In June 2026, Warhammer 40k officially entered its 11th Edition, with serious rules updates, buckets of new army building options, a shiny launch box set, and other tweaks and changes across the board. If you're new to the hobby, or just now returning after some time away, this full guide will explain everything you need to know to dive into 11th, in plain human English!
Each fresh edition of Warhammer 40k is always a massive event. For new players, they're a great time to jump on board, because they're something of a 'fresh start', with everyone learning the new rules and adapting to changes in the different Warhammer 40k factions at the same time.
For existing or returning players, an edition change can freshen up the whole experience, offering new challenges and (maybe) opening up army lists and playstyles that weren't available last time you played. Wherever you are in your 40k hobby journey, 11th Edition is now here to stay until 2029, so we've created this guide to help you settle in!
Warhammer 40k 11th edition rules
Warhammer 40k 11th edition updates the game's core rules - but it's not a fundamental redesign like 10th edition and your codexes will remain valid at launch.
The full rules are now available to download from the Warhammer Community website, along with updated faction packs, updated points values in the Munitorum Field Manual, and event companions that explain competitive rules.
Here are the key rules changes, explained in plain English:
1. Detachments are modular now
Instead of having to choose a single Warhammer 40k detachment for your army list, with a set roster of main rule, stratagems, and enhancements, you can now combine multiple detachments in a list, supporting more diverse mixes of units.
There's also a new system of Detachment Points, with each detachment costing between one and three points - the more of your army it affects and the bigger the buffs, the more points it costs. You'll get two DP in a 1,000 point game, and three in a 2,000 point game, which gives GW some extra flexibility in how it balances these influential army-building aspects.
2. Missions are now generated based on the armies in play
Instead of randomly drawing a Primary Mission from a card pack each game, each player will get their own primary objectives, which GW says will be "in part dictated by the type of army you bring to the field, and the force your opponent has brought".
Each detachment in 11th edition has a "Force Disposition", that reflects its battlefield objectives: Take and Hold, Purge the Foe, Disruption, Reconnaissance, and Priority Assets. When you build your force, you'll select on Force Disposition from among those granted to you by your detachments.
Then, by comparing your Force Disposition against your opponent's, you'll each get your own Primary mission, which should make narrative sense based on what your forces want to do. And unless you face off against an opponent using the same Force Disposition, you'll each have different missions!
You'll find the Detachment Point costs and the Force Disposition of every detachment in our guide to Warhammer 40k detachments.
3. Terrain pieces are objectives now
The familiar, 40mm diameter objective marker, with its 3″ radius control area all around, is dead - well, more or less. The better to engross us in the battle's story, when a mission has you fighting for control of an objective, it's inside a terrain piece.
Dancing around terrain pieces near objective markers, to exploit line of sight limitations, was a core part of competitive 10th edition - models were either out in the open and easy prey, or toeing an objective while completely outside line of site. Now units have to actually get inside terrain - they're not totally exposed, or completely invulnerable
What's more, a new set of pre-painted 40k terrain is going to debut during 11th edition. At the time of this update we don't know what the scenery will cost or exactly how GW is making it, but it looks very impressive.
4. HIDDEN keyword lets units keep out of enemy fire
In 11th Edition, a Swarm, Infantry, or Beast unit within a terrain area that did not shoot last turn is HIDDEN, and cannot be targeted by models beyond 15″ away.
Narratively, this is a huge win, instantly making the battlefield feel a more realistic place, where a Tau Hammerhead's gunner can't magically spot and destroy a guardsman crawling silently through rubble 48 inches away.
Gameplay wise, the implications are many and varied, and interact in interesting ways with the new terrain layouts for competitive 40k.
5. Cover is more powerful, affecting hit rolls not saves
Fireworks. Champagne Corks. Children cheering at a birthday party. This one feels like such a natural win: in 11th Edition, the Benefit of Cover debuffs the enemy hit roll, instead of buffing your armor save.
Instantly, cover is both significantly more beneficial - given its advantage is no longer wiped out by the game's preponderance of Invulnerable saves - and more true to life. If your cover saves you from a bullet, that's because the shooter missed - what did your armor ever have to do with it?
