The new Warhammer 40k Imperial Knight codex and Defender kit are incoming with more rules and little innovation, as this delayed release may be going from bad to worse.
Updated on May 24th, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest upgrade bits options
Games Workshop revealed their new Warhammer 40k Imperial Knights codex and the so-called “new” Imperial Knight Defender kit—and let’s be honest, it’s not the splash we were hoping for. One extra sprue tacked onto an existing frame doesn’t really scream innovation.
With more rules and barely any fresh plastic to show for it, this feels like a missed opportunity for one of Warhammer 40k’s most iconic model lines. If you were expecting a bold update for these towering war machines, brace yourself—this release plays it way too safe.
Let’s talk about why this rollout feels more like a maintenance patch than a proper content update after being delayed from the first part of 2025.
One Sprue to Underwhelm Them All
Okay, so let’s talk Knight Defender.
According to GW, it’s a walking vault of ancient tech with enough juice to power weapons that sound like boss fights: the plasma executor (angry star mode) and the conversion beam obliterator (the name says it all).
Oh, and that dome on top? Void shield generator. It shrugs off attacks and can cover nearby pals too. Big, flashy, and unapologetically extra.
Looks like the new Knight Defender is basically just one extra sprue slapped onto the good ol’ Knight chassis we’ve all got lying around. And guess what? Designers have already cranked out 3D printable upgrade bits based on preview images.
So if you’ve got a printer (or a friend who does), you’re set—no need to shell out for a whole new box to get that fancy weapon arms or shield generator. Classic printing community move: see a new release, make it printable before the sprue smell’s even worn off.
Hype Train Details Before it Starts
The Imperial Knights are supposed to be the titanic centerpiece of a Warhammer 40K army—big, loud, and stompy. Walking monuments of destruction. So when GW says, “Hey, we’ve got a new kit for you,” the expectation is sky-high. We’re not asking for a complete overhaul, but something bold. Something fresh. Something that doesn’t look like a parts bin shuffle.
What did we get instead? One. New. Sprue.
That’s it. A single new sprue slapped onto an existing frame. It’s like ordering a new car and getting a fresh air freshener instead. These kits have been around for a while, and honestly, they’ve aged well. But there comes a time when you need more than just another pair of weapons or a fancy little carapace sensor to feel like there’s something to get excited about.
Too Many Variants, Not Enough Innovation
There are already so many Knight variants out there—Warden, Paladin, Errant, Preceptor, Castellan, Valiant, and yes, now the Defender. At this point, you need a flowchart just to keep the loadouts straight.
This new Defender doesn’t feel like a true addition to the Warhammer 40k Knights line—it feels like someone at HQ was told to “freshen things up” over lunch and made it back to their desk just in time to slap something onto the release schedule.
There are so many knight variants now that Games Workshop is re-splitting the box set into a version with all the existing sprues and the new defender, and a similar one with everything plus Canis Rex and no Defender. Look for those, and the new codex book and dice to hit store shelves soon ™.
The Game Board is Already Not Their Friend
The problem goes beyond plastic. Tournament layouts are already rough for Knights. Big bases, tight corridors, and terrain-heavy metas make these lumbering brutes feel more like parade floats than apex predators. The last thing they needed was more rules bloat.
And speaking of rules: how many rule changes are we expected to track (they basically had a major change in most big dataslates)? Since July 2023, it feels like we’ve seen three different codex books’ worth of rules crash into each other with every quarterly shake-up.
This Ain’t the Cool We Signed Up For
New rules. New kit. Same old frustration.
It’s tough staying upbeat about one of the most iconic ranges in 40K when the support feels this half-hearted. This isn’t “rule of cool.” This is “rule of what we could slap together between bigger projects.” And with nearly a dozen upgrade kits floating around, it’s hard not to feel like this is just another SKU to pad out the shelves.
Knights Deserve Better
This is where GW really misses the mark. A new Knight kit should be exciting, especially for newer players getting into the game. But for those of us who’ve been collecting these walking monsters since 2013, this feels more like déjà vu than a fresh release.
By now, veteran players have magnetized chassis stacked like Imperial Tupperware. Do we really need another version of the same frame with a slightly different gun? Probably not. I imagine most of us will just be hunting down some solid 3D-printed upgrades and calling it a day. At least that way we get something unique and don’t drop another hundred bucks on a half-new kit.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth Your Hobby Time?
If you’re looking at the Imperial Knight Defender kit and trying to decide whether it’s worth it, ask yourself if you’re excited about building the same frame again with slightly tweaked bits. Because unless you really need another Knight in your lineup (or just love magnetizing every possible weapon combo), this one’s probably not shaking up your display shelf—or your list.
Warhammer should spark imagination. The Imperial Knights line has always nailed that. But this release? Feels like the spark’s been put on a timer.
See How to Magnetize Your Imperial Knights Here!
What do you think about the lack of new releases for the Imperial Knights in 10th Edition?
I think 40K is at a point it’s so big and somewhat stable, that GW is so scared to do anything drastic that may break the game. So we don’t see any new innovation, just rehashed models with additional sprites. Adding another model to the knights line doesn’t do anything really. We have a bunch of models already that are near unusable in the current rules. Same applies to about every army. GW should work on making all models viable. Then add more models.
Cope harder grey knights got even less than a “big” new sprue, they only got a 2 or 3 new weapons for one of the worst models in all of GW and you say this is bad, hell na this is an awesome addition to an already awesome line. Criticism is well placed but still. And then there is drukare
Really good article, writer clearly has valid criticisms of GW creative and business decisions. Keep writing because you bring up good points!