“You’ve heard the story. Halo. The Chief. Stuff of legends. But that’s not the story I’m telling today.”

Halo: Flashpoint is the tactical miniatures game of heroes, villains and their fireteams in the Halo Universe. You’ll create and experience your own thrilling combat stories as teams of miniatures clash across a wide range of scenarios. Launched at the end of 2024, the game has grown fast to encompass not just tabletop Spartans, but also ODSTs, Marines, Brutes, Elites, Grunts and Jackals.

And with them has come an ever expanding cast of iconic characters – stepping straight off the screen and onto your gaming table. So as the game reaches Summer 2026, let’s take a look at the roster of who’s in the game (so far)!

UNSC: Master Chief

The Spartan legend John-117, often known simply by his rank of Master Chief, combines the advanced combat abilities of the SPARTAN-II program with a terrific tactical acumen and a fierce courage to defend humanity against their greatest threats. He is also blessed with uncanny good fortune that means he’s in the right place, at the right time, to pull off these incredible feats.

Master Chief feels spot-on on the tabletop: Stoic keeps him moving forward without ever being pinned and removes crouching entirely, reinforcing his relentless, uncompromising presence. Tactician (3) gives a strong pool of Command Dice, rerolls, and carryover, reflecting his role directing the fight at every level. Finish the Fight then captures his ability to decisively push engagements and end fights through sheer skill and momentum…

Become the Master Chief! You can get him HERE by himself, or in the Halo: Flashpoint Paint Set HERE.

UNSC: Buck and Dare (Halo 3 ODST)

Edward Buck enlisted in the UNSC Marine Corps at eighteen and excelled in marksmanship during training. A veteran of many conflicts and a highly skilled marine, he was an ODST fireteam leader during the Battle for Earth.

Captain Dare assumed tactical command of Alpha-Nine during the Battle for Earth. Her position in the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) allowed her the privilege of inserting into battle with other UNSC units, including ODST fireteams, and issuing them with new orders when necessary to fulfil her own covert agenda.

Buck and Dare (and the contrast between them) comes to life through their rules. Buck’s Scout and Fast Transition let him push forward early and fire two weapons in a single Shoot action, while Tactician (1) adds a small Command Dice boost that represents his on-the-ground leadership.

Dare, meanwhile, uses Stealthy to impose a -1 modifier on incoming Shoot actions and brings stronger control through Tactician (2) and her Special Order, Your Orders Have Changed, letting her reshape Command Dice each round. Together, their rules present Buck as a capable combat leader, and Dare as the well-connected ONI officer assuming direction of the mission.

Bring the duo back together, and get Buck & Dare together right HERE.

UNSC: Noble Team (Halo Reach)

Noble Team was a unit of Spartan-III supersoldiers, and a Spartan-II commando, collectively under the control of the UNSC’s Special Warfare Group.

This is a full fireteam of special characters, something quite unique right now within Halo: Flashpoint! While we won’t dive into their stats and weapons, let’s see how their keywords along bring their characters to the table:

• Carter: Scout and Tactician place Carter forward early while shaping the battle through command control, matching his role as an active field leader.
• Jun: Scout and Stealthy emphasise early positioning and survivability, capturing Jun’s preference for finding the perfect sniping position and maintaining distance.
• Jorge: Stoic keeps Jorge unpinned and advancing, while Tactician reflects his reassuring effect on the squad even while under fire.
• Kat: Tactician and Counter Intelligence let Kat influence the battle before it begins, with Fast Transition reinforcing her technical efficiency in combat.
• Emile: Acrobatic rewards Emile for securing kills, while Imposing makes him harder to dislodge once engaged, reflecting his aggressive, confrontational style.
• Noble Six: Acrobatic and Stealthy reward lethal efficiency while staying hard to target, and Counter Intelligence lets him push ahead from the start in response to enemy scouting, without relying on command authority.

Put all of this together, with a couple of fun special orders, and you have an incredibly characterful (and character-full!) squad to command across the surface of Reach.

It’s time to see if you can save Reach (*no spoilers!*), and get Noble Team HERE.

