The new edition of Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop will go on pre-order June 3rd with a release date later that month of June 17th. It comes with all new rules that shake things up and a new boxed set too.

Leading the way for this fight for the torn and sundered galaxy in Warhammer 40,000 we have a clash between the Ultramarines and the Death Guard in Dark Imperium with the new Primaris Space Marines battling against the forces of ruination and Chaos.

Ultramarines

If you're looking to pick up the Ultramarines from this boxed set then you have some great models to begin adding to an existing collection, or indeed a way to start an entirely new one. Some of the characters look great including this Captain in his new Gravis armour.

This seems like an intermediary link between the power armour we know and the Terminator variant. It seems a bit much around the legs and body but otherwise I quite like the design of it, especially the way the helmet is set back into the armour.

He is then joined by some Lieutenants...

These warriors will be commanding the Intercessor and Hellblaster Squads no doubt as they march into battle. Last but not least for the Ultramarine characters we also have the Ancient who is bringing his banner into battle to urge his warriors on to victory.

These heroes will then need some warriors to lead into the fray and that's where the Intercessors come in. You can see two of the squads from the set below which have been done up with a few alternative options.

Whilst the variants aren't huge you'll notice the leader of the force can be assembled with his helmet off and on. I quite like the version with the helmet off, even though it never makes sense when it comes to Space Marines. It certainly gives you a bit of a movie star moment though.

Finally, for the Ultramarines, we have the Hellblaster and Inceptor Squads which are going to be providing some much-needed firepower to burn through Chaos Space Marine power armour...

...and then a way to bring the fight to the enemy as these warriors land in the midst of their foes, ready to blast them apart with what look to be new variants on the bolter.

I have to say I'm not liking the look of these Inceptor Space Marines. It's always been funny trying to get Assault-style Space Marines to look good in flight, they're just so heavy, but maybe they missed a trick with these. I see them appearing as clumsy rather than like avenging meteors of doom descending from the skies.

Death Guard

This then brings us on to the enemies of the Imperium and the dark forces arrayed against these Ultramarines. Leading the way for the Death Guard we have a myriad of characters buts we'll start with my favourite, the Lord Of Contagion.

Now, he might look more like he's come out of the pages of Age Of Sigmar but I think that's what I like about the design. Chaos Space Marines have always had a more archaic look to them and I think it speaks more to their heritage which is nice, especially when seen in models like this.

This fellow is then joined by the Blightbringer who seems like quite the herald of doom.

Finishing off their collection of heroes (or should that be villains?) we have the Plaguecaster, their Sorcerer, spilling foul bile and ichor across the battlefield. He too has a bit of the 'Fantasy' about him which I like and I think they've done well capturing the character of these new villains.

Of course, they also need a host to bring into battle and that means some new Plague Marines which are looking very swish indeed.

The Plague Guard are Chaos Space Marines with a bit of something extra thrown in for good measure. Once again it looks like they've gone all out here and really drawn on that theme of Nurgle to make them look decayed and completely lost to the ruinous powers.

Following behind them we have the Poxwalkers who act as their version of Cultists, gibbering and scampering behind them as the Plague Guard go about their work.

If you get fed up of painting armour these could be a good antidote as you'll be able to mess around with blending techniques and more. They even appear to have included a chap in his lab coat, maybe the scientist who brewed up the mixture that turned them into these demonic souls?

Last but not least for the Death Guard they also get this new Plague Drone which seems like it's going to be the target for those Hellblasters and their plasma guns. Hovering in the background, a mixture of machinery and magic, it looks like it will act as the supporting piece to the rest of your force. No doubt, in the end, you're going to want more of these.

The thing that strikes me about both of these forces is that they're going to be rather easy to paint. The Ultramarines have a very simple scheme, and it doesn't take much to make the Death Guard look good, covered in grime and dirt. A good choice of forces to get things started I reckon.

Getting Started

With a new edition on the way, Games Workshop put together a little diagram showing off just how you now get started in the game. As well as Dark Imperium they will also be supporting the product with more releases too.

So, as you can see as well as picking up Dark Imperium you may want the main rulebook (if you're collecting away from the Ultramarines & Death Guard) as well as one of the new sourcebooks for the Imperium, Xenos or Chaos forces that are hitting the tabletop.

The Core Rules of the game will also be FREE which is a big step forward and something they've learned from with Age Of Sigmar. You will also be able to pick up new accessories, terrain pieces and lore books to help you digest the new world of Warhammer 40,000.

So, what do you think folks?