New Primaris Space Marines & Ways To Get Into 40K Coming Soon
June 26, 2017 by brennon
The Primaris Space Marines of the Warhammer 40,000 world are getting some new reinforcements soon from Games Workshop as leaders and skilled operatives join their ranks, ready to repel Xenos and Chaos threats to the Imperium.
Leading the way quite rightly we have the Primaris Captain who has been posed to be much more of a leader than a frontline fighter. Of course, he can hold his own, but he is shown here with a more commanding stance. I like the new way that they're doing power weapons now too with the little crackle of energy as opposed to a big grimdark lightsabre.
Matched against him we also have the Primaris Librarian who is summoning power from the warp to render his foes into ash on the battlefield.
I like the mild-mannered approach to the Librarian here where he appears more measured and focused. I'd still love to see a Librarian going utterly frenzied, cloak and accessories billowing out around him as he blasts something to smithereens.
Taking a note from Call Of Duty Ghosts maybe we also have the Primaris Reivers who are the special operatives of the Space Marines.
One assumes that these Reivers replace the use of Scouts in a Primaris force, scouting ahead of the main force in their cut-down Mk X armour to hunt down particular threats and bring them down. These models are also part of their Easy To Build range so, for now, will be good for entry level gamers in Warhammer 40,000.
Here's hoping for a proper kit down the line. I would put a fair chunk of money on people buying those heads separately in order to outfit their entire chapter with those skull masks. Either that or we have a force of power armoured Skeletors...
Plague & Ruin
Coming up against the Primaris Space Marines we also have a few Easy To Build sets for the Death Guard forces out there. These Plague Marines, for example, help bolster a force on the tabletop.
I like the design of them which feels very in keeping with the old school Plague Marines we saw back in the 90's. Again they cover one of the aspects I like about Chaos Space Marines in that they almost close the divide between Fantasy & Sci-Fi in Warhammer 40,000 which I like.
You can also pick up some Easy To Build Poxwalkers soon if you're in need of a shambling horde.
The Poxwalkers have been one of those kits which has divided opinion. I think most of them are a little odd looking but this selection is more measured and restrained - less silly some would say.
Get Started In Different Ways
This also draws me towards some new ways to get into the game. Easy To Build kits like those above can be added to two different avenues into the grim darkness of the far future alongside Dark Imperium. First Strike seems like a good place to start.
This gives you a cut-down place to begin your games with a handful of Primaris Space Marines and Death Guard warriors. You will get a core rulebook, some terrain, and all of the gubbins you need to get going. As a way to just get a taster of the rules this sounds like a great idea.
Know No Fear takes things to the next level and gives you two full armies for the Ultramarines and the Death Guard without the massive heap of plastic in Dark Imperium.
It doesn't have quite the same appeal to me as First Strike I would say. While I can see the appeal for someone familiar with Warhammer 40,000 as it comes with kits rather than Easy To Build models I think First Strike might actually be something I'd pick up, even as a veteran of many years and editions.
What do you think of these new ways to get into the game and the aforementioned models?
Drop your thoughts below...
"Matched against him we also have the Primaris Librarian who is summoning power from the warp to render his foes into ash on the battlefield..."
…and yes, to bolster the point, I do want to paint the Reivers as Skeletor. An army of power armoured Skeletors would be exactly what his magnificence would want.
Special rule where you are given bonuses if you dance to Fame.
@brennon new adventures of he-man style skeletor?
/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/181?cb=20110901190040
Has to be done now…
I picture them as Ghostrider … all that’s missing is a bike that’s on fire.
Those do look really nice. I really like that Primaris Librarian’s head sculpt. It makes him look like wise old man leading others. I have mixed feelings about Reivers having skull masks because that has always been trademark feature of Chaplains.
So these appear to be the Primaris equivalent of Scouts?
Given that we have had Age of Sigmar Skirmish, I wonder if we will see a Warhammer 40,000 Skirmish at some point too.
