1. There are now 500 Warhammer and Games Workshop stores around the world!
2. The first plastic Space Marines were assigned the product code RTB01 – a now-famous code among veteran hobbyists.
3. There are currently over 430 (and counting) Tip of the Day painting and modelling videos. Don’t believe us? Go count!
4. Space Marines actually pre-date Warhammer 40,000 – they were so popular that the game was designed around them!
5. It is rumoured that Orks and Orruks are coloured green simply because once upon a time, hobby legend Dave Andrews painted one green to see how it looked and everyone liked it.
6. If you say “anything but a 1” before rolling a dice, you have a 74% chance of rolling a 1.
7. The Warhammer World gaming hall used to be a basketball court before it was converted into the arena of battle we know and love today.
8. The world’s only dedicated Forge World store can be found in Warhammer World, Nottingham.
9. The bar in Bugman’s Bar is slightly lower than standard… because it’s a Dwarf pub.
10. All the food options in Bugman’s are named after things in either the Mortal Realms or the game of Blood Bowl.
11. The masks worn by Stormcast Eternals are meant to represent the saintly face of Sigmar and were intended to make clear to the citizens of the Mortal Realms that they were saviours, not conquerors.
12. Aximillion, the four-legged compatriot of the Voidsmen-at-Arms in Kill Team: Rogue Trader, is a genetically-cloned Canid bred in a lab and based on picts discovered on Old Terra of what appeared to be a loyal companion.
13. Thirteen is a magnificent number in Warhammer; it’s the sacred number for Skaven and the number of everyone’s favourite Space Marine Legion.
14. The first Warhammer store was in Hammersmith, London, and opened in 1978.
15. The red ones go faster.
16. The Warhammer Citadel cafe in Texas sells a range of Warhammer-themed drinks.
17. But Bugman’s bar sells genuine Bugman’s XXXXXX, the finest beer in all the Mortal Realms (and this world).
18. It is said that Sly Marbo’s tears can cure the Gellerpox. Trouble is, he’s never cried.
19. Games Workshop: Manchester (Central) in the UK has a scratch-built Imperator Titan in its shop window which stands at over six feet tall!
20. The original Adeptus Titanicus boxed game (1988) was the first Games Workshop game to feature multi-coloured plastic models.
21. The 21st Founding of the Space Marines is notorious for producing several seemingly “cursed” Chapters, such as the bone-bladed Black Dragons or the perpetually unlucky Lamenters.
22. When playing a game, the models you finished painting most recently WILL die first.
23. That said, any painted model will roll better dice than unpainted ones.
24. Every day, more than one thousand psykers are sacrificed to keep the spirit of The Emperor alive and the Astronomican working.
25. According to Chris Peach, the best way to make a cup of tea is to add the milk second.
26. Peachy also claims that “coffee is an imposter”.
27. Despite this, the Warhammer Community team is drawn into two distinct camps – the Coffee Drinkers and the Tea Drinkers. They’ve put aside their caffeine based disagreements for the Greater Good.
28. It is said no Elf has ever been able to down a tankard of good Dwarven ale after a game of Blood Bowl. It’s also said that Dwarfs cannot stomach Elven wine… but for different reasons.
29. Aenarion the Defender, the first Phoenix King of Ulthuan and wielder of the Sword of Khaine, slew four Greater Daemons – one dedicated to each of the Chaos Gods – in a single, apocalyptic battle. Though he eventually died from the wounds he sustained in the act, we reckon that’s pretty good going!
30. Thousands of years later, legendary Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson did the same, because no Dwarf was going to fail at something an Elf managed to do.
31. Gotrek asked us to point out that he didn’t have a dragon helping him, so he’s clearly better.
32. The Warhammer World Gaming Hall boasts gargoyles modelled after the members of Games Workshop staff who helped design and build it.
33. The longest-serving store manager at the time of writing is Rod, from the Southampton shop.
34. A talented hobbyist from the Eastbourne store once designed a Tower of Orthanc for their Middle-earth gaming board that was so tall that it stood a mere 1” from the ceiling!
35. The enigmatic Incubi Master of Blades is known as Drazhar, but it’s actually a ceremonial title which translates as Living Sword.
36. If your opponent command re-rolls a 1 into another 1, it is considered good form to buy them a drink.
37. If they do this at least three times in a game, it is polite to get them some new dice.
38. The newest Warhammer store in Paris had the biggest Grand Opening of all our stores– though the Warhammer Citadel in Texas was even bigger (it’s not just a store though, so both can claim glory!).
39. The oldest living Space Marine is Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels, at around 1500 years old.
40. The oldest mostly-living Space Marine is Bjorn the Fell-handed, a Space Wolf who fought alongside Leman Russ himself during the Horus Heresy, now interred in a Dreadnought.
41. You really can never have enough Agrax Earthshade.
42. When the Citadel Army Painting team first started using Agrax Earthshade (or Devlan Mud as it was known then), it got delivered to us in 2.5-litre paint cans. Then-Army Painters Chris Peach and Nick Bayton got through a can a week (each) while painting the enormous armies for The Lord of the Rings™: War of the Ring project.
43. At the height of this project, they once assembled and painted more than 200 Uruk-hai in a single day!
44. Tyranids are named for the planet Tyran Primus, on the Eastern Fringe – one of the first recorded worlds taken by the Great Devourer.
45. After the Great Rift divided the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman introduced a new classification of planet in response. These sentinel worlds are designed to serve as inviolable bulwarks against the horrors besetting the Imperium Nihilus beyond their aegis.
46. Vigilus is one such sentinel world, lying as it does at the mouth of the Nachmund Gauntlet – the only known “stable” route through the Cicatrix Maledictum.
47. Games Workshop once produced a series of books called Warhammer Historical which featured rules for re-fighting battles from historical settings such as The Roman Empire, Medieval England and The Wild West.
48. One of the earliest Warhammer supplements was called The Tragedy of McDeath.
49. The mighty portal that connects the Twin-tailed City of Hammerhal Aqsha and Hammerhal Ghyra is known as the Stormrift Realmgate.
50. There are (roughly) 1,000 chapters of Space Marines, each comprised of (roughly) 1,000 battle-brothers. Between the Great Rift, endless war and flagrant Codex non- compliance, actually counting them is pretty tricky.
51. Khârn the Betrayer bears the mighty chain-axe, Gorechild.
52. Its larger twin is called Gorefather, and both were once wielded by the mighty Primarch of the World Eaters, Angron.
53. Warhammer Webster Store 411 is the GW store that is the closest to NASA. Several NASA employees shop there and are presumably working on a warp drive.
54. Chiswick was the first Games Workshop store to be rebranded as a Warhammer store.
55. The average Warhammer Community team member consumes 77 cups of tea a week. Peachy is probably throwing the numbers off a bit.
56. During the Horus Heresy, each Space Marine Legion possessed a Gloriana-class battleship. These massive warships were around 20 kilometres long.
57. One of these – the Eternal Crusader – is still used as a flagship by the Black Templars.
58. Another – the Vengeful Spirit – is still a key part of the Black Legion fleet. It’s one of the ships Abaddon uses as a flagship, alongside the Planet Killer.
59. The largest Imperial space vessel is the Phalanx – the mobile fortress-monastery of the Imperial Fists.
60. While the Phalanx is nigh-indomitable in open battle, the Adeptus Custodes are rumoured to have contingency plans to destroy it from within should the Imperial Fists ever turn traitor.
