History TableTopGame / Warhammer40000

* [[http://1d4chan.org/ 1d4chan]] -- [[invoked]] Another wiki, a spinoff of Website/FourChan's /tg/ board; it covers many games, but ''Warhammer 40,000'' is highly represented. It features a lot of info about the game's {{fanon}} and fan works as well as the game itself. It's ''very'' informal in tone, steeped in 4chan's lingo and culture, and generally {{NSFW}}, so be prepared.

The {{Space Marine}}s (capricious, fanatical, [[BioAugmentation genetically engineered]] KnightTemplar {{Super Soldier}}s based on the genetic traits and personalities of the Emperor's clone-sons) and the [[AmazonBrigade Sisters of Battle]] (the Ecclesiarchy's private army of equally fanatical, [[KillItWithFire pyromaniacal]] [[ChurchMilitant battle nuns]]) serve as the Imperium's special forces. The [[RedShirtArmy Imperial Guard]], its at least ''trillions''-strong regular army, uses weapons and war machines that pale against almost every other faction they battle, but compensate with tactics that [[WeHaveReserves throw thousands, if not millions, of soldiers at their opponents with little regard for their survival]], and the slightest disobedience or deviance from duty [[YouHaveFailedMe will likely result in summary execution]] by a [[ThePoliticalOfficer Commissar]].

A futuristic [[StateSec Inquisition]] is the most powerful and [[TheDreaded feared]] organization in the Imperium, ruthlessly hunting down anyone with even the ''slightest'' taint of {{the heretic}}, the {{mutant|s}}, or the [[AbsoluteXenophobe alien]]. Those in its grasp can expect to be press-ganged into its service should they prove useful, and meet sure death or a FateWorseThanDeath otherwise. Its most extreme measures go as far as [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroying entire planets]], ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill just to be sure]]''.

Even more dangerous than the threat of xenos is the Warp, as it is permeated by Chaos, [[ToxicPhlebotinum a deadly energy force]] that [[TheCorruption taints anything it comes into contact with]], including people's [[BodyHorror bodies]], [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil minds]] and [[HostileTerraforming the ground under their feet]]. Chaos is most prominently represented by [[EldritchAbomination the Chaos Gods]], {{four|is death}} [[GodOfEvil ruthless, destructive deities]] who are [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil sustained by the emotions of living beings]] and [[GodNeedsPrayerBadly the fervent beliefs of their worshippers]], and [[GreaterScopeVillain who have been the root cause for most of the setting's darkness]].

The Chaos Gods can only exist in the Warp due to their nature, but [[TheLegionsOfHell their fighting forces]] are a constant threat to the Materium. [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Chaos Daemons]], [[TheHeartless fragments of the Chaos Gods given life]] and guided by [[BlueAndOrangeMorality the bizarre morals and motives of their masters]], [[DealWithTheDevil strike Faustian bargains with]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulate]] and [[DemonicPossession possess people]] in order to directly spread the taint of Chaos through their presence. [[EvilCounterpart Chaos Space Marines]], heretics who have [[DangerousDeserter turned against the Imperium]] due to {{greed}}, [[AmbitionIsEvil lust for power]], [[BrokenPedestal disillusionment]], [[TheDogBitesBack revenge]], and other reasons, sow ruin and bloodshed wherever they go. Humans, mutants and aliens [[ReligionOfEvil perverted into Chaos worship]] take up arms as [[ApocalypseCult cultists]] who fight as fervently for their new masters as they did for their former ones.

Games have a maximum of 7 battle rounds; whether or not rounds 6 or 7 happen is determined by die rolls starting at the end of round 5. Each round has two player turns, each having five phases: Command, Movement, Shooting, Charge, and Fight. In the Command Phase, each player receives a command point; these can be used in various ways, such as re-rolling a D6 or activating a stratagem. Also, certain model abilities are activated in this phase, and Battle Shock (a condition affecting squads that are below half their starting number of models) is resolved. In the Movement phase, the models' stats govern how far they can move and how movement affects what they can do in the subsequent phases. The moving player can also elect to Advance a model or unit, passing up the chance to shoot to move it further. Anything being held in reserve can also be potentially brought in during the movement phase, so long as all such models are deployed by the start of round 4. In the psychic phase, the attacking player attempts to use psychic powers by rolling 2D6 to meet or beat each power's casting cost, with failed rolls, "Perils of the Warp," and/or the defending player attempting to negate successful rolls factored in. During the shooting phase, dice are rolled for each weapon being fired to determine whether it hits and then whether it actually causes wounds. In the charging phase, die rolls determine whether or not a unit can move into range of a target unit to enter melee combat. In the Assault phase, units pile into each other and engage in melee combat, with the player that charged in the previous phase getting first strike and then alternating between players. As in the shooting phase, die rolls determine hits and wounds. In the morale phase, the players determine the number of models lost from each unit and, if needed, roll a D6; if the combined result is greater than the unit's max Leadership value, the unit loses a number of additional models equal to the difference. In the psychic, shooting, and assault phases, if possible, the defending player can roll for armor or invulnerable saves to attempt to negate wounds, and can potentially counterattack in the assault phase. Characteristic tests, special abilities and features unique to each faction, weapon-specific rules, terrain effects, and other such actions also influence the progress of each phase. A battle round is complete at the end of the second player's Morale phase; the process then starts over again with the next round.

