Everything announced at Big Autumn Warhammer Preview 2026, from Legion of the Damned to a brand-new paint range
A bitesize breakdown of all the reveals
The Big Autumn Warhammer Preview wasn't exaggerating with its name; there was a lot of announcements being thrown down throughout the show with the speed and fury of a bolt rifle. The return of a mythical, forgotten Space Marine army, an all-new Age of Sigmar faction, and a D&D-style tabletop RPG set in the 40K universe are just the beginning.
Because a lot was shown off during the live stream, I've rounded up everything you need to know about the Big Autumn Warhammer Preview in bite-size format right here. I've also split each announcement up into sections, so it's easier to browse.
Before we get started, a quick note on availability: don't expect these releases to go up for pre-order yet. While we can expect them to appear at the Warhammer store (or for a discount at indie retailers like Miniature Market and Wayland Games) in the not-so-distant future, they'll probably show up in drips and drabs over the next few months. Stand down those wallets, and just enjoy the reveals for now!
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Warhammer Tone Pro
Warhammer is launching a brand-new paint range called 'Warhammer Tone Pro,' and it promises to be far easier to use yet also more effective. There will be 150 paints to start with ranging through 30 colors, and each color set has five shades. These are numbered and go from 1 (darkest) to 5 (lightest), which means working out color progressions should be much easier.
According to the stream, the flow and pigmentation of these paints should be far superior to previous ones, with better coverage from the first layer - even for tricky colors like white and yellow. You'll be able to try them for yourself in local Warhammer or hobby stores from Saturday September 26.
These will also launch with a new series of tapered drybrushes of various sizes.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Kill Team
- Kill Team: Armageddon box set revealed
- Legion of the Damned vs. Ork Nobz
- All new season with new Kill Zone
The community has been riddled with whispers that a legendary Space Marine force was returning for the show, and it seems as though those rumors were true. The Legion of the Damned (AKA cursed warriors who emerge from the darkness of space to help humanity in its hour of need) are making their way to the Kill Team skirmish game. They'll be going up against the elite Ork Nobz, who, despite the name, are some of the fiercest greenskins going.
This isn't just a one-off like the previous Exodite box set, though. Kill Team: Armageddon is the start of a brand-new season, and as the name would suggest, it's taking us to the eponymous war-torn planet with a new Kill Zone. This is riddled with ruined bunkers and destroyed vehicles, so provides a distinct flavor from previous entries.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Age of Sigmar
- Khazalite Holds duardin faction revealed
- This will absorb the Fyreslayers army
- Seraphon Battletome and new hero on the way
We already got a tease that they were coming so it wasn't a surprise, but the arrival of a brand new faction to the wargame is still pretty seismic. The show gave us our first full look at the 'Khazalite Holds,' a duardin force that looks like the epitome of classic fantasy dwarves. Based out of mountain holds and rocking a Viking aesthetic, this army brings runic magic to bear alongside mighty constructs (the imposing Gholems) and enormous cannons.
We'll get our first shot at them in an Army Set that provides a Spearhead force along with the Battletome, and this will then be followed by a host of individual units and heroes - including the amazing Valayan Guardians, who look a bit like Warhammer's take on the Valkyries.
Interestingly, this army also seems set to absorb the Fyreslayers duardin faction; it'll be included within the Battletome and featured as a Spearhead.
This wasn't the only Age of Sigmar announcement, though; we also learned that the Seraphon are getting a Battletome soon, alongside Blessed Tetaxi, the Prophet of Tepok. This Skink rides a huge Terradon, and can force his visions into the minds of others.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Necromunda tabletop RPG
- A D&D-style roleplaying game set on Necromunda
- Play as a group of bounty hunters tracking down marks
This might have been the biggest surprise of the show for me; rather than the Necromunda gang many of us had expected, we got a D&D-style Necromunda tabletop RPG instead. This miniatures-driven roleplaying game casts you as bounty hunters trying to get by on the ash-choked world of Necromunda, and it'll push you deep into a hive of scum and villainy. It'll launch as a core box with everything you need to get started (core rules, models, maps, etc) and will be followed by a series of expansions that broaden the scope of the world.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Warhammer 40K
- New Custodes Codex on the way
- Custodes Aquilon Terminators revealed
- Legion of the Damned/Ork Nobz Kill Teams will come to 40K
It was a pretty quiet show so far as the grim darkness of the far future was concerned; a new unit for the Custodes (the Aquilon Terminator) was revealed, as was the Custodes Codex. This will feature almost, if not all, of the Horus Heresy range.