Infantry, Swarms, and Beasts will enjoy the Benefit of Cover when every model in the unit is at least partially within an area of terrain. When the line of sight to a unit is partially obstructed by Obscuring terrain, it also gains the Benefit of Cover.
6. No Stratagem stacking - one per unit, per phase
In 11th Edition, you can only use one stratagem on a unit in any one phase.
Previously, the limit was that you could only use each Stratagem once per phase - but if you saved up the Command Points, you could still layer two or even three powerful buffs on a single unit, making it into a God of Death at a critical moment, able to wipe out any target you chose.
7. Leaders keep their abilities when their squad dies
Warhammer 40k 10th Edition's Leader mechanic - allowing character models to attach themselves to a unit, granting a buff to themselves and their new squad - has generally been popular, both mechanically and narratively. It's cool and fun to have your special dudes lead troops.
A big downside, though, has been that part of the character's points cost is a Leader ability, which melts away the moment the squad is wiped out (something that happens pretty often in, er, battles).
11th Edition tweaks all Leader abilities to persist even after the 'Bodyguard' unit is dead - giving those characters more of a purpose in the remainder of the game.
8. A bevy of combat changes makes aggressive melee better
Three years ago, GW summarized its mission with 10th Ed as "simplified, not simple"; it took a hacksaw to every part of the game that it found too clunky, complex, time consuming, confusing, or just a bit crap.
That was pretty successful, all told - but the Fight Phase remained a fortress of jank, with all manner of immersion breaking choreography required to properly 'game' it, and various things that should be possible simply ruled out, to the chagrin of melee armies everywhere.
So, 11th Edition makes several small changes to the charge and fight phases, that all add up to a very different experience:
Charging
- Charges work very differently: players now roll for their 'maximum distance' before deciding on charge targets.
- One model in a charging unit must be within this maximum distance horizontally of a unit to make a successful charge; but after moving models (and perhaps losing some distance to get around terrain), a unit only has to be within engagement range of its target, not base to base, for the charge to be successful.
- That said, the charging unit must move models into B2B contact if it can do so.
- Engagement range is now two inches. It's far harder for enemies to stand off from a barricade for additional protection against charges.
- Units can move through an enemy's engagement range in the movement phase provided they don't finish their move within it.
Pile ins
All pile-in moves now occur at the beginning of the Fight phase, and all consolidate moves at the end. This is resolved player by player, rather than unit by unit, starting with the active player.
Fights First
Players alternate selecting units to fight, starting with the player whose turn it currently is; all units with Fights First (including charging units) must be activated before any units without Fights First. After either player activates the last unit with Fights First, the other player gets the first choice of units without Fights First to activate, resuming the alternating activation sequence.
Practically, this means that a unit charging into a target with Fights First will usually attack before that unit does.
Transports
If a transport is engaged in melee, any models on board can make a Combat Disembarkation directly into combat with the enemy.
Overrun Fights
If a unit charges, but its charge target is destroyed before it can activate, it can now make an Overrun Fight - it gets an additional three inch pile in move to attempt to get into combat with a new enemy.
9. Unit coherency
Unit coherency has had a simplification, intended to strip out some jank. Models must remain within 2″ of at least one other model in their unit, and within 9″ of all models in their unit. This replaces the requirement for models in large units to be close to two other models, and limits the amount of table real estate that a large unit can occupy.
10. Ingress Moves
Any move that brings a unit onto the battlefield from reserves is now an Ingress Move - and there's a substantial change to the stand-off distance required. Units that arrive via Ingress Moves now only need to be placed more than eight inches away from an enemy unit. Units still need to roll a nine to make a successful charge due to the change to charge rules.
11. Fast Rolling
To speed up rolling saves for models, GW has implemented a new standard for fast rolling. The defender chooses which order their models line up in front of the attacks, starting with underlings. You roll all the dice for the saving throws at once, and apply them to whichever kind of model you choose to take the first hits, starting with the lowest dice rolls.
