GW revealed their latest Warhammer new releases featuring The Old World Grand Cathay, Horus Heresy Solar Auxilia, and a White Dwarf, hitting pre-order this week!
Games Workshop revealed its latest pre-orders this week for Warhammer The Old World and Warhammer Horus Heresy, featuring the new Grand Cathay, Solar Auxilia, and a new White Dwarf issue.
Here’s the full lineup, along with our thoughts on all the new products.
Warhammer The Old World Pre-Order New Releases
These products will be available for pre-order on Saturday, May 2nd, around 1 p.m. EST in the States, with a shelf release date of Saturday, May 16th, 2026.
If you’re still waiting on something else to hit pre-order, though, be sure to check out the latest new release lineup in our updated Warhammer Roadmap for 2026.
The Astromancers of the Celestial Court
The Astromancers of the Celestial Court are one of the standout kits from this wave. Grand Cathay’s wizards learn from texts written by the Dragons themselves, which is about as fancy as magical homework gets. Their lore ties them directly to the Celestial Court, where the Winds of Magic are shaped into more refined forms.
The kit includes:
- Two plastic Astromancers (One on foot, and one mounted Astromancer)
- A Crowman familiar
- Head and arm options for both wizards
- Options to represent Astromancers or Supreme Astromancers
From a hobby standpoint, this is the kind of kit Cathay players will probably want even if they’re not going spell-heavy. The mounted and foot options give you flexibility for different lists, and the Crowman familiar adds a nice little touch too.
Hobby Quick Tip: Grand Cathay Astromancers
Paint the mounted Astromancer and foot Astromancer with matching robes but slightly different accent colors. It keeps them visually tied to the same court while making them easy to spot on the table. Your future self will thank you when you’re trying to remember which wizard is doing what.
Iron Hail Gunners & Crane Gunner Teams
If magic isn’t your flavor, Grand Cathay is also getting a serious shooting upgrade with Iron Hail Gunners and Crane Gunner Teams.
This box includes:
- 12 Iron Hail Gunners
- Eight Crane Gunner Teams
- Close-range armor-punching firepower
- Long-range rifle teams with defensive tower shields
The Iron Hail Gunners are your aggressive firearm unit, built to move in and shred enemies at close range. Crane Gunner Teams play a very different role in the army, using long-range rifles to pick off high-value threats such as characters and monsters.
That’s a useful split in one box. You get punchy mid-board shooting and precision-style ranged pressure without buying two separate kits.
Hobby Quick Tip: Iron Hail & Crane Gunners
Give Crane Gunner Teams a little extra basing attention. Since they work in pairs, matching scenic elements can make each team feel like a mini diorama. For Iron Hail Gunners, dark metallics and bright cloth accents help sell that elite firearm look without making them blend into the rank-and-file.
Grand Cathay Peasant Levy Brings Bodies To The Battlefield
The Peasant Levy box is the classic “you need bodies” release, and Grand Cathay armies are going to want plenty of them. These troops represent peasants mustered from Cathay’s villages and countryside, but they’re still more disciplined than your average fantasy rabble thanks to the will of the Dragon Emperor.
Each box includes:
- 20 multipart plastic miniatures
- Options to build two units of 10 or one unit of 20
- Long spear options for fighting in the Extra Rank
- Warbow options for ranged volleys
- 12 bare heads and 12 straw hat heads per set of 10
The big choice here is spears or warbows. Spears lean into rank-and-file staying power, while warbows give Cathay generals another way to layer ranged threats before combat starts.
This is also a strong hobby box because the head options give the unit a lot more visual variety. Peasant units can get repetitive fast, so extra heads are always welcome.
Hobby Quick Tip: Grand Cathay Peasant Levy
Mix bare heads and straw hats throughout the unit rather than separating them completely. It makes the regiment look more natural, like a real levy pulled from different villages instead of 20 copy-pasted peasants from the same hat shop.
New Warhammer Horus Heresy Pre-Order Releases
New pre-orders are here for The Horus Heresy Age of Darkness, bringing a tidal wave of excitement for all 30k players out there!