UNSC: Tomas Horvath (Halo Infinite)

Tomas Horvath is a SPARTAN‑IV supersoldier and a former Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. After the fall of the UNSC Infinity at Zeta Halo, he is stranded behind enemy lines, fighting the Banished while trying to regroup with other surviving forces.

In Halo: Flashpoint, Scout gives Tomas Horvath a free pre-battle Advance action and lets him stay crouched while moving, reflecting his fieldcraft instincts as a former ODST trooper. Meanwhile Active Camouflage can limit line of sight and impose hit penalties, making him hard to pin down. Together, these rules make him feel like an elusive survivor who can not only fight, but survive through positioning and stealth.

You can track down Spartan Horvath within the UNSC Marines expansion box.

Banished: Warmaster Atriox (Halo Wars 2, Halo Infinite)

Warmaster of the Banished and a Jiralhanae warrior of incredible prowess and experience, Atriox bears a legendary reputation for returning as the sole survivor of a series of suicidal battles. Watching his pack brothers die on mission after mission ignited a fierce contempt for the Covenant. When the Prophets finally attempted to have Atriox executed, his defiance gave rise to the Banished – where all who seek to break their chains are welcome.

As befits his huge miniature and legendary backstory, Atriox is an absolute monster on the tabletop. Fearless keeps him advancing without ever being pinned, while Imposing and Unstoppable give him dominant bonuses in Assault actions, letting him hit hard and push through fights with sheer force. Tactician (2) adds extra Command Dice, marking him out as not just an intimidating fighter, but a battlefield leader who takes charge from the front.

Strength is the only truth. Find Warmaster Atriox HERE.

Banished: Jega R’Domnai (Halo Infinite)

Jega ‘Rdomnai’s lethal nature spring to life on tabletop through his keywords. Active Camouflage and Evade make him consistently difficult to target, reflecting his role as a stealth hunter who strikes before enemies can react. Meanwhile his strong Fight stat and Lethal (2) weapons back up his reputation for extreme close‑combat lethality. Spartan Killer ties into his lore by rewarding him for eliminating the UNSC’s finest, and Tactician (1) shows his razor-sharp awareness. Altogether, the rules mean Jega plays as a fast, elusive assassin focused on hunting elite targets across the combat zone.

It’s time for your opponent’s Spartans to remember what fear feels like. Jega is available in the Spartan Killers set of special characters HERE.

Banished: Hyperius and Tovarus (Halo Infinite)

Hyperius and Tovarus each embody a different approach to the Banished Spartan‑killer role. Hyperius combines high durability, flexible ranged and close‑combat options, and Tactician, allowing him to apply pressure across the board while contributing command support.

Tovarus instead specialises in board control, using the Scrap Cannon’s pinning, displacement, and suppression effects, with melee keywords like Lethal(1) and Smash(1) that make him dangerous once enemies are forced out of safe positions. Their shared Spartan Killer keyword directly ties both characters to their lore as elite hunters, and rewards them for hunting down Spartan miniatures on the opposing fireteam.

These two pack brothers are included in the Spartan Killers set of special characters HERE.

And there we go! Who will be next to join this incredible line-up of heroes and villains?

We’d bet two sticks and a rock that another famous face will be on the way later this year…and if you haven’t started your Halo: Flashpoint journey yet, then don’t worry – because right now is the best time EVER to go and secure a starter set or bundle.

The post Play as the Heroes and Villains of the Halo Universe appeared first on Mantic Games.

From polished rules to expanded factions, bigger games, and confirmed long-term support, Halo: Flashpoint has become a fully featured tabletop system.

Welcome new recruit! You’ve made it this far, which means you’re interested…or at least intensely curious…about Halo: Flashpoint.

You’ll already know that it’s a high-energy, lore-faithful, and deeply tactical skirmish game with an elegant ruleset that gets out of the way, leaving you to make the tough calls:

Who’s pushing for the objective? Who’s laying down suppressive fire to keep their buddies alive? And who, unfortunately, is going to have to take the hits so the rest of your Fireteam can complete the mission?

