Hey Veeky Forums.
I'm really interested in the Warhammer 40k universe for whatever reason, but I'm too poor to play the tabletop and too tech-unsavvy to play the videogames.
If I wanted to get into it by reading stuff. Where should I start? What books are important lore-wise? Is this a silly request?
Thanks I love you all
I suppose you could start with the horus heresy series. Really there are so many books you can go in any direction that interests you
I had a 4 hour flight next to a guy who was one Space Hulk in his laptop, and after I showed some curiosity he spent the rest of the flight telling me a bit about everything, the elder gods this, the locust alien thingies that, the emperor this, the orks lmao.
I really don't even know where to get started, everything seems pretty interesting to me.
>horus heresy series
Read the Ciaphus Cain novels. They are tons of fun.
If you want to try an actual game without the cost, you can always give playing the tabletop RPGs a go.
Real talk. Read the codices and books, old and new, and form your own opinions.
There's a lot of contradictory fluff, lots of retcons, and a lot of different ideas of just about everything in the universe.
Read it all for yourself and form your own opinions and just don't worry about what other people think; the 40k fandom is a minefield of arguments over new vs. old and various interpretations.
Or start arguing over which era of fluff is best, I'm not your mom.
codices for base fluff
mega.nz
>Read the Ciaphus Cain novels. They are tons of fun.
Noted, Thank you.
>If you want to try an actual game without the cost, you can always give playing the tabletop RPGs a go.
Please elaborate.
Oh, I have no interest in arguing anything (I think)
I just want to dive into the lore, even if it's contradictory or full of retcons.
>the mega links
Thanks man, that's great.
Tabletop RPGs. Like Dungeons and Dragons, but for 40k.
>tfw you will never be turned on to a hobby by the wise ramblings of an old grognard
You lucked out to find an enlightened one so easily OP
I basically live in a ghost town next to a mine so I'll probably have a really fucking hard time finding anyone to play with.
It's happened twice. When I was younger, some guys were playing MtG in an arcade I frequented. I stood there for hours, having them explain the game rules to me and watching them try different decks. They gifted me a booster pack afterwards.
The universe wants me to Veeky Forums
actually OP have you thought about trying Warhammer 40kKill team? while i have read saykng that you are too poor for the reg version (which is expensive as fuck no doubt) but it would be alot easier to save up for that plus a codex. roughly being around a 120$ish
Didn't see Realms of Chaos in that link. Since we're talking new AND old fluff, Lost and the Damned is quintessential old fluff.
You can nab it by googling "realms of chaos lost and the damned pdf" and clicking the vk.com link. I'd link it myself but Veeky Forums says it's spam.
DoW one is pretty easy to master, just get it on steam during the christmas sale.
I'll look into it, but due to crazy import laws, everything is way more expensive where I live.
Noted, thanks.
I'm genuinely retarded when it comes to computers. Something will probably explode.
>but I'm too poor to play the tabletop
No you're not. If you are posting on a computer, you have the money to spend $300 to start playing Kill Team. All you need is a single squad of space marines and three rulebooks (Kill Team, 40k main rules, faction codex).
You can still buy codexes / the core book. They give plenty of lore and I still read them from time to time.
Just walk away
What mine?
How is that $300? You buy the kill team box and a codex.
>Computer + internet means you have 300 dollaridoos to spare.
Not at all accurate. Was technically homeless for a bit, had access to free wifi and a lappy without regular income. And that's ignoring library computers and other publicly accessible machines.
The codices are definitely the best place to start for learning the setting. The roleplaying books contain some good info as well. After those, you can decide with faction(s) interest you most and take it from there.
As for actual novels to check out, as said, Ciaphas Cain is pretty good. I'd also recommend Eisenhorn, Gaunt's Ghosts, and Dead Men Walking.
Outside of the novels, if you enjoy wikicrawling or if you have any questions about the lore, you can look it up on any of these sites:
Lexicanum (serious 40k lore, uses official sources for everything): wh40k.lexicanum.com
1d4chan (lots of humor, made by users of Veeky Forums, still has lots of good insights though): 1d4chan.org
Also, here's a link to the RPG books:
mega:///#F!Pl0UgbJa!vDtTXMKnvZ26fUbuw4X9tg
The Eisenhorn trilogy is a pretty good introduction to the lore I'd say.
Caiaphas Cain
Gaunts ghosts
Eisenhorn
all human related, but that because space marines are kinda hard to write well, but if your into them then: brotherhood of the snake and Armageddon are well written
get for free in the 40k general thread, they have a link in the OP to a huge amount of the ebooks.
you can always try to play rpgs online, roll20 or rolz.org can give you a place to play and if you have trouble finding someone to play use the gamefinder thread or make some internet friends some other way
these dark vengeance guys are super cheap. on ebay, 15 bucks gets these cats brand new, if you slum it and get used nasty cats, you can go even cheaper.
scrap off the dark angles bits, paint em some color other than red green blue or space wolf and count as them for literally half the armies.
Eisenhorn trilogy are great books that give you a bit more about what it is to be human in the 41st millenium.
Some people would argue the Daniverse (Dan Abnetts take on the 40k universe) are not entirely in keeping with the 40k universe but I think they do it justice.
Again, besides the money issue, I barely visit civilization. So finding someone to play will also be a huge problem.
it's called la alumbrera
I'll look into this as well.
Many thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
there is some okay stuff in the Sm battles line, like legion of the Damned, Battle of the Fang and Wrath of Iron
then again I got them from the mega link, so they might not be worth the €/$ GW wants for them
>Fire Warrior
>Heresy-tier
That's not right for starters. Game may have be pretty lukewarm, but the book is great. You're not going to hear a tau shout "Blood for the Blood God!" anywhere else.
>no Calpurnia books
Lame. The second book has one of my favorite singular moments in a WH40K bit of lore that is a great elaboration on the setting and the kind of power its symbols have.
It's when they have the original charter of a Rogue Trader that needs to be trotted out so the newest in the dynasty can be sworn in. The charter is really old, going all the way back to the original, pre-Horus Heresy crusades. In fact, it was made while the the crusades were in town. And, consequently, the official blood thumb print was made by the leader of the crusading group there, who oversaw the charter's creation.
Exactly who that was should be pretty obvious, and the revelation of that fact early on creates a very nice atmosphere for a period of setting that has long since lost any real connection to the Emperor for most people and places.
>Located near Belen, Argentina, in Catamarca province, Alumbrera is 1,100 kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires, and six hours by paved and dirt roads from the airport at San Miguel de Tucumán.
Dann that's remote.