Solar Auxilia Charonite Ogryns
Now we leave disciplined Cathayan levies behind and stroll straight into Horus Heresy nightmare fuel.
The Charonite Ogryn Section brings cybernetically and chemically enhanced brutes to the Solar Auxilia. These are heavy shock troops designed to get into combat and make power armor look less like protection and more like fancy wrapping paper.
Each box includes:
- Four Charonite Ogryns
- Six Charonite claws
- Two Charonite blades
- Two Charonite crushers
- Two Charonite shredders
- Cosmetic options for personalization
Solar Auxilia armies often lean into disciplined infantry and armored support, so the Charonite Ogryns give them something nastier up close.
Hobby Quick Tip: Solar Auxilia Charonite Ogryns
Lean into contrast. Clean Solar Auxilia armor looks great next to messy cybernetic flesh, battered weapons, and grimy implants. The more unpleasant these models look, the better they’ll fit the Horus Heresy vibe.
Solar Auxilia Rapier Fire Support Battery
The Rapier Fire Support Battery gives Solar Auxilia infantry forces access to mobile heavy weapons without needing to roll a full tank column onto the table.
Each box includes:
- Two Rapier platforms
- Two separate Gunner crew miniatures
- Quad launcher weapon options
- Mole mortar weapon options
- Cosmetic options for the crew
The indirect-fire loadouts are the big draw here. The quad launcher gives you classic rapid-fire artillery support, while the mole mortar offers a very Horus Heresy flavor of weird battlefield violence by firing through the earth into weaker armor.
For infantry-heavy Solar Auxilia lists, this is exactly the kind of support element that makes the army feel less dependent on tanks to solve every problem.
Hobby Quick Tip: Rapier Fire Support Battery
Paint the crew as part of the same infantry scheme, but weather the Rapier platforms more heavily. These things are getting dragged across brutal battlefields, not sitting in a parade ground garage.
Solar Auxilia Rapier Direct Fire Battery
The Rapier Direct Fire Battery is the more straightforward, point-and-delete version of the platform. Instead of indirect fire, this kit focuses on direct-fire weapons for a range of battlefield targets.
Each box includes:
- Two Rapier platforms
- Two separate Gunner crew miniatures
- Gravis heavy bolter battery options
- Gravis multi-laser array options
- Laser destroyer options
- Cosmetic options for the crew
This gives Solar Auxilia players some nice flexibility. Heavy bolters can chew through lighter infantry, multi-lasers offer volume, and laser destroyers bring the anti-tank threat.
Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn Part One
The Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn Part One puts the focus on one of the biggest armored conflicts in the Horus Heresy. Tallarn went from a verdant world to a wasteland of wrecked vehicles after the Iron Warriors invasion, and this book covers the opening stages of that brutal war.
The book includes:
- Extensive Battle of Tallarn background lore
- A new Legendary Mission
- Iron Warriors vehicle squadron rules for the mission
- Tallarn resistance ambush rules for the mission
- A mission pack for Armoured Spearhead engagements
- Rules for Dracosan Command Tanks
- Rules for Spartan Prometheus Command Tanks
- Rules for Solar Auxilia Rapier Carriers
- Rules for Charonite Ogryns
For Horus Heresy players who like tank-heavy games, this is the big rules piece in the preview. Armored Spearhead engagements are designed for armies packed with tanks and armored vehicles, which makes Tallarn the perfect setting for some proper tread-head nonsense.
And honestly, if you’re playing Heresy and don’t occasionally want to put a large number of tanks on the table, what are we even doing here?
New White Dwarf Pre-Order
The latest issue of White Dwarf is up for pre-order, and it’s hotter than a plasma gun on overcharge! Packed with exclusive lore, stunning miniature showcases, and tips that will level up your hobby game, it’s like hobby Christmas came early.
White Dwarf Issue 524
White Dwarf Issue 524 is also on the way, and this month’s issue has a pretty broad mix of hobby goodness.