61. The Imperial Palace sprawls across what was once the Himalayas.
62. Sly Marbo once got bitten by a monstrous Toxicrene. After three days of horrendous pain, the Toxicrene died.
63. Warhammer Publika was the first store to be opened in Malaysia, as well as the first to be visited by Alarielle the Everqueen.
64. Marneus Calgar’s middle name is Augustus.
65. A moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy.
66. The more a Stormcast Eternal is reforged, the more human memories they lose.
67. The first Slann, Kremlo, was revealed in the first Citadel Compendium in 1983. He resembled a giant walking toad and carried a big axe!
68. The original Warhammer isn’t Ghal Maraz, but a sturdy maul carried by an undead- hating Chaos Warrior called Harry the Hammer. Yes, really.
69. The Adepta Sororitas was founded to exploit a loophole after the Adeptus Ministorum was forbidden from having “men under arms”.
70. The Adeptus Ministorum also fields “men under arms” in the form of crusaders and armed priests, because when you’re a trillions-strong theocratic cult, “rules” are more like “recommendations.”
71. It is said that the moustache of Sir Minkel of Marienburg was so long and lustrous that he actually used it to affix himself to his griffon.
72. Soulstones, worn on the armour of Aeldari, are there to capture the soul of the warrior once they die, to stop it being devoured by Slaanesh.
73. Ghal Maraz and the Slayer of Kings are probably the oldest weapons in existence. It’s impossible to tell which was forged first back in the world-that-was.
74. In the Mortal Realms, the cycle of day and night is generally determined by the orbits of Hysh – the Realm of Light, and Ulgu – the Realm of Shadow.
75. The Dark Angels have over 17 Successor Chapters that we know of, including the Angels of Redemption, the Angels of Absolution, the Guardians of the Covenant and The Consecrators.
76. The Battle for Angelus Prime diorama in Warhammer World is over twenty feet long, over fifteen feet high and boasts some five thousand miniatures. It took a team of 15 hobbyists 9 months to produce.
77. When Beasts of Nurgle get sad that no-one will play with them, they cocoon themselves in Plague Pits until they are awakened by Grandfather Nurgle in their metamorphosed form: a Rot Fly.
78. The infamous Forest Goblin Team Da Spiderfang Scramblerz haven’t won a game of Blood Bowl in living memory. But then, most of the goblins in the team haven’t lived that long. And they likely won’t get to.
79. It was also Russ that named Bjorn ‘the Fell-handed’ in honour of this deed.
80. Warhammer Community head honcho Andy got his start with Games Workshop working in our Glasgow
81. One of Warhammer Community’s writers, Graeme, actually worked in a nearby store– East Kilbride – at around the same time.
82. The 100th store we opened was in Warrington, England. There’s a plaque on the wall and everything.
83. When we opened our 100th store in 1996, the exclusive model was Legion of the Damned Veteran Sergeant Centurius.
84. Centurius has appeared in a couple of Black Library stories, namely Legion of the Damned and Animus Malorum, which is named after the skull artefact he carries.
85. Much like the first Space Marines of the Great Crusade, the first wave of Primaris Space Marines were almost universally Terran- or Martian-born.
86. Most Chapters now have the means and technology to create Primaris Space Marines of their own (drawn from their usual recruitment worlds), though many still choose to create standard Space Marines as well for their more flexible and readily available equipment and combat doctrines.
87. If you think Colonel “Iron Hand” Straken looks beaten up and battered, spare a thought for the poor Miral land shark that bit him…
88. Nurgle’s plague gardens are tended by Horticulous Slimux, who rides upon his mighty snail-steed Mulch. Horticulous rarely leaves the gardens; when he does leave, he tends to the foul flora and fauna that he and his fellow daemons spread across the Mortal Realms.
89. Every time there’s a leak, we push back Codex: Squats by another year.
90. The Imperial Eagle has two heads, representing the union between Terra and Mars. There are many theories as to why one head is blind and the other sees…
91. Innocence Proves Nothing.
92. By a quirk of fate, a lot of Games Workshop high street stores are located near pubs. Warhammer World, however, has its own pub – the mighty Bugman’s Bar.
93. In Gorkamorka, a classic game of Orkish vehicular combat, the transport capacity of any given vehicle was how many Orks you could stack in it before they fell out.
94. The Orks in Gorkamorka had two factions – those who believed their god-effigy represented Gork, and those who thought it was Mork. Being Orks, they fought over it.
95. Gorkamorka also featured a group of humans known as Diggas, who venerated the Orks and attempted to impersonate them.
96. The other Gorkamorka factions were the Gretchin Revolutionary Committee, led by the heroic and mysterious Red Gobbo, and Muties, devolved descendants of a previous crashed ship.
97. There is no such thing as the Games Workshop Leak Department.
98. There is, however, a Leek Department that uses leeks and photatos to make Imperial Soup.
99. Vampires of the Mortal Realms drain your soul when they drink your blood – hence the name Soulblight Vampires – and will absorb it entirely if they bleed you dry.
100. A soul absorbed in this manner gives the Vampire a brief rush, but the effects soon pass as the soulstuff burns itself out.
101. Bjorn the Fell-handed was the first recorded member of the VIth Legion to take the oath of the Lone Wolf and earn redemption (instead of death!). After witnessing Bjorn’s heroic deeds in battle, Leman Russ personally held his oath fulfilled and offered him a place amongst his Wolf Guard.
102. In Space Marines heraldry, any beast included in their Chapter symbol (for example a salamander head, griffon, lion rampant or wolf), always faces the enemy. This is usually worn on their left shoulder pad.
103. Space Marines in Mk V “Heresy” armour and Mk VI “Corvus” armour have studs on the left shoulder pad, making markings impossible – so they wear their Chapter symbols on the right instead.
104. When Space Marines join the Deathwatch, they wear their Chapter symbol on their right shoulder pad. Some Chapter symbols are then reversed, in order for any heraldic beasts to always be facing the enemy.
105. The Marines Malevolent are the worst.
106. Catachan Barking Toads have a unique defence mechanism. When threatened, they release a cloud of toxic vapours that renders everything biological within a kilometre, including the toad, to a viscous goo. These vapours are so strong that they can even penetrate power armour.
107. The total page count of nearly all codexes, battletomes and rulebooks is a multiple of 8. This is in no way a secret act of worship unto Khorne.
108. Orks use their teeth (or “teef”) as currency. Because Ork teef grow back rather quickly, no Ork is ever in poverty.
109. Grot teef are worthless though, so Grots are always poor.
110. Some enterprising Orks have tried extracting Squig teef to use. It usually doesn’t end well, except for the Squig, who gets an unexpected meal.
111. There are dozens of different squig breeds, including gnasher squigs, squig hounds, buzzer squigs, cave squigs, mangler squigs, oil squigs, squig mines and even squigeons to name but a few!
112. No Ork possesses hair. Instead, they wear hair squigs as a status symbol – hence their impressive topknots.
113. Why hair is a status symbol in a genetically bald race remains a mystery.
114. It’s perfectly acceptable in Games Workshop Birmingham to greet people with “Roll Tide”.
115. The traitor Imperator Titan Dies Irae once withstood virus bombing upon the fields of Isstvan III, after sealing every single vent and duct across the God-machine.
116. The Peterborough store is the oldest to remain in the same location, serving the local community since 1983!
117. Duncan Rhodes really is that nice all the time.
118. But Chris Peach is a bit of a wrong ‘un.
119. Warhammer Community’s Mike, best known for his roles as ‘Guy Putting Wrong Models in Cabinet’ and ‘Photato Specialist’ in recent Warhammer TV videos, used to be a professional actor and has played roles as diverse as Macbeth and Orlando de Boys.
