Don’t miss the latest Warhammer 40k 10th Edition Rules changes, commentary, updates, and FAQs in our review guide!
Updated on July 9th, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest information, the July 40k Rules FAQs.
GW just updated Warhammer 40k 10th Edition again with new rules changes. So, whether you’re a Necron Overlord plotting dominion over tomb worlds or a Space Wolf hungry for glory, these tweaks are here to shake up your battle plans.
Let’s break down the latest Warhammer 40k Rules Commentary in a way that connects the dots between the current version of the 10th edition and the new updates!
New FAQ Changes Summary
GW quietly dropped a July rules bomb, and it’s got just about every Warhammer 40k faction tweaking their game face.
- Agents of the Imperium: Characters can now join sneaky units and still infiltrate like pros.
- T’au Empire: Timing tweaks to Patient Hunter and revamped Observer mechanics make for smoother shooting.
- Space Wolves: Keyword fixes let Wulfen bring buddies, Logan’s aura doesn’t stack, and Wolf Guard are now precision bounty hunters.
- Orks: Big Mek’s squad ghosts through walls and gets advance rerolls. Waaagh-powered Kool-Aid Man vibes.
- Thousand Sons: Sacrifice rules now deal mortal wounds, keyword cleanups across units, and Mutalith auras no longer stack.
- Dark Angels: Leonine Aggression no longer lets you backflip out of combat. Use a proper fallback move.
- World Eaters: No more daemon swaps with passengers still inside. Clarified Frenzied Helbrute rules and icon stacking.
- Tyranids: No tunneling out of combat. Mawlocs don’t get Terror triggers from Tunnel Markers anymore.
- Chaos Knights: Can phase through terrain during any movement, including charges. Yes, really.
- Aeldari: Nerfs to Seer Council, Torc strat-locking now works properly, and shrine tokens won’t stick to exploded units.
- Chaos Space Marines: Touched by the Warp doesn’t affect Khorne units. No psychic freebies for summoned Plague Marines.
- Astra Militarum: No CP farming while Battle-shocked. Vox-casters don’t double up or work on Reinforcements.
- Necrons: Cryptothralls that die and get revived before unit activation can swing again. Zombie logic.
- Emperor’s Children: Daemonic Empowerment still triggers on Sustained Hits rolls of 5+. Shalaxi keeps slapping.
- Chapter Approved Mission Pack: Cull the Horde clarified that bodyguard size matters when scoring VP.
- Core Rules: Charging clarified; 12″ range max, no weird edge cases. Overwatch now requires targeting the closest visible threat.
- Vehicles with Bases: Measure from hull or base, whichever’s closer. However, boarding still requires a tight 3″ horizontal and 5″ vertical range.
Clean-up complete, until next month.
July 2025 FAQ Changes Breakdown
Just like May, GW dropped tons of Warhammer 40k FAQs without any fanfare. However, don’t sleep on this one, as there are tons of armies getting changes, and even the core rules!
Here’s all the deets on the shakeups.
Agents of the Imperium
Clandestine Ops just got sneakier. Characters joining units with those cheeky deployment tricks now get the same benefit. So yes, your hidden operatives can bring a chaperone and still pull off the ninja moves. Infiltrate away, just bring friends.
T’au Empire
Patient Hunter got a timing tweak. Sustained Hits kick in turn three now. In those late-game shootouts, your Guided units still ignore hit mods while pummeling the enemy with buffed firepower. It’s still nasty, just on a bit of a delay.
The For the Greater Good rule also got a facelift. You now nominate Observer units at the start of the Shooting phase. They mark targets for the rest of your army, who become Guided units.
If your markerlight guys do the spotting, the bonus attacks ignore cover, too. Cleaner interactions and more tactical decision-making give a bit more crunch for your enemy to chew on.
Space Wolves
The Wolves are out of the kennel. Wulfen can now take a Character buddy thanks to an Infantry keyword fix. Logan’s CP tax aura no longer stacks with other similar rules (sorry combo-abusers). Iron Priests can heal from inside transports, and Wolf Guard Headtakers are now glorified bounty hunters with Devastating Wounds and Precision baked into their quarry rule.
It looks like Logan Grimnar is still a turn one deepstriker, as they blatantly left that iteration out of the FAQ, seemingly indicating it works just as the meta says it does.
Orks
Big Mek’s upgrading his toolbox. His unit can ghost through terrain and enemies like they’re hopped up on waaagh-fuelled ghost peppers. Advance rerolls, too.
He’s basically the Kool-Aid Man of the Ork army, smashing through the walls, just with more grease.
Thousand Sons
Warpmeld Pact got a keyword cleanup and some new limits. Sacrifices still make your mutants better at hitting or tanking, but you’ll be paying in mortal wounds. The Infernal Master got the [Pistol] tag he should’ve had, the Rhino can now fire from the back seat, and the Vindicator got a small speed boost.
