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''Warhammer'' (formerly ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' or just ''Warhammer Fantasy'') is a
tabletop Tabletop may refer to: Mountains * Table Top Mountain in Rangeville, Queensland, Australia * Table Top Mountain (New York) * Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa * Tepui, flat top mountains in South America Places * Tabletop, New South Wale ...
miniature wargame Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
with a
medieval fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those ...
theme. The game was created by Bryan Ansell, Richard Halliwell, and
Rick Priestley Rick Priestley (born 29 March 1959) is a British game designerSlingshot, No279, Nov 2011, p1 and author mainly known as the creator of ''Warhammer'' miniature wargame. Career Rick Priestley, with Bryan Ansell and Richard Halliwell, designed t ...
; it was published by the
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
company. As in other miniature wargames, players use miniature models (''minis'') to represent warriors. The playing field is a model battlefield comprising models of buildings, trees, hills, and other terrain features. Players take turns moving their model warriors across the playing field and simulate a battle. The outcomes of fights between the models are determined by a combination of dice rolls and simple arithmetic. Though the gameplay is mostly based on medieval warfare, it incorporates fantasy elements such as wizards, dragons, and magical spells. ''Warhammer'' was the first commercial miniature wargame designed to use proprietary models. Prior to this, miniature wargames rulesets were designed to use generic models that could be bought from any manufacturer. The first edition rulebook for ''Warhammer'' was released in 1983, and the line was supported for thirty years by model releases, supplementary rulebooks, and new editions of the core rules. The eighth and final edition of the core rules was released on 10 July 2010. The game is no longer supported by Games Workshop, and the last supplementary rulebook was released in 2015. It was replaced later that year by ''
Warhammer Age of Sigmar ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop that simulates battles between armies by using miniature figurines. Games are typically played on a relatively flat surface such as a dining table, bespoke gaming t ...
'', which uses the models created for the ''Warhammer'' line in a new setting and game system. The ''Warhammer'' setting is inspired by the fiction of
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
,
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
and
Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
. The fictional background for the game was developed in rulebooks, ''White Dwarf'' magazine, ''Inferno!'' magazine, and more than 150 novels set in the ''Warhammer'' universe. Many of these novels are still in print under the ''Warhammer Chronicles'' imprint.


Gameplay

''Warhammer'' is a tabletop wargame where two or more players compete against each other with "armies" of 25 mm – 250 mm tall heroic miniatures. The rules of the game have been published in a series of books which describe how to move miniatures around the game surface and simulate combat in a "balanced and fair" manner. Games may be played on any appropriate surface, although the standard is a tabletop decorated with model scenery in scale with the miniatures. Any individual miniature or group of similar miniatures in the game is called a "unit". The core game rules are supplied in a single book, with supplemental ''Warhammer Armies'' texts giving guidelines and background for army-specific rules. Movement of units about the playing surface is generally measured in inches, and units' combat performance is dictated randomly by either the roll of a 6-sided die (a 'D6') or a 6-sided 'scatter' die. The latter is often used to generate direction, commonly alongside an 'artillery' die, for
cannons A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder dur ...
, stone-throwers, and other
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
. Each unit and option within the game is assigned a point value for balancing purposes. A game will commonly have armies of 750 to 3,000 points, although smaller and larger values are possible.


