And they shall know no fear…
After many months of waiting, The Emperors Finest now have a 6th edition Codex. I am very excited about this release, as I love Space Marines. Not just that, I love the character each Chapter has. From the stealthy Raven Guard to the defiant Imperial Fists. Rumors say that each Chapter will have it’s own special rules to go along side its personality. I will wait to comment on this until I have the Codex in hand, but I think it’s a cool idea. Of course with a new Codex, comes new miniatures. Let’s take a look at them, and see how they hold up.
First up, as usual, are the Codex books themselves. The first one is the standard edition. Once again, the art is top notch. Of course GW has released a limited edition version of the Codex. What’s different about this release is there are a total of seven different covers. These are Ultramarines, Iron Hands, White Scars, Salamanders, Imperial Fists, Raven Guard, and a Successor version. I am a huge fan of all of these covers, and I have already ordered my Ultramarine copy.
Next up are some new plastic character models. What’s interesting to see is that there are no new finecast minis for this release. First up is a plastic Captain. A lovely model, very similar to the Assault on Black Reach mini. Next up is the new plastic Librarian. It’s a nice model, and I like the pose, but I am curious how hard it would be to swap the head. The cherub is also creepy. Cool, and a nice touch, but creepy. Last up is the new plastic Chaplain, which sadly can only be obtained in the Reclusiam Command Squad. It’s a gorgeous model with a lot of movement, and I would love to convert it to an Art-Scale Marine.
One of many new plastic kits to be released this month are the Sternguard Veterans. This kit makes five Sternguard. I love the amount of detail in these minis, and I adore the new helmet with the crest. The kit also contains numerous weapon options that could allow for tons of kit bashing, especially combined with the Assault squad or the new Tactical Squad. Speaking of Tactical Marines…
A big surprise, and something that doesn’t happen very often, is a new plastic kit of the main troops for an army. The new Tactical kit is fantastic. The poses are more upright, the Marines actually look like they are aiming at enemies, and I am glad to see a Mk 4 leg set. Sadly, the kit doesn’t have all the heavy weapons, but I suppose you can get them from the Devastator kit. Overall, a great plastic kit.
The next plastic kit are the Centurions. These are massive suits of armour that Space Marines pilot. I’m not entirely sold on the kit, but I adore the artwork. I can see myself converting these guys, but it would take a fair amount of work. The kit comes with all the parts you need to make any of the options, so you could use the spare weapons for conversions. It’s an alright kit, but it needs a lot of work to make it really stand out.
The Vanguard Veterans also kit a new plastic kit this release. The kit has a ton of weapon options, and has some pretty great poses. They have a good sense of movement, and reminds me a lot of the Death Company. I really like the new details on the Jump Packs and, as with the Sternguard, it would be a lot of fun to kit bash with the Assault squad or Tactical Squad.
And what would a new release be without a new tank? To deal with all the new fliers coming out,l the Space Marines have been given two new tanks based upon the Rhino chassis. The first image is of the Stalker tank, which has to guns to pump out a hail of anti air fire. The other option is the Hunter variant, which fires massive ground to air missiles. I really like the look of both the guns, and I enjoy the bulked out Rhino chassis.
The last item from GW is the new Damnos Warzone book. This expansions covers the Damnos event, as well as adding new rules to Apocalypse. It’s a fun idea, and I am looking forward to seeing more Warzone expansions. Hopefully a Battle of Macragge isn’t to far off. Of Course Black Library also has some items to show off. A new release of The Fall of Damnos by Nick Kyme is coming out, with new art and a novella added to the book. A new audio drama is also being released, again about Damnos.
Forge World has also put some new items up for pre-order. A new Sons of Horus command pack that includes a Commander and a banner bearer. These both look fantastic, and I love how much character they both have. And of course a Sons of Horus Contemptor had to come out some time! Another great Dreadnought model, I can see a lot of Black Legion players painting this up and using it for 40k.
Overall, an awesome release for Space Marines. I am very happy to see a large amount of new plastic kits come out, and I am very excited to read the Codex, and be inspired by all the fantastic artwork. Go check out the new pre orders on the GW site, and quickly order a limited edition Codex if you really want one. They will be sold out soon!
Cheers!
-Tarvick