Maelstrom: Lair of the Tyrant

[TheMawr]

13 hours ago, DeadFingers said:

What's also an unknown regarding the Eye of Terror part of these books is who exactly are the Iron Warriors fighting?

 

In 500 Worlds the Ultramarines are fighting Necrons. In Maelstrom the Corsairs are fighting Corsairs. We don't know who's exactly involved in Armageddon, but Boole's rumours and GW's teases make it pretty clear it's gonna be Yarrick on one end so it stands to reasons Orks are the other end. But have we heard anything at all about the other half of the Eye of Terror book?

 

I suppose there's the Ravenwing seal and green jacket in the preview announcement video, which is a possibility. And there's also the Red Terror rumour, which could be a fun matchup. Trazyn's another loose rumour that could fit anywhere. And you may say "but Necrons are already part of a book" and you'd be right, but with Maelstrom and Eye of Terror GW are double dipping CSM back to back, so who's to say Necrons can't also get some of that action? And then there's the three (four) unreleased Xenos models. I can guess where the Votann Ork hunter fits, but the Tyranid and the Tau? No idea.

 

The list of potential is ever increasing, to summarize ( I miss doing this on pc with a nice bunch of thumbnails )

 

Gw :

-- Tau twins

-- Orkslayer kin

-- Tyranid warrior prime

---- teasing new characters & returning from dead characters 

---- teasing Iron warriors/EoT, Armageddon/Yarrick?, Something with spacewolves

---- Dark angels hint? ( Ezekiel ?)

 

Valrak :

-- IW upgrade + CSM daemon engines ( and unit ) but no characters

-- Yarrick

-- Red Terror

-- Melee Skitarii + Character ( EH?)

-- SoB unit ( I think dominions ) + Character ( EH?)

-- Trazyn 

-- Khaldor draigo ( older rumor now )

-- Pedro Kantor ( unclear if 10 or 11 )

 

Boole :

--  IW characters + upgrade sprues + CSM daemon engines ( and unit )

-- Someone returning on Armageddon ( maybe yarrick )

-- Another Aeldari epic hero

-- Tyranid epic hero ( probably Red Terror)

-- Ork epic hero

 

 

‐---------

As time is an issue, I'd definitely expect some 3 way battles beyond Maelstrom and 500 worlds.

 

DA, Admech vs Ironwarriors ( eye of Terror )

Guard, Votann vs Orks ( Armageddon)

Tau, SoB, tyranid 3way battle ( chalnath ?)

But that still not covers all.

 

 

 

[01RTB01]

I'd like to see Nazdreg/ Wazdakka/ Badrukk done for the orks. 

[phandaal]

Ezekiel is definitely due for an upgrade (talk about old models!), although Sammael would make more sense if the Ravenwing are up for a refresh.

 

Also, it would be pretty funny if Dark Angels get new biker sculpts before generic Outriders get a non-ETB kit.

[Garrac]

6 hours ago, TheMawr said:

 

The list of potential is ever increasing, to summarize ( I miss doing this on pc with a nice bunch of thumbnails )

 

Gw :

-- Tau twins

-- Orkslayer kin

-- Tyranid warrior prime

---- teasing new characters & returning from dead characters 

---- teasing Iron warriors/EoT, Armageddon/Yarrick?, Something with spacewolves

---- Dark angels hint? ( Ezekiel ?)

 

Valrak :

-- IW upgrade + CSM daemon engines ( and unit ) but no characters

-- Yarrick

-- Red Terror

-- Melee Skitarii + Character ( EH?)

-- SoB unit ( I think dominions ) + Character ( EH?)

-- Trazyn 

-- Khaldor draigo ( older rumor now )

-- Pedro Kantor ( unclear if 10 or 11 )

 

Boole :

--  IW characters + upgrade sprues + CSM daemon engines ( and unit )

-- Someone returning on Armageddon ( maybe yarrick )

-- Another Aeldari epic hero

-- Tyranid epic hero ( probably Red Terror)

-- Ork epic hero

 

 

‐---------

As time is an issue, I'd definitely expect some 3 way battles beyond Maelstrom and 500 worlds.