The ''Warhammer'' world

''Warhammer'' is set in a
fictional universe A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
notable for its "dark and gritty" background world, which features influences from
Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
's Elric stories, and also many historical influences. The geography of the ''Warhammer'' world closely resembles that of Earth because of manipulation by an ancient spacefaring race known as the Old Ones. This mysterious and powerful race visited the Warhammer World in the distant past. Establishing an outpost, they set about manipulating the geography and
biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
of the planet. With the assistance of their
Slann ''Warhammer Fantasy'' is a fictional fantasy universe created by Games Workshop and used in many of its games, including the table top wargame ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', the ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' (WFRP) pen-and-paper role-playing ga ...
servants, they moved the planet's orbit closer to its sun, and arranged the continents to their liking. To travel between worlds, the Old Ones used portals to another dimension ("warp gates"), which they built at the north and south poles of the Warhammer World. Eventually, however, these gates collapsed, allowing raw magical energy and the daemonic forces of Chaos to pour forth into the Warhammer world. At this point, the Old Ones disappeared. Before leaving however, they had established the Lizard men (ruled over by the Slann) as their servants. In addition they had created the races of Elves, Dwarfs, Humans, Halflings and presumably the Ogres (who are assumed to be an unfinished attempt by the old ones to create the ultimate race). Orcs and Goblins were not created by the Old Ones, or part of their plan, and their origin is not made clear in the setting. Beastmen and Skaven were the result of mutation from raw magical energy at this time. Eventually the Chaos Daemons were driven back by Lizardmen and Elves, with the Elves performing a great ritual to drain out the raw magic that was flowing into the world and sustaining the Daemons. Some creatures, such as Dragons and Dragon-Ogres, are stated to have existed prior to the arrival of the Old Ones. After this, Elves and Dwarfs flourished and created mighty empires, but eventually they were set into a slow decline. A series of civil wars amongst the Elves split them into two groups – the malicious Dark Elves and righteous High Elves. A petty war between the High Elves and Dwarfs served only to diminish both races and caused the High Elves to abandon their colonies. Some of the colonists refused to leave their homes in a magical sapient forest and over time developed into the enigmatic and isolationist Wood Elves. A period of seismic activity caused by the Slann decimated the underground holds of the Dwarfs while attacks by Skaven and Goblins, who breached the Dwarf strongholds from below, only made things more desperate. The humans were the slowest to develop, but ultimately formed several strong nations able to defend themselves from aggressors. The Nehekharan Empire (based on Ancient Egypt) was the first great human empire, but due to a curse by Nagash (the first necromancer) they became an
undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
faction known as the "Tomb Kings" who now dwell in The Land of the Dead (former Nehekhara). Nagash, in his efforts to find eternal life, also created the first Vampires, an entirely separate undead faction. At the time of the setting's destruction (according to the setting's fictional timeline) there were two prominent human nations: The Empire which is based on a combination of aspects of the Holy Roman Empire and Renaissance Germany, and
Bretonnia ''Warhammer Fantasy'' is a fictional fantasy universe created by Games Workshop and used in many of its games, including the table top wargame ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', the ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' (WFRP) pen-and-paper role-playing ga ...
, which is based on Arthurian legends and medieval France. Sigmar, founder of The Empire, wielded a mighty Dwarf-made Warhammer from which the name of the "Warhammer Fantasy" setting is derived. There are also numerous other nations which are fleshed out in the background information but are not represented by playable factions in the tabletop game, some of which are loosely based on real-world nations from various historical periods. These include the southern realms of Estalia and Tilea, representing medieval Spain and Renaissance Italy respectively, as well as the far eastern Empire of Grand Cathay, analogous to a fantastic version of Imperial China. The forces of disorder are often depicted as not a localised threat, but a general menace consisting of disparate factions, many of which are typically also at odds with each other. The Skaven exist in an "Under Empire" (an extensive network of tunnels beneath the planet's surface), while the war-loving
Orcs and Goblins Orcs & Goblins is a supplemental book for the ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' tabletop game, first published in 1993. The phrase "orcs & goblins" also refers collectively to all of the races that are described in this book, which includes other "gre ...
are nomadic (although they are most common in the Badlands, Southlands, and Dark Lands) and regularly amass large numbers and stage raids without warning. Similarly, Ogres are most common in the Ogre Kingdoms and in the eastern Mountains of Mourn, but are depicted as unscrupulous wandering warriors who are always hungry, who sometimes hire themselves out as mercenaries to both the forces of order and disorder. In addition to the chaos-worshiping Warriors of Chaos who live in strange Chaos Wastes north of the other faction's lands, chaos cults often arise within human and elven nations. Beastmen are depicted as mutants dwelling deep in forests and impossible to fully eradicate. Vampires and necromancers raising armies of undead are also depicted often as an internal threat. Chaos Daemons are restricted to manifesting themselves where magical energy is strongest, but this could be almost anywhere. The 8th Edition Empire Army Book describes the Warhammer World to currently be in the year 2522 (Empire calendar), whilst the current Lizardmen Army Book puts the collapse of the warpgates at −5700 on the same calendar, thus the fictional history spans at least 8200 years.


