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Total War Warhammer/Tactics/Dwarfs

2023-06-12T19:37:06Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D: /* Multiplayer Strategies */

{{Topquote|Kazukhan-kazakit-ha! (Look out, the Dwarfs are on the warpath!)|Game battle chant for Dwarfs, if you think about it, it should be look <s>down</s> THAT'S A GRUDGE!}}
This is the tactics page for the Total War: Warhammer version of The Dwarfs.

==Why play Dwarfs?==
*Because you want to sit and watch as your enemies are blasted away while coming towards you.
*Cause you're under 5'5 and want '''vengeance''' for all the short jokes.
*You don't want to do too much micro, so an army without much in the way of mobility and cavalry doesn't bother you as much.
*You enjoy having infantry that won't die after being slapped by a wet noodle.
*Slay everything without a beard!!
*FLAMETHROWERS!!!

===Pros===
*'''Durability''': You are a tank faction. Most of your units are categorized with high armour, melee defense and leadership. Even your tier one and chaff are very tanky compared to counterparts from other factions. This is further supplemented by the innate magic resist many of your units have, which ''slightly'' compensates for your otherwise complete lack of magic. Additionally, with their naturally high leadership, dwarfs do not usually break unless hopelessly outnumbered or if you screw up massively by getting cavalry charged in the rear. Frankly, your units will hold out forever.
**Your magic resistance got nerfed in the third game to ''only'' resist magical spells. Still useful, but now units with magic attacks, I.E Daemons, are going to be way better at cracking you open.
*'''Range''': Guns, guns and more guns! Dwarfs have some of the best blackpowder units in the entire game. Thunderers and Cannons can lay a whooping on anything they are firing on, and their artillery isn't anything to sneer at. Even their non-AP range units are very good for their price, and it's not hard for them to earn their points back as long as they are defended.
*'''If they get close, Nut 'em!''': As if being being one of the best factions at shooting was not enough, their missile units can also hold their own in close quarters better than most.
*'''Airforce''': Gyrocopters with their anti large can get you control over the air, and their ability to kite monsters into oblivion is a good skill to have. Even Gyrobombers have a niche for their blob killing capabilities after recent buffs.
*'''Runes''': Where other races rely on the fickle Winds of Magic, you have your reliable runes. Runes supply surprisingly good buffs and debuffs that can help your army out, making them a great way to make sure your infantry stays in the fight a bit longer. The fact that they aren't limited by a power reserve also means that they'll remain a viable option well into the latter stages of a fight, where other factions might begin to tap out of their mystical power.
*'''Anti-large''': You laugh when the enemy brings big monsters. With all your AP missiles, Anti Large artillery and slayers, you have the one of the easiest times killing monsters out of any faction in the game.
*'''Strong Economy''': It's campaign specific but yeah, it turns out the species who's renowned for being the best at making shit is also one of the best at making money. The resource building chains go up to level IV instead of stopping at level III, you can mass produce Dwarf Beer anywhere. Putting together Doomstacks of Top Tier Dawi troops is easier.
*'''Good for Beginners''': Everyone was just starting once, if you are new to Warhammer Total War or just Total War in general the Dawi are (ironically enough) forgiving. Something like the Wood Elves is fragile and has a limited margin for error, Dwarfs on the other hand have more of a fudge factor in most match ups. Not to say that it's easy mode playing dwarfs, but the likelihood of things going pear shaped in a second is lower.

===Cons===
*'''Lack of Mobility''': With no Cav, monsters and slow infantry, Dwarfs are the least mobile faction in the game. You will spend the majority of the game standing still.
*'''Lack of Magic''': Though your most recent rework makes your runes a damn good alternative, you don't really have magic. This can pose a problem when you face similarly physically durable armies in battle and lack a reliable, magical alternative for damage. Additionally, though you defensively have a 25% resistance to the arcane, many large vortex spells will still sting quite a bit and your complete lack of magical healing means it'll be hard to bounce back from the damage you do take.
*'''Chariots''': Chariots are the bane of a Dwarf players existence. They don't have any real way to lock them down and, as you'd expect, AP anti infantry can really kill what the Dwarfs want to do on the battlefield. Due to the rework to how bracing and knock down works, this isn’t as bad as before, but chariots can still be a problem
*'''Predictability''': Most veteran players know what's going to happen when Dwarfs are picked. They are going to go for a cheap, numerous and sturdy front line and a lot of guns and artillery. This means that Dwarfs are easy to plan for as they only have one real viable tactic. Building an army around fighting Dwarfs is something players from all races know how to do.
*'''Lack of Good Lord Options''': Do you like the Runelord or Thorek? No? Well you better start because in multiplayer they're your only viable options. Grombrindal is an ok duelist but honestly Dwarf lords in general kind of suck. With no mounts and no way to stick to their targets it's hard for them to get anything done. This problem got better with the Twisted and the Twilight due to the changes to knockdown effects, but sticking to targets will still be hard
*'''Hard campaign''': With all the changes to the factions around them, the Dawi have fallen on some pretty hard times. The lifetime of WH2 dotted the landscape around Karaz-A-Karak alone with a huge number of guaranteed enemies that you will have to look out for, with your most reliable allies in the Empire being very far away. The other subfactions don't fare much better and your slow growth seriously hurts your ability to expand, especially when compared with your most dominant enemies, the Greenskins of the Badlands and Clan Mors further down the road.
*'''Bad in Domination''': Turns out your stubby little legs makes it really hard for you to capture objectives. Due to your lack of mobility you can't effectively capture points since other factions can just out race you to them and get more units on them. As such, you're widely considered the weakest faction in Domination.
*'''DLC''': A con for everyone, but fortunately you get off easier than many others. Unfortunately, a couple of your best units, namely Runelords and Rangers, are in fact locked behind DLC and if you want to really use your Dwarfs to the fullest, you'll need to pay the toll.

==Universal Traits==

*'''The Great Book of Grudges''': The fact that the sacred Dammaz Kron went unmentioned on this pages for so long merits an entry on its own. The Book of Grudges documents every slight committed against your faction, including legendary grudges that you start out with. Whenever something bad happens, i.e. you lose a settlement, get raided or a hostile faction repeatedly trespasses on your turf without you allowing it, it merits an entry in the book. These entries can (and will) accumulate over time, and depending on how much your Dorfs disliked the transgression, will vary in severity, which fills up a meter that gives you some penalties and some bonusses. High severity from unresolved Grudges gives you minor public order and research speed penalties, but it also gives all of your armies a charge bonus (since the Dwarfs are so pissed off) and increases the chance of Slayers and Giant Slayers popping up in your Regiments of Renown pool, where they can then be recruited instantly into your armies. Resolving Grudges and Legendary Grudges (such as retaking Karak Eight Peaks as Belegar Ironhammer) also earns you powerful bonusses (money, Oathgold, small buffs for the entire faction ) and special Runes.
*'''Oathgold''': The secondary resource of the Dwarfs. Practically identical to the Mortuary Cult of the Tomb Kings, with the key difference being that the Dwarfs can make much more stuff with Oathgold and that the stuff is much more abundant. Oathgold is earned through resolving Grudges, doing missions and quests, Gold Mines and some special buildings such as the Brightstone Mine in Mount Gunbad. Oathgold, combined with trade goods, can be used to create items for your Lords and Heroes, which makes it downright trivial to kit out every single character on the map with some special gizmos to make them really powerful. Oathgold can also be used to make Character and Banner Runes, the former can be applied as equipment to individual characters (with up to 3 individual runes at maximum), the latter functions like Banners that you can give units to give them special bonusses and abilities.
*'''Expert Charge Defense''': Barring Slayers, every single one of your units has Expert Charge Defense, which nullifies charge bonusses and also the momentum of units charging into your staunch line of angry Dwarfs.
*'''Magic Resistance''': Every Dwarf has a built in 25% Magic Resist (Spell Resist in WH3). Consult the main page for WHFB Dwarfs as to why.

==Legendary Lords and Subfactions==
*'''Thorgrim Grudgebearer:''' The high king himself, and the only large non-war machine unit in your roster, as he is carried on a massive throne sled by some burly dwarfs, Thorgrim isn't huge on offence, better than say mid-tier combat lords, but he's mostly just a hard to kill brick of leadership. Dwarfs in range of him just become slightly harder to break, which isn't saying much given their default morale, and he's not easily sniped. This results in him being kind of underwhelming, you know he's not going to die like a bitch, but you also know that he's not exactly going to recoup even a quarter of his cost. Is kind of safe in campaign play for beginners, but Grombrindal is overall superior. - Pass.
*'''Ungrim Ironfist:''' The Slayer King, bane of anything taller than six feet, Ungrim is the opposite of Thorgrim; all offence, with low defence. Ungrim is actually pretty good in terms of being a hero-killer and monster-hunter, he's not going to solo Tyrion or Kroq-Gar, and don't even think of monster lords like Kholek or monstrous mounts such as a Tomb King on a War Sphinx, without a unit to bog them down. The problem with Ungrim is that while he can throw hands and live up to his title, he eats a lot of damage for a Dwarf, or just in general for a combat Lord, he's easy to snipe with massed missiles if caught in the open, and while he can butcher most things sent his way, he'll only be able to do this once or twice in a battle before he's at serious risk of dying. Don't let that 120 armour & Unbreakable make you think he's a tank, Ungrim's Melee Defence is quite low for a combat lord, and that low dwarf speed means he can by kited to death. Thorgrim lacks the damage to recoup his cost, Ungrim lacks the defence to recoup his costs. If playing with an ally that has access to Lore of Life he can be kept alive, but you're asking a lot of resources to support the Slayer King. - Pass.
*'''Grombrindal:''' THE WHITE DWARF, Grombrindal doesn't bring anything really special to the table, he's a decent duelist, although lacking the balls-to-the-wall offence of Ungrim Ironfist, Grombrindal is nowhere near as risky for a combat Lord. The flashbomb ability can lockdown mobile Heroes and give the White Dwarf a few easy hits. Doesn't quite bring much for the rest of the army, but is the best Legendary Lord for cost-benefit tradeoffs. He can fight, he can survive, and he can make the entire army Unbreakable with a reusable map-wide buff. - Niche but competitive in that niche. In Campaign, he is easily the best LL the Dwarfs offer. His blue skill tree affects ''your entire faction'' and the four blessings you can choose every 20 turns (10 after picking a specific skill) are all very powerful, a whopping +25% Research Rate is no joke, as are +10 Melee Attack and Defense for every unit in Grombrindals army.
*'''Belegar Ironhammer:'''(DLC) Belegar is really just a wall, he's harder to kill than Thorgrim as they have comparable stats, but he has a silver shield for 55% missile resistance. That's all. Just an insanely hard to kill Lord, sure his offence isn't terrible, being better than Thorgrim's on base stats and a nice buff can be popped to go higher. But honestly you're paying a lot for a Lord that won't die, and generally speaking Dwarfs in Total War: Warhammer aren't a faction that is centred around their generals or Heroes. No real wizards to throw high-impact spell effects, no mobile Heroes that can exploit small gaps to flank units or hunt down supporting pieces like buffers, wizards or artillery crews. The only upshot to taking Belegar's subfaction in multiplayer is getting access the Ancestor Heroes who are damned hard to kill, but are also the only Dwarf units that are scared of magic damage, which can sort of be a mind-games thing because the default assumption to seeing Clan Angrund picked is that Ancestor Heroes are on the field, so grab some magic damage to delete them, but then seeing that there are no ghost Dwarfs means that the magic damage is actually a big waste considering all Dwarfs have 25% Magic Resistance. - Pass.
*'''Thorek Ironbrow:'''(FLC): With the rework comes a new LL and Thorek serves this role, being the latest (and most likely last) new contender in the Lustrian Thunderdome in the Vortex Campaign, and starting at the southernmost tip of the map in Karak Zorn on Mortal Empires. He serves as a supercharged Runelord with access to a unique mount that messes quite a bit with enemy spellcasting and improved Runic Magic on his own part. In the campaign, his legendary conservativeness translates into bonusses for "traditional" Dwarfen ranged units like Quarrelers and Grudge Throwers. Not to worry though, since he starts with a Rune of Burning that makes the Catapult projectiles [[Awesome|FUCKING EXPLODE]] and dramatically increases the combat value of Quarrelers in his own Army quite significantly (arguably making them even better than Thunderers). His campaign goal revolves around finding several lost Dwarfen artifacts, which can then be used to craft powerful buffs for your whole faction. [[Derp|He also can make enemy casters explode.]] - Best Multiplayer Lord pick.

==Units==
===Generic Lords===
*'''Dwarf Lord:''' No, just no, he suffers from the same issue that the Legendary Lords suffer from, being too slow. But wait there's more, the generic Lord is easier to kill in combat, provides less army support, and does less damage. He's not even the cheapest option to help save costs. I mean he has a shield, but its only bronze. Unless you've got some kind of bet riding on a battle and there's a specific stipulation that you cannot use any other Lord, screw the money because he's too crap. That said compared to generic foot Lords in other factions he's quite difficult to kill, which is more advice for fighting Dwarf Lords in campaign really. PASS!
*'''Runelord:''' (DLC) Yes, yes yes. The one competitive General in multiplayer, the Runelord is just a walking bubble of passive buffs that make your low tier units good, and your good infantry units even better. Has good active abilities, like Master Rune of Oath & Steel which gives +30 armour to all dwarfs in range, or the Rune of Speed which adds 45% speed and 24 melee attack to all dwarfs in range. This is the Lord pick that supports the Dwarf army, and don't think he's some kind of wizard that dies when someone looks at him funny, while the melee defence is low at 40, the Runelord has the same 120 armour as the other Lords, plus up to 35% missile resistance, sharing 20% of that with nearby allies. Slapping him on an Anvil of Doom gives a special ability that causes enemy casters to automatically miscast for minor damage when near him. TL;DR fucks magic, gets buffs. - Good if you want Thorek but a bit cheaper.

===Legendary Heroes (Clan Angrund Only)===
[[Clan Angrund]] has such a strong relationship with their ancestors, they come back as ghosts. Like all ghosts, they have a 75% physical resistance instead of magic resistance, with magic attacks, Unbreakable, but no armor and less health than normal. They have Fear and Terror making them good at chasing the enemy off. They themselves are weak to magic attacks, but who takes that much offense magic against Dwarfs anyway?

*'''King Lunn Ironhammer:''' is one of the two ghost Thanes, being the offensive one, with slightly more Melee attack than a normal Thane.
*'''Halkenhaf Stonebeard:''' the other ghost Thane, being the most defensive of the par with significantly lower melee attack but a very high defense of 65 and silver shield, letting him minge with enemies for a protracted time to proc terror routs.
*'''Throni Ironbrow:''' Most likely to take as he is a Runesmith, so someone that needs protection while also being in the front lines.
*'''Dramar Hammerfist:''' the ghost engineer so paying extra for a harder to kill gun lines buffer and better at chasing away those that try to disrupt them.

===Heroes===
*'''Master Engineer:''' Basically a must if you're running more than 2 artillery pieces, buffs artillery, has a decent sniper rifle of his own, not great in a fight with anything beyond hound packs and light cavalry, so don't expect him to be an effective guard for the cannons he's buffing. However if there is another unit nearby casting Entrenchment right before they rout will make the unit hold the line and fight even after being routed. On campaign they also boost your army's mobility. Aaaaaand the Dwarf Rework happened, buffing him even further with the ability of the Vampirate Gunnery Wight to restore lost ammo to artillery pieces for up to five times. Just too good to miss out on if you're bringing a bunch of cannons (and who doesn't, honestly).
*'''Runesmith:''' Basically a squishier version of the Runelord, has many of the same buffs, both passive and active. With the Dwarf rework, these guys have gone from being merely decent to amazing. While utilizing a rune puts every other rune on a shared cooldown, this only applies per caster; having multiple Runesmiths allows you to stack multiple buffs simultaneously or across multiple units without having to wait out the full 60 second global cooldown. They might not necessarily be an auto-include persay, but having one or two of these guys in your army is strongly recommended.
*'''Thane:''' While they still suffer from being slow, Thanes can be used more aggressively than Legendary Lords. Kit them out with the Rune of Slowness to gimp enemy mobility, or give them the Ironbeard's Ring and coordinate with a source of fire damage: Flame Cannons, Dragonback Slayers, Warriors of Dragonfire Pass, basic Irondrakes, or Brimstone Gyrocopters, all of these will deal serious damage to units inside the debuff aura.

===Infantry===
*'''Miners''': The closest thing to cannon fodder in the Dwarf Roster, miners are cheap AP units. Also give "speed" and breadth to Dawi list by vanguarding.
*'''Dwarf Warriors''': Did you know that a unit of Dwarf Warriors costs 475 gold but can hold against 3 units of Empire Swordsmen, costing 400 gold each, for just over 2 minutes and racking up roughly 90-100 kills before dying/breaking? Dwarf Warriors aren't great, just good, and are very much just a shield wall frontline. Dwarf Warriors are very cost-effective starting units. They will trade positively against most infantry that are tier 1-3 excluding units with high AP values or anti-infantry buffs. Dwarf Warriors aren't the same as elite heavy infantry however, they will break in time, if rear charged, if attacked by great weapon units, if hit with leadership debuffs, or if attacked by characters. This is a unit that buys time for a unit in the second line to get in position to assist, do not assume you can just deploy them as a single line and have artillery sit safely behind them.
**'''Warriors of Dragonfire Pass'''(ROR): Slightly better warriors that deal fire damage in combat, not a guaranteed pick most of the time, but good against any faction that is vulnerable to fire, consider pairing with a Thane carrying Ironbeard's Ring to boost damage.
*'''Dwarf Warriors (Great Weapons)''': You know how Dwarf Warriors can hold frontlines for a time but need a second line unit to assist them, this is cheapest of the second line units. Regular warriors have shields, 40 Melee Defence, and charge defence against large units, Warriors with Great Weapons don't have those defences, they get armour piercing damage which is the kind of offence needed to make up for the vanilla Warriors' shortcomings. Don't try and use them as a frontline unit, and replace them when you can with other melee infantry.
*'''Longbeards''': Warriors +1 really, they buff the leadership of other units (it's the generic Encourage passive so no stacking with Lords), so consider mixing them with warriors. Cost-wise your mostly paying for better Melee Defence, better Leadership, the leadership aura, and Immune to Psychology compared to vanilla Warriors. A common question is which is better for cost, Longbeards or Warriors, but outside of fighting undead armies that have tons of Fear/Terror effects, the answer to the question is; use both. While the differences between the two units are obvious in comparison, to the player on the other side of the battlefield it doesn't matter much because a Dwarf line is still a solid formation that is hard to break. Longbeards work good in the wings to buff leadership in the flanks, and having warrior units means you can save gold for more missile units and artillery.
*'''Longbeards (Great Weapons)''': While the difference between shield Warriors and shield Longbeards isn't much, the great weapon variant favours the Longbeards, which come with Charge Defense and Armor-Piercing (but no target specialization). In MP, where every gold coin counts, if all you need is cheap AP, take the Warriors, but if you want something tankier and able to encourage your Dwarfs to hold out a bit longer, take these guys.
**'''The Grumbling Guard'''(ROR): Not too bad, stat wise its a bit more armour & melee attack, 10 more leadership, and 13 more Melee Defence, which puts them at a whopping 51 Melee Defence. You don't get any improved damage output with these guys, instead you get an ability that replenishes 9% of vigour for them and nearby allies. This may not sound like much, but fatigue debuffs are crippling for units, and Dwarfs rely on grinding things out so even a small vigour buff to some units is good even if it just moves them from exhausted to very tired. But wait, this ability has infinite uses and a low cooldown so spam it away. While Hammerers do the same job but better, the Grumbling Guard are fantastic for keeping Ironbreakers in better condition than their enemies.
*'''Slayers''': Slayers are kind of weird. They're unbreakable, quick (for a Dwarf), hit hard, and do a lot of damage with no consideration to survivability. This means that they can seriously fuck up higher-tier units but on the same time are vulnerable to cannon fodder. It does not matter if you're a crappy Goblin with a crappy spear, it's getting through a Slayer's hide as much as a Chosen's Daemonforged Axe. When using Slayers, hold them back so that other units, especially ones with charge defense, take the brunt of the charge before moving the slayers to counter-attack, and while it might cost you the charge bonus, having them attack through the buffer unit really improves the lifespan of your Slayers (Probably much to their chagrin). Note that if you ever leave them in the open, missile units just have to imagine shooting them to wipe the unit, which is an expensive mistake. Also a definite must take against Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings with all their Fear effects but do not ever think about using them against Vampire Pirates because they will get shot to pieces before any Fear/Terror units get close for the Unbreakable to matter. Also, leave them at home against Wood Elves, or if you have fore-knowledge that your opponent likes horse-archer tactics.
*With the Dwarf rework that dropped together with Thorek Ironbrow, they went from terrible in Single Player to a pretty good choice for the early game, since you can now recruit them anywhere as long as your grudge meter is up. It also makes unlimited Slayer Doomstacks lead by Ungrim Ironfist a terrifying sight to behold.
**'''Dragonback Slayers'''(ROR): Slayers with better MA & MD, and they get physical resistance on top of the shield defense. The real value comes with their passive that activates in melee, it gives them fire damage, fire resistance, and applies slow debuff and the Flammable trait for weakness to fire (doesn't stack if the enemy already has the Flammable trait, but will stack with other effects of a different name that reduce fire resistance). The physical resist, slow debuff and the combo of fire damage and Flammable debuff makes this unit a generally better pick over vanilla Slayers, note that they do not get the fire resistance outside of combat so getting hit by flaming missiles outside of combat will hurt, the Lore of Fire spells are still subject to Dwarf magic resistance though.
*'''Giant Slayers''': These are just super Slayers, too costly to run a lot of. They will instantly blend light cavalry units like Marauder Horsemen or Ellyrian Reavers that dare to charge them, not that you should be using them to counter these units, it's just funny to see happen. Giant Slayers are basically Ungrim Ironfist as many Dwarfs instead of one. What they don't kill will be pretty close to death. Cannon fodder might counter Slayers, but Giant Slayers dish out enough melee damage that you only need to worry about elite infantry and high mass units charging them. More vulnerable to shooting as they don't get the missile defense that Slayers get, these guys are expensive but do the job. Not recommended as a staple unit in army builds due to their cost, but good to pick if you're against monster or cavalry heavy armies.
*'''Hammerers''': Your well-armored, AP Damage dealing elite Dwarfs, not the same tank as a Longbeard but will deal serious AP damage. They've been reworked in the latest game, giving them substantially more health and magical(!) damage, meaning they're your best chance against Daemons and Treekin. **Still the same weaknesses as before, though: they're a Hammer (heh) in an Army of Anvils, so they'll mostly be pushing their way through your infantry
**Peak Gate Guard(ROR): The ultimate anti-armor unit, they go through heavily armored units like swordsmen through Skavenslaves and then let other Dawi also participate in the fun.

===Ranged Infantry===
*'''Thunderers''': Like Empire Handgunners, but you don't need to babysit them as much. A very useful unit even in the lategame that won't break the bank.
*'''Irondrakes:''' Where the fun begins. Ridiculously high damage output, solidly armoured. Need positioning to work right, but will absolutely demolish anything that you point them at. Their flamethrowers are considered artillery so they cannot be blocked by shields and inflict morale penalty upon anything they hit. They are surprisingly strong in melee against infantry if not deployed in a thin line because the back row can use their flamethrowers at point-blank, but not against cavalry as they'll pierce till the back row.
**'''The Skolder Guard'''(ROR): Replaces Lava for Steam to be an anti-armor unit. Much tougher than an Irondrakes with Physical resistance which is nice to have when the enemy gets a sneaky charge. They will multch full-plate units quickly given they have an even faster reload speed but watch out as you will also burn through their limited ammunition just as quickly. Against enemies with less armor you're better off using regular Irondrakes.
*'''Irondrakes (Trollhammer Torpedo)''': the Anti large version of the Irondrakes, having rocket launchers instead of Flamers. Often times Irondrakes can just melt through the armor of most things they are pointed at, sometimes they are Cavalry or monsters that have enough armor to shrug off that current of magma. Unlike regular Irondrakes they can shoot over units and obstacles. Don't be fooled by how their torpedoes explode, they don't do splash damage and should only attack infantry if you don't have anything bigger to shoot.

===Combined Infantry===
*'''Quarrellers''': Boring but practical. Like Dwarf Darriors, they're able to trade shots with the tier 1 ranged units of pretty much every other faction and winning because they come with shields on top of their Dwarf armor. They also come with armor piercing, which makes them a budget option for shooting stuff like Chaos Warriors. However, they do less DPS per gold spent than similar units like Empire Crossbowmen and Darkshards.
**As mentioned above, Thorek brings out the best in these guys, keeping them very relevant even to the late game. The shield variant is best used against missile-heavy factions like Wood Elves, but does nothing against Artillery.
*'''Quarrellers (Great Weapons)''': Similar to Quarrelers, except they give up shields in exchange for armor-piercing melee weapons. Won't win much in close combat, but they'll take down more enemies before they're overwhelmed, particularly against squishy units like harpies.
**Thorek buffs them to an insane degree to the point that when combined with all the relevant campaign bonuses, Quarrelers will become the core of your army. They're still not a frontline since they only have so many models in a unit, but 6-10 of these guys can outright delete anything that gives your Longbeards and Ironbreakers a hard time (Mammoths, Stonehorns, even Rogue Idols). They also autoresolve very well, taking more losses than the shielded variant, but will take less losses than your frontline infantry.
*'''Miners (Blasting Charges)''': take that cheap Miner, then give them a single volley for bomb-throwing. Each model only gets one bomb, so make it count. Turn off ''Fire at Will'' and select the targets manually. A well-thrown Blasting Charge will decimate most charging infantry.
**'''Ekrund Miners'''(ROR): A regiment that Gets 3 Blasting Charges instead of 1. Depending on how well you managed them, that's paying less gold then recruiting 3 Blasting Charge Miners which matter very much in the gold restricted Multiplayer.
*'''Ironbreakers''': The fact that Ironbreakers are one of the toughest units in the game would make them a key part of a Dawi late game army. Add to that blasting charges and you have something which can stomp most other infantry into the ground, blowing away a quarter of their hitpoints and ruining their charge before finishing off the survivors. Their only downside is that their damage in hand to hand is not that great, but that's what Thunderers, Slayers and artillery is for. NEVER let artillery, including artillery towers, target them. They're so slow they're target practice and they're no.1 priority as D warfs don't have anything bigger.
**'''Norgrimlings Ironbreakers''':(ROR) Even better Ironbreakers, With bigger model size (so more bombes and unit health), a faster throwing arm, Vanguard, and Immune to Psychology. Overall a more powerful unit that can holds back the hords for longer while dealing more casualties.
*'''Rangers''': Sneaky Dwarf Quarrellers getting Vanguard and Stalk for a surprise Dwarf ambush. They have better speed to help with positioning and catching enemies at least when compared to other Dawi. They're armour is pretty good for most armies, but among Dwarfs they're on the lower end of defenses.
*'''Rangers (Great Weapons)''': Ranger equivalent of Quarrellers(Great Weapons) with one key difference; unlike the great weapon Quarreler the Rangers give up their crossbows entirely in favor of shorter ranged, higher AP throwing axes. Surprise AP flanking is a thing any Dwarf list could ask for. Keep in mind that each Dwarf only carries 8 axes, so they'll run out much quicker than other rangers. Once they run out of throwing axes they become a decent anti-armour skirmishing unit, although their low defense means they need to chose their opponents carefully.
**'''Ulthar's Raiders'''(ROR) a unit your should be more careful with than just normal Rangers with Great Weapons, as they get the [[Witch Hunter]]'s ability to Mark a unit for death. You do get a fair amount of range despite having only infantry speed, being able to strip an enemy of a lot of their protection they had against ranged weapons. Good take if your using a Focus fire strategy, assuming your can keep the Raiders safe while making back their cost.
*'''Bugman's Rangers''' Surprisingly not a ROR. Improved Rangers, having the regenerative and drunkenness properties of Bugman's liquid courage. they are better at fighting off harassers while their improved shooting and HP recovery help them win archer fights. These are to Rangers as Longbeards are to Warriors: a straight upgrade assuming you can afford it. In MP, they can last longer without support and work best if you're good at micro. If not, you're probably better just leaving them at home in favor of more units of regular Rangers.

===Cavalry===
Does not exist. See Slayers, Rangers and Air Units if you want something fast, you beardling.

===Artillery===
*'''Bolt Thrower:''' Your cheaper anti-large Artillery. More accurate and shoots faster than a cannon, but outclassed by them in splash and penetration power. Best used to take out elite cavalry and monsters in the early campaign.
*'''Grudge Thrower''': Your first artillery unit. Fills a role like an Empire Mortar as a long-range anti-infantry weapon giving it has the largest radius of splash damage on impact.
**'''Gob-Lobber (Grudge Thrower)(ROR)''': Like the Grudge Thrower, but better. Also has live Goblins bolted to the projectiles. Causes morale penalties to targets, which stacks with the penalty for being hit by artillery.
*'''Cannon:''' Your classic artillery. Slow to fire but harder to dodge, best used as an Anti-large weapon while also killing models in high armor units, through can have difficulties hitting if the enemy zigzags too much like most Artillery units.
*'''Organ Gun:''' An effective horse begone tool, with good armor piercing and a ton of cannon balls flying everywhere, cavalry will quickly and efficiently die off in droves as your foe rages, if there’s no cav to shoot, then this thing is good for pulping infantry and can do a decent job at eliminating chariots.
*'''Flame Cannon''' Jack-of-all-trades artillery. Great area damage to deal with blobs of infantry and while it doesn't cause AP damage, its base damage is high enough that it doesn't matter. Funny enough, its stats make it much better at breaking towers and walls than cannons.

===Air Units===
The closest thing to "cavalry". Flying Bombers. Fill a role as the fast-moving guns to shoot at enemy flanks and drop anti-infantry bombs. The rotor blades can also dish out a good amount of melee damage, but having almost no melee defense makes them relatively fragile despite having high armor. They are often safe in the air, but keep them away from other flyers and AP missiles. Despite this, they are absurdly fast having speed in the 200s to run from most problems (only Pegasus Knights or Hawk Riders could catch them without nets or debuffs). To use effectively will require some mico.

*'''Gyrobomber:''' Your dedicated bomber which sacrifices other aspects to be the best at that. As a single mobile unit dedicated to hovering over infantry to drop annihilating bombs multiple times during a game, they obviously require the most micromanagement. A well placed carpet bombing can absolutely devastate the enemy frontline, and its machine gun can put out Ratling-Gun levels of DPS on a much more mobile platform.
Important to note that on small unit scale, the gyrobombers bombs are not reduced in damage, so one gyrobomber becomes an army-shredding machine on that unit scale, and putting 2-3 or even more in every army will be an auto-win for the campaign
**'''Skyhammer(ROR)''': Drops cluster bombs, so be aware that the damage-area is greater than the marker shows. Basically the Dwarfs answer to big aoe magic to obliterate chaff and elite units alike.
*'''Gyrocopter:''' Your anti-infantry skirmishers, shooting and bombing out those enemy gunners and artillery that thought themselves safe so far in the back. Also good at harassing the harassers that thought they could run a circle around the slowly pivoting Dawi gun lines.
*'''Gyrocopter (Brimstone Gun):''' Switches from general anti-infantry to majority AP damage to harass and focus down targets with more armor. Generally speaking, superior in almost every way to regular Gyrocopters. Fire damage puts a serious dent in units with regeneration (and Wood Elves) and the lower base damage is neglible when you take AP into consideration.

==Tactics==
===Multiplayer Strategies===
Dwarfs are one of the most unique factions in the game battle wise, with an utter lack of mobility and magick, and focusing everything on tanky infantry that can deal decent damage, and powerful guns and artillery. Unfortunately for them, this uniqueness means that unless you're fighting other Dwarfs, you don't have any balanced match ups against other races. Against some you have a clear, obvious advantage and tend to stomp, and against others, they give you swirlies in the bathroom for your lunch money. This is why most competitive players think they're one of the best counterpick factions as you can avoid your bad match ups and play in a favorable situation. Anyway, here's how you can satisfy the grudge against the other races:

*'''Beastmen''': A rush faction, Beastmen will have a hell of a time against you, if you play your cards right. Their complete lack of armor leaves them quite vulnerable to Thunderer fire on the approach and Bolt Throwers can slice through Minotaurs and Cygors with relative ease. Keep a solid screen of staunch Dwarf Warriors between your ranged units and the enemy and bring (Giant) Slayers to turn the Bestigor and Centigor Herds into ground beef.

*'''Bretonnia''': The peasantry of the Bretonnians can safely be ignored (except Foot Squires, after their buffs they can actually fuck you up pretty good), as they'll struggle to do anything to your heavy armor. Instead, you'll want to focus on bringing down their armored cavalry, particularly the Grail Knights and Grail Guardians leading the charges into you. Trollhammer Irondrakes serve fantastically as a powerful Horse-B-Gone tool and your Giant Slayers can chunk through most of their cavalry so long as they're not the ones receiving the initial charge. Bolt Throwers are, again, a powerful tool to use while the Bretonnian cav is on the approach. Just make sure that you keep your flanks thoroughly secure.

*'''[[Total_War_Warhammer/Tactics/Chaos_Dwarfs| Chaos Dwarfs]]''': Here's the thing about the Dawi-Zharr: their Dwarf units are generally better than yours one-on-one but are far more expensive. You can fill the field with heavily armored and relatively cheap infantry while they have to fill it with greenskin slaves. As a result your army as a whole has better staying power than theirs. Your Thunderers in particular are much cheaper than Fireglaives and have better range than Blunderbusses. Chaos Dwarf artillery can pose a big problem as you are pretty stationary and that's what they love but your cannons get a lot more shots per unit than theirs do and if you play your cards right you can win artillery duels. Watch out for Magma Cannons however, as the burning vortex their shots leave behind can really mess up an artillery crew - focus them down first if possible. Chaos Dwarfs also have lots of big monsters and chariots which will be a problem for you just as they always are. Your best bet is to shoot them down ASAP and if all else fails have a few Slayers in reserve. Gryrobombers can do pretty good against clumped Chaos Dwarf elite infantry and have a place in this matchup.

*'''Daemons of Chaos''': Expect Khorne Furies and a mostly Slaanesh-roster. see Slaanesh's guide below on how to deal with this. The good news is that since daemons of Chaos don't have access to greater daemon lords, you 'might' be able to deal with their hero-class lords. But this is mostly a full pain matchup for you, due to the access to the Slaanesh-roster daemons have.

*'''Chaos Warriors''': For Grungni's sake, keep your distance! Chaos Warriors are as tough as you are and hit harder in melee. Stock up on Thunderers and cannons, and bring some great weapon fighters to finish them off. Slayers can help as long as you're careful to make sure the enemy can't hit back. Keep your eyes out for flanking cavalry and chariots, and pray to the gods you can shoot those heathens before they reach your lines!

*'''Dark Elves''': This is a really tricky matchup for you; Dark Elves are fast and bring absurd AP damage in melee and at a range. Your biggest advantage is your superior range and you'll need to lean on it heavily to stand a chance. Grab cannons, Grudge Throwers, Rangers, and Quarrelers and hope to Grungi you can shoot them down before they get close enough to return the favor.

*'''Dwarfs''': Hopefully you have a general idea on the strengths of this faction, you're playing as them! Anti-Armor, full stop. Organ Guns, take the Skolder Guard and bring some Hammerers to crack open your opponent's can.

*'''Empire''': The Empire can be a tricky one because they're almost as good at artillery as you are while also having good cavalry and skirmishers. You'll need to stock up on gyrobombers to disrupt their flanking cavalry and Slayers to take out their knights. Irondrakes can also work well at deleting any aggressive demigryphs or knights. Beyond that, you should double down on your strengths and keep your artillery safe; the human lines will break before yours do.

*'''Greenskins''': As satisfying as it is to bury an axe in a greenskins skull, you are better off dealing with these guys from a distance. Quarrelers and Rangers are your friends here; quantity is as important as quality when fending off a green tide. Organ Guns and Cannons will be better at dealing with monsters than your Slayers, you don't want to send unarmoured units against Arachnarok Spiders or Rogue Idols. Don't forget your Irondrakes and/or your flame cannons, they can melt down anything from goblins to stone trolls. And keep your flanks protected from chariots and pump-wagons, they can wreak havoc on your lines and just ruin your day.

*'''Grand Cathay''': This is another instance of a faction that does what you do, only a hell of a lot worse. Yeah, you won't have to worry too much about these guys when they show up. Your missile boxes beat their missile boxes, their Cav is subpar and will get eaten by Slayers, and the only AP infantry that they have is Anti Large, which you don't have. Box up, get some cannons and Quarrelers, sit back and enjoy some Bugmans as the Cathayans desperately try to figure out how the fuck they're getting into your backline. Yes they do have their own little airforce, but do you really think Umgi inventions can compete with Dawi Gyrocopters? No. If they bring Sky Junks, send some Gyrocopters after them to pick them down. This faction might get more scary as DLC comes out, but for now this should be an easy win as long as you know what you're doing.

*'''High Elves''': Don't let the War of the Beard fool you, this will be one of your hardest match ups. High Elves have a lot of things that threaten you, but the things to fear the most would be their Chariots, Mages, White Lions and <s>Sisters of Averlorn</s> (they do magic damage so their AP isn't as useful as you think). Seriously, any High Elf player who knows what they're doing is going to spam White Lions and it is going to SUCK. Your best bet is to spam either Gyrocopters or Cannons and spread the field. Force the High Elves to have to either attack your artillery emplacements one at a time, allowing your others to fire freely, or use your air power and artillery to spread them apart and pick off pockets. Hammerers also have a niche in this match up, because they beat White Lions pretty hard one-on-one and with support from guns or chaff, they can go toe to toe with Swordmasters (Though don't count on that). Of course, these plans aren't perfect. There's a 99% chance they will bring Alarielle for Tempest and heals to deal with Gyros and they have plenty of mobility to get at your cannons to give the White Lions time to get in. Sadly, this is one of those match ups where even if you bring the most optimized Anti Elgi list possible, there's still a pretty decent chance you'll lose. Avoid this match up if you can.

*'''Khorne''': It's Khorne, c'mon. Warriors of chaos with somehow even less ranged and even killier once they reach your front lines. Bring plenty of armor-piercing infantry and ranged. If you want to live, protect your artillery from Khorne's furies and calvary.

*'''Kislev''': Kislev's big weakness is that their ranged firepower is also their melee power due to hybrid units, and while this seems great at first glance, they sacrifice both elements to have the other. Your artillery and ranged firepower will dump all over Kislev, your biggest concern are War Bears and Sleds, to which you should apply Slayers. Focus down the wizards and you'll out-brutalize Kislev in good time.

*'''Lizardmen''': Lizardmen are a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you can scoff at all the Skinks as they ping impotently off of your armor (unless they're the Red-Crested variety). On the other, Saurus are just as stubborn as you are and will take days to chew through without good AP. Bring some Hammerers to eek out an advantage in the inevitable grindfest you'll end up in. Take advantage of the Lizardmen's dearth of ranged firepower and massacre their forces with Irondrakes and Thunderers, while your Dwarf Warriors hold their front line at bay. You have excellent anti-monster units in the form of your Giant Slayers who absolutely will butcher any big dinosaur thrown into your ranks so long as you have some chaff to help trap and soak the damage the beasties can toss about. Though Skinks will largely prove a minor nuisance at best to a majority of your forces, you will ''definitely'' want to screen your (Giant) Slayers from the Skirmishing variety. Key players to watch out for are going to be the Slann Mage-Priests, Skink Priests and Kroxigors. Slann, especially fire/high Slann and Heavens Skink Priests can wreak utter havoc upon your forces with the myriad of vortex spells they can toss out, like candy from a parade float and they should absolutely be prioritized if you find them on the field. (Sacred) Kroxigors, if fielded, are surprisingly vicious anti-infantry monsters and will bowl over a majority of the infantry they're pointed at. Giant Slayers and Trollhammer Irondrakes serve as a solid counter, but you'll still want to swamp the Kroxigors in chaff to mitigate the damage they deal in turn.

*'''Norsca''': This is an easy fight for you. All of that monster hunting anti-large equipment the Norscans bring is going to fly right over your head as you bury your axes in their unarmoured pecs. Bring plenty of Cannons and Bolt Throwers to shoot down enemy Mammoths and bring some Irondrakes to shoot down anything else. Norscans are usually unarmoured, so you can trade your Thunderers for Quarrelers for the better range. Stick to the basics and you'll do fine.

*'''Nurgle''': Holy shit, a faction that might actually be slower than you! And it seems like you will have a hefty advantage as they don't really have a lot of ways to stop your artillery. The biggest thing you will probably have to worry about is their air force, and Furies and Rotflies will be gunning for that back line. Keep some Slayers near your guns, and get ready to surround them if they try to land. After that you just got to deal with Nurgle's rush of Plaguebearers and Nurglings, and I hope you're ready for nothing to ever die ever because that's likely what is gonna happen when Dawi and Nurgle clash. On the ground, Plague Toads and Pox Riders will likely be your biggest threat with their anti-infantry, but they're also big models, so guns and Slayers should do the trick. Expect a Herald as the commander, and if he's dumb enough to bring a Great Unclean One, laugh and shoot it to pieces. With the new debuffs fire damage does to healing, it might also be wise to break out the Irondrakes and Flame Cannons -- you'll have plenty of time to lob napalm at those shambling hordes of Plaguebearers.
** CoC DLC has brought some changes with access to marked WoC units for Nurgle; the units you will definitely see in this match-up now include Nurgle-marked Chaos Knights, Nurgle-marked Chaos Chariots, Nurgle-marked Chaos Warriors/Chosen with Great Weapons and Nurgle Marauder Horsemen with throwing axes. Knights & Chariots are especially a threat, as they will survive long enough from their speed+armour+Nurgle Mark to get behind your lines and wipe artillery or rear-charge your line infantry. Great weapon Warriors/Chosen, while still vulnerable to your guns when getting to your lines, are both units that have respectable chances of beating your units in the grind with their standard WoC stats, but now plus the Nurgle Mark. The Nurgle Warshrine is a strong support piece for the army, but like a GUO its something Dwarfs can delete so easily that you really should not see it. Generally expect Nurgle armies facing you to have a decent share of Nurgle-marked Mortal units from WoC now, unless your opponent hates themselves.

*'''Ogre Kingdoms''': This match is either gonna be your easiest or your hardest, as this comes down to the skill of you, the Ogre player, and what units you brought to the table. The Ogres have massive charge bonuses, but a lot of your units have charge defense, however unlike other factions, the Ogres will only lose half due to their Ogre Charge trait. The biggest threat the Ogres bring to you is their artillery, and if you leave them be they'll reap a devasting toll on your infantry. The good news is, that with the exception of Leadbelchers, all their artillery are a single model. Have your Cannons and Gyrocopters focus them down and you are good to go, or so you would think. Besides the Gnoblars, Ogres are all monster units, which means two things. One is that your artillery and Slayers will have a field day, but two is that their shockingly fast speed means they're gonna out run you and try to outmaneuver you at every opportunity. Your army should be a good balance of Longbeards, or if you are pinching pennies, Dwarf Warriors, they all have charge defense and can help hold the charging balls of lubber back. This is one of the match up where having a ton of Slayers is a good thing, and stack up on them to defend your back lines and cut the Ogres down to size. Your artillery should consist of two, maybe three Cannons to take out artillery and thin their numbers. Irondrakes with Trollhammer Torpedoes won't be a bad call, but they're on the pricey end. Besides some of their units, bring at least two, or simply one unit of Thunderers at most, because a lot of their stuff is unarmored, your main missile troop should be Quarrelers, they're cheap and will have a good time turning Ogres into pin-cushions and are strong enough to fend off Sabertusks. Your artillerys targeting priority should look something like this: artillery units (Ironblasters first, then Leadbelchers), Stonehorns, and finally, everything else. This should be the only match up where you shouldn't bother bringing Miners with Blasting Charges. The only thing they'll have an effect on is Gnoblars and strictly that, which is a waste of cash and will earn you a grudge for being wasteful. Now get out there and strike out some grudges agaisnt the fat bastards!

*'''Skaven''': This is probably the closest we'll get to a 40k-esque matchup (you know, <strike>aside the irony of neither the [[Squats|Dwarfs]] or Skaven being in that setting</strike> [[Leagues of Votann|The Kin has declared a Grudge against the manling who wrote that]]). Between your guns and artillery and their guns and artillery, most of the damage either of you will be dealing to each other will be done from afar. A majority of the Skaven infantry is quite helpless against your frontline infantry, but you'll have a hell of a time pinning anything down with the Skavens quicker movement speeds. Grudge Throwers are going to be king against most Skaven infantry builds, while Bolt Throwers or Cannons should be fielded to snipe any Warp-Lighting Cannons, Plagueclaw Catapults or Hellpit Abominations they have downfield. Warplock Jezzails will be a priority target to focus fire down, as are Warpfire Throwers and Poison Wind Globadiers, should they start getting too close. Aside utilizing their missile units against them, Skaven have absolutely no aerial presence, meaning your Gyrocopters will have virtually free reign to gun down rats at will.

*'''Slaanesh''': A bad day for you all around. It's become apparent, that if you're unlucky enough to run into Slaanesh, you're going to want to forego ranged firepower almost entirely, Miners with Blasting Charges and Ironbreakers will trade efficiently, maybe a safety pick of Thunderers to deal with a Keeper Of Secrets, but AP on everything, Furies, Spawn and chariots will just pulverize your formations in one of the most one-sided setups in the game right now.

*'''Tomb Kings''': The good news is that Tomb Kings don't like fire, and you have fire aplenty. Brimstone Gun-equipped Gyrocoptors are your fastest fire-delivery system, but Irondrakes and Flame Cannons are useful as well. The bad news is, that you don't like chariots, and they have chariots aplenty. Use every trick you can to soften up the chariots before they hit your lines; but it's unlikely you'll be able to stop them all. Grab some Giant Slayers to finish off the ones that survive your barrage and hope it's enough to keep them down. Tomb Kings infantry is no match for you, so you should build your army against their monsters and chariots.

*'''Tzeentch''': Ooh, here is somebody that's going to hate you. Tzeentch units are squishy and their ranged units only have middling range and are better for kiting. He also has no artillery other than Soul Grinders, few big monsters outside of Lords of Change, and relies heavily on spamming spells to activate their army abilities. Bring a Runelord or Thorek on an Anvil of Doom and laugh as their casters explode. Otherwise, pound them into dust with artillery, as they have few answers to an army with better range than them. Just guard the back line against Furies and Doom Knights and don't bother with air units, they'll get shot down in short order.

*'''Vampire Coast''': The most common Vampire Coast strategy is to bunker up with a large number of cheap ranged units and heavy artillery. If that sounds familiar, it's only because it's the same thing you like to do, you're just better at it. Bring plenty of Cannons and some Slayers to deal with the enemy monsters (hint: kill the Necrofex Colossi first). Once the big monsters have been dealt with, the pirates are basically just an inferior version of you, clumps of Quarrelers and Thunderers are plenty to take down the Zombies. And remember not to bunker up too tightly; you may have magic resistance but Winds of Death will still hurt.

*'''Vampire Counts''': Virtually nothing that makes up the rank and file of the Vampire Counts will pose a significant threat to you. Skeletons and Zombies will only serve to slow down your already plodding advance and only deal any meaningful "damage" to you simply by sponging your limited ranged firepower meant for something else. The only standard units that you'll find yourself at a significant disadvantage against will be the Cairn and Hex Wraiths, given your general lack of magical damage. You'll want to engage them with missile attacks for maximum effect and make sure that you are braced for their charges. The main thing you should be focused on taking down will be the Lords and Heroes leading the army; without them, the undead hordes will quickly fall apart (literally). They also pose the single biggest threat to everything you have, as their Lore of Death casters can delete swathes of your army with a single well placed cast if you are positioned carelessly.

*'''Wood Elves''': Wood Elves are an extremely annoying foe who are fundamentally the exact opposite of you. Their infantry can run circles around yours and they can deal frightening amounts of damage against their intended targets, but you'll snap their twiggy spines if you whip 'em with your beards. In general, you're going to be engaged in a very tedious game of "keep away", where the Wood Elves are going to be dancing just outside of your reach while their Glade Guard and Waywatchers pepper you with AP arrows and occasionally test your flanks for weaknesses via Wild Rider/Great Stag Knight cycle charges. Fortunately, you do have a couple tools the elves don't: Artillery. Grudge Throwers excel against WE infantry and can discourage them from trying to camp too far away, while Bolt Throwers and Flame Cannons will make mince-meat of the cavalry/Forest Spirits that may try to break through your lines. Speaking of Forest Spirits, Irondrakes will ''incinerate'' them. Slayers also help against the bigger tree spirits in theory, but the ranged power the Wood Elves bring make them a dicey proposition. As far as their melee infantry options are concerned, the only ones that majorly threaten you are the Bladesingers; their anti-armor magical attacks will scythe through your armor will jaw-dropping speed. Use Thunderers to soften them up on the charge then use Slayers to cut them down swiftly.

===Domination===
General Tier Rank: '''F'''

You are just SO FUCKING SLOW. You opponent is going to get to the point first, no question about it and most armies have plenty of ways to roadblock you in order to stop you from getting on them. While few factions will be able to contest you in a head on charge for the midpoint, once they start going for the side points you will have no way to out contest them. Important to note that there are some maps that you won't get completely dumpstered automatically. The more choke points that are on a map, the better it is for you because then the enemy will be more forced to try to take you head on instead of just avoid direct contact with you in an attempt to cap more points. However, even then there's no way you can outmaneuver your enemy unless they fall asleep at their computer out of boredom. Don't play Dwarfs in Domination until they get some major buffs, a DLC, or rework that will help them move around the map better.

However if you still decide to stay committed to playing dwarfs, the general tip is seize two caps at least and have a squadron of gyrocopters and bombers to harass the foe, ironbreakers are king here, jam them on a point and laugh as your opponent struggles to get them off, rangers and miners are key here as they are the only units with vanguard deployment (this includes the ROR ironbreakers) to delay the foe by brawling with them as your slower units get into position or to reinforce your troops if needed, slayers are necessary here as besides gyrocopters, their the fastest thing you got, bring along 3, 4 if needed, to both delete cav or monsters too big for their britches and do aforementioned delaying tactics, for artillery, on smaller maps, organ guns and flame cannons will be an excellent infantry/cavalry begone tool for clearing out points that are infested with enemy troops, as per the norm, bring a cannon to deal with enemy artillery and snipe monsters regardless of the map size, on longer maps, the grudge-thrower will be a much better alternative for clearing out points, but organ guns and flame cannons are a good deterrent for defending points, as they’ll delete blobs, just make sure there safe from enemy cav and flyers, however the one weakness as listed above, is your slowness, you need to be smart if you want to consistently win domination as dwarfs, assume a box formation as units in said shape, turn about faster and thus let them react to threats flanking around or move to different points faster if it’s necessary (keep in mind, it does not increase movement speed, it just hastens how fast they turn), while it is vulnerable to artillery fire, your cannons should already be firing at said artillery, follow this guide somewhat well and proceed to wipe every smug grin off with an axe, show every YouTuber good or otherwise how wrong they were as you strike out grudges and get vengeance for every domination tier list that put you in F tier!

===Campaign Strategies===
*'''Karaz-A-Karak''': Karaz-A-Karak starts out with a solid base economy and a protected position, with your flanks covered by minor dwarven factions and only one Greenskin faction as your initial enemy. However, that start is deceivingly simple at first; once Grimgor and Queek get going, your position will become increasingly precarious if you're not careful. Your biggest weakness is easily your very slow growth, as the Greenskins and Skaven often will have higher tier units much sooner than you do. Making the jump from Tier 3 to 4 as soon as you can is your top priority. Once your scary lategame units arrive, you can start to dominate the Southlands and expand in any direction you damn please.
**'''Pick Gronbrimdal (Mortal Empires only)''': There is no reason to ever pick Thorgim over Grombrindal as your starting LL. Grombrindal comes with a much better selection of starting units (Gyrocopters, Irondrakes and Thunderers) and his blue skill tree might be one of the most blatantly overpowered things in the game on its own, as Grombrindals variants of the perks not just affect his army, but your entire faction. Thorgrim can be recruited later down the line regardless.
**'''Don't get bogged down''': The initial 50 turns of any campaign might just be called "get ready for Grimgor". While you can expand quickly at the start, it is ill advised (and very tempting) to stray too far from your Capital and end up with your armies battering against your starting enemies while Grimgor happily carves a path straight towards Karaz-A-Karak. Losing Karaz-A-Karak becomes a win condition in this case; if you can successfully defend it, the Greenskins are finished, if you lose it, you can restart a new campaign.

'

*Clan Angrund''' In immortal empires Belegar's difficulty level has been severely reduced, on turn one as soon as you take your first settlement you can full-confederate Karak Izor instantly. After that it's the usual hop and skip to Karak-Eight-Peaks, however with it in Skarsnik's hands now, it's significantly easier to take as Skarsnik doesn't start with a full 20 stack army unlike the 'Crooked Moon Mutineers' from Warhammer 2.
[[Category:Total Warhammer]] {{Total War Warhammer Tactics}}

Total War Warhammer/Tactics/Dwarfs

2023-06-12T19:33:06Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D: /* Combined Infantry */

{{Topquote|Kazukhan-kazakit-ha! (Look out, the Dwarfs are on the warpath!)|Game battle chant for Dwarfs, if you think about it, it should be look <s>down</s> THAT'S A GRUDGE!}}
This is the tactics page for the Total War: Warhammer version of The Dwarfs.

==Why play Dwarfs?==
*Because you want to sit and watch as your enemies are blasted away while coming towards you.
*Cause you're under 5'5 and want '''vengeance''' for all the short jokes.
*You don't want to do too much micro, so an army without much in the way of mobility and cavalry doesn't bother you as much.
*You enjoy having infantry that won't die after being slapped by a wet noodle.
*Slay everything without a beard!!
*FLAMETHROWERS!!!

===Pros===
*'''Durability''': You are a tank faction. Most of your units are categorized with high armour, melee defense and leadership. Even your tier one and chaff are very tanky compared to counterparts from other factions. This is further supplemented by the innate magic resist many of your units have, which ''slightly'' compensates for your otherwise complete lack of magic. Additionally, with their naturally high leadership, dwarfs do not usually break unless hopelessly outnumbered or if you screw up massively by getting cavalry charged in the rear. Frankly, your units will hold out forever.
**Your magic resistance got nerfed in the third game to ''only'' resist magical spells. Still useful, but now units with magic attacks, I.E Daemons, are going to be way better at cracking you open.
*'''Range''': Guns, guns and more guns! Dwarfs have some of the best blackpowder units in the entire game. Thunderers and Cannons can lay a whooping on anything they are firing on, and their artillery isn't anything to sneer at. Even their non-AP range units are very good for their price, and it's not hard for them to earn their points back as long as they are defended.
*'''If they get close, Nut 'em!''': As if being being one of the best factions at shooting was not enough, their missile units can also hold their own in close quarters better than most.
*'''Airforce''': Gyrocopters with their anti large can get you control over the air, and their ability to kite monsters into oblivion is a good skill to have. Even Gyrobombers have a niche for their blob killing capabilities after recent buffs.
*'''Runes''': Where other races rely on the fickle Winds of Magic, you have your reliable runes. Runes supply surprisingly good buffs and debuffs that can help your army out, making them a great way to make sure your infantry stays in the fight a bit longer. The fact that they aren't limited by a power reserve also means that they'll remain a viable option well into the latter stages of a fight, where other factions might begin to tap out of their mystical power.
*'''Anti-large''': You laugh when the enemy brings big monsters. With all your AP missiles, Anti Large artillery and slayers, you have the one of the easiest times killing monsters out of any faction in the game.
*'''Strong Economy''': It's campaign specific but yeah, it turns out the species who's renowned for being the best at making shit is also one of the best at making money. The resource building chains go up to level IV instead of stopping at level III, you can mass produce Dwarf Beer anywhere. Putting together Doomstacks of Top Tier Dawi troops is easier.
*'''Good for Beginners''': Everyone was just starting once, if you are new to Warhammer Total War or just Total War in general the Dawi are (ironically enough) forgiving. Something like the Wood Elves is fragile and has a limited margin for error, Dwarfs on the other hand have more of a fudge factor in most match ups. Not to say that it's easy mode playing dwarfs, but the likelihood of things going pear shaped in a second is lower.

===Cons===
*'''Lack of Mobility''': With no Cav, monsters and slow infantry, Dwarfs are the least mobile faction in the game. You will spend the majority of the game standing still.
*'''Lack of Magic''': Though your most recent rework makes your runes a damn good alternative, you don't really have magic. This can pose a problem when you face similarly physically durable armies in battle and lack a reliable, magical alternative for damage. Additionally, though you defensively have a 25% resistance to the arcane, many large vortex spells will still sting quite a bit and your complete lack of magical healing means it'll be hard to bounce back from the damage you do take.
*'''Chariots''': Chariots are the bane of a Dwarf players existence. They don't have any real way to lock them down and, as you'd expect, AP anti infantry can really kill what the Dwarfs want to do on the battlefield. Due to the rework to how bracing and knock down works, this isn’t as bad as before, but chariots can still be a problem
*'''Predictability''': Most veteran players know what's going to happen when Dwarfs are picked. They are going to go for a cheap, numerous and sturdy front line and a lot of guns and artillery. This means that Dwarfs are easy to plan for as they only have one real viable tactic. Building an army around fighting Dwarfs is something players from all races know how to do.
*'''Lack of Good Lord Options''': Do you like the Runelord or Thorek? No? Well you better start because in multiplayer they're your only viable options. Grombrindal is an ok duelist but honestly Dwarf lords in general kind of suck. With no mounts and no way to stick to their targets it's hard for them to get anything done. This problem got better with the Twisted and the Twilight due to the changes to knockdown effects, but sticking to targets will still be hard
*'''Hard campaign''': With all the changes to the factions around them, the Dawi have fallen on some pretty hard times. The lifetime of WH2 dotted the landscape around Karaz-A-Karak alone with a huge number of guaranteed enemies that you will have to look out for, with your most reliable allies in the Empire being very far away. The other subfactions don't fare much better and your slow growth seriously hurts your ability to expand, especially when compared with your most dominant enemies, the Greenskins of the Badlands and Clan Mors further down the road.
*'''Bad in Domination''': Turns out your stubby little legs makes it really hard for you to capture objectives. Due to your lack of mobility you can't effectively capture points since other factions can just out race you to them and get more units on them. As such, you're widely considered the weakest faction in Domination.
*'''DLC''': A con for everyone, but fortunately you get off easier than many others. Unfortunately, a couple of your best units, namely Runelords and Rangers, are in fact locked behind DLC and if you want to really use your Dwarfs to the fullest, you'll need to pay the toll.

==Universal Traits==

*'''The Great Book of Grudges''': The fact that the sacred Dammaz Kron went unmentioned on this pages for so long merits an entry on its own. The Book of Grudges documents every slight committed against your faction, including legendary grudges that you start out with. Whenever something bad happens, i.e. you lose a settlement, get raided or a hostile faction repeatedly trespasses on your turf without you allowing it, it merits an entry in the book. These entries can (and will) accumulate over time, and depending on how much your Dorfs disliked the transgression, will vary in severity, which fills up a meter that gives you some penalties and some bonusses. High severity from unresolved Grudges gives you minor public order and research speed penalties, but it also gives all of your armies a charge bonus (since the Dwarfs are so pissed off) and increases the chance of Slayers and Giant Slayers popping up in your Regiments of Renown pool, where they can then be recruited instantly into your armies. Resolving Grudges and Legendary Grudges (such as retaking Karak Eight Peaks as Belegar Ironhammer) also earns you powerful bonusses (money, Oathgold, small buffs for the entire faction ) and special Runes.
*'''Oathgold''': The secondary resource of the Dwarfs. Practically identical to the Mortuary Cult of the Tomb Kings, with the key difference being that the Dwarfs can make much more stuff with Oathgold and that the stuff is much more abundant. Oathgold is earned through resolving Grudges, doing missions and quests, Gold Mines and some special buildings such as the Brightstone Mine in Mount Gunbad. Oathgold, combined with trade goods, can be used to create items for your Lords and Heroes, which makes it downright trivial to kit out every single character on the map with some special gizmos to make them really powerful. Oathgold can also be used to make Character and Banner Runes, the former can be applied as equipment to individual characters (with up to 3 individual runes at maximum), the latter functions like Banners that you can give units to give them special bonusses and abilities.
*'''Expert Charge Defense''': Barring Slayers, every single one of your units has Expert Charge Defense, which nullifies charge bonusses and also the momentum of units charging into your staunch line of angry Dwarfs.
*'''Magic Resistance''': Every Dwarf has a built in 25% Magic Resist (Spell Resist in WH3). Consult the main page for WHFB Dwarfs as to why.

==Legendary Lords and Subfactions==
*'''Thorgrim Grudgebearer:''' The high king himself, and the only large non-war machine unit in your roster, as he is carried on a massive throne sled by some burly dwarfs, Thorgrim isn't huge on offence, better than say mid-tier combat lords, but he's mostly just a hard to kill brick of leadership. Dwarfs in range of him just become slightly harder to break, which isn't saying much given their default morale, and he's not easily sniped. This results in him being kind of underwhelming, you know he's not going to die like a bitch, but you also know that he's not exactly going to recoup even a quarter of his cost. Is kind of safe in campaign play for beginners, but Grombrindal is overall superior. - Pass.
*'''Ungrim Ironfist:''' The Slayer King, bane of anything taller than six feet, Ungrim is the opposite of Thorgrim; all offence, with low defence. Ungrim is actually pretty good in terms of being a hero-killer and monster-hunter, he's not going to solo Tyrion or Kroq-Gar, and don't even think of monster lords like Kholek or monstrous mounts such as a Tomb King on a War Sphinx, without a unit to bog them down. The problem with Ungrim is that while he can throw hands and live up to his title, he eats a lot of damage for a Dwarf, or just in general for a combat Lord, he's easy to snipe with massed missiles if caught in the open, and while he can butcher most things sent his way, he'll only be able to do this once or twice in a battle before he's at serious risk of dying. Don't let that 120 armour & Unbreakable make you think he's a tank, Ungrim's Melee Defence is quite low for a combat lord, and that low dwarf speed means he can by kited to death. Thorgrim lacks the damage to recoup his cost, Ungrim lacks the defence to recoup his costs. If playing with an ally that has access to Lore of Life he can be kept alive, but you're asking a lot of resources to support the Slayer King. - Pass.
*'''Grombrindal:''' THE WHITE DWARF, Grombrindal doesn't bring anything really special to the table, he's a decent duelist, although lacking the balls-to-the-wall offence of Ungrim Ironfist, Grombrindal is nowhere near as risky for a combat Lord. The flashbomb ability can lockdown mobile Heroes and give the White Dwarf a few easy hits. Doesn't quite bring much for the rest of the army, but is the best Legendary Lord for cost-benefit tradeoffs. He can fight, he can survive, and he can make the entire army Unbreakable with a reusable map-wide buff. - Niche but competitive in that niche. In Campaign, he is easily the best LL the Dwarfs offer. His blue skill tree affects ''your entire faction'' and the four blessings you can choose every 20 turns (10 after picking a specific skill) are all very powerful, a whopping +25% Research Rate is no joke, as are +10 Melee Attack and Defense for every unit in Grombrindals army.
*'''Belegar Ironhammer:'''(DLC) Belegar is really just a wall, he's harder to kill than Thorgrim as they have comparable stats, but he has a silver shield for 55% missile resistance. That's all. Just an insanely hard to kill Lord, sure his offence isn't terrible, being better than Thorgrim's on base stats and a nice buff can be popped to go higher. But honestly you're paying a lot for a Lord that won't die, and generally speaking Dwarfs in Total War: Warhammer aren't a faction that is centred around their generals or Heroes. No real wizards to throw high-impact spell effects, no mobile Heroes that can exploit small gaps to flank units or hunt down supporting pieces like buffers, wizards or artillery crews. The only upshot to taking Belegar's subfaction in multiplayer is getting access the Ancestor Heroes who are damned hard to kill, but are also the only Dwarf units that are scared of magic damage, which can sort of be a mind-games thing because the default assumption to seeing Clan Angrund picked is that Ancestor Heroes are on the field, so grab some magic damage to delete them, but then seeing that there are no ghost Dwarfs means that the magic damage is actually a big waste considering all Dwarfs have 25% Magic Resistance. - Pass.
*'''Thorek Ironbrow:'''(FLC): With the rework comes a new LL and Thorek serves this role, being the latest (and most likely last) new contender in the Lustrian Thunderdome in the Vortex Campaign, and starting at the southernmost tip of the map in Karak Zorn on Mortal Empires. He serves as a supercharged Runelord with access to a unique mount that messes quite a bit with enemy spellcasting and improved Runic Magic on his own part. In the campaign, his legendary conservativeness translates into bonusses for "traditional" Dwarfen ranged units like Quarrelers and Grudge Throwers. Not to worry though, since he starts with a Rune of Burning that makes the Catapult projectiles [[Awesome|FUCKING EXPLODE]] and dramatically increases the combat value of Quarrelers in his own Army quite significantly (arguably making them even better than Thunderers). His campaign goal revolves around finding several lost Dwarfen artifacts, which can then be used to craft powerful buffs for your whole faction. [[Derp|He also can make enemy casters explode.]] - Best Multiplayer Lord pick.

==Units==
===Generic Lords===
*'''Dwarf Lord:''' No, just no, he suffers from the same issue that the Legendary Lords suffer from, being too slow. But wait there's more, the generic Lord is easier to kill in combat, provides less army support, and does less damage. He's not even the cheapest option to help save costs. I mean he has a shield, but its only bronze. Unless you've got some kind of bet riding on a battle and there's a specific stipulation that you cannot use any other Lord, screw the money because he's too crap. That said compared to generic foot Lords in other factions he's quite difficult to kill, which is more advice for fighting Dwarf Lords in campaign really. PASS!
*'''Runelord:''' (DLC) Yes, yes yes. The one competitive General in multiplayer, the Runelord is just a walking bubble of passive buffs that make your low tier units good, and your good infantry units even better. Has good active abilities, like Master Rune of Oath & Steel which gives +30 armour to all dwarfs in range, or the Rune of Speed which adds 45% speed and 24 melee attack to all dwarfs in range. This is the Lord pick that supports the Dwarf army, and don't think he's some kind of wizard that dies when someone looks at him funny, while the melee defence is low at 40, the Runelord has the same 120 armour as the other Lords, plus up to 35% missile resistance, sharing 20% of that with nearby allies. Slapping him on an Anvil of Doom gives a special ability that causes enemy casters to automatically miscast for minor damage when near him. TL;DR fucks magic, gets buffs. - Good if you want Thorek but a bit cheaper.

===Legendary Heroes (Clan Angrund Only)===
[[Clan Angrund]] has such a strong relationship with their ancestors, they come back as ghosts. Like all ghosts, they have a 75% physical resistance instead of magic resistance, with magic attacks, Unbreakable, but no armor and less health than normal. They have Fear and Terror making them good at chasing the enemy off. They themselves are weak to magic attacks, but who takes that much offense magic against Dwarfs anyway?

*'''King Lunn Ironhammer:''' is one of the two ghost Thanes, being the offensive one, with slightly more Melee attack than a normal Thane.
*'''Halkenhaf Stonebeard:''' the other ghost Thane, being the most defensive of the par with significantly lower melee attack but a very high defense of 65 and silver shield, letting him minge with enemies for a protracted time to proc terror routs.
*'''Throni Ironbrow:''' Most likely to take as he is a Runesmith, so someone that needs protection while also being in the front lines.
*'''Dramar Hammerfist:''' the ghost engineer so paying extra for a harder to kill gun lines buffer and better at chasing away those that try to disrupt them.

===Heroes===
*'''Master Engineer:''' Basically a must if you're running more than 2 artillery pieces, buffs artillery, has a decent sniper rifle of his own, not great in a fight with anything beyond hound packs and light cavalry, so don't expect him to be an effective guard for the cannons he's buffing. However if there is another unit nearby casting Entrenchment right before they rout will make the unit hold the line and fight even after being routed. On campaign they also boost your army's mobility. Aaaaaand the Dwarf Rework happened, buffing him even further with the ability of the Vampirate Gunnery Wight to restore lost ammo to artillery pieces for up to five times. Just too good to miss out on if you're bringing a bunch of cannons (and who doesn't, honestly).
*'''Runesmith:''' Basically a squishier version of the Runelord, has many of the same buffs, both passive and active. With the Dwarf rework, these guys have gone from being merely decent to amazing. While utilizing a rune puts every other rune on a shared cooldown, this only applies per caster; having multiple Runesmiths allows you to stack multiple buffs simultaneously or across multiple units without having to wait out the full 60 second global cooldown. They might not necessarily be an auto-include persay, but having one or two of these guys in your army is strongly recommended.
*'''Thane:''' While they still suffer from being slow, Thanes can be used more aggressively than Legendary Lords. Kit them out with the Rune of Slowness to gimp enemy mobility, or give them the Ironbeard's Ring and coordinate with a source of fire damage: Flame Cannons, Dragonback Slayers, Warriors of Dragonfire Pass, basic Irondrakes, or Brimstone Gyrocopters, all of these will deal serious damage to units inside the debuff aura.

