Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition (1993 Games Workshop Box Set)

Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition (1993): The Box Set That Built a Hobby Empire

Ask anyone who got into tabletop wargaming in the early 1990s where their hobby began, and there is a good chance they will describe a specific box: red artwork, a dramatic battle scene between Space Marines and Orks, and the feeling that you were holding something enormous inside a cardboard rectangle. That was the Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition box set, released by Games Workshop in 1993, and it fundamentally changed what a wargame starter kit could be.

More than thirty years later, complete and sealed copies of this set command serious money from collectors, while even opened and played examples in good condition retain a dedicated secondary market. Understanding why requires understanding what Games Workshop accomplished with this release and how it transformed both the hobby industry and the lives of the people who opened one.

The Universe Before the Box

Warhammer 40,000 did not spring fully formed from the 1993 box. The game had been evolving since 1987, when Games Workshop published the original Rogue Trader rulebook. That first edition was written largely by Rick Priestley and was conceived as a skirmish-scale game in which players controlled small bands of individuals across a grimdark science fiction universe. The setting was rich -- ancient humanity stretched across a galactic empire, beset by alien races, demonic forces, and the slow rot of bureaucratic collapse -- but the game itself was dense, baroque, and difficult to enter.

A 1991 interlude called "2nd Edition" (sometimes called "1.5 edition" by purists) introduced some streamlining, but the game still lacked a clean entry point for newcomers. You needed multiple books, you needed to buy miniatures separately, and you needed a friend who already knew the rules to walk you through your first game.

The 1993 box set changed all of that. For the first time, a customer could walk into a Games Workshop store, hand over their money, take home a single box, and play a complete game of Warhammer 40,000 that same evening. Bell of Lost Souls correctly identified this as "the original one click" -- the concept of a fully self-contained starter experience that the entire hobby industry would eventually embrace.

What Was Inside

The 1993 2nd Edition box was stacked in a way that feels almost generous by modern standards. Everything a new player needed was present, and the quality and variety of the included material reflected serious investment by Games Workshop.

Miniatures:

• Space Marines: plastic tactical squad marines (approximately 10 models), with several Space Marine special weapons characters in metal

• Orks: plastic Ork boys (approximately 20 models), gretchin (goblin-like creatures), and several metal Ork special characters

• The plastic models were injection-molded in colored plastic -- blue-grey for Space Marines, dark green for Orks -- making them playable straight out of the box without paint

Rulebooks and Reference Material:

• The main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, a full hardcover volume covering movement, shooting, close combat, the psychic phase, morale, and vehicles

• Codex Imperialis, a background and reference book providing army rules for Space Marines and Orks

• Wargear, a book covering every weapon and piece of equipment in the game, written with Rick Priestley's characteristically enthusiastic prose

• Quick-reference data cards for all the weapons and special abilities used in the box

Terrain and Accessories:

• Cardboard ruins and terrain pieces for building a battlefield

• A cardboard Ork Dreadnought (a large mechanical walker)

• Blast and flamer templates, scatter dice, and ordinary dice

• Tape measure and reference markers

The total retail price in 1993 was approximately £34.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the US. Adjusted for inflation, that represents surprisingly strong value even by contemporary starter set standards.

Why the 2nd Edition Ruleset Matters

The 1993 rules were written by Rick Priestley and Andy Chambers, two names who became legends in the tabletop wargaming world. The ruleset they produced was more approachable than Rogue Trader but retained significant depth and character that later editions would streamline away in the name of accessibility.

The psychic phase -- which allowed Psykers to cast spells using psychic power cards drawn from a deck -- was one of the box's most distinctive features. It gave games an unpredictable, theatrical quality that modern 40K veterans often remember fondly. Players could summon warp entities, unleash devastating psychic attacks, or attempt to nullify enemy powers through a card system that felt genuinely dramatic.

The overwatch rule (enabling defensive fire against charging enemies), the smoke grenade mechanics, and the elaborate Wargear customization system all contributed to a game that rewarded study and creativity. A Dreadnought could fire all twelve missiles from a Cyclone Missile Launcher in a single volley. A squad of Space Marines could be equipped with weapons from a list that mixed science fiction and fantasy almost gleefully. The game took an afternoon to play rather than the two or three hours modern tournament-format 40K demands, but it delivered a different kind of experience: slower, more narrative, more personal.

The Rules That Made the Game

Before diving into values, it is worth spending time on why the 2nd Edition rules generated such devoted loyalty. Rick Priestley designed wargames from a perspective that valued narrative possibility over competitive optimization, and that philosophy runs through every page of the 1993 rulebook.

The vehicle damage system, for example, was a wonderfully elaborate table of results: a hit on a tank might knock out its weapon, immobilize it, cause the crew to bail out in panic, or ignite the engine in a catastrophic explosion depending on the dice roll. Each result created a moment, a story beat, a memory your opponent would talk about for years. Modern editions have streamlined this into a more predictable wound mechanic, and while the game is faster and more balanced as a result, something was genuinely lost in translation.

The morale system similarly rewarded engagement with narrative logic. Units that took heavy casualties might break and flee, and a broken unit could sometimes be rallied by a nearby leader while the battle continued around them. Games felt less like chess matches and more like the battles in the 40K fiction: chaotic, desperate, full of reversals.

The 1993 edition also featured a wider variety of usable models than later editions would support for basic play. The Wargear book covered everything from bows and arrows to plasma cannons, and the mix of Rogue Trader-era rules that survived into 2nd edition gave the game a slightly anarchic quality that its devotees still celebrate. Playing Harlequins, Genestealers, and Chaos forces was possible from this single rulebook, which gave new players an immediate sense of the setting's enormous scope.

