Listen up, fans of Space Marine 2; a lore deep dive on the Warhammer 40K universe just landed on shelves with a thud heavier than your average bolter round. And more importantly, it's never been cheaper than it is now. Emperor be praised!
If you grew up loving those massive DK hardbacks with diagrams and annotations on everything from history to nerd shit, this will give you a hit of nostalgia. Crammed with info on the factions and world of Warhammer 40K (including why everything sucks so much in the grimdark future), it's a great introduction to the setting you may have gotten a taste for thanks to Space Marine 2. It also spends time exploring the evolution of the miniatures wargame that inspired all this, so longtime fans will get something out of it as well.
At the moment, you can pick it up for £10 less - it's $34.50 at Amazon rather than $45. Meanwhile, UK gamers can seize it for £26.67 at Amazon instead of £35. Either way, I've certainly not been able to find it for less. My price-matching software says that this is a record low in the USA's case, too.
Should you buy Warhammer 40K The Ultimate Guide?
If you played Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and found yourself wondering how humanity ended up in a future where there's only war (not to mention why in the holy hell they make baby cyborgs that fly around like cherubs?!), this book is gonna help. Sure, you can spend several hours trawling Wiki pages. But believe me, that way lies madness. Just like staring into 40K's warp can send someone insane, trying to piece together what's going on from countless pages of lore that aren't exactly beginner-friendly is a recipe for frying your brain. This book, on the other hand? It's literally designed to walk you through the Warhammer 40K universe. That includes all of the factions and how they work in a (from what I've read so far) approachable way.
It's not just for newcomers, either. There are pages dedicated to how the game has evolved over time, and it's fun to see how the old favorites that you may not have thought about for years stack up against their modern equivalents. I used to think the '90s Abaddon was awesome, for example. Now? Well, seeing it next to the modern version makes it look like a grumpy toddler.
Naturally, mileage will vary if you're already a lore expert who's caught up on the evolution of the game. If you know about the setting from its origins to its more recent attempts at breaching the world of the best board games, you may not find much of note.
For everyone else, though? I'd say it's at least worth a look. While there's a chance it'll drop in price as we approach this year's Black Friday Warhammer deals, the current price is already a lot better than I'd expected to see so soon after publication.
Want more discounts? Be sure to check out the latest board game deals. As for more general offers, why not check in with the upcoming Black Friday gaming deals to see what's coming our way in November?
