Warhammer 40,000 7th edition

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The fact that it's the Dark Angels in the cover again is just awesome.

That's what Warhammer 40K's all about...

Warhammer 40,000 7th Edition is the newest edition of everybody's favorite wargame. It's basically an extension of the 3rd edition ruleset, as with every edition of the game since 3rd, and, more specifically, it's an extension of the 6th edition ruleset (which it replaced after only two years). Some rumors have suggested that the community should consider it "6th Revised" or "6.5," but Games Workshop stopped using edition numbers with 6th, so we'll probably never know (the errata and FAQ docs specifically refer to the new version as 7th edition). It definitely has big game changers and multiple smaller changes that warrant calling it a new edition. Its fluff also apparently mentions squats as an existing race of abhumans. Wat?

It launched May 24th, 2014.

Pics for proof: here and here and some more here. A gallery of the Psychic Powers available are here.

It's very Warhammer Fantasy, just like Warhammer 40,000 used to be. It's also absolutely busted wide open (just like Warhammer 40,000 used to be); Daemons rule the new Psychic phase, and with the invention of Conjuration it's clear GeeDubs just wants you to buy more daemons.

New Allies Chart, no division within the Imperium any more (except Krieg)

Major Updates

• Limited Edition Specials - the release of 7th edition began with 2000 copies of a limited edition box set. The release for Orks had similar limited edition box complete with a Codex Supplement, Objective Markers, and Art Prints. It might be safe to say this is a new standard as opposed to the limited edition cover they were selling for 6th edition codex.
• Psychic Power Overhaul - Instead of using Psychic powers in the movement and shooting phases they are now called upon during the new Psychic phase. Psychic powers are now rolled using a dice pool instead of just a successful leadership test. There are new psychic power schools. Also new perils of the warp table. Not as good as last edition where you just had to roll under a leadership of 10(mostly), though comparing each army to each other an army with 30 warp charges versus one psyker is better at denying, but even then it doesn't guarantee anything. It also has the misfortune of adding another 90 minutes to a casual game.
• Super Heavies - Not new to 40k per se, but this is the first time that Super Heavies are included in the main rules instead of being relegated to the Apocalypse and Escalation supplements.
• Formations - like Super Heavies formations where part of the game before, but generally stayed in data slate/supplement territory. Now 7th edition codex include Formations.
• New Force Orgs - including the standard Combined arms detachments the new Codexes will contain new FOC charts to allow for different rules and army types, each of which is geared to best emphasize that army's strengths.
• Battle-forged and Unbound armies - Replacing double force org from 6th edition, now players can bring armies that do not follow the restrictions set by the force org now known as Unbound. In keeping to the force org your army is known as Battleforged. The classic force org chart we all know and love is called "combined arms detachment" and gives the bonuses of being able to reroll warlord traits, and troops being denial units as well as scoring.
• Tactical Objectives - A deck of 36 cards that act as secondary objectives. Used with the Maelstrom missions. Each full codex also gives new Tactical Objectives to give an army some unique ways to score.
• Errata - GW has already released Errata and FAQ's for every Codex here. These include re-classifying units from old codices, telling which army psykers can roll Daemonology and some rules clarifications.

