Final Balance update of 2024

[CommissarXin]

https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-us/articles/chwd2fdd/warhammer-40000-balance-dataslate-deep-strikes-and-ap-in-the-crosshairs/ 

 

Finally here.

[Wormwoods]

Oh hey, Intercessors get more dakka. 

[Craig]

"This online,  easily edited document contains an error. "

 

Why?

Edited December 11 by Craig

[N1SB]

On the Necrons side, this is a genuine surprise:

 

 

 

The Meta-pick for Necrons is already 6 Wraiths w/ 1 Technomancer (creates this fast blob of many attacks and wounds with an invuln save AND a Feel No Pain).  It is to the point that our Warhammer Store's painting area is a nest of Wraiths OR those naga-like Ophydian Destroyers to PROXY AS Wraiths because that player really can't stand the Wraiths model.

I am now fully convinced Games Workshop has too many of this model unit in inventory and are trying to flog them off.

Edited December 11 by N1SB

[redmapa]

Outriders have definitely become at least viable, +1S/D on the charge is pretty tasty and if you're vanilla marines the +1 to wound will shore up their other weakness. Pretty good imo, maybe not a competitive unit but now they are not an absolute waste of points and definitely have a use.

Edited December 11 by redmapa

[firestorm40k]

So it says in the article:

Quote

Space Marines 

If your army does not include units with the Black Templars, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Deathwatch or Space Wolves keywords you are getting an upgraded version of Oath of Moment. This is designed to even the playing field between players who want to use Codex: Space Marines, as opposed to those who also have their own unique Codex supplement to draw from.

Am I being blind, because in the update I can't actually see anything referencing 'Oath of Moment'? 

[RWJP]

9 minutes ago, firestorm40k said:

So it says in the article:

Am I being blind, because in the update I can't actually see anything referencing 'Oath of Moment'? 

I'm sorry to say, yes, you are being blind and may need to visit Specsavers.

Oath of Moment is adjusted on Page 8 of the Balance Dataslate Document. It's literally the first thing in the Space Marines section.

Back on to the main topic:

Good lord this update is big. I don't remember other Balance Dataslates feeling like they've changed so much! I did a quick count and I make it that GW changed rules for 23 factions.

Codex-Compliant Space Marines have taken some points hits, but also some pretty interesting buffs. Reivers finally have better melee weapons, most named Characters have a new buff for certain types of units.

It's going to take a while to parse all this. I wonder how long it will be before Auspex Tactics posts!!!

Edited December 11 by RWJP

[Plaguecaster]

7 minutes ago, firestorm40k said:

So it says in the article:

Am I being blind, because in the update I can't actually see anything referencing 'Oath of Moment'? 

Now +1 to wound if not one of the special marine chapters 

[firestorm40k]

2 minutes ago, Plaguecaster said:

Now +1 to wound if not one of the special marine chapters

Thanks - I was looking in the Marine Codex FAQ, not the balance dataslate  How silly of me to expect to see the changes in the document relating to the actual army Codex..! 

[Orange Knight]

That +1 to wound is actually pretty good.

 

I'm a big fan of rules that modify results instead of simply adding re-rolls.

[Wormwoods]

20 minutes ago, RWJP said:

It's going to take a while to parse all this. I wonder how long it will be before Auspex Tactics posts!!!

The Goonhammer reviews are up. 

[Xenith]

Oh wow, basically rewriting everything and adding more special rules into the game, when they should really be picking points *or* rules to balance with and leaving the other fixed. Good to see some changed, but as ever, these will all be changed again when codex are released, as points cost is relative to the unit's effectiveness for the single detachment that model is in.

 

Whoever came up with this system for 40k needs a look at :S

 

I've played one game of 40k this year, things like Heresy and Necromunda are definitely holding more appeal for me right now. 

Edited December 12 by Xenith

[AutumnEffect]

Chaplain on bike in a unit of Outriders with Fury of the Storm is kinda bonkers. +3 Strength, -2 AP and +1 damage on their melee attacks on the charge with +1 to wound.
5 2+ Str 9 AP -3 and D3 bonks from the power stick with +1 to wound is good stuff.

[Orange Knight]

I don't have an issue with rule updates, but the codex books are all irrelevant now.

 

Imo, GW need to trasition to digital or PDF codex books that get updated with these changes as they happen.

[Emperor Ming]

No changes for agents?

