TheBoss™ Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 (edited) https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/05/23/the-big-warhammer-40000-previewgw-homepage-post-1/ Trailer Citation We’re kicking things off with a BANG! Warhammer 40,000 has never looked so good… That’s right, a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is coming soon! The most exciting news since Guilliman woke up? Yeah, we think so! We’ll have much more on that in a minute but right now… what about that trailer? Bolters blasting. Necrons exploding. Epic battles. Holy smoke! This trailer heralds the new edition with the kind of pulse-pounding action you’ll want to watch over and over. There are loads of breath-catching moments to unpack, so feel free to pause it on your favourite frames. We’ve picked some out to get you started! Citation Citation This incredible video ticks all the boxes for things we love about the 41st Millennium – visceral, high-stakes combat, an Imperium beset by emboldened enemies, and heroic warriors standing together against the odds. And it’s all set against the backdrop of an Imperial planet devastated by war. Watch it again, go on – treat yourself. Exciting stuff, eh? A new edition of Warhammer 40,000 has us giddier than a Grot in a Killa Kan! We wanted some context for what this all means for the rules and our collections, so we turned to Warhammer Studio Megaboss Pete Foley for the lowdown: “I really can’t wait for the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 to get into our hobbyists’ hands. We’ve been working on this for such a long time, listening to what the community wants, and doesn’t want, from the game and the galaxy. With all that information and a few exciting new developments, I believe we’ve made the game better than it’s ever been. The new edition works seamlessly with all existing codexes and Psychic Awakening books, which is particularly important as we still have three more Psychic Awakening books to go! They were all written with the new rules in mind, so you can explore these dark new events knowing all your existing rules will work when the new edition finally arrives.” So hold on tight to your favourite codexes and campaign books as we jump into the new edition! Nouveau pan de lore Citation 2:35 pm – The Next Chapter Psychic Awakening has blown the doors off of the Warhammer 40,000 narrative, opening enthralling new storylines for every faction and spelling impending doom for billions across the galaxy. And things are about to get worse! Black Library’s new Dawn of Fire series will chronicle the unfolding perils in a galaxy riven by war. This new series will be packed with soaring, epic tales, introducing and tying together narrative threads from boxed sets, campaign books, and codexes. In short, Dawn of Fire combines the storytelling powerhouses of the Citadel studio and Black Library to create a broad, unified narrative that delivers the ongoing story of the 41st Millennium the most exciting, cohesive way ever. Yep, we said it. The first novel, Avenging Son, is from fan-favourite Guy Haley – a veteran of the Horus Heresy and Siege of Terra. There’s no finer wordsmith to helm the opening volume of this new series – we’re in safe hands! As for what the story is about… well, only time will tell, but you can bet it’s going to shake the galaxy to its core. Dawn of Fire is THE story of Warhammer 40,000. Keep an eye out for updates and new title announcements soon. Playtesté (apparemment) Citation 2:45 pm – Testing, Testing… 1, 2, 3… Playtesting is a vital component in the rules team’s unending efforts to make Warhammer amazing, all the time. With the new 40K, it was no different. Thousands of hours of games have been poured into refining the new rules set – many of them put in by the dedicated team of playtesters who heroically*** volunteer their time. What’s that like? How does it work? Well, to answer that, we turned to Mike Brandt. Best known as the organiser of the NOVA Open, one of the most highly-regarded wargaming conventions in the world (and home of the legendary NOVA Open Warhammer 40,000 tournament), Mike’s also been a Warhammer 40,000 playtester for years. We asked him what playtesting this new edition was like and here’s what he had to say: “I became a Warhammer 40,000 playtester in 2016, back when the Warhammer Studio was working on the last edition, to help deliver the “best version of Warhammer 40,000 ever” alongside notable hobbyists from across the world. We focused on establishing a rebalanced points baseline and integrating missions and terrain rules more fully into the core game experience. The bit I’m most excited about is the missions, which include modern mechanics and enable players to play to their army’s natural style (i.e. a sneaky army will behave in sneaky ways while a psychic army behaves in, um… I guess, ‘psychic’ ways). I think the Warhammer Studio has nailed this better than ever before, so I am excited to see 40K include more narratively fulfilling AND competitively balanced armies.” In related news, Mike has actually joined us here in the Warhammer Community team, to head up our events and champion Warhammer all over the world. You’ll be seeing a lot more of his handiwork soon!*** Citation 2:55 pm – 9 Things to Know You’ve got questions, and James Workshop has got (some) answers. Thanks, James! And that’s just a taste of what’s to come. Over the coming weeks, we’ll bring you the full scoop. The complete lowdown. The skinny. The inside track. Err… all of it. If that new Crusade system has your interest piqued, we feel you. Who doesn’t want to raise their army of newly-minted recruits and forge them into stone-cold killing machines? To get a bit more insight, we turned to Warhammer 40,000 overlord, Stu Black: “Crusade adds an ongoing narrative to your games of 40K. Many of us like our games to have a sense of consequences from one game to another, where success on the battlefield has an impact on future games. Crusade enables your army to grow from game to game, both in terms of size but also the story it tells. Units and Characters can gain Battle Honours, special skills and Crusade relics as well as Battle Scars, which they keep from game to game. We’ll be expanding on these in future codexes and campaign books to enable those of us who love narrative gaming to continue to develop our armies for years to come.” Thanks, Stu – sounds awesome. Keep your eyes peeled to this site over the coming weeks for more details on this. If you’ve got questions burning a hole in your mind*****, that’s great. Studio Megaboss Pete Foley will be joining the Warhammer Community team for a special Q&A session live on our Twitch channel next Tuesday, May 26th at 7pm BST. Just drop your questions into the comments of this tweet right here, and we’ll try to answer them: Q&A à venir Citation There’s a new edition coming! We bet you have questions, so let us have ’em – we will try to answer them in a special Studio Q&A on Tuesday the 26th @7pm UK time. #New40K Application Citation And Another Thing… This here might be some of the biggest news connected to the new edition. For years now, you’ve asked for an app to collect the rules and stats for your models… well, your cries have been heard – and answered. Alongside the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, there will be a rad new Warhammer 40,000 mobile app. This is going to be the most comprehensive digital support any of our games has ever had. Expect to find an army builder, rules for your collections, and more so you can travel light on your way to game night. We’ll have a lot more to say about it soon – but for now… There’s been one thing we’ve been asked for more than anything else in the last three years (aside from the Lion riding a Thunderhawk): “Can my digital codex come bundled with my print version?” Well, Noble Hobbyist, yes. Yes it can. Whenever you buy a 9th edition codex, you’ll get the digital rules for that codex in the app for free. It’s a brave new world, and we can’t wait to see more. Citation 3:05 pm – New Warhammer 40,000, New Website It’s already live, right here. Check it out NOW to soak in the new vibe and rewatch the cinematic trailer at your leisure – share it with your friends to introduce them to the 41st Millennium! Don’t forget to sign up for the dedicated new edition countdown newsletter that will keep you in the loop as we approach the launch! Edited July 28, 2020 by Fenrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 Par @Albrecht de Nuln Citation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/05/23/the-big-warhammer-40000-previewgw-homepage-post-1/ (suite) Citation 3:20 pm – Silence, Please Wonder what that’s all about? Whatever it is, it can’t be good for the Imperium… This is Only the Beginning Aaaaaand… the preview is over, the dust is starting to settle, and the future looks very exciting indeed! This new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is an evolutionary step. That means ALL your current codexes remain not only valid but significantly rebalanced and improved through tweaks to the core rules! The same thing goes for all the updates to your favourite factions from the Psychic Awakening books, which were written with the new edition in mind. The studio has taken in massive amounts of feedback to craft the game you’ve been dreaming of, plus new gameplay modes you didn’t even know you wanted. Love a strong narrative for your games? The new Crusade format is the most immersive and fulfilling way to play Warhammer 40,000. Ever! We’re sure you have a lot of thoughts racing through your mind. What are you looking forward to the most? Did you notice anything intriguing on the new website that we didn’t mention? Head over to the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page and Twitter and share your reactions using #New40K. Do you have some lingering questions about the new edition? We thought you might – check this out and see if the answer’s in there already. If your question isn’t covered in there, post it to the comments of that tweet we shared earlier and join us for the live Q&A on Twitch next Tuesday, May 26th at 7:00 pm (BST), where we’ll do our best to find the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 Bavardages au titre de la nouvelle version sur Twitch toute la semaine (l'horaire n'est pas top) : Citation This Week’s Hottest News Not only will we be exploring Aeronautica Imperialis with articles throughout the week, we’ll have a lot more to say about the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 too. Stop back each day to learn more about the future of gaming in the grim darkness of the far future. As usual, our Warhammer Live lineup will keep you entertained with a growing number of shows each and every day. Here’s the schedule if you want to pencil in your faves. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/05/31/sunday-preview-skies-of-fire/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 Citation New 40K: The Game You Love… But Better It’s official – the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is on its way. What’s more, it offers our best, most immersive and enjoyable gaming experience to date. But what changes have been made from the current edition? Well, this series is going to cover exactly that, and in our first instalment, we’re taking a more general look at the changes made to the system as a whole, with a peek at a few pages from the new rulebook. First off, the playtesters present an overview of their experience working on the game’s new edition, putting the new rules through their paces and fine-tuning them to their ultimate form… Cool, huh? Sounds like there is a lot to look forward to. We know the Core Rules are being updated, clarified, and have grown to be a bit longer than the current edition’s eight pages. This is largely due to additional examples and hints & tips to make sure the rules are clear and easy to use. The way the rules have been presented, even ones that don’t change, has been streamlined and updated to make it easy to understand and reference before, during and between games. This sums it all up nicely: This is still the game you love, just better! Another example of this is the fundamental structure of the battle round. It will look very familiar to all of you experienced gamers out there, but with a new twist: The Command phase is a quick new addition to the turn sequence. In this phase, Battle-forged armies will acquire new Command points and spend the ones they have on certain Stratagems. We’ll have a closer look at command points specifically, later this week. Stay tuned all week for various insights into the changes coming to the new edition – and if you haven’t already done so, head over to the Warhammer 40,000 website to sign up for our exclusive countdown email to keep up to speed with all the latest news and reveals. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/01/new-40k-the-game-you-love-but-bettergw-homepage-post-1/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Citation Join the Crusade! In our first instalment yesterday, we learned that one of the playtesters’ favourite additions to the new edition is the new Crusade system. Today, we’re revealing more about these innovative campaign rules, so prepare to join the crusade! What is a Crusade Campaign? If you like the idea of building an army up from scratch, then developing and adding to it over the course of multiple linked battles, you’re gonna love playing Crusade campaigns. From humble beginnings, your army will grow in size and strength as you spend resources you’ve earned on adding reinforcements while your units unlock new skills from their hard-won experience in battle. Over the course of a campaign, your Crusade force will forge its own narrative, winning glory and earning enmities with each fresh victory and defeat. Heroes will rise from among your ranks, earning great renown or the honour of bearing mighty relics – maybe even ancient archeotech wargear – into battle… Meanwhile, others may succumb to their grievous injuries, becoming pale shadows of their former selves as ill fate takes its toll on their war-ravaged bodies. What’s more, you’re not even limited to your local gaming group – you can use your Crusade force in any games you choose to play, be they friendlies against your regular opponents or competitive matches against hardened tournament veterans. In essence, provided you’re using the Crusade rules and your opponent is happy to have a game, every battle counts!** Getting Started To take part in a Crusade campaign, you first need to create an Order of Battle – a list of units drawn from one of seven factions (Imperium, Chaos, Aeldari, Tyranids, Orks, Necrons, T’au Empire) with a maximum Power Rating of 50.* This is your Crusade force’s initial Supply Limit, from which you can choose an army list to field in each battle. Your Supply Limit can grow in size as you gain resources over the course of the campaign, enabling you to gradually recruit new units to strengthen the existing pool at your disposal. Each unit has its own Crusade card to keep track of its progress, experience, upgrades and bonuses, as well as any Battle Scars they’ve picked up along the way. As the campaign continues, your Characters and units will become increasingly defined by the battles they’ve fought in and the narrative you’ve created for them, making it an entirely different gaming experience. As if that wasn’t already awesome enough, each new codex released in the future will include a wealth of additional, thematic options for that army specifically for Crusade campaigns for even more narrative-driven punch. We’re as excited as a Tech-Priest who’s just discovered a long-lost STC! If you’re looking to join the crusade, grab yourself a Start Collecting! set today and get them ready for a whole new campaign experience! We’ll be back tomorrow with another look at the changes in the new edition, this time on the future of matched play, so we’ll see you then! * As a campaign system for narrative play, Crusade uses Power Ratings instead of points values.** All your opponent will need to do is quickly calculate the Power Rating of their matched play army, and then you simply complete a Crusade mission! Any difference in your army’s respective Crusade scores (your opponent’s score would be zero as it’s not a Crusade army) will accrue them some bonuses to help balance things out. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/02/join-the-crusadegw-homepage-post-1/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 4, 2020 Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 Citation Taking Command of Your Points! Anyone who’s played a game of Warhammer 40,000 with a Battle-forged army will know how awesome it is to have loads of Command points to spend. In fact, for many players, much of their army-building process has been geared towards ensuring they would have as many at their disposal as possible* – and preferably a way to replenish Command points during the battle too. Well, the good news is that you’re about to get more Command points, so read on and find out all about it… All is Fair in Love and Warhammer 40,000 You don’t just get more Command points in the new edition – both players will also receive the same amount according to the size of the game.** After all, the larger the army a Warlord leads, the more strategic assets will be at their disposal. With both players having the same number of Command points, they will be on an even footing when it comes to the number of Stratagems they can employ. As the army’s commander, the onus is on YOU to see if you can use them to gain an advantage over your opponent in battle! Mustering Your Army So, if you don’t earn Command points by taking additional Detachments, do they still interact with each other in any way? The answer is yes, but how they do so has been turned on its head. Instead of earning you Command points, each Detachment you take will instead COST you Command points. However, it’s worth noting that the Command points spent on a ‘core’ Detachment (Patrol, Battalion or Brigade) are refunded if it also includes your Warlord, so your first Detachment is usually free. An army drawn exclusively from the same Faction and comprising a single Detachment is the most strategically flexible on account of their experience fighting alongside one another, and therefore offers the most Command points. Let’s take a look at the workhorse of many Battle-forged armies as an example – the Battalion Detachment… You’re the Boss! This concept was heavily inspired by the narrative and enables you to manage your army selection in the manner of a real commander. You can either maximise your Command points with a single Detachment or choose to draw upon powerful assets and summon allies to your cause by using Command points to unlock additional Detachments. But there’s more! Not only do you start the battle with more Command points, but in each of your Command phases – the new opening phase of your turn – you will receive one additional Command point. Getting an additional Command point every turn ensures that even in the late game, you can still rely on having a number of crucial Stratagems at your disposal. More Stratagems for Everyone! With all these Command points flying around the place, you’re gonna want some awesome Stratagems to spend them on, right? Thankfully, the core Stratagems available to every army have been increased to seven. Have you managed to fight your way across the battlefield only for your enemies to flee like cowards before the fury of your chainblades? Cut them down as they withdraw with this handy, and aptly named, Stratagem! That will certainly hurt if activated on a unit of 30 Ork Boyz! Join us again tomorrow, when we’ll be discussing the more structured game sizes that are being introduced in greater detail. Meanwhile, head over to the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page to let us know what you think of the new mechanics for generating Command points. * Ah, the ‘Loyal 32’… they served us well.** Note that the total Power Level is based on the combined power of all the models used in the battle (so the combined Power Level of both your and your opponent’s armies). https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/04/taking-command-of-your-pointsgw-homepage-post-1/ Citation The Art of #New40K It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is on its way. We’ve shown off stunning new models and started previewing the exciting changes to the rules. But what about one of the most important parts of any new Warhammer product? That’s right, we’re talking about the art. The art and imagery of Warhammer 40,000 are key to the game’s appeal. The grim, dark universe of the 41st Millennium comes to life through the incredible artwork that peppers the pages of the game’s books – and the new Core Book is no exception. Today we’re taking a look at a few pieces of art from the book, starting with the glorious cover art. There is little that exemplifies Warhammer 40,000 more than the eternal battle between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos*, and this cover showcases that on a colossal scale. At its heart is a clash between Roboute Guilliman and Abaddon the Despoiler, but delve deeper and you can see the full scope of the war for the Imperium laid bare in images of massive armies and mighty battlefleets. The stark colour contrast makes the dichotomy between darkness and light even clearer. Of course, the Imperium isn’t all light and heroism – far from it, in fact. Even this image of Imperial heroes marching to war emphasises, in colour, style and content, the drudgery and weight of the 41st Millennium. From the blood-tinged skies to the grotesquerie of the serfs in the foreground, there are plenty of insights into the broken-down and strife-riven state of the Imperium. Look at the way the sun glows through the Master of Mankind’s halo, bathing the lines of pilgrims in light. Well, sort of. Those marching devotees don’t seem to be basking in its glow. The statue of Him on Terra even looks a bit sinister when you give it a second glance… As well as art depicting scenes from across the Imperium, the new Core Book includes plenty of more abstract imagery as well. This piece showcases a few of the many perils that await Humanity out in the cold darkness of space. From nameless alien horrors and robotic menaces to monstrous creatures that evoke the horrors of Chaos, there’s loads here to pore over – and more like it to enjoy (or have nightmares about) in the book. There’s also plenty of what’s known as “page furniture” throughout the Core Book. These are the small images that sit between paragraphs and contribute to the overall feel. In this case, it’s one of disturbing horror, and a galaxy where even the smallest things will at best scare you and at worst suck your soul out while you sleep, hollow out your corpse and use it as a flesh suit. There’s an abundance of glorious, grim, dark art to be found in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book – let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page what you’re looking forward to seeing. * Although the Necrons are certainly making a play for the title of arch super-villains of the galaxy too. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/04/the-art-of-new40k/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 Citation Four Sizes Fit All! In yesterday’s article, we discussed the number of Command points that players begin the game with according to the size of the battle being fought. Today, we thought we’d take a closer look at those recommended sizes to discuss what impact they will have on the game… Getting the Scale Right Arranging to play a game of Warhammer 40,000 is one thing, but settling on what size of battle to fight is another thing entirely. To help you decide, the new edition comes with four recommended sizes of battle – Combat Patrol, Incursion, Strike Force and Onslaught – designed to help add guidance and structure to your game. From army size, composition and the likely duration of the game, to the escalating size of the battlefield perimeters for larger games and even terrain density and positioning, everything is covered to help you get the most accessible and enjoyable experience from each game. Of course, these are only the minimum size requirements for your battlefields, so whether you’re using a 6′x4′ table with a Realm of Battle board, linking two, four or six 22″x30″ Killzone boards together according to the battle size you’re playing, or just using a dining room table, you’re good to go. In fact, most dining room tables should be able to accommodate a Strike Force game! Mission Statement To further reinforce the distinction between each size of game, there are also different mission sets designed for each to replicate the kind of military operations that would likely be performed by forces of that size, ranging from covert raids to massed assaults. In matched play alone, there are 18 Eternal War missions to choose from (or randomly generate). Here’s a sneak preview of a Combat Patrol mission pack and one of the missions in full… Going on Patrol On the topic of Combat Patrol, though many of you will be familiar with fighting battles that roughly equate to the size of Incursion (approx. 