- The ultimate guide to playing Warhammer 40,000, including the core rules and Combat Patrol missions
- Everything you need to know about collecting, building, painting, and playing with Citadel miniatures
- Explore the grim darkness of the far future through immersive lore, stunning artwork, and photography
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
The galaxy writhes in the iron grip of all-consuming conflict. The Imperium stands on the brink of annihilation, assailed from all sides by heretical warlords, daemon-summoning sorcerers, and ravenous xenos empires. The Great Rift tears the vast void of space asunder, a gaping wound that bleeds insanity and mutation across the very heart of the Emperor's domain.
In every star system, on every planet, battles rage more bitter than ever before, as Loyalists, Traitors, and xenos tear reality itself apart in their war for supremacy. Every day the flames grow higher – this is a more terrible age than any before, for there is no peace amongst the stars…
The Book
This 280-page hardback book is the essential guide to Warhammer 40,000, containing everything you need to know about collecting, building, painting and playing with Citadel miniatures in the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium.
It provides an overview of every aspect of the Warhammer 40,000 hobby, the Core Rules for fighting battles ranging from small-scale skirmishes to mighty grand-scale engagements, and an extensive introduction to its rich, ravaged setting through immersive lore, stunning artwork, and photography, as well as an exciting look at each of the factions warring in the far future.
THE WARHAMMER 40,000 HOBBY
The book begins with an introduction to this amazing hobby through its four pillars – collecting, building, painting, and playing. You’ll learn how to start your collection of Citadel miniatures, get to see how other players build and paint their models, and receive suggestions for tools and guides to help you along the way. You’ll also start your journey as a commander with an explanation of how and why players wage dynamic battles in Warhammer 40,000, an example battle report for a clash between two forces, and an explanation of the different ways to play – standalone Combat Patrols, competitive In Nomine Imperatoris games, and narrative Crusade campaigns.
THE DARK IMPERIUM
This expansive lore section introduces you to the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium. This far future is dominated by an oppressive and corrupt human Imperium, its crumbling borders defended by doomed heroes and threatened by internal and external dangers alike. Its history is one of ignorance and slaughter, and the laughter of bloodthirsty gods.
The first part of this guide to the Imperium focuses on the Imperium in decay and the galaxy it clings to – the long-dead God-Emperor who sits upon his Golden Throne, the High Lords and Adeptus bureaucracy that rule in his name, the fanatical Ecclesiarchy who preach the Imperial Cult, the secretive Ordos of the all-seeing Inquisition, and the post-human Space Marines who fight battles no others could endure. You'll also be introduced to the hellish dimension known as the Warp that is responsible for psychic mutations and is the basis for interstellar travel, as well as the insane Chaos Gods that rule over its infinite expanses, the blasphemous cults that serve them, and the Great Rift that tears realspace asunder.
There's also a two-page map of the galaxy, highlighting key planets, systems, war zones, and Warp Storms.
The second half delves into the setting’s history, from its legend-shrouded past to the apocalyptic conflicts of its present. You'll find a chronicle of humanity's evolution from the Age of Terra, through the Age of Technology, to the Age of the Imperium. You'll learn about the superstitions that drive the Imperium's veneration of lost technology and fearful hatred of xenos and mutants, the Great Crusade that saw the Emperor unite humanity, the Horus Heresy that set the galaxy aflame, and the millennia of war and loss that shaped the Imperium.
Finally, you'll step into the Era Indomitus – heralded by the birth of the Great Rift, the birth of a new death god, and the rebirth of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman. As the Indomitus Crusade of the new Lord Regent strove to reunite the dying Imperium, a psychic awakening announced an Age of Witches, and Abaddon the Despoiler blights the galaxy with the help of the daemon demigod Vashtorr and his Arks of Omen. The return of Lion El’Jonson, the Emperor’s First Primarch, only delays utter disaster – and with the resurgence of Hive Fleet Leviathan, the galaxy faces becoming little more than fodder for a xenos swarm.
FACTIONS
Get to know each of the factions warring in Warhammer 40,000 with detailed background information and a Combat Patrol miniature gallery for each. The assembled forces of the Imperium include the mighty Space Marine Chapters, the ranks of the Astra Militarum, the fanatical cults of the Adeptus Mechanicus and Adepta Sororitas, and the golden guardians known as the Adeptus Custodes. The blasphemous forces of Chaos are made up of ancient Traitor Legions and more recent Heretic Astartes, as well as the otherworldly Chaos Daemons. Finally, the xenos threat ranges from the brutal Orks, the profit-driven Leagues of Votann, and the expansionist T’au Empire, to the ancient Aeldari and Drukhari, the deathless Necrons, and the ravenous Tyranids and their Genestealer Cults.
CORE RULES
The Core Rules for Warhammer 40,000 contain everything you need to fight glorious battles in the war-torn galaxy of the 41st Millennium. These fundamental rules are used in games of all sizes and types, and form the basis for using other expansions.
You’ll learn the general principles and concepts of Warhammer 40,000, the datasheets and profile characteristics used by your models, and the rules that apply across the five phases of the game: the Command phase, the Movement phase, the Shooting phase, the Charge phase, and the Fight phase. You'll also find the Stratagems and abilities used by all armies, and additional rules for elements such as Strategic Reserves, Terrain, and Aircraft.
Finally, there are rules for mustering an army, deploying your models for a game, controlling objective markers to achieve victory, and a mission – Only War – to get you playing straight away.
COMBAT PATROL
Combat Patrol is an ideal way to get into playing Warhammer 40,000. It’s fast-paced and easy to learn, using the Core Rules to fight tactical engagements that last around an hour and use only the contents of Combat Patrol boxes. These forces have specific, self-contained rules that you can find online and in other publications, giving you everything you need to start playing. This section gives you an introduction to the Combat Patrol game mode, an explanation of the Battle Ready painting standard for your games, and six different Combat Patrol missions – Patrol Skirmish, Archeotech Recovery, Forward Outpost, Scorched Earth, Blitz Attack, and Display of Might – each with their own objectives, mission rules, and deployment maps to provide varied play experiences.
The book finishes with a separate index for the Core Rules, providing a handy reference during your games.
