While the world has been in lockdown many of us have not been able to get our allotted hobby fix, as we do the responsible thing and social distance. Thankfully, the Warhammer Community has done a good job with articles and previews over the last few months, giving us a nice glimpse into the future of our favourite miniature hobby. In this vain, last weekend the Warhammer Community hosted a 40k preview event to show us what the grim darkness of the far future has instore for us.
The headline news was of course the upcoming 9th edition of Warhammer 40,000, but there were more than a few interesting details that has the community all a buzz about what we can expect from Warhammer 40,000 in the next couple of months. If you missed it you should really catch up, either by watching the replay of the preview stream or reading about it over on the Warhammer Community page.
Now there was a lot to digest, with some rules previews and of course some fantastic citadel miniatures for us to fest our eyes upon. However, there are some bits of information that has me more excited than anything else. So today I’m going to give you a rundown of my key take aways from the event. Things I’m more excited for than anything else that could have huge ramifications for Warhammer 40,000. So, grab yourself an overly ornated stormshield and your favourite chainsword, and let’s get stuck in.
New Miniatures
Of course, the first thing we have to discuss is the fantastic new minis that got previewed over the weekend. With models for not just one, but two faction in the form of new Primaris Space Marines and revamped Necrons, there was something for almost everyone.
First up let’s talk about the new (or rather ancient) and improved Necrons. Now sporting a more ‘undead’ appearance over their previous crisp and clean aesthetic, these xeno constructs are ready to bring to galaxy to its knees. And it appears we aren’t just getting one or two renewed sculpts, but rather a whole new line with original units and revamped classics like Warriors and Monoliths. Gone are the days of green plastic rods it would seem, which I’m sure will be pleasing to anyone who wanted to give their robotic soldiers a non-standard colour scheme.
We also got to see a whole bunch of new Primaris Space Marines, most of which had a similar theme running through their design. That right, the days of standing back with your bolt rifles is over. It’s time to take the fight to the heart of the enemies of man, with chainswords and stormshields in hand. With the new Primaris Assault Intercessor and Primaris Bladeguard Veterans ready to bring the emperors wrath to the heretic and xenos alike. It looks like the battles of 9th edition are going to be bloody affairs, which is just the way I like it.
Vehicles Matter
We also got some previews into the how the new edition will be treating to larger additions of our collections, which appears to be good news for you vehicle fans out there. First off, tanks will no longer be brought to a screeching halt by a mob of grots of squad of bayonet affixed guardsmen. Now, it appears that vehicle will be able to let it rip with their guns even when bogged down in combat, which I think we can all agree make so much more sense.
Next up, flyers are been overhauled to make them feel more like the lightning fast attack craft they were always meant to be. Able to strafe the battlefield before swinging back around for another run, fans of flyers will be feeling like its Aeronautica rather than traditional 40k. What’s more, leaving the battlefield will no-longer be fatal for aerial units, as they will be able to return in future turns to continue their assaults on your units.
Lastly, the addition of blast weapons looks like hordes will be less viable in the near future. When we made the jump from 7th to 8th edition many players were sad to see that templates had been removed from the game. Been able to land a ‘pie plate’ on mass infantry was one of the great thinks about vehicles back in the day, but they were dropped to make the game work more streamed lined. Now it appears they are back. Sort of!
Now, ‘blast’ weapon will deal maximum hits to larger units, better representing the explosive force of these weapons on hordes of packed together enemies. What exactly will constitute a ‘blast’ weapon is unknown at the moment, but I think it’s safe to say tank commanders are going to have a field day in 9th edition.
Codex Compliant
More importantly however, 9th edition will be completely compatible with all existing codex’s and supplements. This is a huge relief as the idea of all your books been outdated all at once is nothing short of terrifying. New codex’s well of course be on their way, but right from the start of 9th you will be able to use your current books until the new ones are released.
Additionally, these new books will be supported with a new Warhammer 40,000 app. Any of you out there who play Age of Sigmar will already know how useful the Azyr app is for building army lists and checking stats during a game, and now us 40k players will be able to enjoy these benefits as well. Additionally, all future codex’s will come with a code to redeem a digital copy in the app, making the days of having to haul a library to your LGS on game night a thing of the past.
And there is so much more we haven’t touched on, like the new narrative crusade format or the new Horus Heresy style novel series that will be released alongside 9th edition. So if you still haven’t been over to Warhammer Community and checked it out, I would highly recommend you do so. Let us know what you think of the upcoming new edition of 40k in the comments below or find me on twitter @MTGTengu and let me know there.
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