So updated Kill Team?
Yeah. It would make sense given that I think Kill Team went down quite well, as did Shadow War Armageddon. If they release Warhammer 40,000 Skirmish I would buy straight away, at the moment the only thing stopping me from pulling the trigger on 8th is lack of space to store it!
I would see 40K skirmish going along the same lines as AOS Skirmish though, where you can pick from multiple different units, to create a more diverse force
…plus, seeing as the core rules are free to download, a 40K Skirmish supplement could potentially be just as cheap as AOS Skirmish, as long as they included all the points values for matched play.
I really like the new scouts (yes that’s what I think they are as well) and the nurgle alternate sculpts are nice as well. The new beginner boxes are a really nice idea however and for people who don’t have the funds for Dark Imperium (or who don’t want the hard backed book) they give alternate entry price points for people to start playing the game.
“New GW” seems to be kicking more goals lately and I can see these releases as a way for tehm to continue their winning ways
“This gives you a cut-down place to begin your games” They snipped the ruler in half too! 🙂
I find the primaris characters a little dull, not bad just dull. The scouts look like they have high heels on and I can’t shake the image of the money supermarket strutters advert, not a fan.
Nurgle stuff is decent, very nurgly. Box sizes are odd though if that’s the full box.
New starters aren’t for me but they are good for that begineer audience.
Those Reivers have a bit of a Buccaneer vibe to them. Probly the boots.
I’ll have to get that First Strike, since it’s a perfect compliment to Dark Imperium…
Depending on price point, these seem like a great idea… for new players, or those on the fence… potentially great.. for those who already took the Dark Imperium plunge, some new sculpts & a few more models to round out the forces and give you some more options are a great idea… (the Dark Imperium has about 50 Power points of Primaris, but only 44 of Death Guard.. so a few more Pox Walkers and a few more Plague Marines or another Bilght Drone can bring that up to 50 Power Points)… I’m surprised they are doing this so quickly… Read more »
(1) Why couldn’t GW announce these starter sets at launch ?
(and why didn’t they add the terrain + tutorials and create a sort of ‘ultimate box’ ?)
(2) The scouts look nice, but the poses of these space marines are so boring. Is it impossible ot move in that armour of thiers ? It’s so static.
At least the scouts have the excuse that they’re the ‘easy’ build, variety which might limit the options, but that librarian ? I can’t think of a more boring figure.
Maybe dropping that cloak would allow him to do a bit more than point ?
Marketing-wise – to make the biggest splash with the big box first. Now, when people have got their hands on that WITH the rulebook they can now open it up to more folks who are peeking at this blingy new game with some options for getting into it. Space Marines have never been portrayed very well in their miniatures but if you play the likes of Space Marine (video game) you’ll see them rolling around, twisting all over the place and generally being quite dextrous – rather than the walking tanks you assume they are. So, with that in mind;… Read more »
…and using the royal ‘you’ there rather specifically you heh. I get your points for sure.
I get that it is marketing and that it kind of is my fault for preordering instead of waiting a bit longer (I really should have known that preordering is bad with a capital B.)
The concept of these beginner friendly boxes is (and this needs to be said!) a huge step forward for GW.
It’s just such a shame that with the technology that GW have they can’t make a space marine to match the videogame in dynamics (sp?).
Maybe Infinity has spoilt me a bit here.
*Puts on Space Marine nerd hat*.The Power Armour re-cycles all their waste. So they can concentrate on killing the enemies of mankind.
Guessing First Strike is coming in at similar price as Storm of Sigmar – which is a great thing – just cynical not to announce alongside main launch though. Kinda disappointed in the “Heroes” of Primaris – was kinda hoping they were ditching the cape and bling of the Astartes and going for a more hard sci-fi edge, just feels lazy from the modernist look of the Mark X armour. The Reivers are pretty cool, but not very dynamic – for stealth lads, I’d of expected more stealthy poses – these guys look like they’re standing waiting on a bus… Read more »
The new Pri-marine stuff looks good, apart from the Reivers, which look great. Love them. Got a bit of a loose cannony, mavericky, cloak and daggery, gunslingery type thing going on. Love to see them done up as Dark angels.
