The biggest crowd-pleaser at AdeptiCon 2026's Warmachine keynote wasn't a new faction. It was the return of an old one. The Protectorate of Menoth, one of the most iconic armies in Warmachine's 23-year history, is officially coming back this October under the new Covenant of the Flame banner.
Steamforged Games showed off three models from the new army: Stallos, Shield of the Righteous (a new warcaster on a 40mm base); the returning character heavy warjack Blood of Martyrs with an updated sculpt; and a new generic heavy warjack on the classic Crusader chassis. If you played Menoth in earlier editions, these names will feel like coming home.
The Protectorate has been part of Warmachine since the very beginning. Their zealous, fire-wielding templars became one of the game's signature visual identities, and their absence from Mark IV was felt deeply by the community. The announcement drew the loudest reaction of the entire keynote.
Steamforged also announced an officially licensed Flameguard cosplay kit from Galactic Armories, the first of its kind for Warmachine, which says a lot about how seriously they're treating this army's return.
This continues the ambitious release pace Steamforged has set since rescuing the IP from a financially troubled Privateer Press in 2024, steadily rebuilding community confidence in the game's future. For Menoth players who've been waiting, the crusade resumes this autumn.
Sources: Wargamer | Steamforged Games | Minis For War