We’ve a ton of very specific rumors come out lately related to the upcoming Chapter Approved book. So, today we’re going to be going back and looking at them all.
So far it looks like no one is retracting these rumors about what the new Chapter Approved book may be updating about our existing codex and index books.
Let’s take a look first at what we Games Workshop has already previewed about the new book, and then what the latest rumors are:
New Matched Play Rules
We are always eager to listen to the Warhammer 40,000 community and improve the game based on the feedback you provide, and one of the areas we get the most correspondence about is matched play. The joy of Chapter Approved is that, as we see certain themes emerge about rules that might not be working properly, we can take steps to address them. To this effect, Chapter Approved introduces several new matched play rules, all of which are designed to help redress certain imbalances or exploits within the rules that you tell us are leading to games that are not as fun as they could be. Here you can see one such example:
As you may recall, we have already amended the Instant Death rule in Warhammer 40,000 to prevent Flyer-only armies from dominating matched play games. This was met with a positive response, but the feedback we have received since suggests that it did not go far enough. Boots on the Ground helps to redress this – aircraft are soaring so high and so fast that they cannot hold objectives; their role is to support the warriors and vehicles on the ground as they do the bloody work of capturing and controlling territory.
The first big change we’re seeing is the Boots on the Ground rule. This rule came out in an FAQ shortly after ATC’s and states that units that have the Flyer Battlefield Role cannot hold objective markers.
New Detachment Rules
Since Warhammer 40,000: Dark Imperium was launched, we have released several codexes, but there are still plenty of Factions – Orks, Drukhari, Necrons etc. – that don’t yet have a codex of their own. Chapter Approved gives these players a sneak peek of what many of these factions can expect when their codex is released (we are hard on work to get that done as quickly as we can), but one of the things we wanted to do was give everyone access to ‘objective secured’ right away:
As you can see, this is an ability that rewards you for grouping your warriors into faction-specific detachments by giving Troops units the ability to control objective markers even when outnumbered by the enemy. As you can imagine, it gives these units a real edge, and helps to ensure your line troops are not at a disadvantage compared to those factions that are lucky enough to have a codex already.
7th edition Objective Secured is back! Turns out, there was a couple good things about 7th edition 40k, and Objective Secured was one of them. Well, Games Workshop has brought it into 8th edition. “If your army is Battle-forged, all Troops units in <Faction> Detachments gain this ability.” What this does is allow you to control an objective with a unit within range of an objective with this ability, even if there are more enemy units within range of it. If an enemy unit has a similar ability then it goes back to the number of models within range of the objective.
New Matched Play Missions
A great mission is critical to a great game of Warhammer 40,000, and Chapter Approved includes a dozen brand new matched play missions for you to test your skills. One of the things we’ve had the most feedback about is about which player gets the first turn in these missions. Barring a sneaky Seize the Initiative roll, the current feeling is that the present method is a bit too reliable, and some players are developing armies and strategies to exploit this. We’ve taken this feedback on board and changed how you determine who gets the first turn in every one of the new matched play missions presented in Chapter Approved:
This change ensures that in these new missions, the first turn is never guaranteed; whilst you can construct an elite army to stack the odds a little in your favour, it still all comes down to a roll-off, so you’ll have to build an army and deploy it accordingly. If you prefer the original method though, worry not! These new missions do not replace the matched play missions in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, they supplement them, allowing you to choose the style of mission rules you enjoy playing the most.
Deploy first go first is a short lived problem of 8th edition. Granted, you’re still rewarded with a +1 on your roll off to see who goes first if you finish setting up first. But, if the person who wins the roll decides to go first, your opponent has the option to seize the initiative, rolls a D6, and on a the roll of a 6 goes first instead.
This is still a game where, in a lot of cases, the first turn can decide the entire outcome of the game.
And now, the rumor mill:
According to Faeit we can expect to see the following changes in Chapter Approved:
With the new Chapter Approved coming, there are lots of things you will need for almost every army in this book. Its a must by, especially since point costs are all being updated, even for Forgeworld books. Here is the latest set of strategems and warlord traits for several of the armies affected in the new book.