Armies

There are a number of playable armies for ''Warhammer'', which are representative of one or other of the factions or races that are present in the ''Warhammer'' world setting. For the first few editions of the game armies were presented in collective books like ''
Warhammer Armies The following is a list of Army Books and Supplements for the various armies released for the Games Workshop ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' game. An Army Book in the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop wargame, is a rules supplement containing information co ...
''. Starting in the 4th edition individual books were released for each army. In the 8th edition of the game, the following armies had individual army books: * Beastmen *
Bretonnia ''Warhammer Fantasy'' is a fictional fantasy universe created by Games Workshop and used in many of its games, including the table top wargame ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', the ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' (WFRP) pen-and-paper role-playing ga ...
*Daemons of Chaos *Dark Elves * Dwarfs * The Empire * High Elves * Lizardmen * Ogre Kingdoms *
Orcs and Goblins Orcs & Goblins is a supplemental book for the ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' tabletop game, first published in 1993. The phrase "orcs & goblins" also refers collectively to all of the races that are described in this book, which includes other "gre ...
* Skaven * Tomb Kings * Vampire Counts *Warriors of Chaos * Wood Elves During the 6th edition, the following armies had official rules available from the
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
website, and were usable throughout the 6th and 7th editions. These rules have since been taken down, and they were unplayable in the 8th edition. * Chaos Dwarfs: The ''White Dwarf Presents'' army book was released during the 4th Edition as a collection of ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
'' articles, but is still considered an official rule book. An official Chaos Dwarf army list was included in ''Ravening Hordes'' at the start of the 6th edition. The army list was included in the reference section of the 7th edition, but has been removed from the 8th edition rulebook. This model line was discontinued at the end of the 5th edition and is no longer supported by the main rules. Forge World released Chaos Dwarf models under their Warhammer Forge line. * Dogs of War: The official army book was released during the 5th Edition; Regiments of Renown and Mercenary Army lists for the 6th edition were released on the website. Regardless, some of this line remained available for direct order from
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
as late as 2013. *
Kislev Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew: כִּסְלֵו, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), also 'Chisleu' in the King James (authorized English) Bible, is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the H ...
: The army book was given away free with ''White Dwarf'' magazine during the 6th edition. This model line has since been discontinued and is no longer supported. Armies that were left unsupported prior to the 6th edition: * Fimir Whilst armies would have a typical aesthetic some players would use a method of customisation called kitbashing. Kitbashing is taking parts of other model kits and using it to make aesthetic/cosmetic changes to another model, it would have no effect on rules or gameplay.


Magical Lores

The eight main Lores of the Warhammer world are used by multiple armies and races, and are the only Lores available to Empire and Bretonnian armies. Dwarves do not use magic at all. *Lore of Light *Lore of Metal *Lore of Death *Lore of Life *Lore of Heaven *Lore of Shadow *Lore of Fire *Lore of Beasts While at least some of the eight main lores can be used by many armies of the Warhammer world many races have their own unique magical Lores. *Lore of High Magic (High Elves, Wood Elves and Lizardmen) *Lore of Dark Magic (Dark Elves and Wood Elves) *Lore of the Little WAAAGH (Goblins) *Lore of the Big WAAAGH (Orcs) *Skaven Spells of Ruin (Skaven) *Skaven Spells of Plague (Skaven) *Lore of the Wild (Beastmen) *Lore of Nurgle (Warriors of Chaos and Daemons of Chaos) *Lore of Slaanesh (Warriors of Chaos and Daemons of Chaos) *Lore of Tzeentch (Warriors of Chaos and Daemons of Chaos) *The Lore of the Vampires (Vampire Counts) *The Lore of Nehekhara (Tomb Kings) *Lore of the Great Maw (Ogre Kingdoms) Former Lores: *Lore of Athel Loren (Wood Elves) *Lore of Ice (Kislev)


Editions

Throughout the eight editions of the game, the core movement, combat and shooting systems remained generally unchanged, with only minor revisions between editions. The most significant changes which ensure incompatibility between editions have been made to the magic, army composition systems, and specialist troop types. The starter armies in the box sets have grown more detailed with each succeeding generation, and the 7th edition (2006) was the first to be titled as a scenario ("The Battle for Skull Pass") instead of just Warhammer Fantasy Battle. For example, the High Elves have appeared in the 4th edition (1992) and the 8th edition (2010); while the 4th edition only contained Spearmen and Bowmen figures (essentially, just two types of figurines) plus cardboard cutouts for the general and a warmachine, the 8th edition contained a more widely varied army (including cavalry, Sword Masters, mage, and a general mounted on a griffon).


Inspiration

Published in November 1981 for its second edition (1978 for the very first one), and written by Richard Halliwell and
Rick Priestley Rick Priestley (born 29 March 1959) is a British game designerSlingshot, No279, Nov 2011, p1 and author mainly known as the creator of ''Warhammer'' miniature wargame. Career Rick Priestley, with Bryan Ansell and Richard Halliwell, designed t ...
, ''Reaper'' is considered the ancestor of ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle''. ''Reaper'' is more a skirmish game for up to 30 miniatures rather than a large-scale wargame.


