I’d say this was the worst kept secret of the Adepticon reveals, but was it really a secret? I mean, we all knew GW likes making big announcements at Adepticon (see AoS) and timescale wise we are due a new 40k edition this summer, so it was almost a foregone conclusion. But apart from plenty of rumours floating round we didn’t know what exactly was going to be revealed. So it was still very exciting getting up early in the morning to look at all the reveals (no I didn’t stay up until 1am, even if I’d got through the show I wouldn’t have been in a state to write about it!). So without further ado, what’s it all about?
Armageddon
That’s right, we’re back on Armageddon, that world so beaten up there is nothing else left to do on it, there is only war (see what I did there). Honestly I think the Imperium is fighting over it just out of spite at this point. Given the recent narrative books it was likely this classic planet was going to be part of the new edition. But what’s cool is not only is it Blood Angels vs Orks (not Ultramarines, I know, I’m shocked too), but the cover art for the boxset is an updated version of the 2nd edition boxset, an all time favourite amongst fans.
The Trailer
We all love an epic CGI trailer for Warhammer releases, and they haven’t disappointed us. This time it shows the Blood Angels and the Orks going toe to toe, with some interesting hints about possible more models to be revealed. Yes I’m looking at you big beasty/mek with mounted Ork thing and acid spewing/psychic Ork. There is also a Land Speeder that flies by, so that’s quite possible. There is even a thunderhawk….let’s not open that door.
The Models
They haven’t shown us much yet, just a tease, but they will be drip feeding us sneak peaks before eventually doing a full unboxing reveal show in a few weeks time. What they have shown us is the new Space Marine Intercessor and Ork Boy models. The Space Marine is specifically highlighting the fact we are getting more customisation options for Primaris era Space Marines. Under the pretense that their shiny new Mk X armour is going to get broken, older pieces of armour will be used for modification. What this means for us is we get new helmets, shoulderpads and greaves, amongst others. The Ork Boy is similar in that it’s more a refinement than a reinvention. The model is sleek, well sculpted and looks suitably Orkish. Crucially it is carrying a choppa, slugga, AND shoota into battle, something that was a sticking point in the previous edition amongst Ork fans.
The Rules
Now comes the part which always has the potential to be contentious. How are they updating the ruleset? Well, first you’ll be happy to know that we aren’t getting indexes which is nice to hear, our current codexes will still work perfectly fine in the new edition, just with some tweaks.
The main thing that seems to be changing is detachments. There will apparently be over 70 new and updated detachments upon release, and the way they work now is you will have the option to select multiple detachments when building an army, to gain access to different abilities. We’ll have to keep our eye out for more information on that one, but Warhammer players do usually appreciate their creative freedom, so fingers crossed.
Interestingly, the army and detachment you bring to the field will also now at least partly determine what objectives you are playing for in your missions. For instance an army that likes to hold its ground might get objectives to, well, hold its ground. And a killy army might get objectives to…kill. It all makes sense when you say it like that but I have no idea how it will work practically. Definitely one we’ll need to find out more about.
Circles begone! The era of objective circles is over. This is likely to instantly annoy anyone who has bought the rather expensive neoprene objective circles that have been around for years now. They are being replaced by terrain footprints to determine who has control of key locations. On one hand this is very thematic and making terrain more than something to get in peoples way and cause rules arguments is a good idea. On the other hand…will this just cause more rules arguments? The terrain rules are set for a big makeover as well, so hopefully they can come up with a version that makes sense, while at the same time not being so rules dense you need a degree to understand it. In general terrain is apparently easier to hide behind now, and it affects hit rolls instead of save rolls. Which I love thematically because why in the world does terrain help your save? You’ve already been hit and wounded, the terrain isn’t part of the equation any more.
Combat is changing, but there are less details here. They say it’s more subtle changes to improve how it flows, with, and I quote, ‘flexibility for picking targets when charging, changes to activation order, fast dice rolling for dealing damage, and changes to the order of consolidation and pile-in moves.’ So that’s that I suppose.
What comes next?
Given the new edition is a few months off yet, GW are likely to keep drip feeding us information to build up the excitement. I for one can’t wait. 10th has been a good edition for me and I’ve probably played more of it than most recent editions, but I’m intrigued by some of the changes they are describing. Anything that feels more thematic is always a win for me and they seem to be putting more emphasis on narrative play.
I’ll be getting more posts out to you as we get more information over the weeks and months in a series called ‘The Road the 11th Edition’. So keep an eye out and I’ll see you soon!
