Editing Warhammer 40,000 (section)

===The Imperium of Man===

Most of the setting revolves around the Imperium of Man, which is logical given that it is a fuckhueg empire that gets invaded all the time/point of view for 90% of the lore. Basically evil for the sake of humanity's survival but at least tries to be good when it's safe to do so. The Imperial military is likewise massive and sprawling, with both general-purpose and more specialized armies at its disposal. Each faction will usually fight on its own, working together for specific operations or in large warzones where lots of resources are needed. Sometimes however, being a theocratic dictatorship/monarchy, worlds rebel or regiments turn traitor, forcing Imperial armies to fight one another.

If you want to really mix things up, it's possible to mix-and-match different organizations via the "Imperium" Keyword, allowing you to draw units together as you see fit.

'''[[Space Marines]]/Adeptus Astartes:''' Space Knights with futuristic power armor and [[Bolter|weapons]]. Will seriously fuck your shit up, but are often associated with noob players, because they are the army that GW markets the most, and most starter packs have them. Considered a noob army because they are '''extremely''' easy to play. Their only real disadvantage is that their armies are usually pretty mediocre and low in model count, so they can't afford to lose many. Other than that, they are pretty much the standard by which all other armies are measured to and have no major weaknesses. Once upon a time, weren't quite as hung up on the [[Emprah]], and more [[Beakie|informal]].

Or such is the rhetoric many would like to believe. In reality, Space Marines are the most popular faction and thus they enjoy frequent model and codex updates and releases, to the point of making plenty of other players sick to their stomachs from the sheer pauldron overload. Aside from being the best supported army, getting not one, but multiple updates each edition while the majority of other armies languish and find themselves gridlocked into one or two working gimmicks, the varying flavors of Space Marine produce some of the strongest and most versatile armies in the game. Unlike most armies, which are designed around a notion of specialization, '''which is not always executed well by the codex writers in practice''', Space Marines are treated as experts of all trades, which means they have the broadest variety of strategies at their disposal, which is even included crunch-wise. They can generally give specialist races a run for their money in whatever tactic the specialist army was supposed to be good at - this is made possible by having a good selection of support to make up for the inherent holes in a specialized army. Their popularity, however, is their main weakness; as most armies have become tailored to counter the marines and come out on top.

In short, Space Marines are among the few armies designed to be fairly formless in composition, which is ideal for making a flexible army. After someone's been in the game for a while, Marines can get a little bland from overexposure, but Games Workshop focuses on them very exclusively because they love money, and the business side of the company doesn't really seem to understand and be a part of the game side of things. That is, the Space Marines are the best selling army because they're the most flexible, easiest to build, and the most likely to win with if you're a noob. Rather than balancing the game to even out other races, GW business prefers to maintain the status quo and sell mainly Space Marines. Space Marines account for something near half the playable factions in the game.

Space Marines were divided into Legions during [[Great Crusade|their golden era]], but were later broken up into "Chapters", with about 1,000 Marines each, so that [[Horus Heresy|no one can run off with half the military might of the Imperium again and do whatever they want]].

[[File:Enforcer.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Grimdark female [[Adeptus Arbites|space cop]].]]