===Infantry===
*'''Miners''': The closest thing to cannon fodder in the Dwarf Roster, miners are cheap AP units. Also give "speed" and breadth to Dawi list by vanguarding.
*'''Dwarf Warriors''': Did you know that a unit of Dwarf Warriors costs 475 gold but can hold against 3 units of Empire Swordsmen, costing 400 gold each, for just over 2 minutes and racking up roughly 90-100 kills before dying/breaking? Dwarf Warriors aren't great, just good, and are very much just a shield wall frontline. Dwarf Warriors are very cost-effective starting units. They will trade positively against most infantry that are tier 1-3 excluding units with high AP values or anti-infantry buffs. Dwarf Warriors aren't the same as elite heavy infantry however, they will break in time, if rear charged, if attacked by great weapon units, if hit with leadership debuffs, or if attacked by characters. This is a unit that buys time for a unit in the second line to get in position to assist, do not assume you can just deploy them as a single line and have artillery sit safely behind them.
**'''Warriors of Dragonfire Pass'''(ROR): Slightly better warriors that deal fire damage in combat, not a guaranteed pick most of the time, but good against any faction that is vulnerable to fire, consider pairing with a Thane carrying Ironbeard's Ring to boost damage.
*'''Dwarf Warriors (Great Weapons)''': You know how Dwarf Warriors can hold frontlines for a time but need a second line unit to assist them, this is cheapest of the second line units. Regular warriors have shields, 40 Melee Defence, and charge defence against large units, Warriors with Great Weapons don't have those defences, they get armour piercing damage which is the kind of offence needed to make up for the vanilla Warriors' shortcomings. Don't try and use them as a frontline unit, and replace them when you can with other melee infantry.
*'''Longbeards''': Warriors +1 really, they buff the leadership of other units (it's the generic Encourage passive so no stacking with Lords), so consider mixing them with warriors. Cost-wise your mostly paying for better Melee Defence, better Leadership, the leadership aura, and Immune to Psychology compared to vanilla Warriors. A common question is which is better for cost, Longbeards or Warriors, but outside of fighting undead armies that have tons of Fear/Terror effects, the answer to the question is; use both. While the differences between the two units are obvious in comparison, to the player on the other side of the battlefield it doesn't matter much because a Dwarf line is still a solid formation that is hard to break. Longbeards work good in the wings to buff leadership in the flanks, and having warrior units means you can save gold for more missile units and artillery.
*'''Longbeards (Great Weapons)''': While the difference between shield Warriors and shield Longbeards isn't much, the great weapon variant favours the Longbeards, which come with Charge Defense and Armor-Piercing (but no target specialization). In MP, where every gold coin counts, if all you need is cheap AP, take the Warriors, but if you want something tankier and able to encourage your Dwarfs to hold out a bit longer, take these guys.
**'''The Grumbling Guard'''(ROR): Not too bad, stat wise its a bit more armour & melee attack, 10 more leadership, and 13 more Melee Defence, which puts them at a whopping 51 Melee Defence. You don't get any improved damage output with these guys, instead you get an ability that replenishes 9% of vigour for them and nearby allies. This may not sound like much, but fatigue debuffs are crippling for units, and Dwarfs rely on grinding things out so even a small vigour buff to some units is good even if it just moves them from exhausted to very tired. But wait, this ability has infinite uses and a low cooldown so spam it away. While Hammerers do the same job but better, the Grumbling Guard are fantastic for keeping Ironbreakers in better condition than their enemies.
*'''Slayers''': Slayers are kind of weird. They're unbreakable, quick (for a Dwarf), hit hard, and do a lot of damage with no consideration to survivability. This means that they can seriously fuck up higher-tier units but on the same time are vulnerable to cannon fodder. It does not matter if you're a crappy Goblin with a crappy spear, it's getting through a Slayer's hide as much as a Chosen's Daemonforged Axe. When using Slayers, hold them back so that other units, especially ones with charge defense, take the brunt of the charge before moving the slayers to counter-attack, and while it might cost you the charge bonus, having them attack through the buffer unit really improves the lifespan of your Slayers (Probably much to their chagrin). Note that if you ever leave them in the open, missile units just have to imagine shooting them to wipe the unit, which is an expensive mistake. Also a definite must take against Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings with all their Fear effects but do not ever think about using them against Vampire Pirates because they will get shot to pieces before any Fear/Terror units get close for the Unbreakable to matter. Also, leave them at home against Wood Elves, or if you have fore-knowledge that your opponent likes horse-archer tactics.
*With the Dwarf rework that dropped together with Thorek Ironbrow, they went from terrible in Single Player to a pretty good choice for the early game, since you can now recruit them anywhere as long as your grudge meter is up. It also makes unlimited Slayer Doomstacks lead by Ungrim Ironfist a terrifying sight to behold.
**'''Dragonback Slayers'''(ROR): Slayers with better MA & MD, and they get physical resistance on top of the shield defense. The real value comes with their passive that activates in melee, it gives them fire damage, fire resistance, and applies slow debuff and the Flammable trait for weakness to fire (doesn't stack if the enemy already has the Flammable trait, but will stack with other effects of a different name that reduce fire resistance). The physical resist, slow debuff and the combo of fire damage and Flammable debuff makes this unit a generally better pick over vanilla Slayers, note that they do not get the fire resistance outside of combat so getting hit by flaming missiles outside of combat will hurt, the Lore of Fire spells are still subject to Dwarf magic resistance though.
*'''Giant Slayers''': These are just super Slayers, too costly to run a lot of. They will instantly blend light cavalry units like Marauder Horsemen or Ellyrian Reavers that dare to charge them, not that you should be using them to counter these units, it's just funny to see happen. Giant Slayers are basically Ungrim Ironfist as many Dwarfs instead of one. What they don't kill will be pretty close to death. Cannon fodder might counter Slayers, but Giant Slayers dish out enough melee damage that you only need to worry about elite infantry and high mass units charging them. More vulnerable to shooting as they don't get the missile defense that Slayers get, these guys are expensive but do the job. Not recommended as a staple unit in army builds due to their cost, but good to pick if you're against monster or cavalry heavy armies.
*'''Hammerers''': Your well-armored, AP Damage dealing elite Dwarfs, not the same tank as a Longbeard but will deal serious AP damage. They've been reworked in the latest game, giving them substantially more health and magical(!) damage, meaning they're your best chance against Daemons and Treekin. **Still the same weaknesses as before, though: they're a Hammer (heh) in an Army of Anvils, so they'll mostly be pushing their way through your infantry
**Peak Gate Guard(ROR): The ultimate anti-armor unit, they go through heavily armored units like swordsmen through Skavenslaves and then let other Dawi also participate in the fun.

===Ranged Infantry===
*'''Thunderers''': Like Empire Handgunners, but you don't need to babysit them as much. A very useful unit even in the lategame that won't break the bank.
*'''Irondrakes:''' Where the fun begins. Ridiculously high damage output, solidly armoured. Need positioning to work right, but will absolutely demolish anything that you point them at. Their flamethrowers are considered artillery so they cannot be blocked by shields and inflict morale penalty upon anything they hit. They are surprisingly strong in melee against infantry if not deployed in a thin line because the back row can use their flamethrowers at point-blank, but not against cavalry as they'll pierce till the back row.
**'''The Skolder Guard'''(ROR): Replaces Lava for Steam to be an anti-armor unit. Much tougher than an Irondrakes with Physical resistance which is nice to have when the enemy gets a sneaky charge. They will multch full-plate units quickly given they have an even faster reload speed but watch out as you will also burn through their limited ammunition just as quickly. Against enemies with less armor you're better off using regular Irondrakes.
*'''Irondrakes (Trollhammer Torpedo)''': the Anti large version of the Irondrakes, having rocket launchers instead of Flamers. Often times Irondrakes can just melt through the armor of most things they are pointed at, sometimes they are Cavalry or monsters that have enough armor to shrug off that current of magma. Unlike regular Irondrakes they can shoot over units and obstacles. Don't be fooled by how their torpedoes explode, they don't do splash damage and should only attack infantry if you don't have anything bigger to shoot.

===Combined Infantry===
*'''Quarrellers''': Boring but practical. Like Dwarf Darriors, they're able to trade shots with the tier 1 ranged units of pretty much every other faction and winning because they come with shields on top of their Dwarf armor. They also come with armor piercing, which makes them a budget option for shooting stuff like Chaos Warriors. However, they do less DPS per gold spent than similar units like Empire Crossbowmen and Darkshards.
**As mentioned above, Thorek brings out the best in these guys, keeping them very relevant even to the late game. The shield variant is best used against missile-heavy factions like Wood Elves, but does nothing against Artillery.
*'''Quarrellers (Great Weapons)''': Similar to Quarrelers, except they give up shields in exchange for armor-piercing melee weapons. Won't win much in close combat, but they'll take down more enemies before they're overwhelmed, particularly against squishy units like harpies.
**Thorek buffs them to an insane degree to the point that when combined with all the relevant campaign bonuses, Quarrelers will become the core of your army. They're still not a frontline since they only have so many models in a unit, but 6-10 of these guys can outright delete anything that gives your Longbeards and Ironbreakers a hard time (Mammoths, Stonehorns, even Rogue Idols). They also autoresolve very well, taking more losses than the shielded variant, but will take less losses than your frontline infantry.
*'''Miners (Blasting Charges)''': take that cheap Miner, then give them a single volley for bomb-throwing. Each model only gets one bomb, so make it count. Turn off ''Fire at Will'' and select the targets manually. A well-thrown Blasting Charge will decimate most charging infantry.
**'''Ekrund Miners'''(ROR): A regiment that Gets 3 Blasting Charges instead of 1. Depending on how well you managed them, that's paying less gold then recruiting 3 Blasting Charge Miners which matter very much in the gold restricted Multiplayer.
*'''Ironbreakers''': The fact that Ironbreakers are one of the toughest units in the game would make them a key part of a Dawi late game army. Add to that blasting charges and you have something which can stomp most other infantry into the ground, blowing away a quarter of their hitpoints and ruining their charge before finishing off the survivors. Their only downside is that their damage in hand to hand is not that great, but that's what Thunderers, Slayers and artillery is for. NEVER let artillery, including artillery towers, target them. They're so slow they're target practice and they're no.1 priority as D warfs don't have anything bigger.
**'''Norgrimlings Ironbreakers''':(ROR) Even better Ironbreakers, With bigger model size (so more bombes and unit health), a faster throwing arm, Vanguard, and Immune to Psychology. Overall a more powerful unit that can holds back the hords for longer while dealing more casualties.
*'''Rangers''': Sneaky Dwarf Quarrellers getting Vanguard and Stalk for a surprise Dwarf ambush. They have better speed to help with positioning and catching enemies at least when compared to other Dawi. They're armour is pretty good for most armies, but among Dwarfs they're on the lower end of defenses.
*'''Rangers (Great Weapons)''': Ranger equivalent of Quarrellers(Great Weapons) with one key difference; unlike the great weapon Quarreler the Rangers give up their crossbows entirely in favor of shorter ranged, higher AP throwing axes. Surprise AP flanking is a thing any Dwarf list could ask for. Keep in mind that each Dwarf only carries 8 axes, so they'll run out much quicker than other rangers. Once they run out of throwing axes they become a decent anti-armour skirmishing unit, although their low defense means they need to chose their opponents carefully.
**'''Ulthar's Raiders'''(ROR) a unit your should be more careful with than just normal Rangers with Great Weapons, as they get the [[Witch Hunter]]'s ability to Mark a unit for death. You do get a fair amount of range despite having only infantry speed, being able to strip an enemy of a lot of their protection they had against ranged weapons. Good take if your using a Focus fire strategy, assuming your can keep the Raiders safe while making back their cost.
*'''Bugman's Rangers''' Surprisingly not a ROR. Improved Rangers, having the regenerative and drunkenness properties of Bugman's liquid courage. they are better at fighting off harassers while their improved shooting and HP recovery help them win archer fights. These are to Rangers as Longbeards are to Warriors: a straight upgrade assuming you can afford it. In MP, they can last longer without support and work best if you're good at micro. If not, you're probably better just leaving them at home in favor of more units of regular Rangers.

===Cavalry===
Does not exist. See Slayers, Rangers and Air Units if you want something fast, you beardling.

===Artillery===
*'''Bolt Thrower:''' Your cheaper anti-large Artillery. More accurate and shoots faster than a cannon, but outclassed by them in splash and penetration power. Best used to take out elite cavalry and monsters in the early campaign.
*'''Grudge Thrower''': Your first artillery unit. Fills a role like an Empire Mortar as a long-range anti-infantry weapon giving it has the largest radius of splash damage on impact.
**'''Gob-Lobber (Grudge Thrower)(ROR)''': Like the Grudge Thrower, but better. Also has live Goblins bolted to the projectiles. Causes morale penalties to targets, which stacks with the penalty for being hit by artillery.
*'''Cannon:''' Your classic artillery. Slow to fire but harder to dodge, best used as an Anti-large weapon while also killing models in high armor units, through can have difficulties hitting if the enemy zigzags too much like most Artillery units.
*'''Organ Gun:''' An effective horse begone tool, with good armor piercing and a ton of cannon balls flying everywhere, cavalry will quickly and efficiently die off in droves as your foe rages, if there’s no cav to shoot, then this thing is good for pulping infantry and can do a decent job at eliminating chariots.
*'''Flame Cannon''' Jack-of-all-trades artillery. Great area damage to deal with blobs of infantry and while it doesn't cause AP damage, its base damage is high enough that it doesn't matter. Funny enough, its stats make it much better at breaking towers and walls than cannons.

===Air Units===
The closest thing to "cavalry". Flying Bombers. Fill a role as the fast-moving guns to shoot at enemy flanks and drop anti-infantry bombs. The rotor blades can also dish out a good amount of melee damage, but having almost no melee defense makes them relatively fragile despite having high armor. They are often safe in the air, but keep them away from other flyers and AP missiles. Despite this, they are absurdly fast having speed in the 200s to run from most problems (only Pegasus Knights or Hawk Riders could catch them without nets or debuffs). To use effectively will require some mico.

*'''Gyrobomber:''' Your dedicated bomber which sacrifices other aspects to be the best at that. As a single mobile unit dedicated to hovering over infantry to drop annihilating bombs multiple times during a game, they obviously require the most micromanagement. A well placed carpet bombing can absolutely devastate the enemy frontline, and its machine gun can put out Ratling-Gun levels of DPS on a much more mobile platform.
Important to note that on small unit scale, the gyrobombers bombs are not reduced in damage, so one gyrobomber becomes an army-shredding machine on that unit scale, and putting 2-3 or even more in every army will be an auto-win for the campaign
**'''Skyhammer(ROR)''': Drops cluster bombs, so be aware that the damage-area is greater than the marker shows. Basically the Dwarfs answer to big aoe magic to obliterate chaff and elite units alike.
*'''Gyrocopter:''' Your anti-infantry skirmishers, shooting and bombing out those enemy gunners and artillery that thought themselves safe so far in the back. Also good at harassing the harassers that thought they could run a circle around the slowly pivoting Dawi gun lines.
*'''Gyrocopter (Brimstone Gun):''' Switches from general anti-infantry to majority AP damage to harass and focus down targets with more armor. Generally speaking, superior in almost every way to regular Gyrocopters. Fire damage puts a serious dent in units with regeneration (and Wood Elves) and the lower base damage is neglible when you take AP into consideration.

==Tactics==
===Multiplayer Strategies===
Dwarfs are one of the most unique factions in the game battle wise, with an utter lack of mobility and magick, and focusing everything on tanky infantry that can deal decent damage, and powerful guns and artillery. Unfortunately for them, this uniqueness means that unless you're fighting other Dwarfs, you don't have any balanced match ups against other races. Against some you have a clear, obvious advantage and tend to stomp, and against others, they give you swirlies in the bathroom for your lunch money. This is why most competitive players think they're one of the best counterpick factions as you can avoid your bad match ups and play in a favorable situation. Anyway, here's how you can satisfy the grudge against the other races:

*'''Beastmen''': A rush faction, Beastmen will have a hell of a time against you, if you play your cards right. Their complete lack of armor leaves them quite vulnerable to Thunderer fire on the approach and Bolt Throwers can slice through Minotaurs and Cygors with relative ease. Keep a solid screen of staunch Dwarf Warriors between your ranged units and the enemy and bring (Giant) Slayers to turn the Bestigor and Centigor Herds into ground beef.

*'''Bretonnia''': The peasantry of the Bretonnians can safely be ignored (except Foot Squires, after their buffs they can actually fuck you up pretty good), as they'll struggle to do anything to your heavy armor. Instead, you'll want to focus on bringing down their armored cavalry, particularly the Grail Knights and Grail Guardians leading the charges into you. Trollhammer Irondrakes serve fantastically as a powerful Horse-B-Gone tool and your Giant Slayers can chunk through most of their cavalry so long as they're not the ones receiving the initial charge. Bolt Throwers are, again, a powerful tool to use while the Bretonnian cav is on the approach. Just make sure that you keep your flanks thoroughly secure.

*'''[[Total_War_Warhammer/Tactics/Chaos_Dwarfs| Chaos Dwarfs]]''': Here's the thing about the Dawi-Zharr: their Dwarf units are generally better than yours one-on-one but are far more expensive. You can fill the field with heavily armored and relatively cheap infantry while they have to fill it with greenskin slaves.As a result your army as a whole has better staying power than theirs. Your Thunderers in particular are much cheaper than Fireglaives and have better range than Blunderbusses. Chaos Dwarf artillery can pose a big problem as you are pretty stationary and that's what they love but your cannons get a lot more shots per unit than theirs do and if you play your cards right you can win artillery duels. Watch out for Magma Cannons however, as the burning vortex their shots leave behind can really mess up an artillery crew - focus them down first if possible. Chaos Dwarfs also have lots of big monsters and chariots which will be a problem for you just as they always are. Your best bet is to shoot them down ASAP and if all else fails have a few Slayers in reserve. Gryrobombers can do pretty good against clumped Chaos Dwarf elite infantry and have a place in this matchup.

*'''Daemons of Chaos''': Expect Khorne Furies and a mostly Slaanesh-roster. see Slaanesh's guide below on how to deal with this. The good news is that since daemons of Chaos don't have access to greater daemon lords, you 'might' be able to deal with their hero-class lords. But this is mostly a full pain matchup for you, due to the access to the Slaanesh-roster daemons have.

*'''Chaos Warriors''': For Grungni's sake, keep your distance! Chaos Warriors are as tough as you are and hit harder in melee. Stock up on Thunderers and cannons, and bring some great weapon fighters to finish them off. Slayers can help as long as you're careful to make sure the enemy can't hit back. Keep your eyes out for flanking cavalry and chariots, and pray to the gods you can shoot those heathens before they reach your lines!

*'''Dark Elves''': This is a really tricky matchup for you; Dark Elves are fast and bring absurd AP damage in melee and at a range. Your biggest advantage is your superior range and you'll need to lean on it heavily to stand a chance. Grab cannons, Grudge Throwers, Rangers, and Quarrelers and hope to Grungi you can shoot them down before they get close enough to return the favor.

*'''Dwarfs''': Hopefully you have a general idea on the strengths of this faction, you're playing as them! Anti-Armor, full stop. Organ Guns, take the Skolder Guard and bring some Hammerers to crack open your opponent's can.

*'''Empire''': The Empire can be a tricky one because they're almost as good at artillery as you are while also having good cavalry and skirmishers. You'll need to stock up on gyrobombers to disrupt their flanking cavalry and Slayers to take out their knights. Irondrakes can also work well at deleting any aggressive demigryphs or knights. Beyond that, you should double down on your strengths and keep your artillery safe; the human lines will break before yours do.

*'''Greenskins''': As satisfying as it is to bury an axe in a greenskins skull, you are better off dealing with these guys from a distance. Quarrelers and Rangers are your friends here; quantity is as important as quality when fending off a green tide. Organ Guns and Cannons will be better at dealing with monsters than your Slayers, you don't want to send unarmoured units against Arachnarok Spiders or Rogue Idols. Don't forget your Irondrakes and/or your flame cannons, they can melt down anything from goblins to stone trolls. And keep your flanks protected from chariots and pump-wagons, they can wreak havoc on your lines and just ruin your day.

*'''Grand Cathay''': This is another instance of a faction that does what you do, only a hell of a lot worse. Yeah, you won't have to worry too much about these guys when they show up. Your missile boxes beat their missile boxes, their Cav is subpar and will get eaten by Slayers, and the only AP infantry that they have is Anti Large, which you don't have. Box up, get some cannons and Quarrelers, sit back and enjoy some Bugmans as the Cathayans desperately try to figure out how the fuck they're getting into your backline. Yes they do have their own little airforce, but do you really think Umgi inventions can compete with Dawi Gyrocopters? No. If they bring Sky Junks, send some Gyrocopters after them to pick them down. This faction might get more scary as DLC comes out, but for now this should be an easy win as long as you know what you're doing.

*'''High Elves''': Don't let the War of the Beard fool you, this will be one of your hardest match ups. High Elves have a lot of things that threaten you, but the things to fear the most would be their Chariots, Mages, White Lions and <s>Sisters of Averlorn</s> (they do magic damage so their AP isn't as useful as you think). Seriously, any High Elf player who knows what they're doing is going to spam White Lions and it is going to SUCK. Your best bet is to spam either Gyrocopters or Cannons and spread the field. Force the High Elves to have to either attack your artillery emplacements one at a time, allowing your others to fire freely, or use your air power and artillery to spread them apart and pick off pockets. Hammerers also have a niche in this match up, because they beat White Lions pretty hard one-on-one and with support from guns or chaff, they can go toe to toe with Swordmasters (Though don't count on that). Of course, these plans aren't perfect. There's a 99% chance they will bring Alarielle for Tempest and heals to deal with Gyros and they have plenty of mobility to get at your cannons to give the White Lions time to get in. Sadly, this is one of those match ups where even if you bring the most optimized Anti Elgi list possible, there's still a pretty decent chance you'll lose. Avoid this match up if you can.

*'''Khorne''': It's Khorne, c'mon. Warriors of chaos with somehow even less ranged and even killier once they reach your front lines. Bring plenty of armor-piercing infantry and ranged. If you want to live, protect your artillery from Khorne's furies and calvary.

*'''Kislev''': Kislev's big weakness is that their ranged firepower is also their melee power due to hybrid units, and while this seems great at first glance, they sacrifice both elements to have the other. Your artillery and ranged firepower will dump all over Kislev, your biggest concern are War Bears and Sleds, to which you should apply Slayers. Focus down the wizards and you'll out-brutalize Kislev in good time.

*'''Lizardmen''': Lizardmen are a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you can scoff at all the Skinks as they ping impotently off of your armor (unless they're the Red-Crested variety). On the other, Saurus are just as stubborn as you are and will take days to chew through without good AP. Bring some Hammerers to eek out an advantage in the inevitable grindfest you'll end up in. Take advantage of the Lizardmen's dearth of ranged firepower and massacre their forces with Irondrakes and Thunderers, while your Dwarf Warriors hold their front line at bay. You have excellent anti-monster units in the form of your Giant Slayers who absolutely will butcher any big dinosaur thrown into your ranks so long as you have some chaff to help trap and soak the damage the beasties can toss about. Though Skinks will largely prove a minor nuisance at best to a majority of your forces, you will ''definitely'' want to screen your (Giant) Slayers from the Skirmishing variety. Key players to watch out for are going to be the Slann Mage-Priests, Skink Priests and Kroxigors. Slann, especially fire/high Slann and Heavens Skink Priests can wreak utter havoc upon your forces with the myriad of vortex spells they can toss out, like candy from a parade float and they should absolutely be prioritized if you find them on the field. (Sacred) Kroxigors, if fielded, are surprisingly vicious anti-infantry monsters and will bowl over a majority of the infantry they're pointed at. Giant Slayers and Trollhammer Irondrakes serve as a solid counter, but you'll still want to swamp the Kroxigors in chaff to mitigate the damage they deal in turn.

*'''Norsca''': This is an easy fight for you. All of that monster hunting anti-large equipment the Norscans bring is going to fly right over your head as you bury your axes in their unarmoured pecs. Bring plenty of Cannons and Bolt Throwers to shoot down enemy Mammoths and bring some Irondrakes to shoot down anything else. Norscans are usually unarmoured, so you can trade your Thunderers for Quarrelers for the better range. Stick to the basics and you'll do fine.

*'''Nurgle''': Holy shit, a faction that might actually be slower than you! And it seems like you will have a hefty advantage as they don't really have a lot of ways to stop your artillery. The biggest thing you will probably have to worry about is their air force, and Furies and Rotflies will be gunning for that back line. Keep some Slayers near your guns, and get ready to surround them if they try to land. After that you just got to deal with Nurgle's rush of Plaguebearers and Nurglings, and I hope you're ready for nothing to ever die ever because that's likely what is gonna happen when Dawi and Nurgle clash. On the ground, Plague Toads and Pox Riders will likely be your biggest threat with their anti-infantry, but they're also big models, so guns and Slayers should do the trick. Expect a Herald as the commander, and if he's dumb enough to bring a Great Unclean One, laugh and shoot it to pieces. With the new debuffs fire damage does to healing, it might also be wise to break out the Irondrakes and Flame Cannons -- you'll have plenty of time to lob napalm at those shambling hordes of Plaguebearers.
** CoC DLC has brought some changes with access to marked WoC units for Nurgle; the units you will definitely see in this match-up now include Nurgle-marked Chaos Knights, Nurgle-marked Chaos Chariots, Nurgle-marked Chaos Warriors/Chosen with Great Weapons and Nurgle Marauder Horsemen with throwing axes. Knights & Chariots are especially a threat, as they will survive long enough from their speed+armour+Nurgle Mark to get behind your lines and wipe artillery or rear-charge your line infantry. Great weapon Warriors/Chosen, while still vulnerable to your guns when getting to your lines, are both units that have respectable chances of beating your units in the grind with their standard WoC stats, but now plus the Nurgle Mark. The Nurgle Warshrine is a strong support piece for the army, but like a GUO its something Dwarfs can delete so easily that you really should not see it. Generally expect Nurgle armies facing you to have a decent share of Nurgle-marked Mortal units from WoC now, unless your opponent hates themselves.

*'''Ogre Kingdoms''': This match is either gonna be your easiest or your hardest, as this comes down to the skill of you, the Ogre player, and what units you brought to the table. The Ogres have massive charge bonuses, but a lot of your units have charge defense, however unlike other factions, the Ogres will only lose half due to their Ogre Charge trait. The biggest threat the Ogres bring to you is their artillery, and if you leave them be they'll reap a devasting toll on your infantry. The good news is, that with the exception of Leadbelchers, all their artillery are a single model. Have your Cannons and Gyrocopters focus them down and you are good to go, or so you would think. Besides the Gnoblars, Ogres are all monster units, which means two things. One is that your artillery and Slayers will have a field day, but two is that their shockingly fast speed means they're gonna out run you and try to outmaneuver you at every opportunity. Your army should be a good balance of Longbeards, or if you are pinching pennies, Dwarf Warriors, they all have charge defense and can help hold the charging balls of lubber back. This is one of the match up where having a ton of Slayers is a good thing, and stack up on them to defend your back lines and cut the Ogres down to size. Your artillery should consist of two, maybe three Cannons to take out artillery and thin their numbers. Irondrakes with Trollhammer Torpedoes won't be a bad call, but they're on the pricey end. Besides some of their units, bring at least two, or simply one unit of Thunderers at most, because a lot of their stuff is unarmored, your main missile troop should be Quarrelers, they're cheap and will have a good time turning Ogres into pin-cushions and are strong enough to fend off Sabertusks. Your artillerys targeting priority should look something like this: artillery units (Ironblasters first, then Leadbelchers), Stonehorns, and finally, everything else. This should be the only match up where you shouldn't bother bringing Miners with Blasting Charges. The only thing they'll have an effect on is Gnoblars and strictly that, which is a waste of cash and will earn you a grudge for being wasteful. Now get out there and strike out some grudges agaisnt the fat bastards!

*'''Skaven''': This is probably the closest we'll get to a 40k-esque matchup (you know, <strike>aside the irony of neither the [[Squats|Dwarfs]] or Skaven being in that setting</strike> [[Leagues of Votann|The Kin has declared a Grudge against the manling who wrote that]]). Between your guns and artillery and their guns and artillery, most of the damage either of you will be dealing to each other will be done from afar. A majority of the Skaven infantry is quite helpless against your frontline infantry, but you'll have a hell of a time pinning anything down with the Skavens quicker movement speeds. Grudge Throwers are going to be king against most Skaven infantry builds, while Bolt Throwers or Cannons should be fielded to snipe any Warp-Lighting Cannons, Plagueclaw Catapults or Hellpit Abominations they have downfield. Warplock Jezzails will be a priority target to focus fire down, as are Warpfire Throwers and Poison Wind Globadiers, should they start getting too close. Aside utilizing their missile units against them, Skaven have absolutely no aerial presence, meaning your Gyrocopters will have virtually free reign to gun down rats at will.

*'''Slaanesh''': A bad day for you all around. It's become apparent, that if you're unlucky enough to run into Slaanesh, you're going to want to forego ranged firepower almost entirely, Miners with Blasting Charges and Ironbreakers will trade efficiently, maybe a safety pick of Thunderers to deal with a Keeper Of Secrets, but AP on everything, Furies, Spawn and chariots will just pulverize your formations in one of the most one-sided setups in the game right now.

*'''Tomb Kings''': The good news is that Tomb Kings don't like fire, and you have fire aplenty. Brimstone Gun-equipped Gyrocoptors are your fastest fire-delivery system, but Irondrakes and Flame Cannons are useful as well. The bad news is, that you don't like chariots, and they have chariots aplenty. Use every trick you can to soften up the chariots before they hit your lines; but it's unlikely you'll be able to stop them all. Grab some Giant Slayers to finish off the ones that survive your barrage and hope it's enough to keep them down. Tomb Kings infantry is no match for you, so you should build your army against their monsters and chariots.

*'''Tzeentch''': Ooh, here is somebody that's going to hate you. Tzeentch units are squishy and their ranged units only have middling range and are better for kiting. He also has no artillery other than Soul Grinders, few big monsters outside of Lords of Change, and relies heavily on spamming spells to activate their army abilities. Bring a Runelord or Thorek on an Anvil of Doom and laugh as their casters explode. Otherwise, pound them into dust with artillery, as they have few answers to an army with better range than them. Just guard the back line against Furies and Doom Knights and don't bother with air units, they'll get shot down in short order.

*'''Vampire Coast''': The most common Vampire Coast strategy is to bunker up with a large number of cheap ranged units and heavy artillery. If that sounds familiar, it's only because it's the same thing you like to do, you're just better at it. Bring plenty of Cannons and some Slayers to deal with the enemy monsters (hint: kill the Necrofex Colossi first). Once the big monsters have been dealt with, the pirates are basically just an inferior version of you, clumps of Quarrelers and Thunderers are plenty to take down the Zombies. And remember not to bunker up too tightly; you may have magic resistance but Winds of Death will still hurt.

*'''Vampire Counts''': Virtually nothing that makes up the rank and file of the Vampire Counts will pose a significant threat to you. Skeletons and Zombies will only serve to slow down your already plodding advance and only deal any meaningful "damage" to you simply by sponging your limited ranged firepower meant for something else. The only standard units that you'll find yourself at a significant disadvantage against will be the Cairn and Hex Wraiths, given your general lack of magical damage. You'll want to engage them with missile attacks for maximum effect and make sure that you are braced for their charges. The main thing you should be focused on taking down will be the Lords and Heroes leading the army; without them, the undead hordes will quickly fall apart (literally). They also pose the single biggest threat to everything you have, as their Lore of Death casters can delete swathes of your army with a single well placed cast if you are positioned carelessly.

*'''Wood Elves''': Wood Elves are an extremely annoying foe who are fundamentally the exact opposite of you. Their infantry can run circles around yours and they can deal frightening amounts of damage against their intended targets, but you'll snap their twiggy spines if you whip 'em with your beards. In general, you're going to be engaged in a very tedious game of "keep away", where the Wood Elves are going to be dancing just outside of your reach while their Glade Guard and Waywatchers pepper you with AP arrows and occasionally test your flanks for weaknesses via Wild Rider/Great Stag Knight cycle charges. Fortunately, you do have a couple tools the elves don't: Artillery. Grudge Throwers excel against WE infantry and can discourage them from trying to camp too far away, while Bolt Throwers and Flame Cannons will make mince-meat of the cavalry/Forest Spirits that may try to break through your lines. Speaking of Forest Spirits, Irondrakes will ''incinerate'' them. Slayers also help against the bigger tree spirits in theory, but the ranged power the Wood Elves bring make them a dicey proposition. As far as their melee infantry options are concerned, the only ones that majorly threaten you are the Bladesingers; their anti-armor magical attacks will scythe through your armor will jaw-dropping speed. Use Thunderers to soften them up on the charge then use Slayers to cut them down swiftly.

===Domination===
General Tier Rank: '''F'''

You are just SO FUCKING SLOW. You opponent is going to get to the point first, no question about it and most armies have plenty of ways to roadblock you in order to stop you from getting on them. While few factions will be able to contest you in a head on charge for the midpoint, once they start going for the side points you will have no way to out contest them. Important to note that there are some maps that you won't get completely dumpstered automatically. The more choke points that are on a map, the better it is for you because then the enemy will be more forced to try to take you head on instead of just avoid direct contact with you in an attempt to cap more points. However, even then there's no way you can outmaneuver your enemy unless they fall asleep at their computer out of boredom. Don't play Dwarfs in Domination until they get some major buffs, a DLC, or rework that will help them move around the map better.

However if you still decide to stay committed to playing dwarfs, the general tip is seize two caps at least and have a squadron of gyrocopters and bombers to harass the foe, ironbreakers are king here, jam them on a point and laugh as your opponent struggles to get them off, rangers and miners are key here as they are the only units with vanguard deployment (this includes the ROR ironbreakers) to delay the foe by brawling with them as your slower units get into position or to reinforce your troops if needed, slayers are necessary here as besides gyrocopters, their the fastest thing you got, bring along 3, 4 if needed, to both delete cav or monsters too big for their britches and do aforementioned delaying tactics, for artillery, on smaller maps, organ guns and flame cannons will be an excellent infantry/cavalry begone tool for clearing out points that are infested with enemy troops, as per the norm, bring a cannon to deal with enemy artillery and snipe monsters regardless of the map size, on longer maps, the grudge-thrower will be a much better alternative for clearing out points, but organ guns and flame cannons are a good deterrent for defending points, as they’ll delete blobs, just make sure there safe from enemy cav and flyers, however the one weakness as listed above, is your slowness, you need to be smart if you want to consistently win domination as dwarfs, assume a box formation as units in said shape, turn about faster and thus let them react to threats flanking around or move to different points faster if it’s necessary (keep in mind, it does not increase movement speed, it just hastens how fast they turn), while it is vulnerable to artillery fire, your cannons should already be firing at said artillery, follow this guide somewhat well and proceed to wipe every smug grin off with an axe, show every YouTuber good or otherwise how wrong they were as you strike out grudges and get vengeance for every domination tier list that put you in F tier!

===Campaign Strategies===
*'''Karaz-A-Karak''': Karaz-A-Karak starts out with a solid base economy and a protected position, with your flanks covered by minor dwarven factions and only one Greenskin faction as your initial enemy. However, that start is deceivingly simple at first; once Grimgor and Queek get going, your position will become increasingly precarious if you're not careful. Your biggest weakness is easily your very slow growth, as the Greenskins and Skaven often will have higher tier units much sooner than you do. Making the jump from Tier 3 to 4 as soon as you can is your top priority. Once your scary lategame units arrive, you can start to dominate the Southlands and expand in any direction you damn please.
**'''Pick Gronbrimdal (Mortal Empires only)''': There is no reason to ever pick Thorgim over Grombrindal as your starting LL. Grombrindal comes with a much better selection of starting units (Gyrocopters, Irondrakes and Thunderers) and his blue skill tree might be one of the most blatantly overpowered things in the game on its own, as Grombrindals variants of the perks not just affect his army, but your entire faction. Thorgrim can be recruited later down the line regardless.
**'''Don't get bogged down''': The initial 50 turns of any campaign might just be called "get ready for Grimgor". While you can expand quickly at the start, it is ill advised (and very tempting) to stray too far from your Capital and end up with your armies battering against your starting enemies while Grimgor happily carves a path straight towards Karaz-A-Karak. Losing Karaz-A-Karak becomes a win condition in this case; if you can successfully defend it, the Greenskins are finished, if you lose it, you can restart a new campaign.

'

*Clan Angrund''' In immortal empires Belegar's difficulty level has been severely reduced, on turn one as soon as you take your first settlement you can full-confederate Karak Izor instantly. After that it's the usual hop and skip to Karak-Eight-Peaks, however with it in Skarsnik's hands now, it's significantly easier to take as Skarsnik doesn't start with a full 20 stack army unlike the 'Crooked Moon Mutineers' from Warhammer 2.
[[Category:Total Warhammer]] {{Total War Warhammer Tactics}}

Council of Nikaea

2023-06-01T23:37:48Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D: /* Loyalist Response to Nikaea */

[[File:Blood_Angel_Librarian.jpg|thumb|You can tell this dude in front is a Librarian (even though he's red, instead of blue!), cause of the HUGE MOTHERFUCKING BOOK on his head. Also [[THIN YOUR PAINTS]]]]

Following the Emperor's departure from the Great Crusade, a conclave was called to determine whether or not [[Librarian]]s should continue to be used. With representatives summoned to the '''Council of Nikaea''' (often remembered as the Trial of [[Magnus the Red]]), both sides pleaded their cases. In the end the Emperor, fearing that Magnus was being way too arrogant and reckless in his pursuit of power and in serious danger of Fausting himself [[Just As Planned|(which is exactly what <s>ended up happening</s> already had happened!)]] decided that Librarians posed too great a risk and ordered the Legions to disband their Librariums, return to their battle companies, and never use their psychic powers in battle again-- an edict Magnus ignored. Well, actually, an edict that quite a lot of the Primarchs either totally ignored or later broke. But Magnus broke it harder. The White Scars simply ignored it, but the likes of Dorn and Vulkan implemented it straight away.

<blockquote>
Hear now the words of my ruling

I am not blind to the needs of the Imperium, but nor am I blind to the realities of the hearts of men. I hear men speak of knowledge and power as though they are abstract concepts to be employed as simply as a sword or gun. They are not. Power is a living force, and the danger with power is obsession. A man who attains a measure of power will find it comes to dominate his life until all he can think of is the acquisition of more. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but few can stand the ultimate test of character, that of wielding power without succumbing to its darker temptations.

Peering into the darkness to gain knowledge of the Warp is fraught with peril, for it is an inconstant place of shifting reality, capricious lies and untruths. The seeker after truth must have a care he is not deceived, for false knowledge is far more dangerous than ignorance. All men wish to possess knowledge, but few are willing to pay the price. Always men will seek to take the short cut, the quick route to power, and it is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that will lure him to evil ways. True knowledge is gained only after the acquisition of wisdom. Without wisdom, a powerful person does not become more powerful, he becomes reckless. His power will turn on him and eventually destroy all he has built.

I have walked paths no man can know and faced the unnameable creatures of the Warp. I understand all too well the secrets and dangers that lurk in its hidden darkness. Such things are not for lesser minds to know; no matter how powerful or knowledgeable they believe themselves to be. The secrets I have shared serve as warnings, not enticements to explore further. Only death and damnation await those who pry too deeply into secrets not meant for mortals.

I see now I have allowed my sons to delve too profoundly into matters I should never have permitted them to know even existed. Let it be known that no one shall suffer censure, for this conclave is to serve Unity, not discord. But no more shall the threat of sorcery be allowed to taint the warriors of the Astartes. Henceforth, it is my will that no Legion will maintain a Librarius department. All its warriors and instructors must be returned to the battle companies and never again employ any psychic powers.

Woe betide he who ignores my warning or breaks faith with me. He shall be my enemy, and I will visit such destruction upon him and all his followers that, until the end of all things, he shall rue the day he turned from my light.
</blockquote>

Dude could give a speech.

Unfortunately this seemed to be one of those decisions that the Emperor didn't really think through. It added yet another layer of bullshit on top of his fear of the Warp and psykers in general, a group of people who, had they been able to ply their mind-bullets freely, would ''presumably'' have been awesome weapons against the traitors when Heresy time came around. This is something that the books and stuff seem to say a lot, but it's kinda... well... it's hard to say how true that actually is/was.

At Istvaan, psykers wouldn't have made any difference (3 legions vs 8 is a bad day for the good guys), and the balance of forces was so extreme that just knowing ahead of time wouldn't have helped. At Calth they ''might'' have made a difference. All of the former [[Ultramarine]] Librarians had bad dreams in the days before the treachery so maybe they might have seen what was coming, but they may not ever have been able to convince [[Roboute Guilliman]] of impending treachery. Remember this was happening just after Isstvan V and communication was moving slowly thanks to the Warp Storms, on top of the fact that Marines fighting each other was totally alien to them. Fluff writers expect you to disregard the fact that the Wolves had already massacred two other legions and tried to do the same to the World Eaters. They would have really been struggling to deal with the magic stuff because it was totally new and a weird combination of technology and warpstuff. Oh, and of course, practically no one who wasn't on Guilliman's flagship or with the 4th company even knew what the problem was. So it seems really unlikely that Librarians would have magically made the Heresy all better.

TL;DR It depends on how numerous and how powerful the Librarians in question were, but they would've probably had a minor impact at best.

In any case, the Edict of Nikaea stood for a year or so at most, and it was [[Reasonable Marines|ignored or abandoned]] by nearly all the legions. Because it was stupid.

==Why Nikaea really happened?==
{{Topquote|The enemy fears the warp as much as they plunge themselves into it|Leman Russ - prior to the Siege of Terra}}

The root causes of the council of Nikaea are described across several books in the Horus Heresy series. Ostensibly '''everyone''' acknowledged the importance of psykers in the Imperium and within the Astartes, but [[Leman Russ]] and [[Mortarion]] both maintained that the [[Thousand Sons]] - and by reflection the Librarians in general - were in danger of becoming Sorcerers and ''[[Skub|had]]'' to be stopped.

[[Mortarion]] had already been told that the Emperor planned Nikaea about 70 years '''before''' it happened which means that the result was rigged before it even started,and shows that the Emperor's intention with the Nikaea edict really was to prevent abuses of sorcery and further temptations from unclean sources, thereby eliminating the use of all psykers except for soul-bound Astropaths and those exceptions in Russ' Legion ''(see below)'' until the Webway Project was completed. Of course, this is somewhat stupid if true because if the Emperor had meant to ban Astartes psykers all along, why would he not have nipped the problem in the bud then and there? The more likely scenario in-universe is that Malcador simply lied to Mortarion to placate him, and that the Emperor had not yet made up his mind regarding the issue.

But considering Nikaea in retrospect, Russ ''(and most of the other Primarchs knee deep in daemon filth for that matter)'' had come to realise that the loyalists had been maneuvered into ridding themselves of an important weapon that could have been used against the enemy in the war which followed; guns and bullets could only do so much against an unnatural enemy against whom blades and symbols fared much better (symbolic relation to daemon summoning causes swords and fire to be highly effective against them, perhaps this is even why the Salamanders were a major target at the beginning of the Horus Heresy). While Russ was still proud of what he did at Prospero (because deciding to follow Horus's suggestion instead of the Emperor's order is something to be very proud of) and firmly believed Magnus deserved everything he got, he acknowledges that Horus changed the order from "capture" to "kill" because the traitors genuinely ''feared'' Magnus' sorcery and its capabilities (especially if Magnus and co became faithful in the Emperor), which would have helped the loyalists win the war via curbstomping all their nifty daemon buddies and ruining their new Warp powers; though Russ also points out that Magnus could have just as easily become a second [[Horus]] because no one knew which way his path would take. Therefore sweeping such a powerful figure from the board early makes a degree of strategic sense, and with hindsight Magnus turned traitor anyway.

Ohthere Wyrdmake and Leman Russ claimed repeatedly that the [[Rune Priest]]s were not using the power of the warp and were instead harnessing the power of "[[Fenris]]" so that their Priests were somehow different from the Librarius. Just because you had to be a psyker and had to use your psyker powers to do Rune Priest shit doesn't mean it's psychic. Duh. So when Russ later arrived at Terra prior to the Siege he proposed returning to Fenris to have his Priests divine a method for defeating Horus, claiming that the only way to defeat their enemies was to use their own power against them. [[Rogal Dorn]] (at that point the only Primarch who had absolutely adhered to the result of Nikaea) calls Russ a hypocrite because of it. Keep in mind that Dorn is always very certain to tell the absolute truth so far as he knows it. He no doubt understood Leman's own beliefs and arguments... and dismissed them as bullshit. Of course it was later revealed that Russ's "Spirit of Fenris" schtick was actually ''not'' bullshit somehow, and that for all intents and purposes there is in fact such a thing. It is possible that the Fenrisians simply believed in the whole "Spirit of Fensis" thing to such a degree that the Warp manifested such a construct in the same sort of way that the Eldar used to create immaterial gods for their own purposes. Only for the Fenrisians it was an accident, similar to the Ork phuckery which makes purple a stealthy color through collective belief and Warp/WAAAAARGH energy.

But if Russ and the Emperor supposedly understood so well the power and the corruption of the Warp, why not simply ask the Librarius to reform similarly to the Rune Priests? The [[White Scars]] already had a similar - "older" as Russ put it - tradition that emphasized limiting the amount of power drawn from the source, so why not have the entire Librarius follow the same principle? Russ does privately admit to [[Malcador]] that perhaps Dorn was correct and that he really was a hypocrite for calling for the censure of others while flouting the rules himself. Malcador points out that the Emperor always made exceptions for Russ because his purpose was singular - fighting other Primarchs, explicitly pointing to [[Primarch#Two Missing Primarchs|those they do not name]], then Horus and the Traitors - and that the Emperor trusted Russ to carry out that duty where no one else could. In part due to these contradictions and the special treatment he received, Russ resolved to have a long examination of his Rune Priests and their relationship with the warp after the war was completed.

Why let the Thousands Sons simply go by their way without any supervision when [[Adeptus Custodes|Custodians]] were attached to the Word Bearers for arguably far less? Because [[Lorgar]] had already displeased the Emperor and been punished with the razing of '''Monarchia''' while the proclamation at Nikaea was simply a warning. Magnus was not the only proponent of the Librarius and they were left to police themselves with the [[Chaplain]]s being instituted to keep an eye on them. Following the Prospero clusterfuck, squads of [[Space Wolves]] were attached to all of the Legions to ensure their compliance with the Edict anyway (which raises the question as to what Russ & Co were hoping to achieve because if it came down to it, a handful of regular space puppies vs. a Primarch...)

This very likely boils down to whether the Emperor knew ''who'' was going to betray him and ''when'', especially considering the first move in the great game the Emperor plays against [[Chaos]] is the corruption of [[Horus|"The Lord of Hearts"]] by the [[Lorgar|"Chosen"]] which happened three years after Nikaea (at '''Davin'''). It has already been established that the Emperor's foresight was not infallible and the fate of each Primarch was malleable. Since the Webway project relied heavily upon Magnus operating the [[Golden Throne]], if the Emperor had any idea then of how bad it would become then why continue with the project? And if there was any need to single Magnus out for further censure why not drag him to Terra in chains to be kept under lock and key until his powers were needed? [[Burning of Prospero|...oh right]].

Whatever popular opinion on the subject is, the truth of the "trial of Magnus the Red" is that the arguments of said Magnus at the [[Council of Nikaea]] were quite childish, being "inspired" by the allegory of the Cave of Plato but having its significance completely subverted into a bunch of progressivist, utopian bullshit. Originally, the Cave of Plato was an allegory on the metaphysics of ontology and about the initiatic endeavour of ''anamnesis'' (''ἀνάμνησις''), which is operated by the mind (''νοῦς'') as part of the philosophical process of reaching into the realm of forms known as the ''Hyperuraniôn'' (which, in 40K, would count as the [[Warp|Immaterium]]), to acquire knowledge and perfect society (this is basically the only aspect of the Cave of Plato which goes along with the Cave of Magnus version). According to Heraclitus, "everything flows, nothing stands still" (''τὰ πάντα ῥεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει''); it is the flux of Becoming, and also the inspiration behind the alchemical / chemical tenet "''rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée, tout se transforme''" of Lavoisier & Anaxagoras. Since of the Indo-European Tri-Functions, the mechanical and organic aspects proper to the lowest Function, ''Epithumia'' (''ἐπιθυμία''), do not survive death but are obliterated, the "reincarnated" elements linked with the two other Functions have to be re-learned from experience - or rather to be remembered, since in theory they were already there - so as to leave the stream of Becoming and step into the one of Being, unlike those who are just obeying orders or bodily impulses. In other words, the effects of the [[Rubric]] of [[Ahriman]], turning Marines into slaves without any spiritual function left and only a shadow of bodily one, may be a parody rewarding / punishing Magnus' foolish revamp of the Cave of Plato; likewise for the Burning of Prospero and destruction of Tizca. Indeed, Anamnesis was basically the lifestyle of the immortal Shamans before Chaos energies infusing the Warp eventually caused them to make the [[Emperor]].

There is also another possibility, which is that the Emperor called the Council in order to judge Magnus not publically, but privately. Essentially, he may have wanted to give Magnus enough rope to hang himself, and then sit back and see if he would do it or not. For if the Emperor had reached a decision regarding the Librarius prior to the time of the Council, he could have simply issued an edict to the Legions disbanding the Librarius whenever he wished to. He was the Emperor; he had no need to consult anyone regarding his decisions, and his word was law. On that note, the Emperor was the only person at the Council whose judgement was in any way relevant, which meant that the creation of a Council was completely pointless. In-universe, the Emperor is the smartest material being in existence, so it follows that his summoning of a Council to "decide" a matter in which it had absolutely no authority must have had some ulterior motive. Given these factors, is entirely possible that the purpose of the Council was to give Magnus an opportunity to listen to detractors of his, and perhaps show enough humility to come to some sort of compromise. It is also likely that the Emperor was testing Magnus's character to see if he was capable of enough self-reflection to realize the dangers of what he was doing. If that was the case, then Magnus failed utterly. He even went so far as to claim, even after the Emperor's judgement, that if he was guilty of anything, it was the simple pursuit of knowledge. Magnus's bullshit reworking of the Cave of Plato allegory probably didn't help him at all in that regard either. For if Magnus knew the story, then the idea that the Emperor did not is fairly ludicrous. Hell he may have been around when the original was penned, or may even have known Plato personally. This fundamental alteration of a story about the folly of revealing knowledge to whose who do not want it, to one with the exact opposite moral, was likely one of the most salient points against Magnus in the Emperor's final ruling. Especially if he thought that Magnus was trying to deceive him, which unless Magnus literally forgot that the Emperor was in the audience at the time, he appears to have been attempting to do. The Emperor's speech at the end of the Council, warning of the dangers of arrogance in the pursuit of power, might as well have been addressed to Magnus personally. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Emperor had summoned Russ in secret to the Council, and had kept him in reserve under the cloaking presence of Sisters of Silence just in case Magnus threw a temper tantrum. What this means is up for debate, but the fact that the Emperor had his personal executioner present at Nikaea with orders to target Magnus specifically, is rather ominous.

==Loyalist Response to Nikaea==
[[File:Awesome stuff.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Toasty.]]
*[[Roboute Guilliman]] had been a strong proponent of the Librarius as an organization, and has publicly endorsed it as a powerful strategic tool in the Astartes arsenal. Nevertheless, the Ultramarines followed the Emperor's command to the letter, disbanding their Librarius and returning their Librarians to the battle companies. During the [[Battle of Calth]] however, Guilliman reversed course and stated that the Edict of Nikaea needed to be overturned as soon as possible, even deducing that the Edict's timing was [[Just As Planned|so convenient]] that it could only mean that [[Tzeentch|someone]] had arranged it. Thus when he thought that Terra and the Emperor had already fallen he decided to build the [[Imperium Secundus]] in a manner he thought sensible and kept his Chief Librarian around as an advisor (much to the chagrin of a [[Space Wolf|Space Wolves]] detachment deployed on Macragge to "ensure" Guilliman's loyalty).
*Without a [[Ferrus Manus|Primarch]], the remaining [[Iron Hands]] mostly fell in with the [[Ultramarines]] and basically did whatever they were doing.
*Though [[Lion El'Jonson]] himself was in support of the Librarius, he had tasked his representative at the Council to support the condemnation of Magnus specifically, though why is not known. However when the ban came down, the Dark Angels enacted it without complaint. The Lion re-introduced the Librarians as soon as he discovered that the traitors were using [[daemons]], presumably knowing what shit was going down from his experiences on Caliban and even going so far as to punch the living fuck out of a [[Chaplain]] who reminded him that it was going against the Emperor's Edict - as in, literally punched his head off, although said Chaplain was about to execute one of the Librarians for using his psychic powers against daemons and refused to back down (and it was an accident anyway). The Lion felt terrible about it as he had meant to hold back but was a little too pissed to control his strength well enough.
*[[Rogal Dorn]] had been rather skeptical of the Librarius project from its inception, though he still allowed for the creation of a Libratius division within the Imperial Fists. He had also been amongst those who had wanted Magnus personally censured, though why, as with the Lion, is unknown (he might have just been being a grump). When the edict came down, Dorn locked all his Librarians up in the [[Phalanx]] and refused to even let them rejoin their battle brothers as line-troopers. However, when [[Nathaniel_Garro#Nathaniel_Garro|Nathaniel Garro]] snuck his way on board to try and rescue them on Malcador's orders, they seemed happy enough where they were. Apparently all the [[Imperial Fists]] need to feel happy is thick walls around them. Dorn explained that they were exactly [[Just as Planned|where they needed to be]], presumably for keeping them in reserve for when the Imperium really need them. What happened to them afterwards is (as of yet) unexplained. The reasonable assumption is that they were held in reserve for the Siege of Terra, possibly on the advice of Malcador.
*[[Sanguinius]] had been one of the three Primarchs who had come up with the Librarius concept in the first place. Naturally, he was all for keeping it around, but he too followed the Emperor's edict. However, his former Librarians kept in fellowship with one another, and would prove their collective worth by saving the entire Legion from the daemonic precursor of the Black Rage at Signus. So he kept them around afterwards and seemingly gave them the green light to just ignore the ban. [[Nassir Amit]] [[FATAL|murderfuckraping]] the Space Wolves detachment supposed to prevent this so hard [[rip and tear|they died to death]] unwittingly helped this along. Maybe. They weren't stupid so they'd hopefully have been more likely to have been like "Okay, well, this was a super-extreme situation and the Emperor would surely prefer to have Sanguinius and his legion than the Edict be kept... we didn't see anything."
*[[Vulkan]] also tried the Sanguinius approach. However, there were barely any [[Salamanders]] left after Isstvan and by M41 they looked back upon Nikaea as an ancient and archaic edict that had no place anymore.
*[[Corax]] was a latent psyker, but was oddly one of the most staunch critics of the Librarius. As such he took no issue with banning psykers within his legion from using their powers. Following a personal encounter with the [[Possessed Marine|Gal Vorbak]], Corax did a 180 and began advocating using Librarians, nearly getting into a shooting match with the Custodes over it. We don't know if they reinstated their Librarians but it seems extremely likely that they did after the Alpha Legion attack to disrupt/steal their cloning tech (which Librarians could have detected).
*The [[Jaghatai Khan|Khan]] was another of the creators of the Librarius project, as his homeworld had a long history of training psykers to safely and responsibly use their powers. When the ban came down, the [[White Scars]] (at least those that got the message) just kinda shrugged, twiddled their mustaches and pretended like it never happened. The "stormseer" who spoke for the Scars at Nikaea simply privately refused to accept it and vindicated himself shortly after by exploding a daemon with lightning. His psychic powers (and those of the one surviving loyalist from the Thousand Sons) later [[Dark Glass|saved the entire Legion]] during the Horus Heresy. However, the whole thing was a bit moot anyway as the Scars were so far afield that by the time they heard about the ban, the Heresy had already started and nobody cared anymore.
*Leman Russ had a... rather odd relationship with psykers in general. While he strongly disliked Magnus for being an arrogant dick and viewed his powers as unclean sorcery, he seemed not to have any problem with the [[Rune Priest]]s of his own legion. The Wolves in general totally denied that their Rune Priests were psykers at all and claimed that their power came from [[Fenris]] as opposed to the warp. While this was just flatly wrong, their primitive belief structure caused their '''Underverse''' to manifest in a way that was completely different to the [[Chaos]] of the [[Warp]] and allowed them to distinguish between them. This seemingly caused the "Spirit of Fenris" to become an actual honest-to-god warp entity of some sort, which in a weird roundabout way actually validated the Fenrisian's beliefs. Regardless of whether or not Russ or the Wolves understood any of that nuance, it was made clear by [[Malcador]] afterwards that Big E made a decision to tolerate their beliefs, seeing it was important for his "executioners" to be able to deal with other warp-users. In fact, two of their Librarians, Aun Helwintr and Ohthere Wyrdmake, were vocal opponents of employing Librarians at the Council and yet directly participated in the [[Burning of Prospero]].
**''Prospero Burns'' actually nuances this, explaining that they were okay about the Librarius as envisioned but wanted Magnus censured (basically they drew a line between acceptable psyker practices and sorcery) but they failed to get their point across, leaving an opening for Mortarion to get the whole thing shut down. The [[Space Wolves]] supported the banning of Librarians but kept their own afterwards.
*[[Malcador the Sigillite]] gave permission to the Librarians among the [[Knights-Errant]] to begin using their psychic powers after the edict, even supplying them with psychic hoods. The [[Adeptus Custodes]] made it clear that they did not recognize Malcador's authority to do so, but they were in a bit of a logical paradox over the matter: either enforce the Emperor's will by stopping Malcador from continuing his work, or defy the Emperor's will by stopping his appointed Regent from continuing his work. They settled for threatening to kill any Librarian using his powers in their presence so the Knights-Errant just did it out of their presence.

So by the Siege of Terra all but two of the loyalist Legions definitely had active Librarians, and one of the other two probably did.

==Traitor Response to Nikaea==
*[[Lorgar]] and his [[Word Bearers]] were already planning evil, so they just completely ignored the prohibition.
*Surprisingly, most of the Thousand Sons did follow the decree and murderfucked filthy Xenos the old fashioned way instead... for a little while. [[Magnus|Magnus The Red]] himself on the other hand decided being a ninja space wizard was too cool, and ignored the decree. If he hadn't, maybe he would've been all right.
*The [[World Eaters]] ignored the decree as well. They still had official Librarians (not [[Sorcerer_(Warhammer_40,000)|Sorcerers]], actual honest to goodness Librarians) during the Heresy; however, the World Eaters hated their librarians from the moment Angron introduced the Butcher's Nails and frequently didn't even tolerate them being around. This was nothing specifically personal, it was just that psykers made the Butchers' Nails a bit...''twitchy'' and could not themselves be implanted with the Butcher's Nails without catastrophically losing control of their powers - which is not a good thing for brain implants that are already turning you into a psychotic, rage-filled murder machine. Between this and a superstitious dislike of anything "unnatural" (but only the terminally stupid would actually mention this paradox to Angron, who is unnatural in so many ways, above all unnaturally angry) there just weren't enough Librarians left to bother suppressing and the World Eaters mostly ignored them, allowing them to tag along in battle as they saw fit. They weren't represented at the council for reasons that should be obvious: Angron just didn't give a fuck because the decision didn't involve RAGE. By the time of the Shadow Crusade the remaining 19 Librarians weren't even considered full members of the Legion anymore due to their lack of the Nails. In a final showdown though, they '''did''' try to kill [[Lorgar]] before he could transform Angron into a demon prince. Needless to say, that didn't work, and Angron's first act upon attaining daemonhood was to [[rip and tear|kill them all]].
*[[Mortarion]] was already just about the biggest psyker hater in the universe, was one of the decree's strongest supporters. He had even informed by [[Malcador]] that the Emperor was planning to get rid of the Librarius about 70 years before the council even took place, giving him plenty of time to prepare for it. Hilariously, this backfired badly on him when he eventually realised that getting the Edict pushed through only weakened the loyalist's psykers; his allies were (mostly) letting their psykers run rampant with a whole new set of freakshow abilities. Things got so bad for him that he tried to get the librarian supporting Jaghatai Khan on his side. Jaghatai countered by attempting to carve the hypocrite out of Mortarion's pustuled arse. He then pillaged a Thousand Sons' library world and [[Wat|actually summoned a demon]] [[just as planned|whose sole purpose was to tempt him into using sorcery even more]]. [[fail|It worked]], and Mortarion then [[derp|yo-yoed between studying sorcery whilst pillaging every ritual device he could get his hands on, and smashing the various trinkets he acquired]]. It peaked with Molech before Mortarion tried to get back to first principles. Ironically due to his lack of people skills and his poor Psy-dar he never knew his [[Typhus|second-in-command]] was a dirty warp burglar. First rule of management, get to know your people. [[Not as planned|As final nail in his coffin]], he became a powerful Psyker himself when Granddaddy Nurgle adopted him.
*The [[Alpha Legion]] also ignored the edict like they did almost everything else. Officially, they disbanded the Librarius; unofficially, [[Alpharius]] and [[Omegon]] kept their Librarians around for special operations.
*[[Konrad Curze]] was said to have supported the use of Librarians, and was quite a potent psyker himself (though untrained and not fond of his abilities). Somewhat oddly, he never seemed to express any personal opinion on psykers, and appeared to have been almost completely neutral regarding the topic. However, despite his Legion having a significantly greater than normal proportion of psykers in their ranks, most of the Night Lords seemed to dislike psykers in general. When the Edict came down, the [[Night Lords]] nominally accepted it but Curze seemingly didn't bother to enforce it. In fact, he apparently cared so little about the whole business that he passed on the decision as to what to do with the Legion's psykers to his First Captain [[Sevatar]]. Sevatar didn't care either, and so passed the decision in turn to individual company commanders. Most happily went along with the Edict (even going so far as to exile their Chief Librarian, who ironically was recruited into the Knight-Errants afterwards), but they occasionally dabbled in sorcery throughout the Heresy.
* The [[Sons of Horus]] went along with the decree initially, but when they got their Heresy on, they learned sorcery quickly from the Word Bearers (through the Lodges) and were quick to use it openly and without restraint after Istvaan.
* [[Perturabo]] was against using Librarians, in fact it was noted as one of the only things that brought him and [[Rogal Dorn]] together. However his opposition to the Librarius initiative was one born of pragmatism rather than a dislike of psykers. He basically took the opposite view of Guilliman; where Guilliman believed the Librarians to be a useful military tool, Perturabo thought them to be a waste of time and resources. If it might have helped the [[Iron Warriors]] build or tear down fortresses any quicker then they might have joined the "fuck Nikaea bandwagon" with gusto, but there are no recorded Iron Warriors Librarians after turning traitor either. Perturabo was pissed (as usual) that Big E used the coliseum he had been allowed to build for competitive events as a courtroom.
* Although [[Fulgrim]] was initially a proponent of the Librarius amongst Astartes, since he viewed the psyker as another step on the human road to perfection, he seemingly did not support exploration of the matter for his own legion. It was stated clearly in at least two sources that "The Legion employed no Librarians, as the genetic mutation that allowed a psyker to access the warp was considered a flaw, a nothing considered a flaw would be allowed in the Legion." (A Reflection Crack'd, Angel Exterminatus). As further evidence, the [[Emperor's Children]] appear to have followed the Edict since no EC Librarian has ever appeared in the fluff.

In M41 the Edict technically still stands (no one can overrule the [[Emperor]] and he never officially revoked his Edict) but it stopped being enforced after the [[Horus Heresy|Heresy]] and the marines could please themselves. Also of interest is that the Emperor violated the Edict himself by ordering the founding of the Grey Knights, who are even bigger violators of it than the Thousand Sons.

== Councils of Nikaea IRL ==
The [[wikipedia:First Council of Nicaea|First Council of Nikaia]] (Latinly spelled Nicaea, or Nicea) was a meeting convened by Emperor Constantine in the year 325 in [[derp|Nicaea]] not far from Byzantium. This was to sort out some controversies in Christian doctrine: in particular related to the divinity of Jesus (or lack thereof), a couple of schisms, and miscellaneous organizational details like how to deal with [[heretics]]. Slavery was also a big issue. One of the outcomes of the meeting was the [[wiki:Nicene Creed|Nicene Creed]], which was meant to be a distillation of the most fundamental tenets of Christianity: basically, that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all exist and are divine, that Jesus was sent to be crucified for humanity's sins, and that the living and dead will be judged before being resurrected into the kingdom of Heaven. The original version of the Creed includes a line saying that heretics who deny that Jesus was divine (or say that he was not always divine) are "condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church," but that got removed at Theodosius' First Council of Constantinople in 381; other words have been added in, for instance about the Virgin Mary, such that our "Nicene Creed" is more accurately a Theodosian Creed. Most Christian denominations adhere to the Nicene Creed to this day, the late-antique dissidents mainly having recoalesced around Islam. Although there are some Christians (such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Unitarians) who have lately abandoned this.

There was also a [[wikipedia:Second Council of Nicaea|Second Council of Nicaea]] in the year 787, which was convened by the Empress Irene in response to the iconoclasm (the destruction of religious icons and artwork) promulgated by her predecessors. See, the previous three Emperors had said that erecting images of Jesus and saints and so on was heresy, because one of the Commandments forbade the creation of graven images for the purpose of worship, and because paintings and sculptures could not be divine and therefore could not properly convey the holy nature of their subjects. Their opponents (the iconophiles) retorted that venerating icons of actual saints was not at all the same thing as worshiping idols to false gods, that destroying art and church property and torturing the monks who made it was hardly an appropriate response, and that the Emperors didn't seem to have a problem with people erecting images of ''them''. In the end, the Second Council ruled that it was actually the iconoclasts who were the heretics, and that making icons and venerating them was totally okay so long as it didn't cross the line into worship of the icon, rather than the faith that the icon represented. This one is more controversial than the First Council; many Protestant denominations say that the distinction between veneration and idolatry is just playing word games. Some actually state quite bluntly that it's the Catholics who were the real heretics all along.

Since the God-Emperor of Mankind was known to be active in the early history of humanity, he probably took some amusement at the idea that he, a man who had very publicly made a point to [[Lorgar]] that he was ''[[Imperial Truth|not to be worshipped]]'', was handing down the ban on psykers on a world named for a city in which men had decided that Jesus Christ (who may have been the Emperor Himself) was divine and that it was okay to make religious icons!

Historically, the Nicene Creed considerably shaped the world of Christianity, from the relationship of the priesthood with the Kings & Lords, to the Trinity, to ownership of humans. As a result of Trinitarian victory, it was stated that Kings no longer counted as Priests (unlike in most paganisms) nor were they of superhuman or godlike nature (unlike the Indian ''Raj'', for instance), though the Kings of converted heathen lands often clung to the importance of divine or supernatural origins of the Royal lineage (such as Odinic origins, or the Merovingian ''Quinotaure'') It also made the dubious claim that Jesus counts as the only priest in Christianity; the Catholic Bishops also fought against slavery inside their diocese causing it to be replaced by a dichotomy of serfdom (with the tie being formed with the land instead of with a human owner) and freemen (Churls) already present in the Pagan European substrata. Such secular concerns were arguably more important to the anti-Trinitarians participating to the Council, mimicking in a way the great economic importance of psykers in the Imperium. Ironically, these aspects of the Nicene Creed are quite in line with their 40K subversion.

== See Also ==

* [[Council of Nikaea (Hektor Heresy)|An alternate version of the Council of Nikaea]] from [[The /tg/ Heresy]].

{{40k-Timeline}}

Council of Nikaea

2023-06-01T23:33:38Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Blood_Angel_Librarian.jpg|thumb|You can tell this dude in front is a Librarian (even though he's red, instead of blue!), cause of the HUGE MOTHERFUCKING BOOK on his head. Also [[THIN YOUR PAINTS]]]]

Following the Emperor's departure from the Great Crusade, a conclave was called to determine whether or not [[Librarian]]s should continue to be used. With representatives summoned to the '''Council of Nikaea''' (often remembered as the Trial of [[Magnus the Red]]), both sides pleaded their cases. In the end the Emperor, fearing that Magnus was being way too arrogant and reckless in his pursuit of power and in serious danger of Fausting himself [[Just As Planned|(which is exactly what <s>ended up happening</s> already had happened!)]] decided that Librarians posed too great a risk and ordered the Legions to disband their Librariums, return to their battle companies, and never use their psychic powers in battle again-- an edict Magnus ignored. Well, actually, an edict that quite a lot of the Primarchs either totally ignored or later broke. But Magnus broke it harder. The White Scars simply ignored it, but the likes of Dorn and Vulkan implemented it straight away.

<blockquote>
Hear now the words of my ruling

I am not blind to the needs of the Imperium, but nor am I blind to the realities of the hearts of men. I hear men speak of knowledge and power as though they are abstract concepts to be employed as simply as a sword or gun. They are not. Power is a living force, and the danger with power is obsession. A man who attains a measure of power will find it comes to dominate his life until all he can think of is the acquisition of more. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but few can stand the ultimate test of character, that of wielding power without succumbing to its darker temptations.

Peering into the darkness to gain knowledge of the Warp is fraught with peril, for it is an inconstant place of shifting reality, capricious lies and untruths. The seeker after truth must have a care he is not deceived, for false knowledge is far more dangerous than ignorance. All men wish to possess knowledge, but few are willing to pay the price. Always men will seek to take the short cut, the quick route to power, and it is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that will lure him to evil ways. True knowledge is gained only after the acquisition of wisdom. Without wisdom, a powerful person does not become more powerful, he becomes reckless. His power will turn on him and eventually destroy all he has built.

I have walked paths no man can know and faced the unnameable creatures of the Warp. I understand all too well the secrets and dangers that lurk in its hidden darkness. Such things are not for lesser minds to know; no matter how powerful or knowledgeable they believe themselves to be. The secrets I have shared serve as warnings, not enticements to explore further. Only death and damnation await those who pry too deeply into secrets not meant for mortals.

I see now I have allowed my sons to delve too profoundly into matters I should never have permitted them to know even existed. Let it be known that no one shall suffer censure, for this conclave is to serve Unity, not discord. But no more shall the threat of sorcery be allowed to taint the warriors of the Astartes. Henceforth, it is my will that no Legion will maintain a Librarius department. All its warriors and instructors must be returned to the battle companies and never again employ any psychic powers.

Woe betide he who ignores my warning or breaks faith with me. He shall be my enemy, and I will visit such destruction upon him and all his followers that, until the end of all things, he shall rue the day he turned from my light.
</blockquote>

Dude could give a speech.

Unfortunately this seemed to be one of those decisions that the Emperor didn't really think through. It added yet another layer of bullshit on top of his fear of the Warp and psykers in general, a group of people who, had they been able to ply their mind-bullets freely, would ''presumably'' have been awesome weapons against the traitors when Heresy time came around. This is something that the books and stuff seem to say a lot, but it's kinda... well... it's hard to say how true that actually is/was.

At Istvaan, psykers wouldn't have made any difference (3 legions vs 8 is a bad day for the good guys), and the balance of forces was so extreme that just knowing ahead of time wouldn't have helped. At Calth they ''might'' have made a difference. All of the former [[Ultramarine]] Librarians had bad dreams in the days before the treachery so maybe they might have seen what was coming, but they may not ever have been able to convince [[Roboute Guilliman]] of impending treachery. Remember this was happening just after Isstvan V and communication was moving slowly thanks to the Warp Storms, on top of the fact that Marines fighting each other was totally alien to them. Fluff writers expect you to disregard the fact that the Wolves had already massacred two other legions and tried to do the same to the World Eaters. They would have really been struggling to deal with the magic stuff because it was totally new and a weird combination of technology and warpstuff. Oh, and of course, practically no one who wasn't on Guilliman's flagship or with the 4th company even knew what the problem was. So it seems really unlikely that Librarians would have magically made the Heresy all better.

TL;DR It depends on how numerous and how powerful the Librarians in question were, but they would've probably had a minor impact at best.

In any case, the Edict of Nikaea stood for a year or so at most, and it was [[Reasonable Marines|ignored or abandoned]] by nearly all the legions. Because it was stupid.

==Why Nikaea really happened?==
{{Topquote|The enemy fears the warp as much as they plunge themselves into it|Leman Russ - prior to the Siege of Terra}}

The root causes of the council of Nikaea are described across several books in the Horus Heresy series. Ostensibly '''everyone''' acknowledged the importance of psykers in the Imperium and within the Astartes, but [[Leman Russ]] and [[Mortarion]] both maintained that the [[Thousand Sons]] - and by reflection the Librarians in general - were in danger of becoming Sorcerers and ''[[Skub|had]]'' to be stopped.

[[Mortarion]] had already been told that the Emperor planned Nikaea about 70 years '''before''' it happened which means that the result was rigged before it even started,and shows that the Emperor's intention with the Nikaea edict really was to prevent abuses of sorcery and further temptations from unclean sources, thereby eliminating the use of all psykers except for soul-bound Astropaths and those exceptions in Russ' Legion ''(see below)'' until the Webway Project was completed. Of course, this is somewhat stupid if true because if the Emperor had meant to ban Astartes psykers all along, why would he not have nipped the problem in the bud then and there? The more likely scenario in-universe is that Malcador simply lied to Mortarion to placate him, and that the Emperor had not yet made up his mind regarding the issue.

But considering Nikaea in retrospect, Russ ''(and most of the other Primarchs knee deep in daemon filth for that matter)'' had come to realise that the loyalists had been maneuvered into ridding themselves of an important weapon that could have been used against the enemy in the war which followed; guns and bullets could only do so much against an unnatural enemy against whom blades and symbols fared much better (symbolic relation to daemon summoning causes swords and fire to be highly effective against them, perhaps this is even why the Salamanders were a major target at the beginning of the Horus Heresy). While Russ was still proud of what he did at Prospero (because deciding to follow Horus's suggestion instead of the Emperor's order is something to be very proud of) and firmly believed Magnus deserved everything he got, he acknowledges that Horus changed the order from "capture" to "kill" because the traitors genuinely ''feared'' Magnus' sorcery and its capabilities (especially if Magnus and co became faithful in the Emperor), which would have helped the loyalists win the war via curbstomping all their nifty daemon buddies and ruining their new Warp powers; though Russ also points out that Magnus could have just as easily become a second [[Horus]] because no one knew which way his path would take. Therefore sweeping such a powerful figure from the board early makes a degree of strategic sense, and with hindsight Magnus turned traitor anyway.

Ohthere Wyrdmake and Leman Russ claimed repeatedly that the [[Rune Priest]]s were not using the power of the warp and were instead harnessing the power of "[[Fenris]]" so that their Priests were somehow different from the Librarius. Just because you had to be a psyker and had to use your psyker powers to do Rune Priest shit doesn't mean it's psychic. Duh. So when Russ later arrived at Terra prior to the Siege he proposed returning to Fenris to have his Priests divine a method for defeating Horus, claiming that the only way to defeat their enemies was to use their own power against them. [[Rogal Dorn]] (at that point the only Primarch who had absolutely adhered to the result of Nikaea) calls Russ a hypocrite because of it. Keep in mind that Dorn is always very certain to tell the absolute truth so far as he knows it. He no doubt understood Leman's own beliefs and arguments... and dismissed them as bullshit. Of course it was later revealed that Russ's "Spirit of Fenris" schtick was actually ''not'' bullshit somehow, and that for all intents and purposes there is in fact such a thing. It is possible that the Fenrisians simply believed in the whole "Spirit of Fensis" thing to such a degree that the Warp manifested such a construct in the same sort of way that the Eldar used to create immaterial gods for their own purposes. Only for the Fenrisians it was an accident, similar to the Ork phuckery which makes purple a stealthy color through collective belief and Warp/WAAAAARGH energy.

