Archive Guide
If you are new to 40K, start with the setting overview and faction index to build a mental map. If you already know the basics, jump to fiction, tabletop play, or the resource links.
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Warhammer 40,000 Reference Guide
A grimdark reference hub for new readers, returning hobbyists, and curious visitors. Explore the setting, major factions, common eras, tabletop entry points, fiction routes, and trusted places to continue reading.
Setting Overview
The Grim Darkness of the Far Future
Warhammer 40,000 is Games Workshop's dark science-fantasy tabletop wargame and multimedia setting. Its stories usually revolve around a decaying human empire, alien civilizations, daemonic powers, psychic horror, endless war, and faith turned into machinery.
10+Major playable factions and sub-faction paths
M31The Horus Heresy era is often treated as its own major period
M41The classic 40K setting centers on the dark millennium
6Official and community resource portals linked below
How to Browse
Factions, fiction, rules, and miniatures are the four easiest entry points. Pick the one that excites you most, then circle back to fill in eras, events, and terminology.
Faction Index
Major Factions
This is a high-level map for recognizing faction themes. Exact rules, names, and narrative status can change between editions and publications.
Imperium of Man
The Imperium is one of the central powers of the setting, spanning Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Knights, and many more institutions.
HumanityTheocracy
Chaos
Chaos covers the Chaos Gods, daemons, corrupted mortals, and Traitor Space Marines whose rebellion and influence have shaped the galaxy since the Horus Heresy.
WarpCorruption
Aeldari
The Aeldari include craftworlders, Drukhari, Harlequins, and related paths. Their themes often involve ancient power, psychic mastery, decline, and highly specialized warfare.
Ancient RacePsychic
Necrons
The Necrons are an ancient machine civilization awakening from tomb worlds, defined by dynasties, impossible technology, and claims older than most living species.
DynastiesAncient Tech
Orks
Orks are a brutal, anarchic, and darkly comic warlike species driven by battle, ramshackle engineering, and vast migrations known as Waaagh!s.
Waaagh!Greenskins
T'au Empire
The T'au Empire is a comparatively young interstellar power known for advanced ranged warfare, caste organization, allied species, expansion, and the ideal of the Greater Good.
Ranged FirepowerYoung Empire
Tyranids
The Tyranids are extragalactic hive fleets that consume biomass, adapt rapidly, and attack through countless organisms coordinated by the Hive Mind.
Hive FleetsBio-Horror
Leagues of Votann
The Leagues of Votann bring kinship societies, ancient cores, industrial technology, and resilient battlefield roles into the modern 40K range.
KinIndustry
Era Guide
Common Eras and Reading Context
Warhammer 40,000 spans many books, games, and editions. These recurring era labels help readers orient themselves before diving into deeper material.
War in Heaven, C'tan, and the Old Ones
These concepts appear most often in Necron, Aeldari, and deep-history material. Different sources may frame the same events through very different faction lenses.
The Emperor, Primarchs, and Space Marine Legions
This era is tied to Imperial expansion, the discovery of the Primarchs, and the rise of the Space Marine Legions before the galaxy-spanning civil war.
The defining civil war of Imperial history
The Horus Heresy is one of the setting's foundational events, centered on the division of the Legions, the Siege of Terra, and the fate of the Imperium.
The classic dark millennium
The famous tone of "only war" belongs here: Imperial decay, xenos threats, Chaos incursions, religious tyranny, and a galaxy that never stops burning.
The Great Rift and the Indomitus Crusade
Recent mainline material often involves Roboute Guilliman's return, the Great Rift, Primaris Space Marines, and the Indomitus Crusade.
Reading Routes
Start Here
People enter 40K through different doors: miniatures, novels, video games, painting videos, lore essays, or local tabletop groups. Pick a route that fits your curiosity.
For Setting Lore
Read official faction introductions and the background chapters in the core rulebook, then use reference sites such as Lexicanum to look up unfamiliar names.
For Novels
Start with Black Library series, standalone novels, or short-story collections that match a faction you already like. The Horus Heresy is rewarding but very large.
For Tabletop Play
Check the current core rules, starter sets, Combat Patrol options, and the faction range that visually appeals to you. Current rules should always come from official publications.
For Painting
Begin with a small set of tools, primer, a few base colors, washes, and one squad or character model. Official painting guides and community tutorials are both useful.
For Video Games
Video games can be excellent atmosphere gateways, but each title covers only a slice of the setting. Use them as a doorway, then check sourcebooks or references for context.
For Roleplay and Fan Projects
Learn the tone, faction logic, and era you want to use, then build stories that clearly fit the part of the galaxy you are exploring.
Tabletop Basics
The Hobby Side
Warhammer 40,000 is also a physical hobby built from miniatures, rules, painting, terrain, events, and local communities.
| Area | Good First Stop | Watch For |
|---|---|---|
| Core Rules | Current core rules, official FAQ, faction index, or army book | Rules change between editions, so older online posts may be out of date. |
| Faction Choice | Miniature range, play style, background, painting interest, and budget | Do not choose only by competitive strength; balance shifts over time. |
| Model Building | Clippers, hobby knife, plastic glue, primer, base paints, and washes | A small practice project is usually better than buying a huge pile at once. |
| Community Play | Local game stores, official events, clubs, demo games, and beginner nights | Ask about house rules, proxy expectations, table size, and event format. |
Terms
Quick Terminology
How are the Imperium, Space Marines, and Primarchs related?
The Imperium is a vast political, military, and religious structure. Space Marines are among its most famous transhuman warriors, while the Primarchs are central figures tied to the early history of the Space Marine Legions.
Are Chaos and the Warp the same thing?
No. The Warp is a dimension tied to psychic power, faster-than-light travel, and unreality. Chaos is closely associated with Warp entities, daemons, corruption, and the Chaos Gods.
Why do different sources describe the same event differently?
40K often uses faction perspectives, Imperial propaganda, mythologized history, unreliable records, and edition changes. When details conflict, check the date and type of the source.
Sources & Links
Resource Portals
Use these public links for official news, models, fiction, product listings, and community reference material.
Visitor Guide
Continue Exploring
Fiction Path
Black Library novels, short stories, and audio dramas cover the Imperium, Chaos, xenos civilizations, the Horus Heresy, and many smaller corners of the galaxy.
Tabletop Path
Choose a faction whose models and tone appeal to you, then learn the current rules, Combat Patrol scale, and local play scene.
Painting Path
Start with basic tools and a few miniatures. Practice cleanup, assembly, priming, basecoats, washes, layering, and simple highlights before expanding.