50 Power/1000 points), Strike Force (approx. 100 Power/2000 points) and even Onslaught (approx. 150 Power/3000 points), Combat Patrol is aimed specifically at small-scale skirmishes and vanguard operations. As such, it’s the perfect size for lunchtime games, as you should easily be able to finish in under an hour, and you don’t even need an especially large surface to play on! Combat Patrol is a great way to get started with the game if you’re taking your first steps into the grim darkness of the far future, or are already a fan of Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team and are looking to make the jump over to a larger scale game,* as it’s a really accessible collection milestone to aim for. If you’re already an experienced Warhammer 40,000 player, it’s a great scale to play while you’re learning the new edition (and perfect for kicking off your Crusade campaign). Combat Patrols are compact, easy to set up and break down, as well as quick and thoroughly rewarding to play. * In fact, if you have two Killzone boards from Kill Team, you can join them together to match the minimum battlefield size you need for a Combat Patrol game! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/05/four-sizes-fit-allgw-homepage-post-1/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 Annonce des bavardages de la semaine et présentation de la boîte samedi : Citation This Week’s Highlights It’s going to be another full week here on the Warhammer Community website as we continue to look ahead to the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. We’ll be taking a closer look at Vehicles, monstrous creatures, blast weapons and terrain, as well as previewing rules from War of the Spider. On Saturday, you’ll be able to catch the next Warhammer Preview Online! Last month, we revealed the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. This time, we have something else amazing for you – the upcoming boxed set. We’ll be lifting the lid and showing off the awesome models and more that the launch box contains – so make sure that you join us from 2pm (BST). We think this is the best Warhammer 40,00 boxed set that we’ve ever made, so don’t miss it! Remember that Warhammer TV also has daily shows looking at the new edition, along with loads of other great hobby programmes throughout the week. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/07/sunday-preview-zoats-and-spiders/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfen888 Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 (edited) (edit TheBoss™ : ajout de continuité) Citation Tanks Are Back On Track There are few more enjoyable experiences in games of Warhammer 40,000 than blowing your opponent’s forces to pieces with a devastating battle tank, gigantic walker or gribbly beast. Yet some wily enemies will insist upon ruining your fun by bogging your otherwise unstoppable pride and joy down in melee until it grinds to halt. No more! That’s right – Vehicles and Monsters of every description are about to become a whole lot more menacing in the new edition, as they’ll be able to deal with the pesky attention of enemies within Engagement Range (that’s 1″ to you and me) by shooting them to pieces point-blank! As you can see, the Vehicles and Monsters won’t have it all their own way – they’ll suffer a small penalty to their hit rolls (mainly because their targets will be clambering all over them trying to find a weak spot). Still, if you want to make the most of this newfound freedom, now’s the time to outfit a shiny new vehicle with those heavy flamer sponsons* you’ve always wanted! What penalty to my hit rolls? Of course, if you’re a Tyranid player, being able to shoot into combat with all your monsters is just the icing on the cake, as they’ll already be sweeping through the enemy ranks with each swing of their scything talons or enormous claws. ‘Nidzilla armies are coming back with a vengeance! But there’s more! Check out the new rules for firing Heavy weapons on the move… Notice the difference? Only Infantry models subtract 1 from their hit rolls when firing Heavy weapons after moving, meaning your Vehicles and Monsters will no longer be affected (nor will Bikes or any other form of non-Infantry units, for that matter). That means your biggest and best units will be free to take the fight to the foe with extreme prejudice! It’s fair to say that it looks like tanks, armoured walkers and monstrous creatures will soon be back on top of the damage-dealing pile – right where they should be! On the topic of damage dealing, check back with us tomorrow where we’ll be revealing exactly what Blast weapons are and what they do in the new edition.** Let us know which behemoth(s) of choice you’ll be looking to obliterate your foes with on our Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page. * Other bile-spewing, acid-spitting, primordial-goop-spraying, warpfire-blasting alternatives are also available.** Spoiler alert: they blow stuff up. Hard. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/09/tanks-are-back-on-trackgw-homepage-post-1/ (fin édit) https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/10/having-a-blastgw-homepage-post-1/ Citation 10 Jun 20 Having a Blast! We’ve all been there – a numberless horde of Tyranids is hurtling towards your army, but even as you line up your trusty ordnance weapon to blast a ruinous chunk from of their ranks, you roll a 1 for the number of shots it fires. Well, no more! The new rules for Blast weapons ensure you get the most bang for your buck when targeting larger concentrations of enemy troops… That’s right – weapons designed to engage and destroy large groups of enemies will benefit from a more reliable number of attacks to ensure they make their presence felt. As you can see, it’s not all about heavy ordnance weaponry either, but grenades and a whole bunch of other, more esoteric, guns, warheads and munitions as well. All 174 Blast weapons and Relics listed in the back of the new Warhammer 40,000 Core Book gain this ability. Here’s a selection of five of them, and why we’re happy to see them included: – Barbed Strangler (the Tyranids get to shoot up enemy hordes too!)– Deathstrike missile (yes, your favourite ICBM is getting EVEN DEADLIER)– D-cannon (yay – more warp displacement for everyone!)– Squig launcha (nomnomnom)– Phlegm bombardment (now extra icky) Despite their cool new rules, Blast weapons don’t get it all their own way – there is one drawback that makes your choice of vehicle turrets, sponsons or monstrous munitions all the more important. As we mentioned in yesterday’s article, Vehicles and Monsters can shoot their weapons at enemy units within Engagement Range (1″) of them. However, they cannot do so with Blast weapons… So there you have it – get ready to splat and exploderise your enemies to pieces in the new edition by grabbing a mighty battle tank or gribbly monster to bring their augmented firepower to bear upon your enemies! Join us again tomorrow, when we’ll be looking at the overhauled rules for terrain in the new edition.* Until then, let us know which other weapons you reckon will be picking up the Blast ability on our Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page. * If you like fielding hordes of infantry or other large concentrations of models, don’t miss this preview, as you’ll glean some insight into how to avoid getting them shot to pieces by Blast weapons! Edited June 13, 2020 by TheBoss™ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gratkul Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 (edited) (edit TheBoss™ : ajout de continuité) Citation and Line of Sight So, we’ve told you how Vehicles and big Monsters are going to be even more frightening in the new edition, and how Blast weapons will offer many weapons a formidable advantage against more numerous enemies, but what about their would-be victims? Well, in line with feedback from our elite team of playtesters and you, the Warhammer 40,000 community, the terrain rules have undergone a radical overhaul, aimed at providing a more balanced and immersive gaming experience. Here’s the low-down on some of the key changes… Terrain Categories All terrain types now fit into one of four categories – Hill, Obstacles, Area Terrain and Buildings. How units interact with them depends not just on the nature of the terrain itself, but on the unit’s own size and what type of unit they are. For example, Hills are essentially a part of the battlefield for all intents and purposes, so are treated as open ground and offer no form of protection. Obstacles, on the other hand, are a footslogger’s best friend, as they offer the benefit of cover (which, for the most part, means +1 to your saving throws against ranged weapons) to Infantry, Beast or Swarm units if the obstacle is in the way of the firing unit. Terrain Traits When setting up a battlefield, you and your opponent(s) decide which terrain traits will be applied to each piece of scenery. The traits are designed to be stackable, so a single terrain piece can actually be given as many different traits as you wish. For example, you may decide to count a bunker as both Light Cover AND Heavy Cover, offering the benefits of cover at every range. You can pick traits that will have more specific effects on the game, clarifying details such as whether or not the terrain is Scalable, Breachable or even Unstable. One of the real game changers is the Obscuring trait – not only does it offer an area of the battlefield that blocks line of sight, but the largest models can still be targeted! After all, an Imperial Knight towers over all but the largest buildings, making its bulky carapace an easy target, yet it would be all but impossible for its guns to match the same firing angles in return. Another important point to note is that, even though Obscuring terrain blocks line of sight from one side to the other, a unit that’s INSIDE the terrain can still be freely targeted (though they will receive the benefit of cover if the terrain also has the Light Cover trait) and can give fire in return. However, the days of drawing line of sight through a gap in the wall and three consecutive windows to a unit on the opposite side of a huge building are over! To make life easy, the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book includes some handy guidelines for which terrain traits to apply to the most common pieces of terrain. At the end of the terrain section, there are a number of example battlefields presented, each explaining the thought processes behind the terrain selection and their positioning. This is really useful advice, as getting the quantity and density of terrain right is a key factor in playing a balanced game of Warhammer 40,000 – after all, too little terrain and shooting armies will have a massive advantage, too much and melee armies will likely dominate. A Word on Battlefield Sizes… A number of you have been getting in touch regarding the minimum size battlefield measurements we introduced in last week’s article. We’re happy to confirm that, yes, you can still use your 6′x4′ (or larger) gaming tables, be they gorgeously detailed Realm of Battle boards or lovingly created battlefields of your own design. The minimum size battlefield guidelines for Combat Patrol, Incursion, Strike Force and Onslaught battles are just that – minimum sizes. They’ve been specifically designed to make the game more accessible and compact at smaller sizes (and fit on most dining room tables), but they can just as easily be played on larger battlefields as you see fit. The minimum sizes also ensure that armies in bigger games won’t be cramped on a battlefield that’s too small for them, so will still have plenty of room to manoeuvre. So, that’s the scoop on new terrain rules, and tomorrow, we’ll be discussing units that casually soar straight over it – Flyers! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/11/terrain-rules-and-line-of-sightgw-homepage-post-1/ Citation Taking Flight Get ready to don your flying goggles and finest neck scarf,* as today, we’re looking at the rules for Flyers in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. The Danger Zone Your Flyers will soon be coming and going as they please – no more bugging out or flying off into the sunset! If it leaves the battlefield, a Flyer can just swoop around to return later in the battle and deliver a murderous strafing run. In the new edition, the danger zone is very much ON the battlefield, right where it belongs! “Requesting permission for a fly-by…” When a Flyer moves off the battlefield, it can enter Strategic Reserves,** meaning it’ll be available to return to the battle later in the game. What’s more, they can move onto the battlefield with far greater freedom than any other units arriving in this manner. In fact, your aircraft will be able to come and go as they please, provided that your opponent doesn’t spoil their fun by shooting them down… Freedom of the Skies Another key feature of the new rules for Flyers is how they interact with units on the ground. As aircraft are typically soaring overhead and not skimming along the ground, they don’t interfere with them or hinder their movement in any way. After all, a Flyer’s base is only there to help keep it aloft! Here are the highlights of how this works… The bullet points above are actually a preview of how each rules topic is conveniently summarised at the end of each section for easy reference. If you need a reminder, check the bullet points, but if you seek further clarification, you just read the full description above them. If only all things in life were that simple! You’ll also have noticed a new keyword being referenced in those rules – Aircraft. That’s because, where appropriate, many Flyers will now gain the Aircraft keyword to allow more specific rule interactions, such as those used with Infantry, Monsters, Vehicles and the like. In case there’s any doubt, at the back of the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book, you’ll find this handy list that officially clarifies which units gain the new Aircraft keyword.*** Chocks away! So, now that you know how Flyers are (landing) gear-ing up for the new edition, how do you plan to use your Aircraft? Which new Flyers will you be adding to your budding air fleet? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page. And if you’ve got a Flyer your especially proud off, remember to share it with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #New40K. * Other suitably dashing pilot outfits are also available.** We’ll be bringing you more information on how Strategic Reserves work soon, so watch this space!*** The list of Forge World Flyers receiving the Aircraft keyword will be included in their rules updates on the same day that the new edition is launched. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/12/taking-flightgw-homepage-post-1/ (fin édit) https://youtu.be/BhWj9SZ0VTs petit teaser De GW des figs de la boîte qui semble confirmer les deux images des 2 armées vues il y a quelques jours. Edited June 13, 2020 by TheBoss™ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 Citation Warhammer 40,000 Preview – What’s in the Box? This is it, the Warhammer 40,000 boxed set you’ve all been waiting for – INDOMITUS. This is quite simply the biggest and best boxed game we’ve ever released for Warhammer 40,000, representing the cutting edge of miniatures design and the latest evolution in rules development. This boxed set is for the fans, and a fitting way to leap into the new edition for anyone who loves Warhammer 40,000. Let’s tear the lid off and see what’s inside… Amazing, right?! We’ll give you a moment to soak it all up (and maybe even watch the video again). We don’t know about you, but we need to see these guys a bit closer. Let’s take a look at the miniatures themselves. Citation The Warhammer 40,000 Core Book (Indomitus Edition) Featuring an exclusive alternate cover only found in Indomitus, the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book is both an essential lore guide to the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium as well as being the home of all the rules to play the game. Armed with this sacred tome and the miniatures in the box, you can be ready to play your first game of the new edition in no time! As well as providing you with the all the basics, the Core Book includes more advanced rules, helping you to craft your collection into finely honed Battle-forged armies, as well as fight missions designed for open, narrative and matched play games of every size – Combat Patrol, Incursion, Strike Force and Onslaught. As if that wasn’t already enough, the Core Book plays host to the innovative new Crusade campaign system which enables your army to grow in size and evolve from rookies to hard-bitten veterans over the course of your battles. Indomitus is the first, best way to get your hands on this essential and gobsmacking new Core Book, and the only way to get it with this special launch edition cover art. The cover, the art, the lore, the rules, the showcases – it’s all great, and we need this in our lives. There is but one piece missing from the Core Book that will help you start your journey into the grim darkness of the far future – the datasheets for all the units in the box. Don’t worry, as they’re all included in… …The Edge of Silence If you’re chomping at the bit to find out how disgustingly powerful the new units are on the battlefield, this booklet is the place to start! The Edge of Silence is so much more than just a booklet filled with datasheets, however – it includes all the lore around which the Indomitus box is based. In it, the harrowing nature of the Pariah Nexus is revealed, and the narrative stage is set for what will become a crucial new war zone as the horrifying magnitude of the Necron threat is unveiled. Assembly Guide and Transfers Finally, no boxed set would be complete without a handy assembly guide to show you how to get your horde of new miniatures ready for battle. As Roboute Guilliman decreed in the Codex Astartes, all Space Marines must be easily identifiable in battle by virtue of their iconography. To help out, Indomitus features a sheet of waterslide decals with which you decorate your Space Marines once they’re painted. You can choose from Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Dark Angels and Ultramarines, with enough transfers for each faction to finish all the Space Marines in the box. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/13/warhammer-40000-preview-whats-in-the-boxgw-homepage-post-1/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfen888 Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 Citation 17 Jun 20 Overwatch Overhaul We’ve been taking a look at some of the changes to the core rules that will have the biggest impact on your games. The studio has received a lot of feedback about Overwatch – so these updates are designed to make it a more deliberate and thoughtful action. The goal is to help balance melee-oriented versus shooty armies and inject a little more strategy on both sides. What is Overwatch? Simply put, it’s the snapshots a unit takes when an enemy is running in their direction, blades in hand and warcries in their throats. Overwatch plays a crucial role in Warhammer 40,000 – it causes armies that prefer melee combat to exercise a bit of caution as they rush to get to grips with the enemy, and punishes them for charging into heavy firepower. While that’s still true in the new edition of the game, things will work a little differently in practice. What’s New? The first and biggest change is that Overwatch has shifted from a standard reaction to a Core Stratagem, costing 1 Command point to perform. As Stratagems can only be used once per phase, you’ll have to think long and hard about your odds of success. For example, Aggressors armed with flamestorm gauntlets are sure to roast some of the attackers, whilst a half-strength Astra Militarum squad may struggle to cause enough damage to warrant the cost. Once you decide to fire Overwatch, it works pretty much as it has in the current edition, with shots hitting on unmodified rolls of six unless specified otherwise. Overall, this is a huge boost to massed assault armies, such as Orks or Tyranids, that excel at smashing dozens of units into the enemy line all at once. Where previously, each one of those units would face retaliatory fire, now, your opponent will only be able to target ONE of your changing units, so will have to choose very carefully indeed! Do you stop the rampaging Trygon from smashing a tank or that horde of 30 Hormagaunts from shredding an infantry platoon? No easy choice. Terrain Benefits When facing a big gunline unit that’s dug into some solid terrain, this crucial boost can make your opponent think twice, especially if it’s a long-range charge that may well end in failure. You may find that some units benefit from other special rules that modify Overwatch as well, such as the T’au Empire’s For the Greater Good special rule, essentially giving them two-for-one Overwatch fire – a brilliant use of a single Command point! One of our favourite new ones is a Battle Trait your units can receive as part of a Crusade force, permanently granting them FREE and improved Overwatch. Your ice-cold veterans are having NONE of that enemy charge! Free Overwatch attacks like this are few and far between, but they’re worth seeking out because they don’t prevent you from using the Stratagem in the same phase. Be careful, though – a savvy enemy might be able to catch you off-guard if you’re in their deployment zone. The Strategic Reserves rule allows a unit to deploy on their own table edge, even if it’s within Engagement Range (1”) of an enemy, and proceed to make attacks as though they charged! This is such a situational rarity that it probably won’t come up very often, but a stunt like that completely bypasses Overwatch to surprise unwary or careless opponents. In general, attackers will want to carefully choose the order of their charges to coax the other player into using Overwatch prematurely, and defenders will need to consider whether they should withhold their Overwatch fire for later. You may find some units or circumstances granting Overwatch without the need for a Stratagem – these will be very valuable indeed! What do you think about these updates to Overwatch? Head to the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram to share your thoughts using #New40K, and stay tuned for more information about the new edition each day. * Take a look at this article to learn more about how terrain works in the new edition. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/17/overwatch-overhaulgw-homepage-post-1fw-homepage-post-2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 (edited) FACTION FOCUS Necrons Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Necrons Welcome to the first instalment of our new Faction Focus series! Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll be introducing each of Warhammer 40,000’s warring races and offering some hints and tips to help get your existing armies ready for the new edition. To kick things off, we’ll be discussing the Necrons – stars of the awesome Indomitus boxed set – ably assisted by expert playtester Werner Born. Who Are They? The Necrons are an ancient machine race whose alliance with the godlike C’tan and mastery of hyper-advanced technology saw their civilisation rule the stars. Yet after a bitter conflict with the Aeldari known as the War in Heaven, the Necron empire was finally humbled. Now, after millennia of slumber, the time has come for the Necrons to rise up once more and reclaim that which was once theirs – even if doing so means exterminating all sentient life in the galaxy!