These kinds of command decisions drive the game’s tactical feel, played out using authentic Halo miniatures, 3D scatter terrain, and fully-realised combat zones, all ready to bring the universe to life on your tabletop.

So, if you’re yet to start, what you really need to know is this: why now? Why is this the very best time to play Halo: Flashpoint? Let’s get to it!

Exciting & Fleshed‑Out Factions…with More on the Way

“What began as a Spartan-focused skirmish game is rapidly becoming a comprehensive tabletop representation of the Halo Universe…” – OnTableTop

Every great skirmish game starts small, then expands, and Halo: Flashpoint has moved beyond that early phase. The hard bit is done, and the result is a deep and varied range of options for players. The first two factions, the UNSC and the Banished, are now really filling out:

• Support units and line troops
• Elite specialists with defined battlefield roles
• Legendary named characters pulled straight from Halo lore

All of this means that you’re about to join a game that’s really hitting its stride. And it means you can do the things you’ve always been aching to recreate on tabletop:

• Want to drop from orbit and command an ODST squad through the burning streets of New Mombasa? You can do it.
• Fancy fielding an all‑Sangheili strike force raiding a UNSC Firebase on Zeta Halo? Yup.
• Always wanted to deploy Noble Team and fight on Reach, knowing full well how their story should end…and seeing if you can change it? Let’s find out!

What’s already been built in the first 18 months is now a fully realised tabletop sandbox within the Halo Universe…and even better, what’s possible will keep expanding with every release!

The Global Community is Up & Running

“[Halo: Flashpoint] has exploded since launch…the community is growing fast, which matters more than hype” – Frontline Gaming

A strong community is what keeps a game getting bigger and better, and Halo: Flashpoint already has one, with tournaments and organised play events already taking place across…*deep breath*…Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States!

-Thanks to Jun and Nicholas from Singapore for this photo of their local Halo: Flashpoint gaming night-

If  you’re super competitive and want to take your game to a high level of play, the tournament scene is there to dive into.

Below is a video of a whole day’s gaming on the ‘top table’ as the best US players go head-to-head at AdeptiCon!

Prefer to play more casually with friends at home or at the local club or store? From our own gaming hall in Nottingham to in-store nights around the world there’s plenty of Halo: Flashpoint to enjoy. And who knows, maybe even our own founder, Ronnie, will stop by to say hello during his travels to global shows and tournaments – whether that’s in the UK, the US, or Australia!

And to get inspired it’s really easy to find like-minded players and fantastic hobby content online:

• Active “Flashpoint Fanatics” communities on Facebook, such as the official group HERE.
• The Halo: Flashpoint Hub on Discord, HERE, run and maintained by the game’s rules committee to help players and answer your questions.
• In-store gaming around the world – just ask at your local store.
• Online painting tutorials from Duncan Rhodes or The Army Painter.
• YouTube battle reports and terrain builds from creators like Forging Flashpoint, Zetrox Wargaming, Guerilla Miniature Games or OnTableTop.
• Dedicated podcasts such as Truth and Reconciliation and The Orbital Drop Pod.

“It felt just like playing the video game!” – Guerilla Miniature Games

And here’s something else that gives Halo: Flashpoint the edge when building local communities. Simply, it’s Halo – so anyone who’s played the videogames already understands how to ‘read’ the units and table!

• Spartans are hard to take down
• ODSTs rely on skilled teamwork
• Elites are dangerous all-rounders
• Brutes hit hard in melee

That shared familiarity means you can immediately understand what’s happening, and where the biggest threats are, even in your first game! It’s the tabletop equivalent of inviting a friend round, picking up the controllers, and getting straight into some split-screen action in the Halo Universe you know and love.

A Balanced, Polished, Stress-Tested Ruleset

“Fast-paced, furious, and most importantly, incredibly fun”– Tabletop Gaming Magazine

New for 2026, a ‘1.5’ rules update marks a major step forward, with this balance pass powered by 18 months of excellent player feedback and organised play data!

