Chaos Gods

The malevolent gods of the Warp at the centre of Warhammer 40,000's struggle against Chaos.

The Chaos Gods of Warhammer 40,000 are malevolent, depraved entities formed, like their daemons, from the base thoughts and emotions of all mortal beings. Those exposed to Chaos are twisted in mind and body and serve their gods with sordid devotion, and the gods reward them with gifts such as mutations, psychic power and mystical artefacts.

Quick Facts

Added by: Bryan Ansell; developed by Rick Priestley

Lore & Background

The struggle against Chaos is central to the setting. The Chaos Gods were added by Bryan Ansell and developed further by Rick Priestley, who found the earlier Warhammer idea of Chaos too simple and too close to Michael Moorcock and drew instead on Paradise Lost: the fall of the Emperor's favoured sons to Chaos deliberately mirrors the fall of Satan. On the tabletop a Chaos army can be themed around one god or play as Chaos Undivided; a Nurgle army is slow but tough, while a Khorne army favours melee and avoids psykers.