* How They Play in the New Edition Now, we’ll hand you over to Overlord Werner Born who helped put the deadly machine warriors through their paces during development. As a hardened veteran of the tournament scene with his Necron legion and Team USA coach for the ETC, it’s fair to say he knows his stuff! He’ll be giving us some insights as to how they’ll play in the new edition and which units will help you in your cause for galactic dominion. Werner: Hi everyone! I’m Werner, from the Mournival playtesting group. While I’ve played a variety of armies over the years, Necrons have long been my favourite for matched play. With some heavy reinforcements around the corner for our beloved machine empire, there’s never been a better time to be a Necron player. Even before those reinforcements arrive though, there’s a lot to be excited about for Necrons going into the new edition, so it’s time to awaken those tombs! One of the biggest improvements for the Necrons is they’ll no longer be hurting for Command points (CPs). Without allies or a cheap minimalist Battalion Detachment at their disposal, Necrons were traditionally one of the factions that had a tough time starting games with a lot of CPs. However, in the new edition, they’ll have more CPs to work with than ever – a significant boost that will put them on a level playing field to the other armies when it comes to the number of Stratagems they can employ. Even beyond the changes to Battle-forged army structure, there are a number of other key changes in the new edition that will affect Necrons for the better. Vehicles are already a mainstay of many Necron armies, but they’re about to get even better! With all Vehicles able to move and fire Heavy weapons without penalty, you’ll be able to pull off some powerful combinations. For example, getting within range to make the most of the devastating firepower of the Mephrit Dynasty has never been easier… With the updated rules for Aircraft in the new edition, Necron Flyers will no longer fear having their movement blocked by units on the ground, and they will also be able to move back onto the battlefield in a later turn should they leave combat airspace. Personally, I like to play a reactive game, and Necrons are well equipped for that strategy through their combination of deceptive speed and a deep bag of tricks. They pack the firepower to take down any threat as needed, but because many of their units have a 24″ range, you have to carefully consider target priority. Sometimes you need to settle for a secondary choice and let the biggest threat in your opponent’s army live for an extra turn so that you don’t overcommit early. Key Units The Necrons are already blessed with a number of devastatingly powerful units, and they’re set to receive some seriously brutal reinforcements in the near future, too! Here are some great units to look out for in the new edition. C’tan Shard of the Deceiver Werner: Always a popular inclusion on the tournament scene, the C’tan Shard of the Deceiver remains a great building block to include in your army due to its Grand Illusion ability. It’s complementary to loads of different unit choices available to the Necrons, and trust me when I tell you it’s even more valuable in the new missions! Doom Scythe Werner: In the absence of dedicated indirect fire units, the best way to (literally) get around line-of-sight-blocking terrain is by making use of the myriad movement abilities that Necrons have at their disposal. The Doom Scythe, in particular, can use its speed and freedom of movement to get eyes on a valuable target from across the table, then obliterate it with its death ray. What’s more, as a Blast weapon, the death ray will be effective against large enemy units as well as enemy vehicles – you’ll automatically get your maximum of three shots against units of six of more, which will be great for zapping Space Marines. Necron Warriors The mainstay of many Necron army lists are the humble Warriors. Like most units in the new edition, Necron Warriors will be increasing in points – more specifically, to 12https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/16/faction-focus-space-marines/ points per model – but they’ll still comfortably outnumber Space Marines on the battlefield. Not only that, but you’ll soon be able to equip your Necron Warriors with the gauss reaper, which trades range for increased hitting power. Combine this deadly new weapon option with the Mephrit Dynastic Code and you’ll be cutting your enemies down in droves with devastating point-blank fire. Thanks, Werner! What units will you be adding to your Necron phalanxes? Have you already been adding some in anticipation of the new edition? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * In fact, the full and terrible truth behind their plans will soon be revealed in the climactic final book in the Psychic Awakening series – Pariah… https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/15/faction-focus-necronsgw-homepage-post-4/ Space Marines Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Space Marines In the first instalment of our new Faction Focus series, we introduced the Necrons and revealed how they’ll be shaping up in the new edition. Well, today, it’s the turn of their rivals in the glorious Indomitus boxed set – the Space Marines. This time, we’re joined by playtester Tony Kopach, who’ll be offering some insight into wielding the mighty Adeptus Astartes in battle in the new edition. Who Are They? The Space Marines are the Emperor’s Finest – the greatest hope for the survival of Mankind in an era of endless war. Each of them is a genetically engineered superhuman trained to deal death in every aspect of warfare. They are clad in nigh-inviolable plate armour and armed with the finest wargear available to Mankind, and through their deeds in battle does the Emperor mete out his vengeance upon the enemies of the Imperium. How They Play in the New Edition For this bit, we’ll hand you over to Tony Kopach. As a stalwart member of Team USA and with countless tournament victories to his name, it’s fair to say you’re in safe hands with Tony! Read on to learn more about how the existing Space Marines rules can be applied in the new edition to get the most bang for your boltgun… Tony: Hey everyone! Today I’m going to be discussing some of the changes our favourite Angels of Death can look forward to in the new edition! Space Marines are already one of the most powerful armies right now, with a large tool kit of available units, Stratagems and supplements to take advantage of. In the new edition, these options have only grown! Thanks to the Big Guns Never Tire rule, all of our vehicles will be able to shoot accurately on the move and even in combat. This means all of our armoured walkers such as Invictor Tactical Warsuits and Redemptor Dreadnoughts immediately get a boost in power too. Another change that Space Marines benefit from is the addition of Blast weapons, as they have access to some of the best artillery in the game in the Thunderfire Cannon and Whirlwind Scorpius. With the guarantee of firing the maximum number of shots against larger enemy units, your Space Marines shouldn’t be outnumbered for long! An important thing to remember is that with the next generation of missions in the new edition, you can select secondary objectives that your army is more suited to achieving. By using the revamped terrain rules to limit the number of enemy units that can shoot at your army, you can focus on pouring your efforts into achieving the objectives. This strategy works very effectively with Space Marines, as they can use their speed, flexibility and hitting power to apply maximum force to specific areas of the battlefield. When I’m playing Space Marines, I like to take the have-my-cake-and-eat-it-too approach as much as possible (who doesn’t, honestly?). What this means on the tabletop is maximizing the amount of damage I can do to my opponent while limiting their ability to do hurt me in return. I accomplish this by using a combination of artillery, reserve units (using the new Strategic Reserves rules or otherwise keeping them protected) and terrain. It’s easier than ever to hide units behind buildings, helping to keep troops safe and ensuring they get great use out of weapons that ignore line of sight. Meanwhile, reserve units offer flexible deployment and the ability to deliver damage right where they’re needed. I will take the moment to say though, that this is just one way to play Space Marines. As I mentioned earlier, they’re blessed with an incredibly large range of models, as well as many different codexes and supplements to choose from. Depending on the play style you enjoy and the Chapter that you choose, your in-game approach will vary. I hope you all enjoy getting your Space Marines on the table in the new edition! Key Units As an army of highly elite warriors supported by a powerful and highly flexible vehicle pool, Space Marines can be customised to excel in any style of warfare. Here are some of Tony’s top picks for the new edition. Thunderfire Cannon Tony: As you can probably already tell by now, I enjoy blasting my opponents away with a great deal of firepower. Given that, a Spearhead Detachment of Heavy Support units will frequently find its way into my lists. Among my favourites is the Thunderfire Cannon, and with the free Command point you receive at the start of each turn, you’ll be able to keep your opponent’s best unit pinned down every turn with Tremor Shells! Devastators (in Drop Pod) Tony: Among the hardest-hitting units to have available to you in reserve is a squad of Devastators armed with grav-cannons in a Drop Pod. By making use of the Gravatic Amplification Stratagem, there’s not much that they can’t eliminate in a single volley, and they can drop from orbit right where you need them. Primaris Lieutenant Tony: I would be remiss to not also include at least one Primaris Lieutenant to provide a generous helping of re-rolls* to the army. It truly is the cherry on top of our Space Marines cake, and no army of theirs is complete without one! Whether you prefer to keep them near your shootiest units armed with a master-crafted stalker bolt rifle or kit them out for melee combat using the new Primaris Lieutenant from Indomitus (complete with awesome neo-volkite pistol), there’s one for every occasion! Thanks, Tony! Are your Space Marines ready for war, or are you looking to add a new unit or two to your collection in readiness for the new edition? Maybe you’re just chomping at the bit to get hold of Indomitus to pick up a whole load of reinforcements, or using it to start a new strike force of Adeptus Astartes? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * Specifically, wound rolls of 1 in the case of Primaris Lieutenants. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/16/faction-focus-space-marines/ Space Marines du Chaos Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Chaos Space Marines Yesterday, we saw a glimpse of how the Space Marines are looking in the new edition, so we reckon it’s only fair we investigate their dark brethren, the Chaos Space Marines, next. To help out, the Dark Gods graced us with their herald, Justin Curtis, who divides his time between playtesting Warhammer 40,000 and making the galaxy burn. So without further ado, let’s learn more about the Heretic Astartes… Who Are They? The Chaos Space Marines were once loyal, superhuman warriors of the Emperor, but turned their backs on the Master of Mankind when his foremost son and Primarch, the Warmaster Horus, was corrupted by the Chaos Gods. Now, as champions of the Dark Gods infused with the infernal power of the warp, they seek only to destroy the very empire they once fought to build more than 10 thousand years ago. How they Play in the New Edition It’s time we heard from Justin Curtis, who’ll be stepping in to bring you up to speed on how the Chaos Space Marines can make the most of the rules changes in the new edition. First up, we can confirm that he isn’t actually a herald of the Dark Gods (well, not as far as we’re aware, anyway), but he is really good at killing stuff with his rightly feared armies of Heretic Astartes and Chaos Daemons… Justin: Good news, heretics! The new edition is on the way and it’s bringing with it quality of life upgrades for some of our finest Legions, as well as some notable enhancements for many of our lesser-used units. Psychic Awakening: Faith and Fury brought us plenty of amazing new Stratagems, but we’ve still found ourselves feeling obligated to bring along an endless sea of Chaos Cultists (a Tide of Traitors, you could say) to pay for them. While that may feel appropriate for the Alpha Legion or Word Bearers, it’s definitely less so for the Night Lords or Emperor’s Children. This also meant you were putting yourself at a disadvantage by not choosing to mix and match your Chaos army – after all, if you’re bringing three Battalion Detachments to the party, why not bring three different Legions and gain additional options? The updated Battle-forged rules in the new edition are spectacular news for the Command point-thirsty Chaos Lord committed to a single Legion. You’ll now find yourself with plenty of points to spend on all those powerful Stratagems and will, in fact, be rewarded for not choosing to spread out into additional Detachments – more Daemonforge for everyone! Many of our units will see immediate upgrades in the new edition as well – in particular, things are looking up for Daemon Engines, even without Daemonforge! The updated Blast weapons rules will breathe new life into many of their weapon options by making them far more reliable when targeting larger units. We won’t even have to wait for a new codex as the rules kick in from Day 1! Beyond that, some Daemon Engines made the choice between melee and ranged weaponry a difficult one – your Forgefiend may have a set of Daemon Jaws, but who wants to waste all those nice guns by getting stuck in combat? And your Defiler may be bristling with Claws and Scourges to lay waste to all who come near… but you’re still risking never getting to fire the half-dozen terrifying guns on your daemonic war engine if you spend all game slaying up close. The newest edition will give your Vehicles a chance to keep firing away even while smashing Imperials to bits with their metallic hands and/or teeth – this will make the shooting/assault versatility of most Daemon Engines feel like an asset rather than a missed opportunity. You’re also going to be hearing a lot about updated terrain rules, but it’s honestly better to say “overhauled” rather than “updated”. I’m sure the Imperium and xenos armies will have their own reasons to love the new terrain rules, but let’s focus on what’s best for Chaos Space Marines players, who traditionally prefer to do their killing at the end of a chainaxe. It will be much, much harder for an enemy player to hide from your wrath in the new edition. No longer can your opponent’s units cower behind walls they think you can’t clamber over, or try to fill the floor of a ruined building so you can’t climb up. The new terrain rules are much friendlier to aggressive assaults – which, in turn, allows us to be very unfriendly to our opponents’ armies! Key Units Thanks, Justin! So, now that we know what the Chaos Space Marines can look forward to in the new edition, which units in their roster are potential game-changers? Let’s take a look at some of our favourites… Khorne Berzerkers With their ability to fight twice in each Fight phase by violent virtue of their Blood for the Blood God ability, Khorne Berzerkers are rightly feared as one of the deadliest melee units in the 41st Millennium. And with all the additional Command points flying around, you can even channel the Fury of Khorne to fight with them a third time! Last year saw them gain an additional ability, Hateful Assault, granting them a bonus Attack in the first round of combat, making them even better (and angrier). Now with the freedom to sweep even the most heavily defended positions clear with their devastating assaults, Khorne Berzerkers are set to dominate the Fight phase like never before. Defiler It’s big, it’s tough, and a Defiler can dish out a world of pain, especially when juiced up by the Daemonforge Stratagem! If you stick with the Defiler claws as your melee weapon of choice, you can kit it out with twin heavy flamers for some improvised barbecue even during combat! While you’re at it, give it a combi-flamer to make sure your victims go from medium-rare to well done. Lord Discordant on Helstalker This one-model army is a devastating all-round addition to any Heretic Astartes force. For starters, it has the Vehicle and Daemon Engine keywords, meaning that it benefits from similar advantages as the Defiler (such as being able to use its baleflamer at point-blank range). However, it can also hamper those same newfound abilities of enemy vehicles with his Aura of Discord. They’re called the Traitor Legions for a reason, so why fight fair?! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/17/faction-focus-chaos-space-marines-2gw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Adepta Sororitas Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Adepta Sororitas The Sisters of Battle may be among the Imperium’s most elite military wings, but how will they adapt to the new edition of Warhammer? Well, we’re here to investigate, channelling the wisdom of playtester Andrew Gonyo to get the inside scoop. Have your boltgun, flamer and melta at the ready, as it’s time for the Adepta Sororitas Faction Focus! Who Are They? The Adepta Sororitas are the military arm of the Ecclesiarchy. They are divided into several Holy Orders of highly trained and dedicated warriors, whose faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind is absolute. In battle, they purge the enemies of Humanity with a zealous fury and steely determination that rivals even the mighty Adeptus Astartes. So strong is their conviction in the God-Emperor’s divinity that it is not uncommon for them to perform deeds on the battlefield that are nothing short of miraculous. How They Play in the New Edition They may wear power armour and wield boltguns as their primary weapon, but the Sisters of Battle are a very different beast to the Space Marines on the battlefield. Here to give us some pointers on how they’ll play in the new edition is Andrew Gonyo. In addition to being a playtester and member of Team USA, he’s won tournaments more times than Saint Celestine has returned from death! Andrew: The Adepta Sororitas were a big hit when they released earlier this year, and one of the biggest improvements we’ll see in the new edition for them is an increase in the number of available styles of play. While there are currently several viable styles, the strongest Adepta Sororitas armies in matched play tended to be very infantry heavy, with a fairly high model count. However, my favorite army compositions for the Sisters of Battle – and probably in general – is now more of a mechanised/mixed force approach. With the changes to how vehicles interact with the game, I think you’ll see more viability to these styles of play than we currently do. Next, while some Factions have many ways to deploy, Adepta Sororitas have generally been a bit more straightforward: they’re either hoofing it on foot, riding in a transport, or are one of the two units – Seraphim and Zephyrim – capable of dropping directly onto the battlefield. However, we’ll soon be able to get some of our key units into more interesting positions using Strategic Reserves. This gives a new lease on life to a few units that were a bit too fragile for me to want to deploy or that needed to get close to the enemy, but previously couldn’t – Mortifiers and Penitent Engines, I’m looking at you. Lastly, as a brief note on the Fight phase, I think there are two main ways the Adepta Sororitas are going to excel. Multi-charges are getting much riskier and harder to perform for most,* but with the help of their faith and a couple of trusty Miracle dice, the Sisters of Battle are really going to shine. Secondly, many Adepta Sororitas units are quite squishy – and the prevalence of Overwatch in the current edition really made certain unit types questionable to go charging into. In the new edition, that will become much less of a problem with the changes to how Overwatch works. I think the largest challenge players will face in the new edition is the change to the Look Out, Sir rules, which requires more careful positioning of your Characters for them to benefit from the same level of protection. Adepta Sororitas armies tend to be somewhat dependent on key support Characters, so having them become more vulnerable will present a new challenge. I intend to overcome those by keeping a close eye on what I keep near them – there should be no shortage in my army of both Vehicles and decently sized Infantry units, and the two of those together should give me all the protection I need to keep my linchpins alive. In the new edition, I’ll be approaching the Sisters of Battle with more use of multiple small units. The changes to both Blast weapons and morale favour armies that field medium-sized units. I previously used larger units, but now with the benefit of playing smaller, more sensibly sized squads, I’ll have some points left to take other units – more Dedicated Transports, maybe even the Mortifiers I always wanted but couldn’t quite fit in. Key Units Now that we know the score, let’s take a look at some units from the Adepta Sororitas roster upon whom the God-Emperor’s divine benevolence has fallen. Hospitaller Andrew: There are a few Adepta Sororitas units I never leave home without, the first being the Hospitaller. Failing Morale tests can be devastating in the new edition, which is going to make the Hospitaller’s Last Rites Stratagem key to keeping your important units around for longer. Seraphim/Zephyrim Andrew: Adepta Sororitas are spoiled for choices when it comes to units that can drop directly into the fray, but I’ll almost always end up taking both Seraphim and Zephyrim for their speed and ability to pop into a backfield at a key moment. Whether you choose one or both units really depends on what you’re after – the close-range (literal) fire support of the Seraphim or the armour-shredding melee punch of the Zephyrim, backed up by their access to the handy Embodied Prophecy Stratagem. Penitent Engines As if these engines of mutually destructive horror weren’t already geared up to dish out some serious pain in melee, the Big Guns Never Tire rule will mean that Penitent Engines can use their heavy flamers at point-blank range – much like the Blaze of Agony ability allows Mortifiers to do. Get them stuck in and start cooking your targets even as you bloodily dismember them with buzz-blades and beat them to death with enormous flails! Thanks, Andrew! How do you plan on delivering the God-Emperor’s holy wrath to your foes in the new edition? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * In the new edition, your charge roll has to be sufficient to reach ALL of the units you have declared a charge against, otherwise your charge is unsuccessful and no models are moved. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/18/faction-focus-adepta-sororitasgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Orks Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Orks They’re mean, they’re green and, in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, they’ll be making a scene. Longtime Grand Tournaments player and Orks expert Matt Root is here with his advice on how to get your Waaagh! on. Who Are They? The Orks are the most savage, warlike and numerous species in the galaxy, and can be found infesting its every corner. Far removed from the enigmatic and scheming nature of many other races, greenskins are simple beings who live only for battle. They thrive on violence and rarely think beyond their next punch-up, breakneck race or deafening gunfight. How They Play in the New Edition We’re going to hand you over to Warboss Matt Root, a man who has won so many tournaments that even Ghazghkull is jealous of his achievements. He has plenty of tips on how to get the most out of an Ork army in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. Matt: The nature of Orks has always been aggressive, aiming to overwhelm your opponent with bodies or bullets or both. In this regard, the green tide has not changed, but the options that have opened up to the army are numerous. One of the most striking changes is to vehicles. Orks units like the Megatrakk Scrapjet are deadly both in shooting and in combat, but previously, you had to choose one or the other because being stuck in combat stopped you from shooting. In the new edition, this is no longer the case – you can unload rokkits with malicious glee as you charge towards your opponent’s lines, and if you get stuck in combat, you can still keep shooting with your other weapons!* This is of a massive benefit to Orks, as they have some of the most melee-oriented vehicles in the game. Killa Kans and Deff Dreads are just some of the big winners in this regard and are great options to lead your charge. The new terrain rules will also be appreciated by all Orks players. With terrain having clearly defined features, you don’t have to worry about your opponent seeing through a crack in the wall to shoot your entire Boyz squad. You can even give your squads a -1 modifier to be shot! This is a big advantage to Orks (and any army that likes to get stuck in) as it means you can seriously limit your opponent’s ability to stop your advance with their shooting. Key Units But what are going to be the best Orks units to take advantage of the changes in the new edition? Let’s get back to Matt. Burna-bommer Matt: Burna-bommers were already good, but the changes to Flyers in the new edition make them even better (take two!). While they’re great flying around immolating targets, they’re even better if someone is foolish enough to shoot it down. Unlike most other exploding vehicles, Burna-bommers explode on a 4+ instead of a 6+, and they do 3 mortal wounds instead of D3. With the Flyin’ ‘Eadbutt Stratagem from Psychic Awakening: Saga of the Beast, you can guarantee that it will crash and burn. So rush them into the middle of your opponent’s gunline and do an incredible amount of damage. Skorcha missiles are also Blast weapons in the new edition, giving you more hits against hordes. Plus you can fly your Burna-bommer off the table without any regret, and your opponent can’t shoot what isn’t on the board! While your first plane is blowing up, the second can hide off the table and then return safely in your turn to drop a whole new load of bombs on your enemies. Meganobz Matt: Orks are a very Command point-hungry army, which meant that you often had to take two or three Battalion Detachments to get the points you needed. This made it tricky to fit in some of the more elite and expensive units – Meganobz being a prime example. In the new edition, thanks to the way that Detachments work, all armies start with the same Command points. That means that if you don’t want to take loads of Gretchin troops, you don’t have to!