Here’s a ton of rumors for all the new Warhammer 40k codex books going into 2022 including Custodes, Genestealer Cults, Tau, Chaos, and Imperial Guard!
Well, obviously, these are all rumors… So, take them with however much salt you need, but most of them are from sources that have provided accurate information already.
With that said, let’s jump into the Warhammer 40k codex rumors starting with what could be coming first headed into 2022.
Warhammer 40k Rumors Custodes & GSC
Let’s start with the reveal from GW, that said a Xenos and Imperial book are coming in December. Conveniently, this rumor has a Xenos and Imperial army coming in December. Just to note, the artwork is just stock, they’ve used them for every codex reveal, so, unfortunately, you can’t read into them.
Anyways, the timing would line up perfectly with what GW has laid out. This is both good and bad if you play the factions. It means they are getting a book sooner, but it also means they are only grabbing one new mini this time around. So it looks like Genestealer Cults will be joining Custodes soon.
Here’s the actual rumor from Reddit.
You may notice that there is not only everything in there about the Black Templars release, but they also predicted nail the Sisters and Tau release for Kill Team as well, both from a post over a month old!
Now the same source says the Custodes are getting something that the Warhammer world has been severely lacking, a new Lieutenant! Whereas the GSC will grab a Saboteur.
Custodes Rules Rumors
There are also rules rumors. Let’s take a look at the actual rules rumor from Reddit that is of bad image quality.
With so many other armies moving up in wounds, it makes sense they would give the buff to Custodes as well. The rumors say they are getting a new Lieutenant, so we’re not sure about the other new character rumors here, so we’ll see about that.
Adding army-wide heroic intervention could be a really cool idea, but they would need more if they tone down all their Stratagems. Bumping up the damage on weapons to D3 is seriously nice, especially bumping the Misericordia up to D2. It will make taking them basically an auto-include unless they go way up in points as well.
Again, these are all Warhammer 40k codex rumors, so we’ll have to wait and see on that!
Genestealer Cults Rumors
There are some decent changes here, most notably, the change to ambush. While it’s a really cool mechanic, over time it sort of makes all your games feel similar. The Saboteur is supposedly the new unit coming along with the Custodes/GSC Battlebox, and DS only 3″ away from something is really nice, but no charging is pretty lame.
Overall, the changes to the deployment side of things just seem like something they needed, so let’s hope that all comes true. Gaining cult creeds would be super strong for everything and adding some strength to Rending Claws would give the army a nice boost. Next, we’ll get into the Chaos rumors, and there are a lot of them!
New Chaos Space Marines Codex Rumors
Originally posted on one of the large 40k forums, these Warhammer 40k codex rumors were taken down just before Games Workshop’s new codex roadmap post went live. Luckily it was reposted over on Imgur here.
First and foremost, these rumors are all based on new or updated models. If these are true, this is a massive update, almost the size of a new faction release like Soulblight grave lords or Lumineth Realmlords we saw for Age of Sigmar.
There also seems to be a greater emphasis on updating the cultist/human line and most likely important in the faction. One of the unique things about Chaos is the presence of non-marine heretics. So it would be a unique space to expand on for the faction.
Some of these we have already seen as the post points out in Blackstone Fortress, but some seem to be completely new as well.
The deletion of the forum post might be someone asking it to get taken down or maybe even just the author decided to, we can’t know for sure.
Also of note, the recent WHC Codex Roadmap post mentioned this about Chaos:
Eagle-eyed heretics** may note the lack of codexes for the Traitor Legions. Do not despair, as 2022 will be a bumper year for warp-based shenanigans.
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This is a huge boon for chaos, as generic CSM has seemed to be on the backburner for the 9th edition. Assuming at least some of the rumors are true there’s huge potential for new additions and updates as the change to Primaris for loyalists seemed to have left Chaos in the dust.
World Eaters Codex coming for Chaos
Two different industry insiders have indicated to us that World Eaters are “slated” to be released before a full CSM codex.
They are one of the four main single-god devoted legions; Thousand Sons for Tzeentch, Death Guard for Nurgle, Emperor’s Children for Slaanesh, and World Eaters for Khorne. We assume why Games Workshop would release World Eaters before the whole CSM book is probably because people who play any of the devoted legions will also buy the CSM codex as well as any potential new models too.
Meaning they can keep the releases flowing to the same customer base. Plus it’s easier to release more models this way, with a big-sized mini (such as a Daemon Primarch or new vehicle kit) to build hype and new limited edition Army boxes.
Chapter Master Valrak, even posted a video talking about some rumblings he has heard about a new World Eaters update coming sometime during 9th edition. Apparently, a source told him that World Eaters are coming in 9th, and supposedly before Emperor’s Children.
As by far one of the most popular legions, it makes perfect sense that World Eaters get their own codex. Unlike undivided legions like Word Bearers or Black legion, the God-devoted ones have much more unique models and lore, making them better candidates for dedicated books, and new models.
This also makes sense with the new rumors we’ve heard, meaning Emperor’s Children would come after World Eaters and Chaos Space Marines proper later on in the 9th Edition release cycle. Or, they could easily have gotten the idea messed up, maybe it’s CSM, then World Eaters, then Emperor’s children.
Either way, let’s jump into the newest rumors!
RUMORS: App Update Points to New Chaos Codex Soon
GW has recently put Heldrake updates in the 4ok app, which may mean a number of things including a new codex book soon!