Armies of the Dark Millenium

New Codexes and Codex Supplements

• Orks - And about damn time too. They're getting two new walkers (the Gorkanaut and Morkanaut), new big guns (renamed Mek guns), new Flash Git models, and new models for Big Mek and Painboy; however revisions to Mob Rule have made them far more vulnerable to morale than before. The limited edition of the Codex comes with a supplement for Waaagh! Ghazghkull.
  • Waaagh! Ghazghkull - Released with the Warboss limited edition. A new supplement based upon the forces of Yarrick's archenemy and the Beast of Armageddon. Contains a new Detachment type, 7 new formations, warlord traits, and Orkimedes themed artifacts.
• Space Wolves- Released a new named Venerable Dreadnought called MURDERFANG is part of the new Codex, a new little sleigh for Logan Grimnar, as well as a pair of new flyers called the Stormfang and the Stormwolf, both of which have access to the new Helfrost weapons (unsaved wounds force a Strength test per wound- failing a test removes the targeted model from play). The new Tempestas discipline also gives back some of the old tools the Rune Priests used to have. Probably one of the better 'dexes this edition with some generous price cuts and a shield for Dreadnoughts, as well as the aforementioned Helfrost (which dreads can get).
  • Champions of Fenris - Focusing on Logan Grimnar's Great Company, will be part of the Wolf Guard limited release of the Space Wolves codex. It adds some new relics, formations, another Warlord trait table, some special rules, and an alternate FOC.
• Grey Knights- They haven't gotten any new units, but some of their existing toys have been tweaked to make them more effective against Daemons (for example, all their Force weapons now gain re-rolls to wound or pen against Daemons if the Force power was activated, Incinerators get Soulblaze, Psilencers are now Force weapons, etc.) but overall massively scales back the army's potency from 5th/6th edition. They lost a ton of gear from their Wardex (including rad/psychotroke grenades, psybolt/psyflame ammo), the Psychic Phase did a number on their ability to spit out mindbullets, and the fact that the majority of their units are limited to only a few powers doesn't help. And that's not taking into account that Force weapon activation can be denied now, which could theoretically cripple them in assault if the opponent gets lucky. Finally, most of their anti-vehicle units were shuffled into the Inquisition codex, making them even more vulnerable to tank and flyer-heavy armies than ever. In short, a book that takes away more things than it gives - the only thing saving it from Tyranid level nerfing is the fact that they're Imperial, and thus have all the special tools and allies available to the poster-boy force known as the Imperium of Man - case in point, almost everything they lost was already preserved in Codex: Inquisition.
• Dark Eldar: The next army to be slated with a release, White Dwarf has shown a new Haemonculus model as well as a new kit for the Wracks that included a new gun called the Ossefactor. Unfortunately, the Dark Eldar lost most of their special characters, including their big boss Asdrubael Vect, since only three of them have models. Power from Pain became something that activates each turn, meaning you don't have to kill a lot to get it, but survive, which can be difficult for this glass cannon. On the whole, the basic playstyle of Raider spam and Blasterborn are still playable, while Grotesques and Mandrakes finally become usable while Wyches suddenly lose the ability to take all haywire grenades and Incubi take a massive nerf by losing Klaivex powers and grenades.
  • Haemonculus Covens: Released with the Archon limited release. Since they lack a Lord of War to make a plot with, they chose the one playstyle that made most people's days: Haemonculi. This locks you to only Coven units (Haems/Urien, Wracks/Grots, Pain Engines), but gives them an all-new Power from Pain table that better synergizes with their powers and the same stuff as the other supplements.
• Blood Angels: To partner with the surprise of new Tyranid models came the Shield of Baal campaign, and with the Shield of Baal Campaign came an inevitable Blood Angels Codex. Alongside the codex are new sprues for the Sanguinary Priest and a special Tac Squad sprue that gives the sarge the venerated Nipple Armor. At least one new character (the Captain of the Blood Angels' 1st Company) will be introduced, as well as the exclusive Sanguinary psychic discipline.

New Dataslates

• Strike Force Ultra - Of course, the first Dataslate to be released for 7E is a Spehss Mehren one. All it does is give two different options to deliver Terminators to the field. It's more of a sales item though, as the set is the only place where you can get a new Terminator Captain model.
• Officio Assassinorum - Announced alongside the Grey Knights codex. Will essentially allow any Imperial Force to field Assassins now that the Grey Knights are finally excising the Inquisition from their codex and having an explicitly Grey Knights Codex instead of Matt Ward's "let's throw everything into one book and crank that shit up to eleven!"
• Maleceptor/Toxicrene: A new multi-unit kit for the Tyranids, this gives rules for a massive waste of psychic powers/a modest monster Venomthrope-wannabe. The former is overcosted for what it's meant for, the other's probably best for stalling big knights.
• Tyrannocyte/Sporocyst/Mucolid Spore: Suddenly a cry of joy from Tyranid players across the globe, the Tyranids' drop pod is back, and better than ever before. For 75 points it can hold 20 models or 1 monstrous creature, therefore making many Tyranid units very usable e.g. Haurspex, Toxicrene, Zoanthropes or even make pyrovore semi-useful- and on top of that, it can move and comes with FIVE Deathspitters (that can be swapped with Barbed Stranglers or Venom Cannons). Its alternate models are no less useful- the Mucolid Spore is a Spore Mine with Shrouded, doubled strength, and AP3 (as well as the ability to assault Flyers), and the Sporocyst is essentially a living fortification that infiltrates and can boost synapse range, while producing Spore Mines and Mucolid Spores as it shoots shit with the same five gun options the Tyrannocyte has (and with SIX wounds, it's going to be a very useful meatshield). All in all, a much-needed boost for the Tyranids.
• Neurothrope: Week 3 of Tyranid saga brings back another classic (and new Zoanthrope/Venomthrope sprues): The Doom of Malan'tai (Now known as the Neurothrope). It's not quite as awesome as it once was, but it's not quite as cheese either.
  • These three Nid releases are compiled into Shield of Baal: Leviathan, but are also available for free in BL's webpage. Wow, that's actually nice.
• The Unrelenting Hunt: A Dark Angels formation, intended for use with the announced Dark Angels expansion to the Dark Vengeance starter set.
• Kranon's Helguard: As above, but geared towards the Crimson Slaughter instead.