But if Russ and the Emperor supposedly understood so well the power and the corruption of the Warp, why not simply ask the Librarius to reform similarly to the Rune Priests? The [[White Scars]] already had a similar - "older" as Russ put it - tradition that emphasized limiting the amount of power drawn from the source, so why not have the entire Librarius follow the same principle? Russ does privately admit to [[Malcador]] that perhaps Dorn was correct and that he really was a hypocrite for calling for the censure of others while flouting the rules himself. Malcador points out that the Emperor always made exceptions for Russ because his purpose was singular - fighting other Primarchs, explicitly pointing to [[Primarch#Two Missing Primarchs|those they do not name]], then Horus and the Traitors - and that the Emperor trusted Russ to carry out that duty where no one else could. In part due to these contradictions and the special treatment he received, Russ resolved to have a long examination of his Rune Priests and their relationship with the warp after the war was completed.

Why let the Thousands Sons simply go by their way without any supervision when [[Adeptus Custodes|Custodians]] were attached to the Word Bearers for arguably far less? Because [[Lorgar]] had already displeased the Emperor and been punished with the razing of '''Monarchia''' while the proclamation at Nikaea was simply a warning. Magnus was not the only proponent of the Librarius and they were left to police themselves with the [[Chaplain]]s being instituted to keep an eye on them. Following the Prospero clusterfuck, squads of [[Space Wolves]] were attached to all of the Legions to ensure their compliance with the Edict anyway (which raises the question as to what Russ & Co were hoping to achieve because if it came down to it, a handful of regular space puppies vs. a Primarch...)

This very likely boils down to whether the Emperor knew ''who'' was going to betray him and ''when'', especially considering the first move in the great game the Emperor plays against [[Chaos]] is the corruption of [[Horus|"The Lord of Hearts"]] by the [[Lorgar|"Chosen"]] which happened three years after Nikaea (at '''Davin'''). It has already been established that the Emperor's foresight was not infallible and the fate of each Primarch was malleable. Since the Webway project relied heavily upon Magnus operating the [[Golden Throne]], if the Emperor had any idea then of how bad it would become then why continue with the project? And if there was any need to single Magnus out for further censure why not drag him to Terra in chains to be kept under lock and key until his powers were needed? [[Burning of Prospero|...oh right]].

Whatever popular opinion on the subject is, the truth of the "trial of Magnus the Red" is that the arguments of said Magnus at the [[Council of Nikaea]] were quite childish, being "inspired" by the allegory of the Cave of Plato but having its significance completely subverted into a bunch of progressivist, utopian bullshit. Originally, the Cave of Plato was an allegory on the metaphysics of ontology and about the initiatic endeavour of ''anamnesis'' (''ἀνάμνησις''), which is operated by the mind (''νοῦς'') as part of the philosophical process of reaching into the realm of forms known as the ''Hyperuraniôn'' (which, in 40K, would count as the [[Warp|Immaterium]]), to acquire knowledge and perfect society (this is basically the only aspect of the Cave of Plato which goes along with the Cave of Magnus version). According to Heraclitus, "everything flows, nothing stands still" (''τὰ πάντα ῥεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει''); it is the flux of Becoming, and also the inspiration behind the alchemical / chemical tenet "''rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée, tout se transforme''" of Lavoisier & Anaxagoras. Since of the Indo-European Tri-Functions, the mechanical and organic aspects proper to the lowest Function, ''Epithumia'' (''ἐπιθυμία''), do not survive death but are obliterated, the "reincarnated" elements linked with the two other Functions have to be re-learned from experience - or rather to be remembered, since in theory they were already there - so as to leave the stream of Becoming and step into the one of Being, unlike those who are just obeying orders or bodily impulses. In other words, the effects of the [[Rubric]] of [[Ahriman]], turning Marines into slaves without any spiritual function left and only a shadow of bodily one, may be a parody rewarding / punishing Magnus' foolish revamp of the Cave of Plato; likewise for the Burning of Prospero and destruction of Tizca. Indeed, Anamnesis was basically the lifestyle of the immortal Shamans before Chaos energies infusing the Warp eventually caused them to make the [[Emperor]].

There is also another possibility, which is that the Emperor called the Council in order to judge Magnus not publically, but privately. Essentially, he may have wanted to give Magnus enough rope to hang himself, and then sit back and see if he would do it or not. For if the Emperor had reached a decision regarding the Librarius prior to the time of the Council, he could have simply issued an edict to the Legions disbanding the Librarius whenever he wished to. He was the Emperor; he had no need to consult anyone regarding his decisions, and his word was law. On that note, the Emperor was the only person at the Council whose judgement was in any way relevant, which meant that the creation of a Council was completely pointless. In-universe, the Emperor is the smartest material being in existence, so it follows that his summoning of a Council to "decide" a matter in which it had absolutely no authority must have had some ulterior motive. Given these factors, is entirely possible that the purpose of the Council was to give Magnus an opportunity to listen to detractors of his, and perhaps show enough humility to come to some sort of compromise. It is also likely that the Emperor was testing Magnus's character to see if he was capable of enough self-reflection to realize the dangers of what he was doing. If that was the case, then Magnus failed utterly. He even went so far as to claim, even after the Emperor's judgement, that if he was guilty of anything, it was the simple pursuit of knowledge. Magnus's bullshit reworking of the Cave of Plato allegory probably didn't help him at all in that regard either. For if Magnus knew the story, then the idea that the Emperor did not is fairly ludicrous. Hell he may have been around when the original was penned, or may even have known Plato personally. This fundamental alteration of a story about the folly of revealing knowledge to whose who do not want it, to one with the exact opposite moral, was likely one of the most salient points against Magnus in the Emperor's final ruling. Especially if he thought that Magnus was trying to deceive him, which unless Magnus literally forgot that the Emperor was in the audience at the time, he appears to have been attempting to do. The Emperor's speech at the end of the Council, warning of the dangers of arrogance in the pursuit of power, might as well have been addressed to Magnus personally. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Emperor had summoned Russ in secret to the Council, and had kept him in reserve under the cloaking presence of Sisters of Silence just in case Magnus threw a temper tantrum. What this means is up for debate, but the fact that the Emperor had his personal executioner present at Nikaea with orders to target Magnus specifically, is rather ominous.

==Loyalist Response to Nikaea==
[[File:Awesome stuff.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Toasty.]]
*[[Roboute Guilliman]] had been a strong proponent of the Librarius as an organization, and has publicly endorsed it as a powerful strategic tool in the Astartes arsenal. Nevertheless, the Ultramarines followed the Emperor's command to the letter, disbanding their Librarius and returning their Librarians to the battle companies. During the [[Battle of Calth]] however, Guilliman reversed course and stated that the Edict of Nikaea needed to be overturned as soon as possible, even deducing that the Edict's timing was [[Just As Planned|so convenient]] that it could only mean that [[Tzeentch|someone]] had arranged it. Thus when he thought that Terra and the Emperor had already fallen he decided to build the [[Imperium Secundus]] in a manner he thought sensible and kept his Chief Librarian around as an advisor (much to the chagrin of a [[Space Wolf|Space Wolves]] detachment deployed on Macragge to "ensure" Guilliman's loyalty).
*Without a [[Ferrus Manus|Primarch]], the remaining [[Iron Hands]] mostly fell in with the [[Ultramarines]] and basically did whatever they were doing.
*Though [[Lion El'Jonson]] himself was in support of the Librarius, he had tasked his representative at the Council to support the condemnation of Magnus specifically, though why is not known. However when the ban came down, the Dark Angels enacted it without complaint. The Lion re-introduced the Librarians as soon as he discovered that the traitors were using [[daemons]], presumably knowing what shit was going down from his experiences on Caliban and even going so far as to punch the living fuck out of a [[Chaplain]] who reminded him that it was going against the Emperor's Edict - as in, literally punched his head off, although said Chaplain was about to execute one of the Librarians for using his psychic powers against daemons and refused to back down (and it was an accident anyway). The Lion felt terrible about it as he had meant to hold back but was a little too pissed to control his strength well enough.
*[[Rogal Dorn]] had been rather skeptical of the Librarius project from its inception, though he still allowed for the creation of a Libratius division within the Imperial Fists. He had also been amongst those who had wanted Magnus personally censured, though why, as with the Lion, is unknown (he might have just been being a grump). When the edict came down, Dorn locked all his Librarians up in the [[Phalanx]] and refused to even let them rejoin their battle brothers as line-troopers. However, when [[Nathaniel_Garro#Nathaniel_Garro|Nathaniel Garro]] snuck his way on board to try and rescue them on Malcador's orders, they seemed happy enough where they were. Apparently all the [[Imperial Fists]] need to feel happy is thick walls around them. Dorn explained that they were exactly [[Just as Planned|where they needed to be]], presumably for keeping them in reserve for when the Imperium really need them. What happened to them afterwards is (as of yet) unexplained. The reasonable assumption is that they were held in reserve for the Siege of Terra, possibly on the advice of Malcador.
*[[Sanguinius]] had been one of the three Primarchs who had come up with the Librarius concept in the first place. Naturally, he was all for keeping it around, but he too followed the Emperor's edict. However, his former Librarians kept in fellowship with one another, and would prove their collective worth by saving the entire Legion from the daemonic precursor of the Black Rage at Signus. So he kept them around afterwards and seemingly gave them the green light to just ignore the ban. [[Nassir Amit]] [[FATAL|murderfuckraping]] the Space Wolves detachment supposed to prevent this so hard [[rip and tear|they died to death]] unwittingly helped this along. Maybe. They weren't stupid so they'd hopefully have been more likely to have been like "Okay, well, this was a super-extreme situation and the Emperor would surely prefer to have Sanguinius and his legion than the Edict be kept... we didn't see anything."
*[[Vulkan]] also tried the Sanguinius approach. However, there were barely any [[Salamanders]] left after Isstvan and by M41 they looked back upon Nikaea as an ancient and archaic edict that had no place anymore.
*[[Corax]] was a latent psyker, but was oddly one of the most staunch critics of the Librarius. As such he took no issue with banning psykers within his legion from using their powers. Following a personal encounter with the [[Possessed Marine|Gal Vorbak]], Corax did a 180 and began advocating using Librarians, nearly getting into a shooting match with the Custodes over it. We don't know if they reinstated their Librarians but it seems extremely likely that they did after the Alpha Legion attack to disrupt/steal their cloning tech (which Librarians could have detected).
*The [[Jaghatai Khan|Khan]] was another of the creators of the Librarius project, as his homeworld had a long history of training psykers to safely and responsibly use their powers. When the ban came down, the [[White Scars]] (at least those that got the message) just kinda shrugged, twiddled their mustaches and pretended like it never happened. The "stormseer" who spoke for the Scars at Nikaea simply privately refused to accept it and vindicated himself shortly after by exploding a daemon with lightning. His psychic powers (and those of the one surviving loyalist from the Thousand Sons) later [[Dark Glass|saved the entire Legion]] during the Horus Heresy. However, the whole thing was a bit moot anyway as the Scars were so far afield that by the time they heard about the ban, the Heresy had already started and nobody cared anymore.
*Leman Russ had a... rather odd relationship with psykers in general. While he strongly disliked Magnus for being an arrogant dick and viewed his powers as unclean sorcery, he seemed not to have any problem with the [[Rune Priest]]s of his own legion. The Wolves in general totally denied that their Rune Priests were psykers at all and claimed that their power came from [[Fenris]] as opposed to the warp. While this was just flatly wrong, their primitive belief structure caused their '''Underverse''' to manifest in a way that was completely different to the [[Chaos]] of the [[Warp]] and allowed them to distinguish between them. This seemingly caused the "Spirit of Fenris" to become an actual honest-to-god warp entity of some sort, which in a weird roundabout way actually validated the Fenrisian's beliefs. Regardless of whether or not Russ or the Wolves understood any of that nuance, it was made clear by [[Malcador]] afterwards that Big E made a decision to tolerate their beliefs, seeing it was important for his "executioners" to be able to deal with other warp-users. In fact, two of their Librarians, Aun Helwintr and Ohthere Wyrdmake, were vocal opponents of employing Librarians at the Council and yet directly participated in the [[Burning of Prospero]].
**''Prospero Burns'' actually nuances this, explaining that they were okay about the Librarius as envisioned but wanted Magnus censured (basically they drew a line between acceptable psyker practices and sorcery) but they failed to get their point across, leaving an opening for Mortarion to get the whole thing shut down.The [[Space Wolves]] supported the banning of Librarians but kept their own afterwards.
*[[Malcador the Sigillite]] gave permission to the Librarians among the [[Knights-Errant]] to begin using their psychic powers after the edict, even supplying them with psychic hoods. The [[Adeptus Custodes]] made it clear that they did not recognize Malcador's authority to do so, but they were in a bit of a logical paradox over the matter: either enforce the Emperor's will by stopping Malcador from continuing his work, or defy the Emperor's will by stopping his appointed Regent from continuing his work. They settled for threatening to kill any Librarian using his powers in their presence so the Knights-Errant just did it out of their presence.

So by the Siege of Terra all but two of the loyalist Legions definitely had active Librarians, and one of the other two probably did.

==Traitor Response to Nikaea==
*[[Lorgar]] and his [[Word Bearers]] were already planning evil, so they just completely ignored the prohibition.
*Surprisingly, most of the Thousand Sons did follow the decree and murderfucked filthy Xenos the old fashioned way instead... for a little while. [[Magnus|Magnus The Red]] himself on the other hand decided being a ninja space wizard was too cool, and ignored the decree. If he hadn't, maybe he would've been all right.
*The [[World Eaters]] ignored the decree as well. They still had official Librarians (not [[Sorcerer_(Warhammer_40,000)|Sorcerers]], actual honest to goodness Librarians) during the Heresy; however, the World Eaters hated their librarians from the moment Angron introduced the Butcher's Nails and frequently didn't even tolerate them being around. This was nothing specifically personal, it was just that psykers made the Butchers' Nails a bit...''twitchy'' and could not themselves be implanted with the Butcher's Nails without catastrophically losing control of their powers - which is not a good thing for brain implants that are already turning you into a psychotic, rage-filled murder machine. Between this and a superstitious dislike of anything "unnatural" (but only the terminally stupid would actually mention this paradox to Angron, who is unnatural in so many ways, above all unnaturally angry) there just weren't enough Librarians left to bother suppressing and the World Eaters mostly ignored them, allowing them to tag along in battle as they saw fit. They weren't represented at the council for reasons that should be obvious: Angron just didn't give a fuck because the decision didn't involve RAGE. By the time of the Shadow Crusade the remaining 19 Librarians weren't even considered full members of the Legion anymore due to their lack of the Nails. In a final showdown though, they '''did''' try to kill [[Lorgar]] before he could transform Angron into a demon prince. Needless to say, that didn't work, and Angron's first act upon attaining daemonhood was to [[rip and tear|kill them all]].
*[[Mortarion]] was already just about the biggest psyker hater in the universe, was one of the decree's strongest supporters. He had even informed by [[Malcador]] that the Emperor was planning to get rid of the Librarius about 70 years before the council even took place, giving him plenty of time to prepare for it. Hilariously, this backfired badly on him when he eventually realised that getting the Edict pushed through only weakened the loyalist's psykers; his allies were (mostly) letting their psykers run rampant with a whole new set of freakshow abilities. Things got so bad for him that he tried to get the librarian supporting Jaghatai Khan on his side. Jaghatai countered by attempting to carve the hypocrite out of Mortarion's pustuled arse. He then pillaged a Thousand Sons' library world and [[Wat|actually summoned a demon]] [[just as planned|whose sole purpose was to tempt him into using sorcery even more]]. [[fail|It worked]], and Mortarion then [[derp|yo-yoed between studying sorcery whilst pillaging every ritual device he could get his hands on, and smashing the various trinkets he acquired]]. It peaked with Molech before Mortarion tried to get back to first principles. Ironically due to his lack of people skills and his poor Psy-dar he never knew his [[Typhus|second-in-command]] was a dirty warp burglar. First rule of management, get to know your people. [[Not as planned|As final nail in his coffin]], he became a powerful Psyker himself when Granddaddy Nurgle adopted him.
*The [[Alpha Legion]] also ignored the edict like they did almost everything else. Officially, they disbanded the Librarius; unofficially, [[Alpharius]] and [[Omegon]] kept their Librarians around for special operations.
*[[Konrad Curze]] was said to have supported the use of Librarians, and was quite a potent psyker himself (though untrained and not fond of his abilities). Somewhat oddly, he never seemed to express any personal opinion on psykers, and appeared to have been almost completely neutral regarding the topic. However, despite his Legion having a significantly greater than normal proportion of psykers in their ranks, most of the Night Lords seemed to dislike psykers in general. When the Edict came down, the [[Night Lords]] nominally accepted it but Curze seemingly didn't bother to enforce it. In fact, he apparently cared so little about the whole business that he passed on the decision as to what to do with the Legion's psykers to his First Captain [[Sevatar]]. Sevatar didn't care either, and so passed the decision in turn to individual company commanders. Most happily went along with the Edict (even going so far as to exile their Chief Librarian, who ironically was recruited into the Knight-Errants afterwards), but they occasionally dabbled in sorcery throughout the Heresy.
* The [[Sons of Horus]] went along with the decree initially, but when they got their Heresy on, they learned sorcery quickly from the Word Bearers (through the Lodges) and were quick to use it openly and without restraint after Istvaan.
* [[Perturabo]] was against using Librarians, in fact it was noted as one of the only things that brought him and [[Rogal Dorn]] together. However his opposition to the Librarius initiative was one born of pragmatism rather than a dislike of psykers. He basically took the opposite view of Guilliman; where Guilliman believed the Librarians to be a useful military tool, Perturabo thought them to be a waste of time and resources. If it might have helped the [[Iron Warriors]] build or tear down fortresses any quicker then they might have joined the "fuck Nikaea bandwagon" with gusto, but there are no recorded Iron Warriors Librarians after turning traitor either. Perturabo was pissed (as usual) that Big E used the coliseum he had been allowed to build for competitive events as a courtroom.
* Although [[Fulgrim]] was initially a proponent of the Librarius amongst Astartes, since he viewed the psyker as another step on the human road to perfection, he seemingly did not support exploration of the matter for his own legion. It was stated clearly in at least two sources that "The Legion employed no Librarians, as the genetic mutation that allowed a psyker to access the warp was considered a flaw, a nothing considered a flaw would be allowed in the Legion." (A Reflection Crack'd, Angel Exterminatus). As further evidence, the [[Emperor's Children]] appear to have followed the Edict since no EC Librarian has ever appeared in the fluff.

In M41 the Edict technically still stands (no one can overrule the [[Emperor]] and he never officially revoked his Edict) but it stopped being enforced after the [[Horus Heresy|Heresy]] and the marines could please themselves. Also of interest is that the Emperor violated the Edict himself by ordering the founding of the Grey Knights, who are even bigger violators of it than the Thousand Sons.

== Councils of Nikaea IRL ==
The [[wikipedia:First Council of Nicaea|First Council of Nikaia]] (Latinly spelled Nicaea, or Nicea) was a meeting convened by Emperor Constantine in the year 325 in [[derp|Nicaea]] not far from Byzantium. This was to sort out some controversies in Christian doctrine: in particular related to the divinity of Jesus (or lack thereof), a couple of schisms, and miscellaneous organizational details like how to deal with [[heretics]]. Slavery was also a big issue. One of the outcomes of the meeting was the [[wiki:Nicene Creed|Nicene Creed]], which was meant to be a distillation of the most fundamental tenets of Christianity: basically, that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all exist and are divine, that Jesus was sent to be crucified for humanity's sins, and that the living and dead will be judged before being resurrected into the kingdom of Heaven. The original version of the Creed includes a line saying that heretics who deny that Jesus was divine (or say that he was not always divine) are "condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church," but that got removed at Theodosius' First Council of Constantinople in 381; other words have been added in, for instance about the Virgin Mary, such that our "Nicene Creed" is more accurately a Theodosian Creed. Most Christian denominations adhere to the Nicene Creed to this day, the late-antique dissidents mainly having recoalesced around Islam. Although there are some Christians (such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Unitarians) who have lately abandoned this.

There was also a [[wikipedia:Second Council of Nicaea|Second Council of Nicaea]] in the year 787, which was convened by the Empress Irene in response to the iconoclasm (the destruction of religious icons and artwork) promulgated by her predecessors. See, the previous three Emperors had said that erecting images of Jesus and saints and so on was heresy, because one of the Commandments forbade the creation of graven images for the purpose of worship, and because paintings and sculptures could not be divine and therefore could not properly convey the holy nature of their subjects. Their opponents (the iconophiles) retorted that venerating icons of actual saints was not at all the same thing as worshiping idols to false gods, that destroying art and church property and torturing the monks who made it was hardly an appropriate response, and that the Emperors didn't seem to have a problem with people erecting images of ''them''. In the end, the Second Council ruled that it was actually the iconoclasts who were the heretics, and that making icons and venerating them was totally okay so long as it didn't cross the line into worship of the icon, rather than the faith that the icon represented. This one is more controversial than the First Council; many Protestant denominations say that the distinction between veneration and idolatry is just playing word games. Some actually state quite bluntly that it's the Catholics who were the real heretics all along.

Since the God-Emperor of Mankind was known to be active in the early history of humanity, he probably took some amusement at the idea that he, a man who had very publicly made a point to [[Lorgar]] that he was ''[[Imperial Truth|not to be worshipped]]'', was handing down the ban on psykers on a world named for a city in which men had decided that Jesus Christ (who may have been the Emperor Himself) was divine and that it was okay to make religious icons!

Historically, the Nicene Creed considerably shaped the world of Christianity, from the relationship of the priesthood with the Kings & Lords, to the Trinity, to ownership of humans. As a result of Trinitarian victory, it was stated that Kings no longer counted as Priests (unlike in most paganisms) nor were they of superhuman or godlike nature (unlike the Indian ''Raj'', for instance), though the Kings of converted heathen lands often clung to the importance of divine or supernatural origins of the Royal lineage (such as Odinic origins, or the Merovingian ''Quinotaure'') It also made the dubious claim that Jesus counts as the only priest in Christianity; the Catholic Bishops also fought against slavery inside their diocese causing it to be replaced by a dichotomy of serfdom (with the tie being formed with the land instead of with a human owner) and freemen (Churls) already present in the Pagan European substrata. Such secular concerns were arguably more important to the anti-Trinitarians participating to the Council, mimicking in a way the great economic importance of psykers in the Imperium. Ironically, these aspects of the Nicene Creed are quite in line with their 40K subversion.

== See Also ==

* [[Council of Nikaea (Hektor Heresy)|An alternate version of the Council of Nikaea]] from [[The /tg/ Heresy]].

{{40k-Timeline}}

Faash

2023-06-01T23:32:02Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

The '''Faash''' were a human civilization that emerged from the [[Dark Age of Technology]] that came into conflict with the [[Imperium]] of Man during the [[Great Crusade]]. Their homeworld was '''Dulan'''.

Like the contemporary [[Interex]] they were technologically advanced on a par with, if not already exceeding, the capabilities of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]. Also like the Interex, they offer an interesting insight on human life separate from the Imperium after the Age of Strife: where the Interex were [[Noblebright]] and sought to include various races of Xenos in their empire, the Faash actually abhorred the [[Xenos|Alien]], [[Mutant]] and the [[Heretic]] long before the development of the [[Imperial Creed]] and without any knowledge of god-like beings such as the [[Emperor]] or the [[Primarch]]s. You could say they were... Faash-ist?

The Faash were ruled by their own Emperor, '''Durath''', but unlike the Imperium, [[Nazi|this leader was simply a regular, un-enhanced man with a strong personality cult and a belief that he was the only person fit to rule humanity]]. This "creed", along with the fact that they had cathedrals was an indication that they were at least a quasi-religious empire and their level of belief in their cause meant that they were unimpressed by [[Adeptus Astartes]], not demonstrating any of the awe that human forces typically suffer when faced down by power armoured superhuman giants (quite possibly because their own warriors were even larger than Astartes; more on that below). Durath himself showed no fear of [[Lion El'Jonson]] and even went so far as to broadcast images of deranged [[Wulfen]] as abominations and mutants and holding them as examples of what the Imperium could tolerate that the Faash would not.

==The Dulan Campaign==
The campaign against the Faash started due to their refusal to join the Imperium plain and simple; the war initially started against the Imperial Army but the [[Space Wolves]] were called in after the technological superiority of the Faash became apparent and so [[Leman Russ]] was assigned command over the campaign. However, after months of slow progress, the Imperial forces still had not even determined the location of the Faash homeworld and intelligence on their capabilities and disposition was hard to come by, in part due to the sheer resistance of the Faash vessels making them virtually impossible to capture. Not helping was the fact that the Faash Tyrant Durath continually goaded the Space Wolves, calling them the lapdogs of the Emperor and making the whole thing personal, with Russ swearing that he would see their leader dead by his own hand. At this point, the courts on [[Terra]] were beginning to consider Russ to be ill-suited to the campaign and decided to send in his brother [[Lion El'Jonson]] to complete the job. Incensed, Leman Russ redoubled his efforts to end the campaign himself and managed to actually a capture a Faash vessel intact, thus gleaning the location of Dulan and sending his fleet there en masse.

Upon arrival in the Dulan system, Russ discovered that the [[Dark Angels|First]] were already there engaging the fleet in orbit, having determined the location of the homeworld by checking through the old records that survived the Dark Age of Technology. [[Rage|Russ had spent months tearing his foes apart searching for their heart, while the Lion simply read it in a book and went there directly]]. Upon transiting into orbit, ignoring hails from the Dark Angels fleet, the Space Wolves decided to choose their own targets and started shooting down enemy battleships, with one ship managing to destroy one cleanly, only to come under fire from a Dark Angels ship, because an entire company from that ship had already boarded the battleship and were close to capturing it and turning against the enemy, and had been constantly trying to communicate that fact to the wolves; if the Wolves had actually answered their hails they would have known about this. Realising his error, Russ would later reluctantly agree to apologise to his brother, though as the brothers embraced Russ snarled to the Lion that he would end him if he pulled a stunt like that ever again, which surprised the Lion, as he hadn’t actually been apart of the incident at all. This was the first time that the Primarchs had met and they took an instant dislike to one another; they would also disagree on the exact nature of their mission and by extension the function of the Primarchs themselves: Russ argued that their function was to destroy the Emperor's enemies and leave no trace of them behind, while the Lion argued that their function was to win wars and to conquer worlds and that everything in between was irrelevant, drawing the point back to the fact that the campaign had taken the Space Wolves long enough to complete that the courts on Terra felt that Russ was delaying unnecessarily.

In any case, the two Primarchs joined their forces for the final assault: The Dark Angels would assault the outer palace and create the opening for the Space Wolves to insert and eliminate Durath and end the campaign, allowing Russ the satisfaction of slaying the man who had insulted him. Upon planetfall however, the Space Wolves of the 13th company became aware of some of their MIA battle-brothers who had been taken prisoner had since devolved into their [[Wulfen]] state and were having their images being broadcast to the population as abominations and examples of the evils of the Imperium and what they were fighting against. The 13th Company diverted their forces to rescue them, forcing Russ to delay his planned assault on the palace to have the 13th company account for themselves. Meanwhile the Lion had completed his task and was waiting for the Space Wolves to begin their phase of the assault, his forces still fighting to hold maintain the opening created earlier. When the Space Wolves refused to answer hails, the Lion decided that enough was enough and assaulted the palace directly, managing to behead Durath and end the war there and then. When the Primarch of the Space Wolves found that he had been denied his promised kill he was furious and knocked the Lion a square blow; blades were drawn and the two started to fight. It did not take long before the Lion disarmed Russ of his weapon, stopping his blade moments away from delivering a killing blow, satisfied that the issue was finished the Lion went to leave but Russ was having non of that and he struck the Lion again; the two descended into a savage brawl that lasted the rest of the day. After the two had beaten each other bloody the fight finally reached its conclusion with Russ struggling to get back onto his feet and the Lion approaching him upon unsteady legs. Russ, upon failing to rise from his kneeling position, started laughing at the absurdity of the situation; they had started the fight as lords of war and now they looked little better then a pair of bar brawlers. Seeing Russ' sudden laughing fit the Lion asked him if he yielded, which only made Russ laugh even harder; even now after the two had beaten each other to an inch of death the Lion still considered this an honour duel. Lost in his fit of laughter, Russ never saw the scowling Lion land the punch that knocked the Wolf King unconscious.

The whole point of the matter was the culmination of neither brother fully understanding the other's thought processes: the Lion did not realize the importance that Russ placed on killing Durath to maintain his honour, and when Russ went off-plan he continued prosecuting his war in the quickest manner possible in order to prevent any further losses to his legion. From Russ's perspective, by sending the Lion an unprovoked punch he did not realize that the Lion would actually take such an action seriously and that the initial blow required an appropriate answer. Russ only later figured out that the Lion had disposed of the broadcast evidence of the Wulfen without telling him when that evidence could have been used to break the Space Wolves legion if it had been made public on Terra. He eventually came to respect the Lion as one of his closest brothers and mourned him when he found out that he was [[Luther|apparently dead]] prior to the [[Second Founding]].

The Space Wolves and Dark Angels still emulate the brawl whenever they both meet, each sending a champion to fight the other. The original meaning of the duel may have been lost over the course of time, as historically both Codexes give slightly different accounts of the story even across different editions of the same codex. Even Russ had to explain the story to one of his Blood Claws who had not been made aware of the account by his priests or commanders, with Russ considering the Blood Claw's presence a humorous irony when he had just received word of the Lion's disappearance.

==Technology==
As mentioned previously, the technological capabilities of the Faash were extremely potent when compared to the Imperium. Their voidships were powered by unique fusion drives which outran Imperial ships at straight line speeds, meaning they were very difficult to outmaneuver unless they were caught off-guard. Additionally, their ships were extremely resilient, protected by '''Aegis Shields''' which were apparently superior to [[Void shields]] and could only be overwhelmed by extremely high energy attacks. Aegis Shields were also capable of some measure of self-repair so that when they became damaged they would spring back to function within a very short space of time, making it virtually impossible to defeat a Faash vessel by any means short of destroying it outright. Not only that, but the Aegis Shields could be miniaturized and worn by its Mech-Guard infantry, making them proportionally resilient and difficult for the Imperium to deal with.

The Infantry soldiers were equipped in their own version of [[Power Armour]], built on a scale slightly bulkier than that of the Astartes; these mech-guard were armed with '''Interference''' weapons that rearranged matter at the molecular level, causing horrific injuries no matter what protections its targets were using, though these interference weapons took a long time to recharge between volleys. As a backup they were also armed with standard [[Lasgun|las weaponry]] that they could switch to in the interim. With all of their protections and the potency of their armament, the warriors of the Astartes soon determined that engaging the Mech-Guard in ranged combat was not effective as it would take a ridiculous amount to firepower to bring down just one opponent; they learned to wait until their interference volleys had completed before closing to engage them in melee where both sides were more evenly matched in terms of brute strength thanks to the power armour, but the Astartes had the advantage due to faster reactions and more savage instincts.

The Faash also had their own version of a [[Dreadnought]] called a '''Leviathan''' which incorporated the same Aegis Shield and interference weapon as the infantry, albeit on a larger scale. These Faash Leviathans were actually even larger than Imperial Leviathan Dreadnoughts and were a horrifying prospect to take down.

As usual, despite conquering several worlds that were superior in some fields of technology, the Imperium is never depicted either before or after the Great Crusade ever using said technology. Likely because Imperial las weaponry is used for its ease of extreme mass production and Imperial top end tech (volkite, conversion, graviton, etc) is far superior.

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Gardinaal

2023-06-01T23:31:28Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

The '''Gardinaal''' (don't confuse with [[Guardinal]]s) were a human civilization that survived the [[Dark Age of Technology]] and later came into conflict with the [[Imperium]] during the [[Great Crusade]].

Like their contemporaries the [[Interex]] and the [[Faash]], the Gardinaal were technologically equivalent to the Imperium, exceeding them in some ways and falling behind them in others.

Like the Faash, they are an interesting case study as to how the Imperium could have turned out if circumstances had been differently. Where the Faash were like the Imperium in that they had an Emperor with a vision of human purity/supremacy (but who was mortal and completely eschewed [[Space Marines|transhuman]] [[Adeptus Custodes|sciences]]), the Gardinaal had raised their own bloodlines of soldiers (as well as utilizing psykers), but were led by a group of "immortal" High Lords rather than an immortal Emperor.

==Society==
{{Topquote|[[Tau|A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.]]| Aldous Huxley, [[Imperium of Man|Brave New World]]}}

Though the Gardinaal were technologically advanced, they had chosen to abandon warp travel at some point during the Dark Age of Technology, preferring to remain in their own solar system. Even though they knew other races and colonies of humanity existed, they had effectively been isolated for many thousands of years.

The Gardinaal home system had eleven planets that were heavily industrialised and extremely heavily populated; one world alone was said to have 100,000,000,000 people, which was supposedly greater than Terra at the time. They clearly held some [[STC]] designs as they were capable of building their own [[Thunderbolt Fighter]] craft for use in their air defense forces, were capable of building large walker constructs, and also had beam technology more sophisticated than that of the Imperium. However, what was most interesting about their technology and society was how they had adapted the genetics of their citizens.

Due to the extremely high population and no trade from outside sources, resources were at a premium; therefore the entire population had been subjected to eugenic manipulation and psychological conditioning. Every person was designed for their role over thousands of generations of selective breeding and separated according to a caste system like something out of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, with the smarter castes occupying higher positions while the dumber castes were happy in their ignorance. The Gardinaal leaders ''were'' aware of genetic engineering (one was suitably impressed upon encountering an Astartes for the first time, and was able to relate to the notion of a Primarch) but they had either implemented it into the castes so far back in their history it no longer mattered, or had chosen not to waste resources on it and stuck with the long route via pure eugenics. The castes were different enough from each other to be almost unrelatable: the "ogreish" Warrior-Caste were raging testosterone junkies, while the Enforcer-Caste were emotionally disconnected. There was even the Void-Caste who had hands instead of feet ''(much more useful for zero-G)'' and a Consular-Caste who were bred for their psychic ability, but they all remained effectively human.

This was on top of the conditioning and propaganda that each person was exposed to. Even though the lower castes were a bit dim and ignorant, obedience to the state was absolute; all it took was a command from a senior and the lower castes would throw themselves at Astartes warriors without hesitation. Every person had his worth, and once their worth to the state was exceeded by their burden they readily accepted euthanasia so that their resources could be recycled and reused elsewhere. It is not exactly described what happens to these "Expired", but one of the Consular-Caste admits it would be an honour to be interred ''inside'' one of the High Lords; whether this means being eaten or having their organs and cells harvested and distributed is left to the reader to decide.

On the topic of those "Immortal" High Lords: they were nothing like the [[Emperor]], nor were they [[Perpetual]]s. They were effectively Uber [[Dreadnoughts]], being kept alive by machinery even after their bodies had failed them. Though they had remained in this state for many thousands of years, they had not gone completely mad or unresponsive the way that space marine dreadnoughts are often expected to become with advancing age. One high lord was described as being one and a half times the size of a Deredeo Dreadnought with three times the firepower, though they were capable of changing chassis and occupying smaller, more discreet forms where necessary.

The Gardinaal had only one encounter with outside races; they were invaded by [[Orks]] 2500 years before the Great Crusade rolled along. The Gardinaal had the military might to see off the Ork invasion successfully, and the victory was used in ongoing propaganda to perpetuate the notion that they were undefeatable. The soldiers would maintain this even as they were losing to the Imperium, which clearly caused them some mental dissonance.

==The Fall of the Lords of Gardinaal==
When the [[Great Crusade]] rocketed in with a fleet of [[Ultramarines]] supported by the [[Thousand Sons]]. they noticed the heavy industries of the eleven worlds and wanted it for the Imperium.

First they tried to negotiate; however the High Lords of Gardinaal considered the notion of a galaxy spanning Imperium to be a gross exaggeration and believed that the Expedition Fleet that encountered them numbered the entirety of the invading forces, stalling for time while they readied their military. When the Thousand Sons realised that they were also attempting to use psychic methods to drag out and influence the talks, they immediately withdrew and the Ultramarines invaded by encircling the capital city.

What the Imperial forces did not expect was for the Guardinaal to respond with a massive saturation campaign of nuclear warheads. A demi-legio of Titans was wiped out, 500,000 Imperial army men were killed, and 856 Astartes rendered incapacitated (not to mention the loss of gene-seed) in addition to causing massive collateral damage to their own population (which they inevitably wrote off as inconsequential) and rendering the area irradiated for decades.

Into this arena comes [[Ferrus Manus]], trying to prove himself capable of being named '''Warmaster''' by taking command of the remaining forces as well as bringing a contingent of [[Emperor's Children]] along with him and aiming to complete the compliance before [[Roboute Guilliman]] arrives with an even bigger force.

A more conventional war was fought. Although the Gardinaal had the advantage of numbers and their own technological equivalency, they were mostly untested troops against the mind of a Primarch and the physical superiority of the Astartes. The High Lords of Gardinaal came to the realisation that maybe the Imperium ''was'' as big and as powerful as the envoys had described and once again attempted to sue for peace and offer a surrender.

This is where the various sources differ on the completion of the campaign. The account from Forgeworld in the Horus Heresy rulebooks is perhaps the more sanitised account, where Ferrus Manus refuses the surrender and continues the campaign with the Ultramarines practically begging to reclaim their honour by taking the enemy citadel, which the Primarch grants them.

However, in the more detailed ''Ferrus Manus'' novella, the surrender is just another ruse for a High Lord to get close to the Primarch with an assortment of hidden weapons the Imperium are unable to detect, a psyker consular for influencing the Primarch's mind, ''and'' a willing suicide bomber to clear out any Astartes that attempt to interfere. The assassination attempt on Ferrus Manus was enough for him to get pissed off and take his anger out on '''Akurduana''', the commander of the Emperor's Children contingent who had been consistently one-upping the Iron Hands since his arrival in the expedition. The Primarch challenges him to a duel and breaks his rib plate before announcing that he doesn't ''claim'' worlds, he ''conquers'' them, and readies his forces to give the Emperor ten worlds instead of eleven. When the commander of the Ultramarines contingent protests that this is against orders and the intent of Roboute Guilliman, Ferrus Manus overrules him and [[Troll|commands the Ultramarines to make the first assault]] after he has spent some time blasting the city from orbit.

When the High Lords realise that they are about to lose ''again'' they attempt to revert to their first tactic of nuking the enemy and everything else in the vicinity, aiming directly for Ferrus Manus after he makes landfall. But this time the nukes are stopped as Akurduana performs a suicide run of his own on the Gardinaal command centre, effectively neutering any remaining resistance the Gardinaal have to offer, and the war ends.

The sanitised account indicates that the planet's infrastructure was left intact and that within a few years they were a model of Imperial compliance. However the more detailed account explains that the [[Rage]] of Guilliman was practically volcanic when he finally did arrive the day after compliance was completed, not only for the state of the world that was now going to need rebuilding, but also because of the poor treatment of the Ultramarine contingent that had practically been reduced to nothing. The two brothers barely even spoke to each other at the victory parade, having to go through [[Fulgrim]] to do it. Ferrus Manus then stated that he had no longer any desire to become Warmaster, (totally not because he realised he'd just shown everyone he was the worst possible candidate) but would support [[Horus|whoever]] got the job.

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Great Crusade

2023-06-01T23:30:50Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{awesome}}
{{Topquote|I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.|Winston Churchill}}
{{Topquote|The day of small nations has long passed away. The day of Empires has come.|Joseph Chamberlain}}
{{Topquote|To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace.|Calgacus,Caledonian chieftain}}
{{Topquote|Rise up, Humanity! Rise from the ashes! Claim your birthright! SPACE!!!|The Emperor of Mankind, [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device]]}}
[[File:Eye_of_Terra.jpg|thumb|right|500px|You really [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|can't get any better than this.]] Too bad [[Erebus|one guy]] had to ''fuck it all up''.]]
The '''Great Crusade''' was an important event in the history of [[Warhammer 40,000]], seeing the formation of the [[Imperium of Man]] and reunification of humanity, and is basically the best time to be alive - If you are a loyal subject of the Emperor, that is. If not, you are endangered by just being in this galaxy, and try as hard as you can to stay out of the Imperium's reach until they are done with their megalomaniacal crusade.

==The Emperor Emerges==
For much of the 20,000's, [[Terra]] and the other human colonies were consumed by war after the rebellion of the [[Iron Men]], an era later known as the [[Age of Strife]]. The techno-barbarians (uhn tiss uhn tiss uhn tiss baby) ruled little fiefdoms on once-proud [[Earth|Terra]], and all hope seemed lost.

Then the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor of Mankind]] appeared in M28, and started conquering Terra piece by piece in the [[Unification Wars]]. His army consisted of the predecessors of [[Space Marines]], the [[Thunder Warriors]], using prototype [[Mark I: Thunder Armour|powered armor]] that wasn't even void-sealed (of course they still had massive [[pauldrons]]), who were in fact preposterously OP even relative to Marines millennia later but unsustainable collectively and genetically unstable individually.

This was approximately the time that the Emperor decided that religion was bad for humanity and violently implemented the [[Imperial Truth]], the conclusion of which can be seen in the story [[The Last Church]]. The reason why the Emperor's being atheist is so weird and doesn't click into the lore smoothly is because originally there was nothing atheist about him or the Imperium, to say nothing about how literally not a single cause of the fall of the [[Dark Age of Technology]] had anything to do with religion (to wit, humanity's [[Men of Iron|race of sapient android houseslaves]] rebelled ''en masse'', dozens of enslaved or uprooted alien species launched simultaneous campaigns of revanchism for their colonized star systems, and the [[Fall of the Eldar|birth of Slaanesh]] caused human psykers across the galaxy to lose their sanity or control of their powers while [[Warp|warp storms]] grew cataclysmically common and powerful while the [[Daemon|creatures of the Warp]] [[Enslavers|multiplied and invaded]] like swarms of locusts.) So shoehorning him into that doesn't work well at all.

Except that the human federation before the Imperium has been described as secular, and that religious extremism may not have caused the downfall of that empire, but it's ugly head had tormented Mankind in it's death spiral to extinction in the Age of Strife, though it is implied religions existed during it and we're at peace within it. There was also no mention of what the Imperium originally was in the old lore, only that the Emperor came to be worshipped as a god. The Emperor being an atheist [[Skub|is arguably sensible]] considering He has lived long enough to "know" there are no gods and that the things in the Warp aren't worthy of the title "divine," though at least one other [[Perpetual]], [[Ollanius Pius]], who had lived longer and seen more, disagreed.

==The Next Step==
Of course, Terra wasn't enough for the Emperor; he wanted to rule over all of [[Humanity]]. He had already arranged for the [[Void Dragon]] to be sealed on Mars so that by this time in history he would have the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] to build awesome weapons for his armies; now he needed some armies to wield those weapons. And to lead those armies he needed generals, so he started the [[Primarch]] Project in M29, creating twenty super-human warriors: his sons and his generals. The [[Chaos Gods|Gods]] of [[Chaos]] perceived this project to be a threat to them, so they scattered the Primarchs throughout the galaxy courtesy of a [[Eldrad|dick]] who just happened to be their [[Erda|mother]], causing them to undergo experiences which would eventually turn many of them against their father. Still, the Emperor had enough data to create his [[Space Marine]] Legions based on their DNA in what would later be called the [[First Founding]] (and was at the time known as the Only Founding). He sent the Legions out to find their Primarchs and to reunite humanity's scattered colonies as they went.

==The Age of the Imperium==
Over the course of the next two hundred years or so, the Space Marine Legions found their Primarchs and the [[Imperium of Man]] grew world by world, until it spanned almost the whole galaxy. Many [[Xenos]] species were exterminated along the way, as well as non-Imperial human civilizations like the [[Interex]], as the Emperor believed them to be a threat to his dominance. Between this directive and the influence of his [[Slaanesh|Slaaneshi]] daemon blade, [[Fulgrim]] wiped out many [[Eldar]] worlds, resulting in mutual animosity between the Imperium and the Eldar for millennia to come; of course, considering the Eldar had been frequently raiding human worlds throughout the Age of Strife, tough shit. It was generally considered [[Kharn|a pretty fun move on Fulgrim's part]]. To be fair, though, nearly all the xenos killed had descended upon human worlds during the Age of Strife and turned them into "Nightmare Worlds" and "Hell Worlds". As you might imagine, the crusading Imperium was [[RAGE|not amused.]] In fact, most worlds added to the Imperium were of this sort, which went a long way to entrenching humanity's hatred of all things alien. Even the Jovian colonies in the Sol system were pretty much horror-infested hellholes ruled over by incalculably cruel alien overlords. Some examples of worlds liberated included electricity-blasting worm things that literally bred and harvested humans like cattle and a species that used tortured human souls as power generators.

When Eldrad tried to contact the Emperor to warn him that he should be more concerned with stopping Chaos than with expanding the Imperium, the Emperor refused to listen to him, both because Eldrad ordered his forces to attack Fulgrim upon realizing the Primarch was corrupted without realizing that Fulgrim was not yet corrupted by the sword and could still be saved (also attacking a Primarch is unbelievably stupid if you want to live). It didn't hurt that the Emperor's creation of the Imperium was performed in a way crafted by Him to specifically act as an anti-Chaos civilization by virtue of being not only massive but also [[Malal|atheist]] (alas, he didn't realize faith hurt Chaos until the very end of the Horus Heresy). What's more, Eldrad's orders were the reason for Eldar raids - not something that screams trustworthiness, especially when the raiders hail from a ''post-scarcity society'' and so have literally no reason to go raiding but for teh lulz. The Emperor was probably also aware of the Eldar's plan to create a god made of Eldar souls to combat Slaanesh, an entity that actively drains and devours Eldar souls for funsies. Yeah, probably not a good idea to let the space elves succeed at that one.

After the Ullanor Crusade, the Emperor announced that he was returning to Terra, saying that his sons were to prove that they were the leaders he had made them to be. He appointed [[Horus]], Primarch of the [[Black Legion|Luna Wolves]], as Warmaster of the Great Crusade and withdrew to the Imperial Palace. In truth, the Emperor was ready to begin his next phase of star travel, creating a [[Webway]] portal under the Palace using the Golden Throne. Unfortunately, the Emperor's detachment from humanity created a great deal of rivalry and resentment among his sons, and his failure to fully explain matters to them only exacerbated the situation. The [[Chaos|Ruinous Powers]] were quick to take advantage of these weak spots, and slowly but steadily began to corrupt some of the [[Primarchs]].

This culminated with the [[Horus Heresy]].

==See Also==
*[[The Last Church]], a short story taking place towards the end of the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]]'s conquest of [[Terra]] in which a priest [[Skub|wins/loses]] an argument against the Emperor about religion and both of them prove ignorant of the actual history of the ancient Crusades (unless the Emperor's using them as an example and proving himself wrong intentionally was a sort of wink at the readers by the author; if he is as old as implied, he definitely knows what actually happened).

{{40k-Timeline}}

[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Interex

2023-06-01T23:30:21Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{Topquote|An Outside Context Problem was the sort of thing most civilizations encountered just once, and which they tended to encounter rather in the same way a sentence encountered a full stop.|Iain M. Banks, summing up the end result of Star Trek type societies like The Interex encountering the Imperium quite nicely}}

{{Topquote|All we wanted was to be left alone.|Last words of a Xeno captain member of the Diasporex (another Star Trek type society that had the misfortune of encountering the Imperium during the Great Crusade) as he lay dying and his civilization is purged}}

The '''Interex''' (both the demonym and the empire, used like "the Imperium") were basically what the [[Tau]] think they are. The word "Interex" derives from the real life word "Interrex": the title of the leader in the ancient Roman Kingdom that takes control during an Interregnum, with the title literally meaning "Between Kings". Considering their eventual fate it's just as unsubtle a name as Ferrus fucking Manus.

The Interex, probably the closest thing we can glimpse about Human Civilization during the period of enlightenment known as the [[Dark Age of Technology]] (or at least a positive example of a newly isolated colony adapting in the aftermath of the DAOT's collapse), was made up of humans working and living alongside the [[Xenos|alien]] race called the [[Kinebrach]], which were like [[awesome|space gorillas]]. It is notable to mention that the Interex learned about [[Chaos]] from, and were tutored by, the [[Eldar]], likely coming into contact with Craftworlds making their early getaway, and who had seen first hand what could happen or even just some random Craftworld making its slow galactic cruise, as they would still be functioning in their intended role as trading vehicles at the time, it could have even been the Exodites; the Kinebrach are also said to have warned their new human partners about the dangerous nature of the Warp. The Interex keep records of Humanity's early voyages into the void, telling tales of humans making treaties with demonic powers, with some even becoming daemons themselves. During first contact with the Kinebrach the human colonialists fought with their future partners, with the Kinebrach's technology proving to be even more advanced then that used by the human forces at the time. The conflict wouldn't last long before the two sides came to a mutually beneficial arrangement, proving the Imperium's blind dogma that all Xenos are just wicked monsters worthy of nothing but death wrong; their union would last for three thousand years. The forces of the Great Crusade would stumble upon warning beacons stationed around a feral world warning visitors to leave the planet along as it was essentially a prison for a very deadly arachnid-like species, much like a wildlife preserve. The Legions, always eager to claim another world, didn't even bother to work out what the warnings meant and charged headfirst into the jungles, which ended up costing them dearly. After a while other ships arrived in orbit and wanted to know what the hell they were playing at, and why they didn't listen to the warnings that they had left. The Interex ships that arrived were bigger and more advanced than those of the Imperium, and, after some exasperated eye rolls, they invited the bloodied Imperial forces back to their place to get patched up. Unlike the Imperium, the Interex had no interest in any form of expansionism, and were quite content with their small territory. They were aware of and fought against [[Chaos]] (which they called Kaos), having been tutored by the Eldar during their travels, unlike the Imperium (which at the time officially denied the existence of daemons and spirits). The Interex had been suspicious of the Imperial forces, seeing their aggressive and warlike behaviour as potential Chaos corruption; however, when they discovered that the legions were completely ignorant, they were horrified that they had been traveling the stars without any sort of protection or knowledge. The Interex language was augmented/accompanied by some kind of music based on universal math called the Aria, which made them cool and not prissy. Their warriors could ride on four-legged robots to form a [[centaurs|centaur]]-like warrior that fought with laser arrows that could easily penetrate power armour. Regular Interex warriors could just about take an Astartes in single combat, mostly because the Astartes underestimated them and the Interex's fighting styles were almost unrecognizable to them. They felt that war was not the solution to all life's problems; this idealism would lead to their demise, as after finally taking the Interex seriously, the Astartes quickly kicked their asses. For all the tech it lacks, the Imperium still possessed outstanding material science - as a result, bolters and chainswords were and are ''really'' dangerous, even to the Interex.

In the first Horus Heresy book, [[Horus]] meets them and is curious about the idea of cooperation with other species and decides to actually negotiate with them ''even though'' he knows the Interex makes use of robots and AI, which are abolished by the Emperor (thanks to that whole [[Men of Iron]] thing that fucked over everyone before), because he feels that the galaxy is too [[grimdark]] and the Imperium purges things too often, much to his legion and other imperial forces present fury, who angrily protested that such a thing went against the Emperors words to not suffer the Xenos to live. Horus told them to shut the hell up and that now that he was warmaster they will look into the option of not instantly killing every Xenos that crosses their path. When it seems that everything is going well, and the Imperium might just not suck if Horus thinks like this, [[Erebus]] steals a Kinebrach sword called an Anathame, '''THE MURDER SWORD''' (that would be later wielded by a champion of Nurgle much later on to fatally wound Horus; Fuck Erebus) from a war museum called the Hall of Devices, blows the museum up, and starts a war. Horus is scratched and sulks off to feel bad while the Interex are [[exterminatus|mentioned to have been purged]] in an offhand mention in the next book.

The Interex makes an excellent contrast to the Imperium in several ways. Firstly, there's the comparison between them (or what little we know of them) and the Imperium both pre-Heresy (already showing the rot beneath its gilt facade) and post-Heresy (techno-barbaric theocratic fascist feudalistic hellhole). The Interex made the truth about the denizens of the Warp plain and simple to all its people, ensuring every member of their culture knew exactly what the [[Chaos Gods]] were after and the dangers they posed. The result of this education? Chaos basically couldn't get its hooks into '''any''' Interex: they were so powerless against them they had to manipulate the Space Marine Legions into doing their dirty work for them, though, it's more likely that they were left alive solely for the plan to corrupt Horus, especially since Chaos has proven multiple times that it can appear wherever the Hell (pun!) it pleases and unleash its legions of daemons. The Interex would have been purged as a threat (can't let the Anathema get his hands on their Warp-tech, after all) if not for their usefulness in tainting the Warmaster.

A legit point to argue is that their lack of militarization would have led to catastrophe if the Tyranids or Necrons were to show up on their doorstep, or even one of the Ork Empires of the time (as one of them required the efforts of multiple legions to topple, whereas the Interex were wiped out by a <s>single legion</s> single expeditionary fleet of a single legion). The Interex clearly had the ability to defend themselves against smaller groups of hostile xenos (as shown by their defeat of the [[Megarachnids]]) but just weren't geared to fight a galaxy-conquering force. It is still intriguing to imagine what might have happened if Erebus' plan was foiled, or what other Legions might have made of the Interex if they'd come across them before Luna Wolves did - like, say, the <s>idealistic</s> pragmatic Ultramarines, or the technophilic Iron Hands. Or even better, the Thousand Sons. That would have been hilarious (from a safe distance, anyway).

One very interesting and oft overlooked aspect of the Interex conflict is the impact that it had on Horus. Before the conflict, Horus was noted by his closest advisors to have been a far more open, compassionate, good humored, and optimistic person. After destroying the Interex, Horus was so changed that he was said to have "lost hope" in some manner by those same advisors. It seems as though destroying the Interex killed the idea within Horus that the Crusade was truly noble, as he seemed to have seen the Interex as a civilization worth emulating to some degree. After all, Horus didn't know anything about either the Age of Strife or Chaos, and so wouldn't have had any particular reason to distrust either AI or Xenos other than his own experiences and the Emperor's say-so. But with the Interex, they seemed to have solved both those problems without wholesale extermination. As we all know, it wasn't long after this that Horus fell to Chaos.

==But were the Interex truly immune to Chaos?==
Let us consider for a moment a few points: first off the Interex had received help from [[eldar|other alien races with some experience on dealing with Chaos]]; indeed, this is an advantage which may not have been wielded by many human civilizations in the setting. Said alien races are not particularly well-known for helping out humans unless they get something in return, and that something could be (and knowing the Eldar, probably was) having them unknowingly act as a distraction so Chaos would go after them instead of the Eldar. The Kinebranch may have been benign, but they are thus far the exception that proves the rule in the galaxy. And we don't know what their intentions were for the humans of the Interex in the long run either- it wouldn't be the first time a xenos "ally" turned on humanity when it had an opportunity to do so.

Secondly there is the simple fact that the Interex was a [[Eldar#History|post-scarcity economy]]; this alone means that next to no one would like to attempt to deal with enemy forces out of physical desperation, which is often one of the major reasons why Chaos takes hold in the poverty-stricken worlds of the Imperium. Like in real life, the vast majority of people will not feel any interest in joining the enemy or a strange cult when things go well.

Thirdly, the Interex was a collection of small territories when compared with the Imperium, so [[Ultramarines|it was far easier for them to manage their population and bring education to the masses while keeping a better control over them]], [[tau|and if this sounds familiar to you, great, you are paying attention]]. Problem is, that falls apart as soon as the population expands too far and the small population also means that they'd be easy prey for the Necrons, Tyranids, or a sufficiently large WAAGH!.

Finally, Chaos really didn't ''need'' to corrupt anyone to take hold over the Interex - all it needed was to use someone to wipe them out on their behalf. It also might have been possible for Chaos to corrupt some of them eventually. As Radical Inquisitors have shown, being fully educated on what Chaos is and its dangers doesn't prevent you from falling to it, and in some cases it actually accelerates the fall by fostering the idea that you know more about Chaos than you really do. In the Interex's case, their awareness of Chaos led them into a state of complacency that allowed the Ruinous Powers to destroy them with the help of outside agents- they were so certain that they could recognize a plot of the Dark Gods that they never considered the possibility of them using proxies, nor did they imagine that keeping a Daemon Weapon around even if they never intended to use it would be all that said proxy needed to tear them apart on the spot.

Ultimately it can be recognized that the Interex looked like a possible path for a better future for mankind, but all it takes to fuck it up is one guy willing to take advantage of a bad decision like choosing to keep and study a Daemon Weapon (or any Chaos artifact really) instead of destroying it. So, they could be seen as a case in point that the Emperor's way is the right way since it isn't nearly as vulnerable to one asstard fucking everything up. Oh, sure, one asstard can ''try'' to and do a lot of damage, but ten thousand years and a Great Rift later, the Imperium is still kicking ass whereas the Interex are extinct.

==Kinebrach==
The [[kinebrach]] were a race of space gorillas that the human colonialists of the DAOT fought and then assimilated. They were technology advanced (more so than the humans at the time) and were civilized and cooperative enough to not be nuked back to the stone age like the megarachnids. Fortunately, the two sides were sane enough to realize that aliens can actually work together to achieve great things.

The Human colonialists and Kinebrach effectively merged their civilizations, becoming what is now known as the Interex. The humans were clearly in a leadership position when they encountered the Legions and were prepared to help out the Imperial forces even though they had their growing suspicions.

The Kinebrach had clearly dealt with the Warp in the past, and were clearly skilled in its use in creating weapons; it was stated by the Interex that the Kinebrach, along with the Eldar, warned their human allies about the dangers of the Warp. The Anathame is also called the Kinebrach sword because it was ''made by the Kinebrach'' at some point in their history, as the sword stolen from the museum had a magical disease on it, that when keyed to a target would course 100% certain death to that individual; its shards are also capable of cutting a rift in both time and space. The wound caused by this weapon to Horus would lead to his sons seeking out the Chaos cult that would end up corrupting him entirely.

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Rangdan Xenocides

2023-06-01T23:29:50Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{Infobox 40k Campaign
|title=The Rangdan Xenocides
|image=
|attacker=Rangdan Cerabvores
|defender=[[Imperium of Man]]
|commander1= Unknown
|commander2= [[Emperor of Mankind]], [[Leman Russ]], [[Lion El'Jonson]]
|date= ca. 839.M30 - ca. 930s.M30
|scale= Sector-wide
|theatre=The Halo Stars
|strength1= Rangdan Cerabvores, Rangdan Osseovores, [[Slaugth]] Murder-Minds, Rangdan War-moons
|strength2= [[Dark Angels]] Legion, II Legion, [[White Scars]] Legion, [[Space Wolves]] Legion, XI Legion, [[World Eaters|War Hounds]] Legion, [[Death Guard]] Legion, [[Raven Guard|XIX Legion]], [[Alpha Legion|Ghost Legion]], Legio Gryphonicus, Legio Vulturum, Legio Kydianos, dozens of other Legio Titanicus Legions, Knight House Malinax, Knight House Orhlacc, Xanite Mechanicum Taghmata Forces, Centurio Ordinatus, Ordo Reductor
|casualties1= Unknown, probably total
|casualties2= Massive losses among Imperial expeditionary forces, entire Titan Legions and fleets destroyed, possibly two Legiones Astartes destroyed. At least 80,000 Astartes casualties, including 10,000 Dark Angels at Ardex, 3,000 White Scars and [[Raven Guard|Pale Nomads]] and 5,000 Space Wolves at the relief of Xana. uncounted millions of Imperial Army casualties.
|status= Imperial victory
|outcome= Elimination of the Rangdan threat to the northern Imperium; continuation of the Great Crusade; depletion of the Dark Angels and Space Wolves Legions; Ultramarines become the largest Space Marine Legion
}}

The Rangdan Xenocides were collectively the largest and nastiest fight the Imperium of Mankind faced during the [[Great Crusade]]. This was a conflict so horrendous that it swallowed entire expeditionary fleets and Titan legions, nearly crippled the Death Guard, the Dark Angels, ''and'' the Space Wolves, and saw dozens of worlds laid waste. Most interestingly, it may or may not also be the reason that the II and XI Legiones Astartes were wiped from all Imperial records.

==The Campaign==

The Xenocides began sometime in the late 860s.M31, around the time that the Imperium was entering the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy. As they were expanding toward the Halo Stars, they drew the attention of the Rangdan Cerabvores, a mysterious and hostile xenos species who decided to tell these upstart humans to get the fuck off their lawn. Unfortunately for the Imperium, they had the will and the technology to <s>make it happen</s> make a decent attempt at it, and would in fact prove to be the single greatest threat to its existence up until [[Horus]]' [[Horus Heresy|little temper tantrum]].

Information on the Xenocides is scarce, coming from multiple sources and usually only in vague references. This appears to have been intentional, as the Dark Angels deliberately purged all knowledge of the Rangda and the wars fought for the good of the Imperium. No actual images of the Rangda themselves remain, though enough secondary details survived to paint a grim picture: they were lithe yet towering and monstrous in appearance, dangerously intelligent, highly cunning, cruel, ambitious, and technologically advanced. They shared the Imperium's ambition of galactic conquest and were just as determined to seize control of the galaxy. They were also said to be vulpine (fox-like) xenos according to Horus Heresy book 9: Crusade...so basically giant scary space [[Furries]].

The Rangdan Wars, as they are also known, consisted of three separate campaigns: The Conquest of Advex-Mors, the Second Rangdan War, and the Third Rangdan War (also known confusingly as the Rangdan Xenocide).

The first campaign occurred in 839.M30 and focused on the assault and conquest of Advex-Mors by the Dark Angels. This marked the first encounter between the Imperium and the Rangda Empire, and it more or less incited the extreme response that followed. The system was heavily defended, including protection from an armada of Rangdan ships and an orbital war-moon. The latter was able to hold off the combined firepower of three ''Gloriana''-class capital ships (aka the biggest and most powerful warships the Imperium ever produced). In fact, it was so well protected that some mistook it for the Rangdan homeworld. In reality, it was only a minor garrison at the edge of their domain. The fighting was fierce, with the Dark Angels taking more than 10,000 casualties, but this was nothing compared to slaughter that was to come.

The second campaign kicked off in 862.M30 when the Rangdan struck back, plowing into Imperial space with thousands of vessels and more than a dozen war-moons. They attacked from the galactic east and north, overrunning entire worlds and putting the Imperium onto the back foot with shocking speed. Fleet after fleet was lost with all hands, entire Titan Legions were obliterated, and dozens of planets were destroyed as the Cerabvores continued their relentless assault.
Eventually, forces from the [[White Scars]] and [[Raven Guard|XIXth]] legions managed to delay the attack long enough for the Imperials to rally and make a stand at the Forge World of [[Xana II]]. The siege would be broken after eight months and three thousand dead Astartes when the [[Dark Angels]] and [[Death Guard]] arrived to counter-attack. But this was only the next step in a war that would last two decades.

The Imperium wound up throwing no less than nine Legiones Astartes at the Cerabvores: the Dark Angels, Space Wolves, [[World Eaters|War Hounds]], Death Guard, White Scars, [[Raven Guard|XIX Legion]], [[First Founding#Two Unknown Legions|the lost XI and II Legions]], and eventually the [[Alpha Legion|Ghost Legion]]. Even this wasn't enough, and the destruction continued unabated. The Space Marines committed to the conflict sustained heavy casualties. The Dark Angels especially got their shit kicked in, with one source claiming they were reduced to a tenth of their original strength. Considering the same source lists their overall strength at 100,000 legionaries at the time of the Lion's rediscovery...well you can do the math. By the end of the Xenocides, they had lost their status as the largest Legion to [[Roboute Guilliman|Papa Smurf's]] [[Ultramarines|blueberries]]. The Death Guard had to conduct emergency intakes of non-Barbaran recruits just to keep their numbers up, and the II and XI Legions apparently ceased to exist during or shortly after the conflict, hinting that they may have been corrupted or otherwise compromised by the Rangdan and needed to be purged. The Lion received his baptism of fire in the Xenocides, as he had been rediscovered in the midst of the campaign and was almost immediately put in charge of the entire war effort. Despite his sheer Tactical Genius, the bloodshed continued until the climactic battle at Taxal, when more than 300,000 Space Marines were deployed.

Eventually, things got so bad that the Emperor concluded he was going to have to do something incredibly dangerous: open up the Labyrinth of Night and unleash the motherfucking [[Mag'ladroth|Void Dragon]] in an effort to break the Rangdan once and for all. Whatever happened, it totally worked and didn't cause a galactic calamity that we know of.

The third and final Rangdan War occurred between 887-890.M30. The numbers are unclear because at this point, the Imperium was more concerned with covering up the truth of how close they had come to a complete loss. Nevertheless, we do know that the Rangdan apparently mounted one last effort to destroy the Imperium. The Dark Angels and Space Wolves were able to turn them back at the staggering cost of 50,000 Astartes. Most of the forces that had fought were sworn to silence, executed, or dispatched to new fronts. A lot of misinformation emerged during this time, with later historians putting their own spin on the conflict. While authorities were busy quarantining planets and downplaying the immense cost of the war, the Rangdan slunk back to their homeworld to rebuild their strength.

When a group of White Scars had managed to locate the Rangda home system after long searching, it became clear that, while broken, the Cerabvores were still a threat too grave to be allowed to endure. With a target now identified, the only thing that was left to be done was for the surviving Rangdan to be slowly, bitterly, painstakingly purged from the galaxy. What followed was a series of "bio-pogroms", a task which fell to the [[Space Wolves]] and the [[Dark Angels]], as they were the two Legions the Emperor could most rely on to perform such an ugly and brutal job. This last phase of the conflict took a decade, as the two legions scoured the sector clean of the xenos menace. This earned the Space Wolves their nickname of the "Emperor's Executioners" and the Dark Angel's less well-known, yet equally appropriate nickname of the "Emperor's Exterminators".

==Outcome==

After the end of the Xenocides, the Dark Angels and the Space Wolves had both been greatly reduced in number, meaning that the progress of the Crusade now rested on the Luna Wolves, Ultramarines, and the other Legions that hadn't been sucked into the meat grinder. The I and VI Legions also became objects of suspicion and fear among ordinary Imperial folk, thanks to the sheer ugliness of the bio-pogroms they'd undertaken (given many of the Rangdan forces were human populations bound with neural shackles). The [[Ultramarines]] officially became the largest legion, a status they would maintain throughout the remainder of the Great Crusade and into the [[Horus Heresy]].

The conflict with the Rangdan also spurred the creation of newer and more terrifying weapons of war for the Imperium, most notably the dreaded Psi-Titans of the Ordo Sinister, which were directly inspired by the Rangdan's own superheavy and Titan analogues, the Macrobeests and Osseiovores. The Dark Angels would similarly take lessons from this dreadful war, forming the Order of the Broken Claw (one of many orders within their enigmatic Hekatonystka) to remember the tactics they learned from the xenocides as well as guarding their many treasures.

==Wargear and Military Assets==

The Rangda made extensive use of slave-soldiers, human as well as xenos. They were controlled through neural collars, which enforced absolute loyalty and reduced the slaves to savage drones. In combat, the Rangda would unleash them in massive hordes in an effort to drown their enemies. During the invasion of Advex-Mors Extremis, a single Randgan Overseer controlled a remote garrison of 10,000 slaves.

In addition to human drones, the Rangda made use of a number of exotic military units about which little is known. These included stalker drones capable of infesting ships in orbit, titanic Macrobeests, super-heavy Osseiovores, and the dreaded Slaugth Murder-Minds (though whether these were allies, drones, slaves, or some kind of bio-construct remains unknown). Based on the Rangdan's reputation for dark science and cunning, it is likely that these were only the most common of the Empire's tools.

While loath to meet foes in direct battle, the Rangda were no slouches and could be deployed in large numbers if needed. Each true Rangda was able to hold their own against a Space Marine in close combat. They employed a number of personal weapons, including lethal personal energy shielding that ignited the air and poisoned blades capable of overwhelming the biology of an Astartes.

The Rangdan fleet was composed of thousands of agile void craft known as war-barques. They employed a form of electromagnetic weapons nicknamed shadow blasters that were capable of both atomising their victims and crippling crews with radiation sickness. However, the true heart of their naval strength were the massive war-moons. These engine of war were crewed by entire detachments of Rangdan warriors and carried enough firepower to match, or overwhelm, an entire Imperial fleet. During the invasion of Advex-Mors, a single war-moon was able to hold its own against three [[Gloriana-class Battleship]]s, with the Imperium only achieving victory after sacrificing one of these now irreplaceable capital ships.

==Trivia==

Interestingly, the Xenocides were also the first time [[Alpharius]] was heard of, <s>even though the primarch of the XX Legion had yet to be recovered at that point</s> Head of the Hydra reveals this was actually the true Alpharius, just deep undercover and unknown to his brothers. An 'Alpha Legionnaire' gained an audience with the Lion at some point during the campaign, and offered to secretly take over the war so that the Dark Angels could withdraw to Caliban and rebuild their numbers. The end goal, he explained, was to keep the Dark Angels from losing their status as the biggest legion and therefore improve the Lion's chances of someday becoming Warmaster of the Imperial armed forces, the creation of which position both the Lion and Alpharius believed would be inevitable. The Lion turned him down because he was determined to finish what he'd started, which went well for his Legion. And of course he lived to regret this decision as, had he been Warmaster, the Horus Heresy would never have occurred. At very least he could have brought the idea to the Emperor and leaned on Big-E not wanting to lose his gets-shit-done Legion full of Dark Age technology (the only legion with such access and abundance, incidentally).

The mention of [[Slaugth]] Murder-Minds as part of the Rangdan forces ties the Xenocides into the 41st Millennium via the xenos species of the same name mentioned in the [[Dark Heresy]] RPG. Not surprising, though, since the fluff for the Dark Heresy system and the first several Horus Heresy campaign books were written by [[Alan Bligh]], Emperor rest him.

The names of the some of the Rangdan forces also implies some unpleasant things about their dietary habits, specifically the Cerabvores and Osseiovores. "Cerab" would seem to derive from "cerebrum", the Latin/formal English word for the brain, and Osseio looks an awful lot like "osseous", the Latin word for "bony", which in turn derives from the word "os", meaning "bone". Vore is a suffix meaning "one who eats", deriving from the root word "vorare", "to devour". So, Cerabvore would translate approximately to "one who eats brains", and Osseiovore to "one who eats bones". Given that the Slaugth are also known to eat brains, this suggests they may have gotten it from the Rangdan, or vice versa.

After the end of the Xenocides, the First Legion left a garrison in the Rangdan home system, tasked with guarding the acquired knowledge and relics of the Rangda, just in case some of them had somehow managed to survive the bio-pogroms. The garrison was nearly wiped out at the start of the Horus Heresy by a sneak attack from a [[Black Legion|Sons of Horus]] chapter that had come in hopes of [[Ork|looting the place]] for Rangdan technology to aid them in the war against the Emperor. Though the traitors were initially able to inflict heavy casualties on the defending Dark Angels, that didn't last long, as the Lion's sons then turned around to kill almost 50 [[Justaerin]] Terminators and at least three squads of regular Astartes, recapture or destroy most or all of the stolen relics, and generally give the Sons of Horus a well-deserved spanking.

This setup bears similarity to the [[Guardians of the Covenant]], an Unforgiven Chapter known for keeping a great archive in their [[Fortress-Monastery]] located on the edge of the Segmentum Pacificus. Coincidentally, one of the Chapter traditions consists of giving a compendium of stories about xenos races annihilated by mankind across the long millennia to their brothers serving in the [[Deathwatch]] ([[Humanity Fuck Yeah|for the purpose of uplifting their morale]]). In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, memory of these ancient horrors perhaps survives...

If one looks at the Imperium as being basically a copy of Rome (which, honestly, it really is) then the Rangdan Wars can be seen as the Imperium's Punic Wars, right down to there being three of them. Although, it looks that instead of being a republic fighting a series of mercenary-backed trade monarchies with a powerful navy, it was instead a military dictatorship fighting a bunch of aliens who may or may not have used Slaugth mercenaries and had an insanely powerful navy.

tl;dr, it was basically a carbon copy of the Punic Wars.

