One of the most exciting elements of the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is the immersive, narrative-driven Crusade system. To show you just how awesome it is, we’re taking you on a virtual Crusade and, over the course of the series, we’ll be introducing you to each element of the campaign system. In our final instalment, we’re looking to the future* to see some of the different ways in which our Adepta Sororitas Crusade force can develop.

After what turned out to be a crushing victory over the Black Legion in part four of the series, our Adepta Sororitas Crusade force is back on the front foot once more! We resolved the end-of-battle results – here are the highlights:

• Our two destroyed units, Battle Sisters Squad Adriana and Seraphim Squad Amisara, both passed their Out of Action rolls.
• All of our units gained 1 experience point from Battle Experience. No units levelled up this time around, but we chose Canoness Avia Pureheart to be Marked for Greatness, taking her up to 5 experience points and meaning she’d be all but guaranteed to increase in rank after our next game.
• We gained 1 Requisition point, taking our total up to 2. Just as we did with Retributor Squad Sienn after the first battle, we spent one point on Fresh Recruits (taking Battle Sisters Squad Adriana up to a 10-model unit), and another on Increase Supply Limit to accommodate their new Power Rating within our Order of Battle. This now gave the Crusade force a reliable core of three large Troops units moving forwards.
• Canoness Avia Pureheart’s Crusade points value was increased to two after she picked up a Crusade Relic – Master-crafted Armour – as a victor bonus from our battle against the Black Legion.

Here’s our updated Order of Battle so you can see how things stand.

What Next?

With two Crusade battles under their belt, what now for the Paragons of Piety? Well, we may be out of Requisition points until after our next game, but our Order of Battle is looking solid and well rounded – and it certainly isn’t short of a hard-hitting unit or two. If we choose to stick with a purely Adepta Sororitas Crusade force, there are still a number of additions we can make. We could increase Zephyrim Squad Helanna and Seraphim Squad Amisara to 10-model units, add some more melee specialists such as Sisters Repentia and Arco-flagellants, or increase our Vehicle pool with an Immolator or even a second Exorcist.

Alternatively, being part of the Imperium Faction, there’s a huge selection of allies to choose from. Some Black Templars Space Marines would make suitable cohorts for our zealous Adepta Sororitas, as would an Ordo Hereticus or Ordo Malleus Inquisitor and their entourage to strengthen our Crusade force’s narrative theme. If we save up enough Requisition points, it’s even possible to increase our Supply Limit enough to include an allied Imperial Knight. After all, for games larger than Combat Patrol, you’re free to use multiple Detachments of any type in a Battle-forged army – even a Super-heavy Auxiliary Detachment – provided you pay the appropriate Command Cost.

If ever you need some inspiration to start your own Crusade force, there are some fantastic armies featured in the Core Book. Rules writer Sam Pearson’s Genestealer Cults uprising actually features in the Crusade rules section, and is a fantastic example of how a collection can grow from humble origins into an impressive force.

We hope you enjoyed following the early progression of our Adepta Sororitas Crusade force and you’ve been inspired to start your own. If you do, you won’t have long to wait – the awesome new Warhammer 40,000 Core Book arrives in stores worldwide in just over one week’s time! Alternatively, head online and pre-order your Core Book today, as well as a Crusade Journal to help track your army’s progression.

* The Emperor’s Tarot may have been involved.

You’ve been asking by the thousands* for news of when Warhammer World, the spiritual home of the Warhammer hobby, will be opening again. We can confirm that the store area will be opening on Saturday the 18th of July!

Before you get too carried away, this really is only a limited reopening at this time, made with the intention of serving hobbyists for whom Warhammer World is their closest store. If that’s you, then the staff are looking forward to giving you an appropriately socially distanced welcome.

The Important Bit

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Games Workshop has taken every care to look after the safety of both customers and colleagues, and a limited reopening of Warhammer World is now possible. Bear with us though, it’s definitely not a full reopening of the entire Warhammer World experience, and there will be a number of safety measures in place for you to bear in mind.

