Introduction to Warhammer 40,000: Lore Guide for New Players
Posted by Hestia HammerHouse on
Introduction to Warhammer 40,000: Lore Guide for New Players
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
If you've ever taken a peek at the world of Warhammer 40,000, whether it be through the games, books, YouTube shorts, or even memes, you've likely heard this line before!
But in this decades-old franchise, is there really ONLY war? In this article, we go over the long and storied history of Warhammer 40,000, and provide a lore primer for new aspirants looking to learn more about this gothic sci-fi universe!
What is Warhammer 40,000?
Warhammer 40,000, often shortened to '40k', was first created by a UK company in 1987. With over 40 years of evolution and refinement, this series has achieved global acclaim and has become the most popular miniature wargame in the world!
The tabletop game and most of its associated media takes place in the 41st millennium, all across the far reaches of the Milky Way. It differentiates itself from other contemporary space opera settings with its dark fantasy nature, grim atmosphere, and immense scale. Unlike series like Star Wars and Star Trek, Warhammer 40,000 tends to follow the tales of massive armies and alien factions as they wage war across the stars, instead of small crews of bright-eyed heroes and rebels pursuing justice.
The setting is unapologetic in its over-the-top nature, and often edgy to the point of satire. Whole planets get blown up on the regular, and casualties number in the billions when marauding aliens emerge from the depths of space to dominate the galaxy. Yet the forces of humanity always cling on by the skin of their teeth, right at the brink of destruction.
If all this sounds interesting to you, then keep reading to learn about the world itself, and the backstory leading up to the 41st Millennium!
The Age of Technology and the Age of Strife
Warhammer 40k takes place in the distant future, where humanity has spread far and wide across the galaxy. Long beyond the modern era, in the 15th Millennium, mankind experienced a Golden Age of Technology, where they conquered large segments of the Milky Way and achieved incredible scientific progress. By harnessing the power of the Warp, a dimension made wholly of psychic energy, humans created great ships that sailed across the void at faster-than-light speeds, allowing them to establish countless space colonies.
However, as a result of their unchecked growth, as well as the interference of the malevolent Chaos Gods that dwelt in the Warp, this golden age was soon ended by war, disease, mutations, and all manner of horrors that ailed mankind. By the 25th Millennium A.D, humanity was in a sharp decline.
This marked the beginning of the 5000-year-long Age of Strife. Left unchecked, humans would likely have met total extinction, or at least lost enough of their history that they would never again be masters of the stars. In order to save his species and reunite them under one banner, a legendary figure, who would soon come to be known as the God-Emperor of Mankind, put his plans into action.
The Imperium of Man
Near the end of the Age of Strife, the most influential figure in Human history emerged from the ashes. The Emperor, an immortal being with superhuman abilities, first revealed himself to the galaxy in the 29th Millennium.
With his great armies, the God Emperor of Mankind defeated the technology-wielding barbarians and warring civilisations that had split the ancestral land of humanity apart. After this brutal campaign, the foundations of the Imperium of Man were laid. Old Earth, now known as Terra, was once again made the centre of the human empire.
From the ancestral homeland of humanity, The Emperor crafted his legions of super-soldiers that he would go on to conquer the stars with: The Space Marines.
Space Marines
Space Marines, also known as the Adeptus Astartes, are arguably the most iconic part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Clad in bulky armor of every color, with their comically large shoulder pads, these elite soldiers are recognised by one and all.
The Astartes are genetically-modified super soldiers, and are some of the most powerful and feared warriors in the galaxy. Each Space Marine goes through heavy augmentations, giving them increased size and strength, 19 additional organs, incredible durability, and greater mental processing power than any human soldier.
The Space Marines were, and continue to be an integral part of the Imperium's goal to reclaim the stars. But to guide such powerful beings, he had to first create even greater leaders. As the first step in the founding of the Adeptus Astartes, the Emperor created the twenty Primarchs.
The Primarchs
The Primarchs were created from a mix of the Emperor's own genetic material and strange sorcery from the Warp. These twenty sons of the Emperor were intended to lead His legions as commanders and embark on the Great Crusade, which would see them reclaiming the many worlds humanity had lost during the Age of Strife. Each Primarch was akin to a demigod, with abilities outstripping even their Space Marine descendants.