Oh, and the Mutalith aura is now non-stacking. Leadership drops on Flamers and Screamers round out the spring cleaning.
Dark Angels
No more charging out of engagement range using Leonine Aggression. That trick’s been squashed. You’ll need an actual fallback move like everyone else. Sorry, Lion fans, you can’t backflip out of melee anymore.
World Eaters
Summoned by Slaughter now requires passengers to disembark before their ride gets replaced by daemons. Icons of Khorne only work if you actually have an icon, and the bonuses don’t stack.
Frenzied Helbrutes have been clarified: yes, they can go off more than once, yes, they still require legal targets, and no, they’re not breaking the shooting rules by flailing in the wrong phase.
Tyranids
Tunnel Network got locked down a bit. No digging out of engagement range anymore, which honestly makes sense. Mawlocs don’t get to trigger Terror from the Deep when popping up via Tunnel Markers either.
Chaos Knights
Imperious Advance lets your big boys phase through anything during all move types now, not just advancing. Yes, they can still charge afterward.
Yes, it’s hilarious. Terrain? Never heard of it.
Aeldari
Seer Council’s Unshrouded Truth got nerfed; you can’t use it on units that just showed up. Torc of Morai-Heg now locks your opponent into the higher CP cost or forces them to drop the strat altogether.
Shrine tokens don’t stick to Characters if the unit gets blown up. The Yncarne can’t be picky with healing; you take what you roll.
Chaos Space Marines
Touched by the Warp can’t touch Khorne units anymore. Apparently, blood for the Blood God doesn’t mix with psychic meddling. Plague Marines added via Cults of the Dark Gods also don’t get their usual bonus, so no free lunch there.
Astra Militarum
No CP farming if you’re Battle-shocked. Double vox-casters don’t give double chances. Vox-casters don’t work with Reinforcements! either. Basically, vox-casters have one job, and they’re not cloning CP now.
Necrons
Cryptothralls that fight on death can go again if they’re revived before their unit activates. Those zombie robots just keep coming…
Emperor’s Children
Yes, Sustained Hits weapons still benefit from Daemonic Empowerment if they roll a 5+. So Shalaxi’s still slapping.
Chapter Approved
Cull the Horde got a tidy clarification. If the bodyguard unit you blast apart would’ve been 13+ models without the Leader, you get the VP. If not, no soup for you. Size matters, even in moral victories.
Core Rules
Charging’s been clarified to cut down on ambiguity. You’re only eligible to charge if you’re within 12 inches during your Charge phase and not running into one of the listed “nope” clauses. Also, Fire Overwatch can only be used if the target is the closest visible, unengaged enemy unit.
So no cheeky corner sniping from across the board.
Vehicles with Bases
Measuring to and from vehicles with bases now uses either the base or the hull, whichever is closest. But if you’re trying to embark into a Transport, it’s still gotta be within 3 inches horizontally and 5 inches vertically.
No weird toe-in boarding passes allowed.
May 2025 FAQ Changes
This time, GW slid tons of Warhammer 40k FAQs under the door like a secret note—no articles, no big announcement, just boom, there it is. But don’t let the quiet drop fool you—over five armies are getting updates.
And if you’re rolling with Death Guard or World Eaters, brace yourself: there are some hefty points changes coming your way. Here’s all the shakeups.
Adeptus Custodes Changes
They get a single change this time, but it’s a decent size one, as every model in the unit gets the bonus.
Aeldari FAQ Changes
The Skyborne Sanctuary is a big change; you cannot be within engagement range of an enemy to embark. Meaning you can’t just jump away from an ongoing combat.
Then, the Windrider host changes to one mounted unit that gets to make the move. Sorry, foot sloggers.
Lastly, the Corsairs can all be shooty boys if you want.
Adepta Sororitas Changes
There’s just a single change this time around: now you can discard, you don’t have to! Pretty much just a needed wording change.
GW also updated the hand flamer for the Sanctifiers to have the pistol keyword, which gives them many extra benefits mostly in combat though.
Death Guard FAQ Changes
This is for the codex, so these aren’t so much changes as what it should have been in the beginning. Either way, you’ve got to chuckle at having the codex already changed on day one.
Then, the Flyblown Host (their Grotmas Detachment) also got a single but big change. Poxwalkers are excluded from the detachment rule now.
Emperor’s Children FAQ Changes
First up, why change the Heldrkae to a 3+ save? We’ll never know. However, they are getting some power sword buffs. Lastly, On to the Next Stratagem lets you embark after destroying an enemy in the fight phase.
Leagues of Votann Changes
This one is simple, even though they changed Ruthless Efficiency, you still get the CP for any of the four units judged.
Field Munitorum Changes
The World Eaters and Death Guard are getting big changes, but we’re breaking those all down here.