• Only the store areas will be open for now (both the Warhammer store and the Forge World shop). Other parts of Warhammer World, such as Bugman’s Bar, the gaming hall, and the exhibition centre will remain completely closed for the foreseeable future.

• Social distancing will be in full effect – there’ll be plenty of signage explaining the policies and procedures around Warhammer World. Please pay attention and help us keep everyone (especially you) safe while you’re shopping.
• Face coverings are to be worn by all visitors. As in all shops in England from the 24th of July, you’re required to wear a face covering while you visit.
• There might be queues. We’ll be limiting the number of people in store at a time.
• Limited service. There’s no gaming, painting, or events yet. Of course, we want to get back to all the great Warhammer hobby activities we love so much, but safety comes first. When this changes, we’ll let you know.

Your Friendly Local Store

Perhaps the most important message is to thank all of you who have used Warhammer World as your hobby home over the years. Things are slowly heading back towards normality, and for Warhammer World this is the first step.

Gaming might still be a way off yet, but if you’re based locally, in Nottingham, and need to stock up on your hobby essentials, the friendly staff will be happy to welcome you from the 18th.**

Temporary opening times are:

Monday – Sunday: 10am – 6pm

If you’re more distant, please don’t plan your trip to Warhammer World just yet. There are fantastic Warhammer stores around the country, and your nearest will be glad to help you with your hobby needs. Also, never forget – games-workshop.com is always open so if you’d rather have it shipped to your home, we’ll get you what you need quickly and safely.

It’s just three days until the launch of the new edition of Warhammer 40,000! We’ve had a look at some of the new rules and how each faction is going to be affected. Now, some of the game’s expert players are going to share their predictions of how they think competitive gaming is going to look when the world-wide community gets their hands on it. Join us as we deal out the Emperor’s Tarot.

First up is Reece Robins, renowned tournament organiser and Warhammer TV commentator.

Reece: My prediction is that the new edition of Warhammer will come out of the gates with a ton of Monsters, Vehicles and tough units of multi-wound models – not only because big, durable units are good, but also because they’re a ton of fun to use! As the meta is a slippery beast, always changing and adapting to itself, I feel the counter to these big, tough units will rise in opposition, featuring lots of objective-scoring units and heavy weapons. The new edition is all about playing to the missions, and to do that you need to aggressively get across the battlefield and engage with the primary and secondary objectives. Units which will be able to take out the commonly seen threats on the tabletop while also earning you points will rise in popularity. However, as it always does, the meta will likely shift again, as the number of high-priority units like Monsters and Vehicles decrease in response to the number of heavy weapons on the tournament tables, which will, in turn, cause a shift in weapon priority to high rate of fire weapons to counter other infantry models. This, in turn, opens the door back up to Vehicles and Monsters and thus the beautiful circle continues to turn in new and exciting ways, keeping the tournament meta fresh and providing space for the cutting-edge players to always stay one step ahead!

Next up is Matt Root, longtime grand tournament-scene player and repeat winner of numerous prestigious events.

Matt: The new edition of 40k is here, and with it comes a whole brand-new set of competitive and tournament missions. Those who do not adapt their armies accordingly will find themselves hard-pressed to continue their victories in the new tournament scene. Let’s discuss the question everyone is asking – what will we see reaching the top tables in the near future?

Resilience is the name of the game for these missions. The primary objectives are all about board control – holding objectives and, moreover, keeping your opponent off of them. This, in combination with scoring at the start of a turn, means that you need to not only reach an objective, you also have to be able to keep it. This makes tough units extremely valuable. Things like Plague Marines, who have multiple tools in their arsenal to enhance their survivability, will quickly become standard. These units will become doubly useful if they have the ability to hold an objective despite the presence of opposing models – the Objective Secured rule is huge.