However, upon sensing their potential to bring order to the Galaxy, the Chaos Gods of the Warp interfered with the Emperor's plans. Before His children could leave their birthing capsules, the forces of Chaos spirited them away from their secret lab beneath the Himalayan Mountains and scattered their capsules across the Milky Way.
The abduction of all twenty of his superhuman children set the Emperor back by decades. Left without his most important leaders for the upcoming crusade, he was forced to carry on without them.
Eventually, the Emperor set out to reunite with each of His sons, bringing them into the fold one after another and assigning them to the Space Marine legions. Of the twenty, two were lost to history forever, leaving eighteen figures of legend who aided their father in His Great Crusade. Through the Primarchs and the Space Marines, the Imperium of Man regained control over a million worlds, and were well on the way to achieving the Emperor's dream of a Galaxy ruled by humanity.
But it was not to be.
The Horus Heresy (Warhammer 30,000)
The most impactful event in the setting, by far, was known as the Horus Heresy. While the Great Crusade was a major success for the Imperium, it would come to a shocking end in the 30th Millennium. Over time, several of the Primarchs came to resent their father's command, and the forces of Chaos worked tirelessly to turn even the loyal Space Marine legions against Him.
The conspiracy came to a head when Horus Lupercal, most beloved of the Emperor's children, turned against the Imperium of Man in a shocking twist of fate. The Primarch allied himself with the four Chaos Gods, and led half of his brothers against the Emperor's vision for humanity. The resulting civil war was known as the Horus Heresy, and spanned for nine years — a drop in the bucket for a civilisation as old as mankind. Yet the death toll reached 2.3 trillion, as the entirety of human civilization clashed against itself once more.
Throughout the Heresy, the Chaos Gods continued to invade the material world with their Daemons from the Warp, and multiple legions of the Astartes became servants of the four Gods. Brother turned against brother as the loyalist Space Marines struggled against the betrayal of their Chaos-corrupted kin.
Eventually, The Emperor brought the war to an end by defeating Horus upon his flagship; at a great cost. By the time His traitorous son was slain, the Emperor had been mortally wounded, and He was interred onto His Golden Throne on Terra as a barely-living corpse. Thus ended His dreams of uniting mankind — with many of His favored children dead or lost, and the traitors vanishing into the immaterium, or worse still, transformed into Daemons by the very Gods they had been meant to stand against.
This period of time was so instrumental to Warhammer 40k's history that a secondary series was created! Known as Warhammer 30,000, or The Horus Heresy, this miniature wargame features Space Marines and Imperial forces from 10,000 years ago, as well as the eighteen Primarchs in all their glory.
The Horus Heresy also has a massive range of books attached to it, and curious readers can find out more about the story here.
The 41st Millennium
By the 41st millennium, the majority of mankind can be found in the Imperium of Man, worshipping the corpse of the Emperor. His body sits atop a golden throne, powering interstellar travel for all of humanity with the last of His strength. Conflict after conflict breaks out across the stars, and mankind is besieged on all sides by mutants, heretics, and aliens. The forces of Chaos still emerge to spread their influence, and alien empires rise up to challenge the rule of man.
Though several of the Primarchs have returned to salvage what remains of their vast empire, things look bleak for the future of man. In the grim darkness of the far future, humanity is left to rage against the dying of the light, till the last ember is snuffed.
Find Out More About Warhammer 40,000!
This brutal, violent future is where our ongoing story takes place! Many of the books and short stories centre around the Imperium, mankind, and the Space Marines. But the tale of humankind is certainly not all there is to discover. In a setting that's existed since the 80s, there's simply too much to cover in one guide. You may have heard of the various alien species that fill out this rich universe, like the all-devouring Tyranids, the million-year-old Necrons, or the marauding Orks, who will be featured heavily in the upcoming 11th Edition of the game.
Or maybe you've seen brief flashes of the other members of the Imperium, like the Adeptus Mechanicus — the tech priests of Mars who maintain all of mankind's technology. Or the Sisters of Battle, whose saints march into war with unmatched devotion.
Either way, with so many unique factions, all with their own histories as complex as that of the Space Marines, you're sure to find an army that you're keen to find out more about. Whether through scouring the wiki, watching YouTube video essays, or simply chatting with fellow fans, there's always more to discover about this wonderful world.
If you'd like to dive deeper into the world of Warhammer 40,000, check out how to get started, or browse the numerous titles in our Black Library collection.
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