Games Workshop wrapped its preview run for the upcoming Codex: Space Marines on September 17 with the most mechanically significant reveal of the entire book: a stratagem that lets Salamanders fire their flamers while locked in melee combat — something no army in the current edition of Warhammer 40,000 can do. The new codex, which also delivers a comprehensive overhaul of the Raven Guard’s stealth-focused detachment, will go up for pre-order at Games Workshop Saturday, September 19, 2026.

The reveal caps a preview week that already covered Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Black Templars, and Deathwatch, and confirms that the 11th edition Space Marines book will contain chapter-specific detachments alongside the 15 generic options.

Why Flamers in Melee Is a Big Deal

To understand the significance, it helps to know the rule the stratagem overrides. In the current edition, Torrent weapons — the category that includes flamers — carry the Blast keyword, which automatically prevents them from firing when a unit is engaged in melee combat, even against Vehicles and Monsters that would otherwise be legal targets. The restriction is edition-wide, applying equally to every faction in the game.

For most armies, that is simply how flamers work. For the Salamanders — whose entire tabletop identity is built around close-range fire support and a lore-deep devotion to the flame — the rule cut against the faction’s core fantasy in a way that frustrated dedicated players. Games Workshop acknowledged as much in its preview text, noting that Salamanders “have spent the last 10,000 years shooting flamers at things and have gotten rather good at it.”

The new detachment fixes it — and in doing so establishes a precedent: chapter-specific rules in this edition can be used to override restrictions that apply to every other faction, when lore demands it.

Forgefather’s Seekers: What the Detachment Does

The Salamanders’ chapter-specific detachment is called Forgefather’s Seekers, and its detachment-wide rule is Vulkan’s Quest. The rule works on two levels. First, it grants all ranged attacks made by Adeptus Astartes units in the army the Assault ability, meaning those units can advance and still fire without penalty — an effective speed-and-firepower bonus that rewards aggressive play. Second, all ranged attacks against targets within 12 inches (30.5 cm) gain +1 Strength, making short-range engagements measurably deadlier. Forgefather’s Seekers is very similar to its predecessor detachment, carrying forward the aggressive close-range identity. Twelve inches is the standard engagement range where flamers and melta weapons operate most effectively, making this a direct reinforcement of the Salamanders’ preferred fighting style.

A third component, Seeker’s Companions, activates only when legendary hero Vulkan He’stan leads the army. Under his command, Infernus Squads can perform actions even after advancing or falling back, and retain the ability to shoot while doing so — meaning a squad of Infernus Marines can sprint to an objective, contest it, and still deliver flamer fire in the same turn.

Can Salamanders Actually Fire Flamers in Melee? Yes — Here Is How

The stratagem that has generated the most community discussion is Forged in Fire, which costs 1 Command Point. When activated during the Shooting phase for an engaged Adeptus Astartes unit, two things happen simultaneously: the unit’s Torrent weapons lose the Blast ability entirely — removing the combat restriction along with it — and gain the Close-Quarters keyword instead, which explicitly permits firing into melee. The weapons also gain +1 Attack.

The mechanical logic is straightforward: Blast causes the combat restriction; removing Blast removes the restriction; Close-Quarters activates the melee permission. The cost is the loss of Blast’s bonus shots against large units, but for a faction that wants to torch things up close, that is not a meaningful sacrifice.

This is a one-turn, 1CP override — not a permanent change to Torrent weapons globally. But the principle it establishes matters: Games Workshop is willing to use chapter detachment rules to give specific factions capabilities that the edition’s base rules do not allow, when the lore justifies it. That is a significant design statement for how future chapter-specific content may be structured.

A second stratagem, Wrath and Ruin (1CP), allows a player to activate either the Assault Doctrine or the Tactical Doctrine for a single Adeptus Astartes infantry unit during the Command phase for that turn, bypassing the army-wide active doctrine. This gives Salamanders commanders the ability to optimize a single unit’s effectiveness in any given turn regardless of which doctrine the broader army is running.

What Does Vulkan’s Quest Mean for List-Building?

The detachment does not require Vulkan He’stan to function — Seeker’s Companions simply adds an extra layer if he is present. For players who want to build around the detachment’s close-range firepower identity without committing to a single character, the core Vulkan’s Quest bonuses apply army-wide. For players who do take He’stan, the Infernus Squad synergy provides a strong objective-control option that combines action economy with continued fire output.

