WARHAMMER 40k TIMELINE IN 20 MINS! From the 21st Century to the 41st Millenium - 40k Archives 

Holy shit a lore guy who's normal, what a nice change of pace.

This guy is so normal, I bet he even smells ok. Makes a nice change...

Now that Henry Cavill announced that he’s working on a Warhammer show for Amazon. I immediately started to research everything I can find about this universe. Thanks to this video in particular i am extremely excited about the show now.

Teaching newcomers how Ork magic works is always a joy

Damn bro, I don’t even know why I clicked on this; I have minimal to absolutely no interest in 40k, and yet, I couldn’t close the video. This is just some really well made content…

After being in the hobby for over twenty years now, I must say, this is probably the most informative and concise introduction to 40k lore I have come across. I immediatly showed it to my girlfriend whom I intend to drag along into the depths of plastic. Thank you for making this, and I do hope you make similar videos for the other major races of the 40k universe.

You can tell a true master by how they can make the complex simple, and the comprehensive comprehensible. Thanks for sharing this distilled perspective on such a rich, immersive topic!

I have never heard of any of this, and I love fantasy and Sci fi and console gaming...I'm 40 yrs old. How did I miss this glorious world of 40k. How is it that I find myself here only because I'm a fan of Henry Cavill? This is so awesome. I thought I'd seen everything interesting to me and I was getting bored. Now I find this to throw my life into...I want to know EVERYTHING...

"The planets holding back the Eye of Terror fall..." Cadia stands bro, get your facts straight. Jokes aside I clicked on this just to kill a bit of time while doing chores and I ended up being delightfully surprised. Unlike other people that talk and make videos for a living, you are not extremely annoying when you speak. But even more than that - as someone that has done multiple academic presentation and publications, and as a 40k fan that knows the lore, I was amazed at how well you refined the whole script and delivered it. All the key points were there, nothing unnecessary, not too shallow but not detailed either. Excellent job considering the volume, the nature and the gaps in the source material. Cheers to you, sir!

A socially well adjusted person talking about W40K. That's amazing. I've found a unicorn.

Truly the best and easiest to understand summary of the 40k verse I’ve ever seen thanks a lot man

I love how humanity isn't the good guy. No one is the good guy in Warcrimes 40k, but they all have their own truths. Finally got a chance to watch/listen to your whole video at work, great job bruv.

Don’t know why the RU-vid gods decided I needed to watch this... but I like it!

40k Ork timeline: Shouting waaaaaaagh for 20 mins straight.

That was the first time I have ever understood the 40k story. Thank you. This universe is pretty awesome and I love that they took their time with the timeline, kind of makes it more believable then a lot of other Science fiction.

They say you've understood a topic expertly if you can explain it in a way that a child can understand it. And sir, you're explanation is smooth, efficient and enriching. It's incredible how you are able to explain chaos & reasons for the horus heresy in such simple words. Great job. The Emperor protects.

This guy almost makes me admit out loud I read 40k books. Almost.

This is the single and most concise video ever made regarding the history of 40k lore and how it got to its present stage without getting sidetracked or divulging into a detail-laden slog. Also, Ian has a great speaking voice and manner and doesn't have that strange abnormal cadence to his speech like most 40k channels have. What a joy to listen to and coming from someone who is heavily invested and has a lot of knowledge of the 40k lore already I can confidently say this is absolutely excellent.

Can anyone stop this guy????? He is just killing it like beyond what any one else could possibly think of doing

Omg thank you it’s nice to see a brief summary that’s not a 300 hour playlist 😂

6:33 "In 40K there aren't really actual gods..." HERESY!!!

Wow, I've been ignoring 40K for my 40 years of life. This intro was fantastic. I'm going to jump head first into it now. Thanks mate

I was 40k adjacent for the last 15 years or so. My brother was into it, and I always found it interesting, even though I didn't have patience for it. We'd hang out while he painted, or I'd go with him when he played or had tournaments. The story is very interesting, and this video very informative. Never realized the HH and current time was 10k years apart. I think I'll be diving more into this world thanks to you. Still don't have patience to paint and learn all the rules, so I'll probably just read. :)

You just single handedly gave me a connection to my cousin. He and I can now talk 40k. Thank you good soul.

"Genetic Engineering is kinda the Empereror's hobby." Best line ever :)

This kind of English is a blessing for a non-native language speaker. As well as content! Keep it up.

Wow this is insanely MASSIVE universe I didn't know this was so big, amazing explanation, I need to read the books

As many times as I've listened to the Story of W40k, I always learn something new, each time I hear the Timeline being explained You've done a perfect job explaining the timeline

Did I already know all this lore and more, yes. Did I stay and watch the whole video, yes.

Been into 40k since 1990. This was an extremely comprehensive report for a new fan, this will be my go-to when I have a friend that expresses interest in the hobby. Very well done. Even as someone who is super familiar with the lore, it was really fun to listen to. And I usually don't listen to things like this, I have too many 40k books to read. 😅

Stumbled across this video today (a year late!) as I was trying to explain 40k to my wife. Not only have you made it easy for newcomers, you’ve cleared something up for a “veteran.” Instant sub. Thanks for this!