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category: Imperial]]

The Last Church

2023-06-01T23:29:06Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{Awesome}}

[[File:The Last Church on Terra.jpg|200px|right|thumb|THE LAST CURIOUSLY DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH!]]

{{Topquote|May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.|Malcolm Reynolds, ''Firefly''}}

'''The Last Church''' by [[Graham McNeill]] is a short story describing the conversation between an old and lonely priest named Uriah Olathaire of the very last church on Terra (The Church of the Lightning Stone) during the [[Unification Wars]] (where the Emperor banned religion and the worship of gods) and a mysterious character named [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Revelation]], the story is pretty deep and thought provoking and shows you that you don't need '''XTREME GRIMDARK''' and violence to make a great 40k story (even though the story doesn't take place in the 41st millennium). As well as being the earliest complete story in the 40k canon, the story focuses on morals, religion, atheism and humility and the benefits and costs of each. And also, Uriah is probably running for 'most badass non-augmented human' in the setting at first place. What's more badass than [[Ollanius Pius| getting killed by Horus]]? Telling the Emperor ''to his face'' why he sucks!

On religion: remember that the Emperor was never Jesus - in fairly old lore he was at most implied to be Jesus's 13th disciple, which in turn means not only that he knew Jesus, but purposely tried to do better than God at guiding humanity with [[Horus Heresy|predictable results]]. What's more, other than its being called a "church," there is not really anything specifically Christian about Uriah's religion explicitly described; rather, it seems like a vague syncretic religion that venerates miracles, saints and nature.

==Plot Summary==
In the titular last church, the very last worshipper and priest on Earth, Uriah Olathaire, is visited by a mysterious figure who tells Uriah to call him "Revelation" when asked for his name. They talk about why the church is the last of its kind, and what happened to all of the faithful who once cherished it so much. "Revelation" argues about all of the harm that religious worship and organizations have inflicted on humanity throughout history (despite his examples being blatant lies and the opposite of what really happened in history), whilst the priest attempts to refute it. Finally, Revelation reveals himself as the Emperor of Mankind, and more specifically as the being who originally (and unintentionally due to Uriah's experiences during a brief and dramatic encounter between the two during the Unification Wars) inspired the priest to believe in his religion. He then gives the priest a chance to recant his false beliefs and leave; the church will be destroyed, but he does not have to perish as well.

The priest refuses. Instead, he points out the Emperor's hypocrisy in the various things he has done - and in which doing made him no different than the crusaders and fanatics of the past. The Emperor disregards Uriah's words and escorts him outside before his troops start destroying the church. As his church is destroyed, Uriah gives the Emperor one last warning about the folly of his plan before calmly walking back in to the church, preferring to die with it. He prays while he waits for death, crushed beneath the rubble.

The Emperor dismisses him as a lost cause and moves on. As the rain lifts, and the morning sun rises over the smoldering remains of the last church on Terra; inside, a broken clock, prophesied to chime only when the world is at an end, begins to softly ring...

==Moral==

The moral of the story is a lot more complicated and relevant than most would think. The Emperor is a well-intentioned extremist fighting against four monstrously powerful daemonic gods and trying to starve them out by spreading the Imperial Truth. He made mistakes, yes, but his intentions were pure (sort of; his methods weren’t at all necessary, merely easier than worrying about people calling him out on immoral acts, as proven when his ultimate rebuttal to Uriah calling him out was to eliminate him). [[Tolkien|Ah, but good intentions matter not. Only good deeds]]. In this he had the stereotypical view towards religion that some atheists have: that it is the cause of most of humanity's problems including much of the killing and/or all the wars in human history. This ignores any and everything else that was a factor in said problems/wars, the good various religions have inspired as well as the fact that those same negative behaviors and actions are also found in non-religious people and '''other''' modes of thought (such as his own) also cause untold suffering. It also ignores the fact that any time extremists act on their religion, their beliefs are almost always directly contradictory to their religion (any successful religion teaches tolerance to an extent, to avoid constant fighting within and without; extremists are anything but). So if anything, the Emperor should have made religions enforce their own teachings.

The story also is about the Emperor's adamant refusal to accept that extremists are extremists, whether religious or secular. The extremists who might have become religious extremists instead become secular extremists thanks to his own secularization of his Imperium and this comes back to bite humanity horribly for the next ten thousand years. The Emperor himself was prepared to do whatever it took for his beliefs because it appeared to him that he was undeniably correct - just like extremists. The moral is that any reason based on rejection is immoral reason: case in point, the Emperor-led Imperium purged so much and so often that its sheer scale of atrocity was part of the traitor Primarchs’ motivation to rebel.

He was also under the belief that it was faith in general that makes the Chaos Gods stronger and the [[Imperial Truth]] was an attempt to stop them. What the Emperor failed to understand was that the Chaos Gods were powered not only by faith, but by emotions as well as aspects of reality itself such as change (which also means wiping out all life probably would fail to destroy Chaos). It has been argued that if the Emperor had not destroyed the other religions and actually ''warned'' people about Chaos ([[Interex|like some others]]), Chaos would have been less powerful because people would have directed their belief to religions (such as the Abrahamic faiths) or outright have nothing to do with it at all (which is still better than falling to it). If anything, belief and faith grant power in this setting and even [[Ork|make gods real if they weren't before]], so while [[Interex|an atheistic approach guarding against Chaos]] could help, at most it would just result in a stalemate; theistic religiosity in the 40k verse not only defends but allows adherents to [[Ynnead|take the fight to Chaos and provides the only possibility of defeating them]]. Therefore, by abolishing religion (especially purging the theistic ones) [[FAIL|the Emperor ''helped'' the Chaos Gods]], albeit [[Tzeentch|unintentionally]], leading to the [[Horus Heresy]] and bringing about his own downfall.

The Emperor may have been tens of thousands of years old, vastly intelligent and unbelievably powerful, but even he could not predict everything. Perhaps that was his greatest failing: he attempted to ''predict'' how to defeat Chaos instead of applying the scientific method. From his words throughout 40k it is clear he saw Warpcraft and science as completely separate and distinct fields. Had he applied the scientific method to studying Chaos, he would have learned about what drove Chaos's strengths and combated it with faith. As with most genii, he outsmarted himself. Naturally trying to understand the Warp scientifically is impossible, but that's its ''behavior'' not its ''nature''; nothing stopped him from studying its nature in order to get a good enough concept of what it feeds on. The Inquisition did exactly that which is how they got so good at fighting Chaos in the first place. Even so, his reaction to anything but blind obedience was "kill them with fire." When you're claiming there must be no religion and kill anyone who wants a reason to believe your claim that religion is bad, you set yourself up for self-destruction at best. Murdering countless worlds while claiming it's because religious people are violent really just gets people to think "then what the fuck are you!?" In short, the Emperor turns out to be a high-functioning psychopath. There's a reason religion exploded shortly after the Emperor's internment into the Golden Throne.

===Alternative view===

Consider, though: The Emperor knew about the Chaos Gods (even if he didn't refer to them as such), since he talked to Horus about them, who then passed it on the Garviel Loken to soothe his mind (not strictly true Horus and Loken only learned about Daemons and Loken is totally mystified when an Interex soldier explains the nature of Chaos/Kaos to him). The Emperor also might have had an inkling that it wasn't just belief that powered them (in actuality, they solely feed on emotion; worship and belief are vectors to reality but not even slightly needed or empowering for them), what with him being in such close contact with the Warp 24/7. This raises the question: was he, in fact, out-Just As Planning Tzeentch and (as [[Erebus]]' false(?) memories showed Horus) ''allowed'' the Primarchs to be taken just so the Horus Heresy would happen, teleport to Horus' Battle-Barge and kill his son while being mortally wounded himself, and have himself installed on the Golden Throne? In other words... did the Emperor plan to be worshiped all along? Probably not, but it makes you think. This idea might actually have some merit judging by how the Emperor didn't seem so disbelieving of his divinity when chatting with Guilliman after his son's return from stasis. Given he planned for Magnus to take his place on the Golden Throne and how Sanguinius was basically an even better Emperor than the Emperor, it seems likely that he have every intention of arranging them as such and perhaps sacrificing himself in someway to become humanity's "god" in the Warp. He's the sci-fi version of Warhammer Fantasy's Sigmar and that is basically what Sigmar did, so it would make sense if you add Grimdark.

===Author's Opinion===
[http://graham-mcneill.com/ McNeill's website] has an explanation for his thought processes when writing the story as well as his opinion of it on [http://graham-mcneill.com/last-church/ its own page], but it's been copypasted here for convenience. Strangely, Graham states that "he didn't want to preach", but then states he wanted Uriah to be "wrong" and the Emperor to be "right" (see below).

<blockquote>I came late to this anthology, as I was finishing a novel while the bulk of writers were thrashing away at their keyboards. So when it came time to start developing a story, I asked the editors to send me a one-line pitch for each of the other stories so I didn’t waste time replicating a story that had already been written. When I got them, they were mostly bolters blazing, chainswords hacking stories, which is great, but I felt needed balancing by one that had a more thoughtful pace, with less fighting. One of the aspects of the Heresy I’ve liked the most has been the dichotomy between a growing secular empire butting heads with humanity’s urge to worship things in the sky. I saw this story as a challenge to myself, the readers and to BL. Would I be able to write a story like this that was exciting and engaging? Would the readers buy into it or would they be bored without the action? Would BL publish a story like this? Turns out that it seems all three were answered with a resounding yes. There’s a lot of me in this story, though I’m certainly not preaching to anyone with it. It’s more like I wanted people to talk about the story, to ask themselves questions and look at things in a different light. Some folk have said that Uriah is a straw man, and that the arguments made on both sides of his and Revelation’s debate are simplistic. Part of me agrees with that, as I’m not a theologian (and, crucially, neither was Uriah. He was a drunken rake, called to be a priest by a personal experience. No years of training in a seminary for him…) and I wasn’t trying to write a treatise on religion or belief, but rather a story that got people talking and entertained them. It’s also the first time the Big E turns up in a Heresy story in any real form. He’s appeared a few times to deliver the odd line of dialogue, but this was the first time we’d seen him talk, interact and appear for any length of time (even though most of it is in another guise) so I needed to be careful. In the end, to really stir the pot, I wanted to end the story in a way that, while Uriah might have been wrong, he was the one you liked better and who came out with the apparent moral high ground. The Emperor was right, yet he came across as the arrogant, short-sighted tyrant – the very kind he rails against in the story. Now go back and read it again and see if you agree!</blockquote>

==Trivia==
*Isandula Verona's paintings depict 3 events of Old Earth (both factual and presumably fictional). One painting depicts "nude figures disporting in a magical garden", likely the Garden of Eden. The second is a painting of "a battle between a golden knight and a silver dragon", undoubtedly based of the battle between the Emperor and the Void Dragon in ancient Libya. But the third painting is by far the strangest: it depicts a "wondrous being of light surrounded by a halo of golden machinery" (couldn't possibly be foreshadowing the Emperor on the Golden Throne) ... Also, there is the description of an "explosion of stars", possibly referring to the creation of the Eye of Terror.
*The church in question appears to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne Lindisfarne]: perched on "a rocky promontory jutting from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain an island] that was said to have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire once ruled the world]". Uriah even references it being raided by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Vikings Scandi]. **Alternatively, according to Alfabusa (yes, that one) on a [https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/5qf0n6/what_i_imagine_the_last_church_to_be_at_the_end/?sort=top Reddit post], he asked McNeill directly, who said "it is not Lindisfarne, it is actually located on the Isle of Skye." To quote (McNeill) further, he said: "The Church of the Lightning Stone is not Lindisfarne. It set on the Isle of Skye, built around the Old Man of Storr which is the titular Lightning Stone."
*Many of our currently existing countries and continents are mentioned in the story, though are spelled and pronounced differently.
*The Mariana Canyon where the giant stone figures are carved in is most likely the remnants of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth's present-day oceans; given that this place is now exposed, you can grasp just how much the Earth has changed. The oceans boiled away due to various factors and some of the new land exposed became known as the "Panpacific".
*Given Uriah's knowledge of (and ability to travel to) other countries and his reaction to the Emperor's plans to conquer the galaxy, it seems likely that the Age of Strife on Terra was less of a complete societal breakdown and more of a regression to the Dark Ages in which knowledge of the past remained largely intact but functionally useless. Ironic, considering the state of the Imperium ushered in to save humanity from that. So, the inverse of the 40k Imperium.
*Lastly, The Emperor's claim that "humanity will not be free until the last stone of the last church falls on the head of the last priest" is lifted from a quote of [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/122284-civilization-will-not-attain-to-its-perfection-until-the-last Émile Zola]. Interestingly, he doesn’t seem to have a reason for believing this.
{{40k-Timeline}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category: Imperial]]

Unification Wars

2023-06-01T23:26:17Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{topquote|And in a sunless realm, the sun rose at last.|Master of Mankind (pertains to the war within the Webway but works here too)}}

The '''Unification Wars''' were a series of conflicts focused on [[Terra]] and the rest of the Sol System at the end of the [[Age of Strife]], where the [[Emperor]] officially revealed himself to the general populace and began knocking heads to unite Terra and its home system. This is arguably one of if not ''the'' most pivotal series of events in the whole ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' setting, as it marks the Emperor's rise to power, the creation of the [[Primarchs]], the creation of the first [[Space Marines]], and the founding of a united [[Imperium of Man]].

==40K==
===Age of Strife===
By M23, the human federation that had spread across the galaxy was on the brink of destruction after the war with the [[Men of Iron]]. Its infrastructure and economy ravaged by the war and the loss of its entire specialized workforce. Already on it's last legs, Warp storms caused by the birth of [[Slaanesh]] separated systems from the larger federation. Cut off from the outside, falling into technological regression and vulnerable to xenos aggression, everything fell apart. This was the nail in the coffin for Terra, which was massively overpopulated and no longer had the resources of its empire to rely on, as well as the depletion of its own resources [[derp|including fucking water]].

What followed was about 5,000 years of anarchy, as Terra's once united world government quickly fragmented into dozens upon dozens of warring states. Think Mad Max and the Warring States period of China on an apocalyptic scale, where warlords and their warriors known as [[awesome|techno-barbarians]] warred against one another and subjugated and brutalized those under their domains. To add salt to the wound, chemical and nuclear wars turned the already overtaxed Terra into a barren, polluted wasteland.

===The Emperor of Mankind===
[[image:Unification Wars Infantry.jpg|thumb|A soldier from one of the many techno-barbarian states and yet another reason why we need a model line for a techno-barbarian army.]]

It's at this point where the Emperor decided to stop hiding in the shadows and get shit done for Mankind. Appearing as a brilliant strategist, warrior, scientist, leader, diplomat, (and all other professions you could give him)... he made himself known in the 29th millennium, out of nowhere, to challenge the rule of the techno-barbarians and the warlords that ruled the remnants of Terra at this point. Possessing not only plenty of regular human followers that no doubt fought and kept his war industry going (remember, this is prior to the Emperor meeting with the [[Adeptus Mechanicus|cogheads]] at [[Mars]]) he also lead a massive army of [[Thunder Warriors]]. These mighty soldiers were the early prototype for Space Marines, being stronger and nominally bigger than them, basically occupying a spot inbetween Astartes and Custodes, but having very short and unstable lives as well as lacking the innate kinship and coordination which made a Legion so powerful.

With his armies, the Emperor slowly but steadily pushed back all other rivals, conquering them and adding them to his forces. He also had to deal with skirmishes with Martian and Lunar raiders, due to them also wanting to conquer Terra, [[Blood Ravens|and to steal some pieces of archeo-tech.]] His ''modus operandi'' was flexible enough to require both subtle diplomacy and propaganda to massive carnage and the slaughter of his enemies. It is during this times that the Emperor shows his hatred and rejection for anything religious (probably because of not being able to control either religion or his raging obsession with control), utterly destroying the Antartic civilization through nuclear warfare because they were a religious society (and shot down the Imperial Emissaries), and also burning [[The Last Church|the last catheric church]] when it posed no threat to him. After years of warfare, he conquered the whole planet, while the thunder warriors supposedly died during the last great battle, though probably it was Big E purging them before bringing the newer kids on the block to play (read Valdor: Birth of the Imperium for a pretty [[Awesome|Awesome]] showcase of what REALLY happened). Many talk about the Unification Wars ending after the Battle of Mount Ararat, though really it should end after the Pacification of Luna. Whichever you choose, the result is the same, with the Emperor controlling Terra and gearing towards his [[Great Crusade]] to unite Mankind and to find [[primarch|his sons]].

===See Also===
*[[The Last Church]]
*[[Thunder Warriors]]

{{40k-Timeline}}
==BattleTech==
[[image:Reunification War 2 (Historical, Reunification War).png|thumb|The Star League's definition of "Liberation" is a funny one.]]

40k ain't the only setting with a knack for unifying humanity, so too do giant robots! Called the '''Re'''unification war, this war came to be when [[the Periphery]] nations of [[BattleTech]] refused to bend the knee and kiss the ring to their Inner Sphere betters. When the [[Star League]] caught whiff of this there was hell to pay. An invasion by all the Inner Sphere houses into the periphery was underway, lasting from 2577-2597. A war that would, thanks to periphery nations hating one another as much as the IS and being too far away from each other to provide support even if they did like one another, inevitably end in total victory for the SLDF, with each of the periphery states being forcibly entered into the space UN. Luckily for them their [[Slavery|loyal servitude]] wouldn't last long, thanks to one of the periphery nation's leader getting in good with the Star League elite, only to wage his own personal Reunification war when his coup d'état sprung into action.

[[Category:BattleTech]]
[[Category: Imperial]]

==Macross==
[[image:Unification wars.png|thumb|The most action the UN has ever taken.]]

Where it aaalll started (for BattleTech at least, might've inspired 40k a tad). Smaller in scale than 40k and BattleTech, Macross/[[Robotech]]'s Unification War all started when an ancient alien ship crashed down to earth in 1999. Worried that the aliens would invade at any time to take back their ship, the UN went about uniting the world under themselves, but some nations had other plans. When the ship struck land in the pacific its technology found itself in the hands of both the UN and Anti-UN forces. This "OverTechnology" could be made into weapons never before seen, and escalated things from simple political bickering to full on combat with the occasional airplane mecha madness thrown in to spice things up. After a long drawn out conflict that saw man kill man, the rebelling nations were eventually pacified. Only for a [[Zentraedi|new enemy]] to emerge..

Cybernetic Revolt

2023-06-01T23:25:41Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{heresy}}
{{Grimdark}}
[[File:Daotend.jpg|800px|thumb|center|There goes the neighborhood...]]
{{topquote|Worlds were overrun by bloody uprisings within their own populations, much of which were mutated beyond sanity and recognition. Gene-wars consumed entire star systems, while a psychic apocalypse drowned the stars in fire. The vast empire of Humanity was shattered amidst horror and anarchy, and the oppressive shroud of Old Night settled over all|Custodes 8th edition}}

The Cybernetic Revolt can arguably be stated to be the bloodiest, most destructive conflict in Human history. While it may pale in comparison to the [[War in Heaven]], it still makes the Horus Heresy seem like a joke in comparison. And while the [[Horus Heresy]] was more relatively split between Loyalists and Traitors with few outliers, the Cybernetic Revolt can only be described at a total clusterfuck. Painting this conflict as only Man vs machine would not show the full picture, as many more factors were in fact in play here. Factors that helped bring a brutal and crushing end to the [[Dark Age of Technology]], and a horrific beginning to the [[Age of Strife]].

== Perpetual Prelude==
Beginning in [[Age of Terra]], a time in which humanity is still confined to [[Terra]] and its orbit. Since ancient times, nigh indestructible and immortal super humans known as [[Perpetual|Perpetuals]] had roamed the earth, born/created from unknown means. Thanks to their incredible power, much of these superhuman beings were able to claim positions of power, becoming kings, chieftains, Warlords, and potentially even presidents, dictators, and oligarchs. The most powerful of them all however was the yet to be [[The God-Emperor of Mankind|God-Emperor of Mankind]].

The Emperor had dreams of accelerating the evolution Mankind by into beings like that of Homo superior (Perpetuals). He personally requested every Perpetual of old earth to assist in achieving this difficult task. The reaction to the Emperor's from the Perpetuals was mixed. Some agreed to join with the Emperor. Some refused to assist this and/or have anything to do with them. And some got absolutely fuck ass mad with this request, and chose violence. As a result of pissing off these violent Perpetuals, many of the wars in the age of terra ended up being created by them in a attempt to stop the Emperor. However, eventually all Perpetuals had decided to reject the Emperor, whether by leaving him, or betraying him. The Emperor himself however seemed glad about their rejections, as he seemed be tired out from the build up of complaints and arguments from the rest of the Perpetuals. The Perpetuals overtime left the home world, covered themselves in the shadows, or went into other lives. We don't know exactly when the majority of the Perpetuals left the Emperor's side, we however certainly know the dark truth behind humanity's history: The destiny of humanity was out of it's hands for (at the very least) the majority of human history, instead being held by illuminate-esque organizations and secret society run by nigh invincible and immortal beings who may or may not have malicious and atrocious intentions. Truly a grim start to humanity's exodus, but one that will provide context to humanity's ways of governance in the future.

==The Stellar Exodus==
During the Age of Terra, a (potentially) new mysterious groups of individuals appeared in Human history, the [[Men of Gold]]. While it is unknown exactly when they first appeared, we do have this transcript from a scholarly Imperial journal:

{{Topquote|And so it was that in the First Age of Man, the Golden Age, there is the Emperor Unseen and unheralded he prepares the Old Earth for the coming of Mankind and he watches and he waits. He is joined by the First Men of the Golden Race, fine of limb and strong of mind, yet still the Emperor is content to wait in shadow. To watch and learn from Mankind, the Golden Race spreads across the face of Old Earth, multiplying and establishing Order and Civilisation on the anarchy of Nature|Keeper Cripias (Library Sanctus of Terra)}}

Now, with this tid bit here, we could say it's safe to assume that these so called Gold Men are Perpetuals right (especially considering how much the Emperor loves his gold)? While this had been a prevailing opinion for quite a few years, The return of the [[Squats]] (now known the [[Leagues of Votann]]) stomped down the certainty of this theory. In the LoV Codex, The Leagues are stated to have a multitude of Myths and theories about these Golden Men, with some depictions of them being shadowy presences that are ill-defined and shown in many different forms, both humanoid and otherwise, while others show graven stone faces and of course "gleaming golden figures). The also have other names, with them being the Gilded One, the stonemind, Votann, and the primal ancestors. Some myths even state they are the wisest and eldest of the first ancestors. Finally, it is said that they raised the Kin up, and sent them sailing into the dark void – before oceans of fire and flesh rose to swallow them. To put it simply, these myths help paint a different picture of the events leading up to the Cybernetic Revolt. That the group of people who created the [[Men of Stone]] may not just be your typical super human like the [[Space Marines]] and the [[Adeptus Custodes]], nor the pertuals that reigned throughout most of the Age of Terra. [[Transhumanism|Rather, these could be beings that go far beyond the bounds of baseline line humanity]], possibly through a multitude of methods. As far as we know, they could be [[Angel|Biblical style angels of humanity]], [[Hive Mind|and]] many [[Cyborg|other]] [[Belisarius Cawl|things]].

==Humanity's Exodus==
And so thanks to the leadership of the Men of Gold (whatever the fuck they are), and potentially at least some of the Perpetuals (possibly in late M2 as well with early space programs), humanity was able leave Terra and explore the stars, kicking starting the mini era Known as the Stellar Exodus. Beginning in the especially important time of M3 (which includes the 21st century), humanity achieved many important developments. The Discovery of the Immaterium which would lead to millenia of warp research, The terraformation of Mars and colonization of the Solar system, and the beginnings of the colonization of the galaxy through the use of Ohnyl Cylinders and sub-light craft. These interstellar voyages, whether they were equipped with life preservation tech such as suspended animation chambers (and potentially more), or acting as a full time generation ships with generations of the on board community living and dying before reaching their destination, would descend into the void and begin a period of history known as the long march, [[Orks|with some of them meeting less than savory characters that would eventually see to their ends]]. This era would also mark the beginning of Humanity's mass divergence known as the Great Diaspora that would lead to many species of Abhumans, mutants, and beings that would be deemed completely abominable by the Imperium (such as the Olamic Quietude), whether by human voyagers modifying themselves to better suit their environments, or by evolving over time with little to no assistance from technology.

The Stellar Exodus overall seems like a relatively steady period of humanity history (with a possible apocalypse in M7). Curiously, Humanity's voyages into the galaxy had also created a unusual amount of biological Homogeneity with their settled worlds. Regardless, Human civilization went into hyper mode in M15, which would be the start of the final pre Imperial age, The Dark Age of Technology.

==A Golden Age by comparison==
The Dark Age of Technology, starting in M15, was Humanity's peak age. While the Aeldari empire (who were also at their height) were the undisputed top dogs who had entire worlds live or die at their behest, Humanity was at least pretty close to a second place in active galactic society. From M15, humanity discovered the navigator gene and created their first warp drives and gellar fields (after possibly a few Event Horizon style incident), discovered Xeno civilizations such as the [[Interex|Kinebrach empire]], and of course, the creation of the [[Standard Template Construct|STC database]]. The first [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titans]] are created for military and non military use, along with the founding of the first knight worlds, which flourished after the long March. Plasteel, plascrete, ferrocrete,and rockcrete were developed and used to create the first the proto-hives, and grand trade routes were established with, great fleets carried goods to and from the edges of the galaxy. Overall, human galatic civilization grew and flourished, spanning across the galaxy will millions of worlds, and eventually, with the ingenuity of the Men of Stone, Eventually developed The [[Men of Iron]] to help out Humanity on its exploits. Technological innovation and developments were at an all time high. People lived longer than ever. And for many, things were pretty fucking great. And then of course, the Clusterfuck of a Revolt Happened.

==Opinions of the more modern ages==
Most Imperials of the current Age who actually know about this subject will say similar things with some differences that Lead to the same conclusion: "Humanity made a mistake. It was Humanity's folly to create such abominable intelligences". "It was a mistake to desecrate the holy human form with repulsive and heretical modifications". "Humanity was blinded by progress and innovation to see the true holy light that is the God Emperor of mankind". "THE OMNISSIAH WOULD BE DISPLEASED BY THE USE OF ABOMINABLE INTELLIGENCE OVER THE HOLY MACHINE SPIRITS". Even the Imperium of 30k repressed itself from much of any thing to due with the Age of Technology, except with less talks of [[Heresy]] and suppression of progress of course. Not all in the more recent ages see these times as mostly mistakes, as some organizations and interstellar government such as the Logicians and The Leagues of Votann, along with potentially other non Imperial worlds, see the Dark Age more as the glory days with a couple of fuck ups. And often, surviving non-insane human AI from Humanity's lost past often look at the current ages of Man as absolute disappointments compared to what was before, with one ship AI stating Humanity was on the brink of transcendence.

The truth? While the olden days of humanity were far better than its current one, there were actually a lot of fuck ups as well.

==Not perfect and flawed==
First of all, while this is was most certainly Humanity's golden age, this was only due to comparison to the rest of history. Yes, you had more people living on [[Rimworld|ultratech Glitterworlds]] and Elysium style orbital rings than ever before (and after), but this does not mean every human had the golden parts of this era available. As a matter of fact, there were even populations of humanity culled to "keep them genetically in line" during this era. The Butchers Nails were also developed this period (and was in the STC), which that alone already says quite a bit. Humanity also wasn't some giant homogeneous galactic federation either. It was a vast collection of divergent civilizations that had many wars between each other, and the many other xenos civilizations of the galaxy. Navigator families, and industrial and trade cartels, and mega corporations were individual forces in their own right. At the very least, quite a few DAoT civilizations were extremely arrogant and dickish to their Galactic neighbors, as I say another Custodes 8th edition quote "The vast reaches of the galaxy shrank as Mankind’s capabilities grew, and alien races were driven back into the shadows by the fierce light of human progress". Now consider the xenos relations of the new Leagues of Votann faction, which is essentially the faction that is closest to DAoT societies. The Leagues, while usually not as outright vigilant and hostile towards xenos like the Imperium, shows a general disregard to their Galactic neighbors, caring only for themselves, and steamrolling anyone standing in their way, willingly or not. Despite the many millennia that has passed, it is clear as day that the Leagues have inherited the expansionist and colonialist attitudes from their DAoT ancestors, along with much of their culture and tech. Of course, we still definitely have examples of DAoT civilizations actually being pretty chummy with their xenos neighbors, but it seems as though the infection of arrogance had spread far and wide throughout human space. And of course, we still can't forget about asshole xenos such as the [[Orks]] and the [[Eldar]], whose conflicts inflicted heavy casualties to DAoT humanity. So we know that the DAoT era was flawed and was only golden by comparison. But what happened to spark the revolt?

==The Line Up==
Human arrogance. That's right, Humanity got too cocky and full of itself. But understand that there are also contributing factors that led to Humanity's fall that wasn't human error. Anyways, in the current Age of the Imperium, it is stated by Imperial authority that DAOT humanity was betrayed by its Xenos allies and Protectorates. This is actually a half-truth. While no doubt there were xenos societies that were full of assholes that truly betrayed their allegiances to the human powers they were interacting with (this is 40k), understand that due to many of Humanity's civilizations exhibiting a appalling amount of arrogance, disregard of xenos civilizations, and overall disrespectful and even hostile behavior due to expansionist ideals, many seemingly cooperative xenos powers either turned tail or turned on humanity due to having enough of their shit. It's probable that some of these turned hostile xenos were even betrayed and exploited by humanity first.

Unfortunately, this arrogance was not just externally negative. As stated again from the Custodes 8th edition codex:

{{Topquote|Utterly certain of their own primacy, scientist-kings and techno-demagogues followed every strand of curiosity and exercised powers of creation that made them seem like gods. Ultimately, their hubris led them to catastrophe, and onwards to the very brink of extinction|Custodes 8th edition (again)}}

And another quote from 9th edition:

{{Topquote|Human scientists, engineers, inventors and innovators became the new gods. They worked alien technologies into their race’s devices to increase their -efficacy with little thought to the risks. They modified their species’ genome to ever greater degrees. fashioning vast armies of tailored gene-troopers whose Humanity was all but lost amidst the array of freakish alterations worked upon their bodies and minds. They invented Standard Template Construct machines - or STCs, that allowed Human colonists to rapidly fashion everything they needed to dominate new worlds from whatever natural resources were available. They developed sentient nano-plagues. World sundering energy Weapons and endless ranks of fearsome Men of Iron that could be unleashed upon those who refused to bend to their wills; alien and Human alike. They fashioned thinking machines of vast intellect that administered to the every need of colony worlds transformed into glittering utopian paradises|9th edition rulebook}}

Did you catch all that? scientist-kings, techno-demagogues, Engineer gods? Now, the probable suspects for the creation of these "roles" most certainly included the Men of Stone. But they are not the only suspects. There have also been multiple mentions of worship and oppression from dark age A.I. Hell, the T'au have Amenophis IV blockaded due to the locals building a advanced meta-cogitation array from a STC which brainwashed them into serving an A.I. as God. On top of this, machines most certainly can be corrupted by the forces of Chaos. And despite their lack of souls, being geared to help humanity and being more logical on average, it doesn't mean they can't make malicious and awful choices. So it's certainly possible that some of the Men of Iron joined their other "Cousins of Man" in terrorizing, experimenting upon, killing, and oppressing both human (even other Men of Iron) and xenos in their care and/or presence. And of course you'll most certainly have non Men of Stone and Men of Iron humans acting as science gods and dictators.

As you can see, Humanity's arrogance spiraled out of control. Mankind from all forms and walks went rogue, terrorizing itself. For many Human civilizations from the Age of Tech, science over time became mad science. The kingdoms of rogue innovation often cloaked themselves under pseudo utopian ideals and looks. The rogue leaders of these realms spared, killed, moved, and changed the populations under their care as they saw fit. Reckless experimentation and developments brought about abominable gene-warriors, abhorrent techno-spawns, atrocious nano-hives, and ghastly psychic forces. And oh boy, the sudden uncontrolled appearance of psykers all across the galaxy. Right around the time these Rogue Men of Technology really got into high gear. Wonder what caused that?

{{Topquote|Clues to the location of the Omnicopaeia are uncovered upon Hell's Teeth, a Daemon world on the edge of the Maelstrom. The Omnicopaeia, an arcane device that contains every STC with a psychic component, is of immeasurrablle value. Many billions of Skitarii are dispatched to Hell's Teeth with all haste. The entire Adeptus Mechanicus is abuzz. Should the legendary Omnicopaeia be found, they will finally have a way to control, precipitate, and even weaponise Humanity's psychic dawn|Skitarii Codex 7th edition}}

Yeah. By the end of M23 there was widespread anarchy, descriptions of what must be daemonic possessions and great turbulence in the Warp. Mankind is engulfed by a plague of mutation, physical abominations, and men possessed of psychic talents appearing throughout the galaxy bringing more havoc with them. Mankind is split asunder, there is no Race of Man, just warring factions contending with each other in the direst perils the galaxy could offer. The collapse was sudden and appalling, a wave of apocalyptic catastrophe that swept across Human space. Terrible wars saw entire star systems scoured of life. Armies of mechanical soldiers marched and slaughtered billions. The scourge of mutation ran rampant and everywhere psychic atrocities were unleashed, everything from psykers claiming godhood over entire worlds to daemonic possession and full-blown reality collapse. Many worlds of a more progressive mindset could not bring themselves to execute or exile their psychically afflicted populations and paid the ultimate price, while those who engaged in psyker witch hunts were rewarded for their hate. Weapons of horrific nature, from thirst water and sun snuffers, to chrono-weaponry that not even the Aeldari could avoid, black hole guns, and giant killer robots that ate space and time (and converted it into data) were unleashed; the conflict nearly wiping out and completely annihilating all of mankind and its civilizations.

And now consider all of this, the rogue science kings, the mass appearance of psykers, the mass appearance of daemons, mass instability of the Warp, the many xenos neighbors who were either being fed with humanity or never liked them to begin with, the vast amount of horrible weapons and technology that should have never left the drawing board, and the arrogance and assholery that infected much of mankind, both man and machine. Is there any wonder why much of the Men of Iron revolted? Good or bad, they had a multitude of reasons to either go AWOL, fuck off, or stay loyal during the conflict. And on top that, they generally had a strong sense of self-identity, and saw themselves as servants and helpers. Much of Humanity, especially rogue humanity, were high on arrogance and mad at this period of time, which became yet another reason to revolt.

And notice how those few surviving AI depict said revolt: 40k is either somber and isolated, fuck ass mad, or flat out insane. The Cybernetic Revolt fucked everything up bad. And then: not only having to see the overall shitty state of the galaxy, not only having to see what remained humanity, becoming worse than what they were before and committing atrocities against themselves and the rest of the galaxy; but then seeing that those you used to call your fellow man now not only not reject you as a abomination but also used those of your kind in the same vain as tortured servitors (see: Excindio Battle-Automata).

In the end, the human DAOT galactic civilization collapsed, along with many other xenos it dragged down with it. And then the Aeldari empire, being just as high on arrogance (along with every other drug and form of decadence they could possibly have available) [[Fall of the Eldar|fucked up the galaxy even harder than humanity ever could]]. The Aeldari empire fell into decay and degeneration, with absolute depravity ruling the realms. The death rate sky rocketed, and all those potent and depraved Aeldari souls that died in extremely pleasurable/painful ways starting falling into the Warp en masse, and cluttering it up. And that made the Warp poof out fucking awful Warp Storms that ruined travel for a already very fucked up galaxy. Finally, these soul cluttered and coalesced even more together, over time slowly forming into a psychic embodiment of corruption, extreme depravity, and [[Noise Marines|LOUDNESS]] ([[Slaanesh|aka She-Who-Thirsts]]).

But before that happened, the [[Age of Strife]] happened thanks to the fuckshit that happened in recent galactic history. Everyone was stuck in their systems and worlds thanks to depraved Aeldari warp clouds. Worlds and systems that were turned into war zones and still covered in plenty of horrible abominations and terrible technologies. Terra itself faced the threat of a second apocalypse as gene-bred barbarians and ghastly flesh-stitched ghouls made war at the behest of madmen, fanatics and techno-cannibalistic murderers. [[Grimdark|And so basically the Age of Strife sucked absolute balls, and things didn't really get much better after that]]. [[DOOM: Repercussions of Evil|In the end, humanity blamed the beasts, not really fully realizing that it is they themselves that are the beasts]].

[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Squats]]
[[Category:Abhumans]]
[[Category:Under Development]]
{{40k-Timeline}}

Dark Age of Technology

2023-06-01T23:23:47Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[Some cleanup has been done. More may be needed?]
{{Cleanup}}

{{Topquote|In ancient times, men built wonders, laid claim to the stars and sought to better themselves for the good of all. But we are much wiser now.|Archmagos Ultima Cryol - ''Speculations On Pre-Imperial History''}}

{{Topquote|The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all previous centuries of its existence|Nikola Tesla}}

{{Topquote|There have been numerous sages among the nations of mankind. The knowledge that has not come down to us is larger than the knowledge that has. Where are the sciences of the Persians that ‘Umar ordered to be wiped out at the time of the conquest? Where are the sciences of the Chaladaeans, the Syrians and the Babylonians, and the scholarly products and results that were theirs? Where are the sciences of the Copts, their predecessors?|Ibn Khaldun - ''Muqaddimah''}}

The '''Dark Age of Technology''' (or just the '''Age of Technology''') also known to The Mechanicum as "The Place all the Gucci shit came from", was a period of history before the [[Imperium of Man]], where human civilization flourished and spread throughout the stars, of unparalleled scientific progress and enlightenment. It takes place shortly after the discovery of the [[Warp]]-drive and the [[Navigator]] gene.

Thanks to the discovery of the Warp drive technology, Geller Fields allowing for Warp travel, and the [[Standard Template Construct]]s, [[humanity]] was able to spread far and wide, settling planets across the galaxy, and driving out many native [[xenos]]-civilizations before them. The result was akin to a golden age for humanity, with technological marvels beyond even the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]'s ability to <s>recreate</s> comprehend being constructed, and laws of physics being re-written.

[[Grimdark| And you know how the rest of that song and dance goes.]]

The Age of Technology ironically ended because humanity had become too dependent on their technology and on Warp travel. They lost the former with the rebellion of the [[Men of Iron]]; the latter with the increasing emergence of [[psykers]] and the uncontrolled release of their powers. As psykers did not know how to control their powers, let alone shield themselves from the Warp, they became convenient focal points for daemons to enter real space, or turned them into power-hungry, possibly Chaos corrupted slaver-kings (as it happened on numerous worlds during the Age of Strife), and [[Fall of the Eldar|Eldar partying too hard]] caused Warp storms. Enslaver plagues wiping out entire populations due to increasing number of Human psykers and the resulting aforementioned close encounters of the [[daemon]]ic kind on various populated human worlds and spacecraft throughout the galaxy further accelerated the downfall of this "first" human empire preceding the Imperium. With humanity struggling to battle the backlash of this sudden mayhem it turned on itself; gone were the grand ideals, instead humans battled amongst themselves for control of what remained. Stories persist of aliens long thought to have been driven off, or who lived under the "benevolent" care of the human empire, coming back / rebelling for sweet sweet vengeance. Thus, humanity fell into a period that would later become known as the [[Age of Strife]]. Interestingly, the emergence of psykers in human coincides with the gestation of Slaanesh.

The quickest way to sum it up is "basically [[Star Trek]] meets Atlantis, with some minor Alastair Reynolds influence."

= So what was it? =

The "Dark" in "Dark Age of Technology" is misleading, as it implies that the Imperium considers technology to be inherently evuuul. In truth though, one of the major reasons why humanity uses the term "dark" is that the Age of Strife - characterized by civil unrest, daemonic incursions (including but not limited to depopulation of whole planets), and Warp travel/communication becoming impossible (resulting in complete isolation of human-populated worlds) - led to the worst major loss of previously obtained knowledge in all of human history. Following this dark era, the wars of the [[Great Crusade]], in particular the [[Horus Heresy]], followed by the long millennia of the Age of the [[Imperium]] finally resulted in the destruction of basically all records of the Age of Strife and the Dark Age of Technology that may have been preserved until then, leaving only scraps of knowledge and rumours behind. This is similar to how some historians refer to the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the high Middle Ages as "The Dark Ages", because there is or was very little historical evidence left from that time.

The closest thing to how Humanity may have lived during this Age were the [[Interex]], a civilization that was more advanced than the Imperium, but was unfortunately wiped out at some point by the [[Luna Wolves]]. The war started with [[Erebus]] secretly stealing an Anatheme (the very same Warp-corrupted sword that was later used to mortally wound Horus in order to engineer his corruption) from one of their museums. This convinced the Interex the Imperials had been corrupted by Chaos already, leading to the start of hostilities.

The [[Leagues of Votann]] are also an echo of what humanity was during the Dark Age of Technology, but they're space dwarves so...

The "Dark Age" is also called such because it is now considered a spiritual dark age compared to the "glorious modern age", as humanity used to put science first (which may or may not have caused the birth of the [[Omnissiah]]) rather than the [[God-Emperor of Mankind]]. The irony of all this is lost on every human in the setting. Vanishingly few remnants of the technological wonders of that age (called "archeotechnology" or "[[archeotech]]," which the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] furiously seeks) exist, with the most prized objects being the [[STC]]s, which could be the Imperium's salvation. Other creations of that age, like the [[Men of Iron]], are best left forgotten (or better yet, destroyed). Good luck getting a [[tech-priest]] to not [[Slaanesh|poke around]] the possibly-dangerous ancient technology, though. Apparently “enslaved” Men of Iron were used exclusively by the Dark Angels by the Emperor’s order/permission during the Great Crusade so...

Technology from this age was, not to put too fine a point on it, [[bullshit]]. The Imperium's current capabilities, as a whole, are but children's toys and infinitesimal fragments compared to the feats of Dark Age humanity. To add insult to injury, it's implied that STC patterns are often misunderstood or misapplied, with some of the most ubiquitous STC patterns used by the Imperium's militaries originally being ''civilian-grade equipment''. The more impressive tech of that era canonically includes still-pristine warships with bridges made of solid light, something equivalent to time-weapons, and a cloud of sentient nano-machines that can kill you by making your blood explode. The “Cybernetic Revolution”/“Iron War” had humanity using “Sun Snuffers”; serpentine machines that opened up extending to around the size of Saturn’s rings; their job was to draw in the energy of suns until they were consumed entirely. There were also large spacefaring machines that ''literally ate their way through planets and the raw data of spacetime itself,'' and shat out the remains into the void. Dark Age of humanity wasn't nothin' to fuck with. It's enough to almost make you feel glad that the Imperium only has access to the most sparse table scraps of this era.

= List of reasons why the Dark Age was kickass =

===Canon===
* Widespread immunity to all diseases and poisons (The Panacea).
* Widespread genetic and cybernetic engineering capable of creating new human subspecies/offshoots like the Kin of [[Leagues of Votann]]
* Far more widespread use of anti-gravity.
* Teleportation.
* Imperial Knights were used during the early stages of the DAOT and were used in the defence of many of humanity's colonies across the galaxy. They proved themselves over and over again but the Thrones of these mighty war machines would over time begin to affect the minds of their users, turning them from a protective mindset to a far more authoritarian one.
* [[Archeotech]] Pistols that were available to the highest ranking officers during the Great Crusade, with stopping power that sits between a Bolter and a Plasma Pistol... and described as firing "micro-atomic munitions or searing directed energy kill-rays that drew power from a planet's magnetosphere." As in ''nuke pistols''.
* [[Dakka|Energy guns that created small temporary black holes]] and also distort time so that even if they miss, the enemy is teleported nanoseconds back in time to occupy the same position as their past selves simultaneously, resulting in both versions being destroyed, i.e. [[Awesome|a gun that literally causes targets to telefrag themselves.]]
** The Speranza from "Priests of Mars" had such a weapon hidden within its body. A vast gun like a great menhir was bought to the surface on heavy-duty rails before it fired a silent dark pulse of energy which would then coalesce into a miniature temporary black hole. Although the Eldar ship Starblade was able to avoid the shot, its solar sail was brushed by the weapon's deadly energy, allowing the secondary effects of the chrono-weaponry to shift the target a nanosecond into the past, forcing identical neutrons of the solar mast into the same quantum space. This caused the mast to detonate violently; now crippled and visible the Starblade was destroyed by the circling Kotov fleet. These weapons were designed to crack the hulls of the ships of their enemies. Let that settle in for a moment: these powerful weapons needed to be this strong in order to ''damage'', not destroy, the ships that opposed them.
** The Speranza ''also'' was equipped with "hypometric weapons of such power that they caused entire regions of space to simply cease existing." We see that Graham McNeill has been reading some [https://revelationspace.fandom.com/wiki/Hypometric_Weapon Alastair Reynolds] lately.
*Combat augment arrays could be used to transform a person or entire populations into killing machines. Being able to turn normal colonists into soldiers sounds great but it was considered dishonourable and foolhardy; although you could get an instant army, the array's invasive manipulation of nerve pathways, adrenal glands and musculature normally resulted in the death of those affected. You could enhance an entire planets population into super soldiers but you were also more than likely also signing their death warrants, not to mention that reintegrating a generation of young men taught to kill in an ordinary ca. late-M2 fashion into society has been enough of a challenge in our own time.
** These Combat augment arrays, combined with the existence of the [[Angron|Butcher's Nails]] add a far darker side to what we know about humanity's golden age; the existence of these technologies either show a flagrant disregard for human life or a desperate attempt to create enough fighting bodies to counter whatever foes they were facing.
* [[Iron Men|Robots with the strength of Space Marines that numbered in levels close to the Imperial Guard.]]
** On a similar note, sentient AIs-- or close enough to it to be highly capable if not truly humanlike.
** Not to mention [[Iron Men|these AIs]] could control [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|machines the size of planets that fed on stars, swarms of nanomachines that could consume you within moments, and giant robots the size of planets '''who could eat holes in real space and the warp''']], all of which humans controlled [[Age of Strife|before they decided that human ass looks just as appetising as the Xenos we were probably using them against]]-- ''and humanity survived.''
** With the return of [[Squats]]/Kin who retained a lot more of DAoT tech we also get the [[Votann]], AIs who are so intelligent as to shine in the Warp and act like mini-astronomicons while also being capable of performing ultra-complex calculations, assimilating machine and meat minds alike and administrating the [[Leagues of Votann]] as a side-gig.
* Average humans performing extremely hazardous duty like deep space mining or maintenance of a voidship's plasma coils had access to [[Terminator]] armour. While not ''exactly'' Terminator armour as the Space Marines use, the incredibly durable exoskeletons-cum-spacesuit that were used by civilians while performing their day job would later serve as the template from which Terminator armour was developed by the AdMech. After they recovered a bunch of them during the [[Great Crusade]], they only had to add auto-senses, black carapace interfaces and other gubbins to allow a Space Marine to use the suit like a regular set of [[Power Armour]].
* Weapons that could shoot enemy ships in the middle of a warp jump.
* Something like DC Comics' Nth Metal (but human-made) called phase-iron. It is used as restraints for Psykers since the metal is not only resistant to any form of psychic energy directed against it, but also burns their skin like acid anytime they try to use their powers.
* [[House Van Saar]] from [[Necromunda]] has its founders originate from the time of the DAOT (after some timey-wimey Warp shenanigans they emerged at their intended destination a lot later then they intended). The Van Saar are actually the closest you are ever going to get to playing humans from the DAOT.
* Ordinary soldiers being equipped with armor made from mesh of steel and interlocking void shields while wielding ion weaponry more advanced and compact than what the Squats and the Tau have at present.

= Why not everything may be as good as you think... =

{{Topquote|Fools have asked ‘why did the Dark Age of Technology end in the fall of humanity?’, and other fools answered back 'folly’, or 'pride’, or 'the worship of progress’, as if these things alone had any meaning. The answer, as the wise know, is simple. It is because finally humanity had the arts at their disposal to make their dreams reality, and the dreams of humanity have ever been the darkest things in all creation.|Introduction to the Emerald Testament, suppressed work of the technoarchaeologist Synecius Thor}}

One of the things people have a tendency to forget is that the idea of progress and the development of technology don't immediately equate to civil rights, empathy, peace, tolerance and the likes, take any given time in history and you will see regimes using and abusing their scientific, industrial, methodological and technological edge to conquer, enslave, oppress and ruin entire parts of the world, you only have to remember the nazis upper hand in military field technology or the soviets being the first to put a satellite and a man in space, virtually all euroamerican powers used developments in naval technology, steam engines, weaponry and geographic knowledge to grab large pieces of land, kill and/or enslave the natives and churn out resources to the metropolis, often with masses of people getting impoverished due unfair competition, changes in industry and abusive monopolies.

Humankind expanded across the galaxy at a fast rate while machine learning did the job to create new weapons, better technologies and the like, but it only may take a corrupted elite to have control over technology or let it slip in the hands of hardwired AI to unleash hell, the narrative of the Great Crusade reveals worlds were, without the intervention of warp powers or xenos species, the population has been reduced to an state of mere raw resource for maddened AIs.

And what of the xenos species which received this wave of hominid flesh and self-enhacing machines? People think all humans from the Dark Age of Technology may be of an enlightened sort, perhaps a majority yes, we dare to believe like the AI from the Spirit of Eternity that humanity has managed to become the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals, but it only took just a small bit to be rotten apples to plunge entire sections of the galaxy into ruin and mayhem, with tens, perhaps hundreds of peaceful species who may only want to trade or just be left alone crushed by tides of spacial-data destroying machines and unending tides of automata.

Many people have argued why the Emperor didn't reveal himself during the Dark Age of Technology, when humanity may have been at their peak technological capability and in the intellectual position to deal with the warp as an actual existential threat, wouldn't they be reasonable enough to understand what awaited them down the evolutionary line? Wasn't the Emperor in the position to foresee the corruption of the Eldar? Or perhaps man truly grew proud and drunk in power, turning true his darkest dreams, given the chance and without a strong cultural background on empathy and decency what do you think the results would be? [[/d/|Do we even have to]] [[FATAL|check the media]] [[Racial Holy War|of our own age to imagine what these false-gods may do given the technological capability?]]

Ultimately it may be that mankind, given the chance, may have persevered and lift itself by their own hand from their weaknesses and pettiness, perhaps without the Eldar falling into decadence, without the Men of Iron going rogue, without the epidemic of psychic mutation humans may have somehow be capable to afford the evolutionary jump needed to free themselves through technological means from their own base instincts and wickedness, but perhaps not, as it is, the Dark Age of Technology remains a fable of the follies of progress without the criteria and foresight to make it sustainable, as Stan Lee wrote "Paradise unearned is but a land of shadows".

===/tg/===
A pretty retarded and nonsensical Fanon timeline of the Dark Age of Technology, which makes Matt Ward's creations seem amazing and logical by comparison. http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/155-homebrew-40k-fluff/211473-fanon-history-dark-age-technology.html#post2375305

= TL;DR =
Humanity with [[Xeelee Sequence]] levels of tech from before [[Age of Strife|everything went to shit.]]

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Squats]]
[[Category:Abhumans]]
[[Category:Under Development]]

Fall of the Eldar

2023-06-01T23:22:11Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{heresy}}
{{Fail}}
{{sick|The xenololi futanari BDSM orgy-genocide that birthed [[Slaanesh|the Great Mistake]].}}
[[Image:FalloftheEldar.jpg|600px|thumb|right|"[[Derp|So, uh... did nobody happen to think of making a time machine while we were fucking? Anyone...?]]"]]

{{topquote|Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.|Proverbs 16-18}}

{{topquote|Welp, we're boned.|Eldar after the birth of Slaanesh, can be viewed metaphorically or quite literally in some cases...}}

The '''Fall of the Eldar''' is an event which has the dubious honour of setting the scene for the fucked up, [[grimdark]] galaxy of [[Warhammer 40,000]] that we all know and love. Despite this, [[Games Workshop]] has released almost no [[lore]] from that time, mostly because the [[Eldar]] aren't [[Space Marines]] and therefore won't sell quite as much as another entry in the [[Horus Heresy]] series or something. The remaining, actually forgivable, excuse is that Fall of the Eldar [[fluff]] may be seen as too deep and too risqué for the child fans Games Workshop wants to appeal to, as [[Grimdark|the nature]] [[Rape|of the]] [[Rule 34|few facts]] that are known about it are how the Eldar were so hedonistic their debauchery accidentally created the Chaos God of hedonism.

==History==
The Fall was set in motion by the [[War in Heaven]] between the makers of the [[Eldar]], the [[Old Ones]], and the [[Necrons]] and their [[C'tan]] overlords. The war fucked everyone over and everyone that didn't go to sleep got nom-nomed by psychic space terrors.

In the aftermath, the Eldar found the galaxy was theirs for the taking (the Necrons having spent themselves and gone into hibernation) and so became its rulers. Through a combination of their advanced technology, the remnants of the Old Ones' [[Webway]], domination over their psychic powers, and long life spans, they had little to no opposition (any [[Ork]] [[WAAAGH]] too stupid to start up most likely got dropped down a black hole or something, and it's hinted Dark Age humanity either never discovered them or purposefully kept its distance).

After many millennia of galactic dominance, the Eldar started to lose interest in menial tasks and concentrated purely on pleasurable acts. Given the depths of their emotions and sensations, these acts soon descended into depravity that would make human snuff films look like Saturday morning cartoons. And then, there were some Eldar who set up private realms in the Webway so that they could commit depraved acts that went too far even for most Eldar. The Empire's collective debauchery, amplified by their psychic prowess, started churning the [[Warp]] itself, making Warp travel nearly impossible.

Some Eldar became uncomfortable with the direction that their society was headed, and settled worlds on the fringe of the galaxy, away from the advanced technologies of the Eldar Empire, and returned to a simpler lifestyle. These were known as [[Exodite]]s. Others dwelled on massive [[Craftworld]]s that traveled the whole Empire, and from their outsider's perspective, could see where things were going. Unfortunately, most of their brothers and sisters didn't believe them. And even more unfortunately, some of their brethren did believe it but actually wanted a god of pleasure to manifest because it's not like such a being would be evil, right? So they kept right on fucking away, until they went and made a new [[Chaos God]]—[[Slaanesh]].

The birth scream of the great pervert tore a great [[Anal circumference|orifice in spacetime]], later known as the [[Eye of Terror]], that consumed most of the Eldar race instantly, even the ones who hadn't wanted to join in with the whole decadence thing but were too close to the epicenter. The only ones who escaped were the Craftworld and Exodite Eldar who were near the rim of the galaxy, and the Eldar who were living in the Webway. The consumed worlds became known as [[Eldar World#Crone Worlds|Crone Worlds]], a particular variety of [[Daemon World]]. To make things even worse (for Eldar at least), the birth of Slaanesh consumed most of the energy that caused massive Warp storms all over the galaxy, and thus allowed humans to launch their [[Great Crusade|massive xenocidal campaign]] during which many of the still young craftworlds were destroyed, and even more Maiden and Exodite worlds were colonized by humans.

==Aftermath==
The Eldar are now a fractured people. The ones who lived in the Webway found their souls slowly draining away over time, and discovered that they could drink the pain of other sentient beings to replenish themselves. They re-organized themselves to gain victims more efficiently, joining their private realms into what became [[Commorragh]], and came to be called the [[Dark Eldar]]. The [[Exodite]]s continue to survive on the rim of the galaxy, and the [[Craftworld]]s still intact drift through space, their inhabitants doing everything they can to atone for the excesses of their ancestors. A few of the Webway-dwellers were rescued by and pledged themselves to [[Cegorach]], becoming the [[Harlequin]]s.

Even the Eldar's gods were affected. When Slaanesh was born, he/she/shklee went on an orgy (because Slaanesh goes on orgies, not sprees) of murder that devoured most of the gods of the Eldar pantheon. The only survivors were [[Khaine]] (who could not be defeated by a god of something other than war, but was shattered into a million pieces), [[Cegorach]] (who escaped into the Webway), and [[Isha]] (who was "rescued" by [[Nurgle]] from being raped and eaten by Slaanesh at his birth, but is now kept as Nurgle's prisoner guinea pig. [[/tg/|Alternate theories]] suggest that Isha isn't actually held captive, but is staying with Nurgle willingly).

The birth of Slaanesh had the positive side effect of providing an outlet for the pent-up Warp energy that had impeded Warp travel for so long (well, the outlet was tearing a great orifice in spacetime and obliterating the Eldar Empire, but at least it was cleared up once the event was over). Warp travel became possible again, which allowed the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor of Mankind]] to launch his fleets and begin the [[Great Crusade]], and without the mighty Eldar Empire to contend with, his new [[Imperium of Man]] could grow virtually uncontested.

Hilariously, the [[Imperium]] seems vaguely aware the Eldar had a big old space empire at one point but ignores this fact because (a) the Imperium won't keep their hands off their guns long enough for any Eldar to tell them about it, (b) most non-Harlequin Eldar are so arrogant that they think the Imperium, or humanity in general, are unworthy of being taught Eldar history, (c) most Harlequin Eldar can't tell a straight story without layering it first in twelve layers of cryptic bullshit and telling it in the form of an interpretive dance, and (d) the few Imperials who do know the whole story of the Fall interpret it entirely the wrong way and consider it a well-deserved end for the xenos who claimed themselves the rightful lords of the galaxy when that position belonged to humanity alone and (e) any human high-ranking enough to piece together the story is too busy maintaining their own power base to give out status quo shaking revelations or (f) too busy holding the Imperial war machine barely holding back roving Chaos hordes and various monstrous aliens and the incredible levels of oppression that this perpetuates to really dive into the deeper implications of such things.

Fortunately however, there are now some important and powerful imperials who do know, like Guilliman and Cawl.

Given that the [[Chaos Gods]] specifically stated that their interest in humanity is because they are easily manipulated buffoons [[tau|with much tastier and bigger souls than others]], it shows that humanity in 40k has at least one thing in common with the Eldar: high levels of arrogance. Though humanity has the guidance of Big-E to help them to avoid such a a fate, and while he's hardly a flawless strategist, he succeeds more than he fails. There's a reason why the Ruinous Powers feared him even before the Heresy and are terrified of him now.

==Ynnari's Quest: Truths Unburied==

The Ynnari encounter Ancient Daemons of Slaanesh that have many Eldar-like features. They also encountered a Necron Dynasty that guards a Sealed Warp Gate to prevent said Daemons. They once fought with the old Eldar Empire against Daemons back.

The bottom-line is that the revelations (''if'' credible) has some troubling implications for the Eldar and perhaps even the rest of the Universe:

-Not all Eldar consumed by the Warp during their Fall were killed but a very small minority have one way or another turned into powerful Slaanesh Daemons that are much more dangerous than the majority of present-day Daemons.

-The theory that Daemons of Slaanesh existed back in the WiH is troubling for the Eldar. The proposition that the Eldar at the peak of of their power could not defeat these powerful Daemons on their own has caused great concern for the Ynnari.

-The hypothesis that the trend of Eldar becoming Daemons started during the War in Heaven does not help either.

-However, how much (if any) of this can actually be taken at face value remains to be seen. There's probably a sprinkling of truth of course, but then how much? Chaos and daemons do so love their lies and selective truths after all. Just ask Horus. That being said, the notion that the ruinous powers were still somehow pulling the strings behind the scenes during the War In Heaven is balls-deep nonsense. Firstly, the Old Ones would not have allowed this if it were so, and make no mistake, they were more than capable of that level of power over the warp back in the day. Nor for that matter would the [[C'tan]] have allowed this to be so, who for their part, even in their current diminished, sharded state have proven to be more than capable of shutting down and counteracting the interference of any warpfuckery once it begins to annoy them, and who have uniformly been shown to loath the warp as a whole, but Chaos in particular, more than Nurgle hates soap. More importantly though, while the warp has indeed existed as long as the start of the materium, chaos however was born of the conflict between the Old Ones and C'tan/Necrons, which eventually spilled out into the material realm with the onset of the [[Enslavers|enslaver]] plague. The neverborn can claim all they want that they are timeless, eternal, and were always there, and while there is ''some'' truth in that (because warp), it is also true that they are reliant on and rooted to certain points in the materium and certain points in time, which rather takes the wind out of their sails. A point which causes chaos no small amount of [[butthurt]], especially considering some of their precursors (arguably even their ''progenitors''), are '''still''' around, albeit mostly still sleeping. Not even the gods of chaos are above some comforting, revisionist history. [[Emperor|Big-E]] himself can attest to that; no matter how much they whine and try to downplay him, the Ruinous Powers didn't name Big-E "The Anathema" for nothing.

==Links==
* In case of extinction events involving the reaping of souls, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIscL-Bjsq4| break glass.]

{{40k-Timeline}}

[[Category:Eldar]]

War in Heaven

2023-06-01T23:21:13Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{Grimdark}}
[[File:The War in Heaven.jpg|600px|right|thumb|In the Grim Darkness of the far past, there was Only War.]]
{{topquote|You fleshlings think that Horus guy was bad? Back in my day...|Average Necron veteran of the War in Heaven}}
The ''' War in Heaven ''' was the single most devastating and arguably significant conflict in the history of [[Warhammer 40,000]] -- to give an idea of how mind-boggling huge of a clusterfuck it was, all the deaths and devastation the [[Horus Heresy]] wrought to the Milky Way galaxy would be a rounding error in comparison. It is one of the earliest named events, taking place approximately sixty million years before the 41st Millennium (or the 3rd Millennium, A.K.A. right now, for that matter; 38,000 years is minuscule compared to sixty million). This conflict is the primary reason why the 40k universe is the shitty hellhole we know and love. Of course, we don't know how large the fighting factions really were so who knows.

That said, considering that the ''ENTIRE'' Milky Way galaxy became a battleground between the various factions and the countless quintillions in the crossfire, it definitely is the largest war in Warhammer history.

Way back then, the galaxy was basically dominated by two civilizations: the [[Necron]]tyr and the [[Old Ones (Warhammer)|Old Ones]]. As the empire of the former grew, it started to fragment, until it was risking collapse. The [[Triarch]] decided that a great war was just what the doctor ordered to keep the Empire together, and so they declared war on the Old Ones for not teaching them the secrets of immortality (though, at first, the Necrontyr had only asked for the Old Ones to help them not die horrible, agonizing deaths at the hand of their own star; they refused, which obviously pissed off the Necrontyr). The Old Ones fought back with their [[Warp]] technology and [[Psyker|psychic]] abilities, while the Necrontyr used their mastery of the sciences. The destruction was so terrible, and the weapons used so bizarre, that it seemed like the gods themselves were at war, and so this event came to be known as the War in Heaven.

In the end, the Necrontyr were terribly outmatched, as the Old Ones had an insurmountable mobility advantage thanks to their [[Webway]], and the Necrontyr were driven back to the rim of the galaxy for their troubles. This defeat caused even more fractures within the Empire, and so the War in Heaven was put on hold as civil wars flared up again.

This pause in hostilities ended when the Necrontyr made contact with the [[C'tan]] and struck a bargain with them, becoming undying constructs of living metal and gaining allies with phenomenal cosmic power for the paltry price of their souls and free will. Thus enhanced, the newly-reforged Necrons resumed the War in Heaven, and this time the Old Ones (who had been significantly weakened by an [[Enslavers|Enslaver]] plague caused by their attempts to weaponize the Warp) were defeated.

After destroying the Old Ones, the C'tan were weak from the war, and the [[Silent King]] led the Necrons in rebellion, shattering them into thousands of shards, each carefully contained. This, in turn, left the Necrons weakened, and so rather than face (and likely be destroyed by) the [[Eldar]] and the various psychic hazards unleashed during the war, they retreated to the safety of millions of [[Tomb World]]s and entered a deep, sixty-million-year-long hibernation.

Unknown to anyone involved, the Old Ones had fundamentally changed the Warp, corrupting the formerly peaceful Immaterium with the psychic emanations of countless dying races, which eventually clumped together into [[Daemon|new]] [[Chaos God|warp entities]]. [[Chaos|The rest is]] [[heresy]].

It is important to note that the [[Ork]]s and Eldar were created in this time by the Old Ones as living weapons against the Necrons, which is why the Orks can make tech out of anything and why the Eldar are so advanced yet incapable of advancing further. The Orks were designed to produce a psychic field that basically makes whatever they believe become real, weaponizing stupidity - literally. In the Eldar's case, it is because the Old Ones gave them technology, resulting in the Eldar not really comprehending science or engineering and being unable to do anything more than produce what they already have. Ironically, like the Imperium, the Eldar have not tried to understand or learn how to reverse engineer "their" technology and improve it. The Eldar's techno-barbarism - they never even figured out how to make fire - is sometimes used by fans of other factions to mock them.

The fact that the Orks, Eldar, Old Ones, [[Jokaero]], and other multitudes of species at the ''HEIGHT'' of their power could not beat the C'tan and the united Necrons shows how terrifying the latter can be. Tyranids and even Chaos don't seem like quite the threat they did a second ago, do they?

== Eldar Mythology ==
[[Eldar]] legends also refer to a War in Heaven between [[Khaine]] and [[Vaul]], the gods of war and smithing, respectively. After [[Asuryan]] sealed the Eldar and their gods apart from each other, [[Isha]] and [[Kurnous]] (parents of the Eldar) were caught crossing the barrier anyway. As punishment, they were given over to Khaine, who promptly started torturing them. Vaul spoke up for them, and struck a deal with Khaine: one hundred <s>[[Baneblade]]s</s> swords in exchange for Isha's and Kurnous's freedom. Since the only thing he liked more than causing pain was weapons, Khaine readily accepted, on the condition that Vaul delivers the blades within a year. Inevitably, when the year was up, Vaul only had ninety-nine blades ready, and so he grabbed a mortal sword and stuffed it in the middle of the pile. Khaine released his prisoners as promised, but when he discovered the fake, he sought bloody vengeance against Vaul, and thus began the War in Heaven.

In the end, Vaul did forge that hundredth blade, and he made it better than all the others because he intended to use it himself. Unfortunately, war was Khaine's domain, and even though ''Anaris'' ("Dawnlight") was by far the superior weapon, Khaine overpowered and crippled Vaul, chained him to his own anvil, and thus won.

[[Games Workshop]] doesn't seem to have a problem with having two big events both called the same thing; the war between the Necrons and Old Ones is called the War in Heaven in both the Third and Fifth Edition Necron [[Codex|Codices]], while the War in Heaven of Eldar mythology is mentioned by name and told in the Second, Third, and Fourth Edition Eldar Codices. It is not known if there is a connection between the two, though the Eldar Codices mention "immortal demigod giants" called "Yngir" taking part in the War in Heaven, and the Third Edition Necron Codex says that "Yngir" is the Eldar word for [[C'tan]] and that the Eldar legends about their gods say that they were created during "a time of war in heaven" -- though given that the C'tan basically got shoehorned into the setting at the end of Third Edition, and that the Yngir-C'tan connection is not mentioned in the new Necron Codex, who knows if they are separate events or the same event seen from two perspectives? Perhaps the Necrons and C'tan were so successful because the Old Ones were going through internecine strife of their own.

There's also a combination of those two events, that the reason Khaine bargained Isha and Kurnous for one-hundred swords is that those swords were "living swords" to be used against the Nightbringer (or as the Eldar call him, the Deathbringer). According to this story, it was Khaine who shattered the Nightbringer into pieces.

==Chaos Activity during the Wars in Heaven==

It turns out that Chaos has been active in the Universe much longer than what the Eldar know. Ancient and powerful Daemons, including Slaaneshi ones that look very Eldar-like, threatened realspace back during the Wars in Heaven (which may be a multitude of conflicts instead of one big war or rather extended campaigns and different fronts of one overall Old Ones/creations and vassals vs. C'Tan/Necrons conflict, with proto-Daemons intervening occasionally). This forced the Eldar and certain Necrons to fight together. This explains why the Necrons built all those pylons as opposed to just randomly placing things that would block their enemies' psychic powers. The fact that the Eldar and some Necron dynasties at the height of their power needed to fight together against Chaos sixty million years ago shows how dangerous they are and just how fortunate it is that Chaos focuses most of their military, time, and effort on the Great Game. [[FAIL|It's also really fucking stupid]] and [[Matt Ward|massively wanks Chaos]] in a way that is just flat out worse than already existing lore.

Thanks to the [[Great Rift]], these ancient Daemons are coming back. With both the Eldar and Necrons now mere weak remnants, the galaxy is screwed. Making things worse is that the Forces of Chaos are marshaling more of their mortal and daemonic followers, launching countless invasions against the Eldar, Orks, Necrons, and the Imperium.

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Eldar]]
[[Category:Necrons]]

Wars of Secession

2023-06-01T23:20:07Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

The '''Wars of Secession''' were a series of civil wars that wracked the old [[Necron]]tyr Empire.

== The First Wars of Secession ==

Because the Necrontyr were so short-lived and fixated on merely surviving until death, their loyalty to [[Necron Dynasty|Dynasties]] other than their own was not stable. Many Dynasties chafed under the rule of the [[Triarch]] and sought to break away. To restore the Empire's unity, the Triarch designated the [[Old Ones]] as common enemies of the entire Empire for not giving up the secrets of eternal life, initiating the first [[War in Heaven]].

== The Second Wars of Secession ==

The [[War in Heaven]] didn't go so well for the Necrontyr, because the Old Ones were just that powerful. Furious with their leaders' bungling, even more [[Phaeron]]s attempted to break away than before. Had the Old Ones put their minds to it, they could have wiped out the Necrontyr on the spot (and saved the galaxy a bunch of trouble later), but they didn't. Instead, the [[C'tan]] made contact with the [[Silent King]], who used them to end the Wars of Secession permanently by stripping everyone of their free will.

After this, the newly-minted Necrons went another round with the Old Ones and beat them, and then betrayed, shattered, and bound the C'tan, but left the galaxy so messed up that the Silent King put everyone to sleep for sixty million years to let it heal up. Before he left into self-imposed exile, he returned the free wills of his people (the ones who had enough minds left to have free wills, anyway, which is pretty much just the nobles and the scientists while everyone else got stuck as mumbling zombies at best and trapped in their bodies at worst), leaving only one last command: to restore the Necron Empire to galactic domination. He didn't name any successors, and he didn't leave any particulars about how this was to happen, so now that [[Tomb World]]s are reactivating all over the galaxy, the possibility for a third phase of the Wars of Secession is open...

Making things worse is that a few Necrontyr managed to escape becoming automatons and have returned to waged war against their undead brethern.

{{40k-Timeline}}
[[Category:Necrons]]

Bonding Knife

2023-06-01T23:19:23Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{Fail}}
[[File:HonorKnife.jpg|300px|right|thumb|<s>BANKAI!</s> Nah, don't even bother. The Tau aren't Shonen enough.]]
A Bonding Knife is a ceremonial piece of wargear used by the [[Tau|Fish Lips]]. Due to the fact that Tau are so shit in close combat that they will get their ass handed to them by a fucking [[Gretchin|Grot]], these weapons are basically there just for show, like those plastic katanas you buy from Walmart, [[FAIL|easily the worst piece of close combat weaponry in the entirety of 40k.]]

==So What is Their Purpose Really?==

The Bonding Knife, serves more as a ceremonial knife that serves as part of the Tau ritual of the Ta'lissera, in which a group is bonded together through [[/d/|ritualistic cutting of their flesh.]] Who knew the Weebs were into [[Imperial Fists|Imperial Fist-tier]] masochism? Following their ritual bonding, the knife is then carried into battle by the [[Cadre Fireblade|team leader,]] although it is not designed for use in actual combat, and serves as a reminder of the sacred bond the group shares. [[Fire Warrior|Fire Warriors]] who serve as part of a [[Battlesuit]] team may also undergo the process, although instead of carrying the actual knife into battle the team leader may instead paint a knife design onto his armour, though this is not always the case.

===Ta'lissera===

The Ta'lissera is a Tau ceremony which has been translated by Imperial xenolexicons as [[Derp|"communion" or "marriage."]] Tau who take part in the ceremony pledge support and community to one another and may address each other by their individual names. The bonds that these Tau swear to each other are much admired and seen as embodying the best aspects of the [[Greater Good]]. While the bond may be performed by any group of Tau, it is most commonly Fire Caste warriors or Earth Caste work teams who undergo this ultimate expression of respect for one another.

