Warhammer 40,000 Christmas Battleforce pre-orders announced, but are they worth the money?
Warhammer 40,000 is currently in the midst of its 11th edition and the first set of Christmas Battleforce boxes will be available for pre-order next week.
These are aimed at long-time players wanting to bolster their armies, as well as those new to the hobby who want to start off strong. Is the 2026 collection any good though?
Seven Warhammer 40,000 boxes will be up for pre-order on Saturday November 15, and will likely be priced at $255/£160, and I’m afraid to say only a few of them seem like decent deals.
Space Marines, Orks, Necrons and Knights - All the Warhammer 40,000 Battleforces available this week
Warhammer 40,000 – Space Marines: Indomitus Task Force
Starting off strong is the generic Space Marine Battleforce. This is actually a decent kit for both new starters and long-time players, as it contains 23 models that’ll fit into just about any army.
There’s a good mix here. You’ve got bog-standard Space Marine Intercessors, an Jump Pack unit, the tanky Terminators and a colossal Dreadnought for some heavy-armour. The Chaplain and Captain in Terminator Armour are also excellent leaders, especially in 11th edition.
Advert
If I didn’t have two Dreadnoughts already this is the kind of box I’d consider, as it’s got a little bit of everything, meaning it’s great for new hobbyists. This is a good deal in my opinion.
Warhammer 40,000 – Orks: Armoured Blitzmob
Like the generic Space Marine box, Orks are getting a pretty good set too. Orks are the poster-boys of the new edition and are available in all of the starter sets, making this Battleforce an excellent option if you’ve just gotten started with their army and want to grow it further.
READ NEXT: The definitive Warhammer 40,000 starter guide, and why now's the best time to start hobbying
It’s a little lighter on infantry with 10 Ork Boyz, 3 Meganobz and a Warboss In Mega Armour to lead them, but you’re also getting the Ork Dreadnought equivalent; a Deff Dread, and a Battlewagon to transport your Boyz.
I started my own Ork army earlier this year, so out of all the 2026 Battleforces this is the one that speaks to me. There’s some good value in this box.
Warhammer 40,000 – Blood Angels: Angelus Assault Force*
Back to Space Marines now, and as a die-hard Blood Angels fan this dire box makes me want to cry.
There’s only 11 models in this box. The leader of the Blood Angels, Commander Dante, is joined by three of his elite Sanguinary Guard, while a Chaplain leads five Death Company models. They’re backed up by a Brutalis Dreadnought, which specialises in melee combat.
For existing players this screams of an overpriced clearance bin, but for new players it might be worth the money. I honestly wouldn’t recommend it though. There’s just not enough to it.
Warhammer 40,000 – Space Wolves: Champions of Fenris
The Space Wolves are a very popular faction, because on the tabletop they’re quite good. Their Battleforce specialises in what Space Wolves do best, hit hard and be hard to hit.
You get 15 Wolf Guard Terminators who are beefy and tough to kill, even more so when they’re led by Logan Grimnar and Arjac Rockfist. Like the Blood Angels box, having these two characters included makes it pretty useless for existing players.
I wouldn’t say it’s particularly good for new players either. It’s a decent start in terms of models, but it’s very simplistic. With the exception of Logan Grimnar you’ll be building and painting the same 16 models which is just a bit boring. Overall it could be worth the money, but I don’t see it being an overly popular set.
Warhammer 40,000 – Chaos Space Marines: Cult of Destruction
The antithesis of the Space Marines is up next. Their heretic counterparts have quite an elite force on display in their Battleforce box.
You get the enormous Defiler, a Venomcrawler, two Obliterators, five Havocs and three Mutilators. You also get a Warpsmith, who’s essentially a glorified mechanic.
For new Chaos Space Marine players this is a solid box, and there’s even value for those with existing armies depending on what you’ve got already. I’d recommend this one.
Warhammer 40,000 – Chaos Knights: Helhunt Lance*
I’m very tempted by this box. I’m not a Chaos Knights player, but I do play the Chaos Space Marine faction, the World Eaters, which these models are compatible with.
You get the mighty Knight Ruinator and four War Dog Stalkers so there’s a lot of value in this box already.
Personally I wouldn’t recommend this to new players as the Knight factions are very elite, and the larger models aren’t ideal for beginners due to their size and complexity. You need a lot of glue, paint and patience. However, if you’re a Chaos Space Marine fan like me and fancy running Knights alongside your existing armies this is one to consider.
Warhammer 40,000 – Necrons: Disciples of the Nekrosor*
Last, but not least, we have the Necrons. This is another army I’ve considered in the past, and if I was still considering them this is probably where I’d start.
In the box you get the C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer, an absolute beast in terms of design and playability. Accompanying it is a Nekrosor Ammentar, Canoptek Doomstalker, three Ophydian Destroyers, Canoptek Scarab Swarms and 10 Necron Warriors.
I’m a big fan of this box. I think this is excellent for those new to Necrons both in terms of variety and value, but like some of the other Battleforces it’s probably a no-go for existing players if they already have the Nightbringer model.
All of the above Battleforces will go live on the official Warhammer website on November 14 at 10am, but will only be available while stocks last. Once pre-ordered, products usually arrive around two or three weeks later, so just in time for Christmas.
For those who are new to Warhammer 40,000 there’s just enough in each box to get you started, but unless you’re really keen on the faction I’d avoid the Blood Angel and Space Wolves boxes.
READ NEXT: Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is shaping up to be a definitive tabletop simulator
Topics: Warhammer, Board Games
