Games Workshop dropped a very mixed 40K batch this time. So, there is something here for giant robot fans, Guard readers, and Ork gremlins.
The biggest reveal is easily the Knight faction focus. Meanwhile, the smaller posts still add real flavor and a useful rules tease.
Imperial and Chaos Knights gain detachments that feel far more tailored than simple stat sticks
The Knight preview does a lot of heavy lifting, because it gives both factions three fresh detachment angles.
First, Imperial Knights get Dominus Foebreakers, which clearly exists for players who love Castellans and Valiants. Rain of Devastation gives Dominus attacks +1 to hit against units in terrain areas. So, hiding from a giant gun platform suddenly looks much less comforting.
Then Blessed Plate adds +1 Toughness to a Dominus model, which matters enormously into common anti-tank profiles.
Foebreaker Firestorm also lets engaged Dominus Knights strip Blast from their guns and gain +1 Attack. As a result, they can keep firing even when the enemy tries to shut them down up close.
Meanwhile, Questor Forgepact returns the Knights-and-Skitarii team-up in a stronger, cleaner form.
Cogbound Alliance gives nearby Adeptus Mechanicus units +1 Ballistic Skill and Heavy. It also lets Tech-Priests heal Knights for D3 wounds in the Command phase. Then the detachment allows up to 500 points of specific Adeptus Mechanicus allies.
That makes it feel like a real mini-alliance, not a token gimmick.
Vengeance of the Machine Cult also marks enemies that destroy a Titanic Knight. After that, Adeptus Mechanicus units can re-roll wound rolls against that marked target. So, the detachment sells the idea of Skitarii avenging their sacred engines very neatly.
Then Throne-bonded Outriders turns Armigers into proper support pieces.
Driven from Their Lairs gives Armigers Ignores Cover while they are benefiting from Bondsman abilities.
That means Helverins, especially, can stay back and still pressure dug-in targets efficiently. The article also stresses their role as defensive escorts for bigger Knights. So, Imperial Knights now look broader than “walk forward and hope the big chassis survives.”
Chaos Knights get an equally distinct spread, but with much uglier personality. First, Bastions of Tyranny focuses on Knight Tyrants and punishes battle-shocked enemies.
Annihilate the Unworthy gives Knight Tyrant attacks +1 to hit against battle-shocked targets. That dovetails cleanly with Harbingers of Dread and close-range pressure.
Then Pitiless Focus helps a Tyrant escape combat and return to firing lanes, which is exactly what that chassis wants.
Meanwhile, Hunting Warpack is the War Dog detachment, and it feels built for relentless pressure.
Scenting Fear can increase an enemy unit’s detection range by 6 inches if a visible War Dog is nearby. That makes hidden units much easier to flush out.
Snarling Rivalry also gives War Dog Executioners Ignores Cover, which keeps their long-range fire relevant.
Then Insensate Bloodthirst gives a targeted War Dog Feel No Pain 5+ in the Fight phase. So, Karnivores and other brawling dogs can push harder than people may expect.
Finally, Iconoclast Fiefdom folds in mortal rabble.
Wretched Thralls allows up to 500 points of Damned units and lets them re-roll Leadership rolls.
Then Iconoclast Idol reduces Heroic Intervention cost for Damned units near a Chaos Knight.
Dark Sacrifice pushes the theme even further by hurting a nearby Damned unit to heal a Knight. Altogether, the whole preview succeeds because every detachment tells a different story. One is artillery arrogance, one is hunting malice, and one is feudal horror with expendable cultists.
Ciaphas Cain and Jurgen finally step onto the table with exactly the right mix of swagger and survival
The Cain reveal is much smaller, but it has a lot of charm. First, Warhammer Community confirms that Ciaphas Cain and Jurgen are becoming miniatures. That alone is a huge win for Black Library fans. However, the article smartly leans into the contradiction that makes Cain fun.
He is presented as a hero of the Imperium, but also as a cowardly bluffer. So, the miniature lets players decide which version they prefer. The kit can base Cain and Jurgen separately or together as a small diorama. Meanwhile, the sculpting choices sound very on brand. Cain stands in a grand pose with chainsword on his shoulder and his coat billowing. Jurgen, by contrast, looks like a weary survivor with a meltagun ready to work.
The article also calls out his Valhallan clothing, fur hat, flask, mug, and even his sculpted sideburns. Then Sandy Mitchell chimes in, saying he never expected Cain to make the jump to the tabletop. That gives the whole piece a nice author-approved warmth.
Finally, the reveal ties into a special illustrated and annotated edition of For the Emperor, with 15 new illustrations and 130 annotations. So, this is not just a model drop. It is a little Cain celebration.
The Big Mek Dakkarig looks like the exact kind of loud, stupid brilliance an Ork launch box needs
The Dakkarig preview is only a couple of minutes long, but it does its job perfectly. First, the article says Armageddon box units will have datacard rules straight from the box. Then it opens with the model many Ork fans wanted first, the Big Mek Dakkarig. The flavor is excellent.
A Big Mek builds a weapon too large to carry, refuses to trust Boyz with it, and straps it to an ambulatory engine. That pitch already sells the model. Meanwhile, the battlefield role sounds equally clear. The Dakkarig throws out fire from its blitzkannon, launches rokkits, and hides behind a glowing force field. Then Dakkablitz almost doubles its rate of fire against non-Monster and non-Vehicle targets. So, the thing is plainly built to shred infantry through sheer volume.
The article also notes the usual Ork accuracy caveat, but shrugs it off with pure confidence. After all, enough shots eventually become a plan. It also tags the Dakkarig as a Character and a WALKER, which makes it a natural fit in Dread Mob lists. So, this preview lands exactly where it should. It makes the model feel loud, durable, and very Orky without overexplaining it.
