Games Workshop has shocked Warhammer 40,000 fans by confirming a leak of plans to sell ready-painted terrain for the upcoming 11th Edition of the tabletop wargame, dubbed Armageddon. But after a significant amount of speculation that the company was also set to sell ready-painted miniatures, Games Workshop has now ruled that out.
Warhammer 40,000, the hugely popular sci-fi universe set in the grim dark far future, is normally played with terrain that provides cover, among other things. Official Warhammer 40,000 terrain from Games Workshop has, on the whole, not come pre-painted, but that’s about to change with the 11th Edition of the game in June.
It’s a significant change for Warhammer 40,000, but you can see why Games Workshop has made the decision. Part of the barrier to entry for Warhammer 40,000 — and indeed many of the company’s games — is the painting portion of the hobby. While a huge part of the community loves painting, some do not, and it can be a timesink. So, providing the option of pre-painted terrain (normal terrain isn’t going anywhere) will no doubt appeal to those who just want to get on and play the tabletop as quickly as possible. And, crucially, it will appeal to newcomers who are perhaps going to jump into the hobby with 11th Edition.