Consequently, many armies that saw their heyday in the last edition will be forced to adapt. The static gunline enjoyed some tournament success previously, but without control of the middle of the board, they won’t be able to compete. These armies will need to add units that can rush up the table to get onto the objectives – bullets alone just won’t cut it. You do still need to find a way to eliminate your opponent’s ability to score points too though!

The lists I expect to see will all embrace these facts. Elite, difficult to kill units like Custodian Wardens, Meganobz, and Terminators will become commonplace. Hordes have a role in this meta too – although they may suffer somewhat because of the new coherency rules and Blast weapons, the ability to fill a board and an opponent’s movement onto the objectives is extremely powerful. As such, I expect you will still see a fair amount of units of maximum-size Boyz squads, Necron Warrior squads, and even Termagants.

Plan for those adjustments now, and you’ll appreciate success later. Expect your army to consistently clash with your opponent’s in the middle of the table, fighting over individual objectives. Keep control of the board and you will consistently win every game.

Finally, we have Jason Lippert, one of the head judges and tournament organisers at AdeptiCon.

Jason: I think that the initial 9th edition meta will be alpha strike-heavy. The alpha strike is straightforward, easy to understand and, depending on a player’s chosen army, easy to implement. It involves crippling your opponent’s offensive and scoring capacities before they even take their first turn.

But since not every army is capable of putting together a devastating alpha strike list, some players will be forced to find other avenues to victory. So, as some players ponder ways to devise ever more powerful alpha strike lists and strategies, other players, by necessity, will begin to see that there is much more to a game of 9th edition than unadulterated lethality. It will take time for those other players to ferret out the nuances of the 9th edition missions and the Grand Tournament missions in particular. It will take time for those other players to appreciate not only the amount and type of terrain needed for a fair game, but the extent to which the new terrain traits* serve to shape the evolution of a battle over five rounds. It will take time for those other players to settle on the most effective ways to make use of the new Strategic Reserves rules. But it won’t take that much time.

As the secrets to achieving victory when going second are teased from the missions, as the effects of the new terrain rules are more fully understood and appreciated, and as the proper balance of force deployed versus force reserved is found, a viable anti-alpha strike meta will develop. These anti-alpha strike lists will play the long game, weathering the alpha strike and proceeding to reliably score points every turn. Armies that can field units that cannot be shifted without dedicating an inordinate amount of force, armies that can field small, fast, easily hidden units, and armies that can win a war of attrition are all candidates for a long game approach.

I think the meta will quickly settle on alpha strike versus the long game, probably with some sneaky beta strike (bottom of turn two) lists in there as well, establishing an interesting dynamic tension in every game of Warhammer 40,000.

Thanks, all! One thing’s for certain, when you take all of the improvements in the new edition, add in the terrain rules, and combine them all with the matched play missions, the meta is going to look a lot different. Players who quickly embrace these changes will find early success on the war-torn battlefields of the 41st Millennium.

Make sure that you’ve pre-ordered Chapter Approved 2020 – it’s your one-stop tournament toolbox for the new edition. It includes the Grand Tournament Mission Packs and the new Core Rules, meaning that as long as you have Chapter Approved and the Warhammer 40,000 App, you’re tournament ready. It also features the new points values for Warhammer 40,000 units, including those in the Indomitus boxed set. Don’t forget that both Indomitus and Chapter Approved will be available in your local store from Saturday.

We’re also taking this opportunity to tweak the Power Ratings of a few units in light of the new edition’s rules. We’ll be making those free to download next month, so stay tuned for the latest updates.

With the mighty Indomitus hitting shelves in stores worldwide this weekend, we thought we’d take a look back at the long, storied history of the Warhammer 40,000 boxed set. But before we do, it would almost be rude not to start off with the legendary forebear of the game itself…

September 1987 – Rogue Trader

Way back in the late 80s, a futuristic wargame set in the grim darkness of the far future was about to explode onto the scene. Rogue Trader wasn’t a boxed set, but a tome of lore that laid the foundation of the war-torn galaxy we all know and love. In fact, a few kernels of this classic background have even made a welcome return in recent years – the Ambull and Zoat have both appeared in expansions for Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress. Oh, and we probably shouldn’t forget a little thing called the Horus Heresy that also made an appearance (albeit as little more than a brief mention)!

