You know what sucks about being into Warhammer? You’re bombarded with so much cool stuff that sometimes you struggle to keep up with all the releases that are relevant to your interests. You know what’s awesome about being into Warhammer? You’re bombarded with so much cool stuff that sometimes you struggle to keep up with all the releases that are relevant to your interests. Of course with so many boxed sets being hyped up only to sell out within an hour of going up for pre-order, FOMO (fear of missing out) has become kind of a way of life for those of us invested in this hobby.
Such was the case with this special set Games Workshop had been hyping for weeks in celebration of the 9th edition of Warhammer 40,000. We even got a sick cinematic trailer to kick everything off. But those of us that remember what went on with releases like Carrion Empire and Looncurse knew what to expect when pre-order day came around. Games Workshop wasn’t ignorant of this and tried to assuage the community’s fears citing the literal boatloads of Indomitus that were being shipped around the world. Still, what we figured would happen happened. It sold out immediately and within hours copies went up on eBay with anywhere from a $100 to $300 markup.
I was able to get my copy from my FLGS, but the damage was already done for a lot of people and they were pissed. But then something happened. Games Workshop acknowledged the shittyness of it all and did something they’ve never done before. They made a limited edition boxed set available as a Made to Order product, which amusingly screwed over the hoarders that still had a hundred or so boxes they were trying to sell on eBay. Obviously, Games Workshop has every reason to want to be the one that sees as much of the profits for its own product as possible, but it was still a widely appreciated move on the part of all the people who are just looking for something to play, paint and collect, even if they had to wait months to get their copy.
Anyway, upon opening the box you’re greeted with a really cool bit of art featuring Space Marines just doing Space Marine stuff while looking cool and heroic. I’m honestly not sure what’s going on in this scene, but it seems to be standard practice to include these sheets of cardboard to protect the other items in the box from the pointy bits on the sprues. The one I got in Blackstone Fortress wasn’t in the best shape thanks to that, but these ones were in good enough condition to potentially have framed and hung on a wall.
…And the obligatory shot of the face full of sprues you you’re presented with once you get past the art sheet. Uncovering this many sprues never gets old, though at this point in my life it’s a mixture of “Whoa, cool,” and “…How much time is this gonna take me to paint.”
Here’s a quick look at some of the sprues. It always amuses me how much more stuff gets packed into them compared to some of the stuff we had in the early 2000s. Not a complaint of course.
Obviously the Space Marines are the star of the show. You get a hefty amount new units and therefore, new models in this set with the standout for a lot of people probably being the Executioner Blade wielding Judicar. Otherwise the new units are kind of just Primaris-ed versions of already existing Space Marine units like Chaplains, Bikes and shield wielding Veterans. As a whole, the Space Marines force has more of a melee bent to it than they’ve had in older starter sets.
For the Necrons, we get a preview of what an all but guaranteed revamp of the Necron Warrior kit will look like, as well as introducing the Skorpekh variants of Destroyers and Lords. These clamor about on three legs and honestly look more menacing than the floating Destroyers with all that junk in the trunk. There’s also the Canoptek Reanimator which reminds me of Striders from Half-Life 2 or some of the machines from The Matrix, and easily towers above anything else in the set. The Necron side of the box is easily much more interesting stylistically as a whole and was the main motivator for me to pick up Indomitus. I especially like the grungy, battle-worn look they’re trying to incorporate to these new models.
Finally, you get a full art copy of the 9th Edition rulebook, a campaign book designed for Indomitus and all the bases you need for all the models. I liked how the rulebook was kind of cradled and protected at the bottom and the presentation of it all. It’s like discovering a tome on an ominous looking shelf, or it would be if the art on the book wasn’t so bright and colorful. Not a complaint by the way. The cover of Abaddon and Guilliman facing off is incredibly epic. As with every Warhammer rulebook, it’s hefty, and considering the $60~ USD it’ll cost by itself, cuts the approximate cost of each army to about $70 USD.
I would’ve recommended this without hesitation for existing fans of 40k who either wanted access to the new units, or wanted a small force of either Necrons or melee oriented Primaris Marines. For newer players, one of the three starter sets that came out recently are probably a better experience. You get a lot of similar units, but also get a smattering of terrain and a board to play on for a bit more of a complete experience.
So, as a bit of an addendum, will Games Workshop implement Made to Order for future limited edition boxed sets? I’m not sure. This box had a few things going for it. It was massively hyped and was kind of a celebration of a new edition. It’s full of units we’re not likely to see get individual releases for who knows how long. They’re also mono-pose, so they’re not undercutting an already existing product in their model range. Plus, just the inclusion of Space Marines meant it was going to put Indomitus on the radar of a large chunk of the 40k fanbase, and likewise, a lot of people were going to be upset when they got beat out by all the scalpers again.
I would love for this to become standard practice, as it’s probably hard to gauge the interest in any given non-Space Marine release. Something like the upcoming Shadow & Pain box interests me, but given the much narrower potential audience for something like Daughters of Khaine vs Hedonites of Slaanesh, one would think the print run would be much, much smaller. That said, I really dislike the feeling of urgency in picking up these boxes since I’m not hurting for things to work on at all. In fact, my pile of shame is becoming something more akin to a large hill, and I’m not eager to drop $200 USD just to make that hill a little taller. If I had to guess, boxes like this probably won’t get the Made to Order treatment even if they sell out of pre-orders, since besides two hero models a side, the rest of the models are already available to buy individually, and I’m sure Games Workshop would rather you buy those at full price. I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong on that though.
Whispers from the Webway 