Warhammer 40,000: 10 things every beginner should know before playing

Warhammer 40,000 is about to get more attention, and those looking to start with a tabletop game need to know a few things about the experience.

Henry Cavill has officially signed on to produce and star in an Amazon Prime Video series centered on the Warhammer 40k universe. While the community surrounding the franchise is one of the most dedicated to the tabletop genre, it's likely to expand with more mainstream attention.

Cavill himself is a lifelong Warhammer 40k player, and for those who also want to start with the series, it's important to know some basic facts. These will help with gameplay, help explain the universe further, and will essentially give a framework for where to start with this huge brand.

A Games Workshop Property

Warhammer 40k is actually an offshoot of Games Workshop. The British brand has dominated the tabletop industry for decades and has several different product lines, including 40k, Age of Sigma and The Lord of the Rings collection.

While Games Workshop brick-and-mortar stores are rare in the US, they do exist, especially internationally, and offer a full line of products to help newbies get started with their gaming experience. Each shop usually has an experienced team member who can help players understand the rules and provide assistance What they buy on the go.

Tabletop Experience

Warhammer 40k is a tabletop gaming experience that can be expanded in many ways. While there are certain packages that actually have slightly different Warhammer playstyles, sometimes including boards, the traditional combat setup leaves a lot to personal taste.

Players can build their own terrain and any objects or environmental elements they want, or they can play wherever they want without additional modeling. Everything in the game has physics; unlike games like Dungeons and Dragons, which often rely on the party's imagination.

The Premise

The premise of The World of Warhammer 40k is that the universe is at constant war. Divided into factions, each faction has a controlled territory that continues to move as the timeline progresses. There is one Emperor in charge, and a legion of Space Marines born to serve him.

Given the ongoing conflict, the setting offers players the opportunity to imagine their own story, and thus craft their own battles within it. No matter what game a team decides to play, they are contributing to the fabric of the brand, adding more depth to the brand The characters and armies they control.

Differences To Warhammer

Those who started researching the Games Workshop brand before playing the game may have encountered Warhammer, which is often referred to as Age of Sigmar. It's a playable alternate reality that has many similarities to 40k.

In fact, many consider the two brands to be part of the same timeline, or at least part of the same multiverse, with Warhammer based on a set of fantasy characters and worlds, and 40k relying on futuristic technology and personalities. Both utilize dark chaos powers as an orc adversary, etc., suggesting some kind of continuity between the two. Both are equally entertaining.

Picking An Army

There are many factors to consider when choosing an army. Starter packs from Games Workshop often encourage play by two of the universe's most iconic characters, Space Marines and Orcs. But could appeal to a wide variety of characters.

Whether it's because of the funny easter eggs that hint at pop culture, the physical design of the characters, their presumably bragging rights, or how Their narrative fits the overall brand and there are no right or wrong answers to the choices made. Many people play with more than one army, greatly expanding their game options, but each army has distinct characteristics.

Painting And Making

Those who start playing the game quickly realize that it is their responsibility to build their armies. Of course, pre-made models can be purchased, but it's more fun to start from scratch. Part of the Warhammer community is making and painting models.

Games Workshop has a ton of tools to help people get started, and a lot of guides to help you achieve great visual design. The creative direction is up to the player, though there are several paths that can be followed in lore. This kind of modeling can be extended to create everything from landscapes to vehicles used in battle.

The Rule Books

There is a general code of gameplay that has been expanded, simplified and tweaked over the years. The official Games Workshop platform will be able to point new players on the right path, helping them choose a rulebook that provides a comprehensive overview.

Rules Mastering how to play the game is important, but there is some room for invention. Some armies will have rules that only apply to them, so this is something to be aware of, and it's important to agree on the structure of how everything will be structured before playing the game.

Gameplay Mechanics

In terms of game mechanics, Warhammer 40,000 is built on a turn-based strategy system, with each player controlling a series of characters that move across territories in battle. Following the rulebook, players can maneuver, attack, defend, and narrate in any direction they see fit.

Special abilities come into play constantly, and there are many ways to expand combat scenarios to impose new threats. Players will definitely need dice, some sort of measuring device, and some specialized tools to help them determine factors like radius damage. All of these tools can be found in the Games Workshop Starter Pack.

Tournament Play

Some players may not feel that playing in smaller friendship groups is sufficient. Some ambitious fans want to join the larger community And compete in a scaled scenario. There are tournaments there, both national and international.

Of course, there may be local groups for people to join, and there are countless official live streams covering the latest news from the match scene. It's a really fun way to perfect some strategies and find a group of like-minded people who share the same hobbies.

Expanded World

The worlds players will find in their starter packs and the backgrounds given in the Codex are just the beginning. The Black Library, for example, houses countless comics, novels, and other extras that give fans an insight into the Warhammer universe.

Additionally, Marvel has put out a few graphic novel series and a slew of fantastic video game adaptations that share the same continuity, so it's easy to find inspiration for new fights. It's unclear if the show will be set within the same continuity, but so far, Games Workshop has done a fantastic job making sure everything in Warhammer 40k is connected.