First edition (1983)

The first edition, written by Bryan Ansell, Richard Halliwell and
Rick Priestley Rick Priestley (born 29 March 1959) is a British game designerSlingshot, No279, Nov 2011, p1 and author mainly known as the creator of ''Warhammer'' miniature wargame. Career Rick Priestley, with Bryan Ansell and Richard Halliwell, designed t ...
was published in 1983 as Warhammer The Mass Combat Fantasy Role-Playing Game and consists of a boxed set of 3 black and white books illustrated by Tony Ackland: ''Vol 1: Tabletop Battles'', which contains the core rules, turn sequence, creature lists, potion recipes and features an introductory battle 'The Ziggurat of Doom'. ''Vol 2: Magic'' which explains rules for wizards of 4 different levels and the higher order arch magi. Higher level wizards have access to more powerful spells. In this system, a wizard picks his spells at the start of the game, must have the correct equipment (usually Amulets), and as he casts each one it depletes a store of 'constitution' points, until at zero points he could cast no more. ''Vol 3: Characters'' introduces 'personal characteristics' statistics, rules for
roleplaying Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing as ...
(including character advancement through experience points and statistic gains, random encounters, equipment costs, and alignment) and has a sample campaign "The Redwake River Valley". Very little world background is given at all and the
race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
descriptions are kept to a minimum, and most of the background given is in describing the origins of magic items. Some notable differences to later editions are the inclusion of Night Elves (later Dark Elves), the appearance of Red
Goblins A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...
– and that
Citadel Miniatures Citadel Miniatures Limited is a company which produces metal, resin and plastic miniature figures for tabletop wargames such as ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. In the past Citadel Miniatures was a separate company but i ...
order codes are given.


Critical reaction

In the July 1983 edition of
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
, (Issue 43),
Joe Dever Joseph Robert Dever, also known as Joe Dever (12 February 1956 – 29 November 2016) was an English fantasy author and game designer. Originally a musician, Dever became the first British winner of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' Championship ...
gave the system a positive review, saying, "If you regularly wargame with miniatures, or have been wondering what additional fun you could have from your rapidly growing collection of fantasy figures, then I recommend you check out ''Warhammer'' and let battle commence!" Chris Hunter reviewed ''Warhammer'' for ''
Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
'' magazine, and stated that "if you are looking for a mass fantasy combat system, I would recommend ''Warhammer''; but if all you want is a fantasy role-playing game, it would perhaps be better to look elsewhere". In the May 1984 edition of ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' (Issue 85), Katherine Kerr was not impressed, and called it "one of the most irritating new games I’ve ever read." She found the manuscript full of typographical errors, and "On top of it all, the authors have a miserable command of the English language. Their prose is even more awkward than the usual low level of gaming writing and is studded with grammatical errors." She found the game system divided between a good combat system and a poor roleplaying system, and called the effort "two separate games with a weak attempt to link them together. The first, a set of rules for tabletop battles with miniature figures, is very good; the second, pieces of a fantasy role-playing game, is embarrassingly bad." In the same issue,
Ken Rolston Ken Rolston is an American computer game and role-playing game (pen and paper), role-playing game designer best known for his work with West End Games and on the computer game series ''The Elder Scrolls''. In February 2007, he elected to join th ...
also reviewed ''Warhammer'', and although he agreed that the rules were "hardly a model of English usage or proofreading," they were well-organised and readable. Rolston agreed with Kerr that the miniatures rules were the strong suit of the system, but he also admired the psychology rules that determined how classic fantasy racial types behave towards each other. However, he found the role-playing system to be "primitive". In the January–February 1985 edition of ''
Space Gamer Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...
'' (Issue No. 72), Edwin J. Rotondaro also thought the system was divided between good miniatures rules and bad roleplaying rules. "Overall, I have to say that ''Warhammer'' is a good miniatures game, but a terrible roleplaying game. The system is flexible enough to be used as a mass combat module in most RPGs, but you have to decide whether it's worth he pricefor a set of fantasy miniatures rules."


Expansion

The first edition was extended with ''
Forces of Fantasy ''Forces of Fantasy'' is a 1984 game supplement for '' Warhammer'' published by Games Workshop. Contents ''Forces of Fantasy'' is a set of three volumes of material to expand the ''Warhammer'' system, and corrects errors found in the original game ...
'' boxed set in 1984.


Second edition (1984)

The second edition split the rules into three rulebooks — ''Combat'', ''Battle Magic'' and ''Battle Bestiary'', with full-colour artwork by
John Blanche John Blanche is a British fantasy and science fiction illustrator and modeler who worked on Games Workshop's ''White Dwarf'' magazine, ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' and ''Warhammer 40,000'' games and was the art ...
. There were few substantive changes in rules, but major clarifications of the original rules were included. New rules included uses and effects of standards and musicians, flying, fortifications, fire, artillery, chariots, reserve units, specialist spellcasters, and poisons. This edition also further developed "The Known World", which was geographically and socially based upon Earth.