Of course, those glorious Legions of the Damned models and Ork Nobz minis will appear in 40K as well - but not until after the Kill Team box set has dropped.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: The Old World
- Tomb Kings are getting a major revamp
- All-new plastic models across the range
A Tomb Kings reveal was teased ahead of the show, and it turned out to be bigger than expected. Rather than a few models, it was a full army refresh with entirely new plastic models. The old range was getting on in years a bit, and these new ones are far more dynamic - but carry on the spirit of the previous minis. Which, for an undead force, is only right.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Blood Bowl
- Night Goblins Blood Bowl squad
- Very whimsical and full of squigs
Warhammer's fantasy football game always provides some of the company's most wonderfully whimsical models, and it's no different his time. The Eight Peaks Loonatics are ludicrous in the best way, riding squigs onto the grid iron or goading them toward the opposing team.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview: Other
There were a few smaller announcements alongside these other reveals, so I've rounded them up for you below.
- Astartes 2: This Deathwatch-themed animation will launch on Warhammer+ during December 2026.
- Arkanaut: A Kharadron Overlords animation set in the Age of Sigmar hits Warhammer+ in October 2026.
- New Horus Heresy Journal Tactica: This launches alongside the Aquilon Terminators and sees the Custodes fighting against the demons of Slaanesh. It's called 'The Battle for the Signus Cluster.'
- Darkwater expansion: New heroes called the 'Agents of the Order Azyr' are entering the Jade Abbey in the Darkwater board game. We've seen some of these models elsewhere before, but not in every region.
Big Autumn Warhammer Preview recap
Here we go! The countdown timer is ticking down, and the reveals are about to begin. I'll be commenting on everything as it happens right here, then hitting a more detailed roundup afterward.
Pre-show predictions
Before we start, let's go over some predictions. I have a full breakdown of everything I'm expecting to see elsewhere, but here's the short version.
- Legion of the Damned for Kill Team/40K: A flaming skull showed up during the preshow teaser, and even though this could relate to a few factions, rumors are swirling that it'll be the cursed Space Marine Legion of the Damned. These guys emerge from the Warp wreathed in fire to aid humanity when all hope is lost. Because they were referenced in the Armageddon box set, I think this is pretty likely.
- Khazalite Holds for Age of Sigmar: We know for a fact that a new Duardin faction is on the way because Warhammer told us so earlier this week. We haven't seen much yet, so we'll definitely get the full reveal here.
- Corpse Grinder Cult for Necromunda: We were teased with a 'corpse starch' tin drawing ahead of the Big Autumn Warhammer Preview, and this could reference the Imperial Guard and their habit of eating 'paste' made of… well, y'know. But because Necromunda is definitely getting a reveal during the show, I expect it'll be that game's Corpse Grinder gang instead.
- Custodes for 40K/Horus Heresy: It's been strongly implied that the Emperor's personal guard will be making an appearance, and a new brand of Custodes Terminator armor was leaked by Warhammer itself recently.
- Tomb Kings for Old World/Blood Bowl: Judging by a cheeky tease ahead of the Big Autumn Warhammer Preview, I think we can expect a revamped Tomb Kings army here. That, or Blood Bowl players.
- Greenskins for Darkwater/Blood Bowl: We know we're getting a reveal for the Darkwater board game this show, and Orc/Orruk squigs were shown off in teaser artwork. Could they be included in an expansion?
What I hope to see is a new Kill Team core box
Is there anything you're hoping to see today? Shout about it in the comments below. Personally, I can't wait for a new Kill Team box set. While it's possible that we'll get another one-off like Exodite or Kill Team: Terror on Devlan (these were largely solo/co-op experiences), we're due a full season launch around about now. We typically get a new core box with rules and terrain like Hivestorm and Tomb World every Fall, so it's certainly due.
In terms of what might be in that box, word on the street (and teasers from Warhammer itself) suggest we'll be getting a team made up of cursed Legion of the Damned Space Marines. Because new Ork Nobz were announced but haven't been released yet, I suspect they'll be the second squad.
As for terrain, the recent Armageddon box set (which was like Christmas come early for fans) featured a snippet of lore describing the Legion of the Damned fighting on planet Armageddon itself… so maybe this season will be set on that war-torn world as well?
