Warhammer's latest autumn showcase delivered a notably wide-ranging set of announcements, stretching from a completely new Age of Sigmar army to a Dungeons & Dragons-style roleplaying game set in Necromunda's violent underhive. New miniature ranges, Codex and Horus Heresy support for the Adeptus Custodes, a renewed Tomb Kings line for Warhammer: The Old World, a Night Goblin Blood Bowl team, and a major paint initiative all appeared during the presentation.
For fans of Warhammer animation, the event also put a release window on Astartes 2. The new Warhammer+ series, which features the Deathwatch, is scheduled to arrive in December 2026. It was one of several announcements designed to appeal beyond a single game system, but the standout was undoubtedly the first substantial look at the Khazalite Holds.
Khazalite Holds bring classic dwarfs back to Age of Sigmar
The Khazalite Holds are a brand-new duardin army for Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and their design clearly embraces many of the foundational dwarf ideas that longtime fantasy players will recognize. Heavily armoured infantry, rune craft, mountain strongholds, artillery pieces and monumental constructs define a faction built to look immovable on the battlefield.
The army's aesthetic combines traditional fantasy dwarf imagery with a Nordic, almost saga-like identity. Its rank-and-file warriors are clad in thick armour, while the range also includes huge Gholem constructs: rune-inscribed animated creations that look set to provide the faction with a formidable centrepiece presence. One alternate Gholem build is devoted to Valaya, the duardin god associated with hearth and home.
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Other revealed units include cannon and mortar crews with especially elaborate bases and detailing, as well as Valayan Guardians whose appearance evokes heavily armoured valkyrie-inspired warriors. The faction's high king is another visual highlight. His throne is presented as moving through stone itself, giving the model a dramatic sense of an entire mountain hold advancing to war.
The reveal also has potential implications for Age of Sigmar's existing duardin factions. Fyreslayer elements are incorporated into the Khazalite Holds, suggesting that the flame-haired berserkers may no longer remain wholly separate as a standalone range. That outcome has not been formally confirmed, so players should treat it as a possibility rather than a final declaration about the Fyreslayers' future. The Kharadron Overlords, Age of Sigmar's skyfaring duardin, appear to remain distinct.
Whatever the eventual faction structure, the Khazalite Holds fill a meaningful gap in the setting. They offer Age of Sigmar a more conventional vision of dwarf fantasy alongside its established airborne industrialists and lightly armoured fire-worshipping berserkers. The new force looks positioned to attract veteran collectors who miss the classic mountain-hold archetype as well as newcomers searching for a heavily armoured, infantry-focused army.
For another perspective on this story, read Warhammer's Khazalite Holds Lead a Packed Preview With Custodes, Tomb Kings and a Necromunda RPG.
Necromunda moves into tabletop roleplaying
The show's largest surprise may have been a new tabletop roleplaying game based on Necromunda. Rather than another skirmish expansion, this release takes players into the hive world's criminal underbelly for a party-based roleplaying experience. The premise is a natural fit for Necromunda, a setting already known for gangs, desperate citizens, strange cults and the vast social strata buried beneath Imperial industry.
The core set appears to include the expected tools for running a campaign: a substantial rulebook, character sheets, maps and a game master screen. It is also expected to contain miniatures and what appears to be a ready-to-play adventure. That combination could make the box an accessible route into a Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying campaign without requiring a group to assemble every component independently.
The project is especially interesting because Warhammer tabletop RPGs have often been produced with external publishing partners. This new Necromunda game appears to be handled directly by Warhammer, at least based on the material shown in the preview. More information on its rule system, campaign format and long-term support will be important, but the announcement signals a significant expansion for Necromunda beyond its established tabletop skirmish roots.
Custodes prepare for a major Warhammer 40,000 update
The Adeptus Custodes were another central focus. New Aquilon Terminators are coming to both Warhammer: The Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000, though the equipment options will vary depending on the game. In 40K, the Terminators can be equipped with bolters alongside either gauntlets or power talons.
