The Blood Angels are perhaps the most beloved and respected Chapter in the galaxy, known for their glorious self-sacrifice and willingness to defend every one of the Imperium’s citizens. Yet despite this nobility, their gene-seed harbours a terrible flaw, and the Red Thirst urges them to acts of unbelievable violence in the heat of close combat.

This means that any Space Marine army can choose to use these Detachments should they see fit, provided they abide by their restrictions – no matter how much you love Librarians, you won’t be taking Space Marine psykers in a Righteous Crusaders Detachment. The main one you’ll need to worry about is that you can’t mix in units with a different Chapter’s keywords, so no non-Space Wolves named characters or Deathwing Terminators in the Champions of Russ Detachment, for example Dark Angels Though the rest of the miniature cleaves closely to the Dark Angels’ themes of knighthood and secrecy, the Emperor’s Shield is a bombastic statement piece that sharply contrasts with the rest of the Lion’s garb. Seb clued us in on its origins, saying “I had this idea that it would be cool for the Loyalist Primarchs to inherit something from their father’s armoury, so we decided that the Lion’s shield would be his. Like the Emperor’s suit of armour, it’s absolutely over-the-top.” The chalk to the Dark Angels’ cheese, the Space Wolves are ferocious front-line fighters who love nothing more than a good scrap, a loud chorus, and a big old tankard of Fenrisian mjød. Their Chapter maintains a proud history of storytelling, with Characters competing to fulfil Deeds Worthy of Saga in the midst of combat – the better to boast about when the battle is inevitably won. Our goal is to build upon and consolidate the great work already being done by other community members across various forums, reddit threads, and hobby blogs, and bring together a comprehensive library of all these useful Build Instruction booklets. The Lion has many imposing epithets, such as the Bane of Chaos and the Lord of Shadowed Paths. Sam has captured this character’s magnificent and foreboding nature with a phenomenal paint job that’s bristling with fabulous details, exemplary shading, and beautiful highlights. Vincent Knotley

Vashtorr the Arkifane and Abaddon have unleashed countless horrors upon the galaxy in the Arks of Omen series, but they’re not finished yet. Arks of Omen: The Lion is the final chapter of this epic narrative, and it opens with a bang as the Primarch of the Dark Angels heads a last-ditch attempt to thwart the forces of Chaos. If you're looking for speed, the Sicaran Venator Tank Hunter is for you, with less impressive (but still pretty punchy) weaponry while taking in a major speed boost. Both of these models come with lots of options for alternate sponsor weaponry, but I've gone for lascannons across both because I love that long range. A bit smaller than the Cerberus but just as ready to melt your enemies! Warhammer 40K New Releases - Lion El'Jonson and More - Final Thoughts After millennia in stasis, Lion El'Jonson has returned to the waking world – stalking from mist-wreathed shadow realms like an ancient questing knight to hunt down the galaxy's terrors. With his immense blade, Fealty, the Primarch cleaves apart the most heinous of monstrosities. In his other hand he carries the Emperor's Shield, which erupts with blazing light and force in response to his quarry's futile blows. Buoyed by their ability to hold objectives to the very last man, the Deathwing can teleport right into the heart of the battle as an immovable barricade, safe in the knowledge that points will be scored no matter the cost. Marko from Craftworld Studios has painted a breathtaking Lion El’Jonson that makes use of subtle and unusual contrasting colours in the shadows. The red and green shadows in the armour and the gold combine to create an otherworldly effect on this larger-than-life figure. Máryse Ouellet

