What is "codex"

Codex \Co"dex\, n.; pl. Codices. [L. See Code.]

1. A book; a manuscript.

2. A collection or digest of laws; a code.
   --Burrill.

3. An ancient manuscript of the Sacred Scriptures, or any part of them, particularly the New Testament.

4. A collection of canons.
   --Shipley.

"manuscript volume (especially an ancient one)," 1845, from Latin codex (see code (n.)).

n. 1 an early manuscript book 2 a book bound in the modern manner, by joining pages, as opposed to a rolled scroll 3 an official list of medicines and medicinal ingredients

1. n. an official list of chemicals or medicines etc.

2. an unbound manuscript of some ancient classic (as distinguished from a scroll) [syn: leaf-book]

3. [also: codices (pl)]

A codex (from the Latin caudex for "trunk of a tree" or block of wood, book; plural codices) is a book constructed of a number of sheets of paper, vellum, papyrus, or similar materials, with hand-written contents. The book is usually bound by stacking the pages and fixing one edge, and using a cover thicker than the sheets. Some codices are continuously folded like a concertina. The alternative to paged codex format for a long document is the continuous scroll. Examples of folded codices include the Maya codices. Sometimes people use the term for a book-style format, including modern printed books but excluding folded books.

The Romans developed the form from wooden writing tablets. The codex's gradual replacement of the scroll—the dominant book form in the ancient world—has been called the most important advance in book making before the invention of printing. The codex transformed the shape of the book itself, and offered a form that lasted for centuries. The spread of the codex is often associated with the rise of Christianity, which adopted the format for use with the Bible early on. First described by the 1st-century AD Roman poet Martial, who praised its convenient use, the codex achieved numerical parity with the scroll around AD 300, and had completely replaced it throughout the now Christianised Greco-Roman world by the 6th century.

A codex is a book bound in the modern manner, by joining pages, as opposed to a rolled scroll.

Codex or codec may also refer to:

Codex was a game show that aired on Channel 4 from 12 November 2006 to 15 December 2007 and was hosted by Tony Robinson.

Codex (February 28, 1977 – August, 20, 1984) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1980 Preakness Stakes. He was foaled in Florida out of the Minnesota Mac mare, Roundup Rose, sired by the 1969 American Horse of the Year, Arts And Letters.

Codex is a thriller novel by Lev Grossman, first published in 2004 by Harcourt Books.

A codex (often pluralized as codexes by Games Workshop, though the grammatically correct pluralization is codices), in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame, is a rules supplement containing information concerning a particular army, environment, or worldwide campaign.

Codices for particular armies were introduced for the second edition of the game. The third edition rendered these obsolete, and a new series began, including introducing codices for battlezones and campaigns.

Until superseded by newer versions, the 3rd edition and later codices remain valid for the newer editions of Warhammer 40,000 (currently the oldest valid codex is Codex: Chaos Space Marines - 6th Edition). Games Workshop no longer produce campaign or battlezone codices, instead releasing 'expansions'. 'Codex' is now a term solely used for army books.

A codex normally contains:

• Background - Information about the force and its place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This includes artwork, short stories, and copies of fictional documents from the future.
• Bestiary - A description of the units, characters and vehicles that can be chosen for use in a battle. This includes their characteristic values, information on their weapons, and any limitations on their use, as well as background information on the unit. The army's special psychic powers (if any) and wargear is also listed here, showing the rules for each item, as well as any legendary artifacts the army may use.
• Hobby section - Information on collecting, building and painting an army from the codex. This features outstanding example models painted by veteran hobbyists and Games Workshop's 'Eavy Metal team.
• Army list - The items in the bestiary are arranged by type and given a points value, with more powerful units costing more points, so that battles are fought between balanced armies. Options are also given here along with their cost.

In June 2013 Games Workshop introduced new codex supplements. Codex supplement books are additional rules and options for an army's standard Codex and contain additional background. These options often include new relic lists, warlord traits, and Special Characters to be used within the detachment. A detachment using a codex supplement may also ally with the parent codex, and vice versa. The parent Codex is required to use the supplement. For example, Iyanden is a supplement to Codex: Eldar that allows Craftworld Iyanden specific rules to be used in an Eldar army.

In June 2014 Games Workshop redesigned the basic layout of the codex, as standard for 7th Edition. New 7th Edition codices will now contain:

• Background - Information about the force and its place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This includes artwork, short stories, and copies of fictional documents from the future - (The same style as before).
• Showcase - This is the old Hobby Section that now contains just pictures of the Citadel Miniatures; painted by Games Workshop's 'Eavy Metal team.
• Army List - This contains datasheets for every unit and a wargear list. A datasheet contains the complete rules and points values needed to field a unit and a picture of the model from the Citadel Miniatures range. It also includes a description of the unit, as per the old bestiary.
• Appendix - This contains a complete, detailed list of all the army's weapons, special rules, psychic powers, warlord traits and any detachments or tactical objectives it may have. It also contains a quick reference sheet at the very back.

A complete and comprehensive list detailing all the datasheets available for each faction is available on the Datasheet (Warhammer 40,000) Wikipedia page. This compiles a list of datasheets available throughout different Games Workshop publications that many not be included in the parent codex.