** You want an army filled with nothing but Meganobz and Warbosses? You can have it and still have all the Command points you’ll need. Which you can then spend back on your Meganobz to make them hit even harder in combat. The change in the overwatch rules will also help out the Meganobz. If you charge your opponent’s entire army currently, they essentially get a free shooting phase. In the new edition, they will have to choose a unit to shoot with and pay the necessary cost in Command points. This means more of your green tide will make it to combat. Thanks, Matt! There’s a lot to be excited about, and even more to look forward to. With that in mind, you’d better get cracking on getting your Boyz ready for battle as it won’t be long before the new edition is here. Join us over on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page to let us know how your Waaagh! will be rampaging across the new edition. * As it’s a Blast weapon, the rokkit kannon can’t be fired at Engagement range, but your other weapons can.** Of course, if you want to take a swarm of Gretchin, you’ll still be able to do that too. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/19/faction-focus-orksgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Death Guard Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Death Guard Earlier this week, we introduced how the Chaos Space Marines would be looking in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, yet the Death Guard and Thousand Sons were noticeably absent. Well, that’s because they’re each getting their own Faction Focus, starting with today’s instalment on the Death Guard! This time around, we’re joined by playtester and Death Guard aficionado Sam Lucidi, who will be giving us his insider knowledge on Mortarion’s Legion. Who Are They? Like their fellow Traitor Legions, the Death Guard were once stoic and loyal followers of the Emperor until ill fate saw them corrupted – both in mind and body – by the Plague God, Nurgle. They are now his greatest mortal champions, and their Primarch, the Death Lord Mortarion, is among the most revered Daemon Princes of Nurgle. The Death Guard march inexorably into battle, their rotten, swollen bodies enabling them to shrug off injuries that would slay any other warrior outright. How They Play in the New Edition Here’s where we hand you over to Sam Lucidi, who’ll be giving his thoughts on the future of the Death Guard. As well as championing the use of ‘pure’ Death Guard armies, uncorrupted by the ‘clean taint’ of allies, Sam is a well established tournament organiser and a regular on the top tables and podiums of events across the USA. Sam: My favorite change of the new edition is how many more Command points the servants of the Plague God have at their disposal. My Death Guard army usually didn’t have more than 8 or 9 Command points, most of which I’d spend to use the Cloud of Flies Stratagem to shield an important unit each round. Now, not only will my army start the game with more Command points, but I’ll gain a bonus Command point in each of my turns. That bonus means I can activate Cloud of Flies every single round and still have 12 Command points left in a Strike Force game for other powerful Stratagems. With the new edition’s matched play missions, it’s more important than ever to keep sight of your objectives. When my Death Guard army takes to the field, I plan to be patient and play the long game – the Death Guard’s superior durability means that my opponents will struggle to kill my scoring units while I focus on playing the mission. My Daemon Engines, Terminators and Characters will confidently hold the center of the battlefield while I grind down the enemy in a battle of attrition, leaving my Poxwalkers and Plague Marines free to take advantage of the terrain to advance and claim objectives. Key Units Sam’s not done yet – he’s also got some handy advice on which Death Guard units (and one combination in particular) will be great options around which to form your army. Plagueburst Crawlers Sam: The Death Guard get a lot of value out of the new rules for Vehicles. I’ve always loved to use Plagueburst Crawlers to engage the enemy with their plaguespitters while the rest of my army advanced behind them, but canny opponents knew how to lock the Crawlers in combat to shut down their guns. Under the new rules, my Plagueburst Crawlers are just as deadly with their plaguespitters even while locked in combat. Not only that, but now my Crawlers can fire their nasty plagueburst mortars (which are now Blast weapons too) on the move without suffering a hit penalty! Deathshroud Terminators Sam: The Death Guard have lots of great Characters, and I use quite a lot of them in my army. But in the new rules,* Characters are much more vulnerable to shooting, since they’re only protected if they’re near another unit. This is a great opportunity for Deathshroud Terminators to shine, as they make excellent bodyguards for Death Guard Characters, not only absorbing hits for them but also increasing their Attacks. And they’re no slouches in combat to boot! Blightlord Terminators and Foul Blightspawn Sam: An already great pairing of units made even better by the new rules is a big unit of Blightlord Terminators backed up by a Foul Blightspawn. Since the player who isn’t taking their turn gets to choose the first non-charging unit to fight with, the Foul Blightspawn’s Revolting Stench ensures that the Blightlords will fight first against any enemy units that dare charge them. Blightlords are already brutal in combat and incredibly durable, and this combo makes them even harder for your opponent to deal with. I know I’ll be making these units a central component of my army. Thanks, Sam! Are you looking forward to leading the Death Guard into battle in the new edition? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/20/faction-focus-death-guardgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Adeptus Mechanicus Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Adeptus Mechanicus In this latest Faction Focus, we’re heading over to the Red Planet to learn what secrets the Tech Adepts of Mars have in store for their Skitarii legions in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. The Omnissiah has also graced us with knowledge siphoned from the mind of playtester Andrew Gonyo to aid in this noble cause. We’ve translated their binharic code and this is what we’ve discovered… Who Are They? The Adeptus Mechanicus is one of the most powerful organisations in the Imperium, for it is they who arm Mankind’s numberless armies and forge the great battleships that bear them across the stars. The Cult Mechanicus represents the vast and indomitable military wing of the Adeptus Mechanicus itself. They roam the battlefields of the 41st Millennium on an endless quest in search of forbidden archeotech and Standard Template Constructs – priceless relics from the Dark Age of Technology – to recover the long-lost knowledge they once possessed. How They Play in the New Edition Elite playtester and tournament veteran Andrew Gonyo returns to us once more, this time in his guise as Skitarii Tribune, to advise us on getting the most from the Cult Mechanicus on the battlefield. Focus your ocular augmetics and prepare to visually download the following data… Andrew: The Adeptus Mechanicus have a lot to look forward to in the new edition. The most striking improvements will be found in the changes to how Vehicles – for the Adeptus Mechanicus can field quite a few – interact with enemies while engaged in combat. Whereas before, their Vehicles could be bogged down in combat, the ability for them to fire at point-blank range opens up a lot more options to the Adeptus Mechanicus forces, as they’ll be able to sweep enemies clear in short order. Secondly, in the matched play environment in particular, we saw a lot of forces struggling with a lack of units that could be deployed in a flexible fashion. In fact, it made some players feel like they needed to bring allied forces to keep up, or maybe add in Stygies or Lucius Detachments for their alternate deployment Stratagems. Some players just avoided certain unit types that lacked viable delivery methods in their entirety. The upcoming changes to how Strategic Reserves work will breathe new life into a lot of Adeptus Mechanicus units. The change in board size presents a new challenge for armies that traditionally relied on making the most of the distance between armies to allow their shooting to take its toll. The change in size isn’t drastic, but it does tighten up the play space, forcing the action and engagement to make the game a bit more fast-paced and interesting. For some players, this may initially lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed by more assault-oriented forces a bit sooner than they would have liked – no more hiding in a corner lobbing shots all game. However, the Adeptus Mechanicus has the tools at its disposal to overcome this – Vehicles firing on enemies within engagement range and a new Core Stratagem to allow a trapped unit to break free. There are also some previously less-seen units like Kataphron Breachers and Fulgurite Electro-Priests waiting to make a comeback and defend your lines. One of the great things about the Adeptus Mechanicus army is that, beyond Skitarii troops, I generally don’t feel like they have any “required” or “auto-include” units. Depending on the type of force I want to field, most of my units will serve their purpose, and I can easily swap between them. Key Units The Adeptus Mechanicus certainly have devastating potential in the new edition, but which units and army builds will form the backbone of armies of the Omnissiah moving forward? Thankfully for you budding Tech-Priests out there, Andrew has been giving that some thought, too… Kataphron Battle Servitors Andrew: There are a couple of different builds I’m looking forward to exploring with my Adeptus Mechanicus army. The first is a Kataphron-centric force – Engine War gave them some amazing new boosts, and I’m excited to give them a go on the tabletop. Increases to their durability and boosts to their shooting (such as with the Learnings of the Genetor Warlord Trait) have increased their effectiveness. They make an excellent defensive unit to hold your midfield line and give your heavier firepower units, like Kastelan Robots, Skorpius Disintegrators, and Onager Dunecrawlers, time to shine. I’m a big fan of the Kataphron Breachers in particular. They’re excellent all-around units – durable, decent in combat, solid at shooting – and they fulfil the midfield jack of all trades role that I like to include in my forces. Units like that are great ways to control the pace of the game and let other flashier units shine. Skitarii and Skorpius Duneriders Andrew: The second build, which is my next main hobby project, focuses on lots of small units of Skitarii loaded up in Skorpius Duneriders, backed up by a mixture of harassing units of Corpuscarii Electro-Priests and Sicarian Infiltrators. I think this army will also be a great place for me to try out some of the cool new Serberys Raiders and Sulphurhounds, as well as Pteraxii Sterylizors and Skystalkers to support the main Skitarii thrust. One of the best things about the Duneriders is that, even when one is destroyed, your precious Skitarii cargo will emerge unscathed! Thanks, Andrew! Do you already lead a Skitarii legion of the Cult Mechanicus in service of the Omnissiah, or are you about to pledge your allegiance to the Machine-God for the first time? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/21/faction-focus-adeptus-mechanicusgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Craftworld Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Craftworlds Of all the Aeldari, the Craftworlds are the most tactically flexible, with their Aspect Warriors enabling them to specialise in any style of warfare. But how will their versatility translate to the new edition of Warhammer 40,000? Well, in today’s Faction Focus, we’re here with playtester Matt Schuchman to answer that question and more besides! Who Are They? In the aftermath of the bitter War in Heaven fought against the Necrons before life had even evolved on Terra, the Aeldari’s dominion of the galaxy was absolute. Yet the depths of their hubris and decadence eventually gave rise to a new Dark God – Slaanesh, She Who Thirsts – whose apocalyptic birth decimated the Aeldari empire of old and forever cursed its people. However, there were those who foresaw this grim fate and escaped aboard impossibly vast, star-faring arc-vessels called craftworlds. Though their kind may be a dying race, the craftworlders still command highly advanced technology and possess a mastery of war that is all but unrivalled. How They Play in the New Edition For this bit, we channelled the collective wisdom of the infinity circuit and were granted a spirit audience with Team USA and tournament master Matt Schuchman. We’ve since consulted with the Farseers and they’ve confirmed his message… Matt: The best thing for Craftworlds in the new edition is that you only need to include one Detachment to get the most Command points for your army. This not only nets you more Command points than you used to have, but ensures you’re now also on an even footing with other factions that could easily generate more in the past. Another amazing thing is that the new Look Out, Sir rules really leave most Craftworlds players unaffected. Characters are now only really safe if they are within 3″ of other units, but most Craftworlds Characters are fleet-footed or Skyrunners. This allows them to easily stay near other units or quickly hop around terrain to stay in the best possible positions. I think that the point increases will initially challenge players as they try to fit in all of the units they previously fielded. It’s important to remember that every faction is feeling similar increases though, so it’s not a problem unique to you! I also suspect that, although the Craftworlds army is great when fielding a single Detachment, some players will miss the advantages of cherry-picking units from various craftworlds. A thing to keep in mind is that most competitive Craftworlds armies used to only start with 8-10 Command points, so if you really feel you need those Saim-Hann Shining Spears along with your Alaitoc Rangers, consider taking the secondary Craftworld in a Patrol Detachment alongside your main host. My personal style of play involves highly aggressive units that stack the various psychic blessings inherent to the craftworlds. I usually take units that can move swiftly across the battlefield to remove high priority targets early, then use my superior mobility to control the board for the remainder of the game. Don’t forget that many of the new Battlefield Supremacy secondary objectives can allow the fast-moving Craftworlds armies to really rack up victory points. There are also a number of Warpcraft options which the lightning-fast Skyrunner Warlocks and Farseers can accomplish quite easily. The last thing to take into account is that terrain is very important and about to become far more dynamic. Thankfully, many Craftworlds units still have the Fly keyword, which will continue to allow them to take great advantage by easily manoeuvring in, on, and around these terrain features. Key Units With so many specialised units – and none more so than as the various types of Aspect Warriors – to choose from, it’s difficult to know what to include in an army list at the best of times. Thankfully, Matt has some top picks that he reckons will shine in the new edition. So without further ado, let’s find out what they are! Shining Spears Matt: I believe most Craftworlds armies will still include at least a single unit of Shining Spears; their mobility, close-range firepower, and combat strength are still amazing. These guys supported by a Farseer and a Warlock will continue to be commonly seen in Craftworlds armies. They’re hard to eliminate at range at the best of times, but when combined with the new terrain rules, and a few key psychic powers, they’ll be a formidable threat. Night Spinner Matt: Another fantastic option going into the new edition will be Night Spinners. The updates to Blast weapons really help even out the damage potential of this current all-star unit, making its doomweaver deadlier still. Dire Avengers Matt: As far as Infantry units go, I suspect that Dire Avengers will become the go-to Troops choice. You can field them as durable, 5-man units with shimmershield-armed Exarchs, or you can even take a whole bunch of units and pick up Asurmen to give them all a 4+ invulnerable save. Phoenix Rising also offered these warriors some great alternative Exarch abilities, and I highly recommend trading out Battle Fortune for one of them. My personal favourite is Avenging Strikes, which punishes your opponent for not finishing off your units. Thanks, Matt! From which craftworld does your Aeldari warhost hail, and how do you intend to take the fight to your enemies on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/22/faction-focus-craftworldsgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Tyranids Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Tyranids Tyanids are everyone’s favourite extragalactic bio-horrors, but how will they adapt to the new edition of Warhammer 40,000? Probably quite well (adaptation is kinda their thing), but just to be on the safe side, we asked renowned Tyranids expert Danny ‘the Swarmlord’ Ruiz* to give us some pointers. But first, let’s introduce the faction to those who may be unfamiliar… Who Are They? The Tyranids are an utterly alien race of creatures whose will is collectively controlled by a mass consciousness called the Hive Mind. Such is its oppressive presence that psykers struggle to manifest their powers when facing a Tyranid invasion, finding their connection to the warp all but smothered by the intangible shadow of the Hive Mind. When a hive fleet descends upon a prey world, the planet’s inhabitants are overwhelmed by wave after wave of expendable bio-constructs. Each Tyranid creature is custom grown to perform a particular part in the attack, from the largest siege beast capable of tearing open the thickest fortress gates to the living, insectile ammunition spat forth by their myriad organic weapons. Once a planet falls to the Tyranids, it is stripped bare, its biomass consumed wholesale by the hive fleet to be repurposed into new warriors so this grim cycle can be repeated on the next world. How They Play in the New Edition For the technical stuff, we’ll pass you over to the mouthpiece of the hive mind, Danny Ruiz. As an official Las Vegas Open judge and Frontline Gaming’s Tyranids guru, it’s fair to say he knows more about the Hive Fleets than Cassius and Tigurius combined! Danny: Hello everyone! I’m truly privileged to chat about what’s fresh and exciting for the Tyranid Hive Mind in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 – I love big bugs, and I cannot lie! First up, Tyranid Monsters get a huge boost in their viability. With the ability to shoot into combat and more terrain rules to help keep them alive (and a generous vertical Engagement Range), you’ll want to bring the big hitters. If you’re worried about your beloved behemoths getting blasted before they get to do their best, you can spend Command points to put them into Strategic Reserve** and have them show up where and when you need them. Want to save those Command points for tasty surprises? Well, the Tyrannocyte is always an option and, hey, it is a Monster too, so it can fire all those deathspitters into combat as well! If you’re looking to protect your advancing line of gribblies, a Maleceptor is a handy option – its Encephalic Diffusion Stratagem is especially handy on the first turn to take the edge off enemy artillery and heavy weapons as you advance. Another sneaky trick – and a favoured tactic of Genestealers across the galaxy – is to make use of the new Dense Cover rules*** to close on the enemy line. Any means of limiting the enemy’s firepower until you can get into slicing and dicing range is an opportunity you should grab with both sets of claws! As much as I can’t wait for the opportunity to field an effective army filled with Tyranid Monsters, always remember to think carefully about your army composition. If your hive fleet sends out mostly Monsters, you may end up having trouble completing some missions, so don’t overcommit early and lose out on the objective game. I hope to see you on the tabletop soon. You can always drop me a line at TFG Radio, check out my weekly articles at Frontline Gaming, or come chat while I do my rounds at LVO. Enjoy the new edition, fellow synapse creatures! Key Units Danny’s also been putting some thought (or maybe he’s had thoughts placed into his brain by the Hive Mind – he won’t tell), about which units will likely stand out from the hordes in the new edition. They’re not all Monsters, either! Old One Eye and Carnifexes Danny: I’m personally quite excited to field Old One Eye flanked by a few Carnifexes with two sets of twin devourers and monstrous acid maws (a little twist on the tried and true Dakka-fex).**** You get a high volume of shooting that can take down infantry with ease and is backed up by scary melee power (usually hitting on 3+ thanks to Old One Eye’s Alpha Leader ability) that will take big bites out of any armoured targets. This makes for a mean one-two punch and a solid force to push onto an enemy-held position. Tyrannofex Danny: Some called me mad when I showed up with 3 Tyrannofexes with acid spray, but no longer! They put down a lot of heat, can take a punch (or five), and who needs to worry about degrading profiles or penalties to shooting into combat when you have a weapon that hits automatically? And if you remain stationary, you get double the fun! Tyrannofexes make a great wall of chitin to push forward early and dominate the centre. Tyranid Warriors Danny: To help stock up on armour, don’t forget about the humble Tyranid Warrior. With multiple wounds as well as the Adaptive Physiology rules and their bespoke Stratagem from Blood of Baal, they’re quite hardy. They also have the all-important Infantry keyword, making them excellent at helping out with controlling objectives. Being Objective Secured***** and Synapse is just icing on the biomass. Thanks, Danny! How are you planning to harvest biomass from your enemies on the battlefield? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * We may have just invented that nickname for him.** We’ll have more on Strategic Reserves tomorrow, so be sure to join us on warhammer-community.com to learn more!***These apply to things like forests and dense industrial ruins, where protection comes more from difficulty in picking out a target, rather than the shots physically being blocked.**** Amongst Tyranids enthusiasts, a ‘Dakka-fex’ is a Carnifex equipped with two sets of monstrous bio-cannons – traditionally two pairs of devourers with brainleech worms – instead of monstrous scything talons. That’s 24 Strength-6 shots, for those keeping count!