New Campaign Supplements

• Sanctus Reach - Follows Orks attacking Imperium sector.
  • The Red Waaagh - Waaagh! Grukk attacks a Knight World
    • Evil Sun Rising - Ork novella following Waaagh! Grukk. One of the only stories written in an Ork Perspective.
  • Stormclaw - Waaagh! Grukk vs Space Wolves, is actually a prequel/side-episode to The Red Waaagh, surrounding Krom Dragongaze's crashed Thunderhawk and what he does after his arrival on planet.
  • Hour of the Wolf - not much info other than the Space Wolves join the war in full. Ragnar Blackmane and Kaptin Badrukk will feature.
    • Hour of the Wolf: Blood on Sacred Mountain - Space Wolf novella
    • Maledictus - A Grey Knights Novella

• Shield of Baal - Tyranid attack on the Cryptus System near, you guessed it, Baal.
  • Leviathan - The Tyranids make their first steps into the Cryptus System, and are being blocked by the Sisters of Battle, Guard, and Tempestus forces. Re-introduces Cities of Death (which is now reduced to more Tactical Objectives for Maelstrom) and Death from the Skies (which allow you to buy a new rule for your fliers). Also packages in all the new Nids (and the redone Zoanthropes) as well as bring in some new formations and an FOC for the gribblies.
    • Tempestus - Novella regarding an Inquisitor grabbing some Storm Troop-er, Tempestus Scions and making them steal some nids for research.
    • Dread Night - Short Story about DREADKNIGHT OUTTA FUCKIN' NOWHERE!.
    • Shadow of the Leviathan - Short story about how Varro Tigurius tries to reach the Hive Mind again. Involves Maleceptors jobbing.
  • Deathstorm - Captain Karlaen is sent to Asphodex to rescue the planetary governor before he gets eaten.
    • Wraithflight - Short Story about Craftworld Iyanden fighting a hive splinter before it again goes after them. Ties in with the Warzone Valedor novel.
    • A Son's Burden - Short Story about Gabriel Seth heeding Dante's call for aid in the Cryptus System and finishing off some cult before going off to an even deadlier war.
  • Exterminatus - The next step of the War for Cryptus, as the Blood Angels arrive in full force. Word also has it that some unexpected allies (read: Necrons again) will be arriving soon to aid them. New FOCs and Formations are being made for the Blood Angels and Necrons, with hopes for additional FOCs for the AM and (in the least likely of moves) Sisters.
    • Devourer - Short story recounting Anrakyr the Traveller's arrival in the Cryptus systems.
    • The Word of the Silent King- Short story about the infamous alliance between the Silent King and Dante and how it came to be. As it turns out, the Necrons were just using the Blood Angels as meatshields and only revealed it to the Blood Angels after the fact. Dante ordered the incident covered up and later swore to kill the Silent King.

Features

General stuff

• The rulebook is being written by Jervis Johnson , Robin Cruddace , and Simon Grant.
• The Core Rulebook's gonna be split into three parts: One for the collectible (modeling and painting) part of the hobby, one for the fluff, and one that's just the rules. All together, they cost $85. ($140 in Australia because fuck Australia)
  • Some time after 7E and The End Times went into full swing, GW snapped back into their logic and re-released the rulebook as a hardcover for double the price of one of those three books.
• Rules from Escalation and Stronghold Assault are included in the new rulebook. Obviously they've left out the data sheets so that you still kinda sorta need to buy those books if you wanna use their content properly.
• Introduction of Maelstrom of War, an alternative to the standard set of Eternal War missions. A set of missions (6, to be specific) which revolve around special "Tactical Objectives". Those objectives are drawn from one of 36 cards and award Victory Points for completing them. Example Tactical Objectives that have been mentioned include "manifest a psychic power", "destroy a flyer", and "kill a Character". Tactical Objectives can be exchanged for another one in the deck at will, and if one is completed it will be replaced with a new one. The new 7th edition codexes all seem to be adding additional Tactical Objectives which can only be used by that codex's faction.
• They're not rewriting any of the codexes they just wrote (Chaos Marines through Astra Militarum) because that would be stupid, even for Games Workshop. It's likely they knew that there was going to be an edition change while they were writing Space Marines, as such Tyranids and Astra Militarum might have been written to the 7th ed rules. *Cough*Shadowinthewarp*Cough* That said, the new Tyranid releases show that they aren't exactly afraid of adding new units or updating existing ones, so long as they're in demand.
• You can ignore the Force Org chart if you wish, resulting in an "Unbound" army list. However, using the FOC to make a "Battle-Forged" army list which grant you a variety of benefits. The traditional FOC is now referred to as a "Combined Arms Detachment" which allows you to reroll Warlord Traits and lets your Troops control objectives even if an enemy scoring unit is within range of them (unless they also happen to have Objective Secured). Other FOCs are starting to come as new codices are released (Orks have two different FOCs so far)
  • The potential for abuse with Unbound lists is obvious- as long as the units themselves are legal, the allies chart is followed, and the point limit is adhered to, literally anything goes. Like an army made up of nothing but HUNDREDS of cheap troops models (like Grots/Cultists etc) for the tarpit to end all tarpits, or an army consisting entirely of superheavy vehicles. But on the bright side, it also allows you to field fluffy armies legally (e.g. the First Company of a Space Marine Chapter, the Phoenix Lords, or a regiment of the Death Korps of Krieg).
• Kill-Team remains out of the book, though the rules Games Workshop has are still valid.
• They're redoing the Allies matrix. See pic related. And now you can have Grey Knights ally with Daemons, allied with Tyranids, allied with Tau. Because fuck you that's why! not everyone in a faction acts the same way and circumstance always changes. Granted, this army's going to be pretty much a bunch of paperweights most of the time with Come The Apocalypse rules.
  • Battle Brothers: Benefit from warlord traits and reserve rolls, ICs can join friendly units, can repair each other's vehicles, and can embark on each other's transports. Allied troops with a battleforged list get objective secured as well.
  • Allies of Convenience: Act as enemy units that can't be charged, shot, attacked or targeted, can't move within 1" of each other, and are impacted by stuff that affects enemy models.
  • Desperate Allies: As AoC, but with One Eye Open.
  • Come the Apocalypse: Ally like Desperate Allies, but must deploy at least 12" apart.