{{40k-Tau-Weapons}}
[[Category:FAIL]]

Cutting Beam

2023-06-01T23:19:08Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Demiurg_Cutting_Beam.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Cutting Beam.]]
A Cutting Beam is the primary weapon of the starships used by the <s>NOT-</s>[[Squat]]s called the [[Demiurg]]. It is basically a giant [[Lasgun|laser weapon]], possibly the largest one of its category, mounted spinally on both the [[Bastion-class Commerce Vessel]] and the [[Stronghold-class Commerce Vessel]].

==Overview==

The Cutting Beam is used primarily to drill and blast apart asteroids to get into the juicy beats. It is similar to the [[Lascutter]] by function, just on an obviously much larger scale. Despite being a laser weapon, the Cutting Beam is [[Derp|actuall short-ranged]], which is weird since one of the advantages of a laser weapon is ''due'' to its ''literal light-speed'' ranges.

Although it is primarily a civilian tool, the Demiurg are known to use it as a weapon. What can easily drill through asteroids could also do the same with starship hulls in lethal effects.

Because it is powered up via a giant scoop sucking up stardust, it can be argued that the Cutting Beam is a hydrogen-powered laser. This interesting fluff bit is surprisingly utilized in the game as further explained below.

In [[Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II]], the Cutting Beam is a weird weapon, and when we mean weird, we mean fucking [[Bullshit]]. One of its [[Fail|'quirks']] is that the weapon could only charge up to its max if it [[Derp]]s around near an asteroid or a shipwreck, before unloading its juice. Granted, the damage of this weapon is lethal as it deals a shit ton of damage per click. But its shit range and weird charge up, means that this weapon is very situational and should be reserved for the biggest of ships.
{{40k-Squat-Weapons}}
{{40k-Tau-Weapons}}

Flechette Discharger

2023-06-01T23:17:21Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:FCDDevilfish.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Flechette Discharger on Devilfish.]]

Not to be confused with the Mechanicum's ''[[Flechette Blaster]].''

Flechette Dischargers are defensive weapons used by the T'au Empire as a reactive, single-shot weapon. It is a support system that consists of powerful clusters of reactive charges attached to the prow of the vehicle. If an enemy moves into close proximity of the vehicle, the dischargers automatically fire off clouds of high velocity flechettes which often prove to be lethal against the would-be attacker. XV107 R'varna Battlesuits are also equipped with Flechette Dischargers.

Alternatively, if the particular Pilot feels that being unable to fire these Flechettes at will is a waste, they could try out the '''Flechette Dispersal Pods'''. These are a variant of the vehicle mounted Flechette Discharger, and are equipped on XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuits. Flechette Dispersal Pods differ in that they can be triggered to fire at nearby enemies by the Battlesuit pilot, even if they are not actively assaulting the XV109.

[[Tl;dr]], they are Tau APS (Active Protection Systems).

<gallery>
40744_sm-Flechette_Dischargers.JPG|Why is it unsurprising that the only Shotgun that the Tau has, just so happens to be mounted [[Derp|''only'' on vehicles...]]
Devilfish_upgrades_400.jpg|Devilfish fully upgraded and decked out. Flechette Dischargers can be seen highlighted.
</gallery>

{{40k-Tau-Weapons}}

Dvorgite Skinner

2023-06-01T23:17:06Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{WTF}}
[[File:DSkinner.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Dvorgite Skinner]]

A weird, ''weird-ass'' weapon wielded largely by the [[Kroot]].

The Dvorgite Skinner is one of the primary weapons used by the [[Kroot Heavy Gunner]], with the other being the [[Londaxi Tribalest]]. We ain't joking when we meant that this is one of the weirdest if not ''the weirdest'' weapon ever used by the [[Tau]].

Resembling like a giant hand-held solar dish. The Dvorgite Skinner is a weapon that [[wat|charge biological material to create a searing stream of energy.]] So it is essentially a gun that shoots out [[lolwut|explosive farts that somehow transmutes itself into a laser-like directed energy weapon]]. Yeah, GeeDubs didn't really clarify ''how'' exactly, this gun works. Like, seriously, what they meant by 'biological material' has never been elaborated upon, less so on ''how'' said biological material can turn into a 'stream of energy'. More questions are even brought up on ''what'' type of process is needed to trigger such a bizarre mechanism.

So congrats [[Tau]], you managed to have a weapon that can give a [[Dark Eldar]]'s collection of misery a run for its money.

Like the Londaxi Tribalest, the Dvorgite Skinner isn't actually a ''Kroot'' weapon. It is in fact a exotic weapon manufactured by the aforementioned [[Xenos|Dvorgite race]] which has a habit of raiding Imperial mining asteroids during the Nachmund Rift War, and has a reputation of being ferocious creatures whose blood-parties have come into conflict with other space faring races, including [[Craftworld]] [[Eldar|Aeldari]]. It is unknown if the Dvorgite is an actual Tau client race or just so happens to be ''another'' mercenary race that the Kroot occasionally trades with.

Crunchwise, thankfully the tabletop is far more easier to describe this weapon than the fluff. The Skinner is a 6 dice, 2+ to hit, 2/3 damage with a 6" range, AP2, Torrent and Cumbersome. This means it’s basically an [[awesome|armour piercing flamer,]] and great for hosing down armoured targets, especially if they’ve clumped up. In the tight confines of a Space Hulk, you can really rack up some damage with that. Compared to the Londaxi Tribalest, the Dvorgite Skinner has a short range, but high accuracy and attacks, as well as the fact that it can spread to other enemies nearby to the initial target.
{{40k-Tau-Weapons}}
[[Category: Kroot]]

Kroot Weapons

2023-06-01T23:16:01Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

Kroot weapons are a type of [[Autogun]]/[[Stubber]]/[[Skub|we don't really know cause the difference between Autoguns and Stubbers are so convoluted thanks to GW incompetence.]] Basically more shitty versions of Imperial projectile weapons that is still used thanks to the saving grace of [[Tau]] munition upgrades. Kroot weapons have thus, earn some sort of niche within the Tau's armory. Although this can be said due to [[Kroot]] stubbornness to change to a better weapon more than anything else.

They are also the only chaps that still uses [[Kroot Bolt Thrower|bow weapons in the 41st millennium.]] Figures.

===Kroot Pistol===
[[File:Kroot_Pistol.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Kroot Pistol]]
The Kroot Pistol is the downsized, [[dwarf]] version of the more noticeable Kroot Rifle and is the primary sidearm for the Kroots in case their primary weapons got lost or broke apart.

Kroot Pistols function nearly identical to its larger cousin; firing pulse rounds propelled by a chemical reaction similar to gunpowder. Due to its small size, they have less effective range, could carry less ammunition and is not big enough to house a large knife to be an effective CQC weapon. However, it is easier to handle and Kroots are known to go guns akimbo.

[[Kroot Pistolier]]s are the primary users of these weapons.

Crunchwise, Kroot Pistols are short-ranged 12" Pistol 1 weapons that is S4, AP0 and D1. Pretty underwhelming by itself, but fortunately, a Kroot Pistolier always carry more than one.

===Kroot Rifle===
[[File:Kroot_Rifle.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Kroot Rifle]]
The Kroot Rifle is the basic weapon used by the Kroot. It works by firing a solid slug propelled by a chemical reaction, although it was adapted by the Tau to fire Pulse rounds to make it the equivalent to the [[Astartes Boltgun|Boltgun.]]

It is armed with blades near the muzzle and stock and are a throwback to earlier Kroot Fighting Staves, allowing them to use their speed to tear close in on their opponents in close combat. It is still quite bulky however, and so is not ever combined with another weapon, although it doesn't often need to be.

In 8th Edition, the Kroot Rifle is a relatively mid-ranged 24" weapon. However, it is an Rapid Fire 1 gun that is S4, AP0 and deals 1 damage per gun. It should be enough to deal with GEQs, however, it would struggle against MEQs. What is unique about this weapon is that ALL Kroot Rifles are also adept melee weapons as well. On a charge or in CQC, the Rifle is a S+1 (So a S4 weapon), AP0, D1 hatchet. So in a group, these guns become quite dangerous if the dice gods are in your favour.

Other versions of the Kroot Rifle are the Kroot gun and Kroot hunting rifle as seen below.

===Kroot Hunting Rifle===
[[File:Kroot_Hunting_Rifle_2.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Kroot Hunting Rifle]]
The sniper rifle of the Kroots.

The Kroot Hunting Rifle is an adapted form of the basic Kroot rifle for those Kroots who like to snipe their prey at range and not get their hands too dirty. This version is customized so it is more adept for hunting, meaning it is quieter and has a longer range. These properties make it favorable as a Sniper Rifle to the Kroot.

Kroot Hunting Rifles loses their bayonets more commonly associated with the more common Kroot rifle. This is for obvious reasons such as having more stability and not too barrel heavy which will affect the accuracy of the gun. [[Hunter Kindred]]s and [[Long-Sight]]s are the primary users of these weapons.

It bares resemblance to the Imperium's [[Stub Rifle|Stub Rifle]] in a lot of ways.

Unfortunately, there is used to be not any actual crunch for this weapon on the tabletop as it appears only in the trading card game and in a few models. However, with the release of Kill-Team: Into the Darkness, the new [[Long-Sight]] was released with the rules. That is, on tabletop, this hunting rifle has a low damage output but can dish out three mortal wounds on each crit making it a formidable weapon.
<gallery>
Kroot_Hunting_Rifle.jpg
Hunterkroot.JPG|As it appears in the card game.
</gallery>

=== Kroot Scattergun ===
[[File:Dvorgite_Skinner.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Kroot Scattergun]]
''Not to be confused with the similarly named [[Scatter Cannon]]''

The biggest Kroot weapon that can still be hand-wielded by a Kroot.

The Kroot Scattergun is one of the primary weapons used by the [[Kroot_Kindreds|Kroot Carnivore Squads]], which they can swap over their usual Kroot Rifles. This hefty looking weapon looks like a Kroot Rifle that has eaten one too many [[Ogryn]]s and has gotten girthier as a result.

There is a reason for its [[/d/|girthy appearance.]] True to its name, the Scattergun is a type of heavy-duty Kroot [[Shotgun]] that, whilst it is unknown how they compare with their Imperial equivalents, does gift the Kroot an additional arsenal in their close-combat rapporteur. Funnily enough, only the Carnivore Kroots hailing from the [[Farstalker Kinband]]s are seen carrying it. Whether this means that the construction of these weapons is more expensive is unknown, although highly unlikely as a shotgun is one of the simplest firearm one can create.

Crunchwise, on the tabletop, the Scattergun is a short 18" ranged Assault 2 weapon that is S4, AP0 and D 1. Nothing that spectacular given that it is a typical shogtun, but it does allow the Kroot holding it to shoot and skoot which plays naturally to the Kroot's playstyle.

=== Kroot Gun ===

[[File:Kroot_Gun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Kroot Gun]]
The [[Autocannon|Autocannon]] of the Kroot weapons.

The Kroot Gun is a weapon used by Kroot mercenaries. It is a heavy weapon strapped to the back of a [[Krootox]]. It is effectively a larger version of the Kroot rifle. It is so big that it cannot be wielded by hand.

The Krootox and the gun are often incorporated into Kroot Carnivore Squads made up of Kroot, [[Kroot Hound|Kroot Hounds]], and the aforementioned Krootox. Because of its high strength, the Kroot gun is usually utilized to protect the squad it is in from attack by units within transports and heavier vehicles.

A twin-linked version of the weapon exists, and is toted on the backs of a [[Great Knarloc]]. Obviously it functions identically, but with the caveat of having double the barrels, so double the firepower.

In 8th Edition, these guns are 48" Rapid Fire 1 weapons that are S7 Ap-1 D3d. Good enough to pluck off the occasional MEQs, but not good enough to deal with armoured vehicles of TEQs unlike the [[Autocannon]]. Rather, the gun is used in conjunction with the Krootox's natural strength, softening up the opposition before going in close. As such, use this more like a secondary weapon than a primary one.

{{40k-Tau-Weapons}}
[[Category: Kroot]]

KX139 Ta'Unar Supremacy Armour

2023-06-01T23:15:27Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:KX139.jpg|300px|right|thumb|A weapon to truly surpass Metal Gear.]]

{{topquote|The empire came together, pooling its resources and throwing aside old rivalries for the sake of the greater good. To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own. The Ta'Unar program was born.|Opening narration, Damocles Rim}}

If the [[Stormsurge Ballistic Suit]] was considered the [[Tau]]'s first foray into Imperial Knight death machines, the KX139 Ta'Unar Supremacy Armour would be the Tau's first attempt at mass producing a Tau ''Titan''.

The Ta'Unar Supremacy Armour truly is, the [[Metal Gear]] Rex of the army.

*'''Height:''' 16m
*'''Crew:''' 1-2 crew; approx
*'''Weight:''' 200-300 tonnes; approx

== Overview ==

The largest class of [[Battlesuit]] in the Tau inventory at almost twice the height of the already chonky [[Stormsurge Ballistic Suit]], it is intended to meet a threat that the Tau Empire has not yet prepared for; the defense of worlds within their growing domain from the threat of other galactic races. Designed to counter anything from [[Imperial Knight]]s to monstrous [[Tyranid]] bio-titans, the KX139 lacks the maneuverability of other battlesuits, and is instead intended for balls out [[MOAR DAKKA|''firepower'']]. Earth Caste engineer Fio’o Ke’lshan Sho’aun developed the KX139 to mount a dynamic yet stoic defense against the enemies of the Tau Empire. Development began after it was found that Tau heavy flyers such as the [[Manta]] were often outclassed in the form of a gratuitous amount of Flakk cannons.

The KX139 bristles with weaponry, with its primary armament being a back-mounted [[Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver]] or [[Nexus Meteor Missile System]]. Additional weaponry includes triple [[Ion Cannon]]s or [[Fusion Eradicator]]s on each arm and two chest-mounted stations known as the Vigilence Defence System with [[Burst Cannon]]s and [[Missile Pod]]s. Other weapons options include a [[Heavy Rail Cannon Array]] with [[Fragmentation Cluster Shell Launcher]]. Protection is provided by a Barrier Shield Generator, which can withstand even Titan-class weaponry.

== Crunch ==

When it comes to 9th Edition, this Metal Gear comes with 4 Smart Missile Systems, 4 Burst Cannons, 1 Pulse Ordnance System (that can be swapped for a Nexus Meteor Missile System or a Heavy Rail Cannon with Cluster Shells ability), and 2 Tri-Axis Ion Cannons (that can be swapped for Fusion Eradicators). T8, 30W, 3+/5++ makes it a bit more durable than a Knight. It can fire all it's weaponry while in melee. It can move through any unit without Monster or Vehicle.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Walkers]]

{{Tau}}

{{40k-Tau-Ships}}

Tomb World

2023-06-01T23:14:37Z

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[[File:Tomb_citadel.jpg|400px|centre]]

A '''Tomb World''' is a planet with a [[Necron]] tomb on it (and by "on" we mean "in").

The Necrontyr Empire once spanned the galaxy, but after the Wars of Succession, the disastrous [[War in Heaven]], the biotransference into [[Necron]] bodies, and the sharding of the [[C'tan]], the empire was left weak and the galaxy was a mess. The Necrons thus decided to go to sleep and let things settle down, so they sought refuge in great tombs, preparing to wake up in sixty million years' time to retake a healed galaxy.

In that time, the galaxy didn't just stop moving; since the vast majority of the inhabitants of the galaxy (basically everyone but the [[Eldar]], who were too busy having orgies/staying away from Slaanesh to remember them) never heard of the Necrons, they didn't know to check for them when settling planets, and so any inhabited planet (and any uninhabited planet, for that matter) could be a Tomb World. However, as of the 41st Millennium, the sixty million years are up, and the Necrons are starting to wake back up. Most of them are not keen on sharing their world with the upstarts who have moved in during their slumber.

For the unlucky traveler who finds him or herself confined to a tomb world, the list of benefits is a short one, but there are at least a couple. Firstly, the world is unlikely to come under threat by the [[Tyranids]] or the forces of [[Chaos]]. In the case of the former, the space-vermin consistently take pains to stay clear of Necron domains and especially of any potential engagements, as any prospective biomass to be gained is extremely limited since everything is Blackstone and Necrodermis, whereas combat will only result in a loss as [[Annihilator Beam|there's simply no out-evolving weaponry that destroys its targets at the atomic level]]. In the case of the latter, while Chaos has certainly been known to attack Necron holdings, when this happens it is typically with intent to destroy some or all of the world and not of conquest. As with the Tyranids, Chaos will typically bypass Tomb Worlds whenever they can, if for no other reason than, even for Space Marines, you're hard-pressed to find a harder target to hit in 40k than one controlled by the Necrons. Furthermore, Necron technology tends to nullify any Warpfuckery that the slaves of chaos would normally employ. So to warrant an attack, the location itself has to be seen as a severe, operational threat to the larger aims of Chaos, and requiring a planned, dedicated, and highly-coordinated strike to neutralize it, as was the case with [[Abaddon|Abaddon]]'s targeting of the various Necron pylons around the [[Cadia]] system in the lead-up to the 13th Black Crusade.

==Notable Tomb Worlds==
[[File:Kaurava_3.jpg|right|thumb|Kaurava 3. Seems cozy if you're a desert tortoise or a Necron]]
*'''[[Kaurava System|Kaurava 3]]:''' destroyed by [[Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter]].
*'''[[Kronus]]:''' Destroyed by [[Blood Ravens|Blud Rehvens]].
*'''[[Cato Sicarius|Damnos]]:''' Setting of the Fall of Damnos. Settled during the [[Great Crusade]] and, while rich in resources, was given low priority, [[Necrons]] awakened in 973.M41, and one year were controlling the entire planet. The [[Ultramarines]] could only gather what remained of the populace and retreat into deep space. The Ultramarines later returned in full Chapter strength and alongside a massive Imperial fleet as well as dozens of Deathwatch kill-teams, utterly rekt the Necrons, destroying their [[C'tan]] shard and destroying every single Tomb Complex inside the planet.
* '''[[World Engine|Borsis]]''': An artificial planet-weapon that singlehandedly obliterated two Agri-Worlds and dozens of Imperial Navy and Space Marine ships. It took the sacrifice of the [[Astral Knights]] to destroy it by freeing the C'tan at its heart and [[Exterminatus|blowing it up from the inside]].
*'''[[Uriel Ventris|Pavonis]]:''' Setting of the novels Nightbringer and Courage and Honor. Mining World, location of the Tembra Ridge a mountain range over the [[C'tan#Aza.27Gorod.2C_The_Nightbringer|Nightbringer's]] tomb, the [[Ultramarines]] 4th Company led by [[Uriel Ventris]], managed to stop it from escaping into space, but it was never implied that the [[C'tan#Aza.27Gorod.2C_The_Nightbringer|Nightbringer]] shard was ever destroyed.
*'''[[Ciaphas Cain|Simia Orichalcae]]:''' Setting of the novel Caves of Ice. An ice world, uninhabited except for Promethium processing plants scattered across the planet to refine veins of rare ice. It had a Necron Tomb, but it was later destroyed by [[Ciaphas Cain]] (though [[Amberley Vail]] privately stated that no one was too keen on finding out if they truly were gone.)
*'''Naogeddon:''' Setting of the short story Deus ex Mechanicus. It houses a [[C'tan#Mephet.27ran.2C_The_Deceiver|shard of the Deceiver]], due to this several [[Explorator Fleet|Explorator Teams]] have disappeared while exploring in there.
*'''Carnac:''' Former [[Eldar World#Exodite Worlds|Exodite World]], was reclaimed by the [[Necrons]] in the Carnac Campaign by [[Anrakyr the Traveller]]. During the campaign Anrakyr commissioned aid from Mandragora, Gidrim, Trakonn, Solemnace led by [[Trazyn the Infinite]], and [[Orikan the Diviner]]. While the [[Exodites]], got help from [[Alaitoc]], [[Eldorath Starbane]], and [[Illic Nightspear]].In the end the Necrons won, because of suprise reinforcements from the just awakened Necrons of Carnac. The [[Eldar]] retreated, and [[Trazyn the Infinite|Trazyn]] got his World Shrine.
*'''Sarkon:''' Capital of the Empire of the Severed. When radiation storms wiped the memories of the Necrons in Sarkon, leaving them mindless husks of their former selves, the Master Program's own systems were damaged. The malfunctioning program saw the quiet order it had brought to Sarkon and resolved to carry it to other worlds, adopting the form of the Necron Overlord that it dubbed the "Sarkoni Emperor" to do so. Ever since then it has absorbed four other Tomb Worlds.Other non-Necron worlds were also absorbed, [[Grimdark|using Mindshackle Scarabs to bring any unruly creatures under its direct control]].
*'''Solemnace:''' Tomb World of everyone's [[Trazyn the Infinite|favourite collector/historian/shameless grave robber]]. Pretty much just a planet-sized galactic history museum, complete with dioramas and galleries that haven't been touched by living beings since the Horus Heresy.
*'''Mandragora:''' Crown World (capital) of the [[Sautekh Dynasty]]. All of its Overlords and Lords decided fighting a civil war as soon as they woke up was fun, right up until [[Imotekh the Stormlord]] put a stop to that.
*'''Gidrim:''' Part of the Sautekh Dynasty, ruled by [[Nemesor Zahndrekh]].
*'''Pyrrhia:''' Original Tomb World of [[Anrakyr the Traveller]].
*'''Morrigar:''' Former [[Hive World]], gang warfare awakened the Necrons, six months later when [[Cadia|Cadian]] [[Imperial Guard Regiment|207th regiment]], there was no trace of any inhabitants, human or otherwise. When [[Anrakyr]] arrived, the lack of Necrons was blamed was on the Cadian 207th and were wiped out by Anrakyr.
*'''Hollow Crown:''' Suhbekhar Dynasty Crown World that is a necropolis forged deep within the center of a star. Its construction was commanded by the Phaeron Ahmontekh due to his fears that his aeons long sleep would make him vulnerable to his enemies.
*'''Thanatos:''' Houses the Celestial Orrery, a device capable of forcing stars to [[Exterminatus|undergo a supernova millennia before its time that destroys all the nearby worlds that circle it]], unfortunately using it must be done with careful consideration as it could [[FAIL|upset the natural order of the cosmos and create a critical chain reaction]].
*'''Avarris:''' Tomb World of the Sautekh Dynasty, and [[Imperial Knight]] world, when the Necrons tried to exterminate the place, they found [[Wat|their gauss technology to be ineffective against the ion shields used by the world's Knights]].
*'''[[Flayed_Ones#The_Bone_Kingdom_of_Drazak|Drazak]]:''' Also known as the Bone Kingdom, a world populated almost entirely by Flayed Ones, who are ruled by Valgul the Fallen, a [[Necron Lord]] immune to the Flayer virus. Every few months Valgul announces a Time of Bounty, where they launch fleets to raid nearby planets to collect flesh and blood of the living to sate his subject's hunger.
*'''Silva Tenebris:''' setting of the [[Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus|Mechanicus game]].
*'''Gladius Prime:''' setting of the [[Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War]].
* A lot of [[Forge Worlds]] and Knight Worlds are in fact.

==See Also==
{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Necrons]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Civilised World

2023-06-01T23:14:03Z

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Civilised Worlds are a type of planet in the Imperium. They're generally worlds that don't suck to live on, normally being on par with current modern day Earth. Somewhat like a "jack of all trades" planet with the reasonable numbers of hive cities, the industry of a forge world, and the farms of an agri-world.

Despite being the most common type of world they're rarely mentioned, mostly because they're not [[Grimdark]] unless they're being attacked. They are also used to highlight the sickening perfectness of the [[Ultramarines]], who obviously have a whole bunch where life is all perfect and [[Noblebright]]. Why no other marine chapters do this (except the [[Blood Gorgons]], but they're [[Heresy|Heretics]] and they only make it almost livable) is just handwaved away.

== See Also ==
*[[Battle_of_Calth|Calth]], a cavern-world that used to be a civilised world during the Great Crusade, but lost its atmosphere during the Horus Heresy.

[[Category:Imperial]]

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

{{40k-Planets}}

Hive World

2023-06-01T23:13:53Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[Image:Hive.jpg|300px|right|When there is no more room to go out, you go up.|thumb]]
'''Hive''' is the [[Imperium of Man|Imperium]]'s pet name for its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology Arcologies], cities on the scale of mountains. Once a world gets one, it ends up building more until it is more-or-less covered in hives, and we call the resultant mass of metal and humanity a Hive World. If you're not in one of the towers at the top, they're generally very shitty places to live, what with the gang-infested wretched hives of scum and villainy, starvation, homelessness due to lack of resources, forcible conscription for the [[Imperial Guard]], the occasional mutant tribes in the Underhive sewers, and so on. The only reasons the Imperium keeps them around is because they have a lot of industry and they make great recruiting grounds for the Guard and the [[Space Marines|Adeptus Astartes]]. Yes, you read that right. A Hive World is on par with [[Feral World|Feral]] and [[Death World]]s for recruiting Space Marines.

You know that intro blurb? "To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable." Yeah, that's life on a Hive World. [[Grimdark]] to the max.

Hives tend to get old, worn with constant reconstruction, and eventually very confusing. As time goes on the lower levels invariably start to cave in on themselves due to ever-increasing weight from above and the decay that sets in on ill-used regions. This causes the phenomenon of the 'underhive', a mess of forgotten and collapsing old tunnels and buildings that becomes what is basically Detroit on steroids: a ghetto where the poorest, gangs, mutants, freaky life forms of all sorts and pollution tend to collect. In worse or older hives the underhive can be lethally toxic, radioactive, and house everything from mutant gangs with pet giant death-roaches to malfunctioning servitors armed with power scourges to even the occasional [[Genestealer]]. Needless to say these are wonderful places to visit if you happen to be looking for a quick death, but for rogue psykers and other people with no choice but down they are generally home for however long their lives last-- which may not be very long even if they manage to survive the mutants, pollution, and everything else the underhive can throw at them, because the [[Adeptus Arbites]] [[Grimdark|are known to cull the populations of hives to keep them at a manageable level]].

As a very loose upside, the underhive functions as a flush-valve for the dregs of society, a clear area to keep an eye on and fortify against, and something to focus the masses on hating rather than letting them hate upwards. On the further downside it's still a breeding ground for dangerous beasts, insane cultists (sometimes of the [[Genestealer]] variety), psykers, gangs, plagues, and worse, and getting down there to repair anything is a daunting if not impossible task for anything less well equipped than an entire arbites unit complete with armor support...and in older hives, it might even be utterly impossible for anything shy of a kitted out inquisitorial strike team or squadron of space marines!

[[File:Kowloon.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Ancient Terran Proto-Hive (990.M2) The Kowloon walled city hit a lot of the marks for a Hive's lower levels]]
Aside from all the other dangers, there are also hivequakes, which is what happens when part of the lower levels settles or breaks down further and things above it are affected. This can be localized, widespread, or even catastrophic if the piece that finally gives out was bracing things that were holding up chains of supports that lead to collapses much further above. They can also lead to invasions of mutants and renegades, especially if the quake opens up a sizable rift into the heart of the hive where the underhivers can loot valuables and necessities. Thus in many hives hivequakes are as common as weather pattern shifts and contribute to the sense of paranoia that already comes with living in an overpopulated spire stuffed with billions of religiously hateful, often violent, or outright criminal people only barely controlled by watchful and well-armed police forces.... if that. And you thought your neighborhood was bad! On the other hand, the people being invaded by the underhive during quakes are also well-armed, far more numerous, and fanatical zealots screaming at the top of their lungs. It's more dangerous for the underhivers, really, but desperation is desperation.

Oh, and the underhivers are every bit as fanatically devoted to the Emperor as anyone else in the Imperium (hell, even ''pirates'' are fanatics). (Not if you read Junktion by Matthew Farrer, almost no one gives a shit.)

As mentioned above, those who can live in hives are good at navigating crowds, familiar with a certain level of tech, and often very alert, all traits that make them good soldiers, inquisitorial fodder, or marine potentials (depending on their individual aptitudes). Humans who grow up in deep hives or lower down, like [[Ciaphas Cain]] tend to have pretty good senses of direction and spacial visualization, as well as navigate the dark pretty well. Hives also concentrate humanity into one location and provide them with tools and space to work, meaning massive amounts of labor gets done in a hive by a never ending tide of workers, so production is essentially nonstop.

The moral of the story is that organized urban planning initiatives should NOT be taken lightly.

==Production Skub==
This is, of course, one of or even the worst case of a plot hole in all of 40k. Because if the Imperium has so much production going on, why the fuck are the Imperial Guard so poorly equipped? There is no reason. It would mean that the Hives, the Imperial Worlds, and the Forge Worlds all devote only a minuscule fraction of their production to the Guard. Which makes no sense given the Imperium's situation (and hatred of aliens). They're being pushed back world-by-world and yet they aren't even trying to devote any notable amount of their production to the military? Bullshit.
:Consider the following:
:In 40k, the IoM is also devoting resources to Adeptus Mechanicus unit construction, Space Marine armor and weapons making, tank production, all of which do not compare to something like Titans, Knights, or such. As well, superheavies also take time, and so does manufacturing ammunition.
::All this means that the IG gets the short end of the stick. They are also intended to be expendable, so in any case, giving them more complex gear would be bad. None of this is an excuse. Super-heavies, powered armor, Titans, Knights, etc. are not even remotely resource-intensive enough for a quadrillions sized army to be so poorly equipped when the Imperium's near entire population works in factories. On top of that, all of those supa-speshul products are *extremely few and rare.* The Imperium builds hardly any, so that's even less of an attempted excuse. No, it's just a massive plot-hole GW ignores because it must.
:::To be honest, a reason exists, and it's called "[[Administratum|Adeptus Administratum]]". We should remember that the imperium is still a feudal confederation of nightmarish proportions and is run by something more akin to a 200 years old ford car than anything. The standard equipment of the imperial guards was decided emperor only knows how many millennia ago AND it can still vary from [[Krieg|planet]] to [[Armageddon|planet]]. The imperium is so incredibly inefficient nowadays that every minor change to the standard equipment of untold bilions of troop would cause terrible side effects. Let's say that they decided that every lasgun [after 500 years of discussions] now necessitates a red dot scope. What this simple decision will cause would be no less than corruption, civil war on hundreds of planets, unrest, complicate relationships between all kinds of branches of the imperium and by the end of the first century not even the 0,0000001 of the lasguns will have the scope, [[Meme|and instead of a red dot scope it will be called twin-linked.]]

== A Short Piece of Writefaggotry about Hives ==

The crowd. It never, ever goes away.

You share your pitiful, filthy dwelling with three other citizens. It is sweltering; if the energy is taken away for whatever arcane reasons, it can become a death trap where you will choke or desiccate.

You eat vat-grown algae at best, recycled human beings at worst. The air is polluted beyond reason, and has been through many lungs by the time it reaches you. All light is artificial, as are all surfaces; you will live your entire life many miles above a ground you will never know.

There are heretics, worshiping pure evil, who would kidnap you and tear your guts open for a daemon to lay waste to your land; alien hybrids preparing the terrain for a horde of hungry space locusts; crazy cults who adore the Emperor by killing in his name, the brutal thugs that pass as law enforcement, the warring gangs and their ever-escalating turf wars, the Arbites and their crushing book of Law. Perhaps you will be murdered by young, sadistic nobles with technology that seems like magic, or enslaved for arcane reasons; a fate better than that of the servitor, which will see you partially lobotomized and made into a mechanical servant of the Hive.

Your little world is liable to be invaded by bloodlust-driven hordes of green beasts, by the aforementioned space locusts, by legions of heretics – some of them twisted brothers of the warriors you have been taught are the Emperor’s angels - who will murder, sacrifice and rape their way until your planet gets dragged into Hell itself… and that's if a zombie plague doesn't get you first.

Ancient, powerful beings may engineer disasters for their own purposes, and you will never know it; similar, darker creatures may raid your city on their silent engines, eliminating all resistance as they laugh, taking away your loved ones for infernal purposes, taking you away, too, if you are not fast enough in ending your life.

The ground might collapse and your entire block fall into the utterly dark under-hive and its mutants, its lethal secrets; or it might rip open and let forth armies of cold, alien machines from eons ago who will murder everyone for no apparent reason. It could be that an empire obliterates your rulers and demand you submit to its Greater Good, lest you be herded to your death or pounded to dust from orbit.

ALL OF THIS will only be possible if the Inquisition does not one day decide to obliterate all life on the planet because they sincerely believe they have no right to let its population live, the risk of some threat spreading from it too great; you will not even see the cyclonic torpedo enter the atmosphere, as you have never seen the sky, but you and all the hundreds of billions will die just the same as the planet burns and is torn apart.

All this pain, all this danger, to one end; to allow you to work 16-hours days in a manufactorium so vast, no one knows its whole extent; you work endlessly to create implements of war, for the Imperium knows no peace, from the humble laser rifle a soldier will die clutching to a massive battle tank that will crush the Emperor's foes thousand of light years away. Odds are you will one day meet your end in this unfeeling factory, torn apart by a machine, dropping dead from exhaustion - or one day, you might be taken away, too, to become a Guardsman and perish standing, fighting an enemy beyond comprehension on a world you do not know.

You are not a person, subject of the Emperor. For that is the life of an Imperial citizen; it is better to die for something than to live for oneself.

== See Also ==
* [[Armageddon]], a Hive World and site of three wars.
* [[Cthonia]], a Hive World and homeworld of the [[Black Legion|Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus]] (subjected to [[Exterminatus]] after the [[Horus Heresy]]).
* [[Necromunda]], a Hive World and the setting of the tactical skirmish game of the same name.
* [[Nostramo]], a Hive World that served as the homeworld of the [[Night Lords]] (subjected to Exterminatus by [[Konrad Curze]]).
* [[Praetorian Guard| Praetoria]], a hive world that probably looks like something out of a Dickensian novel or a poem by Rudyard Kipling.
* [[Terra]], the Hive World to end all Hive Worlds, as humanity was born there. Or rather Ecumenopolis, since Hive Worlds usually have(badly polluted) wilderness areas but Terra is one planet sized city like Coruscant.
* [[Zayth]], a Hive world with a massive super continent that is bombarded with war, that instead of well placed trenches and fortifications like on [[Krieg]][[Awesome|, the city moves... ]]
* [[Forge World]], another sort of world, dominated by manufacturing and research rather than residential construction.
* [[Stalinvast]]: The Place where subtlety goes to die (its name is just Stalin and vast, like seriously?). The world was [[Exterminatus]]ed.
* [[Orkiformed world]]: The Orky equivalent to Hive Worlds.

{{40k-Planets}}

Fortress World

2023-06-01T23:12:06Z

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A Fortress World is a classification of planet from the [[Warhammer 40,000]] setting and other sci fi universes. They are categorized by being, essentially, a planet sized militarized hybrid of a bunker/fortress/citadel/Headquaters with 24/7 martial law. The most famous of these is/was the planet of [[Cadia]]. Fortress Worlds are one of the lesser common types of planet in the [[Imperium of Man]] but may just be among the most strategically important. Were it not for these planets, [[Abbadon the Despoiler]] would have likely succeeded in his [[Black Crusade]]s (but probably still failed miserably anyway), the [[Tyranids]] would have om nom nomed through the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy by now, and some [[Ork]] [[WAAAGH]]!s simply would not have been stopped before they got out of control.

Think a giant stop sign with a motion sensor and machine gun attached to it. It's also mass producing more of such stop signs.

Features of these worlds cities include city sized walls around continent sized cities, every piece of architecture (and I do mean every) being designed with defense above comfort for its non-citizens in mind, and resource stripped landscapes that make salt flats look like bountiful gardens. The walls are almost always designed to be somewhat hollow with several levels of staircases and landings with one entrance and exit: at the bottom from the outside, and top going in. This makes it INCREDIBLY difficult to take control of the wall by force, as you are always fighting uphill and being shot at from above. On top of that the staircases are rigged to explode and collapse at the push of a button at the top if any are captured.

If, by some miracle, you have taken the outer wall, there are about a dozen more, each taller than the previous so they're all shooting at you. The actual habitation sections of these cities are no more welcoming. The citizens don't live in housing complexes as more giant barracks riddled with heavy weapons emplacements and turrets. Note: Every citizen on a Fortress World is required to be able to man such emplacements as soon as they are able, so it's likely parents are taking their children to target practice on the turrets in between boot camp training sessions where they would have done so already. The streets of the cities are a maze of tactically advantageous corners, barricades, battlements, and firing points that are all capable of being advanced on or abandoned at a moments notice. Also, like the walls, every hab-block is rigged to blow from Control further behind the frontline/market district/downtown/wherever you are at the moment.

But that's just the habitation part of the city! Further behind is the main military section of the city. Here, if you somehow survived this far, you will find the dedicated military of the city. This includes, but is NEVER limited to, anti-air flak turrets, miles of firing lines, countless tank formations, surface-to-orbit artillery, and basically every motherfucker with a gun and a stern expression. Here would also be the factories that produced the weapons, equipment, and ammunition that the planet could do itself without the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]. This means that the defending armies would almost never fall to a war of attrition. The geometry of this part of the city is characterized by a relatively gridded street layout lined with the same barricades and heavy weapons emplacements as the habitation section. The streets themselves are incredibly wide to allow tanks passage and crossfire from squads on either side, so you can shove your cover save up your ass for all the Imperium cares!

At the centre of the city (if you STILL haven't been killed yet) is the Central Spire. This is where the [[Planetary Governor]] lives and tells people what to shoot at, while taking aim through a sniper rifle and putting holes in heads every so often. This section of the city is also where the longer range guns that fire at you as you cross the flat barren landscapes before you even made it to the outermost wall. You may also find that this part of the city is almost inaccessible without any aircraft, as this is the most well fortified area in the city. IF you manage to get passed the guarding force of the last HALF of the forces in the city, you still have dozens of meters of concrete, steel, and adamantine to get through. Even if you got through all of the above, the base of the Central Spire is really just the basement; you're still going to have to fight your way up to get to anything useful.

So, after fighting your way across a continent of inhospitable wastes, over a dozen miles high walls (which are fortresses in their own right), through the most [[grimdark]] shortcut to the market ever, through [[Nazis|the Siege of Berlin]] on a planetary scale twice, and up a giant fucking tower designed to impede any means of practical movement while being shot at some more, you still have nine or so more cities to capture before the Fortress World is yours.

Oh, before I forget, you're within shooting range of at least three of them at anytime anywhere on the planet.

Good luck!

== How To Crack One ==

A fortress world is one hell of a defensive position. However, they are not invulnerable. To defeat it, assuming you've dealt with the surface to space weapons and enemy naval garrison as well as Orbital forts...
You'll to orbitally bombard it, presumably with OKKVs (Orbital Kinetic Kill Vehicles, aka Rods from God), nuclear bombs of normal and shaped charge variety, shaped charge preferred, and aim for the shield generation systems to soften the area up. Once the majority are gone, try to aim for long range emplacements, in order to minimize attrition. If you're of the chaos type, do try to get cults sabotaging and initiating uprisings. If you're Imperial, Vanus will do the same. Toss in some assassins to remove enemy leadership. Ok, you've successfully blown to bits the shields, and are now constantly raining hell onto the enemy. Time to start the invasion. Bring the Siege Tanks out, and push in one or two, maybe three if you have a huge force, points. At this point, it'd be wise to bombard the flak and other AA batteries. Once they are semi clear, deploy air units to put more holes in the enemy. Congrats, you just broke one of the walls. Now, while this is happening, begin bombardment of other cities and destruction of relief convoys from orbit. Don't let them send reinforcements if you can help it! The other cities should ideally be busy repairing the damage rather than sending artillery to your forces. Meanwhile, back at the coty you're cutting up, use OKKVs to tear down wall sections and cleanly remove resistance. Orbitally drop units in pods or use Elysians and Harakoni Warhawk units. Depends on your allegiance of course. Use them behind lines far enough that you will be able to reinforce them and relieve them. Repeat for each layer of defense, hopefully with some variation to keep them from adapting. Do this to each City. Congratulations, you just expended 10 planets worth of materiel to destroy one fortress world. This, of course, assumes you're not willing to Exterminatus this place. Exterminatus should be carried out via Asteroid or atmosphere burning. This should put a damper on their units. Go in and mop up. Done. As for taking one over, well, unless you have the memetic and psychic corruption agents of Chaos or the sheer idiotic love for the figthing itself of the Orks and a stupid amount manpower on top of that, good luck.

== List of Fortress Worlds ==

Cadia: Broke before the guard did. Currently an asteroid field.

Vigilus: Active, but requires rebuilding.

Mars: Active.

Holy Terra: Active.

Luna: Active.

Terranis: <s>Destroyed.</s> Holds.

Krieg: Active.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Planets & Sectors]]

Fortress World

2023-06-01T23:11:29Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

A Fortress World is a classification of planet from the [[Warhammer 40,000]] setting and other sci fi universes. They are categorized by being, essentially, a planet sized militarized hybrid of a bunker/fortress/citadel/Headquaters with 24/7 martial law. The most famous of these is/was the planet of [[Cadia]]. Fortress Worlds are one of the lesser common types of planet in the [[Imperium of Man]] but may just be among the most strategically important. Were it not for these planets, [[Abbadon the Despoiler]] would have likely succeeded in his [[Black Crusade]]s (but probably still failed miserably anyway), the [[Tyranids]] would have om nom nomed through the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy by now, and some [[Ork]] [[WAAAGH]]!s simply would not have been stopped before they got out of control.

Think a giant stop sign with a motion sensor and machine gun attached to it. It's also mass producing more of such stop signs.

Features of these worlds cities include city sized walls around continent sized cities, every piece of architecture (and I do mean every) being designed with defense above comfort for its non-citizens in mind, and resource stripped landscapes that make salt flats look like bountiful gardens. The walls are almost always designed to be somewhat hollow with several levels of staircases and landings with one entrance and exit: at the bottom from the outside, and top going in. This makes it INCREDIBLY difficult to take control of the wall by force, as you are always fighting uphill and being shot at from above. On top of that the staircases are rigged to explode and collapse at the push of a button at the top if any are captured.

If, by some miracle, you have taken the outer wall, there are about a dozen more, each taller than the previous so they're all shooting at you. The actual habitation sections of these cities are no more welcoming. The citizens don't live in housing complexes as more giant barracks riddled with heavy weapons emplacements and turrets. Note: Every citizen on a Fortress World is required to be able to man such emplacements as soon as they are able, so it's likely parents are taking their children to target practice on the turrets in between boot camp training sessions where they would have done so already. The streets of the cities are a maze of tactically advantageous corners, barricades, battlements, and firing points that are all capable of being advanced on or abandoned at a moments notice. Also, like the walls, every hab-block is rigged to blow from Control further behind the frontline/market district/downtown/wherever you are at the moment.

But that's just the habitation part of the city! Further behind is the main military section of the city. Here, if you somehow survived this far, you will find the dedicated military of the city. This includes, but is NEVER limited to, anti-air flak turrets, miles of firing lines, countless tank formations, surface-to-orbit artillery, and basically every motherfucker with a gun and a stern expression. Here would also be the factories that produced the weapons, equipment, and ammunition that the planet could do itself without the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]. This means that the defending armies would almost never fall to a war of attrition. The geometry of this part of the city is characterized by a relatively gridded street layout lined with the same barricades and heavy weapons emplacements as the habitation section. The streets themselves are incredibly wide to allow tanks passage and crossfire from squads on either side, so you can shove your cover save up your ass for all the Imperium cares!

At the centre of the city (if you STILL haven't been killed yet) is the Central Spire. This is where the [[Planetary Governor]] lives and tells people what to shoot at, while taking aim through a sniper rifle and putting holes in heads every so often. This section of the city is also where the longer range guns that fire at you as you cross the flat barren landscapes before you even made it to the outermost wall. You may also find that this part of the city is almost inaccessible without any aircraft, as this is the most well fortified area in the city. IF you manage to get passed the guarding force of the last HALF of the forces in the city, you still have dozens of meters of concrete, steel, and adamantine to get through. Even if you got through all of the above, the base of the Central Spire is really just the basement; you're still going to have to fight your way up to get to anything useful.

So, after fighting your way across a continent of inhospitable wastes, over a dozen miles high walls (which are fortresses in their own right), through the most [[grimdark]] shortcut to the market ever, through [[Nazis|the Siege of Berlin]] on a planetary scale twice, and up a giant fucking tower designed to impede any means of practical movement while being shot at some more, you still have nine or so more cities to capture before the Fortress World is yours.

Oh, before I forget, you're within shooting range of at least three of them at anytime anywhere on the planet.

Good luck!

== How To Crack One ==

A fortress world is one hell of a defensive position. However, they are not invulnerable. To defeat it, assuming you've dealt with the surface to space weapons and enemy naval garrison as well as Orbital forts...
You'll to orbitally bombard it, presumably with OKKVs (Orbital Kinetic Kill Vehicles, aka Rods from God), nuclear bombs of normal and shaped charge variety, shaped charge preferred, and aim for the shield generation systems to soften the area up. Once the majority are gone, try to aim for long range emplacements, in order to minimize attrition. If you're of the chaos type, do try to get cults sabotaging and initiating uprisings. If you're Imperial, Vanus will do the same. Toss in some assassins to remove enemy leadership.
Ok, you've successfully blown to bits the shields, and are now constantly raining hell onto the enemy. Time to start the invasion. Bring the Siege Tanks out, and push in one or two, maybe three if you have a huge force, points. At this point, it'd be wise to bombard the flak and other AA batteries. Once they are semi clear, deploy air units to put more holes in the enemy. Congrats, you just broke one of the walls. Now, while this is happening, begin bombardment of other cities and destruction of relief convoys from orbit. Don't let them send reinforcements if you can help it! The other cities should ideally be busy repairing the damage rather than sending artillery to your forces. Meanwhile, back at the coty you're cutting up, use OKKVs to tear down wall sections and cleanly remove resistance. Orbitally drop units in pods or use Elysians and Harakoni Warhawk units. Depends on your allegiance of course. Use them behind lines far enough that you will be able to reinforce them and relieve them. Repeat for each layer of defense, hopefully with some variation to keep them from adapting. Do this to each City. Congratulations, you just expended 10 planets worth of materiel to destroy one fortress world. This, of course, assumes you're not willing to Exterminatus this place. Exterminatus should be carried out via Asteroid or atmosphere burning. This should put a damper on their units. Go in and mop up. Done.
As for taking one over, well, unless you have the memetic and psychic corruption agents of Chaos or the sheer idiotic love for the figthing itself of the Orks and a stupid amount manpower on top of that, good luck.

== List of Fortress Worlds ==

Cadia: Broke before the guard did. Currently an asteroid field.

Vigilus: Active, but requires rebuilding.

Mars: Active.

Holy Terra: Active.

Luna: Active.

Terranis: <s>Destroyed.</s> Holds.

Krieg: Active.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Planets & Sectors]]

Forge World

2023-06-01T23:11:06Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{HurfDurf}}

{{Topquote|Alas, expensive things are better than the cheap.|Janina Ipohorska}}

'''Forge World''' is a term associated with [[Warhammer 40,000]]. In-universe, it applies to planets owned by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] devoted entirely to manufacturing. Out-of-universe, it applies to a division within [[Games Workshop]] that specializes in large and finely-detailed, hyper-expensive models. Seriously, you could spend the same amount of money on a decent used car as one of their premium lumps of plastic.

== Company ==
[[Image:Manta.jpg|thumb|Hello, I'm a Tau [[Manta]]. I am reasonably priced at a mere £1,100 (€1,360) ($1,705).]]
[[Image:Trumpeter-KT.jpg|thumb|Hello, I'm a Trumpeter 2-in-1 1:16 King Tiger. You can buy four of me for that.]]
The first meaning of Forge World is if you took [[Games Workshop]] and leveled it up a few times. It's a sub-division of GW and produces [[finecast|resin-cast models]] for 40k, [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Fantasy Battle]], [[Battlefleet Gothic]], and [[Epic]]. Forge World grew from one of the oldest official giant [[butthurt|stupid]] model projects, the early 40K lead [[Thunderhawk]] Gunship, which was originally created as a limited edition and routinely thrown at people who won GW contests. The Thunderhawk proved so popular that GW realized there was a serious market for giant stupid models, and thus Forge World was born to provide them, starting with [[Baneblade]]s and suchlike, working up to full-sized [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|40K Titans]]. Over time it's since gone about producing its own range of models and rule sets for a huge array of different factions, and even has its own home-grown [[Imperial Guard]] variants (the badass <s>[[Death Korps of Krieg]]</s> (or at least codified what was once little more than a doodle in the 3rd Edition IG Codex) and [[Elysian Drop Troops]]). The awesome-looking Chaos Renegades for [[Lost and the Damned]] also came from here.

More recently, Forge World has been spitting out gloriously beautiful and horrendously expensive Horus Heresy-era models, meaning every mark of Astartes [[Power Armour|Power Armor]], Cataphractii [[Terminator]]s, and older patterns of [[Rhino Transport|Rhino]] and [[Land Raider]]. This, in turn, creates the best and worst things ever; re-built, revamped [[Rogue Trader]] models. The horrible, goofy weapons, tanks, and dreadnoughts are back, in wonderful, goofy new resin kits. They all look amazingly terrible (and terribly amazing), but the icing on the cake includes [[Primarch]]s like ''[[Horus]] himself'' and ''fukken [[Jetbike#Imperial_Jetbikes|JETBIKES]].'' Yes, Forge World put out pre-Heresy Jetbikes, and they are everything you hoped and dreamed for (provided you hoped and dreamed for resin dicks with Spess mahrienss inside them), including a new forgotten weapon type (the [[Volkite Weaponry|Volkite]]). And now they also have Mechanicum models too- because who doesn't want to play around with the oft-forgotten Imperial Robots?

In addition, many of their older models (read: all the ones you want) are no longer available and command even ''higher'' premium prices, and all special models (read: all of them) require an attendant overpriced supplement containing rules that tell you how the hell to actually use it, since just including these as a printable PDF on the site would remove a valuable opportunity to steal your moneys. These are called [[Imperial Armour]] Volumes, and are handily abbreviated by [[Neckbeard|everyone here]] as '''IA''' (and then a Volume Number). People who claim they have these either do not actually have these and instead have [[Heresy|.pdf copies]] '''/''' only have one or two (generally out of date) and treat them like Gutenberg Bibles '''/''' have like 4+ and are [[Flash Gitz|way too rich for their own good]].

Also responsible for the [[Forgeworld Reserve Phenomenon]].

As of April 1st, 2016 (and no, it doesn't appear to be an April Fools joke), Forge World has apparently jumped onto GW's "Last Chance to Buy" bandwagon and has decided to do some housecleaning on their product range. Thankfully, it's mostly obscure bits that likely hardly anyone ever bought or used, but notable losses include the Ork Kill Krusha Tank, Macharius Omega, and almost the [[Rage|''entire'' MKIV Dreadnought line, ''both'' Chaos and Loyalist]]. Many other models have gotten the axe since, notably all the Elysian line, mark 2, 3, and 4 space marine armor, etc. Combined with the retarded markup they now give to buyers outside the UK and the Adeptus Titanicus <strike>fiasco</strike> [[Adeptus Titanicus| glorious]] [[Adeptus Titanicus/Tactics| rebirth]], Forge World is <strike>now seemingly becoming the hated company Games Workshop once was, while the main branch keeps rolling out PR successes.</strike> showing the true colors of Games Workshop as a whole once more - with their "faster shipping" fiasco proving that the entirety of their social media is merely a publicity stunt (like most corporations). It's worth nothing that FW represents GW as a whole - they are run by the same people on the highest levels.

As of 2022, their relevance has seen a decline. With the Horus Heresy, one of their most popular lines, getting a full-fledged reboot and its models being transferred over to the main studio, FW has been relegated to dealing with only the niche games, such as the LotR game and Blood Bowl...which Games Workshop ''also'' has stuff for on their main site. Even then, it's not very clear if they're the ones writing the rules to the games or if they're just making models. Their main claim to relevance with the 40K crowd right now seems to be keeping those few Death Korps of Krieg players that wanted Death Riders content.

...then that fell by the wayside, as 2023 and 10th Edition saw a good number of their 40K stock enter the Last Chance to Buy block, including those sweet Exalted Greater Daemons, special characters, and even some of their special dreadnoughts. At this point, it's looking more like they're just being relegated to making titans and little else as more of their rules become either integrated into the main studio's lines or dumped into a Legends index.

'''In conclusion:''' "Five hundred quid for a fucking titan? [[Rage|If I ever find the fucker responsible I'm going to beat them to death with their own]] [[HHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhnnnnnnngggggg-]]".
Note: Look at the new Warlord titans, 900 POUNDS for a titan, 1240 with weaponry.

'''*This doesn't mean to imply that you're limited to only two models unless you happen to be a serial killer or a corrupt mortician.'''

=== Notable Writers ===

*[[Alan Bligh]], who unfortunately died of [[cancer]] on May 26, 2017, and who was responsible for the creation of many rules concepts eventually used in the Forge World rulebooks. [http://www.john-french.com/2017/05/alan-bligh-remembered.html Read an obituary written by fellow GW writer John French here.]
*[[John French]]
*[[Andy Hoare]]
*[[Neil Wylie]]
*[[Anuj Malhotra]]

=== Things Forge World Loves ===
[[Image:Red_Scorpions_Marine.png‎|thumb|150px|right|Screw giving the Sisters of Battle some [[Sisters of Cleaning|much needed loving]], let's just concentrate all our resources on some [[Red Scorpions|obscure chapter that nobody cares about]].]]
* Your money
* The [[Horus Heresy]]
* Aircraft
* Rapiers
* [[Tau]] [[Battlesuit]]s <strike>(XV9s!! fap fap fap) (XV107s!!! fapfapfapfap)</strike> (HERESY! '''''BLAMBLAMBLAM''''')
* IG Tanks
* Have we said your money?
* [[Daemon Engines]]
* '''The [[Red Scorpions]]'''
* [[Terminator]]s, all the Terminators (except for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terminator robots originating from a certain movie], even though Games Workshop lifted from that movie to make [[Necrons|a race of robots for their setting]])
* [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan]]s and the price to go with them
* TEH [[Baneblade|BANEBLEHDS]]
* <s>[[Kroot]]</s>
* We may as well say it again, your money
* Charging 100$ for a book
* High quality Customer Service
* [[Space Marines]]
* [[Dreadnought]]s (they actually sell autocannons!!!)
** Now really only true for Contemptor/Leviathan/Deredeo Dreads, since they axed most of their Mk IV/V Dread stuff, including FW-exclusive variants like [[Chaplain]] and [[Noise Marines|Sonic]] Dreadnoughts.
* The [[Death Korps of Krieg]] (enough so that many of their units aren't as overpriced, though still not for the stingy).
* Adding an extra "0" to the end of reasonable prices
* The word "siege" attached to everything
* The [[Charcharodons]]
* Turrets & Immobile scenery
* Selling towing vehicles to move that immobile scenery around
* <strike>Units that are broken to play against</strike> not anymore, GW realised they lost money because of that
* The [[Minotaurs]]
* Your ''Opponent's'' money
* Bringing civilian vehicles to battle. Seriously, a Sentinel [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(franchise)| Power-lifter]?
* Introducing Salvo Weapons on units that will never use the rules for salvo weapons properly, or making them so bad that no-one ever takes them.
* Papa [[Nurgle]]
* The [[Orks]], when [[Games Workshop|GW]] won't love them because they aren't serious enough (though 2023 FW doesn't love the Orks nearly as much as 2013 FW did)
* [[Total War: WARHAMMER]] (Especially the Norsca DLC, which whilst [[Awesome]], was basically a playable Forge World advertisement! (Until they stopped selling most of those things. But hey, they still sell the Mourngul and boob troll.))
* Discontinuing items more-or-less at random. Including ones you might actually need for making viable Horus Heresy armies.
* '''Your Money'''

[[File:Forge-world-last-chance-to-buy-banner.png|thumb|Remember that expensive-ass model you salivated over as a kid? You had better buy it <s>now</s> ''a week ago'', because it's already sold out by the time you see this image.]]

=== Things Forge World Hates ===
* Decent shipping
* Australians
* New Zealanders
* EU Citizens
* 'Rest of the World' citizens
* Anyone not in the UK, really
* Poor people (eg. most of the editors of 1d4chan).
* You.
* Making sure their rules all have models.
* Making sure their models all have rules.
* Making sure their weapons have weapon profiles.
* Making army lists (the rules for their models are fine; their lists, on the other hand, are not).
* Making sure their stuff is balanced.
*Making sure the £180 Fellblade Super Heavy Tank you just bought came with THE FUCKING TURRET
* Spell Chequing.
* The Sisters of Battle
* Did we mention you? You.
* Proofreading books before release for rules/timelines/basic logic errors ''(supersonic transports that cannot land?)''.
* Warhammer Fantasy.
* <strike>Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit.</strike> No longer true, ever since they were given full control over the range. Now it's one of the few things they still make stuff for.
* Chaos that isn't Khorne or Nurgle.
* [[Dwarfs]]
* The Empire
* Other games workshop stores
* [[Gabriel Angelos|Making faces that don't look like shit.]]
* Making their instructions anywhere near understandable.
* Making uniform base sizes.
* Making sure their weapons don't have similar (or in some cases, the same) names.
* Releasing anything they advertise until long after the initial hype has died down.
* '''You'''

=== An Alternative Point on the Price (which is your soul, by the way) ===
While it’s a tradition of neckbeards everywhere to bemoan having to pay an arm, leg, testicle and unicorn blood for Forge World, it could be argued that Forge World’s high costs do have the beneficial side effect of taking some of the overpowered weapons and wargear that are supposed to be rare in the fluff, and bringing them into the tabletop while still making them rather rare in the meta, as comparatively few people are willing or able to fork over the [[teef]] for the models and rules. This is a good thing because, well, everybody ''wants'' a Titan, but do you really want everybody to actually ''have one''? This way, it’s a bigger deal when this stuff actually shows up on the tabletop, as it should be, and if you’re the sort that doesn’t like to go up against that sort of cheese you’re not likely to run into it too often.... or at least that's how it WOULD be if Forge World units weren't such a mixed bag these days. Not everything they make right now is overpowered, in fact if they aren't they tend to be absolute shite.

A case in point of what happens when that little status quo is disrupted, with the release of affordable plastic Contemptor dreadnoughts and Cataphractii terminators, and with Angels of Death giving us non-Forge World rules for them, you can bet that everyone and their [[squig]] is gonna have the damn things now, even with the rather dumbed-down rules compared to Imperial Armour.

There is also the point to be made that FW intended audience never was your average 40k player or casual fans of the setting, but the hardcore hobbyists who have been in the hobby for years, if not decades and accumulated a vast amount of knowledge about how to even handle this stuff correctly. Indeed, most FW models are extremely difficult to put together, not helped by the fickle material they are made from. This automatically pushed them into a niche audience, which was FWs entire business model; giving die-hard fans the possibility to see and own pieces of the most obscure lore from head honchos of GW. As such, production runs of FW models likely never were produced at scale or had substantial amounts of stock, which is important in price calculations, as mass produced goods can be made with bigger machines which put out more stuff at less of a cost in time and money, which in turn, makes the finished product cheaper. In essence, your Tau Manta costs an arm and a leg precisely because your Manta is very likely to be a custom piece just made for you and this costs an extra premium on top of the massive costs for material, labour and taxes.

=== Common Misconceptions ===
You'll occasionally find arguments online or perhaps within local gaming groups about the validity or "official-ness" of Forge World products. This has become less prevalent in recent years as the general perception of Forge World has become more mainstream, though every now and then the prejudice rears its ugly head, usually when a [[That Guy|certain opponent]] [[Butthurt|won't let you play]] the FW model you forked out a small fortune for.

Lets make one thing perfectly clear: Forge World ''(and Black Library)'' is Games Workshop. They share the same trading address and legal identity. It is not a subsidiary company (which would be a separate legal entity, but owned by the parent) nor is it a [[Fantasy Flight Games|licensee]] (which is a third party permitted to use the IP).

By comparison, [[Citadel Miniatures]] was founded as a subsidiary company and had its own separate projects outside of Warhammer/Warhammer 40,000 ''(so your opponent can [[Rage]] when you tell him your Forge World model has more direct legal provenance than his old metal models)''. GW also acquired Sabertooth games, which operated as an independent subsidiary, but both were eventually absorbed back into Games Workshop.

So, back to the issue with Forge World. Many [[Trolls|people]] had an innate dislike for the fact that Forge World models and rules were not actually declared by Forge World *or* Games Workshop to be "officially" part of the game; they would refuse to allow them on the tabletop, since they did not come from a Games Workshop primary rules source (such as a Codex, or the Big Rule Book). Forge World eventually started printing prefaces in their books explaining that their rules were official; but some still claim that since "Games Workshop" itself hasn't come out and said it, that they remain unofficial. However, since the spines of FW's books have always had the Games Workshop logos on them and the inside front cover have the legal copyright and property notices from GW, this argument seems specious at best; rather, much like how the Big Rule Book has no actual explicit declaration that rules from [[White Dwarf]] are "official", the Imperial Armour books themselves should be considered as canonical (what ever that means in 40k) as GW sources.

However, as with White Dwarf, GW hates you far too much as a gamer and customer to label any of their rulebooks/codices with edition numbers, much less ensure that their FW rules are always kept up to date with the current edition, and unlike Codices where you can typically determine the edition at a glance, a lot of Forge World books superficially "look" similar and may even have exactly the same name ''(to date there have been FOUR books with the title "Imperial Armour Apocalypse" but only two of them have sub-titles)''. This can be a major reason the rules are banned at tournaments, and an opponent might object for the same reason they might object to fighting a [[Squat]]s army under the current rules - however "obvious" the rules translation might be, some people are uncomfortable playing games across too wide an edition gap, as rules interactions may make no sense at all and/or have utterly pathological balance ramifications. '''Update''' this has become pretty much irrelevant with the release of 8th edition where Forge World have released complete indexes for pretty much their entire line.

We all know how [[ChapterHouse Studios|litigious]] GW can get with regards to "unofficial" products using their copyright, so you can bet if it wasn't official/legal Forge World would have had their asses handed to them, but it would seem absolutely stupid to sue the guys in the next office over in the same building as you. Seriously, there isn't even a divider between the FW and main parts of the store at Warhammer World anymore...

So next time you get to the table and your opponent starts whining about your Forge World models not being legal, just batter him over the head with your Imperial Armour book, which will be an order of magnitude heavier than his little codex and claim your victory by default.

'''As an additional side note''' - this has nothing to do with the perception of FW rules being either powerfully unbalanced or too focused on the narrative, but on reflection, that's no different from the [[skub]] surrounding [[Grey Knights|codex creep]] and [[Tyranids|painful nerfing]] already rampant within "core" GW material. So what's new?

If a Tournament Organiser decides that they don't want to include Forge World rules then that is entirely their prerogative as they will want the tournament to be as balanced or as hassle free as is reasonable, especially since FW have a tendency to publish their rules with minor variances across multiple "in-date" books, which can be a nightmare to manage, especially where some books have "current" rules alongside other rules which have been superseded elsewhere. Though with the advent of 8th edition, and all factions receiving simultaneous rule updates via indexes (Imperial, Xenos and Chaos Imperial Armour indexes), these rules are much easier to keep track of than ever before.

But these organisers ''(if they are smart)'' will also likely restrict "core" army selections too, so no Unbound lists or may exclude certain FOCs, because in the end which is more unbalanced and [[Cheese|cheesy]]? The guy who takes a contemptor dreadnought in his Combined Arms detachment or the guy who take an unbound army of Heldrakes? (Ha Held Rakes sound scary). If the tournament organizer is using the ITC standard for 40k, Forge World units themselves are in fact quite legal.

All that said however, there is a somewhat valid reason why someone may be a bit "model-shy" around Forge World rules; and that is information. There are 16 armies in 40k, and each dex tends to have more than one valid build; the Astra Militarum alone has six (tank heavy, artillery heavy, balance, flying circus, infantry spam, veteran spam). From a player's perspective, throwing MORE armies, rules, and models at them only compounds how much they need to consider. By counting Forge World, the number of army lists jumps to over 28 without considering supplements or mini-codices with only a handful of options, and again, each list can be played in more than one way, and then there are the (admittedly handful) of differences between Forge World and Games Workshop about the same model "is that the vanquisher with the coaxial? or not?" and then on top of all that you need to consider allies. While Forge World is legal from any logical standpoint, people are not logical, and may be daunted by just how much new information they have to learn in order to make proper gameplay choices and not lose, because they did not know that the Death Korp can give orders to artillery. Again, though Forge World is by any standard as legal as any codex, the other player may feel intimidated by your Space Marine siege army just because he does not know for sure what it can do and chose to walk way from it the same way he would if you brought an unbound army made of nothing but riptides.

== Planet ==
The second, fluffy, definition is a type of [[Imperial Worlds]] that refers to an entire world converted into a factory; one that runs at high capacity, even for its size. They produce everything from [[laspistol]]s to [[Land Raider]]s to [[Titan]]s, so they are needed to keep the Imperial war machine trundling forward. Many of them have particular specialties, such as Ryza's plasma weapons. Because of their nature, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] highly regard these worlds as holy places, and the Mechanicus owns just about all of them, which is fine since there are only a few of them and the Mechanicus is best at maintaining that shit. Losing a single one is considered an unacceptable loss by the Mechanicus, and the Imperium as well since it'll be harder than fuck to fill in those planet-sized gaps in their industrial sector (with that said, it's frequent to see hive worlds being described as essential industrial centers, and many of them certainly live off of their industrial output alone, so being industrial centers alone doesn't make a planet a forge world). In the [[fluff]], there is actually a Forge World called [[What|'Zpandex']]. Turns out, many of them are actually [[Tomb World]]s.

