“Rise for Ultramar! Rise for Terra and the Imperium!”
– Roboute Guilliman
From the ashes of betrayal and the fires of endless war, the Emperor’s Sword returns to the battlefield, wielded by none other than Roboute Guilliman! The Avenging Son expansion marches into Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge, introducing the first Primarch to ever join the game as well as a host of powerful new Ultramarines cards.
Disciplined, relentless, and unyielding, the sons of Ultramar return to fix the failures of old and eradicate the Imperium’s enemies. This expansion also introduces two new keywords that will give them the upper hand in battle at the command of Roboute Guilliman and Valius Paxor. Keep reading to discover everything this new expansion brings—and how to start collecting it when it goes live on the 18th of December!
The Primarch’s return
Resurrected during the Ultramar Campaign by the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Ynnari, Roboute Guilliman seeks to muster the strength of the Imperium and drive back the minions of the Dark Gods. To do so, he launched a Terran Crusade from Macragge, crushing through the growing Warp instability of the galaxy and his daemonic brothers’ forces.
On Terra, he would meet with The Emperor. It is not known what transpired during this meeting, but Guilliman would emerge from the Imperial Palace announcing that he was once more assuming the mantles of the Lord Commander of the Imperium and Imperial Regent, the first among equals on the Senatorum Imperialis and the de facto ruler of the Imperium.
Take a look at the new cards
Check out the Avenging Son’s full card collection here! Meet the new Warlords, Stratagems and Troops that will trounce the enemies of the Imperium on the battlefields of Warpforge. Take a peek at the expansion’s full collection and master their new avenues to victory in preparation for its release. Share your ideas in the #deck-building channel of the official Discord server!
Remember that by getting the Premium Expansion Pass you immediately unlock Valius Paxor, so you can start leading the Ultramarines as a new Warlord from the get-go!
Changes to old Ultramarines cards
When the expansion releases, some of the currently available Ultramarines cards will also receive changes to better fit the new collection and avoid harmful play patterns. Here’s the full list of changes:
- Oath of Moment: It can now only target friendly troops. Changed description to ”Give +2 Health and ‘Strike: Trigger this troop’s Codex ability’ to a friendly troop”
- Sergeant Telion: Changed description to “Camouflage. Sniper. Codex: Lower the cost of a random Infantry in your hand by 1”
New Warlords
Having fought for the Imperium through the length and breadth of the Imperium’s history, there is no shortage of great heroes and leaders among the Ultramarines. With the expansion, two powerful Warlords will command the Ultramarines in their path to glory:
- Valius Paxor: A superlative warrior and inspiring leader, Valius Paxor has no place but at the very forefront of battle. With a jump pack, he can lead his warriors as speartip for his assaults.
- Roboute Guilliman: Resurrected after Abaddon’s Thirteenth Black Crusade, the Primarch of the Ultramarines now bears the Emperor’s blade and once again leads the Imperium as its Lord Commander.
New card mechanics
With the introduction of the new Ultramarines, we are also introducing new mechanics to give them the upper hand in battle. Get ready to master two new keywords:
- Oath X: Cards with Oath do something once during the turn it is played, if you pay X energy. This ability acts a bit differently if it is printed on a Troop or on a Stratagem. Troops with Oath can activate it during the turn they come in. A troop with Flank will be able to attack and activate Oath during the turn it comes in and vice versa. Stratagems with Oath will ask if you want to pay the additional Energy cost as you play it.
- Sentry: If a unit with Sentry is attacked, it deals X damage to the attacker before the attack resolves. If the attacker is destroyed with this ability’s damage, the Sentry unit will not receive any damage.
How to start collecting them
Take advantage of and release-day deals to get extra value when collecting the new faction! The Ultramarines come into the game as an expansion to an existing faction, so the new cards will be collectable in multiple ways.
- The Avenging Son Expansion Booster Packs: These booster packs guarantee that at least one card will be from the new expansion.
- Ultramarines Booster Packs: Ultramarines booster packs have a chance of yielding expansion cards.
- All-armies Booster Packs: All-armies booster packs have a chance at yielding expansion cards.
- In-game rewards: All random card rewards have a chance to yield a card from the new expansion. These include Campaign reward nodes, draft rewards, weekly crates, etc.
- The Vault: Delving into the vault can yield booster packs and card rewards, and it is also the only way to collect 3 of the expansion’s cards before they become widely craftable at a later date.
- Expansion pass: During the event, a new reward track will be available, featuring in-game currency rewards, exclusive new cosmetics, booster packs and 2 of the expansion’s cards, which will only be available here until a later date. Check out below for more details on how it will work.
At the end of the Expansion event, crafting with wildcards will be enabled for all of the expansion’s new cards, including the cards collectable through The Vault and the Expansion pass.
Expansion Pass
The Avenging Son expansion is accompanied by an Expansion Pass, which will let you earn additional rewards for the 3 weeks following the Expansion’s release simply by playing the game! Each skull you earn in your multiplayer and draft battles will contribute to progressing the track. Every week, there will also be new additional missions that reward large amounts of progress, launching your track forward big time or allowing you to catch up before it ends.
With an optional Premium purchase, you will be able to make the most out of your Expansion Pass. Premium Pass holders will get Valius Paxor as their very first reward and gain access to additional rewards as they progress through their track, such as exclusive cosmetics and two cards exclusive to the Expansion Pass until a later date. Also, they will earn 20% more track progress while the Expansion Pass lasts. The Premium Pass can be purchased in-game for 2850 gold.
New Forge rewards
The Ultramarines’ Forge has grown larger. Check out the Forge and discover what the 5 new levels bring. Start collecting and upgrading your Ultramarines cards to reach higher levels than ever!
Enter The Vault!
The Vault opens its doors once again! The Vault offers an additional way to earn rewards by exchanging tickets, which can be earned by playing the game, exchanged for in-game currencies, purchased or collected via special promotions and deals.
During the 3 weeks following the expansion’s release, players will be able to use tickets to enter the Vault and claim random rewards. These range from Crystals, Blackstone, Booster Packs and Random cards to exclusive content themed around the Ultramarines, such as cosmetics and cards.
Each week, the Vault will offer a refreshed set of special items, along with a pool of great rewards that will remain consistent throughout the event’s duration. After every 10 times one delves into the Vault without finding an exclusive item, players are guaranteed to find one the next time they open its doors. Check out more details on The Vault here.
The Avenging Son is the first-ever Expansion for the Ultramarines! The game is constantly growing bigger and better, and the battlefield never stays the same for long. Will you raise The Emperor’s Sword as Roboute Guilliman or lead from the front lines as Valius Paxor? The expansion releases tomorrow, December 18th. For Ultramar and the Imperium!