Sunday, May 15, 2016

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War from Wikipedia


Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
The box art for Dawn of War
Developer(s) Relic Entertainment
Publisher(s) THQ[a]
Designer(s) Jay Wilson
Andrew Chambers
Chris Degnan
Damon Gauthier
Jeffrey Nicholas Brown
Neil Jones-Rodway
Composer(s) Jeremy Soule
Engine Impossible Creatures Engine (heavily modified)[1]
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)
  • NA September 20, 2004[2]
  • EU September 24, 2004[3]
Genre(s) Real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and based on Games Workshop's popular tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000. It was released by THQ on September 20, 2004 in North America and on September 24 in Europe. Since its release, three expansion packs have been released: Winter Assault in 2005, Dark Crusade in 2006, and Soulstorm in 2008. Its first sequel, Dawn of War II was released in February 2009. Another sequel, Dawn of War III, was announced in May 2016.
As a series Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide as of January 2013.[4]

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay is initially focused on capturing and holding strategic locations on the battlefield. These control points are captured by infantry squads and provide resources to construct additional units and buildings or unlock certain units in an army's tech tree. Battles are won either by holding a certain number of control points for a period of time or by destroying all of the opposing armies' HQ structures. A number of special conditions are available to choose from to customize matches.

Factions

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War features four playable armies:
  • Space Marines are the elite, highly skilled and genetically modified superhuman soldiers of the Imperium. Inducted at a young age, each Space Marine receives biological modifications, a lifetime of rigorous training, and lives to experience centuries of endless battle in the defense of humanity. Space Marines have the highest morale in the game. Their troops and vehicles are more expensive, however, reflecting their limited numbers. The Space Marines are the only playable race in the single player section of the game, and the 11-mission campaign features the 3rd Company of the Blood Ravens chapter as the protagonists, led by Captain Gabriel Angelos and Librarian Isador Akios.
  • The Chaos Marines are traitors that, ten thousand years ago, chose to abandon their duties to humanity, betray the Immortal Emperor of Mankind and the Imperium, and instead worship the Gods of Chaos, accepting promises of power and immortality. In Dawn of War, they use troops that are corrupted mirrors of their loyal Imperial counterparts. In addition, they employ morale-draining daemons and psykers. The campaign features the Alpha Legion, with their leaders, Sindri Myr and Lord Bale.
  • The Eldar are a sophisticated psychic race, ancient and technologically advanced, that have fought the fell powers of Chaos for millions of years before mankind's birth. Eldar in Dawn of War are fast and agile. Swift both on foot and in their hovering grav-vehicles, they are also able to move quickly around the map via webway gates. The campaign features a warhost hailing from the craftworld Biel-Tan, led by Farseer Macha.
  • The Orks are a savage, brutal and warlike species who exist to seek the thrilling challenge of battle. While generally lacking in sophisticated technology, they are physically powerful, using brute force and crude weapons that well complement their tendency to attack in massive hordes. In large enough numbers, they gain morale immunity. The tech tree for Orks differs from the other races in that it depends on the amount of Orks currently in your army and the number of erected WAAAGH!! banners. Several clans are featured in the campaign, as is the hulking Ork Warboss, Orkamungus.
In addition to the four fully playable races, the Imperial Guard also make appearances in the single player campaign as allies of the Space Marines, led by Colonel Brom. Lacking the superhuman resilience and fighting prowess of the Space Marines, Imperial Guardsmen are forced to rely on numbers, ranged weaponry, and tanks. They would later be made into the featured playable race in the first expansion pack, Winter Assault.
In the second expansion pack, Dark Crusade, there are two additional races to be played online and solo, Tau and Necrons. Note that in order to play as Space Marines, Chaos, Eldar, Orks or Imperial Guard online, one must have the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War game installed. The third and last expansion pack, Soulstorm, adds another two playable armies: Sisters of Battle and Dark Eldar. As with Dark Crusade, one must own the previous installments to play the other factions in multiplayer.

Resource management

A squad of Space Marines engage a group of Orks next to a Strategic Point.
Two primary resources exist: requisition and power. These resources are not harvested or otherwise gathered by the player's units. Instead, requisition is generated constantly by the army headquarters. The player can increase the rate at which requisition is acquired by using infantry squads to capture and control "Strategic Points", "Critical Locations" and "Relics" on the battlefield. These points, with the exception of the "Critical Location", can be reinforced with defensive structures called Listening Posts that also increase the rate of requisition accumulation. Though resources are unlimited, all sources of requisition will eventually decay, dramatically decreasing their supply rate.
Power is gathered by building generators, which also decay over time and consequently produce less power. Additionally, some maps have "slag deposits", upon which more powerful generators can be constructed to produce power faster. As the player progresses up the tech tree, reliance on power increases.
In addition to these primary resources, the Orks also have Ork resource. Ork resource is generated continuously by Waaagh! banners and is used up when creating Ork troops and vehicles. The number of banners and the size of the Ork population determines the Ork's Waaagh! level which in turn determines the technology level the player has access to.

