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Warhammer 40K Tier List Maker
Rank the Warhammer 40,000 factions, from Space Marines and the Astra Militarum to Orks, Necrons and Tyranids.
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Meet every faction (27)
These 27 factions load into the maker above. Each write-up covers what the faction is and what to weigh when you rank it. Facts were last checked on .
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Ultramarines
One of the strongest and most honoured Space Marine Chapters, credited with almost single-handedly holding the Imperium together after the Horus Heresy. They have stayed true to the teachings of Roboute Guilliman for 10,000 years.
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Blood Angels
One of the 20 First Founding Legions, originally the IX Legion, well known across the galaxy for their bloodthirsty nature in battle. They are also feared for the curse of flawed gene-seed they carry.
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Dark Angels
Among the most powerful and secretive Loyalist Chapters, originally the I Legion. They claim complete allegiance to the Emperor, but their secret goals sometimes seem at odds with that professed loyalty.
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Space Wolves
Known as the Vlka Fenryka, or "Wolves of Fenris," one of the original First Founding Chapters, once led by Leman Russ. They are renowned for their anti-authoritarian ways and embrace of the culture of Fenris.
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Black Templars
A Loyalist Second Founding Chapter descended from the Imperial Fists and Rogal Dorn. They are on the longest Imperial Crusade ever, which began after the Imperial Fists' defence of Terra in the Horus Heresy.
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Grey Knights
A secret and mysterious Chapter specifically tasked with fighting daemonic entities of the Warp and mortals who wield the power of the Chaos Gods. They were created by the Emperor with the aid of Malcador the Sigillite.
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Deathwatch
Known as the "Long Vigil," a unique Chapter made mostly of veteran Space Marines that serves the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition. They are the warriors of last resort when the Inquisition needs more firepower.
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Adepta Sororitas
The "Sisterhood," an all-female division of the Imperium's state church, the Ecclesiarchy. Their military arm, the Sisters of Battle, serves as its armed forces and mercilessly roots out heresy.
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Adeptus Custodes
Known as the "Ten Thousand," the elite adepta responsible for protecting the Imperial Palace and the physical body of the Emperor, and serving as His emissaries, companions and keepers of secrets.
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Adeptus Mechanicus
The Cult of the Machine based on Mars, which provides the Imperium with its scientists, engineers and technicians. Its tech-priests are the primary keepers of what is viewed as sacred technological wisdom.
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Astra Militarum
Also called the Imperial Guard, the largest coherent fighting force in the galaxy and the Imperium's primary military and first line of defence. It is made up of countless billions of men and women.
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Imperial Knights
Piloted robotic combat walkers of small to medium size in the service of the Imperium, each piloted by a single human warrior from an ancient feudal aristocratic culture.
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Chaos Space Marines
Also called Traitor Marines or Heretic Astartes, former Space Marines who abandoned the service of the Emperor and dedicated themselves to Chaos. Most belong to one of the nine original Traitor Legions.
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Death Guard
A Traitor Legion devoted exclusively to the Chaos God Nurgle. His mutational gifts turned them into Plague Marines, eternally rotting in their power armour and infected with every disease, but immune to pain.
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Thousand Sons
A Traitor Legion sworn solely to Tzeentch, the Chaos God of change, intrigue and sorcery, once the XV Legion. They are distinguished by the sheer number of psyker mutations among them.
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World Eaters
A Traitor Legion that now inhabits the Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror. Originally called the War Hounds and the XII Legion, they were among the first to betray the Emperor for Chaos.
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Emperor's Children
A Traitor Legion devoted to Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure, once the proud III Legion. They were the only First Founding Legion to bear the Emperor's own name and icon, and are sometimes called the Lords of Profligacy.
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Chaos Daemons
Also known as the Neverborn, intelligent and usually malevolent entities of the Warp made of purely psychic energy. They are sentient embodiments of Chaos and the greatest servants of the Chaos Gods.
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Chaos Knights
Also called Renegade Knights or Daemon Knights, Imperial Knight walkers whose Fallen Noble pilots and Knight houses were corrupted to Chaos. Each carries an army's worth of firepower on its weaponised limbs.
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Orks
A savage, warlike, green-skinned species of bestial humanoids spread across the galaxy. They are unique among intelligent xenos in having physiological features of both animals and fungi.
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Aeldari
An ancient and highly advanced species whose vast empire once spanned the galaxy, with masters of realspace and the Webway. They were long known to outsiders as the Eldar, and every one was born a potent psyker.
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Drukhari
The "Dark Ones," also known as the Dark Eldar, a forsaken and corrupt Aeldari kindred, the sadistic and malicious counterparts of the Asuryani. They are ancient, advanced and fey.
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Necrons
A mysterious xenos species of robotic skeletal warriors that have lain dormant in stasis-tombs for more than 60 million years, and have at last begun to awaken. They are the soulless creations and captors of the ancient Necrontyr.
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T'au Empire
A rapidly expanding multispecies xenos stellar empire in the Ultima Segmentum, near the Eastern Fringes of the galaxy, founded by the Ethereals, the T'au caste who lead it.
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Tyranids
An extragalactic composite species of insectoid xenos that form an entire space-faring ecosystem of bioforms, all variations on the same genetic theme. They are the ultimate predators, unlike any other species.
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Genestealer Cults
Xenos-worshipping secret societies made up of and controlled by Tyranid Genestealers, thriving in the dark corners of the Imperial underworld. Their purpose is to rise up and take control of Imperial worlds.
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Leagues of Votann
The collective confederations of squat but powerfully built Abhuman clones who call themselves the "Kin." They are an advanced, starfaring species living on resource-rich worlds in extreme environments.
Warhammer 40K tier list questions
Are these Warhammer 40,000 factions from the tabletop game or the lore?
Both. The write-ups describe the in-universe lore from the Warhammer 40k Wiki, while the factions match those used in the tabletop game and its video game adaptations.
Why are some Space Marine Chapters listed separately?
Fans often rank individual Chapters such as the Ultramarines, Blood Angels and Space Wolves separately from other Space Marines because each has its own culture, look and story.
How should I rank Warhammer 40,000 factions?
Common criteria include lore, aesthetics, models, playstyle and how much you enjoy collecting or fighting against them. Many fans rank Imperium, Chaos and xenos factions separately.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these references on .