New Necron Nightbringer model and Nekrosor Ammentar rules are here. See the release dates and what’s next for them in Warhammer 40k here.
Necron fans got hit with a one-two. First, leaked images set the community on fire, showing what looked like a brand-new Warhammer 40k C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer towering over a slick Necron-themed terrain piece from a Kill Team box.
Then, before the paint on the rumors even dried, Games Workshop stepped in with an official preview, confirming that the Star God is back, meaner than ever, and ready to ruin someone’s day.
Here’s the latest on the Warhammer 40k Nightbringer’s appearance in the 500 Worlds campaign and Kill Team.
GW Drops Free 500 Worlds Necron Rules
Updated on January 5th, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest product and free rules.
Necrons are rolling up with free rules and exactly zero interest in playing nice. Nekrosor Ammentar is the fresh horror show leading the charge, a Destroyer Cult head-cracker built to mulch things up close. The C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer is the classic hooded nightmare with a scythe, now beefed up to match its bigger, nastier miniature.
Nekrosor Ammentar: The Fight-First Blender
Ammentar is the kind of character that does not lead a squad because it is too busy being a roaming crime scene. It moves fast, hits hard, and swings first, so your opponent gets to enjoy that special moment where they realize their counterpunch is not happening. It also drags nearby Destroyers into the same frothing rhythm with buffs that reward you for staying close and staying violent.
- Deep Strike + Fights First: shows up where it wants, then often deletes something before it can clap back.
- Lone Operative on a leash: within 3″ of a friendly Destroyer Cult unit, it gains Lone Operative, so shooting it is suddenly a lot harder.
- Buff aura for nearby Necrons: Infectious Murder-madness helps friendly Necrons spike their output with Sustained Hits 1 (extra nasty on Destroyers).
- Team defense tech: Nullstone Field Generator gives nearby Necrons Feel No Pain 5+ against mortals and Psychic, keeping your murder blob on the rails.
C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer: The Hooded Boss
If Ammentar is the slasher villain, the Nightbringer is the supernatural one that the camera refuses to show in full until it is too late. It is faster now, it hits like a truck, and it has the tools to arrive on its own terms, then start harvesting. Between damage reduction, a feel-no-pain, and a pile of wounds, it is the definition of “good luck shifting this.” You can grab the rules here.
- Bigger, tougher shard: M10″, T11, W16, Sv3+, 4++, and Feel No Pain 5+ makes it a genuine problem to remove.
- Deep Strike + Fly: it gets to pick its fights instead of politely walking into yours.
- Necrodermis: reduces Damage by 1 on incoming attacks, which is nasty into your best multi-damage weapons.
- Scythe plus mortal-wound pressure: brutal strike/sweep options and Drain Life for extra pain.
Nightbringer, Ammetar New Necron Model Releases
The new mode for the Nightbringer release date is January 24th, 2026 (along with the other 500 worlds products hitting pre-order on January 10th), and he’s the big headline here because when a shard of a star god hits the table, it is never subtle. Then there’s Ammetar, who feels like the perfect counterpoint to the Nightbringer’s raw menace, who also has a release date of January 24th, 2026.
Where the Nightbringer screams apocalyptic horror, Nekrosor Ammetar reads more like “ancient, intentional, and very confident about how this fight ends.” It’s a character drop that adds flavor without feeling like filler, and it gives Necron players another excuse to lean into that regal, unstoppable dynasty energy.
New 40k 500 Worlds Necrons Release Lineup:
Overall, these new Necron releases are doing what the best Necron drops always do: pushing hard on presence. Big, iconic models with strong narrative hooks.
Nekrosor Ammentar Wants To Reassemble the 40k Nightbringer
Nekrosor Ammentar is the kind of Necron overlord who looks at a galaxy-wide 40k crisis and thinks, “Great, time to dust off an old cosmic horror for a little light weekend mayhem.”
Games Workshop revealed he is one of the key puppet masters stirring trouble in the 500 Worlds campaign, operating with that classic Necron mix of ancient patience and catastrophic decision-making.
His plan is simple in the way only villains’ plans are.
Track down what is left of the Nightbringer, snag the shards, and stitch together enough cosmic death energy to send the Imperium into panic mode. He wants to weaponize the C’tan as the ultimate trump card, a force strong enough to crack planets and kneecap any crusade force pushing into Necron territory.
Every move he makes, from shadow operations to manipulating battlefronts, is about steering the campaign toward that moment where the Nightbringer rises again.
It is classic ancient robot overlord energy, and it sets up a serious problem for Captain Titus and the 500 Worlds if anyone lets him get even a fraction of what he wants.
40k Nightbringer From Leak to Legendary in Record Time
Recent kill team rumors were all about a “two-faction” Kill Team box (Sisters vs Chaos Raptors), but the leaked pics brought a curveball: a redesigned Nightbringer.
The new sculpt is sharper, more dynamic, and sports a pose that basically screams your doom has arrived. It wasn’t long before GW’s marketing machine kicked in, dropping lore, close-up shots, and the promise of an updated datasheet.
That quick turnaround from leak to reveal makes this one of the fastest rumor-to-confirmation moments we’ve seen in recent Warhammer 40k history, and it’s got Necron players grinning like Overlords at a Cryptek convention.
And the good news is that the new Necron Nightbringer release date is January 24th, 2026, according to GW.
The New Star God: Warhammer 40k Nightbringer​
This new Warhammer 40k Nightbringer plastic miniature replaces the classic 2002 sculpt with something worthy of the 41st Millennium.
The details are jaw-dropping: a massive scythe, a flowing necrodermis cape, and Scarab swarms swirling at its feet. It’s a centerpiece model in every sense, rivaling the Shard of the Void Dragon for sheer table presence.
Lore-wise, it’s a reminder that this thing was once among the most powerful C’tan, before the Necrons broke it into shards during the great betrayal of bio-transference.
Big Nightbringer 40k Model, Bigger Game Impact
This isn’t just an update for the display shelf. GW confirmed a deadly new datasheet for Warhammer 40k, meaning the Nightbringer’s return isn’t just cosmetic. The timing is perfect for Necron armies looking to add a terrifying force multiplier that doubles as a hobby project worth showing off.
And for Kill Team players? The Nightbringer 40k model is set to appear as a Non-Playable Operative, essentially the final boss, your brave little operatives will be terrified to run into. That’s a fun twist and could signal more crossover “set piece” enemies in the future.
Final Thoughts on the New Warhammer 40k Nightbringer​
If you’re a Necron player, this model is practically a must-buy (let’s just hope you don’t have to wait months and months after the Kill Team box comes out, because no one likes paywalls). It’s dripping with tabletop presence, has the lore clout to intimidate anyone across the table, and now comes with the rules to match its looks (we hope).
Pair it with the new 40k Tomb World box, and you’ve got both the visuals and the mechanics to rediscover the Nightbringer in your own narrative setting.
See the Latest 40k New Release Roadmap Here!