Psychic Phase

It's pretty much the Magic Phase from Fantasy, back to use after 2E. First you add up all the Mastery Levels of all your psykers, then add d6 to that; the total is how many Warp Charge dice you get this turn. When you want to manifest a power you roll any number Warp Charge dice, and for each 4+ you get one point. If you have enough points equal to or greater than the warp charge cost next to the psychic power's name, you manifest it. You may be freely decide how many Warp Charge dice you want to roll, but rolling more dice runs a higher risk of Perils of the Warp. Speaking of, Perils occurs if you roll multiple sixes. Deny The Witch now takes place here and requires Warp Charges to work, so having at least one psyker in your army seems like it'll be necessary. (It can now also be used to nullify enemy blessings as well as offensive powers.) Expect Tau, Dark Eldar and Necrons getting a rule either in errata or core rules to deny.

• Force Weapon activation now counts as a psychic power, and is now activated in the psychic phase. This does not count against your free Primaris.
• Your opponent gets d6 warp charge dice during your psychic phase as well for their deny the witch rolls(roll once for the both of you).
• Witchfire/psychic shooting attacks are done in the psychic phase too, and no longer make the psyker count as having fired a weapon.
• If a psyker generates all his powers from the same discipline, he also gets the primaris power for free in addition to any other powers known (such as Force or unique powers), this is called Psychic Focus. This has the deliberate side effect of making sure all psykers (except those that have entirely fixed power sets - such as Broodlords) can use at least two powers.
  • Heralds, Daemon Princes and Marked Sorcerers all get their respective Deity's Primaris power for free after generating all of their other powers just for being aligned, since many of them could not be able to benefit from Psychic Focus due to the way they have to distribute their selection of powers.

New psychic discipline: Daemonology

It is split into Sanctic and Malefic.

Sanctic powers are usable by Grey Knights like normal (but barred from Malefic). Likewise, Daemons (and Sorcerers with the Daemon USR) can use Malefic powers like any other, but can never take Sanctic powers. All other psykers (except for Tyranids, who get neither cause FUCK YOU GW.) can use both Daemonology sets, but they get perils when they roll any doubles, not just double sixes. This means that you can have both Radical Inquisitors who summon Daemons (Inquisition Codex units with Psychic upgrades can only take Sanctic but they still peril on any doubles because they don't have the Purity of Heart rule Grey Knights have) and Chaos Space Marines who hunt down and kill them.

• The Sanctic powers are as follows:
  • Primaris: Banishment Warp Charge 1. A Malediction with a 24" range that can only be used on units with the Daemon USR. Will reduce the Daemon's Invul save by 1 (So the basic 5+ Daemon Invul becomes a 6+)
  • 1: Gate of Infinity Warp Charge 1. A benediction that allows a single unit that isn't swooping or zooming to Deep Strike anywhere.
  • 2: Hammerhand Warp Charge 1. A blessing that grants the caster and unit +2S.
  • 3: Sanctuary Warp Charge 1. Caster and his unit gain +1 to their Invul save. Additionally, all Daemons (allies and ememies) within 12" of the caster treat all terrain as Dangerous Terrain.
  • 4: Purge Soul Warp Charge 1. Focused Witchfire power with a range of 24". Both you and your enemy must now roll d6 and add Ld to the roll. If the enemy loses, he must take an unsavable wound.
  • 5: Cleansing Flame Warp Charge 2. Range 9" S5 AP4 Assault 2d6 Nova power with Soulblaze and Ignores Cover.
  • 6: Vortex of Doom Warp Charge 3. Range 12" Strength D AP1 Assault 1 Blast Vortex power. Failing the test to manifest this power automatically causes perils.