120. The Slayer Sword is an actual sword, and Golden Demon winners need to wear a chainmail glove to wield it.
121. It is said the glove grants the bearer a re-rollable 2+ save against all sword-related mishaps.
122. Someone still failed that save once. They probably said “anything but a one!” beforehand.
123. The distance from the most southerly to most northerly Warhammer store in the UK is 687 miles.
124. When Alarielle the Everqueen flies, her Wardroth Beetle explodes into a million fireflies before coalescing again wherever she lands.
125. Order Battletome: Sylvaneth was the first Warhammer Age of Sigmar battletome to feature a unique lore of magic, allegiance abilities and magic items, and it became the template for future battletomes.
126. Archaon the Everchosen was once a Templar of the Knightly Order of the Twin-tailed Orb – an order devoted to Sigmar in the world-that-was.
127. He was brought up by a local Sigmarite priest after being abandoned by his father. You could say he was the son of a preacher man…
128. Warhammer Winter Park is situated a mere 30 minutes or so away from all of Orlando’s major theme parks, and boasts many special effects professionals from the park on its roster of hobbyists.
129. Mephiston was once known as Brother Calistarius, before he became the Lord of Death.
130. There also happens to be a Blood Angels Librarian in Terminator Armour named Calistarius leading the assault in the latest edition of Space Hulk…
131. We had an incredible fact to write for number 131, but the Inquisition told us we’d all be electro-flensed if we published it.
132. Every Chaos God has a sacred number.
133. Khorne’s is 8…
134. …Tzeentch’s is 9…
135. …Slaanesh’s is 6…
136. …Nurgle’s is 7…
137. …and the sacred number of Nuffle – terrifying deity of the world of Blood Bowl, is 11.
138. This is also why there are 11 players on a Blood Bowl team. Before casualties. Or the off chance the ref actually sends someone off.
139. There’s a Warhammer rulebook on the Blue Scribes’ Disc of Tzeentch.
140. Similarly, the plastic Chaos Sorcerer Lord in Terminator Armour has a forbidden tome with the Citadel icon upon it.
141. The Twin-tailed comet is the icon of Sigmar, representing the strange omen that heralded his birth in the world-that-was.
142. Based on all studies, it is 14% easier to stove in the head of an ungor with a battleaxe than it is that of a grot.
143. Ragnar Blackmane once took out a renegade Predator tank by tearing open the crew hatch, throwing in a belt of frag grenades and promptly holding the hatch closed. The effect was said to be much like when you shake a soda bottle and take the lid off. But more red.
144. At the Imperial armoury, Rogal Dorn gets a discount on every pair of battle-gloves. Meanwhile, Ferrus Manus gets a discount on helmets.
145. The making of a Space Marine involves the implantation of 19 new organs, along with training and hypnotherapy to learn how to use their new organs and ensure their proper function.
146. Primaris Space Marines are given three extra organs on top of the 19, with even more rigorous training and hypnotherapy.
147. The original incarnation of Marneus Calgar lost his legs to Hive Fleet Locust.
148. White Dwarf was named as such due to its name working in both science fiction and fantasy.
149. White Dwarf was preceded by a magazine known as Owl and Weasel.
150. Having been founded in July 1977, White Dwarf is now a venerable 41 years old!
151. If you took all the Space Marines ever made and stacked them on top of one another, you’d upset a lot of hobbyists.
152. Warhammer stores in London have seen a host of famous visitors, including Ed Sheeran.
153. David Hasselhoff once visited Warhammer Edinburgh.
154. Terminators used to have a 3+ save – on 2D6.
155. Citadel Miniatures was first announced in issue 11 of White Dwarf in 1979.
156. Boris Goldgather, erstwhile ruler of the Empire in the world-that-was, was so greedy he allowed the city of Marienburg to buy its independence in return for substantial amounts of gold.
157. It was under Boris’ reign that the Empire was decimated by the Black Plague and almost destroyed by a massive Skaven invasion.
158. This, in turn, led to the rise of Mandred Skavenslayer to the Imperial Throne, though his efforts were largely maligned as the Skaven were obviously fanciful fabrications.
159. The sport of Blood Bowl was discovered by Dwarfs and Orcs who fought to a standstill during a bloody battle.
160. After a Dwarf loremaster read the sacred book of Nuffle, they decided the battle by playing a game of Blood Bowl instead.
161. History doesn’t record who won, but both sides claim it was them.
162. Quite a lot of history is like that, actually, particularly in the Warhammer universes.
163. The final test undertaken by an aspiring Space Wolves Iron Priest is to place their right hand into lava as a sacrifice to the spirit of the Iron Wolf. Though their hand is lost in the act, they receive a bionic replacement as part of their induction into the ranks of the priesthood.
164. Warhammer Community’sFrank has a rather large Nurgle force – approximately 7,777 points. Quite fitting, really. He’s working his way towards 7,777,777 and claims he will attain daemonhood upon doing so.
165. Warhammer Community’s Chris Reed once painted 60 Plaguebearers in a week. He’s sworn never to do something like that again. Currently, Chris has several hordes of Skeletons and Chainrasps on his painting table. It would seem he has not learned his lesson.
166. Games Workshop was nearly called “Games Garage”.
167. Games Workshop Chinook Centre is host to a Space Marine, signed by several of Black Library’s most illustrious authors.
168. The Space Wolves Primarch Leman Russ once defeated a Warlord Titan by leaping from a building onto its carapace and beheading it with a single blow of his great blade, Mjalnar.
169. It was long thought that the Seraphon were formed of nothing more than star stuff. We recently discovered that there may be more to them than that…
170. Stormcast Eternals are generally seen as the ‘good’ faction of Warhammer Age of Sigmar. The Knights Excelsior stretch this definition somewhat.
171. Warhammer Community team member Saskia is but 20 years old… which means the models in her Sisters of Battle army are older than she is. But fear not! New Adepta Sororitas models are on the way soon!
172. One of the Emperor of Mankind’s last utterances before being placed in the Golden Throne was that, forever more, Malcador the Sigillite would be known as Malcador the Hero. (No one ever calls him that though.)
173. In the world-that-was, Skarsnik’s Great Cave Squig was called Gobbla.
174. Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka can speak High Gothic.
175. Older Custodians volunteer to become Eyes of the Emperor, renouncing active service and becoming spies instead.
176. Games Workshop Leamington Spa is the local store of many video games companies including Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade and Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realm War creators, Pixel Toys.
177. The Land Speeder and Land Raider are both named for their discoverer – the infamous technoarchaeologist Arkhan Land.
178. Plastic Glue is actually named after genius inventor Sir Henry Plastic. The fact it’s an extremely effective adhesive for plastic models is purely coincidental.
179. Everything you have been told is a lie.
180. Games Workshop Larwin Square is visited by many in the video games community, including producer of the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War game (and Blood Ravens mastermind) Jay Wilson.
181. Not all Ultramarines follow all of the rules all of the time.
182. You can find out what happens when they don’t in The Chronicles of Uriel Ventris by Graham McNeill.
183. The reason the ’Eavy Metal team paint all of our Space Marine releases as Ultramarines is simple: it’s so that every model in the studio collection can be photographed together. It’s not because we think Ultramarines are better than any other Chapter.
184. Khârn the Betrayer has a kill counter linked to his helmet’s visor to record the number of skulls he claims for Khorne in each campaign!