Shadowmark Talon: Raven Guard’s Stealth Overhaul

The Raven Guard’s detachment, Shadowmark Talon, takes the opposite approach to close-range aggression: it makes the entire army harder to shoot at. The detachment rule, Shadow Tactics, grants every Adeptus Astartes unit in the army the Stealth ability by default — a blanket -1 penalty to incoming ranged attack rolls that applies to the whole force regardless of unit type. Phobos-armored units and Scout Squads go further, gaining a 3-inch (7.6 cm) reduction to their detection range. In a game where detection range determines when hidden units can be spotted, bringing that threshold down gives Raven Guard’s infiltrating specialists more room to operate before being forced into the open.

Chapter Master Aethon Shaan’s model was released in 2025 and receives a specific enhancement under Shadow Tactics. His Unparalleled Tactician ability reduces the cost of the Into Darkness stratagem by 1 Command Point once per battle round. Into Darkness allows up to two Phobos or Scout units (or one standard Adeptus Astartes unit) to be picked up and placed back into Strategic Reserves at the end of the opponent’s turn, enabling repositioning and flanking plays in subsequent turns. With Shaan present, this can be used for free — a significant efficiency gain over several turns.

The detachment’s standout offensive option is Suppressed Weapons (1CP), which allows an Adeptus Astartes infantry unit that has already fired to retain its hidden status. Normally, shooting reveals a unit’s position. This stratagem removes that tradeoff, allowing units to fire without losing concealment — opening up the possibility of deploying Eradicators or Heavy Bolter squads to lay down ranged fire from across the board while remaining hidden from return fire.

Aethon Shaan: Strong Flavor, Some Limitations

Shaan is a compelling model and a tactically interesting character, but players should note that Shaan cannot join and lead other units — a design choice that stands out given that his predecessor, Kayvaan Shrike, retains that capability. Shaan compensates with Lone Operative and Stealth, functioning as a solo assassin and strategic asset rather than a force multiplier through a squad. His Claws of Severax deliver seven attacks at Strength 5, Armor Penetration -2, Damage 2 — sufficient to threaten most infantry and characters on his own.

Part of a Broader Codex Rollout

Salamanders and Raven Guard are among several chapters receiving updated detachments in the new codex. The Ultramarines, Iron Hands, Imperial Fists, and White Scars are also confirmed, with the White Scars’ Spearpoint Task Force described as a late addition. The Iron Hands, Imperial Fists, and White Scars detachments are priced at 2 Detachment Points per official sources, allowing them to be combined with any of the codex’s 1 Detachment Point generic detachments within a standard army’s DP budget. The Salamanders and Raven Guard detachment costs will be confirmed in the Warhammer 40,000 app when the codex releases.

The full codex — available in standard softcover, special edition hardcover, and a limited edition with art prints, tokens, reference cards, and metal emblems — will be accessible for pre-order at Games Workshop Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Salamanders fire flamers while in melee combat in the new codex?

Yes — but only via the Forged in Fire stratagem, which costs 1 Command Point. When activated during the Shooting phase, it strips the Blast keyword from all Torrent weapons in the engaged unit (removing the combat restriction that keyword carries) and replaces it with the Close-Quarters keyword, which explicitly allows firing into melee. The effect lasts for that Shooting phase only. This is the first time any army in the current edition of Warhammer 40,000 has had access to a rule permitting this.

What is different about the Raven Guard’s Shadowmark Talon versus the old Vanguard Spearhead detachment?

Shadowmark Talon extends Stealth across the entire Adeptus Astartes force (not just Phobos units), gives Phobos and Scouts a 3-inch (7.6 cm) detection range reduction, and unlocks Suppressed Weapons — allowing units to retain hidden status after firing. The Aethon Shaan-specific Unparalleled Tactician enhancement makes the Into Darkness repositioning stratagem free once per battle round, adding a layer of positional flexibility the old Vanguard detachment did not offer. Sprues & Brews’ Aethon Shaan detachment review provides additional context on the detachment’s predecessor.

When does Codex: Space Marines go up for pre-order, and what editions are available?

The codex will go up for pre-order Saturday, September 19, 2026. Three versions will be available: a standard softcover, a special edition hardcover, and a limited edition that includes six art prints, a complete Space Marines Command Pack, tokens, reference cards, and metal emblems for the cover. The ICV2 announcement confirms the codex’s three editions and its 232-page length.

Does the Forged in Fire stratagem change how flamers work for all Space Marines?

No. The stratagem applies only to a single engaged unit during one Shooting phase and only when the army is running the Forgefather’s Seekers detachment. It has no effect on how Torrent weapons function for any other army or detachment. Games Workshop has described the rule as specific to the Salamanders’ mastery of flamer weapons, framing it as a lore-accurate mechanical exception rather than a universal rules change.