hit video game Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and is about to appear in an episode of the new Amazon Prime series Secret Level. Plus, celebrities like Henry Cavill and Shayna Baszler frequently mention their love of the grimdark universe, with the former set to appear in a Warhammer 40K movie adaptation.

Warhammer 40K is both a tabletop miniatures game and an expansive sci-fi world set in a dark and war-torn future universe. The miniatures game involves building armies made up of dozens of miniatures and battling over objectives over the course of five rounds. The game is supplemented by a deep library of secondary material, including novels, animated series, comics, and video games. Luckily, this means there are plenty of ways to enjoy Warhammer 40K, even if you're not ready to invest hundreds of dollars into an army.

Warhammer 40K's Lore Is Incredibly Deep

Warhammer 40K Has A Deep Lore Beyond Cool-Looking Miniatures

While every Warhammer 40K fan probably has their own reason why they love the franchise, many players were first drawn into the game thanks to the deep lore of the universe. The game has over 20 factions, each with its own heroes, background, and history. Many of the factions have ties to Warhammer Fantasy, with orcs, elves, and dwarves all represented in some way. There are also traditional aliens, such as the T'au and robotic Necrons, as well as more exotic foes like the biomass-consuming Tyranids. Additionally, there are numerous armies representing the forces of chaos as well as the forces of humanity.

At Warhammer 40K's heart is the expansive Imperium of Man, a galaxy-spanning empire consisting of thousands of planets. Founded by the Emperor of Mankind, a powerful immortal human with psychic powers, the Imperium underwent a massive expansion led by legions of Space Marines. Every Space Marine was forged by a combination of genetic manipulation and powerful technology, made to be much more than human. However, the Imperium was beset by a massive civil war 10,000 years before Warhammer 40K's present day, leading to the Emperor of Mankind nearly dying and being reduced to a living corpse enclosed within a super computer.

One key to Warhammer 40K is that there are no "good" factions. The Imperium of Man is xenophobic, fanatical, and stagnant, willing to destroy entire planets to cut off potential sources of heresy. Sadly, the other factions aren't any better. While there are some genuine heroes within the world of Warhammer 40K, most of the factions represent the most egregious extremes, who see ordinary citizens as nothing more than fodder for war machines or resources to be exploited.

Warhammer 40K Can Be Enjoyed In Numerous Forms

Tabletop Games, Video Games, And Books Are All Easy Ways To Jump Into Warhammer 40,000

Although a grimdark future where death is far from the worst fate a mortal can suffer seems... grim, Warhammer 40K is a satirical and darkly humorous franchise. In the far-flung future, everything is taken to an extreme, which means that there are impossible weapons, grandiose monsters and machines, and impossible planets. The rulebooks of Warhammer 40K are filled with lore about the universe and its factions, providing intriguing glimpses into current storylines and conflicts. These are supplemented by the Black Library, a deep and expansive collection of stories written by a plethora of top sci-fi writers.

One of the best parts of the Black Library is that it features stories about nearly all of Warhammer 40K's many factions. Traitorous Space Marines have just as much of a spotlight as some of the biggest heroes of the Imperium of Man, and alien species like the Orks and Necrons also have individual novels providing a spotlight on their cultures and beliefs. Most of the Black Library is available either digitally or in physical book form, with some audiobooks also available.

Many video game publishers also work with Warhammer 40K on licensed games. Space Marine 2 is the most popular recent example, but there are a variety of games that cater to different game genres. From turn-based CRPGs like Rogue Trader to cooperative shooters like Darktide, almost every video game style is represented in some way within the Warhammer 40K catalog. One strength of the 40K video games is that they are all faithful to the lore, aesthetic, and feel of the universe, which makes them all great entry points for the world of the game.

Here's The Easiest Place To Start With Warhammer 40K

Warhammer 40K Features Easy Starter Sets Perfect For Newcomers

Depending on how you want to dip your toe into the Warhammer 40K universe, there are plenty of great entry points for Warhammer 40K. My personal preference is to dive into the tabletop game itself. Last year, Games Workshop released several Starter Sets for the current edition of Warhammer 40K, providing several price point entry tiers. Each Warhammer Starter Set comes with several miniatures to build (you'll only need sprue cutters and a hobby knife for these - no glue necessary) along with basic rules on how to play the game. If you enjoy what the Starter Sets have to offer, you can either grow the Space Marine or Tyranid armies found in the sets or pick a different faction to grow.

If you're solely interested in the lore of Warhammer 40K, check out some of the Black Library books to check out the war. A personal favorite of mine is the Eisenhorn trilogy written by acclaimed writer Dan Abnett. Eisenhorn is an Inquisitor who hunts down heretics within the Imperium of Man. Over the course of the trilogy, Eisenhorn discovers several massive conspiracies and is forced to compromise his own ideals in order to defeat his enemies. The Eisenhorn books approach the Warhammer 40K universe from the ground level, with Eisenhorn interacting with every corner of the Imperium, from lowly criminals to uncompromising bureaucrats and powerful nobles in the pursuit of his quarries.

Honestly, there are few "wrong" ways to jump into Warhammer 40,000. Even if you've never built a miniature before or can't tell a chainsword from a gamma pistol, there are plenty of ways to enjoy and get caught up in the world of the game. Find a part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe that grabs you and then dive deep into the world. Just don't be surprised if you end up with one or more 2,000 point armies ready for battle once you get caught up in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Source: Warhammer