You would think that the Space Marine Codex would be the first cab off the rank in 11th Edition 40K, but no - it was the Orks! Today however we have the Codex for the force that must cover at least 70% of Warhammer 40K players, Space Marines! Of particular interest is that this Codex comes in three flavours, not the usual two! 
Indeed we have the Space Marine Chonky Boyz Collector's Edition, the Space Marine Exemplars of Virtue and Reason Standard Edition, PLUS we have the Codex: Space Marines Cleanse and Purge Limited Edition. The Limited Edition has a numbered collectable box, new cover with gold foil details, 6 x bronze-finish magnetized metal Chapter badges so you can choose which Chapter badge you want on the front cover, a bronze-finish metal Crux Terminatus badge, 6 x art prints, the Command Pack: Space Marines, plus Gold page edges and a gold ribbon bookmark. That's all pretty special, and perfect for the Emperor's most loyal!
We also have Space Marine minis as well, with the new Ultramarine duellist Kaius Konorius making his Primaris debut. Fresh from the Armageddon boxed set we have the Champions of Armageddon, which includes the snap-fit Chaplain with Jump Pack, Ancient, and 3 x Eradicators with Heavy Bolters. Also from the Armageddon box are the Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs, the Eradicator Squad With Heavy Bolters and the Land Speeder. These are also all snap-fit! In terms of new multi-pose multi-part Space Marine Intercessor Squad, with mixed armour marks, back banner and all! There's also the new (and maybe unfairly derided) Captain on Bike and the new Outrider Squad - which is the multi-part version of the ones included with Warhammer 40k 9th Edition! The webstore also includes the Rhino in pre-orders this week - which for fans of the older kits is a bit rude considering it's going to Legends soon - but also interesting to see it go up significantly in price. The previously $50 AUD kit is now $70AUD, which was the price for the Razorback (Rhino + the Razorback upgrade sprue). It seems that if we see the Rhino or the Razorback again it will be at a higher price, though if they're smart it will include both in the same box. With the new edition comes the Command Pack: Space Marines, which includes the Detachment, Enhancement, and Stratagem cards, plus 24 x Double-sided tokens. There's also a nifty set of Space Marines Dice as well.
​In books we have the new Ultramarine-themed Master of Rites in Paperback, the Dawn of Fire: Crusade of Vengeance Omnibus in Paperback, which includes the novels Avenging Son, The Gate of Bones, and The Wolftime. There's also a new Helbrecht: Sin of Hope in Hardback, which also comes in a Special Edition which goes on pre-order on 23/09/26 at 3pm UK time.
The final book is the The Sundering Omnibus in Paperback, which includes the novels Malerion, Shadow King, and Caledor, the novella The Bloody-Handed, and the short story The Dark Path. All Aelves, all the time!

Good lord, it's a bit of a convoluted weekend of releases, and that will vary widely depending on where you live - either way we will try to collate it all together in some sort of logical flow!
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It's Custodes Week!! That's right, get your favourite gold outfit out and parade the streets in celebration... or just calmly be excited. Either/or! This is an interesting release because it's the first time (as far as I can remember) that we have a combined Warhammer 40K and Horus Heresy labelled box. That's correct, the new Custodes Support Battle Group is legal for both Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: The Horus Heresy (even though we all mix and match our minis so it doesn't really matter, the big deal here are the rules!). Unfortunately the set itself isn't very exciting to look at, only sporting 4 x Gyrfalcon jetbikes, a Pallas Grav-attack, and a Telemon Dreadnought. It would have been nice to have some infantry or an exclusive commander mini to make this a bit more special. The release of this set neatly aligns with the new Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Journal Tactica – Prospero Burns: Judgement of Valdor, which gives us the background on the Thousand Sons vs Custodes battle that was the assault on Tizca. The book also includes "new scenarios, game rules, extra units, and a brand new army list for Daemons of Tzeentch". Any new units are of definite interest to hobbyists and gamers alike, so this will be a must-have for the Horus Heresy (and Tzeentch) fans. The final Custodes release for this week are the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Legio Custodes Dice Set, which are very pretty and probably already sold out!
It does need to be noted that if you're in Australia, New Zealand or Japan, your excitement needs to be tempered because you don't get to order these new fun things this week. You've been bad and Santa has been notified! 
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Warhammer: The Old World, you beautiful beast! Just such a wonderous collection of old and new minis - really it's Prime Warhammer... Prime-hammer! That's what we're going to call it. PRIME-HAMMER! Anyway... we have new Battle March boxes, that's right, boxes that contain approximately enough minis for "quick" 400-750 point games. For fans of PRIME-HAMMER, the winner would likely be the Empire of Man: Battle March Army, which includes a Commander of the Empire, 20 x Empire State Troops (armed with either pikes or sword and buckler), 10 x State Missile Troops (armed with either crossbows or handguns), 10 x Empire Archers, 10 x Flagellants and 5 x Outriders/ Pistoliers. Our friends in green aren't missing out, with the ​Orc & Goblin Tribes: Battle March Army, which features an Orc Boss on War Boar, Battle Standard Bearer, Goblin Shaman, 15 x Orc Boyz, 5 x Wolf Riders, 5 x Orc Boar Boyz and an Orc Boar Chariot. The Elves also get some love, with the High Elf Realms: Battle March Army sporting a High Elf Lord, 10 x Lothern Sea Guard, 5 x Shadow Warriors/ Sisters of Avelorn, 5 x Ellyrian Reavers, a Lothern Skycutter (an amazingly versatile kit which can assmbled with either 3 x Lothern Sea Guard, 2 x Lothern Sea Guard and a bolt thrower, or just a High Elf Lord with a Lothern Sea Guard) and a Tiranoc Chariot/ Lion Chariot of Chrace. This is a great set!! The other Elves (the ones who wash less and are a bit feral), also appear in the Wood Elf Realms: Battle March Army includes Araloth, Lord of Talsyn, 10 x Eternal Guard/ Wildwood Rangers, 5 x Sisters of the Thorn/ Wild Riders of Kurnous, 8 x Glade Guard/ Deepwood Scouts, and 4 x Glade Riders. Last, but very much not least (and speaking of a bit on-the-nose) the Beastmen Brayherds: Battle March Army. Now this is a great box, giving you a really nice slice of the infantry element of the Beastmen, including a Beastman Chieftain, Beastman Shaman, 10 x Ungors, 10 x Bestigors, 20 x Gors and 10 x Chaos Warhounds. Glorious - and also a new transfer sheet!! Beastmen are brilliant to paint, even if they look a bit old, so if you've ever been on the fence about them, now is the time. 
At around $200 AUD, these boxes are all great and a perfect opportunity to start in Warhammer" The Old World... sorry! PRIME-HAMMER!!!
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Moving into the delayed releases territory, not all of us got the Warriors of Chaos Lord/Sorcerer on Chaos Dragon, so here he is. This giant kit builds either a Lord on Chaos Dragon or a Chaos Sorcerer on Dragon. Which ever one you choose not to mount, the other character has pieces to allow it to wander around on foot causing havoc. With different weapon and head options, these alternative builds for the be-footed character are great!
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In books this week we have the new Custodes-themed Raldoron: Revenant in Hardback and Special Edition (in some areas of the world).

