Games Workshop’s Sunday Preview revealed the new Warhammer: The Old World Core Set, along with the rules that are going up for pre-order this Saturday.
The Old World hasn’t had a new Core Set since launch, and this puts two new armies in one box. GW revealed the full lineup over on Warhammer Community after the Big Summer Preview, and this wave is a chunky one for the fantasy side of things, with Middle-earth, White Dwarf, and a Black Library omnibus tagging along for the ride.
Here’s the full lineup hitting pre-order this Saturday, plus our thoughts on all the new products.
Warhammer The Old World: New Pre-Order Releases
These go up for pre-order on Saturday, July 4, around 1 p.m. EST in the States, with a street date of Saturday, July 18, for store shelves.
And if you’re still waiting on something else to hit pre-order, check out the latest lineup in our updated Warhammer Roadmap for 2026.
Warhammer The Old World Core Set: Pre-Order
Honestly, this is the box hobbyists have been asking about since the previous Old World core sets shipped back in 2024. Two new armies, points-matched against each other, and ready to hit the table the day it lands, is pretty cmuch exactly what The Old World needed.
The Chaos side gets 22 brand-new sculpts, finally giving Warriors of Chaos a plastic identity in The Old World instead of leaning on AoS-era kits. Those are: an Aspiring Champion on a Daemonic Mount, an Aspiring Champion with Battle Standard, 16 Chaos Warriors, and Four Chaos Knights.
Grand Cathay’s 32 minis round it out with a Gate Keeper on a Cathayan Warhorse, Gate Keeper with Battle Standard, a Grand Cannon with Ogre Loader, 20 Jade Warriors, and Five Jade Lancers.
The rulebook in the box is also the revised version, with online errata baked in and the Battle March game mode added. So anyone buying the Core Set is getting the current rules instead of paying for an old printing and then chasing PDFs.
The Old World Core Set Hobby Tips
Subassemble the Cathay riders and mounts before priming. Zenithal-prime the infantry block so the gold trim gets some easy contrast without adding an extra glaze step. The new Chaos Knights reward a brown-into-bronze NMM treatment if you’ve been waiting to try one, and the Chaos Warriors paint fast with a quick red contrast over dark armor.
Warhammer The Old World Rulebook: Pre-Order
The standalone rulebook is the same updated print tucked into the Core Set, making it the obvious pick for anyone who already bought a launch core box and just needs the current rules.
The big addition is the Battle March section, pulled in alongside the standard rules, plus every online errata update applied as published instead of living in a download you have to keep hunting for. Honestly, this is what GW should have done a year ago.
Battle March: General’s Companion
Battle March stops being a back-of-the-book curiosity and starts looking like a real second format. The General’s Companion gives smaller games of The Old World a proper structure, with six narrative scenarios and example muster lists.
There’s also a write-up on the battle of Axe Bite Pass for the lore crowd, which is a nice touch too.
Warhammer: The Old World Card Packs
The Common Magic Items and Lores of Magic card packs are returning, both flagged as “while stocks last,” which usually means we won’t see them again for a while after they sell out.
Both packs cover items and spells most armies can use, and that’s exactly the kind of utility set that vanishes fast.
Warhammer: The Old World Made to Order
The Made to Order window is short this round, with classic resin returns opening alongside the Core Set on July 4 and closing at 08:00 am UK time on July 13.
Orc Raiders, both Mercenary Ogre kits, the Mercenary Ogre Captain, Baggage Train Carts, and the Baby Dragons all return. None of these are new sculpts, but Mercenary Ogres and Baggage Train kits in particular have been silly money on eBay for a while, so this is the easiest way to get them in decades
Made-to-order windows don’t repeat very often, and “next time” sometimes means years at a time.
Middle-earth Battle Strategy Game: New Pre-Order Releases
The latest Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game releases are here, with new miniatures and heroes for Tolkien’s legendary realm. Every qualifying purchase helps Spikey Bits keep the lights on.
Burning of the Westfold Journal
The Burning of the Westfold journal gives Middle-earth players 11 linked narrative scenarios pulled from the War of the Ring, all centered on Rohan.
The hobby guides inside cover painting horses, building the Fords of Isen, getting more out of Rohan Houses, and crafting the Plains of Rohan. You’ll need the Rules Manual and Armies of The Lord of the Rings to actually run the scenarios, but the campaign content still has plenty for the Rohan faithful.