I'm excited to see a new duardin army
I'm also pumped for the Khazalite Holds, the upcoming duardin/dwarf faction for Age of Sigmar. While it's a brand-new army, this one seems heavily inspired by the past; judging by talk of 'mountain holds' and Gholems (rune-covered automatons brought to life through forgecraft and/or magic) in a tease earlier this week, I suspect they'll be classic dwarves like those seen in old-school Warhammer Fantasy Battles. Although it's a well-worn cliché, that's a niche the game doesn't cover right now; its current duardin are either steampunk sky pirates or mohawk-wearing berserkers who wear very little armor. The question is, will the Khazalite Holds exist alongside these two ranges or absorb them?
And here we go! Are we ready, everyone?
As per usual, the stream is waiting for everyone to pile in. Don't worry, the good stuff is coming soon.
New paints inbound - welcome Warhammer Tone Pro
A new paint range is on the way! Well, that was unexpected! Warhammer Tone Pro is 150 new paints,. There are 30 new colors, with 5 tones in each. 1 is the darkest, 5 is the lightest. I
The new paint range are all about ease
We're now digging in to what these paints can do - and there's a lot of talk about flow, as well as how easy even tricky colors (like white or yellow) are to paint with here thanks to superior coverage and pigmentation.
All that sounds fabulous, but my question is this: are these paints replacing the existing range? It'd certainly make browsing and color progression easier to understand if they all use that straightforward numbering system.
Oh, and apparently we're getting a variety of new drybrushes with a more tapered edge. That includes smaller ones that get into small details without getting onto anything else.
It's not just about paints
We're not just getting paints with Warhammer Tone Pro; the range also includes a couple of mediums for you to try. Shade Medium lets you turn any of the 150 paints into a shade, while the Blending Medium keeps it pliable for far longer. Both should come in very handy.
The stream also showed off the content creators and pro painters who've been hands-on with Warhammer Tone Pro (including my personal painting hero, Warhipster - if you want fantastic tutorials, I can't recommend his work enough). I'll be very interested to see what they think of this new range.
I think the fact that such a vaunted rogue's gallery of painters have been brought in to test the range suggests it's going to be big for Warhammer.
The Emperor's finest are on their way, with new Custodes models and a Warhammer 40K Codex
And here we go - our first models of the show. The Custodes for Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K are getting brand new terminators - the Aquilon Terminators. The versions available to you will vary depending on the game you're playing in. As an example, 40K players can give them gauntlets or power talons to go with their bolters.
These 40K rules will all be available in the new Custodes Codex, which looks as though it'll be the next release for the grim darkness of the far future. While loads of existing units are sticking around, most (if not all, it's hard to tell from the short preview we're seeing on screen) of the Horus Heresy additions from the past year or so are making their way to 40K.
It also looks as though they're getting a big power boost, with the basic Custodian being on par with Space Marine heroes. However, the tradeoff is that you'll be outnumbered because each individual soldier is so strong.
Custodes Combat Patrol? Yes please
We're also getting a Custodes update book for Horus Heresy that pits them against the demons of Slaanesh. I hope you're ready to make those hellspawn pay.
The thing that really caught my eye was the new Custodes Combat Patrol box set for Warhammer 40K, though. This features a unit of basic troops (what looks like the basic Guard Sodality), a Shield Captain, a massive dreadnought, and flying Venatari Sodality. You're apparently getting two Combat Patrols in one here, because they can field so few troops each due to their power level.
Astartes 2 drops December 2026
We now have a release date for the Astartes 2 animation for Warhammer+ featuring the Death Watch... and I hope you're clear for a binge session this Holiday season, because it drops in December 2026.
The Tomb Kings are getting a brand-new range of plastic models
Our suspicions were true - the Tomb Kings are getting a massive overhaul for their Old World miniatures range. We're talking brand-new plastic troops, heroes, cavalry, and more, so it's a great opportunity to kick off a collection if you were ever tempted to start an army of the Nehekharan undead.
I adore these; they look a lot more dynamic than the previous, very old models.
Gobbos are storming the grid iron in Blood Bowl
Blood Bowl continues to prove that it has some of the weirdest, most creatives models around, because we're getting a Night Goblin team full of squigs and tricksy greenskins. I'm particularly keen on the guy who's using a squig to play a trumpet.
A Necromunda tabletop RPG is on the way
OK, this might be the biggest surprise of the show. We're getting a D&D-style tabletop RPG based on Necromunda, seemingly made by Warhammer itself. Tipping you headfirst into the 40K underworld of the wartorn planet Necromunda, it's chock full of gorgeous new models as well as what would appear to be a pre-written adventure you and your party can run through. As a TTRPG core set, it also comes with a weighty rulebook and the usual game master screen/map collection/character sheets you'd expect.
