This weekend is a bit of a mixed bag, but in the best way. Warhammer: The Old World and The Horus Heresy are both seeing some solid support, with Grand Cathay continuing its march into the Old World while the Solar Auxilia get more battlefield tools for the Age of Darkness. It is not a massive, single-system blowout, but there is a lot here for players who have been waiting for these ranges to get deeper support.
For The Old World, Grand Cathay continues to be the headline. The new Astromancers of the Celestial Court are a strong character release, giving Cathay players both a foot and mounted wizard option in plastic. That is the kind of kit that immediately helps the army feel more complete, especially with the extra head and arm options giving players some room to make the models their own.
The Iron Hail Gunners and Crane Gunner Teams are probably the standout Cathay release this wave. Cathay already has a strong identity built around discipline, formation fighting, and controlled firepower, and these kits lean right into that. The Iron Hail Gunners bring close-range pressure, while the Crane Gunners add that long-range precision threat for characters, monsters, and high-value targets. It is a practical box, and likely one of the more important pickups for people building into the faction.
The Peasant Levy are less flashy, but arguably just as important. Every army needs its backbone, and this box gives Grand Cathay the mass infantry it needs to feel like a real tabletop force instead of just a collection of elite units and centerpiece models. Spears or warbows, plus a good spread of head options, make this a very useful core kit for Cathay players.
On the Horus Heresy side, the Solar Auxilia get some very welcome reinforcements. The Charonite Ogryn Section brings brutal melee shock troops to the range, and these are exactly the kind of units that make Solar Auxilia feel different from just “humans with tanks.” They are nasty, enhanced, cybernetic brutes built for close quarters violence, and the weapon options give the kit some good visual variety.
The Rapier Fire Support Battery and Rapier Direct Fire Battery are also strong additions. These are not glamorous kits in the same way as giant tanks or elite infantry, but they matter.
The indirect fire version gives access to quad launchers and mole mortars, while the direct fire version brings heavy bolters, multi-lasers, and laser destroyers. For Solar Auxilia players, this helps fill that important middle ground between infantry weapons and full vehicle support.
Then we have Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn Part One, which is probably the most interesting Horus Heresy item in the wave for players who care about narrative gaming. Tallarn is one of the defining armored conflicts of the Heresy, and a book focused on that war fits perfectly alongside the new Solar Auxilia support units. The Armoured Spearhead mission content also makes sense here, especially with rules support for command tanks, Rapier Carriers, and Charonite Ogryns.
Finally, White Dwarf Issue 524 rounds things out with a pretty broad mix. Wizards, custom Battlemage options, Arcane Duel, Armageddon coverage, and a Kill Team scenario involving an Ork submarine all make this sound like one of the more varied issues. The Armageddon content is especially interesting with everything currently building around Yarrick, Ghazghkull, and the renewed focus on the War World.
Overall, this is a solid weekend, even if it is not focused on one single blockbuster release. Grand Cathay continues to get the kind of support it needs to become a fully realized faction in The Old World, while the Solar Auxilia get practical and flavorful additions for The Horus Heresy. Not every release here is going to be for everyone, but for the players invested in these systems, there is quite a bit to like.