This boxed set builds the Lion himself, available here for the first time alongside an honour guard of Bladeguard Veterans – elite warriors equipped with imposing shields and the finest weapons of the Chapter. Lion El'Jonson is a jaw-dropping miniature befitting his legendary status, striding over battlefield rubble in ornate knightly armour decorated with personal heraldry and the symbols of the Dark Angels. He's joined by a pair of mysterious Watchers in the Dark, and can be built with one of four different head options – a bare head, a hooded head, a crested helm, and a hooded helm. The Lion and Retinue set is a versatile and powerful addition to any Dark Angels army. It can be used to create a variety of different army lists, and it can be used to achieve a variety of different objectives in Warhammer 40,000 games. Here are some specific examples of how the Lion and Retinue set can be used to create effective army lists: One of the more recent developments are the Hounds of Morkai – expert hunters who daub their bodies in runic sigils and carry special equipment to hunt down psykers. They equip themselves in the style of Reivers, but with a unique vox-amplified howl that scrambles empyrean currents as they close in for the kill. The Lion and Retinue is a Warhammer 40,000 boxed set that was released in September 2023. It contains a model of Lion El’Jonson, the Primarch of the Dark Angels, as well as a unit of five Deathwing Veterans. The set is designed to be a good starting point for players who want to start a Dark Angels army, or for players who want to add a powerful new character to their existing army. The Deathwing Veterans are an elite unit of Space Marines that are sworn to defend the Dark Angels’ homeworld, Caliban. They are clad in heavy Terminator armor, and they are armed with a variety of powerful weapons.The Deathwing Veterans are also highly disciplined and motivated. They are willing to sacrifice everything to defend the Dark Angels and the Imperium. The Lion and Retinue in Warhammer 40,000 Outflank lumbering opponents with the Sicaran Venator Tank Hunter***, a nimble armoured vehicle fitted with a neutron beam laser. It’s the perfect candidate for speeding ahead of your main force and tearing through the vulnerable side and rear armour of hapless enemy war machines. Dark Angels Vanguard: This army list focuses on using fast and mobile units to harass the enemy and disrupt their plans. Lion El’Jonson can be used to lead the Vanguard into battle and to provide them with support. If you prefer your anti-tank options a little more discrete, the Sicaran Venator trades mass for speed and can wind its way around enemy flanks before lancing neutron beam laser blasts right through the sides of opposing tanks. The massive Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer is an armoured beast , mounting a triple-barrelled neutron laser battery onto a rugged Spartan hull to create a devastatingly focused anti-tank weapon. It can detonate tanks in a single blast while shrugging off return fire like it’s nothing – everything you want in a Lord of War. Sicaran Venator Tank Hunter

Straight out of left field, Vincent has supplied the Lion in his finest Deathwing-coloured armour, with pristine white contrasted by dark scarlet accents to keep it feeling regal. Perhaps this is his Sunday best?** Patric Sands

Fletcher from Tabletop Tactics has done a stunning job – glazed reflections on the emerald armour, non-metallic metal effects on the power sword Fealty, an incredibly expressive face, and he’s even borrowed an extra Watcher from another kit to hold the Lion’s helm.* Every good knight needs his squires. John Ashton Matthew from Goonhammer has chosen colder blue-grey tones for the highlights on the armour of his Lion, which work in tandem with rich golds, natural greens, and subtle weathering to ground this legendary knight. Marko Miladinović If you look at the design on the shield, it has a single-headed eagle representing the Emperor, and a serpent in its mouth depicting evil, Chaos, or even Horus himself,” Dom told us. Imagine being so mad at your son that you draw yourself eating him on your own shield. The latest issue of White Dwarf magazine continues the story of the space hulk Herald of Misery , adding new rules for deadly laser grids to Boarding Actions games and two short stories concerning the forces fighting within. Meanwhile, a Tale of Four Warlords takes on its second challenge of the year, while Part Five of The Great Stomp introduces campaign rules for Warhammer Age of Sigmar games set in the Living Peaks. After waiting 10,000 years for the Lion to return, make something of the occasion by buying The Lion & Retinue, Supreme Grand Master Azrael, and Arks of Omen: The Lion together – and scoring an exclusive artist-signed print of the Knight of the Nihilus. Only 300 copies are available, so act fast.** Commander Dante

Lion El’Jonson is a master swordsman, and his sword, The Lion’s Sword, is one of the most powerful weapons in the Imperium. He is also a skilled tactician and strategist, and he is a natural leader. Rachel has painted her Lion with armour and cloth that has a matte finish and subtle highlights – providing a different take on the Primarch’s new suit of armour, one that contrasts effectively against the shining gold trim. Sam Lenz Along with the miniatures, this set also includes two pieces of artwork – a portrait of the Lion, and an action scene of him fighting his brother, the Daemon Primarch Angron.This is an incredibly exciting weekend for pre-releases, and I have to say I'm really, truly impressed by The Lion & Retinue kit. Full of tactical power and featuring an amazing sculpt, this really does feel like the arrival of a famed Primarch, with all of the gravitas you'd expect from the Lion. If you're already a Dark Angels player, this release is likely a no-brainer (as long as you can find a place to cut points to make room for him).