The glorious skied excess of Chaos returns to Warhammer: The Old World this week with new miniatures, and new Arcane Journal, and some new Battle March boxed sets!
Let's start with the dragon in the room though, and that is the inclusion of the Lord on Chaos Dragon in the Sunday Preview from last week, and it not being in the pre-orders this weekend. Is this not available in Australia and New Zealand or did something go terribly awry in the Warp? Either way, it's a cool HUGE miniature and if you're lucky it's turned up on your local pre-orders this weekend.  
So why more Chaos? Well, solo traveller, the brand new Arcane Journal: The March of Chaos expansion for Warhammer: The Old World is here and being that it's named after them, we finally get to see the new Warriors of Chaos miniatures closer up. But first, this new book allows your Wizards to become so powerful that they (you) can create your own Champions of the Ruinous Powers, plus there's new rules for Chaos Marauders, Chaos Warriors, and Chaos Knights. Yummy!! Excitingly there's also a new Army of Infamy which allows you to field Warriors of Chaos and Beastmen in one army. That seems like a no-brainer to us.
Happily the new Warriors of Chaos: Battle March Army box is also here for you to truly absorb yourself in the bloody goodness that is Chaos. It includes 8 x new Chaos Warriors, 4 x new Chaos Knights, a very overused Sorcerer of Chaos, 5 x new-ish Marauder Horsemen and 20 x new-ish Chaos Marauders. This is a great box - and with the designs of the Warriors of Chaos harking so heavily back to the old Chaos Warriors Regiment from 1998, this is a brilliant step back in time. But who will lead your mighty army? I'm glad you asked - for it is none other than the Champions of Chaos. This set gives you 2 x Champions of Chaos  - one mounted and one unmounted. The set is pretty flexible too, with 4 x different heads, 2 x different axes or a mace for the right hands, and a battle standard, holding a severed head, or a hand clenched into a fist for the left hand. You like the Warriors of Chaos: Battle March Army set but want to start smaller - then you're in luck because the Chaos Warriors (16 burly spiky Love Gods) and the Chaos Knights (8 horsemen with an astounding 24 heads alternative heads) are here for you!  
In the blue corner for this battle royale, meanwhile is the Armies of Grand Cathay: Battle March Army Set. This comes with a Shugengan Lord on Great Spirit Longma, 20 x Jade Warriors, 5 x Jade Lancers, 6 x Iron Hail Gunners and 4 x Crane Gunners. All great miniatures worth of your paintbrush and your love!
Magic plays a bit part in Warhammer: The Old World, so strap in for the Arcane Magic Ploys Card Pack, which will apparently "allow you to easily generate a set of Arcane Magic Ploys before each battle, granting you new tricks and powers to tip the scales in your favour". [Insert expressive magic hands!!]
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Blood Bowl is back, this time with a new version of the game - it's called Sevens and is touted to be the new, smaller but just-as-brutal version of Blood Bowl - and it's launched right here in Blood Bowl Spike! Journal Issue 22. This issue contains all the info on Blood Bowl Sevens, the new rules, Pro Playbook which gives expert tips and tricks about the new format, plus all the usual mad-cappery of Spike! 
With a new format comes new rules and of course ​the Sevens Pitch: Double-sided Pitch and Dugouts which contains a double-sided fold-out Blood Bowl Sevens pitch. 
​The new game attracts big players and few are as big as Morg 'n' Thorg which, in his new plastic form, includes options for Imperial heraldry, a Badlands aesthetic, or a Chaos-themed look, with alternative heads, belt plates, kneepads, shoulder armour, hand weapons, and left hand options. He's not the only one to play for various teams, with the new plastic Minotaur ready to play for your Chaos Chosen, Chaos Renegades, or Chaos Dwarfs teams. He also comes with all sorts of bits to make him match which ever Chaos team you want him to play for.
Also this week, the new Skaven player, the Rat Ogre is here - he's less flashy, but nowhere less deadly.
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In books this week we have the Limited Edition of Bjorn: The Fell-handed in hardback (don't bother it's already sold out).

Games Workshop have none-too-subtly launched the second edition of Warhammer: The Old World, by not technically saying "new edition" but having everything that constitutes a new edition. First clue it's a new edition is a new Core Set, and this time it's the Warhammer: The Old World – Fantasy Battles In the World of Legend Core Set (quite a mouthful!). Happily this set brings together one of (if not THE) classic factions, and the newest, all in one box to create what is a great looking set! In one corner we have the fabled, famed, glorious Warriors of Chaos which includes an Aspiring Champion on a Daemonic Mount, Aspiring Champion with Battle Standard, 16 x Chaos Warriors and 4 x Chaos Knights. Personally we're really hoping these don't replace the current Age of $igmar Chaos Warriors, because these newer Old World ones aren't really hitting home. The horses are excellent and based on a much older Chaos Mount from decades ago, in fact looking closer at these new plastic Chaos Warriors I can't help but notice there are some real similarities to the Chaos Warriors Regiment from 1998, especially in the helmets and shoulders, even some of the weapon poses. Maybe the designers took influence from a previous multi-part multi-pose Warhammer kit that was also able to be ranked - either way, these guys are a little hit and miss, apart from the Champions and Standard Bearer which are absolutely spectacular! The opposing side are the Armies of Grand Cathay - a truly spectacular force with some amazing models. In this set you get a Gate Keeper on a Cathayan Warhorse, Gate Keeper with Battle Standard, 20 x Jade Warriors, 5 x Jade Lancers and a Cathayan Grand Cannon with Ogre Loader and 3 Crew. All of these are excellent and really should be loved by everyone. The details, the different cultural references from China, Korea and Japan, even Mongolian have been so lovingly added mixed together. Can not wait to see the Tiger Warriors coming for this faction soon. The rest of the box is a full hardcover 352-page Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook, with rules updates etc (also available separately this week), army lists for the Warriors of Chaos and the Armies of Grand Cathay, a double-sided folding playmat, double-sided rules reference sheets, 3 x plastic templates, a foldable 12" range ruler and white dice with black pips, including 18 six-sided dice, 1 artillery dice, and 1 scatter dice. This is a great set to split with a friend or family member so you both get started with a faction. Also this week in Warhammer: The Old World, we have the new Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook which is touted as a "revised edition" and includes rule clarifications from the online errata and FAQs, plus it has the the Core Rules for Battle March. And speaking of, let's have a look at the Warhammer: The Old World – Battle March: General's Companion. This is an expansion book built around the narrative campaign fought within the Axe Bite Pass and allows you to play smaller-scale Battle March games including leading leading raiding parties, vanguards, and outriders. What's really interesting is that this book is Armies of Grand Cathay vs Orcs, which makes us wonder if the new Orcs aren't ready and were meant to be the opposing army in the new edition launch box. With this "revised edition" comes the new Lores of Magic Reference Card Pack which gives you cards to help you keep track of your spells, and the Common Magic Items Reference Card Pack which allows you to keep an inventory of your common magic items. Man, I love Warhammer: The Old World so much! I wish I had the time and energy to build a force!!! 
Moving into another Fantasy realm, we have some new additions to the world of Tolkien with the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game: The Burning of the Westfold. This new expansion provides a linked campaign of 11 Narrative Scenarios, set in the world of The Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture Trilogy. The book also gives you some hobby advice on how to create settlements using the Rohan House kit, a painting guide for horses, and a terrain hobby tutorial for creating the Plains of Rohan and the Fords of Isen. With this release we get some new plastic Middle-earth minis as well, including the spectacular Warriors of Rohan Commanders and Riders of Rohan, plus their sworn adversaries, the Hill Tribesmen Commanders. Premium pricing on these guys, so be aware!
There's some classic metal Made to Order this week with one of the best minis GW has ever produced, the Classic Mercenary Ogre Captain, the very old school Classic Mercenary Ogres with Hand Weapons and another absolute classic, the Classic Mercenary Ogres with Great Weapons, the more-recent and very nice ​Orc Raiders, plus old school cuteness, the Baby Dragons. Also in this small Made to Order wave is the multipart metal and plastic Baggage Train Carts kit - massive kudos to whomever painted one of these horses to look like Donkey from Shrek. Honestly, high five for the sense of humour!
In books this week we have Flames of Betrayal omnibus in paperback, which includes the novella Garro: Knight of Grey, and the short stories Angels of Another Age, Fulgurite, Fragments (All We Have Left), Ex Libris, System Purge, After the Dawn, the Darkness, Homebound, and The Carrion Lord of the Imperium.
It's also a White Dwarf week, with issue 526 also including a Blood Ravens Transfer Sheet.

The Horus Heresy adds a new expansion this week, with the Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn – Part One going up on pre-order. The 48-page softcover contains lore on the world of Tallarn, narrative missions, a Solar Auxilia Army List, rules for Command Tanks for the Solar Auxilia and Legiones Astartes. A long-awaited plastic release are the Charonite Ogryns. Previously available in resin, this new kit builds four Ogryns, with a really nice variety of customisable bits including two torsos for each, and two heads (masked or unmasked) and a choice of two faces. This looks like a great kit, even if the weapon options are limited. Horus Heresy also adds some new support platforms to the arsenal with the Rapier Fire Support Battery - allowing you to build a 'Thudd Gun' quad launchers or mole mortars - and the Rapier Direct Fire Battery - allowing you to build gravis heavy bolter batteries, laser destroyers, or multi-laser arrays. 
Warhammer: The Old World has new forces for Grand Cathay, including the new Astromancers of the Celestial Court set which includes two Astromancers – one mounted, and one on foot, plus an arcane Familiar. There's also two infantry units with the Iron Hail Gunners & Crane Gunner Teams - which builds twelve Iron Hail Gunners and eight Crane Gun Teams, plus the Peasant Levy, which has a tonne of customisation options including 24 x bare heads, 24 x straw hat heads, 20 x straw hats and 20 x arrow quivers.
In books this week, there's a new double novel hardback set from Dan Abnett. HIVE (already sold out) centres on the Adeptus Arbites enforcing Imperial law on a "sprawling hive planet amid scandals, cults, and much worse".
It's also a White Dwarf week with issue 523 on pre-order this week.