The remnants of the original Legions are called First Founding Chapters, and all other Chapters hail from them in some way or another:
*[[Ultramarines]]: The cool Joe Everyman of the Marines, these dudes focus a lot on honor and [[Tau|adaptable strategy]], though they tend to adhere to [[Codex Astartes|dogma]] a bit too much. Still are the laughing-stock of the Marines because of the [[Matt Ward|Mattard]]. Their Primarch is [[Roboute Guilliman]], known for being a great administrator and tactician, writing the [[Codex Astartes]] and ''maybe'' having a bit [[Imperium Secundus|too much ambition]] for his own good. Despite coming across as generic at times, they have a cool Roman theme to them when done properly. Currently the story revolves around Guilliman [[gets_shit_done | getting shit done]].
*[[Dark Angels]]: Wearers of badass robes ''on top of power armour'', they shit plasma out on anyone even remotely looking like [[Chaos Space Marines|traitors]]. They also keep tremendous amounts of secrets, especially the knowledge of <s>the [[Fallen Angels]]</s> THE COLONEL'S [[meme|SECRET BLEND]] OF HERBS AND SPICES! Their Primarch is [[Lion El'Johnson]], a secretive and moody but honorable and clearly noble knight... He's also still alive.
*[[Iron Hands]]: Cyborgs above and beyond the standard augmentations that Astartes receive, mostly due to their close alliance with the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Iron Hands generally believe that "flesh is weak" and continually replace their meat with cybernetics throughout their careers. Instead of a single [[Chapter Master]] to lead them, they have a Clan Council consisting of senior captains from each clan-company. Their Primarch was [[Ferrus Manus]], who told them NOT to replace their entire bodies with mechanics. But he is dead now, so who cares about what he said, right? But being the target of the Emperor's Children's obsessions, they've started to reconsider some of their doctrines.
*[[Blood Angels]]: Vampire Jebuses, cursed beyond cursed (blessed by [[Khorne]]), but somehow completely loyal. If you're not inflicted with the Red Thirst, which drives you to drink your enemy's blood, you'll inevitably succumb to the Black Rage, making you a raging lunatic believing you are about to kill [[Horus Lupercal]]. Their Primarch was [[Sanguinius]], a pretty and angelic paragon of hope, who symbolized all that is good in humanity [[Awesome|Who also liked to solo Bloodthirsters]].
*[[Imperial Fists]]: Subjects to porn-memes and siege specialists who WILL ram it up your hole if you ever try to conquer a place they're protecting. The Chapter who tries to uphold the morals and learnings of the Great Crusade the most, keeping off all enemies of the Imperium, in the hope that the Emperor will eventually come back and save the Imperium. In the meantime, they'll do self-harm to express their guilt of [[Rogal Dorn|not having saved the Emps]], stoically defending the morals of the past and, of course, hold the fucking line. Their Primarch was [[Rogal Dorn]], who was Abe Lincoln in space, whose integrity and insistence on speaking his mind hurt his ability to get along with his brothers, but made him one of the most (and possibly THE most) reliable Primarch.
*[[White Scars]]: Ecstasy-abusing mongol bikers, specialized in Blitzkrieg. You won't know the White Scars are hunting you until you wake up covered in tire treads and everyone around you has been slaughtered in a drive-by of epic proportions. Though they appear savage, they are actually quite cultured. While constantly compared to the Space Wolves for their savage origins, they detest the comparison as they'd rather take up more cultured pursuits than revel in their own barbarism. They're also commonly loners, especially after their best bros, the [[Thousand Sons]] [[Grimdark|were betrayed, classified as traitors, almost wiped out by Space Wolves and later went insane]]. They have a professional rivalry with the Raven Guard over their extremely incompatible battle doctrine. Their Primarch is [[Jaghatai Khan]], a noble but savage man who lived for the charge, and weirdly one of the least problematic Primarchs. Likes to wear high-heels.
*[[Raven Guard]]: Goddamn sneaky bastards, able to cut the throat of a Warboss from behind and retreat before anyone notices they were there - [[Power Armor|power armoured]] and without camo, no less. They like [[Jump Pack]]s and [[Beakie]]s too. Because of their meticulous planning of operations for maximum efficiency, they don't play well with the White Scars. Their Primarch is [[Corvus Corax]], a poetic shadow warrior who saved civilians and gave them the power they deserved.
*[[Salamanders]]: Despite their terrifying appearance (coal-black skin with bright red eyes), they are probably the bro-est of bro tier among the Astartes. They live with their people instead of hiding away in a fortress-monastery, and maintain a tradition of craftsmanship. They tend to get fucked over all the time because of this, partly because they took [[Drop Site Massacre|heavy losses]] during the Horus Heresy and couldn't break the Legion up, and partly because they often take on incredibly dangerous missions for the well-being of the people in their protection. Their Primarch is [[Vulkan]], a smith and general cool (HA!) guy, who ended up becoming (temporarily) insane from not dying. Maybe he's dead now. Or not. [[Perpetual|It's complicated]].
*[[Space Wolves]]: SPESS VIKINGS! They ride [[wat|giant wolves into battle]], drink fuckloads of intestine-burning mjöd, made from cooling fluid and Khorne's own piss, and are the only loyal marines [[PROMOTIONS|whose genitals actually work]]. Some of the proudest and most stubborn of the Marines, they went from Emperor's executioners to humanity's protectors and take a real dim view of [[Inquisition|certain organizations]] wiping out populations for dubious reasons. This is hilarious considering [[Burning of Prospero|some of their past actions]]. Their Primarch is [[Leman Russ]] who could be abrasive but was a great warrior and master of playing the dumb barbarian while getting shit done. Needless to say, they're a [[Skub|controversial]] Chapter in-universe and out.