185. Games Workshop Manchester (Central) was once host to a Warp Lightning Cannon large enough to destroy a moon. Or, at least it would have been were Skaven technology more reliable.
186. When the world-that-was fell, Archaon wandered the multiverse destroying realities for Chaos before he arrived in the Mortal Realms.
187. The famous Golden Demon painting competition has been running since 1987.
188. The competition is named as such because winners take home trophies that resemble the Golden Demon itself!
189. The first Golden Demon Slayer Sword winner (in 1987) was Ivan Bartleet with his diorama “The Chalice of Blood”, a scene depicting a necromancer and his undead minions, all set on top of an actual chalice with blood pouring out of the sides.
190. Rogue Traders are dashing figures, expanding the boundaries of the Imperium. Rouge Traders are a consortium of intergalactic cosmetics salespeople.
191. The first ever Black Library novels released were First and Only and Trollslayer in 1999.
192. They weren’t the first Warhammer novels, though – a whole range were released in the early 1990s in a deal with another publisher.
193. Many of those early classics, such as Space Marine, are available as eBooks from Black Library.
194. Games Workshop’s veteran Scenery Builder and Miniatures Designer Dave Andrews has forgotten more about the hobby than any of us will ever know.
195. Lahmian Medium was first created by painstakingly syphoning a single drop from Dave Andrews’ tear ducts (for he doesn’t cry) and replicating its unique formula.
196. There are no wolves on Fenris.
197. There ARE Wolves on Fenris!
198. The longest-serving member store manager in Australia is Troy “Da Cheef” Cukas, with 21 years under his belt.
199. While the realmgates are mainly used for travel in the Mortal Realms, there are theories that they are part of a network designed to stabilise the realms and unite them as a single world…
200. Paris, France has eight Games Workshop and Warhammer stores within a 10-mile radius of the city!
201. Battlefleet Gothic and Epic were unusual for Games Workshop games in that they were exclusively measured in centimetres rather than inches.
202. In their first significant engagements against humans in the Damocles Gulf, the T’au Empire assumed that Raven Guard Chapter Master Corvin Severax was the king of the Space Marines and that killing him would stop them for good.
203. Alongside our global Facebook pages for all of our games, we also have German language pages for Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar. Sprichst du Deutsch, dann suche nach Warhammer Age of Sigmar Deutsch und Warhammer 40.000 Deutsch!
204. Nearly all Craftworld-dwelling Aeldari avoid the attentions of Slaanesh by strictly following Paths – prescribed ways of living focusing on a specific aspect of existence.
205. As well as the warrior paths – like Aspect Warriors and Warlocks – many Aeldari walk non-battlefield paths, spending decades mastering craft skills as artisans.
206. Some humans in the Warhammer 40,000 universe bear a rare feature that makes them functionally immortal. They are known as Perpetuals, and the two most famous examples are Vulkan, the Primarch of the Salamanders Legion, and the Emperor of Mankind.
207. Rules writer Jay Clare has won so many Warhammer Underworlds events that he sometimes uses his Grand Clash trophies as activation counters. He says “there is no better way to psych out your opponent”
208. White Dwarf used to have comic strips in it.
209. In Australia, the Perth store celebrated their 20th anniversary this year by inviting an Ultramarine to work behind the till.
210. Space Marines were originally designed to wear knee-high armoured boots, but at the time, they couldn’t be cast in plastic. Hence their iconic flared greaves were born!
211. There’s no right or wrong way to paint your miniatures – they may be our worlds, but this is your hobby!
212. Duncan’s full name is actually Duncanticles of the Omnissiah Rhodes.
213. Actor Christopher Lee, who played Saruman in the Middle-earth movies, once visited Games Workshop’s head office and had a tour of the Design Studio.
214. Skitarii Rangers, Neophyte Acolytes and Astra Militarum Infantry Squads all have compatible fittings – try it yourself!
215. Last year, we made roughly 4 million Citadel Miniatures – enough to fill 40,000 Chapters’ worth of Space Marines.
216. The lore in Battletome: Beasts of Chaos was in part inspired by a terrifying encounter at a petting zoo.
217. Tech-priest Aldebrac Vingh perfected the Ironstrider Engine in the early 33rd Millennium.
218. The strange bipedal apparatus he invented is as close to a perpetual motion machine as the Adeptus Mechanicus have ever seen, its efficiency near to perfection. Acting as a dynamo as the Ironstrider walks, the miraculous design essentially powers itself. There are prototype models still circumnavigating the equator of Mars today.
219. The furthest a manager has ever travelled to set up a store is Dean, from Warhammer Dunedin, who moved from Hull in the UK to New Zealand.
220. Warhammer Community’s lead editor Sarah has a dog named Loken, a cat named Garro and a fish named Vandus Hammerfin.
221. To travel faster-than-light, ships in the 41st Millennium punch a hole through reality into a living hell known as the warp, aim in the general direction they want to go and hope to arrive in one piece/alive/still as themselves.
222. Aside from Daemonic entities and Necrons, one of the longest-lived characters in Warhammer 40,000 is Asdrubael Vect, who claims to remember the fall of the Aeldari.
223. Skitarii have their legs amputated below the knee, in homage to the original Martian pilgrims who were said to have traversed the oxide deserts of the Red Planet until their legs eroded.
224. Prior to the existence of Forge World’s Thunderhawk Gunship miniature, we actually sold one cast in white metal. It cost 40,000 pennies and was shipped in a wooden collectors box.
225. It is rumoured that Big Mek Orkimedes once created a Battlewagon that actually had enough dakka. But he destroyed it in secret so as not to put all of Ork society into turmoil.
226. It is also rumoured that Ork technology mostly works as a result of the strong Waaagh! energy of surrounding orks, who believe it should work.
227. It is further rumoured (by abject heretics) that The Emperor is kept alive by Waaagh! energy. The Orks believe he is the most powerful ‘umie Weirdboy… and thus he is.
228. The above is more a rumour than a fact, and writing such things for public consumption will likely get you taken away by the Inquisit–
229. If you’re looking to stay informed, make sure to read the Regimental Standard!
230. We did have 1,000 facts, but Archibald ate half of them.
231. Paris has more Games Workshop and Warhammer stores than any other city, other than London.
232. In Rogue Trader, the Deredeo Dreadnought was known as “Eddie” for short.
233. The two other Dreadnought classes were known as ‘Chuck’ and ‘Fury’.
234. ‘Fury’ went on to evolve into the Blood Angels Furioso Dreadnought!
235. The first description of the Siege of Terra during the Horus Heresy was a short story by William King in White Dwarf 161.
236. When in doubt about what colour to paint a base rim, you can never go wrong with Steel Legion Drab.
237. Though wars have been fought between those who believe this and those who swear by black rims.
238. Of course, all early Citadel bases were green, no matter what. Wastes of Armageddon? Green. Industrial rad-zone in the Underhive? Green. Deepest, darkest dungeon under the Old World? Naturally, green.
239. Want to recreate the green bases of old? Simply paint the sand with (two thin coats of) Warboss Green and drybrush it with Yriel Yellow!
240. Want to really recreate the awesome days of classic ‘Eavy Metal paint jobs? Use a lot of red! The “Red Period” is a well-known era amongst painters, where red colours were used anywhere they could be.
241. The Emperor never intended for humanity to use warp-travel long term, and instead attempted to transform the Aeldari webway into a galactic conduit that would serve Mankind.
242. Magnus then broke the gateway on Terra and forever doomed this grand endeavour to failure.
243. In the very first edition of Warhammer 40,000, Space Marines getting shot by a Shokk Attack Gun rolled on a random table to see where the Snotling materialised and what it did. One result involved the Space Marine biting the Snotling’s head off and carrying on as normal.