• The Malefic powers are as follows:
  • Primaris: Summoning Warp Charge 3. A conjuration that summons one of the following within 12 inches of the user: 10 Bloodletters, 10 Pink Horrors, 10 Plaguebearers, 10 Daemonettes, 5 Flesh Hounds, 3 Flamers, 3 Nurgling Swarms, 5 Seekers.
  • 1: Cursed Earth Warp Charge 1. All models with the Daemon USR (allied and enemy) within 12 inches of the user gain +1 to their invulnerable save and do not scatter when Deep Striking within range of the user.
  • 2: Dark Flame Warp Charge 1. A Witchfire template power with S4 AP5, Assault 1, and the Soul Blaze and Torrent rules.
  • 3: Infernal Gaze Warp Charge 1. A 18 inch range Beam power with S3 AP 4, Assault 1, and the Armourbane and Fleshbane rules.
  • 4: Sacrifice Warp Charge 1. A conjuration that summons a Herald of your choice (with up to 30 points' worth of wargear options) within 6 inches of the user. However, the user or another friendly unit in range suffers a single wound with no saves allowed.
  • 5: Incursion Warp Charge 3. A conjuration that summons one of the following within 12 inches of the user: 3 Bloodcrushers, 3 Screamers, 3 Plague Drones, 3 Fiends.
  • 6: Possession Warp Charge 3. Summons a Greater Daemon of your choice within 6 inches, and removes the user as a casualty, just like in Dawn of War. (If the user was part of a unit with Brotherhood of Psykers/Sorcerers, the whole unit is removed.) If the Psychic test to manifest this power fails, the user automatically suffers Perils of the Warp. (Just imagine the look on your opponent's face when your otherwise useless Wyrdvane Psykers explode into a Bloodthirster. Or your Lord of Change, on his last wound, explodes into a new and fully healed Lord of Change.)

Perils of the Warp

Perils of the Warp is now a table to be rolled on to determine what hijinks ensue.

• 1: Dragged into the Warp Psyker takes a leadership test. If passed, he suffers 1 wound or glancing hit with no saves allowed. If failed, he is removed as a casualty and his unit takes D6 S6 AP1 hits, starting from where he was removed.
• 2: Mental Purge Psyker suffers 1 wound/glancing hit with no saves allowed. Randomly select one power from the psyker. It is lost for the rest of the game.
• 3: Power Drain Psyker suffers 1 wound/glancing hit with no saves allowed. If it's the psychic phase, both players lose D3 Warp Charge points. Cronz don't give a shit about this.
• 4: Psychic Backlash Psyker suffers 1 wound/glancing hit with no saves allowed
• 5: Empyric Feedback Psyker takes a leadership test. If failed Psyker suffers 1 wound/glancing hit with no saves allowed. If passed no effect.
• 6: Warp Surge Psyker takes a leadership test. If failed Psyker suffers 1 wound/glancing hit with no saves allowed. If passed psyker gains 3++, Fleshbane, Armourbane, and Smash until the next friendly psychic phase. Double with Warpflame for extra lulz.

New rulebook warlord traits

They're pretty sweet overall.

• Tactical

1. TACTICAL GENIUS While Warlord is alive, can discard up to 2 active Tactical Objectives (TacO) at the turn's end instead of 1
2. Master of Interference At the end of your turn, opponent must randomly selects a TacO and discards it (One use only)
3. Well-Prepared Generate one additional TacO first turn
4. Forward Planning You can redraw all TacO on first turn
5. Master of Fate While Warlord is alive, re-roll VP awarded for TacO
6. Lead By Example +1 VP for successful Objective Secured TacO by Warlord

• Command

1. Inspiring Presence Friendly units within 12" of Warlord can use of his Ld
2. Intimidating Presence Enemies within 12" of Warlord use the lowest Ld in the unit
3. The Dust of a Thousand Worlds Friendly units within 12" of Warlord have Move Through Cover
4. Master of the Vanguard Friendly Units get +1" for run and charge within 12"
5. Target Priority Units within 12" bubble of Warlord re-roll 1s to hit during shooting (suck it Tau - this is permanent)
6. Coordinated Assault same as above but for assault

• Personal

1. Master of Defence Warlord has Counter-Attack
2. Master of Offence Warlord has Furious charge
3. Master of Manoeuvre Warlord has Outflank
4. Legendary Fighter 1VP for each character your Warlord slays in a challenge
5. Tenacity Warlord has FNP
6. Immovable Object Warlord has Fearless and IWND

• Strategic

1. Conqueror of Cities Stealth in ruins + Move Through Cover (Ruins)
2. Night Attacker Choose for night fighting and all models in your army have Night Vision (Night Fighting is piss weak in 7th though ["Damnit, that was one of our few advantages" - Every Dark Eldar player].)
3. Master of Ambush Warlord + 3 units (non-vehicle) have Infiltrate
4. Strategic Genius +1 to Seize and re-roll reserves while Warlord is alive
5. Divide to Conquer -1 to opponent's reserves
6. Princeps of Deceit During the first enemy turn, 3 enemy units take a pinning check (kind of poor)