Other Chapters were founded later, to react to a threat or to enforce a region of space. Here are some of the more notable:

*[[Black Templars]]: The most badass, crazy, xeno-fucking maniacs ever to roam the galaxy. They use their neophytes as meat shields and are only interested in seeing the color of your guts. They are always on crusades, which is just fine as the term "collateral damage" is the same as "everyday chores" to them. Of all the successor chapters, these guys show up the most in the fluff, so if there's only one you need to remember, it's these guys.
*[[Blood Ravens]]: A fucked over Chapter from the [[Dawn of War]] vidya games and, if you came here after playing those games, this might be the only damn Chapter you know of. Known for literally stealing equipment from other Chapters both loyal and treacherous as well as being almost universally disliked for it. They are a very independent Chapter, bent on making up for their mistakes in the past... Which is a lot, really. Widely believed to be the loyalist remnants of the Thousand Sons Legion, due to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4m8HH5zy7w|a fuckton of evidence].
*[[Flesh Tearers]]: A Chapter of loyalist [[Berserker]]s, bat-shit mad motherfuckers. Mostly known for eating their enemies after ripping them apart to get to the juice inside them. Who'd put raspberry juice inside other beings, anyway?
*[[Lamenters]]: Like the Flesh Tearers, the Lamenters are a Blood Angel Successor Chapter. Unlike the Flesh Tearers, the Lamenters are yellow and SUBJECT TO THE WORST FUCKING LUCK IN THE HISTORY OF THE IMPERIUM! Seriously these guys have been lost in the warp, left to die by other chapters on many occasions, tricked to be on the wrong side of a civil war, the list goes on and on. Yet despite all of this they keep Surviving and keep fighting for humanity. Oh, their chapter words are "We Die for those we Cherish", their battlecry is '''“For Those We Cherish, We Die in Glory!”'''. If that isn't cause for some manly tears, I don't know what is
*[[Legion of the Damned]]: Spooky Scary Skeletons that are also on fire. Always. These loyalists got trapped in the Warp and are suffering from various horrible mutations, but they press on and continue to provide support for their beleaguered Battle-Brothers. They like to pop out from the Warp just in the nick of time to save an allied force from sure destruction.

'''[[Deathwatch]]:''' If the Space Marines are akin to modern day marines, the Deathwatch are akin to Delta Force. The Deathwatch recruits from the best xenos-killers of any loyalist Chapter in the Imperium, organizing them into small Kill-teams with combined-arms tactics, as opposed to large homogenized armies. Their armor is all black, save for their right pauldron, which retains their original chapter's icon, and their left pauldron, containing the insignia of the Deathwatch. If you want to play an all-veteran Space Marine army with access to cool new toys, Deathwatch is for you.

'''[[Grey Knights]]:''' The Grey Knights are Space Marines version 1.5, who are all psykers. As the resident holy space paladins, they hunt daemons and Chaos worshippers every day and holiday, and are basically the [[Mary Sue|most powerful chapter]] of all. Expensive as hell, but freakin' badass in their own right. Got totally super-broken-ubercharged by [[Matthew Ward|Matt Ward's]] 5th Edition codex, which was soon fixed in 6th Ed, with 7th leaving them just on the lower end of mid-tier. Nonetheless, they are still great; an elite force that really, REALLY hates daemons and loves alpha striking. Previously had access to Inquisition troops, but can still ally with them, which is more in-line with current fluff anyway. If you ever wanted to field Daemon-killing [[Terminator|Termies]] as Troops, here you go.

'''[[Sisters of Battle]]:''' The "Nuns with guns", these badass ladies in power armor have the levels of strength and devotion to the Emprah matched by the levels of sexual frustration (or so ''you wish''). Known for their love for fire, faith, fire, martyrdom, fire, fire, and fire, they will make your heart(s) melt. Because it's already steaming from a Melta shot. [[-4_Str|-4str]], but -4 points as well, compared to the Marines. Playing them will make other players feel pity, envy (for not having as big balls as you) and fear (because not a single noob or average player would be confident in playing them).

