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What is Warhammer 40,000 About?


Warhammer 40,000 is a miniatures-based tactical combat game which takes place in a far future, very dark and gothic. Mankind is being assaulted on all sides by Space Orks, Eldar, Chaos, and other foes. The relentless Tyranid hoards are invading the galaxy in search of fresh genetic material for their bio-engineered race.

It's not a happy place.

But it makes for a great wargame. You buy armies with points, each vehicle, squad or character figure being worth so many points. Each race has army lists, showing what types of troops are available for that army, and their statistics showing how well they fight, shoot, move, etc. Wargear and other additional weapons can also be purchased.

To represent your army, you use small plastic or metal figures, about 1.5 inches high for the average joe. A big part of the game is painting and setting up your army; some people don't play at all, but are just into the painting side of the hobby.

Combat takes place on a tabletop, usually 4 x 8 feet. There are no grids, so measuring for movement and shooting is done with rulers/tape measures/whatever. Terrain covers the table to give it a realistic look (and to create a better game). The game runs in turns, with each turn divided into phases for moving, shooting, hand-to-hand combat, and psychic powers. Overall it's pretty fast paced and exciting.


- Tim Huckelbery (tyranid@aol.com), of Games Workshop US

Last Updates
16 November 1996page split off
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