Other rule changes

• Vector strikes are 1 hit, S user, Ap2; the enemy takes D3 if they are a zooming flyer or FMC in swoop mode.
• All units are scoring, except for Swooping FMCs, Zooming Flyers (and units embarked on them), units whose rules specifically state that they are not scoring, units that are falling back, and unclaimed buildings/fortifications.
• However units from Troops choices on armies that follow the Combined Arms FoC in Battle-Forged armies have additional scoring ability referred to as Objective Secured, meaning if they get on an objective, non-Troops units cannot Contest it from them, they can only be contested by other Objective Secured troops.
• Vehicles must declare Jink when they are targeted with shooting now (before To Hit rolls are made), gives a Cover save (4+ now), but forces the vehicle to make snap shots. Interestingly, a vehicle does not need to have moved in the previous movement phase to Jink (presumably to fairly allow the player who goes second to Jink in the first turn). This is actually retarded bullshit because even if a vehicle is immobilized it can still jink when exploiting RAW.
• Flying Monstrous Creatures now only take one grounding check, at the end of the shooting phase, rather than one check per shooting attack. And only if they take an unsaved wound
• Flying Monstrous Creatures now must spend at least one turn gliding after using a swoop move before they can charge.
• Additional "overkill" wounds taken in challenges now spread to the squad after the challenging Character is dead. This means that you can't take a challenge just to soak up all the damage from the rest of your unit (poor ork nobz).
• Conversely, characters locked in a challenge can be hit by units outside of the challenge if they have nothing else to hit. This includes after the one side's non-character models wiping out all of the other side's non-character models. This means no more having 20 dudes tied up standing around doing nothing because the challenge isn't over.
• Shooting attacks from a squad are resolved one weapon type at a time. For example, in a squad of tactical marines you may choose to resolve the flamer first, then the bolters, then the sergeant's plasma pistol, then the missile launcher. Very useful if your opponent brought a fortification bullshit that a void shield generator is (chance to pop the shield with the squad's heavy anti-tank weapon before you pelt it with your other guns).
• Rending now officially no longer counts as ap2 against vehicles on its own (so basically things like daemonettes are a lot less threatening to vehicles).
• Vehicle damage chart is changing again; you need a roll of 7 to make tanks Explode. Thus they can only be insta-sploded if there is a +modifier applicable to the roll, either from AP2 (+1), AP1 (+2) or Open-Topped (+1). This makes them more resilient - not to the ridiculous level of 5E, but to the level they can actually compete with infantry and MC, finally bringing the balance between mech and bio.
• Flyers that suffer an immobilized result now have to take a test- 3+, the flyer counts as being crew stunned (one turn of locked velocity). However, on a 1 or 2, the flyer crashes and burns.
• Vehicle Explosions are now S4 all the time.
• Units in a vehicle that was destroyed cannot charge on the following turn unless the vehicle in question was an assault vehicle.
• The Split Fire rule no longer requires a leadership test.
• The Counter Attack rule no longer requires a Leadership test.(Go MoK cultists and Space Wolves!)
• Vehicles can now use Snap Shots with Ordnance weapons, as long as the weapon itself allows Snap Shots to be fired (still no Snap Shots from Blast weapons). Similarly, vehicles can now fire Ordnance weapons normally at Combat Speed, although all other weapons that turn will be fired as Snap Shots.
• Flamer templates now hit open-topped vehicle passengers D6 times. Bad news for DE and Orks.
• ICs can't join units with MCs, (bye, invisible Riptide).
• ICs can't join units that are infiltrating unless they also have infiltrate.
• Precision Shot is a USR, so IG needs 6s to do precision after the order granting it. Interestingly it does not say on the character page that they have this USR. The same goes with Precision Strike. They probably don't, seeing as the Astra Militarum codex (Being written with 7th in mind) has a wargear reserved for characters that gives the Precision Shot USR.
• Smash can now either confer all melee attacks outside of HoW AP2 or make one single attack at Sx2 with a re-rollable Pen roll. ("Fucking Bullshit!" -Every Tyranid player)
• Invulnerable and cover saves can now be taken against strength D weapons, unless the strength D weapon in question rolled a 6 to wound. Strength D weapons that did not roll a 6 are treated as having S10 and the weapon's AP, so T6+ units won't suffer Instant Death from them (on a Destroyer To Wound roll of 2-5 the victim loses D3 Wounds, good for the Tyranid MCs at least, though on a Destroyer To Wound roll of 6 it inflicts D6+6 wounds which would probably kill anything anyway). In addition, Strength D allocates wounds like barrage does.
• Barrage weapons must now direct fire in order to hit something in their minimum range, so no more hiding basilisks out of LOS, unless maybe on a huuuge table.
  • Pretty sure that they can't even direct fire within minimum range, making Basilisks all but useless.
• Sniper weapons lost Pinning and Rending, but rolls of 6 against infantry still give AP2 hits. When they shoot at vehicles, they now have S4.
• Skyfire/Interceptor combo no longer allows to hit non Flyer/Skimmer/FMC targets at BS.
• You can't disembark from Chariots. Also, if a Necron Chariot rider passes his Ever-Living roll, his whole damn chariot comes back (with one Hull Point).
• Chariots no longer give you Sv bonus. This only means that Necrons gotta spend few extra points.
• Walkers now have Hammer of Wrath.
• Grenades can only be used once per unit per phase while shooting. In assault, each model can use a grenade as a single attack.
• Units can now charge Walkers they can't hurt. For Tyranid players, this is invaluable indeed.
• They updated with FAQs that remove a lot of what was said in 6th. All psyker abilities that are not 6th Edition or higher are now removed. Example: Ork Weirdboys no longer have their random table and could only use Daemonology until they got their new Codex, where they got a whole new discipline.
• Chariots have the Relentless special rule. The Burning Chariot is now useful!
• Chariots in close combat always uses their front armour value.
• Any model with (Character) next to unit type can be the Warlord of your army. While this sounds really silly, this means characters like the Broodlord and that lone fire warrior who took on the Lord of Change alone can make fluffy list even more possible.
• Flying Monstrous Creatures can Jink while gliding! Not just swooping. Find a way to give them Shrouded and you have 2+ cover save on your melee beast the turn he wants to assault.
• Dedicated Transports are now a special rule as opposed to a force org slot type, or "battlefield role" as they are called now. A transport starts with its own battlefield role (most of them are just Fast Attack, like Rhinos and Razorbacks are), but its role is overridden by whatever takes them as a Dedicated Transport -- i.e. a Rhino is Troops if holding a Tactical Squad, or Elites if holding Veterans.
• Rules concerning multiple levels no longer seem to exist. Splash damage and flamers now have unlimited vertical range and deal damage through floors (though only where ruins are concerned; fortifications work the same as before).

