Warhammer 40,000 Core Book (9th Edition)

There is no time for peace. No forgiveness. No respite. There is only war.

The Book
A 368-page hardback, this is the essential book for any fan of Warhammer 40,000 – everything you need to know to collect, build, paint and play with Citadel miniatures.

Dark Imperium
In the first of the book’s huge lore sections, you can read all about the state of the galaxy after the Cicatrix Maledictum – the Great Rift – tore open across the galaxy, dividing the Imperium in two. Humanity faces its greatest challenge in more than ten millennia as the forces of Chaos run rampant across the reeling Imperium even as alien warlords seek to take advantage of the untold devastation wrought upon the Emperor’s realm.

The Saga Imperialis
Upon delving into the next part of the lore, you'll enjoy a high-level overview of the history of Mankind, from its very beginnings, through the early Ages of Terra and Technology, the Ages of Strife and Darkness, all the way up to the Age of the Imperium in the aftermath of the Horus Heresy. It continues to reveal the events of the Age of the Dark Imperium and the Gathering Storm in the time before the Great Rift tore open – and the Age of Witches that followed during the Psychic Awakening. Finally, it lays the foundations of the Indomitus Crusade, following the reborn Primarch Roboute Guilliman's visitation with his father, the Emperor, on Holy Terra.

The Rules
The first section of the core rules covers the basic rules of the game, and takes you through the rules that apply to the seven phases of the game: the Command phase, Movement phase, Psychic phase, Shooting phase, Charge phase, Combat phase and Morale phase.

Additional rules also cover:

• Playing missions and the process of building an army in readiness, using either Power Rating or points values
• Battle-forged and Unbound armies, as well Command points that Battle-forged Armies can utilise
• Battlefield Roles and 11 types of Detachment that can be included in your armies
• Seven Core Stratagems that are universal and available to every army in Warhammer 40,000
• Strategic Reserves – the option to hold back units during deployment and even send them to outflank the enemy line
• Actions – such as planting explosives, hacking into a databank, or performing a ritual – and how they can be performed (and in some cases, prevented)
• Rules for terrain features, such as Hills, Obstacles, Area Terrain and Buildings, including traits the terrain might have and its impact on the battlefield
• Hints and tips for setting up a suitable battlefield, in terms of density and type of terrain, type of terrain, and ensuring that neither side of the battlefield is preferential to the other

Open Play
Let your imagination run wild, as open play caters for reenacting every kind of narrative storyline or tactical challenge you can think of, without restrictions. This section centres around the Open Hostility Mission Pack – a 12-step guide to setting up and playing an open play game through to a conclusion and determining a victor.

Matched Play
Designed to put both players on an equal footing, matched play offers both players an even chance of victory, leaving it to your own mastery of army selection and tactics to earn you the advantage in battle. This section features an Eternal War Mission Pack – a 16-step guide to setting up and playing a matched play game through to a conclusion and determining a victor.

Narrative Play
Crusade is a new way to play games of Warhammer 40,000. It allows you to take a collection of miniatures and, taking them on a Crusade, level up your units over any number of games, against any number of opponents, forging your own narrative for your miniatures collection as they engage with their enemies on the battlefields of the 41st Millenium. Over your Crusade games, will you be able to grow your army, gain experience and skills, and modify your weaponry. Though you may start off with a small band of inexperienced warriors, you can create an elite fighting force that is renowned and feared across the galaxy!

Rules Appendix
A handy reference section that includes the following:

• Designer's Commentary from rules designer Robin Cruddace
• An alphabetised list of 174 existing weapons that gain the benefit of the Blast special rule
• An alphabetised list of 22 existing miniatures/datasheets that gain the Aircraft keyword
• A summary synopsis of 14 rarer rules/interactions that don't often arise in games, but are important to keep a note of
• A Rules Terms Glossary, which provides precise and exacting definitions of 142 separate rules terms to aid in resolving more complex rules interactions