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Being a lover of games, both board and video, I have seen the name Warhammer 40,000 many times but have never actually taken the time to look at it. I'm guessing it's something along the lines of Aliens or Starcraft, futuristic space marines fighting alien races. But I don't really know anything about it and have decided to change all that. I'm hoping some Warhammer fans can help me out. So my question is two fold, What is Warhammer 40K and where would be a good starting point (books or games) to get into the universe?
Starcraft (and Warcraft) come from Blizzard not being able to get the Warhammer license, so you'll see big similarities.

Anyway.

Gods.
Space Gods.
Said Gods create things in their image.
Some are nasty, some are less nasty, but pretty much everyone and everything in WH40k is nasty.
They battle for control or dominance or elimination or consumption and everything in between.

Game wise, most accessible is probably the Dawn of War series and Space Marine. Beyond buying the books (Horus Hersey is a good start, that' when things got really grim) you can find a whole host of youtubers doing great videos if you look up 40k lore. Each faction tends to have at least 3 or 4 great stories behind them
The Lexicanum is a good place to read up on the (general) lore and the setting, I think.
https://wh40k.lexicanum.com

The Fandom-Wiki, too:
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com
Post edited May 22, 2019 by Swedrami
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Linko64: Starcraft (and Warcraft) come from Blizzard not being able to get the Warhammer license, so you'll see big similarities.

Anyway.

Gods.
Space Gods.
Said Gods create things in their image.
Some are nasty, some are less nasty, but pretty much everyone and everything in WH40k is nasty.
They battle for control or dominance or elimination or consumption and everything in between.

Game wise, most accessible is probably the Dawn of War series and Space Marine. Beyond buying the books (Horus Hersey is a good start, that' when things got really grim) you can find a whole host of youtubers doing great videos if you look up 40k lore. Each faction tends to have at least 3 or 4 great stories behind them
Thanks for the feedback. I started trying to research a bit on my own but between the board game miniatures, video games and fan-fiction I was at a loss of where to even begin.

I'll look into Dawn of War and Space Marine. So far it looks like they aren't available on GOG. Have you tried any of the Warhammer games GOG does offer? Just wondering how they stand in comparison.
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Swedrami: The Lexicanum is a good place to read up on the (general) lore and the setting, I think.
https://wh40k.lexicanum.com

The Fandom-Wiki, too:
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com
Awesome! I've started reading some if what's on these sites and am getting the general vibe of the series. I also learned that there is a Warhammer and a Warhammer 40k which are two different IPs. That could explain some of my initial confusion when I started looking into all this.
Post edited May 22, 2019 by Stevedog13
So Warhammer40k and Warhammer are related. One of them just happens to be set 40,000k years into the future.
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Stevedog13: I'll look into Dawn of War and Space Marine. So far it looks like they aren't available on GOG. Have you tried any of the Warhammer games GOG does offer? Just wondering how they stand in comparison.
Chaos Gate is great 40k game if you manage to overcome all technical issues. It's like XCOM (UFO 1/2) but in W40k universe. If you want fantasy: Shadow of the Horned Rat is a must have (keep in mind it's also problematic game to run so review game forum first).

As for the books....I've read tons of them. Some are good but majority is ...say medicore. If you want to buy them wait for a deep discount. Few months ago there was a Humble Book Bundle with warhammer books - look for a similar oportunity.

EDIT: DoW is great if you like RTS - you just missed a good Warhammer themed games sale on Steam but I think their Spring sale is coming so keep an eye for it - for DoW 1 with 3 addons you will pay about $10.
Post edited May 22, 2019 by tburger
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Darvond: So Warhammer40k and Warhammer are related. One of them just happens to be set 40,000k years into the future.
That's what had me so confused. I was envisioning cyborgs armed with chainsaw swords and plasma rifles fighting orcs who despite mastering space travel are armed with basic axes and hammers. It seemed very anachronistic.
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Stevedog13: That's what had me so confused. I was envisioning cyborgs armed with chainsaw swords and plasma rifles fighting orcs who despite mastering space travel are armed with basic axes and hammers. It seemed very anachronistic.
The universe of 40k is very messed up, and likely codified what we know as "Grimdark" in terms of setting.
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Darvond: So Warhammer40k and Warhammer are related. One of them just happens to be set 40,000k years into the future.
Actually, until at least 2000ad, they were seperate entities that shared one name particle (purely for marketing reasons).