Boxed Sets

• Dark Vengeance is still the starter boxed set, it just got a facelift, a new mini-rulebook and the Chaos Aspiring Champion sprue that had been available on its own for ages has been added. It eventually got supplementary sets that added a few bonus models to one side. Not much to give you the full set, but it's a start.
• Stormclaw, A new campaign box set featuring Space Wolves vs Orks, came and went in July 2014, meaning that we might be expecting a new Wolfdex for August 2014 if the current pattern of WFB/40K releases is correct, and this kit not too soon after. They freakin' teased us with this one, adding the mini-rulebook inside it to make us think it was the starter set, only to re-release Dark Vengeance the week after.
  • Grukk FaceRippa is the Warboss for the Ork set, equipped with a kombi-rokkit, a power klaw, and an attack squig. Guy's being cast as a kill-krazy Goff, also brimming with some new dakka and teef. His Waaagh is covered in the Red Waaagh supplement (spoiler: he dies early on in the fluff and his Waaagh continues without him) (spoiler: he got better though) they are not a secondary army themselves but his formation can be used on its own.
  • Krom Dragongaze is the package's Wolf Lord, a character at least mentioned before, now brought to a model form. He's being cast as a very pissed-off yiff with a Frost Axe and a totem on him.
  • Unlike previous boxed sets such as Assault on Black Reach and Dark Vengeance there are no limited edition sculpts aside from the Wolflord and the Warboss, every other model are the standard non-snap fit sprues. To rub further salt in the wound for Ork players, Grukk is a modified sculpt of the plastic warboss from AoBR. However, it's still more badass than the AoBR.
• Space Hulk: And the fandom rejoiced for GW's act of kindness, even if it's just to keep a grubby hold on the copyrights to the name. It's essentially a re-release of 3rd Edition with limited availability and some new missions. There's also a novella out called Sin of Damnation that chronicles what goes down. Also available are a couple small supplement missions allowing you to play with your regular Deathwing/Wolf Guard/Smurf Terminators, granting some new weapons and Cyclone Missiles.
• Deathstorm: There in indeed another limited-edition campaign set that reconfirms the Blood Angels starter rumors back from the release of 7E, and they're packed with the Nids as it's part of the Shield of Baal campaign. Like Stormclaw, the only real unique models here being the two heroes.
  • Karlaen is obviously the captain of the First Company, what with his huge armor, Iron Halo, and Thunder Hammer he uses in place of a sword. Kinda disappointed he has to go save some hapless planetary governor rather than massacre the fuck out of the Nids, but considering how the last guys who fought the Nids full-scale ended up, it's maybe for the better.
  • The Spawn of Cryptus is only a Broodlord with Stealth instead of a legit solo character. His upper claws have massive fucking talons, his headspike is huge, and even his tongue has a spike.

