What is Warhammer 40K? A beginner's guide to its lore

Warhammer doesn't have to be scary. It doesn't have to be intimidating, and it doesn't even have to be confusing. Yes, I said it. More importantly, it doesn't have to be gatekeepy, even though I appreciate that's probably what you're met with most of the time when you search online for what Warhammer even is.

So my aim here is to ease you into Warhammer 40,000 with a brief, very brief, overview, in the hope that you might be a tiny bit more interested in it by the end than you are now. Bear with me as we dive straight into the world of Warhammer 40K.

Warhammer 40K is grimdark science fiction with fantasy at its core

At its core, 40K is science fiction. We're talking spaceships, lasers and the far future. But don't go in expecting shiny utopias like Star Trek. 40K is grimdark, a genre that's all about things being bleak, brutal and downright terrifying. Imagine a universe where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, times a thousand.

There's a twist, though. 40K also has serious fantasy energy baked in. Strip away the spaceships and the plasma guns, and it could easily be about knights, monsters and magical relics. It's a mix of science fiction tech, gothic horror and ancient mythology all rolled into one.

Then there are the alien races straight out of fantasy novels. You've got space elves known as the Aeldari, dark elves known as the Drukhari, orcs but spelt cooler, dwarves in the Leagues of Votann, and even robot skeletons, the Necrons. Don't expect the typical elves and dwarves routine, though. These factions are twisted, futuristic and totally unique.

Whether you're into detective stories, epic wars, comedies about dumb orcs or full blown horror, 40K has it all. It's an insane mashup of genres. The one thing that ties it together is the tone. Grim, dark, "hopelessness has never been so fun."

The 41st millennium: Terra, the warp and a galaxy split in half

Welcome to the 41st millennium, or 40,000 years into the future, give or take. Humanity has spread across the galaxy, but things are not looking good. We're talking massive galactic empires, ancient alien civilizations, and a horrifying parallel dimension called the warp, where demons hang out and physics stops making sense.

Earth still exists, but it's now called Terra. The sun is still shining, but the galaxy has been split in half by a giant warp rift. One side has contact with Terra. The other, called the Imperium Nihilus, is cut off and surrounded by chaos, quite literally.

Travel across the galaxy isn't as cool as warp speed in Star Wars. It's more like haunted house meets time travel: dangerous, unpredictable, and sometimes you end up centuries late for an invasion. Trust me, showing up to a battle 200 years late is "not ideal."

The Imperium of Mankind, Space Marines and the Astra Militarum

The first of the big players is the Imperium of Mankind. This is humanity's empire, a massive, bureaucratic, religious, theocratic police state held together by fear, paperwork and a whole lot of guns. At the top is the God Emperor of Mankind, who's technically dead but still physically holding everything together from a golden life support chair.

The Imperium's muscle comes in two flavors. First, the Space Marines. They're superhuman, genetically modified warriors with extra organs. They even have two hearts. They're divided into chapters with distinct themes: the vampiric Blood Angels, who are my favorites, the wolflike Space Wolves and the crusading Black Templars, to name a few.

Second, the Astra Militarum, which is regular humans but in ridiculous numbers. They fight with tanks, artillery and sheer stubbornness. Think World War I trench warfare, but in space.

Here's a fun fact: humanity might be the protagonists, but they aren't the good guys. Oppressive, cruel and fanatically religious, the Imperium's motto is pretty much better dead than different.

The forces of Chaos and the four Chaos gods

Worshipping dark gods and embracing madness, the forces of Chaos are the Imperium's worst nightmare. Chaos Space Marines used to be loyal warriors, but they turned traitor during the Horus Heresy, the galaxy's most intense civil war ever. You'll hear about heresy all the time. I'm constantly accused of being a heretic myself, but I digress.

Each god of Chaos represents something twisted. Khorne is the god of rage, blood and skulls. "Blood for the blood god." Nurgle is the god of disease, decay and really gross stuff. Tzeentch is the god of magic, change and scheming. Slaanesh is the god of excess, pleasure and hedonism. On top of that, they can summon demons straight from the warp, so yes, fun times.

The alien races: Aeldari, Orks, Necrons, Tau, Tyranids and the Leagues of Votann

Then there are the aliens. The Aeldari are space elves trying to survive after creating a Chaos god by partying too hard. No, seriously. The Orks are green skinned brutes who love fighting, and the bigger and louder their guns, the better.

The Necrons are undead robots waking up after millions of years, looking to erase all organic life. The Tau are high tech and idealistic. They believe in the greater good, but they will absolutely blast you if you disagree.

The Tyranids are like Alien meets Starship Troopers. They're a hive mind that devours entire planets, and even scarier, they're always evolving. Finally, the Leagues of Votann are space dwarves. They're tough, they're tech savvy, and they're guided by ancient AI that they revere as ancestors.

What war looks like in Warhammer 40K

War in 40K is big. It's brutal and it's messy. Imagine massive trenches, tanks rolling through wastelands, and chainswords. Yes, chainswords, revving up for close combat. There's something for everyone: space battles, mech fights and even duels with plasma swords.

The weapons are over the top, and it's amazing. Lasguns are like futuristic AK-47s. Bolters shoot rockets, and flamethrowers set entire squads on fire. Then there are psykers, who are space wizards. They can turn enemies into living bombs.

Each faction fights in its own style. Orks charge in wild mobs, and we all know their war cry. Space Marines are tactical and elite. Tyranids overwhelm with bio horrors, and Necrons slowly march forward, rebuilding themselves as they go. It's chaotic, it's cinematic, and it's completely insane.

The big storylines: the Great Rift, Guilliman's return, Tyranids, Chaos and Ghazghkull

The 40K galaxy is always on fire, but these were the latest, most important highlights for anyone looking at getting into it. First, the Great Rift: the galaxy split in half by a warp rift, cutting off huge parts of humanity.

Second, the return of the Primarchs. Roboute Guilliman, one of the Emperor's super sons, is back and leading the fight to save the Imperium. Third, the Tyranid invasion, a massive Tyranid swarm closing in on Earth's neighborhood.

Fourth, the Chaos uprising. Abaddon the Despoiler, a big bad Chaos leader, and his demon buddy Vashtorr are building super weapons to shatter the Imperium. And Orks are just Orks. Ghazghkull Thraka, the Ork warboss, is stomping across the planets with his never ending Waaagh.

Where to start with Warhammer 40K: books, games and shows

Hopefully your mind is now thinking, I'd like to know more. If not, you're probably freaked out by my excited tone, because this is something I'm passionate about. It either pleases you or greatly annoys you. Either way, welcome.

Books are the best place to start. The Black Library is packed with novels. I'd start with something like Horus Rising for epic backstory. My ultimate favorite is Gaunt's Ghosts, a gritty war drama.

Online lore explainers are great, but sometimes confusing. I'd recommend Arbitor Ian, who goes with humor and explains things in a clear way. In terms of games, there are tabletop battles, but also PC and console games, most obviously Space Marine 2. Other games are great too, such as Darktide.

Amazon Prime's Secret Level had episode 5, which was all about Titus from Space Marine 2, titled And They Shall Know No Fear. There was something for everyone at the time, particularly in the media. There's also Warhammer+, with loads of shows, lore explainers and hobby tips if you're ready to binge.

I've thrown a lot at you in a short space and tried to keep it as simple as possible. What's important is that Warhammer 40,000, in all its grim, dark and ridiculously cool glory, has something for you, whether you're here for the epic battles, the bizarre aliens or the galaxy's biggest soap opera. And trust me, once you dive in, there's no turning back.