The war for the galaxy's most brutal battlefield continues in a grim new trailer from Warhammer 40K that ends with the return of an old-school hero (Commisar Yarrick), but I'll be damned if I know what's going on. Is it the reveal of the next edition? A box set? A new campaign book? I'm genuinely not sure.
This cinematic trailer - which you can see below - is bleak, even by Warhammer standards. It takes place on the utterly miserable world of Armageddon as it's torn to shreds by an Ork invasion, and it's one of the grimmest warzones of an already grimdark future. Think the trenches of WW1 crossed with apocalyptic alien hordes and you're close. While things start with an embattled leader begging for his troops to save themselves (someone get this poor man into therapy), he's quickly… er, "relieved" of duty by a familiar face from Warhammer 40K – Commisar Sebastian Yarrick, The Hero of Hades. This grizzled old-timer basically tells everyone they're slacking off and proceeds to direct the front from a holotable that makes it look as though he's playing one of the best board games. We then see his new model in all its pincer-handed glory. But what is this all teasing?
Based on the reveals from the last few weeks and rumors swirling about Orks fighting Space Marines in the next Warhammer 40K edition, I was certain an announcement was imminent. That's certainly been the pattern for the last few editions of Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar. But there's nary a Space Marine to be seen here, and I can't imagine a new edition boxset not featuring the Emperor's Angels.
So, is this another campaign book to close out the current edition? Very possibly – but there weren't any identifiable new units in the footage that would normally accompany such a book. Plus, I wasn't expecting new Ork models for a campaign book alongside yet more Orks in the next edition's starter box (assuming all those rumors are true). It's possible, of course, but something feels off to me.
Here's my current working theory: there might be an additional lore/campaign book accompanying the next edition's launch that details the wider war on Armageddon. This is what Yarrick ties into, because I sure as hell don't see him making his way to starter sets. As for the Space Marine vs. Ork box set, it'd focus on a very specific front of Armageddon – as mentioned in the trailer, things are bad down here and the Imperium is about to be utterly overrun by more Orks than they've ever faced. I'd say that's the cue for a bunch of Space Marines to arrive and save the day. Wouldn't you?
If you want to know more about the 40K universe, it's worth checking out Warhammer 40,000: The Ultimate Guide (currently slashed to almost half price at Amazon) or its follow-up, the Character Encyclopedia. They'll bring you up to speed with a general overview of the grimdark future.
No matter what, I suspect we'll find out what's going on soon – a livestream of reveals is due for the end of the month at AdeptiCon 2026.
In the meantime: wondering who Yarrick is? And what's so special about Armageddon, anyway? Well, the planet of Armageddon is an Imperial Hiveworld (e.g. where loads of humans live) and industrial hub of crucial importance... so crucial, in fact, that there have been multiple cataclysmic wars fought over it. The first was against Chaos, while Orks kicked off the second and third Wars for Armageddon. It's now a blasted wasteland of horror as a result, as seen in the trailer.
As for Yarrick, this guy's been kicking around since the '90s. A tactician and reknowned Ork expert who was already getting on in years when the Second War for Armageddon kicked off, he turned a surefire defeat into victory through incredible tactics alongside a stubborn refusal to keel over. While he lost an arm in the process, he replaced it with an Ork's bionic Klaw and has since made it his mission to slay Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka. He's had three models to date, and while this one feels similar to the previous version from the 2000s, it's far more detailed and better-proportioned. Though how he goes to the bathroom with a giant claw hand like that is quite beyond me.
Fans are focused on something else entirely when it comes to the trailer, though; the absence of the Steel Legion, as noted in the reddit thread discussing the footage (users like LazerUnicorn087 noted they are "so gutted steel legion weren't shown off"). This Imperial army was responsible for the defense of Armageddon until recently, where they were almost wiped out by Chaos - and judging by the teaser, they aren't coming back any time soon.
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