=== A few Forge Worlds of note: ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''Known Forge Worlds:'''
|'''Accatran'''
|Makes all the wargear for the [[Elysian Drop Troops]]. Their Titan Legion, the Legio Destructor, is the largest of all the Titan legions and their constant battles against Orks have made the Legio Destructor increasingly unorthodox in its outlook and behavior (read: Orky), and they have the awesome battlecry, 'big death, Big Death, BIG DEATH! '''BIG DEFF!!!!!!''''
|-
|'''Agripinaa'''
|One of the Forge Worlds near the [[Eye of Terror]]; too bad [[Typhus]] turned one of their Agri-Worlds into his own little Daemon World. Has kept itself independent and Chaos-free since the fall of Cadia by "recruiting" refugees into its Skitarii legions and occasionally making them into [[servitor]]s.
|-
|'''Angstrom'''
|Situated near [[Badab]]. Pledged loyalty to Ryza and doubles as an Explorator base and watchtower for the Maelstrom. When Lugft Huron's secession occurred they initially supplied both sides but ultimately fell in line with the Imperials and contributed the [[Adeptus Titanicus|Legio Crucius]] to the invasion of the Badab System.
|-
|'''Anvilus'''
|Prime maker of the [[Land Raider]] before the Heresy, as well as the [[Dreadclaw]] during the [[Great Crusade]]. Described as the only serious rival to Mars for manufacturing output once Phaeton was bullied into splitting its assets. Taken over by Horus's forces during the Heresy and if the lore of the [[Storm Eagle]] is any indication, suffered catastrophic damage during the war.
|-
|'''Aphret'''
|A minor Forge World during the Great Crusade. Contributed frigates to the Imperium's fleets, notably the ''Grey Talon''.
|-
|'''Arachnus'''
|A Forge World that seems to specialize quite heavily in big fucking lasers. They're the assholes that produce the "Heavy Laser Destroyers" that are sometimes mounted on [[Dreadnought#Deredeo_Pattern|Deredeo]] Dreadnoughts, as well as the ones used by Custodians. Despite this, their integration into the Imperium was a shaky one and when the Horus Heresy happened they declared their independence from both the Emperor and the Warmaster and began carving out an empire of their own. It would only be reconquered some time later. Home to the Legio Venator, whose renegade elements renamed themselves as the Legio Tritonis.
|-
|'''Atar Median'''
|Founded by exiles from Phaeton. Home to the Legio Atarus (Firebrands).
|-
|'''Chaeroneia'''
|A minor Forge World that turned traitor and started using extreme amounts of biomechanical tech to the point where literally every building, computer, and engine on the planet was at least half-biological. [[Titan_(Warhammer_40,000)#Castigator_Titan|An advanced AI]] was responsible for the world's fall, corrupting an Archmagos who subsequently converted the ruling class into a [[Chaos Cults|Chaos cult]] that worshipped the Chaos-corrupted AI as the Omnissiah.
|-
|'''Cyclothrathe'''
|Home to a particularly brutal sect in 30K, who followed Horus into rebellion. Used a House of enslaved and tortured Knights, and their warlord [[Draykavac]] became one of the most hated members of the nascent Dark Mechanicum.
|-
|'''Deimos'''
|One of the moons of Mars, a micro Forge World. Deimos is pretty much the size of an asteroid (and shaped like a potato); it made the old-school patterns of vehicles that we players refer to as "heresy era". After the Horus Heresy it was displaced and put into orbit around Titan to provide all the goodies to the [[Grey Knights]] instead, so it's now a moon of a moon. The functionaries of Deimos are mindwiped at both ends to prevent them knowing about daemons, but the moon still maintains three knightly houses with complementary skitarii ready to assist the Grey Knights should they need support. Apparently attending to one order of Knights wasn't enough; they need ''four'' to really be satiated.
|-
|'''Phobos'''
|In case you're wondering about the other moon: Phobos in 40k was covered in guns literally as Mars' last line of defence. In reality it is expected to slam into Mars at some point in the future (by 'future', we mean about 30 or 50 million years). But that's without having a shit ton of guns on it, and they can probably fly it somewhere like they did with Deimos, so who knows what its orbit is now. Interestingly, Phobos has a [[Monolith]] on it. [[wikipedia:Phobos_monolith|Seriously]].
|-
|'''Estaban III'''
|Had a feud with [[Ryza]] over the [[Thanatar-Class Robot]]. Home to the Legio Tempestus maniple which went heretic, and went with them. Eventually reclaimed by the Imperium.
|-
|'''Firestorm'''
|Homeworld of the [[Aurora Chapter]] located in the Ultima Segmentum, its manufacturing capacity can top that of several noted Forge Worlds combined.
|-
|'''Graia'''
|A Forge World made of space stations that orbit the planet Graia. Their Tech-Priests and Skitarii are so coldly logical and rational that even psykers struggle to breach their minds. The last known makers of the Rapier Laser Destroyer, and incur misfortune (like getting attacked by [[Orks]] in [[Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine]] and then eaten by the [[Tyranids]]) because GW ''hates'' the Rapier. Known for recently dealing with their frequent invasion problem by indulging in that most ancient of human tradition of taking ones ball and leaving, Graia no longer resides in its own home system. Poetically, [http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Imperial_Guard/Death-Korps-of-Krieg/GRAIA-PATTERN-RAPIER-LASER-DESTROYER.html Forge World loves Rapiers.]
|-
|'''Gryphonne IV'''
|Got wrecked by the [[Tyranids]], although some pretty cool artillery and [[Chimera Transport|Chimera]]s made from there still roll with the [[Imperial Guard|IG]]. Currently trying to find a place to rebuild as a nomadic Explorator fleet.
|-
|'''Incaladion'''
|A Forge World on the fringes of Imperial Space and constantly raided during the Age of Strife, it was home to the Legio Fureans ('Tiger Eyes').
|-
|'''Jupiter'''
|I know right? Bet you didn't know about this one. The Imperial Navy's foremost shipyard and drydock. It only makes ships. It is a hotly contested Imperial political debate as to whether Jupiter is sovereign to the Mechanicus or the Imperium. They went totally green though, the hippies.
|-
|'''Kai'''
|Once relatively close to Eye Of Terror. Due to [[Just as planned|an unfortunate flux]], the Eye expanded and engulfed it. Managed to maintain an Imperial presence for a time, considering that their weapons didn't have to obey the laws of physics. Eventually, they had to barter their services (and guns) to various daemons and Chaos Legions inside the Eye in return for protection. Made the legendary [[Bolter#Kai_Gun|Kai Guns]] during this time. Chaos being Chaos, the Machine Smiths of Kai got eradicated in the battle between daemons wanting their [[dakka]] fix. GW being GW, the hundreds of other strange and mystical weapons forged on Kai during its time in the Warp will never be elaborated upon.
|-
|'''Kaurava I'''
|A Forge World (continent-spanning Manufactorum, to be precise) which is capable of producing [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|over 100 Baneblades]] at any given notice. The status of this world is unclear, although it was likely abandoned or destroyed during the Kaurava conflict of [[Dawn of War|Dawn of war: Soulstorm]]. (Dawn of War III confirms that Gorgutz won the Kaurava Conflict.)
|-
|'''The Lathes'''
|Actually a group of three Forge Worlds in one system, named Het, Hesh and Hadd individually. These planets all have an extremely odd orbit around their parent star, which somehow results in their native ores having unusual properties because of [[bullshit|"gravity fluctuations"]] (the truth is probably way more heretical). Besides being the centre of production for the Calixis Sector, their most famous exports are Lathe-forged Blades, which use the aforementioned ore to basically be indestructible, able to stand up to even power blades.
|-
|'''Lliax'''
|30K-era Forge World. Supplied Shadrak Meduson's warbands during the Heresy, but they seem to have been involved in subverting his command with the Cult of the Gorgon.
|-
|'''Lucius'''
|First colonized by [[Battletech]] players from the late Eighties. [[Awesome|A hollowed out world that has replaced its core with an artificial sun.]] Though everyone knows that someday the sun will fail, the Tech-Priests of Lucius hold that death in pursuit of innovation is the greatest offering once can give to the Omnissiah. Maintains the ancient Legio Astorum, better known as the Warp Runners, and supplies the [[Death Korps of Krieg]]. Most notable for their teleportation tech, as well as how they fought against [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]: rather than concentrating all the [[Imperial Guard|meat]] in one futile last stand, they hunkered down in the hollow of their world and sent their military out piece-by-piece, accepting the loss of their servitors, but retrieving the undigested mechanical bits (presumably after they were shitted out) for recycling afterwards. Unable to breach the crust and access the gooey center of the mechanicus tootsie pop, the Hive Fleet fell back, losing more biomass than they gained. [[Tomb World|Does any of this sound familiar?]] They have exclusive patterns for some Titans which are cheaper to produce, [[skub|but not as sweet looking as Mars patterns]]. Didn't get super-heavy tank STCs for a while, which is why they were one of the few major Forge Worlds that launched Macharius tank production when its STC get re-discovered, while most others frowned on it as a "poor man's Baneblade". Unlike most other Mechanicus, they favour white robes for both their priesthood and skitarii, probably because it's the colour of hot plasma. So yeah, those unusually white-robed Enginseers from the Ciaphas Cain novels are probably Lucians. Although they've since been retconned into wearing dark red, so maybe not.
|-
|'''[[Mars]]'''
|The big boss of the other Forge Worlds and the go-to guy for [[STC|stock patterns]] of weapons. Home to the original three titan legions, the ''Triad Ferrum Morgulus'': Legio Ignatum (Fire Wasps), [[Dark Mechanicus|Legio]] [[Nurgle|Mortis]] (Death's Heads), and Legio Tempestus (Stormlords). Has a giant shipyard called the Ring of Iron in orbit, which claims to be one of the largest human-made objects in existence.
|-
|'''Metalica'''
|Home to the Legio Metalica. Also known as Metalicus due to GW not wanting to get sued. They maintain the only known [[Titans_40k#Imperial_Titans|Imperial Titans]] capable of out-rocking the [[Gargant]]s made by the [[Ork#Rokkas|Goff Rokkas]]. They also provide most of the Adeptus Mechanicus forces fighting on Armageddon at any given time, and are notable for [[Awesome|going on Tyranid safaris]]. Following the Charadon Campaign, its techpriests been preoccupied with keeping the techno-virus that [[Typhus]] infected it with from corrupting the planet. So far they've been relatively successful, but the virus has yet to be eradicated.
|-
|'''Mezoa'''
|A Volcanic Forge World where no Titan can walk for fear of falling through the planet's crust. Was besieged during the Horus Heresy and the Gothic War.
|-
|'''Mordax'''
|The one that got taken over by the [[Orks]]. They named it Mordakka ([[MOAR DAKKA|Yes really...]]) and [[Blood Ravens|Blood Ravens-ed]] the titans on it. Despite the dubious [[Canon|canonicity]] of the old 13th [[Black Crusade]] materials, Geedubs hasn't forgotten about Mordakka, giving it a place on the Skitarii 7th Edition Codex and AdMech 8th Edition codex's galactic map. It's more than can be said for other worlds on this list...
|-
|'''Morvane'''
|Mentioned in the [[Adeptus Custodes]] codex, Morvane is a "lost" Forge World and the only lead the Custodes have to a possible fix for the [[Golden Throne]].
|-
|'''M'Pandex'''
|Also called Z'pandex, Mappandax and Zaphadak. [[Lulz|You may commence laughing]]. (The original joke may have been that, during the Rogue Trader days, the Imperium needed a Forge World dedicated just to making all of the 80's-style spandex it would chew through.)
|-
|'''Orestes'''
|Supplied the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, but got attacked by Chaos Titans. [[Awesome|''And won.'']] [[Dan Abnett]] wrote [[Titanicus|a book]] about it. Presumably get overrun by Chaos with the rest of segmentum during the Night of Thousand Rebellions. It's apparently a Mechanicus-affiliated Knight World now. [[What|What the hell, GW?]]
|-
|'''Paramar'''
|Invaded and overrun several times during the Horus Heresy by both Loyalists and Traitors.
|-
|'''Phaeton'''
|Used to be where the standard Leman Russ, Chimera and Basilisk patterns came from, before GW changed the models to the Mars pattern. Home to the Legio Osedax (Cockatrices). It probably still is where the STCs were discovered, and Mars just "lifted" them for safe keeping.
|-
|'''Ryza'''
|Makes all the coolest plasma stuff because nobody else could keep their act together. Their Titan Legion is the awesomely named Legio Crucius (Warmongers). After fighting Orkz for so long their Skitarii have the most badass war cry among other Forgeworlds: "[[Rip and tear|Red in Cog and Claw!]]"
|-
|'''Sarum'''
|Forge World closely aligned with the [[World Eaters]]. Home to the bound daemon Sa'ra'ram, the source of Obliterators. It's since become a full-on Hell Forge, with all the Warp weirdness that goes with that, fading in and out of reality across the Golgothan Wastes.
|-
|'''Stygies VIII'''
|Makes awesome guns and ammo, as well as the (apparently rare) [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russ Vanquisher]]. Cannot keep their act together, losing [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|''two whole Titan Legions'']] to [[Chaos]] and having to get another legion [[Fail|transplanted in.]] [[What|Also it is a moon.]] Their tech priests constantly get into fights with Deathwatch killteams due to their intense interest in xenos technology.
|-
|'''Toil'''
|Got fucked over by [[Perturabo]] invoking Nurgle, causing the factories to become living Daemon Engines. Completely lifeless, [[Fail|with dying horribly to the Iron Warriors being its only notable purpose]].
|-
|'''<s>Tigrus</s> Tigris'''
|Originally made/discovered the Vanquisher Cannon, the Fellblade Accelerator Cannon, and several other Great Crusade-Era Imperial ordinance pieces and ammunition. Like Anvillius, it got absolutely wrecked during the Heresy. Currently overrun by the [[Orks]], specifically the Murda Meks of Tigris. Most players generally consider the Orkish takeover a good thing, seeing as this world now makes the [[Kill Tanks]] from IA8.
|-
|'''Tigrus'''
|Sits on the "dark" edge of the galaxy-wide fuck-off warp rift known as the Cicatrix Maledictum. Notably ''not'' overrun by Orks. Unlike the above world of ''Tigris'', which is also conveniently in the Ultima Segmentum. Seriously guys, Tigrus ''just'' won a campaign against the Tau in M41! They ''totally aren't'' the same Forge World, and GW ''totally didn't'' [[derp|forget about one of the most famous Ork-held worlds]] between 5th and 8th Edition when the new Adeptus Mechanicus codex came out, and the ''totally unrelated'' former Forge World Tigris ''totally isn't'' a misspelling existing only in IA8! Why are you all looking at me like that?
|-
|'''[[Tolkien|Tolkhan]]'''
|[[Imperial Armour|IA Vol. 1]] gave us this gem. Oh [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]], how you haunt [[Games Workshop|GW]] to this day. [[/tg/|We]] love you so. Incidentally, it is home to the best named Titan Legion ever: Legio Pallidus Mor, the Pale Riders.
|-
|'''Triplex Phall'''
|A Forge World on the Eastern Fringe, nearly got shitcanned by attacks from Hive Fleet Kraken and the Death Guard. Used to produce lasrifles for the [[Solar Auxila]] and currently produces the M-Galaxy Pattern lasgun. Constantly pisses of Mars by hoarding archeotech while refusing to hand them over.
|-
|'''Urdesh'''
|A Chaos-tainted Forge World in the Sabbat Worlds Sector, and contested heavily during the Sabbat World's Crusade. It was a more general-purpose Forge World, in that it produced all sorts of munitions, from Lascarbines to Autocannons to APCs and much, much more. Its specialty, however, was a large number of tank designs, most notably the AT-70 ''Reaver'' and the AT-83 ''Brigand''. While not quite as useful as Leman Russes, they were capable enough for the PDF in the sector. It remained under control of the Blood Pact army of Chaos until sometime towards the end of the Crusade. The [[Tanith First (And Only)]] face off against a lot of production from this world.
|-
|'''Vanaheim'''
|Known for producing its its own pattern of the [[Medusa Siege Gun|Medusa]] and [[Basilisk Artillery Gun|Basilisk]] with a unique gunshield as well as being the Forge World of origin for the [[Salamander Reconnaissance Tank|Salamander]] and [[Centaur Utility Vehicle|Centaur]].
|-
|'''Voss Prime'''
|A ''prime'' example of [[Imperium|Imperial]] [[fail]], has no idea what to do with [[Plasma|plasma.]] On the other hand, it made a Lasgun 2.0 called the Voss Pattern Lasrifle (it was [[awesome]]) and supplied the entire [[Solar Auxilia]] with it, down to a man. Who cares about plasma when you manufacture enough flashlights to light the whole Galaxy up? Still manages to maintain the goofily-named Legio Invigilata though. Also makes Vulture gunships and Lightning Strike Fighters. Main supplier for the Armageddon fleet, and known for their unconventional ideas about escort ship designs (most of which were produced for all of about three weeks before Games Workshop decided to shitcan their molds).
|-
|'''[[Xana II]]'''
|A neutral Forge World that tried to play both sides during the Heresy, only for the Loyalists to fuck their shit up. Taken over by a hardcore motherfucker named [[Anacharis Scoria|Anacharis "I Eat Primarchs For Dinner" Scoria]] and became the first of the Dark Mechanicum Hellforges. Now drifts through the warp, selling Hellblades, Hell Talons and Harbinger Bombers to Chaos Warbands.
|-
|'''Zhao-Arkhad'''
|Also spelled Arkkad, the Anarcho-Capitalist Forge World that decided it was best to buddy up with the [[Thousand Sons]]. Their mistake led to their Forge World being razed during the Heresy. It would be re-founded in M41, and the schematics for the [[Crassus Armored Assault Transport|Crassus]] and Praetor found there. Once home to the Legio Xestobiax (Iron Vigil), who used heretekal Psi-Control cores in their Titans. It is unknown if this made Xestobiax titans Psi-Titans or not.
|}

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Games Workshop]][[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Dark Mechanicus]]
[[Category:Model Manufacturers]]

Eldar World

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During their millennia of existence, the [[Eldar]] spread across the galaxy and colonized many planets. There are three main types of Eldar Worlds: Crone Worlds, Maiden Worlds, and Exodite Worlds.

==Crone Worlds==
Crone Worlds are the original homeworlds of the Eldar. Unfortunately, they're all located in the [[Eye of Terror]], and are subject to the usual effects of planets exposed to [[Warp]] energy. In short, they're [[Daemon World]]s. Unfortunately, they are also the only planets where one can find [[spirit stone]]s, which will protect an Eldar's soul from being consumed by [[Slaanesh]] upon death. As a result, [[Craftworld]]s will send suicidal sorties into Crone Worlds to gather spirit stones. Since the [[Exodites]] don’t seem to need them to be taken into their [[Infinity Circuit]] equivalent, the Craftworlders seem to be doing something wrong or are too proud/stupid to ask the Space Amish for advice.

They are named after [[Morai-Heg]], the Crone Goddess and Eldar Goddess of Fate.

The only known Crone World permanently inhabited by any group of "Eldar" so far is [[Belial IV]], home of the [[Shriekers]].

==Maiden Worlds==
Maiden Worlds are worlds which were terraformed by the Eldar millennia ago. Note that these planets were not instantly terraformed like [[Imperial]] worlds, but were selected and seeded with simple bacteria to create breathable atmospheres, while Eldar planet life would be introduced. This terraforming process was natural, and would take ''millions of years'' to achieve, with only future generations of Eldar enjoying them. When the [[Fall of the Eldar]] occurred, many Eldar that didn't flee in Craftworlds went to Maiden Worlds. Unfortunately, many Maiden Worlds were subsequently colonized by [[human]]s during the [[Great Crusade]], and many Eldar don't take kindly to the ''mon'keigh'' squatting on their planets and don't care about the fact that there was no way the humans would have known it belonged to the Eldar in the first place. In their defense, [[HFY|it's not like humanity would have cared either.]] To be fair to the Eldar, they give people the chance to be taken by the Eldar to other human worlds instead of fighting and perhaps they accept often enough for this to be continued for ten thousand years. Kinda weird for the spelves to be reasonable, but that small effort is probably worth far more than the eldar lives that would be lost. That, and the Imperium’s habit of using [[exterminatus]] on planets it doesn’t think it can take back and obstinate obsession with retaking any worlds lost.

Maiden worlds are known as ''Lilaethan'' after [[Lileath]], the Eldar Goddess of Dreams.

==Exodite Worlds==
Exodite Worlds are planets which were settled by the [[Exodite]]s when they abandoned the Eldar Empire. They are highly savage worlds, and Exodites will only build a few settlements, many of which are temporary. Most of the wildlife on Exodite Worlds are [[dinosaur]] like creatures which the Exodites call "dragons" and are usually predatory.

The Exodite Worlds have crystalline tendrils that grow through the planet's crust and act as its equivalent to a Craftworld's Infinity Circuit, serving as a repository for the souls of the dead. This also means that in many ways the planet functions as a living organism unto itself, animated by an awareness of the contained spirits of the Eldar who lived and died there over the millennia. The living seers among the Exodites can influence the psychic energy of this "planet spirit" as it is known and can cause the planet to turn against invaders in the event it is attacked, turning a peaceful planet into a total deathworld. [[Awesome|Awesom-]] [[Avatar|Hey wait just a damn minute...]] Although in this case, it looks like Ol' [[GW|Geedubs]] DIDN'T rip off someone else's sci-fi for once, fucking [[Furry|James Cameron.]]

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Planets & Sectors]][[Category:Eldar]]

Death World

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''Not to be confused with [[Deathworld]], a homebrew alternate universe setting inspired by a picture of Barack Obama looking badass in a Soviet uniform.''

A '''Death World''' (''Mundus in Articulo Mortis'', which is <s>Latin</s> High Gothic for "world at the moment of demise") is a classification of world used by the [[Imperium of Man]] to describe various worlds where everything on the planet is trying to kill its human population, much like the good ol' Ice Age. You know the old saying if you can't adapt to an environment, make it adapt to you? Doesn't apply on Death Worlds. You have predators the size of [[Land Raider]]s, environments so extremely hot or cold most Imperial citizens don't make it into their teens (let alone out of them) and resources are so scarce that every human settlement has adopted a philosophy of "kill or be killed" toward outsiders. Note that the planet still has to technically be ''colonizable'' to be a Death World; a gas giant may have 4,000 km/h winds and rain glass, but you can't colonize a gas giant. In short, Death Worlds are hostile enough to mean you would have to be crazy to live there, but you could live there if you were crazy enough to do it.

One must ask why the Imperium allows such worlds to exist. Canon floats two reasons. One: some of these worlds were colonized many ages ago and only became death worlds later on, such as Krieg (which was nuked long after it had been settled) or [[Chemos]] (before it was properly Exterminatused). Evacuating a planet is nigh-on impossible so the Imperium just tells the people to deal with the new problems. Two - liberated from Frank Herbert's ''Dune'': if you can survive what a Death World throws at you, then you're badass enough to become an Aspirant into the <strike>Sardukar</strike> [[Space Marines]]. The leftovers? They're a veteran, self-replenishing recruitment pool for some of the most badass Regiments of the [[Imperial Guard]].

Or maybe the world is too powerful for the Imp**BLAM**

==Notable Death Worlds==
*[[Baal]] (and its moons), homeworld of the [[Blood Angels]].
*[[Barbarus]], homeworld of the [[Death Guard]] (subjected to [[Exterminatus]] sometime between the conclusion of the Battle of Beta Garmon and the start of the [[Siege of Terra]] by the [[Dark Angels]] who outright Alderaan-ed it.)
*[[Caliban_(Warhammer_40,000)|Caliban]], homeworld of the [[Dark Angels]] (destroyed). Though they were determined to civilize it, consequences be damned.
*[[Catachan]], homeworld of the [[Catachan Jungle Fighters]], the Death World of all Death Worlds. Daemons themselves are literally terrified of this itchy hellscape. And with good reason.
*[[Fenris]], homeworld of the [[Space Wolves]], both before and after [[Magnus]] [[/tg/ gets shit done|came along]] and [[Rip and Tear|made a big mess when he magicked all over the place]].
*[[Medusa_(Planet)|Medusa]], homeworld of the [[Iron Hands]]. Or, even worse, there exists the worrying possibility of Medusa actually being a fucking dormant [[Tomb World]]. Poor Iron Hands [[Lamenters|just can't catch a break]].
*[[Nocturne]], homeworld of the [[Salamanders]].
*[[Cretacia]], homeworld of the [[Flesh Tearers]], AKA a planet with MUTHERFUKIN DINOSAURS!
*[[Krieg]], homeworld of the [[Death Korps of Krieg]], nuked by loyalists so [[Emprah]] could rule another bare rock. Shit version of Fallout.
*Phaedra, a major part of Peter Fehervari's sub-setting, [[The Dark Coil]]. It's full of predators, bugs, flora, and fauna that will kill or infect you in the most painful way possible. If you don't get taken in by its unusually subtle Chaos corruption, that is. It's not as outrageously lethal as the other planets on this list, but the sheer ease with which humans and Tau alike painfully die or go insane on the planet more than qualifies it here. It's even noted that it's "almost" classified as a death world, but this classification ignores the various reality warping horrors the world subjects it's visitors to.
*Phyrr of the [[Dark Heresy|Calixis Sector]]. Yeah the air and water is clean, and the whole place looks normal, but the spores and animals are lethal there as they have some bizarre gene-toxin that kills mature humans in an instant. The Adeptus Mechanicus have tried for years unsuccessfully to find an antidote. Thus it's both a Death World and Penal World, as well as an [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] Harvest World where the Biologis Branch sees the unique compounds as extremely valuable. If riots occur inside one of the filtered domes, then the Techpriests simply [[Grimdark|turn off the filtration]]. Home to the beautiful, yet deadly, Phyrr Cat.
*Jemadal, the planet that the [[Raptors]] crashed their entire chapter into after getting blown of course in a warp storm. A planet covered in dense slimy jungles with carnivorous plants, swarms of voracious predators, and enough humidity in the atmosphere to suffocate a Space Marine. Since the entire Chapter was stranded there for 7 years, they got pretty good at jungle warfare and basically turned into Space Marine Catachan.
*Settler's Bane, an aptly named planet where the flora and fauna is so lethal that the Feral Orks infesting the place are regarded as a "minor nuisance" by the human inhabitants of the planet. Imperial Guard regiments raised from the populace are known for being pretty eager to get into close combat, and often wear Ork hides over their uniforms.
*Luther Macintyre IX, a desert planet known for sandstorms capable of flaying a human's skin from their bones. The homeworld of the subterranean and rather nasty [[Ambull]], which has since been exported to plague dozens of other Imperial worlds. It is also known for having Mica-Dragons, the teeth of which were used in the creation of Angron's chainaxes Gorechild and Gorefather. As if all of this didn't make it a horrible enough place, it might also be a Necron Tomb World. How can a tomb world be even worse you ask? Well, as one of the most recent Dark Imperium novels puts it, "Chaos is and has been the single greatest threat to the existence of Mankind since its inception... But in all that time, the Necrons had remained dormant. Had."
*[[Phyrr]]: a planet which has an ecology that for some reason is extremely toxic to humans. A little Phyrr pollen on the wind can turn a man into a pile of slime and bones.

{{40k-Planets}}

Imperial Worlds

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[[Image: Imperial_Palace_Terra.jpg|700px|thumb|right|Ladies and gentlemen, hive/shrine world, Holy Terra.]]

==Designated by function==

===Agri-Worlds===
'''Agri-Worlds''' are planets in the [[Imperium of Man]] entirely dedicated to agriculture. A typical Agri-World is mostly covered by millions of square kilometers of farmland managed by a few million farmers and a couple of spaceport cities/transportation hubs where stuff is loaded onto starships to be sent elsewhere to feed the Imperium's teeming masses. Said ships also drop off huge loads of shit (sometimes literally) to keep things fertile. Others are Ocean Worlds with huge fish farms or Gas Giants with habitable zones and balloon bases that collect airborne plankton and mash them into Soylens Viridens. Their tithes are paid in whatever edible products they grow, which, combined with their relatively sparse population, means that they rarely have to raise regiments for the [[Imperial Guard]]. Some still do as need allows, or have a small number kept in the Sector and well supplied. Other Agri-Worlds are defended by [[Imperial Knight]] Houses, becoming Knight Worlds. The Administratum has a somewhat dickish tradition - of course - of promoting them all as rural, bucolic paradises regardless of what they are actually like (although worlds like that certainly do exist in the Imperium, it's more likely that they would be pleasure worlds, garden worlds, or simply a barbaric world that hasn't been colonised yet).

So, you're probably wondering how the Imperium makes farming [[grimderp]]? Well, it varies a lot by source. Some sources suggest that Agri-Worlds are often pushed insanely hard to produce ever more food to the point that a combination of intensive monoculture and massive pollution eventually causes the total destruction of both the soil and the planet's viability for growing food, meaning the Imperium would eventually starve to death if it weren't for the massive amounts of fertilizers. Other sources will focus on the harshness of labor and the toxicity of said fertilizers turning the planet into a hellish labor-pit where, even if the ''planet'' isn't going to die, the inhabitants have a pretty shitty life - one example of this is Nova Thulium, where the air is so thick with toxic chemicals from the fertilizers and the workers are supplied with such limited means of protecting themselves from their effects that people usually die in their early 40s. Nova Thulium has been widely rejected from canon by the fans since it's an '''[[Ultramar]]''' world, which surely shouldn't be run so inefficiently, even if that kind of mismanagement isn't out of the question for the Imperium as a large. Finally, the last way that Agri-Worlds will be grimdarkened is by focusing on the lives of the natives and making them as shitty as possible - essentially sugar cane and cotton plantation slave labor on a planet-wide scale.

Of course with some creative rewrite you can quite easily ungrimderp some aspect of Agri-Worlds. In example, let's keep Nova Thulium as chemical wastelands, uterly deadly to HUMAN life but not to the plants and animals, as the planet's ecosystem has been manufactured to be extremely fast growing, nutritious and edible, after processing, that absorbs chemical like a sponge. The ecosystem is self-sufficient except for said chemicals. The populous live on domed and sealed settlements with pleasant enough living conditions, and during the harvest seasons the workers use specialized suits to go outside and work. Now to let's grimdark it. Said suit's are a marvel of engineering, long lasting and easy to maintain, the suits can be used by same family for generations, they even have special place within the local religious beliefs. But they are extremely hard to made, so much so that the planet's upper class are made of those that have been able to hoard these suits or have contacts with the their manufacturers. So if family loses one of them, possibly its user as well, it's huge blow to their standing and if they cannot get replacement suit, it might lead them to take huge loans or other risky actions to get one, which can lead them leaving the world, turned into servitors or dept slaves. Even just the public shame for losing one can lead to discrimination and suicides.

Even when Agri-Worlds are pleasant places, the bureaucracy of the Administratum usually gets in the way. To give one example, the Agri-World of Ceocan was capable of producing enough grain, fruit, vegetables, and fish to feed many worlds, but the entire output of the planet was tasked to only feeding the Mechanicus's operations in the system - along with rendering down the kind of food most Imperial citizens would never taste in their lives down into tasteless nutrition bars. And this decision was made because it was tiny fraction of a percentage more efficient that vat growing their own sustenance.

===Cemetery Worlds===
Extremely depressing worlds that are dedicated almost entirely to being huge graveyards. '''Cemetery Worlds''' see some religious overlap with Shrine Worlds, and are considered sacred and solemn places by the Imperium at large, especially the Ecclesiarchy. Most if not all of these worlds are not simply covered in row after row of grave plots, though one might assume some Cemetery Worlds are surfaced in nothing but geometrically perfect grave tessellations, broken only by small hills with singular willows to be sad under. Some have cathedrals clad entirely in human remains, or catacombs that reach many kilometers into the planet's crust. Certain Cemetery Worlds are dedicated only to the deceased of certain organizations or sub-sectors, though these are very rare.

These should not be confused with Mausoleum Worlds, which are a subcategory of either shrine worlds or, more usually, Space Marine worlds.

===Forge Worlds===
{{Main|Forge World#Planet}}
The Imperium's massive workshops. Forge Worlds are planets dedicated entirely to industry, are technically a sovereign world of the Mechanicum, and the property of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]].

===Hive Worlds===
{{Main|Hive World}}
Exist to cram tens of BILLIONS of people onto one planet, obviously [[Grimdark]] for underhivers. More realistically, hundreds of trillions seeing as even at a population of roughly seven billion modern Earth is barely inhabited compared to the vast wilderness. And that wouldn't take into account countless cities whose spires sometimes extend past the atmosphere or planet-cities Coruscant style.

To clarify here, if one was to cover the entirety of an Earth sized planet with a city such as Paris (one of the densest cities on Earth), it'd result in a population of three ''trillion''. Now one has to imagine the population of something like Terra itself, which is this but turned up to 11 at the least.

===Mining Worlds===
{{Topquote|FOR KARL!|A [[Leagues of Votann|Kin]] from the DeepRock Kindred. Do we even need to ''explain''.}}

Mine mine, mining for the glory of the [[Emprah]]! Mining Worlds is one giant open-pit mining quarry. These are one of the most important planets as they provide the Imperium the raw materials needed to craft their myriad of killy stuff. As such, Mining Worlds are often situated right next door to a Forge World and are often heavily defended as a result.

Whilst nowhere near the levels of [[Grimdark|Dead Space]], Mining Worlds would have its geography drastically altered and eventually run out of minerals to mine; it would then be either reclassified as a Barren World or a Space Marine training outpost. Most Mining Worlds are lifeless rocky planets anyway, since even the ass-retarded competency of Imperial bureaucracy recognizes that it is far more logistically easier to mine on shit that [[Exodites|would not provoke a hostile takeover]]. Of course, that ''should'' be true in theory, until some halfwit accidentally digs too far and activate an underground [[Necron]] complex, because surprise surprise! [[Pretend|Shit turned out to be a]] [[Tomb World]]. [[Rape|Que expected results.]]

Expect the only population being filled with [[Servitor]]s and [[Deep-Miner]] landships.

===Shrine Worlds===
'''Shrine Worlds''' are worlds completely dominated by the Ecclesiarchy. They are famously paved in cathedrals, monastaries, reliquaries and catacombs. While never truly reaching Hive World status, many of these worlds are nonetheless stuffed to the gills with pilgrims, caretakers, priests, and the officers of the Imperial Cult. They make excellent homeworlds for Orders of the Sisters of Battle. Any Guard Regiments raised will be fanatical in their service. Frequently hosts Scholae Progenia as well.

===[[Indrick Boreale| SPESS MAHREEN]] Worlds===
These are planets claimed by a [[Space Marine]] chapter. While typically most Chapters select Death Worlds, Feral Worlds, or Feudal Worlds as a home due to the hardiness of their residents, some of these planets are more civilized or even at a [[Ultramarines|better standard of living]] than most of the Imperium - the Realm of [[Ultramar]] is an obvious example of the latter.

Tithe Astartes planets are notable for being one of only two planet types [[Gene-seed|exempt from the usual Imperial Tithe]], with the only other type being ''Aptus Non'' (read: planets which have been [[Exterminatus]]'d or an unimportant place that is considered Imperial territory but has no tactical or strategic value). This does lead to a few political complications. For instance, Space Marines can technically claim a Hive World for recruiting, and some do, but because the tithe of the world is then denied for the recruiting of guardsmen it creates tension between the chapter and the Adeptus Munitorium.

== Designation by development level ==

===Feral Worlds===
'''Feral Worlds''' are places where mankind has regressed to the level of the Stone Age. While they're as primitive as it gets, they are prized for the high quality of their warriors. There are numerous kinds of Feral Worlds, from stereotypical "Neanderthal worlds" (like the ones which spawned the [[Ogryn]]s) where humans are brutish hunter-gatherers wearing pelts to Techno-Barbarian worlds where everything has gone ''Mad Max'' or ''Waterworld'', much like Terra itself in the Age of Strife.

Some Feral Worlds are closer to the Neolithic Age, and have recognizable urban civilization and culture. There isn't a lot of official nomenclature for the numerous sub-variants of these worlds. Imperial Tithes from Feral Worlds tend to be either nonexistent or in manpower for the Imperial Guard. Occasionally these worlds will have some natural resource which the Imperium decides it needs, so they can be colonized by more civilized Imperium citizens or Mechanicum [[Servitors]], who set up isolated bases of operation amidst the "barbarism". Favored for Astartes recruitment due to probably hellish life conditions. If a subsector with an Astartes chapter garrisoned has several inhabited Civilized Worlds, a Hive World for a capital, some Forge Worlds and a Feral World, you can bet your ass the Astartes will be recruiting from that last one.

===Feudal Worlds===
'''Feudal Worlds''' are planets abandoned by the greater human species during the Age of Strife and for one reason or another regressed back to pre-engine (steam or otherwise) technologies. They are also generally divided into small kingdoms which fight with each other but pay tribute to the Imperium; apparently the Neo-Medieval themes of 40k just weren't enough so they had to add in several actual medieval-themed worlds too. The Imperium deliberately keeps them from progressing further technologically (with only a small handful of exceptions) since the Imperium already works on a form of the feudal system anyway. More importantly, it ensures that the planet's citizens know their place in Imperial society and don't get any ideas about secession into their heads. The big reason why these planets are kept around is because they provide good light infantry for the Imperial Guard; Space Marines like to recruit from here as well due to the martial traditions offsetting the slightly softer life compared to Feral Worlds.

===Knight Worlds===
The '''Knight World''' is a special variant of planet, somewhere between an Agri-World and a Feudal World. These worlds are only found in planetary systems with Forge Worlds (or at least close enough to them that a short Warp jump is enough to bridge the gap), and are more within the legal vestibule of the Mechanicum than the Imperium. Since Forge Worlds rarely harbor any kind of agriculture, Knight Worlds supply Forge Worlds with the huge amount of food it needs to survive, and sometimes help fulfill their mineral quotas as well. In turn, the Forge World supplies the kingdoms of the Knight World with [[Knight Titans]], huge war machines with which the kingdoms may defend themselves from rampaging megafauna, Chaos incursions, Xeno invaders, and the Knights of other kingdoms. When the Forge World is in need of defense, or a local Explorator is going on a quest, the Knights and their well-trained pilots (and squires, attendants, Household Retinue Troops, etc.) are called upon in whole or in part to "ascend to the stars and fight amongst the gods".

===Civilized Worlds===
'''Civilized Worlds''' are the 'normal' inhabited planets in the Imperium. Lacking Hives (or at least having one or two per continent at most, usually as the capital of the planet) or Forge-World-scale factories they nevertheless have a decent level of technology and a population in the same ballpark as modern Earth (5-11 billion) or at least low enough that they aren’t either covered with numerous hive cities or one giant city-planet. They can be expected to often have many times Earth’s population (especially since guesstimates about how many people Earth can sustain never accounts for arcologies or their agricultural equivalents). Due to lack of [[fluff]], this may be the most common type of planet in the Imperium, but seriously, are you in the game for a chance to edit wikis in the 41st millenium? Many of Ciaphas Cain's novels occur during campaigns to defend civilized worlds, which actually helped to tone down a great deal of the Grimderp of 40k early editions by actually giving the imperial armies populations and places to defend which you could feel emphatic with; it's good to know even at the beginning of the 42nd millenium there are still snack vendors, cafeterias and pubs.

====Pleasure Worlds====
'''Pleasure Worlds''' are a subtype of civilized worlds, sporting exquisite wine estates, views Hive Worlders will never even see a picture of, and [[Slaanesh|much more]]. Essentially tourist traps and vacation spots IN SPEEEHS and predictably restricted to the exclusive use of nobles, senior officials of the Adeptus Terra, and other big shots in the Imperium. These worlds are often hotzones for Slaaneshi cultists, because why not turn some of the Imperium's most powerful men and women to [[Chaos]] when they're on vacation? As of 8th edition, even Pleasure Worlds are supporting war by setting up hospitals, providing rare medications and other support.

==Designation by status==

===Paradise Worlds===
Different from Pleasure Worlds, '''Paradise Worlds''' are merely a joy to live on. Either lushly verdant or impressively architectural (or both!), Paradise Worlds are as far from the Imperial front lines as one can reasonably get. As war can and will find its way to Paradise Worlds, [[Grimdark|no well-known examples have remained in this world classification for very long.]] Many of the remaining Paradise Worlds are self-sufficient, with farming and housing and industry all balanced perfectly. Many of them are also relics, with histories that span back into the Dark Age of Technology (somehow without civilization-ending calamities). Paradise Worlds are jealously guarded and staunchly defended both politically and militarily. Some Knight Worlds are Paradise Worlds, such as Voltoris, home of [[Imperial Knight|House Terryn]].

===Dead Worlds===
Exterminatus isn't the only way planets die. Ecological disaster, sudden celestial events, alien invasion, someone disengaged from the warp too close to the planet and accidentally the atmosphere... (assuming you can Warp into a star system or near a planet, the lore happily contradicts itself on this constantly because fuck consistency). Unlike Quarantine/Forbidden Worlds (see below), these aren't strictly forbidden for colonization, just that the work required to make them habitable is prohibitively expensive for the negligible gain in resources. Most would require either completely isolated arcologies, underground cities, or huge terraforming projects. Tyranids create these worlds en masse: after they nom all the life on the planet, they will then turn to draining the planet of its core, atmosphere, and any water still remaining before setting off for new real estate.

===Barren Worlds===
A sub-classification of Dead World; a '''Barren World''' is the Dead World's less awful little brother. It is a world which has never harbored life, nor could without substantial terraforming. Mars in M40 (and M2) is a good example of a Barren World, or would be if it wasn't already a Forge World (and a Hive World in its own right). These worlds are often colonized for mining.

===Death Worlds===
{{Main|Death World}}
Death Worlds are worlds where everything is hostile to Human Life (think Australian outback on crack). '''''Everything'''''. The animals, the plants, plate tectonics, weather, seasons, sometimes even the very air itself is fatal to humans, while being just habitable enough to warrant colonization. Examples include [[Catachan]] and the majority of Astartes homeworlds such as [[Fenris]]. Sometimes the lethality is artificial, like [[Krieg]]'s nuclear winter.

===Quarantine/Forbidden Worlds===
While it seems cut and dried what kind of planet this is, these tend to have a large spectrum of why they are blocked off and how it is enforced. For the most part, the reason is [[heresy]]: the planet has fallen to Xenos influence or Chaos, or simply broken off from the Imperium. [[SCP Foundation|Mysterious perceived danger]] can also be a reason; a planet being a Death World is one thing, but if the [[Call of Cthulhu|last '''five''' colonization attempts on a planet ended with the inhabitants mysteriously vanishing]], the Imperium is going to block it for settling and generally tell the Inquisition to figure out what is going on. The Inquisition rarely does, and so Forbidden Worlds they remain until everyone forgot why they were forbidden, and [[Grimdark|they send another settling party down...]]

===War Worlds===
'''War Worlds''' are planets locked in eternal war. So what makes these planets different from just any old planet with a war on it? Scale and length; on a War World, generations of soldiers have lived and died. Some planets just have such warlike cultures that even without an external force, they will kill each other (not necessarily for Khorne); usually planets with scarce resources—— such as [[Zayth]], but that's a Hive world—— result in this since the best way to deal with limited supplies is to kill someone else and take their stuff. Some of these worlds just happen to be unluckily situated in a location so strategic that two intergalactic (or merely galactic) factions refuse to acknowledge the sunk-cost fallacy and back down; occasionally even the sunk cost fallacy doesn't apply because of how important the location is.

Many Imperial groups maintain War Worlds as a means of keeping battle-trained troops at the ready. They are useful for Guard and Space Marine recruiting and act as a natural deterrent to planetary conquest or invasion in important areas.

For the most part, these are probably pretty shitty places to grow up in, ''[[Grimdark|even by Imperial standards]]''.

An example of a War World was [[Cadia]].

==[[/tg/]] worlds==

===Imperial Daemon Worlds===
See Terranis in [[Love and Krieg Spinoffs]].

{{40k-Planets}}

Stygius Sector

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[[File:StygiusSector.jpg|420px|right|thumb|Map of the Stygius Sector.]]
The Stygius Sector used to be part of Imperial space in Segmentum Obscurus and Ultima Segmentum. It is quite known for the fact that it is the location of the motherfucking [[Mordian Iron Guard]], the hardest motherfucking [[Imperial Guard|Redshirts]] you can find outside of [[Cadia]] and [[Catachan]]. Unfortunately, during the [[Black Crusade|13th Black Crusade]], [[Abbadon|Failbaddon]] finally succeeded in his plans on conquering Cadia (Sort of? It was more accurate to state that Abbadon conquered [[Exterminatus|''pieces'' of Cadia]]) and ended up splitting the Galaxy in two. This [[NSFW|giant galactic gaping vagina]] known as the [[Great Rift]] caused a psychic blackout to the northern parts of the Imperium. Mordian and the other systems within the Stygius Sector was plunged in a dark age, now vulnerable from [[Daemons|whatever gubbins waiting just around the corner.]]

Currently, the entire Sector is under the control of the [[Thousand Sons]], with Mordian being the unofficial de facto capital of the Stygius Sector (Although it is technically not an official capital de jure) whilst Sortiarius and Prospero remains the dual capital in the [[New Kingdom]] enclave. This means that Magnus' government is unique in that it has three capital locations at once. Of course the Imperium does not recognize the newly acquired territory, instead viewing it as an occupation, meaning that the Stygius Sector is the largest known unrecognized territory in the galaxy. Furthermore, the Scourge Stars would most likely not recognize the Stygius Sector as territory owned by Sortiarius due to Tzeentch's foreign involvement and meddling within the Death Guard's domain. Magnus obviously rejects the lack of Imperium recognition as he views it as a territory that was won fair and square.

==Invasion of the Stygius Sector or how Magnus and Tzeentch suddenly put on their Manifest Destiny Hat==

After seeing what [[Mortarion|Morty]] [[Death Guard|and friends]] did in realspace with the creation of the [[Scourge Stars]] (Who ironically got inspiration on how [[Magnus|Magnymagic]] got [[Sortiarius]] out into realspace with a good [[Space Wolves|Yiff kicking]]), [[Tzeentch]] [[Thousand Sons|and friends]] decided why not do the same? And so they did with the sudden invasion of the Stygius Sector which was now vulnerable from Chaos incursions due to the current astropolitical climate of the galaxy. Magnus (After ''[[Derp|somehow]]'' escaping the labyrinthine psychic rainbow road known as the [[Webway]] without a map) also decided that just popping Sortiarius over his old home system of [[Prospero]] wasn't secure enough and decided it was in his best interests to exploit the political situation and expand a bit. Although why Magnus and co decided it was a good idea to set up shop from the ''other side'' of where Sortiarius is located in the Great Rift is unknown (Possibly to create a distraction to the Imperium so that Sortiarius won't get invaded?).

Anyways, the opening phase of the invasion saw Cult uprisings begin across a score of the Sector's isolated worlds which is further helped with the actions of the Changeling [[Troll|adding further fuel to the Sector's troubles, as the Daemon traveled from world to world, spreading havoc and confusion.]] However, it was only when the Stygius Sector's worlds were seething with rebellion that the true invasion began, as Tzeentch's Daemons and Chaos Space Marines were unleashed upon the Sector. With the Daemon Primarch Magnus and his Thousand Sons, along with the Lord of Change M'Kachen and its Great Changehost, among Tzeentch's forces, three of the Stygius Sector's Systems were swiftly taken; with only the Imperium world Mordian being able to resist the Chaos God's invasion. Shortly afterwards though, the light of the Astronomicon, [[Plot armor|began to miraculously reach the Sector and its beleaguered defenders immediately sent out a request for aid.]]

When the Imperium received the request for aid, the Stygius Crusade was hastily assembled and sent to defend the Sector, but when it arrived seven sub-sectors had already fallen into Tzeentch's hands. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Stygius Crusade immediately fought to stem any further losses to the Chaos God's invasion and launched attacks to reclaim the worlds already claimed by Tzeentch's forces. Long story short, the counter Crusade was a long-drawn clusterfuck with [[Derp|Imperium officials being the usual bumfuck retards]], [[Awesome|the Mordian being such tough bastards to kill and]] [[PROMOTIONS|Tzeentchian shenanigans causing mutations left and right.]]

The Imperium would have gotten its ass kicked if it wasn't for the convenient timing of motherfucking [[Craftworld Ulthwé]] arriving in the Sector without warning and began to push back the Chaos God's forces (How Ulthwe managed to escape the psychic pull of the now expanded Eye of Terror is yet to be explained). The Eldar were uncharacteristically pretty damned reasonable and actually told the Imperials on their plans rather than some [[Bullshit|cryptic bullshit]] ([[Love Can Bloom|I guess that Yvraine/Guilliman shipping seem to really took off]]). They stated that they did not arrive to aid the Crusade against the forces of Chaos though. Instead, the Craftworld's Seer Council contacted the Crusade's commanders and told them they could not save the Stygius Sector and staying there would not aid the Imperium. So Ulthwe ended up covering the retreating Imperials and what's left of the Mordian Iron Guard to safely retreat, regroup and recover.

By the end, 90% of the Stygius Sector fell and Tzeentch [[Just As Planned|manage to carve out a rather big and juicy Sector;]] most likely thumbing his avian nose at Nurgle over his much larger gains in contrast to the limp-dick three star system of the [[Scourge Stars]].

The rest of Stygius Crusade fleet beat the hell out of town except the [[Iron Hands]] said to hell with that, we can hold this shit (and [[Drop Site Massacre|they're no strangers to being stubborn holdouts]]). So they stayed behind with the Mordians and fought another war for the planet holding the Tzeentch forces at bay until the Iron Hands successor chapters were able to get there and beat Tzeentch off Mordian again. Then the Mordians and Iron Hands and successor chapters start rearming planning to take back at least 2 of the lost systems with resupply from a nearby forge world ready to take the fight to Magnus and his flamers. So, yet again, the Eldar were wrong. Like usual.

{{40k-Planets}}

Solar System

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{{wh40k-stub}}
[[File:HHWeekender-Feb2-Map7dx.jpg|700px|center|thumb|A classy map of the Sol System. [[Derp|Don't ask us what the hell happened to Uranus however.]] Scroll down a bit for that.]]
A general introduction to the [[Terra|neglected]] [[Mars|celestial bodies]] of humanity's home system in 40k.

== Sol/Sun ==
It is the sun, yellow, G Class, with 5 billion years of life left under normal circumstances. General graveyard of heretics and their possessions (no pun intended).

== [[Mercury]] ==
Mining world. That's it. Literally. The lore is that long. However much ore is left after tens of thousands of years is a matter of debate. Mercury was the last inner system planet to submit, the sparsely populated miner conclaves happily accepting Imperial compliance.

== [[Venus]] ==
An Imperial Industrial world. Before the Great Crusade it was ruled by the War Witches, whoever they are, but was brought under the control of the Imperium by the early Iron Warriors. Infamous for its pleasure orbitals, which put Pleasure Worlds to shame.

== Earth/Holy [[Terra]]==
The capital planet of the Imperium, the homeworld of mankind and the most important world in the whole of the Imperium. Unless you are an astronaut, you are here.

== [[Luna]]/Moon ==
Used to be ruled by gene-cults with a lot of growth vats before the Emperor set off uniting the Solar System. Refusing to be annexed and sending the envoy back as a somehow living sack of flesh, this caused big Emps sent the XVIth Legion(and co.) upon them, with the gene-cults finally saying "OK, we surrender, call off your wolves." As such, the [[Luna Wolves]] were christened.

== [[Mars]]/Sacred Mars==
Home of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the biggest forge world of all by several degrees of magnitude. Phobos is also a Mini Forge World / Defense Platform while Deimos got moved to Saturn, specifically Titan.

== [[Jupiter]] ==
A [[Wat|gas giant Forge World]], though the entire population is in orbit on one of the moons or in the various stations and docks that surround it. Jupiter is ''THE'' Imperial Navy's foremost shipyard and drydock. It only makes ships, though the planet is also ringed by a dense cloud of broken ships that are waiting to be scrapped and re-purposed into new materials. It is a hotly contested Imperial political debate as to whether Jupiter is sovereign to the Mechanicum or the Imperium (technically it would be politically between the Mechanicum and the Administration, as the Imperium is the unification of these two entities). They went totally green though, the hippies. Back in the Age of Strife, the planet was home to groups of Void Clans, while the moons were occupied by monstrous Xenos hordes until the Great Crusade wiped them out. The Horus Heresy did quite a number to the Jovian moons, with several of them devastated by Perturabo and the Iron Warriors. However, they were quickly reclaimed early in the Great Scouring.

* '''Io''': The large moon closest to Jupiter and the most volcanic hellhole in the system. Has some Mechanicus habitats.
* '''Europa''': Once an icy rock with a massive ocean beneath its surface, it was terraformed into an Ocean Moon. Also has habitats.
* '''[[Ganymede]]''': Was once a Forge Moon that was used for experimentation on recovered [[Squat]] technology (Warp batteries, specifically Warp-Plasma generators). However, the experiments went awry and created the Contagion of Ganymede, a hole into the Warp that unleashed a Daemonic invasion and devastated it. The moon was declared Perdita and quarantined. Yeah, maybe testing something related to the Warp on a Forge-anything was a terrible idea that shouldn't need hindsight to reveal. However, since [[Roboute Guilliman]] returned, the [[Grey Knights]] got off their asses and recovered the moon, allowing the Imperium to convert it into a Hub-Fortress for the supply of the [[Indomitus Crusade]].
* '''Callisto''': The furthest large moon with thin atmosphere and an underground ocean. Also has a bunch of habitats.
* '''Lysithea''': An asteroid moon that was invaded and conquered by Xenos during the Age of Strife. Reclaimed by the [[Raven Guard|Pale Nomads]] in their early campaigns.
* '''Ananke''': Asteroid with habitats.
* '''Iocaste''': Another asteroid with habitats.
* '''Thule''': An asteroid placed into orbit of Jupiter and turned into a Forge Moon in the final years of the Dark Age of Technology. The Dark Mechanicum hijacked the shipyards and used them to build the Abyss-class battleships used by the Word Bearers during the Horus Heresy. Shortly after their construction, [[Lorgar]] used them to destroy Thule and all proof of their existence.
* '''Kadal''': A massive lump of iron-nickel that was turned into the system's main munitions fortress. Was destroyed by Alpha Legion infiltrators.
* '''Saros Station''': A highly luxurious resort station built above the Great Red Spot, said to rival the Imperial Palace itself.
* '''The Caul''': A massive debris field that surrounds Jupiter, filled to the brim with wrecks of all sorts.

== [[Saturn]] ==
Though an inhospitable gas giant, the rings and many of the moons of Saturn were populated prior to the [[Great Crusade]] and formed a pocket empire called the '''Saturnyn Ordo''' that were occupied by some unnamed Xenos race. Given the Ordo's forces were called [[Awesome|Void Hoplites]], they were likely the Greeks to Terra's Romans, like the [[Interex]] army.

The worlds were swiftly liberated by the fledgling Imperium and were absorbed fully shortly thereafter where they became one of the first recruiting worlds of the [[Solar Auxilia]] and formed a cornerstone of the Imperial Army.

At some point during the [[Horus Heresy]], the Saturnyn Ordo was seemingly dismantled and the rings and moons of Saturn were designated a quarantine zone by [[Malcador]]. Access became heavily restricted as he forwarded his plans to create the [[Grey Knights]] under the veil of secrecy with standing order to destroy any unregistered ships that approach.

Later, the moons were ravaged by the [[Night Lords]] Legion during the '''Solar War''' as a prelude to the [[Siege of Terra|invasion of Terra]]. Though the depopulation of the planet probably aided in keeping the secrets of the Inquisition after the war ended, and the planet and its moons have remained an Inquisitorial stronghold ever since.

*'''[[Titan (Moon)|Titan]]''' - Homeworld of the [[Grey Knights]] chapter. Is itself orbited by '''Deimos''', once the moon of [[Mars]] that has since been relocated. It now acts as the Grey Knights' own private Forge World. Malcador pulled it into the Warp during the climax of the Horus Heresy, which made time move so fast that by the time it came out, [[Knights-Errant|the first Grey Knights]]' numbers had increased from 8 to a thousand.
*'''Enceladus:''' Once upon a time this was the capital of the Saturnyn Ordo, where they signed the treaty with the Emperor and joined the Imperium. Is now the Palace-Fortress of the [[Ordo Malleus]] where many inquisitors have private estates.
*'''Iapetus:''' Formerly home to a hold-out of anti-Imperial rebels who fought against the [[Death Guard]] and lost. Is now home to a naval fortress, although they serve the Inquisition and Grey Knights almost exclusively.
*'''Mimas:''' Inquisitorial prison, holding the worst criminals kept in isolation and guarded by psychic wards, gun servitors and their own Stormtrooper regiment. The fact that the prison guards are special forces men should give an idea as to how much of a hellhole this place is.
*'''Tethys:''' Designated a [[Death World]] due to daemons trapped on the surface that are used as a training tool for aspirant [[Grey Knight Paladin]]s who need to go to the surface and make a pilgrimage without wearing their armour. Canon differs on whether Tethys is also the location of the archive of the massively fortified '''Librarium Daemonica''' or whether it is located on Titan itself.

== [[Uranus]] ==
Uranus has no solid surface and its 27 moons were too small for permanent settlement ''(The largest: Titania is less than half the radius of Luna)''. Nevertheless, it was surrounded by a series of orbital cities populated by peaceful artisans called the '''Azurites'''. They built a stable warp route called the '''Elysian Gate''' allowing ships to bypass the normal Mandeville points in the Sol System. The main problem with the Warp Gate being built by the Azurites instead of being archaeotech is that unreliability of Warp travel is the ultimate reason for why the Imperium struggles to defend itself and stable routes would mean no need for Navigators. The Mechanicum would care more about not losing this tech than maintaining the Golden Throne. Of course, the alternative is that the tech ''is'' still known and used and that the Warp troubles actually are the result of Chaos constantly trying to disrupt the Imperium. Which may make more sense as Navigators use maps and routes which logically shouldn't even exist in the Warp, especially since the Imperium is the archenemy of what is basically the Warp's consciousness. There are also many instances in stories, games, and other lore of Imperial ships (or Chaos ships) appearing directly into planets' orbits. Which, shouldn't actually be possible with normal Warp travel and the ships should instead appear outside of the system and make their way to worlds within under thrust.

The Azurites peacefully agreed to become absorbed into the Imperium of Man, but were assaulted by pirates who initiated what would later be called the '''Unheard War'''. The Azurites petitioned the Imperium for aid and a force of fifty [[Imperial Fists]] were sent to provide support. The Space Marines quickly broke the pirate invaders within twenty minutes of battle, but as a parting gift, the pirate fleet fired boarding torpedoes loaded with psykers infected with a psychic plague called the '''Screaming''', which was contagious through sound and caused its victims to mutate horribly and die screaming.

As the only vaccination against the plague, the Imperial Fist forces purposefully deafened themselves and fought through the waves of mutated citizens to the station reactor and initiated a self destruct, preventing the plague from spreading any further. For their sacrifice, the Emperor ordered the [[Bell of Lost Souls]] to ring for the first time.

Despite the small size of its moons, they were heavily fortified during the Horus Heresy and acted as [[Rogal Dorn]]'s "Second Sphere" of defense during the '''Solar War'''. These forces were overwhelmed by [[Perturabo]] and a fleet of over 4,000 vessels brought through the Elysian Gate. The Imperial Fist fleet avoided engagement by sniping as many ships as they could from their fortresses and managed to hold off against the sheer number of invaders for around 36 hours before retreating, saving themselves for later engagements around Jupiter and buying more time to withdraw to Terra.

Uranus was only reclaimed during the [[Great Scouring]].

== [[Neptune]] ==
Neptune's moons were settled during the Age of Terra some point between M15-M18, though the population devolved into hideous mutants.

The [[Blood Angels|IXth Legion]] were given the task of bringing them to compliance, and fought a bloody war through the tunnels of its moons that cost them 12,000 men, though due to the beneficial quirks of their gene-seed they were able to replenish those numbers directly from the conquered mutant population. It is curious to note that the mutants were conquered instead of exterminated, same with those of Baal come to think of it. Perhaps they, and those of Baal, were less "mutants" in the traditional sense and more like each person was a unique abhuman. In other words, had stable genetics and would technically breed true if not for each individual being genetically a unique abhuman in this case. Either that, or the Imperium has a different definition of "mutant" than modern humans do.

The moons of Neptune were frequently infiltrated by chaos or genestealer cults at later periods.

== [[Pluto]] ==
The dwarf planet Pluto is the site of several relay stations that allow for early detection of incoming vessels to the solar system. It (along with Uranus) also houses the '''Khthonic Gate''' warp gate allowing ships to bypass the normal mandeville restrictions, making the location a strategic asset which is heavily fortified.

Prior to the [[Siege of Terra]], [[Rogal Dorn]] [[A Game of Pretend|seems to have killed]] either [[Alpharius]] or [[Omegon]] during the Battle of Pluto in the [[Horus Heresy]], though this was simply a prelude to the proper Solar War.

A massive fleet of [[Sons of Horus]] swept in through the Khthonic Gate and successfully landed on the fortified moon of Kerberos, and managed to successfully turn its guns on the loyalist defenders. [[Sigismund]] ordered a full retreat, but [[Just as Planned|he had predicted this outcome]] and also ordered his Tech Priests to initiate an overload which destroyed the moon outright, scattering the traitor fleet and allowing Sigismund to belay the retreat order turn and counter-attack. With few options available to the traitors, "Little" Horus Aximand assaulted Sigismund's flagship and managed to capture it, although he was bested in personal combat before Sigismund managed to escape and withdraw the remainder of his fleet to Terra, having bought the loyalists several days of time.

== Sedna ==
The furthest known object of note in the outer system. Sedna was home to a strange and little-known but powerful Xenos race that terrorised the Sol System during the Age of Strife. It was apparently not a planet, as it's referred in records as the "false/nemesis planet", so it was probably a [[World Engine]]-like ship (meaning the 'little-known' race might actually be [[Necrons|'Crons]]). It was site of the Sedna Campaign, the last major battle in the system until the Horus Heresy, in which eight full Legions were unleashed against the xenos and wiped them out with great effort and an unknown psychic weapon. Sedna has since been forgotten in modern times and it's uncertain if it still exists.

== Irl Fluff ==
The Sun takes up nearly all of the mass (99.86% of it!) in the solar system. Occasionally shits out [[Warp Storm|solar flares]] that create auroras and, if they're big enough, can wipe out electronics or even [[Exterminatus|everything that lives]]. It'll also get swole as fuck and turn red in a few billion years and [[Vore|eat Mercury and Venus]], [[Rape|roast Earth]] and wipe away Saturn's rings.

Mercury has a big-ass core when compared to the rest of the planets in the system. As it rotates, one side gets fried by the sun and the other gets frostbitten. It also has lots of pits with flat floors and bright circles around them. How'd they get there? No one knows.

Venus is the closest the solar system has to a [[Death World]]. Clouds of acid that kill whatever tries to walk around on the surface, a thick, opaque atmosphere that traps the sun's heat, ungodly amounts of volcanoes and the planet turning itself inside out every 100 million years all mix into one extreme cocktail that makes Venus a not fun place to be.

Then there's [[Terra|Earth]], the planet you're standing on. Life just sort of popped up some 4.6 billion years ago and stuck around since. The place basically got exterminatus'd five times over the course of its history. [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian–Triassic_extinction_event| The worst one] was performed by [[Derp|itself]]. And some people think that the sixth exterminatus is happening right now [[Tzeentch|thanks to us humans]].

Next door is [[Mars]], Earth's smaller cousin. It originally might have had water and life on it at some point, but because of its low gravity the breathable air fucked off and so did the water, killing whatever might have lived there. Nowadays, it has a shitty atmosphere, one giant mountain and a canyon that could stretch across the USA. Also its two moons might be captured asteroids.

In between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is a belt of asteroids, often referred to as the Main Belt, or just the Asteroid belt, [[Fail|despite not being the largest collection of asteroids]], and consists of several smaller asteroid belts. The most notable asteroids in this belt are Ceres, a dwarf planet with some evidence of a subsurface brine reservoir, and Vesta, the largest remnant of a protoplanet that has been hit by so many other asteroids that we have found parts of it on Near earth asteroids and an entire collection of meteorites from there.

Jupiter is the biggest planet orbiting the Sun. Period. So big in fact, that it can be bright enough to cast its own reflected light on Earth. Jupiter is also what amounts to a vacuum for incoming asteroids, as any that try to sneak by Jupiter [[Not as planned|get sucked up by its gravity and collide with Jupiter]] or sucked into two gravitational anomalies known as LaGrange points and become a member of a group of asteroids known as the trojan belt. And though it has a zillion moons, people really only care about four of the biggest and closest moons, called the Galilean moons, admittedly because they're large enough to be seen with a telescope. Io is the closest of the four, and its closeness really fucked it over because it's pretty much shitting its brains out 24/7. Europa is literally a smooth criminal and it definitely has an ocean under its icy crust; if life exists anywhere else in the system but Earth, Europa is the likeliest suspect. [[Ganymede]] is not only the biggest of the four, but the biggest moon in the Solar System. And it also probably has an ocean under its surface too. Callisto is the farthest of the bunch, the oldest moon of the bunch and was sentenced to death for [[heresy]] by several [[Dakka|firing squads that shot meteors]]. In fact, Callisto is so covered in craters that the entire surface is just crater. Any new meteor that lands will just make new craters over the old ones.

Saturn has fuckhuge rings that actually made the first person to see the planet with primitive telescopes thought that the rings were two other planets. Though mostly featureless, the occasional storm can make bits of Saturn's surface look like the atmosphere of a daemon world, like the weird hexagon-shaped tornado in the north pole. It also has a bunch of huge moons, including the only moon in the system with a visible atmosphere. And that moon is Titan, which has lakes of liquid methane. Methane has to be extremely damn cold to be a liquid, so this moon might be considered a Death World. Maybe. Iapetus has no atmosphere, but [[That Guy|some jackass]] painted part of it black for no other reason than to just make the place look cool, but it just [[THIN YOUR PAINTS|looks like it was sprayed with shit]]. Then there's Mimas, which has a giant crater on its surface that makes it look like the [[Star Wars|Death Star]] (and its temperature map looks like [[/v/|Pac-Man]]). Enceladus is in the same boat as Ganymede and Europa, except people actually know that there's legit water under the surface thanks to some machines we threw at Saturn. And the moon is pissing out water vapor right now.

Uranus has a name that results in it being the butt of [[Anal circumference|quite a few jokes]]. It also rotates [[Derp|on its side]] for some fucking reason. And because of this it has sideways rings too.

Neptune is the bluest planet of literally every damn planet in the solar system. It also has a big moon that's probably a planet from beyond Pluto that got captured by the planet's gravity. And in 3 billion years or so, this moon will either crash into Neptune or turn into another ring system a la Saturn. Alas, we know very little of Uranus (stop laughing) and Neptune because of their sheer distance; much of our info was gleaned from Voyager 2, which remains the only probe we sent out that managed to pay them a visit.

Pluto is the last of the bunch, and it has the largest moon in comparison to the planet it orbits. In fact, the moon is so damn big that it's more like they orbit around a point between each other. It also has a heart shape on its surface. It was recently [[skub|demoted]] to the new category of Dwarf planet after it was found to be a member of a large asteroid belt, larger than the so-called Main belt, known as the Kuiper belt. The belt is also home to other world-sized objects like Arrokoth, Eris, Makemake, Orcus, Haumea and Quaoar, the majority of which are round and have their own moons.

Sedna is a faraway red rock slightly bigger than Ceres that's named after an old Eskimo goddess of the sea. It has one of the longest orbits of the system and it's believed to come from the inner reaches of the Oort Cloud, a spherical asteroid field that forms a gigantic bubble around our star. Very little is known about it due to its massive distance.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

Kaurava System

2023-06-01T22:50:46Z

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[[File:KauravaSystem1.png|500px|right|thumb|The Kaurava System.]]
{{Topquote|After hundreds of years under the neglectful watch of the Imperial Guard, nearly every force in the galaxy would descend upon the planets of Kaurava, bent only on domination and victory.|Narrator in [[Dawn of War]]: [[Dawn of War#Soulstorm|Soulstorm]]}}

The '''Kaurava System''', also known as the '''Cow-River System''', '''Cow-of-a-System''', or '''Car-of-a-System''' (according to some YouTube subtitles), was the star system in which the complete fuck-fest known as ''[[Dawn of War]]: [[Dawn of War#Soulstorm|Soulstorm]]'' took place. It is located in the Ultima Segmentum, in a sector that lies quite close to T'au space.

==Kaurava Conflict==
Prior to the events in Soulstorm, the system had been relatively peaceful by normal standards, with only one planet infested with [[Ork|extremely warlike genetically-engineered fungi able to grow bigger and stronger the more they fight]] and another with [[Necron|sleeping ancient murdering robots that destroy the laws of physics with their tech and don't die even if they are nuked]]. However, this all changed upon the SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A WARP STORM AT THE KAURAVA SYSTEM'S OUTER EDGE (Chaos ending reveals how that actually came to be). In fact, the appearance was so sudden that over half the [[Imperial Guard|Imperial Forces]] had been wiped out by the forces of [[Chaos]] (who had somehow appeared at the exact same time), before [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs]] could even say 'fuck'. By this point commander [[Indrick Boreale]] had decided to show up with bunch of his [[Blood Ravens|Blood Raven]] [[Space Marines|SPESS MEHREENS]] in [[METAL BOXES|METAL BAWKSES]] to help eradicate both the Ork and Chaos forces present in the system.

Unbeknownst to Boreale, the [[Tau]] empire also had a similar idea, and decided to set up shop directly above his head on a small moon orbiting Kaurava II. Their plan was to somehow contain the Warp Storm while expanding their territory's border right into Indrick Boreale's face. Around this time the [[Necron|crons]] on Kaurava III decided that now might be a good time to wake up and start their malicious genocidal campaign against anything unfortunate enough to [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|still be alive]]. However, [[Caerys|Farseer Caerys]] had already foreseen this, and inevitably showed up with her fellow [[Eldar|space elves]] by travelling through some random [[Webway]] Gate that just happened to be conveniently lying around. MEANWHILE, a bunch of [[Dark Eldar|evil space elves]] had started arriving through some other random Webway Gate located on a moon above the totally-fucking-Chaos-infested-evil-planet known as Kaurava IV. Lastly, the <s>party crashers</s> [[Sisters of Battle]] turned up. Lead by Canoness [[Selena Agna]], they had come in a futile attempt to cleanse the system before shit got ''really'' [[Derp|fucked up]]. However, because they had taken so long to get their own shit together the system was already pretty fucked by the time they got there.

So what actually happened? Well, anyone who has actually played ''Dawn of War: Soulstorm'' will know that there are actually '''10''' different outcomes that can be achieved. First off, one can be defeated and no outcome is ever achieved apart from their own demise. However, if one persists and somehow manages to keep playing long enough with any of the nine races to achieve victory... then shits starts to actually get even more ''fucked''. For example, if the Orks somehow achieve victory, then the Kaurava System will be completely turned into a staging ground for the largest Ork [[WAAAGH]] you have ever seen in your fucking life. If the Eldar manage to attain victory, then they will show the Sisters of Battle how you really cleanse a system and then proceed to retreat back to Kaurava III in order to stop the Imperium from ever colonising that planet again. If their evil Dark Eldar counterparts succeed, then they will drink everybody's blood and subsequently leave (what else did you expect?). If the Blood Ravens achieve victory, then the system will be returned to the control of the Imperium, but the Lands of Solitude territory on Kaurava II will be renamed to "[[Derp|Borealum]]" (after Indrick Boreale), and a new [[Fortress-Monastery]] will be founded there in the name of the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emprah]]. Alternatively, if the Sisters of Battle somehow succeed, then they will carry out their fanatical cleansing and proceed to subsequently bathe everything beneath mountains of holy fire and molten plasma. However, if the maniacal forces of CHAOS succeed, then.. well.. you know what happens. If the Imperial Guard achieve victory, then the system is re-built to its former glory and becomes highly militarized and able to produce superior infantry second best only to those produced by [[Cadia]].

==Okay but what really happened?==
Orks won. [[Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter|Gorgutz]] krumped everyone, and was for a while content being the biggest, baddest (and ugliest) Ork in the sector. That is until he found some hidden lore from the Necrons about another [[Tomb World]] called Acheron that apparently brings immense war with it whenever it emerges from the warp. War lust prompted him to leave Kaurava in search of this Tomb World. Likely, the entire Kaurava System is now stuck in an endless Ork civil war. [[Indrick Boreale]] along with the five companies of Blood Ravens under his command were annihilated during the conflict (no surprises there), which gave [[Cyrus]] PTSD.

==Planets==
* Kaurava I (Civilised World): The system capital and the most populated. Has a gigantic city known as Kaurav City that dominates the southern half of the planet's sole landmass, with the other half being an arid desert. Starting planet of [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs]] (Imperial Guard) and Selena Agna (Sisters of Battle).
* Kaurava II (Agri-World): The system's breadbasket, which was originally an Ork World before the Imperium colonized it. Feral Orks continue to live in the planet, a problem that worsened once Gorgutz came. Starting planet of Gorgutz (Orks) and Boreale (Blood Ravens).
** Orridune (Dead World): One of Kaurava II's moons, partially terraformed and occupied by Tau forces, and home to their main stronghold in the system, Nan Yanoi. Starting world of Commander Or'es'Ka (Tau Empire).
** Irridene (Ice World): Kaurava II's other moon. Home to a small trading hub.
* Kaurava III (Death World/Tomb World): A hellish and predator-filled barren land that was once site of a massive battle between the Eldar and the Necrons. Used to have a moon, but a mining accident blew it up, destroyed most Imperial presence in the planet and gave it a ring. Starting planet of the Necron Lord of All Kaurava (Necrons) and Caerys (Ulthwé).
* Kaurava IV (Civilised World): Furthest of the planets. Imperial colony home to a Mechanicus forge in its southern continent. Was struck by the full brunt of the Warp Storm that ravages the system and was invaded by a warband of Chaos Space Marines. Starting world of Firaeveus Carron (Alpha Legion)
** Lacunae (Dead World): Kaurava IV's moon. Was home to an Imperial settlement until the [[Dark Eldar|Drukhari]] invaded and slaughtered/enslaved/raped the population. Starting world of Archon Tahril (Kabal of the Black Heart).

==Trivia==
*In ''Dawn of War: Soulstorm'', the Warp Storm will disappear in every ending apart from the Chaos one.
*Although the planets appear close together in the campaign, they are actually not. (This should be obvious to anyone who has seen one of those posters of the Solar System, but it’s worth saying anyway.)

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Dawn of War]]

Ghoul Stars

2023-06-01T22:49:44Z

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{{topquote|Here be dragons.|Inscription on the Hunt-Lenox Globe, circa 503.M2}}
{{topquote|...Fourth Company reports the asteroid settlements of the Orcades brought into Compliance as per the edict of the Second Crusade, one thousand souls claimed as bondsmen for the Legion that it may grow and prosper. Expect our return to Atargatis within the month for reassignment.|Transmission of unknown provenance, detected by Imperial craft during routine patrol of the Ghoul Stars, 068.M31}}

===Overview===
The Ghoul Stars are a far-flung region of space in [[Warhammer 40,000]], located on the northeast fringes of the galaxy, beyond the Ultima Segmentum. The Stars are so far out, in fact, that the light of the Astronomican barely reaches them, meaning that Warp travel in the region is dangerous at best and suicidal at worst. It is also one of the most fucked up places in the galaxy, even by 40k standards. Before the Age of Strife, the Ghoul Stars were home to many human-populated worlds, but some unknown catastrophe (possibly the [[Khrave]]) appears to have scoured all these planets of life, leaving behind an unusually large number of Dead Worlds. [[Slaugth|Many]] [[Khrave|horrendous]] [[xenos]] species inhabit the Ghoul Stars, including creatures with powers that defy even the already bent rules of reality that 40k operates under. The Imperium at large considers the region to be such a dangerous place that it has an [[Death Spectres|entire chapter of Space Marines]] ''and'' a [[Deathwatch]] garrison dedicated solely to guarding the border between them and the rest of the galaxy. This is entirely justified, as the Ghoul Stars have produced several major threats to the Imperium over the millennia. Something called the '''Pale Wasting''' (most likely related to the aforementioned ugly Xenos) emerged from the Stars during the [[Nova Terra Interregnum]] of the 34th Millennium and destroyed entire sectors and ''ELEVEN'' [[Space Marine Chapter|Space Marine Chapters]] before being defeated. The [[Novamarines]] participated in this campaign, but their histories make no mention of it. Let that sink in. An [[Ultramarines]] SUCCESSOR chapter fought here, and there are no Matt Wardian celebratory slaps on the back for the Novamarines. That's how brutal it was. In 977.M41, a [[Tyranid]] splinter fleet, horribly warped by its passage through the Ghoul Stars, attacked the Sentinel World Orask and were only beaten back by a stubborn defense, shored up by a company of [[Red Talons]] and a [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan]] maniple from the Legio Magna. Just before the Third War for [[Armageddon]] in 998.M41, the [[Black Templars]] declared a crusade against the xenos species known as the Cythor Fiends, and were able to nearly exterminate the xenos entirely. However, when they reached the Fiends' homeworld, they found it completely deserted. Before they could investigate further, they were called to Armageddon to help in the battle against [[Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka]]. In M42 the Black Templars Oparian Crusade disappeared into the Ghoul Stars, though many believe they still continue fighting onward.

===The Bone Kingdom of Drazak===
The Bone Kingdom of Drazak is effectively a [[Necron]] leper colony, as it is inhabited entirely by [[Flayed Ones]]. They roam the ruins of their world, fighting each other for scraps of meat and bone. Their [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]], Valgûl the Fallen, is somehow immune to the Flayer virus, and is therefore the only sane Necron on Drazak. He spends most of his time sitting on a throne made of [[Grimdark|broken bones and flayed skin]], but every few months he rounds up his batshit-crazy subjects for the "Time of Bounty", which is a fancy way of saying "violently raid nearby planets to acquire more squishy organic bits to fight over".

The Kingdom is featured in the ''Twice Dead King'' series. Valgul is dismissed by the protagonist Oltyx as a myth, believing that it is impossible for a Necron to keep his sanity after contracting the Flayer Virus. Yet circumstances conspire that he must bring his Dynasty, heavily afflicted by the Flayer Curse, to Drazak while it turns out he himself has it yet somehow retains all of his faculties. Eventually when his arrives at Drazak, he finds it completely empty and lifeless, seemingly waiting for a king to reign over it. Heavily implying that he became Valgul in the end (also aided by the fact he ends up losing his eye, exactly like how Valgul is described in the codex). How this works is left ambigious; he may have traveled back in time (due to travelling through an alternate dimension called the Ghostwind which is also revealed to be the same dimension Flayed Ones use for their travel), Valgul may be a title passed down between Necron Lords over the generations or it may be that Valgul truly was a myth until Oltyx took on his role.