This means an even better gameplay experience, plus a newly updated rulebook where everything sits in one place: Core rules, all the Keywords, and Fireteam construction rules.

No more hunting for keywords through different booklets, and no more checking against the last errata or FAQ. Just open and start playing, including experimenting with custom fireteam loadouts from day one! This means you’re learning the full version of the game from the very beginning, which we think is a big improvement.

As a new player, this means that you simply grab the latest starter set or rulebook pack – and you’re off – no hassle. And that brings us neatly to…

Getting Started Is (Really) Easy

“Incredible, beginner-friendly, quick-to-table…if you’re a Halo fan, Halo Flashpoint is definitely for you”– TechRaptor

So, where to begin? The good news is that there are now two easy and well-supported ways to dive in.

ONE: Spartan Edition – Updated for 2026

This is Halo: Flashpoint’s best-selling starter set, a complete 2-player experience straight out of the box, now updated to the 1.5 ruleset.

• Full rulebook
• Pre-Assembled Miniatures
• Easy-Build Terrain
• Dice, cards and tokens
• 3D plastic arena accessories

With a wide choice of Spartans and even a team of Sangheili Elites, plus a whole bunch of scenarios, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into!

TWO: The Game Rulebook Pack

A smaller starting point, sure, but one that comes with maximum flexibility! Maybe you have no interest in playing Spartans, and are itching to dive into a Jiralhanae or ODST-themed collection instead? Well, that’s exactly the kind of thing that’s now possible.

This new pack includes the 1.5 rulebook for you to check out, plus tokens and your first bits of terrain.

We heartily recommend pairing this one with a proper faction box like Rise of the Banished or Feet First Into Hell – because they both come with the minis, dice and combat zones you’ll need to get up and running. Congratulations – you’ve just built a bespoke one-player starter set!

Bigger Battles, Same Great System

Halo: Flashpoint has kept on adding new unit options…and the battles have gotten bigger as well. With the introduction of Big Team Battles (alongside Noble Team):

• New scenarios support bigger battles
• Larger, double-size Fireteams are supported
• Games can now be played on a 2’ x 4’ board like THIS:

And the best bit is, you don’t need to learn a new rule set to scale up! The same core mechanics apply, just with more space, more units, and more ways to approach the game. It’s easy to start small, then scale up in a natural and exciting way.

The Future Is Locked In

“One of tabletop wargaming’s fastest-growing sci-fi games” – OnTableTop

This is a big one. In case you missed it, our team here at Mantic HQ and Halo Studios have recently confirmed a license extension – meaning:

• Years of exciting Halo: Flashpoint releases and support in the pipeline!
• As well as more games set in the Halo Universe, which will include crossover with the Halo: Flashpoint miniatures range

So if you’ve been waiting for confirmation that tabletop Halo is here to stay, it is and now is probably the most exciting time ever to jump in and start playing!

Final Thoughts

We know why you’ve been waiting. Sometimes you want to sit back and see whether a studio is serious about their new game, whether it’s going to be properly supported, and whether it’s sticking around. Halo: Flashpoint has been a phenomenal success so far, you can dive confidently into a fresh and vibrant game where:

• Factions are properly developed with real depth to discover
• The rules have been actively refined through live play and feedback
• A global community is already here, and growing
• There are multiple easy ways to get started
• Long-term support for the game is locked in

Halo: Flashpoint isn’t the new kid on the block anymore. It’s an established system, growing quickly and building a reputation as one of the slickest and most enjoyable miniature games you can play in 2026.

So now’s the time. Just pick wherever you want to start, build the Halo fireteam you’ve always dreamed of, and prepare to finish the fight.

Ready Spartan? Click HERE to get started!

The post Why Now is the Best Time Ever to Play Halo: Flashpoint appeared first on Mantic Games.

Stage Three Check-In: How Have Our Challengers Been Getting On?

We’ve reached the end of Stage Three in the Kings of War Slow Grow Challenge. At this point, the target was to have 1,500 points painted, with one final stage left to push everyone up to a full 2,000-point army.