[[ArchivePanic You can start with]] ''[[ArchivePanic these pages]]'' or better yet, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MeVxKZBOfM watch this.]] Additionally, the following links can provide you with a lot of helpful information about many different aspects of the game:

In the distant past, [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen humanity held immeasurable power and glory, but no longer]]. In the waning years of the 41st millennium, the game's central faction, the [[TheEmpire Imperium of Man]], is a [[{{Dystopia}} paranoid, authoritarian]] [[TheTheocracy theocratic state]] which spans the galaxy but is struggling mightily to maintain its grip on its territory. Its leader, known only as the Emperor, was [[Literature/HorusHeresy betrayed and laid low by his most beloved son]], and for more than ten millennia has been [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport locked up in an arcane life support mechanism]] that [[AndIMustScream anchors his soul in his withered corpse]] and requires [[HumanResources the souls of a thousand psychic humans]] to be [[PoweredByAForsakenChild consumed as fuel]] per ''day''. Since then, [[MessianicArchetype he has become the godhead of the Imperium]], and the incomprehensibly vast [[ChurchMilitant Ecclesiarchy]] spreads the Imperial Cult and [[CorruptChurch commits horrible atrocities in his name (but against his philosophy)]] on an almost-daily basis.

The {{Space Marine}}s (capricious, fanatical, [[BioAugmentation genetically engineered]] KnightTemplar {{Super Soldier}}s based on the genetic traits and personalities of the Emperor's clone-sons) and the [[AmazonBrigade Sisters of Battle]] (the Ecclesiarchy's private army of equally fanatical, [[KillItWithFire pyromaniacal]] [[ChurchMilitant battle nuns]]) serve as the Imperium's special forces, while the [[RedShirtArmy Imperial Guard]], its at least ''trillions''-strong regular army, takes [[WeHaveReserves disregard for human life]] to new and interesting extremes.

The [[SpaceElves Aeldari]], an [[{{Precursors}} ancient, mysterious]] race [[DyingRace nearly destroyed by the fallout from their ancestors' decadence]] and now splintered into several distinct subcultures, [[FantasticRacism see all other species as inferior]] and work to stave off the [[FateWorseThanDeath hellish afterlife]] looming over them in ways that [[MoralMyopia put themselves and their kin at the centre of things]]. The [[TheChessmaster Asuryani]], a society of rigidly disciplined warriors and psykers who live in vast [[TheArk Craftworlds]], coldly manipulate other factions into conflicts and wars that will guarantee massive casualties, either to spare the lives of their own civilians or to ensure the safety of [[SoulJar the soulstones that preserve the spirits of their fallen]], because if they don't, the destroyed crystals doom their dead to [[AndIMustScream an eternity of torment in the depths of the Warp]]. Their wicked cousins, the [[EvilCounterpartRace Drukhari]], who live in a WretchedHive in [[PortalNetwork the Webway]] populated by depraved hedonists and {{mad scientist}}s, invade worlds to slaughter and enslave sentient beings in order to inflict horrific [[ColdBloodedTorture physical]] and [[MindRape mental tortures]] on them, partially to [[ForTheEvulz satiate their profane and sadistic appetites]] and partially because [[EmotionEater they psychically feed on pain]] to prolong their lives. The [[TricksterArchetype Harlequins]], servants of the cunning Aeldari TricksterGod, guard a vast library filled with tomes documenting [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that can drive mortals mad]] and work to enact prophecies woven by the now-deceased Aeldari pantheon millennia ago, and are both frighteningly effective warriors and dancers, poets, and playwrights who reenact Aeldari history and mythology.

