With nearly 40 years of real-world history and over 40 millennia of fictional history, Warhammer 40,000 is a big deal. The scholars of the Imperium and various ancient xenos races have attempted to catalogue as much of it as possible, but their efforts have paled in comparison to the work done by our officially licensed friends at DK Books.
They have worked with bestselling authors Gav Thorpe and Guy Haley to create Warhammer 40,000: The Ultimate Guide, the essential 334-page visual journey through the setting.
We’ve got eight double-page spreads from the book to show you today.
As well as providing a comprehensive look at the various factions from Warhammer 40,000, there are excellent comparisons of miniatures new and old, which demonstrate the evolution of some of your favourite characters and miniatures over the years.
Editor David Fentimen was particularly enamoured with the approach taken to exploring the Baneblade and its variants, and documenting a certain clandestine loyalist Space Marine chapter.
"There are so many beautiful miniatures showcased in the book that it's very hard to pick a single favourite spread, but I do really like the Baneblade spread because it could so easily be about a real tank, from one of DK's WW2 books or similar. Also, an honourable mention for the Dark Angels spread because I think the Lion El'Jonson model is incredible!"
Guy Haley is a lifelong fan of Orks and wrote two books for the Beast Arises series, so unsurprisingly picked the Waaagh! as one of his favourite segments: “It was great fun revisiting the Orks, who were my go-to army for 30 years. I’ve been playing other factions more over the last decade, but working on da boyz had my eyes sliding back to my miniatures cabinet, where they are waiting patiently for another ruck…”
The Tyranids are some of the most fearsome entities in the 41st Millennium. Bio-organisms especially adapted for combat by the unknowable will of the gestalt Hive Mind, they attack with living weapons – often extensions of their own bodies or parasitic lifeforms working in unison.
Lifelong Warhammer fan Gav Thorpe was especially enamoured with the progression of the Hive Mind’s monstrous warriors: “The Tyranids Through Time spread was fun, seeing the imagery evolve over the years, with core themes established early but with details and the quality of the miniatures continuing to change.”
Inside the book you’ll find plenty more detailed spreads too, like this examination of the consecrated war machines of the Adepta Sororitas, covered with gothic detailing and holy Imperial paraphernalia.
You can also read all about the corrupted Knights which fly their ragged banners for the war hosts of the Heretic Astartes, and discover more about their immensely destructive weapons.
This is just a taste of what’s in store for you. This 334-page long book is absolutely packed with information and the perfect reference guide for an obsessive Warhammer 40,000 fan, or the ideal introduction to those who want to learn more about this vast, fascinating, and utterly deadly universe. It is due for release in October, and you can pre-order it from selected retailers right now.