244. While most of the C’tan are mere shadows of their former selves, it is rumoured that some are waiting in exile for their moment to strike…
245. All our spray paints can be used as primers!
246. Not indoors though.
247. The power-pack worn by Space Marines was originally designed to mirror the bedroll worn on the backpacks of Napoleonic soldiers.
248. Space Marine backpacks contain small nuclear reactors. All the vents are to disperse the extra heat this generates.
249. Putting small nuclear reactors into your models’ backpacks is a bad idea though. Seriously, don’t do that.
250. Famous German comedian Otto Waalkes once visited Games Workshop Bielefeld.
251. Horus Rising was the first Black Library novel to sell more than a million copies.
252. A Thousand Sons was the first to hit the New York Times bestsellers list.
1.
253. It’s fair to say the Horus Heresy series has been more than a bit popular, really…
254. …so much so that it spawned an entire game and model line from Forge World.
255. Malerion gifted Sigmar an arena for his Stormcast Eternals to practice warfare without risking their lives, known as the Gladitorium. Quite why Malerion did this remains a mystery.
256. Friday at the Warhammer World staff canteen is fish and chips day.
257. Working at Games Workshop really is as fun as it seems and if you want to join us, keep an eye out on our careers site for openings!
258. The Celestant-Prime once smote Torglug the Despised, Lord of Plagues so hard that Torglug’s soul was freed and reforged as Tornus the Redeemed, a Knight-Azyros with a grudge against Nurgle.
259. Tornus has since gathered a brotherhood of similar warriors who’ve had the Chaos hit out of them by the Celestant-Prime and Ghal Maraz.
260. Jim Johnson from Blood Bowl bears a striking resemblance to the studio’s own Jervis Johnson.
261. Bob Bifford, Jim Johnson’s co-commentator, is a Blood Bowl Hall of Famer with a highly decorated (and apocalyptically violent) playing career under his belt. You can catch up with some of his exploits in each issue of the Spike! Journal.
262. Nurglings are a lot less cute close up.
263. Andúril, Flame of the West, is displayed at Warhammer World. It is the ACTUAL sword forged for the close-up scenes of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King!
264. A full-scale Lurtz greets you as you enter Warhammer World.
265. He’s even wearing one of the costumes used in the films.
266. The front of Games Workshop Head Office is guarded by a proud Stormcast Eternal Liberator, whereas the Warhammer World car park is watched over by a Space Marine and a Rhino. Everything else is watched over by Games Workshop Security, the true Adeptus Custodes.
267. There’s a sign on the Rhino outside Warhammer World imploring people not to touch or climb on the Rhino.
268. An image search for “Warhammer World Rhino” has over 650,000 results – a fair few of them are touching, or climbing on, the Rhino.
269. The final portal leading into the Emperor’s throne room is called the Eternity Gate. It is guarded at all times by an elite cadre of Adeptus Custodes, known as the Companions, and is flanked by a pair of Titans!
270. The first Imperial Space Marine, LE2, was released in 1985 as a limited edition single character alongside Space Orc LE1.
271. Games design legends Jervis Johnson and Rick Priestley were responsible for designing many of the challenges in the first few series’ of the popular television show, the Crystal Maze.
272. Every time you paint without thinning them, Duncan sheds a single tear.
273. Handily, Duncan’s tears are the best possible liquid to thin your paints with.
274. Games Workshop makes (on average) over 430,000 pots of paint a month.
275. Squig meat tastes like chicken.
276. Strangely, chicken doesn’t taste like squig.
277. Gotrek Gurnisson is either the most or least successful Slayer in history, depending on your perspective.
278. He got so good at not dying that he survived the end of the world-that-was.
279. He’s not very happy about that. Monsters of the Mortal Realms beware…
280. One of the Amsterdam stores was setup in the former premises of Amsterdam’s most famous gin distillery – a location often frequented by painter Rembrandt.
281. While we can’t say for sure that Rembrandt would have played Warhammer if it had been available in the 17th century, we reckon he’d be quite good at edge highlighting.
282. Sassy Nurgling really is in charge.
283. The T’au have little to no presence in the warp. Needless to say, Daemons were a fun discovery for them!
284. The first recorded incident of a T’au Empire force encountering the Tyranids ended with a recording of a T’au Commander repeatedly screaming “Mal’kor! Mal’kor”, the T’au word for arachnid, which is now used to refer to the Vespid.
285. The first ever diorama depicting the Siege of Terra was built in a fireplace at Warhammer World.
286. Michael and Alan Perry were miniature designers for Games Workshop for over 30 years. They became friends with Peter Jackson, director of the Middle-earth films. They even taught him how to sculpt models and appeared in the movies as warriors of Rohan and Men of Laketown.
287. Kairos Fateweaver counted to infinity. Twice.
288. One of his heads started from the beginning, whereas the other started from the end.
289. Supreme Ultramarines fan Nick Bayton has never read a Uriel Ventris novel!
290. …despite converting no less than five versions of Uriel Ventris for his Ultramarines army over the years!
291. Nick has never revealed this fact to anybody.
292. How do we know it? The Inquisition knows everything…
293. Not only can you sample Josef Bugman’s finest ales in Bugman’s Bar, but you can also marvel at the trophies collected by Dwarf warriors across the ages of the world-that- was.
294. Bugman’s Bar used to sell a much-loved meal called Uncle Bunga’s Ungor Bun.
295. Sylvaneth Tree-Revenants are thought to resemble ancient protectors of the arboreal homes of the Sylvaneth.
296. If captured by Nagash, Sylvaneth spirits take the form of lamenting, ghostly trees that are scattered across Shyish.
297. Nagash is a just god. Whatever your crime in life, you will suffer in death. For example, Myrmourn Banshees were sorcerers who worked against Nagash in their life – in death, they are forced to painfully consume spells in constant torment.
298. Despite our protestations, Phyrr cats are not allowed as office pets in Games Workshop.
299. Warhammer Community Video Producer Laura has asked for an office dog named Codex so many times that team boss Andy has now added a “no questions about office dogs” slide to all team meetings.
300. Of course, he hasn’t said anything about an office Canid yet…
301. Games Workshop Copenhagen is housed in a building that was used as a meeting place by one of WWII’s most prominent resistance groups.
302. The best way to get better at building models is practice.
303. The best way to get better at gaming is practice.
304. The best way to get better at painting is to pray to Slaanesh for artistic inspiration.
305. Just kidding, it’s practice.
306. Before Old Night descended, Mankind lived side by side with mechanical, artificially intelligent servants known as the Men of Iron.
307. As robot armies are wont to do, the Men of Iron then rose up to fight Humanity.
308. For this reason, Artificial Intelligences are banned across the Imperium and are known as Abominable Intelligences.
309. Any advanced thinking computer is thus slaved to a human brain in order to control it. It’s not called grim darkness for nothing…
310. The Community Team’s Nick Bayton can confirm that putting every Warhammer Underworlds card currently in production into sleeves takes about 6 hours, 20 packs of sleeves and nimble fingers.
311. The Enschede store in the Netherlands once played host to an epic battle with over 1600 models.
312. Imperial Assassins are rarely deployed as a team due to the potential for deadly collateral damage.
313. An exception to this is the Execution forces – specially trained teams from multiple temples. One such force was used in an attempt to slay Horus during the Horus Heresy.
