There is a mix of both Space Marines and Tyranids, 40K’s blue-armored poster boys and their most hated Alien-like enemies, respectively. Leviathan includes 72 miniatures, all of which are new to the franchise. First, let’s talk about what’s inside this box. Of course, that’s what makes the company’s more subtle marketing decisions all the more curious. If future expansions include the same level of production quality, it will be a major improvement for the entire line. Not only are they of much better quality than the cards previously produced for Necromunda and Kill Team, they come in a robust tuck box as well. Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan comes with a collection of tarot-sized cards that cover things like faction special abilities and mission setup.

And that’s why the crowd at AdeptiCon cheered so loudly and so often during an otherwise ponderous, 45-minute presentation: These are the changes they wanted to see, and I suspect that Games Workshop will be rewarded with another sold-out set as a result. Meanwhile, the new 10th edition rules bundled inside that box are simpler and easier to use than ever before. The miniatures inside reward longtime collectors with reimagined favorites, while also managing to explore new and vital art and design choices in several of the sculpts. The U.K.-based game developer and publisher has absolutely knocked it out of the park, somehow managing to fill its newest boxed set, Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan, with an incredible amount of fan service.

As I sat in the audience at this year’s AdeptiCon, I wondered to myself: Is Games Workshop walking into the meat grinder here with its announcement of the 10th edition rules for Warhammer 40,000? Turns out, my fears were for naught.

Blizzard pulled off a similar feat not too many years ago, announcing a mobile installment in the iconic Diablo series that landed with a seismic thud at its own convention. Look no further than Dungeons & Dragons’ OGL fiasco in January, where the seminal role-playing game managed to piss off just about everyone - including its most die-hard fans. Decades into producing a franchise, it’s easy to lose perspective on who your fans are and what they value.

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