Battlefront’s latest mission update looks much bigger than a routine cleanup pass. So, this is the kind of release tournament players will feel immediately. Meanwhile Bolt Action’s next army book looks much bigger than a routine faction refresh.
This is a news update based on recent publications by Battlefront and Warlord, follow the links to get the full breakdown.
Battlefront just released the April 2026 Combined Missions Pack appears to be the first major refresh in several years, and it is aimed squarely at how games actually unfold on the table. Here is our sumamry of the update! The biggest changes seem built to make Attack, Defend, and Manoeuvre play more differently from one another.
2026 Mission Pack: Stronger defensive play, sharper stance identity, and faster games on the table
The big story here is that the pack tightens the identity of every battle plan. Defend now feels much more like a real prepared position, because defenders begin on their objectives and many missions use Deep Reserves that heavily limit tanks on the table. As a result, infantry forces and gun lines look much more natural in that role, while fake defensive armor builds get pushed out.
Meanwhile, Attack versus Attack becomes far more aggressive, with new missions, little or no reserve play in most cases, and pressure to move early instead of circling for several turns. Manoeuvre also gets a lift, because it now leans harder into speed, flanking, Spearhead, and recce-driven play
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Just as importantly, the defender’s win condition drops from keeping enemies 8 inches away to 4 inches away, which should reduce those awkward games where attackers hover nearby without fully committing. Altogether, this sounds like a mission pack designed to cut down on draws, reward proper force roles, and make stance choice matter much more before dice even hit the table.
Armies of the British Commonwealth is now on pre-order, and it spans 128 full-color pages. Meanwhile, it brings six national army lists into one standalone volume.
Six distinct forces share a backbone but keep their own battlefield character
The clever bit is how the book is structured. First, it includes Standard Commonwealth Units drawn from Armies of Great Britain. However, those shared units are reprinted here, so the new book works on its own. Then each nation gets its own section, with background, artwork, photography, special rules, unique units, and a force selection guide.
So, Australian, Canadian, East African, Indian, New Zealand, and South African forces all get room to breathe. Better yet, those national rules also reshape standard units inside each list. That means Indian forces can field Gurkha versions of snipers, mortars, and more. As a result, this looks less like a copy-and-paste faction book and more like six armies built from one shared military language.
There is also some strong hobby bait here. The pre-order bonus is Havildar Umrao Singh, VC, a special figure based on his Burma campaign heroics. Meanwhile, plastic Gurkhas are returning with a new infantry box loaded for jungle fighting. That kit includes light mortars, PIATs, flamethrowers, and plenty of kukris, which is exactly what players wanted. Altogether, this looks like a smart book for collectors, historians, and gamers alike.