The Era This Box Represents

The early 1990s were a pivotal moment for Games Workshop. The company was riding a wave of growth driven by Blood Bowl, Space Hulk (1989), Hero Quest (1990, in partnership with Milton Bradley), and the broader tabletop wargaming boom. Their retail stores were expanding internationally, the hobby press was growing, and a generation of teenagers was discovering that you could spend a rainy Saturday afternoon building, painting, and playing a story.

The art direction of the 1993 box reflects what fans call the "Red Period" or "Spikey Period" of Games Workshop's aesthetic: everything was red, everything was covered in spikes, and the overall mood was aggressive, heavy metal, and slightly over the top in the best possible way. Brian Ansel oversaw the studio during this era, and his influence gave 40K a visual identity that remained consistent across several years of products. Looking at the box today, you can feel the aesthetic logic even if the specific design choices feel dated.

The Ork models in the box represent the older, squatter Ork design that preceded the larger, more imposing greenskins of later editions. The Space Marines are shorter and broader than current Primaris Marines. These are not flaws to collectors -- they are period-accurate artifacts that precisely document where the hobby was in 1993.

Collecting the 2nd Edition Box Set

For collectors, condition and completeness are everything. The 1993 box was designed to be opened and used, which means finding an untouched sealed copy is genuinely difficult. Most surviving examples were opened, played with, picked through for parts, or lost over thirty years of moves, attic storage, and changing tastes.

Condition Tiers and Approximate Values

Condition	Description	Estimated Value
Factory Sealed	Unopened, original shrink wrap	$250 - $500+
Near Complete	Open, all models present, rulebooks intact	$80 - $150
Complete w/ Paint	Open, fully assembled/painted, all parts present	$50 - $90
Mostly Complete	Open, minor pieces missing	$25 - $55
Books Only	Rulebook, Codex, Wargear only, no models	$15 - $35
Rulebook Only	Main rulebook alone	$10 - $25

Prices vary significantly based on regional demand and sale platform. eBay's sold listings are the most reliable current reference. Sealed examples occasionally surface and can attract significant collector interest, particularly from 40K veterans with strong nostalgia for the era.

How to Verify Completeness

If you are evaluating a used copy for purchase, a detailed contents list matters. Original box sets should include:

• 10 plastic Space Marines (arms, bodies, backpacks, heads separate)

• Approximately 20 plastic Ork boys

• Several metal Space Marine and Ork character models (these are frequently missing)

• Main rulebook (hardcover)

• Codex Imperialis (softcover)

• Wargear (softcover)

• Psychic Power cards (60 cards, one of the most frequently lost components)

• Datacards for weapons and unit statistics

• Cardboard terrain sheets (often punched out, sometimes missing)

• Blast templates (2-3 in different sizes)

• Scatter die (a large die with directional arrows and "HIT" faces)

• Regular dice

The metal models and the psychic power cards are the components most often absent. If a seller claims a complete set, specifically ask about both of these items. The psychic power deck was visually appealing and mechanically important, which paradoxically meant players were likely to keep it close and also likely to misplace individual cards over thirty years.

The Lasting Impact

The 1993 box set planted the seeds for what would become one of the most successful hobby game ecosystems in the world. Warhammer 40,000 today spans dozens of armies, hundreds of plastic kit options, a thriving tournament scene, video games, novels (the Black Library has published hundreds of 40K titles), and animated series. The franchise generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually for Games Workshop, which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.

None of that would exist in its current form without the strategic clarity of the 1993 box. The decision to make a fully self-contained, single-purchase entry point was the turning point that moved 40K from a niche wargamer's hobby to a mainstream cultural phenomenon. Collectors who hold complete copies of this set are holding the foundational artifact of that transformation.

For wargaming enthusiasts, the nostalgia factor is intensely personal. Many people who opened this box in 1993 or 1994 are now in their thirties and forties, with disposable income and a desire to reconnect with the object that first sparked their hobby. That emotional resonance sustains a secondary market that purely rational valuation would not predict.

Whether you collect it as an investment, a display piece, or simply as a time capsule from a specific moment in hobby history, the 1993 Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition box set rewards attention. Few objects from the era so completely capture the specific energy of early 1990s tabletop gaming: ambitious, slightly chaotic, covered in red, and utterly convinced that it was building something that would last forever.

It was right.

Buying Tips for Collectors

When you find a listing for a 2nd Edition box, do your homework before committing. Sellers who are not hobby-aware sometimes list partial sets as "complete," either out of ignorance or optimism. Photos are your best friend -- a responsible seller will show all the books, cards, and models laid out clearly.

The rulebooks are easy to source separately, so a set missing a book is not a disaster if the models are all present. The metal character models, however, are the hardest components to source individually without paying retail-equivalent prices for individual models. A set missing the metal Space Marine Captain or the metal Ork Warboss is genuinely less complete than it might appear in photos focused on the plastic models.

For display-quality collecting, prioritize box condition. The box itself should have tight corners and clear print. A box with crushed corners or significant surface wear detracts from display value even if the contents are pristine. Sealed copies in clean boxes represent the apex of this particular collectible and are priced accordingly.

If your goal is to actually play the game -- and there is a substantial community of 2nd Edition enthusiasts who do exactly that -- then condition requirements are less strict. Books in readable condition and models in any state of assembly and paint are perfectly functional for nostalgic gaming nights. The game's rules are freely available as fan PDFs, which means you can supplement an incomplete rules set without difficulty.

The 1993 Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition box set occupies a special place in the hobby's history: specific enough to be a dated artifact, significant enough to be genuinely collectible, and personal enough that the right buyer will pay a genuine premium to own a piece of where it all started.

Browse all Collectible Toys and Games →

Related Items