For more than four decades, Games Workshop’s hugely popular Warhammer ranges have been bringing epic sci-fi and fantasy action to tabletop gaming. As this impressive selection of games proves, however, you don’t need an army of models to bring Warhammer’s universes to life. In fact, there’s plenty to enjoy if you’re an experienced player or discovering these vast mythologies for the first time.

Transport yourself to the distant future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, where units of elite Space Marines are engaged in an eternal battle with the forces of darkness. In this strategy game it’s up to you to assemble and equip the best squads possible to defeat your enemies in turn-based combat. You’ll need to employ your best tactics if you’re going to triumph in campaigns, PvP battles and more.

This card-based game serves as a handy introduction to the 41st millennium, as biographies and abilities are readily available for numerous characters who first appeared as miniatures in tabletop Warhammer games. There’s also plenty to learn as you strategically collect and play your cards to get the most from your deck – be it unleashing Ultramarines or legions of Orks.

A card battler that really puts the emphasis on the battles. Of course, you get all the stats you’d traditionally expect from a card-based strategy game (character attributes, allegiances, attack points etc.), but you also get to watch rival cards physically fighting each other on the battlefield. Throw in voiceovers from the participating factions – “For the Imperium!” – and you’re looking at an impressively immersive Warhammer 40K experience.

The all-action shooter Freeblade brings the Warhammer 40k universe to life, as you take control of the chivalrous Imperial Knights on their quest for honour. Suit up with a powerful arsenal of weapons and team up with the Space Marines as you fight your way past the forces of Chaos.

The Horus Heresy is a galactic civil war that sets the scene for the events of Warhammer 40K some 10,000 years later. Legions is a card game set during this formative time period, built around characters already established in the Warhammer mythology. Like Warpforge, it brings plenty of kinetic action to the card-based gameplay, while giving you the option to discuss decks and tactics with other players.

For anyone who prefers to take their fantasy with a more traditional flavour than the futuristic sci-fi action of Warhammer 40K, this game unleashes the Chaos in Warhammer’s Fantasy universe. Chaos & Conquest is a real-time, massively multiplayer strategy game where you compete against – and form allegiances with – other warlords to seize control of the Old World and the Empire of Man. Can you build the most feared Chaos Fortress in the realm?

One of the reasons for Warhammer’s impressive longevity is its ability to reinvent itself. Age of Sigmar was introduced in 2015 as a sequel/alternative to the original Fantasy universe, and it’s the setting for this turn-based RPG. In Warhammer Quest you guide a brave band of champions from the mortal realm – each with their own unique set of skills – on a mission to seek out eight pieces of the Chaos Amulet, before facing off against a villainous Gaunt Summoner.

One of the earliest board games released by the Games Workshop stable gets an iOS makeover. It’s a faithful recreation of the original 1983 cards-and-dice adventure in which players choose from a selection of familiar fantasy character types – including Warrior, Wizard, Thief and Assassin – on a quest to claim the Crown of Command. You can play against AI characters, pass-to-play with other humans in your vicinity or seek out fellow adventurers online.