***** This is the catch-all term for abilities like Extensions of the Hive Mind https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/23/faction-focus-tyranidsgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Astra Militarum Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Astra Militarum The Astra Militarum are on parade today, as it’s time for their Faction Focus to tell us how they will fight in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. What’s more, we’re joined by playtester Reece Robbins, who’ll be giving us a rundown of what the Imperial Guard armies of the future may look like. Let’s take a look… Who Are They? The Astra Militarum are the unsung heroes of the Imperium, without whose inexhaustible armies the God-Emperor’s realm would have succumbed to the endless cycle of war and death millennia ago. Almost every world in the Imperium is tasked with raising an Imperial Guard regiment, not only to protect their home world but to travel to war zones across the breadth of the galaxy fighting all manner of alien horrors and dread heretics. Against such terrible foes, courage and faith is their only shield, yet they march dauntlessly from one battle to the next without complaint – lest they receive a bullet from their Regimental Commissar! Yet the Astra Militarum have one distinct advantage over every foe they face – numbers. Be it rank after rank of disciplined soldiery or mighty armoured columns of battle tanks and heavy artillery, there is little that the Imperial Guard cannot grind down through the relentless application of attritional warfare. The Morale Phase While we’re on the topic of Commissars, we thought we’d take a closer look at the new rules for the Morale phase before we go any further. Morale affects every warring faction, from the most stalwart Space Marine to the most cowardly grot. In the new edition, the Morale phase has undergone a subtle change with a big impact… Combat Attrition The process of a Morale test works the same way as before… The difference is what happens when you fail your Morale test – you make a separate Combat Attrition roll for each model in the unit, meaning that any number of them (or if you’re lucky, none of them!), may also flee. What’s more, the morale of a heavily depleted squad will already be wavering due to the losses they’ve suffered, so units that are below half-strength suffer a penalty to their Combat Attrition rolls. With this change to Morale tests, any abilities that help mitigate further losses from Combat Attrition can be incredibly valuable. For example, a Commissar’s Summary Execution rule means that a nearby Astra Militarum unit that fails a Morale test has a much better chance of avoiding this eventuality. How They Play in the New Edition The Regiments of the Astra Militarum are as varied as the million worlds in the Imperium, so for this bit, we needed an expert – someone with the strategic genius of Ursarkar E. Creed and the oratory skills of Jarran Kell. We needed Reece Robbins! Thankfully, Frontline Gaming guru and official playtester Reece was more than willing to help out, so over to the man himself… Reece: The Astra Militarum are set to crush the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. The changes to Vehicles via the Big Guns Never Tire rule make our iconic battle tanks more dependable than ever and able to peel those pesky infantry units off (via the medium of point-blank firepower) to let the cannons sing! Remember to use the amazing Hail of Fire Stratagem from Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good to maximize the firepower of your Leman Russ. Likewise, one of my favourite units to use for grabbing objectives – Scout Sentinels with heavy flamers – can (literally) fire away even if it Advances or is engaged in melee. Their pre-game movement and Stratagems like Go! Recon! make them fantastic for scooping up victory points in missions in which points are scored at the end of each player’s turn. If you prefer Armored Sentinels, remember that you can use the Deft Manoeuvering Stratagem from the Greater Good to halve the Damage the unit takes to ensure they hold on to those key objectives. Hopefully, some of these ideas will inspire you to roll out your Guard and join the good fight against the enemies of the Imperium! Key Units Reece isn’t done yet – he’s also got some thoughts on three units that he suspects will really come into their own in the new edition, as well as some combinations you can use to make them even more effective! Hellhound Reece: The Hellhound (one of my all-time favourite tanks) is now a lot easier to use effectively, as the ability to fire into combat is very useful for them – particularly against large units of Infantry. With the Splash Damage Stratagem, they can easily overcome units in cover taking advantage of the new Terrain Traits too! Bullgryns Reece: The mighty Bullgryns, easily one of my top units in the game, are still just as meaty as they were and able to plaster enemy units with their mauls while also taking a beating. Making use of the Take Cover Stratagem (for +1 to their saving throws) and, if you have an Astra Militarum Psyker in your army, the Psychic Barrier power can make them absolute beefcakes. Wyvern Reece: The Wyvern will be even more of a menace to hordes of light infantry. With the new rule for Blast weapons, you can get a whopping 24 shots! With the Direct Onslaught Stratagem for a +1 bonus to its hit rolls, a Wyvern can cause absolute devastation in short order. Thanks, Reece! Are you looking to grind your foes into the dirt beneath the treads of your mighty battle tanks, or overwhelm them with unstoppable volleys of lasgun and heavy weapons fire? Maybe both! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/24/faction-focus-astra-militarumgw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ T'au Empire Révélation Citation Faction Focus: T’au Empire With the new rules for Overwatch, it would be easy to think that the T’au Empire has lost one of its most popular advantages. Well, in today’s Faction Focus, with the help of one of Commander Puretide’s foremost students, Brian Pullen, we can happily inform you that this is far from the case. Let’s crack on and find out why. Who Are They? When the Imperium first encountered the T’au Empire some 6,000 years before the Era Indomitus, they were little more than warring tribes of savages. Then the Ethereals came – regal and imperious beings whose mere presence seemed to possess an intrinsic power to unite the T’au people. With their nascent civilization working together as one ‘for the Greater Good’, the T’au Empire developed at an astonishing rate. Divided into five castes – Fire (military), Air (aviation and interstellar travel), Water (diplomacy and administration), Earth (scientific research and construction) and Ethereal (leadership and strategy) – all working seamlessly towards a common goal, the T’au Empire flourished exponentially. Despite having no psykers or methods for reliably* traversing the warp, they have since launched five great Spheres of Expansion to colonise, annex or (should negotiations fail) conquer new worlds in every direction from their original sept world of T’au. Though many races have aggressively opposed the T’au Empire’s rapid expansions, there are many species – such as the Kroot and Vespid – who have found common cause with the ideals of the Greater Good, and readily fight alongside the Fire caste warriors as auxiliaries. How They Play in the New Edition For this bit, we’ve awoken Brian Pullen from cryogenic stasis to bring us the teachings of Commander Puretide in person. Since thawing out, Brian’s been busy playtesting and even winning a recent Grand Tournament, stateside. Just don’t tell Commander O’Shaserra, or she may enter next year’s event to prove her supremacy, and that would hardly be fair on all of you. Brian: The T’au Empire will benefit from a huge number of improvements in the new edition, representing significant changes to how the army plays. The T’au specialise in using small units, such as Drones, that can spread out and control the board. In many mission formats, these small units would punish the T’au Empire force by easily giving away victory points. However, it’s possible to select secondary objectives for the new missions that emphasise board control over the destruction of enemy units, allowing the T’au to really lean into this specialism. One of the most painful things that T’au face in the current edition are units that inflict multiple penalties to hit rolls, such as -2 or -3 to hit. Armies like Chaos and Aeldari have long been tough match-ups for the T’au when they utilised these tactics. In the new edition, there is a cap, so no units can suffer a modifier of more than -1 to hit, so you can still make your firepower count. The largest challenge for the T’au Empire in the new edition is the change to the Fly keyword. It no longer offers units the ability to Fall Back and shoot, which means you need to put extra effort into screening enemy charges and preventing your critical shooting units from being engaged in combat. Thankfully, screening is about to become much more effective. You can also look at new kinds of screening units, like Kroot, since you can now escape even when you’re surrounded. The other way to prevent units from charging you is with the threat of Overwatch. The T’au are still the undisputed masters here. Unlike other armies that need to use a Stratagem to Overwatch, the entire T’au army can do so for free, and they can use their updated For the Greater Good ability** to offer support fire just like they currently do! Enemies will still need to think twice about charging a T’au Empire gun line. The T’au play best as a highly mobile army that uses many small units to take control of the battlefield. These can be small Drone squads or even the fleet-footed Kroot. Behind these multi-layered screens, you’ll want trusted Battlesuits like Riptides, Broadsides and Ghostkeels. Vehicles like Hammerheads and Sky Rays are also even better with their freedom to move and fire at full effectiveness. The T’au Empire is now faster than ever, which will be a big advantage in the new edition. Key Units Thanks, Brian! Here are a selection of T’au Empire units that we reckon are set to be (or remain) strong choices in the new edition, along with a few hints and tips for using them. T’au Commanders (Various) These guys are pure awesomeness, and every T’au Empire Detachment is going to want one! Commanders are very flexible and can basically be built to order with their many wargear and weapon options. For further flexibility, they also have the Master of War ability, letting you choose between Kauyon and Mont’ka styles of warfare depending on their foe. In fact, you may want to consider spending some Command points to field an additional Detachment to include a second Commander (as the T’au can normally only include one per Detachment). Cadre Fireblade If you’re looking to make the most of the devastating firepower of your Fire Warriors, you simply can’t leave your sept world without a Cadre Fireblade to support them. Not only is he a dead-eye marksman, but he grants an extra shot to nearby Fire Warrior units. Of course, this also applies to their Overwatch fire too, meaning that to charge any of them is to face a murderous volley from every unit in the vicinity! KV128 Stormsurge The undisputed master of area-denial in the T’au Empire army. Position a Stormsurge to lock down a fire corridor between obscuring terrain, set its Stabilising Anchors, and it will reliably obliterate anything in front of it. Its presence alone is often enough to force your opponent’s hand to avoid suffering the explosive consequences of leaving a Stormsurge free to do its work, meaning you can use it as (massive) bait to set up deadly counter-attacks with your other units. How are you planning to serve the Greater Good in the new edition? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * Which isn’t to say the Imperium’s methods are especially reliable, but they can actually get from A to B sometimes. The T’au Empire are only just starting to access the wider galaxy.** This update will be available to T’au Empire players on launch day via an FAQ download. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/25/faction-focus-tau-empiregw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Drukhari Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Drukhari From the dark city of Commorragh, the Drukhari launch their realspace raids, causing indiscriminate slaughter to sustain their withered souls. With the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 on the way, they’ll be finding new ways to carve a brutal path through the galaxy. Fortunately, we have Matt Schuchman, a man who could teach an Archon a thing or two about tactics, on hand to show us how the Drukhari will play in the new edition. Who Are They? The Drukhari are fiercely intelligent piratical raiders who feed upon anguish to stave off the slow death of their souls. This is the only way that they can escape their fated doom following the Fall of the Aeldari race. They epitomise everything wanton and cruel about the ancient Aeldari from which they are descended. They are tall, lithe, and fight with supernatural grace. Above all else, the Drukhari are arrogant, completely convinced of their superiority over the lesser races of the galaxy. How They Play in the New Edition We’re now going to hand you over to Matt Schuchman, one of the world’s foremost Aeldari experts and winner of countless Grand Tournaments. Pray that he does take you alive, because you could learn a lot from him about Warhammer 40,000. Matt: Drukhari are set to be a really great Faction to play in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. The most striking improvement is to the little utilised Raiding Force rule. As a reminder, it gives your army four extra Command points if you include at least three Patrol Detachments. Combined with having your Warlord in one of these Detachments, you get the flexibility of taking up to three Patrol Detachments while still getting the maximum number of Command points. Vehicles are also going to be very powerful in the new edition. This is great for Drukhari, as most armies will already feature vehicles heavily. Aircraft will no longer run into issues with having their movements blocked off by ground units and will be able to move back onto the board if you do choose to have them leave. Another huge improvement is that many Drukhari weapons are around the 36-inch range band, and with a smaller board size you will have an easy time keeping your guns in range. As with all Factions, Drukhari forces will need a few tweaks due to the increases in points values. However, Drukhari are in a unique place whereby many of the popular army builds in the current edition will translate into powerful armies in the new edition. Just keep in mind that the Drukhari excel at lightning-fast early-game pressure – continue with those kinds of strategies and I think you’ll do well in the new edition. Key Units With so many ways to build your Drukhari army, from Kabals to Wych Cults to Haemonculus Covens, there are a lot of potential units to select from. Let’s see what Matt recommends. Reavers Matt: With the smaller board sizes, the superior speed and large amount of mid-range firepower they can put out will really help Drukhari forces to claim victory. Utilising a mixed force, such as a Wych Cult and a Kabal, will allow you to combine quick-moving close combat units like Reavers, who can quickly engage enemies, whilst your Kabal vehicles sit back in the mid-board laying down suppressing fire. Wyches Matt: With changes to how terrain works, using things like a vehicle-heavy Kabal of the Flayed Skull Detachment, who naturally ignore the saving throw benefits of cover, will be really powerful. Another tactic to keep in mind is that, with the addition of the Desperate Breakout Stratagem, units like Wyches with their No Escape rule to prevent units from falling back will be even more important if you need to lock things up in combat. Thanks, Matt! We’ve also got a recommendation of our own to share. Razorwing Jetfighter Take advantage of the new Aircraft rules with the deadly Razorwing Jetfighter. It can easily keep up with your lightning-fast realspace raids and will see you dominate the airspace over any battlefield. That’s just a taste of the terror that the Drukhari will be bringing to the new edition. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/26/faction-focus-drukharigw-homepage-post-4fw-homepage-post-4/ Imperial knights Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Imperial Knights We hope you’re sitting comfortably in your Throne Mechanicum, because in today’s Faction Focus, we’re taking a look at the Imperial Knights! Yet we do not do so alone, for we are guided by the neural echo of our Knight suit’s former pilot, Jason Lippert. Let the klaxons blare and sound the charge, for the glory of the Omnissiah! Who Are They? The Imperial Knights are arguably the Imperium’s oldest institution. In fact, they pre-date the Imperium’s founding by many thousands of years and can trace their history back to the time when Mankind first set forth across the stars from the cradle of Humanity in great exploration fleets. Many of these voyagers bore with them highly advanced Standard Template Construct technology, enabling the nascent civilizations to adapt to whatever environments they encountered on each new world they settled. The Knight suits were one such innovation for providing the means for the settlers to carve out a living and protect themselves from the myriad horrors of the galaxy. During the Great Crusade, many Knight worlds were rediscovered – each a unique legacy of the ancient explorers who had first settled there. Their feudal societies were dominated by noble families who piloted enormous, armoured Knight suits bristling with upscaled guns and melee weapons, and they soon proved themselves to be an invaluable military asset to the crusading forces. A single Knight holds the power to turn the outcome of a battle on its head; a banner of them can destroy an entire army in a matter of minutes. How They Play in the New Edition For the technical bit, we’ll hand you over to playtester Jason Lippert who, as well as being one of the game’s longest-serving playtesters, is also the head judge for the Warhammer 40,000 events at AdeptiCon, no less! Jason: There are two ways in which you can field Lords of War units such as Imperial Knights – either as a Super-heavy Detachment of 3-5 Knights, or singly as part of a Super-heavy Auxiliary Detachment (usually as an allied Detachment). Even though it may at first seem expensive (as Titanic units, it will cost 6 Command points to include a Super-heavy Detachment of Imperial Knights), it’s possible to get those CPs refunded, like the ‘core’ Patrol, Battalion and Brigade Detachments.* When playing a pure Knight army, I look forward to putting some or all of my Armigers into Strategic Reserves, balancing the opportunity for them to arrive in a prime position with the risk of the optimal flank being blocked off by a canny opponent. Or, I might put a key Knight into Strategic Reserves to shield it from a potential ‘alpha strike’** and give it better targets and positioning once the battle has developed. In terms of mission strategy, I’ll continue to take the straightforward ‘scorched earth’ approach to winning games, pressuring opponents early and keeping their chances of scoring victory points to a minimum. However, if you’re looking to contest the objectives directly, you may want to consider including some allies. Thankfully, all of the factions from the Imperium of Man will be solid allies for a three Knight army list. Astra Militarum and Adeptus Mechanicus Detachments will want to be mounted in transports to add a layer of protection against all the Blast weapons sure to be shooting up the place. For Adeptus Astartes Detachments, you’ll want to go with multiple small units and may also want to include at least one Drop Pod, because establishing and skirting board denial will go a long way to determining which player is able to control scoring opportunities on the primary objective. In terms of which knightly house to go for, I think House Raven will be a great choice in the new edition. In addition to gaining access to their exclusive Order of Companions Stratagem, the reduced minimum size of the battlefield and the introduction of terrain you can’t shoot through means that the speed boost offered by their Relentless Advance ability will really come into its own. Key Wargear Thanks, Jason! The various patterns of each class of Imperial Knight have a lot in common, so rather than pick out some key units, we’ve decided to focus on their best wargear load-outs instead. Rapid-fire Battle Cannon The staple of Knights Paladin across the galaxy, the rapid-fire battle cannon has the range to comfortably engage foes almost anywhere on the battlefield and benefits enormously from the upgrade to Blast weapons. It’s time to get trigger happy! But with battle cannon shells! Thermal Cannon Whether you prefer it as the primary ranged weapon on a Knight Errant or one of two arm-mounted cannons on a Knight Crusader, a thermal cannon will make for an exceptional weapon to bring to bear when arriving from Strategic Reserves. Not only can it vaporise armoured targets with impunity, but its Blast weapon status means you can just as readily sear a host of enemy Infantry into a pile of slag! Traitor’s Pyre If you have a Questoris Imperialis Knight Valiant, make sure you upgrade its conflagration cannon to the Relic equivalent, Traitor’s Pyre. Now that your towering Knight suit will be able to open fire upon enemies within Engagement Range, you can get your flame on even more often with all those beautiful re-rolls to wound! How are you planning to lead the charge with your banner of Imperial Knights in the new edition? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * We’ll have more on the specifics of this in tomorrow’s Faction Focus for the dreaded Chaos Knights!** ‘Alpha strike’ refers to armies that include multiple units that are able to strike hard and fast in the first one or two battle rounds, often with the intention of eliminating their opponent’s most powerful units before they can respond. It’s a high-risk strategy, but it can produce a solid lead early in the game. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/27/faction-focus-imperial-knights/ Chaos Knights Révélation https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/28/faction-focus-chaos-knights/ Genestealer Cults Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Genestealer Cults It’s time to look in those dark corners where sane people fear to tread as we examine how the Genestealer Cults will be praising the Star Children in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. Joining us is our very own Mike Brandt, rumoured to be a fourth-generation Hybrid himself. Who Are They? The Genestealer Cults represent a parasitic infection of mind, body and soul that eats away at the heart of the Imperium. On an untold number of worlds, they wait for the glorious day when they begin their uprising. Then, fast-moving saboteurs shatter the supply lines of those who would oppose them, hidden agents assassinate key commanders, and routes of escape are cut off by demolition crews and industrial mining teams. As the cult unleashes the abhorrent alien monstrosities that act as its shock troops, the enemy is already surrounded, stranded and ripe for a slaughter that has been generations in the making. How They Play in the New Edition To guide you through the stages of planning your uprising, we have Mike Brandt – newly minted champion of Warhammer events, one of the playtesters for the new edition and Patriarch of many Genestealer Cults rebellions. Mike: First off, army building is a bit easier for the Genestealer Cults. The ability to flexibly add Astra Militarum and a large number of units (both big and small) within a single Detachment is a huge advantage since it guarantees you the full 12 starting Command points. This, combined with the extra Command point per turn, means that over the standard* new edition game length of 5 battle rounds, you’ll have at least 17 in a game. Various unique Genestealer Cults abilities, such as the Nexos’ Strategic Coordinator rule, can also add Command points during play, so feel free to add a second Detachment. A pair of Patrol Detachments works really well, netting a starting total of 10 Command points, and allow you to add in some extra Cult Stratagems or benefits. Even better for Genestealer Cults is that, unlike the Strategic Reserves rules, their Cult Ambush ability doesn’t cost any Command points. Sneaky! Wrapping units in combat** will be a little harder than it currently is. Hence, you’ll need to be clever, making sure to snag more than one enemy unit by taking advantage of our many ways to get up close and personal. Careful positioning of your forces when they arrive from reinforcements and clever use of Stratagems, such as A Perfect Ambush, before declaring charges will be crucial. Furthermore, the changes to Morale make it actually a little safer to keep some scoring units further away from the protection of Sacred Cult Banners or a Patriarch’s Living Idol ability. Instead of an entire unit dying on a bad failed Morale test, the new Combat Attrition rules create a more graduated leadership mechanic – as units take damage, they tend to crumble slowly rather than either auto-passing via special rules or completely disappearing once you’ve suffered a certain number of casualties. This is a good thing, as spare cult units hiding on objectives can survive taking 5 or 6 casualties from indirect fire weapons with a couple of them still standing. This also means you can keep your Characters a little more closely connected to friendly units, taking advantage of the new Look Out, Sir! rule, since they don’t need to stretch their auras as liberally. Genestealer Cults can make the game into a claustrophobic affair, with sneak attacks and ambushes a core part of their playstyle. They also have access to a large number of distinct units in any given army build. That makes them very capable when it comes to executing Shadow Operations, the new action-mechanic-based secondary mission criteria. Missions like Raise the Banners High cater expertly to the board control-centric, unit-heavy Genestealer Cults. It’s possible to pressure enemy units away from objectives AND dedicate small, expendable units to actions without wasting the turns of your heavier hitters on it. I’ve always imagined the Genestealer Cults had deeper and more sinister plans in mind than mere open combat. I love the idea of their real plan being sneaky actions, psychic rituals, or similar events happening out of sight while you’re struggling to kill their fanatical cultists! Actions are a new type of ability in Warhammer 40,000 that represent something that your warriors must accomplish in order to achieve victory. They can vary from searching for missing archeotech or activating a series of power generators, to completing a blasphemous ritual to the Dark Gods. Key Units Let’s hand you back over to Mike to learn more about which units are going to be crucial to your uprisings in the new edition. The Kellermorph Mike: While many GSC units will still be exceptional in the new edition, I can’t wait to put more work into the Kelermorph. Already a strong unit, a critical new change to the game’s Coherency rules will make them amazing once again in combination with the Lying in Wait Stratagem. No more will long convoluted chains of Imperial Guard squads or Gretchin mobs cover the entirety of a player’s backfield. These rules mean that squads operate more like coherent formations in the game. As a result, it’s a lot harder to perfectly screen out every last inch of your board from the 3” arrival zone enabled by Lying in Wait, and the Kelermorph can once again get super sneaky and hunt backfield units or Characters with prototypical impunity. Goliath Truck Mike: Genestealer Cults Transports, such as the GoliathTruck, are able to get up close, deal serious damage in melee, and shoot some solid weaponry into any enemy unit trying to tie them down. Currently, if an enemy is wrapping your vehicle, you lose your deadly combat unit when the vehicle is destroyed. However, with the new Emergency Disembarkation Core Stratagem, you can safely wait for just the right time to pile a load of Aberrants or other hard-hitters out of their Transport.