This means that, usually, bodyguards will die before the character they're protecting. It also means that the Precision rule is more lethal, and more likely to spill over to kill bodyguards.
12. Battle-shock is sticky now
Once a unit is Battle-shocked, it has to test during its controllers Command Phase to shake the effect off, even if it's above half strength. This changes makes pro-active Battle-shock abilities that can Battle-shock a healthy enemy unit more viable, since they can shut down enemy unit's ability to score and use stratagems for more than a single turn.
13. Abilities are getting tweaked.
We've updated our guide to Warhammer 40k Abilities - there have been a lot of tweaks!
14. Narrative and competitive play are being unified
An important focus for this new edition, according to uncle Geedubs, is creating a "unified experience" between narrative play - the side of 40k that's about telling a believable, engrossing story, with proper suspension of disbelief - and competitive play - the side that's about delivering a fair and balanced strategy game that's challenging and satisfying to win.
It's a fraught issue because, despite 40k's record sales and growing audience in recent years, the accusation that competitive play is sucking the life out of the game has become ever more prevalent. So in some ways it's unsurprising that many of the new 11th edition rules changes GW has already announced seem to be designed with story immersion in mind.
15. Legends rules will be in the app - but not at launch
The rules for Legends units - that is, models that fans may own but which Games Workshop no longer produces - will be added to the Warhammer 40k app, but not when the new edition launches. Speaking in an FAQ video, GW stated that these would be added when their faction gets a new codex.
16. Crusade rules won't be in codexes
Answering questions in an FAQ video, Eddie Eccles had some disappointing news for fans of Crusade - it's disappearing from codexes, and it's not clear that it's going to be part of the game at all going forward. However, content similar to it is still going to be part of the game, and is going to be released separately in narrative supplements similar to the recent run we've had for the end of 10th edition.
Warhammer 40k 11th edition release date
Warhammer 40k 11th edition was effectively released on Saturday, June 20, in the form of the Armageddon launch box set, which was the first chance to get hold of the brand new rules.
The new edition officially launched a week later on June 27, with the standalone releases of the other core 11th Edition rules and gameplay products:
- Combat Patrol Companion.
- Terrain Area Set.
- Chapter Approved Mission Deck 2026-27.
- Dominatus Narrative Campaign Deck: Armageddon.
Warhammer 40k 11th edition launch box set - Armageddon!
Warhammer 40k 11th Edition kicks off with the Armageddon box set, which pits Blood Angels Space Marines against Orks. At launch, the MSRP for Armageddon was $295 / £185.
The set contains:
- 23 "easy to build" push-fit Space Marines.
- 38 "easy to build" push-fit Orks.
- Core Rules booklet.
- Armageddon: Operation Imperator lore book.
- Chapter Approved 2026-27 Mission Deck.
- Dominatus Narrative Campaign Deck.
- Armageddon datasheet cards.
- Armageddon transfer sheet.
Armageddon was a limited release, so if you didn't pre-order, you may have to search through stores to find an unsold set. But if you've got the opportunity and want to know whether it's worth your while, check out our review of Armageddon.
The models in the Armageddon launch box set are all "easy-to-build" push-fit kits that go together without glue. Assuming GW doesn't break with the tradition its followed for the last three editions, these models will be available separately later - some of them will make their way into starter sets and Combat Patrol boxes, and others will only be available direct from GW.
The Space Marines in the set are narratively themed around the Blood Angels, but the actual models don't have any markings sculpted onto them, so they can be used for any Space Marine chapter.
The Space Marine models in the Armageddon set include:
Intercessors
GW has revised the core Primaris Space Marine units it launched 8th edition with, nine years ago - starting with your core Bolt Riflemen, the Intercessors.
Of particular note: these new basic marines sport a mixture of Mk X Tacticus power armor and the 'classic' Mk 7 pattern worn by previous generations of 'firstborn' marines. The chap pictured above is wearing a Mk7 helmet, while the flattened greaves without a knee plate look more like the Mk6 pattern used during the Horus Heresy.
In the Adepticon preview, GW said this was because, after years of crusading in the Era Indomitus, covering wider and wider stretches of space, supply lines are stretched so far that even the new breed of Astartes has to use old kit to get by.