Combat

Infantry units are not given orders as individuals; they move and attack as squads. Most fully reinforced squads consist of about eight individuals, although when they are first requisitioned, they usually have less. They can usually be equipped with special weapons and a specific leader, depending on the squad type. Squads can produce and replace their own units and weaponry anywhere in the field, but the player must wait a short period of time before new individuals, weapons, and leaders appear in the squad. Additionally, all races have commander units, which are general leaders or other units that can be attached to most squads, but are produced separately.
Infantry units can fight in both ranged and hand-to-hand combat, and many units will have weapons for both types of combat, and if attacked in close combat will have to respond accordingly. Hand-to-hand combat is played out as a series of synchronized attack animations between combatants. When one combatant defeats the other, a finishing move known as "Sync Kill" plays out as the victorious fighter finishes his opponent off in a dramatic and violent manner. More powerful units, such as Heroes, Walkers, and monstrous Super Units, may have personalized Sync Kills against each other.
Vehicles are highly resistant to most standard infantry weaponry, so they must be targeted with specific heavy weapons (e.g. anti-tank rockets) to be destroyed. Vehicles can also be upgraded with multiple weapon systems, usually forcing a choice between either anti-infantry or anti-vehicle armaments. Walkers are a type of vehicle often armed with powerful heavy melee weapons, causing devastating damage in close combat.
In addition to a typical hitpoint system, infantry units also have morale. When in combat, squads take morale damage as well as health damage. However, morale applies to a squad as a whole. In addition to health, the morale of a squad heavily influences its combat ability. When morale drops to zero, the squad "breaks", which significantly reduces the squad's ranged accuracy, damage dealt in mêlée, and defensive capability. The squad's movement speed, however, is slightly increased to allow it to retreat. That said, the unit must still be ordered away from the combat for it to escape. The squad's morale will regenerate on its own while the squad is not in combat, and the squad will "regroup" and regain combat effectiveness once it reaches a certain threshold.
Just as with hitpoints, different types of units have different amounts of morale. Commanders have the most morale, and basic infantry usually have the least. Attaching (when possible) a commander unit to basic squads significantly increases their morale. Some weapon types, such as flamethrowers, sniper rifles and artillery bombardment, are especially effective at demoralizing the enemy. Favorable terrain such as craters, ruins or thick jungle give units a defensive cover bonus against both hitpoint and morale damage, while water and swamps will decrease their defensive ability.

Units

The number of units a player may field at one time is determined by population and vehicle 'squad caps'; these limit the number of infantry troops and vehicles a player may have on the battlefield. Squad caps may be increased using methods differing between races. Most units have a melee attack and a ranged attack. Units are often specialized to be better using one attack type. Certain units are "hard capped", meaning a player may only have a certain amount of them, such as Skull probes and Apothecaries (both of the Space marine faction) being limited to 4, and commanders and ultimate units being limited to 1. All units also have stances; these affect how the units respond to enemies. There are three types of units: commanders, infantry, and vehicles.
Commanders are hero units, and each commander can only be fielded one at a time. If they perish, they may be rebuilt. A sub-class is the semi-commander unit, which has many abilities like the commander unit but several may be fielded at once. Infantry are foot soldiers, and may either be regular or heavy, with heavy infantry being much tougher than normal infantry. Vehicles serve as heavy weapon platforms and/or transports, and include tanks, artillery, troop carriers and walkers.
Infantry come in squads that are commanded as a single entity. They may be reinforced with additional members, equipped with special weapons, or be attached to hero units. Some squads have special abilities, such as grenades, teleportation, and stealth, unlocked with research or leader units. Unit longevity is determined by their health and morale points, which govern a squad's fighting effectiveness. Both are reduced by weaponry; morale recharges independently or due to unit abilities, while health is increased by natural regeneration, healer units, or repair.
Each of the four races has access to a unique special unit whilst in control of a ‘relic’, they are superior to normal units. To obtain one of the special units the player must complete all pre-requisites (research, own specific buildings) and be in the final tier of research. These special units also require substantially more resources and time to create.

Buildings

Aside from their initial headquarters, races may build research and resource centers, unit-producing facilities, and defensive fortifications. Research buildings may research special upgrades that increase the abilities of that race's units, while resource buildings produce resources. Unit facilities produce infantry and vehicles. In order to access their next tier, a race must build certain buildings to unlock new technologies and buildings.

Plot

The planet Tartarus as shown from high orbit.
The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a dystopian vision of the far future. Humanity has forged a galaxy-spanning empire, The Imperium. The Imperium is in a state of constant war with the Orks, Eldar, and the human servants of Chaos, desperately fighting to preserve the human race from extinction. The single player campaign is set on the planet Tartarus. This also sets the stage for Dawn of War II — Retribution.

