8th
edition and onward permits using aircraft in the core rules.

Stronghold Assault, released in December 2013, was a 48-page expansion that

contains more rules for fortifications in the game, as well as rules for more
fortifications than listed in the main 6th Edition Rulebook. Stronghold Assault was
updated for the 8th edition of the game in Chapter Approved 2017.

Escalation, released December 2013, contained rules for playing games with super
heavy vehicles, normally restricted to Apocalypse events, in normal events.
Escalation was not updated, and in the current iteration of the game super heavy
vehicles can be used in the core rules.

Boarding Actions, released January 2023, was designed for smaller 500-point
missions aboard spaceships. Generally following the same rules of Warhammer 40,000
with modifications such as distance being measured around terrain features rather
than through, combat no longer working through walls, and models blocking line of
sight. Vehicle and Monster units are not able to be played in Boarding Actions,
making the game heavily focused on infantry units. Rules for Boarding Actions were
released in the Arks of Omen: Abaddon book. New boxset releases called Boarding
Patrols were also released to give players a starting force for use in Boarding
Actions.

Spin-off games and other media

Games Workshop has expanded the Warhammer 40,000 universe over the years to include
several spin-off 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 publishes Warhammer 40,000 graphic novels.
[64]

Several popular miniature game spin-offs were created, including Space Crusade,
Space Hulk, Horus Heresy, Kill Team, 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 in the game storyline and contains four factions: the Imperium, Orks,
Aeldari and Chaos.[65]

Novels
Main article: List of Warhammer 40,000 novels
Following the 1987 initial release of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 wargame the
company began publishing background literature that expands previous material, adds
new material, and describes the universe, its characters, and its events in detail.
Since 1997 the bulk of background literature has been published by the affiliated
imprint Black Library.

The increasing number of fiction works by an expanding list of authors is published

in several formats and media, including audio, digital and print. Most of the
works, which include full-length novels, novellas, short stories, graphic novels,
and audio dramas, are parts of named book series. In 2018, a line of novels for
readers aged 8 to 12 was announced, which led to some confusion among fans given
the ultra-violent and grimdark nature of the setting.[66]

The Horus Heresy

Main article: The Horus Heresy
One of the most successful storylines to be produced by Black Library is the Horus
Heresy, a prequel series set ten thousand years prior to the main setting of the
wargame and depicting the downfall of the Emperor of Mankind, setting the conflict
between Chaos and the Imperium in motion. The storyline is divided across multiple
series of novels and comic books.

Video games
Main article: List of Games Workshop video games
Games Workshop first licensed Electronic Arts to produce Warhammer 40,000 video
games, and EA published two games based on Space Hulk in 1993 and 1995. Games
Workshop then passed the license to Strategic Simulations, which published three
games in the late 1990s. After Strategic Simulations went defunct in 1994, Games
Workshop then gave the license to THQ, and between 2003 and 2011, THQ published 13
games, which include the Dawn of War series. After 2011, Games Workshop changed its
licensing strategy: instead of an exclusive license to a single publisher, it
broadly licenses a variety of publishers.[67]

Board games and role-playing games

Games Workshop have produced a number of standalone "boxed games" set within the
Warhammer 40,000 setting; they have licensed the intellectual property to other
game companies such as Fantasy Flight Games. The Games Workshop-produced boxed
games tend to be sold under the aegis of the "Specialist Games" division. Titles
include:

Battle for Armageddon

Chaos Attack (Expansion for Battle for Armageddon)
Doom of the Eldar
Space Hulk (Four editions were published; expansions are listed below.)
Deathwing (An expansion boxed set adding new Terminator weapons and a new
campaign.)
Genestealer (An expansion boxed set adding rules for Genestealer hybrids and
psychic powers.)
Space Hulk Campaigns (An expansion book released in both soft and hard-cover
collecting reprinted four campaigns previously printed in White Dwarf.)
Advanced Space Crusade
Assassinorum: Execution Force
Bommerz over da Sulphur River (Board game using Epic miniatures.)
Gorkamorka (A vehicle skirmish game set on a desert world, revolving principally
around rival Ork factions.)
Digganob (An expansion for Gorkamorka, adding rebel gretchin and feral human
factions.)
Lost Patrol
Space Fleet (A simple spaceship combat game, later greatly expanded via White Dwarf
magazine with material intended for the aborted 'Battleship Gothic', itself later
relaunched as Battlefleet Gothic.)
Tyranid Attack (An introductory game reusing the boards from Advanced Space
Crusade.)
Ultra Marines (An introductory game reusing the boards from Space Hulk.)
Blackstone Fortress (A cooperative board game set in the wreck of a large spaceship
known as a Blackstone Fortress, using the previously Warhammer Fantasy-based
Warhammer Quest system)
The success of the Horus Heresy line of novels lead to a launch in 2012 of a
standalone Horus Heresy tabletop wargame and rulebook,[68] with basic models
representing the eighteen Space Marine legions that precede the chapters and
warbands of the 40,000 setting and named characters representing the superhuman
primarchs. The game is marketed on the Games Workshop website as a separate line
from the main editions of Warhammer 40,000, though some factions, like the Titans
and Knights, include models or colour schemes designed to be playable in either
setting.

