Warhammer 40,000 - Core Book

Publisher: Games Workshop

There is no peace. No respite. No remission. There is only war.

The galaxy writhes in the embrace of an all-consuming conflict.

The Imperium of mankind teeters on the brink of annihilation, beset from all sides by heretical warlords, demonological sorcerers, and rapacious alien empires.

In all star systems, on all planets, the battle rages between loyalists, heretics and xenos who vie for supremacy to the point of tearing apart reality.

Every day, the blaze rises higher.

It's a more terrible time than ever, and the stars have no peace to offer...

The book
With 368 hardcover pages, it's a must-have for any Warhammer 40,000 – there's everything you need to know to collect, assemble, paint and play Citadel figures.

It begins with an overview of the hobby Warhammer 40,000 through its four parts, Collect, Assemble, Paint and Play, including the description of free, equal and narrative play.

Dark Imperium
In the first of the lengthy historical sections, you'll read all about the state of the galaxy after the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum – the Great Rift – across the galaxy, which split the Imperium.

Humanity faces its greatest challenge in a decade as the forces of Chaos sweep across the distraught Imperium as alien warlords attempt to profit from the senseless devastation plaguing the Emperor's domain.

An inset depicts the planets and the Ground System, in addition to a map of the entire galaxy, which shows the major war zones in order to locate the main actions of the moment.

Dark Imperium then briefly covers the Imperium's military organs, bureaucratic institutions, and also its more clandestine organizations...

You will then learn more about the constant movement of the Imperium's borders, as well as the attitude that the Imperial Creed dictates towards abhumans, psykers, and worst of all, mutants and heretics!

Finally, Dark Imperium briefly describes the four gods of Chaos, along with their immortal demonic legions, deadly sycophants, and fearsome champions, who are more than ever a threat to the Imperium.

Saga Imperialis
As you read the rest of the context, you will get a global view of the history of the human race, from its beginnings in the early Ages of Terra and the Age of Technology, then to the Ages of Struggle and Darkness, to the Age of Imperium following the Horus Heresy.

The thread continues to the events of the Dark Age of Imperium and the Rumbling Storm shortly before the opening of the Great Rift – and the Wizarding Age that followed with the Psychic Awakening.

Finally, the foundations of the Indomitus Crusade are laid, after the visit of the resurrected Primarch Roboute Guilliman to his father, the Emperor, on the Holy Terra.

Further on, you'll glean insights into the Imperium's stance towards the Xenos – Orks, T'au Empire, Aeldari, Necrons and extragalactic Tyranids – Demons and Heretics.

The section concludes with four stories, which bring to life in a luxury of detail the reality of the Indomitus Era.

The Emperor's Warriors, the Lost and Damned, and the Xeno Invaders.
These sections describe all the factions of Warhammer 40,000 so that you understand the threat they pose and their place in the galaxy.

There is a gallery of miniatures to illustrate each of said factions as it appears on a battlefield, with narrative descriptions.

The Rules.
The first section of the Basic Rules lays out the core of the game by describing the seven phases of the game turn: Command Phase, Movement Phase, Psychic Phase, Shooting Phase, Charge Phase, Combat Phase, and Morale Phase.

The additional rules also cover:

- How to play missions and the army composition process, following either Power ranks or point values.
- Regulation and Free armies, as well as Command Points from which Regulation armies can benefit.
- Tactical Roles and 11 types of Detachments that can be included in your armies.
- Seven Universal Basic Stratagems, available to all armies of Warhammer 40,000.

- Strategic Reserves – the option to keep units separate during deployment, or even have them outflank the enemy line later.
- Actions – such as placing explosive charges, accessing a database, or performing a ritual – with how to perform them (or prevent them, in some cases).
- The rules of terrain elements, such as Hills, Obstacles, Terrain Areas, and Buildings, with the traits that the terrain is likely to have, and its impact on the battlefield.
- Tips and tricks for setting up a good battlefield, in terms of density and terrain type, so that neither side has an advantage on its side of the table.

Free Play
Let your imagination take over with free play, which allows you to recreate any tactical challenges and narratives of your own, without restrictions.

This section is dedicated to the Open Hostilities Mission Pack, a 12-step guide to setting up and playing a free play game until it concludes and the winner is declared.

It includes:

- Instructions for mobilizing armies, deciding on missions, creating the battlefield and other key points to organize a game.
- Three missions specifically for free play.

Equal Play
Designed to put both players on an equal footing, equal play gives them the same chances of victory, leaving it up to your tactical sense and army selection to give you the advantage in battle.

This section features an Eternal War Mission Pack – a 16-step guide to setting up and playing an even game until it concludes and the winner is declared.

It includes:
- Instructions for choosing a battle format, mobilizing armies, deciding on missions, creating the battlefield, defining Secondary Objectives and other key points to organize a game.
- 18 missions specifically for equal play, each made for a given format: three Patrol, six Incursion, six Strike Force, three Offensive.
- Secondary Objectives, i.e. 17 different ones divided into five categories, to be chosen by the players.

Narrative Game
The Crusade is a new way to play games of Warhammer 40,000.

It allows you to take a collection of miniatures and take them on the Crusade, advancing units over any number of games, against any number of opponents, so that you can build the story of your miniature collection as it battles the battlefields of the 41st Millennium.

As you play Crusade, you'll be able to expand your army, gain experience and skills, and even modify your weaponry.

You can start with a small band of novice warriors and grow into an elite armed force feared and renowned throughout the galaxy!

It includes:

- How to assemble a Crusade force, and how they gain experience to level up as they progress through playthrough.
- A balancing mechanism so that two Crusader forces, from the most inexperienced soldiers to the most seasoned brothers-in-arms, can face off in the fairest 40,000 Warhammer game possible.
- Blank photocopiable Crusade Maps and an Order of Battle card to keep track of your forces.
- Four Battle Honor Boards – Battle Traits, Weapon Upgrades, Psychic Stamina, and Crusade Relics – that offer various bonuses and in-game effects, hard-won by the unit after numerous battles.
- A Combat Aftermath table for units that didn't emerge from the battle intact...

- Instructions on how to organize a Crusade game as a narrative game until it concludes and the winner is declared, before updating your Crusade Cards and Order of Battle.
- A list of 17 different Intentions, in five categories, for players to choose from.
- 18 missions specifically for the Crusade, each made for a given format: three Patrol, six Incursion, six Strike Force, three Offensive.

Appendix of Rules
A handy reference section that includes:

- Comments from the ruler's designer, Robin Cruddace.
- An alphabetical list of 174 existing weapons earning the Blast special rule.
- An alphabetical list of 22 existing figures/datasheets earning the Aerodyne Special Rule.
- A synopsis of 14 rule interactions that are rarely encountered in part, but important to know.
- A Glossary of Rules Terms, which provides the precise definitions of 142 regulatory terms to help resolve cases of complex rule interactions.