It’s that time of year again! That magical time of year when Black Friday sales meet the Warhammer Holidays, offering the perfect time to pick up some new Warhammer games to play during the aforementioned Warhammer Holiday. BUT, what is a gamer that has played all the Warhammer games to do? If you’re already a loyal follower of the Emperor/Sigmar, you’re likely eager to focus your purging efforts elsewhere. Maybe you’ve dabbled in another universe and thought, “This would make an AWESOME Warhammer game.” To you, I would say one word: MODS. Mods can turn your favorite game into grimdark masterpiece. I’m going to go over the most promising mods I have seen, and a few that look interesting that I haven’t gotten to. Yet. Don’t forget to thank your Steam workshop community modmakers too. Without them, none of this would be possible.
Stellaris
There are two ways I recommend playing Stellaris with Warhammer 40k mods. The first is only for experts, as there is a MASSIVE amount of things going on in this mod from turn 1. It is probably the most immersive experience for the 40k universe. Down to the loading screens and music! This is your Ultimate warhammer 40,000 experience.
- Warhammer 35M
If you’re looking for something a little more casual, this collection of mods is perfect. While not as immersive as the above total conversion mod, you can get a full Warhammer 40k experience. In addition to the Imperium, Chaos and Necrons are also available. These are the only mods with high enough quality ships. The downscale mod I recommend to bring the models size into scale.
- (-United Sci-Fi Races-)
- Astartes Voice Over
- We are the Imperial Navy (Imperium)
- Hail the Machine (Necrons)
- Champion of the Ruinous Powers (Chaos)
- *Downscaled Ships
Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop
This mod is basically a really lite coat of paint. If you’re broke, or have broke friends, it’s still a decent option. The Space Marines mod is great, and there is a 40k weapons mod too. The Terminators mod is alright, but the arms on the models look a little weird to me. Still worth checking out though.
- Space Swarm Marines
- Standalone 40k Weapons
- Terminator 40k Swarm Marines
XCOM 2
While I haven’t played XCOM 2, I have watched Haxo Ironwolf streaming it while using this set of mods at length. The level of detail and options is incredible! You can edit EVERYTHING. Name, armor, different customization including purity seals and so on. There are even Imperial Guard and Adeptus Sororitas! This is probably one of the better Warhammer 40k mod options out there, but you will likely need the Will of the Chosen DLC for most of the mods. It’s worth it though, because WOW are those models beautiful! I could sit there just customizing different Space Marines all day and be happy. I’m posting Haxo Ironwolf’s collection link below with all the mods, there are too many to list here.
ARMA 3
This one surprised me the most. I’ve owned Arma 3 for years, but never even thought to look for a Warhammer 40k mod. Of all the mods, this one looks the roughest around the edges. With all the options available in Arma 3 though, I can overlook some minor details. It looks to have Imperial Guard, Orks, Space Marines, Chaos, and Tau currently. Can’t wait to give this one a look.
- There is Only War Mod – Release 5 BETA
Men of War: Assault Squad 2
This one I don’t own, but it falls under the old but good category. The game itself has been recommended to me numerous times. If you don’t already have MoW:AS2, it’s usually in the $5 range when it goes on sale. A lot of your friends likely have it for the same reasons. There is a total conversion mod, Warhammer 40,000 Ultimate Men of War Modification, as well as tons of 40k mission and map mods. A lot of value for the price tag.
- UMW 40k
Divinity: Original Sin 2
If you prefer the Warhammer old world setting, this next mod is for you. It is a Game Master Campaign you can play with friends, so it’s not just a standard mod. It’s sort of a traditional tabletop RPG type experience. The assets look pretty good, and have that Vermintide vibe with the Inquisitor and Soldier. The mission takes players from Altdorf into Kislev. It does require a few other mods, but they look to be working currently. I own Divinity Original Sin 2, but I haven’t tried this mod yet. The Game Master mode does seem appealing though.
- A Call from the North – Warhammer Universe
More Mods to Explore
These are the mods that I found most interesting. There are no doubt more out there, and more to come. Arma and Men of War are the next two Warhammer mods on my list to check out personally. If there’s a particular game and/or Warhammer mod that you enjoy, drop it in the comments below for everyone to check out. In the meantime, I’ve just given you a ton of new battlefields to conquer. Get to purging brothers and sisters!