Although there were plans to create a full-fledged Warhammer 40,000 "pen and paper"
role-playing game from the beginning,[69] 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 Games Workshop
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. They specialise in board, card and role-playing games.
Included in the licensed product were:

Horus Heresy: a board game focusing on the final battle of the Horus 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, The Card Game: the card game version of Space 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 the Warhammer 40,000 setting in order to rule the sector.
Forbidden Stars: a board game that pits 4 popular Warhammer 40,000 races against
one another to control objectives and secure the sector for themselves.
Relic: an adaptation of the board game Talisman to the Warhammer: 40,000 setting.
The Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay series of tabletop role-playing games, which share
many core mechanics as well as the setting:
Dark Heresy: 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 balance between investigation and
combat encounters.
Rogue Trader: players assume the roles of Explorers, whose rank and escalated
privileges allow for travelling outside the Imperium's borders. Due to extensive
expansions for Rogue Trader, campaigns can be largely different and altered by game
masters. Its most significant difference from any of the other Warhammer 40,000
Roleplay titles is that it contains rules for capital spaceship design and space
combat.
Deathwatch: the game 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 emphasises combat against difficult
or numerically superior enemies, rather than negotiation and investigation,
compared to Dark Heresy or Rogue Trader.
Black Crusade: Black Crusade allows players to role-play Chaos-corrupted
characters. This instalment will be concluded with supplements. It is notably
different in that it allows much more free-form character development, with
experience costs being determined by affiliation with a Chaos God.
Only War: 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 emphasises combat over interaction, much like Deathwatch.
Games from other publishers include:

Risk: Warhammer 40,000: This is a 40K-themed variant of the board game Risk,
published by The OP.[70]
Monopoly: Warhammer 40,000: A 40K-themed version of the board game Monopoly,
published by The OP.[71]
Munchkin Warhammer 40,000: a 40K-themed edition of Munchkin, released in 2019 by
Steve Jackson Games.[72]
Magic: the Gathering Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 collaboration: A series of
40k-themed pre-constructed decks and limited edition collections of Magic: the
Gathering.[73]
TV
On July 17, 2019, Games Workshop and Big Light Productions announced the
development of a live-action TV series based on the character Gregor Eisenhorn, who
is an Imperial Inquisitor.[74] Frank Spotnitz was to be the showrunner for the
series. The series was expected to be based on the novels written by Dan Abnett.
[75]

In September 2022, Games Workshop released the animated series Hammer and Bolter on
the Warhammer+ streaming service. Each of the 15 half-hour episodes focused on a
specific faction from the 40k universe, including the Imperium of Man, Chaos Space
Marines, Orks, Tyranids, and Necrons.

In December 2022, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the TV and film rights to the game
after months of negotiations and fending off rival companies that also sought the
rights. Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee and Natalie Viscuso worked with Henry
Cavill to obtain the IP before taking it to Amazon Studios. Vertigo will executive
produce with Games Workshop's Andy Smillie and Max Bottrill alongside Amazon MGM
Studios. Henry Cavill will star and also serve as an executive producer of the
series and further planned franchise.[76]

In August 2024, it was revealed that the franchise would be featured in Secret
Level, a video game anthology series created by Tim Miller for Amazon Prime Video.
[77]

Film
On December 13, 2010,[78] Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie was released
directly to DVD. It is a CGI science fiction film, based around the Ultramarines
Chapter of Space Marines. The screenplay was written by Dan Abnett, a Games
Workshop Black Library author. The film was produced by Codex Pictures, a UK-based
company, under license from Games Workshop. It utilised animated facial capture
technology from Image Metrics. It was received poorly.[79]
Music
The album Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness by British death metal band Bolt
Thrower features lyrics as well as artwork based on the Warhammer and Warhammer
40,000 brands, with the album's title design being identical to that of the
eponymous Games Workshop books.

In the early 1990s Games Workshop set up their own label, Warhammer Records. The
band D-Rok were signed to this label; their only album, Oblivion, featured songs
based on Warhammer 40,000.

The song Chaos Space Marine by British experimental rock band Black Country, New
Road is named after the Chaos Space Marine in Warhammer 40,000.

Reception
In Issue 35 of Challenge (1988), John A. Theisen admitted, "If this were intended
as a serious science-fiction game, my criticisms would be enormous. However, it is
not; it is undeniably action-oriented science-fantasy. As a result, by openly
acknowledging that it is a fantasy game set in the far future, any comments on
internal consistency, suspension of disbelief, and game rationale can be thrown out
the nearest window. This is basically cosmic hack-and-slash, not an extrapolation
of future-history-yet-to-come. And if that's the way you like to play, this game is
fun, fun, fun."[80]

In Issue 12 of the French magazine Backstab (1998), Croc noted that the rules in
the 3rd edition had been immensely simplified, saying, "It's clear, Games Workshop
is trying to lower the age of its players even further. The rules of WH40K are much
simpler than previous ones, really bringing this edition closer to Space Marine.
Units fire together, not figure by figure. No more alerting, no more hiding." His
only complaint with the game was the sculpting of the Dark Eldar figurines, which
he called, "ugly and badly sculpted, I don't know where they got the sculptor who
did this but he should buy some glasses." Croc concluded by only giving the Dark
Eldar figurines a rating of 5 out of 10, but giving the overall game 7 out of 10,
saying, "It's a real treat for both old and new players."[81]

Reviews
Australian Realms #15[82]
Awards
Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition won the 1993 Origins Award for Best Miniatures Rules.
[83]

In 2004, Warhammer 40,000 was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame.[84]

Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition won the 2017 Origins Awards for Best Miniatures Game
and Fan Favorite Miniatures Game.[85]

See also
Grimdark Future
References
Explanatory notes
Citations
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