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==Warhammer 40,000==
'''''Warhammer 40,000''''' (informally known as '''''Warhammer 40K''''' or just '''''40K''''') is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction science fiction] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_wargaming tabletop miniature wargame], produced by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom British] gaming company [[Games Workshop]]. Play centers around 28mm scale (approximately 1:65) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_figure miniature figurines] produced by [[Citadel Miniatures]], which represent soldiers, creatures and vehicles of war. The game requires a combination of tactics and luck.
''Warhammer 40K '' is the science fiction companion to ''[[Warhammer Fantasy]]''. ''Warhammer 40K '' allows for less regimental, formation-based movement, and deals with more advanced weaponry.
==History==
The first edition of the game (''[[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader]]'') was published in the year 1987. The man responsible for creating the original rules set and the ''Warhammer 40,000'' gameworld was game designer [[Rick Priestley]]. This original version came as a very detailed rulebook, making it most suitable for fighting small skirmishes. Much of the composition of units was determined randomly, by rolling [[dice]].
The third edition was released in 1998, and again concentrated on streamlining the rules for larger battles. The rulebook was available alone, or as a boxset with miniatures ([[Space Marine]]s and the newly introduced [[Dark Eldar]]).
The fourth edition was released in 2004. It was not such a major change as between previous editions, as it did not break gamers' old army lists or codexes. The rules are available either as a separate hardcover rulebook, or in a truncated — but still usable — form within the ''Battle For Macragge'' boxset, which also includes models for Space Marines and [[Tyranid]]s, scenery, dice and templates.
The current edition is the fifth edition. This, too, comes in a box set(with Space Marines and Space Orks) or as a rulebook. There were many major changes between fourth and fifth edition, however it did not invalidate any codexes or army lists.
==Warhammer 40K, the Game==
===Overview===
Each player assembles an army from one of the official lists (see below) and constructs an army of pewter and plastic miniatures representing the various units in that army. Rules for constructing armies are contained within the ''Warhammer 40K'' rulebook, as well there are army-specific [[codex]]es that contain specific information on the units and rules for each army. (certain armies have multiple codexes - for example, many of the major Chapters of the Space Marines army have individual codexes).
Play is divided into turns, with each player choosing specific actions for all of his units on his turn, and using dice to determine the results of those actions. Each match, at the onset, is assigned a set of additional rules and a goal (collectively called a "scenario") specific to it. The simplest of these is a basic "cleanse" mission, which ends after six turns, the victor being declared based on the control of the four quarters of the board; more complex goals can include night fights, take-and-hold missions, and various others.
===Collecting===
The hobby is widely considered very expensive, even by collectors and enthusiasts (though enthusiasts often wish to point out the reasonableness of the expense compared to other leisure activities). New players wishing to start playing should expect to spend upwards of US$200 to US$300 for a reasonably sized army (1000 1,000 to 2000 2,000 points worth of models), including costs for rulebooks and paints. Players must purchase units, sold individually in blister packs or in squads in boxed sets. A typical blister pack with one to three models will cost from US$9 to US$25, with the cost of boxed sets varying widely (US$35 to US$200) depending on the contents.
In addition to the current line of units, Games Workshop makes available past model lines as a part of their mail-order-only "Classic" series. These are models that have been used for earlier versions of the game. This is the only way to get certain factions (for example, Harlequins), which have been discontinued.
===Current state of play===
As of July 2008, ''Warhammer 40K '' is in its fifth edition. The core rules are presented in a single large volume, with details for each army appearing in separate codexes. Currently, the [[Space Marine]]s codex has been updated to fifth edition. The [[Tyranid]] and [[Tau]] codexes are at fourth edition level, and a completely new codex has been released for the [[Black Templars]]. Several other codexes have also been released, such as [[Eldar]] being the first in October 2006, followed by [[Dark Angels]] and then [[Ork]]s in 2007. A supplement covering the Taros campaign, including additional units and models available from the Forge World subsidiary of Games Workshop, is currently available. In the meantime, there exist FAQs and errata for materials done under the previous iteration of the rules.
==Background==
===Setting===
The ''Warhammer 40,000 '' game world is most readily characterized as a gothic science-fantasy setting. The central and most popular elements of the ''Warhammer 40k '' universe are the [[Space Marine]]s, futuristic versions of fantasy knights and the finest warriors of the [[Imperium|Imperium of Mankind]], a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopian dystopian] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate degenerate] galaxy-spanning empire.