Usually Warhammer tabletop RPGs are handled by external partners like Cubicle 7 - so it's very interesting that Warhammer is handling this one itself.
Enter the Khazalite Holds, Age of Sigmar's brand new dwarf/duardin army
Following their tease early this week, we're delving deep below the earth for a brand-new Warhammer Age of Sigmar army - the Khazalite Holds. These are classic fantasy dwarves (or duardin, if we're using Age of Sigmar terminology) with armor heavy enough to make each warrior a walking tank, a Viking aesthetic, rune magic, and such stubborness that they should be a force to be reckoned with.
If you love classic fantasy dwarves, you're gonna love these models... and they incorporate the Fyreslayers
Gosh, but these are gorgeous new miniatures. As an entirely new, from-the-ground up range, the design team has had an opportunity to go wild here - and they've delivered. While I'm absolutely in love with the footsoldiers (they're the epitome of 'fantasy dwarf'), there are so many incredible new miniatures that I'm finding it hard to keep up with what I want to paint first. The massive Gholem constructs we saw earlier are being joined by an alt build dedicated to the duardin god Valaya, the mighty cannons and mortars look like dioramas in their own right, and the Valayan Guardians feel as though they're a dwarf take on Viking Valkyries. Oh, and don't get me started on how cool their high king is - he and his followers have such mastery over stone that his throne marches through the earth like some sort of tank. I'm lost for words.
Interestingly, this army incorporates the Fyreslayers - so it seems like that faction may be going away as a solo force, now being rolled into the Khazalite Holds. It does look like the Kharadron Overlords are staying in their own book, though.
Take to the skies with the Arkanaut animated series
It's not just Warhammer 40K fans who are eating good this year with Astartes 2; Age of Sigmar fans are getting a Warhammer+ animation too. The swashbuckling Arkanaut focuses on the sky pirate Kharadron Overlords, and while we don't know much about it, it looks like fun.
Reinforcements are inbound for Seraphon (well, just one, but he's cool)
Looks like the Seraphon (Lizardmen) are next to get a Battletome for Age of Sigmar. Alongside a rulebook for the current edition of the game, there's a new miniature too - a tiny Skink riding a huge, imposing pteranodon.
More lambs to the slaughter for Darkwater
Well, that was a bit of a less weighty update for the Darkwater board game than I was expecting. We're getting a clutch of new heroes to brave the Jade Abbey with, and while we've seen these models separately elsewhere, they weren't available in every region.
Welcome back, Legion of the Damned
YES! Looks like the rumors were true, because the Legion of the Damned is coming to Warhammer 40K's skirmish spin-off, Kill Team. These guys are a bit like a grimdark take on the Flying Dutchman myth; they're cursed Space Marines who appear as if from nowhere to help humanity in its hour of need.
They're going up against the elite Ork Nobz squad, and both will fight over all-new terrain.
An all new season for Kill Team
Rather than being a one-off like previous box sets, this is the start of an all-new season. In other words, it brings us a brand-new set of terrain for Kill Zone - Armageddon. This takes us to the eponymous, wartorn world that was the focus of the new edition for Warhammer 40K, so that means a lot of ruined bunkers and broken vehicles.
When paired with that incredible pair of Kill Teams, this is gonna be one hell of a popular box set. I anticipate it selling out incredibly quickly, so keep an eye out for pre-orders. They'll go quickly, if previous boxes are anything to go by.
And that's a wrap!
And that's a wrap on this year's Big Autumn Warhammer Preview! Phew. I don't know about you, but I feel like it's been one hell of a stream in terms of reveals. The Khazalite Holds and Legion of the Damned stole the show for me, but I can't stop thinking about the Necromunda tabletop RPG either. As a huge D&D fan, I can't wait to see how that turns out - especially as I'm a huge fan of running battlemaps with terrain and miniatures.
What were your favorite announcements? Shout about them in the chat below. I'd love to hear it!
I really, really need these minis
OK gang, bear with me - I'm just writing everything up for our summary. I don't know about you, but I can't get over how amazing the Legion of the Damned look. I think it would have been easy for them to seem goofy - like off-brand Ghost Rider - but the team's 'less is more' approach really works here.
OK, I'm heading out now that the stream is over and our bitesize summaries are written. Thanks so much for following along with me! Have a great weekend.