The [[NaiveNewcomer T'au]], a comparatively small and young race with an insurgent [[TheAlliance cross-species empire]] located on the galaxy's fringe, are defined by their belief in the Greater Good, a secular philosophy that preaches [[TheNeedsOfTheMany the importance of acting for the benefit of the entire galaxy rather ahead of the needs of individuals]], and that [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans as many races in the galaxy as possible must be unified under their benevolent leadership]]. They readily use diplomacy as their first tactic and treat their allies kindly, but those who refuse their open hand are [[UnreliableNarrator reputed]] to meet a closed fist of OrbitalBombardment, [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill concentration camps]] and possibly {{mass|Hypnosis}} [[HappinessInSlavery mind control]]. They are aided in their endeavours by a large number of auxiliaries drawn from their many client races, the most notable of which include the [[BirdPeople Kroot]], avian aliens who [[CannibalismSuperpower draw on the strength and adaptive traits of other races by eating them]], hire themselves out as [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenaries]] and [[SarcasticDevotee are rather sceptical of the T'au and their ideals]]; the [[BeePeople Vespid]], an {{insectoid|Aliens}} race with crystal-based technology who [[VoluntaryVassal are highly loyal to the T'au and want to find their place in the Greater Good]]; and the ''[[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters gue'vesa]]'', humans who are recruited to the T'au cause ([[TheQuisling voluntarily]] and [[AggressiveNegotiations otherwise]]) and whose mere existence [[BerserkButton makes fighters of the Imperium almost choke with rage]].

One of the major aspects of 40K, aside from the gameplay, is the actual work that goes into the miniatures. Just like a typical model kit, 40K minis come unassembled and unpainted, and it's up to the player to put in the legwork to literally build their army. The model kits come in a variety of ways, such as single blister packs or boxes that contain one model, a boxed unit, or as larger box sets that contain many models and allow the player to obtain a chunk of their army at once. Models are generally glued together piecemeal using plastic or super glue (for plastic and resin/metal, respectively), but the starter kits' minis are designed to be snapped together with little to no gluing needed, speeding up the building process. The kits feature a large number of ways that models can be customized, and kit-bashing models is a good way to spruce them up and to make use of spare bits lying around.

Possibly even more important than assembling the models is painting them. It's generally seen as bad form to field an unpainted army, especially for factions like the Space Marines that have many different chapters and where a lot of the models look exactly alike, making painting them the accepted way to determine which particular chapter you're playing. Painting models to a "tabletop" quality level[[note]]painted well enough so that the models don't look sloppy at an at-the-table perspective and particular factions are easily distinguished[[/note]] is considered the norm, and tournaments will often require a certain level of completion of painting, but players can put as much or as little effort into it as they wish, although they're often encouraged to go beyond tabletop quality. GW produces painting guides and free online tutorials, but other tutorials are readily available through Platform/YouTube and dedicated painting sites. GW uses Citadel products for its models, paints, glues, and tools, and all of its painting methods and tutorials are built around using them, but equivalents from other companies are readily available, and tutorials will vary wildly between paints, glues, and other materials. There are ''many'' different ways to go about painting models, and settling on one is up to the player's tastes and budget and the availability of supplies... the general rule is "find what works for you and run with it."

A futuristic [[StateSec Inquisition]] ruthlessly hunts down anyone with even the ''slightest'' taint of {{the heretic}}, the {{mutant|s}}, or the [[AbsoluteXenophobe alien]]; those in its grasp can expect to be press-ganged into its service should they prove useful, and meet sure death otherwise. Its most extreme measures go as far as [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroying entire planets]], ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill just to be sure]]''.

[[{{Hyperspace}} The Warp]], a corrupted parallel dimension connected to the material universe, provides the Imperium's only means of FasterThanLightTravel. However, traversing it is incredibly dangerous due to its [[RealityIsOutToLunch disregard for the laws of reality]], the prospect of [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace being ripped apart by daemons should a vessel's protections fail]], and the requirement of a specific kind of mutated human to perceive both the currents of the Warp and the Astronomican, a navigation beacon controlled by the Emperor's soul. Should it fail, the worlds of humanity would essentially be stranded, and the Imperium would wither and die.