Story

The Blood Ravens make planetfall.
The single-player campaign is set on the planet Tartanus, an Imperial planet that is currently being besieged by a large Ork invasion force. The campaign begins with Colonel Brom and his 37th Tartarus Planetary Defense Force Regiment under attack by a large group of Orks. The Blood Ravens 3rd company, led by Captain Gabriel Angelos, arrive on the planet and saves Brom and his remaining men, who then proceed to exterminate the remaining Orks in the vicinity. In the aftermath of the battle, Gabriel is joined by the Librarian Isador Akios. Brom asks Isador about the recent sterilization of the planet Cyrene; however, Isador makes it clear this is not a permitted subject for discussion, particularly in Angelos' presence. The Blood Ravens then prepare to attack the Orks surrounding the port, in order to protect the evacuation craft.
Isador, sensing that the Captain's mind is troubled, realises why, and tells him that there was nothing he could have done to save his home planet of Cyrene. However, Gabriel tells him not to mention it again, stating that his homeworld was his responsibility. After the extermination of the Orks, scouts reveal to Gabriel that Chaos forces are operating on the planet. Soon after this, they are joined by an Inquisitor, Mordecai Toth, who orders them to leave the planet, warning that a Warp Storm- a great space-based storm that would make all travel impossible -is approaching the planet and will consume the planet in 3 days time. Toth orders a complete evacuation of the planet, but Gabriel refuses, stating his desire to investigate the possible threat of Chaos. Toth then implies that Gabriel's actions on Cyrene have clouded his judgement, making him "see Chaos where it doesn't exist". On further investigation, it is revealed that the Eldar are also operating on the planet. The Blood Ravens find an altar dedicated to Chaos, confirming Gabriel's suspicions, and resolve to destroy the traitors, unknowing that Isador is already under the influence of Sindri Myr, the Chaos Sorcerer of the Alpha Legion.
The Blood Ravens pursue the Eldar to the abandoned city of Loovre Marr and engage them in a full-scale battle across the city. Upon the destruction of most of the remaining Eldar by Gabriel's forces, their leader, Farseer Macha, pleads with Gabriel to heed her words; however, during their moment of distraction, Sindri steals an artifact, which Macha reveals to be a key to "the undoing of this world". When Gabriel tries to inquire for more information, the Farseer shows surprise at his ignorance, commenting that the Inquisitor "keeps them on a short leash". Macha implies that Toth knows more than he is telling, and advises Gabriel and Isador to ask him, before telling the Blood Ravens where to find the entrenched Chaos forces, stating that, thanks to the Space Marines, the Eldar are too weak to confront them.
After a pitched battle with the forces of the Alpha Legion (including traitorous Imperial Guard regiments who have been corrupted by Chaos), Gabriel and Isador confront Toth in the ruins of an Imperial Temple. He reveals that the world is cursed, and bears an artifact of Chaos: the Maledictum, a stone that contains the essence of a daemon. The forces of Chaos now bear all that they need to unearth it. Toth also explains that the Eldar were fighting to protect the stone, as it was they who imprisoned the daemon in the stone originally. Toth comments that "as Chaos's oldest enemy, the Eldar see themselves as the only capable defence against its influence. And we have paid for their arrogance". Toth also says that the power of the Maledictum is enough "to turn the faithful and drive men mad", having already corrupted much of the population of Tartarus and the Imperial Guard, as well as affecting the Blood Ravens somewhat: Toth explains his insistence the Blood Ravens depart was to protect them from being trapped on the planet with the demon by the coming Warp Storm. Gabriel and Toth form an alliance and make plans to find and destroy the Maledictum.
Gabriel executes the Traitor Isador.
However, Isador is completely overcome by the temptations of Sindri and Chaos, and resolves to steal the Maledictum for himself. While the Blood Ravens and the remaining loyal guardsmen are busy exterminating the army of Lord Bale, including the Chaos Lord himself, Isador seizes his chance and steals the Maledictum. Inquisitor Toth then reveals that he had known that Chaos was corrupting one of the Space Marine commanders, but he had suspected Gabriel and they had paid the price for his error. In the face of Isador's betrayal, Gabriel pursues him in an effort to bring him to justice. The Blood Raven forces are successful in destroying Isador’s troops and Gabriel challenges Isador to a duel. Isador holds the upper hand at first, taunting Gabriel about his weakness and guilt over what he did to Cyrene, but Gabriel finally lets go of his guilt, replying that he did the right thing to stop the taint on Cyrene spreading further; goaded to fight back, Gabriel eventually defeats Isador. Beaten, Isador pleads Gabriel for forgiveness and a chance to redeem himself. Gabriel tells him, "If redemption is what you seek, then that is what I will give you" before shooting him in the head with his bolt pistol, using him as an example to his men about the fate of traitors.
Meanwhile, Sindri had attempted to use the power of the Maledictum for his own ends, transforming himself into a Daemon Prince with the stone's power. Inquisitor Toth bequeaths the Daemon Hammer, God-Splitter, to Gabriel, since he feels that it is Gabriel that will end this battle and not him. They then, with the Blood Ravens and the aid of the remaining Eldar forces of Farseer Macha, attack the Chaos forces, eventually killing Sindri. The final scene sees the Eldar and Blood Ravens standing around the Maledictum. Despite the warnings of Farseer Macha, who begs them not to destroy the stone, Gabriel obeys Inquisitor Toth and his own judgement, and destroys the Maledictum with God-Splitter. The Eldar forces then retreat after Macha prophetically warns Gabriel that he has doomed them all. Inquisitor Toth and the Blood Ravens leave to be evacuated. However, Gabriel stays behind, and encounters the Daemon of Khorne which he unwittingly released from the Maledictum. The daemon lets Gabriel and his men leave safely as thanks for its release, but not before informing Gabriel that the planet was actually an altar to the blood god, Khorne. In fact, the Ork invasion had been prearranged by Sindri, who sought the release of the Daemon of Khorne through the spilling of blood upon the planet. Every death had been a sacrifice toward the daemon's release, in which Gabriel's contributions were "many and magnificent". The daemon acknowledges that, if he had been released much earlier, he would have been much easier to destroy. The daemon then tells Gabriel to flee, and to know that soon he would come to claim them all. Gabriel then vows to destroy the daemon, before following after his departing men.

Release

The base game has three expansions, all available in DVD format and on Steam. Each expansion adds substantial additional new content to the game, such as new factions, maps and units. For the latter standalone expansions, users are unable to play any factions in multiplayer other than those added by the expansion itself.
In chronological order of release, these expansions are:
Cumulatively, the expansions add five new factions to the game's pre-existing selection of four, making for a total of nine factions to choose from, along with adding dozens of new maps, tweaks, etc.
The Game of the Year edition was released on September 21, 2005 in the USA and on September 23 in Europe, containing 4 exclusive maps. Later, the Game of the Year edition and Winter Assault were bundled in the Gold Edition in the USA, released in March 2006. In November 2006, Dawn of War and its first two expansions were released together as The Platinum Collection in the USA or as the Dawn of War Anthology in the PAL regions. More recently, in March 2008, all three expansions along with Dawn of War have been released as The Complete Collection. The Game of the Year version was the final title to be added to the Humble THQ Bundle, and could only be unlocked by paying more than the average price.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 87% (based on 65 reviews)[5]
Metacritic 86% (based on 51 reviews)[6]
Review scores
Publication Score
CGW 4.5 out of 5[5]
Game Informer 9.25/10[7]
GamePro 5/5[8]
GameSpot 8.8/10[9]
GameSpy 4.5/5 stars[10]
IGN 8.8/10[11]
PC Gamer (UK) 91%[5]
Gaming Nerd 8.7/10[12]
Upon release, the critical response to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was on the whole positive. It was congratulated most frequently for its varied and balanced factions and units, its polished presentation, in particular the high quality of unit animations, and the user interface.
One of the first reviews was by IGN, who awarded the game 8.8/10, in particular praising the large level of graphical and animation detail.[13] They also cited the skirmish and multiplayer as one of the game's strongest points.[11] GameSpot came to similar conclusions, in particular praising the game's presentation and audio.[9]
Conversely, an area of the game that drew criticism was the single player campaign, which many reviewers found to be too short and unchallenging.[14][15] Another area of weakness identified was a lack of originality in the gameplay. However, these weaknesses were considered to be minor, IGN summarising "Nothing about the gameplay will really surprise anyone (though the addition of reinforceable squads is pretty neat) but it doesn't particularly matter...Relic kicked ass creating a great piece of entertainment."[11] The French website Jeux PC awarded the game 16 out of 20, in particular praising the simplicity of the user interface and the intensity of the battles.[16] German reviewer Daniel Matschijewsky awarded the game 83 out of 100, praising the user interface and the sound, but identifying the campaign and the AI as weaker areas.[17]