Riders of Rohan
The new Riders of Rohan kit gives Middle-earth a fresh six-strong cavalry box, and every rider and horse is interchangeable with the rest of the kit.
Four of the six riders come with the throwing spear option on top of the bow and hand-weapon defaults, so you can build a unit of pure javelin throwers or mix loadouts across the regiment.
Warriors of Rohan Commanders
The Warriors of Rohan Commanders kit fills out the command frame for the rank-and-file boxes, with a Captain, a Warrior with a banner, and a Warrior with a war horn.
Hill Tribesmen Commanders
The Hill Tribesmen Commanders kit mirrors the Rohan command frame on the Dunland side of the conflict, with a Chieftain, a Banner Warrior, and a War Horn Warrior.
The Chieftain has a weapon swap, either two-handed or hand-weapon-and-shield, plus the Wild Man Oathmaker alt build, which pulls the Wild Men of Dunland over to Saruman. So this kit also gives Saruman a dedicated narrative leader for the West-march tribes.
White Dwarf Magazine: New Monthly Pre-Order
The latest issue of White Dwarf is up for pre-order, packed with lore, miniature spotlights, and hobby tips.
White Dwarf 526
White Dwarf 526 leans into the Dawn of War IV celebration with a director interview and a Blood Ravens painting guide, which is the kind of guide we’d usually buy White Dwarf for anyway.
There’s also a Warhammer: The Old World battle report tucked in for anyone watching the new Core Set drop the same week. Honestly, that’s a tidier crossover than most months get.
Black Library: New Pre-Order Releases
The latest Black Library pre-order is here, and Horus Heresy readers are getting another chunky omnibus for the shelf.
Flames of Betrayal
Flames of Betrayal is a Horus Heresy omnibus combining Garro: Knight of Grey, where the former Death Guard legionary faces Mortarion during the Siege of Terra, with the Era of Ruin short story anthology.
The Era of Ruin stories sit in the immediate aftermath of Horus’ defeat, which is the timeframe that’s been getting most of the audio drama and short-fiction attention for the last year. So this is a prefect entry point if you missed the individual releases.
FAQ About The Old World Core Set Sunday Preview
When does the new Warhammer: The Old World Core Set go up for pre-order?
Saturday, July 4, 2026, around 1 p.m. EST in the States.
What armies come in the new Old World Core Set?
Warriors of Chaos and Grand Cathay, points-matched against each other right out of the box.
How many miniatures are in the Core Set?
54 miniatures total, 22 new Warriors of Chaos and 32 for Grand Cathay.
Is the Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook available separately?
Yes. The updated rulebook ships standalone the same week the Core Set hits pre-order.
What is Battle March in Warhammer: The Old World?
Battle March is the smaller-game format for The Old World. Rules now live in the new rulebook, and the General’s Companion supplement adds six narrative scenarios and muster lists.
When does the Old World Made to Order window close?
08:00 am UK time on Monday, July 13, 2026.
What’s in White Dwarf issue 526?
A Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV director interview, a Blood Ravens painting guide, and a Warhammer: The Old World battle report.
What is Black Library’s Flames of Betrayal omnibus?
A Horus Heresy omnibus combining Garro: Knight of Grey with the Era of Ruin short story anthology, both set in the immediate aftermath of Horus’ defeat.
Final Thoughts on the Old World Pre-Orders
This new Core Set drop changes the starting point for The Old World more than anything since launch. Two pre-built armies, the updated rulebook, and the Battle March supplement all hit in the same wave, so anyone picking up the box can throw it on a table the day it lands.
With Chaos in plastic and Grand Cathay continuing to expand, Kislev is the only faction left officially confirmed on the roadmap, while Dogs of War rumors keep making the rounds too. We’d guess the Cathay-Chaos wave gets another supplement or reinforcement box before Kislev lands, though nothing is official until we hear it from Game Workshop themselves
🔗Related Reads:
- Warhammer The Old World 2026 Roadmap and Release Schedule
- Warhammer The Old World Warriors of Chaos 54-Mini Core Box and Dragon Revealed
- The Old World Pre-Order Hub
- Big Summer Warhammer Preview 2026: Every Reveal
- New Lord of the Rings MTO Miniatures: Pricing and Links
