If you’ve been waiting to pledge your allegiance to the Dark Gods, your time has finally come. Games Workshop has just pulled back the curtain on next week's pre-orders, and it is a massive wave of Chaos across Warhammer 40,000, The Old World, and the Horus Heresy.
Whether you are a 41st Millennium heretic or a 31st Millennium legionaire, there is something heavy hitting for you in this release. Let's break down the highlights.
The Big Four: Chaos Battleforces (40k)
The headline of this reveal is undoubtedly the four distinct Battleforce boxes, each dedicated to a specific Chaos God. These boxes are traditionally excellent starting points for new armies or high-value expansions for existing collections.
Here is a quick snapshot of what each box offers:
| Battleforce | Faction | Key Heavy Hitter | Playstyle Profile |
| Khorne Daemonkin | World Eaters / Daemons | Lord Invocatus / Lord on Juggernaut | Fast, aggressive melee rush |
| Sekhmet Coven | Thousand Sons | Mutalith Vortex Beast | Psychic dominance & heavy durability |
| Vile Vectorium | Death Guard | Foetid Bloat-drones (x3) | Attrition, resilience, & mid-board control |
| Lords of Excess | Emperor's Children | Daemon Prince | Sonic warfare & elite infantry |
1. Khorne Daemonkin
This box is a fascinating mix of World Eaters marines and Chaos Daemons. It leans heavily into the "Red Angel" aesthetic.
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The Standout: The inclusion of the Lord on Juggernaut (buildable as Lord Invocatus as well) is huge for giving your army mobility.
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The Bulk: 10 Berzerkers and 20 Bloodletters provide a massive footprint of bodies to flood the board.
2. Sekhmet Coven (Thousand Sons)
The Mutalith Vortex Beast is a center-piece model that is often out of stock due to its high demand in competitive play and Online Only availability. Combining that with Scarab Occult Terminators and Exalted Sorcerers makes this a "must-buy" for Thousand Sons players and helps round out their current bundle box offerings.
3. Vile Vectorium (Death Guard)
Nurgle players get a very diverse spread here. While Lord Felthius is an older and somewhat controversial sculpt, the inclusion of three Foetid Bloat-drones is significant. These are fast, annoying to kill, and offer great harassment potential. Not to mention that this kit, due to popularity, is often sold out. To round out the box, the 20 Poxwalkers ensure you have plenty of "chaff" to hold backfield objectives while your Terminators advance.
4. Lords of Excess (Emperor's Children)
While the range is small, these bundle boxes have been the best way to really round out your 3rd Legion collection. It includes Noise Marines, which are iconic but often harder to source in bundles. The Daemon Prince (possibly the best version of this data sheet in game currently) anchors the force, while the Infractors/Tormentors offer flexibility. If you are preparing for a potential future Emperor's Children codex, this is a great foundation.
The Old World: The Northmen Ride
For fans of Warhammer: The Old World, the focus is on the mortal followers of Chaos. The key takeaway here is plastic kits.
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Chaos Marauder Horsemen: fast cavalry with high customization (13 different heads per 5 models).
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Chaos Marauders: The classic infantry block. These kits are vital for "Warriors of Chaos" armies that need board presence without paying the points cost of the elite Chaos Warriors.
Horus Heresy: Iron and Shields
The Age of Darkness gets a reinforcement of heavy armor.
Cataphractii Terminators
Getting a rather rapid single release, these highly durable Terminators of the Heresy are coming to the After Dark this weekend. Within the kit you'll find two different ways to build these iconic elite warriors. 
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Maul & Volkite: Great for clearing infantry hordes and more standard infantry.
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Fist & Combi-Bolter: The classic "can opener" unit for fighting other Elites.
Breacher Squads
Finally, plastic Breachers are here to...well...breach.
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The Unit: 10 Marines with Heavy Boarding Shields.
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The Upgrade: A separate upgrade sprue is available if you already have MkII or MkVI bodies and just want the shields and arms. We suspect that these will be Online Only offerings, so stay tuned for more on that.
Black Library: The Word Bearers Return
To round out the release, David Annandale brings us Apostle.
This novel focuses on Cerastes, a Word Bearer Dark Apostle returning to his home world, Legitur, to overthrow the Imperial Creed. If you enjoy stories of religious zealotry, dark rituals, and the Sisters of Battle (Order of the Thorn), this looks like a compelling read.
Final Thoughts
This is a "wallet-buster" week for Chaos players. The Thousand Sons box offers incredible utility, while the Breacher Squads for Horus Heresy fill a long-awaited gap in the plastic range. Whether you want to cast spells, spread plagues, or board enemy ships, this release wave has you covered.
