Games Workshop confirmed new Armageddon Steel Legion models for 40k after fan backlash. See the AdeptiCon concept art, the timeline, and what changed.
For a lot of long-time Imperial Guard fans, the Yarrick Armageddon reveal video felt less like a cool nostalgia hit and more like a warning shot. It was easy to get hyped by the video, but one big thing was missing: the Steel Legion.
However, in a dramatic reversal, Games Workshop announced that the Steel Legion will, in fact, return with new models, and their omission from the Yarrick video was not the final nail in the coffin for one of the most iconic Imperial Guard regiments in 40k history.
What Is the Armageddon Steel Legion in Warhammer 40k?
Updated on September 11th, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest from Games Workshop.
The Armageddon Steel Legion is the Astra Militarum regiment raised on the hive world of Armageddon, built around mechanized infantry riding into battle aboard Chimera armored personnel carriers instead of grinding forward as foot-slogging line troops. That single idea defines the army, and it explains why the models have always looked the way they do.
Armageddon’s ash wastes are choked with industrial pollution, so Steel Legion troopers wear sealed rebreathers and gas masks beneath long coats and flak armor. Armageddon is also one of the Imperium’s biggest Chimera manufacturing worlds, which helps explain why so many regiments raised there are mechanized from the start.
On the tabletop and in the lore, they’re best known for the Second and Third Wars for Armageddon, where they fought alongside Commissar Yarrick against Ghazghkull Thraka’s Ork invasions. That history is exactly why the Steel Legion’s absence from the Yarrick reveal video stood out so much, and why the concept art below is worth paying attention to.
New Armageddon Steel Legion Models: What Games Workshop Showed
At the AdeptiCon preview, GW finally showed real concept art for Armageddon Steel Legion mechanized infantry (but did mention the models are about two years out) and even called out a nice little detail about the redesign, with shorter lasguns so they can fit into Chimeras more easily.
That is exactly the kind of lore-friendly touch Steel Legion fans wanted to hear. It makes the whole thing feel like an actual army project, not just a nostalgia bomb tossed into a slideshow.
And honestly, the concept art does a lot of the heavy lifting here. The sketches clearly resemble the classic Steel Legion look, with greatcoats, enclosed helmets, respirators, and that unmistakable mechanized-infantry vibe. The weapon and close-combat concepts also show that GW is thinking beyond just a token miniature drop.
Not that long ago, Steel Legion fans were basically being told to make do with Krieg painted in yellow if they wanted that Armageddon feel (see the Krieg question in the FAQ below). Then, GW rolls out these seemingly dated concept sheets and says new Steel Legion models are coming in two years.
So now the obvious question is whether this had already been cooking in the background while fans were getting brushed off on social media (which is terrible optics) or whether GW saw the backlash and realized people actually wanted the real thing back.
Either way, it worked, and it even gave Games Workshop another great product to sell to everyone.
Armageddon Steel Legion Death and Rebirth: What May Have Actually Happened
Personally, we think Games Workshop blinked when they saw the backlash, cobbled some artwork together before Adepticon, and added it to the already-made video preview from Yarrick’s reveal to appease hobbyists.
It kind of makes sense, since they’ve already dedicated video resources to making a tutorial on how to paint your Death Korps of Krieg like the Steel Legion and not a new preview video.
You could even go further down the conspiracy rabbit hole and say that GW’s statement of “paint your DKoK models like Steel Legion was a long-game action by GW to see just how popular they are and let the online community of haters and supporters do their market research for them.
Whatever the case, we got a glimpse of rough sketches of new models, some conveniently, some even “dated 2025”, and a promise of a new Steel Legion in two years.
Why GW’s Steel Legion Preview Still Counts, Reactionary or Not
Either way, the reveal changes the whole situation fast. Steel Legion will no longer be just a dead regiment people keep alive through old metal collections and wishful thinking.
GW has now put the idea on stage, in public, with concept art, branding, and a timeline. So, after all the talk about painting Death Korps to stand in, that is a pretty dramatic pivot.
So yes, the reveal is exciting. But it is also the kind of reveal that makes people look back at GW’s earlier messaging and raise an eyebrow.
Because if this comeback was already on the roadmap, fans were getting a pretty rough answer for something GW clearly knew still had legs. And if it wasn’t on their roadmap until recently, then this preview is basically proof that Steel Legion fans were loud enough to drag one of the most iconic Guard regiments back onto the table.
Welcome back to Warhammer 40k, Steel Legion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Commissar Yarrick Steel Legion?
No, Sebastian Yarrick is a Commissar of the Officio Prefectus attached to the defense of Armageddon, not a Steel Legion trooper. The Steel Legion are the mechanized regiments he fought beside against Ghazghkull Thraka, which is why the two names come up together every time Armageddon does, and why his reveal without them stung.
Is the Steel Legion Krieg?
No, they are two different Astra Militarum regiments. The Death Korps of Krieg are World War One-style siege infantry who dig in and grind; the Steel Legion are World War Two-style mechanized infantry who ride Chimeras and keep moving. Games Workshop suggesting Krieg painted in Steel Legion colors as a stand-in is what set off the backlash above.
What Vehicles Does the Steel Legion Use?
Chimera armored personnel carriers above everything else. Armageddon is one of the Imperium’s main Chimera production worlds, so its regiments are raised as mechanized infantry and ride into battle rather than march. Leman Russ tanks and Sentinels fill out a typical force, and the new concept art keeps that mechanized identity front and center.
See the Latest on Armageddon Here!
I’m confused: Cadia doesn’t even have a planet anymore. How is it that they are everywhere? Did someone say constant warfare depleted the steel legion and that’s why they’re not there anymore? Wouldn’t they be more of a Cadian problem since they don’t even have a homeworld? What a slap in the face to the fanbase.
Quite a few 3rd party sellers offer alternative regiments as fresh plastic takes on the Imperial Guard. Comparable in size, too. Outside of GW stores and GW sponsored tournaments, you do you. These are Your Dudes. Go nuts. Build Romans with Autoguns, First Nation fighters with power bows, if you have the money to burn built Necromunda Spiders from Gang kits.