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. 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). Check the bottom of the page and weep as you realize what was GeeDubs' plan all along.

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

Major Updates

• Psychic Power Overhaul - Instead of using Psychic powers in the shooting phase 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.
• Super Heavies - Not new to 40k per say, 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.
• Battleforge 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, giving 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.
• 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

• TBA, though with only six codexes left to update, and with Orks still running a 4th ed book, it's not hard to guess. Not-so-coincidentally, GW's website seems to be going out of its way to push Orks and they did introduce two new walkers for them (the Gorkanaut and the Morkanaut)...

New Supplementals

• TBA

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.

Features

General stuff

• The rulebook is being written by Jervis Johnson (yay!), Robin Cruddace (fuck...), and Simon Grant (huh? awesome!)
• 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)
• Parts of Escalation, Stronghold Assault, and that new Altar of War book are included in the new rulebook - for example, data sheets for stuff like Wall of Martyrs. Obviously they've left out just enough that you still kinda sorta need to buy those three 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.
• 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*
• 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 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 be Battle-Forged). Kill-Team remains out of the book, though.
  • 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).
• 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.
  • 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 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 and Chaos Space Marines who can 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 can now 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. (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 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.
• 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 Soulblaze 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.
• Taking Jink saves (now a 4+) forces snap shots, and must be declared before to hit rolls.
• 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.
• Wounds taken in challenges now spread to the squad. 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 means no more having one character tying up 20 dudes 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 forvification bullshit what a void shield generator is.
• Vehicle damage chart is changing again; you need a roll of 7 to make tanks Explode. This makes them more resilient - not to the level of 5E, but to the ridiculous 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!)
• Vehicles can now use Snap Shots with Ordnance weapons, as long as the weapon itself allows Snap Shots to be fired. 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 is now only one attack. ("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. 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.
• 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 Necrons gonna spend few extra points.
• Walkers now have Hammer of Wrath (didnt they always?)
• 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 can only use Daemonology until they get their new Codexes.
• 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 toke on the Lord of Change alone can make fluffy list even more possible.

Rumored features

• Starter set is one of the following (details are a bit hazy): Imperial Guard versus Eldar, Blood Angels versus Orks, or the same Dark Vengeance box with a slightly different rulebook.
  • We do know that IF they replace Dark Vengeance, it won't be for a few more months. Though it has been semi-confirmed by GW Customer Support that there are currently no plans to do a re-release. The GW description for the dark vengence box even says that you need to buy the new 40k rulebook seperately, note that they failed to remove the line that states that it has a the new minirule book in it from 6th edition. As such anyone reading the description will see that it does not contain the new rulebook, but continuing with the description it says it has the new rulebook(For 6th).

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. And are looking to see if the meta is favorable to their specific army tactics such as deathstar units(ie high points cost single squads) or multiple small units.
• The Garage hammer 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.