But it also reflects the next step in blurring the lines between 'new' and 'old' Space Marines. These big models aren't Primaris Marines anymore, they're just Space Marines, and we'd better get used to it.
Jump Chaplain
In a Blood Angels box, it only makes sense to include a new Jump Pack Chaplain, since the previous jump Chaplain model was a Blood Angels specific sculpt dating back to 2015. GW revealed the new mini on April 20, and it's an absolute slam dunk, covered in baroque detail and absolutely menacing.
Primaris Captain with Relic Shield
The main infantry leader in the Blood Angels force is a Primaris Captain equipped with a Relic Shield. We're honestly surprised - GW just loves Primaris Lieutenants, and this chap's Relic Shield is remarkably restrained compared to the Captain in the 9th edition Indomitus box set - there's no bones strapped to it at all, so we thought he might be a lieutenant - but no!
Ancient
The company Ancient wades into the fray proudly raising the company banner, roaring defiance at the Orks - absolutely classic Warhammer 40k, this. The banner has a lot of detail textured onto it, bad if you want to freehand, great if you dread free-handing.
Librarian
The staff-wielding Librarian is the last character in the Space Marines side of the box set, rounding out an iconic command echelon. This is another call-back to an older miniature, rendered in full Primaris glory, and it looks great.
Vanguard Veterans
Nobody was surprised to see new Vanguard Veterans in the 11th edition Armageddon trailer. These elite jump troops, loaded up with high quality melee weapons, are the the last classic Space Marine unit to cross the Rubicon Primaris.
Land Speeder
If the Mk7 helm on the Intercessor didn't convince you the Armageddon box set is serving 'nostalgia bait', this surely does: the Space Marine vehicle in the box is a new Land Speeder that's also an old Land Speeder.
Seen in the trailer getting absolutely annihilated by an Ork Mek gunner, this skimmer has the underslung grav plates from the newer Storm Speeders, but otherwise looks almost exactly like the classic Land Speeder model of yore.
Well, almost exactly. It's equipped with a trio of weapons: a multi-melta, a gatling cannon, and a swathe of missiles. Previously, these loadouts were divided up among three different variants of the Land Speeder - now they're combined.
Eradicator Squad with Heavy Bolters
This was something of a surprise: the Gravis armored Eradicators first appeared in the 9th edition Indomitus box set, wielding vehicle-dissolving melta rifles. The new Eradicators with Heavy Bolters are loaded up to hunt infantry. It suggests there could be a revised Eradicator squad box set on the way, perhaps with even more heavy weapon load outs… some Plasma cannons for the Dark Angels fans, perhaps?
And the Ork models in the Armageddon launch box include:
Warboss
We knew we were getting a new Warboss before we knew about Armageddon, as GW revealed a new multi-part kit for the belligerent bruiser before Adepticon. The version in the Armageddon box set is monopose, but no less imposing - in fact it's utterly massive.
Bigboss
Not even the Orks can get away from Primaris Lieutenants! The Bigboss is a new Ork character, with more authority than a regular Nob but not quite the clout of the Warboss itself. That axe is for clearing out hordes of enemies.
Bannernob
No snickering. The Bannernob's job is to get the boyz all riled up and ready for a fight - as if they needed any assistance - and generally to point them in the right direction to cause the most havoc.
Painboy
Orks are extremely resilient, and it's rare for an Ork to suffer an injury that is debilitating without being immediately fatal. Should that happen, the unlucky boy will end up in the enthusiastic clutches of a Painboy, who will do their utmost to get the boy back in fighting shape - though not necessarily the same shape they started in. Their crude surgical tools make for extremely effective weapons for any unfortunate foes they happen to meet on the field of battle.
Ork Boys
Edition launch boxes need basic troops in the mix - so it's no surprise that Armaegddon brought with it a gang of new Ork Boys.
The one neat surprise geedubs did have in store is that the new Boys get to carry both a Shoota, and a Slugga and Choppa, at the same time. This lets them fit a whole mob into the launch box without completely invalidating the new Boys kit we already got in 2022.
