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| Warhammer Fantasy | |
|---|---|
| Title | Warhammer Fantasy |
| Genre | Fantasy tabletop wargame |
| Publisher | Games Workshop |
| First release | 1983 |
| Media type | Tabletop miniatures, novels, video games |
Warhammer Fantasy is a tabletop fantasy wargame and shared fictional setting originally created and published by Games Workshop in 1983. The setting spans tabletop rules, narrative campaigns, published background, and licensed adaptations including novels, video games, and roleplaying supplements created by companies such as Black Library, BL Publishing, and developers like Creative Assembly and Relic Entertainment. Over decades the setting influenced and intersected with broader hobby ecosystems including Citadel Miniatures, Forge World, Green Ronin Publishing, and community projects hosted at conventions like Gen Con and Warhammer Fest.
The setting is a grim, pseudo-medieval world populated by empires, kingdoms, and realms including The Empire (Warhammer), Kislev, Bretonnia, Norsca, and Tilea. It portrays large-scale conflicts such as the Great War Against Chaos, the Archaon campaign, and incursions from forces like Chaos Warriors, Skaven, and Vampire Counts. Capital cities and regions like Altdorf, Middenheim, Praag, Karaz-a-Karak, and Lustria serve as focal points for political intrigue involving houses, guilds, and institutions such as the Elector Counts, Cult of Sigmar, Order of the White Wolf, and College of Magic (Warhammer). The timeline includes events like the End Times (Warhammer), shifts in territorial control, and campaign-level upheavals that shaped successor settings and spin-offs.
Armies reflect distinct cultures and include human factions—The Empire, Bretonnia, Kislev, Grand Cathay—alongside non-human forces: Dwarfs, High Elves, Dark Elves, Wood Elves, Lizardmen, Skaven, Orcs and Goblins, Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings, and Chaos Daemons. Notable personalities and leaders such as Karl Franz, Boris Todbringer, Archaon, Nagash, Settra the Imperishable, Grombrindal, Mannfred von Carstein, Morghur the Shadowgave, and Tyrion defined faction identities. Specialized units and constructs include Black Orcs, Great Eagles, Steam Tank (Warhammer), Gyrocopter, Dragon Princes, Saurus Warriors, Clanrats, Warpstone, Packmasters, Chariot of Tzeentch, and legendary artifacts like the Ghal Maraz, The Sword of Khaine, and Neferata's Tomb Crown.
The setting’s metaphysics feature mutable magic schools administered by institutions such as the Colleges of Magic and sorcerous orders like the Cult of Tzeentch, Cult of Slaanesh, Cult of Nurgle, and Cult of Khorne. Divine and necromantic powers are wielded by entities including Sigmar Heldenhammer, Ulric (Warhammer), Morr, Isha, and deathlords like Nagash. The cosmology includes planar realms such as the Realm of Chaos, Azyr, Chamon, Shyish, Hysh, and Ghur, and catastrophic events such as The Great Cataclysm and the Storm of Chaos shaped metaphysical boundaries. Magical processes involve phenomena named in texts like the Wind of Magic and artifacts steeped in Warpstone corruption.
Rules editions evolved across major publications from the original boxed set to later editions and campaign supplements produced by Games Workshop and codices from White Dwarf (magazine). Miniatures production and sculpting were performed by Citadel Miniatures and specialist houses such as Forge World, with painters and hobbyists referencing techniques popularized by personalities like Aidan Lawrence, Gary Chalk, and authors in White Dwarf. Tournament play, campaign systems, and scenario design appeared at events like Warmaster Festival, Blood Bowl (tournament), and contested systems in Global Championship Series. Skirmish variants and roleplaying derivatives were produced by publishers including Hogshead Publishing, Green Ronin Publishing, and Cubicle 7.
Narrative development was driven by the in-house fiction imprint Black Library and authors such as Dan Abnett, Gav Thorpe, William King, Ian St. Martin, C. L. Werner, and Josh Reynolds. Major novel cycles include the Gotrek and Felix sagas, the Sigmar novels, and campaign novels covering events like the Storm of Chaos and the End Times. Background was expanded through periodicals like White Dwarf, black books like Realm of Chaos, compendia such as Warhammer Armies, and sourcebooks including The Lustria Campaign and The Old World Atlas.
Adaptations include video games from developers such as Creative Assembly (Total War: Warhammer series), Relic Entertainment (Dawn of War series with crossovers), Mythos Games, Mindscape, and Feral Interactive ports. Tabletop spin-offs and licensed products feature Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay editions by Hogshead Publishing, Black Industries, Green Ronin Publishing, Cubicle 7, and board games produced by Fantasy Flight Games and Gale Force Nine. Audio dramas, comics, and artbooks were published by BL Publishing and collaborators including Titan Books, with licensed miniatures and model kits created by Forge World and community painters showcased at events like Salute (hobby show).
The setting influenced fantasy gaming, inspiring creators and studios such as Dungeons & Dragons (influence), Magic: The Gathering (influence), Pathfinder (game), and tabletop publishers like Privateer Press and Wizards of the Coast. Its aesthetics and narrative tropes impacted film and television fantasy production companies and spawned community-run projects, wikis, podcasts, and scholarly commentary in outlets such as Polygon (magazine), Eurogamer, and Rock Paper Shotgun. Collecting, painting, and tournament culture generated secondary markets and specialist retailers like eBay (marketplace), Wayland Games, and community hubs at Games Day (event), securing a lasting presence in hobby history.
Category:Tabletop wargames