If you want to get into Warhammer 40K with 11th Edition, this is where I would start

Marneus Calgar miniature holding the Warhammer 40,000 The Ultimate Guide book — (Image credit: Warhammer Community)

A new edition is always the perfect time to start a game like Warhammer 40K, but even then, it's an intimidating world to break into. It's propped up by decades of lore across numerous factions and countless characters, so "intimidating" doesn't quite cut it. That's why I'd recommend starting with a certain cheat-sheet to the Warhammer 40,000 universe before diving in.

Warhammer 40,000: The Ultimate Guide is an "everything you need to know" about that universe, covering everything from its major historical events to the armies you should be aware of. Because the new edition (which was officially revealed at AdeptiCon) so heavily revolves around the key battleground of Armageddon from the game's past, having a Cliff Notes-style breakdown of the universe beforehand could be helpful. It's currently almost half price amidst Amazon's Big Spring Sale, so now's a good time to pick it up.

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Penned by longtime Warhammer writers Gav Thorpe and Guy Haley, this tome is crammed with info that should serve as a crash course for the setting. There are even "Miniatures through Time" sections that show off how far certain factions have come, so you can get a sense for the game's storied real-world past as well.

I'd also say it's worth taking a look at the first Horus Heresy book, Horus Rising ($8.68 at Amazon) if you'd like a sense of the franchise's tone. Although it's set 10,000 years before the current day in Warhammer 40K, it covers the start of the universe's most significant event and does a good job of easing readers into that world.

Want to see what else is on the way for the hobby? Don't miss my guide to everything revealed at Warhammer AdeptiCon 2026.

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I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, but these days you'll find me managing GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage (I spend my time here handling everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news). I've also been obsessed with Warhammer since the 1990s, and love nothing more than running tabletop RPGs like D&D as a Dungeon Master.