*** Thanks, Mike! We’re sure that the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 will see Genestealer Cults springing up all across the galaxy. Join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to let us know how you’re preparing your rebellions using #New40K. * In as much as an epic battle in the 41st Millennium could ever be considered to be “standard”.** This is where you surround an enemy unit with your own models so that there aren’t any gaps for them to slip through and escape.*** Emergency exits are located at the front and rear of the vehicle. Please exit in an orderly fashion. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/29/faction-focus-genestealer-cults/ Grey Knights Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Grey Knights Behold the Emperor’s Gift, as today’s Faction Focus stars the indomitable Grey Knights. Advising us in all things Daemon-slaying is playtester and honorary Purifier Jesse Sell, who will be discussing how to bring the Emperor’s judgement upon those who consort with the dread powers of the warp in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. Ready your Nemesis weapon of choice and prepare to purge some neverborn! Who Are They? The Grey Knights were founded in secrecy to be the bane of Daemons. From their hidden moon of Titan, they are trained harder and more strictly than any other Chapter of Space Marines, for they must face the deadliest foes of Mankind in battle time and again, often against seemingly impossible odds. What’s more, the Grey Knights recruit exclusively from psykers, so must be adamantium in mind as well as body. Though the ferocity of this training leads to an appalling fatality rate among its aspirants, its effectiveness is beyond reproach, for not a single Grey Knight has ever fallen from grace and given in to the temptations of the Dark Gods. The Grey Knights are clad in power armour laced with a psychic matrix called an aegis, which helps to protect them against the perils of warp-born sorcery. They wield deadly Nemesis weapons, individually crafted for each warrior to help them channel their own psychic abilities into devastating attacks that tear their targets apart from within. The Grey Knights also learn to wield their powers as one, with each squad forming a deadly brotherhood of Space Marine psykers that can blast their foes with righteous flame or augment their formidable physical abilities further still. Though few in number, they are the Imperium’s only true hope against the dark powers of the warp. How They Play in the New Edition Playtester and tournament veteran Jesse Sell has been deep in prayer, psychically communing with the Emperor for guidance on how to dominate the battlefield of the 41st Millennium with the Grey Knights in the new edition. Here’s what was revealed to him. Jesse: Hi all! Jesse here, one of the Warhammer 40,000 playtesters from sunny California. Grey Knights have been a favourite of mine for a long time – participating in every phase of the game means more fun out of every turn. You should expect to see plenty of Grey Knights armies at your local events since they’re super-strong coming into the new edition. There are plenty of ways to play Grey Knights, and they’ve improved in every area! The change to army composition and Command points does so many favours for the Grey Knights that your head will likely be spinning from the possibilities, as they have one of the strongest sets of Stratagems available to any army. This would often lead to the first couple of turns eating up most of your CPs, but with the new baseline of 12 CPs in Strike Force games and the stellar Troops options for the Grey Knights, you’ll be able to keep the pressure up for the whole game! The ability to participate in every phase of the game means you pay a premium in points for your Grey Knights, so it’s essential to make use of every unit diligently. Misplacing a squad or vehicle means you’ve wasted a much larger portion of your force than those of your opponents. Keep in mind that almost every unit you field should be casting a power, shooting, and fighting, so position them accordingly. In that same vein, pick your targets wisely. Sending your Grand Master into a swarm of cultists certainly looks cool, but won’t get the job done – not when your Strike Squad can mow them down in a hail of storm bolter fire instead. Strong Grey Knights lists will rely on solid positioning and overlapping buffs from Litanies of Purity and psychic powers. Your Characters are each terrifyingly efficient in combat and will help you hold any spot on the board you’ve claimed. However, it’s important to coordinate the abilities of your units appropriately to make sure you get the most out of them and to avoid giving easy kills to your opponent. With half of your powerful psychic powers being exclusive to Characters, it’s even more important to have the right number to support your strategy. With the right buffs at the right time, you can turn a strong unit like Terminators or Paladins into an immovable force. Key Units Looks like the Grey Knights are well prepared for the new edition, then! However, if you’re after some guidance on which units to add to your collection in readiness to purge some Daemons, here are our top picks. Paladins Jesse: Paladins are great for serving as the buffed-up anvil for your army while your Strike Squads or Interceptors nimbly engage or contest far-flung enemy units and objectives. Their 3 Wounds really take the edge off those ever-popular 2-Damage weapons, and you can limit their impact even further with the Redoubtable Defence Stratagem. I’ve found my opponents are constantly surprised by the amount of effort it takes to bring down a Paladin unit. Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight Jesse: These guys have always been amazing, but remember your Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight can now move and fire without penalty, and he won’t need to Fall Back to make use of his expensive heavy weaponry. And if you want to really dish out some pain, you can give him an extra Attack and loads more re-rolls with the Overwhelming Assault Stratagem! Grand Master Voldus As Jesse mentioned earlier, the most powerful of the psychic powers available to the Grey Knights are only available to their Characters. Grand Master Voldus can attempt to manifest three of these powers in each of your Psychic phases (with a +1 bonus to the psychic test after the first if you activate Empyric Surge), so if you’ll never be short of options with him in your army! Thanks, Jesse! What are your favourite units with which to bring the wrath of the Grey Knights upon your enemies? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/30/faction-focus-grey-knights/ Thousand Sons Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Thousand Sons All may be dust – but that shouldn’t get in the way of righteously kicking face in the name of Tzeentch, Magnus and the Long War! If you’re a true follower of Tzeentch, you’ll know that all change is good – indeed, playtester Justin Curtis has all sorts of good news and tactical tips for you! Who Are They? The Thousand Sons are the chosen Chaos Space Marines of Tzeentch, the God of Magic and Change. Once, they were a learned brethren of sorcerers and psykers, every man a scholar and a warrior both. However, in an attempt to reverse the rampant mutations that blighted their Legion, the mage known as Ahriman damned his kin forever, transforming all but the most potent psykers into mindless dust trapped in power armour. Now, across the galaxy, ancient Thousand Sons Sorcerers lead warbands of automata-like Rubric Marines in search of knowledge and revenge, unleashing sanity-shattering powers and annihilating their foes in hails of warp-blessed ammunition. How They Play in the New Edition You may remember Justin from our Chaos Space Marines Faction Focus; to refresh your memory, he’s both a playtester who helps balance the game and a top-tier tournament player. Justin: I was asked to help shed some light on how things will be changing for Thousand Sons in the new edition, so here are some highlights for my fellow Sorcerers to look forward to. First off, they’ve designed a whole new secondary objective archetype just for us! Though the Aeldari, Tyranids and even certain Librarians may disagree with this statement, we’re definitely one of the best-positioned armies to make use of the new psychic actions mechanic. Traditionally, our models interact with the game almost entirely by shooting or punching (or Smiting) each other – the actions mechanic has been introduced to allow a more thematic means for armies to interact with each other or with the battlefield itself. In game terms, this is usually expressed as a secondary objective – an action that can be performed to achieve victory points. Psychic actions can only be performed by Psykers, and this means there’s a direct means for Thousand Sons players to influence the outcome of the game via their mastery of the Psychic phase. Psychic Actions and Secondary Objectives While we’re here, now’s a great time to check in on psychic actions and how they interact with your battles. Justin was right to be very excited about these – Psyker-heavy armies have three rather excellent secondary objectives to choose from in their matched play battles, giving you plenty of ways to score some all-important victory points. Take Mental Interrogation – your front-line Psykers will be able to score you points, presumably representing knowledge torn from the minds of the unwilling! Even if it doesn’t secure you victory, it is a great excuse to do an extremely evil laugh. Cool, eh? Back to Justin for more tips… Justin: Here’s another big one! Have you ever watched our dear Primarch get blasted off the table before he even gets an opportunity to protect himself? Well, the return of the Strategic Reserves mechanic ensures that you can keep Magnus safe when necessary and be certain he’ll get a chance to act before anyone gets to point any heavy weaponry in his direction. While there is a price to be paid for making use of Strategic Reserves, I think we can agree that it’ll be well worth it in cases where it helps Magnus live. Justin: This edition presents some new challenges and opportunities now that Psykers can no longer manifest powers after Falling Back. While not as concerning to us as it may be to some – after all, a Daemon Prince can handle itself in combat, and the Black Staff of Ahriman isn’t just for show – it’s important to know that you’ll need to properly protect your Characters when the need for their powers outweighs their ability to scrap. If you don’t think your Sorcerers are up for the fight, you’ll want them safely behind a line of devoted bodyguards to ensure your Psychic phase isn’t disrupted. Key Units Justin has a few units he’d recommend (as do we!), starting with… Scarab Occult Terminators Justin: Speaking of bodyguards – the way Characters are protected in the Shooting phase is changing, and you’ll need to respond to enemy attempts to punch through your lines and attack your Psykers. As mobility isn’t exactly a strength of the Rubricae, I’d highly recommend a unit or two of Rubric Marines or Scarab Occult Terminators from the Cult of Duplicity. Sorcerous Façade is a great means to reposition these slow-moving but resilient minions to protect your own Characters… or make an attempt at assassinating your foe’s favourite hero. Magnus the Red Of course, every Thousand Sons army will want to at least consider taking Magnus – but what if you don’t want to pay the Command points for an Auxiliary Detachment? Well, good news – thanks to the Supreme Command Detachment, you won’t have to! The Supreme Command Detachment ensures that adding some of the 41st Millennium’s most legendary commanders to your army doesn’t penalise you on Command points – after all, Roboute Guilliman, Mortarion and Magnus the Red were all supreme tacticians! This Detachment is the perfect way to add Magnus to a Thousand Sons force, refunding you for a single Brigade, Battalion or Patrol Detachment. Will YOU be playing Thousand Sons in the new edition? Excited by psychic actions? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/01/faction-focus-thousand-sons/ Harlequins Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Harlequins We hope that you’ve been practising your acrobatics because it’s time to take a look at the Harlequins of the Laughing God. Once again, we’re joined by the Aeldari expert, Matt Schuchman, to help your army get top marks both on the dancefloor and the battlefield. Who Are They? The Harlequins are the most enigmatic of all the Aeldari factions. They are warrior acrobats – battlefield performers who make no distinction between war and art. Their breathtaking feats of agility and violence make them the terror of all those they face. Using the hidden paths of the webway, the masques of the Harlequins strike without warning and kill without mercy. Wreathed in fractal illusion, supported by nimble jetbikes and deadly skimmers, the Harlequins unleash war upon their enemies before the foe has time to grasp that the battle has even begun. How They Play in the New Edition We’ll now hand you over to Matt Schuchman, part of the playtesting team for Warhammer 40,000 and regular at the big US tournaments, where he’s nearly always found on the top tables. Matt: In the new edition, Harlequins gain a huge amount of independence from their fellow Aeldari Factions – they can work both as an allied force and as a fully functioning army on their own. Every unit in the book has high mobility and will be able to take advantage of the smaller minimum board sizes in the new edition, as well as the updated terrain rules. Skyweavers with their haywire cannons (these are now Blast weapons) will not only continue to be amazing at dealing with enemy vehicles but will also perform fantastically at clearing large screening units. Playing Harlequins in the new edition is going to be even more of a treat. You’ll be able to skip* the process of filling out multiple Detachments in order to maximize Command points. This means that you can spend more of your points on units that you really want to take. Harlequins don’t really need many HQs to perform well, so you’ll rarely need to go beyond a single Battalion Detachment. In fact, there will be cases where you can easily build a full army with just a single Patrol Detachment. I personally like to field a Patrol Detachment based around Skyweaver Jetbikes and a Solitaire. The speed and power of the Skyweavers is incredible, and such a Detachment can easily be allied to a Craftworld, Drukhari or Ynnari force. Most Harlequin firepower has a range of 24 inches and, given the smaller board sizes and their high Movement characteristics, you’ll be able to apply the full force of your shooting wherever it’s needed. It will be nearly impossible for your opponent to stay out of range, and having the ability to fly or ignore most terrain with your flip belts will allow you to easily maintain line of sight to enemy units. Key Units Codex: Harlequins may only feature a small selection of units, but they are all deadly. To see which ones will benefit you most in the new edition, we’re going back to Matt. Shadowseers Matt: One of my favourite tactics is taking a list that includes a Shadowseer to cast Twilight Pathways on a full Skyweaver unit. This allows them to move twice for a maximum base movement of 32 inches. This really lets them get almost anywhere on the board for some great early-game pressure. Voidweavers Matt: Another unit that I expect to see more of is the Voidweaver. The two main weapon choices (the prismatic cannon and the haywire cannon) are both now Blast weapons, which gives this unit a more reliable damage output. With a 4+ invulnerable save, a natural -1 to enemy hit rolls in the Shooting phase, and a 16-inch Move characteristic on top of these weapon upgrades, the Voidweaver will prove very popular. Thanks, Matt! The Harlequins will be dancing their way into the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 soon. Join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to let us know how you’ll be fielding the warriors of the Laughing God and don’t forget to tag your posts with #New40K. * Or acrobatically manoeuvre around. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/02/faction-focus-harlequins/ Dark Angels Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Dark Angels It’s time for a Faction Focus on some of our favourite robed Space Marines, the Dark Angels! To aid us in finding out what the Dark Angels have locked away for the new edition, we’re joined by playtester Jesse Sell. But first, let’s see just what the sons of the Lion are about. Who Are They? The Dark Angels are the most insular of all the Space Marines. Though a noble and storied Chapter, their deeds are ever tainted by a secret, treacherous past when nearly half their original Legion turned traitor during the Horus Heresy.* This indelible slight upon their honour will only be cleansed once all of these Fallen have been killed or broken by the Interrogator-Chaplains. To that end, the Dark Angels maintain two bespoke Companies with which to hunt their ancient, perfidious kin: the bike-mounted Ravenwing and the Chapter’s mighty inner circle, the Deathwing. Whether in battle with the Fallen or against those who would foolishly seek to deny the sons of the Lion their prize, the Dark Angels are implacable foes, whose discipline and battle craft are of the very highest calibre, even among the Adeptus Astartes. How They Play in the New Edition For this bit, we’ll hand you over to playtester and gaming guru Jesse Sell, who has the scoop on how the Dark Angels will be looking to purge their enemies in the new edition… Jesse: Hi all, Jesse here, one of the Warhammer 40,000 playtesters from sunny California with a Dark Angels preview for the new edition! Whenever I’m feeling a bit chaotic, I like to calm down with some completely and totally loyal Dark Angels. Now that the new edition is almost here, let’s see what you’ll be proving your unerring devotion to the Emperor with! Many Dark Angels players can get trapped by playing too aggressively and overestimating the survivability of their force. With your expensive units or Flyers in particular, you need to be conscious of positioning and to make sure you don’t get caught out when taking advantage of your fun and potentially devastating Stratagems, such as Combined Assault. With the new cap to hit modifiers, your Darkshroud gives your whole force the best level of defence it can have to blunt overly aggressive forces. Utilise the speed and resilience of your Ravenwing and pick your targets carefully, then drop the hammer with your Deathwing units by Teleport Strike. It’s tough to pin down a Dark Angels force, as they’ve got more flexibility and manoeuvrability than many armies out there. Keep in mind that playing the mission is more important than destroying your opponent’s force. To make sure you’re doing that, use your fast units to provide advantageous positioning and corral your opponent while your slower, hardier units get into position to hold objectives or perform actions. However, if you’re looking to dominate the field with stalwart, lethal units, you’ll be bringing plenty of Deathwing Knights and Ravenwing Black Knights. With Combined Assault, you can use your Ravenwing units to position a Deathwing unit where it’s most dangerous. Both units are quite hard to kill while putting out a serious amount of damage. Coupled with a Chaplain’s litanies, you can mitigate your losses from supercharged plasma weaponry or give yourself insanely high odds to make that all-important Morale check. Key Units Jesse also has some ideas on a few essential units that will likely play crucial roles in Dark Angels armies in the new edition… Ravenwing Talonmaster Jesse: Ravenwing Talonmasters went from scary to outright terrifying. With the ability to move and shoot without penalty, along with firing their weapons in close combat, this already deadly unit just got some staying power over multiple rounds of combat! The Talonmaster’s two aura abilities also make it a formidable force multiplier for nearby Ravenwing units. I like upgrading one of my Talonmasters to wield a Heavenfall Blade as well for some considerable added punch. Ravenwing Dark Talon Jesse: One of the staples of Ravenwing lists is their iconic aircraft, the Dark Talon. With the ability to fly off the board and return later as Strategic Reserves, you can leave straight away, saving Command points while keeping it handy for later in the game, where it can swoop into battle and bring its deadly rift cannon (which is now a Blast weapon!) to bear. Deathwing Knights As Jesse mentioned, if you’re looking for a Dark Angels unit to wreck face, no questions asked, accept nothing less than the Deathwing Knights to get the job done. Not only can they teleport right where you need them, but they come with storm shields for unyielding protection and some brutally effective melee weapons that are unique to their order. Thanks again, Jesse! How are you planning to hunt the Fallen in the new edition? For those of you Dark Angels fans looking to order Indomitus on the 11th, we can confirm that the Outriders will be able to gain the ‘Ravenwing’ keyword and the Bladeguard Veterans are fully inducted members of the Deathwing. Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * Which half is still a matter of some debate among fans. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/03/faction-focus-dark-angels/ Adeptus Custodes Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Adeptus Custodes The Imperium’s most elite warriors really shine in the new edition, and not just because of their gleaming auramite armour. We’re here with Adeptus Custodes superfan and honorary Shield-Captain Brian Pullen to share some thoughts about how they’ll perform. Who Are They? The Adeptus Custodes are the personal bodyguard of the Emperor of Mankind, and they represent the pinnacle of His gene-craft. Each warrior is a work of art – pure of body and soul, equipped with beautifully wrought armour and artificer weaponry forged specifically for each individual, and trained from birth as masters of the arts of war. Each Custodian is the equal of the very mightiest heroes of the Imperium, and though their primary duty is to defend the Golden Throne on Holy Terra, when their Shield Companies are mustered for open war, they are nigh unstoppable. How They Play in the New Edition Everything you love about the Adeptus Custodes is still here – they still have a low model count, though each one hits like a ton of golden bricks, and they still have access to strong Stratagems, and more. Brian Pullen, Grand Tournament winner and member of the playtesting team, shares some of the reasons he’s so excited about their bright future. Brian: The Adeptus Custodes are one of the most improved armies in the new edition. They’ve always had one of the most impressive collections of Stratagems, but now they have enough Command points to put them all to use! With clever army building and a bit of luck, you may easily find yourself with over 20 CPs during a game – more than double what most Adeptus Custodes players are used to. The new missions work really well for the Adeptus Custodes as well. Many of them offer fewer opportunities to score points in the first turn, giving your forces time to get in place – and into optimal range for their weapons. Much of the game will revolve around controlling central objectives, forcing your opponents to come to you, which is just where the Adeptus Custodes want them. Of course, since almost the entire army has Objective Secured* and is super durable, you’ll hold those objectives better than anyone else in the game. Vehicles and monsters are generally stronger in the new edition, so to combat this, the Adeptus Custodes need to make good use of terrain – and storm shields, of course! The new edition offers much more nuanced terrain rules with more ways to keep your units safe. A good example is the new Dense Cover rule, which applies to things like woods and industrial structures, giving your enemies -1 to hit your units. With more CPs at your disposal, it’s easy to hold back your most important units in Strategic Reserves or drop them in right where they’re needed using the Vexilla Teleport Homer Stratagem. At 3CP, this used to be an ability you could do once per game, but now you can afford it a few times! It’s tough for Adeptus Custodes armies to take advantage of the new Look Out, Sir! rule, since most units start with just three models. However, this can be remedied with – you guessed it – the liberal expenditure of your Command points. Simply give multiple Shield-Captains Warlord Traits, Relics, give one of them the Victor of the Blood Games Stratagem, and even upgrade one to a Commander. With all those buffs, your opponents won’t even bother shooting at them… maybe. You’ll want to rush your warriors to the centre of the board and secure the objectives as quickly as possible. You should also use terrain to help increase their durability against heavy shooting armies. Keep a few of your strongest units in reserve and look for opportunities to deep strike in. Use the Vexilla Teleport Homer to put them exactly where you want them or the new Golden Light of the Moiraides Stratagem to improve your charge and get stuck in! Key Units The Adeptus Custodes have fewer options than many other armies, but every unit is a powerhouse, and there’s not a bad choice among them. However, Brian had a couple of strong recommendations to pass on, based on his experiences. Allarus Custodians Brian: Allarus Custodians are the standout unit and the backbone of the army. I would never leave Terra without at least a unit of six. Between the powerful Stratagems that increase their durability, their game-winning ability to deep strike reliably into combat, and abilities that allow them to target Characters, they’re an obvious pick. Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought With the ability to move and shoot without penalty, plus shoot whilst in Engagement Range, Dreadnoughts are more deadly than ever. Psychic Awakening: War of the Spider also gave Dreadnoughts two new Stratagems to make them even harder to put down, and hit even more destructive in melee. What About the Sisters of Silence? These witch-hunting psychic nulls are often found alongside Adeptus Custodes forces as the other half of the Talons of the Emperor, and that easy alliance remains a key element of army-building in the next edition. You can include units of Sisters of Silence without invalidating your army-wide bonuses, and their unique abilities are a natural complement to your Custodes units. The already-impressive Talons of the Emperor are even sharper in the new edition, as now you have plenty of Command points to utilise the wealth of Stratagems at your disposal. Will you command the elite of the elite and bring the fight to the enemies of the Imperium in the new edition? Let us know what you think about them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and show us any Talons of the Emperor you’ve been working on with #WarhammerCommunity. * This is the catch-all term for abilities like Sworn Guardians. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/05/faction-focus-adeptus-custodes/ Deathwatch Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Deathwatch The Deathwatch may be well versed in forming kill teams of highly skilled warriors, but to make sure you’re ready to do the same in the new edition, our Faction Focus is here to give you a helping hand! What’s more, we’re joined by Watch Master Mitch Pelham, who will be using his wealth of experience to guide us through the ins, outs and do-you-mind-if-I-don’ts of the Deathwatch. Let’s get cracking. Who Are They? The Deathwatch are peerless hunters of the myriad alien threats that beset the Imperium from without or within. Though some volunteer especially, most Deathwatch warriors are handpicked from their parent Space Marine Chapter for their skill, experience and aptitude for slaying xenos wherever they may be found. The Deathwatch are armed with the finest equipment and wargear – often surpassing even that available to their former battle-brothers – for they must seek out some of the deadliest threats to the Imperium and destroy them before they can fester and take root. How They Play in the New Edition To lead the charge on this bit, we’ve borrowed Las Vegas Open judge and recent Grand Tournament winner Mitch Pelham – he knows his Deathwatch Doctrines from D-V,* so he’s well placed to give us some xenos-purging pointers. Mitch: So what’s been improved by the edition for ‘the boys in black’? Well, let’s begin with what might be the most important change to the game – battlefield size. With the minimum size of a Strike Force game going down to a 60″x44″ board, the mainstay gun of the Deathwatch kill team, namely the storm bolter, gets even more deadly. Let’s also not forget that, with many armies now having access to ways of ignoring AP -1 modifiers (or AP -2 if you’re playing against Adepta Sororitas of the Valorous Heart), Special Issue Ammunition and the Tactical Doctrine can turn your horde-mulching boltgun fire into an armor-shredding AP -2 and AP -3, which can easily bring down units relying on 2+ saves to survive. Combine that with your Deathwatch Veterans’ easy access to storm shields and you have one of the most versatile Troops units in the game. With the average battlefield and army sizes being slightly smaller in general for the new edition – and Deathwatch being an elite force by nature – we can expect our favourite xenos hunters to be fielded as compact strike forces of relatively few units. This means every Deathwatch unit you do field will be precious and need to have both a purpose and a plan for how they will be used. The name of the game with Deathwatch is dropping into the thick of the fighting. Between the new Strategic Reserves, new cover rules and the Teleportarium Stratagem, every game should start with identifying how you want to deploy your forces. Other tricks you can employ to protect your limited numbers include using the Tactical Flexibility Stratagem to make your 10-man kill teams into units of 5 at a moment’s notice should you face an enemy army packing loads of Blast weapons. You can also use Obscuring terrain to hide as many of your units as possible out of line of sight, then keep the rest of your forces in Strategic Reserves. This can force your opponent to play more defensively or risk opening up a flank or backfield opportunity for you to teleport into and lay waste to more vulnerable units or maybe even pick off one of their key Characters. I haven’t even gotten into the movement tricks you can pull off with teleport homers – suffice it to say that the Deathwatch are a force to be reckoned with heading into the new edition, so get out there and suffer not the alien to live! Key Units Before we go any further, it’s worth pointing out that the Deathwatch are set to gain access to ALL of the new units in the awesome Indomitus set.** So, if you’re looking to reinforce your consummate all-rounders with a core of deadly Primaris melee specialists, such as Bladeguard Veterans and Assault Intercessors, you’ll soon be good to go! In any case, here are a few units around which you’ll be able to build a powerful Deathwatch strike force in the new edition. Intercessors Mitch: A favourite tactic of mine is the Deathwatch Intercessor ‘Stalker Bomb’. This unit consists of 9 Intercessors armed with stalker bolt rifles and an Aggressor. The idea behind this combo is simple – use the Target Sighted Stratagem to pick out a Character or two with Special Issue Ammunition and Damage 2 weaponry. With the Aggressor there to negate the -1 penalty to hit should you need to move to line up the perfect shot, you can take down nearly any Character in the game! Corvus Blackstar The Corvus Blackstar can be an excellent option if you’re planning to stay out of the fight until you can get the jump on your opponent, as Mitch suggested. With its sizable transport capacity, you can fit a large squad and maybe even a Character or two within its hull. Simply fly off the battlefield in your first turn and return from Strategic Reserves exactly when and where you want them later in the battle without having to invest any CPs for the privilege! Watch Master Not only is the Watch Master one of the most stunning miniatures in the Deathwatch range, but he’s pretty handy in a fight. We don’t just mean his martial skill with his guardian spear either – his Watch Master ability grants your nearby units re-rolls on ALL their failed hit rolls, making him an awesome force multiplier. With the new maximum hit roll penalties of -1, this ability will be even more effective. Thanks, Mitch! How will you be forming your kill teams? Will you be adding the mighty new Primaris units from Indomitus? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * That’s Decapitation to Venator if you’re interested. They’ve purged so many alien species over the millennia that the Doctrines beginning with A, B, C, W, X, Y and Z are no longer needed.** No, not the Necron units (that would just be weird) – only the Space Marine ones! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/06/faction-focus-deathwatch/ Space Wolves Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Space Wolves Gather the pack and ready your frost axe as the Space Wolves are ready to be unleashed for the new edition! To help provide guidance on how to wield the mighty Sky Warriors in the Era Indomitus, we ventured far, seeking the counsel of a renowned skjald, Brad Chester, for his saga is long and his wisdom deep. Are you sitting comfortably, with a horn of mjød in hand? Very well. Then we will begin… Who Are They? The Space Wolves are a savage and fiercely loyal Chapter of Space Marines – traits inextricably linked to the ferocity of their home world of Fenris. They are taught to fight from a young age, for war is not just their peoples’ way of life, but their only means of survival. The death world of Fenris is among the most inhospitable of its kind, with long, cruel winters, brief yet bitterly hot summers and – worse still – it’s populated by many of the deadliest fauna and alpha predators in existence. Those who thrive within such a brutal environment make potential Adeptus Astartes recruits of a quality that is all but unrivalled in the Imperium. Should the aspirants survive the myriad trials and be found worthy of joining the ranks of the Space Wolves, they will live the Fenrisian warrior’s dream, earning a saga as a chosen champion of the Allfather in glorious wars all across the Sea of Stars. How They Play in the New Edition Given their nature, it’s a safe bet that the Space Wolves will rise to the challenge of a new edition with all the gusto and verve for which they’re famed. But to make sure your sons of Russ start off on the front foot, here’s some sage counsel from multi-time Grand Tournament winner and Team America stalwart Brad Chester.* Brad: Let’s talk about the Space Wolves and why you should be excited about them in the new edition or, as we’re calling it, “the best edition yet!” When I was asked what the members of the Rout should be looking forward to most in the new edition, I decided that the only way I could do it justice would be to answer it in the most Brad-esque manner possible… Basically, everything. I’m serious about this! Smaller average battlefield sizes means those pesky heretics have fewer places to hide, and you get your axes biting their flesh that much sooner. Wherever possible, consolidate into nearby enemy units, as they’ll either be forced to fire at you in the next Shooting phase (if they’re even able to at all!) or flee into the night. The new terrain rules are amazing, interactive, and a gift sent from Russ himself! Obscure and Dense terrain will shield you from long-range firepower, while Light Cover also offers a bonus to your save against ranged attacks. Even better, Heavy Cover will shield your units from the feeble attempts of your opponents to hurt you in melee… as if they had a chance! One thing to bear in mind is that you’ll no longer be able to declare charges against everything within 12″, fight twice with Honour the Chapter, then take advantage of consolidation to overcome your limited movement. For the love of the Primarch, you’re going to need to think ahead in the Movement phase. Be especially mindful when positioning your Characters so they can make a Heroic Intervention, as the heroes of the Space Wolves have the hitting power to turn almost any combat to your advantage. Setting up a high-probability charge, then ending your Consolidation move to engage units with a high volume of shots or damage output is a must. While Monsters and Vehicles may well be able to shoot in combat in the new edition, you can still dictate their target options. So throw that unit with a 2+ armour save and/or a solid invulnerable save into those pesky Dreadnoughts, tanks, and Monsters, and force their hand even as you activate Transhuman Physiology on the unit you made them shoot at. Meanwhile, the rest of your units can get busy earning those sweet, sweet victory points in your Command phase, as they’re safe and sound on the objectives they’ve secured. Board control and counter-charge is the name of the game with Space Wolves. There’s no need to expose yourself rushing forwards with no plan when the best play is to dominate the battlefield and use the terrain to your advantage. Once your position is secure, you can either set up charges or counter-charges as you see fit, while scoring points in every Command phase. Your Characters are heroes of legend, forging their own sagas for the skjalds to sing, so make sure you have a unit within 3″ to protect them. I made many errors in this area while playtesting the new edition, leaving my Characters out of position only for filthy heretics and xenos to take shots at them. Heed Old Man Brad’s advice and keep this at the forefront of your mind in the Movement phase – protect your heroes so they can go on to earn the glory they so rightfully deserve! Key Units If you’re looking to get your hands on the incredible Indomitus set on July 11th, we can officially confirm that your Primaris Lieutenant, as well as the awesome Bladeguard Veterans and Ancient, will all be picking up the Wolf Guard keyword. As such, they’ll fit seamlessly into the elite, hand-picked brotherhood of your Great Company. On that note, if you’ve been hungering for a mighty shield-bearing Jarl to lead your Primaris Space Wolves, look no further than the new Primaris Captain to fulfil that esteemed role! But in any case, are you wondering which units available to the fierce warriors of the Rout will prove their worth in the new edition? Well, we’ve had some thoughts on that too… Ragnar Blackmane Brad: Ragnar’s an absolute beast** with a whopping 10 Attacks on the charge, which turns into an average of 16 hits once you activate the Stratagem Touch of the Wild, and get exploding attacks on each hit roll of 4+. Ragnar can also ride in an Impulsor with a group of like-minded brethren such as Bladeguard Veterans to shield him from harm and make it all the more likely for him to get him into combat, where he belongs. Once he’s there, he’ll be cutting threads all over the place with his many, many Strength 6, -4 AP, Damage 2 Attacks. Finally, you need Ragnar in your army because his model is awesome! Wolf Lord with Thunder Hammer Brad: Another hot option is a swift-moving Wolf Lord wielding a thunder hammer and either riding a Thunderwolf or matching the ever-popular ‘Smash Captain’*** with a jump pack. He’s among the very best in this field – with the Hunters Unleashed Chapter Tactic granting him a bonus when charging into combat, he’s hitting on 2+, re-rolling 1s, making him arguably the most deadly thunder hammer wielder in the game. With access to the extra hits on 4+ from Touch of the Wild, he averages a healthy 8 hits on the charge! With a Strength 8, -3 AP weapon that does a flat 3 Damage. I’ll give you a minute because I’m assuming you’re running around the room flailing your arms in excitement right now… Wulfen Rightly feared as one of – if not THE – hardest-hitting melee squads in the game, a Wulfen murderpack is a veritable force of nature that leave nothing in their wake save the broken bodies of those unfortunate enough to be in their path. Their combination of brutal wargear and devastating profile means they’re equally at home tearing through a horde of Ork Boyz as they are sending a Chaos Knight crashing to the ground. In the new edition, you’ll be able to make ample use of the new Obscuring terrain rules and their Bounding Lope to dart from cover to cover before wrecking everything in your way in a brutal frenzy of destruction. If you’re worried about enemy Overwatch, consider pairing your Wulfen with a unit of Suppressors, whose Suppressing Fire ability can rob your opponent of their one chance to prevent their unit’s inevitable demise at the hands – or rather, claws – of the Wulfen. Citation Thanks, Brad! How will you be unleashing the fury of the Space Wolves upon the Allfather’s enemies? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * Brad’s name is actually (maybe) Fenrisian in origin and roughly translates as Beater of Foes.** He’s obviously taken a leaf out of Ghazghkull’s book!*** The popular nickname for a Space Marine Captain equipped with a thunder hammer and jump pack – a living missile if ever there was one! https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/07/faction-focus-space-wolves/ Agents of Imperium Révélation Citation Faction Focus: Agents of the Imperium If you’re a fan of the myriad branches of the Imperium’s military infrastructure, then today, you’re in for a treat! To guide us through the units available to the Agents of the Imperium and how they’ll operate in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, we’re welcoming the guidance of Adam Solis. Let’s see what we’re dealing with… Who Are They? The Imperium of Man includes many different institutions, from the largest, widely known military and bureaucratic wings to other smaller, more secretive and sinister organisations. Those who serve among the latter include feared lords of the Inquisition, eclectic Rogue Traders, and even expert killers of the Officio Assassinorum. Known collectively as the Agents of the Imperium, they serve Mankind through cunning, guile or, should the situation demand it, the full might of the Imperium’s military power. How They Play in the New Edition To help us better understand the many roles that can be performed by the Agents of the Imperium in the new edition, we sought out Las Vegas Open judge and US gaming guru Adam Solis for his guidance. Over to the man himself… Adam: In the new edition, your Agents of the Imperium will be able to do a lot more on the battlefield. The new actions mechanic will allow Inquisitors to perform other duties alongside bringing judgment to the enemies of the Emperor. Meanwhile, your Assassins will be able to use the new terrain rules to better take advantage of the battlefield to eliminate the Imperium’s enemies. With the changes to how you build a Battle-forged army, many players will be looking to retain as many Command points as possible, while making sure they don’t lose their Detachment’s Chapter Traits or Doctrines, etc. Fortunately, any Battle-forged Imperium army can include one Agent of the Imperium unit – either an Inquisitor or Assassin – in each Patrol, Battalion or Brigade Detachment without losing their powerful Faction abilities. If you want a larger force, you can include the wide variety of Inquisition units in a Vanguard Detachment, or add in an entire Execution Force if you’re aiming for EXTREME assassination! The Agents of the Imperium have a couple of neat tricks that you can utilise to mess with your opponent’s battleplans. First up is to take an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor with the Psychic Veil power, as it’s perfect for protecting your Ordo Xenos units. If you want to drain your opponent of Command points – and who doesn’t? – then the Callidus Assassin is for you. Her Reign of Confusion ability can cause your opponent to spend extra Command points early in the battle. This can deter your opponent from even playing a Stratagem just to save Command points! Key Units The Agents of the Imperium have a number of powerful and tricksy assets up their collective sleeves, but there are three in particular that Adam reckons will be excellent additions to almost any Imperium army… Vindicare Assassin Adam: The Vindicare Assassin’s ability to target Characters is invaluable, especially when considering the nature of many of the Purge the Enemy secondary objectives. They’re arguably the best of the four for taking advantage of the free Priority Threat Neutralised Stratagem (which earns you a Command point for assassinating a Character, or two in the case of a Warlord). But even should you feel that he’s the wrong Assassin for the job once you’ve seen your opponent’s army, you can simply switch him out for a better fit with the Shadow Assignment Stratagem. Inquisitor Greyfax Adam: Inquisitor Greyfax can ignore the Look Out, Sir rule when targeting enemy Psykers or Daemons, and her condemnor boltgun can even inflict extra Damage against her quarry – she’s called a Witch Hunter for a reason! Her ability to attempt to deny two psychic powers per turn is also very helpful when against a Psyker-heavy army. Acolytes Adam: This low-cost unit can have a huge impact in the game. Their Loyal Servant ability allows them to take a wound for nearby Inquisitors. This is especially useful for protecting your Inquisitors while they perform Actions. Thanks, Adam! How do you plan on using your Agents of the Imperium – as an army in their own right or allied assets to your wider collection? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/08/faction-focus-agents-of-the-imperium/ Blood Angels Révélation Citation 133 09 Jul 20 Faction Focus: Blood Angels Warhammer 40,000 is about to become a whole lot more stylish and well-groomed, as it’s time to see how the Blood Angels will be taking to the battlefield in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. Let’s crack on. Who Are They? The Blood Angels are the purest exemplars of what it means to be the Emperor’s Angels of Death. Upon wings of fire they descend into battle and tear the beating heart from those who would dare oppose the will of the Master of Mankind. Though noble and regal in appearance, having inherited elements of their Primarch’s beatific visage, they are fierce and terrible to behold once the battle fury is upon them, for a darkness lies within the heart of each of Sanguinius’ sons… A psychic imprint permanently tainted the gene-seed of the Blood Angels after their Primarch’s death at the hands of the Arch-Traitor Horus. Echoes of this ancestral memory can cause Blood Angels warriors to relive this traumatic moment on the eve of battle, sending them into a trance-like frenzy from which only Mephiston has shown the mental fortitude to emerge in their long history. As a mercy to those afflicted by this curse, they are gathered together to form the Death Company – a forlorn hope of black-armoured berserkers whose sole purpose is to channel their barely controlled rage into one last apocalyptic rampage into enemy lines. How They Play in the New Edition Many of the points made in the Space Wolves Faction Focus article will apply to assault-oriented Blood Angels armies in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. The smaller recommended battlefield sizes will lend themselves to forces getting stuck into each other, while the new terrain rules can be used to protect your small, valuable units from enemy weapons fire. Blood Angels benefit from a host of special rules when they make a charge, are charged or perform a Heroic Intervention – they receive 1 Attack from the Shock Assault ability common to all Adeptus Astartes and gain a +1 bonus to their wound rolls due to the Red Thirst ability. This is already a powerful combination, but when the Assault Doctrine is active (which it can be from the third battle round onwards), they also receive an extra Attack from their Savage Echoes ability too! Although the terrifying charge of the sons of Sanguinius is a majestic thing to behold (especially with a lot less Overwatch in the galaxy), it’s important to use the rules to your advantage rather than recklessly throw your Blood Angels into combat. For example, using Strategic Reserves will not only shelter your fiercest melee units from enemy firepower, but will also buy you time for the Assault Doctrine and Savage Echoes to kick in, so they’ll be at their ultra-violent best when they arrive on the battlefield. As some of the foremost Defenders of Mankind in terms of martial skill, your Blood Angels should be looking to make the most of Heroic Interventions once the enemy charges in… It’s worth noting that those who perform Heroic Interventions can now be targeted in the ensuing Fight phase, but can an intervention truly be said to be heroic if there isn’t a little danger? The Unbridled Ardour Stratagem not only allows a Heroic Intervention to be performed in the enemy Charge phase if an enemy unit is within 6″ of a Blood Angels Character (rather than 3″), it also can be used on ANY Blood Angels unit. Smaller board sizes may cause your opponents to run out of room to evade a surprise 6″ counter-charge. However, as mentioned above, units performing Heroic Interventions do open themselves up to enemy attacks, and as charging units fight first, they may be subjected to at least some part of the charging unit’s wrath, so be prepared. Using durable units such as Bladeguard Veterans or Terminators will help to mitigate the risk. The Blood Angels are rightfully famed for their aerial assaults, and the mobility granted by jump pack-borne units will be a great asset in the new edition. The Jump Pack Assault ability allows such units to deploy in the Reinforcements step of any Movement phase, more than 9″ away from any enemy models, and the Blood Angels’ Red Thirst ability allows them all to add 1 to their charge rolls. When your charge hits home, consider the Hammer of Wrath Stratagem on your larger units earlier in the game before casualties make them less effective. Key Units As with the Deathwatch and Space Wolves we covered in Faction Focuses earlier this week, the Blood Angels will also be able to wield the might of the new Primaris units from Indomitus. On that note, check out our first nomination of top units for the Blood Angels in the new edition… Assault Intercessor Squad The Assault Intercessor Squad is a Troops choice, meaning even the smallest Blood Angels force (or one of their successor Chapters) can be built around a unit that plays to all the strengths of the Scions of Sanguinius. Every model has at least 3 Attacks using their Astartes chainswords (with a tasty -1 AP modifier) before any modifiers for being Blood Angels kick in. Capture objectives with them and dare the enemy to charge in and clear them off, with the threat of your Heroic Intervention always 6″ away. Sanguinary Guard The Sanguinary Guard exemplify the Blood Angels’ propensity for jump pack troops, and benefit from a host of Stratagems in Psychic Awakening: Blood of Baal. Visage of the Damned combined with Unbridled Ardour allows a unit of Sanguinary Guard to heroically intervene, force a penalty to hit on the charging enemy’s attacks, then cut them down with their D3 Damage encarmine weapons. Chaplain with Jump Pack The Chaplain’s Litanies allow him to influence a number of different units and phases of the game, and his jump pack’s mobility allows him to be wherever he’s needed – useful if you want him to get in position to assist other jump units with his Litanies when they arrive. The Canticle of Hate adds 2 instead of 1 to the charge rolls of Blood Angels units within 6”, greatly improving the chances of accompanying jump pack-equipped troops making that all-important 9” charge roll after dropping onto the battlefield from above. Will you be adding the awesome new miniatures from the Indomitus set to your Blood Angels host, or using it as the foundation of a new collection? What other Blood Angels units are you looking forward to unleashing in the new edition? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/09/faction-focus-blood-angels/ Chaos Deamons Révélation Citation 90 10 Jul 20 Faction Focus: Chaos Daemons Servants of the Ruinous Powers, rejoice! The new edition of Warhammer 40,000 has plenty of treats in store for Chaos Daemons, and joining us to talk you through them is Herald of the Dark Gods, Justin Curtis. Who Are They? Chaos Daemons are creatures created from the raw power of the Dark Gods. Made of warp-stuff, they are immaterial horrors that follow no laws of the physical realm. Each god’s Daemons reflect that deity’s nature as they march to war. Daemons of Khorne are bellicose and warlike, seeking to spill blood and claim skulls for their master. Tzeentch’s Daemons are cunning, using warp magic and trickery to achieve their goals. Daemons of Nurgle are rotting and diseased, taking delight in spreading plague and pestilence. Slaanesh’s Daemons are swift and lithe, deadly killers who strike before an enemy can raise their defences. When they battle together, Chaos Daemons are nigh unstoppable, a tide of destruction that overwhelms foes with martial prowess and psychic might. How They Play in the New Edition With four distinct playing styles available across the different Chaos Gods, Daemons can be used in a wide variety of ways – and all can be combined for even more fun. Here to guide us through the labyrinth is Justin Curtis, a Chaos Lord whose Chaos Daemons and Heretic Astartes armies have defeated many a foe. Take it away, Justin. Justin: It’s time to see what the minions of the Ruinous Powers have to look forward to in the new edition. The battlefield itself is changing in ways that are particularly helpful to Daemon players – as most have heard by now, we’ll frequently be playing on slightly smaller tables, and that’s certainly great news for Slaanesh and Khorne players, who’ll have less distance to cover before they can start slaying. There’s a lot of good news for the Beasts keyword as well – and no codex is better prepared to take advantage of those changes, with each of the Ruinous Powers having their own favoured Beast. Screamers, Flesh Hounds, Fiends, and Beasts (of Nurgle!) will all be able to interact with terrain in ways that were previously restricted to the Infantry keyword – meaning it’ll be much easier for them to out-seek their enemies on the new edition’s battlefields. Combined with their new Stratagems from Engine War, it’ll be worth giving each of these units another look. Speaking of the new content from Engine War, I think Tzeentch Daemons came away with the best of it, and that’s convenient because you’ll really want to bring some firepower to the new edition’s Shooting phase to try to make the most out of the new Character targeting rules. While the other Daemons may be happiest taking skulls, corrupting mortals, or spreading plagues – all best done up close and personal – Tzeentch’s minions are glad to throw some warpfire from afar to help thin out the enemy ranks. However, the most welcome change for our purposes is likely the changes to Overwatch. While still being part of the game, Overwatch is certainly going to be less of a menace than it previously was. You knew you’d lose a handful of Daemonettes or Bloodletters when charging even the lowliest mortal troops, and even a Bloodthirster might take a chunk of damage when trying to bring down an enemy tank, effectively for free. Now that Overwatch isn’t a given – and isn’t free for most armies – your opponent will have to think hard about whether or not it’s worth trying their luck against the onslaught of your assaults. Key Units As Justin noted, many Chaos Daemons units will benefit from the rules changes in the new edition, but which ones does he reckon will be dominating battlefields? Exalted Keeper of Secrets Justin: Consider a Keeper of Secrets with the Celerity of Slaanesh Warlord Trait and Realm-racer Exalted ability from Psychic Awakening: Engine War. It would move 17″ and add 1 to both Advance and charge rolls – that’s an average threat range of nearly 30″, which should be more than enough to allow you to start collecting souls early. Daemon Prince of Tzeentch Justin: A Daemon Prince of Tzeentch with the Daemonspark Warlord Trait and Flickering Flames psychic power has always been an amazing addition, allowing Pink Horrors to re-roll 1s to both hit and wound, while also adding 1 to wound. Now he’ll also be an amazing asset to an arriving unit of Flamers, trying to turn those 1s to wound into 6s for more mortal wounds from the Flames of Mutation Stratagem. Nurglings Don’t forget Nurgle’s smallest minions, because the Swarms keyword allows them to move through terrain like Infantry, meaning Nurglings will have much less difficulty getting around – and they’re a constant nuisance, taking a lot of effort to kill. Their Mischief Makers ability also lets them deploy on objectives, making them a focus for enemy attention early on, which can allow some of your more dangerous units to close the gap. Thanks, Justin! Do you plan on using an army focused on a single god in your games of the new edition or a wide array of Daemons from across the spectrum? https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/10/faction-focus-chaos-daemons-2/ Fort Building Révélation Citation Fort Building – Warhammer 40,000 Style! We’ve all built forts in our youth, though maybe not quite to the same degree as Rogal Dorn did at his dad’s place. If you’re a fan of supporting your glorious army with a similarly glorious line of buildings or defensive emplacements, then you’re going to love what we’ve got in store for you today. Let’s take a look. Building Your Fortifications First things first, just like everything else in a Battle-forged army, if you want to include some Fortifications, you’re going to need a Detachment. Thankfully, the aptly named Fortification Network is available to cover all your Fortification-based needs. What’s more, the cost of including the Detachment will even be refunded if the Fortifications you include match the Faction of your Warlord! Of course, as terrain in their own right, many Fortifications also come with a selection of terrain traits (the specifics will be included in each Faction’s FAQs on launch day), so may offer additional protection and other benefits to those tasked with defending them – and they’ll start in your deployment zone too! What’s the Big Deal with Fortifications? You may be wondering what the purpose of including Fortifications in your army might be. Well, not only do they look cool and reinforce the aesthetic of your army, but they come with unique and powerful abilities that can offer game-changing effects when properly utilised. Take the Sacristan Forgeshrine, for example… In addition to sharing a sympathetic design with the rest of the Sector Mechanicus terrain so that it fits seamlessly into the range, it can also be used to perform a number of rites upon nearby Imperial Knights. These effects allow them to repair, reload or refuel, with each option offering a super-useful bonus. The Orks have access to a building that is similar in principle – if rather more ramshackle in appearance – the Mekboy Workshop. Any Orky vehicles that swing by can be upgraded by with a kustom job with similar effects to the Sacristan Forgeshrine, but with the added chance that the innovative Mekboy in charge can conjure up something ‘extra speshul’… If you serve the Dark Gods, the Noctilith Crown will be well-suited to your infernal purpose… As well as its unholy energies confounding enemy psykers, making them suffer Perils of the Warp on any roll of a double when making a Psychic test, its Loathsome Aura will protect Chaos units of every description that are in its proximity. That’s handy (or even tentacle-y) for sheltering a firebase of ranged units. The advanced technology of the T’au Empire has given them the means to take the notion of mobile defence to a whole new level – their Tidewall Shieldline, Droneport and Gunrig can actually move! Just when it seems your opponent’s murderous horde of Tyranids is about to overrun your position, you can casually and gracefully reform your defensive line even as your Fire Warriors continue to gun them down in droves. Planning Permission Authorised… While we’re discussing Fortifications, we couldn’t resist showing you a few highlights from the datasheets of the upcoming units for the Space Marines and Necrons! First up the Hammerfall Bunker… We showed you the profiles for its suped-up (in fact, ‘superfrag’ or ‘superkrak’ no less) missile launcher already, but you’ll surely have noticed all the guns sprouting from it in every direction. These rapid-deployment bastions are the ultimate area-denial assets, as their automated guns blaze away at EVERY ENEMY UNIT WITHIN RANGE. Approach this murder-bunker of doom at your peril! Next up is the imposing Convergence of Dominion… The first thing to bear in mind with this ‘building’ is that it comprises three constituent Starsteles (part pylon, part waystone, all awesome), which can be set up to cover quite a large area of the battlefield. If you’ve got a Convergence of Dominion nearby, your Necrons needn’t worry much about Combat Attrition, as they’ll be adding 2 to their Leadership characteristic within 6″ of any Starsteles – that’s Ld 12 on average if you’re keeping count! – while your enemies will face the wrath of their transdimensional abductors. What’s more, if you’re looking to expand the borders of your power base, you can even take a Starstele with you! Simply task a Cryptek with the job of moving one of the nodes and, through the mysteries of hypertechnology, you can move a Starstele right where you need it for maximum impact. Well, today may mark the end of our Faction Focus series and Warhammer 40,000 Previews, but there’s definitely a silver lining… https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/10/fort-building-warhammer-40000-style/ Edited July 15, 2020 by TheBoss™ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 24, 2020 Author Share Posted June 24, 2020 Citation Master Your Strategy We’ve been hinting at it for the past few weeks, but today is the day we finally spring the new rules for Strategic Reserves in Warhammer 40,000 on you. Brace yourselves – this is one of the biggest changes to the game’s core rules, and it will have a massive impact on your future battles. Let’s dive right in. What Are Strategic Reserves? The Strategic Reserves rules are designed for use by Battle-forged armies and represent the tactical advantages that a well-organised force will enjoy not only on the battlefield but in the wider theatre of war. They give YOU total command over your strategy, offering you the chance to divide your forces, outmanoeuvre your opponent and hold back reinforcements, just as battlefield leaders have done for countless generations! If used with sufficient cunning, Strategic Reserves have the potential to give you a massive advantage over your opponent by outflanking them or bringing overwhelming force to bear and blunting their attacks – as you’re about to see. How Strategic Reserves Work The ability to place units into Strategic Reserves costs Command points, depending on the combined Power Ratings of the units you wish to deploy in this manner. It’s worth pointing out at this stage that, if your units have abilities that enable them to set up somewhere other than the battlefield (such as a teleportarium chamber for the Teleport Strike ability of Terminators or when using the Cult Ambush ability of the Genestealer Cults), the Strategic Reserves rules don’t apply to them. Though it may seem like using Strategic Reserves to shield some of your most valuable units from the guns of your enemies is a no-brainer, it comes at a cost beyond a few Command points. Strategic Reserves can’t arrive until the second battle round at the earliest, as they’re busy moving into position. As a result, if you hold more units back, the forces you do deploy on the battlefield may find themselves heavily outnumbered at the start of the battle. However, bringing fresh forces onto the battlefield in the right place and at the right time can turn a battle’s outcome on its head. There’s more to it as well – the longer you hold your nerve and keep your Strategic Reserves off the battlefield, the further forward they can advance to outflank the enemy army and launch an attack, even directly into your opponent’s deployment zone itself! This delayed reinforcements method is especially effective with melee-focused armies – especially if you’re able to support such an attack with abilities or Stratagems that offer bonuses or re-rolls to charge rolls, such as with Orks, Black Templars or Tyranids of Hive Fleet Behemoth. Being able to get the jump on your opponent in their own deployment zone can be devastating to their battle plans. Lying in Ambush Strategic Reserves aren’t all about outflanking the enemy, though. Should your opponent overcommit with their initial attack, it’s possible to deliver a punishing counter-blow with your reinforcements. Strategic Reserves units can’t normally be set up within 9″ of any enemy models, but if you set them up within 1″ of your own battlefield edge, they can be set up within this distance – and even within the 1″ Engagement Range of enemy models! If they do so, they count as having made a charge move, and your opponent will be unable to fire Overwatch against them! Remember, as we mentioned in our preview of the new Flyer rules, any Aircraft that leave the battlefield automatically enter Strategic Reserves,* so will be free to return to combat airspace later in the battle as described above. Let us know how you’re planning to use Strategic Reserves in the new edition on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page, Instagram and on Twitter using #New40K. * And no, this doesn’t come at a cost in Command points for the privilege! Your pilots are free to pull off whatever spectacular and/or reckless manoeuvres they wish to spin round and roar back onto the battlefield, guns blazing. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/24/master-your-strategygw-homepage-post-1fw-homepage-post-2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoss™ Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share Posted June 28, 2020 Citation Join the Combat Patrol Do you like smaller games of Warhammer 40,000? Would you like a game that you can finish in your lunch break? Looking for a quick way to try out a new army? Combat Patrol is a fun and easy way to achieve all of these and today, we’re taking a look at this exciting new way to fight battles in the 41st Millennium. What is Combat Patrol? This is the new way to play small games of Warhammer 40,000. It’s for armies of a combined total Power Level of 50 (or around 25 power each)*. Each player will get 3CP each to start the game with and an additional 1CP each turn, and Combat Patrols are played on a battlefield of at least 44” x 30” – meaning that you can easily play Warhammer 40,000 on a dining table (or a school desk or almost anywhere)! If you’re a Kill Team fan, this board size is the same as two Kill Zones combined – very compact! Why is Combat Patrol Awesome? Games of Combat Patrol will only take around an hour to play, making them an amazing option if you don’t have the time for a larger game. It also means that you can get MORE games of Warhammer 40,000 into a single gaming session. You could hold your own league or ladder campaign in just one evening! Since you only need a small army, a Combat Patrol force is also a great milestone to aim for when beginning a new Faction.** Accept Your Mission There are also specific missions for Combat Patrol and they have goals that are more suitable for this size of wargaming.*** For example, let’s take a look at the Incisive Attack mission. So, do you focus on grabbing your opponent’s objective marker or do you try to keep them off yours? That’s for you to decide!**** There are a host of new missions that can be played for Combat Patrol, each with their own objectives and special rules, meaning that even these smaller games will give your brain a tactical workout. The new Warhammer 40,000 features bespoke Combat Patrol missions both for matched play and for narrative Crusade games, and we can’t wait to try them all out. Building Your Army An army for Combat Patrol is based on a single Patrol Detachment,***** which gives you a nice amount of flexibility and choice for the size of battle. Sample Armies We got so excited about Combat Patrol that we couldn’t help but come up with a few army lists, all coming in at around a Power Level of 25. We’re starting with a couple that you can make with the models in the new Indomitus boxed set. Indomitus Necrons The Skorpekh Lord and its Destroyer pals can advance, cutting their way through any enemy unit foolish enough to get close, while the Necrons Warriors follow behind, supporting with volleys of deadly gauss fire. Indomitus Space Marines The Outriders give you speed, and the Bladeguard Veterans give you a real punch in combat. Support their assault by charging your Assault Intercessors at the same time, and give everything buffs from the aura abilities of your Primaris Lieutenant and Bladeguard Ancient. The next three armies are all built around Start Collecting! boxes, which are all a great way to start any new force. Many of them contain enough models for you to build a Combat Patrol force right away. Genestealer Cults We’ve added a Jackal Alphus and some Purestrain Genestealers to the Start Collecting! Genestealer Cults box. The Genestealers add some close-combat bite while the Alphus adds his expert precision to the already impressive firepower of the Neophytes and the Achilles Ridgerunner. Chaos Space Marines This list can be made from the Start Collecting! Chaos Space Marines box. The Venomcrawler offers incredible mobility. Back it up with the firepower from the Obliterator and the Chaos Space Marines, and use the Master of Possession to cast psychic powers to really Smite your opposition. Adeptus Mechanicus We’ve added some Kataphron Destroyers to the Start Collecting! Adeptus Mechanicus box, adding a choice of serious firepower to supplement the Skitarii Rangers’ galvanic rifles. Able to shoot their heavy weapons on the move without penalty, the Kataphrons can bombard the enemy with fire while the Skitarii advance in their Skorpius Dunerider to capture objectives. These are just a few ideas to get you started with Combat Patrol, and all are great foundations to build a bigger army from. Make sure that you join us over on our Facebook page to let us know what army you plan on running in these new smaller games of Warhammer 40,000. * Or if you’d rather play with points, that’s around 500 points each.** As if we need an excuse!*** Although, as always, wiping out your enemy will certainly help.**** Or do you just run headlong at the ones in no man’s land and have a massive dust-up? We know what the Orks would do.***** Except for Imperial Knights and Chaos Knights – they can only fit in a Super-heavy Detachment, but they can still take part in Combat Patrols. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/26/join-the-combat-patrolgw-homepage-post-1fw-homepage-post-3/ Citation Warhammer 40,000: The Making of the Cinematic Trailer So, how many times have you watched the Warhammer 40,000 cinematic trailer since we revealed it last month? Between us, we’ve watched it a lot. We can’t get enough of the grim, dark action, the heroism of the Battle Sisters and Space Marines (not to mention those brave Guardsmen at the start), the alien horror of the Necrons… It gives us chills every time. The production house behind the trailer, M2 Animation, loved making it as much as Warhammer fans around the world have loved watching it. In fact, they were so enthusiastic they’ve produced a behind the scenes look at how they did it! Here’s M2’s Executive Producer, Ole Holm Christensen, to tell us more. Ole: After our first visit to Games Workshop’s headquarters in Nottingham, Director Thomas Mikkelsen, VFX Supervisor Filip Stanfeld and myself left in awe. Meeting the passionate people behind Warhammer was great, and experiencing first-hand the extent of the high-level artwork and deep story material that goes into the game made every cinematic bone in our bodies ache with the prospect of bringing the 41st Millennium to life. Luckily we got to do just that, taking a respectful approach to both the Warhammer legacy and fans, and in close collaboration with the talented folk at Games Workshop Media. Talent and passion merged to create the epic Warhammer 40,000 cinematic trailer. Everyone at M2 – from storyboarders to CG modelers, animators and VFX crew – is so proud of our work that we want to give you a peek into the animation process. Take a look at our super dynamic breakdown video. Enjoy! Thanks, Ole! Without further ado, here’s M2’s awesome glimpse at the making of the Warhammer 40,000 cinematic trailer. That was awesome! We especially liked watching all that amazing gothic architecture falling from the sky.
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