The [[SpaceElves Aeldari]], an [[{{Precursors}} ancient, mysterious]] race [[DyingRace nearly destroyed by the fallout from their ancestors' decadence]] and now splintered into several distinct subcultures, [[FantasticRacism see all other species as inferior]] and work to stave off the [[FateWorseThanDeath hellish afterlife]] looming over them in ways that [[MoralMyopia put themselves and their kin at the centre of things]]. The [[TheChessmaster Asuryani]], a society of rigidly disciplined warriors and psykers who live in vast [[TheArk Craftworlds]], coldly manipulate other factions into conflicts and wars that will guarantee massive casualties, either to spare the lives of their own civilians or to ensure the safety of [[SoulJar the soulstones that preserve the spirits of their fallen]], because if they don't, the destroyed crystals doom their dead to [[AndIMustScream an eternity of torment in the depths of the Warp]]. Their wicked cousins, the [[EvilCounterpartRace Drukhari]], who live in a city in the Warp populated by depraved hedonists and {{mad scientist}}s, invade worlds to slaughter and enslave sentient beings in order to inflict horrific [[ColdBloodedTorture physical]] and [[MindRape mental tortures]] on them, partially to [[ForTheEvulz satiate their profane and sadistic appetites]] and partially because [[EmotionEater they psychically feed on pain]] to prolong their lives. The [[TricksterArchetype Harlequins]], servants of the cunning Aeldari TricksterGod, guard a vast library filled with tomes documenting [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that can drive mortals mad]] and work to enact prophecies woven by the now-deceased Aeldari pantheon millennia ago, and also perform as dancers, poets, and playwrights who reenact Aeldari history and mythology.

Possibly even more important than assembling the models is painting them. It's generally seen as bad form to field an unpainted army, especially for factions like the Space Marines that have many different chapters and where a lot of the models look exactly alike, making painting them the accepted way to determine which particular chapter you're playing. Painting models to a "tabletop" quality level[[note]]painted well enough so that the models don't look sloppy at an at-the-table perspective and particular factions are easily distinguished[[/note]] is considered the norm, and tournaments will often require a certain level of completion of painting, but players can put as much or as little effort into it as they wish, although they're often encouraged to go beyond tabletop quality. GW produces painting guides and free online tutorials, but other tutorials are readily available through Website/YouTube and dedicated painting sites. GW uses Citadel products for its models, paints, glues, and tools, and all of its painting methods and tutorials are built around using them, but equivalents from other companies are readily available, and tutorials will vary wildly between paints, glues, and other materials. There are ''many'' different ways to go about painting models, and settling on one is up to the player's tastes and budget and the availability of supplies... the general rule is "find what works for you and run with it."

* Websites and Website/YouTube channels featuring battle reports, painting lessons, discussions of rules, codex reviews, and other game-related items:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdh3MTrFq3sXlB4ct8B-Fg Warhammer TV,]] GW's official Website/YouTube channel.

The [[SpaceElves Aeldari]], an [[{{Precursors}} ancient, mysterious]] race [[DyingRace nearly destroyed by the fallout from their ancestors' decadence]] and now splintered into several distinct subcultures, [[FantasticRacism see all other species as inferior]] and work to stave off the [[FateWorseThanDeath hellish afterlife]] looming over them in ways that [[MoralMyopia put themselves and their kin at the centre of things]]. The [[TheChessmaster Asuryani]], a society of rigidly disciplined warriors and psykers who live in vast [[TheArk Craftworlds]], coldly manipulate other factions into conflicts and wars that will guarantee massive casualties, either to spare the lives of their own civilians or to ensure the safety of [[SoulJar the soulstones that preserve the spirits of their fallen]], because if they don't, the destroyed crystals doom their dead to [[AndIMustScream an eternity of torment in the depths of the Warp]]. Their wicked cousins, the [[EvilCounterpartRace Drukhari]], who live in a city in the Warp populated by depraved hedonists and {{mad scientist}}s, invade worlds to slaughter and enslave sentient beings in order to inflict horrific [[ColdBloodedTorture physical]] and [[MindRape mental tortures]] on them, partially to [[ForTheEvulz satiate their profane and sadistic appetites]] and partially because [[EmotionEater they psychically feed on pain]] to prolong their lives. The [[TricksterArchetype Harlequins]], servants of the cunning Aeldari TricksterGod, guard a vast library filled with tomes documenting [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that can drive mortals mad]] and work to enact prophecies woven by the now-deceased Aeldari pantheon millenia ago.

