This monday, Games Workshop replaced its normally scheduled model reveal with a preview of a preview, announcing the Big Autumn Warhammer Preview. The show will go live this Friday, September 18, and GW has hinted at reveals including the next Warhammer 40k codex and the (now thoroughly spoiled) Khazalite Holds for Warhammer Age of Sigmar. The teaser trailer for the show is packed with tantalizing logos which we’ve decoded to predict what’s going to be revealed this Friday.
The preview itself goes live 11am PDT / 2pm EDT / 7pm BST on Twitch and YouTube. The WarCom article announcing the preview confirmed that we’ll get reveals for the following games:
Holy Banana – Warhammer 40,000 – Adeptus Custodes
This high gothic inscription translates as ‘in his name’, but what’s it written on? I initially took it to be a pair of pennants, the kind you’d find fluttering from a Sisters of Battle living saint. But on closer inspection I’m pretty sure it’s a golden banana, and that’s a sure sign of the Adeptus Custodes.
It’s possible that more Horus Heresy minis are being revealed, but I think it’s more likely to be the Custodes’ 11th edition codex. The range has already been covertly refreshed via the Horus Heresy releases, and with the revision to Space Marine stats suddenly making them as tough as Custodes, there’s a very good reason for GW to get the Custodes’ codex out ASAP and ensure the Emperor’s finest remain the most elite infantry faction in the game.
Rune of Valaya – Khazalite Holds for Warhammer Age of Sigmar
My heretic heart fluttered when I saw this intertwined V and inverted V, which collectively suggest both an XX and a pair of letter A’s – an Alpha Legion Kill Team was looking likely! Then a smart Redditor pointed out that this is the Dwarven Master Rune of Valaya. So this is the faction symbol for the Khazalite Holds which were accidentally revealed by a website error on the weekend, and which GW confirmed when it announced the preview.
As an Old World Dwarf player, I’m delighted – as a traitor legion appreciator, I’m disappointed. Still, every model is an Alpha Legion model if you’ve got the will and the green stuff.
Flaming Skull – Necromunda – House Cawdor
I have sad news for Legion of the Damned fans – the undead Space Marine chapter‘s logo is just a skull, with no flaming aura. The flaming skull belongs to House Cawdor of Necromunda. Given how incredibly crisp the new sculpts for houses Escher and Goliath have been, this should be impressive.
Corpse Starch – Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team – Specialist Astra Militarum
Corpse Starch is the final destination of the average Imperial citizen on any hive world, and the tabletop game Necromunda features both the Mercator Pallidus corpse merchants and the insane Corpse Grinder cults. The only reason I think this is actually a Kill Team reveal is that it would be too obvious.
Well, not just that – I think GW is going to reveal new minis for the six main Houses before it moves onto the niche gangs. The Astra Militarum eats a fair share of Corpse Starch, and this sure looks like a ration tin, particularly as the stencil font is very close to one used on the Astra Militarum vehicle transfer sheet.
The most obvious Guard kit in need of an update is the Catachan Jungle Fighters, but – as we’ve seen with Spectre Squad – GW isn’t above inventing new teams when it wants to!
Nehekhara 4 Life – Tomb Kings Star Players – Blood Bowl
Nehekhara is the domain of the Tomb Kings in both Warhammer: The Old World and the comedy parallel universe where Blood Bowl takes place. The fact that this graffiti is so silly suggests that this is a teaser for the gridiron. The Tomb Kings launched with Blood Bowl Third Season edition, and so far there are no star players themed around them.
II – Astartes 2
Since Space Marine 2 came out in 2024, the only “2” that Warhammer fans care about is Astartes 2, the long-awaited sequel to Syama Pedersen’s seminal CGI animation. Presumably we’ll get an updated teaser trailer and details of when it launches. This year, we hope!
Squig Herd – The Old World or Warhammer Quest Darkwater
This is the prediction I’m least certain about. This is unquestionably a herd of squigs, the kind that Night Goblins and Gloomspite Gits alike prod into battle. The fact there’s a sword stuck in one says this isn’t anything to do with Blood Bowl. But what game are they part of?
The Old World range is, technically, missing any official Squig Herd or Squig Rider models. But the Age of Sigmar models work really well for the job: the Squig Herd minis fit onto 25mm bases and rank up pretty well, while the skirmishing Squig Hoppers don’t actually need to rank up very often.
GW does release new designs for The Old World that fill a very similar niche to Age of Sigmar models, as with the recent Chaos Knights. I just find it very, very hard to picture what that could be for the Night Goblins and particularly the squig hoppers. Their AoS aesthetic is almost identical to their Old World identity – angry meatballs.
The alternative is that the next Warhammer Quest: Darkwater expansion will feature gobbos. How would they fit into the battle for the Jade Abbey? It’s obviously ‘dank’, and therefore prime real estate for the Gloomspite Gits. And the game is set up to be easily expandable with new encounter cards and monster stat cards. But it feels like a peculiar turn after the dramatic battle against Nurgle in the base game.
What do you think is coming? What about the games where there’s no obvious teaser? Let us know in the Wargamer Discord community!
Source: Wargamer