314. Despite careful regulations, mistakes are still known to occur – the accidental deployment of 6 Eversor Assassins to pacify Thugrock Secundus resulted in the total annihilation of the planetoid’s population.
315. Duncan is a keen amateur baker. His favourite is mille-feuille – so many thin layers!
316. In his most recent appearance on Warhammer Live, an excitable Simon Grant was responsible for more than 100 sound effects – usually while depicting scenes of explicit violence!
317. Games Workshop briefly ran a record label called Warhammer Records in the early 1990s.
318. They signed a number of bands including D’Rok, Wraith, Rich Rags and even the mighty Saxon!
319. T’au Empire leader Aun’va has been dead for years and was replaced by the Ethereals with a very convincing hologram with an AI personality.
320. They covered up his death in this manner to avoid social unrest in the absence of their spiritual leader.
321. The town of East Kilbride had a Games Workshop store from 1995 to 2004. In 2015, a new Warhammer store opened next door to where the old one had been years before.
322. Arco-flagellants are former criminals who committed some grievous crime against the Imperium and were transformed into mindless killing machines. They are passive until their “kill word” is spoken, after which they become unstoppable.
323. It is considered impossible to play a full game with a Sylvaneth army without making at least 10 tree puns.
324. In at least four countries, it is illegal to not shout “Timber” when you kill a Treelord.
325. The various realmstones of the Mortal Realms are sometimes used as currency.
326. Nick from the Community Team once had a Sylvaneth army, but he decided to go back to his roots and turn over a new leaf.
327. Warhammer Community’s Nick Bayton, Simon Grant and Chris Peach, and White Dwarf’s Dan Harden, used to work together in the Warhammer World store – what a dream team!
328. Abaddon the Despoiler’s sword, Drach’nyen, is rumoured to be formed of the Daemon created by Mankind’s first ever murder.
329. The mighty Daemon Prince known as Doombreed, the Skull Lord, was the first-ever human chosen by Khorne to ascend to daemonhood.
330. Doombreed is believed to have once been an ancient Terran warlord who conquered much of the known world. This would make him considerably older than any of the Daemon Primarchs!
331. The Rumour Engine has yet, as far as we’re aware, to show a picture of itself. It’s said that should that happen, the Rumour Engine has become self-aware and humanity would be doomed.
332. Contingency plans are in place should this happen. They mostly involving hitting it with a spanner until it behaves.
333. It is said that if you venture into the misty valleys of Ulgu, you can encounter all the loved ones that you’ve lost in your life, but they might try to tear your face off.
334. Who knows what else dwells in the mists of the Realm of Shadows? Morathi, that’s who, but she’s not telling.
335. There was once a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh called Doomrider who rode a bike. He had a model and everything.
336. Kor’sarro Khan hunted Doomrider across the galaxy, defeated him, cut off his head and keeps it in a box. This stops Doomrider from dying and coming back.
337. Want to hear that story? It’s in the Black Library audio drama Master of the Hunt.
338. The Jimbocho store is probably the smallest Warhammer store in the world – it’s only got 3 walls!
339. Games Workshop runs the UK Grand Tournament, which sees players compete in Heats to earn a place in the Grand Final, where the champions of Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar and the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game are crowned.
340. The Deathwatch were created during the War of the Beast when massed Space Marine assaults proved useless against the Orks.
341. The few survivors of the army that attacked the centre of this Ork empire, Ullanor, banding into small “kill teams” and using guerrilla tactics.
342. They’re called the Deathwatch in honour of their fallen battle-brothers.
343. They don’t tend to watch death so much as cause it though.
344. Also created during the War of the Beast were the Ordos Xenos and Malleus of the Inquisition, designed to make sure there was always someone watching out for dangerous aliens, and for the threat of Chaos.
345. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
346. Games Workshop and Warhammer stores across Germany and Austria recently ran a competition called “Schlachtplatte” to see who could have the most painted miniatures in terms of wound count on a single gaming table.
347. Overall there were 62,011 wounds painted across the Germanophone stores, with Games Workshop Paderborn alone fielding 6,357 wounds!
348. [REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE INQUISITION]
349. All Canids in the Astra Militarum outrank privates
350. The only people who are not detectable by psykers are known as pariahs. They have no souls, and so no presence in the warp.
351. This causes non-psykers nearby to be extremely uncomfortable and renders psykers terrified, pained and unable to use their gifts.
352. Many pariahs don’t know that they are soulless, and just think people don’t like them – Commissar Cain’s aide Jurgen is among them.
353. Abaddon the Despoiler was long thought to have been repeatedly stymied by the Imperium of Man. Turns out, the millennia-old grudge-bearing mastermind was playing the long game and ultimately managed to tear the Imperium in half.
354. The bolt shells worn on the armour of some veteran Space Marines are known as Marksman’s Honours, and are said to be made from spent shells fired by their Chapter’s respective founding Primarch.
355. The Crux Terminatus on the shoulder pad of all Terminator Armour is said to include a shard of the Emperor’s own armour. Which is fair enough – it’s not like he’s wearing it any more.
356. Only one psyker has ever tapped into the Tyranid Hive Mind and survived the process – Varro Tigurius, Chief Librarian of the Ultramarines.
357. Hive Fleet Kronos has been spawned specifically to fight against the daemonic forces of Chaos.
358. As Hive Fleet Kronos cannot gain sustenance from their quarry, Hive Fleet Leviathan has been culling and pre-digesting worlds then leaving them for Kronos to devour.
359. Nagash invented necromancy after stealing dark magic from the Elves of the world- that-was.
360. Similarly, Neferata created vampires when she attempted to recreate Nagash’s experiments.
361. Ramon Laan, the store manager in Amsterdam West sculpted for Warmaster, a smaller-scale miniatures game set in the world-that-was.
362. The Voidsmen soldiery who man Imperial ships become as one with the ship itself. It is said that they imbibe scented engine oil in an attempt to bind with the ship’s spirit.
363. There are those who claim that Warhammer Community’s Simon Grant isn’t actually a Space Wolf. They are, of course, wrong.
364. Orks are rumoured to wear black and white check in subconscious reverence of the Sons of Horus, who massacred millions of greenskins in the conquest of Ullanor.
365. Bolter shells are mass-reactive and self-propelled.
366. Lasguns make a “snap-crack” sound when they fire, according to Dan Abnett. We don’t want to ask how he knows that.
367. Head over to the Black Library Facebook page and check the wall posts. One incredibly dedicated fan has written the synopsis for a different short story every day throughout 2018. At the time of writing, he is up to “Short story idea day: 292”, and they have all been belters!
368. The Skaven were responsible for the destruction of Nagash’s Black Pyramid, using the forces of Chaos God Nurgle as a distraction.
369. Not all Imperial Assassins are combatants – the Vanus Temple are intelligence operatives par excellence.
370. If an Eversor Assassin is awoken from cryo-sleep without instructions, it will revert to its standard “kill mode” and destroy all life in the local vicinity. It is safe to assume that, within one hour, everything within 3 kilometres will be dead.
371. Daemons know the Emperor as “the Anathema” because his very nature is destructive to them.
372. The Emperor is key to all navigation in the Imperium – He is the light of the Astronomican, the beacon used by all members of the Navis Nobilitate to guide ships through the warp.
373. Only two people know what passed between Roboute Guilliman and the Emperor when the former was brought before his father following his resurrection by the Aeldari witch Yvraine.
374. Astropaths are psykers capable of transmitting messages across the breadth of the galaxy.
375. The messages are relayed in the form of dreams and visions and leave a lot to interpretation.
376. However, this power comes at a price. Astropaths are bonded to the Emperor in a process known as soul binding which blinds the unfortunate participants.