Notes

  1. Sega took over publishing rights after THQ declared bankruptcy.

See also

References

  1. Harris, Will. "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Q&A". bit-gamer.
  2. "PC release dates". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  3. "Release dates". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  4. "Notice of SEGA’s Acquisition of Relic Entertainment and Some IPs Owned by THQ Inc.". Sega. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
  5. "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Reviews". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  6. "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (pc: 2004): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  7. Biessener, Adam. "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War review at Game Informer". Game Informer. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  8. "Review: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  9. Kasavin, Greg. "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War for PC Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  10. "GameSpy: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review". Gamespy. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  11. "IGN: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  12. "GamingNerd: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review". GamingNerd. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  13. "IGN: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  14. "PC Zone: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War". PC Zone. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  15. Kasavin, Greg. "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War for PC Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  16. "Test Warhammer 40 000 : Dawn of war". Jeux PC (in French). Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  17. "Titelstory: Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War". Gamestar (in German). Retrieved 2007-10-17.

Further reading

External links

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Warhammer 40,000 from Wikipedia


Warhammer 40,000

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer40,000logo.png
Current Warhammer 40,000 logo
Manufacturer(s) Games Workshop
Designer(s) Rick Priestley, et al.[1]
Illustrator(s) John Blanche, Jes Goodwin, et al.
Publisher(s) Games Workshop
Years active 1987 to present
Genre(s) Wargaming
Players 2+
Setup time Varies depending on size of game. Usually 20 minutes.
Playing time Varies depending on size of game. Usually one to three hours.
Random chance Medium (dice rolling)
Skill(s) required Military tactics, arithmetic
Website www.games-workshop.com
Warhammer 40,000 (informally known as Warhammer 40K, WH40K or simply 40K) is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science-fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics. Expansions for Warhammer 40,000 are released periodically which give rules for urban, planetary siege and large-scale combat. The game is in its seventh edition, which was released on May 24, 2014.
Players assemble and paint individual, 28-millimetre (1.1 in) scale miniature figures that represent futuristic soldiers, creatures and vehicles of war. These figurines are collected to comprise squads in armies that can be pitted against those of other players. Each player brings a roughly equal complement of units to a tabletop battlefield with handmade or purchased terrain. The players then decide upon a scenario, ranging from simple skirmishes to complex battles involving defended objectives and reinforcements. The models are physically moved around the table and the actual distance between models plays a role in the outcome of combat. Play is turn-based, with various outcomes determined by tables and the roll of dice. Battles may last anywhere from a half-hour to a whole weekend, and battles may be strung together to form campaigns. Many game and hobby stores host games, and official gaming events are held on a regular basis, such as the Throne of Skulls.
Warhammer 40,000's space-fantasy is set in a fictional universe in the forty-first millennium. Its various factions and races include the Imperium of Man, a decentralized yet totalitarian interstellar empire that has ruled the vast majority of humanity for millennia, the Orks (similar to Warhammer Fantasy Orcs), the Eldar (similar to Elves in Warhammer Fantasy Battle), and Daemons (very similar in both the Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy Battle universes, although the precise natures of their creation and existence vary slightly), among others. The background and playing rules of each faction are covered in the game's rule books and supplemental army 'codex', along with articles in the Games Workshop magazines, White Dwarf and Imperial Armour. The game's miniatures are produced by Citadel Miniatures and Forge World.
The Warhammer 40,000 setting is used for several tabletop games, video games, and works of fiction, including licensed works published by Black Library, a subsidiary of Games Workshop.

Contents

History

In 1983, Games Workshop released a fantasy-themed wargame called Warhammer, and it proved such a success that the company asked its designer, Rick Priestley, to develop a science fiction version of it. Since before joining Games Workshop, Priestley had been privately working on a science fiction tabletop game called "Rogue Trader". Priestley added Warhammer elements such as magic and science fiction counterparts to Elves and Orcs. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was released in 1987. The first edition of the game was more of a roleplaying game focusing on small skirmishes, with an umpire overseeing the players. Priestley realized that players wanted a proper wargame rather than a roleplaying game, and in the second edition the umpire was removed and the players were allowed to deploy more warriors.[2] Warhammer 40,000 became even more successful than its fantasy precursor, and soon Games Workshop released a range of spin-off games such as Necromunda, Battlefleet Gothic, and GorkaMorka.

Influences

Since childhood, Rick Priestley was heavily into roleplaying games and miniatures wargaming. Particularly strong influences on Warhammer 40,000 were Battle! Practical Wargaming by Charles Grant and Laserburn by Bryan Ansell.
Priestley cites Tolkien, Lovecraft, Dune, Paradise Lost, and 2000AD as major influences on the setting. Priestley felt that Warhammer's concept of Chaos, as detailed by his colleague Bryan Ansell in the supplement Realms of Chaos, was too simplistic and too similar to the works of Michael Moorcock, so he developed it further, taking heavy inspiration from Paradise Lost.[3] The story of the Emperor's favored sons succumbing to the temptations of Chaos deliberately parallels the fall of Satan in Paradise Lost. The Imperium of Man is a critique of organized religion:
“To me the background to 40K was always intended to be ironic. [...] The fact that the Space Marines were lauded as heroes within Games Workshop always amused me, because they’re brutal, but they’re also completely self-deceiving. The whole idea of the Emperor is that you don’t know whether he’s alive or dead. The whole Imperium might be running on superstition. There’s no guarantee that the Emperor is anything other than a corpse with a residual mental ability to direct spacecraft. It’s got some parallels with religious beliefs and principles, and I think a lot of that got missed and overwritten.”
— Rick Priestly, in a December 2015 interview with Unplugged Games

