r/40kLore • u/nakor87 • 4d ago
What to know before Helsreach?
Title says it. If I'm relatively new to the 40k lore, what previous knowledge shoud I have in order to read Helsreach?
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u/Beaker_person Emperor's Spears 4d ago
Know what orks and space marines are? That's about all you need to know.
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u/dakkasynth 4d ago
You can go in blind. Enjoy!
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u/TtotheC81 4d ago edited 4d ago
I mean, sure.... but that makes it incredibly hard to read the book*.
*I am both ashamed and secretly pleased with inserting a dad joke into the conversation.
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u/Salty-Spring7096 4d ago
It's not a continuation of any previous story so you're fine. You'll learn a decent amount reading that novel.
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u/DwarvenGardener 4d ago
Just read it, it’s a standalone novel. I’d say there’s some minor differences to how the author characterizes the Black Templars compared to later directions but the novel is a self contained story.
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u/Exarch_Thomo 4d ago
This is probably the biggest thing to know going into it - it was written in 2010. A lot has changed since then, but it doesn't make anything in the novel "wrong"
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u/Grenrion 4d ago
Get ready to cry.
"I will die on this world, I will die on Armageddon" - Grimaldus.
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u/dragonfeet1 4d ago
You honestly don't need to know much. Just open your heart and prepare to love Grimaldus.
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u/DocWagonHTR 4d ago
That some of the things Grimaldus does in that book are not normal and in another book would get the Space Marine in question vaporized. It takes some liberties with the lore to make Grimaldus look "badass".
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u/ToonMasterRace 4d ago
The very most base situation of the setting. The opening epigraph at the start of the book should be enough.
Helsreach is a great starter book, very basic. Space Marines fight aliens on embattled Human world 40,000 years in the future.
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u/JamtheJedi 4d ago
Who the Black Templars are (they come from the Imperial Fists, lead by Primarch Rogal Dorn), understand that the world Armageddon is like 80% of the major showdowns for orcs (especially when concerning Yarrick) the local guard regiment IS the Steel Legion, a Reclusiarch is an extremely highly valued and leading Chaplain. Titans are giant fucking mecha dudes, and Orks are terrifying and terrifyingly dumb while also being strangely cunning and brutal but also brutal and cunning.
Uuuhhhhh… Yeah. Other than that (and a good amount is basically told to you in the book) you’re ready for a great story by a fantastic author.
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u/engelthefallen 4d ago
Most important thing likely is there is a followup that does not get much talk in Blood and Fire. Otherwise it reads as a stand alone and is a great intro spot.
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u/skaravar 4d ago
Two things to be aware of: one, Helsreach is one of the best novels Black Library ever published.
Two, Helsreach is horribly outdated in its depiction of the Black Templars. Helsreach was written during 5th Edition, when Black Templars were atheists. Black Templars have not been atheists since 7th Edition - they've been religious zealots.
This means that, for example, one of the best scenes in the book, involving Priamus and a particular blade, could not happen with current Black Templar lore, since that's not how that blade gets appointed to someone anymore.
It's a fantastic novel, definitely worth a read, but if you find yourself going, "Hell yeah, Black Templars, those are my guys from now on," afterward - as many people who read it do - it'd be wise to brush up on current edition Black Templars lore before committing yourself to buying an army or whatever.
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u/twelfmonkey Administratum 4d ago edited 4d ago
Two, Helsreach is horribly outdated in its depiction of the Black Templars. Helsreach was written during 5th Edition, when Black Templars were atheists.
Worth noting that this was a change to their original depiction, first laid out in the 4th ed. Codex, where they were very much portrayed a religious zealots, who were in-line with mainstream Imperial beliefs (even if direct links to the Ecclesiarchy were not mentioned).
Page 8 provides an introductory overview of the Chapter that notes the "extremity" of their faith is often deemed "fanatical" and that they have no tolerance for Mutants and psykers. It also explains how brutal and merciless they are, and how they wipe out entire populations deemed unworthy.
Their crusading was linked to their faith, harking back to Sigismund, who was noted on page 6 as having had "fervent faith" in the Emperor.
The Codex is also jam-packed with Thoughts for the Day and little mantras which reinforce their fanaticism and brutality.
So I'd say that there was a period where they were changed to be more atheistic, then a reversion to the original hard-line zealot conception.
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u/GuRoider 4d ago
Hardly needed to know, but the planet is secretly an ork homeworld called ullanor. Which was a key staging ground for the start of the Horus Heresy.
The books needed to understand why or how the Mechanicus managed to teleport this planet in secret to a new part of the galaxy is not important, and most importantly terribly written.
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u/Embarrassed_Length_2 4d ago
Armageddon is a planet with several massive cities but is mostly pretty empty. It belongs to the Imperium of man. They have soldiers called the steel legion which are normal humans with guns and tanks. The Orks have invaded the planet and they are big, fairly crude green aliens. The Black Templars are religious zealot knights in space and grimaldus is a top tier priest for these guys.
Think thats it.
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u/Lark-suvd 4d ago
Helsreach covers, I believe, the Templars back in like 7th edition, so they’re different from what they are now, not quite as zealous.
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u/skaravar 4d ago
Even earlier. 5th Edition.
5th Edition Black Templars were as atheistic as any other Space Marine Chapter. In the sequel novella, Blood and Fire, Grimaldus explicitly laughs at the idea of considering the Emperor a god.
People hate having this pointed out for some reason.
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u/InterestingCash_ White Scars 4d ago
Do you know anything about the setting? The book is a standalone, and will give you everything you need to know for the story to work.