Games Workshop’s World Championships Preview — Titus Returns

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In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. There are also some really fascinating stories centered around towering warriors clad in powerful armor and armed with weapons that make them akin to living gods on and off the field of battle.

While my favorite character in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 mythos is the enigmatic Malcador the Sigillite, a close second is the fearless, noble, and seemingly thrice-blessed by the God-Emporer-Of-Mankind himself, Demetrian Titus.

Titus has, in many ways, been serving as the “main character” of Warhammer 40k for the last little bit, appearing as the main protagonist in the video games Space Marine and Space Marine 2. He is also the focus in the Amazon Prime Secret Levels episode “And They Shall Know No Fear”, in which Titus and a group of fellow Ultramarines attempted to eradicate the forces of Slaanesh, one of the gods of Chaos who seek to corrupt mankind in the grim dark future.

Not only has Titus shown up in multiple non-tabletop projects, but the DK Warhammer 40,000 Character Encyclopedia — which should be hitting shelves very soon — has a Lieutenant Titus miniature packaged with it.

The Character Encyclopedia is a fantastic book (a review of it is coming soon), but I will tell you that my major joy in getting it was to have the Titus mini packaged in this cool little window box insert bit in the front cover.

If all of that was not already enough, Titus’s status as a, or in my opinion, the “main character” has been reinforced yet again by this weekend’s reveal at Games Workshop’s World Championships Preview.

In the lore at the table top, Titus has been promoted to Captain and is no longer the humble Lieutenant he was in Space Marine 2 and the Secret Level animation. He’s certainly rising once more in the landscape of the Warhammer 40k lore. Now he has been granted the honorific “Master of the Watch”, and is tasked with the defense of Macragge and Ultramar’s soft interior, which brings him to the story at hand.

Not only does this have some fantastic lore implications, but it also means we are getting a new Captain Titus miniature.

What is super exciting: Titus is not coming to the table alone. He will be packaged with a group known as the Wardens of Ultramar, and, frankly, this is the most excited I’ve been about a box set of Warhammer minis in a minute … and that is saying something … because I’m an excitable guy.

The wardens will come with Titus; Gadriel wielding an Ultramarine banner of the Second Company; and the Veteran Sergeant Metaurus armed with a brilliant shield that those who watch the Secret Level episode may have seen him use to block an onslaught of tank fire. There is also a mini for Gaius Silva, who commands a vast fleet of Ultramarian defense ships and is an expert at handling the tensions between an overworked mortal crew and their often-pitiless masters, making him an essential part of Titus’ command team.

We are also getting Amelia Minervas, who is a highly respected Legatus in the Ultramar Defence Auxilia and serves as the command team’s liaison to its legions of human soldiery. Lucia Vestha joins Titus’ war councils as well, serving as a valued plenipotentiary and diplomat whose keen negotiating skills have saved the Second Company from needless battle on countless occasions. Meanwhile, the sharp-tongued and forthright Dainal Kornelius is a veteran Astropath who has survived for over 100 years in the Ultramarines’ employ.

This is one heck of a lineup, and I for one am beyond delighted to see this announced. I will be working on my Ultramarine army as we go into the holiday, so expect many more updates about this as news hits my desk.

Until next time, there was an actual sense of joy that washed over me when the trailer dropped and I saw Titus get his flowers. It’s weird to have such an emotional response to a fictional character getting recognized, but I really think that guy has done so much for The Empire of Mankind, and I think his heart is in the right place. If anyone is going to lead man into a new golden age or protect us from the horrors of the Warp, I think Titus is one of the main people to lead the charge.