Saturday Pre-Orders: New MTO Windows, Old World and Mechanicum Revealed

Games Workshop rolled a dense pre-order slate across three hobby lines this week, with Grand Cathay Old World items, fresh Mechanicum kits for the Horus Heresy, and new Warhammer 40k Made-to-Order openings that carry hard deadlines. Spikey Bits captured the product-level timing and names collectors need to watch.

On 28 February 2026 Warhammer Community posted the weekly "Saturday Pre-orders" roundup summarising the fresh product slate available for pre-order that week on Warhammer.com and local retailers. That official weekly roundup is the anchor for retailers and local stores planning their own pre-order windows.

For U.S. buyers Spikey Bits reports the relevant Old World and Grand Cathay products were available for pre-order on Saturday, February 28th, around 1 p.m. EST, with a shelf release date of Saturday, March 14th, 2026. Those timings line up the Grand Cathay releases and the wider Old World push for mid-March store stock.

Warhammer: The Old World gets a visible push this wave under the headline "Warhammer The Old World Pre-Order: Grand Cathay Releases." Spikey Bits flags a named box set, the Defenders of the Great Bastion Army Reinforcement Set Pre-Order, and describes "tons of new Grand Cathay Rules, Models" arriving in this roundup. The writeup also notes that some minis in this wave "are described as having no allegiance-specific markings, so they fit into either side thematically, depending on how you build and paint your force," which matters if you plan conversions or cross-faction lists.

Horus Heresy fans should expect new Mechanicum kits in the same pre-order wave. Spikey Bits explicitly calls out "new Mechanicum kits for the Horus Heresy" as part of the week’s releases, putting Horus Heresy on the same buying timeline as Old World and 40k newcomers.

The 40k side brought Made-to-Order activity as well. Under the headline "GW Reveals New 40k MTO, Warhammer Old World, Mechanicum Pre-Orders," Spikey Bits lists new 40k MTOs and answers an oft-asked question: "When does the made-to-order window close for Kaptin Badrukk and Ammo Runts? They are made to order until 08:00 am GMT on 9 March 2026." That MTO close time is non negotiable for collectors who want these specific releases outside standard retail stock.

Spikey Bits packages the coverage with buying guidance under headings such as "Quick Buying and Hobby Tips" and promises a "full lineup, along with our thoughts on all the new products available to pre-order soon." Their editorial sums up the week plainly: "Whew, that is a pretty loaded pre-order week for Horus Heresy, Warhammer Old World, and even 40k, and it hits three totally different hobby lines at once."

If you chase specific kits, note the concrete clocks: the U.S. pre-order open of roughly 1 p.m. EST on February 28 for Grand Cathay items and the 08:00 am GMT MTO close for Kaptin Badrukk and Ammo Runts on March 9. Cross-check Warhammer.com and your local retailer for exact SKU and stock confirmations, and consult the updated Warhammer Roadmap for 2026 if you are tracking releases beyond this wave.