What’s more, the book’s cover was graced with one of the most enduring and iconic pieces of Warhammer 40,000 art, depicting the last stand of an embattled company of Crimson Fists against an encircling Ork horde. This classic scene has been lovingly recreated by new generations of artists twice since – the most recent example featuring Primaris Space Marines for the first time!

Rogue Trader also provided detailed, roleplay-oriented rules that enabled players to bring this gripping new setting to life. It even contained a scenario, which let you recreate your own battle between the Crimson Fists and the Orks, called Battle at the Farm.

October 1993 – Warhammer 40,000 (2nd Edition)

Six years later, the first dedicated Warhammer 40,000 boxed set landed. As the heir to Rogue Trader, this version of the game was lovingly referred to as the ‘Second Edition’. Rogue Trader’s original roleplay elements had evolved during its lifespan, with various expansions culminating in what eventually became a brand-new game system that took the action to the battlefields of the 41st Millennium in the form of a full-on tabletop war game. From there, Warhammer 40,000 has never looked back!

The exceedingly vibrant colour palettes of the blast templates and the Wargear book may have been an epic assault on the senses, but the box was filled to bursting with everything a budding player could need to learn the game. Cardboard terrain, two 10-man Tactical Squads of Space Marines, and a veritable horde of greenskins in the form of Ork Boyz and Gretchin were supplemented by dice, templates, reference cards, a rulebook, and two detailed background books. If it wasn’t bad enough that the Space Marines were grievously outnumbered, they also had to face up to one of the most terrifying threats imaginable – a cardboard cut-out Deff Dread!

October 1998 – Warhammer 40,000 (3rd Edition)

The second edition boxed set had set an impressive precedent. However, by the time its replacement arrived five years later, the improvements that had been made in miniatures design were apparent from the start. Not only was a new Tactical Squad featured in the set, rendered in far greater detail than before, but they were accompanied by an actual vehicle – no cardboard cut-out this time! – in the form of a multipart Land Speeder. The Drukhari (or Dark Eldar as they were known at the time) also made their debut, replacing the Orks as the adversaries of the Space Marines in the form of 20 Kabalite Warriors.

By now, plastic ruins and jungle trees had replaced the card terrain. Similarly, the previous edition’s myriad card explosion markers had been consolidated into three see-through plastic templates – one each for blast, large blast and flamer weapons – all the better to see what you were blowing to pieces! These templates would go on to become a mainstay of the game (and its boxed sets) for many years to come. Meanwhile, the large rulebook returned to its Rogue Trader roots, combining a detailed background overview of Warhammer 40,000 with the game’s full rules in a single tome.

October 2004 – Battle for Macragge

The new millennium welcomed its first new Warhammer 40,000 boxed set in 2004 with Battle for Macragge. The Tyranids took their turn as antagonists – after all, it was set during the First Tyrannic War, when Hive Fleet Behemoth invaded the Ultramar System.

In addition to awesome new terrain in the form of a crashed Imperial aircraft, the rulebook appeared in a smaller, softback format. Meanwhile, a separate booklet guided players through the basics of the game over a series of narrative missions that saw a squad of Ultramarines attempting to rescue the downed human pilot, Lieutenant Varras, and the invaluable cargo of gene-seed he carried.

September 2008 – Assault on Black Reach

Next up was Assault of Black Reach, which saw the Space Marines facing the Orks once more.

This set offered a substantial haul of miniatures for both armies, making it not only a cracking way to get started with Warhammer 40,000, but a great foundation for a collection of each faction. This set included HQ units for the first time – powerful leaders in the form of a Space Marine Captain and an Ork Warboss – as well as a towering Dreadnought and even a squadron of Deffkoptas! With so much crammed into one box, splitting two sets with a friend to double-down on one faction’s units while each picking up a copy of the rules became increasingly popular from this edition onwards.

