Warhammer 40K Christmas Battleforces 2026: Every Box Rated, and Why Blood Angels Dropped the Ball

Games Workshop has revealed this year's Warhammer 40,000 Christmas Battleforces: seven big boxes, one for each of seven armies. Most of them look like solid deals. One of them, in my opinion, is a mess. Here's every box, what's inside, and why the Blood Angels really dropped the ball this year.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Prices and pre-order dates aren't official yet; I'll update this when they are.

All seven Battleforces at a glance

Games Workshop revealed the boxes on Warhammer Community on October 19. Here's what's in each one, based on the official reveal and early breakdowns from hobby sites:

• Space Marines, Indomitus Task Force: Captain in Terminator Armour, a Chaplain, a Redemptor Dreadnought, 5 Terminators, 5 Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs and 10 Intercessors.
• Blood Angels, Angelus Assault Force: Commander Dante, a Chaplain with Jump Pack, a Death Company Brutalis Dreadnought, 3 Sanguinary Guard, 5 Death Company Marines with Jump Packs and an upgrade frame.
• Space Wolves, Champions of Fenris: Logan Grimnar, Arjac Rockfist and 15 Wolf Guard Terminators.
• Necrons, Disciples of the Nekrosor: C'tan Shard of the Nightbringer, a Nekrosor Ammentar, 3 Ophydian Destroyers, a Canoptek Doomstalker, 10 Necron Warriors and 3 Canoptek Scarab Swarms.
• Orks, Armoured Blitzmob: Warboss in Mega Armour, a Battlewagon (can be built as a Gunwagon), a Deff Dread, 3 Meganobz and 10 Ork Boyz.
• Chaos Space Marines, Cult of Destruction: a Warpsmith, a Defiler, a Venomcrawler, 2 Obliterators, 5 Havocs and 3 Mutilators.
• Chaos Knights, Helhunt Lance: a Knight Ruinator (or Abominant, Rampager or Desecrator) and 4 War Dog Stalkers (or Brigands or Karnivores).

The good ones

Necrons: Disciples of the Nekrosor

This might be the best box of the year. A C'tan Shard, a Doomstalker and a full unit of Warriors make a great start for a new army and a strong boost for an existing one.

Space Wolves: Champions of Fenris

Something wild for Space Wolves fans: 15 Wolf Guard Terminators plus Logan Grimnar and Arjac Rockfist. That's a whole elite army in one box.

Orks: Armoured Blitzmob

Classic Christmas fun. A Battlewagon, a Deff Dread and Meganobz is exactly the kind of loud, heavy armour Ork players love, and as a Battlewagon it can carry all 10 Boyz.

Space Marines: Indomitus Task Force

A safe, solid Space Marine box with a bit of everything: shooting, fighting and a big Dreadnought.

Chaos: Cult of Destruction and Helhunt Lance

Both Chaos boxes are packed with big, scary models: daemon engines and heavy weapons for Chaos Space Marines, and a full Knight with four War Dogs for Chaos Knights.

Blood Angels: they really dropped the ball

And then there's the Angelus Assault Force. On paper it looks great: Dante, Sanguinary Guard, the Death Company. But look closer at the Chaplain, the black-armoured Marine with the skull helmet in the picture at the top.

The Chaplain with Jump Pack in this box is the old Firstborn-scale model, not the new Primaris Chaplain that Games Workshop just released in the Armageddon launch box. Reviewers at Spikey Bits pointed this out, and some breakdowns also note that this old Chaplain isn't even rules-legal in 11th edition right now.

Honestly, it blows my mind. Games Workshop has a brand-new, modern Chaplain sculpt sitting right there, and they put the old one in the big Christmas box instead. Next to a modern Dante, Sanguinary Guard and a Brutalis Dreadnought, a smaller Firstborn Marine is going to look out of place on the table. For a box that should be every Blood Angels player's Christmas present, that's a disappointing choice.

It's not just the Chaplain, either. Early value estimates put this box among the weaker deals of the year, with a good part of the savings coming from the upgrade frame rather than actual models. Games Workshop hasn't explained why they used the older sculpt.

Price and release date

Games Workshop hasn't announced prices yet. Last year's Battleforces were $250 in the US, and hobby sites expect between about $265 and $300 this year. Pre-orders are coming "soon." Battleforces are limited and often sell out, so if you want one, be ready on pre-order day.

My verdict

• Best boxes: Necrons and Space Wolves
• Solid: Orks, Indomitus Task Force, both Chaos boxes
• Disappointing: Blood Angels. Great army, wrong Chaplain.

If you're a Blood Angels player, I'd wait for the official price and think hard before buying. If it were me, I'd rather buy Dante, the Death Company and the new Primaris Chaplain separately. Which box are you getting this Christmas?