For Team Mantic, Stage Three has been a mixed one. Tobias has absolutely stormed ahead and already finished his 2,000-point army. Alex and Dan are still making progress, but haven’t quite hit the Stage Three target. Ross, meanwhile, has had to step back for now due to work and family commitments.

That’s the honest update. Hobby challenges are great for motivation, but real life still gets a vote. The important thing is that the brushes are still moving, the armies are still growing, and there’s one final stage left to go.

Before we dive into the individual updates, let’s give Tobias the kudos he deserves. Finishing a full 2,000-point army by the end of Stage Three is a big win, and the amount he’s added to his Xirkaali force during the past six weeks is seriously impressive.

We know that there are others like him out there in the community, who have already completed 2,000 points or more WAY ahead of schedule. Well done everyone – truly excellent work!

Tobias – The Hobby Dynamo (Xirkaali)

TW: I’ve already finished my 2,000-point Xirkaali army, which to be fair, is not a sentence I expected to be writing at the Stage Three mark. But I’m very happy with how it’s all gone!

Since the last check-in, I’ve added Xorxoi Prowlmaster, a regiment of Lionsnarl Cavalry, a Gokluu dragon, several war engines, and another regiment of Spearwardens using the alternate dog heads. I’ve also upgraded my troops of Plainstalkers and Wildfangs to regiments.

Xorxoi Prowlmaster

That gives me a finished 2,000-point army, but rather than doing the sensible thing and stopping there, I’ve decided to keep going.

Tobias’s Xirkaali Army So Far

My new aim is to reach 2,500 points by the end of the challenge. That should give me a few more list-building options and a bit more flexibility on the tabletop – all ready for getting some games in during the Siege of Samarik summer campaign!

Alex – The Reformed Perfectionist (Trident Realm)

AG: Sadly, I haven’t quite hit the 1,500-point target for Stage Three, but my Trident Realm army is still moving forward.

I’ve got plenty of work-in-progress minis, but haven’t quite managed to fully finish any new units recently. I’m working on more Riverguard, as I’d like to upgrade the troop I’ve already painted to a regiment. I’ve also got some Placoderm Defenders in the works – I love the miniatures, and their combination of Defence 6+ and Phalanx should give my army some much-needed staying power.

Placoderm Defenders and Riverguard with Javelins

I’ll have some catch-up work to do in Stage Four, but I’m still plugging away and am certainly not ready to admit defeat just yet!

Plus, let’s be honest: getting behind schedule and then trying to pull it all together before the deadline feels like a very traditional part of the wargaming hobby. Lagging behind? No, I’m merely upholding a fine tradition!

Dan – The Lore-Led General (Xirkaali)

DM: With so much going on at Mantic right now, hobby time has been in short supply for the last few weeks. However, I did plot out the next stages of my army and was pleased to work out I could squeeze in a mix of fantastic and characterful Xirkaali models into my next block of 500 points.

So here are the Siegemaster (yet to meet the business end of a paintbrush, but his time is coming), Gokluu dragon (which will be in a blue and yellow scheme to match the main colours seen in the rest of the army), and finally my Hwathca.

Wildfang/Hwathca kitbash, Gokluu and Siegemaster

With the latter I wanted to try something a bit different, and also to find another way to communicate ‘something’ about part of the army. There didn’t seem any better way to show just how tough and fearless the Wildfangs were than to have one hefting a rack of alchemical rockets onto the battlefield!

Stage Four Ahead – The Final Push!

So, that’s where Team Mantic stands at the end of Stage Three.

The three-quarter mark of any project is often a time when things can feel a bit tough – community member Stephan said as much when we interviewed him about his Xirkaali army back in January. But we’ve got one stage left, and The Siege of Samarik campaign coming in August is a great incentive for us to keep building and keep painting. We all want to get our armies ready to battle for the fate of Pannithor this summer!

For everyone following along – hang in there, and do keep sharing your own slow grow hobby updates! We’ll be back soon with another instalment of the slow grow challenge blog.

The post Slow Grow Challenge Week 18: End of Stage Three! appeared first on Mantic Games.