Loving the librarian and the reavers.
Not sure if I’ll wait on getting the. Until the normal kit comes out or pick up from eBay.
Primaris as a design and as a feel is how space marines should have been from the start, ok with even less bling than the minimal GW put on them, but ok, Reavers is the first kit almost hitting alll the right cords on how 40k should have been, a clean sci fi design carefully done for modern days and not a relic of the past overburden with forced “grimdark”
How “grimdark” and what “grimdark” really is should be left to the players and not be forced on the models.
not a big fan of the reivers at the moment.
perhaps we’ll see some with camo cloaks and sniper rifles in the futures, (+ a head swap) and then i’d be happy. its been said by @mecha82 but the skulls was a chaplain thing? im curious to see if the new primaris have chaplains? or some new equivalent to keep the faith? either way, exciting/expensive times ahead for marines i suspect!
Everything is smashing, except for the Reavers. I think they’re very silly. I play IG so GW won’t miss any money from me either way. The thieves at FW get enough 😉
I am so excited by these box sets. I bought the standalone new rule book because I wanted to read the background, and see what I thought of the new rules (I only do “simple” games as time allows little else). The £95 big box on release was too much to commit to. I then wanted to get the models but didn’t want to fork out for an extra hardback that would have been included. Now the book has whet my appetite, these box sets have arrived at a perfect time. Only thing to decide is whether to get First… Read more »
I bought the Dark Imperium boxset for 75 quid. For two 900pts or so armies and the hardback rulebook I think that is more than a fair price. I’ve since purchased some extra Intercessors, Hellblasters and another Plaguecaster from ebay. I was originally going to part with the Primaris and just do the Death Guard but I’m feeling the need to do a Raven Guard Primaris force. I’m definitely going to pick up the new Captain and Librarian models when they are released but I’ll hang on and wait for the full release of the Reivers as I really like… Read more »
Few people in our club weren’t up for the big outlay on Dark imperium so I can see ‘Know no fear’ going down well with them (and eBay box splitters) and ‘First strike’ at (I imagine) about £25 to add to either of the other starters looks pretty good too. Now though, where’s that monster Dreadnought and a Chaplain [double checks spelling, already been pulled up on that one today 🙂 ].
From the rumours I heard I believe the First Strike box is going to be $40 US. Pretty good for brand new minis.
I like the new models. Although when it comes to scouts I like the ones armed with sniper rifles better.
Is it me or the paint job on the characters seems to be a bit off putting? Great model but not the best colour scheme.
I’m liking the new releases. I might do my Dark Imperium stuff as Crimson Fists and pick up some of these guys too. Thinking of how I might do them up different ways.
The “Easy-to-Build” kits really have come on leaps and bounds in these sets. Looking at the previous generation of push-fit minis such as the 2-piece termagants and guardsmen, these new ones really are head and shoulders above them in terms of quality and detail.
Will definitely pick up the Death Guard sets just for the variety in poses. Can’t wait for the full DG release though.
Starter sets are an awesome step for GW. I get why they waited until after Dark Imperium to launch them as they would have heavily impacted sales of that set.
Love the look of the Death Guard. Suitably disgusting. The reivers look great from the waist up. Somehow they look too ‘tall’. Might be the reduced armour making them look taller.
@gypsybreath if the Primaris were created by Gulliman it’ll be interesting to see if they get Chaplains. Not too sure on his reaction to his daddy being worshipped as a god.
Reivers – space marines without bell bottoms. I like ’em. Get rid of the pauldrons and the swords and they could be converted into something near future. Might be a fun project.
Liking the new Starter sets and character sculpts, not so much the Reivers.