The "Good" Guys?
These genetically-engineered super soldiers are the poster boys of Warhammer 40,000, known for their iconic power armor and extreme devotion to an immortal, crippled leader.
What are the Space Marines?
This alien race is a galactic swarm of giant, insectoid creatures that are utterly unified by a single consciousness called the Hive Mind.
What are the Tyranids?
This elven-like species is ancient and prideful, and their craftworlds—massive starships—carry the remnants of their empire.
What are the Aeldari (formerly Eldar)?
This Chaos God represents hatred, rage, and violence, seeking only blood and skulls.
Who is Khorne?
These green-skinned aliens are known for two things: their love of brutal combat and their belief that painting something red makes it go faster.
What are Orks?
Their supreme leader is an ancient, super-powerful psychic known as this, and his broken body sits on a life-support system called the Golden Throne.
What is the Emperor of Mankind?
This collective, alien sentience gives the Tyranids their purpose: to consume all organic life in the galaxy.
What is the Hive Mind?
Though often seen as bad guys by the Imperium, these tech-savvy aliens offer an alternative to chaos and bloodshed called the "Greater Good".
What is the T'au Empire?
The god of decay, disease, and despair, he is sometimes called the Plaguefather and sees his afflictions as gifts.
Who is Nurgle?
The Orks' collective "psychic field" makes their ramshackle vehicles and cobbled-together guns actually work. This is because their technology runs on this.
What is belief?
This celestial psychic beacon, powered by the daily sacrifice of a thousand psykers, guides Imperial ships through the dangerous Warp.
What is the Astronomican?
The Tyranid fleet travels in massive, living ships that are also a key part of their biology, constantly absorbing nutrients to grow more creatures.
What are Hive Fleets?
These robotic skeletons, once living beings, were betrayed and entombed in metal bodies for millions of years and are now waking up to reclaim the galaxy.
What are the Necrons?
The master of deceit, change, and ambition, this Chaos God loves intricate plots and manipulation.
Who is Tzeentch?
Orks use this body part as currency, which also explains their high birth rate and constant fighting, since it's constantly growing back.
What are their teeth ("teef")?
This Imperial organization acts as the secret police, hunting down traitors, mutants, and alien sympathizers across the galaxy.
What is the Inquisition?
The insidious creatures that arrive first on a planet to begin a Tyranid invasion, often by infiltrating a society and breeding.
What are Genestealers?
A militaristic faction of genetically-engineered clones, these miners are humanity's distant relatives and use advanced technology like powerful tanks. (Hint DIGGY DIGGY HOLE!)
What are the Leagues of Votann?
The youngest Chaos God, representing hedonism, pleasure, and excess.
Who is Slaanesh?
This Ork-exclusive race of mechanics, who can instinctively fix or build a machine, can turn scrap metal into powerful war engines.
What are Mekboyz?
The Imperium's primary fighting force is this vast, human army, which fights against unimaginable horrors with often outdated equipment and sheer numbers.
What is the Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard)?
An enormous Tyranid bio-form, this legendary battlefield commander can be grown by the Hive Mind and retains the tactical memories of all previous slain versions.
What is the Swarmlord?
These space elven vampires are the darker relatives of the Aeldari, raiding the galaxy from a webway city to torture and feed on others' pain.
What are the Drukhari (Dark Eldar)?
The alternate dimension where the Chaos Gods reside and from which daemonic entities can invade reality.
What is the Warp (or Immaterium)?
This process, where a victorious Warboss attracts more Orks to his massive army, ends when the Orks run out of enemies to fight and start fighting each other.
What is a Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!?