The big features include:
- A major focus on wizards
- New Anvil of Apotheosis options for custom Collegiate Battlemages
- Rules for the Arcane Duel mini-game
- Armageddon coverage with Ghazghkull Thraka and Commissar Yarrick
- A new Kill Team Joint Ops scenario
- An escape mission from a sinking Ork submarine
The wizard content should appeal to Age of Sigmar players, while the Armageddon material keeps feeding the current 40k hype train.
FAQ: Grand Cathay, Solar Auxilia, And This Week’s Warhammer Preview
What new Grand Cathay models are coming?
Grand Cathay is getting Astromancers, Iron Hail Gunners, Crane Gunner Teams, and Peasant Levy miniatures. These kits add magic support, close-range shooting, long-range rifle teams, and flexible infantry blocks for Warhammer: The Old World.
What comes in the Grand Cathay Astromancers kit?
The Astromancers kit includes two plastic wizard models, one on foot and one mounted, plus a Crowman familiar. Both Astromancers include head and arm options and can represent Astromancers or Supreme Astromancers.
Are Grand Cathay Peasant Levy miniatures plastic?
Yes, the Peasant Levy box contains 20 multipart plastic miniatures. They can be built with long spears or warbows and arranged as two units of 10 or one larger unit of 20.
What are Iron Hail Gunners and Crane Gunner Teams used for?
Iron Hail Gunners are close-range firearm troops meant to shred enemy infantry and armor at shorter distances. Crane Gunner Teams are long-range rifle teams that work in pairs, with one gunner firing while the other protects them with a heavy tower shield.
What new Solar Auxilia units are coming for Horus Heresy?
The Solar Auxilia are getting Charonite Ogryns, Rapier Fire Support Batteries, and Rapier Direct Fire Batteries. These add close-combat shock troops, indirect fire support, and flexible direct-fire heavy weapons.
What weapons come with the Solar Auxilia Charonite Ogryns?
The Charonite Ogryn box includes interchangeable weapon options, with Charonite claws, blades, crushers, and shredders. The kit also includes cosmetic options for customizing the models.
What is the difference between the Rapier Fire Support Battery and Rapier Direct Fire Battery?
The Rapier Fire Support Battery focuses on indirect-fire weapons like the quad launcher and mole mortar. The Rapier Direct Fire Battery uses line-of-sight weapons like gravis heavy bolters, gravis multi-lasers, and laser destroyers.
What is Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn Part One?
Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn Part One is a Horus Heresy book covering the opening stages of the massive tank war on Tallarn. It includes lore, a Legendary Mission, Armoured Spearhead missions, and rules for several Solar Auxilia and command tank units.
What is in White Dwarf Issue 524?
White Dwarf Issue 524 includes wizard-focused content, Anvil of Apotheosis updates for custom Collegiate Battlemages, Arcane Duel rules, Armageddon coverage, and a Kill Team Joint Ops scenario set on a sinking Ork submarine.
Final Thoughts on the Cathay & Auxilia Pre-Orders
This week’s Warhammer pre-orders have a nice split between polished fantasy reinforcements and grimy Heresy-era brutality. Grand Cathay gets the kind of practical wave that helps an army feel more complete, with Astromancers for magical support, Iron Hail Gunners and Crane Gunner Teams for ranged punch, and Peasant Levy boxes for anyone who needs more disciplined bodies in the battleline.
Solar Auxilia players are getting some cool releases, too. Charonite Ogryns bring some proper close-combat options and the two Rapier Battery kits give infantry-heavy armies more ways to handle armor, infantry, and awkward targets without leaning on tanks for every problem.
Toss in Journal Tactica: The Battle of Tallarn Part One, and the Horus Heresy side of this preview has plenty for players who like big guns, armored warfare, and battles that leave the table looking like a scrapyard.
So, overall, Grand Cathay gets broader, Solar Auxilia gets meaner, and hobby desks everywhere just got a few more tempting projects this week.
See the Latest Warhammer Release Schedule & Roadmap
What do you think of the new Warhammer Old World and Horus Heresy that are coming to pre-order this week?
