The Emperor’s Tarot offers sombre portents of things to come. The Arks of Omen are nigh. Dredged from interstellar darkness by unknown machinations, these titanic vessels herald upheaval for the galaxy – kicking off the next big narrative arc for Warhammer 40,000.
This groundbreaking series follows an unfolding story across a series of books packed with lore and game rules – and we’ve caught sight of the first three.
Each book is named for the character it stars – with two names you’ll definitely recognise, and one new player in the ranks of Chaos – and follows a dark crusade against the Imperium as the galaxy slips deeper into madness. Abaddon’s balefleets have set out to recover mysterious artefacts from all corners of the Imperium, and whatever he’s planning can’t be good news.
The first three books reignite the classic struggle between the Imperium of man and the forces of Chaos – with the third introducing a major new character to the setting, Vashtorr. The fourth book will be a distinctly xenos affair, however. We’ll have more on that next year, along with news on the rest of the series…
The Arks of Omen series also contains rules for a new style of Warhammer 40,000 game, called Boarding Actions. This self-contained expansion pits elite 500-point forces against each other in nail-biting close-quarters combat, fighting through the claustrophobic confines of ship decks and space hulks.
This isn’t Kill Team – in Boarding Action games, whole armies will smash through doors and clear corners. The twist? There’s no room for bulky monsters and war machines, nor for burning rubber down tight corridors or taking to the skies in cramped hallways. Instead, infantry and elites take centre-stage, locked in a desperate battle for control. You must adapt your tactics to the close confines of a voidship, and you’ll need to bring your best to survive point-blank firefights and sudden ambushes.
These games of Warhammer 40,000 will be fully compatible with the space hulk terrain found in sets like Kill Team: Shadowvaults, which will soon be seeing a standalone release.
This series is a must-have for fans of Warhammer 40,000 lore and gameplay alike. Arks of Omen: Abaddon will be out soon – so now’s the time to think about mustering a Boarding Patrol of your own. In the meantime, head back to the hub page and check out everything else revealed today.