Editions

Rogue Trader (1987)

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

Second Edition (1993)

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

Third Edition (1998)

The third edition of the game was released in 1998 and, like the second edition, concentrated on streamlining the rules for larger battles.[1] Third-edition rules were notably simpler.[7] The rulebook was available alone, or as a boxed set with miniatures of Space Marines and the newly introduced Dark Eldar. The system of army 'codexes' continued in third edition.
Towards the end of the third edition, four new army codexes were introduced: the xeno (that is, alien) races of the Necron and the Tau 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 Tau coincided with a rise in popularity for the game in the United States.[8]

Fourth Edition (2004)

The fourth edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released in 2004.[9] 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 numerous similarities. Codex books designed prior to the fifth edition are still compatible with only some changes to how those armies function.[10] The replacement for the previous edition's Battle for Macragge starter set is called Assault on Black Reach, which features a pocket-sized rulebook (containing the full ruleset but omitting the background and hobby sections of the full-sized rulebook), and starter Ork and Space Marine armies. Each army contains a HQ choice, either an Ork Warboss or a Space Marine Captain.
New additions to the rules include the ability for infantry models to "Go to Ground" when under fire, providing additional protection at the cost of mobility and shooting as they dive for cover. Actual line of sight is needed to fire at enemy models. Also introduced is the ability to run, whereby units may forgo shooting to cover more ground. In addition, cover has been changed so that it is now easier for a unit to get a cover save. Damage to vehicles has been simplified and significantly reduced, and tanks may now ram other vehicles.[10] Some of these rules are modeled after rules that existed in the Second Edition, but were removed in the Third. Likewise, 5th edition codexes have seen a return of many units previously cut out in the previous edition for having unwieldy rules. These units have largely been brought back with most of their old rules streamlined for the new edition. Fifth edition releases focused largely on Space Marine forces, including the abolishment of the Daemonhunters in favour of an army composed almost exclusively of Grey Knights, a special chapter of Space Marines, which, in previous editions, had provided the elite choices of the Daemonhunter's army list. Another major change was the shift from metal figures to Resin kits.

Sixth Edition (2012)

Sixth Edition was released on the 23rd of June, 2012. Changes to this edition include the adoption of an optional Psychic Power card system similar to that of the game's sister product Warhammer Fantasy Battle as well as the inclusion of full rules for flying vehicles and monsters and a major reworking of the manner in which damage is resolved against vehicles. It also includes expanded rules for greater interaction with scenery and more dynamic close-combat.[11] In addition to updating existing rules and adding new ones, 6th Edition introduced several other large changes: the Alliance system, in which players can bring units from other armies to work with their own, with varying levels of trust; the choice to take one fortification as part of your force; and Warlord traits, which will allow a player's Commander to gain a categorically randomized trait that can aid their forces in different situations. Replacing the "Assault on Black Reach" box set is the "Dark Vengeance" box set which includes Dark Angels and Chaos Space Marine models. Some of the early release box sets of Dark Vengeance contained a limited edition Interrogator-Chaplain for the Dark Angels.

Seventh Edition (2014)

Announced in White Dwarf Weekly Issue 15, pre-orders for May 17 and release date of May 24th, 2014.[12]
7th Edition saw several major changes to the game, including a dedicated Psychic Phase, as well as the way Psychic powers worked overall,[13] and changeable mid-game Tactical Objectives. Tactical Objectives would give the players alternate ways to score Victory Points, and thus win games. These objectives could change at different points during the game.[14][15]
As well as these additions, 7th edition provided a new way to organize Army lists. Players could play as either Battle-Forged, making a list in the same way as 6th edition, or Unbound, which allowed the player to use any models they desired, disregarding the Force Organization Chart.[16] Bonuses are given to Battle-Forged armies. Additionally, Lord of War units, which are powerful units previously only allowed in large-scale ("Apocalypse") games, are now included in the standard rulebook, and are a normal part of the Force Organization Chart.

Setting

The Warhammer 40,000 game takes place in a science fantasy universe,[17] whose extreme dystopianism inspired the word "grimdark" – from the game's tagline, "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war" – as a shorthand for similarly ultraviolent or amoral fiction.
Most stories are set in the 41st millennium, 38,000 years in the future. Mankind has settled more than a million worlds across the galaxy, most of which are ruled by the Imperium of Man, a brutal theocratic regime united in its worship of the supposedly immortal God-Emperor of Mankind. Despite its size and power, the Imperium teeters on the brink of collapse due to a combination of escalating war, corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and technological stagnation.
The Imperium is in a continuous state of war with a number of hostile forces:
  • the Tau, a young, idealistic race that wants to unite the races of the galaxy under their rule for "The Greater Good." They will try to do this through whatever means necessary. Many Tau units resemble Mecha.
  • the Necrons, skeletal robots whose race is patterned after ancient Egypt. They wish to rebuild their long-destroyed Empire and reclaim their former organic bodies, and will destroy all other sentient life to do so.
  • the Eldar, humanoid aliens patterned after the high elves common to fantasy fiction. Possessing extremely powerful psychics, they are a dying race who nonetheless wish to preserve what little is left of their formerly proud legacy.
  • the Dark Eldar, cousins of the Eldar who ritually torture other beings to stave off death, as the Chaos God Slaanesh will claim and destroy their souls should they permanently die.
  • the Tyranids, swarms of rapidly evolving, all-devouring creatures from outside the galaxy, controlled by a gestalt Hive Mind that seeks to consume all bio-mass.
  • the Orks, whose simplistic personalities, reckless tactics and ramshackle technology make them the comic relief of the setting, but are no less brutal and deadly for it.
  • the daemons and mortal worshipers of the evil Chaos Gods.
The Chaos Gods live in the Warp, a parallel dimension of unpredictable psychic energy from which psykers draw their power and through which faster-than-light travel is possible. Chaos is central to the setting and is the fundamental cause of much of the conflict in the galaxy. Over the millennia, the forces of Chaos have destroyed all the once-glorious and enlightened civilizations of old, most recently sabotaging the Emperor of Mankind's attempt to lead humanity back into a new age of prosperity. It corrupts the body and soul and decimated the Eldar race. It forces the Dark Eldar to perpetually new lows of depravity, and regularly sends armies of daemons and corrupted mortals to terrorize and massacre the denizens of realspace. Chaos exists only to persist and spread, the Dark Gods delighting only in the destruction and disorder they sow.