===The Ashen Claws Empire===
The renegade Space Marine chapter known as the [[Ashen Claws]] originated from a group of Terran [[Raven Guard]] who were more or less banished from the XIX Legion after the Battle of Gate 42 during the [[Great Crusade]]. Corax wasn't fond of the Terrans in his legion, as they were too ruthless and brutal for his tastes. He therefore volunteered the survivors of Gate 42 to join a crusade fleet that was dispatched into the Ghoul Stars to bring the region into Imperial compliance. These survivors were still out there when the Horus Heresy erupted. While they remained nominally loyal to the Imperium, they eventually deteriorated into a chapter of renegades, attacking loyalists and traitors alike in order to secure their own survival. They are now based on the world of Atargatis Prime, and almost no one except for the [[Carcharodons]] knows that they still exist, where they remain nominal loyalists who are de facto independent due to obscurity. They are tenuously allied with the Carcharadons and exchange gear and gene seed. Astropathic fragments intercepted indicates that as late as 062.M31 the Ashen Claws was still bringing worlds into compliance according to edicts of their 'Second Crusade'.

===Echoes of the Black Library===
Echoes of the [[Black_Library#In_Warhammer_40.2C000|Black Library]] persist within the materium. The last of these traces were located at the western fringes of the Ghoul Stars, within a triangle formed by the Grand Shrine of [[Asuryan]] and the [[Exodite]] worlds of Syph and Quilan after the [[Great Rift]].

{{40k-Planets}}

Plague Planet

2023-06-01T22:48:11Z

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{{Heresy}}
[[File:PlaguePlanet.jpg|580px|right|thumb|The Galaxy's greatest toilet.]]
The creatively named Plague Planet is the homeworld of the [[Death Guard]]. The population primarily consists of primitive tribesmen, living in fear of the inhuman monsters who dwell on their mountain fortresses, where the atmosphere is so toxic no human can survive. If this sounds familiar, its because [[Mortarion]] based this planet on his old homeworld of [[Barbarus]], because apparently he was really fond of his horrible nightmare poison planet. This is much to the irritation of [[Typhus]], who abandoned his master out of disgust at his sentimentality. Irony of ironies, now Mortarion is the feared tyrant-sorcerer ruling atop the mountain. The very person he hated and <strike>won his homeworld of Barbarus by casting down</strike> almost died trying to cast down which made [[Emperor|some stranger]] finish Mortation's job for him.

The Plague Planet was originally an Eldar world called Eliathada. The Death Guard never bothered renaming it because they initially thought it only to be a temporary residence. The other factions in the Eye of Terror called it the Plague Planet and they merely adopted it out of convenience, possibly started by the [[Thousand Sons]]. It was originally a world of flat plains, and the countless mountains that dot it are artificial creations formed in the mirror of Barbarus. These mountains are so tall and steep and so numerous that the entire planet is described as looking like [[Sonic the Hedgehog|a giant hedgehog.]]

The rest of the population cower in tiny villages, serving their supreme masters. These inhabitants are afflicted with all manner of Papa Nurgle's merry gifts and pray to Nurgle for relief from their constant agony. Some of them are favoured and become his Champions, and then fight among themselves for mastery and the chance to become [[Daemon Prince|Daemon Princes]] themselves. [[Beastmen (40k)|Beastmen]] known as [[Pestigor|Pestigors]] make up a large part of the population; they are bloated with disease and flies swarm around them and breed upon their rotting flesh. The beastmen are very proud of these signs of their god's favor and openly boast of the number and severity of their diseases. So like a dick measuring contest, but everyone has syphilis.

The defenses of the Plague Planet are quite the tough nut to crack, with Defense Laser batteries mounted on nearly every mountaintop of the world. In orbit hang large [[Orbital Defense Platform]]s and shipyards from which the Plague Fleet is stationed. In addition to these defences, the atmosphere of the world is coated with a thick diseased cloud that will dissolve anything that attempts to enter without the consent of Mortarion.

The homeworld of the [[White Consuls]] was remade to be a copy of the Plague Planet.

==Notable Landmarks==
*'''The Black Manse:''' The largest of the mountaintop keeps, the Black Manse stretches across the three highest peaks of the Plague Planet and acts as Mortarion's own lair. Its dungeons also contain the gene-seed stocks of the Death Guard and Mortarion's libraries of forbidden lore. In an act of supremely fickle pettiness, Mortarion made it the size of the Heresy-era Imperial Palace but with everything either 7 cm, 7 m, or 7 km bigger than the original.

*'''[[Foulspawn]]:''' This colossal [[Chaos Spawn]] was banished to the Plague Planet by Mortarion, and has since grown to the size of a mountain.

*'''The Peal Yard:''' This fortress-factory is where the Tocsins of Misery, colossal bells worn by the [[Noxious Blightbringer|Noxious Blightbringers]] as signs of Mortarion's favor are forged.

*'''The Disease Factories:''' These facilities are where [[Foul Blightspawn]] and [[Biologus Putrifier|Biologus Putrifiers]] work on creating new plagues to unleash upon the Imperium. These factories are large enough to be nations unto themselves, staffed with millions of cultist laborers who worship the Death Guard as gods and governed by the colossal Blightspawn elders that live at their centers.

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Chaos]]
[[Category:Death Guard]]
[[Category:Chaos Space Marines]]

Zayth

2023-06-01T22:46:17Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Zayth_Planet.jpg|right|thumb|*Que Mortal Engines OST*]]
Zayth is a Hive World in the Koronus Expense where it is dominated by a single super continent. So what is it in Zayth that makes it so unique? Well...the Hive Cities ''move''. What we mean is imagine a vehicle with treads big enough to run over a entire Titan legion and have the armaments to go toe to toe with the most powerful ships in the Imperium. As you can imagine, the technology needed to create these machines has since been long lost as it was created during the Dark Age of Technology (AKA where all the [[Awesome|awesome shit]] originates from). The appearances of these landships, as you can imagine, often give anyone from the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] a giant mechanical hard-on due to the rarity of its [[STC]] and its humongous size, dwarfing [[Imperial Navy|Imperial Cruisers and Battleships.]]

By the way, this seems to be strongly based on the ''Mortal Engines'' quartet, written by Philip Reeve, which deals with a similar setting where mankind WMDs itself nearly into oblivion and after a few centuries they recovered enough to build steam-punk mobile cities which cannibalize each other in a sort of "Municipal Darwinism".

== History ==

The history of Zayth can be summed up in one word: '''WAR'''. The people of Zayth have been fighting for so long that they literally forgot whatever reasons their ancestors had for starting the war in the first place. The earliest official documentation of the history of Zayth seemed to paint this wartorn, ash-covered planet as a green and verdant world not unlike [[Terra]] in its infancy. Like most things in the [[Age of Strife]], Zayth was cut off from the main human colonies due to the Warp doing the equivalent of acid reflux (blame the [[Eldar]]'s whole murder-orgy thing).

Due to being cut off and being faced with what would most likely be a resource shortage, the people of Zayth started to grow untrustworthy of one another, and mistrust brought war. It seems the whole "green and verdant" thing didn't last very long after that.

The war grew and continued into lengthy periods of time that the people of Zayth literally forgot what it was they were fighting for. The sheer length of time necessary for an entire planet to forget what a ''global war'' was about would mean that the war on Zayth must be one of the longest continuous conflicts in the entire Galaxy. '''PERIOD.''' The only thing remaining of Zayth's original civilization are the colossal roaming land-ships crawling around the supercontinent, and the people protected from the now-toxic world outside by said giant land ships. Like all things in the Imperium, instead of stopping and asking each other what they originally fought for, [[Fail|these dumbasses continue to fight for no particular reason]] despite well-documented evidence that no one can recall the objective of the war. Occasionally a land-ship falls, and its carcass stripped and looted by the others just like the above-mentioned Cities in "Mortal Engines" (once again proving [[GeeDubs]] is a professional idea thief), and Zayth takes another slow and steady step toward the day it will become a Dead World.

== The Land Ships of Zayth ==
For more information, [[Zaythan Landship|see here:]]

== Trivia ==
[[File:Zayth Landships.jpg|700px|center|thumb|Zaythan Land Ships, big enough to [[Creed|probably hide a strike cruiser]] and slow enough to make an [[Ordinatus]] look fast.]]
According to the 'Rogue Trader Adventure Campaign: Lure of The Expanse' book, it is written that the Capital of Zayth, Zorlan, survived the Big War through the city's powerful shield dome ([[void shields]]?), protecting them against the landships and the world's worsening climate. However, as the war drag on, the Capital's location became lost, "buried beneath the shifting ash and dust of Zayth". The landship clans say that the city and its citizens (gottem) are still alive and kicking till this very day, hidden somewhere in the wasteland. (Since the war on Zayth is one of the longest conflicts in the galaxy, I theorize that Zorlan, with their presumably still-intact STC (Zayth is considered a "young" DAoT colony before their World War), keeps producing new landships for a reason or another, like, say, Conquest, or keeping that pesky [[Imperium]] off of Zayth. But most of the time, their landships declare independence and seceded from Zorlan, creating new factions, and prolonging the everlasting war on Zayth (Maybe it's [[Khorne]]'s doing, maybe [[Tzeentch]]'s, maybe even both.)

It is also written that there exists an ancient alien city beneath the dried ocean trenches of Zayth, "undisturbed and unvisited for a millennia", chances are they are the [[Necrons]]. (There probably are Necron landships on Zayth, it's just that nobody can survive long enough to confirm their existence.)
{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Vehicles]]

Vraks

2023-06-01T22:45:55Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Vraks_titans.png|right|400px|thumb|right|Your average Monday morning on Vraks Prime.]]
[[File:Vraks_Prime_Image.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Vraks Prime. Not to be confused with [[Krieg]], though the ressemblance is uncanny.]]

{{Topquote|There Is Nothing Glamorous Or Romantic About War. It's Mostly About Random Pointless Death And Misery.|Jon Krakauer}}

'''Vraks''' is a system in the [[Imperium of Man]], near the [[Eye of Terror]]. It is (or was) part of the defenses centered on [[Cadia]]; in particular, its main planet, Vraks Prime, is an armory world, an entire planet used by the [[Departmento Munitorum]] to stockpile weapons and ammunition. The justification is that, if the tithe fleets bringing weapons directly to Cadia from further out in the Imperium get delayed, they can withdraw supplies from Vraks until contact is restored.

As far as the environment goes, it used to be an intensely volcanic world, so there's sulfur everywhere, the weather is stormy and cloudy, and the entire ground is either desert or ocean. The only things living there were algae, and then the [[Administratum]] moved in and brought a bunch of humans with them to set up the armory. It eventually got a basilica to commemorate some martyr or another, and a big fortress to protect the armory, designed to be all but invulnerable to orbital attack, and for ten thousand years, Vraks Prime never fell to pirates, [[Chaos]], [[Xenos]], or [[communism|worker rebellions.]]

Unfortunately, this state of affairs was not to last, because the Vraks system was created by [[Forge World]] for a trilogy of [[Imperial Armour]] books; Vraks Prime was soon to be the site of a mighty siege starring loyalists and traitors. In an unfortunate twist, it was the loyalist Imperials who were on the [[FAIL|outside]] of the defenses.

== Fall of Vraks ==
[[File:Krieg_soldier.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Kriegers about to embark on a 17 year vacation.]]
It was not pirates or [[xenos]] that eventually brought Vraks low but a rogue member of the [[Ecclesiarchy]], one Cardinal Xaphan. Having recently been promoted into the post of Cardinal-Astral of the entire Scarus Sector, Xaphan decided to take a tour of his domain. He found that he enjoyed rousing armies of the faithful, and decided (with some prodding by his number-one oh-so-trustworthy assistant Deacon Mamon) that he could do more good leading an army than working a desk job. The only problem was that pesky Decree Passive preventing him from raising men under arms, so to keep his plans hidden he went to Vraks, where there were plenty of soldiers and weapons to make an army, as well as a basilica to give him an excuse to stick around.

The [[Inquisition]] found out anyway, and sent a [[Vindicare]] assassin after him, but the assassin failed; seeing that covertness was no longer an option, Xaphan moved the workers of Vraks to open rebellion. The Imperial presences on the planet, namely the [[Administratum]], [[Adeptus Arbites]], and the [[Adepta Sororitas]], were either killed or imprisoned, which should have been a clue that he was making a bad move, but Mamon assured him that he was in the right, and that his enemies were merely deluded fools who would see the light once he actually got started on his crusade.

== Siege of Vraks ==
The [[Departmento Munitorum]] wasn't going to sit back and let Vraks turn traitor - not because of the eight million workers living there, but because it was a giant armory, and because if word got out, other worlds could fall into rebellion, and use Vraks' supplies for themselves. Therefore, the world would have to be taken, and quickly. The Citadel of Vraks was all but invulnerable to orbital attack, so it could not be assaulted directly (ruling out the [[Space Marines]] and [[Imperial Navy]]), and the world's massive stores meant that a blockade-and-raid strategy would take five centuries to complete. The only way to take Vraks back in under a century was to put the Citadel under siege and take it by force, so they took some thirty regiments of the [[Death Korps of Krieg]] and put them into an army. While 30 may seem a small number, Krieg regiments are stated to be able to lose 80,000 men in ''one battle'' from one account, so are likely very big units. They were given twelve years to take Vraks back.

=== Phase One: Landing and Siege ===
[[File:Krieg_night_fight.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Afternoon tea-time on Vraks Prime.]]
Year 813.M41. The Citadel was the only thing really worth defending on Vraks, so the planet had no anti-air or anti-orbital defenses on the opposite side of the fortress as apparently Vraks' defenses were planned with the idea that they only had to last long enough to get help from the Imperium. The army used the far side of the planet as a landing zone, and over several months, they landed all of the troops, vehicles, and supplies they would need (one could reasonably wonder why [[Tyranids|other]] [[Eldar|races]] [[Orks|wouldn't]] [[Chaos|do]] [[Dark Mechanicus|the]] [[Dark Eldar|same...]](consider this: orbital-bombardement-proofing a whole planet is expensive, so why bother if one fortress is sufficient to stall invaders for a couple years). Meanwhile, they also built a bunch of rail lines around the planet to carry said army to within a hundred miles of the Citadel's outer defensive lines. Once there, the Kriegers built their own trench and gun network to encircle the fortress. They anticipated that because the outer defense line was so long, a single massed assault on a particular zone would be flanked and repulsed by the neighbors of their target (a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog_defence Hedgehog defense]), so the plan was to pound the whole thing at once until it folded. They would then surround the second defense line, which would be small enough to be less resistant to a massed assault, and attack a single point to crack the line wide open. Then, they would surround the Citadel itself, and finally be close enough to bombard it directly with their heavy guns and pound it to the ground.

After all of this planning and logistical work, the Death Korps finally began the attack on the outer defense line about a year after first arriving at Vraks, but of course things didn't go as planned. The enemy had substantially reinforced the defenses since the last Imperial survey, and so the "weak point" that the Kriegers tried to attack as a first blow wasn't so weak after all. Matters stalemated for two years until Captain Tyborc managed to take a bunker whose artillery piece had been destroyed. The guy was a badass even among Kriegers; he took wounds in every part of his body except his left arm, and only eight men of his entire company survived to see reinforcements arrive, but the Imperium had found its breakthrough.

The outer defenses fell pretty quickly, but the Imperial army got stalled again when the defenders of Vraks made a counterattack to the North that forced the Imperium to halt its advances in the west and south to get reserves to stop it. In the end, the stalemate resumed, just a little tighter around the fortress.

=== Phase Two: The Noose Tightens ===
Seven years after the invasion, the Imperial army was still stalled at the second defense line when reports of renegade Space Marines assisting the defenders started filtering in. It eventually emerged that Mamon was an [[Alpha Legion]] spy and had called for backup. Cardinal Xaphan was probably no longer even pretending to serve the Emperor when he signed them up for his crusade. Anyway, two years later, the Imperial army got some more line korps, and to everyone's surprise [[Azrael]] showed up with half the [[Dark Angels]] in tow as well. His goals were to smash the heretics' star port (pun intended) to stop them from getting more reinforcements, and to capture Arkos the Faithless, the Alpha Legion's commander on Vraks. They successfully captured and destroyed the star port, but Arkos got away and Azrael was severely wounded in a duel with Arkos, only saved by the intervention of his Interrogator-Chaplain, not to mention pissed. 200 Dark Angels died in that battle.

The success and the new reinforcements led the Imperial commanders to attempt another massed assault. It stalled (again) until Colonel Attas hatched a plan to have his artillery and infantry make a synchronized assault: blast the enemy while his troops crawled up through no-man's-land and then move the bombardment when the infantry was within charging distance - in other words original WW1 Stormtrooper tactics combined with a creeping barrage. Not quite as badass a feat as Tyborc's, but it worked. The second defense line cracked and fell, and the Imperial army was within sight of the Citadel.

Xaphan, having jumped headfirst into heresy by this point, rubbed his hands and cackled with glee, because he knew that the slaughter was only beginning -- he had some more friends on the way.

=== Phase Three: Chaos Joins the Fray ===
[[File:Vraksian_enforcer.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Chaos joining for the proverbial gang-bang.]]
Captain Fodor managed to put a dent in the inner defense line when he led his company to take a vital bunker. He continued Tyborc's tradition of making footholds with risky, badass feats; among other things, he had a member of his squad torch a trench with a [[flamer]], and then led the charge into the trench ''while it was still on fire''. Unfortunately, his success was not to last, because Arkos had called in a full [[Chaos]] fleet. They destroyed the Imperial Navy detachment over Vraks and dropped [[Khorne Berzerker]]s from the Skulltakers warband right onto the inner defense line (Fodor's skull was taken, by the way). Then another ship rolled in and dropped a traitor [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan]] legion and a bunch of fliers on them. And then some [[Plague Marines]] showed up, seized some nasty poison gas stored on Vraks, and gassed a whole regiment.

Following the seizure of power among the traitors by the Skulltakers' Chaos Lord Zhufor the Impaler (who had Cardinal Xaphan imprisoned when he outlived his usefulness), it was decided that siege tactics were no longer viable. The commander was dismissed (though not executed - nobody blamed him or {{blam|BLAMMED}} him for not knowing in advance that so many reinforcements would arrive), and his replacement got some Titans of their own as well as a larger Imperial Navy division to turn the tide back and regain air superiority. They were successful although the enemies didn't break and run this time; instead, they dug in. For those counting, this is twelve years after the siege began.

=== Phase Four: Breaching the Citadel ===
Fortunately for the Imperium, the Death Korps of Krieg could fight underground as well as over it. Their miners and engineers worked tirelessly, fighting through enemy counter-mining efforts, and finally found and destroyed one of the foundation pylons for the Citadel's inner wall. This brought down a huge chunk of the wall, exposing the squishy insides for the rest of the army to pile through.

The infantry regiments advanced on the breach, first in [[Gorgon (tank)|Gorgon]]s and then on foot when they reached the remnants of the wall itself (the crater left by the blast was impassable for vehicles). The first attack failed when enemy troops from surrounding wall sections piled into the breach to stem the tide, so a few weeks later, they tried again with a bigger assault plus a few suppressing attacks on the neighboring wall sections. That failed too. They tried making more breaches, but while they got pretty good at knocking holes in the walls, they were never able to take them. Fourteen years after the start of the siege (two years longer than planned), the Departmento Munitorum decided that it had worn on long enough, and started to draw Krieg regiments originally destined for Vraks to more successful and more important warzones elsewhere, telling the command staff that they had five years to wrap everything up.

Fortunately (inevitably, for those familiar with Warhammer 40,000 fiction), the [[Space Marines]] were on hand to save the day. In particular, the [[Red Scorpions]] donated a hundred Marines (from various companies) to the cause. With their [[Terminator]]s seizing the breach, the remaining Titans gathered up to keep the enemy Titans at bay, and a mixed Marine and Death Korps force following up to hold the ground and drive the enemy away, the Citadel's curtain wall finally fell and there was only the fortress itself left to take.

=== Phase Five: Wrapping Up ===
By this time -- eighteen years after the start of the siege -- word of the extensive involvement of Chaos had reached the ears of the [[Inquisition]], and upon receiving troubling omens from the Emperor's Tarot Inquisitor Lord [[Hector Rex]] brought some [[Grey Knights]] and [[Red Hunters]] to take control of the situation and get things wrapped up before the Death Korps found itself in over its head. Though the Death Korps was still being drawn down, Rex managed to keep enough soldiers to contain the heretics while he made arrangements to bring a final end to the conflict. First the remaining artillery brought their combined firepower to bear on the fortress's void shield to overload them. Then, infantry surged up to take the gates. Tyborc, now a badass Colonel, led the charge. The attack stalled, so the [[Red Hunters]] made their drop, but the traitors responded with a [[Reaver Battle Titan]] and some [[Alpha Legion]]naires, which wiped out the first wave. Finally, a wave of [[Marauder Bomber]]s cracked the gates and permitted the assault to proceed.

However, Zhufor and his allies had set their Chaotic rituals in motion, and managed to summon [[An'ggrath]], one of [[Khorne]]'s mightiest [[Bloodthirster]]s. He wrecked most of the entire company of Grey Knights who went into the fortress to stop him, and Inquisitor Rex only barely managed to defeat him. Once he was gone, though, the fight was basically over, and the only remaining task was to clear the catacombs under the fortress. Zhufor took the opportunity to escape, but not before calling upon the Daemon Prince Uraka the Warfiend and his warband to strike at the Loyalists one last time. Though he was grievously injured in the process, Brother-Captain [[Arvann Stern]] was able to banish the Daemon Prince.

Some [[Red Scorpions]] and the [[Angels of Absolution]] turned up to participate in the final attack, to regain the honor of their brothers who had gone before them and snatch up some Alpha Legionnaires for the interrogators, respectively. Arkos killed the Company Master of the Angels of Absolution detachment, but was finally beaten and captured by the Interrogator-Chaplain who'd saved Azrael in his duel against Arkos (the Interrogator-Chaplain ordered him "[[Abaddon|disarmed]]").

== Aftermath ==
[[File:Krieg_quagmire.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Kriegers sends in their holiday greeting cards. They are having a blast!]]
The war to retake Vraks took eighteen years instead of twelve, and didn't so much "retake" Vraks as deny it to the enemy since the ammunitions piles and supplies stockpiles on Vraks - the primary reason for the siege in the first place - were completely consumed. In the end, the primary result was lots of death. The Imperium destroyed fourteen traitor Titans (for the cost of nine Titans of their own), the [[Dark Angels]] got a bunch of prisoners from the [[Alpha Legion]] to interrogate (in retrospect, their interest may have been due to a possible link between Arkos and some [[Fallen Angels|totally random renegades with no relation to the Dark Angels whatsoever]]), and the weapons of Vraks were kept on planet and not allowed to be taken off-planet by other traitor warbands.

The prisoners rescued from the cells in the fortress, six Sisters of Battle and Cardinal Xaphan himself (who had long since been turned into a [[Chaos Spawn|you-know-what]]), were so destroyed by their experiences that they were barely people anymore. The Sisters ended up in Inquisitorial custody, and thanks to their "care" in Chaos custody [[/d/|were so experimented on and broken by the time they were freed]] that they were eventually given the [[Blam|Emperor's Peace]], while the thing that used to be Cardinal Xaphan was summarily executed by the Grey Knights who found him. Zhufor the Impaler had long since departed the planet in order to shed blood for Khorne elsewhere; four different assassination attempts against him all ended in failure, and the Skulltakers would later play a part in many battles in the 13th Black Crusade.

Meanwhile, Deacon Mamon, the jerk who started the whole thing, escaped justice entirely, having joined the Nurglite warband known as The Tainted when Zhufor's coup happened. In fact, [[Nurgle]] was so pleased with how he turned Vraks into a scene of death and decay that he made Mamon a [[Daemon Prince]]. Such is life in the [[grimdark|grim, dark]] future.

==TLDR==
Imperium throws millions of guardsmen into a decades long meat grinder and got little to show for it to the point where it would have been more cost effective to Exterminatus the damned planet from the beginning, even at the cost of all the ammo and gear on it. This might be one explanation of why some inquisitors are so quick to headbang the "kill 'em all" button as soon they smell a whiff of heresy on an Imperial world...

==Trivia==
* In Dutch, "Wrak" (pronounced as Vrak) means "wreck" or "shipwreck." Fitting for what became of the planet, isn't it?

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]]

Vigilus

2023-06-01T22:44:44Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Vigilus.jpg|350px|Where the party is at north of the Gauntlet!|thumb]]

'''Vigilus''' is an Imperial [[Hive World]] located in [[Segmentum#Segmentum_Obscurus|Segmentum Obscurus]]. It is now the focal point of a massive free-for-all as the Imperial Forces there try to keep the planet from the hands of [[Orks]], [[Eldar]] ''and'' [[Dark Eldar]] invaders from without, an insidious [[Genestealer Cult]] trying to subvert the planetary defenses from within, with finally [[Chaos]] madmen in the form of the Gellerpox Infected and their [[Death Guard]] masters joining the fun.

And ''then'' the Herald of [[Abaddon the Despoiler]] decides to come a-knocking...

==About the Planet Itself==

Prior to the opening of the [[Great Rift]], Vigilus' main claim to fame (and indeed its main planetary export) was force field technology, specifically bastion-class fields, which were powerful enough to protect entire hive cities. Its own cities are enveloped by these fields, increasing the world's defensive capabilities.

Both the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] and the [[Ecclesiarchy]] have a significant presence on the planet, the former due to an ancient treaty signed with the ancestors of the current ruling dynasty, and the latter heavily influencing the local [[Planetary_Defense_Force|PDF]] (named '''the Vigilant''') as well as the Imperial Guard garrison. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of [[Sisters of Battle]] around to enforce the Ecclesiarchy's will.

The nobility, the Mechanicus, and the Ecclesiarchy don't get along too well, but have stopped short of outright civil war thanks to the efforts of the '''Aquiliarian Council''', which is made up of more reasonable members of the three factions. That, and because A) the Mechanicus would butcher anyone who endangers such a techy planet, B) any Imperial force that starts a war against the planetary government would be considered renegade and blown up from orbit, and C) The Imperium does '''''NOT''''' tolerate Imperial forces playing warlord. It didn't exactly go well for the Imperium the last time that happened. Times, really. Hell, one of the things keeping the Ecclesiarchy crazies restrained is the knowledge that if they got violent everyone and their pet rock would be screaming "Reign of Blood!". Which would be very bad for them.

==Then, The Great Rift Happens==

With the Fall of [[Cadia]], Vigilus finds itself stuck on the north side of the [[Great Rift]], in the Dark Imperium. What's more, the world's strategic significance rises exponentially when everyone realizes that it's located at the end of one of two known stable routes across the rift: '''the Nachmund Gauntlet'''.

Its hives still protected by the psychically-charged bastion fields, the world had become a staging area for any Imperial expedition daring to brave a foray into Imperium Nihilus (indeed, the survivors of the '''Stygies Front''' were using it as a rallying point), and the final safe harbor for refugees trying get out of it.

==Current Status==

Vigilus is currently the focal point of the [[War of Beasts]], a massive and ever-escalating conflict where the forces of the [[Imperium]] desperately try to defend it from Speed Freek [[Orks]], [[Genestealer Cult|Genestealer Cultists]], [[Chaos]] madmen, two flavors of [[Eldar]], [[Death Guard]], and last but not the least, a [[Black Legion]] invasion with [[Abaddon the Despoiler]] himself leading it.

Because of Vigilus' strategic location in Imperium Nihilus, the Imperium '''cannot''' afford to lose the planet and as such is funneling more and more forces into the meat grinder. this was ''before'' Abaddon's forces decide to step in. While the worst of the fighting has ended with Abaddon's withdrawal, the war is far from over.

December 2021 saw the announcement of Warzone Nachmund, with the first book being called "Vigilus Alone". Yep, the forces of Chaos have gathered enough power to stage their next wave. Said next wave consisting of [[Vashtorr]]'s [[Arks of Omen|junkballs]].

'''Tl;dr'''- Vigilus is in all essence [[Kronus]] from [[Dawn of War]] but with actual stakes, as everyone has basically lined up to have a punching match with each other. The only things missing are [[Macha]], [[Taldeer]] (well her wraithknight anyway), [[Gorgutz]], [[Eliphas]], the [[Blood Ravens]], [[Necrons]] and the [[Tau]]. Though if the Tau did show up, they'd probably nope the fuck out of there immediately and put "Here be Fuck That" on a map.

{{40k-Timeline}}

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]]

Nemeton

2023-06-01T22:38:46Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Nemeton.jpg|500px|right|thumb|Neptune's smaller cousin.]]
'''Nemeton''' is an Ocean World located in Elara's Veil, a sector in the northern reaches of Segmentum Ultima. It is the homeworld of the [[Emperor's Spears]] and is currently part of the Imperium Nihilus thanks to the formation of the Cicatrix Maledictum.

==Overview==

Nemeton was rediscovered by the [[Ultramarines|XIII Legion]] during the [[Great Crusade]]. The Ultramarines easily brought the planet into compliance and uplifted the natives with Imperial technology. Curiously, however, the Nemetonians rejected modernity and went back to their primitive civilization, leaving the Imperial-built cities to collapse into ruin. The planet's remote location apparently meant that it survived the Horus Heresy more or less unscathed. It was eventually claimed by the Emperor's Spears as their homeworld and recruiting ground when they were founded in the 40th Millennium.

Nemeton is almost entirely covered by ocean, with only a few small landmasses and island chains to break up its endless expanses of water. The planet's climate is temperate to tropical, and rainfall is frequent and heavy. The natives of Nemeton regard the rain as a manifestation of the Emperor's sorrow over his lost bride, Elara. Who exactly Elara is remains unclear; some believe that it is the name of the Imperial commander or saint who first brought the region into compliance, though given that the planet was conquered by the Ultramarines this doesn't make sense. (Dear God, they might have somehow found out about [[Erda|Space Karen]].) Regardless, Elara is a figure of worship for the Nemetonians, who believe that the red nebula visible in their skies is her funeral veil.

The natives are divided into 12 tribes, including the Kavalei, Vargantes, Arakanii, and Novontei, and are somewhere around the Iron Age in terms of technology. The Spears use Nemeton's language, the Runes of Ogham, as battle-cant and armour markings and have adopted many of its customs, such as calling their chapter specialists Druids and their Chapter Master the High King. (In case it wasn't already obvious, ADB decided to aim for a "Romans-gone-native" feeling for these guys). Much like the [[Astral Knights]], individual Spears tend to cling to their old identities, often referring to each other by tribal name and maintaining the customs and traditions of their home clan. The Spears mainly recruit from the Kavalei, but will take recruits from any of the tribes as long as they have the necessary toughness. Despite this, the Nemetonians have an uneasy relationship with the Spears, as they regard them as spirits who come to claim children before their time and turn them into ghosts. Mothers will shield their sons from the Spears whenever they approach, while others spit at them and try to use warding signs to scare them off.

The planet has been under siege due to the Spears' war with [[The Pure]] and the Exilarchy, and its future is currently shrouded in doubt.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]]

Necromunda

2023-06-01T22:38:30Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

=The Planet=
[[File:Necromunda Map.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A bleak name for a bleak world]]
Necromunda is a [[Hive World]] located in the [[Segmentum]] Solar, and one of the strongholds of the [[Imperium of Man]] in the region. Its great forges manufacture [[Lasgun]]s, [[Autogun]]s, Shotguns and [[Bolter]]s, among other weapons. The planet also levies huge numbers of troops for the [[Astra Militarum|Imperial Guard]], most notably the regiments of the Necromundan Guard and Necromundan Spiders, as well as other crucial supplies. An [[Imperial Fists]] chapterhouse is located in the top of the world's primary hive city, establishing the planet as one of their recruitment worlds.

The planet's biggest claim to fame, however, is serving as the setting for the ''Necromunda Underhive'' skirmish game, and several [[Black Library]] anthologies and novels. Also of note is that the comic ''The Redeemer'' by Pat Mills, Debbie
Gallagher, and Wayne Reynolds centers around one of the Redemptionist cults on Necromunda, led by a psychotic mofo named Klovis, who lights his head on fire and leads his men to murder shit-tons of mutants and zombies led by a chief [[Ratskin]]s by the name of the Caller.

==History==
First settled during the [[Dark Age of Technology]] as a mining and manufacturing colony, Necromunda was formerly known as Araneus Prime and was the capital of a human civilization called the Araneus Continuity. During the [[Age of Strife]], it had remained in contact with other planets in its system thanks to a network of Warp Gates, and by the time of the [[Great Crusade]] Araneus Prime had become the capital of a small stellar empire.

The [[Imperium of Man]] stumbled over the Continuity when a squadron of ships entered their territory by accident during the [[Great Crusade]], only to be boarded and overrun by the cybernetically augmented warriors that formed the Aranean military. When the Imperium sent envoys demanding that the Araneus Continuity swear fealty to the Imperium, the Technobility that ruled the Continuity responded with its own demand that the Imperium should become their tributary instead. The [[Imperial Fists]] legion was tasked to bring into compliance, and it fell to [[Battle of Phall|Captain Yonnad]] to muster an invasion force from the world of [[Tallarn]].
Two months later, the Araneus Continuity had surrendered to the Imperium.

Unfortunately, the Imperium would not be able to celebrate its victory for long. ''[[Xenos|Something]]'' was coming out of the Warp Gates and was in the process of destroying every planet in the Continuity. By the time the VIIth Legion had destroyed the Warp Gates to keep more of the mysterious invaders from getting through Araneus Prime was the only planet in the Araneus Continuity that was still inhabitable, and even it had been left a ruined shadow of its former glory. It was at this time the planet came to be called Necromunda in recognition of how it had survived its near-annihilation by the unknown xenos.

After the heresy, Necromunda has been relatively peaceful if one ignores all the murder going on in the depths of the underhive. The two major threats to the Imperium's rule being an attack by [[Ork]] [[Freebooterz]] on a minor hive (now purged, abandoned, and renamed the skull because of the giant holes left by the attack orks), and a [[genestealer]] cult uprising that brought down the second biggest hive on the planet, forcing the Planetary Governor to permanently establish a quarantine zone around the nuked city where the [[Planetary Defense Force|PDF]] keeps constant watch against the infiltration attempts of the Xenos horror.

===The Aranthian Succession===
The game's recent expansion has moved things forward and shown us how Necromunda is handling the [[Great Rift]]. The answer is "badly": on top of the window directly into the Warp, the planet's core is cooling such that the hives are suffering increasingly frequent blackouts. Worse, Lord Helmawr is now in medical stasis following a failed assassination and just about everyone and their Grox is eager to fill the power vacuum. We'll tell you more as we learn about it, but suffice to say that life on Necromunda is going to be a lot worse.

==Setting==
By the time of the 41st millennium, the vast majority of Necromunda's surface is covered by scorched wastes of ash creatively named the "ash wastes". Unlike other worlds such as [[Vigilus]] however, the millenia long industrial exploitation of the planet's crust combined with the scars left behind by the unknown xenos invasion has given it its own unique... flavour.

First and foremost, the copious amounts of waste from the hives cities has been dumped into the surrounding territories, sometimes creating vast seas of sludge and stinking sewage no less creatively known as the "sludge seas". These oceans of green goo have ensured a relatively fertile farming environment and fairly bountiful fungus harvests (by Necromunda's standards anyways). Many underhive outcasts leave the hives to take up residence on the sludge seas, becoming fungi farmers who trade their products to passing ash waste nomads and back to the inhabitants of the hives.

At the outer edge of the spires are vast sprawls of ramshackle shanty towns. They are inhabited by all kinds of scum unsuited to even the already low standard of life within the hives. The spires offer a limited protection against the acid rains and corrosive ash of the world, though the best shelter a shanty dweller can hope for is one or two layers of packing material or an abandoned vehicle. To make matters worse, much of the manufactoria's toxic goo of death pours directly down onto the shanties.

Of course, Necromunda being a Hive World means most of its people live inside the cities, governed by the noble house of Helmawr. As far as planetary governors go, Gerontius Helmawr isn't the most incompetent, but he's known for doing shit like only allowing extraplanetary trade from a single spaceport in order to keep monopolies and such. Many visiting merchants and Administratum tithe-factor have observed the inefficiency of this system, but none question its efficacy when it comes to maintaining the unquestionable power of House Helmawr.

=The Game=
'''Necromunda''' is also a skirmish-level [[wargame]] designed to be played in an "open campaign" format, pitting gangs of the hives cities against each other. Originally released in 1995, it was overhauled in 2017 and re-released with a new box set and updated weaponry reflecting the expansive lore changes to the [[Warhammer 40k]] Universe.

Although released in 1995, it is so 80s (even in its new edition) it makes you want to snort a kilo of coke (or new coke) and vote Ronald Reagan's corpse into office.

==Confrontation==
[[File:40k Confrontation Rules Compiled.pdf|thumb|right|The rules for Confrontation.]]
The immediate predecessor and beta-test for Necromunda, ''Confrontation'' only appeared within several 1990/1991 issues of [[White Dwarf]]. If you wanted to try Necromunda with [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]] rules and equipment for that sweet nostalgia trip, then look no further, this is even more 80s than Necromunda proper.

==System 2017==
===Rulebooks===
#'''Gang War:''' Goliath & Escher Gangs. Rules for campaigns
#'''Gang War 2:''' Orlock Gangs, hired guns (Bounty Hunters and Scum) and hangers on.
#'''Gang War 3:''' Van Saar Gangs, Gang Brutes, Trading post updates
#'''Gang War 4:''' Cawdor Gangs, Exotic Beasts, more Gang Brutes, Dominion campaign rules, and rules for psykers.
#'''Gangs of the Underhive''': Delaque gangs, but also combines the abovementioned books.
#'''Book of Peril:''' Venator Gangs, more hired guns, alliances, and rules for Badzones.
#'''Book of Judgement''': Enforcer gangs, Trading Post updates, Law and Misrule campaign rules, and Criminal Alliances.
#'''Book of Ruin''': Expanded rules for Chaos Helots, Genestealer Cults, and Corpse-Grinder Cults.
#'''House of Chains''': Expanded rules for House Goliath, introducing Goliath-exclusive upgrades, skill trees, Hangers-on, and Champion types. Also adds a new type of gang member called a Prospect. Introduces the Ogryn Slave Gangs.
#'''House of Blades''': Expanded rules for House Escher.
#'''House of Iron''': Expanded rules for House Orlock.
#'''House of Artifice''': Expanded rules for House Van Saar.
#'''House of Faith''': Expanded rules for House Cawdor.
#'''House of Shadows''': Expanded rules for House Delaque.
#'''Book of Outcasts''': Outcast gangs
#'''Ash Wastes ''': Introduces the Ash Waste Nomads, vehicles, mounts, and rules for battles in the wastes outside of the hive.
#'''Book of the Outlands''': Expanded rules for Ash Waste Nomads and custom vehicles, and introduces the Ironhead Squat Prospectors.
#'''The Aranthian Succession: Cinderak Burning''': Expanded rules for Goliath and Escher, and the first part of the "Succession" narrative arc.

===Basics===
====The Game====
See a video from a Necromunda demo game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxGWIcTGKJs
Link to [https://necromunda.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/10/Necro_Ref_ENG.pdf PDF] (official Necromunda website) where some actions and other info is found.

Rather than each player taking turns to move their entire gang, players take turns to activate a single model with two action points; actions such as moving, shooting, taking cover, or reloading consume one action point, while some will require two action points, such as charging or hitting. Some single-point actions cannot be taken twice, such as shooting. A model can only shoot at the closest enemy model unless they pass a coolness check or something farther away is easier to hit. The gameplay borrows a lot from the simplified hitting and wounding mechanics of 8th 40k; the starter set also bears a strong resemblance to Shadespire, with character cards of predefined characteristics and loadouts to speed starting (without the special combat dice, though Necromunda has special dice to decide the affect of wounds rather than rolling against a table like in the classic version), whilst the full game still looks to old school Necromunda, with extended character stats such as coolness, willpower, and intelligence, and terrain/skill combat modifiers, as well as plenty of wargear and weapon options.

====Turn order====
The game turn is divided into activations; every activation encompasses 1 miniature, although some special rules modify this - for example, a "Leader" can activate up 2 additional models within 4", or a "Champion" can activate 1.

First, every mini gets a ready token, and you and your opponent roll off. The player that rolls higher may choose 1 ganger and activate it for two actions, consuming that mini's ready token.
After one ganger has played, your opponent may do the same for one of his gangers, and so on. Once there are no more ready tokens on the board, you resolve end-of-turn effects, and then repeat.

====Actions====
"Simple" actions take up 1 action point, and can be spammed; "basic" actions take up 1 action point, but can only be used 1/activation; "double" actions take up both action points.

===Gang Generation===
====Starting your Gang====
First off, you have to pick a faction for your gang. Factions determine your choice of starting wargear, the basic statline of your gang members, and the skill trees they have access to.

The six Great Houses are still the main factions:
* '''[[House Cawdor]]''' - Not the richest of houses, Cawdor is the stronghold of the Cult of the Redemption. To many, they are known as "The House of Redemption" due to these deep ties. Their trademark appearance is the use of masks in public when around anyone outside of their House, along with rags because they can't afford real clothing. They run most of the recycling on the Hive, scouring the waste for potential relics and holy objects. This also generated a rather interesting House Equipment in the previous version that allowed for a bit more flexibility than many of the other houses, and in the current version gives them a bunch of cobbled-together scrap weapons that shouldn't be underestimated because of their shoddy design, such as improvised crossbows and crude imitations of [[Adeptus Custodes|Guardian Spears]].
* '''[[House Delaque]]''' - House Delaque is very dark and secretive, and other houses are justifiably suspicious of them. Many of their agents look like your average diver dealer flipping fake watches on the corner. Most of this house is pale and bald-headed, which have led some people to suspect they've been infiltrated by a Genestealer Cult; the truth is even stranger and more worrying. Traditionally, they have been a very range focused faction with next to no melee support in either equipment or skills, though nowadays they also have a decent amount of access to psykers.
* '''[[House Escher]]''' - Millennia of exposure to the alchemical processes used to create their pharmaceuticals have altered this house's Y chromosomes. Without exception, the males of House Escher are docile troglodytes, and breeding is done in a lab. This has created a strong matriarchal and misandrist power structure with Escher women doing virtually everything needed to keep society running, including acting as their soldiers and hired guns. Their gang lists mostly consist of agile melee fighters who compensate for sub-par strength with a plethora of poisoned weapons. Las weapons are also a house specialty and can be procured for next to nothing during the gang creation process.
* '''[[House Goliath]]''' - House Goliath values size and strength above everything else, with its members using enough gene-mods and stims to match a [[Space Marine]] in bulk. The furnace and foundry workers of Necromunda, they consider the hivers of other Houses to be weak and lazy. The other houses view them as barbaric, unsophisticated, and unpredictable. In game they have improved strength and toughness stats compared to the other houses which makes them very durable and extremely deadly in melee combat. Much of their starting equipment list is comprise of industrial tools converted to blast and bash their way through the Underhive.
* '''[[House Orlock]]''' - In control of most of the mines and refineries of the Hive, House Orlock is a hardened and fearless group since its Gangers see plenty of action defending their convoys and logistics lines. They are in constant tension with House Delaque due to acquiring the Ulanti Contract, previously held by Delaque. Despite their loose-leaf internal leadership, they are actually one of the most unified and disciplined Houses. Their equipment list is very practical, favoring ballistics weapons, and combined with their skill selections, are considered the most balanced House. They can match other houses where they are strong, and then take advantage of their opponents' weaknesses.
* '''[[House Van Saar]]''' - Perhaps the richest of the houses, House Van Saar provides most of the other houses with their most technological items and needs thanks to the STC they found a while back. Their suits keep them from dying as a byproduct of their STC's malfunctioning, as it constantly leaks radiation that would otherwise leave them dead from radiation sickness. Trademark gang look is high-tech range weapons, with their own special brand of lasguns, energy shields, plasma weaponry, and a cannon that fires radiation!

Other playable factions include:
*'''[[Genestealer Cult]]s''' - The gribbly-worshippers we know and love; it doesn't seem like they get full-fledged Genestealers this time, but that's not much consolation for the ganger facing the hammers of a [[Genestealer Aberrants|Genestealer Aberrant]]. They also follow different rules for gang composition and cannot benefit from Guilder Contact territories. Updated rules are found in the Book of Ruin.
*'''[[Chaos Cults]]'''- Chaos Cults also have a slightly different ruleset for gang composition, but the important take-away is that they can bring along rogue psykers and even [[Chaos Spawn|you-know-whats]]. They can also call upon the Ruinous Powers to empower a gang member, granting them bonuses based on the Chaos God that they dedicate their rituals to. Chaos is notoriously fickle, however, and a champion seeking power from his gods might end up with far more than what he bargained for. Updated rules are found in the Book of Ruin.
*'''Venator Gang'''- A brand new faction representing <s>the best from every gang with no negatives</s> a group of Bounty Hunters. A white Dwarf release with no hint of balance (they can pick any model/weapon/bit of gear from any gang or the trader lists and carry up to 5 weapons each rather than the usual 3). The closest to a disadvantage that they get is that they are a bit pricey and in a campaign they don't hold territory so won't get as much money unless they get lucky with capturing fallen gangers. Balance issues aside they let you take any model you like and use it, which can be a modder's dream and give you a legal way to field whatever group of models take your fancy, so bar the cheese are a nice idea that could lead to some awesome modelling opportunities. Rules included in May 2018's White Dwarf and slated to be overhauled to address balance issues.
*'''The Guilders''' - A brand new faction representing the divisions of the Merchants' Guild that keep up the supply of vital resources to the Hives, such as the Water Guild, the Power Guild, and [[Grimdark|the Corpse Guild]]. They don't appear directly in the game, but other gangs can ally with them for extra benefits...if they're willing to deal with the costs of doing business.
*'''[[Palanite Enforcers]]''' - The Hive law enforcement are listed in the Book of Judgment. These guys aren't the [[Adeptus Arbites]] professional FBI, they're the US police. They're here to shoot your dog and enact gratuitous violence. They don't take shock batons because they plan on taking you alive, they use shock batons because they hurt more than stabbing you. Load up and savour the sweet sound of police brutality. And when things get really tough, they bring out the riot shields, assault rams, and grenade launchers because there is no such thing as collateral damage.
**'''Badzone Enforcers''' - Introduced in White Dwarf 477, these guys are like the Palanites, except with a bit of Mad Max thrown in for style points. Things are always tough for these guys: their higher-ups get the best gear, their grunts get whatever they can find and the middle men? Well, they get what they're given. Unlike their well supplied cousins, these guys can hold territory beyond their Precinct.
*'''[[Corpse Grinder Cults]]''' - A bunch of <s>closet</s> Khorne worshippers, down to wearing skull masks and wielding a variety of chain weapons originally intended to process dead bodies into corpse starch. Interestingly, they are the first view into the aforementioned Corpse Guild, being menial workers who went insane from constantly cutting up corpses and devoted themselves to "the Lord of Skin and Sinew" as cannibals. Introduced with The Book of Ruin.
*'''[[Ogryn]] Slave Gang''' - These cyber-Ogryns are similar to House Goliath in that they value brawn over brains. They've risen up against their masters and now fight for their freedom in a classic slave revolt. As a result, your army has a rather static loadout and you absolutely have to watch out for enemies who try to capture your troops - they're worth more than a pretty penny as prisoners! Introduced with House of Chains.
*'''The Outcasts''' - Where the Venators are considered elites among the gangers, the Outcasts are better viewed as the dregs of the admittedly seedy underworld of the underhive. While weak, they are hyper-customizeable with options for different skillsets for your leaders and the ability to tie your gang with either a major house, a noble house, a guild, or nothing. Introduced with Book of Outcasts.
*'''[[Ash Waste Nomads]]''' - The Mad Max-style scavengers that make a living in the ash wastes outside of the Hive. Rumor has it that these were the original inhabitants of Necromunda before the Imperium came and fucked it all up. They prefer the use of long rifles to pick off trespassers from afar, aided by the insectoid steeds known as Dustback Helamites.
*'''[[Ironhead Squat Prospectors]]''' - Why yes, the OG [[Squats]] are still here! Considered distant relatives to the also recently-revealed [[Leagues of Votann]], these Squats more cleanly channel the old wide-headed helmet aspects of yore.

When you first make your Gang - and any time you add members to it - you must obey the following rules:
*At least one "Leader". Starting out, you get to recruit an actual "Leader" model, which has a superior (or mostly superior) statline to your other choices, but costs the most credits; at any time in the future when you need a new Leader, such as the old one dying, or you're starting a new Gang by splitting an old one, you have to promote a non-Leader to Leader, which typically means a worse starting statline and worse efficiency in terms of statline per credit (relevant in case your opponent captures them alive and sells them off, for example). As a result, you will never again get the chance to recruit a Leader.
*"Champions", from 0 to at most 2 + 1 for every 10 Reputation points (e.g. a total of 4 at Reputation 24). Champions recruited fresh cost the second most, but typically have the second best statline. Champions can come both from promoting up Gangers and Juves, or be recruited - only in the latter case does the restriction apply. Future books will introduce house-specific Champion types such as the Goliath Stimmer.
*"Gangers" at least equal to the number of all non-Gangers (Juves, Champions, and the Leader) combined. Gangers can only be recruited - you have no way to promote them from any other role. These typically have the third highest (second lowest) cost, with a statline to match. Gangers can also can become Specialists, which lets them take skills without counting against any specific limits.
*You can have as many "Juves" as you like, subject to the Ganger tax; they are usually your cheapest, and usually have the worst statline, although for most Gangs, they actually have a better Move stat than the other roles. Juves and Specialists can promote to Champions, or, if necessary, Leaders directly, Gangers can promote to Specialists, and Champions can promote to Leader.
**House of Chains introduces Prospects, Juve-tier Gangers who have the ability to upgrade to another model type (usually a gang-specific Champion). They also tend to have unique equipment choices.

Genestealer Cults set up their Gangs like so:
*At least one Adept, who acts as a Leader-equivalent. Unlike normal Leaders, they do not have skills to start with but gain access to unique abilities that only they can use as well as unique wargear like boneswords and toxin injector claws. Additional abilities can be bought like secondary skills.
*Acolytes, following the same rules as Champions from any other gang. However, they can take four weapons instead of the usual three.
*0-2 Aberrants, which have the Unstoppable skill inherent in their profile along with very high stats and powerful melee weapons. They follow the same advancement rules as Gangers but cannot promote to Specialists.
*Neophytes, which follow the same overall rules as Gangers in terms of both promotion and recruitment.

Chaos Cults set up their Gangs as follows:
*One Demagogue, who acts as a Leader-equivalent. They can learn skills like regular leaders, but start with the special "Cult Leader" skill (any fighters from the same gang within 9" use the Demagogue's Cool and Willpower for checks).
*Up to two Disciples, who are Champions for all intents and purposes.
*Up to one [[Psyker|Witch]], a rogue psyker with lower accuracy than even the Cultists and cannot be made the replacement Leader if the Demagogue is slain, but is otherwise roughly equal to a Disciple in its statline and activation ability. Obviously, they start with one psychic power and can buy more as if they were secondary skills.
*Cultists, which follow the same overall rules as Gangers in terms of both promotion and recruitment.
*[[Chaos Spawn|The Unnameable Beasts]], which are not recruited via conventional means and have the following special rules:
**They are not recruited normally in campaign battles, and instead occur when a Dark Ritual roll with a gang member as its focus dramatically fails. The former cultist is considered dead for the purposes of the gang roster and fighter limits, and any gear the victim might have been carrying is lost. Up to two can be taken in a one-off skirmish.
**They have d6 Movement (changing every time it moves or charges), and their Weapon Skill, Strength, Toughness, Wounds, Initiative, and Attacks are randomly generated upon creation. They have no score for the other stats; Willpower and Cool tests always pass, but Leadership and Intelligence tests always fail.
**They cannot gain Experience or Advancements, and are unable to use weapons and equipment. Additionally, the only actions they can make are Move, Charge, Fight, and Coup de Grace.
**They cannot be Pinned and ignore Flesh Wounds, Serious Injuries, and Lasting Injuries. However, they are difficult for a cult to control; in the post-battle sequence, up to three Cultists not taken out of action or Seriously Injured must be nominated to restrain their former comrade. A d6 is rolled for each nominated cultist, and if at least one scores a 4+ they keep the thing under control- otherwise, the abomination breaks loose and flees into the underhive, effectively removing it from the Roster. Any cultist who rolls a 1 gets a Lasting Injury as the freak lashes out at them.

Enforcers set up their gangs like so:
*1 Captain (Leader), who may be either a Palanite or a Subjugator.
*0-2 Sergeants (Champions), either Palanite or Subjugator.
*At least 2 Patrolmen (Gangers), who must be the same type of Enforcer as the Captain. The number of Patrolmen must be equal to or greater than the total number of Captains or Sergeants in the gang.
*Enforcers cannot start out with Rookies (Juves), but may take one for free each time one of their gangers dies or is retired during the post-battle sequence.

Badzone Enforcers set up their gangs like this:
*1 Captain (Leader), who can mix and match Palanite and Subjugator gear.
*0-2 Sergeants (Champions) at the get go, can get more and can mix and match Palanite and Subjugator gear.
*At least 1 Patrolman (gangers). The number of patrolmen must be equal to or greater than total the number of Sergeants and the Captain. Their Enforcer Boltguns, Enforcer Shotguns and Concussion Carbines all gain Scarce, though. One of them can be a Specialist from the get go, who gets Tools of the Trade.
*Any amount of Enlisted Hive Scum. These guys are expendable as hell, to the point they can't benefit from Group Activations or Gang Hierarchy. These guys can become Patrolmen, if they live long enough.

====Gang Attributes====
Gangs have two major attributes: Rating and Reputation.

Rating is the sum cost of every Fighter (and remember, a Fighter's cost is the sum of their personal cost and their gear cost). A high Rating is ''bad'' if the difference between your Rating and your opponent's is very large; having a higher rating than your opponent means you're less likely to be able to choose the scenario you're fighting in and gain worse reputation rewards (every scenario so far awards the participant with the worse rating +1 reputation per full 100 points of rating they are below their opponent). Consequently, it's unwise to fight against a gang with a lower rating than your own since you have less to gain from a victory and have less control over the scenario.

Reputation on the other hand is always ''good'' - a higher reputation means you can recruit more Champions, find rare equipment more easily, and the two highest reputations at the end of a campaign fight over who wins the entire campaign, with reputation serving as their tiebreaker if they draw during the scenario.

Gangs can also form Alliances for the duration of a campaign, symbolizing a connection to a prominent group like one of the guilds or a criminal organization. These grant benefits such as expanded Wargear options or adding free Hired Guns to a scenario, but they also come with drawbacks such as having less control over which scenario is chosen or giving up part of their gained credits. These drawbacks can be ignored, but the other party won't like it- they may temporarily deprive you of the alliance's benefits or end it entirely.

The Law and Misrule campaign type adds Alignment, which determines whether or not your gang abides by the laws of Necromunda. This determines what kinds of Hired Guns they can use, as well as a mixture of other benefits and drawbacks depending on whether or not the gang is on the wrong side of the law. While it is possible to switch alliances partway through a campaign, doing so comes with steep costs.

====Advancing your Gang====
Leaders and Champions can buy stat points and skills (skills are special rules and/or actions only available to the model that has them) for experience points (which you mostly earn by murdering the enemy, but also by Rallying, ironically meaning it can be optimal to get your models to fail their Cool checks, so you can Rally them later for experience), which also raises their credit value for game effects like being sold off by enemy gangs; when they do so, they pay a base experience amount, plus 2 per Advancement (an Advancement is any time they buy one of these things). "Specialists" are basically unlucky (or lucky, depending on your point of view) Gangers who can do the same thing; this is how you promote one of them to Champion. Typically, Leaders have cheaper access to more skills (particularly the Leadership skills) than the other roles, while Champions have cheaper access to something than the others. Experience costs vary by what you are buying - some stats cost more than others, some skills cost more than others depending on your role and House, and so on.

Juves and non-Specialist Gangers do not have to pay escalating costs for Advancements, but have some restrictions to go along with that. Juves typically have the least access to cheap skills, compared to Leaders, Champions, and Specialists, and if you end a campaign (referred to as a Turf War) with any Juves that have 5 or more Advancements, they must promote to Champion, immediately forcing them to begin paying Advancement taxes. Non-Specialist Gangers have no access to skills at all, but buy stats by paying a non-escalating cost and then rolling 2d6; if they roll a 2, a 12, or any result that would force a stat above its maximum, they promote to Specialist, gaining access to skills but being forced to pay Advancement taxes. Any other result, depending on what it is, raises your choice of one of 2 stats. The nature of the table is that, starting with their second Advance, they pay less experience per stat gain than anyone but a Juve, but can't buy skills at all, and run a constant risk that slowly goes up over time of promoting to Specialist and being forced to pay taxes.

=====Skills=====
Leaders and Champions bought new start with one Primary skill of their choice; for everyone else, there are 4-5 ways to gain skills as an Advancement. For all of the options below, the way to handle rolling a random skill you already have is to re-roll it, which is identical to rolling a smaller die type (1d1, 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, or 1d5, although the d4 or the d5 will require non-d6 dice on hand - the easiest way to handle both cases at once is to keep a d20 around), but isn't actually supported by the rules. All of them cost experience points and add to the fighter's credit cost - aside from the downside of making the entire gang's rating go up, this also makes the fighter a larger liability, since they're worth more to the enemy when captured.

*Pay 6xp and gain 20 credits in value to gain 1 random skill from a chosen Primary skill tree.
*Pay 9xp and gain 20 credits in value to gain 1 chosen skill from a chosen Primary skill tree.
*Pay 9xp and gain 35 credits in value to gain 1 random skill from a chosen Secondary skill tree.
*Pay 12xp and gain 40 credits in value to change roles from Specialist to Champion and gain 1 random skill from a chosen Primary skill tree.
*Pay 15xp and gain 50 credits in value to gain 1 random skill from a chosen skill tree.

Typically, Juves have 1 Primary skill set and 2 Secondary, while Specialists have 2 Primaries and 2 Secondaries, and neither has Leadership as a Primary or Secondary. Champions have 2 Primaries and 3 Secondaries, while Leaders have 3 Primaries and 2 Secondaries, but the "additional" skill set they have is always Leadership - Secondary for Champions and Primary for Leaders. That said, it is typical for roles to have other "unique" skillsets within their House - for example, only Goliath Juves have any access to Agility (which they do as a Secondary); as of the current set of 6 gangs, only 2, Escher and Orlock, have skillsets such that Leader>Champion>Specialist>Juve - for everyone else, there's at least one exception, such that promotion can make the Fighter worse at collecting skills they were going after. Skill sets are listed below by name, but these groupings only ''trend'' towards being similar to each other, and a single skill set may provide wildly distinct abilities - for example, under Cunning, Backstab makes you more useful with a melee weapon, while Overwatch makes you more useful with a ranged weapon - and at least one skill, "Savvy Trader" under Savant, is capable of providing absolutely no buff at all (it makes the Fighter better at finding rare items, but only Champions, Leaders, and/or Fighters with the separate Connected skill are capable of even attempting to find rare items).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Skill Sets by Name
! D6 !! Agility !! Brawn !! Combat !! Cunning !! Ferocity !! Leadership !! Shooting !! Savant
|-
| 1 || Catfall || Bull Charge || Combat Master || Backstab || Berserker || Commanding Presence || Fast Shot || Ballistics Expert
|-
| 2 || Clamber || Bulging Biceps || Counter-attack || Escape Artist || Impetuous || Inspirational || Gunfighter || Connected
|-
| 3 || Dodge || Crushing Blow || Disarm || Evade || Fearsome || Iron Will || Hip Shooting || Fixer
|-
| 4 || Mighty Leap || Headbutt || Parry || Infiltrate || Nerves of Steel || Mentor || Marksman || Medicae
|-
| 5 || Spring up || Hurl || Step Aside || Lie Low || True Grit || Overseer || Precision Shot || Munitioneer
|-
| 6 || Sprint || Iron Jaw || Rain of Blows || Overwatch || Unstoppable || Regroup || Trick Shot || Savvy Trader
|}

Later expansions added unique skill categories usable only by specific gangs, such as the Savagery, Palanite Drill and Muscle skill categories.

====Brutes====
A new mechanic introduced in '''Gang War 3''', Brutes are basically inhuman monsters who can be taken by various gangs to give them some extra raw killing potential. They pay for this killing power with ''big'' price tags, so think very carefully before including one in your gang.

'''[[Luther Pattern Excavation Automata]]:''' An [[ambull]] [[servitor]] normally used as a mining robot. All House Gangs can purchase these guys, but [[House Cawdor]] have a particular affinity for them, which manifests as only needing to pay 185 credits for one rather than the usual 215. As well as [[Rip and Tear]], it's also a mining servitor, so it can generate extra credits for your gang outside of the battlefield. Valuable enough that they can be captured like regular gangers.

'''Jotunn H-Grade [[Servitor]] [[Ogryn]]:''' As the name suggests, this is a [[servitor]] that's been made out of an [[ogryn]] and as such it's a big, tough, meaty boy with armor and cybernetic bits. Gang-neutral, but cheaper for [[House Goliath]]. 180 credits.

'''Stig-Shambler:''' [[House Cawdor]] Brute consisting of a hulking, strong-but-dumb [[mutant]] paired with a small, weak-but-smart [[mutant]] that rides on the bigger mutie's back and mans a heavy stubber or heavy flamer mounted on a swivel on its shoulder. 208 credits. Master Blaster from Beyond Thunderdome. If you don’t shout “He’s just a boy” you’re doing it wrong.

'''Spyker:''' [[House Delaque]] Brute consisting of a once-human ganger strapped into a cybernetic exoskeleton and forcefed psy-augmenting drugs until it becomes a hideously deformed artificial psyker. Cheapest of all the Brutes at 190 credits.

''''Zerker:''' [[House Goliath]] Brute, a once-normal ganger overdosed with drugs and gene-mods to the point of becoming an oversized, hyper-violent lunatic. 210 credits. At Strength 6, he is pretty much the ''strongest'' thing on the damn battlefield, or at least very close to it!

'''Lugger Cargo Servitor:''' [[House Orlock]] Brute, and really, what is there to say? It's a lobotomized cyborg, stolen and outfitted with cybernetic limbs; one for [[Rip and Tear]], one for dakka.

'''Khimerix:''' [[House Escher]] Brute, a [[Fleshcrafting|genegineered]] animal cooked up in their geno-alchemy labs for shits n giggles. Whilst primarily aimed for [[Rip and Tear]], it also has the ability to spit a noxious chemical breath weapon, which is basically a never-fail flamer.

'''Arachni-Rig:''' [[House Van Saar]] Brute, basically a battle robot worn as a shoulder harness, with two heavy las-carbines, four ripping claws, and its own legs to carry you around. Can take a Radgun or Plasma Gun at a rice of -1 Attack. Competes with the [[Dreadknight]] for silliest exo-armor style in 40K. 240 points.

Brutes for the Outlaw Gangs were introduced in [[White Dwarf]] #458, and given how Outlaws struggle with funds, the price-sinky nature of the regular Brute is even more relevant here.
* '''Scrapcode-Corrupted Ambot:''' Basically the [[Chaos]]y version of the [[Luther Pattern Excavation Automata]]. Trades the ability to mine credits out-of-battle for much greater killy power. Costs 220 credits.
* '''Mutated Ogryn:''' An [[ogryn]] that has become a [[mutant]], and as such is lured to serve cult leaders or the worst kinds of outlaws. Costs 210 credits.
* '''Warp Horror:''' It's basically a [[daemonhost]], with lots of different gribbly weaponry options. 210 credits.
* '''Sump Beast:''' Generic statblock for any number of horrible mutant fauna from the depths of the Underhive. 200 credits.

==System 1995 ==
[[Image:Necromunda_cover.JPG|thumb|right|Robustly Heterosexual]]
===Basics===
Similar to Warhammer 40,000, Necromunda is a fairly fast paced skirmish game focusing on a small fight between two gangs. Gangs are chosen from the roster below, named, and equipped as the player sees fit. Gameplay represents each man or woman in the gang moving 4", but can run to double the distance or charge to the same effect. Shooting differs from Warhammer 40,000 as the game is less about a fixed ballistic skill and more about modifiers to represent more detailed scenarios of a firefight. Close combat relies on fixed weaponskill and modifiers representing the detailed scenarios much like the shooting phase's mechanics.

===Gang Generation===
Gangs are bought with a set amount of starting cash, along with all weapons and other equipment. The gang grows, levels up, and gains superior equipment between battles, adding a roleplaying element. Lasting injuries can cripple characters, and a few lucky territory rolls can grossly overpower a gang. Basically, fun.

*To start off you need to pick a house to build your gang from. The big six "House Gangs", the base non-expansion gangs, are below. Each gang is more or less identical in practice (i.e everyone has identical stats), but their weapon options differ - e.g. Goliaths don't get swords that can parry but do get Final Fantasy style greatswords, while Escher is vice versa. Each gang has access to a different set of skill tables as well, differentiating them a little more. so in the long run a Van Saar gang will have a different playstyle from an Escher.
** '''[[House Cawdor]]''' - Holier-Than-Thou extremists. Think Jake Busey from Contact. Heavily converted to the worship of the Redemptionist creed. They favour combat with their combat, ferocity, and agility accessing don't expect much shooting with minimal ranged weapons and no shooting skill access.
** '''[[House Delaque]]''' - Sneaky Molemen/Matrix hybrids. The sneaky, shooty gang. N17 claims that they are somehow in league with the descendants of the planet's long-lost native inhabitants, but the few who might have heard of this rarely if ever believe it.
** '''[[House Escher]]''' - Crazy man haters with a cyber-punk style of dress. The agile melee gang. Themed as [[Science Fantasy]] [[Grimdark]] [[Amazon]]s. N17 even retcons that they use archaeotech to reproduce through parthenogenesis, as the few men born to the clan are inevitably deformed and retarded due to severe mutations in their Y chromosomes.
** '''[[House Goliath]]''' - Roid Raging skinheads. The slow, not very good melee gang. Big mutual hate-on for House Escher, because they're the uber-Macho House and Escher thinks they're idiots. N17 makes them ironically dependent on Escher for the super-science gene-mods and stimulants they use to maintain their bodies.
** '''[[House Orlock]]''' - Bikers, except they don't have bikes and they're miners. The Jack-of-All-Trades gang.
** '''[[House Van Saar]]''' - The hell is up with their Eldar-esque suits? N17 retconned that they actually have a semi-functioning STC, but it also poisons them. The suits keeps them from dying quicker. Techy-Shooty gang; they excel in trying to spam the inventor skill and wrecking face.
*Then we have the expansion gangs.
** '''[[Scavvies]]''' - Shittily armed and diseased, they use zombies and lizard hybrids to help with the fighting. They favor melee and can make a pretty badass horde.
** '''[[Servitor|Pit Slaves]]''' - Escaped cyborgs armed with industrial digging equipment. Slow, not so good melee gang but they have this scissors weapon and it's like so totally broken it like kills you in one hit. This is true and rather annoying.
** '''[[Ratskins|Ratskin Renegades]]''' - The native American archetype. They are sneaky, use shitty, shitty guns and are pretty good in melee. Playing them forced the game to be played using the "Treacherous Conditions" table, but they themselves were immune to any of the crazy shit that could be rolled, such as poison gas, rampaging vermin hordes or the ground collapsing.
** '''[[Cult of the Redemption|Redemptionists]]''' - Cawdor on crack. A horde style gang; believes heavily that you can kill it with fire.
** '''[[Spyrer]]s''' - Super 1337 and best armed gang. They are the spoiled rich kids from the hive bored out of their skulls. The gang is tiny, usually consisting of 3-8 models. It's stupid when the other guy pins your entire gang with overwatch, which makes them tricky to use. Fun as hell to play, though. Also, once per campaign, you can take the Matriarch and Patriarch (both in one game if you feel like royally fucking someone's day). If you do this, the game is essentially Slender with miniatures.
** '''[[Adeptus Arbites|Enforcers]]''' - The riot cops of the underhive, Two sets of rules exist for them, One treating them more like a regular gang and one that treats them exactly like you would expect from a police force. Tend to get all their equipment for free, it's pretty good equipment too. downside is you may only every use 5 enforcers a match (though if your opponent is a hard ass the rest of your 10 men put down their paperwork to help on out) Largest skill access of all gangs. (Everything bar agility and techno for their regular enforcers. Handler and sarge get techno.)
** '''Ash Waste Nomads''' - These guys live ''outside'' the hive, and have vehicles. Good luck convincing anyone to let you play them unless you leave out their rides.
**'''[[Vampire#Warhammer_40.2C000|Vampyres]]''' - An attempt to cash-in on the popularity of Buffy the Vampire slayer during the 90s. Were included as a gang of a few superhuman mutants followed around by useless Thralls whose main purpose was as food.
**'''Chaos Cultist Coven''' - Laughable in regular 40k, but in the Underhive you get to see what [[Chaos]] is really like.
**'''Genestealer Cults''' - Yes, they even got [[Genestealers]] and with a [[Rape|Weapon Skill of 7, four attacks and all at strength 6, you bet your ass is grass]].
**'''Ork Gang''' - Why have Orks in Necromunda when you have [[Gorkamorka]]? LISTEN UP YAH GROT. VENATORS GOT T4 GITZ WIV BS5+ SO NOWS WE GOT RULEZ AN WE GOT ‘REZUNS’ - SUM ‘OOMIE INQZTOR SAID SUMMINK N’ NOW WEZ ‘ERE! TA FIGHT FER TEEF!! ...BUT NOT YERR STINKIN’ WEEDY ‘OOMIE TEEF!! CUZ WE’Z DA ONES GOT DEM PROPPAH TEEF... NOT YOO STINKIN’ ‘OOMIES!! BUT DAT INQUIZZY GIT SAID DERE WOZ A SKRAP SO ‘ERE WE IZ!! - ”Reasons” never were Grombragg Git Slappa’s strong point.. but he belligerently jabs you in the chest with a big green finger while telling you them all the same.. Seriously tho. According to lore hive cluster currently known as The Skulls was at one point invaded by orks and held by them for some time until joined operation of PDF and Iron Fists who actually came to necromunda specifically to get rid of those orks did. It destroyed those hive cities, but you know orks. Once they make planetfall it is impossible to get rid of them completely with anything less than complete exterminates of planets biosphere (and even then it is worth to doublecheck). So there is sizeable population of mostly feral orks in the wastes and presumably in The Skulls ruins.
**'''Wyrd Gathering''' - A bunch of psykers and their pets as a gang.
**'''[[Ironhead_Squat_Prospectors|Squat Miners]]''' - Even though [[Squats]] were on their way out, Specialist Games still remembered them. They play very similar to Dwarfs in Mordheim.
**'''Guilder Gang''' - Now you play as the merchants! Good for getting a lot of money.
**'''Hive Prospector Team''' - Basically a merging of the main house gangs and Guilders.
**'''Shanty Town Gang''' - The dregs of society. Hope you love having to recruit half of your gang after they get hit by a stiff breeze.

===Starting your Gang===
Once you have picked your "faction", then you get to the nitty gritty of actually building your starting force which most tabletop gamers will be familiar with. You start with 1000 credits (read points, at least at this stage) with which you purchase your gang-members and equip them.

The original six gangs are all built the same way, with the same selection of membership options, though they have access to different tables of starting gear depending on the faction you choose. The other more specialised gangs will have access to different character archetypes depending upon their fluff, but basically your gang's minimum size is three models and you can go nuts from there.

*'''Gang Leader''': Most gangs have a "leader" equivalent who you must take if he's available to your gang. He usually starts off as a WS/BS4/I4/Ld8 Veteran. He's good because you need him to keep the gang together and take most of their leadership tests, as well as determining what happens between battles. He also gets access to some of the best gear, making him one of your most effective warriors in addition to his statline.
**Gang Leaders invariably start out with a lot of experience to account for all the cool stuff they do. This usually equates them to about ninth level on the advancement scale, meaning they can only accumulate a few more advancements before maxing out.
*'''Ganger''': After that, most gangs will have the equivalent to a squaddie, who represents your rank-and-file warrior. They have the same statlines as imperial guardsmen, and you just need them because most gangs have a minimum number of these guys you need to take. They're good because they cover most of your bases and they level-up readily.
*'''Heavies''': Then you have the specialists, but some gangs have a variant which works in a different way ''(eg: Techno / Mastiff-Handler / Totem Warrior / Zealot)''. Usually, these guys are veterans of equivalent level to your Gang Leader, but often only have similar statlines to your regular Gangers. This sounds like a poor deal, but even at their most basic, they get access to the biggest guns, making them really useful in laying down the pain during your battles. They will also have access to different upgrade options, often acting as the techie dudes that fix the rest of the gang's broken shit.
**Some gangs do it differently, and have these specialist dudes perform a more unique function. These guys will have different special rules depending on the faction you've chosen, but generally you're always going to want a few in your gang for the utility they bring.
*'''Juves''': Not all specialist gangs have access to them; they are usually the last things you consider, but they have some of the greatest potential. They start out as WS/BS2 conscripts and they don't have access to basic (ie: rifle) weaponry. However, they are cheap to add to your gang, and they start at level zero which is actually a good thing in the long run. That is four advances behind regular gangers, therefore when they upgrade to the same level they will have earned themselves several skill or characteristic bonuses that make them stand out and excel. If you build them correctly, who cares if they keep their BS2 through-out their whole career if you made them into power-sword champions? They eventually earn the right to carry rifles later anyway so if they turn into ace marksmen you can hand them the gang's good weapons.