I’m new to the lore and this was BY FAR the most helpful and unbiased introduction to the lore I’ve found in like 10 hours of watching these videos excellent work thank you so much

As someone who's been into 40k for years now, this is actually a great summary of the timeline. This gave me a better grasp of the lore and is a perfect intro for new players. Well done, cant wait to see what other videos you come up with!

Tolkien and Moorcock: We inspired Dungeons and Dragons!! Frank Herbert: Too small scale

oh this is fucking perfect. got intrigued by the darktide video game and wanted to learn more, was intimidated by the constant cry of how "warhammer 40k lore is too big to get into" but this has just fanned the flame of my interest in the universe and emboldened my confidence in my pursuit of knowledge. genuinely using this to show my friend who was on the same fence as me to get them into the universe also. thank you for such a concise and well crafted video; your passion, experience and wisdom is very clear and proven in this :)

As a smelly Millenial born in the 90s who enjoys Pokemon and has never seen a warcraft figure, I must say I really enjoyed this, and the creativity of previous generations that boomers and gen x had to offer. Great video!

The way you presented the timeline was so well-paced and clear-cut! The comparisons to other media were also quite helpful. So much so, I just bought Xenos (and its audiobook) and it reads like goth-opera written by death metal space-priests. I'm instantly absorbed! Thanks a bunch!

Really well done man! Thorough and well presented 😎

i dont even play or collect warhammer BUT I've been silently fanboying over both fantasy and 40k and this was very well put together. Insightful.

Really good video!! Very well explained! Thank you for this great video

I hit the bell for this one. This is some of the most straightforward, thorough and just outright chill 40k lore content I've seen! I am so looking forward to what you got going on next!

NIfty video! Back when I used to play 40K, I created my own Legion on the premise that they were actually the SECOND of the original Great Legions. Their Primarch, Malephar, had followed a path almost identical to the Emperor's own on Earth, and eventually conquered his own world - except that he EMBRACED Chaos, viewing it as the source of all change. Called the Brass Legion, they were a valued part of the Great Crusade, and their connection to Chaos went undiscovered... until the Horus Heresy. When the Emperor condemned the Thousand Sons and sent the Space Wolves to destroy them, Malephar opposed the Emperor. However, he also refused to side with Horus. Caught in the middle, the Brass Legion was forced to retreat into the Warp, where they remained for thousands of years. When they emerged, Malephar tried to spread the "truth," that Chaos is not a force of evil, that it is little more than the force of change in nature. Witness the stagnation of the universe as Chaos is suppressed by the Imperium, where nothing has changed in thousands of years. Of course, this message had to be opposed and suppressed by the Imperium, and so the Brass Legion was forced again to fight their brethren. At least, that's briefly the backstory I came up with. I expect a LOT of players defined their own legions as one of the two "lost" legions, and came up with similar stories.

Incrediably well spoken and a fine pace. Awesome video. Thanks lots!

Excellent video, thank you for making it!

Ever since i first saw 40K figurines as a kid back in the late 80s, i've always been drawn more towards the futuristic themed fantasy genre. But i've never deep-dived into the history of 40K before, so this was very informative. Thanks!

8:36 I'd like to hear these other theories about where he came from

Really clear summary, thanks for a great video. You present very well, congrats

this is awesome, what an incredible overview, than you for making this!

Man... Imagine thinking: "I'm invested in this hobby, so I'm going to make a RU-vid channel and upload a video about it" And then you make this insane quality video with a tight script, great pacing, and pink lights that makes hundreds of thousands of views.

Never knew how much Warhammer borrowed from Dune, good summary!

Fantastisches Video, super Qualität und eine wunderbare Zusammenfassung der Zeitlinie unseres liebsten Hobbys!

Awesome video!! Thank you for the quick break down.

Dude this is out and out one of the best presented and produced 40k lore videos I've ever seen! Requests for specific videos in the future: One for each xenos race, one for the marines in general and then some on each chapter, one on some of the major conflicts so badab war, Armageddon, macragge, etc, maybe one on each primarch, and definitely one on the Inquisition!!

I normally don't comment on videos, but this one was so superbly made that I felt obligated to leave more than a like and a subscribe. It was just so succinct, and presented in such a digestible way without wasting time or delving too far into the various subjects that it covered. Great work, Ian.

Thanks for putting this together. I found it genuinely useful.

really enjoyed this as someone just getting into the background and lore :) nice work mate

Oh man, I stopped playing 40k like 15 years ago but I still love the Universe and its lore. Well done!

I love how all it took for Ian to produce such a well written yet succinct presentation was his friend to say something like, “Wow, that essay you sent me about the 40k universe was great! You should start a RU-vid channel”

Luv your content!!! Keep up the awesome work!!

Fantastic video mate. I have started (and finished) some of the books and watched tons of videos on individual subjects, but this really bound it all together. Keep it coming

This was great! I played 40k when I was a kid and didn't really understand the lore at all (I played space marines because BIG MAN STRONG). I haven't played in over a decade but I have been enjoying learning about the lore lately. The emperor being supposedly alive in M3 blew my mind.

