Welcome Back, Combat Patrolers! Now that we are back from Pokémon GoFest,  we have the June 2025 package from Hachette.  Sadly, the package was stuck in FedEx Hell for four days, which prevented me from getting the package before I left for New Jersey and GoFest.  So two weeks, 115 shinies, and adventures with several different friends later, it’s back to the Combat Patrols.  This month’s package is surprisingly light on models, only having a Terminator Squad and the bonus Primaris Company Champion model.  As always, thank you to Goonhammer and Hachette for the opportunity to review this magazine and these materials!

Narrative Materials

This issue introduces the Adeptus Mechanicus, explaining who they are (the Imperium’s tech support), and how every Imperium character shares the Mechanicus’ faith. The rationale given is Space Marines and the Guard offer prayers to their weapons and wargear. The issue also introduces the Omnissiah.  It is a very bare-bones overview of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and sadly does not get into any of the Mechanicus’ more interesting and unsavory elements.  It also does not discuss any AdMech units, instead having a brief overview of their guns.

The magazine then turns to the Tyranids, explaining Tyranid Bio-weapons. The issue explains what Tyranid ranged weapons *are* (they shoot acid or gnawing creatures), and that Tyranids do not have supply lines in the traditional sense: instead, the Tyranids just eat everything and use that. There are then some illustrations of various Tyranid weapons and they fire. There’s also images of Tyranid melee weapons, but “scything talons”, “rendering claws”, and “boneswords” are much more obvious than varying types of Tyranid range weapons.

The magazine also has a new short story, involving Ultramarines Terminator Brother Sergeant Theus. Theus has boarded a warship that has been assimilated by the Tyranids, and his squad is fighting Termagants. While Theus is splattering Tyranids all over the hallway, he is trying to figure out where on the ship they can best fight the Tyranids. While marching through the ship to the torpedo tubes, they switch combat doctrines.

This story left me a bit cold: the Terminator Sergeant is new and does not have much of a personality (except stoic and methodical). It’s just the story of the next two issues’ unit smashing through monsters. Maybe we will learn more about Brother Theus in the future.

Hobby Materials

This magazine comes with two paints: Leadbelcher and Corax White. Leadbelcher, of course, is one of the workhorse paints of the Citadel line: It’s their “neutral metallic”, one neither too warm or too cold. The Combat Patrol Paint Guide, of course, recommends using this on the various metallic bits of the Space Marines. The issue highlights the guns, blades, backpack vents, and some other doodads. The magazine then recommends that you use the Corax White to basecoat various other icons, doodads, and the Terminators’ shoulder pads and face for the Captain and the Librarian.

I don’t think that this is the best paint to come with this issue. Corax White is a chalky and hard to use paint. It also has weak coverage. This means that the paint looks bad and most of us have switched to Bold Titanium White form Pro Acryl. If I was Hachette, I would have gone with Grey Seer: it’s a cool light grey that goes on much smoother and has better coverage than the older Corax White. You can also eventually highlight up with lighter greys (such as Ulthuan Grey) to make a passing white paint.

The Leadbelcher is fine: I don’t use it, but it’s a great paint to drybrush or paint onto black parts for an excellent effect.

Gaming Materials

This issue finally introduces the Command Phase, Objectives, and Scoring. To that end, the issue comes with a set of six 40 mm objective tokens to cut out of the back cover of the magazine. It also has a set of Victory Point tokens. The issue explains Objective Control and the zone of objective control.

The Scenario for this mission is, at long last, a basic game of Warhammer 40K Combat Patrol. The mission is the Space Marine Captain, Librarian, and Infernus Squad versus the Barbgaunts, Termagants, Tyranid Prime, and Von Ryan’s Leapers. The Ripper Swarm is apparently unwelcome. There is an objective in the center of the battlefield, and an objective in each side’s deployment zone (in opposite corners). The Marines are given first turn.

Final Verdict

I’ll be honest here, this magazine isn’t one of the good deals within the Combat Patrol subscription. Leadbelcher is a good, basic paint: while I don’t personally use it anymore it’s still a good paint when it’s mixed correctly. Corax White, however, is not a good paint for anything the magazine recommends it gets used for. It’s also not a good paint for anything else. While my pot of Corax White did not come pre-solidified (unlike one unfortunate Goonhammer contributor), my first instinct when getting the pot is to chuck into the bin and just use Grey Seer as a base.

For me, at least, the best part of the magazine is the guide to Tyranid weapons. As someone who has been building and playing with Marines for almost a decade, I could not tell you one Tyranid weapon from the other. So an illustrated guide early on in the subscription seems like a good benefit.  Additionally, actually getting to finally play a basic game of Warhammer 40K: Combat Patrol (even if you do not get all the special rules) is a pretty nifty achievement for Issue 11: After getting a new rule here and there, Issue 11 finally composes them into a full game.

Until next time, Combat Patrolers!

-Contemptor Kevin

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