The [[NaiveNewcomer T'au]], a comparatively small and young race with an insurgent [[TheAlliance cross-species empire]] located on the galaxy's fringe, are defined by their belief in the Greater Good, a secular philosophy that preaches [[TheNeedsOfTheMany the importance of acting for the benefit of the entire galaxy rather ahead of the needs of individuals]], and that [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans as many races in the galaxy as possible must be unified under their benevolent leadership]]. They readily use diplomacy as their first tactic and treat their allies kindly, but those who refuse their open hand are [[UnreliableNarrator reputed]] to meet a closed fist of OrbitalBombardment, [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill concentration camps]] and possibly {{mass|Hypnosis}} [[HappinessInSlavery mind control]]. They are aided in their endeavours by a large number of auxiliaries drawn from their many client races, the most notable of which include the [[BirdPeople Kroot]], avian aliens who [[CannibalismSuperpower draw on the strength and adaptive traits of other races by eating them]], hire themselves out as [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenaries]] and [[SarcasticDevotee are rather sceptical of the T'au and their ideals]], the [[BeePeople Vespid]], an {{insectoid|Aliens}} race with crystal-based technology who [[VoluntaryVassal are highly loyal to the T'au and want to find their place in the Greater Good]], and the [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters Gue'vesa]], humans who are recruited to the T'au cause ([[TheQuisling voluntarily]] and [[AggressiveNegotiations otherwise]]) and whose mere existence [[BerserkButton makes fighters of the Imperium almost choke with rage]].

The [[SpaceElves Aeldari]], an [[{{Precursors}} ancient, mysterious]] race [[DyingRace nearly destroyed by the fallout from their ancestors' decadence]] and now splintered into several distinct subcultures, [[FantasticRacism see all other species as inferior]] and work to stave off the [[FateWorseThanDeath hellish afterlife]] looming over them in ways that [[MoralMyopia put themselves and their kin at the centre of things]]. The [[TheChessmaster Craftworld Aeldari]], a society of rigidly disciplined warriors and psykers who live in vast [[TheArk Craftworlds]], coldly manipulate other factions into conflicts and wars that will guarantee massive casualties, either to spare the lives of their own civilians or to ensure the safety of [[SoulJar the soulstones that preserve the spirits of their fallen]], because if they don't, the destroyed crystals doom their dead to [[AndIMustScream an eternity of torment in the depths of the Warp]]. Their wicked cousins, the [[EvilCounterpartRace Drukhari]], who live in a city in the Warp populated by depraved hedonists and {{mad scientist}}s, invade worlds to slaughter and enslave sentient beings in order to inflict horrific [[ColdBloodedTorture physical]] and [[MindRape mental tortures]] on them, partially to [[ForTheEvulz satiate their profane and sadistic appetites]] and partially because [[EmotionEater they psychically feed on pain]] to prolong their lives. The [[TricksterArchetype Harlequins]], servants of the cunning Aeldari TricksterGod, guard a vast library filled with tomes documenting [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow things that can drive mortals mad]] and work to enact prophecies woven by the now-deceased Aeldari pantheon millenia ago.

In the distant past, [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen humanity held immeasurable power and glory, but no longer]]. In the waning years of the 41st millennium, the game's central faction, the [[TheEmpire Imperium of Man]], is a [[{{Dystopia}} paranoid, totalitarian]] [[TheTheocracy theocratic state]] which spans the galaxy but is struggling mightily to maintain its grip on its territory. Its leader, known only as the Emperor, was [[Literature/HorusHeresy betrayed and laid low by his most beloved son]], and for more than ten millennia has been [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport locked up in an arcane life support mechanism]] that [[AndIMustScream anchors his soul in his withered corpse]] and requires [[HumanResources the souls of a thousand psychic humans]] to be [[PoweredByAForsakenChild consumed as fuel]] per ''day''. Since then, [[MessianicArchetype he has become the godhead of the Imperium]], and the incomprehensibly vast [[ChurchMilitant Ecclesiarchy]] spreads the Imperial Cult and [[CorruptChurch commits horrible atrocities in his name (but against his philosophy)]] on an almost-daily basis.

In the distant past, [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen humanity held immeasurable power and glory, but no longer]]. In the waning years of the 41st millennium, the game's central faction, the [[TheEmpire Imperium of Man]], is a [[{{Dystopia}} paranoid, fascist]] [[TheTheocracy theocratic state]] which spans the galaxy but is struggling mightily to maintain its grip on its territory. Its leader, known only as the Emperor, was [[Literature/HorusHeresy betrayed and laid low by his most beloved son]], and for more than ten millennia has been [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport locked up in an arcane life support mechanism]] that [[AndIMustScream anchors his soul in his withered corpse]] and requires [[HumanResources the souls of a thousand psychic humans]] to be [[PoweredByAForsakenChild consumed as fuel]] per ''day''. Since then, [[MessianicArchetype he has become the godhead of the Imperium]], and the incomprehensibly vast [[ChurchMilitant Ecclesiarchy]] spreads the Imperial Cult and [[CorruptChurch commits horrible atrocities in his name (but against his philosophy)]] on an almost-daily basis.