'''[[Adeptus Custodes]]:''' Take everything that makes a Space Marine, and amplify it to eleven. These guys are the personal bodyguards of the Emperor himself, so you know they're some bad motherfuckers, as the average Custodes is about as killy as a Space Marine Captain and as ded 'ard as an Ork warboss. On top of that, every single one is equipped with master-crafted weaponry and armor that only works specifically on them. Now, as badass as these guys were during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, you barely hear a peep from them post-Heresy as they're too busy making sure no would-be assassins try to attack the now decaying body of the Emperor; letting their guard down even for a moment could mean the destruction of Terra itself, and the collapse of the Imperium itself. As of the back half of 7th Edition and throughout 8th, they've actually come back out to wreck shit once again, with them domaining tournaments in 9th.

'''[[Imperial Guard]]/Astra Militarum:''' Human regulars, so numerous it's impossible for Imperial bureaucratic elements to count them all. Where the Space Marines have been compared to the surgical scalpel of the Imperium, the Imperial Guard are considered the giant fucking sledgehammer of mankind. They got themselves some sweet tanks and the non-Cadian infantry models are fucking amazing (especially Steel Legion and Death Korps of Krieg). They go into battle with nothing but a glorified flashlight/laser pointer, 21st century flak jackets, and standard-issue BALLS OF STEEL, and are expected to go toe to toe with [[Daemons]], [[Chaos Space Marines]], and [[Necrons|who knows]] [[Tyranids|what else]], and they fucking DO IT because that's what's required of them. Unfortunately, surviving this isn't a part of the job, so their gear is a bit lousy, but, you know, they've at least got tanks and Titans.

'''[[Adeptus Mechanicus]]:''' You know those times when starting your car seems like it takes a bizarre ritual to get it to cooperate? You know it's silly, but you still do it? The Adeptus Mechanicus have formalized that. The AdMech (calling it that in their presence is probably not a good idea) has monopoly on the creation and maintenance of advanced technology in the Imperium. Their red-robed Tech-Priests burn incense and pray over anything more sophisticated than an inclined plane to make it work. Obviously, they have the most advanced tech in the Imperium, but they've also lost and forgotten most of the original blueprints from the Age of Technology and thus you can imagine them being totally hung up on reverse-engineering what specimens of lost tech they still have. Because of their hard-on for undiscovered technology, they tend to poke around newly-discovered Necron tombs like they own the place and will literally go to '''any lengths''' to come into possession of a Standard Template Construct-patterns. The tech-priests themselves are organized under the "Cult Mechanicus" faction, supplemented by the [[Skitarii]] tech guard and the robots of the [[Legio Cybernetica]], as well as access to virtually every vehicle the Imperium uses plus some special toys of their own. In fact, the AdMech are responsible for constructing and maintaining the [[Titan]]s, the biggest and deadliest land vehicles the Imperium possesses.

'''[[Inquisition]]:''' Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to keep an empire as big as the Imperium of Man stable. Enter the Inquisition, a clandestine group of goons in black robes and big [[hat]]s sent to investigate Heresy and sedition (which is also heresy) in all corners of the Imperium. They come with their own retinue of henchmen, but can also requisition the services of other branches of the Imperium, whether its the shadowy agents of the [[Officio Assassinorum]], the chambers militant of the Ordos Majoris (Grey Knights, Sisters of Battle, & Deathwatch) or entire armies of Guardsmen/Space Marines. However, if the shit really hits the fan, they have the authority to declare [[Exterminatus]] and wipe out the planet. Of course, they don't have this option on tabletop, that'd be OP - instead they just get garden variety orbital bombardments.

'''[[Imperial Knight|Imperial Knights]]:''' One-man manned mini-Titans. Each Knight battlesuit is associated with a noble house or the Adeptus Mechanicus, in many ways quite similar to real-world knights. Available in 10 flavours: Errant, Paladin, Lancer, Warden, Gallant, Crusader, Castigator, Acheron, Magaera and Stryx. They can bring to the field rapid-fire battle cannons, thermal cannons, ion shields, reaper chainsaws, Thunderstrike Gauntlets and ''motherfucking heavy stubbers'' ''(Hilarious, since heavy stubbers, being equal to the modern .50 cal machine gun (though of course radically more powerful), are tiny in comparison the rest of the Knights' Arsenal)''. Very expensive in both points (three suits can fill an entire detachment) and money, but the Errant, Paladin, Warden, Gallant and Crusader are cheap compared to the Lancer, Castigator and Acheron, which are from Forge World and consequently will require you to re-mortgage your house.

[[File:Golden Crusade.jpg|800px|center|thumb|Back in the day conquering a galaxy in the name of humanity meant something...]]