History Characters / Warhammer40000ForcesOfChaos

'''Forces of Chaos:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosGods Chaos Gods]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosPrimarchs Chaos Primarchs]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Heretic Astartes]]\\

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium Imperium of Man]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChaptersFirstFounding First Founding Chapters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Other Chapters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Characters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]), [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition Inquisition]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Mechanicus]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Other factions]]\\

** The Renegades & Heretics are a dark mirror to all the forces of the Imperium as a whole, with most of their forces being specifically evil versions of the Imperial Guard. They [[StillWearingTheOldColors still use their old uniforms and equipment]], but unlike the Guard fighting for the defense of the Imperium or reclaiming lost worlds, the Renegades are typically ''part'' of the invading forces threatening the integrity of the Imperium's worlds. Their relationship with the Chaos Marines is itself a dark inversion of the camaraderie between Loyalist Marines and Guardsmen, with Renegades serving as CannonFodder the Traitor Legions throw at the Imperium's defenses to weaken them.

* LoopholeAbuse: The imperial cult is a surprisingly diverse religion with countless interpretations of the emperor and his ideals; this is mainly due to the imperium being so large that even the more eccentric interpretations of the emperor are accepted; such a tolerance is abused ''mercilessly'' by undercover chaos cults:
** Slannesh cults may present "the god emperor" as a higher being, "the perfect man" with far more excessive attention given to their [[MrFanservice attractiveness]] than usual.
** Khorne cults may present "the god emperor" as a mighty warrior, sat upon his golden throne [[BattleTrophy with far more skulls than usually depicted]]
** Tzeentchian cults may present "the god emperor" as the most powerful psyker to have ever existed hoping to bring mankind into a new golden age via the use of knowledge and understanding, forgetting about his distaste for the arcane arts of course.
** And as for Nurgle; you'd have a hard time arguing the god emperor isn't a rotting corpse overseeing a slowly decaying imperium wouldn't you?

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Asuryani]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000LeaguesOfVotann Leagues of Votann]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000OrksCharacters Characters]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire T'au Empire]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000GenestealerCults Genestealer Cults]])]]-]]]

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Asuryani]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000LeaguesOfVotann Leagues of Votann]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000OrksCharacters Characters]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire T'au Empire]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]]]-]]]

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium Imperium of Man]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Chapters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChaptersFirstFounding Chapters of the First Founding]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Characters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]), [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition Inquisition]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Mechanicus]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Other factions]]\\

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium Imperium of Man]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Chapters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChaptersFirstFounding Chapters of the First Founding]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Characters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]), [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition Inquisition]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Mechanicus]], '''Other factions'''\\

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium Imperium of Man]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Chapters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Characters]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]), [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition Inquisition]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Mechanicus]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Other factions]]\\

* SchizoTech: While the common to the setting as a while, the 2nd Edition Daemon World appendix army list was built around the trope. Designed to let ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' players use their Chaos armies in ''Warhammer 40,000'', the basic Daemon World army list allowed players to take armies consisting of troops equipped with medieval weapons and armour lead by champions and characters armed with the more advanced weaponry of the ''Warhammer 40,000'' universe such as {{Power Fist}}s, laspistols and [[PlasmaCannon plasma pistols]].

** One crafty Inquisitor figured out that the only way to effectively torture Slaaneshi cultists is to stick them in a sensory deprivation tank.

* WarriorHeaven: The Warp. To them, though, it ''is'' heavenly, in contrast with how hellish it is for others.

---> '''Great Boss Tuska''': Told yer I knew where da best fightin' woz.

* LightningLash: Chaos energy whips are triple tailed, metallic whips fitted to Chaos Titans. Capable of cutting down swathes of enemy infantry with a single swing, these whips are also electrified so that they overlord the void shields of any enemy titan they strike and burn out their delicate circuitry. In early editions of the ''Epic'' game system, these weapons were able to hit multiple targets and had a chance to strip multiple shields from an enemy Titan.

* WhipItGood: Chaos energy whips are triple tailed, metallic whips fitted to Chaos Titans. Capable of cutting down swathes of enemy infantry with a single swing, these whips are also electrified so that they overlord the void shields of any enemy titan they strike and burn out their delicate circuitry. In early editions of the ''Epic'' game system, these weapons were able to hit multiple targets and had a chance to strip multiple shields from an enemy Titan.

* BreathWeapon: As part of their mechanical daemon dragon theme, Heldrakes mount [[FireBreathingWeapon baleflamers]] in their mouths, enabling them to incinerate their enemies with [[HellFire daemonic flame]] as they pass over them.

* WeHaveReserves: While there are some exceptions most heretical commanders, particularly those of the Heretic Astartes consider the cultists, renegade Guardsmen and mutants that make up Renegades & Heretics armies to be little more than CannonFodder, fit for little more than using up the ammunition of the enemy or as unwitting fuel for their profane rituals. In some past versions of the rules represented this with the "Master of the Horde" Demagogue who could replace dead Renegade Infantry platoons with new units as soon as the platoon was destroyed.

* EvilCounterpart: While the Renegades & Heretics army are a dark mirror to the Astra Militarum as a whole, the Renegade Enforcers are specifically Chaotic versions of the Commissars of the Officio Prefectus. Fanatical devotees to Chaos, it is the role of the Renegade Enforcer to keep the undisciplined and unreliable rank and file Renegades in line with lethal force, murdering multiple models to keep a squad in the fight if they fail a Morale test.

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Asuryani]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000OrksCharacters Characters]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire T'au Empire]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]]]-]]]

'''[[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]:''' [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Asuryani]], [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]]) | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire T'au Empire]] | [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]]]-]]]

** Last but not least, we at Wiki/TVTropes are contractually obligated to remind you that Chief Apothecary Fabius Bile of the Emperor's Children wears a lab coat made of ''human skin''. [[note]]Okay, we're not really required to remind you. We just enjoy [[NightmareFetishist spreading the horror]].[[/note]]

* SchizoTech: While the common to the setting as a while, the 2nd Edition Daemon World appendix army list was built around the trope. Designed to let ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' players use their Chaos armies in ''Warhammer 40,000'', the basic Daemon World army list allowed players to take armies consisting of troops equipped with medieval weapons and armour lead by champions and characters armed with the more advanced weaponry of the ''Warhammer 40,000'' universe such as PowerFists, laspistols and [[PlasmaCannon plasma pistols]].

>''Cast down the idols! Destroy the temples! Slay the priests! Show these fools that they worship nothing more than a rotting corpse!''

* EvilOnlyHasToWinOnce: No matter how often Chaos gets pushed back, every victory they do win is permanent and virtually impossible to undo. This is courtesy of their form of HostileTerraforming, bringing part of the Warp to merge with realspace, and physics and reality no longer matter. Not even [[Earthshatteringkaboom Exterminatus]] can cleanse a planet so claimed.

* TheDarkSide: Which manages to be darker than what passes as the "Light" side in this setting, no mean feat.