Imagine a sky full of Drop Pods and a line of Ultramarines holding a crater like it’s the last piece of Macragge. Games Workshop’s 500 Worlds: Titus expansion leans hard into both ends of that fantasy — lightning strikes and immovable defence — with three new Space Marine Detachments, a cast of supporting characters called the Wardens of Ultramar, and a hefty slipcase release for narrative players.
Strike fast or dig in: the new detachments
There are three Marine Detachments in the Detachments booklet that ships with the set, and they each push a different playstyle.
Orbital Assault Force — the “drop in and ruin faces” option. This detachment broadens who can Deep Strike, then amps up those units when they arrive. Deepstriking units get an extra safety net: reroll wound rolls of 1 when they hit the table, and if they arrive out of a Drop Pod they also reroll hit rolls of 1. Enhancements and stratagems in this detachment lean into mobility and surgical redeployment — one notable enhancement (Dedicated Gunship) can let a Terminator character redeploy after the opponent’s Fight phase, effectively whisking a bodyguard squad elsewhere on your turn. Defensive tricks like Blind Screen extend smoke/Stealth benefits from vehicles or Drop Pods to nearby allies, helping fragile arrivals survive their first exposed turn.
Bastion Task Force — a detachment built around Battleline synergy. If you like marching BATTLELINE units up the table and keeping them useful while they move, this one is for you: Battleline choices can still shoot or declare a charge after they Advance or Fall Back, and they can start/perform actions even after those moves. After a Battleline unit attacks, it can grant allied units re-rolls of 1 to hit against the same target — a neat mechanical nod to auspex scanners and coordinated assaults. Enhancements like the Bombast Omnivox can generate Command Points when combined with abilities that reduce Stratagem costs, and the deceptively potent Hero of the Chapter can bestow the BATTLELINE keyword on a unit that normally wouldn’t have it — which matters for both detachment rules and many mission objectives.
Reclamation Force — an Ultramarines‑specific detachment that prizes objectives. Expect rules that reward holding ground (for example, bonuses when shooting from controlled objectives and modifiers tied to units fighting on objectives) and mission tools designed to keep you glued to the board. It’s a thematic fit for a reclamation campaign where territory control matters more than flashy deep strikes.
A few stratagem highlights
Tactical Decapitation gives a focused boost for hunting enemy characters (+1 to hit in some previews), while Heresy Undone can temporarily let non‑Battleline units share the Bastion detachment’s mobility benefits — but only against targets that have been auspex scanned by an ally. Small interactions like these mean lists built around teamwork will probably get the most out of the new options.
The Wardens of Ultramar — story faces to lead the reclamation
500 Worlds: Titus isn’t just rules. The Titus book introduces the Wardens of Ultramar — a motley council Captain Titus surrounds himself with as he attempts the gargantuan task of reclaiming 500 worlds. Highlights:
- Veteran Sergeant Metaurus: Titus’ old mentor and a living repository of campaign experience. He’s the measured counterweight to Titus’ more impulsive tendencies.
- Ancient Gadriel: A younger, fierce standard bearer who earned Titus’ trust in brutal campaigns and now carries the Second Company’s battle standard.
- Astropath Dainal Kornelius: A battle‑hardened telepathic messenger with a prickly personality developed from long Warp exposure.
- Plenipotentiary Lucia Vestha: The silver‑tongued diplomat who keeps worlds in the fold without a plasma blast.
- Gaius Silva: Admiral and fleet commander who manages the fragile relationship between Space Marines and their human crews.
- Aemelia Minervas: Legatus of the Macragge Defence Auxilia, a human commander who helps translate Codex Astartes doctrine into massed, flexible soldiery.
These characters come in miniature form and are available in the pre‑order wave alongside the updated Captain Titus kit.
What’s in the slipcase and when to expect it
The 500 Worlds slipcase set is a sizeable narrative package: three softcover books and a small detachments booklet. The first book, Titus, focuses on lore and the cast; the second, Dread Incursions, contains core Boarding Actions rules and a dozen missions (including Tomb World variants); the third, War on the Vespator Front, supplies a map‑based campaign framework and additional missions, plus a campaign map and sticker sheet. A 16‑page Detachments booklet gathers the rules for the Marine and Necron detachments. According to the initial schedule, pre‑orders for the set began in January 2026.
Community reaction and a quick take from previews
Early analysis from hobby sites has already started ranking the new detachments. The Bastion Task Force often gets praised for actually making Battleline choices feel relevant again, while the Orbital Assault Force is seen as thematically excellent but maybe less meta‑defining — it’s a very cool option for players who want Drop Pod theatrics and tactical punch. The Ultramarine Reclamation Force is appreciated for its narrative fit but judged by some as niche for competitive lists.
There’s also buzz elsewhere in the 500 Worlds content about Necron additions — different strategy vectors are emerging on that side too — but the new Marine rules clearly push two contrasting styles: surgical deep strikes and tight, objective‑focused defence.
If you’re the sort of player who likes a crisp tactical puzzle — timing a deep strike, protecting that first turn of exposure, or chaining auspex‑locks into coordinated charges — there’s new kit here to play with. If you build around holding points and the slow attrition of territory, the Ultramarines‑centric reclamation tools will speak to you.
Expect hobby chatter, lists, and hot takes to proliferate as the rules drop into players’ hands and the first games appear on streams and local stores. The pre‑order wave will be the real proof — and then everyone gets to test whether a rain of pods or an unbreakable line will win the day.