40k Rules Commentary & FAQs Breakdown
The latest 10th Edition Balance Dataslate for 2024, 2025 (and Warhammer 40k rules commentary) isn’t just about points and rules changes; it also includes a wealth of FAQs and clarifications. These updates address common questions and ambiguities, ensuring that everyone is playing by the same rules and preventing disputes during games.
May 2025 Changes:
There are a bunch of small FAQs for Custodes, Adepta Sororitas, points, Grotmas, Emperor’s Children, and more.
March 2025 Changes: None
Currently, the next big FAQ for Warhammer 40k is due in June of 2025.
February 2025 Changes:
The Aeldari entries in the balance datasheet were removed. Points were updated, and some units were removed. You can see more in our breakdown article here.
January 2025 Changes:
Like we said earlier, the Grotmas detachments got a shake-up for five factions: Adeptus Mechanicus, Necrons, Adeptus Custodes, Chaos Knights, and Thousand Sons. While the tweaks vary in impact, there’s plenty for each faction’s players to unpack, so let’s break it down:
Adeptus Custodes
The golden boys got a tweak to their Solar Spearhead detachment. The Veteran of the Kataphraktoi stratagem now takes place in the Command Phase, bringing some much-needed clarity. It’s a minor change but keeps things running smoothly—less time arguing, more time flexing your Custodian muscle.
Adeptus Mechanicus
AdMech players, rejoice (or chuckle at GW’s proofreading)! The Haloscreed Battle Clade and Noospheric Transference finally got the Adeptus Mechanicus keyword added. This was probably just a typo, but hey, it’s fixed now, and your battle clade is officially part of the Mechanicus family. Welcome to the fold, little typo!
Chaos Knights
For those stomping around with Chaos Knights, GW cleaned up the wording on the Conoclast Fiefdom and Dark Sacrifice rules. They added the keyword “friendly”, which is a subtle but important fix. Now you can’t trigger abilities off your opponent’s Chaos Knights in a mirror match. It’s like GW reminding you: “Play nice with your own toys, not someone else’s.”
Deathwatch
Here’s a fun one: hand flamers got the Pistol keyword added. On the surface, this is just common sense (hand flamers should be pistols, after all), but it also makes them sneakily stronger. Picture this: shooting with your hand flamers while still able to charge into combat. Yep, Deathwatch just got a bit spicier.
Necrons
The undying legions got a couple of adjustments. For starters, the Starshatter Arsenal and Reactive Reposition now read: “Your unit can make a Normal Move of up to D6″.” It’s a small wording change but clarifies things nicely. Also, Demanding Leader now happens in your Command Phase, bringing the timing in line with other similar abilities. Necrons may be ancient, but now they’re a little more in sync with modern game rules.
Thousand Sons
The Hexwarp Thrallband detachment got a tweak to the Empowered Manifestation ability. It now specifies that you can add up to 6 inches to your range. Translation? You’re no longer obligated to max out the range if you don’t want to. This is basically GW saying, “We get it, sometimes less is more.”
December 2024 Changes
In the December Dataslate, there are three small clarifications:
- Lion El’Jonson’s Secrets: Want to show off Lion El’Jonson’s knack for timing? As the player in charge, you absolutely get to decide when his “once per turn” All Secrets Revealed ability kicks in. Consider it your moment to make the galaxy gasp.
- Miracle Dice Shenanigans: If one of your Adepta Sororitas units heroically bites the dust within 12 inches of a friendly Imagifier, their Litany of Deeds lets you re-roll the result of the Miracle Dice you earn from Acts of Faith. Because nothing says divine inspiration like a second chance to roll better.
- Keyword Tweaks – Page 152: The Company Heroes keywords now read:
- All Models: Infantry, Grenades, Imperium, Tacticus, Company Heroes
- Ancient: Ancient
Because even heroes deserve a tidy list of labels to strut their stuff.
Wrapping Up the 10th Edition 40k Rules Commentary
And there you have it—another round of Warhammer 40k updates ready to shake things up on the battlefield. With adjustments to secret missions, primary caps, surge moves, attached units, and more, the game is evolving to create a richer and more dynamic experience.
From the latest point adjustments to rule tweaks, it’s all part of navigating the game’s ongoing quest for balance or chaos; we’re not entirely sure which…
You can download all the changes here, and we also have the June 2024 updates right here. Click the links below for the latest updates from the Warhammer 40k universe and tabletop game!
- Best Warhammer 40k Armies Now
- Free GW Warhammer 40k App Army Builder for 10th Edition
- 40k Balance Dataslate Updates Warhammer 10th Edition
- 10th Edition Warhammer 40k Rules FAQ & Rules Commentary
- Full 10th Edition Warhammer 40k Core Rules Book
- Free PDF Download for 10th Edition Warhammer 40k USR Rules
Download the Core Rule Changes Here!
What do you think about the updated 10th Edition Warhammer 40k rules and commentary?
