Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Bolter Edition

Australia's take on the Space Marine experience came packed in metal and loaded for bear. The Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Bolter Edition on Playstation 3 ships in a metal tin that immediately sets it apart from the standard release, with a metal art postcard inside and DLC codes for the Golden Relic Chainsword and Golden Relic Bolter.

The metal tin is the main attraction from a shelf perspective. It's industrial, it's heavy, and it fits the Warhammer 40K aesthetic like a gauntlet fits a Space Marine. That postcard adds a collectible layer that rewards opening the tin, while the Golden Relic weapon DLC gave players multiplayer gear with a prestige factor that standard edition owners couldn't access.

As an EB Games Australia exclusive, the Bolter Edition carries regional scarcity that Warhammer collectors outside of Australia have to work for. The pre-order bonus was also notable: buyers were automatically entered into a competition to win one of three life-size Space Marine chainswords. Those chainswords are the stuff of legend in the 40K collecting community, and even the association with that contest gives the Bolter Edition a story worth telling.

THQ's closure means no more Space Marine special editions from that publisher era, and Warhammer 40K's fanbase only grows. This Australian exclusive sits in a sweet spot between gaming collectible and franchise artifact.