Since it originally was created as a sci-fi spinoff spin-off of the ''[[Warhammer Fantasy]] Battle '' battle game, the ''40k '' gameworld contain contains many elements of the fantasy genre, for example the concept of magic and adapted versions of classic fantasy races. The inspirational sources for the ''40k '' universe include classic and contemporary sci-fi, horror , and fantasy movies and television series and the works of renowned genre authors such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov Isaac Asimov], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert Frank Herbert], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.P._Lovecraft H.P. Lovecraft], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moorcock Michael Moorcock], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.R.R._Tolkien J.R.R. Tolkien] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Heinlein Robert Heinlein] (Heinlein's novel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers ''Starship Troopers''] inspired many elements such as elite marines in powered armor, and drop pods in which encased Space Marines and equipment are fired from orbiting ships down to the battlefield), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval medieval], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque baroque] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist surrealist] art (especially [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.R._Giger H.R. Giger]), popular depictions of historical settings, such as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War World Wars], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era Victorian Britain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire Imperial Rome], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition The Inquisitions], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany Nazi Germany] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Russia Soviet Russia]. This mix leads to a wholly unique fictional universe, in which every side is to some extent evil- though some are slightly less evil than others. The Imperium for example, is often presented as the "good side", and while it may be true that there are many good people within it, as a whole it is an oppressive, xenophobic, corrupt mess which is only able to keep control of its population through the fact that being worked to the bone assembling rifles and worshipping worshiping the Emperor is slightly better than being worked to the bone and then brutally killed by Ork warlords.
The battle for survival takes place on two different planes of existence:
*The [[Materium]]
*The [[Immaterium]](the ''"Warp''")
===Galaxy Maps===
*[http://www.joachim-adomeit.de/wh40k/index.php Red Dwarf StarMap]
*[http://www.darkmillennia.net/galaxy_map.htm Dark Millennia Galaxy Map]
===Armies/Races/Species===
====The Forces of the [[Imperium]]====
There are three main armies of the forces of the Imperium:
Additionally, the Emperor has/had at his disposal the tripartite forces of the Inquisition:
*[[Ordo Xenos]], including the [[Deathwatch]] [[Space Marine]] units, which are specially trained [[Kill Team]]s gathered from various chapters, who owe allegiance to both the Inquisition and their chapterChapter. *[[Ordo Malleus]], including the [[Grey Knights]] chapter Chapter of the Space Marines
*[[Ordo Hereticus]], including the [[Sisters of Battle]]
None, however, engender fear more than the deadly disciples of the temples of the [[Officio Assassinorum]]:
*[[Callidus Temple]] - drug Drug induced shape-shifters who specialize in infiltration and disguise as their methods for contacting their targets.*[[Culexus Temple]] - those Those who are born with a one-in-a-billion genetic defect are ushered into the most mysterious of the four sects, that of psionic mind-assassins. *[[Eversor Temple]] - a A combination of drugs, bio-engineering and psychotic fury are the tools of this shrine's trade.*[[Vindicare Temple]] - focusing Focusing on marksmanship and patience, this shrine eliminates threats to the Imperium with a single unerring shot*[[Venenum Temple]] - the The masters of the art of death by poison.*The [[Vanus Temple]] - no No information exists in accepted canon.
====The Forces of [[Chaos]]====
Ten thousand years ago, the [[Horus Heresy]] nearly tore the Imperium apart. Forces loyal to the dark gods of the Warp corrupted half the Space Marine legions, and plunged the Imperium into a cataclysmic civil war. The Imperium defeated the traitors, but at great cost.
The Forces of Chaos still tear away at the Imperium. The sinister whispers of the dark gods turn many people away from the Emperor and their own people, and the remnants of the traitor Space Marine Legions still reside in the [[Eye of Terror]], occasionally striking out in what is known as the [[Black Crusade]]s.
*[[The Lost and the Damned]]
====The Xenos====
Mankind is not the only sentient race in the galaxy. Many other races vie for survival and dominance of the galaxy. To the Imperium, all of them are enemies to be destroyed. The name for these are the xenos.
====The Eldar====
The [[Eldar]] are an ancient race that has long since fallen into decline. They still wield advanced technology and great psychic power. Thematically, they are reminiscent of Tolkien's elves, a vastly magical people set against the inevitability of their own demise. There are several different factions of the remaining race:
* [[Craftworld Eldar]]
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This article is based upon [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40%2C000 ''Warhammer 40,000''] from the free encyclopedia [http://en.wikipedia.org Wikipedia] and is subject to [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl.txt GNU Licence License for free documentation]. There is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Warhammer_40%2C000&action=history List of authors] in the Wikipedia, which can be [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Warhammer_40%2C000&action=edit edited].
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