Gameplay

Battle between Daemons and Tau with dice and terrain elements visible. Most miniatures here are unpainted.
One or more players take part in the game,[18] each fielding a group of units. The size and composition of these groups, referred to as armies, are determined on a point system, with each unit (figurine) assigned a value in points roughly proportional to its worth on the battlefield; a better unit or model is worth more points. Before a game, the players agree on how many points will be used as the maximum army size and each assembles an army up to that limit. The composition of these armies is usually constrained by rules contained within the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, as well as in several army-specific rulebooks called codexes. These rules and preparations are generally taken seriously among players.[19] Common game sizes are between 500 and 2,000 points and played on tables four feet in width and four to eight feet in length, but it is possible to play much larger games.
At the start of each game, a set of rules and goals is determined for that battle. These are collectively referred to as the scenario or mission being played. Players are assigned basic goals which range from the defense or capture of sections of the board to the destruction of enemy units. Additional rules may represent conditions for fighting various times of day (such as 'night fighting') or in environments that affect troops' abilities. These scenarios may be straightforward, taking only an hour or so to complete, or they may be quite complex and require several hours or even days to complete.[20] A series of scenarios may be organized into a campaign, where two or more players fight against each other in a number of battles. These campaigns may feature their own special rules, and are typically tied together by a storyline that can evolve based on the results of each scenario.[21] Many scenarios and campaigns are designed by Games Workshop and printed in the codexes, rulebooks or White Dwarf. Alternatively, players may design their own scenarios or build new campaigns from premade scenarios.[22]
An unpainted resin miniature of a Tyranid Trygon, manufactured by Forge World.
Play is divided into "phases" where each player moves, manifests psychic powers (if possible), shoots, and/or engages in close combat with various units. In the Movement phase, a player determines the direction and distance individual units will travel, unless a special rule states otherwise. Some units can travel further than others in a single move, and terrain may inhibit movement. In the Shooting phase, the player has the opportunity to make long-distance attacks with units that are within range of the enemy. In the Assault phase, units may engage in close-quarters fighting with nearby enemy units. The Assault Phase is divided into two sub-phases - the charge sub-phase and the fight sub-phase. In the charge sub-phase, the player declares the unit(s) he wants to charge. Next the enemy resolves 'Overwatch'(reaction) fire. In the fight sub-phase, the troops engage in a 'swirling melee'. The units pile in and the ones with the higher initiative score (sometimes inhibited by the weapons chosen) strike first in the combat. Casualties are resolved and usually one side will have to pass a morale check or fall back. There is also a Psychic Phase, in which players can utilize models known as "Psykers" to perform special actions (which are determined before the game (some of which randomly)) that no other models can. After one player completes all four phases play is turned over to the opposing player. Contingent events such as weapon hits and misses are determined by the roll of a six sided die (note that the rulebooks use the word "dice" to refer to a single die) and unit characteristics.[23] A special die called a scatter dice is used to determine deviation for less accurate events such as artillery barrages or reserve units deploying onto the battlefield through irregular means.[24]
Unlike some wargames, Warhammer 40,000 is not played on a hex map or any kind of pre-defined gameboard. Instead, units can be placed from 12 inches from the edge to the edge of the table. Range between and among units is important in all three phases of play. Distance is measured in inches using a ruler. Determination of line of sight is made at "model's eye view": players may bend down to observe the board from the specific model's point of view.[25] Victory is determined by points, awarded for completing objectives and/or destroying enemy units.
Benjamin Fox, in "The Performance of War Games", argues that player interaction on the battlefield reflects all portions of a "performance": script, drama and theater. He compares war games like Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 to role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and notes the dynamic nature of battles, where each conflict is different from the last.[26]
Terrain is also an important part of play. Although Games Workshop sells terrain kits, many hobbyists prefer to make their own elaborate and unique set pieces.[27] Common household items like soft drink cans, coffee cups, styrofoam packing material, and pill bottles can be transformed into ruined cathedrals, alien habitats, or other terrain with the addition of plastic cards, putty, and a bit of patience, skill and imagination.[28]
There is also the possibility to play Warhammer 40k by Internet through the Java-based VASSAL Engine for which a Warhammer 40k Module has been released. This is a simulation of the board game and can only be played against other players. After the release of the 5.2 version of the module Games Workshop demanded that the lead developer cease development of the module.[29]

