40k finally got its plastic Thunderhawk, just not the way anyone hoped, as Games Workshop’s joke really struggles to “land”.
GW knew exactly what it was doing with this reveal. A plastic Warhammer 40k Thunderhawk showed up in the announcement, hearts started pounding, and then the actual product turned out to be the Thunderhawk Impact Site.
What you’re getting is a four-piece terrain kit built around the wrecked gunship, released alongside the same Codex: Space Marines wave that’s already sending 17 units to Legends.
Not only is it not the giant plastic flyer Space Marines players have been asking for since the Forge World days, but it is also them selling terrain no one really asked for as well, lol.
GW Wrote the Best Bait-and-Switch of the Year
- Thunderhawk Impact Site: the plastic Thunderhawk is a crashed-hull terrain kit, not a new model at all.
- Four terrain pieces: GW says they give infantry and vehicles cover and can double as themed objectives.
- No date, no price: GW says the release is “still a way off,” although the kit is already showing up in shots from the upcoming Codex: Space Marines.
If GW hadn’t done this before with the Aeronautica Imperialis Thunderhawk, you could almost respect the setup. GW opened by saying the hobby was finally getting a plastic, Warhammer 40,000-scale Thunderhawk Gunship, then hit everyone with “well, almost” right afterward.
We’ve also been through enough Thunderhawk rumor cycles, so yes, it got us hyped for a second. Ever since the resin Forge World kit priced plenty of hobbyists out, some version of “it’s happening” has resurfaced over and over again.
GW decided to turn that reflex into the joke during the same week the Marine codex news has mostly been about cuts. So maybe it’s not the best timing overall…
Four Pieces of Wreck Beats Another Ruin Sprue
Once you stop being mad about the Thunderhawk not actually flying, the terrain itself looks pretty decent. The Thunderhawk Impact Site comes with four detailed pieces that can provide cover for infantry and vehicles while also working as themed objectives. That’s enough wreckage to build part of the table around instead of tossing another little ruin into an empty corner.
GW even pulled out the nostalgia card by calling back to the crashed Aquila lander from Battle for Macragge. Plenty of hobbyists learned what a good terrain centerpiece could do for a game with that thing sitting on the table, so bringing the idea back as a busted Thunderhawk makes a lot more sense than another stack of ruins.
Final Thoughts on the Warhammer 40k Thunderhawk
Now the interesting part is what GW does after putting a Thunderhawk-shaped piece of plastic on everyone’s table. A crashed hull is a much smaller commitment than the full gunship people have been asking for, and GW gets to see what happens when something with Thunderhawk on the box actually goes on sale.
Maybe the best part of all is this, could be the fact that we know they have the files and know-how to make a full plastic version of the Thunderhawk, that is IF they decided too at least.
So keep an eye out for whatever comes next. If the full plastic Thunderhawk ever gets past the rumor stage, it’ll probably start with another little clue like this before GW finally says the words everyone has been waiting to hear.
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What do you think about GW trolling us with a plastic Warhammer 40k Thunderhawk that turned out to be terrain?