Stepping from the pages of the Horus Heresy, then the Eye of Terror, the Iron Warriors - Perturabo's sons - have returned to Warhammer 40K. With new miniatures, and a narrative campaign, the long-rumoured return of their Primarch is nigh! The story begins with Eye of Terror: Reign of Iron – War for the Cadian Gate, a three-book set guiding you through the narrative campaign. The in the set is Eye of Terror: Reign of Iron, 80 pages of lore and background on the Eye of Terror, the Iron Warriors, Adeptus Mechanicus and the new Adeptus Mechanicus hotness, Thulia Ghuld. The second volume is Eye of Terror: Reign of Iron – Apocalypse, a 72-page hardcover book which sees the return of Apocalypse battles, with new rules etc etc. The third volume is Eye of Terror: Reign of Iron – Detachments, a 16-page booklet including new detachments for a number of factions across Warhammer 40K. Eye of Terror: Reign of Iron – War for the Cadian Gate comes in two flavours; Puckered Eye of Terror Collector's Edition and Raining Iron, Torn Umbrella Standard Edition. In terms of miniatures we have a new character Kravek Morne, who has stepped right out of the Horus Heresy with his modified Cataphractii Terminator armour. He is flanked by the abominations of the Warp, the Chaos Mutilators - which despite getting a full glow-up absolutely don't hit for us. They seem to lack the horror aspect, despite the usual tick-box of bits one would add to a Warhammer 40K Chaos model. If troops are more your thing, then the new Combat Patrol: Chaos Space Marines – Iron Warriors is for you. Sporting the brand new Warpsmith, this also includes 5 x Havocs, 5 x Chaos Terminators, 10 x Legionaries and the new Iron Warriors Upgrade frame, which is going to be a hit! We'll see this scattered amongst Horus Heresy hobbyists and Warhammer 40K hobbyists alike. The biggest part of this release is the new Defiler kit - and it's a beauty for sure. With what Games Workshop call "poseable legs", multiple armour and chest options, interchangeable exhaust pipes, 2 x sets of shoulder pads, and 2 sets of torso trim. There are also 10 face plates (one for each for the Chaos Legions, and 4 for any Chaos Space Marines force). The Iron Warriors Upgrades Sprue is also available to pre-order this weekend (GW webstore only) and holds some great conversion options for all hobbyists. There's also a set of Iron Warriors Dice, which unfortunately aren't yellow as this would provide a brilliant contrast on the tabletop.
From Iron Men to the Machine Spirit, it's the Adeptus Mechanicus - this time led by Thulia Ghuld, one of the few female Mechanicus models we have, despite them being so present in the novels. This is an interesting model, combining may elements that have gone before to make a great looking mini. She brings with her the Hastarii, heavy infantry that can either be built as Hastarii Exterminators (armed with arc blasters and eradication casters) or Hastarii Fusiliers (with neutron fusils and phosphor blasters). Neither options you'd want to run into on the battlefield, but they do take a bit of a step away from the previous design aesthetic, having the loping element of some Heresy-era Mechanicum minis but the sleek look of the Skitarii in Warhammer 40K. There's also a Eye of Terror Battalion: Adeptus Mechanicus which includes an Onager Dunecrawler, Skorpius Disintegrator/ Skorpius Dunerider and an Ironstrider Ballistarius/ Sydonian Dragoon. This isn't the only Eye of Terror battalion box, with the ​Eye of Terror Battalion: Imperial Knights, sporting a Knight Valiant/ Knight Castellan, and 2 x Armiger Warglaives/ Armiger Helverins, and the Eye of Terror Battalion: Sons of Dorn featuring a Redemptor Dreadnought, Ballistus Dreadnought and 2 x Repulsor Executioners. 
There's a big release hidden amongst the Eye of Terror event, and that's the new Knight Destrier, bringing a brand new sleek look to what is a rapidly aging aesthetic of the current Knights range. The Knight Destrier includes what's being touted as "2 straightforward poses for the legs, and an advanced option for more experienced Warhammer hobbyists". How this works in reality could be interesting, but this will ideally fix what many see as the very mono-pose, static look to GW Knights. The Knight Destrier also includes an opening cockpit, detailed interior and pilot, along with the Knight's many weapon options. This is a big leap forward in their Knights range, more than likely influenced by a well-known Community member who entered their take on Knights in Golden Demon a year or so back. The Knight Destrier is very similar and shows how Games Workshop do see the Community as a pipeline for ideas - it is just a pity that the creator isn't going to be credited in any way by them. A Warhammer Community article wouldn't go astray!
Before we get to the delayed Australia and New Zealand releases, lets have a look at books, with two new omnibuses on pre-order this week. Paragon of Faith and Other Stories includes the novellas Paragon of Faith, and Saint's Judgement, plus short stories Infernal Motives, Our Lady of the Voyage, Joy of the Martyr, Redemption Through Blood, and The Fires of Our Faith. Carnage Unending includes the novella Blood Rite, and short stories Ork Hunter, Wulfen, The Glorious Tomb, Packin' Heat, Road Rage, Mad Dok, It Bleeds, The Price of Morkai, Consecrated Ground, Hell Fist, and Sarcophagus. We also have the hardback Aestred Thurga: Pyre of Faith.
It's also a White Dwarf week for the rest of the world with #523 on it's way!
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In delayed releases for Australia and New Zealand we have the must-delayed Warhammer: The Old World ​Chaos Marauder Horsemen and Chaos Marauders. Both sets come with weapon options - either a hand weapon and shield, a great weapon, or a flail, plus a choice of helmeted or bare head for each mini. These are absolutely brilliant minis and a huge improvement on the originals which lasted decades!!

Excitement reigns supreme as Black Library Celebration 2026 roars  to life. Banners fall from lamp posts, the streets are paved with gold and everywhere you look people are sitting quietly reading books centred in the universe we all know and love. It's a happy halcyon time... which does not exist! Why? Because Games Workshop don't build it up. They don't hype, they don't push, they don't tell us why it's important - which, one would surmise, tells you it's not important!
Lets start with miniatures then...
Blood Bowl, you sweet specialist game of yore, is back this week with a new team - the High Elf Blood Bowl Team: The Caledor Dragons, and a pretty team they are. Bringing together the High Elves, White Lions, Dragon Princes and Phoenix Warriors, the team covers the gamut of the High Elf range. Dynamically posed and with a rare showing over Elven knees, this team would look pretty great on the playing field. Pair them with the High Elf Team Reference Card Pack and High Elf Team Dice Set and you are good to go! But how do I find out more about these be-knee-ed Elves? Well you find out more in Blood Bowl Spike! Journal Issue 21, which gives you lore and background on High Elf teams, the High Elf teams roster, plus some rules for fielding the famous Caledor Dragons, a way to run an entire High Elf league plus more. As with most Blood Bowl releases we also get the High Elf Pitch: Double-sided Pitch and Dugouts so your team can have a home ground advantage... maybe that should be a rule! Also in Blood Bowl this we we have the new ​Ogre Team Booster, which includes 2 x Ogres and a Gnoblar Lineman. This is a resin set, and again seems to show how Games Workshop do a disservice to the beautiful big girls by making this set really quite ugly.
Now onto the main event for this week's pre-orders - Black Library Celebration 2026.
​Horus Rising is one of the most critically acclaimed and loved books in the entire Games Workshops pantheon - and rightly so - it's great. It's been republished a number of times in various forms, but this Black Library Celebration you can order Horus Rising in it's most prized form - the hallowed Premium Edition. To be fair it does look a bit different than the original, but if you want that bespoke aged look, then this is your chance. Horus Rising is also available in a new Hardback version as well. Speaking of Special Editions, we have Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords in Special Edition and Hardback this week as well. Empty your wallet and double your Special Edition goodness.
The prestigious Black Library Reader's Choice winner for 2025 have been chosen and this year it's Grudge Bearer for Warhammer: The Old World and Deathwatch for Warhammer 40K - both in paperback. Like your editions to be super-pretty and packed with goodness? Well lets have a look at the anthologies - first up there's The Infinite and the Divine – Illustrated and Annotated Edition in hardback. This series has had a variety of covers of it's life, and this is another nice one, but have we already read this one to death? Here's the big boys, the big anthologies peop0le wait for, and they're both pretty good! Let's lead with His Royal Highness, Grombrindal: The Legend of the White Dwarf which includes the novella The Best Laid Schemes and short stories White-Haired Daemon, Old White-Fur, This Rough Beast, The Hunt for Whitebeard, All That Could Be Done, Fire and Fungi, and An Oath of Redemption. If Orks are more your thing, then The Green Tide in paperback may suffice. It includes the novels Warboss, Catachan Devil, the novellas Iron Resolve, Prisoners of Waaagh!, and the short stories Where Dere's Da Warp Dere's a Way, Painboyz, Mad Dok, and The Enemy of My Enemy. Prefer your 40K with a feminine charm? Well the Sisters of Battle are here with Faith & Fire in it's 20th Anniversary Edition Hardback Edition. We also have the new novel Chem Dog in hardback. 
If you do order any of these books, then you will get the Black Library Celebration 2026 book for free.
And with that we bring Black Library Celebration 2026 to a close.

Well it’s yet another adventure in the world of Games Workshop with the pre-orders apparently not being region-blocked despite the fact we told they were this week. Surprise!! Yet more geographically staggered releases
So, what is happening this week for everyone – it’s Grand Cathy in Warhammer – The Old World. That’s right, that excellent looking army everyone loves the look of but no one seems to paint, has some excellent reinforcements that bring us up to date with the more recent Warhammer Previews we have seen online – and all in one box. Grand Cathay are an elite force so the brand new Defenders of the Great Bastion Army Reinforcement Set gives you some cheap infantry plus some ranged power! First up with have the Astromancer on foot and the Astromancer mounted on Cathayan Warhorse with their requisite Familiar pet (which tells you how long ago this was in development). The ranged power includes 8 x Crane Gun Teams, 12 x Iron Hail Gunners and 30 x Peasant Soldiers, who can either have warbows or long spears. The Peasant Soldier kit also has two heads per soldier, giving you lots of personalisation options (or build them with two heads – you do you!). Grand Cathay is also the theme for the new Arcane Journal: The Breaching of the Great Bastion, giving you new lore, rules for  these new minis, an updated army list and of course the ongoing narrative of Warhammer – The Old World.
Now, new Horus Heresy releases this week look like they’re not coming to Australia and New Zealand on pre-order yet, so for the rest of you rejoice in your Mechanicum goodness. In plastic for the very first time we have the Myrmidon Destructor Host, chunky constructs with big guns to either obliterate your infantry or melt holes in your tanks and armour. These are a nice update to the old resin versions from Forge World and this time have optional heads, so you can be all mysterious and cowled or go for that techno-horror look with old mecha-baldy heads. The Skitarii need a leader, and today we see the Skitarii Battle-Pilgrym Marshal, who follows the same rag-tag design of his minions that has resonated so poorly across the Horus Heresy Community – do they even test these in some sort of focus group? This guy comes with multiple weapon and head options to provide a bevy of leaders across your force. Speaking of Skitarii you can now get the Skitarii Battle-Pilgrym Corpus outside their big box, which may or may not be of interest to people because these just don’t seem to be resonating. It’s probably the bad colour scheme, because surely they can look better! Also outside the big box for the first time is the Vultarax Stratos-Automata, a great weapons platform that is just asking for some interesting colour schemes to jazz it up.
We had a whole lot of pirates the other week, and at that time we mentioned that Freebooterz were missing – well here’s one for you, Kaptin Badrukk, who with his Ammo Runts give you a really nice start to an Ork pirate force. Space Orks go right back to the very start of Warhammer 40K, so if you like the idea of some old school Orksies, then jump on this duo now!
No books this week, so enjoy the quiet!!

In 2016 Tzeentch was the first Chaos faction to receive a really big wave of releases, and it was a fantastic release. This week those turquoise wonders return with their 2026 update in Age of $igmar. Spearheaded by the new rules, Battletome: Disciples of Tzeentch comes in two flavours; Magic & Mystery Is Part Of Our History Gamers Edition and Mirror Mirror on the Wall Standard Edition. There's also new miniatures in this release - the Fatemaster (described by Cult(ure) of Paint as the best miniature from the last Warhammer Preview Reveal) and Old Chicken Legs, the Magister on Disc of Tzeentch. There's also a great Endless Spells set, the Argent Shards, which honestly have to be a must-get for Tzeentch fans who play Age of $igmar, Warhammer - The Old World, 40K or Horus Heresy. They're just awesome! There's also a new epic Battleforce: Warpflame Cavalcade which includes the Kairos Fateweaver/ Lords of Change, 3 x Screamers of Tzeentch, 3 x Flamers of Tzeentch, 2 x Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch/ Burning Chariot/ Herald of Tzeentch on Burning Chariot/ Changecaster, 10 x Brimstone Horrors, 10 x Blue Horrors and 10 x Pink Horrors. This would be an AMAZING starter set for Tzeentch!! Meanwhile if you prefer more frontline troops, there's the Spearhead: Tzaangor Warflock which includes a Tzaangor Shaman mounted on a Disc of Tzeentch, 3 x Tzaangor Skyfires, 3 x Tzaangor Enlightened, and 10 x Tzaangors - an excellent way to get Tzaangors, the prettiest of Beastmen! If you prefer just some purely powerful magicians, then the Regiments of Renown: Seekers of Silver may be more your cup of tea, with the Gaunt Summoner (on disc), the new Magister on Disc of Tzeentch, and 3 x Screamers of Tzeentch. and of course we have the new Disciples of Tzeentch Warscroll Cards and some of the nicest dice we've seen in a while with the Disciples of Tzeentch Dice.
Tzeentch aren't the only magical kids on the block today, with the Lumineth Realm-lords getting their own 
Battletome which comes in Big Hats & Flowy Robes Gamers Edition and Elves of Power Standard Edition (the only thing available to pre-order Down Under this weekend). Like many new releases, the Lumineth Realm-lords get a new Vanari Lord Regent, who has alternative build options to make your own custom character. There's a two new boxes too, with the Spearhead: Hurakan Vanguard featuring Hurakan Spirit of the Wind/ Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind, a Hurakan Windmage, 5 x Hurakan Windchargers, and 10 x Vanari Wardens. We also have the Battleforce: Iliathan Warhost with Ellania and Ellathor, Eclipsian Warsages, 5 x Vanari Bladelords, 5 x Ydrilan Riverblades (which really don't look like they fit in with the other Lumineth), 10 x Vanari Auralan Sentinels, 10 x Vanari Auralan Wardens and a Vanari Starshard Ballista. More magic than troops? Then the Regiments of Renown: Sigil Convocation is for you, featuring a Scinari Calligrave and the Endless Spells, Sanctum of Amyntok, Hyshian Twinstones, and Rune of Petrification. The requisite Lumineth Realm-lords Warscroll Cards and Dice also make an appearance!
We have some Space Marine Made To Order this weekend, with some metal Space Marine Captains from the Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Dark Angels, and Blood Angels Chapters, plus there's also a mixed set of resin and metal Terminator armour dudes – a Captain, Librarian, and Chaplain. Can there be a Space Marine release without Ultramarines? No - so we have the more classic metal and plastic set which includes older versions of Marneus Calgar, Chaplain Cassius, Sergeant Telion, Chief Librarian Tigurius, and Cato Sicarius. A set that was getting big money on eBay has just gone into Made To Order, and that's the Armour Through the Ages set. which includes the mostly original MkI, MkII, MkIII, MkIV, and MkV patterns of power armour in resin and plastic miniatures. There was a MKVI in this set but it's disappeared into the Void!
In books this week we have the Limited Edition of Aestred Thurga: Pyre of Faith, First Marshal and 
The Witch Hunter’s Handbook which is like a field manual of sorts which states the rules governing Sigmar's Witch Hunters in the Old World. The book is 96-pages and a reprint with a new cover.
It's also a White Dwarf week with Issue 521 arriving to line your bird cage with!

