Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse
Encyclopedia
Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse is an expansion to the Warhammer 40,000
tabletop miniatures wargame by the British
gaming company Games Workshop
. It contains rules which allow players to field massive armies the likes of which are unwieldy using the basic Warhammer 40,000 ruleset. It also allows players to field units that are not available in normal Warhammer 40,000 games, such as large super-heavy tank
s and robot-like titans, some of which are almost a foot tall.
The first print of the Apocalypse sourcebook was released in October of 2007, during the latter days of Warhammer 40,000's fourth edition. The release of the fifth edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 2008 prompted Games Workshop to start working on an update to the Apocalypse ruleset in order to streamline its compatibility with the new edition. This update culminated in the announcement of Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse Reload, an all-new 88-page edition of the Apocalypse rulebook.
Along with the official sourcebooks themselves, Games Workshop and its subsidiary Forge World
has released supplementary material and model kits that can only be used with the Apocalypse ruleset. Most notable of which was the plastic Baneblade super-heavy tank boxed set released by Games Workshop at the same time as the Apocalypse rulebook. At the time, the Baneblade was the largest plastic kit that the company produced; Prior to that time, all large Warhammer 40,000 tanks were produced only in resin
by Forge World. The Baneblade was also the first Warhammer 40,000 model kit created by Games Workshop that could only be used with an optional expansion and not within the base Warhammer 40,000 game.
Like many other miniature wargames, Warhammer 40,000 relies on a point-based system to ensure a balanced game between players. Players set a maximum amount of pointage that they will construct their armies with. No matter what faction a player uses, each unit has a corresponding point cost, with generally powerful units costing much more than standard soldiers. A typical game of Warhammer 40,000 ranges from 500 to a little over 2,000 points. The introduction of the Apocalypse sourcebook offered players a streamlined ruleset for playing games of well over 3,000 points.
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
tabletop miniatures wargame by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
gaming company Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
. It contains rules which allow players to field massive armies the likes of which are unwieldy using the basic Warhammer 40,000 ruleset. It also allows players to field units that are not available in normal Warhammer 40,000 games, such as large super-heavy tank
Super-heavy tank
Super-heavy tanks are armored vehicles of very large size, generally over 75 tonnes. Programs have been initiated on several occasions with the aim of creating an invincible vehicle for penetrating enemy formations without fear of being destroyed in combat; however, only a few examples have ever...
s and robot-like titans, some of which are almost a foot tall.
The first print of the Apocalypse sourcebook was released in October of 2007, during the latter days of Warhammer 40,000's fourth edition. The release of the fifth edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 2008 prompted Games Workshop to start working on an update to the Apocalypse ruleset in order to streamline its compatibility with the new edition. This update culminated in the announcement of Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse Reload, an all-new 88-page edition of the Apocalypse rulebook.
Along with the official sourcebooks themselves, Games Workshop and its subsidiary Forge World
Forge World
Forge World is the name of a subsidiary company of Games Workshop run by Tony Cottrell, which designs, moulds, and sells resin models for various Games Workshop games....
has released supplementary material and model kits that can only be used with the Apocalypse ruleset. Most notable of which was the plastic Baneblade super-heavy tank boxed set released by Games Workshop at the same time as the Apocalypse rulebook. At the time, the Baneblade was the largest plastic kit that the company produced; Prior to that time, all large Warhammer 40,000 tanks were produced only in resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
by Forge World. The Baneblade was also the first Warhammer 40,000 model kit created by Games Workshop that could only be used with an optional expansion and not within the base Warhammer 40,000 game.
Like many other miniature wargames, Warhammer 40,000 relies on a point-based system to ensure a balanced game between players. Players set a maximum amount of pointage that they will construct their armies with. No matter what faction a player uses, each unit has a corresponding point cost, with generally powerful units costing much more than standard soldiers. A typical game of Warhammer 40,000 ranges from 500 to a little over 2,000 points. The introduction of the Apocalypse sourcebook offered players a streamlined ruleset for playing games of well over 3,000 points.