 

DA, Admech vs Ironwarriors ( eye of Terror )

Guard, Votann vs Orks ( Armageddon)

Tau, SoB, tyranid 3way battle ( chalnath ?)

But that still not covers all.

 

 

 

There's some stuff missing here, mostly that, acording to Valrak Red Corsairs are also getting a new elite unit, apart from the command squad and Huron himself.

Gonna use a reddit post with all what Valrak has said about the new Chaos stuff:

• New defiler model, with various heads, each for every Chaos Legion

• New plastic Mutilators, 3 in a box

• Chaos Bikers are coming, but for the next edition

• New Chaos battleforces (already confirmed, he did predict the contents)

• Iron Warriors are getting just a sprue, which is aparently a downgrade from the Night Lords one. It has a demon hammer, a terminator power fist.

• No more stuff for Iron Warriors. No chest upgrades, nor vehicle upgrades, nor HQs or new units

• Combat Patrol for Iron Warriors, with 1 squad of havocs, one squad of legionnaires, one squad of terminators, upgrade sprue, and a Warpsmith.

• Yes, he did predict the new Huron (and the command squad) towards september

• Red Corsairs are also getting a new unit, which is elite coded

Edited Monday at 09:15 AM by Garrac

[TheMawr]

15 hours ago, Garrac said:

 

• No more stuff for Iron Warriors. No chest upgrades, nor vehicle upgrades, nor HQs or new units

 

And that's one thing I'm almost certain about he will be wrong on. 

We know directly from GW hinting that Iron warriors will be the key element of the Eye of Terror campaign. We also know that a typical element of those campaigns is the character releases. And we know both from rumors and GW themselves there will be plenty of characters.

 

So how likely is it that there won't be any Iron warriors characters in a campaign that they are centrefolding.. just an upgrade sprue ? Keep in mind that lore and rules are based on the models they want to release with it. They wouldn't even make it be about Iron warriors just to promote an upgrade sprue, they would probably have formulated a different campaign then to put the factions that get more characters in the centre of it.

 

It's not the first time valrak ( or any rumor monger) missed a release.. next week we have a preorder of one such characters. ( necrosor ammetar, though Titus and crew did evade rumors as well, as did the upcoming tau twins.)

 

Wether that is Perturabo, Shontu, Honsou, someone new or a mix thereof, that's the question to be answered.. but this is one thing I'd take a bet on.. if there is an EoE Iron warrior focus campaign, then there will be an Iron warrior character 99% because the campaign then is build around (selling) that character.

 

The only exception to this has been PA Engine war, but while that wasn't build to sell a character it was still build to sell a small multikit Admech Release wave. ( and also PA had a rule mandate to cover, every faction would be covered in one of 9 books in as many months, the scopes are vastly different ) 

 

Enough rantyness there :) 

 

It's funny that the amount of accompanying boxsets sounds to be cumulative, with 500 worlds only having a single one. ( with no new models )

Maelstrom 2 by the sound of it ( that do include the new models ) and it will really escalate with eye of Terror and Armageddon. 

 

as im still on mobile for the remainder of the month checking videos is hard, but did I understand right that the Votann box is tied to Maelstrom? And deathwatch ( this one really sounds incomplete btw ) to Armageddon ?

 

the Votann box will probably feature in the same one as the Orkslayer character... and if that's Maelstrom then indeed the Ork epic hero could be of a pirate nature.. but you'd expect at least the characters to be featured on one of the Maelstrom books.. weird.

 

[Vassakov]

It's unlikely given that we know there's a CSM v Sisters release already,  but is it possible that wires have been crossed in some way and the IW set is another KT themed around the Eye of Terror/Remains of the Cadian Gate, rather than a 40k release? That would fit a lot better with the weirdness of having Red Corsairs in the Maelstrom, and then IW elsewhere... though runs into the issue of being very close to the known KT release. 

[DeadFingers]

49 minutes ago, Vassakov said:

It's unlikely given that we know there's a CSM v Sisters release already,  but is it possible that wires have been crossed in some way and the IW set is another KT themed around the Eye of Terror/Remains of the Cadian Gate, rather than a 40k release? That would fit a lot better with the weirdness of having Red Corsairs in the Maelstrom, and then IW elsewhere... though runs into the issue of being very close to the known KT release. 

