Who’s ready for a new edition of Warhammer 40k? Don’t miss our first look at the new 8th Edition Dark Imperium Starter set!
The Dark Imperium Box Set is a hefty kit indeed, with a weight that reminds of us a board game box. We have all seen the posts and summary of the box contents over the last few weeks, so here is just a few of our initial thoughts of what we like and dislike.
There is quite a bit of content is included in this set but it is also the most expensive starter box for 40k so far at $160.
Is this worth the price? Well you get 53 minis, the Core Rule Book, a very nice dice set, ruler, quick reference rule sheet, and the mini codex book for both the Death Guard and Primaris Marines!
Bases on current pricing of Games Workshop miniatures, here is an idea of what the possible retail values for all of these minaitures could end up being, if GW releases them seperately in kits like they did with the Calth and Prospero core sets.
- Intercessor Squad 40.00
- Intercessor Squad 40.00
- Hellblaster Squad 40.00
- Inceptor Squad 45.00
- Primarus LT PS 20.00
- Primaris LT Bolt 20.00
- Primaris Ancient 20.00
- Captain in Gravis Armor 20.00
- Death Guard Plague Marines 60.00
- Foetid Bloat Drone 25.00
- Pox Walkers 45.00
- Lord of Contagion 20.00
- Noxious Blightbringer 20.00
- Malignant Plaguecaster 20.00
- 8th Edition Rulebook 60.00 (confirmed MSRP)
For a grand total of $495.00
Remember folks these are just best guess pricing (besides the rulebook itself) and at the end of the day it’s anyone’s guess what these models would go for individually on the secondary market OR from GW themselves.
All the miniatures included come on six sprues with bubble wrap beneath them for extra support. Unlike the previous starter sets in the past that took pieces for models from all over the sprues, these are much easier to assemble as the pieces for each figure are located mostly next each other.
The dice are also super cool faux square edge translucent red, and are unlike anything GW has put our in this format in the past as well.
Overall I think this is a must have for most current and beginning 40k players out here, but remember the competitive rules themselves including missions only comprise about 20 pages of the 250+ page rulebook.
It is however hands down IMHO the best Starter set for Warhammer 40k ever produced.
Available to Pre-Order June 3rd:
8th Edition Starter Set: featuring 53 miniatures and includes the hardcover 8th Edition rulebook $160
- 53 brand new Citadel miniatures
- Hardback 40K Rulebook (280 pages)
- Death Guard book (24 pages)
- Primaris Space Marines book (24 pages)
- Core Rules reference booklet (8 pages)
- Colour assembly guide for all miniatures
- 12 red D6 dice
- range ruler
- Decal sheet for Space Marines
Fresh from the forges of Mars, and ready to bleed in defence of the Imperium, the Primaris Space Marines have come tooled for war. The bolt rifle-wielding Intercessors are the mainstay of the force. Alongside them march plasma-toting Hellblasters, providing deadly fire-support. And dropping in from orbit are Inceptors with the short range fury of their twin assault bolters. Leading these new warriors are the champions of the Primaris Space Marines: the inspiring presence of the Lieutenants, the banner-carrying Ancients, and the commander of the force, a Captain clad in new Gravis armour.
The Death Guard are equally impressive. First up, a unit of Plague Marines. The archetypal unit of the XIV Legion swollen with the raw power of decay, these form of the core of any Death Guard force. Nurgle fans will also be pleased to see a shambling plague host represented by the repugnant and varied Poxwalkers, each draped in scraps of clothing from their former lives. There is a new vehicle on offer too – the Foetid Bloat-drone, a floating Daemon Engine that hunts its prey with a malign intelligence.
Rounding off the Death Guard are their own leaders, including a huge new Lord of Contagion, clad in warped Cataphractii Terminator plate and wielding one of the most brutal looking axes we’ve ever seen. Alongside him is the Noxious Blightbringer, a dark reflection of the noble Legion banner bearers of old, who carries a cursed plague bell that tolls with the death knell of his victims. Last but not least is the Malignant Plaguecaster – one of the pestilent sorcerers of this pox-ridden Legion.
A complete set of datasheets to field both these Death Guard and Primaris Space Marines armies are included in two separate booklets inside the box. You’ll also find a host of new background information on the two forces and on the Plague Wars being fought in Ultramar. And of course, there’s the new Warhammer 40,000 book itself. This 280-page, hardback tome is included in the Dark Imperium box and is also available separately. This book is your guide to the new edition and contains an extensive exploration of the Warhammer 40,000 setting. This includes some pretty major advancements in the story for every faction in the galaxy, not least of which are the arrival of the Great Rift, the rise of Chaos, and the launching of the Indomitus Crusade.
And rules. Lots of rules. All the rules you need to wage the bloodiest of wars in the far future. Alongside the core rules for the game, there are missions, full guidelines for the 3 ways to play (open, narrative and matched) and advanced rules to represent the myriad war zones of the far future, including all the rules you need to play games of Cities of Death, Planetstrike, Stronghold Assault and Death from the Skies.
Be sure to check out our unboxing and review vid for the Dark Imperium Box Set! Pre-orders are up now, and we’ll see the new Dark Imperium on store shelves onJune 17th.
For more on The Dark Imperium Box Set and all things 8th Edition Warhammer 40K, visit Games Workshop!
Latest 8th Edition News & Rumors from Games Workshop
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
