Time moves strangely in the Warp. A year in realspace might be 100 in the formless realm of the Empyrean, or 1,000, or perhaps just a few weeks.
Accordingly, some claim that ‘the Year of Chaos’ began in September 2024, with the dark troth made in this article. For others, though, the Year of Chaos stretches further back – did it begin in June with the Horned Rat’s ascension to the pantheon in the Age of Sigmar? Was it kicked off by Codex: Chaos Space Marines in May?
Perhaps it’s been the so-called ‘Year of Chaos’ for 40 years or more, a relentless onrush of releases dating back to the early 80s and before…
All of which is to say, over the last year or so we’ve released a lot of Chaos. It began with the Veterans of the Long War in May, with a new Codex and two fearsome new lords.
In June, the Skaventide boxed set dropped, bringing with it hordes of vermin newly empowered by the Horned Rat’s successful scheme to force its way into the Chaos pantheon. The flow of ratmen and their daemonic masters into the Mortal Realms has been unchecked by the beleaguered forces of Order – especially in Aqshy, where the city of Embergard fell all too easily.
Talking of Embergard, the battle still rages in the tunnels beneath the fallen city, which are infested by swarms of Skaven, and the likes of Grandfather’s Gardeners – a foetid crop of pustule-encrusted Plagubearers – joined them in the new edition of Warhammer Underworlds, positively suffusing it with the corrupting influence of Chaos.
In the Old World, the Warriors of Chaos made their long journey from the frozen wastes of the North, battalions of iron-clad warriors and Norscan tribesmen invading the Empire, sacking cities, and generally making a mess of the Westerland. Most notable of their number is Frydaal the Chainmaker, whose brutal raids have made her infamous on the coasts of the Sea of Claws.
Not content with letting the vile ratmen take gnaw through reality all through the Mortal Realms, Archaon renewed his assault with a new Battletome for the Slaves of Darkness, which had the eye of the Gods focusing more directly on the Heroes dragging themselves up the Path to Glory. A hefty new Chaos Sorcerer Lord took to the field alongside them, a true classic with some properly heavy metal vibes.
All that violence being enacted on Volkus as all and sundry battle under the shadow of the Massif Ballistus clearly caught the attention of Khorne, who directed his most dedicated followers to attack processions of corpse-worshippers. The Goremongers don’t do things by half either. Unhealthily obsessed with Bloodletters, they mutilate themselves, surgically attaching mechanical legs that allow them to leap into the fray with increased fervour.
Mysterious transmissions containing images of renders that were decorated with intricate filigree and warped trim foretold the arrival of the Emperor’s Children, and it was Fulgrim, Daemon Primarch of Slaanesh that made his grand entrance in the twilight of 2024. With a new Codex packed with lurid art and debauched detachments, the Emperor’s Children impressed with a whole range of new elegant miniatures that embodied the preening arrogance of these hubristic hedonists.
The rest of the Ruinous Powers can’t abide this kind of competition, and the remainder of the Pantheon ensured their Codexes reached the hands of their supplicants in short order (that’s you lot reading this). The hulking Lord of Poxes, the ferocious Slaughterbound, and the occult sentries called Sekhetar Robots arrived in Battleforce boxes alongside their respective Codexes, and special edition versions of these books came with a fragment each of a four-piece medallion. We wonder if any dedicated soul holds the complete relic in their hands?
And now, available for pre-order are the twisted steeds of the fallen Noble Houses, the Chaos Knights. The new Knight Ruinator with its darkflame lance, terrorpulse missiles and the Titan-coring fellbore is the star of the show, providing even more punch to these fell machines.
That’s not even 12 months worth of releases, and there’s definitely at least a few more treats for Chaos on the way. We spotted the Blades of Khorne on the last Warhammer Age of Sigmar roadmap, and surely the biggest Chaos release is just around the corner – the upcoming Saturnine box brings a titanic new Dreadnought and imposing Terminators to nine Traitor Legions in the Horus Heresy .
That’s it then. A whole year of Chaos basically done. But what next? Is that it for Chaos? 12 months and then they all retreat into the Warp/Eightpoints/frozen North, without so much as a disembodied keening voice in our heads wailing “good luck”?
Perhaps the Year of Chaos may never end, and these tyrants will dominate our future for as long as we can possibly imagine… for 38,000 years perhaps, when the coiling serpent finally eats its tail… Who can say? We should get at least a few more cool miniatures out of it at least...
