Why Warhammer 40K's Return To Cadia Is A Big Deal
Warhammer 40,000 is about to return to one of the Imperium of Man's greatest losses — the ruined planet of Cadia. Set in the far-flung future, Warhammer 40K's galaxy is a deliberately massive one that's filled with countless planets. Few planets have a memorable place in Warhammer 40K lore, a deliberate storytelling choice to reflect the ultimate futility of endless war. Cadia, a world fortified by the Imperium of Man, was one of the most notable. When Cadia fell in 2017, it changed the Warhammer 40K setting forever.
Now, Warhammer 40K is returning to Cadia, showcasing the ruined planet for the first time in nearly a decade. Next week, Games Workshop will release Return to Cadia, a new Hammer & Bolter episode set on a chunk of the destroyed planet. Warhammer 40K fans will finally have the best look yet at the remnants of one of Warhammer 40K's most iconic battlegrounds and perhaps get a peek at what's to come for the Imperium.
Cadia's Importance to Warhammer 40K Explained
Cadia Sat In A Critical Crossroads, Making It Key To Keeping Back The Forces Of Chaos
The lore of Cadia dates back to the earliest days of Warhammer 40K. The planet stood at the edge of the Eye of Terror, a massive Warp Rift that was also home to the Chaos Space Marines that betrayed the Imperium of Man during the Horus Heresy. Due to massive pylons embedded in Cadia's surface, the space around Cadia was calm and created a stable way to enter and leave the Eye of Terror. Any significant invasion force from the Eye of Terror had to pass by Cadia, making it one of the front lines against the forces of Chaos.
The entire planet of Cadia was a massive fortress world, with over 70% of the planet's population armed for battle. Cadian Shock Troops are considered some of the finest troops in the Astra Militarium, the rank-and-file army for the Imperium of Man. The forces of Chaos, often led by the infamous Abaddon the Despoiler, spent 10,000 years trying to destroy Cadia in order to invade the wider galaxy and attack the Imperium of Man. Perhaps no planet signified the constant stalemate of Warhammer 40K better than Cadia.
Why Cadia's Fall Transformed Warhammer 40K Forever
Cadia's Fall Marked A Beginning In A Shift Of How Warhammer 40K's Storytelling Worked
During the first 30 years of Warhammer 40K's history, Games Workshop kept the game's universe relatively unchanged and stagnant. That all changed when Abaddon launched his 13th Black Crusade against Cadia and surprisingly succeeded. In 2017, Games Workshop told the tale of Cadia's fall. After being repelled from the planet's surface, Abaddon crashed a meteor-sized Blackstone Fortress into the planet. The resulting explosion cracked Cadia's crust and ultimately pushed it into the Warp. While Cadia technically still exists, it's now a Daemon World, with almost all of its population dead.
Cadia's destruction ultimately led to the creation of the Great Rift, a massive warp storm that split the galaxy into two. It was the first significant change to Warhammer 40K's status quo in 30 years, along with the return of Loyalist Primarch Roboute Guilliman. Since then, Games Workshop has slowly but steadily pushed Warhammer 40K's story forward, teasing along several plotlines over the course of the last eight years. Even in recent months, several teases of major returns have happened, including the return of Fulgrim later this year.
The fall of Cadia shifted Warhammer 40K from a static game setting to an evolving one. While the game has always had intriguing characters and competing factions, the shift in approach allowed those characters to make an impact on Warhammer 40K's world. The game's storyline might move at a slow pace overall, but the changing status quo provides more storytelling options and more room to create new units and potentially even new factions.
Why Warhammer 40K Is Returning to Cadia Now
A Glimpse At Cadia Could Set Up The Game's Next Chapter
Although Cadia is no longer a central battlefield for Warhammer 40K, its presence still looms large. Cadian Shock Troops are still a key part of the Astra Militarium, and the units even received a new line of miniatures a few years ago. While Cadia was transformed into a Daemon World, little has been shared about the remnants of Cadia after its fall. The new episode of Hammer & Bolter may provide a new look at the fallen planet or at least provide some closure now that the Eye of Terror has expanded into the Great Rift.
In the announcement on the official Warhammer Community website, Games Workshop said that the new animation will feature a visit to a chunk of Cadia turned into a shrine for the planet's fallen defenders. Whether the new animation will actually show the ruined planet of Cadia (or perhaps hint at the fate of the missing Ursarkar Creed and the soldiers who stayed behind on Cadia as the planet remains to be seen. However, it appears that Games Workshop is at least preparing fans for the next chapter of the once iconic battlefield, which could set up Warhammer 40K's next chapter.
Source: Warhammer Community,YouTube/Warhammer Community
- Created by
- Rick Priestley
- Character(s)
- The Emperor of Mankind, Horus Lupercal, Roboute Guilliman, Abaddon the Despoiler, Eldrad Ulthran, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, Farsight, Trazyn the Infinite
- Video Game(s)
- Space Hulk, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2, Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team, Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine, Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance, Space Hulk: Ascension, Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch, Space Hulk: Deathwing, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3, Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War, Warhammer 40000 Mechanicus, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, Necromunda, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II, Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge
