The renowned tabletop wargame, Warhammer: 40,000, is entering its ninth edition in July 2020. The new edition is expanded and updated, introducing new characters new models, with a brand new army box set to celebrate the launch.
Both box set armies squaring off.
The starter box set for any new edition of Warhammer is always an exciting time. These collections are the poster children of the franchise, and through them, veteran players look forward to seeing which armies and factions will be supported, along with a host of new models, rules and lore. The Ultramarine chapter of the Space Marines receiving a starter box was almost a given, as they also had a complete makeover in the previous edition. This time around, the Ultramarines are fighting against the Necrons. Those same Necrons, following the return of their king, have risen up with new and exciting models to wage war in the current storyline.
A Primaris Captain kitted out for close combat, standing over a fallen Necron.
A Judiciar. This swordmaster is able to manipulate time.
One of the biggest critiques of Warhammer is the sheer financial cost of the models; buying individual kits can easily cost a few pounds for a single regular troop, and special characters command a further premium. As a result, playing an army that’s featured in the starter box can mean huge discounts compared to buying them individually, with the added knowledge that that respective armies will receive support for the lifetime of the edition. “The bad guys” of the 8th edition, the Death Guard, have also received a whole new model range and a discounted box set, as well as discounted models via a subscription, providing up to a 50% discount. Players of factions other than the “standard” Space Marines can look forward to seeing this kind of support in the flagship box sets, and Necron players have plenty to look forward to with the 9th edition.
A Necron Overlord with an impressive arsenal of weapons.
The Canoptek Reanimator acts as a support platform for the Necrons
A fresh take on the classic Necron warriors.
So, what’s inside the new box then? As previously mentioned, it’s a Space Marine vs Necron box set called Indomitus, which features 61 new push-fit, easy-to-build models. For now, these models are only available in this box set. The models featured in the box can be seen in all their glory here.
The exclusive alternate cover only found in Indomitus box set.
The box set is pitched as a limited-run launch edition. While Games Workshop has stated that they have made (literal) boatloads of them, this should be something to grab while you can. In all likelihood, it will be replaced with another box set that excludes the launch edition ‘core rules’ book, and may have other changes as well.
The price of previous box sets has been around the £100/€125/$160 mark. While the price of this new box set has yet to be announced, a prize draw being conducted by Games Workshop has ten box sets up for grabs, each with a stated value of £120. This contest claims that any participant can “get [their] hands on a box of exciting new Warhammer 40,000 goodness”. A link to the draw Terms & Conditions can be found here.
Supplementing the release will be two more push-fit models for both armies, as well as the novel for the Indomitus crusade – ‘Indomitus’ by Gav Thorpe. The book will be available in both hardback, ebook, and MP3.
Personally, I’m excited about the new Necron models. I’m looking forward to reading the rules for 9th Edition Warhammer 40,000, and I feel the choice of models within the box set is great. All told, the 9th Edition promises to be full of exciting new kits I can’t wait to get my hands on.