Something has to be said for a year that starts off with pestilence - it's like 2020 all over again, this time without the masks and Ubereats! Yes Nurgle is back (yet again) and this time with a major range refresh for Warhammer: Age of $igmar, adding new troops, cultists and more. Interestingly enough, not being fans of Nurgle, this range refresh did actually peak some interest purely through the amazing sculpts and paint jobs, plus new versions of Oldhammer Beastmen.
Alrighty, well we start off with the Chaos Battletome: Maggotkin of Nurgle, which comes in Pop-A-Zit Gamer's Edition and Putrid Carcass Standard Edition. 
The new Nurgle forces have some absolutely spectacular models, none more so than the big-boi, Festus the Leechlord, beautifully vile in his magnificence! There's a tonne of detail on this model, a real dream to spend many many hours on. There's another command set too, with The Court of Gelgus Pust, which of course includes Old Pinhead himself Gelgus Pust, the amazing Belga the Cystwitch (sure to be a favourite at any painting competitions in 2026), and a Pestigor Shaman Foulhoof. That's right, a Pestigor, which goes all the way back to the early days of Warhammer when the Beastmen would align strongly with one Chaos God or another. We've seen Tzaangors for Tzeentch, and some Beastmen in the Slaanesh range, so here's hoping we get the Khorne ones too! Nurgle believes in elites too and here they are, the Putrid Blightkings, big bruisers to really ruin your day. Lacking some of the dynamism of the rest of the range, these are still pretty cool. Speaking of the good stuff, lets bring on the awesome Sloven Knights, who just have to be the epitome of Nurgle. Imagine seeing these guys silhouetted on the outskirts of your town, and you just know that it's going to be a very bad day! Speaking of which, the Rotswords are absolutely awesome. Very very tempted by these in an alternative black Nurgle scheme I had seen online. As much as those are cool, these have to take the cake - the Pestigors - have a look at those faces, at the paint scheme, honestly these are perfection!! Games Workshop have really knocked these out of the park. If you like your Nurgle all monstrous, then the Cankerborn are probably more your cup of tea - total beasts! Now if you were going to be a Chaos Cultist who would you pick? Slaanesh seems like fun, Khorne seems dangerous and a lot of work, and Tzeentch a bit too birdy! So which fool chose to be a a Nurgle Cultist and become a Pox-Wretch? Not a great job, but some cool minis to be the fodder for your next invasion. That's it for the new Nurgle stuff, but if you want some blasts from the more-recent-past then the Spoilpox Scrivener is back, plus there's the new Regiment of Renown: The Pustules, (including old Spoilpox Scrivener, Herald of Nurgle, a Feculent Gnarlmaw and 10 x Plaguebearers) and Spearhead: Maggotkin of Nurgle – Bubonic Cell, (which includes a Rotbringer Sorcerer, a Beast of Nurgle, 6 x Nurglings and 10 x Rotmire Creed miniatures). Certainly very different, and maybe something Nurgle players would get into. The Nurgle range refresh comes with the new Warscroll Cards: Maggotkin of Nurgle and ​Maggotkin of Nurgle Dice.
Also in Age of $igmar this week (though I thought they were initially for Warhammer: The Old World), the 
Spearhead: Helsmiths of Hashut – Helforge Host is out. It includes a War Despot, Dominator Engine, Tormentor Bombard/ Deathshrieker Rocket Battery and 11 x Infernal Cohort miniatures - not a bad start!!
In Warhammer 40K-land the Sisters of Battle Army Set which launched them back into the battlefield just a few short years ago is back on Made to Order. It includes a Canoness, a Penitent Engine, 4 x Sisters Repentia and 1 x Repentia Superior, 3 x Arco-flagellants, 5 x Seraphim and 10 x Battle Sisters. This is your chance to get the first iteration of these minis before they went into the multi-pose form we have now.
In books this week we have a new Grombrindal book with Grombrindal: Ancestor's Burden in paperback, and a the latest Gotrek Gurnisson novel Verminslayer now in paperback too. It's also a White Dwarf week for the rest of the world, except Oceania... 
For Oceania we also have the delayed release of the Legiones Astartes: Siege Assault Battle Group which includes a Leviathan Siege Dreadnought, 10 x MKIII Breacher Squad miniatures (that is the newer inferior MKIIIs with the new very needed Breacher upgrade sprue), 6 x Cataphractii Terminators with volkite chargers and power mauls and 6x Cataphractii Terminators with combi-bolters and power fists. These Cataphractii are the new slimmer, slightly stretched versions which have been derided online but every YouTuber paid to paint them amazingly loves them. These could have been better, and it's a real shame more care wasn't taken to make them a fantastic update to the older ones. 

The lure of the boxed game is back, and this time with the latest incarnation of Warhammer Quest, Darkwater. This box sees our heroes delving into the wastes corrupted by Nurgle, and this box seems to be full of surprises - especially for the new additions to the already sizeable range of Nurgle miniatures! Warhammer Quest: Darkwater comes with 49 x push-fit plastic (yuck, but okay) miniatures, which include your heroes: Edmark Valoran, Bren Tylis, Inara Sion, Drolf Ironhead, Kelthannor, Drasher Vorn, and Jacobus Vyne with Wisper the all-too-common pet. The bad guys also have heroes, but just less shiny, with Gelgus Pust, the incredible Belga the Cystwitch, Mulgoth the Cleaver, and Shaman Foulhoof. These are supported by 2 x Cankerborn, 3 x very cool Blight Templars, 6 x Mire Kelpies, 8 x Pestigors (by the Gods, new Beastmen. AWESOME!), and 14 x Pox-Wretches (which really do look like digital kitbashes of the Pox-Walkers). There's also the 36-page softback rulebook and a new format hardback map book which includes foldout maps to play your games on. Another great box, surely to be picked up by Nurgle fans for the new troops, even if the heroes do seem to lack a little bit of flair! We should expect there will be multi-part/multi-pose versions of these kits one would think, but who knows when - certainly the previews we have seen show an amazing looking range!
Possibly as a precursor to these new minis, we have the new Age of $igmar expansion, Path to Glory: Blighted Wilds, which sees Nurgle invade the Mortal Realms yet again, giving you the opportunity to build and the level up your troops and champions. They say "a special roster makes it easy to record the progress of your warriors, along with their paths, enhancements, and lore(s)", so that sounds interesting! Certainly very thematic!
In books this week we have the new Demolisher in Hardback and Special Edition (have to admit these new Imperial Guard Special Edition covers don't work for us - bit too minimalist), plus The Rise of Nagash omnibus in Paperback which includes the novels Nagash the Sorcerer, Nagash the Unbroken, and Nagash Immortal, plus the short story Picking the Bones.
This week also sees the pre-orders for the very special White Dwarf 518 which marks the 50th anniversary of Games Workshop. Being that it's such a landmark it would be nice to hear from the old guard like Jervis Johnson, Andy Chambers, the Perry Twins, Jes Goodwin etc, but the contents look a little less nostalgic and a little more navel-gazing.  
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The countries that missed out on the Hobgrot Vandalz and Infernal Cohort also have these added to their re-orders this week. Both of these kits look brilliant and are very tempting to add to the Christmas list, despite the price! 

It's a bumper week for Age of $igmar fans with a new game and some decent boxed sets, Warhammer: The Old World fans with new minis for the Undead of Khemri, and Combat Force sets for Legions Imperialis.
It's a fact that the Undead of Khemri are the best force in Warhammer: The Old World (well fact in our minds) but this week the new Arcane Journal: The War of Settra's Fury is planning to convert you to their side. The new book gives expanded lore and rules as we see Settra's forces enter the Kingdom of Man and take on the Empire, Dwarves and Bretonnians. A must-have for player and hobbyists of all those factions. As well as the new Arcane Journal, there's also some great new leadership minis for the Undead, with the Royal Heralds and Liche Priests on pre-order this weekend. Both boxes have alternative heads and weapons making them great for bitz, but also flexible enough to make an interesting and bespoke leader for your forces. The price is pretty high, working out at $2 AUD per piece - this is defintely one to get from independent stockists! 
In Age of $igmar we have a new entrant into the ​Warhammer Underworlds series of games, with Spitewood bringing two new warbands to the game - Kurnoth's Heralds from the Sylvaneth and the Blood of the Bull from the Chaos Dwarf faction. Great to already see some new minis for the Chaos Dwarves (despite the full range not being out yet) and these Kurnoth's Heralds are great! We finally have some Centaurs backing up the Sylvaneth! There is also a set of cards for most existing Warhammer Underworlds warbands in the Warbands of Spitewood set, allowing you to play them in this new setting. 
If warbands are your thing, then these boxes give you a chance to pick up some great minis for each Grand Alliance (do we still use that term?). In Death Warbands: Morbid Minions we have the Exiled Dead, Sons of Velmorn, Skinnerkin and Thorns of the Briar Queen. The Chaos Warbands: Reavers of Ruin gives you the Gnarlspirit Pack, Skittershank's Clawpack, the Thricefold Discord, and the Wurmspat. The Order Warbands: Seekers in Shadow includes: Xandire's Truthseekers, the Shadeborn, the Starblood Stalkers, and Elathain's Soulraid. While Destruction Warbands: Gitz and Goliaths is Zarbag's Gitz, Hrothgorn's Mantrappers, Mollog's Mob, and Rippa's Snarlfangs. Not cheap, but a big saving on buying them seperately.
Meanwhile, in the world of tiny minis, ​Legions Imperialis have three Combat Forces - the Mechanicum Combat Force, Legiones Astartes Combat Force and the Solar Auxilia Combat Force. Big armies to bolster your existing force or maybe start in the game.
In books this week we have the prestige-looking Yarrick: The Box Set which includes the novels Imperial Creed, and The Pyres of Armageddon, plus the short stories Chains of Golgotha, A Plague of Saints, The Wreckage, Evil Eye, The Gallows Saint, Sacrificial, and Sarcophagus.
​For everyone except Australia and New Zealand you also get White Dwarf 517 too. We'll just wait over here for the English to be translated into Oceanic. Oh what a chore that must be!