 

[Orange Knight]

Reading these rules, I am extremely happy with:

 

Heavy Intercessors - Wow these guys actually pack a decent punch now. I also really like the captain in Gravis Armour with the Heavy Bolt Rifle.

Intercessors - The new Target Elimination ability is pretty spicy. I just think these guys are better than the Sternguard now (even though the Sternguard have the old Oath again).

Reivers - pretty interesting now! But I still think the carbines are better than the knives. Thankfully the sgt can still take both a Carbine and Knife.

Repulsor Executioner - 7 models, finally!

 

Pedro Kantor and Lysander - nice to see some rules get updated. Now please, let's see the models get updated too! lol

[Tokugawa]

50 minutes ago, Plaguecaster said:

Now +1 to wound if not one of the special marine chapters 

But you can take UM special characters and still receive the buff.

 

Make Ultramar Great Again!

[RWJP]

10 minutes ago, Orange Knight said:

I don't have an issue with rule updates, but the codex books are all irrelevant now.

 

Imo, GW need to trasition to digital or PDF codex books that get updated with these changes as they happen.

Up until now, I've generally been of the opinion that the rules updates we've seen have never been enough to make the physical Codexes truly irrelevant. Sure things changed, but it was never huge, it was basically just points and adjusting a word or two etc

However, especially with the Space Marines after this update I am now joining you in the opinion: Physical Codexes are truly irrelevant.

Of the 93 Datasheets in Codex Space Marines, this dataslate has made reasonably significant changes to over 20 of them. Then you've got changes to the detachments, army rules etc. I'd estimate now that 25% of the rules content in the book is now totally outdated which simply isn't acceptable for a printed product.

GW needs to get on selling digital only Codexs ASAP.

[AutumnEffect]

I agree there's no reason to have a physical codex at all.

I think we'll still 'have' to buy them for a long time though because of the sunk costs GW already has in making them and the simple fact that they can make people buy them.

As the joke goes, GW isn't a modeling company or a gaming company.
It's a publishing company.

[Evil Eye]

9 minutes ago, RWJP said:

GW needs to get on selling digital only Codexs ASAP.

If they did that it would be the final nail in the coffin for the modern game for me. As someone whose only easily-portable smart device is a very outdated cheap phone, and who MUCH prefers physical books to e-pubs, even if by some miracle the game was appealing to me again such a change would completely alienate me and ensure I never played again.

 

Said it before, will say it again. GW need to either write the rules well enough that they don't NEED a thousand adjustments every year, or else farm the rules writing out to someone who can. This isn't a few hobbyists working out of a garage, it's the biggest wargames company in the world, they should have the resources to make a competent game that doesn't need patches upon patches to work semi-decently.

[Orange Knight]

4 minutes ago, Evil Eye said:

If they did that it would be the final nail in the coffin for the modern game for me. As someone whose only easily-portable smart device is a very outdated cheap phone, and who MUCH prefers physical books to e-pubs, even if by some miracle the game was appealing to me again such a change would completely alienate me and ensure I never played again.

 

Said it before, will say it again. GW need to either write the rules well enough that they don't NEED a thousand adjustments every year, or else farm the rules writing out to someone who can. This isn't a few hobbyists working out of a garage, it's the biggest wargames company in the world, they should have the resources to make a competent game that doesn't need patches upon patches to work semi-decently.

 

Believe me, if it was up to me everything would still be printed.

 

There is another way to get around this. Much cheaper, printed booklets that only have datasheets and rules in them. These are released annually at a low cost.

 

You can still have a traditional codex book, but that should be a lore tome filled with inspiring art and model photos.

[Indy Techwisp]

Am I reading it correctly that the new Intercessor ability is in addition to the Sticky Objectives?

[AutumnEffect]

1 minute ago, Indy Techwisp said:

Am I reading it correctly that the new Intercessor ability is in addition to the Sticky Objectives?

 

You are reading it correctly, yes.

[Indy Techwisp]

Looks like a nice buff to my White Scars army overall.

 

On another note, TSons survived this unscathed, besides what looks like a Parity change between their Predator tank and Base CSM's Predator tank.

[Karhedron]

8 minutes ago, Indy Techwisp said:

Am I reading it correctly that the new Intercessor ability is in addition to the Sticky Objectives?

 

You are indeed. I almost always take a squad of Intercessors just for ObjSec but I can see myself bumping that up to 2 squads. Especially since it does not seem to have been accompanied by a points increase. The sad thing is that it makes Sternguard even harder to justify, even with their buff when shooting at OOM targets.