Only War

The men and women of the Imperial Guard sacrifice more and gain less than perhaps any other arm of the Imperial Armed Forces. —Commissar Ibram Gaunt

Only War is the upcoming fifth gameline to use the Warhammer 40000 Roleplay system, this time focusing on the common soldiers of the Imperial Guard. Players get put into the shoes of your average Imperial soldier, thrown into the hell of war and slaughter that defines the 41st millennium, with only your lasguns and faith in the Emperor to protect you and your squad. The Imperial Guard is just that, the common soldiers of the Imperium, the brunt of the Imperial forces, and the first to be sent to die in any conflict.

Needless to say, this RPG offers, perhaps more than any other RPG in the line, the ability to become Badass Normal characters, given that your characters are neither rich nor influentual like in Rogue Trader, superhuman Space Marines like in Deathwatch, nor have the power of the Inquisition in their hands like in Dark Heresy. Only War is also unique in that it is the only Warhammer 40000 RPG that focuses primarily on the part that made the franchise popular in the first place, the warfare.

See also Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, Deathwatch and Black Crusade for its sister Warhammer 40000 RPG gamelines.

This game provides examples of:

• Badass Normal: Emphasis on normal.
• Band of Brothers: To be expected in a war-themed RPG.
• Cannon Fodder: What you and your squad basically are, at character creation, at least.
• Church Militant: The Ministorum Priest.
• Join the Army They Said
• Military Science Fiction
• The Squad: Enforced with the specialities you can choose for your guardsmen.
• Tank Goodness