Supplements and expansions

There are many variations to the rules and army lists that are available for use, typically with an opponent's consent.[30] These rules are found in the Games Workshop publication White Dwarf, on the Games Workshop website, or in the Forge World Imperial Armour publications.
The rules of Warhammer 40,000 are designed for games between 500 and 2500 points, with the limits of a compositional framework called the Force Organisation Chart making games with larger point values difficult to play. In response to player comments, the Apocalypse rules expansion was introduced to allow 3000+ point games to be played. Players might field an entire 1000-man Chapter of Space Marines rather than the smaller detachment of around 30-40 typically employed in a standard game. also contains rules for using larger war machines such as Titans
Cities of Death (the revamp of Codex Battlezone: Cityfight) introduces rules for urban warfare and guerrilla warfare, and so-called "stratagems", including traps and fortifications. It also has sections on modeling city terrain and provides examples of armies and army lists modeled around the theme of urban combat. Got updated to 7th Edition with Shield of Baal: Leviathan.[31]
Planetstrike, released 2009. Sets rules allowing players to represent the early stages of a planetary invasion. New game dynamics, such as dividing the players into an attacker and a defender, each having various tactical benefits tailored to their role; for example, the attacker may deep strike all infantry, jump infantry and monstrous creatures onto the battlefield, while the defender may set up all the terrain on the battlefield.
Planetary Empires, released August 2009, allows players to coordinate full-scale campaigns containing multiple battles, each using standard rules or approved supplements such as Planetstrike, Cities of Death or Apocalypse. Progress through the campaign is tracked using hexagonal tiles to represent the current control of territories within the campaign. The structure is similar to Warhammer Fantasy's Mighty Empires.
Battle Missions, released March 2010, this expansion contains a series of 'missions' with specific objectives, each 'race' has 3 specific missions which can be played, these missions are determined by a dice roll and are usually chosen from the 2 armies being used. They still use the standard rules from the Warhammer 40,000 rule book.
Spearhead, released May/June 2010, allows players to play games with a greater emphasis on armoured and mechanized forces. The most notable change to the game is the inclusion of special "Spearhead Formations;" and greater flexibility in force organization. "Spearhead Formations" represent a new and altogether optional addition to the force organization system standard to 40K. Players now have the ability to use all, part or none of the standard force organization. Spearhead also includes new deployment options and game scenarios. This expansion is being released jointly through the Games Workshop website, as a free download, and through the company's monthly hobby magazine White Dwarf.
Death from the Skies, released February 2013, contains rules for playing games with an emphasis on aircraft. There are specific rules for each race's aircraft, as well as playable missions. A notable inclusion in this release is "warlord traits" for each race that deal specifically with aircraft. This supplement still uses the same rules as the Warhammer 40k rulebook. Got updated to 7th Edition with Shield of Baal: Leviathan.
Stronghold Assault, released in December 2013, is a 48-page expansion that contains more rules for fortifications in the game, as well as rules for more fortifications that listed in the main 6th Edition Rulebook.
Escalation, released December 2013, contains rules for playing games with super heavy vehicles, normally restricted to Apocalypse events, in normal events.

Forces

For a current list of codexes, see Codex (Warhammer 40,000)

Current Armies

Discontinued Armies

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

Movie

On December 13, 2010,[32] Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie was released directly to DVD. The movie is a CGI sci-fi based around the Ultramarines Chapter of Space Marines. The screenplay for the movie was written by Dan Abnett, a Games Workshop Black Library author. The movie was produced by Codex Pictures, a UK-based company, under license from Games Workshop. The movie utilized animated facial capture technology from Image Metrics.

Spin-offs and related fiction

Games Workshop has expanded the Warhammer 40,000 universe over the years to include several spinoff games and fictional works. This expansion began in 1987, when Games Workshop asked Scott Rohan to write the first series of "literary tie-ins". This eventually led to the creation of Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop, in 1997. The books published relate centrally to the backstory in the Warhammer universe. Black Library also publishes Warhammer 40,000 graphic novels.[33]
Several popular miniature game spin-offs were also created, including Space Hulk, Battlefleet Gothic, Epic 40,000, Inquisitor, Gorkamorka and Necromunda. 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, Eldar and Chaos.[34]
During the 1990s, Games Workshop partnered with Strategic Simulations (SSI) to produce squad-based tactical games such as Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate as well as turn-based operational simulations like Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War. Space Crusade, one of the earliest video games of the series was praised for being "a faithful conversion of the boardgame, with a board that could be viewed in 2D or isometric projection views (Barker, 1992)."[35][36]
Games Workshop licensed Warhammer 40,000 to THQ in 2001 and produced a first-person shooter titled Fire Warrior.[37] The game received generally mediocre reviews, including a 6.0 out of 10.0 from IGN.[38] The later releases from THQ were real-time strategy games: Dawn of War, Dawn of War: Winter Assault, Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, and Dawn of War: Soulstorm. Developed by RTS veterans Relic Entertainment who had previously created the award-winning Homeworld and Impossible Creatures, these were considerably more popular and well received, with Dawn of War netting a 4.5 out of 5 from GameSpy.[39] (who was the host for online part of the game). The sequel to Dawn of War, Dawn of War II was released in February 2009, and its first expansion Chaos Rising in March 2010 and second expansion Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution in March 2011.[40]
Another game entitled Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, developed by Relic Entertainment, was announced on May 28, 2009. It is a 3rd Person Action/Shooter for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, and was released on September 6, 2011.[41]
Although there were plans to create a full-fledged Warhammer 40,000 "pen and paper" role-playing game from the beginning,[42] these did not come to fruition for many years, until an official Warhammer 40,000 role-playing game was published only in 2008, with the release of Dark Heresy by Black Industries, a GW subsidiary. This system was later licensed to Fantasy Flight Games for continued support and expansion.
Presently Games Workshop licenses a number of Warhammer 40K themed products to Fantasy Flight Games. Fantasy Flight Games specializes in board, card and role-play games. Included in the licensed product are:
  • 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 - a game with a merge of board and card game mechanics, based on the popular "Space Hulk" board game, featuring Space Marines against Genestealers.
  • Dark Heresy - a pen and paper role-playing game where players may assume the roles of a cell of Inquisitorial acolytes, or assume a different and equally small-scale scenario following the game's rules. The recommended scenarios and ruleset present a good balance between investigation and combat encounters.
  • Rogue Trader - a pen and paper role-playing game sharing many of its core mechanics with Dark Heresy, where players assume the roles of Explorers, whose rank and escalated privileges allow for travelling outside of Imperium's borders. Due to extensive expansions upon Rogue Trader, campaigns can be largely different and alternated 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 - a pen and paper role-playing game, also sharing many of its core mechanics with Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader, it allows players to role-play the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes, who are the gene-enhanced superhuman elite combat units of the Imperium of Man. In light of this, its ruleset heavily emphasizes combat against difficult or numerically superior enemies, rather than negotiation and investigation, compared to Dark Heresy or Rogue Trader.
  • Black Crusade - a pen and paper role-playing game, also sharing many of its core mechanics with Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch, Black Crusade allows players to role-play Chaos-corrupted characters. This installment will be concluded with supplements. It is notably different in that it allows much more free-form character development, with experience costs being determined by affiliation with a Chaos God.
  • Only War - The newest installment of FFG's pen and paper Warhammer 40,000 role-play, Only War puts players in the boots of the Imperial Guard, the foot soldiers of the Imperium of Man. Despite the human-level capabilities of the characters, it also emphasizes combat over interaction, much like Deathwatch.
  • Relic - an adaptation of the board game Talisman to the Warhammer: 40,000 setting.

