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Other than Dawn of War, which led me just recently into the miniatures game, I know very little about the 40k universe other than what I've read about in the codex's of Nid's and Eldar, and what DoW taught me.

I keep seeing reference to Forge World miniatures and rules and such.. Is that a seperate game or a rule variant list or what?

Forge World is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GW that exists to do 'big stuff' like superheavy tanks, titans (giant walkers), flyers, and other models that are kind of at the fringes of what is practical for GW to do. They also do some smaller models such as alternate Imperial Guard models and terrain pieces, and have also done some items for Battlefleet Gothic, Warhammer Fantasy, and similar. Kind of 'collector' stuff, really.

Most of their stuff is produced from resin, which is kind of like a mix between metal and plastic to work with. It can be brittle and can warp at times, and I know there are some here that aren't thrilled with Forge World's resin quality. I haven't worked with any myself, but I've worked with a few other manufacturer's resin and quality can vary. Well done resin can be very crisp and detailed.

Some of their stuff is covered by normal rules (For example, for years they were the only way to get a Wave Serpent kit!) and many models are just prettier or faction specific versions of standard models, but they also produce books with their own rules for 40k. It's a good idea to make sure tournaments allow these rules if you're playing in a tournament, although most people seem to feel they're generally overpointed for the model capabilities and thus not abusable. For example, I believe they produce Chaos Dreadnoughts that use the normal rules and should be completely acceptable in tournaments: they're just a dreadnought with chapter-specific iconography and such attached. On the other hand, the new buggies for the IG require some special rules, unless you and your opponent want to agree to use them as Chimera or Sentinels or something.

I would recommend that you purchase the Big Rulebook (BRB). That's going to give you the best start-off source for 40K fiction.

Forge World in a nut shell is a sister company of GW that produces models that 'fill in the gaps' so to speak. They make models that aren't necessarily practical for GW to mass produce. They also embellish on a few existing models such as Dreadnoughts as Balance pointed out, making them more detailed and/or more race/chapter specific.

I wouldn't worry about Forge World stuff until you have your feet planted solidly in the game.

Moving this to the 40K section...

What they said.
Also, I found that reading the novels helped me actually understand the games better. It was easier for me to understand various terminology and whatnot.

I would suggest that you start with the "Space Wolf" series of books. It follows a young Ragnar Blackmane through his life. It starts with him in a "medieval" type setting as a Norse (like) warrior and covers his induction into the Space Wolves (variant Space Marine chapter). It tells all about the things that, as a new player, you know nothing about. It's almost like YOU learn it as he does.

IMO, it is THE best book for a "newbie" to start out with.

Eric

MagickalMemories wrote:What they said.
Also, I found that reading the novels helped me actually understand the games better. It was easier for me to understand various terminology and whatnot.

I would suggest that you start with the "Space Wolf" series of books. It follows a young Ragnar Blackmane through his life. It starts with him in a "medieval" type setting as a Norse (like) warrior and covers his induction into the Space Wolves (variant Space Marine chapter). It tells all about the things that, as a new player, you know nothing about. It's almost like YOU learn it as he does.

IMO, it is THE best book for a "newbie" to start out with.

Eric

That sounds more like an attempt at recruitment than a suggestion.

He's already recruited.
I'm just trying to help him get deeper into the cult... err... game system.

Haha, thanks for all the answers.

Too bad there aren't any books about Eldar. Space Marines are grand, but they seem to be the "Heroic Focus" of warhammer, and in my mind they'r more like a bunch of paranoid space nazis.

I like how random the Eldar seem to everyone else when in fact everything they do is so meticulous and methodical.

I like the nids too, but that's just because I played Zerg in Starcraft.

There is the book "Eldar Prophesy" which is entirely about Eldar. It is however one of the worst pieces of literature ever committed to print. God bless C.S. Goto.