Grand Alliance Cathay have had a bit of a stange release - the normal army box, then some staggered other minis and now these guys. It almost seems like a diservice to some great miniatures and a really interesting culture we haven't seen before. Anyway, this week we have a varied pre-order week starting off with the afore-mentioned Grand Cathy! The new Arcane Journal: Dawn of the Storm Dragon gives us rules for allying with Empire of Man, an expanded history of Grand Cathay and much more as we get to know more. We're finally getting not only one of the brilliant new dragon models in the form of ​Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon, but also the core of the Grand Cathay army, the Jade Warriors and Jade Lancers. These are brilliantly detailed miniatures and deserve a much greater fanfare - one does wonder if it's because these aren't being put out by the main studio... The other miniature release is the Grand Cannon & Fire Rain Rocket Battery which captured the imagination of hobbyists with the highly detailed crews. Surely this will be the inspiration for many dioramas. Lastly, the new The Northern Provinces of Grand Cathay Transfer Sheet is also on pre-order and it's great! In the tradition of the Horus Heresy transfer sheets this beauty will not only add a tonne of flavour to your troops, but will surely go like hotcakes.
If you like your battles "grand" but not Warhammer: The Old World, then Legions Imperialis is for you, and this week we have the pre-orders for the new Legions Imperialis: Liber Strategia, which has the army lists for Legiones Astartes, Solar Auxilia, Mechanicum Taghmata, Dark Mechanicum, Collegia Titanica, and Knight Households plus rules for bonded automata in allied units. Adding to the new book we have the new plastic Whirlwind and Scorpius Missile Tank Squadrons, Vindicator Siege Tank Squadron, Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer Squadron, Typhon Heavy Siege Tank Squadron and Mastodon Super-heavy Assault Transports. In terms of rules there's the Datasheet Cards for Legiones Astartes, Solar Auxilia and Mechanicum, plus some new plastic Legions Imperialis: Order Tokens and Objective Markers.
From the world of Middle-Earth the new resin Gundabad Catapult Troll makes his debut. He's a large lad and so is his price tag, but damn is he cool!! Also this week are two great looking minis War Drakes of Rhûn.

Today is the day we have the very first new army for Warhammer: The Old World - and this one has been a long time coming! First appearing in the Total War game, Grand Cathay are finally here, and adding a very Asian fusion to the look and feel of Warhammer. Fantastically detailed, Grand Cathay takes elements of Chinese, Korean and Japanese culture and brings them together to make this truly "original" new faction. To launch them we have the debut of the Grand Cathay Battalion, giving us a fully capable force to fight in a Warhammer battle. Includes are 2 x Cathayan Grand Cannons/ Fire Rain Rocket Batteries, 10 x mounted Jade Lancers and 30 x Jade Warriors, all beautifully detailed and incredibly tempting to add to a collection. The battalion doesn't come with rules, so to play them you will need the Arcane Journal: Armies of Grand Cathay, also on pre-order this week. Outside the battalion box there are other units on pre-order as well, with the Shugengan Lord on Great Spirit Longma (who comes with head and arm options), the Gate Masters of the Celestial Cities (which gives you options to have a mounted and unmounted hero), the absolutely spectacular Sky Lantern (which gives you weapon and command options), and the Cathayan Sentinel (which gives you two options as well). The Sky Lantern has to be one of the most spectacular kits Games Workshop have done in some time - it's dominant, completely novel, and very eye-catching. To go with your troops there is also the Grand Cathay Reference Card Pack and stunning Dice Set also on pre-order.
They're not the only Warhammer: The Old World items on pre-order this week, we also have the new Warhammer: The Old World – Matched Play Guide for players who take their gaming very seriously! Probably not before time either considering the amount of people who still play the original Warhammer competitively.
Can a week go by without some Middle-earth miniatures not crawling out of the cupboard? It seems GW have a pest problem and it's time to spray! This week we have metal miniatures from the days of yore, with Faramir, Captain of Ithilien on his horse, Warriors of Minas Tirith Command Set 1, Warriors of Minas Tirith Command Set 2 (I bought this when it first came out and I still haven't painted them),  Swan Knights of Dol Amroth (Mounted), Swan Knights of Dol Amroth (On Foot) and the Swan Knights of Dol Amroth Commanders.

Who doesn't love Beastmen? If I had my way and actually had the time to seriously game, they would be my army! The backstory is great (even though i'm holding onto the old "they're the original inhabitants of the forests who were pushed inland by the humans and fell foul of the world when they didn't ally with Man like the Elves did" lore) and their massed might looks awesome. Also, they don't have to be brown! Exciting. So this weekend we see the pre-orders go up for the Warhammer: The Old World Beastmen Brayherds, a collection of plastic, resin and metal kits from various periods of Citadel Miniatures history all combined to bring nostalgia and a fragrant furry be-horned tide to the table top or hobby desk... or both! Pre-orders are spearheaded by the Arcane Journal: Beastmen Brayherds book, giving you background and rules to field your Army of Grunt! As with other Warhammer: The Old World releases we have the Beastmen Brayherds Battalion which includes a Cygor/Ghorgon, 30 x Gor and 30 x Ungor - it's really all you need to start your army or expand an exisiting one! In a way it would have been nice to have some Bestigor in here, but that's fine! What that set is missing is a leader, so there's this chap instead - the Beastman Chieftain in plastic, but if you prefer a more magical leader then there's the Kralmaw, The Prophet of Ruin in resin or the plastic Beastman Shaman. When it comes to infantry, the Beastmen have three main units, the elite heavy infantry Bestigor Herd, the standard Gor Herd and the more runty skirmishers and archers, Ungor Herd. These have been retooled in recent years, so these arent the same one that were available 10 years ago - they're slightly different with some nicer tooling and crisper details - the Ungor especially which is a great kit! Now your cavalry slot are filled with Centigor - which are unfortunately all metal - lead by Ghorros Warhoof, the Centigor Lord, followed by the Centigor Herd Command and Centigor Herd. Beastmen love a chariot, so the Tuskgor Chariot (in metal & plastic) returns, as does the plastic Minotaur Herd, the plastic giant Cygor/Ghorgon, plus the expert kits in resin the Doombull, Jabberslythe, Cockatrice, Razorgor. There's also the Beastmen Brayherds Dice Set and Reference Card Pack.
Age of $igmar gets some new resources with the new set specifically for Spearhead games the Spearhead: Sand & Bone Gaming Pack which includes a 24-page book which guides you how to start games of Spearhead, choosing your army, it also includes a double-sided game board, 6 x plastic terrain pieces based on the Realm of Death, and 36 x Spearhead cards. Also in Age of $igmar, there's the General's Handbook 2025-2026 which includes the Matched Play Season Rules for this year, Battle Tactics, 12 x brand-new Matched Play battleplans, and the Ao$ Core and Advanced Rules for applying to matched play battlepacks. There's also a deck of battlepack cards, 13 x Double-sided universal manifestation warscroll cards and spell lore cards, 6 x Objective mats which instead of the old cardboard are PET on one side and have felt on the bottom to stop slipping.
Age of $igmar have four new Spearhead boxes as well! Starting off with the excellent Spearhead: Seraphon – Sunblooded Prowlers (including 4 x Jaws of Itzl, 1 x Spawn of Chotec & 3 x Skink handlers, 13x Hunters of Huanchi and 10 of the excellent Saurus Warriors), there's also Spearhead: Ogor Mawtribes – Scrapglutt (6 x Hrothgorn's Mantrappers, 1 x Gnoblar Scraplauncher/ Ironblaster, 12 x Gnoblars, 8 x Ironguts and 4 of their allied Gnoblars), Spearhead: Ossiarch Bonereapers – Mortisan Elite (1 x Mortisan Ossifector, 6 x Necropolis Stalkers/ Immortis Guard, 2 x Morghast Archai/ Morghast Harbingers) and finally the Spearhead: Cities of Sigmar – Fusil-Platoon (1 x Fusil-Major on Ogor Warhulk, 1 x Alchemite Warforger, 11 x Wildercorps Hunters, 10 x Freeguild Fusiliers and a Blackpowder Squire). The Fusil-Platoon is a great set, introducing not only some good line infantry, but some characterful miniatures as well. 
Middle-earth - it exisits and hoepfully is exciting to someone... The new Armies of Middle-earth contains the usual rules, profiles etc, but also includes new units and armies, expanding on those in the previous books Armies of The Lord of the Rings and Armies of The Hobbit. Meanwhile, the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game: Matched Play Guide is focussed on campaigns and competitive play, with definitive guidelines on running events (from a single day to a campaign lasting days), plus guidelines on Double events, Team events and Campaign events, and of course the current Matched Play Scenarios. There's a few new miniatures in plastic as well with Héra Daughter of Helm, Bolg, Spawn of Azog, and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth (riding a very small horse) all on pre-order this week. There's also some classic miniatures in metal - the Khazad-dûm Dwarven Commanders, Khazad-dûm Dwarven Ballista, Beregond, Guard of the Citadel and Gondor Avenger Bolt Thrower (we sense a siege engine theme!). The Lords of Umbar, Corsairs of Umbar Bo'sun and Captain (hello Peter Jackson), Corsairs of Umbar Crossbowmen and Corsairs of Umbar Ballista (in resin) make an appearance, as do Durbûrz & Drûzhag, Goblins of Moria and the Mordor Siege Bow (more siege engines!). The new resin Beechbone the Ent looks like a lovely model, plus we have the very old Black Numénórean Warriors, The Woses of Drúadan Forest, Cave Drake, Dragon and the Dol Amroth Dice Set.
In books this week we have the much loved and republished William King's Space Wolf books - this time in Limited Edition! Space Wolves: The Young Wolf (Limited Edition) includes Space Wolf, Ragnar's Claw, and Grey Hunter.