I doubt both Boole and Valrak's sources have gotten the Eye of Terror thing wrong in that very specific way. Not only has Valrak described the IW upgrade sprue as being not as "in depth" as the Night Lords one, meaning that if they were to make a KT out of it it'd just be Legionaries that look like Iron Warriors, but also there's the rumours of the Defiler, Mutilators, Obliterators, maybe Perturabo, etc. that don't fit at all in KT.

 

And sure, Boole and Valrak are saying somewhat contradictory stuff, but Boole's initial rumour of standalone Iron Warriors with "our most familiar man" and all that isn't the same as his later rumour of the "iron monstrosity emerging from the Eye of Terror with its brood", which was the one that we now know lists the campaign book locations and some of the factions involved. So maybe the "iron monstrosity" and the "most familiar man" are two separate things that'll happen at different dates, but for now something's happening at the Eye of Terror and it has to do with the campaign books. Which GW also teased with the short story released during Grotmas.

 

There's also the IW badge in the preview announcement video, which doesn't have KT on the docket. So something's most definitely brewing for IW/CSM in 40k beyond Red Corsairs. We just don't know to what extent exactly, but the Defiler and IW upgrade sprue seem to be the most agreed upon among the credible rumourmongers. Which to be fair it's just two people, but when it comes to rumours just the fact that both of them are saying similar, but not identical, things is quite telling.

Edited Tuesday at 11:43 AM by DeadFingers

[ZeroWolf]

15 minutes ago, DeadFingers said:

I doubt both Boole and Valrak's sources have gotten the Eye of Terror thing wrong in that very specific way. Not only has Valrak described the IW upgrade sprue as being not as "in depth" as the Night Lords one, meaning that if they were to make a KT out of it it'd just be Legionaries that look like Iron Warriors, but also there's the rumours of the Defiler, Mutilators, Obliterators, maybe Perturabo, etc. that don't fit at all in KT.

 

And sure, Boole and Valrak are saying somewhat contradictory stuff, but Boole's initial rumour of standalone Iron Warriors with "our most familiar man" and all that isn't the same as his later rumour of the "iron monstrosity emerging from the Eye of Terror with its brood", which was the one that we know now lists the campaign vook locations and some of the factions involved. So maybe the "iron monstrosity" and the "most familiar man" are two separate things that'll happen at different dates, but for now something's happening at the Eye of Terror and it has to do with the campaign books. Which they also teased with the short story released during Grotmas.

 

There's also the IW badge in the preview announcement video, which doesn't have KT on the docket. So something's most definitely brewing for IW/CSM in 40k beyond Red Corsairs. We just don't know to what extent exactly, but the Defiler and IW upgrade sprue seem to be the most agreed upon among the credible rumourmongers. Which to be fair it's just two people, but when it comes to rumours just the fact that both of them are saying similar, but not identical, things is quite telling.

I would say the most familiar man could be talking post 11th release, like if GW shows them off for the Eye of Terror books (without acknowledging them at this junction unless they drop maelstrom and eye of Terror info all at once...could happen I guess) then they may also say that Iron Warriors may get the dubious honour of getting their own book.

 

I'd argue a supplement would be better than a stand alone but we need to see if it actually happens first before debating that. 

 

If it does happen though, then I'd say it's a certainty that Perty is coming.

[Mogger351]

I still think the weirdest curveball is an eye of terror book/campaign, but not until after they've shown off legion battleforces, when they'd fit perfectly.

[jaxom]

On 1/2/2026 at 7:03 AM, Deus_Ex_Machina said:

"I need to O-P-E-R-A-T-E, O-P-E-R-A-T-E, O-P-E-R-A-T-E, O-P-E-R-A-A-A-A-T-E! And I never use anesthesia on my vic...uhm patients. MU-HAR-HAR!, MU-HAR-HAR!"

Is that from “You’ll Be a Dentist” in Little Shop of Horrors?

