GW Ditches New 40k Combat Patrols, Battalion Boxes

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It’s not just 40k’s Space Marine Combat Patrols. From Death Korps to the 500 Worlds and Maelstrom battalions, there is a catch now for these products… 

Games Workshop has been on a Space Marine kick lately (or always, depending on how you look at it), cranking out new Astartes releases. On top of all recent Ultramarines, Combat Patrol, they made boxes for Salamanders, Imperial Fists, Raven Guard, White Scars, and Iron Hands.

Normally, these sets are the bread and butter of onboarding new players into Warhammer 40k armies. Affordable, self-contained, and designed to be an easy entry point, they’re supposed to be stable stock items.

But now, something feels different as these Combat Patrols, along with new Maelstrom and 500 Worlds battalion boxes, are limited, as it’s not just limited to the Space Marine chapter boxes anymore.

GW Really Said “No More Combat Patrols or Battalions for You”

Updated on February 13th, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest from Games Workshop.

Welcome to the “While Supplies Last” Curveball now. 

If you’ve been watching the Warhammer webstore closely, you’ll see that every one of these new Space Marine Combat Patrols, along with the Death Korps and Harelquins, carries the dreaded “while supplies last” tag at release.

Even the Ultramarines and the campaign battalions from 500 Worlds and Maelstrom followed suit.

Which means, sadly, these new 40k Combat Patrols (and battalions) are limited stock items.

That’s not what most of us expected from products meant to kickstart a collection. That’s because these aren’t supposed to be one-off collector’s boxes; they’re meant to sit on shelves for a good stretch, waiting for new hobbyists to snag them.

Instead, GW’s language makes it look like these new Combat Patrol and battalion boxes are being treated more like limited runs. Which raises the question: are these really permanent additions to the product line, or just another short-term push designed to spark urgency? 

We asked retailers, with all the current allocation and stock issues, what they thought of these box sets ever returning, and every one we polled said they wouldn’t expect to see any of these sets back for a while, if at all.

Combat Patrol FOMO or Factory Backlog?

Before Games Workshop confirmed it, there were a couple of ways to read the situation. Maybe they were simply running with their current trend of high-pressure sales tactics, using scarcity to drive quicker purchases.

After all, nothing gets a hobbyist reaching for their wallet faster than the thought of missing out on a favorite Chapter box. Which you can see in the marketing difference in language between the regular Space Marines Combat Patrol box and the Raven Guard one above. 

The other possibility is less sinister but just as messy: production limitations. GW might be soft-launching these Combat Patrols and Battalions under a temporary “limited” label until manufacturing catches up and regular stock levels stabilize.

Games Workshop Revealed The Truth

Now it’s confirmed straight from GW’s teaser post: when the latest round of White Scars, Iron Hands, and Harlequins Combat Patrols from 2025 were listed as “while stocks last.”

Then, in 2026, the Maelstrom and 500 Worlds battalions also followed suit with limited supply “fomo” style releases.

It turns out, FOMO is the new “Starter Set”, get it on pre-order day or there are no more combat patrols for you. 

Why the Missing Combat Patrol Boxes Matter for New Players

Here’s the real kicker: Combat Patrols and battalions are supposed to be the most straightforward way for a new player to join the game. When everything is flagged as “grab it now or regret it later,” the accessibility angle goes out the window.

Instead of easing people into the hobby, GW turns into a “scalper’s paradise”, with newer players left scrambling or overpaying on the secondary market.

For established hobbyists, the frustration is familiar, yet another example of Warhammer 40k starter sets being caught up in the hype machine. For newcomers, it’s a straight-up barrier to entry.

Final Thoughts on Combat Patrol & Battalion Shortages

This isn’t the first time GW has played the scarcity card, and it won’t be the last. But when core entry products like Combat Patrols and Battalions are swept up in the same sales strategy used for limited-edition models and event exclusives, it undercuts their original purpose.

If the goal is to bring more players into Space Marine factions, then making these Space Marine combat patrols consistently available should be priority one. Not everything needs to sell out in a frenzy.

Sometimes, it’s better to let players pick up a box on their own timeline, whether they’re starting a new Chapter or just filling gaps in their collection.

Currently, it seems that every new product release is being processed through the same high-pressure funnel. And that’s a shame, because these kits should be about building armies and welcoming players, not fueling another round of FOMO.

See all the 40k Combat Patrols Ranked By Contents & Values

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