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Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop science fiction wargame set in a grim, dystopian future of eternal warfare.

The Imperium of Man in the 41st Millennium is beset from all sides by forces of Chaos, brutal Orks, enigmatic Eldar and the voracious Tyranid hive fleets. The only forces standing between humanity and total annihilation are the soldiers of the Imperial Guard, the forces of the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy, and the elite chapters of the Space Marines. Players choose their army from one of the many factions presented in the game and create a customized force from their faction’s army list. The army list contains units, equipment and special abilities unique to each army, along with an assigned point value. Battles are fought between armies constructed with equal point values to maintain balance and fairness. Typical Warhammer 40,000 armies are built around a 2,000-point force, though battles in the 500-1850 point range are common.

The rules and tactics of the game has changed with each edition (currently Warhammer 40,000 is in its fourth edition, released in 2004), but the basic structure is a turn-based, I-go-you-go system. At the beginning of the game the players determine who will go first, either by rolling a six-sided die or by mutual agreement. Once this has been determined, the first player moves his units, resolves any shooting attacks, and then performs any close combat attacks as necessary. Play then proceeds to the second player, who performs the same actions for his units. Once both players have completed their actions the next turn begins. Most battles last between four to six turns and take between two to four hours to complete.

As a product, Warhammer 40,000 is noted for being considerably expensive to play. Tournament play requires that players only use miniatures produced by Games Workshop, and that these miniatures must be painted to a particular standard and accurately reflect the equipment they have been assigned. Creating and converting a competitive force can be quite expensive, especially with army lists that are built around large numbers of expendable troops. Despite this, the game remains one of the most popular and successful tabletop wargames available, with dedicated one-day conventions (called Games’ Days) and tournaments held all over the world.

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