Updated Blood Angels miniatures and a new Codex for Warhammer 40,000 will be available to pre-order from Saturday October 5, according to Games Workshop. The firm has already previewed all the minis, and some were even available in a limited edition collectors set, but the full range is now going on sale to general customers.
The Blood Angels as some of the most iconic Space Marines in the Warhammer 40k universe. Superficially angelic, they harbor a dark secret, an insatiable hunger for human blood known as the Red Thirst, and an inner madness that drives them into the frenzied Black Rage. They’re gothic, in multiple senses of the word, tragic, heroic – peak 40k.
The most significant item to being released may be the Blood Angels Warhammer 40k Codex supplement, which comes with updated rules for their unique units, and unique 40k Detachments not available to other Space Marine Chapters. While a special edition version of the Codex was sold in a limited edition army box set, most tournaments have been waiting for the general release of the book before allowing players to use the new rules.
There are three special characters among the releases. Astorath the Grim and Chaplain Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost, were both part of the limited edition army box, while the updated sculpt for the Sanguinor is new.
These heroes really reflect the duality of the Blood Angels. Lemartes leads those battle-brothers lost to the Black Rage into battle, while High Chaplain Astorath executes such grief-maddened brothers if they somehow survive the battle.
In contrast, the Sanguinor is a mysterious, divine figure, a spiritual conduit between the Blood Angels and their murdered Primarch Sanguinius.
New models for unnamed characters, a Blood Angels captain and a Sanguinary Priest, the chapter’s equivalent of an apothecary, are also on their way.
There’s also an updated unit for the elite Sanguinary Guard, the personal bodyguard of Chapter Master Dante.
If you want to customise your line units, or mark out warriors lost to the Black Rage, there’s a new Blood Angels upgrade sprue compatible with all the current range of kits.
Lastly, there’s a set of Datacards for quick referencing your rules at the table, and custom dice for showing your dedication to the Sons of Baal.
There will be model releases for two other Warhammer 40k factions next Saturday as well: the Sisters of Battle Canoness with Jump Pack, and Genestealer Cults Benefictus, are both going on sale. These were released previously as part of army bundles, but this is their first standalone release.
The new sculpts for the Blood Angels have been greeted with some opprobrium, in no small part for being a lot subtler than the models they’re replacing – the Sanguinary Guard in has less surface detail, smaller ornamentation, and no armor-nipples. It will be interesting to see if people’s tone changes when the minis arrive – check out this article to see why I think the complaints against them are overdone.
Source: Wargamer
