Yesterday, we announced the imminent release of a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 with a jaw-dropping cinematic trailer. We bet you’ve got a few questions about what this means for you – fortunately, we’ve got Eddie on hand to help answer some of them.
Thanks, Eddie! Let’s take a closer look at some of the details.
Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon
A new edition means LOTS of new miniatures, and the first of these arrive in the incredible launch boxed set, featuring Space Marines and Orks. You might have noticed that the Intercessor we showed off yesterday is painted as a Blood Angel, but the miniatures have no Chapter-specific markings, so you can paint them blue, green, grey, black, yellow, white, whatever colour you choose. Orks are pretty much always green, but they can be Goffs, Blood Axes, Bad Moons, Evil Sunz, Deathskulls, Snakebites, or any clan you prefer.
Want to try and fathom out what other miniatures might be in the box? Take another look at that action-packed trailer for some clues.
Unified Experience
One of the guiding principles of the new edition was to create a unified experience for anyone playing Warhammer 40,000. So, rather than separating matched, narrative, and open as ways to play, the aim was to make EVERY game feel like it has a compelling narrative, while also feeling balanced and exciting.
Your Army
You’ll still be able to use your current codex in the new edition. For the most part, datasheets will work as they do today. Your army, though, will feel fresh and new as existing Detachments are updated and new ones are added – there will be over 70(!) at launch. In larger games, your army can be built out of several smaller, specialised Detachments, or one large one that covers everything, so your army works just as you imagine it should.
The army-tailoring goes beyond just the Detachments – the missions you play and your objectives in each game are determined by the selection of your army. Forces designed to take and hold ground will be rewarded for doing so, while armies that prefer to kill loads and loads of enemies will earn victories through carnage.
There are also changes to your Characters – they no longer lose their best abilities when their bodyguard unit dies. Your heroes can now keep swinging at full power, right until the bitter end (after all, only in death does duty end).
Objective Markers
The era of circular objective markers is over! Instead, your forces will battle over critical pieces of terrain, such as bunkers, ruins, and relics, instantly making for a more narrative and immersive game. Every battlefield looks immediately better.
Speaking of terrain, it’s now easier to hide units there before they join the battle. Many units can’t be targeted until they themselves have shot, or until the enemy has ventured very close, making them less vulnerable to a first turn alpha strike.
Stratagems
Single units can no longer have multiple stratagems stacked on them in a phase. Already powerful units will now have to cause havoc on their own without the crutch of stratagems making them punch harder than they should, or making them more survivable than they have any right to be.
Close Combat
There have been a number of small tweaks to the way melee works, including the order of pile-in and consolidation moves, and a faster system for assigning wounds. The order of activation has also been changed to help balance the dominance of Fights First units.
Combat-focused armies will get a couple of bonuses that open up options for aggressive plays. Firstly, you select your target for a charge AFTER you’ve made your charge roll, meaning your unit is less likely to be left twiddling its thumbs. Secondly, in some circumstances, units can disembark from transports directly into combat – huge news for fans of choppas, chainaxes, and other brutal close combat weapons.
Warhammer 40,000: The App
The app is set for some major updates, including in-game scoring and the ability to see your opponent’s datasheets while you play. Language support is also being expanded to include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, starting with the rules for Combat Patrols.
We’ll be taking more in-depth looks at the rule changes for the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 right here on the Warhammer Community website. In the meantime, sign up for the #New40k newsletter, choose your side (Orks or Space Marines), and ensure you don't miss any of the updates and reveals.
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Warhammer 40,000 has a brand new YouTube channel, where you can see the awesome new trailer and more!