Gretchin
Gretchin (or Grots) are the miserable, mean-spirited, malicious little slaves of the Orks. They're near the bottom of the heap in Ork society, and get all the boring, smelly, and fatal jobs that the Orks themselves can't be bothered with. On the tabletop they're often used as handy meat-shields, or mine clearing devices!
Weirdboy
Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes - Armageddon brings us a new Weirdboy to replace the 18 year old Finecast resin relic Ork players have right now. GW previewed this mini on April 13, and it really pushes the limit of what's possible in a push-fit plastic model.
In the cinematic, we see him vomiting a horrendous wave of Waaagh! energy to burn a Blood Angel from the inside out, a classic Ork psychic power - then exploding in a shower of green light as he gets walloped by a jump chaplain. Thankfully, the Weirdboy's infamously unstable, dangerous psyker abilities remain at least somewhat unpredictable and destructive on the tabletop - though nowhere near as delightfully swingy as Orks used to be in OUR day.
Wartrakk
The returning Wartrakk is an incredibly deep cut. If you've been playing since third edition you might remember the previous kit, which debuted in Gorkamorka - but there are even older call-backs for this design - the madly grinning pilot is a call back to artwork from the original Rogue Trader version of the Orks.
Big Mek Dakkarig
We were a little surprised that Armageddon - which is consciously themed after the iconic 2nd edition box set - didn't pack in a reference to the infamous cardboard Ork dreadnought that came in the set. Instead we got the completely new, absolutely ridiculous looking Big Mek Dakkarig.
To be clear, when it comes to Orks, "absolutely ridiculous" is only a compliment. This ponderous, two legged, Mek driven walker is pure Ork energy: a physically impossible mess of scrap metal carrying a gun twice as big as should fit, and at least seven rokkits to boot. We love this.
Warhammer 40k 11th edition trailer and lore
Games Workshop's two and a half minute Warhammer 40k 11th Edition trailer was, as usual, a gloriously animated slugfest that showed off the units we'd be seeing in the boxset, made Space Marines look grim and awesome, and said "War" a lot.
The battle shown in the Armageddon trailer follows on from the events of Return of Yarrick, the final 10th edition expansion. In that book, the Kult of Speed boss Wazdakka Gutsmek leads a Waaagh! on the War World, and the still-alive Commissar Yarrick takes over a desperate defence, eventually sending "a plea for aid out into the stars".
The result, according to GW, is "Operation Imperator, a coalition of Space Marines from many Chapters", arriving to relieve the beleaguered Astra Militarum - led by the Blood Angels, but supported by "Salamanders, Ultramarines, Space Wolves, and a dozen more" Astartes chapters.
Most of the Blood Angels are isolated on the far side of the Great Rift, where Lord Dante holds the dubious honour of serving as the Lord Commander of Imperium Nihilus.
So the Armageddon box is showing us a spearhead force of Blood Angels (or, of course, your choice from all the other chapters involved) slamming into the vastly larger Ork Waaagh!, beginning what Eddie Eccles described as a "good old fashioned Space Marine Crusade" to retake the War World.
Which Space Marine chapters are fighting on Armageddon?
GW provided a non-exhaustive list of Space Marine Chapters known to be fighting on Armageddon in an FAQ video:
- Blood Angels
- Ultramarines
- Salamanders
- Black Dragons
- Celestial Lions
- Sons of Auror
- Marines Malevolent
- Necropolis Hawks
- White Scars
- Red Talons
- Emperor's Spears
- Subjugators
- Black Templars
- Crimson Fists
- Storm Lords
- Angels Eradicant
- Masters of Protelus
- Space Wolves
- Sons of Guilliman
- Novamarines
- Iron Hands
- Penumbral Talons
- Dark Krakens
- Angels of Fury
- Storm Giants.
Warhammer 40k 11th edition FAQ
We've explored the big issues around 11th edition above - but there will inevitably be lots more questions to answer as we get closer to the game's launch. Read on for everything we know - or can make educated estimates on - so far.
What are Warhammer 40k editions?