I’ve been really wanting to get into the 40k universe as from the outside looking in it looked so sick. Obviously since it’s existed for ever in multiple forms the thought I’ve learning the story was extremely intimidating. This video was super well done. I feel like now I’m ready to hop into some form of the game and I’ll have a nice base to build my knowledge of the universe off of. 10/10

Arbitor Ian, this was such a great glimps/overview for the generals about 40K history. Learned a lot, please keep going

The best summary I have seen so far, thank you!

But the real question: does John Glenn technically count as the first Space Marine?

Amazing summary, thank you for all the hard work

Brilliant. Exactly the right level of detail, fully engaging. Finally got a proper overview now. Thank you!

Wow an actual 40k video I didn’t want to fall asleep through. With someone who simplifies things but keeps it interesting enough for the lore veterans. Fantastic work. Subbed and look forward to your other zenos races lore videos. Love the video style.

"Summary of the Background for her" I had to start from beginning to make sure I heard that right. Heard it the second time and pure hysterical laughter. Best 40k comment I have ever in my life heard. Just subscribed to channel mate. I look forward to going through your channel

Awesome video. Keep up the good work.

This video is amazing. Great work! Probably the best resource for a condensed resource on the 40k series.

Great work sir! I really enjoyed this. Look forward to seeing more.

I recently started reading Xenos as an entry point into the Warhammer 40k universe and since then I've had a great urge to learn more. I'm glad a video like this exist to give people like myself a way to get up to speed in a short period of time, as well as making it easy to identify pivotal periods in the timeline. Appreciate the effort you put into this video, thanks.

Thank you so much for all your time and effort put into this!

Amazing video - succinct backstory in just 21 mins! Loving your work :D

"By the 41st millennium the imperium is a galaxy spanning authoritarian fascist religious fundamentalist oppressive state." Sir, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.

And then, the director's cut of Event Horizon is discovered, and a temporary peace falls over the imperium

Fantastic look at such a complicated lore. You took so much information and made it so easy to understand. Impressive!

This was really good/useful. I've played some of the 40k video games and had an idea of some of this stuff without actually really being able to piece together the timeline myself. Interesting and informative, well done :)

Awesome video! Thanks for all the work that went into it. Would love to see a similar history on the Eldar, necrons, or any of the xeno races!

This was an absolutely fantastically paced guide, and the first time I've considered taking 40k a bit more seriously than I had before. Thanks for making it!

It was really enjoyable to watch. Keep up the good work :)

Great video the plot has been very well condensed and is easy enough to understand

This is a great overview. I've been casually piecing together the history for myself and seeing this was incredibly helpful. Thank you Arbitor Ian!

Sir this was really well put together. I wouldn't have thought you could get all the necessary information out in 20 minutes, but you nailed it to the point. Great job! I'm looking forward to more videos, take my subscription!

That's a great introduction to the 40k universe. Appreciated the effort, subbed.

Amazing in this condensed form, thanks so much!

I only knew bits and pieces of the 40k timeline for more than a decade and this video single handedly stitched it all together and I now have a better understanding of the timeline. Thanks for putting in the time to make this video!

I just watched your Beginner's guide followed by this video, and I immediately subscribed to your channel. The way you articulate yourself and summarize what appears to be ENORMOUS chunks of information into such comprehensible bits is truly remarkable. I'm very excited for the all the videos I have yet to watch now.

That was excellent. Shared it with my friends.

Ever since I was a child, and went through a phase of painting lead figurines, the 40K universe has been a tantilizing but overwhelming and opaque presence. I'm so attracted to the visuals, but the lore is so incredibly complex, I've never had the courage to stick a toe in. Your summary was fantastic. I really appreciate the effort you put into it. I'm also nearly as overwhelmed as before I watched it lol. Thanks!

I just started playing 40k. I love the lore and the back stories. This was amazing to watch, easy to follow, simple to understand. Thank you. Keep the stories coming!

I've never read the books or been into the hobby. So, complete outsider perspective, that was easy to follow and very entertaining! I didn't want it to end! Such a fascinating universe and great job as the storyteller.

This was such a succint and great overview! Tysm!

That was absolutely pukka Ian...loved it mate. Really great content, thanks!

being new with the actual details myself this was so helpful I want to get into some of the video games ...you got yourself a new suscriber brutha

As a fan of both: history of the Eldar and Necrontyr and the War in Heaven next, maybe? ^.^

I wasn't originally planning on watching the whole 21 minutes and minutes later i was glued to the screen for the whole thing.

This was immensely useful and entertaining. More of this format would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve worked in games for nearly two decades yet consciously resisted Warhammer 40K. I believed I’d be sucked into the hobby, losing time to develop my own creative pursuits. Then Arbitor Ian showed me the way not three days ago. His videos are fantastic, approachable, yet so detailed. I’m utterly fascinated by the 40K storyworld and have started Eisenhorn’s first novel, Xenos. Damn you, Arbitor Ian! And thank you! I believe my side of the hobby will be with novels.