This Year’s Top Warhammer 40K Expansion Already Sold Out Online

In the intricate universe of 40K, humanity isn’t just locked in the grip of a massively militarized state, nor does it revolve entirely around Space Marines and Martian cyborgs. It’s also steered by a dominating theocracy that worships the Emperor of Mankind as a god-like icon. So, when you open the Blood and Zeal box, you’ll find a host of fervent zealots who, misguided by their devotion to a false deity, bear the consequential weight of vast civilian populations from the 41st millennium. The other figures in the set are aligned with Chaos.

Known as the Ecclesiarchy, this theocratic arm of the Empire stands as one of the most insidious elements within the world of 40K. Despite the Emperor’s explicit warnings against worship, a few individuals realized there was power to be seized by founding the Cult of the Emperor. This cult efficiently serves as a tool for control, an instrument wielded to keep the populace in line. While not the direct cause of humanity’s darker tendencies—like xenophobia and mob violence—the Ecclesiarchy certainly doesn’t mitigate them either. In the Imperium, violence and fear don’t occur by accident; they’re woven into its very fabric. Now, thanks to some remarkably detailed miniatures, players can put faces to these unsettling truths.

The characters here are portrayed as the universe’s most subservient and indoctrinated fanatics. It’s fitting, then, that they share shelf space with the forces of Chaos. Delving into the narrative accompanying this set, it’s evident that the Ecclesiarchy’s members far outnumber the Space Marines. Indeed, this portion of the galaxy’s future boasts more religious extremists than Imperial Guardsmen—and quite frankly, they’re depicted as thoroughly repugnant.

Yet, paradoxically, these zealots are also portrayed as the cohesive force holding the Imperium of Mankind together. Their fervor and animosity provide a bulwark against Chaos and other threats like the Tyranids or Orks, sparing humanity from existential annihilation. So, it’s somewhat apt that we finally get tangible representations of these crucial players.

While Blood and Zeal enriches the narrative landscape of Kill Team, it simultaneously fills a significant niche within the broader gaming hobby. These miniatures are essential across various 40K platforms, from Kill Team and Necromunda to the grand-scale wargame Warhammer 40,000 and even tabletop RPGs like Imperium Maledictum.

As much as I despise these figures for what they represent, I’m nevertheless appreciative of their existence as collectibles. If for no other reason, grabbing a set allows you to stare these intriguing little caricatures of devotion right in their earnest eyes.