Warhammer 40k

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A community dedicated to the universe of Warhammer 40k, a tabletop setting in the far, distant future.

This is a general community for 40k miniatures, art, lore discussion, and gameplay discussion.

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Books: Where to start? (self.warhammer40k)

submitted 11 months ago by cashews_best_nut to c/warhammer40k

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I've not played 40K since the 90s. I have vague memories of some major events like there being a Horus Heresy and some knowledge of Space Marine chapters (Blood Angels are mad, Ultramarines are dull, etc) and Chaos Gods (Nurgle is disease, Korn is angry, Tzeentch is knowledge and scorcery).

I want to start reading on a good Space Marine book but there's hundreds!! I thought about just picking the best rated on Good Reads but you seem to require a lot of background for some of them so I'm hesitant. E.g. Ragnar Blackmane has been recommended but I don't know enough about Space Wolves for the blurb on the back to make sense. Cadia? Flesh Tearers? Dark Angels - I only know they had cool dark-green armour in the 90s.

So any advice on where to begin that would be a an easy intro would be much appreciated!

Likes:

Space Wolves! Who doesn't like viking-space-wolfs? I'd love to learn more.
Magnus the Red (also a good guy and tragic - I only know this as I spent hours reading wikis!). Shitty armour though!
Chaos (esp. Tzeentch who I'm convinced is a true god and the only "Good Guy" in 40K)
The Emperor (evil bastard but interesting)

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

40K lore is huge. The best advice that I can give you is to pick a faction you like the most and just start reading about their part of the setting first. It sounds like you're into Space Wolves, so I'd pick up Ragnar's novels and just keep going from there.

Eventually, the main themes of 40k's lore will start to come up repeatedly, and the wider universe will start to make sense through osmosis the more you read. I'd recommend avoiding wikis and youtube lore however, a lot of that stuff is poorly written and badly researched, and it's a lot more satisfying in my experience reading the books the wikis are based on.

I'd also recommend Eisenhorn as a great starting point. But Games Workshop also sells rule books called codexes which have tonnes of great up-to-date lore about each faction.