The Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook is the ultimate and essential guide to playing Warhammer 40,000 - In a savage future age, Mankind must battle for survival in a galaxy riven by destruction and bloodshed. Warhammer 40,000 is set in a time when power-armoured Space Marines and the uncountable numbers of the Imperial Guard must stand against the slavering hordes of alien warriors.

This 320-page hardback rulebook contains all the information you need to get started with Warhammer 40,000, including: full rules for fighting tabletop battles, a history of the 41st Millennium, a guide to the races and armies that can be found in the far future, and a hobby section on how to choose, collect and paint a Warhammer 40,000 army of Citadel miniatures and set-up a battlefield to fight over.

Welcome to the 41st Millennium

In the dark future of the 41st Millennium Mankind fights a desperate battle for survival. The galaxy is torn by destruction and war as alien races and foul traitors seek to destroy humanity and bathe the stars in the blood of mankind. It is a future where mighty armies do battle for domination and there is no peace, only war.

Warhammer 40,000 allows you to wage war with armies of Citadel miniatures across tabletop battlefields in the ultimate contest of strategy and skill. Each player is a general, who must choose his finest warriors, decide upon cunning battle plans and strategies and lead his followers to victory or death. Games can vary in size from small skirmishes of just a few dozen models per side, to massive clashes with literally hundreds of miniatures.

So, what exactly is Warhammer 40,000?

In a nutshell, each player collects an army of Citadel miniatures then, using the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook as a guideline, they fight epic battles against their fellow generals. Dice (like you'd find in almost any board game) are used to determine success and failure: to decide whether a las-blast hits a target or a squad of Guardsmen can hold their nerve in the face of a massive alien monster. Each game is played, not on a regular 'board' but a special gaming area where models are not confined to 'squares' but are free to move as their controller wishes. Because Warhammer 40,000 is not played on a set game board, tape measures or rulers are used to see how far a miniature can move - a sleek jetbike can travel faster than even the fittest Imperial Guardsman after all.

That all might sound a little complicated, but most Warhammer 40,000 players find that after just a short game or two they've grasped the basics. Seasoned generals find that the rules become second nature, and they seldom need to refer to the rulebook at all.

Starter set

• Warhammer 40,000: Assault On Black Reach

Re-implements:

• Warhammer 40,000
• Warhammer 40,000 (fourth edition)

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