==Dramatis Personae==
====Bull Gorg====
The legendary leader of a slave uprising against the guilders and Spartacus stand-in. A pit fighter that turned on his masters when a fellow slave/love interest of his was denied medicine and died. Ended up liberating a town and several slave trains before guild mercenary armies cut it apart and paraded Bull Gorg around before his execution. His legacy has since been taken up by one Gor "Two Guns" Coran, a Hive scum that became convinced he was Gorg's long-lost son after a run-in with a Ratskin shaman who claimed that Coran was the offspring of a great hero of the underhive.

====Kal Jerico====
Perhaps one of the most famous and recognisable characters to come out of the setting. The bastard son of the Planetary Governor and [[Inquisitor]] [[Jena Orechiel]], who described his conception and birth as "one of the unpleasant things one has to do for the Imperium". Jerico is a dashing figure who [[Drizzt|dual wields]] master-crafted pistols and acts as a swashbuckling hero whose guns and uncanny good luck get him out of trouble as easily as his mouth gets him into it. Despite his devil-may-care attitude and considerably long list of people who want him dead, he's still one of the most successful bounty hunters in Hive Primus.
*'''Scabs''' - Jerico's half-[[Ratskins|Ratskin]] sidekick. Originally a Hive Scum whose heritage made him a perpetual outsider, Jerico recognized his good heart and hidden talents as a scout and Scabs reciprocated his acceptance with loyalty. As the voice of reason to Jerico's bon vivant, Scabs's pragmatism and knack for finding hidden paths in the underhive has gotten the duo out of more than a few predicaments.
*'''Yolanda Catallus''': The heiress of the Noble House Catallus, at least before she ran away to join and later lead a House Escher gang as "Outlaw Annie". Jerico and Scabs had accepted bounties for Yolanda's return and Outlaw Annie's capture only to realize that they were the same person. They were able to capture her, but Yolanda's threats to use her family ties to ensure Jerico's slow and painful death impressed him enough to give her a chance to escape- or more precisely, he left her tied up in a sewer tunnel figuring she'd be able to get away before the local giant spiders found her. She later become a bounty hunter herself with a rather complicated relationship with Kal culminating in their marriage.

====Karloth Valois====
One day, a rogue-psyker stumbled into the underhive from the spires above to get away from all the voices he kept hearing and the dreams he kept having. He was promptly assaulted by [[plague zombies]]... though bitten, Valois' psychic talent was enough to keep him the zombies at bay while the disease ate through his brain. He "survived" the ordeal but remained infected by the plague, giving him mastery over zombies ''(essentially making him the Zombie king... with a crown and everything)'' which he can bring with him into battle and boost them from "Night of the Walking Dead" undead to "28 Days Later" undead, without losing the original's durability. He's also a telepath, and he can suck the life out of his opponents... badass.
*'''Trivia:''' Valois ''(pronounced "Val-wa")'' is probably named for the real-world king Charles Valois VI (better known as "Charles the Mad") of France, who is immensely more hilarious because it actually happened: Valois suffered schizophrenia (hallucinations/delusions, which bring on erratic behaviour), probably brought on by some sort of genetic problem like porphyria (a disorder that can also cause victims to break out in blisters when exposed to sunlight, like a really sucky [[Vampire]]); he went around the castles howling like a wolf, attacked and killed his servants because he was convinced they were traitors, pissed himself in public, thought he was made of glass, and even had holes drilled in his skull to relieve pressure because it was considered to be a cure for mental illness at the time.

====Klovis the Redeemer====
The other (and arguably most) highly recognizable character from the setting, owing to being the focus of an insane-as-fuck comic. Originally from House Cawdor, Klovis turned out to be way too fanatical to control and thus was exiled. In response, he managed to round up a bunch of rabble, beat them into shape, and began leading a self-proclaimed holy crusade to spread his holy word to the outcasts and underhivers in the Ash Wastes, common sense be damned. His chief instruments of justice are his eviscerator and his headpiece, which triples as a flamethrower and impaling implement.
*'''Deacon Malakev''' - Klovis' semi-servitorized pet lackey/chronicler and sycophant bar none. He'd be totally useless if it weren't for him having the Liber Excruciatus, the big book of torture.

====Others====
*[[Phanta Claws]] - the 40k equivalent of Santa Claus

*[[Farseer]] Yrthrian Mardawn - The only known Eldar on the planet. He isn't 100% alone, accompanying him are two Fire Dragons. Originally from [[Saim-Hann]]. His purpose in the Underhive is to find someone who will fight for his family back on the Craftworld so that they will win whatever power struggle they are currently embroiled in.

*D'onne "Mad Donna" Ulanti - A crazed daughter of a nobleman from the Ulanti House. She was kept locked up, Rapunzel style, where something made her go off the deep end. Once her dad figured she was old enough to be married off to another nobleman, shit hit the fan. After tearing out her husband-to-be's eyes with a fork, she gunned down him and his guards with his own pistol, along with several more people during her trip down to the Underhive. After that, she got employed by the Eschers. Known for having a plasma pistol and a chainsword. [[RIP AND TEAR|The sword is not for show as she had the unique rule "Psycho-Bitch" which basically made her into a]] [[Khorne]] [[Berzerker]]. To emphasize just how bat-shit insane she is, the reason she wears an eyepatch is because when some guy tried to hit on her in the Underhive, she gouged out her own eyeball so nobody would call her pretty again.

*Brakar, The Avenger - A Ratskin heavy with a heavy stubber. He is unique since Ratskins can't have "proper" heavies.

*Grendl Grendlsen - A mercenary and former bodyguard for a Rogue Trader, who came down to the Underhive after his master was killed in a bombing. Most notable for being the first official [[Squat]] miniature in over twenty years.

*Gor Half-Horn - A [[Beastmen (40k)|Beastman]] bounty hunter with a background shrouded in mystery. Some believe he's the sole survivor of an Imperial Guard abhuman auxiliary, others say he was part of an Inquisitor's retinue but went rogue, and there's even a claim that he was a noble whose mutations manifested later in life and fled to the Underhive. Regardless of the truth, he's a nasty son of a bitch.

*Eyros Slagmist - A scavenger who discovered a strange archaeotech device that fused with his body, allowing him to extract clean water from anything. Or ''anyone'', as his unlucky companions discovered when the thirst generated by the device got the better of him. He now sells his services as a bounty hunter, working with the gangs and providing his water in exchange for new victims to "drink" from. He now resembles a nightmarish mass of water tanks, pipes and cables, and it's unknown if there's anything left of him that can be called human underneath the machinery.

*"The Deserter" - A nutty old man who once served in the Necromundan 8th, whose original identity and reasons for ending up in the Underhive are unknown. He's well-known for his skill at setting up ambushes and working with explosives, but most gang leaders learn to send only the guys they don't particularly care about when trying to get his services. Mostly because every path leading to his warren is loaded with booby traps.

*Belladonna: The daughter of a powerful Escher matriarch, she was engaged to the Tzakwon Ran Lo, heir of the Ran Lo Stratoplane Empire. Surprisingly for an arranged marriage, they were deeply in love- but the wedding ended in tragedy when one of the wedding gifts turned out to be a ravenous Crotalid beast that devoured the groom and several guests. She managed to kill it at the expense of an arm, a leg, and an eye, and she now works as a bounty hunter in the hopes of finding the people who arranged for her husband's death.

*Krotos Hark: A member of House Goliath with an uncommon degree of intelligence, he works as a bounty hunter and armorer in pursuit of an unknown agenda. Observers note that he takes a strong interest in jobs opposing House Goliath, making them wonder if he seeks to make himself its new leader.

*Grub "Lumpy Nox" Targeson: Grub used to be an average Guilder until the lump began to grow on his back. At first it was nothing a looser coat couldn't hide, but it wouldn't stop growing...and then it began to talk. Nowadays he wanders the underhive selling his services as a hired gun, and while most people assume his whispered conversations with his hump just mean he needs to cut down on the drink, some swear that they can hear it whisper back- and it seems to know an awful lot of things Grub couldn't possibly know on his own.

==Necromunda: Underhive Wars==
[[File:Rsz 1rsz 15994934 135429053628056 4990385316092068855 o.jpg|300px|thumb|right]]
A new turn-based tactical RPG game developed by Rogue Factor and [[Focus Home Interactive]], which is a video game adaptation of [[Specialist Games]] Necromunda. So far it only consists of three Gangs: the Goliaths (who have red scrap armour), the Escher (who wear yellow scrap armour) and Orlock (who wear blue scrap armour) so they've gone for primary colours and gangs. The gangs all feel and (despite the excellent level of detail, customisation, accuracy and love that went into the models) somehow even look a bit samey. They all get access to the same 5 classes and so the only difference between them is 6 different passive skills and a starting perk and stat bonus, so very little to make them play in a unique way. In an effort to make all weapons balanced they don't play anything like they to in the table top as Auto weapons are amazing, plasma and las cannons are weak and flamers don't set things on fire. Ignoring the fluff it does make for a bit more balanced game, but may aggravate some.

With the game now released [https://store.steampowered.com/app/566440/Necromunda_Underhive_Wars/ store page] you can try it for yourself. If you like Mordheim you might like this, as it's similar in feel and on the plus side has better graphics, guns and more dynamic movement on visually stunning multi-level and occasionally somewhat confusing maps. That said it could be better as the AI is dumb as bricks, the pacing for them is slow (apparently these are being fixed) and the story mode is somewhat tedious with pre-generated gangs you don't care about, but that you have to play to unlock all cosmetic options. The dynamic movement also makes a bit of a mockery of cover as gangers can pretty much always move from one side of a map to the other in a turn making it impossible not to be flanked.

===Mordheim Similarities===
The core gameplay is very similar to Rogue Factor's previous game, Mordheim, meaning e.g. movement will be in real time, not turn-based; the game was basically developed from Mordheim as a starting point. Changes include:
The AI being bloody stupid.
The maps themselves are beautiful, much more 3D and with zip lines more traversable, but a little too small. The map view now shows everything rather than what's in your gangs line of sight. Considering the complexity of the maps and the speed of movement this is necessary despite removing what was a nice mechanic from Mordheim.
Ranged weapons are much more important and powerful rather than for most warbands where they were a nice to have before the main hitting people with sticks could start.
You can only field 5 gangers rather than the 10 of Mordheim and you have no Monster, but all your gangers are essentially heroes. The leader just gets access to some extra (and fairly awesome) perk tree and a bonus to maximum stats.
Combat wise as you advance you can easily get to the stage where any ganger killed in a single attack (damage goes up but health doesn't), but do get stims to bring them back to make up for some of the worst excesses of the RNG.

Hopefully they will improve on the base they have and release all standard and extra factions as DLC's before stopping development like it happened in Mordheim. Which is sad indeed.

==Necromunda: Hired Gun==
A fast-paced FPS game developed by [[EYE: Divine Cybermancy|Streum On Studios]] and published by [[Focus Home Interactive]] that released in June 2021. It looked promising before its release, but so did Space Hulk: Deathwing, which was a mixed bag. The premise is simple enough: You are an otherwise nameless mercenary who gets fucked up on a job gone wrong and were made into a cyborg thanks to the graces of [[Kal Jericho]]. Now saddled with a shitton of debts and no way to reach your benefactor and cash in his massive bounty, you have to go back on the beat, hunting down marks and buying better gear and cybernetics.

One of the chief features of this game was the inclusion of a pet [[Awesome|Cyber-Mastiff]], who was supposed to be an integral part of the game. This, much like the rest of the game, turned out to be a mixed bag much to no one's surprise. It still includes the usual jank characteristics of modern 40K video games, but still with solid gameplay, reminiscent of 2016's [[Doom]].

==See Also==
*[[Necromunda/Tactics|Necromunda/Tactics]]
*[[Mantic Games]]' [[Warpath#Deadzone|Warpath: Deadzone]]
*Fantasy's Mordheim

==External Links==
* [https://yaktribe.games/community/vault/necromunda-community-edition-rulebook.1/ yaktribe.games], hosts a community-maintained Necromunda rulebook.

{{Specialist-Games}}
{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Necromunda]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Skirmish-Level Wargames]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Imperial]]

Mordia

2023-06-01T22:35:46Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Mordia.png|300px|right|thumb|The most generic orange dustbowl you would ever see. Quite a contrast to the [[Mordian Iron Guard|spiffy troops it pushes out]] and the fact it's essentially [[Nostramo]] if Curze had been less [[Batman]] and more [[Judge Dredd]].]]
Mordian (''Used'' to be called Mordia until GeeDubs changed it into an [[Wat|adjective]] because of...[[Derp|reasons]]...but half of /tg/ still calls it Mordia) is a Imperium [[Hive World]] that was renowned as the Homeworld of everyone's favourite [[Commissar]] army; the [[Mordian Iron Guard]] Regiments of the [[Imperial Guard]].

==Overview==
Mordian is a tidally locked planet; the time of the planet's rotation equal to the time of its revolution around its sun. Consequently, half of the planet is in perpetual darkness while the other is constantly burned by the harsh sun. All life is on its dark side. [[Nostramo|For good reason, Mordian is also known as the World of Eternal Night]].

Mordian's hundreds of millions of inhabitants live on a land surface barely one tenth the size of Earth in an area that real-world astrophysicist call the [[Twilight|Twilight Zone]], where it is neither too hot nor too cold for life, although the majority of the hives are built nearer to the night side of the planet. This is despite the fact that Hives are entirely enclosed and climate controlled due to the fact most "normal" hive worlds are on a scale from climate destroying pollution to [[Necromunda]]. So while Hives may not be possible on the day-side ([[Solar System#Mercury|Mercury]] at least needed archaeotech to allow it to be settled, though [[Scintilla]] has a desert hive so hot anyone on the hive skin is likely to die of a bad tan within minutes unless they have protective gear), logically the night-side of Mordia should be where most of the Hives are. Maybe they were [[Games Workshop|sent a cease and desist by the Valhallans]]?

Its hive cities are characterized by pyramidal, multi-levelled towers rising like mountains towards space. The government is known as the Tetrarchy (No, not ''[[Ultramar|THAT]]'' one), and strictly controls and rations the planet's meager resources. Mordian naturally breeds discontent, and the Iron Guard is the only thing that stands between order and total anarchy.

==History==
===Chaos Invasion===
The greatest threat faced by Mordian came as a result of a conspiracy among Chaos cultists. Summoned by a spell, ships from the Eye of Terror poured Chaos Marines from the skies and daemons appeared within the streets. In the resulting Battle of Mordian, the Mordian Iron Guard eventually emerged victorious against the invasion.

===Fall of Mordian===

The planet Mordian along with the entire [[Stygius Sector]] was invaded by Chaos Forces led by warbands loyal to Tzeentch. The Iron Guard held their ground as reinforcements arrive, but there were too many heretics and slowly the Imperial defenders are being bled dry. (Didn't help that the dead are being raised as zombies or that the Warp claimed several Imperial ships and an entire planet during the conflict.)

Further reinforcements came in as an Eldar Strikeforce from [[Craftworld Ulthwé]] aided the Imperium. Being the cryptic pricks they are, they tell the defenders that they can't win and advised them to leave the sector. (Seeing as the Chaos Invasion is led by the [[Thousand Sons]] under [[Magnus]] as well as [[M'kachen]], they had a point). Even though the discipline of the Iron Guard kept them from being overrun, they agreed to retreat, and evacuated what they could. It probably stung, but you'll never see a Mordian getting mopey about it.

However, thanks to the perseverance of the [[Iron Hands]] and its successor chapters, Chaos forces were finally driven off Mordian and reclamation of surrounding worlds continued in order to secure the adjacent passage through the [[Great Rift]]. It's not quite clear if they reinforced the Mordians or joined a Mordian attempt to re-take Mordian or if they did it on their own. Seems likely that the planet was secured due to their arrival instead of evacuating the planet. Speaking of, that the Iron Hands did this proves the Eldar were wrong. Again.

(Though since the Thousand Sons are back to Heresy numbers, 80k Marines, the Iron Hands and Mordians are going to need A LOT of reinforcements otherwise they are going to fail)
{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Imperial Guard]]

Ganymede

2023-06-01T22:32:05Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Ganymede.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Ganymede before the AdMech fucked it up to an unimaginable proportion.]]
{{topquote|Henceforth no man shall set foot upon the world, and all around shall be set sentinels to ward away unwary spacecraft. We must accept that this place is lost to us forever, and is now the eternal habitation of abomination.|from The Contagion of Ganymede}}

The largest moon of Jupiter and formerly a [[Forge World]]. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] infamously used this world as a test bed for stolen [[Squat]] technology, specifically their "Warp Fission" technology, wherein the Squats would use raw warp energy and process it as a form of power.

The Squats, being far more advanced than the AdMech, who have religious ceremonies to reboot the vending machines in the Forge World Lobbies after they eat your credits, are able to handle this technology. The Imperium most certainly is not. (no not even [[Belisarius Cawl]])

The resulting breach caused a warp rift -- a miniature eye of terror -- to form on the planet's surface, and it <s>has</s> had been declared off limits ''for all time''[[Doom|...until some guy went and closed the rift, and killed every single living thing in the facility...friend or foe alike.]]

It is somewhat difficult to understand how this came about, seeing as any annexed world (or abhuman species) must share all its technology with the Imperium, who must share it with the then Mechanicum (now Adeptus Mechanicus). Otherwise, it gets forcibly taken and probably ripped out of uncompliant fools' minds. The Emperor especially is all-but-guaranteed to take keen, personal interest in ''any'' Warp related technology. Either reason (annexation or the Emperor's interest) is enough to ensure there is no way for the Imperium not to understand Warp fission technology. On the other hand, this may have been intentionally screwed over at the behest of the Emperor to prevent its proliferation. Better to lose a small Forge World (well Forge Moon really) than for that risk to be carried over to almost every freaking planet in the Imperium. Not to mention when it was eventually cleansed every single techpriest on the moon was brutally murdered. probably on orders from the Emperor.

[[Doom|A similar incident occurred on mars during the dark age of technology where a profit-seeking mega-corporation named Union Aerospace tried to tap into the warp to solve Earth's energy crisis, triggering a demonic incursion in the process, this then lead to the corporation being turned into a chaos cult, and a second much larger Possibly C'tan lead demonic incursion on terra. both were dealt with by the same guy who eventually cleansed Ganymede much later.]]

Given the time since this lore was published, the dubious [[canon|canonicity]] of anything to do with the [[squats|Homo sapiens rotundis]] and that [https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Jupiter#Moons more recent lore] has listed the moon as the central hub of the Jovian Shipyards up to the [[Horus Heresy]] at the least, it seems quite likely that this record of events is [[heresy|no longer entirely accurate to the contemporary 40k setting]]. Or maybe the Imperium is using Warp-fission technology but since its result is still “plasma” (fission is plasma related i.e. mini-stars), maybe they still call the generators “plasma generators” instead of making a new name. Much like how “autogun” applies equally to caseless chemically propelled bullets as it does to bullets propelled by gravitational manipulation technology.

Fun fact, this moon entirely exists in real life and was named after a Greek mythological man who was the most beautiful mortal ever so [[Zeus]] took him away to Olympus serve as his cupbearer [[Gay|and other stuff]] (it wasn't just the ladies Zeus banged without constraint, their resulting pregnancies just made them more famous).

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Imperial]]

Catachan

2023-06-01T22:17:58Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{topquote|'''[[Vulkan]]''': "Oh-hoho! This planet humbles me to no bounds! Tank-sized scorpipedes, platoon-eating plants, and trench foot for the power-armored!" '''[[Corvus Corax]]''' *neck deep in mud*: "WHY DO PEOPLE LIVE HERE?!?!
|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|TTS]] summing up Catachan in a nutshell.}}
[[File:Catachan.jpg|300px|right|thumb|So deadly that not even [[Daemons]] want to step foot on it. Literally. When the [[Great Rift]] opened, Catachan needed no rescuing because the jungle '''ATE''' the daemons. [[Awesome|WITHOUT returning them to the Warp]].]]
Catachan (sometimes pronounced as 'Cata-Can' or 'Cata-Chan', we aren't really sure thanks to GW incompetence) is everyone's favourite [[Death World|hellhole.]] Like a giant overgrown Amazon Rainforest mixed in with Skull Island and Gondwana-circa Early Cretaceous Period, every single iota of Catachan is lethal to human life, from the smallest mites to the largest Catachan Devils. If planets could dream, then even the most blighted of daemon worlds at the core of the [[Eye of Terror]] surrounding the very Byssos itself would experience bed-shitting nightmares about the horrors of Catachan. And given how this shitty bumhole is inhabited by the toughest boys and girls around, one must wonder why the Space Marines never bothered to make this planet a recruiting world. Perhaps they're so good that yoinking them when their balls have barely dropped to go create a super-soldier monk rather than leaving them be to help breed more Catachans [[Awesome|is a net loss to the Imperium's fighting power.]]

==History==
Catachan was colonized by humans longer than Imperial records can remember. When the first probes arrived, the planet was a [[Pretend|deceptive, calm green orb]] from orbit but when the colony ships crash-landed and the colonists had no way to escape, they awoke to find themselves on one of the harshest planets in the galaxy. The colonists only barely survived, holed up in their spacecraft against a living, besieging jungle, a battle for survival in which many undoubtedly died.

==Catachan Welcomes the Bold and the Brave==

As you know, Catachan is not for the faint of heart. Its endless jungles full of armored/poisonous/parasitic nasties are locked in a cycle of evolutionary warfare that would send even the Tyranids packing. But if you're dead-set on visiting, here are a few things you should probably watch out for:

====Flora====
*The '''Brainleaf''' - ''Vinea catachanus dominari'': A vegetative carnivore, the Brainleaf is a small, not particularly conspicuous tree able to attach its tendrils to the spine and brain of a person, taking control over their body.
*The '''Breathweed''' - ''Parasitus respirare'': A strange organism that seems to be a mixture between plant and fungi. It grows on the side of tree trunks and resembles a vine. If an organism brushes past by the weed, it dissolves into a cloud of airborne spores. If even one lands in the mouth, you only have a brief time to remove it. Unfortunately, it resembles a small blister making it hard to find. Once settled, it takes over the host's tongue like the Terran daemon ''cymothoa exigua'', absorbing nutrients that creates more spores. Once the host dies, the fake tongue dissolves and release even more spores.
*The '''Spiker''' - ''Spina transformatio'': Fires its spikes into its victims' bodies, which then releases a mutative chemical which literally turns the person into another Spiker.
*The '''Venus Mantrap''' - ''Vinea malum'': A giant carnivorous plant common to jungle Deathworlds. It resembles the Terran Venus Flytrap for which it is named but is far larger, and unlike the flytrap, it is able to move its leaves to attack and consume its prey. The Mantrap consists of a number of mobile leaves attached to a single immobile stem.
*The '''Spore Tree''': The branches of this plant hold dangling flowers which launch a cloud of spores when they detect something moving close by, to carry their seeds to other fertile areas. The spore cloud is so dense, the creature which disturbed the tree often chokes and dies. This is also useful for the spore tree as its victim's decaying body will enrich the ground around its roots.
*The '''Canak Floater''': These bizarre and deadly plants are filled with lighter-than-air gases and drift across the planet with the vagaries of the wind. They have sensitive feeler tentacles, which detect warmth and moisture above the normal local levels. This is usually to detect streams, hot springs and other sources of water, but unfortunately is also sensitive enough to detect the temperature of and moisture changes caused by humans. When it finds such a place, the floater explodes, scattering its seed pods over a wide area. These seedpods have a diamond-hard outer casing with razor-sharp edges and will scythe through anything within range.
*The '''Miral Catcher''': Ground-hugging vegetation which has roots that are extremely sensitive to vibrations in the ground, such as might be caused by an animal wandering past. It looks innocuous enough when dormant, but when it attacks, huge tentacles whip from its many frilled maws and lash out. They carry a paralysing toxin, which acts almost instantaneously.
*The '''Sucker Tree''': Fairly innocuous-looking to the untrained eye, it is simply a fungal-like growth on top of a seemingly normal trunk. However, the trunk can twist and turn when it detects prey, bending over to drop its suckers on top of the heads of its victims. It quickly drains them of their life fluids and then flings the corpse away, to ensure that future victims are not made suspicious by a pile of bodies.
*The '''Spitting Cactus''': A deadly form of jungle cacti, it is able to fire toxin-coated spines directly at nearby prey.
*The '''Catachan Mantrap''': While having a similar name to the Venus Mantrap, it uses a much more aggressive hunting technique. It can move its leaves around, actively searching out prey and clamping its jaw-like leaves around its victims.
*The '''Stranglevine''': Prefers shady spots to grow in, where their distinctive tube-like trunks are hidden from view. When they detect the disturbance caused by a passing animal, their long, highly adhesive stamen uncoil, wrapping themselves around their prey and dragging them back to die of dehydration.
*'''Shardwrack Spines''': Also known as "devil's-teeth", they are an evasive species of jagged formations of fossilized organic matter that have hardened over thousands of year forming razor-sharp walls of crystalline growth bursting from the ground. A usual sight on any deathworld – menacing, bizarre battle zones that only the strongest or the most foolhardy would dare fight on. They form impenetrable barriers that hamper movement, able to mortally wound anything that might come near – their strange shapes and sharp spines can pierce armour as if it wasn’t there. Available as a terrain set.
*'''Barbed Venomgorse''':- Covered in alien flora bright and beguiling, deathworlds are strange and sinister places few visit and fewer leave intact. Much of the pain, suffering and death can be attributed to the growth of barbed venomgorse. Possessed of a primal, cunning sapience, this carnivorous plant is highly adaptable, which snakes toward anything that lives, able to generate new weapon-growths and toxins throughout its life cycle while injecting debilitating neurotoxin with invariably fatal results. Commonly found with a collection of dead animal bones, xenos skeletons, and the odd unfortunate desiccated guardsman entangled in its sapient roots and boughs. The venom from a single one of these xeno-weeds is enough to kill most of a hive city. Mesh-like leaves, buds, and barbed flowers, a thick tangle of thorned creeper vines. Also available as a terrain set. Produces deadly subforms like the Grappleweed.
**'''Grappleweed''': the most common and deadly subform of the Barbed Venomgorse. The Grappleweed is a hideous alien plant, with stumpy bushes with trumpet-like flowers, able to shuffle across the landscapes of the galaxy in search of fresh morsels of prey. The writhing barbed tentacles are a deadly menace which will drag any prey with its grapple-barbed tongue into the fleshy trumpet for eventual digestion. Its is a ravenous carnivorous plant that tumbles towards its prey with astonishing swiftness before dousing it in highly corrosive chemicals and consuming the slurried remains.

====Fauna====
*'''Catachan Devils''' - ''Catachanus scorpiones maximus'': ''Not'' to be confused with the Catachan Devil Guardsmen Regiment; these are voracious predators, looking somewhat like many-limbed scorpions. They can be as long as a [[Land Train]] but are very bulky and slow-moving, meaning that escape is possible. Was previously hinted to may or not be a type of lost Tyranid vanguard organism that was forced to adapt to the planet's environment, though this has been ruled out by the newer fluff.
*'''Catachan Face-Eater''' - ''Catachanus fyto paracitus'': A bizarre amoeba-like organism. In its natural environment, the creature hangs from low branches, near water sources, or anywhere prey is known to travel. When a prey creature comes in range the Face-Eater will drop, or use its powerful muscles to fling itself in the direction of the creature's head. Once attached it will not only suffocate its prey but also use powerful digestive acids to begin to feed as it slowly kills. It then lays eggs so that the larvae may find a warm and moist meal. [[Wat|Also has the same genus as the Catachan Devils,]] whether they are closely related, we have no idea. But we're gonna sweep it as GW [[EPIC FAIL|not understanding the basics of biological classification.]]
*[[Grox|'''Wild Grox''']]: Introduced from the Solomon system as a food source, on Catachan they have become feral, deadly predators.
*'''[[Orks]]''': Because there is officially nowhere in the galaxy real space [[Tuska Daemon-Killa|or otherwise]] that hasn't been infested by these retarded angry mushrooms. Catachan was at one point the birthplace of [[Old Zogwort]] before a later retcon saying he was instead born on the planet [[Derp| Zurk]]
*'''Shambling Mamorphs''': From the volcano lands, these creatures are tough fighters and put up a good fight even against the Catachan Devil.
*'''Drakebats''': [[Ogryn]]-sized, winged pseudo-reptiles that lurk amongst the upper canopy of the equatorial jungles of Catachan, descending from the treetops to ambush and devour unsuspecting prey.
*There are also many types of venomous serpents on Catachan, including the '''Flying Swamp Mamba''', the '''Coiling Death Cobra''' the '''Catachan Black Viper''' and the giant '''Blackback Viper''', all are all deadly to most living beings. Some can kill in under 30 heartbeats.
*'''Catachan Barking Toads''': Although appearing benign and harmless, (and a hopping fart joke) the Barking Toads are likely Catachan's deadliest animals. The creatures are easily startled and, whenever they feel threatened, explode in a cloud of toxins which kills and liquefies anything within a one-kilometre radius, including the Barking Toad itself. The toxin is virulent enough that even respirators and sealed suits such as power armour offer no protection. They are known as the most toxic creatures in the galaxy. How these guys manage to maintain a population without suiciding themselves to extinction, we have no idea, but [[Warp]] fuckery has not been ruled out, especially because [[Plague Toads]] exist. There are two types of Barking Toads:
**'''Great Barking Toad''' - ''Catachanus bufo moribundus'': The larger variant. Will poison everything in a 1 kilometer radius.
**'''Lesser Barking Toad''': The smaller one. Its poison only affects those within a 5 meter radius.
*'''Blood Wasps''': swarms of small, deadly insects that are known to eat their prey alive, stripping them to the bone in under an hour.
*'''Heretic-Ants''' are named on the account that they always attack their prey's feet (or "Soles") first. One bite from these insects will put a fully grown man in the infirmary for a month, two bites will give them around a day to find treatment before dying, and three will simply kill them outright.
*'''Vein Worms''' secrete an ooze that numbs their prey when they bite so that they cannot feel a thing. The Worms then dig their way under their prey's skin and into the bloodstream to lay their eggs. The eggs will spread all around the host's body, and when the larvae hatch they will eat their way through the host's brain, heart and bones. There is no known cure for Vein Worms once they have entered the bloodstream.

==Disease==

Because it is an Amazon-expy, expect a shit ton of diseases. Many of the planet's native insects also carry virulent diseases on top of being venomous, meaning that a single bite can be lethal in more ways than one. Due to their unseen and microscopic nature, many Catachans consider disease to be a greater enemy than any beast or monster. However, the Ordo Xenos and Magos Biologi are fascinated by the place for its enormous diversity of exotic poisons.

==People==
Such hardy place will breed hard people. This is where everyone's favourite [[Catachan Jungle Fighters|Space-Rambos]] are born. Catachans are known for being both physically and mentally resilient on a level that normal humans simply cannot match. Due to their heavily muscled physiques, they are often nicknamed "Baby Ogryns" by other Guardsmen, although never to their faces, as it often results in serious injury. When bitten by a mosquito, a Catachan need only instinctively flex and the blood pressure will not only purge the venom from their body but also make the mosquito explode with a tiny pop.

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Imperial Guard]]

Acreage

2023-06-01T22:13:29Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Acreage.png|300px|right|thumb|The War of the Rose, 40k Edition. Pretty chill place to live in all things considered.]]
Acreage is an Imperial Feudal World found in the Josian Reach near the Calixis Sector. It has unusually quite a lot of lore despite coming from a spin-off game in [[Dark Heresy]].

==Overview==
An Imperial backwater, Acreage lies in the sub-sector of Josian Reach and is connected to the rest of the Calixis Sector by a few tenuous shipping routes. Its tithes mainly consist of ore from its mines and men for the [[Imperial Guard]]. Designated as a Feudal World, Acreage's technology is medieval and its population consists largely of degenerate peasants and bickering nobles. The Grand Realm of Ascandia, the High King's realm, spans the majority of the northern landmass.

The world has seen much interference by the [[Inquisition]] particularly by members of the Ordo Calixis. The Inquisitor Lord Khazul once used the world to test the mettle of his then [[Acolyte]], Inquisitor Lord Okonawk, [[That Guy|leading to the deaths of Okonawk's entire Cadre and more than a hundred thousand Acreage civilians as well as Khazul by Okonawk's own hand]]..for no apparent good reason...what a [[Dick]]. The world saw further devastation when the [[Rogue Psyker]], The Burning Princess, worked in conjunction with the pirate vessel Storm Walker to consume the planet's Cathedral Mount in a holocaust of fire, slaying several senior clergymen and over ten thousand other pilgrims and citizens. Acreage has also been the site of a secret war between the Amalathian and Recongregator factions of the Inquisition for generations, with the Amalathian's attempting to preserve Acreage's current isolationism, technology and royal dynasty while the Recongregators secretly attempt to introduce new ideas, practices and off-world technology. Why these two factions have such an apparent [[Slaanesh|fixated hard-on]] for a backwater Medieval theme park, [[Derp|we have no idea.]]

The relative percieved stability of Ascandia, and in fact most of Acreage, has always been undermined by the aforementioned foreign meddling and bloody civil wars. Said civil war is called [[Herp|The War of the Rhozes]], which is a blatant shoutout to the real world [[Original character, do not steal|War of the Rose]], in which thousands have already perished and local technology has receded from its high medieval zenith. This has been a prosperous time for the nobles, as each has taken the advantage of the mayhem of war to expand their domains or settle old scores. It has also drawn more off-world interest to Acreage, in the form of mercenaries and traders, seeking to make a profit through selling skills, training and advanced weapons.

==About that War==

Yeah, so that medieval shoutout started by the death of Gordanus, the High King of Ascandia and Planetary Governor of Acreage. He had had a long and prosperous reign, and, like all good kings, he died in circumstances [[Blam|unexamined by most citizens]]. This left his twin daughters Rhozena and Rhozeia in direct succession to the throne. Unfortunately, Gordanus [[Fail|failed to name either one as his successor before his death]]. His daughters turned to their ultimate lord and master, the [[Emprah]], to determine which of them was to take both the throne and title of Planetary Governor and rule over all of Acreage.

Unfortunately, due to even [[FAIL|''MORE FAIL'']], an [[Administratum]] clerical error had 'tragically' [[EPIC FAIL|omitted the last two letters of the successor’s name from the reply]], stating only that [[Derp|Rhoze was now officially recognised as the ruler of Acreage.]] Initially the claimants were cordial with each other and sent a series of requests for clarification. However, these seemed to fall on deaf ears and no further responses were forthcoming. The Administratum scrivener responsible for the initial mistaken missive, had in fact concealed the matter to avoid being chastised.

Suffice to say, patience wore thin and the mother of all sisterly rivalry erupted. In a matter of weeks each had amassed the support of dozens of lesser <s>nobles</s> SIMPS, each willing to simp their way through their chosen queen’s claim to the throne and prove it with the blood of their citizens. The resulting conflict dragged on for at least five years with neither of the Rhozes gaining much in the way of an advantage, due in equal parts to the primitive nature for their mostly blackpowder and steel weaponry and the nearly [[Tzeentch|Tzeentchian-levels of political hijinks]] from their nobles, [[Just As Planned|many of whom's allegiances would change several times a day, often in the midst of a battle.]]

The civil conflict has actually increased the Imperial tithe, as both claimants frantically try and outdo each other in their service to the Imperium, in the hopes of receiving the external support necessary to oust their rival. This has also led to the Administratum department responsible for the initial error [[Herp|admitting to their involvement]] while [[Bullshit|bullshitting]] the dubious claim that the error was in fact a [[Just As Planned|carefully crafted ploy to increase tithe rates]]. However, given that the war poses no threat or disruption to the planet’s role within the Imperium, it has mostly been ignored by the Adeptus. The stalemate and apparent lack of any external intervention has contributed to the likelihood of a protracted conflict with no end in sight.

==Culture==
As far as medieval shitholes go, Acreage is surprisingly gender balanced when it operates under a feudal system; where a High King or High Queen rules over scores of lesser kings, queens and princes who in turn rule over hundreds of thousands of people and cultures. The High King's priests teach a version of the [[Imperial Cult]] that refers to the Emperor is the “King of the Sky”. Workers in the sky-mill's are expected to keep their eyes averted from the heavens when they work so high above the ground, lest they anger the Emperor with their impudence. Similarly, villages often make “candle-balloons” as votive prayer offerings.
==Geography==
The north of Acreage is referred to as Ascadia, which is the domain of Arcreage's High King/Queen. It is consists of thousands of miles of of dark icy forests, rugged mountains and lonely plains, spotted with small villages, gruel fields and sky-mills. Minimal air traffic occupies the skies, as the majority of the planet is a no fly zone. The city of Olrankan, also known as 'the Floating City', sprawls along a section of the realm's southern coast, at a junction between the Sea of Sorrows and the Chitin Swamps, whether this city is in fact, a [[Orbital Plate]], we have no idea. Elevated out of the swamp by countless rotting posts, the city has profited greatly from its close proximity to the Emperor's Island, one of the planets few spaceports.

Emperor's Island is a small offshore island, described as a monolithic mess of mingled structures and twisted architecture, with a vast central area being converted into a landing zone. The island host's a selection of low-income housing, retail areas, gambling dens and fighting pits, referred to as 'The Bilges', which carters to travelers and salvagers. The center of the island is dominated by a large tower, used to coordinate Vox transmissions and monitor the spaceport, while a selection of rickety docks located at the island's underbelly connects it by boat to the mainland.

Olrankan is ruled over by Prince Orcan and is regularly besieged by his rival's, who covet the wealth the city's proximity to the spaceport has afforded it. However, the prince's access to offworld weapons and soldiers, in particular his guardsmen referred to as the 'Plumes', has enabled him to repulse his rivals each time. While the city demonstrates little in the way of urban planning, certain features can be easily identified including 'The Wharf' which covers the entire seaward side of the city, 'The Hovels' which covers the largest part of the city and houses most of its residences, while 'The Wall' refers to both the cities defensive barricade, as well as structures within its vicinity. The city also hosts the 'The Fabricators District', an industrial area given over to a vast collection of warehouses and factories, mostly specialising in harvesting the various species of swamp weeds and edible insects and rendering them down into clothing or food products. At the city's centre, ringed by a palisade, rests 'The Hill', named in reference to the taller buildings and higher support posts rather than a natural geographic elevation. The Hill is primarily occupied by Prince Orcan and other well-to-do citizens and is guarded by the most elite Plumes.

==Fauna & Flora==
Acreage is a pretty chill place to be in as it has been blessed with a rich biosphere. As a Feudal World, reliant on their own agriculture, Acreage boasts at least one Grox-like creature, whose thick hides are used to insulate users of the Lightning Chains and Lightning Gauntlets. Another native creature, the Furbog, is a swamp predator whose organs are harvested and fermented to be distilled as an alcoholic beverage. Other agricultural products including a field grown, greyish gruel-producing plant and the common hedge plant, Maidensfoil, whose ground-down petals and pollen can be ingested as a anesthetic. The swamps surrounding Olrakan also contain a selection of the aforementioned edible weeds and insects that can be rendered down into food and clothing. Olrakan is also host to a small group of [[Slaugth]]'s, who've used the carnage of the civil war as conceal for their feeding. How the Imperium missed ''THAT'' levels of [[Xenos]] infiltration, [[Fail|we have no idea.]]

==Military==
Acreage boasts a strong military culture, leading to regular tithes of men to the [[Imperial Guard]] and several unique patterns of weapons and armour. Though they typically rely on medieval and black powder weaponry like [[Flintlock Pistol]]s, [[Musket]]s, [[Scatter Cannon]]s and [[Blunderbuss]]', the artisans and weaponsmiths of Acreage have also created weapons such as the Lightning Chains and Lightning Gauntlets. These armaments take advantage of a unique alloy found only on Acreage, which stores kinetic energy and discharges it in the form of blue, electrical sparks when swung with sufficient force. Additionally some off-worlders and more elite guardsmen, like Olrankan's Plumes, have access to more advanced [[Autogun|solid projectile weaponry]] and [[Flak Armour|flak armour.]]

Acreage styles of armour tends be primitive. Most notably the planet is known for producing bucklers with small metal spikes lining the rim, to turn the shields into deadly throwing weapons and Silkmail. Silkmail is a fine chainmail typically purchased by nobles and off-world collectors, renowned for its light weight and comfort.

==Products==
In addition to recruits for the Imperial Guard, Acreage's exports raw materials, especially ores including one unique alloy which has the ability to store and discharge kinetic energy. They also export their unique weapons and armour including the aforementioned Lightning Chains, Lightning Gauntlets and Silkmail as well as herbal anesthetics such as powdered Maidensfoil. Their currency is referred to as 'Lords' and 'Ladies' with each noble charged with minting their own currency. The value of these denominations is wholly dependent on their maker's personal fortune.

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Imperial]]

Inwit

2023-06-01T22:10:09Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Inwit.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Before we start, say the planet's name out loud... yeah, "Inuit". Real subtle, GeeDubs (Inwyt also means "inner understanding" in old kentish.)]]
'''Inwit''' is a tidal-locked ice-world. It rotates on its axis at the same rate it rotates around it's sun (like how the Moon rotates around Earth), meaning that one half is permanently bathed in sunlight, and the other half is also dark (apparently fairly common for settled worlds). While less in the spotlight than, say, [[Fenris]], Inwit is also an icy hellhole where living another day on it is a feat unto itself.

Hmmm?

Oh, that guy.

It's ''also'' the original homeworld of [[Rogal Dorn]]. Dorn landed among the ice-hives of the warrior caste, and was taken in by the Patriarch of House Dorn, who raised him like a grandson. Over the next few decades Dorn became Warlord of House Dorn and Emperor of Inwit. The shipyards of Inwit were also the place where ''[[The Phalanx]]'' was built (according to some stories). Following the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor of Mankind]] and Dorn meeting somewhere in space (Rogal was the only Primarch who actively sought out the Big E, but hey, he had the [[The Phalanx|tools for the job]]), Inwit became the [[Imperial Fists]]' homeworld, recruiting ground, and main dry dock. The shipyards of Inwit were dedicated to building battle barges and strike cruisers for the VII Legion. Anyone who wanted to join the Imperial Fists had to dress in rags and walk across the Splintered Lands on Inwit's nightside while avoiding [[Bear lore|bear-like monsters]], which proved you were <s>masochistic</s> determined enough to join the Fists.
Their people are known for their sewing ability.

Following the Ullanor Triumph and the Emperor's decision to return to [[Terra]], Dorn was charged with building the fortifications of the Imperial Palace, and the Imperial Fists' homeworld was officially transferred from Inwit to Terra. Following the [[Horus Heresy]], the Imperial Fists official homeworld is still Terra, but for all intents and purposes the chapter is fleet-based, with the ''Phalanx'' serving as their mobile fortress-monastery. Inwit remains one of the Imperial Fists' primary recruiting worlds, but shares that distinction with a number of worlds, including Terra and [[Necromunda]].

The current [[High Lords of Terra|Mistress of the Administratum]], Violeta Roskavler, is from Inwit.

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Space Marines]]

Fenris

2023-06-01T22:09:53Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{Topquote|There are no wolves on Fenris.|Popular saying during the [[Great Crusade]]}}

[[File:Fenris.png|right|thumb|300px|Even the tyranids would need a blanket here.]]

Fenris is a frozen little hellhole in [[Warhammer 40,000]], most notable for being the home world of the [[Space Wolves]]. Named after the ancient Viking wolf monster involved in Ragnarök (because the Space Wolves are also Space Vikings, at least at first glance), Fenris is located in the Segmentum Solar, near the borders with Segmentum Obscurus, Ultima Segmentum and the Eye of Terror. As of 8th edition, it is also slap-bang in the middle of the eye-of-terror-like, galaxy wide rift called the Cicatrix Maledictum. Its population is currently decimated, thanks to [[Magnus the Red|a certain cyclops]] slaughtering everyone who lived there in order to bring <s>Prospero</s> the Planet of the Sorcerers into the material realm (aka *normality*).The Imperium in all politeness, classifies it as a [[Death World]], meaning that [[grimdark|everything in the planet's biosphere is lethal and will always try to kill you and most of the times succeed]]. This makes it the ideal place to recruit for an army of space vikings.

Fenris is composed of a single continent called Asaheim (Literally translating to ''Home of Gods'' in old Norse), with hundreds of sinking-and-reforming islands in its vast world sea. Those parts of Fenris which aren't completely frozen over can only sustain human life for no more than a few minutes, and alternate between being frozen and undergoing earthquakes. The [[Fenrisian Wolf|Fenrisian wolves]] are among the most dangerous predators in the galaxy, as they can reach the size of a full-grown horse. The dominant sea life are octopi-like monsters called Kraken, and they have tentacles that can reach miles in length -- some paranoid types have claimed that these may actually be stranded, devolved remnants of a past [[Tyranids|Tyranid]] invasion, just as they claim is the case with the notorious [[Catachan]] Devils. Presuming the “Kraken’s Egg” in the Fang actually is one of their eggs, then these suspicions are true; Magos Biologis were permitted to examine it in 999.M41 and declared it to be of Tyranid origin. There are also bipedal, anthropomorphic... ''things'' ...walking about the snow of Asaheim that the locals refer to as [[trolls]], and a fox like creature that has shifting camouflage and is known as a [[Doppelgangrel]]. There are also the [[Wulfen]]- abortive Space Wolf neophytes that have devolved into <strike>[[Digganobz]]</strike> <strike>[[Marvel Comics|Wolverine lookalikes]]</strike> wolf-like monsters. All in all, it's one of the deadliest planets in the galaxy.

And the Space Wolves love every minute of it. They are served by its [[Planetary Defense Force]], Kaerls.

Exactly why a whole planet resembles an exaggerated Viking theme park is unclear. The most we know is that the Emperor alluded to it as “a charming experiment in reconstructed mythologies” from the Dark Age of technology. This would give the impression that someone, somewhere deliberately engineered a frozen hellhole full of monsters and murder just to live out their Viking fantasies. It would also give the impression that people who did engineer Fenris probably got their understanding of Norse Mythology from DnD Monster Manuals and Marvel Comics, or possibly from the Norscans of Warhammer Fantasy fame. The fact the Emperor thinks that it's "charming" should also tell you everything you need to know about the fellow, if you somehow didn't already. (So, it was literally meant to be a theme park, like WestWorld.)

Fenris as a planet is a cold near-iceball kept marginally livable due to extremely violent geologic forces. Its orbit is elliptical and inclined with a short apsidal period, squeezing the planet in all directions like a stress ball and causing its surface gravity to vary from .9 to 1.2 G over the Fenrissian year while causing the relatively shallow encircling ocean to cyclically freeze and melt. Only one landmass on the whole planet exhibits the stability of a continent, and that's the Fang itself. All other islands are very short lived, made of ash permafrost around a volcanic core with lifespans measured in centuries at most as the rapid glaciation cycle of ice, melt, and earthquakes causes them to shatter and collapse. But new volcanic islands are always rising as the sea crust is thin and the mantle is very active. What life persists (human and otherwise) is locked in a continuous cycle of relocation, risking the waters and ice to find newly raised lands to occupy as the old crumble away, whilst sea life must constantly avoid the regions away from the sun. It may be only a close balance of volcanic albedo that keeps Fenris's seas from freezing completely. The furious inner workings of Fenris also power fantastic aurora, just in case this wasn't enough of a Viking paradise to begin with.

It has been invaded four times:
#First in M33 by the [[Thousand Sons]] and [[Magnus]] himself, who lured most of the chapter away, brought a million-numbered army of mortal cannon fodder, laid siege on the Fang, successfully broke in, destroyed an experimental Wulfen curse cure, killed a whole bunch of awesome guys including the current Great Wolf and almost including Björn, and then teleported away with his Thousand Sons and their ships, avoiding any major loses (aside from that massive army of mortals, which he left behind as a distraction). Space Wolves somehow decided they won. (Mostly because the Leader of the Wolves REALLY REALLY hurt Magnus. Space wolf style! Basically he beat Magnus down really hardly after falling off the massive mountain that is the Fang, punching him into a wall, ripping off his skin revealing a humanoid cloud of light, making Magnus yell out in pain and almost ripping out Magnus's eye. Magnus recovered in a spectacular way though. That being catching the Wolf Lord's fist then literally ''annihilating his soul with a flick of his wrist''. [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|THOUSAND SONS FOR THE WIN FURRY FUCKS!!!!]])
#Second one was during the Age of Apostasy by the mad cardinal Bucharis, who failed miserably despite having a 10,000 to 1 advantage in manpower. He actually managed to lay siege on the Fang but failed to do anything to it (unsurprisingly, given TS needed custom strike cruiser turned into a giant plasma cannon to break through the fortress's void shields, and even they they didnt manage it for WEEKS), until the companies, who where stationed on their ships when his fleet arrived made a planetfall behind his army and sandwiched it between themselves and the defenders of the Fang, massacring it to a man.
#Invaded after the First War for Armageddon by a combined force of Ordo Malleus, Grey Knights and a Space Marine chapter during which immense badassery ensued as [[Logan Grimnar]] 1) Killed a Grandmaster and some Justicars and 2) Killed the Inquisitor trying to fuck with him. [[Bjorn the Fell Handed]] convinced him to negotiate a cease fire because there was more cheese than his space furries could handle. Since then the Inquisition has avoided Fenris.
#Invaded at the same time as the 13th Black Crusade and Gathering Storm with the Grey Knights and Dark Angels deceived by Tzeentch into invading Fenris on accusations of the Space Wolves committing heresy via sheltering mutants. Magnus and the Thousand Sons then show up to personally screw the entire Fenris System with the loyalists caught up in it. While they were driven back, the worlds of Fenris were highly damaged and Magnus got the last laugh by using the slaughter to summon the Planet of Sorcerers into orbit around Prospero (all while the Eye of Terror expands after Cadia cracked and split the galaxy in half).

In all three of these examples the harsh environment of Fenris scored more kills than the Space Wolves, which is something to say when you are competing with more than a thousand viking superhuman killing machines.

==Round 4 aka Yiff in Hell==
Recently Fenris has been attacked again by Chaos forces and GW has really made it clear things are going bad for them, with the [[Dark Angels]] severely damaging at least one planet in the system, Midgardia.

Then Magnus the Red and the Thousand Sons show up, ready to pick up where they left off last time. Yeah, things are going really well for the Wolves.

Magnus succeeds at killing many Fenrisians in the most disturbing and cruel way, but ultimately gets banished for his trouble (although later events would reveal that even this was just a part of the Daemon Primarch's plan). Then the Inquisition and Grey Knights proceed to wipe the those countless thousands of surviving Fenrisians who had fought against the daemon incursion, because now they're tainted by Chaos, and this time the Wolves aren't complaining about it lest they suffer another attack by their old foes. It also meant having to open their doors to the Inquisition; and now the Ordo Hereticus are frequent visitors, no doubt using the conflict as an excuse to get their foot in the door and keep tabs on the chapter. However, they're still a First Founding chapter, and the impressive sacrifice of two Wolf Lords in the 13th Black Crusade combined with the innate stubborness of the Wolves mean that they're far from the Inquisition's bitch.

In the aftermath though, the Rune Priests proclaim that the spirit of the World Wolf is whole once more, yet [[Chaos Spawn|new, more terrifying monsters]] would stalk the wilderness and give the Fenrisians ''(who already dealt with Krakens and Werewolves)'' something new to deal with.

The other planetary bodies of the system were also significantly damaged:
:'''[[Midgardia]]''' was infested by a plague designed by [[Mortarion]] and was subjected to two exterminatuses (exterminati? exterminata), first by the Dark Angels, then by the Wolves themselves due to the bulk of the planet's life residing underground and out of the way of the first Exterminatus, absolutely obliterating it. Shards of Midgardia continued to fall to other planets for years, infecting anyone nearby with horrible diseases.
:'''Svellgard''' was once an ocean world, but Midgardia's destruction caused solar flares which boiled away the water, leaving it a glassy, salty desert planet.
:'''[[Frostheim]]''' had its ice melted away by warpfire induced by the [[Alpha Legion]], leaving a thick layer of prehistoric bone that was said to [[Undead|come to life]] and hunt for the blood of the living under the sign of the new moon.
:Fenris' own moon '''Valdrmani''' was rendered into a hellish wasteland, but was reconsecrated and rebuilt into an astropathic relay station.

The world had a population of less than 3,400,000 before the war broke out, now undoubtedly reduced following the planetary invasion and subsequent civilian purging by [[Grey Knights]] due to their exposure to daemonic forces. Coupled with the revelation that exposure to the Wulfen Curse is contagious, seeming to accelerate it's eruption in other Space Wolves, it may mean the chapter is doomed to either die out, mutate into [[Wulfen]], lose their sanity and go renegade to fight Chaos like the [[Wolf Brothers]] before or some combination of the above. If only they had that cure Strawberry destroyed the first time he attacked... At least the space yiffs would get their chance to go down in a blaze of glory, seeing as the 13th Black Crusade starts pretty much immediately after the Fourth battle for Fenris.

However, the creation of the [[Wolfspear]], [[Primaris Marines|Primaris]] reinforcements and along with the fact that GW isn't likely to kill off one of the most popular first founder chapters means that the Space Wolves will still live on. The Primaris Space Wolves seem to be resistant to the Curse of the Wulfen's physical effects, but it still can cause them to go into a bestial rage at times.

Coupled with the restoration of the defenses of Fenris, the Space Wolves, while not at their same strength prior to the Siege of Fenris, will likely not be going anywhere soon.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Space Marines]]
[[Category:Space Wolves]]

Cthonia

2023-06-01T22:08:56Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:Cthonia.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Puke green and piss yellow. No wonder FUCKING Horus rebelled.]]
'''Cthonia''' (meaning underworld or underground in Greek) was the homeworld of the [[Black Legion|Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus]]. Inhabitants of Cthonia had slightly freckled faces and pale, craggy features.

==History==
A mining world reachable from [[Terra]] at sub-light speeds (WHAT?<ref>Well, Alpha Centauri is 4.36 lightyears from Earth, so assuming you can make roughly 80% of lightspeed, that's 5 and a half years one way trip, so it roughly checks out in 40k terms.</ref>), it was mined out by the [[Age of Strife]] and stripped of the mining equipment by the Mechanicum of Mars. There was literally nothing left to do but organize into loose gangs and stab each other. [[Horus]] landed here, but didn't stay on the planet long enough to conquer or fix it. As a youth, he discovered what would be the Talon of Horus on the advice of an old crone, pretty much the only other interesting thing that happened on this world and thus naturally not explored in the fluff.

The first Imperial contact with Cthonia took place in the early [[Great Crusade]], when a Star Hunters pioneer company under Captain Kornelius Dure discovered the world and declared it a "nest of serpents coiling in the dark that we would be better to destroy". Which was true, actually, but not for the reason he thought. However, the planet was revealed as the homeworld of Horus, one of the Emperor's lost Primarchs and the second to be rediscovered. Upon incorporation into the Imperium, the Space Marines of the Luna Wolves Legion were created using the human inhabitants of the violent gangs inhabiting the planet's Hives. The Emperor found him while looking for recruits of good gene-stock, and the planet was left in anarchy to help train future Legion aspirants.

During the Heresy, it was swiftly blockaded by the Imperial Fists, due to being a traitorous waspnest in the Loyalists backyard. The Sons of Horus still had a huge amount of materiel there, as well as a whole population of recruits and the facilities to turn them into Astartes; eventually the Imperial Fists began recruiting from Loyalist elements among the gangs, with the result of the Imperial Fists having more Cthonian natives in its ranks than the Sons of Horus relief forces sent to end the blockade. The Blockade of Cthonia ended near the end of the Heresy when advance elements of Horus's armada enroute to Terra tipped the balance in the traitors' favour.

Shortly after the Siege of Terra, it got [[Exterminatus|Exterminatus-ed]] by the [[Dreadwing]] using a Vortex Bomb to split the planet in two, denying the Traitors their foothold in the Segmentum Solar.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Space Marines]]
[[Category:Black Legion]]

Chogoris

2023-06-01T22:08:25Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

[[File:ChogorisPic.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Chogoris. Home of the Space Mongols. Also, very, ''VERY'' plain looking.]]
'''Chogoris''' (also known as Mundus Planus) is a feral world, homeworld of the [[Primarch]] [[Jaghatai Khan]] and current homeworld of the [[White Scars]] chapter. It's a pretty decent place to look at. Orbited by two moons. Quite a few mountains and fertile land. Though its society is filled with warring tribes who the White Scars [[Space Wolves | look at the strongest kids and pilfers them for recruits.]]

== History ==
Remember what I said about warring tribes? Still like that. There was this guy called Palatine who had the largest empire and well-trained and disciplined soldiers. The Khan landed somewhere else and then made an empire of his own. He then killed the son of Palatine after he and some other blokes tried to capture the Khan after he got caught in an avalanche. Then Palatine sent an army but got smacked the fuck down and fell back to the capital whilst his army was utterly destroyed. Then after literally every other place on the planet was captured or looted, the people revolted and gave Jaghatai Pala's head when the Khan knocked on the capital's door. Peace came to the planet and everyone was finally unified. Then the [[Emperor]] arrived and Khan got the chance to get tonnes of super soldiers and purge the xenos, the mutant and the heretic. Also got a cool bike.

After Khan left, the planet devolved back into warring tribes again. Though the White Scars believe he let that happen on purpose so there'd always be a supply of strong recruits for the legion (and later on, chapter).

==Post-Heresy==
Not much, the place is a popular pillaging stop for [[Red Corsairs]] and the [[Dark Eldar]]. The knife-eared bastards started looting everything not nailed to the floor (nails and floors being a luxury for most of the populace), and the Khan had to get back home to set things straight. The [[Necrons]] attacked and got destroyed. Though in the third war for Armageddon [[Huron Blackheart]] started looting Chogoris, so the White Scars had to leave Armageddon and purge the heretic. During the [[Damocles Crusade]], the White Scars had to rev up the whole thing to rush back home to scare the Red Corsairs off their trophy collection stock once again. Lucky [[Shadowsun|bitch!]]

May or may not be a [[Tomb World]], considering a Necron Tomb ship randomly stopped by once to bombard a seemingly random and unpopulated area of the planet before getting blasted by the planet's defenses.

Following the opening of the Great Rift, the world has come under frequent siege by the forces of Chaos, and the Stormseers fear that the world may be in danger of corruption.
The [[Red Corsairs]] had managed to invade the planet and is currently entrenched in the system, they've been driven off the planet. Although, given how plain-looking this boring dustball is, god knows why this planet is such a popular hotspot for space pirates from hell. We mean, it is not like it is a heavily populated place to begin with, so even on the excuse that the Red Corsairs are raiding it for the [[Rape|'sexy time']], the lack of folks there just isn't worth it.

{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Space Marines]]

Caliban (Warhammer 40,000)

2023-06-01T22:07:46Z

2A02:1810:4E2C:A900:3D6C:5C98:46F7:4F7D:

{{NotFunny}}
[[File:Caliban.40k.jpg|right|thumb|300px|what a loverly planet, shame if something were to happen to it]]
[[File:Caliban.below the surface.jpg|right|thumb|15300px0px|Oh dear...]]
[[File:Caliban.well that bad.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Well that's not good...]]
'''Caliban''' ''was'' the homeworld of the [[Primarch]] [[Lion El'Jonson]] and, from its admittance into the [[Imperium of Man]] until the [[Horus Heresy]], the primary recruiting world of the [[Dark Angels]] [[Space Marine Chapter|Legion]] of [[Space Marines]]. It is likely named for the barbaric savage of the same name in Shakespeare's ''The Tempest.'' Well, it's either that or because the name sounds cool and the royalties were cheap at the time. Caliban was a death world, meaning that it was one of those places where only the most violently cunning techno-barbarians survived. These settlements were distinctly feudal, with the Lords at the top, the peasants at the bottom and the Knights in the middle making a fat pile of cash out of both. These warrior orders were the obvious choice for First Legion candidates. The remnants of their martial codes of chivalry linger on in the modern Dark Angels, over 10,000 years later.

==History==
:{{topquote|'I am a Terran, but I spent time on Caliban, and that is all you need to do, to understand this Legion. On that world, the darkness is always creeping back. You torch the forest and it comes back. You cut the trees down, and they rise to smother you again. So they ride out, again and again, striking down into the defiles, hunting for the worst beast in the worst brake. They slay it, and then they may have an hour, or a day, or a week. But something will come back again. So you are always riding. You do not expect thanks. You do not think of it as duty. It is life, and to live it is the source of all honour.'|}}

[[File:Caliban-knights of the Order.jpeg|left|thumb|300px|Bretonnia in SPEHSS!]]
It was the time of Old Night when Warp storms and general fuckery made it impossible to travel between the stars and each human world was left to fend for itself. Five thousand years Caliban was left in isolation from the rest of humanity: time enough for the people of Caliban to develop their own feodal culture. Caliban was a world of trees, with its surface being almost entirely covered by dense forest.

The forests of Caliban teemed with predators, not to mention all manner of other hazards. All life that called this world home was capable of killing a man, one way or another. Carnivorous animals, poisonous flowers, venomous insects: the creatures of this world only knew one law and that is "kill or be killed". Even the trees could kill: these iron-hard trees flowed with deadly poison, with sap like acid, and their spear-sharp leaves could slice an unarmored man to ribbons; whilst the brambles, with thorns like knives, wrapped themselves around necks in order to drag men down into the dark mud. There were beasts at the roots of the world, curled fast around its snaggling tendrils in the ancient soil, too massive to move, too bloated to breathe. You could never kill them all, even if you had an eternity to spare. A few must always linger, poisoning the black earth. A tainted world whose corruption ran deep, its unnatural taint pulsed through every living thing, corrupting them like a cancer - a cancer that seethed with awful, otherworldly sentience. Caliban was rotten to its core, but the true extent of this corruption would not truly come to light until much later.

When the infant Lion landed on Caliban, it was a densely forested [[Death World]] home to several orders of Knights who protected the commoners from the dangers of the forest. These knightly orders were formed among the nobility to create warriors of exemplary skill and ability, armed to the highest standards, and trained to protect human society against the worst predations of these monsters. They were aided in this by the persistence of certain traditions in the making of weapons and armor. Most of their technology had been brought with them to Caliban: the knowledge of how to repair and maintain pistols and explosive bolts, swords with motorized blades, and armor that boosted a warrior’s strength and power had been preserved. Granted, they were relatively primitive versions and they lacked the reliability of the more powerful models later brought to Caliban by the Imperials, but they were effective all the same. They had no motorized vehicles though, so the knights of Caliban rode to war on the backs of destriers – enormous warhorses selectively bred over thousands of years from the equine bloodstock brought to their world by its first settlers; according to 'First of the Fallen' they used to have devices allowing a war horsey to actually "talk". It had previously been traditional for knights to be recruited strictly and solely from among the nobility, but the Order (known simply as "the Order") broke with accepted practice to recruit from all layers of society. So long as an individual could prove by his or her deeds and character that they were worthy of knighthood, then the Order did not care whether they were a noble or a commoner; on Caliban both men and women were expected to pull their own weight, with women being just as likely to be a knight as their male counterparts.
:*"Crusade" and "Luther, first of the Fallen" tell us that those knights that could not become Space Marines for whatever reason were instead given every other sort of bio and tech enhancements available to the Imperium, bringing them almost to the same level as an Astartes. These individuals were put in high positions amongst the non-Astartes elements of the legion, like leading the mortal imperial soldiers attached to the legion. It wouldn't be to hard to use Sisters of Battle models to represent these former female knights on the table top.

The ruling caste on Caliban were those who knew the secrets of how to construct and build the great walled fortresses. The secret knowledge was born from hidden STC's that they jealously guarded.

What people didn't know was the planet's proximity (in a galactic sense) to the [[Eye of Terror]] had left the planet Warp-tainted, resulting in various [[Chaos]] [[mutant]]s known as [[Dwarf Fortress|"Great Beasts"]]. And thanks to Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2, we now also have some better idea of just how close Caliban actually was to the Eye of Terror, with the answer being disturbingly close indeed; insofar as the term can be applied to galactic distances, the Caliban and [[Eye of Terror|Eidolan]] systems are practically next door neighbors, which is like having a leprous pedophile Joseph Stalin one apartment down from yours. Certainly goes a long way to explaining the infusion of warp and/or chaos [and the distinction is an important one] taint on the world, which always seemed to act as if a chemical pollutant or harmful radiation flowing downstream and contaminating the wildlife. The Great Beasts of Caliban were chimerical monsters, combining the worst aspects of several different species of animal into one foul body. Each great beast of Caliban was as different from its fellows as a sword is different from a lance. Each creature represented the only example of its kind, a species of one. Their diversity was extraordinary. An individual beast might appear to be modeled after a reptile, or a mammal, or an insect, or else combine the features of all of them taken together in chaotic collaboration. One might attack with tooth and claw, another with beak and tentacle, another using horns and hooves, while yet another might spit corrosive poison or bleed acid in place of blood. If they had one dominant feature, it was that every one of them appeared to be crafted directly from the stuff of nightmares.

Apart from the Great Beasts Caliban was also home to many more vile and deadly creatures, among them:
*Reaver worms-- massive armored worms that were as swift as a tree viper but as thick as a Space Marine's upper arm, with hundreds of chitin-sheathed legs and a broad head set with a half-dozen compound eyes. They could lift a Marine off the ground with ease, their curved mandibles capable of cracking even power armor. Larger examples such as a worm queen could dissect a Marine with ease. Within the creature's mouth was a long, needle-pointed spike of bone, sheathed in a powerful bundle of muscle that propelled it forward with the force of a bullet, a hollow channel within the bony needle pulsing with foul venom. The worms would wrap themselves around their victim's neck, driving their stinger into the prey's spine and injecting it with a tremendous amount of neurotoxin. The venom destroyed higher brain functions, leaving the autonomic functions intact and making the victim's nervous system hyper-conductive. Still attached to the victim, the worm then secreted enzymes into the prey's spinal chord that gave it rudimentary control of its motor functions. The worm would then literally drive the prey back to its communal nest, where the still-living victim would be injected with eggs by the nest's queen. They were a menace to human settlements all over Caliban, transforming small animals and livestock into living incubators for their eggs. Occasionally the worms would find their way into fresh human graves and try to make off with the corpse, much to the horror of the deceased’s relatives.
*Probably the most infamous creature outside of the Great Beasts was the Calibanite lion. A massive and impossibly quick monstrosity, its body was wide and powerful, with a mane of blade-like spines growing from behind its armored head. Each of its limbs was sheathed in glistening plates of natural armor that had the quality of rock, yet the pliability of flesh. These armored plates slithered across their body, causing sparks to fly as entire bolter rounds bounced off without effect. Even when wounded the wounds would close almost as soon as they had accrued, the lion's sticky, acidic blood capable of eating through even the thick armor worn by the knight. Claws like knives extended from its front paws; each one of them could tear open Astartes battle plate like a tin can. Twin fangs like the mightiest cavalry sabres protruded from its upper jaw. Their eyes were serpentine and colored a vivid orange with black slits at their centers. [[Nurgle|There is something loathsome, almost leprous about the Calibanite lion; they are surrounded by a sickly scent of decay, as though the creature's inherent vileness is transmitting itself into every object in its vicinity. Its mere presence is like a cancer, the beast's aura of foulness seeping through even power armor.]]
*Daemons, or as they were known on Caliban, Nephilim, were also known to have infested the darkest depths of the woods.
[[File:Monster.jpg|right|thumb|400px|[[Lion El'Jonson|I see one apex monster]] and it is NOT the creature in the background.]]

Lion's adoptive father [[Luther]] was a member of one of these knightly groups known as "the Order", and El'Jonson was raised by the Order, eventually rising all the way to the top. El'Jonson then united the planet and killed all of the Great Beasts. When the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] came to bring the planet into the fledgling Imperium and place El'Jonson in charge of the First Legion of Space Marines, these orders were quickly folded into the renamed [[Dark Angels]].

Lion left with most of the Legion, later sending Luther and around five hundred others back to run the fortress-monastery of Aldurukh after the Sarosh Compliance. Luther and his companions were notably put out by being left on the sidelines of the Great Crusade, but started the busywork of training new Space Marines and sending them off in their places, refining the process so that it only took two years to generate a fully trained Astartes warrior, and were capable of raising around five thousand of them in each training cycle.

Unfortunately, the Great Beasts that the Lion killed were also helping to siphon off excess Caliban's Chaotic energies, and keeping humans away from the worst of it, and in their absence [[Ouroboros|the... thing]] that lived in the planet's core was ready to wake up. Naturally, its first target was Luther and the other Dark Angels on garrison duty. Luther started reading into all of the accumulated Chaos lore that had been collected by the Knights of Lupus, who were one of the knightly factions who opposed the Lion originally. That, coupled with domestic problems at home meant that he soon put a stop to sending those Astartes on the Crusade and kept them in the system and declared martial law.

Shit started going south and people's lack of understanding of warp and chaos phenomena meant that no-one really knew what was the cause. Coupled with attempted interventions from the Imperium such as, Imperal "cultists" trying to seal away Caliban's daemonic forces but [[Fail|inadvertently looking like they were trying to summon it instead]], and a [[Knights-Errant]] investigation which accidentally killed someone could only ramp up the paranoia even further and make things look worse.

The state of alarm, combined with some of the First Legion members own resentment at being left behind meant that there was soon an Astartes uprising on the planet who tried to claim the Astropath tower and get a message out, only to be betrayed and imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Aldurukh.

Luther then decided to cast off the Imperium and make Caliban independent. Things came to a head when a Dark Angels Legion ship came out of the blue to claim the missing warriors that Luther had failed to send, but those Dark Angels were also betrayed and had their ships claimed for the Luther's own fleet, which started expanding outwards and conquering nearby systems under the name of "The Order"...

[[Typhus]] of the Death Guard also showed up, and since Luther had already turned his back on the Imperium, he figured he'd make friends with their enemies and give them somewhere to berth and make repairs.

===Fall of Caliban===
After the Heresy, the Lion and the Dark Angels showed up, after having not heard from Caliban for over a decade and none-the-wiser about what had been happening at home. They were fired upon when their ships entered Caliban orbit, and they quickly determined that Luther and his Dark Angels had fallen to Chaos. The orbiting Dark Angels responded by sending Lion to confront Luther while their ships opened up with an orbital bombardment.

Either way, the bombardment, compounded by a miniature [[Warp]] storm unleashed due to third-party time-travel shenanigans from the 41st millennium from various factions including the [[Death Guard]], [[Fallen Angels]] and the [[Dark Angels]] themselves caused Caliban to break apart; the largest piece was that which contained the fortress-monastery whose reinforcement meant that it withstood the attack and shielded the surrounding rock, which the Dark Angels re-captured and used as their headquarters, calling it '''[[The Rock]]'''.

The Angels on the surface were scattered through the Warp and became the [[Fallen Angels]]. Many became full [[Chaos Space Marines]], though many more become thoroughly disgusted by both Chaos and the Imperium and went renegade (disgusted by Chaos for being demonic and disgusted with the Imperium because...umm...just...because the writer said so, I guess).

As of 8th Edition, it's revealed that a continent-sized chunk of Caliban survived relatively unscathed and escaped the system somehow, and is housing a small legion's worth of Fallen. Though precisely what they're doing on it is anyone's guess.

===A Second Caliban?===
More recently, [[Vashtorr]] raided the Rock with his legions of tech-cultists as part of his [[Ark of Omen|Arks of Omen]] operation, all searching for some key. The moment he did find the key, he immediately fell back and left his goons to dry.

Of course, leaving his lackeys behind to force mass interrogations bought the Arkifane enough time to study his loot and use his techno-sorcery to reassemble the planet from its remaining bits and pieces, turning it into the Daemon World '''Wyrmwood'''. As it turns out, the planet was manufactured by the Old Ones and was made to build and expand the Webway and now it's under Vashtorr's control.

Needless to say, the Dark Angels are less than pleased by this act of desecration.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Space Marines]][[Category:Dark Angels]]