Big changes are coming for how character rules work in Warhammer 40k 10th edition in the latest preview by Games Workshop.
It looks like the way we play characters in Warhammer 40k will be changing more that anyone would have guessed in the new edition according to these new rules.
Here are the quick links to the latest for 10th Edition Warhammer 40k and the full articles below!
- Warhammer 40k New 10th Edition Release Guide: LATEST
- New 10th Edition Warhammer 40k Starter Set & Models
- What Will Happen To Codex Books in 10th Edition
- All the Latest 10th Edition Rules Changes
- How to Build Army Lists in 10th Edition Warhammer 40k
New Character Rules In Warhammer 10th Edition 40k
From the sounds of it, gone are the days of almost all aura buffs (but a few remain). Now, your characters will have to join squads like in the old days to give them the buffs! This maybe means we’ll need to see more heroes running around in armies to get a ton of buffs to your units.
On top of that, characters seem to become part of the unit for the whole game, not just free roaming across units. So some profound changes are here for character rules in 10th Edition Warhammer 40k
The new changes to character rules in Warhammer 40k come from Warhammer Community.
The new edition of Warhammer 40,000 is bringing some pretty massive changes to the rules. One of the most eye-catching is the way that CHARACTERS now interact with their subordinates. The powerful Aura bonuses that they used to impart on all nearby troops are gone – in almost all cases. These effects were powerful, but the potential to stack them up made balancing the game tricky.
So now, rather than handing out re-rolls to anyone in earshot, your heroes now join a single squad and act as one cohesive unit. It’s an elegant system that helps keep over-buffed super-units at bay.
This is a huge change and something that is probably moving in the right direction. So much of 9th Edition has become a lot about getting your auras stacked for your units and buffing them up. We see how this makes the game hard to balance.
Now, you must join a single squad to buff them up.
Take this Primaris Lieutenant. The first thing to notice is the Leader ability, which unlocks the ability to join a squad. This is done before deployment, at the same time as transports are allocated and units are placed in Reserve – the Leader becomes a permanent member of that unit for the whole battle.
Each Leader has a short selection of units that they can join, all of them listed on their datasheet. A Primaris Lieutenant can shack up with Intercessors or Bladeguard Veterans but leaves Gravis-armoured Aggressors and Heavy Intercessors to his more appropriately equipped colleagues.
This means you join a squad and stay with that squad. So, you might need more characters to buff up more squads now, but they give some pretty exciting buffs compared to just re-rolling something.
Just by putting a Lieutenant in the squad, for example, you get the lethal ability (automatically wound on a hit roll of a 6) and can shoot and charge even when you fall back.
His Tactical Precision ability grants his subordinates Lethal Hits, a core ability that makes Critical Hits – the new term for an unmodified 6 on a Hit roll – automatically wound their target.
Most of the time, only one Leader can join each unit – but as you can see, the Lieutenant is an exception, and can join the same squad as a superior Captain. Plenty of factions have similar low-ranked support Leaders, from Biophagus surgeons to Warlock battle-psykers.
The old Look Out, Sir! rule has also been devolved into this new system. Your Leader is kept safe by their Bodyguards, and can usually* be targeted only when everyone else in the squad has breathed their last.
It’s interesting that you can double-buff a unit with two characters and make them hit harder. However, one of the biggest changes is the Look Out, Sir! rule.
This means you want to put your heroes in sizable squads, as once everything dies in the unit, they are left alone and can be shot at.
Independent Characters
Not all characters possess the Leader ability, however. Independent sorts may instead have the Lone Operative ability, which means that they can’t be targeted by ranged attacks unless the attacker is within 12″. This potent defensive trait is common among the stealthier specialists of the 41st Millennium, such as Vindicare Assassins or Commander Shadowsun.
Some characters only gain the Lone Operative ability when taking shelter near an appropriate unit – such as when Iron Father Feirros is working on an allied VEHICLE, or Lion El’Jonson is near a unit of ADEPTUS ASTARTES INFANTRY. Such heroes tend to benefit their comrades without Leading them, perhaps through Aura abilities that boost nearby allies.
It makes sense certain characters can’t join units, and the lookout rule is totally simplified; if you’re more than 12″ away, you can’t target them. Then, the previews mention some aura buffs are still around, but we assume it will only be for a couple of models and big baddies like the new Lion.
Check out the latest for Warhammer 40k 10th Edition, new releases, rules, rumors, and more!
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Here’s the most up-to-date list of new Games Workshop bits from preview models that we should watch out for. Click on the gallery above to see dozens of Rumor Engines with new models still to be revealed!
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
