Ork invasions are devastating to the hapless planets they descend upon. When the Waaagh! finally leaves the battle-scarred planet in search of fresh conquest, the survivors emerge from hiding and the process of rebuilding must begin. Unfortunately for the planet's inhabitants the Ork threat does not end when the vast hulks leave the system...

There are many weapons the Imperium can bring against treacherous commanders, alien leaders and subversive cultists. It commands the vast might of the Imperial Guard and Navy, which have the power to raze whole worlds and slaughter any number of foes. It can call upon the aid of the Space Marines to bring swift and final vengeance against those who would threaten the Emperor's domains. The gigantic Titans and other war engines of the Adeptus Mechanicus can obliterate cities. Yet all these fail to instil the dread which the enemies of Mankind feel at the mention of a single word - Assassin!

The Imperial Guard is a huge and widely diverse organization that includes a large number of very specialized formations. Although the ubiquitous Imperial Guard Infantry Company is far and away the most common Company sized unit used by the Guard, equally as important, though considerably less common, are Imperial Guard Armoured Companies.

The Space Marines are the finest troops in the Imperium. Their genetically engineered bodies have been honed far in advance of any human, and their battle skills are second to none. Combined with the best wargear mankind can offer and a lifespan lasting hundreds of years, these champions of the Imperium are feared and respected throughout the universe. They are adamantium link in the armour of the Imperium.

The Harlequins are a strange sub-sect of the Eldar race, consisting of warriors drawn from the other kindreds; the Dark Eldar, Exodites and Craftworld Eldar. They are masters of the system of warptunnels known as the Webway and roam at will from place to place. They are seen as the keepers of the ancient Eldar myths, and perform complex dances and plays to recreate these allegorical tales, covering such events as the War in Heaven, the Fall and the Birth of the Great Enemy.

Formed during the turbulent times known as the Age of Apostasy, the Sisters of Battle, or, as they are more formally known, the Adeptus Sororitas, number amongst the most stalwart defenders of Humanity. These female warriors form the Order Militant of the Ecclesiarchy, that vast organisation entrusted with the holy task of worshipping the Divine Emperor and preaching the tenets of the Cult Imperialis.

Kroot evolution depends on their absorbing the genetic traits of other races, selectively inheriting the most desirable. They do this through eating specific prey animals to ensure that the next generation take on certain characteristics of that animal. Unfortunately, the Tau insistence that the Kroot fight exclusively for them would lead to a disastrous stagnation, as they have absorbed the traits of most of the creatures from within the Tau region. To collect as wide a range of characteristics as possible, they secretly despatch entire armies of mercenaries to fight alongside other races in order to expose themselves to creatures and environments not found in Tau space.

The Legions of Chaos are twisted renegades and traitors, sworn to overthrow the Emperor and mankind whom they once served. The armies of the damned boast mighty Daemons, crazed berzerkers, possessed vehicles and squad upon squad of foul Chaos Space Marines, bound forever to destroy all in their path. Death to the False Emperor!

The Necrons are a biologically dead race that was wiped out in a galaxy wide catastrophe approximately 60 million years ago. Faced with extinction the Necrons constructed metal bodies as repositories for their hyper-advanced minds. To weather the impending galactic bio-meltdown the Necrons constructed huge stasis chambers to shelter inside. They have been there ever since, resting until a such time that the galaxy was safe for them to emerge.

The Imperial Guard is the largest and most diverse fighting forse in the galaxy, fighting across a hundred warzones upon ten thousands planets. Famous for their disciplined troops and devastating battle tanks, the Imperial Guard form the mainstay of the Imperium`s standing army.