September 2012 – Dark Vengeance

Four years later, the Dark Angels’ hunt for the Fallen took centre stage as they faced off with the Chaos Space Marines renegades known as the Crimson Slaughter in Dark Vengeance.

Once again, the set was almost overflowing with miniatures for each army, and featured the first appearance of dedicated models for Chaos Cultists, Chosen, and a reimagining of the Chaos Dreadnought of old in the form of a fearsome Helbrute. But it wasn’t all about the Chaos Space Marines – the Dark Angels force included a squad of Ravenwing and Deathwing in addition to a bespoke Tactical Squad. What’s more, the initial wave of Dark Vengeance sets also included a limited edition miniature of Interrogator-Chaplain Seraphicus.

Dark Vengeance gets an extra-special mention, as when an update to the rules was released in July 2014, it remained in place as the go-to Warhammer 40,000 boxed set – and came supplied with an updated rulebook!

June 2017 – Dark Imperium

The Warhammer 40,000 universe entered a bold new era with the release of Dark Imperium in 2017. The Great Rift had torn open across the galaxy, all but dividing the Imperium in two. Meanwhile, the Avenging Son had been reborn and returned to Terra, even as his own realm of Ultramar was beset by the foetid forces of his brother Mortarion – the latter being the very setting for the narrative of this incredible boxed set. Oh, and did we mention the emergence of the Primaris Space Marines?

Dark Imperium represented a whole new level of miniatures design, both in terms of the reimagined aesthetics of the Death Guard and the first offerings of the awesome range of Primaris Space Marines. As ever, the set included an impressive selection of units for each of the rival factions, including multiple Characters and only a single pre-existing unit in the Plague Marines – the rest were all brand-new!

July 2020 – Indomitus

And so we come to it at last – Indomitus! 2020 may have been a troubling year for many of us, but one ray of light amid the gloom has been the arrival of the biggest, most glorious boxed set we’ve ever made.

At the heart of the box is a stunning selection of units for each army, many of which are totally new additions to their faction, as well as an Indomitus edition Core Book with cover that’s exclusive to the boxed set. It represents the epic culmination of a long and glorious line of boxed sets that have heralded the arrival of each edition of Warhammer 40,000 over the years.

The awesome thing is, even if you missed out on pre-ordering a copy, you’ll be able to pick up a copy in Warhammer stores across the world this weekend, or order yours via our exclusive Made To Order offer right now!

The new Adeptus Titanicus expansion, The Defence of Ryza, adds more than just new rules to the game. It also deepens the lore of the Horus Heresy with the story of the traitor assault on the forge world of Ryza. This is both a great chance to discover the troubled history of this vital forge world – especially if you have a Warhammer 40,000 army from there! – and to unveil a previously unknown nugget of lore. Let’s take a look at what you can expect.

Ryza

When the Warmaster declared his treachery, Ryza was one of the first targets that the eye of Horus was set upon. A powerful and well-protected forge world in Ultima Segmentum, Ryza was a cornerstone of the Imperium’s defence in that region. The armies of Ryza were a significant threat – unless it fell, they could harry the traitors’ flanks when the march on Terra began.

Kelbor Hal, the Dark Mechanicum’s Fabricator-General, had his own reasons for wanting to seize Ryza. The planet’s Tech-Priests were famed for their knowledge of plasma, used to power weapons and engines alike. Combined with the daemonic lore of the Dark Mechanicum, such expertise could be used to create fearsome weapons for the assault on the Throneworld.

The Attackers

The book details the Titan Legions and Knight Houses that marched alongside the vast Dark Mechanicum army raised to capture Ryza. Three Titan Legions – Legio Magna (Flaming Skulls), Legio Vulturum (Gore Crows), and Legio Mortis (Death’s Heads) – and Knight Houses Morbidia, Ioeden, and Oroborn are explored.

