So why is it called warhammer?

So why is it called warhammer?

Because that was the system that Games Workshop started with back in the 80s. Then they wanted a sci-fi setting and called it Warhammer 40,000 so people knew it was pretty much the same game, but in spaaaace. Over time the two games diverged more and more ruleswise and eventually the original Warhammer got killed and partially brought back as Age of Sigmar.
Also, some dudes in both settings carry around actual war hammers.

Contrary to what space boys think, 40k is about the hammer of the emperor aka the Imperial Guard.

Wrong. It was originally called 'Rogue Trader' but it got the warhams 40 000 stuck as a subtitle so people wouldnt mix it with 2000 AD's Rogue Trooper.

Because Sigmar has a warhammer.

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Yeah, I can see he's holding the hammer. It's in the picture.

It was originally going to be called Battleblade.
iirc one of the founder's mum changed it to Warhammer because it sounded better.

yes, in the descriptions I've heard the space marines are a scalpel and the Imperial guard is a hammer. Space marines can kill anything, but Imperial guard hold the line since the space marines can't kill everything.

"Scalpel 40 000" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

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No, it was originally called Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader.

Because GW called their custom D&D wargame publication that. Then when they did Rogue Trader they decided to 'link' the two by adding Warhammer 40,000 to it. This also stuck. Warhammer is also an easily marketable name. Easy to remember, two syllables, very distinctive word (hence some GW's have become Warhammer shops). Etc.

Probably because of all the war and hammers in it

THIS you stupid ill-informed twats who can't even use Google.

Harald Hammerstorn, or 'Harry the Hammer', was the iconic cover character for the very first publication. He was also on the cover of 2nd edition.

G O O G L E
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G
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That clearly says Warhammer: Rogue 40,000 Trader.

>two syllables

Originally in Warhammer Fantasy there was a character called Harry the Hammer which in turn inspired the legend of Sigmar Heledenhammer who was famous for wielding a gaint warhammer. As the founder of The Empire (central protagonists) of WHFB, his warhammer is synonymous with the setting.

As originally 40k was meant to be WHFB style fantasy 40,000 years in the future, they kept the warhammer name.

>elven smiths BTFO
>how will they ever recover
>they can't cuz muh cripple god.

They didn't wanted Blizzard to sue them for making carbon copies of star and Warcraft

I would say that the SM are more of a Spear or a Lance and the Officio is the Scalpel, but Lance 40k or Spear 40k sounds a bit stupid too.