377. When in doubt, paint it red.
378. Drukhari don’t worship gods – instead, they venerate particularly cunning members of their kind as “Dark Muses” to be emulated.
379. Asdrubael Vect has declared himself the “living muse”, in a classic display of chutzpah.
380. The Incubi have iron statues of Khaine in their shrines, but nobody is brave enough to ask what they do with them.
381. Although Genestealer hybrids are most commonly found amongst humans, they have been known to arise amongst other races too, including the Aeldari and Orks.
382. Goff Ork Genestealer Hybrids might just be the most frightening close-combat opponents we can imagine.
383. Though he may now be a God-King, Sigmar was once a mortal man.
384. He conquered the twelve tribes of men, forged an Empire, stopped a Chaos invasion, defeated Nagash and saved a Dwarf High King. And that was all before he was 30. What have you done with your life?
385. Many of the deities of the Mortal Realms started out as mortals, though when it comes to Morathi concepts like mortality are a little more… fluid.
386. Gorkamorka was probably always a god – or gods, it’s hard to tell.
387. Think round bases are a new thing for Warhammer Age of Sigmar? Night Goblin Fanatics, Mangler Squigs and Thorek Ironbrow all had round bases even when all others were square!
388. Brian Blessed was born to play a duardin. That’s why he’ll be appearing as Gotrek in the upcoming audio drama series Realmslayer from Black Library.
389. Sly Marbo was reduced to zero wounds 18 months ago, but nobody was brave enough to tell him.
390. It’s impossible to read the first lines of Dan Abnett’s Horus Rising without getting chills down your spine.
391. Actor Robin Williams was a Warhammer 40,000 hobbyist and had an Eldar army.
392. Musician Ed Sheeran is also an avid hobbyist, sometimes building Citadel miniatures backstage before a gig!
393. Actor Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) is a great miniature painter and even won first place in the Large Model Category at Golden Demon in Baltimore in 2009 with this Space Wolf bust.
394. The delivery guy for Games Workshop Versailles’ stock is a gold-medal winning table- tennis player.
395. If you’re looking to learn how to paint, you’ve got more than 150 videos to choose from on our YouTube channel!
396. Warhammer Community Graphic Designer Jon is married to the 2018 World Conker Champion.
397. Over 10% of the miniatures we have made since the beginning of 2018 were made using energy that was collected from solar panels.
398. In the world-that-was, Malekith spent 10,000 years trying to reclaim the throne of Ulthuan after being cast out of the Flame of Asuryan. Turns out, he was the rightful Phoenix King all along.
399. Morathi is reputed to have looked long and hard at him and said “Well, I told you so”.
400. The Emperor Protects.
401. But it helps to have some sturdy armour in case He’s distracted.
402. Always store your brushes bristles-up to keep them tidy. Never leave them in the water pot!
403. The first range of paints created at Games Workshop was made up of 18 colours. Today we have over 200!
404. Some of these facts might not actually be true.
405. Some of these facts are definitely true.
406. Warhammer HQ in Nottingham has a cake trolley which delivers freshly baked goods to every department.
407. Peachy taught Duncan how to paint.
408. Way back in the mists of time, Peachy and Duncan worked together in Games Workshop Derby.
409. The T’au Empire started life as a space-faring empire of lizard people called the Shishell. After many rewrites and collaboration with the miniatures team, we ended up with T’au you know and love today!
410. An early edition of Warhammer nearly featured a mechanic where spells would be more or less effective based on the predominant colours you’d painted your army in.
411. The icon of Khorne is a stylised skull.
412. At this time, a Space Marine Chapter turned to Chaos for the first time since the original nine Traitor Legions. That Chapter was the Fists Exemplar. Never heard of them? That’s because they were deleted from Imperial history.
413. During the Eye of Terror campaign in 2003, Ahriman toured more than 60 Games Workshop stores for massive games where he fought across an Aeldari Craftworld to try to reach the Black Library.
414. No records exist of how many stores failed to stop him. We believe that’s to spare them the embarrassment.
415. Rogue Trader, the first edition of Warhammer 40,000, featured a half-eldar member of the Ultramarines – can you imagine such heresy?
416. It’s said that if you make a summoning circle out of cups of tea and custard creams, place a pot of Lahmian Medium in the middle and chant ‘Two thin coats, two thin coats’ whilst walking widdershins, then a simulacra of Duncan will be summoned to lecture you on the importance of diluting your paints correctly.
417. Fighting between parts of the Imperium is quite common.
418. Different factions of Inquisitors have fought over causes as diverse as the beatification of saints, the veneration of different Imperial cults and the date. Rumours of an Inquisitorial schism over which end they should open their boiled eggs have yet to be verified.
419. The Space Wolves and Inquisition nearly went to war once over the latter slaughtering billions of civilians who witnessed Daemons on Armageddon.
420. That war was stopped when Bjorn the Fell-handed woke up and told them all to knock it off.
421. The Ecclesiarchy fights amongst itself all the time, usually over slightly different interpretations of their faith. Some of these are caused by typos in holy texts.
422. The biggest Ecclesiarchy civil war split the Imperium in half during the Age of Apostasy.
423. This led to a second Siege of Terra as the Imperial Fists and their allies attacked the Throneworld to unseat the traitorous High Lord Vandire.
424. He was eventually killed by his closest bodyguard. His last words were “I don’t have time to die, I’m too busy.”
425. Sigmar can resolve all of his problems by opening new Chambers.
426. If you haven’t accidentally sipped your paint water instead of your tea, you’re not doing enough painting.
427. Bugman’s Bar is actually the perfect place to hole up in a zombie apocalypse. It’s upstairs, has sturdy lockable doors, loads of food and drink and plenty of weapons hanging up on the walls…
428. Aximillion’s favourite treat is Sumpkroc tail.
429. Alorynis’ favourite treat is lightly fried fish fillets.
430. Visionary Tech-Priest and STC-discoverer Arkhan Land used to be accompanied by a cyber-simian with a venomous sting in its tail. It was thought to be a very faithful representation of the simians of Ancient Terra.
431. Commissar Ciaphas Cain, Hero of the Imperium, has a Valhallan aide called Jurgen who he sometimes treats a bit like a pet.
432. Ciaphas isn’t pronounced how you’d imagine – it’s pronounced differently.
433. The level of ‘personality’ of any given Necron depends on their status in their former lives. Warriors are nigh-emotionless, while Overlords can be highly eccentric.
434. Nemesor Zahndrekh once imprisoned aliens of many races, including Kor’sarro Khan and Illic Nightspear. Every night, the prisoners would eat a feast while the Necrons watched and tried to remember what food tasted like.
435. The Khan and Nightspear escaped, though all the other prisoners – which included Orks and T’au – died in the attempt.
436. The manager of the Salzburg store is named Karl Franz. No relation.
437. Rumours abound that he owns a cat called Deathclaw, but these have not been substantiated…
438. Following the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Imperial Calendar is so confused and convoluted that not even Roboute Guilliman can untangle it to work out exactly what the date is.
439. The first Daemon ever created by Nurgle is said to have been Horticulous Slimux.
440. Marneus Calgar has a personalised Land Raider called Maximus.
441. There are no substantiated accounts of anyone ever walking into a Games Workshop to “just buy a pot of paint” and leaving with only a pot of paint.