The Defenders

The Tech-Priests of Ryza had long expected an all-out assault, and their defences were formidable. You’ll find out about the mighty Legio Crucius (Warmongers), Legio Honorum (Death Bolts), and Legio Osedax (The Cockatrices), alongside Knight Houses Taranis, Zavora, and Sidus.

Ryza Secundus

The narrative starts not on Ryza itself, but on the orbital station of Ryza Secundus, which bore the brunt of the first assault – indeed, it had been created to do so. You’ll read about a stealth assault from the void that devastated Ryza’s small defence fleet, allowing traitor forces to swarm the station. Brutal battles between Imperial and Traitor Knights follow, with House Vornherr holding out for as long as they could before eventually falling.

Treachery!

When communications from Ryza Secundus ceased, those on the planet below knew they would be next – but their defences were proof against any assault… or so they thought. You’ll find out how Horus had long prepared for this attack, seeding agents of discord into Ryza’s populace among fleeing refugees who rise up, giving the Warmaster’s forces a chance to strike, seizing a spaceport, and opening the door to Ryza.

Total War

The battles that followed are exhaustively detailed. You’ll discover how both sides won glory and committed terrible deeds as the Tech-Priests of Ryza opened their war vaults and used weapons of indescribable horror, while the Dark Mechanicum unleashed their daemonically-enhanced engines.

Some of the fiercest battles on Ryza were fought between the Titan Legions, neither side willing to give any quarter whether they fought in the name of the Emperor or Warmaster. Alongside the detailed descriptions of these clashes, you’ll find narrative missions that let you recreate them. From the last stand of Legio Crucius Princeps Ultima Hendril to the battle to retake the spaceport, these scenarios will give you a taste of the desperate struggle for Ryza.

Find out the ultimate fate of the world – or decide it yourself – with your very own copy of The Defence of Ryza, available to pre-order in hardback and eBook formats on Saturday.

Codex: Necrons and Codex: Space Marines combine the codex content you love with all sorts of new stuff for the latest edition of Warhammer 40,000. Sumptuous art and thrilling lore bring each faction to life, while the layout of each book has been redesigned in order to be accessible and easily referenced.

The new Codex: Space Marines will replace the current Space Marine codex, as well as the other First Founding and Deathwatch codexes – making it an invaluable tome that covers all those elements common across the forces of the Space Marines. A literal Codex Astartes*.

Players using Chapters covered in the last Space Marine codex can carry on using their expansions with the new book – White Scars, Imperial Fists, Iron Hands, Ultramarines, Salamanders, Raven Guard and Black Templars using their codex expansion in the Psychic Awakening series.

For fans of the Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Blood Angels and Deathwatch?

If you have one of these armies, good news – not only do you get a shiny new core codex with loads of new toys to play with, but you also have a new codex supplement on the way. You’ll be able to tailor your Space Marines force to fully embody the theme and spirit of their Chapter, and of course, include all their unique units and heroes.

Happy Indomitus Day! If you’re playing with your box of models or diving into Gav Thorpe’s fabulous new novel (which you can download as an eBook and MP3 audiobook right now!), spare us just a couple of minutes to take a look at what else you can pre-order now, ready for reading and listening to next weekend.

Primaris Space Marines are a boon to every Chapter they join, but they’re not always told everything about their new brothers…

In Phil Kelly’s War of Secrets, Primaris Dark Angels learn that there’s more to the Unforgiven than they were initially aware of as they face battle-scarred t’au. The novel is now available as an MP3 audiobook – perfect for listening to while you paint your Indomitus models (as Dark Angels, perhaps).

In the Mortal Realms, the Kharadron Overlords crew of the Iron Dragon seek riches on the mysterious sky-island of Profit’s Ruin.

None have ever escaped this strange floating reef – but Brokrin Ullissonn thinks he and his crew can be the first to return with the untold riches Profit’s Ruin is reputed to hold. Find out if he’s correct – pre-order the paperback now.

You can also pick up the Indomitus novel and the boxed set in Warhammer stores today – head to your local store to claim yours while you can.