In Warhammer 40k, the term 'edition' refers to which version of the tabletop wargame's core rules you are using to play. The overall rules of the game have been updated nine times since the original 1987 Rogue Trader ruleset, which is accepted to be the 'first edition' of 40k. The current version of the game is therefore Warhammer 40,000 10th edition.
Miniature wargames of all kinds tend to follow this pattern of releasing updated editions, with brand new or changed rules, every so often. This allows game designers to add new game mechanics; better accommodate new factions or units added to the game; 'patch out' gameplay issues discovered by players; and attract new players.
Some games release their updated rules for free online, while others treat the rules themselves as a product by selling printed rulebooks. For the last several Warhammer 40k editions, Games Workshop has published the essential core rules, alongside errata and balance updates, online for free.
But the rules needed to play each army can only be found in printed codex books. There's no longer any digital alternative that doesn't require buying the physical codex, which is always made obsolete when the army's next edition codex comes along. It's one way that the firm is able to generate recurring revenue from long established fans who already own multiple armies and don't buy many new miniatures.
Partly because of the increasingly regular cycle of new editions - more on that below - Warhammer 40k fans often use different editions of the game as shorthand for the time periods when those editions were in force, saying things like "I joined back in fifth".
How long will 11th edition last?
Assuming it follows the same pattern as the last three editions, Warhammer 40,000 11th edition will be in play for three years from 2026 to 2029.
This pattern - which GW has followed since 7th edition launched in 2014 - would see 12th edition 40k arriving in Summer 2029. It's important to note that Games Workshop has never explicitly committed to this three year edition cycle, but it has obliquely referred to it on multiple occasions, and there are no indications it intends to change that release cadence.
Can I use my 10th edition codexes?
Any armies that don't yet have a new 11th edition codex use their 10th edition codex rules in games. When the 11th edition codex for each army is published, the previous book will become obsolete and disallowed for play. Games Workshop confirmed this when they announced 11th edition.
You can keep up with the armies that have a new book with our complete Warhammer 40k codex release dates tracker.
Can I use my old models?
So far, GW hasn't changed any army lists, so if a model was viable in 10th edition, it still is in 11th edition. When GW updates each army's codex it might remove some units and transfer them Legends Rules, which mean they are playable in friendly games but not available in matched play. However, this is usually a very small number of models.
Will a primarch return in 11th edition?
We think it's probable that 11th edition will see at least one primarch return to Warhammer 40,000 with a badass model. And it's most likely to be Perturabo, primarch of the Iron Warriors.
Gloomy old Perturabo, Lord of Iron, is definitely alive; he's a daemon prince (which always makes for an impressive centerpiece miniature); and his entire legion is marching to war in realspace for the first time in millennia.
Fellow traitor legions the Thousand Sons, Death Guard, World Eaters, and Emperor's Children have all been reintroduced to the game in force since 7th edition, and in each case, they brought their primarch with them, in lore and playable model form. It'd be deeply odd if the next fan favorite chaos space marine force launch was missing its big, angry daddy - so we're pretty confident he's coming.
Another new loyalist Primarch returning feels possible, too - Vulkan is the front-runner, what with his super power being "perpetual reincarnation". When 40k seventh edition ended, the loyalist Space Marine primarch Roboute Guilliman was resurrected. At the end of ninth edition, the Dark Angels primarch Lion El'Jonson woke from 10,000 years of slumber.
What about Abaddon, why isn't he in 11th Edition?
There are possible story threads in the Warhammer 40k books published by Black Library. The Dawn of Fire series notionally follows the current timeline of 40k in the Era Indomitus. It has built up a coalition of Chaos warlords called the Hand of Abaddon as the main antagonists.
However, those stories haven't caught up to the Arks of Omen or the fourth Tyrannic war yet - if they were seeding villains for the new edition, there's going to be a continuity jump.
11e has big boots to fill: the launch of 10th edition gave Games Workshop its best sales month ever. And we'll be covering all the biggest 40k news, every step of the way! You can keep up to date with the latest news by joining the Wargamer newsletter - or if you want to tell us your theories, come and join us in the Wargamer Discord Server.