Critical reaction

Paul Mason reviewed ''Warhammer II'' for ''
Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
'' magazine, and stated that "All in all, Warhammer is a much improved package, which covers the field of Fantasy Figures Wargaming with simple rules, and yet more comprehensively than virtually any other product." In the June 1985 edition of ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
'' (Issue #66), Robert Alcock called the second edition "a predictable expansion of the original", although he noted that this edition had "not ironed out all the problems." Alcock especially disliked the mechanic of "throwing a bucket full of dice to cause casualties and then find that your opponent gets most of them back with a saving throw." However, despite these issues, Alcock concluded that "''Warhammer'' does remain the only viable set of fantasy mass battle rules", and gave the second edition an overall rating of 8 out of 10.


Third edition (1987)

The Third Edition of the game was published as a single hardback book in 1987. It had the most in-depth and complex movement and manoeuvre system of any edition. Other changes included a variety of new specialist troop types, rules for war machines and a more finely tuned system of representing
hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
es and wizards. It kept the same magic system and open-ended army design system as the first two editions. However, by this stage the use of army lists was very much encouraged. Army lists for this edition were published in a separate book called ''
Warhammer Armies The following is a list of Army Books and Supplements for the various armies released for the Games Workshop ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' game. An Army Book in the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop wargame, is a rules supplement containing information co ...
'' in 1988; until then, use of the 2nd Edition's '' Ravening Hordes'' list was encouraged. This is partly because it was the last edition published before
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
took a different commercial approach, leading to competition from former GW employees in the briefly published competing ''
Fantasy Warlord ''Fantasy Warlord'' is a fantasy miniatures game released in 1990 by Folio Works. It was written by Ian Bailey and Gary Chalk who also did the illustrations. The game was designed and published by two ex-Games Workshop (GW) employees who disagr ...
''. The third edition was expanded with the ''Realm of Chaos'': tome one, '' Slaves To Darkness'', followed by tome two, ''The Lost and the Damned''; and ''Warhammer Siege'' books.


Critical reaction

In Issue 37 of '' Challenge'', Timothy B. Brown commented, "I admire miniatures use in role-playing games, and I feel ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', though not futuristic, is a terrific set of rules." Overall, Brown though this game "accomplishes handily what it sets out to do. ..All the elements are there — monsters, magic, heroic characters — the works. I've never seen as complete a rules set as this one." He concluded, "Can I recommend buying it? Well, yes I can, since I have an interest in all types of gaming. If you’re a science-fiction gamer and that's it, ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' probably isn't for you. However, if you get the chance to look through it, you might change your mind." In the February 1989 edition of ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' (Issue 142),
Ken Rolston Ken Rolston is an American computer game and role-playing game (pen and paper), role-playing game designer best known for his work with West End Games and on the computer game series ''The Elder Scrolls''. In February 2007, he elected to join th ...
gave the third edition high praise, saying, "If you’re serious about fantasy tabletop gaming, ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB)'' is probably your only choice. Rolston liked the "fast-paced" rules system and developed fantasy background, and his only reservations were about presentation: "The text is dense and wordy. The wealth of diagrams is good, but their captions aren’t always clear. The abundance of photos, illustrations, and paintings is often visually stimulating, but many of these graphics are of marginal or negligible relevance to the accompanying text. The black-and-white photographic reproduction is surprisingly poor." He concluded with a strong recommendation: "The fantasy campaign setting is simply super. The series of revised editions, supplements, and magazine support articles indicates that Games Workshop is interested in and capable of catering to the gamer’s appetite for new features, refined editions, and elaborated fantasy campaign materials."


4th edition (1992) and 5th edition (1996)

The fourth and fifth editions of the game, released in October 1992 and October 1996, respectively, were similar to each other but quite different from the third. The fifth edition in particular became known pejoratively as "Herohammer" because of the imbalance between the very powerful heroes, monsters and wizards in the game and blocks of troops which existed effectively as
cannon fodder Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated by government or military command as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberatel ...
. Both editions of the game were sold as box sets containing not only the rulebooks and a variety of other play aids but also sufficient plastic miniatures to be able to play the game "out of the box". The rules underwent a re-write compared to the 3rd Edition. A completely re-worked magic system was produced which was available as a boxed expansion set. Rather than selecting spells they were drawn at random and the magic phase was based on the play of these cards, making magic a bit like a game within a game. The magic system was further expanded by the ''Arcane Magic'' box set and the magic element of the ''Chaos'' box set. The fourth edition was also the first edition to enforce the use of army lists in the form of separate ''Warhammer Army'' books for the separate racial groupings. These books prescribed for each army a limited number of unit choices; specifying limits on the number of points that could be spent on "characters", troops and monsters and so on. The books also included background on the particular army, illustrations and photographs showing models and have remained with the game though updated with the rules. The magic system was reworked and re-released in December 1996 as a single box covering the magic for all the armies. The magic was "toned down" (WD204) with spell casting limited to the players' own turn. The multiple card packs of the ''Colours of Magic'' system was replaced by 20 ''Battle Magic'' spell cards but the Colour Magic spells were in the rule book for players to use if they wanted. Several boxed campaign packs were produced, ''Tears of
Isha Isha may refer to: * Isha (Fantasy), the fictional deity from ''Warhammer Fantasy'' * Isha Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev * Isha prayer, the night-time daily prayer obligatory in Islam * Isha Upanishad, t ...
'' for example, gave a campaign for High Elves and included a card "building" to assemble. Likewise, the Orc and Goblin themed campaign ''Idol of Gork'' included card idols of the Orc deities Gork and Mork. The others were ''Circle of Blood'' (Vampire Counts vs Bretonnians), ''Grudge of Drong'' (Dwarves vs High Elves) and ''Perilous Quest'' (Bretonnians vs Wood Elves). The fourth edition featured High Elves versus Goblins. The fifth edition, released in 1996, re-introduced the Bretonnian forces, which had been left out of the 4th edition, and re-worked the Slann heavily to create the Lizardmen armies. In 1997, the fifth edition of ''Warhammer Fantasy Battles'' won the
Origins Award The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 aw ...
for ''Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Miniatures Rules of 1996''.