We continue the Warhammer 40k Chaos onslaught this week with the Thousand Sons, the sorcerous sons of Magnus the Red, victims of the Emperor's wrath, and 10,000 years later, still doomed to live entombed in their armour for eternity. The glorious Thousand Sons get their new Codex this week, available in Warp Scouring Collector's Edition, Wizards and Warlocks Standard Edition, and of course the ultra-wizz-bang Righteous Zeal Limited Edition. This last edition includes 33 Stratagem cards, 39 Datasheet cards, 6 Double-sided objective markers, 5 Art prints and a Tzeentch Metal medallion fragment. Basically, it has everything except an apology from The Emperor for being an arrogant reactionary fool. The Thousand Sons also have two new miniature boxes, with the new Combat Patrol: Thousand Sons which includes a very powerful selection of models, including a Daemon Prince, Tzaangor Shaman, 3 x Tzaangor Enlightened/ Tzaangor Enlightened with Fatecaster Greatbows, and 10 x Rubric Marines. A Demon Prince in a Combat Patrol... who would have thunk it? The other set is the Thousand Sons Battleforce: Warpflame Thrallband, which includes 3 x Exalted Sorcerers/ Sorcerers, 4 x of the new Sekhetar Robots, 5 x Scarab Occult Terminators and 10 x Rubric Marines. Let's talk Sekhetar Robots - people have been waiting for these for quite some time, and it's pretty safe to say that fans were expecting something... more, better, quality, less crap! These are very disappointing, being a strange mix of mixed iconography, rigid boring poses and most of all something that looks completely out of place with the rest of the army. How sad! As you would expect, this release also has the ​Datasheet Cards and the funky looking Thousand Sons Dice Set.
On the flipside of the magical minions, we have the Warhammer: The Old World Wood Elves. Vicious, cunning and probably fragrant due to all the leaf mulch and flowers, these Eleven warriors are not your friends - allies yes, friends, no! As with all Warhammer: The Old World, it's spearheaded by the Arcane Journal: Wood Elf Realms. All of these volumes are great, so even if you're tangentially interested, get it. The Wood Elves release brings with it the Wood Elf Realms Battalion, which includes 10 x Wild Riders/ Sisters of the Thorn, 20 x Wildwood Rangers/ Eternal Guard and 32 x Glade Guard. There's no character leader in this, but you get a bevy of troops in this set, so if you want to get into them, give this a go! 
The individual units from the Wood Elf Realms Battalion are also on pre-order this week, so you can pick up the Glade Guard, Eternal Guard/ Wildwood Rangers, and Wild Riders/ Sisters of the Thorn separately, plus the Glade Riders. The last of the plastic sets this week is Araloth, Lord of Talsyn. Now let's go old school with some metal miniatures.... the main man - Orion, the King in the Woods - a classic sculpt that everyone loves, definitely more than his new sculpt that's for sure. Who else leads these Elves of the Woods? Well these fine metal nobles; ​Wood Elf Noble on Forest Dragon (super old), ​Wood Elf Noble on Great Eagle, Wood Elf Noble on Great Stag, ​Wood Elf Noble on Elven Steed and the Wood Elf Mage on Warhawk who leads this merry band of ​Warhawk Riders! Don't forget these ​Wood Elf Nobles, even if they don't have mounts, because Old Horn Boy is a great mini!! Magic? Here it is - ​Wood Elf Mages, and some minis clearly from the era of Rackham's Confrontation, the ​Wood Elf Waystalker, ​Waywatchers, Wardancer Troupe Command, and the Wardancer Troupe. Thought the Elf on the Dragon was old? Have a look at these... the Wood Elf Beast Pack, which may be left better in retirement. The excellent metal Branchwraith is back, plus the dark and twisted Treeman and Tree Kin. If you prefer resin, then I'm afraid it's just these ​Arcane Frogs, who do look a little sad! Of course, we also get the Wood Elf Realms Reference Card Pack and Dice Set too.
Not to be outdone by their mossy brethren, the High Elves have two more delayed releases, with the High Elf Loremaster and Silver Helms coming our way too. 
It's also a White Dwarf week, with #512 coming too.

We've said it here before, but very few Fantasy archetypes are more classic than the skeleton army, in fact they were some of the very first metal miniatures, and then plastic miniatures Games Workshop ever produced. Those very same plastic skeletons have returned in Warhammer: The Old World and (with a very simple tweak) look absolutely incredible.
Age of $igmar has a different range of skeletons though, and these ones are allied to vampires, the Soulblight Gravelords to be exact! This week sees the pre-order for the new Battletome and an extension of the more recent incarnation of their Deathrattle minions, but let's start with the Battletome first. The Death Battletome: Soulblight Gravelords comes in the Creepy Shadow Stalker Gamer Edition, that includes a card set with 37 x Warscroll cards, 6 x Spearhead cards, 5 x Army of Renown cards, 2 x Regiments of Renown cards and 5 x Death Faction Rules cards. The second version is the On Leathery Wings Standard Edition. Games Workshop have really done an amazing job on these miniatures, yet again proving how strong the Soulblight Gravelords range is, and how good the GW miniatures are. We'll gladly point out when they do it badly, but with this they have hit all the right touchpoints! The leader of this band of lurkers, with a spectacular miniature is Prince Vhordrai, represented here in the Prince Vhordrai, Lord of the Crimson Keep/Revenant Draconith combi-kit, which is not only large in stature but also hitting the Primarch price bracket. Bless anyone who paints this - those wings will be a pain in the butt to paint. Prince Vhordrai isn't on his own, with a new Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed who comes with optional head, weapons and mount head options, plus a brilliant thematic base. As much as vampire rule to roost, the skeletons must have their figurehead too, and the Wight King/Lord on Skeleton Steed combi-kit fits that role - though not as spectacular as the others today, he's still a very nice piece. Skeleton elites - yes please! Enter the mounted Barrow Knights (who come with a throwback musician to make old school skeleton army fans smile), and Barrow Guard who both form a brutal wedge in the Garvelord armies. We're also seeing a re-release (though the leader's helmet is new, so maybe it's retooled) of the Deathrattle Skeletons which is a brilliant kit. The new army set is here, with the Spearhead: Soulblight Gravelords – Bloodcrave hunt featuring a Vampire Lord (the very first mini we saw from the then-new "Gravelords" faction), 3 x Vargheists/ Crypt Flayers/ Crypt Horrors, 5 x Blood Knights and 20 x Deathrattle Skeletons. Spells, you like spells? Well check out the new Soulblight Gravelords: Manifestations, which are suitably creepy and manage to actually look like spells! There's some terrain too with the Cursed Sepulchre/Nexus of Grief (the latter for your Nighthaunt armies) being the first terrain that can be used by two different (if allied) armies. For fans of extras, there's also the Soulblight Gravelords Dice - classic bad-guy black and red for the win.
After quite the pause we have two new Warhammer Underworlds releases with the excellent Knives of the Crone warband and Realmstone Raiders Rivals Deck on pre-order this week. The Knives of the Crone are really great looking minis and could fit into all sorts of armies! Please don't make me buy these...
This week also brings us a cool Warhammer Age of Sigmar crossover - you may have read about Cado Ezechiar, Sissendra, and Aurelias from the Black Library novels The Hollow King, and Dead Kingdom, well now you can get them as miniatures in the spectacular Blades of the Hollow King set. Truly three amazing miniatures but at a very deluxe price, so do be aware. Oh, what a coincidence - this week we also have the paperback version of The Dead Kingdom on pre-order! Spooky!!
In other books we have ​Ushoran – Mortarch of Delusion in hardback, Lioness of the Parch in paperback and Darkoath also in paperback on pre-order this weekend. If you like your books super-fancy and completely unattainable, then ​Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok (Limited Edition) is for you, or not for you as it's already sold out!