[TheMawr]

2 hours ago, DeadFingers said:

I doubt both Boole and Valrak's sources have gotten the Eye of Terror thing wrong in that very specific way. Not only has Valrak described the IW upgrade sprue as being not as "in depth" as the Night Lords one, meaning that if they were to make a KT out of it it'd just be Legionaries that look like Iron Warriors, but also there's the rumours of the Defiler, Mutilators, Obliterators, maybe Perturabo, etc. that don't fit at all in KT.

 

And sure, Boole and Valrak are saying somewhat contradictory stuff, but Boole's initial rumour of standalone Iron Warriors with "our most familiar man" and all that isn't the same as his later rumour of the "iron monstrosity emerging from the Eye of Terror with its brood", which was the one that we now know lists the campaign book locations and some of the factions involved. So maybe the "iron monstrosity" and the "most familiar man" are two separate things that'll happen at different dates, but for now something's happening at the Eye of Terror and it has to do with the campaign books. Which GW also teased with the short story released during Grotmas.

 

There's also the IW badge in the preview announcement video, which doesn't have KT on the docket. So something's most definitely brewing for IW/CSM in 40k beyond Red Corsairs. We just don't know to what extent exactly, but the Defiler and IW upgrade sprue seem to be the most agreed upon among the credible rumourmongers. Which to be fair it's just two people, but when it comes to rumours just the fact that both of them are saying similar, but not identical, things is quite telling.

 

Apart from the character side, they don't even contradict that much. Boole mentioned "obliterators and their steadfast companions" wich I initially thought referenced the venomcrawler but might as well hint at mutilators from valraks rumor.

 

Its clear their sources are in different departments as well, Boole's seems to be narrative and model sight focused whereas valraks main source is boxset and listing focused.

Valrak has often got names of something but no description of what that something is ( unless when in a boxset ) Boole's rumors often revolve on what something looks like ( for example, the nurgle trolls wich weren't trolls but daemons )

 

Kill team is a curious thing,  but upgrade sprues havent been a thing for 2 years now.

I still think this season will have 4 boxes.. although its slightly unclear if the sisters vs CSM box was supposed to be revealed by now or not... and if it's the third or the fourth box of the season. ( though I assume third and the fourth box is a "narrative aftermath" box like last seasons 4th box focused on the aftermath of the 3rd box finale )

 

His ( valraks) kill team source is currently his weakest source with the most mistakes/unrumored releases, but nonetheless both have rumors on the matter ( that afaik are supposed to be this season still ) and these rumors heavily contradict both each other and themselves ( as each has 3 teams in their rumors );

 

Valrak : 

Grey knights vs Khorne

Exodites

 

Boole :

Aeldari vs Orks or Chaos

 

Like I said before, and a mental exercise i like to do with weird rumors from otherwise reliable sources.. there is one completely out there but not completely impossible ( as both existed in 2nd edition ) theory that proves all of that right in some way :

Exodite Dragon KNIGHTS vs Khornate Orks. 

unlikely as I dont think KT will have a cavalry focused one, no matter how much im awaiting them.

Though 3 dragonknights with the existing 5 rangers is a possibility as well ofcourse, and the least lorebending way to have an exodites kill team.

 

[TheMawr]

51 minutes ago, jaxom said:

Is that from “You’ll Be a Dentist” in Little Shop of Horrors?

We know for a fact one sculptor is a fan :) 

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, TheMawr said:

Exodite Dragon KNIGHTS vs Khornate Orks. 

 

I'm not sure I want to know what you bought from the Slaaneshi Cultist....

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

1 hour ago, jaxom said:

Is that from “You’ll Be a Dentist” in Little Shop of Horrors?

The original inspiration was from Mad Dok Grotsnik. In the German Ork codex of 3rd 40k he said something like this.

[HeadlessCross]

2 hours ago, jaxom said:

Is that from “You’ll Be a Dentist” in Little Shop of Horrors?

Which reminds me of the fact there's the rumor again that the Red Terror is getting an update. Someone will need to paint it green instead of red. 

[TheMawr]

16 minutes ago, Scribe said:

 

I'm not sure I want to know what you bought from the Slaaneshi Cultist....

It was colorful and the text said " no harmful side effects" ... why ? :p