2020 is coming in hot with tons of releases and updates for what looks to be the top Warhammer 40k and AoS armies that we all know and love!
Throughout 2019, we’ve seen rumor engine after rumor engine. And by pulling out a few choice unsolved bits, they seem to follow some kind of theme that may be hinting toward a bigger faction release. On top of that, there has also been a steady increase of 9th edition rumors for 40k combined. Combine that with the models that have been previewed but still have no official release date, and here’s what we could be seeing.
Psychic Awakening (Obviously)
Moving into Psychic Awakening, the next three book titles have been revealed and are going to release in quick succession. As we only waited about a week for the Blood of Baal after the Faith and Fury release, we should be seeing these books revealed one behind the other in the coming months.
And while we’ve already covered in great detail what could be in store for us, we’ve decided to include it in this post once again because there’s actually still a lot of grey area on what factions there will be. Obviously, The Greater Good sounds like Tau and Saga of the Beast sounds like Space Wolves, but who will they be fighting- Orks? That’s a question that is left to be answered. To tack another question on, which faction will be getting those coveted new model releases?
Rumors of 9th Edition of 40k?
There is a ton of info to digest on the rumors revolving around 9th edition, but from multiple sources, they are all chiming in and saying similar things. There has been mention of the end of the Psychic Awakening series to usher in the birth of 9th edition. That once these supplements finish releasing, GW will start the cycle all over again and drop new codexes for everyone with updated points/rules.
Hidden in Plain Sight: MORE Evidence of 9th Edition 40k!
Sepulchre of Heroes messaged us the other day about a little trend that’s been happening in White Dwarf over the past few issues that may be hiding something in plain sight…And segwaying into the latest gem of possible 9th edition rumors, here’s what was noticed.
Robin Cruddace (right), the lead 40k rules tester/designers usually normally does an Echos In the Warp feature in each White Dwarf Issue. However, he’s been in and out of the pages towards the end of the year, while the White Dwarf jokingly describes the reason for his disappearance. But could this be because he’s working on something big?
More Primaris Units on the Way?
If this picture is a hoax, the person that developed this image should win the most masterful of baiters award because they put a ton of effort into fooling pretty much the whole Warhammer Community.
However, it’s almost too real not to believe. Plus, following the trend of GW deleting non-Primaris units and bringing in Primaris forms of the entire Space Marine line, a couple of red vehicles isn’t too far-fetched of an idea.
While this image was spotted recently, it’s been making rounds across the web like wildfire. Some in the community seem to think that, with the mention of 9th edition being the next destination of 40k after Psychic Awakening, this could be part of a massive Box Set to celebrate the birth of a new rules platform.
In the picture, it looks like we can see:
- Primaris Baal Predator.
- Primaris Land Speeder.
- And finally, bigger Primaris Bikes in the top-right.
Rumor Engines Giving Clues About What’s Ahead?
If you follow Warhammer Community and their weekly previews, they give us a new “mystery bit” every week. And as we’ve compiled all the rumors over time… There are a few that we can pull out and make the assumption that there may be something big coming.
September 3rd, 2019
New GW Rumor Engine: An Elegant Weapon?
September 17th, 2019
Magic Is Heresy? New GW Rumor Engine Spotted
October 1st, 2019
For… Sigmar? New GW Rumor Engine Emerges
October 15th, 2019
Triple Shot Repeater Crossbow: New GW Rumor Engine Spotted
Of the first four rumor engines, they are themed around some kind of weaponry. And while they are all elegant and don’t look brutish at all, like Ogor’s clubs, for example, there’s the chance that these could all be a part of a massive faction overhaul for something like High Aelves/Dark Aelves.
October 29th, 2019
A Guardian Stone on the Path Ahead? New GW Rumor Engine!
December 3rd, 2019
Bonsai Sylvaneth? New GW Rumor Engine Spotted
And while the last two are some kind of stone with some etchings and what looks to be a smaller tree, who’s to say that these can’t be some scenery to a possible Wood Aelves model?
More Blood Angels & Ad Mech Support Spotted in Rumor Engine?
December 31st, 2019
A Questionable Scabbard: New GW Rumor Engine SPOTTED!
Looking at the Blood Angels Death Company unit, they are littered with goblets of different sizes on their models. From larger ones on the chest and shoulder plate, they also have scaled-down versions on the helmet/belt that look to be a near-exact match to what’s on the sword.October 22nd, 2019
Red Dead Rumor Redemption: New GW Rumor Engine!
Looking at the Ad Mech, there is this rumor engine that seems to line up with another model in the faction.
This rumor engine showed some kind of beautiful rifle in a scabbard with some calligraphy on the stock. Meanwhile, looking at the already-existant Skitarii Ranger kit, it looks to be an exact match of the back-end of the rifle already available to us. After seeing how well the stock matches up with the rumor engine, it would be foolish to dismiss future Ad Mech releases lying in wait.
Especially combined with the fact that we’ve already seen the clearly-previewed Archaeopter Stratorapters from Warhammer Open Day in 2019!
Other Rumor Engines Keep us Guessing
November 12th, 2019
My What a Fancy Piece of Wargear: New GW Rumor Engine
Some of the rumor engines (like the one above) almost fit the bill perfectly for other factions. For example, this bit looks like some kind of horn that’s been capped and dressed with gems and tassels. Right away, you might think that this is some kind of Slaanesh Keeper of Secrets model.
However, we’ve just seen Slaanesh get overhauled along with a brand new Greater Daemon kit. It’s bits like these that have us scratching our heads.
As we’ve said once before, there are a lot of open-ended areas that GW can choose to devote more attention to in 2020. And as we are starting off the year with a decent baseline of things to keep watch for, this will be an exciting season of hobbying!
What do you think we will be seeing from GW first? Do you have any ideas of what those rumor engines from above might be?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
