The new edition of Warhammer 40,000 will be shaking things up with some pretty exciting changes to the rules. In our previous article we looked at the first round of updates announced on Warhammer Community. Since then there have been three more major reveals and this article looks to summarise them.
One of the most eye-catching updates is the way that CHARACTERS now interact with their subordinates.
Gone are the days of powerful Aura bonuses that could stack up and make the game tricky to balance. Instead, heroes can now join a single squad and they will all act as one cohesive unit. This new system keeps over-buffed super-units out of the picture yet will make for a much more cohesive gameplay experience.
So, let's take a look at one of the most prolific characters - the Primaris Lieutenant. This guy has the Leader ability, which unlocks being able to join a squad. And get this - he becomes a permanent member of that unit for the whole battle. How cool is that?
But he can't just join any squad. He's got a short list of units to choose from, all of which are listed on his new datasheet. He can shack up with Intercessors in MK10 Armour or Bladeguard Veterans - possibly two other new unit types - but leaves Gravis-armoured Aggressors and Heavy Intercessors to his more appropriately equipped colleagues.
And what's really neat is that each Leader grants his subordinates some killer abilities. The Tactical Precision ability, for example, gives the Primaris Lieutenant’s subordinates Lethal Hits - which automatically wound their target when they roll a Critical Hit (unmodified 6 on a Hit roll).
How's that for turning boltrifles into Lethal Weapons?
But not all characters possess the Leader ability. Some independent characters may instead have the Lone Operative ability, which means that they can't be targeted by ranged attacks unless the attacker is within 12". Talk about a potent defensive trait!
The result of these changes may see more characterful armies at next year’s Arc40k - or is that armies filled with more CHARACTERS!
The next big question to ask is who wouldn’t like access to tougher units?
Well, the new edition promises to make what have been touted as tough feel appropriately hardy when it comes to deplying them in your army onto the battlefield. This is most evident with the changes that are being made to vehicles.
If you're a fan of armoured columns, then you're in for a treat with the new edition. Vehicles have received a significant upgrade in toughness, making them even tougher to take down.
Armoured Vehicles may become the American Express Card of Arc40k Armies - Don’t leave Home without them!
In fact, as an example of this the recent Warhammer Community article revealed that the Ork Stompa will have a toughness score of 14. This is sure to strike fear into the hearts of opponents!
But it's not just the Orks that are benefiting from this new update. Space Marine vehicles, such as the Rhino, have also received a bump in toughness, making them less vulnerable to infantry-portable weapons like meltaguns.
But that's not all. Vehicles now come with two core abilities - Deadly Demise and Firing Deck - that make them even more versatile on the battlefield.
Deadly Demise dictates how many mortal wounds nearby units suffer when a vehicle explodes, while Firing Deck shows how many embarked models can shoot from inside a transport.
So the spectacular explosion will return to the table top and may see more amazing battlefield stories being written.
Let's not forget about Objective Control. Most vehicles now have an OC of more than 1, making it entirely legitimate to ram a depleted enemy infantry squad to muscle them off an objective. Talk about a power move or last ditch effort to capture objectives!
But wait, there's more… Most vehicles no longer suffer from characteristics that degrade as they take damage. Instead, they simply suffer a penalty to their hit rolls when reduced to one-third of their starting wounds. This means that big vehicles and monsters can stay in the fight until the bitter end.
If you're looking to build a solid bastion in your army, armoured vehicles are looking set to have a big influence in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000.
Just be sure not to stay out in the open against concentrated railgun fire. Even the toughest tanks have their limits!
The third and final part of the recent reveals is to weapons.
There have been some major changes to weapon rules, with weapon classifications becoming weapon abilities to allow for more varied behaviors hopefully without increasing rule complexity.
Most weapons have had their core statistics changed, with small arms and special unit weapons remaining effective against infantry but dedicated anti-tank weapons now necessary to have an impact on enemy armour.
The new edition will include a variety of other weapon abilities, including Devastating Wounds for armor-shredding weapons and Sustained Hits for weapons that throw massive amounts of firepower down range.
Melee weapons can also have abilities, such as the classic Twin-linked rule, which now confers a re-roll to wound.
So there you have it - a quick and fun rundown of the key impacts of the new Warhammer 40,000 edition. Whether you're a longtime fan or just getting started, these changes are sure to make for an exciting and dynamic gaming experience.
If you’re looking to start or re-launch your Arc40k involvement because of the new 10th edition of Warhammer 40,000 then click the link and support Arc40k by purchasing all your new Warhammer 40,000 from our affiliate and sponsor Gap Games.
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This article drew it’s source information from the following Warhammer Community pages:
