DanTO
- Jan 16
- 3 min read

Arcs of Omen… The Obvious Pun!

The hottest topic in the Warhammer gaming scene right now and the question on everyone’s lips is - Will they or Won’t they?

Well with the Arks of Omen (AoO) Grand Tournament pack in our hot little hands, and having the weekend to absorb the content, the Team bringing you Australia’s premier event are happy to announce that Yes! - all the recent updates to Warhammer 40,000 Matched Play will be used at Arc40k 2023!

So this includes:

The Munitorum Field Manual 2023 MkI (the new points values) LINK: https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5iSs9obkISmPlK4t.pdf
The Balance Dataslate (released January 2023) LINK: https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/3L0GNWfXu9HzCaH0.pdf
Arks of Omen: Grand Tournament pack In Full!

So what does this mean for players at Arc40k this year?

Here are the main take-home points:

Armies at Arc40k 2023 MUST use one (and only one) Arks of Omen detachment and may use an allied detachment using the new Battle Brothers rules.
You’ll start with 6 Command Points to spend on stratagems during list writing and your games.
Players will be able to add one more of those pesky 0-1 units like Warbosses or Tau Commanders using the new Heroic Support stratagem.
A whole bunch of the secondary objectives have been rejiggered.

Arc40k has always been about players bringing armies that are themed and creative, yet still have enough teeth to play and do well in challenging missions. The team believe that the new Arks of Omen rules and detachments will better allow players to do this. Arks of Omen aims to make competitive gaming more balanced and fun for everyone.

Also, the Arks of Omen detachment is the most flexible way to build armies that Arc40k has ever featured. We hope it will release the shackles on army construction: for the first time ever the only limit on your army (besides the 1350pts) is your imagination…

1st Company Veteran list? You can do it!

An Armoured Company? You can do it!

Ork Speed Freeks? You can do it!

The Biel-Tan Aspect Warrior Royal Sampler? Yep, That's cool too!

And remember, this doesn’t just apply to your army. This new detachment means that the six armies you’ll face over the weekend can also be more diverse than ever before, and more likely to resemble those you’d read about in a Black Library novel.

The new points values that have been released in the Munitorum Field Manual 2023 MkI, help to balance the codexes - especially factions that have been struggling recently like Space Marines and Adeptus Mechanicus.

This means you’re more likely to have a closely contested game where your choices on the table matter more than the codex you choose.

I’m excited to see how the revised secondary objectives will shake up what you’re used to in ways that should offer new challenges. Plus they should be giving some factions ways to earn points they hadn’t had before this new Chapter Approved.

Alright… Take a breath. This is a whole load of exciting change.

Just remember, we’re all coming to Arc40k for a super fun weekend, and your list will still be judged by your opponents at the end of each game. So be careful not to be that Guy!

Build a list that you can play in a variety of ways. Make sure it can still offer interactive play for your opponents and you won’t go far wrong.

We have updated the Player Pack page on the website to now be consistent with everything I’ve outlined in this article and take into account the Arks of Omen book, Munitorum Field Manual 2023 MkI, and Balanced Data Slate.

https://www.arc40k.com/player-pack-2023

Head there to give it a close read.

But also feel free to reach out if there’s things you need clarified.

Remember there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Actually, there is, so please don’t ask: ‘What’s a battle?‘