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11th Edition Warhammer 40K Core Rules Now Available & More [Updated]
June 5, 2026 by brennon
Games Workshop has now announced that the pre-orders for 11th Edition Warhammer 40,000 will go live this weekend on the 6th of June. Whilst the big Armageddon boxed set, packed with Space Marines and Orks, might still be a few weeks away from landing in your hands, you can already download the Core Rules right now so you can start learning the new edition.
11th Edition Core Rules Download // Warhammer 40,000
The Core Rules are available for free in PDF format for you to sink your teeth into. Whilst a lot of the rules will be familiar if you've already played 10th Edition, the new Core Rules have been updated with clear rules language and referencing throughout, as well as a few extra quality of life changes to make your games quicker and smoother.
Space Marines Vs Tyranids // Warhammer 40,000
We've already had a bit of a primer as to what has been changed in the rules, including updates to charges, the way objectives work, terrain, battleshock and more. If you do want to get more of a breakdown of what's changed, then you can check out a quick video from the Games Workshop team.
Core Rules Changes // Warhammer 40,000
If the Core Rules have tickled you pink, then you can secure your copy of the new Armageddon Launch Box this weekend, as mentioned above.
Armageddon Launch Box // Warhammer 40,000
The pre-orders for this boxed set will be going up this Saturday and if you're eager to work out when you can get your pre-orders in, you'll be able to find all the times HERE. As always, you can order from Games Workshop, or you can order from your friendly local gaming store and get yourself a discount! The boxed set is available whilst stocks last but Games Workshop have assured wargamers that they have produced loads.
To get you in the mood, the folks at Games Workshop also produced a moody, Grimdark trailer for 11th Edition, which gives you an idea of just how brutal it is stepping into this Sci-Fi universe...
No Peace Amongst the Stars | Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Trailer
...and if you're interested in learning all about the new edition and the thinking behind it, Games Workshop will be releasing videos every day this week talking about the design behind the new miniatures and more on the game itself. You'll be able to find all of them below as we update this post.
Part 1: The Space Marines | Warhammer 40,000
Part 2: The Orks | Warhammer 40,000
Part 3: The Lore of Armageddon | Warhammer 40,000
Part 4: Painting Armageddon | Warhammer 40,000
Part 5: Creating A New Edition | Warhammer 40,000
It's nice that they are letting some of the designers, sculptors and minds behind this edition talk about the process behind what they're bringing to the tabletop. It's not something we've seen for a while, so it's a good change of direction from Games Workshop on that front.
Global Battle - The Siege of Death Mire
Last but not least, Games Workshop are also working on a global campaign called The Siege of Death Mire that will run from 22nd June (which means the box will be in shops 2oth June) through to 13th July. Use the new rules for Warhammer 40,000, submit your battle results and decide what will happen to Death Mire.
The Siege of Death Mire - Global Battle | Warhammer 40,000
This global battle will feature the fight for Death Mire and the results of this will actually shape the lore of Warhammer 40,000. Will the hive stand or fall? I like that this is actually going to have an impact on what happens going forward for once!
The Siege of Death Mire // Warhammer 40,000
Additionally, depending on the results of the battles, you'll also be able to unlock previews of new miniatures as you win victories for your faction. Very similar to what they did with Leviathan, although this seems like it might have more of an impact!
Are you tempted to try out the new Core Rules for the game and potentially dive back into Warhammer 40,000 with 11th Edition?
Drop your thoughts below...
"Are you tempted to try out the new Core Rules for the game and potentially dive back into Warhammer 40,000 with 11th Edition?"
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![11th Edition Warhammer 40K Core Rules Now Available & More [Updated]](https://images.beastsofwar.com/2026/06/orks-new-cover-600-338.jpg)
Preview only in English. 88 Pages. After a quick scroll through the pdf: nah, I’m good. Maybe I’m lazy, maybe I’m old but these seem was to complicated and convoluted for a fun game.
These are, to me, a tournament environment ruleset, and will undoubtedly appeal to the that segment of the 40K group set. I’m a fun gamer. Win or lose, it matters little to me, as long as it’s fun. 11th is a swing and a miss as a result. I’ll keep building and painting, but as far as gaming, I kind of want to go back to when I had FUN. Second, third, maybe fourth editions. That’s a long time ago…
Scalpers on eBay are already trying to scam this release, just saw a listing for $450.
I hate scalpers. But some ding-ding will undoubtedly buy it, which is sad.
The rules are looking pretty good. They are not widly different to 10th but few things have been taken from AOS rules and a few things from older editions like 3rd.
First the way the rules are laided out in the colour format for each section, the rules numbered with sub elements to explain the detail. The language used is often combined with easy to read tables showing the results and smaller pictures to explain the concept.