Reviews

*''Backstab'' (Issue 1 - Jan/Feb 1997) *''
Magia i Miecz ''Magia i Miecz'' ( Polish for: ''Magic and Sword'') was the first RPG-oriented magazine in Poland. Started in 1993, it ceased publishing in 2002 after 103 issues. The publisher was Wydawnictwo MAG. Tomasz Kołodziejczak served as the editor of ...
'' #51 (March 1998) (Polish)


6th edition (2000)

The sixth edition, released in 2000, was also published as a box with soft-cover rulebook and miniatures (Orcs and Empire). The Rulebook was also available for separate sale, hard-cover in the first printing and soft-cover after that. After the fifth edition, this edition put the emphasis back on troop movement and combat: heroes and wizards were still important but became incapable of winning games in their own right. There was also an all-new magic system based on dice rolling.


Reviews

*''
Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...
'' *''Backstab'' #24


7th edition (2006)

The seventh edition rules were released on 9 September 2006. It was available in two forms: as a single hardback rulebook for established gamers and as a complete boxed set game complete with plastic miniatures (Dwarfs and Goblins), ''The Battle for Skull Pass'' supplement book and a soft-cover rulebook that has less artwork and background material than the hardback version. The smaller rulebook from the boxed set was approximately half the size of the large book both in size of the cover and page count. The "Basic Rules" and "Advanced Rules" sections of both books were identical in text, layout, illustrations, credits, page numbering and
ISBN The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition and ...
. The two books had different front pieces and the larger rulebook has two extensive addition sections "The Warhammer World" (68 pages) and "The Warhammer Hobby" (56 pages) plus slightly expanded appendices.


8th edition (2010)

According to the official Games Workshop webpage, the 8th edition of Warhammer was made available for pre-order on 14 June 2010 and was released 10 July 2010. The new starter set named ''Island of Blood'' contains facing armies of High Elves and Skaven. A condensed mini-rulebook, as well as 10 standard dice, one scatter and one artillery die, two 18 inch rulers, and three blast templates are included in the box. (The High Elf and Skaven miniatures from ''Island of Blood'' were reused for the Age of Sigmar set ''Spire of Dawn''). On Friday 23 July 2010, Games Workshop began posting an "unboxed" series detailing the contents of the new game box called "A Blog of Two Gamers" The first army to be introduced to the 8th edition was Orcs and Goblins. They are one of the most popular Warhammer Fantasy armies, but their release in the 8th edition was not totally expected, as at the time there were four (Dwarfs, Wood Elves, Tomb Kings and Bretonnia) Warhammer army books which had not been updated since the 6th edition. The Dwarf, Wood Elf and Tomb Kings army books have since been replaced with newer versions. The Bretonnian armybook has not been updated since the 6th edition and the Skaven and Beastmen armybooks since the 7th edition.


8th edition's Expansion (2011)

The 8th edition was extended with ''Storm of Magic'' 'supplement' in 2011 (an expansion that features rules for using more destructive magic and monsters). Another one was released, called ''Blood in the Badlands'' shortly afterwards (it included some special scenarios and introduced rules for siege warfare). In 2013 ''Triumph and Treachery'' (an expansion that allows multi-player games of between 3 and 5 players) and ''Sigmar's Blood'' (a 5 scenario short campaign between Empire and Vampire Counts following the crusade led by Volkmar to destroy Mannfred von Carstein) were released. Another series of five books in 2014–15, entitled ''The End Times'', saw the appearance of every major character of the setting. The last book ''Archaon'' described the end of the Warhammer world at the hand of the book's
namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...
.


