We thus conclude our series of three articles dedicated to Games Workshop’s first 2026 preview. After exploring Warhammer 40K [here] and Age of Sigmar / Blood Bowl [here], we now turn our attention to Horus Heresy, to discover the new releases and upcoming developments in this iconic universe.
Legio Custodes
Little surprise here, the Custodes reveal has finally happened… and what a punch! These new plastic miniatures are absolutely stunning and come in impressive quantities. The new Custodian Guards and Custodian Sentinels have been fully resculpted and reproportioned, with an impressive level of detail. This dual kit is a true masterpiece.
It’s worth noting that, although this kit is designed for Warhammer 30K, there’s nothing indicating that the older models will be removed or become obsolete for 40K, even if there are strong hints to the contrary.
Another notable detail: female miniatures are making a strong appearance within the Custodes ranks, and their faces are perfectly harmonized with the rest of the models, which is completely seamless.
Three tanks are making their debut in plastic. There’s no indication that they form a dual kit, although it’s possible that the Caladius Annihilator Grav-Tank and the Caladius Grav-tank do, given their many similarities. The Coronus Grav Carrier, on the other hand, appears very different, but Games Workshop may have chosen to package them together in a single box. We’ll have to wait and see how these vehicles are packaged upon release.
In any case, it’s a real pleasure to see these models in plastic, because, believe me, the resin versions were not only very heavy but also particularly tedious to assemble.
Let’s continue with the vehicles, starting with this Contemptor Dreadnought dual kit, which allows you to assemble either the Contemptor-Galatus or Contemptor-Achillus. These iconic Dreadnoughts of the army have been designed for dynamic assembly, offering a wide range of posing options.
For those who have followed Forge World since its early days, it’s particularly satisfying to see these kits now in plastic. Thanks to modern molding techniques, these models gain in detail and finesse, while remaining much easier to assemble and minimizing molding defects. This Dreadnought is therefore a real success, much like the tanks presented earlier, and confirms the high quality of this wave of plastic releases for the army.
The new Shield-Captain is also magnificent and fully embraces the army’s updated design. However, this release raises a question on our part.
The Shield-Captain for Warhammer 40K was released last year, meaning these miniatures were already planned. It is therefore hard to understand why Games Workshop is now releasing a version that quickly becomes disproportionate, just a few months after the previous one.
It might have been more sensible to either not release anything last year, focus on a vehicle redesign, or offer these miniatures for 40K with complementary kits for 30K later. This approach creates frustrations where they could have been avoided, unless, of course, the 40K range remains unchanged.
To complete this release, the Venatari take to the skies and can be assembled with two weapon options. There’s nothing to fault in this kit, which reproportions and elevates the iconic old Forge World model.
This is an exceptional release, featuring a substantial number of units. We are somewhat unsettled by the planned obsolescence of the 40K range, but the result remains breathtaking. The army is released alongside its Liber Custodes, allowing it to be played alongside the Sisters of Silence. We are genuinely excited to see the next plastic releases for this army.
Tanks galore for the Legiones Astartes
Here’s a completely unexpected release: two tanks have appeared. The Glaive Super-heavy Special Weapons Tank is making its plastic debut quite suddenly. It’s certainly a welcome surprise to see such a kit, even if anticipated, released in plastic. It’s a shame, however, that it cannot be played in Warhammer 40K.
Also released quietly, the Whirlwind previously had no official 30K version, not even in resin. This update is therefore very welcome. For those who find the missiles a bit oversized, we suggest comparing them to the thermobaric missile-launcher tanks, which the kit seems to be inspired by. It’s amusing to see that the design from the Legion Imperialis kit has been reused here, giving us hope that Dark Mechanicum units might appear one day.
This was a high-quality Horus Heresy review that we had the chance to explore. We hope that the rules for units not included in the Liber books will be made available as a free PDF.
In parallel, a new Tactica Journal, Mailed Fist, has been released, offering a deep dive into the universe of 30K armored vehicles. While the content is interesting, we remain somewhat skeptical about the number of these publications, preferring more comprehensive and substantial volumes, similar to the previous edition books or Forge World’s Horus Heresy series.
Overall, this was a very strong reveal, and we are eagerly anticipating the next one, which will likely take place at Adepticon in March. This suggests that announcements from this review will probably be available before the next reveal.
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