442. Duncan is contractually obliged to say, “Two thin coats” in every single video he appears in.
443. Each branch of the Inquisition deals with a specific threat to the Imperium. As well as the Ordo Xenos, Hereticus and Malleus, several more niche Ordos exist, such as…
444. …the Ordo Excorium, who monitor the use of Exterminatus…
445. …the Ordo Scriptorum, who monitor Imperial communications…
446. …the Ordo Necros – about whom nothing is known…
447. …the Ordo Vigilus, whose only known purpose is to monitor the Ordo Necros…
448. …and the Ordo Chronos, who either manage disruptions in time, keep the calendars in check, or don’t exist, depending on what day of the week it is.
449. The two missing Pri…[Redacted by the Inquisition].
450. The Blood Games are an exercise practised by the Adeptus Custodes, through which members of the Custodes act as enemy combatants and attempt to penetrate the security of the Imperial Palace on Terra. This enables the Custodes to anticipate an enemy’s moves and constantly update and adapt their security measures, to ensure that the Golden Throne remains unharmed.
451. Between the Horus Heresy and the Indomitus Crusade, a specialised corps was charged with recovering suitable subjects, including Chaos Space Marines, from across the Imperium to release within the Palace as part of the Blood Games to test the Adeptus Custodes’ abilities in real conditions as most never left the Palace themselves.
452. Cadia stands.
453. The planet broke before the Guard did.
454. Warhammer Helsinki is the most northerly Warhammer store in the entire world.
455. Several members of the Warhammer Community team are working on a collaborative Orks army at the moment – the Waaaghammer Kommunitee.
456. The plastic tubing used to keep your brush tips safe is also great for propping up paint pot lids.
457. Did you know that there are websites dedicated to the majority of the games we produce? You can check them out using the ‘Explore Our Games’ menu at the top of the Warhammer Community website.
458. It’s rumoured that the fall of Hive Acheron in the Third War for Armageddon was due to the duplicity of the former Overlord of Armageddon, the incompetent Herman von Strab.
459. The city fell after communication lines were cut and Orks appeared from previously secret tunnels. Much of the nobility of Acheron welcomed von Strab’s return at the head of Orkish brute squads, overlooking that he had turned traitor.
460. Von Strab met an ignominious end on a mission for the 13th Penal Legion, serving under the irrepressible Colonel Schaeffer.
461. The Luther-pattern Excavation Automata, or Ambot, is fashioned after a xenos creature known as an ambull. Ambulls have been part of the fabric of the 41st Millennium since its first inception, back in the days of Rogue Trader.
462. Chapter Master Tu’shan of the Salamanders was de-facto Commander of Imperial Forces at the commencement of the Second War for Armageddon, despite having only been Chapter Master for three years, but ceded this honour to Chapter Master Dante of the Blood Angels following the latter’s arrival in the system.
463. Tu’shan performed so well throughout the campaigns against Ghazghkull’s forces that Dante praised him in front of the entire Blood Angels Chapter.
464. When Ghazghkull’s invasions of Armageddon precipitated the Third War for Armageddon, Chapter Master Tu’shan was amongst the first to respond to the pleas for help and led six whole Companies, including the Firedrakes, to Armageddon.
465. When life gives you lemons… Blood for the Blood God!
466. The followers of the other Chaos Gods don’t get such a cool catchphrase. We’re not saying this is why Khorne is so popular, but it probably helps.
467. The Chaos Gods fight amongst themselves, like all siblings, but Khorne and Slaanesh hold a special animosity for one another, as do Nurgle and Tzeentch.
468. In previous editions of Warhammer 40,000, Salamanders had a lower Initiative characteristic than their brothers in arms to represent the high gravity of their homeworld of Nocturne.
469. At the time of writing, the Warhammer Community Team has a full, wearable suit of Crimson Fists power armour in their office – including a thunder hammer that’s taller than Saskia!
470. Not to mention enough (cosplay) weaponry to make Perturabo think twice about laying siege to the office.
471. Games Workshop Zwolle is on a list of historically significant Dutch buildings thanks to its rather spiffy moulded ceilings and elegant front.
472. The Emperor never meant for the Thunder Warriors, predecessors of the Space Marines Legions, to live long past the Unification Wars. They were a weapon, forged for a specific purpose, to be cast aside once spent.
473. Imperial Fists, and their descendants, lack the Betcher’s Gland and so cannot spit acid at their foes.
474. Contrary to popular belief, Jervis Johnson has actually won a battle before!
475. The Kharadron Overlords were around in the Mortal Realms long before they made their debut on our gaming tables. As there was little profit to be gained in interceding in the wars against Chaos, they stayed (relatively) safe in the skies.
476. Bray’arth Ashmantle, a legendary Salamanders hero, earned his moniker after pursuing fleeing enemy forces into a sub-city network – he was thought lost until he smashed his way clear of the duct workings nine days after he disappeared, so covered in the soot and cinder-ashes of his dead foes as to obscure every inch of his armoured form.
477. Kairos Fateweaver is known as the Oracle of Tzeentch and sits at his master’s right hand, gibbering prophecies and visions of the future.
478. Nine times nine Lords of Change are tasked with transcribing and interpreting Kairos’ utterances.
479. Warhammer was originally conceived as part of a mail-order promotion. At the time, mass battles with fantasy miniatures were basically unknown – so our early game developers thought it’d be cool to let people use all their Citadel miniatures in a single game. The rest, as they say, is history.
480. Since the first Tip of The Day was released, fans have collectively spent 277 years watching videos on our YouTube channel.
481. 3000 days of that time have been spent watching Duncan paint Archaon.
482. It’s said that the miniature of Chapter Master Gabriel Seth of the Flesh Tearers bears more than a passing resemblance to the author of many Flesh Tearers stories, Andy Smillie.
483. Love Warhammer? Use Instagram? Then follow @WarhammerOfficial. You can share your latest work with us by tagging it with #PaintingWarhammer.
484. Festus the Leechlord was once a doctor dedicated to fighting disease. Nurgle has a delicious sense of irony.
485. Thostos Bladestorm, Lord-Celestant of the Bladestorms of the Celestial Vindicators, was transmuted into living sigmarite by the attentions of a Mutalith Vortex Beast during the events of the Quest for Ghal Maraz.
486. Not even The Blue Scribes have read this far.
487. Though if they had, they would read that their names are palindromes of one another – P’tarix and Xirat’p.
488. Stormhosts are forged from kindred souls, whilst they may not have known one another in their previous lives they are now brothers and sisters in arms.
489. The Celestial Vindicators, for example, were forged of implacable heroes plucked from the most war-torn regions who fell fighting the forces of Chaos and are reborn with a burning hatred for the servants of the Dark Gods.
490. Nagash is all, and all is Nagash.
491. Each Stormhost has a mausoleum, a place for reflection and remembering their mortal lives. Their deeds are recounted there so that even if the Stormcast Eternals forget, they will always be remembered.
492. The Hallowed Knights mausoleum is the Sepulchre of the Faithful.
493. When Warhammer Community’s Chris Reed was a barista in Nottingham, he used to occasionally serve Graham McNeill. We can’t overstate how excited this made him.
494. Chris wouldn’t let Graham order a “Venti” unless he pronounced it “Ventris”.
495. There are no duplicated facts in this list. Probably.
496. The Rhino outside Warhammer World used to be painted in Blood Ravens colours and even went to Games Day one year.
497. There are no duplicated facts in this list. Probably.
498. Anyone claiming that they know all the facts about Warhammer is wrong.
499. Except Tzeentch. Obviously.
500. There’s more to life than Warhammer, but none of it is quite as fun.