Those rules will be part of a new Custodes Codex for Warhammer 40,000, which appears set to be the faction's next major release. The preview indicated that many existing units will continue in the range, while recent additions from Horus Heresy may also cross over into the far-future game. The exact extent of that transfer was not fully clear from the presentation, but the direction is significant: Custodes collectors could soon have a broader collection of elite options available in 40K.
The faction's identity remains one of exceptional quality over quantity. Individual Custodians are portrayed as incredibly powerful, potentially matching the battlefield impact normally associated with Space Marine heroes, while their army size remains comparatively small. That trade-off has always been central to the faction, and the forthcoming Codex looks set to reinforce it.
A new Custodes Combat Patrol box was also revealed. It includes what appears to be a Guard Sodality, a Shield-Captain, a large dreadnought and flying Venatari Sodality. Because of the army's unusually elite profile, the box is said to offer enough components to build two separate Combat Patrol forces. Meanwhile, Horus Heresy players will receive Custodes material that pits the Emperor's guardians against the daemons of Slaanesh.
Tomb Kings return in plastic and Blood Bowl gets goblin chaos
Warhammer: The Old World is receiving a substantial Tomb Kings refresh. Nehekhara's undead will gain new plastic miniatures across troops, characters and cavalry, offering a modernized entry point for one of classic Warhammer Fantasy's most distinctive armies.
The models shown have a more animated and dynamic look than many of the older Tomb Kings sculpts. That matters for both returning players and first-time collectors: an all-new plastic range makes it easier to build an army without depending on aging kits, and it gives the Tomb Kings a stronger visual place alongside newer Old World releases.
On a considerably sillier pitch, Blood Bowl is getting a Night Goblin team. The lineup leans into the game's absurd humour with tricksy greenskins, squigs and particularly characterful supporting details. Blood Bowl has long thrived when its teams are allowed to become gloriously strange, and a goblin squad equipped with unpredictable creatures and novelty instruments looks fully in keeping with that tradition.
Warhammer Tone Pro promises a different painting workflow
Hobbyists also received a major announcement in the form of Warhammer Tone Pro, a new paint line containing 150 paints. The range is organized into 30 colours, with five tones assigned to each colour family. A simple numerical structure runs from 1, the darkest tone, to 5, the lightest.
The stated aim is to make shading and highlighting easier to understand and more repeatable, particularly for painters who want a clearer progression between dark and light. The paints have been presented as offering improved flow, strong pigmentation and coverage intended to help with traditionally demanding colours such as white and yellow.
Warhammer Tone Pro is more than a set of standard colours. Shade Medium will allow painters to convert paints in the line into shades, while Blending Medium is designed to extend working time. New drybrushes with tapered edges are also planned, including smaller brushes intended to reach fine details with greater control.
It remains unclear whether Tone Pro will replace the current paint range or exist beside it. That question will matter greatly to established hobbyists with years of familiar colour recipes. For now, it is safest to view the range as a new painting system rather than assume an immediate end for existing paints.
A broad preview with room for more details
The autumn event covered a remarkable number of corners of the Warhammer hobby: rank-and-file fantasy warfare, historical-era civil war, the bleak 41st Millennium, sports satire, roleplaying and animation all received attention. Yet the Khazalite Holds and Necromunda RPG arguably carry the greatest long-term intrigue because both introduce new ways to engage with beloved settings.
The Khazalite Holds could reshape how duardin armies are represented in Age of Sigmar, particularly if Fyreslayer units are ultimately folded into the new faction. The Necromunda RPG, meanwhile, has the chance to turn one of Warhammer 40,000's richest local settings into a dedicated framework for ongoing character-driven campaigns.
With Astartes 2 now due in December 2026 and multiple miniature, rules and hobby releases on the horizon, Warhammer fans have a busy period ahead. Exact launch dates, full rules and pricing for much of the tabletop lineup have yet to be detailed, but the preview made one point clear: every major branch of the Warhammer universe has more to come.
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