These rumors come from Faeit, and they basically point to two different versions of the Heldrake in the app. So the real question is, why publish and program it if a book isn’t coming soon?
It could very well be that they just gave the programmer the new stats and they just put it in without knowing when it should go live, or even toggled the wrong one “live” and didn’t remove the “old” nomenclature from the title.
So again, why put it into the app if a book isn’t coming soon. While this isn’t the biggest thing ever, this along with the previous rumors really seem to point to a new book sooner than later!
New 40k Tau Codex & Models On The Way!
First up, according to rumors, it looks like January is the release date for the 9th Edition Tau 40k codex, but if there are any big delays, it might get pushed to February. Still, that’s really not too far off either way.
Next, it looks like they will receive a few other models other than just the Pathfinders with one being a plastic Darkstrider model. We’re not sure if these will also be upgrade sprues or brand new kits. However as we said before though, GW probably doesn’t need to give them a huge model update to get people to buy them.
They simply need rules that make them more fun not only to field but also play against and people will buy them. Right now they basically aren’t selling. Since the minis are so cool, it just comes down to rules to get them moving off store shelves. So hopefully in the update, they give them some fun mechanics.
One model that has grabbed a ton of attention for a rumored new character update is Darkstrider. He’s in Finecast right now, so it would make sense. Especially when you look at some of the previous updates, where instead of grabbing a big new character, it was a smaller named character (like the Ad Mech Mashall).
Considering this and the confirmed Pathfinder update, a new codex may be more infantry-focused. That’s all we’ve heard so far, but a new codex in January, at least a couple more kits, and getting rid of Finecast is always a good thing.
RUMORS: New 40k Imperial Guard Regiments & Tank Models
First up, the rumors say the Imperial Guard will be grabbing a new codex book, which everyone already assumed by now probably. From the rumors, the book will contain two new regiments and the Catachans will not be squatted even though their models are almost as old as the Eldar ones.
While there is no clear indication yet about what the two “new “regiments are quite yet, that’s still pretty exciting. Next, it looks like the Cadians will be a veteran-style addition in the book.
For new models, rumors are that there will be two or more upgrade sprues for other regiments, much like the Cadian sprues. So while they won’t be grabbing entirely new models, they will be getting sprues to bring them into the new edition. Again, this is a double-edged sword. Getting new bits is awesome, but paying $45 for a single unit of Guardsmen can be pretty pricey.
It looks like the Kasrkin will be grabbing entirely new sculpts and models. We’ll have to see how extensive this is, but if it’s anything like the early 2000s models’ designs they are sure to be a fan favorite! This rumor also sorta coincides with one that the Cadians are going to a more veteran-style side of the Army list.
There are also rumors for one more new unit as well, which may end up being the most impactful on the tabletop.
New Imperial Guard Tank
Perhaps a Macharius-sized tank is coming in plastic?
Supposedly a new tank fitting somewhere in between the Leman Russ and a Baneblade is on the way next for treadheads to collect.
You can see the difference in size between the Baneblades and the Leman Russ. Well, if you want something in-between that size, it looks like you’ll get it! The new tank hasn’t been named yet but supposedly it will be big. It will be awesome to have a tank larger than a Russ, hopefully, the new model will be kick-ass!
RUMORS: Squats Army Returning to Warhammer 40k
Over the past few years, there have been some clues pointing to a possible Squat comeback. A triumphant return to the limelight could very well happen and we will be laughing with joy! Next to Plastic Sisters of Battle, Squats may be the next biggest hobbyist’s dream for a Warhammer 40k army release.
We’ve actually seen a couple of minis for them in the past few years since the big reveal by Duncan in the reset the clocks video back in 2018.
Now that we’ve got your hopes way too high, let’s look at everything SQUATs in Warhammer 40k we’ve seen so far, and then compare to the new rumors
What the Future Could Hold for Squats:
Spotted on Imgur, we’ve got a snapshot of the Squat’s story in Psychic Awakening. Essentially, there’s some kind of Imperial ship that is getting pulled in by a weaponized gravitational field. Note that they’re in a sector called 47-Grendel and oddly enough, guess what the Necromunda model is called? Grendl Grendlsen (this may or may not be a coincidence lol).
Now, talking about the gravitational field, we know that Squats (while they were canon) lived in worlds that had gravitational pulls two-to-three times stronger than that of Earth’s. For the most part, a planet purely inhabited by Squats is thought to be non-existent. The guy in the story is having his mind blown by the fact of what he’s seeing because the Imperium taught him that there’s no way Squats could be alive with their own planet, much less a whole starship.
Finally, this biggest cliffhanger of all ends with “That (v)essel belongs to Squa(ts)…” As we know, GW doesn’t like to release lore or artwork for things they aren’t making minis for.
New Rumors
Let’s now take a look at what we’ve seen floating out there.
- The most important question is, when? It’s probably sooner than you think, we’ve heard this coming Spring.
- They will be released similar to the Sisters of Battle with an exclusive codex and very early access army box.
- The units inside will be an Ancient (HQ), ten troopers (supposedly with padded armor and sunglasses), 5 Exo-suits, and 1 Thudd gun (Heavy Support).
These are some of the most exciting rumors we’ve heard in a while for new Squats in Warhammer 40k! With all this said, perhaps there’s still a chance for more Squats yet… don’t lose hope!
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
