Someone teach me about wh40k?

[runningoff@lgbtqia.space]

@SilentDame wh40k is a franchise of schlock science fiction tabletop gaming systems and assorted games, books, etc. made by Games Workshop, a UK company. Games Workshop also makes Warhammer Fantasy and a few other smaller systems. WH40K is a rich universe of "grimdark" science fiction fantasy, where humanity has evolved into the galaxy-spanning Terran Empire, but has lost its ability for technical innovation, becoming instead a machine-worshipping cargo cult, buoyed by the dark powers of the Warp, a malign supernatural influence that suffuses the universe. Humanity is a dying, doomed machine, trudging along on its way to finally breaking down, while waging endless brutal wars against human heretics, the Orcs, the Tyranids, and other species of aliens. As a brutal theocratic regime, it knows only blind obedience to the emperor and his priests, and war against all other beings.

That's the basic background setting. What do you want to know more about- the lore, the tabletop games, or other products?

[silentdame@lgbtqia.space]

@runningoff more of the lore please! I know a little bit like the emperor but honestly the rest is just overwhelming. I played a bit of the mechanicus strategy game so I learned about the tech worshippers too I think. Thank you for explaining!

[runningoff@lgbtqia.space]

@SilentDame I am definitely not an expert on W40K lore, but I've picked up a fair bit. Some of this might be wrong, but I think I have the color and spirit of it. The next thing to explain is the Orcs, who I believe are related to humans in some way, but are more attuned to the warp than the Terrans. They are great hordes of scavengers and are an ironic mirror to the Terrans' tech priesthood in the way that all their war machines are propelled directly by warp power with no pretense of mechanical functionality, though they maintain the outward appearances of the mostly Terran tanks they have captured.

The orcs are organized in clans, often warring with each other, until a dominant chieftain calls for a great WAAAAAAGH, where many clans band together.

While the Terrans, whose elite fighting force is the Space Marines, have the Imperial Guard as an auxiliary force in their wars, the Orcs have as their auxiliary the goblins, a species of weak creatures enslaved by the Orcs.

During a WAAAAAGH, the Orcs wreak havoc on their foes, throwing all their might (and all of their goblins) against them, stopping only when their war lust dies down eventually.

The Tyranids are aliens inspired by the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise. I don't know much about them, but they are merciless predators, and the Terrans hate them and attempt to exterminate them wherever they encounter them.

There is also the race of the Tau, an alien species technologically evolved much further than the Terrans. I don't know enough about them either.

Finally, I must explain the Warp.

The Warp, also called Chaos, is a malignant force suffusing the universe, driving insane all those it touches, but also tempting warp-sensitive individuals with massive power akin to the Force of Star Wars. Those who are warp sensitive are called Psykers. Apart from empowering Psykers with power such as calling forth lightning, teleportations, and mind reading, the Warp is also the primary means of interstellar travel. Warp navigators are a special subtype of Psykers who commune with the Warp deeper than most and are able to chart a course through the Warp for space ships.

There are several demons of the Warp called the Chaos Gods, such as Slaanesh and Khorne, with cults devoted to them across the factions of W40K, such as the Chaos Space Marines, who are followers of Khorne and oppose the Terran Empire. (those demons are also part of the Warhammer Fantasy universe so the delineation gets a bit fuzzy there)

Where the Terran Empire carefully regulates and controls its Psykers, the Chaos Space Marines get a lot looser with it, letting their heretics run wild.

[silentdame@lgbtqia.space]

@runningoff this is crazy!! How do you even learn more about it? And psyker Jedi sounds so cool. There’s a bunch of different human, Terran groups? I’ve heard a little about chapters. Like is there a good starting point? And wow thank you for taking all of the time to write that up

[runningoff@lgbtqia.space]

@SilentDame I've learned all this by osmosis, through some friends who were into the W40K table top games, the W40K Dawn Of War computer RTS games, the Rogue Trader roleplaying game, and memes.

You can find a lot of information diving into Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000

And there will be fan wikis around with more lore as well.

If you're into (computer) gaming, the Danw Of War series is a great RTS series, Rogue Trader is a great CRPG, and the Total War Warhmmer series will soon get its first W40K game (The current Total War Warhammer 3 game is set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe).

[silentdame@lgbtqia.space]

@runningoff thank you I appreciate all of the help it’s just such a cool universe. I can’t wait to read more

[runningoff@lgbtqia.space]

@SilentDame It really is super cool. It's schlocky as hell and some people take it too seriously, but that's true for all fandoms.

[silentdame@lgbtqia.space]

@runningoff it’s very true lol

[captainvellalives@lgbtqia.space]

@SilentDame where I got into 40k was with this webseries: http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/ It's the story of an RPG tabletop game (I believe Rogue Trader) played between friends and the story is told from the characters perspective. Everytime I ran into something that I didn't know I wiki'd it and from there I got a bit into the lore

One thing the absolutely incredible @runningoff (love you ️) didn't mention is that the Necrons are clearly the best faction because they're Egyptian Space Terminators that started life as a species with hyper cancer, traded their bodies to gods to be healed, got tricked by the gods, became cursed living metal, rebelled against the gods, shattered them, turned them into their own weapons of war, fought some other gods, won the War in Heaven then took a multi million year nap because they accidentally killed everything in the universe and ever since they got out of bed they've been causing more chaos than literal Chaos gods in a quest to find a biological form worthy to ascend to. I love them :3

40k is so unbelievably over the top and extra and the lore is great. It is the literal definition of grimdark though so expect some heavy content in places. The Adeptus Mechanics and their bloody servitors are a great example...

[runningoff@lgbtqia.space]

@captainvellalives @SilentDame Dang I forgot about the Necrons.

[captainvellalives@lgbtqia.space]

@runningoff @SilentDame the silent king and I are very disappointed in you

[runningoff@lgbtqia.space]

@captainvellalives @SilentDame MTG did a 40K edition? Of course they did lol

[captainvellalives@lgbtqia.space]

@runningoff it was one of those Commander sets like they did with Fallout. From memory the decks were Space Marines, Chaos, Tyranids and Necrons

@SilentDame

[captainvellalives@lgbtqia.space]

@SilentDame @runningoff while I'm thinking of it too there's a game mode called "Kill Team" that uses models and the base rules of the 40k proper game but actually makes it affordable to play lol. A lot of game shops have starter kits that click together 🥰

[silentdame@lgbtqia.space]

@captainvellalives @runningoff this is wild! I saw a bit about Necrons when I played just the first few missions of 40k mechanicus strategy game. This sounds awesome and thank you for sharing the link