Necromunda has started to evolve - from gangs and terrain, to a great focus on characters, and if you look at those characters they really are starting to resemble some of the aesthetic of the old Inquisitor game that Games Workshop brought out 30+ years ago. Could this be a return to that character based platform, or maybe these miniatures could double in an RPG style game. It feels like soemthing is going on, and if you remember Inquisitor, then maybe you're seeing it too. Lets have a look at minis on pre-order this weekend that we think most point to this idea. First up we have Whisper Merchant and Psychoteric Thrall (dammit, someone buy that guy another boot!) that very much fall into the look and feel, and then we have Silberlant Sevos, the Infotek which matches the aesthetic so much that initiially I wondered if this was 54mm. Lastly we have a twist on an Inquisitor character - a Space Marine, but this time it's a fallen veteran of the Blood Angels (or at least the proto-Ninth Legion) Vandoth the Fallen. It's very interesting to consider this potential, particularly since the ideas for gangs seems to have run dry at GW headquarters. The other Necromunda pre-orders this week are The Prophet of the Redemption, a crazy almost Monty Pyhton-esque miniature, and the Abyssal Ferryman Hagthor Jarlun and Aster Felsturn who some would say almost seem like pirates. A pirate gang in Necromunda? Why not!!
​We saw some of the High Elves re-released for Warhammer: The Old World the other week, and now here's the rest - and although there's very few misses in the High Elf range (considering their age) - this week has some spectacular miniatures. Elves love magic, and the High Elf Mages kit gives you bits and pieces to make two, one mounted and one not... though he is flying! One of the most stunning kits in all of Games Workshop is back and would be an insta-buy if it wasn't for all the damn feathers - the spectacular Lothern Skycutter. Available in multiple build options, there's also multiple crew faction choices with options for Sea Guard, High Elves or a High Elf Lord and retinue. Equally spectacular (and probably a pain to paint) are the Dragon Princes of Caledor, and glorious visage of power and prestige - everything the High Elves opitimise. Maybe not as spectacular but a favoruite is the Tiranoc Chariots, giving you options to build two Lion Chariots of Chrace, two Tiranoc Chariots, or one of each. Very tempting, and probably on my shoipping list this weekend. We also have some older rank and file minis, with the Elven Spearmen and Elven Archers giving you some simple foundational units. Another great week of Elves!
Legions Imperialis has been bubbling along, and it would be interesting to know how popular the system is, but this week we get some more Mechanicum pre-orders with the Questoris Knights Magaera and Styrix, Cerastus Knights Atrapos and the Acastus Knights Asterius sets on offer. The prices on these are very high (considering their size) but to give GW a bit of a break, there are a lot of pieces in these sets. Tiny tiny pieces! Also in Legions Imperialis: Mechanicum we have the tiny Krios Squadron and the less tiny Karacnos Assault Tank Squadron. 
It's been a while, but this week we also get some Horus Heresy miniatures! Both characters, we have Aster Crohne, the Shroudmaker (is that much filagree really necessary?) and Kaedes Nex, the Blood Crow. Not being into either army They aren't too exciting, but would be interesting to know if they float your boat. 
In books this week there is the paperback version of Ahriman: Undying.

Glory is eternal, as is shame, but in the eyes of the Soulblight Gravelords, their glory is still now, even in death. The new Soulblight Gravelords: Deathrattle Army Set expands on the look and feel of the Undead armies as first seen in Cursed City, this time adding elite units and a brave commander to their ranks. These are great looking minis, and this new Army Box includes three units - the Wight King/ Wight Lord on Skeletal Steed, his guard as five Barrow Knights and twenty Barrow Guard. And as it's an Army Box, you also get the limited edition Battletome and the Warscroll Cards. These sets are great, but they have recently started to feel like you get less for more - the Emperor's Children is a good example, sadly. When they go on individual sale though, some Barrow Guard are coming to home my house!
Warhammer: The Old World is brining back amazing models from the past, and it's time to expand on the High Elves. We start off this week with the High Elf Lords box, giving you multiple options for both  mounted and dismounted Lord/ bannerman. Not all Lords are equal, and if you get to ride a flaming bird, you're winning! The classic Flamespyre Phoenix/ Frostheart Phoenix combi-kit is back, and it's a project and a half! A fantastic thematic piece for the High Elves, and depsite the pain of all this feathers, it would look amazing in anyone's collection. The epitome of ranked warfare, the Phoenix Guard and Lothern Sea Guard really are a perfect example of how Warhammer plays - ranked troops moving forward as one. They look brilliant, as High Elves are want to do. These are both classic kits and despite the repetitive nature of their poses, they do look amazing! A personal favourite kit is the Sisters of Avelorn/ Shadow Warriors combi-kit, which I managed to get a hold of before they were discontinued, and how they're back! This is a perfect example of how versatile these older kits are. It's hard to see without a close look that these are based on the same core.
In books this week we have the Super Limited Edition Probably Already Sold Out Ushoran – Mortarch of Delusion, plus the paperback version of Soulblight Gravelords: Masters of Death, an omnibus collecting the David Annandale stories Neferata: Mortarch of Blood, Neferata: The Dominion of Bones, A Dynasty of Monsters, The Threshold, Obsidian, and The Dance of the Skulls.
​It's a White Dwarf week, and this month it includes a section on Fulgrim and his Emperor's Children - all in White Dwarf 511 - so it might be interesting enough to not throw straight in the bin.
​In this neck of the woods we also have the delayed release of the Necromunda expansion Tribes of the Wastelands and the ​Tribes of the Wastelands Gang Tactics Cards.

Sorry - but it's one of those weeks! Yes we have divided releases and delayed release, but fear not, we've got it covered!
Those bouncy fun kids of Necromunda have a few releases for us this week - see below for the bulk of them - but the kits everyone is getting on pre-order this week is the Zone Mortalis: Ruined Underhive Sector (really just a larger set of the Ruined Zone Mortalis) and the Thatos Pattern Fortified Hab Module. The Zone Mortalis: Ruined Underhive Sector depicts the very worst parts of any Hive Spire - the broken, the degrading, the unloved. We have crushed and melted wall sections, gates and walkways plus corroded pipes and more. This is not the place they put on the travel brochure! This set is like the other larger Necromunda sets and comes in a hefty box, making it a must for scenery builders. Sure it makes no sense to have the pylons melted like that or the roof would cave in, but just ignore that logic and enjoy. The second kit is the Thatos Pattern Fortified Hab Module which is the military version of the Thatos Pattern Hab Module, but with more armour and guns! This is a natural fit for the Wastelands, being both a watchhouse, fortification, trader station, dive bar and more in the minds of a skilled hobbyist. Lots of thematic scenarios could be built around this piece of terrain!
Australia and New Zealand (and potentially Japan) finally get the delayed release of the Warhammer: The Old World wave of Elves, with the excellent Lord on Dragon/ Archmage on a Moon or Sun Dragon/ Dragon Mage on a Star Dragon combi-kit leading the charge. For the army builders, the The High Elf Realms Battalion has finally arrived, as have the very ornate Swordmasters of Hoeth. The classic Eagle-claw Bolt Throwers (and don't we need more bolt throwers these days!!) in plastic along with the High Elf Realms Dice Set and of course the muchy-desired Arcane Journal: High Elf Realms are also finally here!

Missing to Australia and New Zealand this week, is the new Necromunda: Tribes of the Wastelands expansion, the new Sha’dar Hunters and Anthromite Spinewyrms kit, the Ash Waste Nomads: Weapons & Upgrades and the Tribes of the Wastelands Gang Tactics Cards and Gang Dice.