Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum Cadian upgrade kit confirmed

A newly revealed upgrade sprue for Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum Cadian models will let you bling out your toy soldiers with guns and gear.

Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum Cadian upgrade sprue - photograph by Games Workshop of a model soldier medic

Games Workshop revealed a new upgrade sprue for Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum models via its Warhammer Community website on Wednesday. The preview shows off a mixture of components including heads, weapons, tools, equipment, a tank commander, and more, for miniature builders to customise their Astra Militarum (aka Imperial Guard) troops in the style of the Cadian regiment.

Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum Cadian Upgrade sprue - photograph of painted model components for military models by Games Workshop

The components will combine with other kits, giving you more options to customise your Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum army – whether you’re building a tabletop force, or just love painting miniatures and want to customise a small squad of Cadian Shock Troops.

The article notes that Kill Team players who want to run a Veteran Guardsman kill team but don’t fancy using Death Korps of Krieg minis could use these upgrade components to Cadian models for a Medic and Spotter – we can also spot a bionic arm, which would let you build a Hardened Veteran.

GW sells 11 upgrade packs for different chapters of Space Marines, but this is the first time the firm has offered an Imperial Guard upgrade sprue. There are many famous Astra Militarum regiments, such as the Tallarn Desert Raiders and Valhallan Ice Warriors, which don’t have up-to-date plastic kits, and would make good candidates for future upgrade sprues – if GW decides to make any.

We don’t have a release date for the upgrade kit, but GW states it’s coming “hot on the heels of the Cadian Shock Troops box”. As the guard are the next Warhammer 40k faction scheduled for a big release, it’s reasonable to expect the kit  in January or February, along with new models like the Rogal Dorn battle tank. At time of writing over half the Astra Militarum range is listed ‘unavailable’ on the GW webstore – usually a sign that models are being reboxed in updated packaging prior to a big release.