=Reviews

= * ''
Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...
'' (v4, Issue 15 - Jun/Jul 2015)


Future

In 2019 it was announced that
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
is working on ''Warhammer: The Old World'', a new wargaming line using the ''Warhammer'' setting. The released map suggest that it takes place in the past of the setting. Concept art featuring units for
Kislev Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew: כִּסְלֵו, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), also 'Chisleu' in the King James (authorized English) Bible, is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the H ...
has been released. Development is expected to take three or more years, so it is not expected to be released before 2022.


Derivative games

Games based on the core ''Warhammer'' mechanics and rules include: *''
Warhammer Ancient Battles ''Warhammer Ancient Battles'' (often referred to as "WAB" and sometimes Warhammer Historical) is a ruleset for miniatures wargames produced by Games Workshop's Warhammer Historical Wargames imprint. It is a rulebook for historical wargames dev ...
'' (often referred to as "WAB" and sometimes Warhammer Historical). Intended to simulate armies of the real world of the Ancient and Medieval periods. *A science fiction based skirmish wargame using similar rules was developed as '' Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader'' by Games Workshop and released in 1987. Originally using a minor variation of the 2nd edition ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' rules, the two games have subsequently taken different development paths. This has since developed into the separate ''
Warhammer 40,000 ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
'' setting. *The first edition of '' Blood Bowl'' uses the same basic turn system and character statistics as ''Warhammer'' to simulate a fantasy
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
game. Rules for ranged combat applied to ball throwing. Since the second edition of ''Blood Bowl'' the game has taken its own development path. A card game inspired by the game has also been developed. *Games Workshop released a skirmish scale wargame set in the world of ''Warhammer'' called ''
Mordheim ''Mordheim'' is a tabletop game published by Games Workshop in 1999. It is a variant of the company's Warhammer Fantasy game set on a warband or "skirmish" scale. Mordheim was designed by Alessio Cavatore, Tuomas Pirinen, and Rick Priestley. Besi ...
''. It is set in the destroyed city of Mordheim. It uses the same basic rules as the 5th edition of ''Warhammer'', but modified to support activation of individual models in a small gang. It also has a campaign system which you use to improve your warband as they gain experience. *The ''Warhammer Fantasy Battles'' rules led to ''
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' or ''Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play'' (abbreviated to ''WFRP'' or ''WHFRP'') is a role-playing game set in the ''Warhammer Fantasy'' setting, published by Games Workshop or its licensees. The first edition of ''WFR ...
'' in 1986, again using the same statistics, although presented as percentiles rather than 1–10 to give more detail and differentiation between characters than is required in a wargame. In 2005
Black Industries Black Industries was the role-playing game imprint of BL Publishing, the publishing arm of Games Workshop. It was announced on January 28, 2008 that it would cease operations after its products currently scheduled for release are published. Hi ...
released a second edition, later licensing the rights to
Fantasy Flight Games Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions. History Fantasy Flight Publish ...
. In 2009 Fantasy Flight Games discontinued active support for the second edition due to the release of the third edition. From 2017, the license was granted to
Cubicle 7 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd is an Irish games company that creates and publishes tabletop games. Best known for its ''Doctor Who'' and ''Lord of the Rings'' games, Cubicle 7 offers titles covering a range of licensed and self-developed properties ...
, who have issued a fourth edition and made publications for the previous editions available in digital format. *''
Dark Heresy Dark Heresy was an English death metal band from south-west London, and active during the years 1990–1997, a period during which the London underground metal scene peaked. They played over fifty concerts across England during this period, of ...
'' (another role-playing game) was released by Black Industries in 2008 using a variation of the 2nd edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. The line was transferred to Fantasy Flight Games, which then released ''
Rogue Trader A rogue trader is person who makes financial trades in an unauthorised manner. Rogue trader may also refer to: * ''Rogue Trader'' (book), the autobiography of (and later a movie about) Nick Leeson, the man who caused the collapse of Barings Bank * ...
'' (2009), '' Deathwatch'' (2010), '' Black Crusade'' (2011), and ''Only War'' (2013), each using close variants of the Dark Heresy engine. As of 2019, the license to produce role-playing games in the Warhammer 40,000 setting is held by Cubicle 7. *
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
release ''
Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game ''Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game'' is a science fiction role-playing game published by Games Workshop in 1985. A second edition was published in 1989. Contents ''Judge Dredd'' is a comic book superhero system in which the player characters ...
'' (1985) was clearly derived from the same percentile mechanics as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. *''