Fluff Updates

Orks

• After leaving Armageddon, Ghazghkull engaged in a space battle with Helbrecht and Yarrick and was saved by the direct intervention of Gork and Mork, who commanded him to make a Waaagh! so massive that they could lead the Orks personally. He's currently on his way to Octarius to krump the Tyranids and show the Overfiend who's the real boss of the Orks.
• There is a huge emphasis on the End Times theme, with the Orks suddenly being seized with a religious fervor to gather for the Last WAAAAAAGH!!! - that often mentioned hypothetical galaxy-conquering unification of the Orks seems to be less and less hypothetical as time goes on, especially given Ghazghkull's new blessings from the Ork gods.
• The idea that Orks' psychic fields help their otherwise impossible technology work has been really downplayed, possibly removed. The Meks are really competent in this edition. The book Evil Sun Rising places a lot of emphasis on Meks going off of luck and inspiration with little memory about how they did it.

Space Wolves

• A few retcons about Leman Russ- some time after he was adopted by wolves, a hunting party stumbled across his cave and killed his wolf-mother. After killing twelve men in an attempt to protect his "brothers", the hunters realized Russ was special and convinced him to go with them to King Thengir. When the Emperor revealed himself, Leman Russ challenged him to a duel on the spot (no mention of any eating or drinking contests), which lasted for hours before the Emperor finally knocked him out. Apparently Emps KOing Russ in one punch wasn't flattering enough to justify being included.

Grey Knights

• Draigo's not mentioned to have been in the warp for fuck-all years now: his vanishing was actually a bit more recent. (It happens in 999 M.40, just like in the last codex).
• Vorth Mordrak has been mentioned to be Admiral of the Fleet. Any mention of the whole "Ghost Knights" deal is practically nonexistent, as is any mention of Anval Thrawn. However, it's never explicitly said if these events are noncanon, and considering GW's stance at continuity, this likely will remain so.
• That one incident with those Sisters of Battle has now mostly been retconned to not involve the sacrifice. Sisters still jobbed in the 'dex, mind, but it was because Draigo wanted them to hold the line.

Dark Eldar

• Commorragh is not as secure as once thought - there is a sealed hole in the bottom (how can there be a 'bottom of Commorragh when it's made of numerous inter-dimensional realms where 'up' is a subjective concept?) of the Dark City called Khaine's Gate, and something is whispering through it out of the Warp, trying to get into Commorragh. Vect's putting up some failsafes but they aren't working and rumors abound that he's making a sanctuary to ride out the apocalypse.
• Vect and Lady Malys are at all-out war with one another, and each is convinced the other wants to flood Commorragh with daemons. Ironically, that's exactly the opposite of what either of them wants and their fighting is weakening the failsafes further.
• Having noticed unnerving parallels between the greatly increased raiding and the frenzy of depravity that occurred shortly before the Fall, Urien Rakarth and several of his fellow Haemonculi have taken to placing numerous slaves in stasis pods so they can continue feeding off their suffering even if the Dark City is wiped out.

Blood Angels

• There are some rumors that the only reason the Red Thirst exists is because of some genetic decay during the process in which the gene-seed is activated by injecting aspirants with Sanguinius' blood. Of course, this is assuming that this all wasn't Khorne's fault in the first place.
• Carmine Blades (Originally called the Swords of Hadroth) are a new chapter. Originally they were feral worlders who were listed as Ultrasmurf successors for some reason and considered the Red Thirst some sort of tribal curse. However, Astorath made one trip to their homeworld and explained who their true spiritual liege is (Hint: It's the one with wings). They're all well and cool with this revelation, though it is gonna take a deal of effort and time to curb their more crazy habits.
• The Blood Angels-Necron alliance wasn't nearly as friendly as it seemed- the Silent King was only using the Blood Angels as meat-shields to cover the Necrons' escape from the Tyranids of Cryptus and told the Blood Angels as much after the battle's end when they were too far away to be threatened by any sort of retaliation. Dante ordered the records falsified into the "noble alliance" story (as presented in the Wardex) to cover up how the Chapter was tricked and swore to kill the Silent King for his deception. To be fair, Dante was planning to kill the Silent King anyway when the war ended. (Incidentally, the Silent King claimed to know Sanguinius and have allied with him in the past, which is rather peculiar given that he wasn't awake or even in the Milky Way at the time of the Great Crusade.)

tl;dr

New rules. Just not very many of them. Expect Unbound armies to be viewed the same way as Double Force Org last edition. Most of the book has remained the same with minor changes that range from good fixes to increased ambiguity to needless to wtf. Introduction of the new Psychic phase is causing the most rage as people learn how to use and abuse it. Here is a general breakdown of what is going down:

• Those Guys are actively trying to break the system succeeding as always. In the next year who knows what new game breaking combos will be found.
• The Neckbeards are raging as per the boring usual.
• The Tournament Players are trying to shoehorn their previous lists from last edition to the current.
• The Garagehammer guys are still in the garage doing their thing.
• The Narrative guys are making their own rules and "forging a narrative".
• The General Player base is stuck in the crossfire being flung from the ani of the Neckbeards and Tournament players.