Original Warhammer 40K Rulebook Returns to Print for Limited Time

wGames Workshop is reprinting the rulebook that launched its mega-popular Warhammer 40,000 franchise. Today, Games Workshop revealed that it would sell Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, the book that officially launched the Warhammer 40K franchise, as a print on demand book for an approximately 10 day window. The book will be available for pre-order starting next Saturday (which coincidentally marks Warhammer Day) and will remain on sale until October 23rd. This is a print-on-demand book, so fans shouldn't have to worry about the collector's item selling out. For reference, copies of the original Warhammer 40K rulebook sell for about £100 (or about $130 in US dollars.) 

The reprint is part of a celebration of Warhammer's 40th anniversary. The original Warhammer (better known as Warhammer Fantasy) was released in 1983, with Games Workshop publishing its sci-fi spinoff Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader just four years later. The original rulebook written by Rick Priestley and detailed much of the foundational lore of the far future, with the original book mostly focusing on the Imperium of Man and its fraught relationship with various alien races. Later books detailed the lore of the Orks and the forces of Chaos. 

Expect the book to go on sale next week on Games Workshop's website. Expect to hear more big new announcements from Warhammer Day soon.

Warhammer 40K's Popularity Explained

Warhammer 40K's popularity stems equally from the game at its heart, with a constant stream of new miniatures to build and paint and a variety of game modes (and different games) to try out. The Warhammer 40K franchise has been growing steadily, with a new edition of its core game driving new players and interest to the game. Unlike previous editions, the core ruleset and unit stats were made available for free to all players online, adding some additional accessibility to fans. Additionally, Amazon recently announced plans to launch a Warhammer 40K live-action franchise, with Henry Cavill helping to oversee the project.