Warhammer 40,000 facts for kids

Warhammer 40,000, also called 40K, is a fun game played on a table. You use small model armies and miniature landscapes. Players use dice to decide what happens and a ruler to measure how far units move.

Each army has many different types of weapons. Each weapon has its own strengths and ways to break through armor. Armies also have different kinds of units. All units have special numbers, called stats, that players use to help them win.

How to Play

You need two or more players for a game. Players take turns doing things. First, they move their units. Then, they shoot at enemy units. Finally, they can charge into close combat. Each unit has stats like ballistic skill (how good they are at shooting) and toughness (how hard they are to hurt).

Armies You Can Play

Many different armies fight in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Some of them are the Necrons, Tyranids, Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Eldar, Dark Eldar, Tau, Orks, Witchhunters, Daemonhunters, and Imperial Guard.

Necrons

Necrons are mysterious, quiet, and look like skeletons. They are robot warriors controlled by ancient star gods called the C'tan (pronounced Ki-Tan).

A very long time ago, 60 million years ago, they were living beings called the Necrontyr (pronounced Neck-cron-tir). They had a sickness that made their lives very short. They were jealous of another race, the Old Ones, who lived a long time. The Necrontyr had better technology.

Then they found the Star Gods, the C'tan. The first one they met was "The Nightbringer." This god started to eat the souls of the Necrontyr. The Necrontyr were scared but tricked The Nightbringer into thinking other races existed. They offered to give The Nightbringer a body made of "Living Metal" (see below). This god was pure energy before.

They found other C'tan who were not as hungry. A C'tan called The Deceiver, who loved tricks, convinced the Necrontyr to put themselves into bodies made of living metal. Most of them agreed. But they were tricked! Most of them lost their souls and memories. They became slaves to the C'tan. The C'tan used them to "harvest" other races to eat.

Later, The Deceiver tricked the C'tan into eating each other. Only four were left: The Nightbringer, The Deceiver, The Outsider, and The Void Dragon. They realized they were losing a war against the Old Ones. So, they went to "Tomb Worlds," places with no life, and went to sleep. Now, 60 million years later, they are waking up!

Necrons have powerful technology and armor. Their armor and weapons are made from "Living Metal." This metal can change shape and fix itself if it gets damaged. Necrons are one of the oldest races in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are like traditional undead creatures such as skeletons or zombies. They might be based on the robots from the Terminator movies.

Tyranids

In the game's story, Tyranids are fierce hunters from another galaxy. They completely eat whole planets before moving on to the next. They can create new types of creatures to help them reach their goals. Tyranids are often compared to the Alien creatures from the Alien movies or the Borg from Star Trek.

Space Marines

The Space Marines are an army of super-humans. They were changed to be stronger to protect humanity in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. There are many different groups of Space Marines. These groups are called chapters. Each chapter is separate and has 1,000 soldiers. They have their own uniforms, stories, and gear. Some chapters have special rules and unique soldiers in the game. Chapters find and train their own new recruits. The leader of a Space Marine chapter is called the Chapter Master.

Much of the Space Marine equipment is very old and considered holy. Most people in their empire do not know how to make more of some items, like the powerful Dreadnought armor. This is why Space Marines send their best mechanics to a special group called the "Adeptus Mechanicus." These mechanics learn how to repair and recover important things like their Rhino Troop Carriers or other tanks.

Space Marines wear special, often holy, suits of armor called power armor. This armor helps them fight better. All Space Marines are made to be very tough. They can live for a very long time. They even have an extra heart and an extra set of lungs! They are also trained to be very brave and religious. They are taught to be excellent at shooting and fighting.

Some Space Marines have magic-like powers. These are called Librarians in most chapters. For example, one Librarian from the "Dark Angels" Chapter can shoot fire blasts from his eyes and mouth. There are also Space Marines who act like priests, called Chaplains. They lead the worship of the God Emperor of Man.

A Space Marine army usually includes:

Chaos Space Marines and Daemons

Chaos Space Marines want to destroy everything and see the galaxies burn. They are Space Marines who turned evil 10,000 years ago. This happened at the start of a huge war called the Horus Heresy. The leader was Warmaster Horus Lupercal. He thought he was stronger and fairer than the Emperor. They fought a great war that ruined many planets. Horus almost won, even reaching Holy Terra. But the Emperor and his forces were stronger. In the end, Horus was defeated. The Space Marines who followed him or turned evil went to a place called the Eye of Terror, where they still live.

Chaos Space Marines look very different from regular Space Marines. They often have sharp spikes, skulls, and strange changes to their bodies. They also have special units that serve their dark gods. Nine of the eighteen Space Marine legions turned to Chaos during the Horus Heresy. These include the Luna Wolves (now Black Legion), Thousand Sons, Death Guard, World Eaters, Word Bearers, Night Lords, Alpha Legion, and Iron Warriors.

Daemons are evil spirits of Chaos that come into our universe to cause destruction. They look and play very differently depending on which god they serve.

• Khorne is the Chaos God of blood, anger, and hate. His daemons are fierce fighters who use large swords and axes.
• Tzeentch is the Chaos God of fate and magic. His daemons have constantly changing body parts and can use powerful magic fire.
• Nurgle is the Chaos God of sickness and decay. His daemons are very tough and often look like one-horned zombies.
• Slaanesh is the Chaos God of too much pleasure. His daemons are very fast and look like barely dressed human women.

Images for kids

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  The assembly and painting of models is a major part of the hobby, as much as the actual game.

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  Distances between models on the playing field must be measured with tools, as there is no grid.

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  A painted polystyrene model of a Space Marine, about 4.5 cm in height.

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  A painted polystyrene model of a Necron Immortal.

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  A painted polystyrene model of an Aeldari Farseer.

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  A painted polytsyrene model of a Tyranid warrior.

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  A first edition Space Marine model, from the 1980s.

See also

In Spanish: Warhammer 40 000 para niños