The galaxy trembles in the fist of steel of an all-consuming war. The Imperium teeters on the brink of annihilation, assailed from all sides by heretical warlords, demon-summoning sorcerers, and greedy alien empires. The Great Rift cleaves the void, an irregular wound that opens through the heart of the Emperor's domain and oozes madness and mutation around it.

In every star system and on every planet, fighting rages more fiercely than ever as loyalists, heretics, and aliens tear through reality itself in their war for dominance. Every day the flames rise higher: it is a time more terrifying than any before it, for there is no peace in the stars...

This 280-page hardcover book is the essential guide to Warhammer 40,000 and contains everything you need to know to collect, assemble, paint and play your Citadel miniatures in the darkness of the 41st Millennium.

You'll find an overview of the 40,000 Warhammer hobby in all its aspects, the basic rules for playing games from simple skirmishes to huge Onslaught games, and an in-depth introduction to this rich and eerie setting through immersive history, stunning artwork and photos, and an evocative look at all the factions fighting in the far future.

This book opens with an introduction to the exciting hobby through its four aspects: Collecting, Model Making, Painting and Play. You'll find out how to start your Citadel miniatures collection, learn how to assemble and paint these miniatures, and find tool suggestions and guides to help you further. You'll also begin your journey as a commander by discovering how, where, and why players engage in dynamic Warhammer 40,000 games with a Battle Report between two armies, and an explanation of the different playstyles: the Autonomous Patrol format, the competitive games of Chapter Seal, and the narrative Crusade campaigns.

This detailed history section serves as an entry into the darkness of the 41st Millennium. It is a distant future dominated by an oppressive and corrupt human empire, whose crumbling borders are defended by doomed heroes and threatened by dangers from within and without, and whose history is steeped in ignorance, carnage, and the laughter of bloodthirsty gods.

The first part of this guide explores the rotting Imperium and the galaxy in which it extends: the long-dead God-Emperor who eternally sits on his Golden Throne, the High Lords and Adeptus bureaucrats who rule in his name, the fanatical Ecclesiarchy who preach the Imperial faith, the mysterious Ordos of the omnipresent Inquisition, and the post-human Space Marines who fight battles that no one could survive. You'll also learn about the infernal dimension called the warp, which fuels psychic mutation and interstellar travel, the demented Chaos Gods who rule over its infinite depths, the blasphemous cults that serve them, and the Great Rift that splits reality in two.

You'll also find a double-page galactic map, highlighting crucial planets, systems, war zones, and warp storms.

The second half delves into the history of this setting, from its myth-shrouded past to the apocalyptic clashes of its present. You will find a timeline of the development of Humanity through the Ages of Terra and Technology, the Ages of Struggle and Darkness, up to the Age of the Imperium. You'll explore the superstitions that fueled the Imperium's adoration of long-lost technology and its fearful hatred of aliens and mutants, the Great Crusade through which the Emperor sought to unify Humanity, the Horus Heresy that set the galaxy on fire, and the millennia of war and death that shaped the Imperium.

Finally, you will arrive at the Indomitus Era, marked by the opening of the Great Rift, the birth of a new God of Death, and the resurrection of Primarch Roboute Guilliman. As the new Lord Regent's Indomitus Crusade attempts to reunite the dying Imperium, a psychic awakening heralds a terrifying Age of Sorcerers, and Abaddon the Scourge torments the galaxy with the help of the demonic demigod Vashtorr and their Fated Arks. The return of Lion El'Jonson, the Emperor's First Primarch, only postpones an utter disaster. And with the resurgence of the Leviathan Hive Fleet, the galaxy may well end up as a banquet for alien swarms.

FACTIONS 

Explore each of the warring factions in Warhammer 40,000, with detailed histories as well as tactical descriptions and a gallery of their Patrol miniatures. The Imperium's coalition armies include the mighty Space Marine Chapters, the ranks of the Astra Militarum, the fanatical cults of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adepta Sororitas, and the golden warriors that make up the Adeptus Custodes. The blasphemous Forces of Chaos include the ancient Renegade Legions and other newer warriors of the Hereticus Astartes, as well as the mysterious Chaos Demons. Finally, the insidious Xeno Threat brings together the brutal Orks, the mercenaries of the Votann Leagues, the expansionist T'au Empire, the ancient branches of the Aeldari and Drukhari, the Necron immortals and the voracious Tyranids and their Genestealer Cults.

The Warhammer 40,000 Core Rules contain everything you need to know to fight glorious battles in the war-torn galaxy of the 41st Millennium. These basic rules are used for games of all sizes and styles, and provide a base that will serve with other extras.

You'll learn the general principles and basic concepts of Warhammer 40,000, the spec sheets and characteristics used by your miniatures, and the rules that apply to the five phases of the game: the Command phase, the Movement phase, the Shooting phase, the Charge phase, and the Combat phase. You'll also find the Stratagems and Perks used by all armies, as well as additional rules for items like Strategic Reserves, Field Elements, and Airships.

Finally, you'll find the rules for assembling an army, deploying your armies for a game, and controlling objectives as well as a Mission, Let War, so you can jump into the game right away.

PATROL 

The Patrol format is the perfect starting point for playing Warhammer 40,000. Thrilling and quick to learn, it uses the Core Rules to play tactical encounters that last about an hour, using only the contents of the Patrol boxes. These forces all have bespoke rules that are offered online and in other publications, and provide everything you need to play. This section provides an introduction to the Patrol game mode, an explanation of the Battle-Ready paint standard for games, and six different Patrol missions: Patrol Clash, Archaeotech Recovery, Outpost, Scorched Earth, Broomsweep, and Show of Strength, each with its own objectives, mission rules, and deployment maps to vary the gameplay experience.

This book ends with a separate index of the Basic Rules, serving as a handy reference to use during the game.