The War for Armageddon is the name given to a series of massive Ork invasions of the Imperial industrial world Armageddon. Three major wars have been fought there over roughly three centuries, and the third one dragged in the largest Ork Waaagh! the Imperium had seen in millennia.
What Armageddon is and why Orks keep coming back
Armageddon is a hive world turned industrial powerhouse, churning out weapons, tanks, and munitions for the Astra Militarum. Its factories make it one of the most valuable worlds in the Segmentum Solar, which is exactly why losing it would hurt.
It’s also a planet with a history of Ork infestation. Orks that survive an invasion go to ground in the ash wastes and underhives, breeding and growing in secret until a new Warlord rises. That’s why Armageddon has been invaded repeatedly rather than just once.
The first and second wars
The First War for Armageddon happened roughly three centuries before Ghazghkull’s rise. It’s the setting for the Chaos Attacks expansion to the old Battle for Armageddon board game, and it involved a Chaos incursion rather than the Ork threat that defines the later wars.
The Second War for Armageddon is the one most fans picture: Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka leads a massive Ork Waaagh! against the planet, and the defence is commanded by Overlord Herman von Strab, Commander Dante of the Blood Angels, and Commissar Sebastian Yarrick. The Battle for Armageddon board game from Games Workshop is set during this war, focusing on the Armageddon Secundus region.
The third war and Ghazghkull’s return
The Third War for Armageddon is the biggest of the lot. Ghazghkull comes back with a Waaagh! so large it draws in Space Marines, Imperial Guard regiments, Titan Legions, and pretty much everyone else the Imperium can spare.
This war was the basis for Games Workshop’s global campaign in the early 2000s, and it’s what pushed Ghazghkull and Yarrick from board game characters into full Warhammer 40,000 rules. The rivalry between the two is one of the defining personal feuds in the setting.
Key figures and legacy
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka is the Ork Warlord behind the second and third wars, and he’s arguably the most famous Ork in 40k. Commissar Yarrick is his opposite number, a human officer so stubborn that Ork legend says he can’t be killed.
The wars also gave us the Battle for Armageddon board game, a counter-and-hex wargame that drew heavily on World War II Eastern Front games, with Orks standing in for the Germans and the Imperium for the Soviets. Games Workshop later released it and its expansion as free PDFs to promote the third war campaign.
- Three major wars: First, Second, and Third, spanning roughly 300 years.
- Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka leads the second and third invasions.
- Commissar Yarrick is Ghazghkull’s most persistent human enemy.
- The Battle for Armageddon board game covers the Second War.
- The Third War was a global Games Workshop campaign.
Key facts
- The War for Armageddon is a series of three major Ork (and one Chaos) invasions of the Imperial world Armageddon.
- Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka led the Second and Third Wars, making him one of the most famous Orks in 40k.
- Commissar Sebastian Yarrick is Ghazghkull’s arch-rival and a central figure in the defence.
- The Battle for Armageddon board game, released by Games Workshop, is set during the Second War.
- The Third War for Armageddon was a global campaign that brought Ghazghkull and Yarrick into mainstream 40k rules.
FAQ
How many wars for Armageddon have there been?
Three major ones: the First, Second, and Third Wars for Armageddon. The first involved Chaos, while the second and third were Ork invasions led by Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.
Who is the main villain of the War for Armageddon?
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, an Ork Warlord who led the second and third invasions. He’s one of the most powerful and famous Orks in Warhammer 40,000.
Why is Armageddon so important to the Imperium?
It’s a major industrial hive world that produces weapons and vehicles for the Astra Militarum. Losing it would be a massive blow to the Imperium’s war machine.
Is the War for Armageddon in any games?
Yes. The Battle for Armageddon board game covers the Second War, and the Third War was a global Warhammer 40,000 campaign. Ghazghkull and Yarrick both got tabletop rules from it.