Games Workshop will be expanding their offerings for the Astra Militarum of Warhammer 40,000 this weekend. Pre-orders are going live for a new Combat Patrol plus additional miniatures that can be used to focus your force and get them fighting fit on your Sci-Fi tabletops.

Combat Patrol: Astra Militarum // Warhammer 40,000

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Leading the way is the Combat Patrol for the Astra Militarum. This set gives you a core and dependable set of troops that you can use as a starting point before diving deeper into Warhammer 40,000. A five-man Cadian Command Squad is at the heart of this set alongside twenty Cadian Shock Troops. Capping things off, you've then got the new and improved kit for the Sentinel plus two artillery pieces as a Field Ordnance Battery.

New Astra Militarum Characters

If you want to make sure that your Astra Militarum soldiers do exactly what they're told on the tabletop then you can call on the aid of the Cadian Castellan.

Cadian Castellan // Warhammer 40,000

There are a variety of head, arm and weapon options for this Castellan meaning that even if you pick up a few of them, there should be plenty of opportunities to make them unique. Directing the flow of battle and focusing the attention of your troops is key to victory when fielding the Astra Militarum and these fellows do the job. A great miniature that should see a lot of service.

We also see the release of the new plastic kit for the Commissar.

Commissar // Warhammer 40,000

Strict discipline is the name of the game with the Commissars of the Imperium and if their bellowing voices don't force you to keep fighting, the fear of a bolt round to the back might seal the deal. Commissars embody the brutal efficiency of the Astra Militarum and make sure all of those Combat Attrition tests are passed without issue.

I'm not a massive fan of the new miniature as he seems all body and very little else. I also wish that he was a bit more animated, shouting at the top of his voice or something. I think a lot of the old metal and plastic Commissars are way better than this fellow.

Ride For Ruin!

With their explosive-tipped lances, the Attilan Rough Riders are thundering into the heart of the action.

Attilan Rough Riders // Warhammer 40,000

Shock cavalry doesn't have to be armoured in the grimdark future and whilst these might be regular ol' horses, the Rough Riders are skilled enough to make them a threat on the battlefield. You can choose to run with Melta tips for their lances, perfect for blasting apart vehicles, or Frag tips which can be used to brutalise infantry.

Upgrade Options

Finally, there are also some upgrade options for the Cadians. You can tinker, kitbash and convert to your heart's content with the new Cadian Upgrade Sprue which is up for pre-order this weekend too.

Cadian Upgrades // Warhammer 40,000

I like the mix of different head options that they have here plus the bonus kit. You've got a variety of weapons that are handy for leader figures within your army and also random elements that could be used for basing and more. I love the arms holding the axe and spanner which would be great for those looking to make sappers and engineers. You even get an officer to stick in the top of your new tank.

Hunkder Down Behind Defensive Terrain

Offering up a bit of defensive terrain for your soldiers to hide behind, you can also get this Aegis Defence Line.

Aegis Defence Line // Warhammer 40,000

This can be assembled in a variety of different ways, crisscrossing the battlefield as you hope to hold back waves and waves of enemies. You've even got some larger sections which can be used for command figures or gun emplacements.

...And Now For Something Entirely Different

Last but not least, there is also a new miniature dropping for the Black Library Celebration 2023. Here we have Captain Messinius of the White Consuls.

Captain Messinius // Warhammer 40,000

This fellow stars in the Dawn Of Fire series and comes with his plasma pistol and mighty powerfist. He also plays the role of one of Roboute Guilliman’s most trusted advisors. Could this end up being an interesting starting point for a new army?

What do you make of the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 releases from Games Workshop?