It uses a lot of “Keywords” like battle shock for abilities and they are common across given units. So you dont have abilities called different things in different forces to learn. Once you know what keyword means that is common across the rules.
I do wish a lot of other companies would lay out rules like this “Looking at you barons war”
The rules have a lot of quality of life changes which make the game flow better. The charge roll is made before you select a unit to charge into. This takes away having to decide if it is worth a long bomb charge into into a unit or pick the safe 5 inch charge. you make the roll then pick the target.
Units that charge have strike first so it solves that issue you can get where you charge in but a unit that had strike is charged and they get to go first.
The other quality of life change is rolling all the wounds then you allocated them to units. This is not quick as slick as AOS as you have characters in units so you have to group which units are hit first but still better than the previous system which resulted in rolling dice per a model
The terrain rules feel more logical large units can move through light terrain if they pop into the terrain they can see through it to shoot. It feels like a balance between meele units and shooting as you can hide if beyond 14 and you have not shot. We will have to wait until we play a few games but feel like it is less likely to result in getting shot off the table in turn one.
Coherency is now a 9 inch bubble. So you cannot string out 20 models in a line and jail up whole armies in turn one. Well in theory. I am sure if you put enough 10 men units down the table you might be able to create enough 9 inch bubbles but certainly not as easy as before.
Personally I did not think the rules for 10th was really the problem just more the style and the way the mission played out was the problem. The changes to terrain wher objectives are the buildings, you pick a style of army that determines what you core objectives in the game is while you still have secondary missions. The fact you can keep the cards and score them later is also a big factor.
I am pretty excited by the changes it feels like the style of the game is shifting back more to narrative, it is a step closer to 3rd edition.
@redscope thanks for the detailed breakdown, it’s the best I’ve seen so far to make me consider 11th. Especially since you allude to it being a retro-grade attempt at 3rd (Andy Chambers opus work, in my humble opinion).
Users of large template weapons like this. One hit, unit gone, regardless of modelcount XD
Guard Artillery armies are back, baby!
I didn’t think templates were a thing in 40K anymore, removed to stop arguments around whether a model was under a template, partially under, etc…
I think templates, in GW games, are only used in Horus Heresy, Necromunda, and maybe The Old World, now. Just have a look at which starter box sets still include them.
I think you named all the games that use the old school templates. Old World does for sure, it’s a retro Warhammer Fantasy that grabs people like me who stopped when AoS happened.
They dropped same day as Starcraft rules,so honestly they got skimmed. They seem pretty much as expected 10th tweaked, which is not for me.
Old projects, old or alternative rules is my 40k future and honestly I feel that is a good thing
So as to not be entirely negative Dan Abnett’s new book Hive is excellent, bringing a depth and grubby life to the 40k universe, so sadly lacking in the studio output of late.
I have to say I have been extremely disappointed in Games Workshop not talking about the Combat Patrol version of the game (so far). Given how succesful the Spearhead game has been it felt like an extremely easy thing to fix in this edition.. And the absolute silence on it, to me makes me fear its not been fixed at all..
Really hoping I am wrong though
I hope we’ll see more about it soon from them. It needs a cool “Spearhead” style update. Can still play it, I guess, but would be good to get an update on it.
Had a quick skim through, no thank you I’m good. Looks just as overly complicated and convoluted as always and far from fun.
When you compare the presentation of these to StarCraft its a stark contrast, rather than overcomplex descriptions designed for rule lawyers StarCraft opens up with a learn to played based off actual gameplay.
So the new box is 240,00€. 192,00€ at my FLGS.
Nah, still good with the old stuff. And it doesn’t look like the shop or G’Wullu has sold out in the 5’ish hours the pre-orders are up.
$360 CAD retail, $306 discounted. They haven’t sold out. Lots of people in local groups looking for the books mostly, or wanting the Marines. No Orks love.
Haven’t seen anyone asking for parts. Is this a failed release?
I think GW put out a LOT of boxes to crush the scalpers, and someone I know said the unsold boxes would be turned into Combat Patrols later.
Haven’t seen a lot of trading requests either. Most of the people I know who are GW fans did pre-order, so I think it was a successful-ish? release.
204 Euro at a local shop (so glad I checked as the GW shop had it at 240 + 15 Euro shipping).
Maybe GW is actually doing a proper pre order and/or have given themselves a good buffer ?
Or they’ve made allowances for a made to order variant if sales were better than expected so they can fullfill orders without having to announce that weird ‘made to order’ solution like they did for their previous release ?
Or … (and hear me out) … they’ve solved their logistics and server issues that were the reason why they had such ridiculously low volume with long wait times in those virtual queues?
btw: Anyone remember when they had that world wide campaign in the previous release ?
I think it was tyranids vs space marines.
I doubt GW are willing to do what Corvus Belli does when they have real games affect narrative.