Ending the June 2025 (in the US) package is another paint issue. This time around the paints are some of my preferred Citadel paints. We also have a bonus model: The Primaris Company Champion. And we get a huge and varied lore section, a better one than last week. As always, thank you to Goonhammer and Hachette for the opportunity to review these magazines, models, and materials.
Narrative Materials
This issue of the magazine introduces the Inquisition. The magazine showcases a grimdark, grumpy Inquisitor frowning as he uses his psychic powers to read the mind of some poor schmuck.
The Inquisition is appropriately presented as a fearful, sinister internal security organization known for destroying worlds. The issue explains that Puritans are the memetic world-burners at the slightest bit of HERESY, while Radicals are the ones who will work with xenos. The issue then explains the three main branches of the Inquisition. The Ordo Malleus fights daemons with blessed thunder hammers, while the Ordo Xenos looks Aeldari and Necron ruins, while some Ordo Xenos Inquisitors work with alien. The Ordo Hereticus hunts down “hidden threats” to the Imperium: psykers, dangerous cults, witches, and people who don’t like the Imperium’s brutal repression. Oh Combat Patrol, please never change your disdain of the Imperium of Man and its cruel fascism.
Hilariously, while the magazine illustrates the Ordo Xenos and Ordo Hereticus with (respectively) the modern plastics of Kyria Draxus and Katerina Greyfax, the magazine illustrates the Ordo Malleus with the Finecast version of Inquisitor Coteaz.
Credit: Pendulin
The magazine then explores the Space Marine Oath of Moment (1). The fact that Space Marines are maniacs means that their mania can be focused at particularly important targets. Killing the most important enemy means the Space Marine gets to cover themselves in glory. The issue does not go into what happens when a Space Marine fails to fulfill his oath of moments. It just notes that Battle Brothers often record these in order to ensure No Takebacksies. When alone, it’s presumed that the Astartes will make their oath to the Immortal Emperor. Presumably, He does not condone take backsies either.
Lastly, the issue briefly discusses the Third Tyrannic War. While Goonhammer has recently focused on the beginning stages of the Third Tyrannic War, the issue mostly focuses on the end of the Third Tyrannic War and summarizes Guy Haley’s “Devastation of Baal” novel. To wit: Hive Fleet Leviathan strikes Baal, which is defended by the entire Ninth Legion. The Sons of Sanguinius are noble, mighty, savage, and utterly outnumbered by the Tyranids. It is then that the Blood Angels’ particular brand of luck strikes, in which a galactic supercalamity opens right over Baal and and out pops Ka’Bandha.
Ka’Bandha has reserved the annihilation of the Ninth Legion as his personal prerogative, so they go to town on the Tyranids and defaced the local moon. The issue describes Ka’Bandha as attacking Baal itself, but the novel and the 8th Edition Rulebook stated Ka’Bandha used Tyranid skulls to write his name. Dante then led the final assault against the Tyranids and defeated the Swarmlord.
Hobby Materials
This magazine includes two new paints: Screamer Pink and Rakarth Flesh. This is personally welcome, as I think Screamer Pink is a flexible (if mildly desaturated) pink that works well as a midtone for purity seals, cloaks, and so forth. Rakarth flesh is also a good paint for purity seals and banners, and my previous pot got skunked. I’ve been meaning to pick up another pot, but I keep forgetting to do so when I go by the local Warhammer store.
And that’s exactly what the paint section of the magazine recommends you do with those paints: the magazine suggests painting the various paper trails of the purity seals Rakarth Flesh, and the wax of the Marines’ purity seal and the Tyranid tongues are recommended for Screamer Pink.
Gaming Materials
It might surprise you, but it turns out that this issues formally introduces the most fundamentally important part of playing Warhammer 40,000: Deployment. The issue lists the rules for Deployment: A roll-off to determine who deploys first, and then a roll-off to determine who takes First Turn. The magazine then offers some suggestions for deployment, explaining threat ranges. Infiltrators and Deep Strike rules are also covered.
The Scenario is called “Deep Strike”, and teaches both Deployment Zones and using Deep Strike and Infiltrator rules. The Space Marines get the Terminator Captain, the Infernus Marine Squad, and two Terminators. The Tyranids get the Barbgants, Von Ryan’s Leapers, and Termagants. The goal is to hold objectives. Tyranids get the first turn. The Terminator Captain *must* deep strike, and the Von Ryan’s Leapers *must* infiltrate. In this battle, we also use the various units special rules: so the Von Ryan Leapers get Fights First, while the Terminator Captain gets rerolls to charge.
Final Verdict
This issue is a good value for me personally, because while the face value of the magazine is $15.00 and has $9.05 of paint, I keep forgetting to pick up Rakarth Flesh and Hachette was kind enough to make sure that I have the paint. For those of you who have a preferred paint for painting parchment, I think a better use of the money used to buy this issue individually would be to go buy the Devastation of Baal. That being said…
BONUS
If you got this issue via Hachette’s subscription service, you would also have gotten a model: the Primaris Company Champion, as the monthly package gift. Adding the value of a limited edition (2) Space Marine character to the package increases the overall value of the June magazines: in addition to getting one unit split across two issues and three worthwhile paints, you also get a second unit. The one qualm I have with this special gift is that the Primaris Company Champion does not have rules in Combat Patrol, and so far the magazine has not offered rules for the Company Champion. But hey, another Space Marine Hero is always welcome.
Until next time, Combat Patrolers!
(1) The lore version, not the 10th Edition Space Marine Army rule. We don’t get to use the rule in this issue of ComPat’s scenario.
(2) Look, the model came out in 2022 and they’re still selling it at conventions and giving them away to Hachette.
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