Inquisitor An inquisitor was an official (usually with judicial or investigative functions) in an inquisition – an organization or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things contrary to the doctrine or teachings of the Catholic faith. Literall ...
'' is a detailed, percentage based miniatures game set in the derivative ''
Warhammer 40K ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
'' setting. The mechanics fall somewhere between ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1E'' and ''Warhammer 40K''. Games based on the ''Warhammer'' setting, but not sharing the rules, include: *''
Warmaster ''Warmaster'' is a ruleset for tabletop wargames written by Rick Priestley, published by Specialist Games (a division of Games Workshop), and set in the ''Warhammer Fantasy'' setting. It is different from ''Warhammer Fantasy Battles'' in bot ...
'', representing very large-scale, epic battles. Warmaster uses smaller models than ''Warhammer'' using 10 mm as opposed to 28 mm, with different rules regarding troop movement and combat. *In 1987, GW released a board game ''Chaos Marauders'' *In 1989, GW released another board game, '' Advanced HeroQuest'' *In 1993, Games Workshop released a naval wargame set in the world of ''Warhammer'' called ''Man O' War''. *In 1990, Games Workshop released a strategic wargame of empire building, ''
Mighty Empires ''Mighty Empires'' was a board game published by Games Workshop. It was intended to add a strategic layer to Warhammer Fantasy Battle giving rise to campaigns where the results of one battle would affect later battles, although the game included ...
'', intended both as a stand-alone game and as a way to manage a campaign of miniature battles. This was followed in 1991 by ''Dragon Masters'', an introductory game reusing some ''Mighty Empires'' assets in which players take the role of competing Elven princes in Ulthuan. *In 1995 the boardgame ''
Warhammer Quest ''Warhammer Quest'' is a fantasy dungeon, role-playing adventure board game released by Games Workshop in 1995 as the successor to ''HeroQuest'' and '' Advanced HeroQuest'', set in its fictional '' Warhammer Fantasy'' world. The game focuses u ...
'' was released. Based upon the ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' system it shared many of the same combat mechanics as well as the setting, while building upon the previous game '' Advanced Heroquest''. ''Warhammer Quest'' was followed by two expansions, ''Lair of the Orc Lord'' and ''Catacombs of Terror'', nine ''Character Packs'' and several ''Card Packs''. *''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' has been adapted as computer games: the 1995 '' Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat'', its 1998 sequel '' Warhammer: Dark Omen'', '' Warhammer: Mark of Chaos'' and the
MMORPG A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
, '' Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning'' which was released on 18 September 2008. *''Chaos in the Old World'' has been released (2009) *On 1 October 2011, Games Workshop released the one-off game,
Dreadfleet Dread Fleet is a limited edition game from Games Workshop. This cooperative game is playable by at least two players and up to a maximum of 10 players. The game was released on 1 October 2011 and is set within the Warhammer Fantasy universe. On ...
. *
Fantasy Flight Games Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions. History Fantasy Flight Publish ...
' ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd edition'' is a new game engine not derived from the earlier game mechanics. It was released in 2009. *''Warhammer Quest'' card game has been released (2015) *'' Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide'' is a
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
video game developed and published by
Fatshark Fatshark is a Swedish video game development studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. The studio is located in Stockholm. Fatshark acted as a subcontractor for several AAA titles for PC and consoles, and the studio also develops its own games. In Jan ...
that was released on 23 October 2015. A sequel titled '' Warhammer: Vermintide 2'' was released on 8 March 2018. *'' Total War: Warhammer'' is a
turn-based strategy A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a Strategy video game, strategy game (usually some type of wargaming, wargame, especially a wargaming#Unit or map scale, strategic-level wargame) where players take Time-keeping systems in games, turns when pla ...
real-time tactics Real-time tactics (RTT)(Article at IGN discussing their perception of RTS and related genres as of 2006. RTT is discussed as a new and not yet established genre from the publisher's perspective, so currently all RTT possible titles are still con ...
video game developed by the
Creative Assembly The Creative Assembly Limited (trade name: Creative Assembly) is a British video game developer based in Horsham, founded in 1987 by Tim Ansell. In its early years, the company worked on porting games to MS-DOS from Amiga and ZX Spectrum platfor ...
and published by
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
that was released on 24 May 2016. It was followed by ''a sequel'' that was released on 28 September 2017. The second sequel, '' Total War: Warhammer III'', was released on 17 February 2022.


See also

* ''Warhammer'' computer games


Notes


References

* * * from ''Warhammer'' (4th edition) boxed set. * from ''Warhammer''(4th edition) boxed set. * from ''Warhammer''(5th edition) boxed set. * from ''Warhammer''(5th edition) boxed set. * * * * * * *


External links


Games Workshop
Creators of the games ''Warhammer'' * {{Games Workshop Miniature wargames Origins Award winners Warhammer Fantasy Horror fiction Dark fantasy Gothic fiction