The September 2025 package ends with the third “regular” model from the Combat Patrol: one of the cool Elite Units. The Aeldari Combat Patrol being one of the earlier (9th Edition era) ComPats, it isn’t just infantry but instead has a Wraithknight. So let’s find out how this issue pans out. As always, thank you to Goonhammer and Hachette for the opportunity to review these models, magazines, and materials.
Narrative Materials
This issue has a thinner collection of narrative material than some previous issues. The first article is about Aeldari Spirit Stones. While the Eldar is alive the object is called a “waystone”, but when the Eldar dies it becomes a Spirit Stone. The other Aeldari then take the Spirit Stone back to the Craftworld and install it into the Infinity Circuit. Spiritseers will take the souls within the Infinity Circuit and put them back into Soul Stones in order to animate Wraith constructs when necessary. The issue also explains the Aeldari creation myth behind the “Tears of Isha”, that were forged into Spirit Stones by the God Vaul.
The issue then turns to other factions who use Spirit Stones. Incubi of the Drukhari go hunt down Aspect Warriors, kill them, take their Spirit Stones, crack them open, and then wear them on their armor as Tormentors. Slaanesh and their followers will destroy Aeldari Spirit Stones so that She Who Thirsts can eat their souls, which is a fate worse than death for the Aeldari.
The magazine then discusses the areas of the galaxy in which the Warp has opened permanent rifts into the Galaxy. From these eldritch locations in the stars, hordes of Daemons and warbands of the Traitor Legions of Chaos and raiding parties of the Drukhari spring forth to bring EVIL into the galaxy. It’s also a good place to hide.
We are then introduced to three warp rifts: the Eye of Terror (the warp storm created by the birth of Slaanesh and the Fall of the Aledari), where its timewarp hosts the Traitor Legions of Chaos. The Malestorm hosts Pirates of the regular, Ork, and Red Corsair varities. The third rift is the Prosperan Rift, which was from the fourth Psychic Awakening book. This rift is focused over Prospero, the Thousand Sons’ homeworld and is fueled by the psychic screams of several Grey Knights captured by the Thousand Sons after an ill-fated expedition to Prospero in which the Grey Knights and Dark Angels were forced to evacuate after Brother Captain Stern and Kalidor Draigo bombed the planet.
(Rob is of the opinion that this third warp rift is very dumb.)
Hobby Materials
This issue comes with the Wraithlord, the oldest kit Combat Patrol Magazine has seen fit to grace us. Hailing from 2006, this kit was created before GW standardized on using part numbers on all their sprues, which the magazine warns us about in the instructions. The magazine goes through the various options on the kit and which ones can be left off. There’s also a paint guide which goes over every color from the subscription and how to apply it to the Wraithlord. The head is supposed to be painted Corax White, which the magazine warns “will require multiple coats”.
The issue also comes with a datasheet for the Wraithlord, which is substantially different than the Codex version. Here the Wraithlord is at T11, but has none of the Codex version’s datasheet abilities. So while between the Space Marine and Tyranid Combat Patrols there’s a total of one weapon that can wound the Wraithlord on a 4+ (the rest all require 5+ or 6+), the Wraithlord (so far) does not have the abilities to hit things on less than a 4+.
The model also comes with a nifty sculpted base, which I am going to use for a new Contemptor Dreadnought.
Gaming Materials
In addition to the Wraithlord’s datasheet, we get Scenario 19: Vanguard Action. Here we have the Wraithlord fighting the Tyranids. This scenario is a single Wraithlord against two 5-bug units of Termagants, the Tyranid Prime, and Von Ryan’s Leapers. The Wraithlord deploys near the center of the table, while the Tyranids have two deployment zones in the far corners. The Wraithlord has to fight all the Tyranids for five turns and survive. Tyranids get Top of Turn 1. If a Tyranid unit is destroyed, it respawns in the Tyranid player’s Command Phase.
This strikes me as an interesting scenario, but one that can get boring: the Tyranids struggle to wound the Wraithknight and has weapons that will slice the Tyranids to ribbons, but only so many guns and a very low ballistic skill so it may wind up being a series of whiffs to drag the mission out. That’s less fun.
Final Verdict
Wraithlord new in box from GW costs $65. This issue has a new in box Wraithlord for $15. Getting a nice big dreadnought-class model for cheap in an army that’s almost always good is what we here in the business call “a steal”. The mission is a relatively interesting one, pitting the high toughness big ol’ monster against hordes of insects trying to kill it via weight of dice. But let’s be honest: You want this for the 75% off model, not the magazine.
Package Gift
The September 2025 package for Combat Patrol also came with several additional STC brushes. As an add-on freebie, that’s actually very helpful: you can never have too many brushes, and while GW brushes are overpriced the quality isn’t all that bad. So we have more brushes that can be tested to destruction.
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