References

  1. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998). Warhammer 40,000 (3rd ed.). Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-000-5.
  2. http://unpluggedgames.co.uk/features/blood-dice-and-darkness-how-warhammer-defined-gaming-for-a-generation/
  3. http://unpluggedgames.co.uk/features/blood-dice-and-darkness-how-warhammer-defined-gaming-for-a-generation/

    “Bryan’s idea of Chaos was very much derived from [science fiction and fantasy author] Michael Moorcock,” he said. “I always thought it was a little too close for comfort, it looked like we were just copying.”

    “But I’d always had this sense of Chaos existing as described in Paradise Lost. I’d tried to bring elements of that into the background and gradually change it from a description of demons into a kind of force out of which came realities, a kind of literal primal chaos.”

    “Unless you’ve read Paradise Lost you don’t get it. The whole Horus Heresy is just a parody of the fall of Lucifer as described by Milton.”
  4. Priestley, Rick (1987) [1992]. Rogue Trader. Eastwood: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-872372-27-9.
  5. "The High Lords Speak". White Dwarf (UK edition) (Games Workshop) (343): 35–36. June 2008.
  6. White Dwarf (June, 2008) pp. 34-35
  7. Driver, Jason. "Warhammer 40K, 3rd edition". RPGnet. Skotos Tech. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  8. Guthrie, Jonathon (July 31, 2002). "Games Workshop runs rings around its rivals". Financial Times. p. 20. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  9. Chambers, Andy; Priestley, Rick; Haines, Pete (2004). Warhammer 40,000 (4th ed.). Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-468-X.
  10. "in the Pipeline" (343). White Dwarf (UK) [editor Mark Latham]. July 2008.
  11. "Games Workshop".
  12. Harden, Dan. "White Dwarf, the herald of things to come…". Games Workshop. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  13. NEW! Warhammer 40,000: The Psychic Phase. 16 May 2014 – via YouTube.
  14. NEW! Warhammer 40,000: Maelstrom of War Missions. 16 May 2014 – via YouTube.
  15. "Warhammer 40,000: Tactical Objectives - Games Workshop Webstore". Games Workshop Webstore.
  16. NEW! Warhammer 40,000: New army organisation options. 16 May 2014 – via YouTube.
  17. Stableford, Brian M. (2004). Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Literature. Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-8108-4938-9.
  18. Crockett, Stephen A. (July 1, 2002). "In the Games Workshop, a Chance to Exercise Your Demons". The Washington Post. pp. C01. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  19. Cova, Bernard; Pace, Stefano; Park, David J. (2007). "Global brand communities across borders: the Warhammer case". International Marketing Review (Emerald Group Publishing Limited) 24 (3): 321. doi:10.1108/02651330710755311. ISSN 0265-1335. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  20. Brodwater, Taryn (September 8, 2001). "War and pieces: Good battles evil in Warhammer 40K, a fantasy game played by true believers". The Spokesman-Review (Cowles Publishing Company). pp. H8. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  21. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 131, 157-158
  22. Snyder, Tom (January 9, 1997). "Battle on the board: Futuristic fantasy board game is all the rage at Anaheim Hills store". The Orange County Register (Freedom Communications). pp. Anaheim Hills News, p. 1.
  23. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 41
  24. Alswang, Joel (2003). The South African Dictionary of Sport. New Africa Books. pp. 285–287. ISBN 978-0-86486-535-9.
  25. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 42-45
  26. Fox, Benjamin N. (2001). "The Performance of War Games". In Mikotowicz, Tom; Lancaster, Kurt. Performing the Force: Essays on Immersion Into Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Environments. McFarland. pp. 73–76. ISBN 978-0-7864-0895-5. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  27. McGuire, Patrick (March 24, 1993). "In the grip of Warhammer Help your elf to popular fantasy game". The Sun. pp. 1C. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  28. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 28-29
  29. GW V40k Legal Action
  30. Priestley, Rick; et al. (1998) pp. 270-272
  31. Hoare, Andy. Cities of. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-749-2.
  32. "Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie (2010) - Preview - Sci-Fi Movie Page".
  33. Baxter, Stephen (2006). "Freedom in an Owned World:Warhammer Fiction and the Interzone Generation". Vector: the Critical Journal of the British Science Fiction Association (The British Science Fiction Association) 229.
  34. Kaufeld, John; Smith, Jeremy (2006). Trading Card Games For Dummies. For Dummies. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-471-75416-9.
  35. Eley, Peter (February 18, 1999). "Complex war game develops cult following". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  36. "THE GAME ZONE: 'Rites of War' falls short despite good pedigree". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 19, 1999. p. 5.
  37. Fox, Fennic. "THQ Shows Off Warhammer FPS". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2009-01-03. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  38. Lewis, Ed (February 13, 2004). "Warhammer 40,000: Warrior Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  39. "GameSpy: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review". Gamespy. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  40. Caron, Frank (February 19, 2009). "Dawn of War II riles RTS genre with frantic combat". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  41. "Space Marine Game Review". 40kforums. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
  42. Edwards, Darren (1988). "Interview with Rick Priestley". Making Movies (3): 17.

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