Warhammer 40k started out as Rogue Trader. I still have it and the editions that directly followed. Theres no direct relation to Warhammer in the timeline, though they long shared the same Chaos gods - suggesting to many that Warhammer is actually a fallen world within the 40k universe (even though that game came first).

I cannot speak for what has happened since (especially since Games Workshop skyrocketed with licences like The Lord of the Rings in the early 2000s).
In regards to books/novels - Dan Abnett is a name you see quite often whenever people ask for recommendations. Hadn't the time yet to check it out myself but his Eisenhorn saga (named after its protagonist, Imperial Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn) and the Ravenor spin-offs are absolutely worth a read, apparently.

Motion picture-wise there's the Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Animated Movie which is not as bad as its rating may seem to indicate, the unfinished animated fan short movie "The Lord Inquisitor" and an upcoming animated series about the Blood Angels chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.
check out Gladius... its very Dow remixed & is on gog or steam
you will not have any trouble finding a youtube or twitch stream to watch

i wouldn't bother with most the books but some of the ani-movies like Ultramarines are good
Warhammer Fantasy > 40k.

And no they are not the same universe. They only share concepts like how similar Orks and Eldar are with Greenskins and High Elves with some differences.
It's completely nuts. Essentially a sci-fi setting where hell (the warp) not only exists, but also blends with the real universe and you can(have to?) travel through it as a means to cover vast distances quickly. Mankind has formed a kind of draconian, theocratic system to survive this madness, centered around the worship of a deified emperor.

What Swedrami suggested is a dangerous rabbit hole :) Essentially reading include who the god emperor is, how he rose to power initially on earth, who/what the primarchs are and what the horus heresy is. That covers the basics of mankind I suppose. If you have a lot of time, then videos like this are another option. As you'll notice, it helps that a ton of phenomenal artwork has been created for the setting over the years.

You can similarly check out the other main players in the universe : Eldar, Orks(no, really...), Necrons, Tau, Tyrannids (who the zerg aspire to be) and several different chaos factions.

As for games, if you like RTSs then Dawn of War 1 (up to Dark Crusade) and 2 are great games. The first DoW has aged a bit when it comes to level design, but the presence of Gabriel Angelos carries the game all by himself. Whatever they payed that voice actor wasn't enough.
Post edited May 23, 2019 by Matewis
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Stevedog13: Being a lover of games, both board and video, I have seen the name Warhammer 40,000 many times but have never actually taken the time to look at it. I'm guessing it's something along the lines of Aliens or Starcraft, futuristic space marines fighting alien races. But I don't really know anything about it and have decided to change all that. I'm hoping some Warhammer fans can help me out. So my question is two fold, What is Warhammer 40K and where would be a good starting point (books or games) to get into the universe?
Zeo's Non-Gog Giveaway thread might still have some daggered Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine keys if you're interested in having a toy around with a third-person shooter. It's my first foray into the genre, and it was ok.
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Sachys: Actually, until at least 2000ad, they were seperate entities that shared one name particle (purely for marketing reasons).

Warhammer 40k started out as Rogue Trader. I still have it and the editions that directly followed. Theres no direct relation to Warhammer in the timeline, though they long shared the same Chaos gods - suggesting to many that Warhammer is actually a fallen world within the 40k universe (even though that game came first).

I cannot speak for what has happened since (especially since Games Workshop skyrocketed with licences like The Lord of the Rings in the early 2000s).
Mmm, fair enough.