Deathwatch
Warlord Trait- re-roll failed wound rolls
Relic- once per game at end of movement, teleport a friendly infantry or biker unit to within 6″ and outside of 9″ of enemy model
Stratagems
1. 1CP select an enemy vehicle within 1″ of a watch master and on a 2+ vehicle suffers d3 mortal wounds
2. 1CP each time you make a hit roll a 6+ in the fight phase and its not an imperium or chaos aligned model, make an extra attack. additional attacks cant be created from these.Drukari
Warlord Traits
1. Wych Cult- each roll of a 6+ in the fight phase causes 3 hits
2. Haemonculus Coven- heal d3 wounds at the start of each turn
3. re-roll to hits and to wound rolls of a 1 during the fight phase.
Relic- Pistol 2 R12 S1 AP-2 D2 wounds on a 2+ vehicles on a 6+. For each model killed bearer gains a wound
Strategem
1CP/3CP one infantry, beast, or biker unit or 2 for 3 CP may use teh webway and emerge onto the battle at the end of any of your movement phases. Setting up anywhere that is 9″ or more from enemy units. Can only be used once per battle.Harlequins
Warlord Trait- re-roll hit rolls of a 1
Relic- Increase leadership by 1, and all enemy units within 6″ reduce their leadership by 1
Stratagems
1. 1CP/3CP one infantry, beast, or biker unit or 2 for 3 CP may use teh webway and emerge onto the battle at the end of any of your movement phases. Setting up anywhere that is 9″ or more from enemy units. Can only be used once per battle.
2. 1CP after a harlequin unit has advanced, it gains a 3+ invul until start of next turn.
Genestealer Cults
Warlord Trait- friendly infantry units can do a Heroic Intervention within 6″
Relic- +1 strength to friendly infantry unit within 6″
Stratagems
1. 1CP end of movement phase, remove a infantry unit from the board that is more than 6″ from enemy models. At the end of the next movement phase, return it to the board using Cult Ambush
2. 1CP before rolling on cult ambush table, roll 2 dice instead of 1 and choose the result. A Primus may roll 3 dice instead.
Imperial Knights
Warlord Trait- add one to Attacks
Relic- replace reaper chainsword with this Melee S+6 AP3 D6
Stratagem
1CP when a Questor Imperialis or Mechanicus unit with a invul save is targeted, you may add 1 to the invul save until the end of the phase.
Thousand Sons
Warlord Trait- re-roll deny witch tests
Relic- rolling doubles for psychic tests means the opponent may not resist with deny the witch or negate it by any means.
Psychic Power- warp charge of 7. Select an enemy unit within 18″ and roll 9 dice. The unit suffers mortal wounds on each roll of a 6
Stratagems
1CP If within 6″ of at least 2 other friendly TS psykers, you can add 2 to your psychic test.
That being said we also know from the GW Seminar at the end of August that Chapter Approved will also have points costs changes for FORGE WORLD units, which the rumor also mentions as well:
With the new Chapter Approved coming, there are lots of things you will need for almost every army in this book. Its a must by, especially since point costs are all being updated, even for Forgeworld books. Here is the latest set of strategems and warlord traits for several of the armies affected in the new book.
It is definitely cool to see GW trying to bring some balance to the 8th, and giving some of the outlying codex releases some playable rules that are rumored above. But again these are all 100% speculation at this point.
We also got a look at another rumor about the VDR rules that are going to be included in the new Chapter Approved book.
via Sources on Faeit
The section is for Land Raiders only and creates a Transport Capacity or TC. For your Land Raiders this is determined by the primary weapon choice. For example 2 twin lascannons grant a TC of 10, 2 Hurricane Bolters grants a 16 and two Flamestorm cannons a 12.
From there you can take secondary weapons including hull mounted weapons. These subtract from your TC, and have options that include Imperium only, Space Wolves only -helfrost cannon- and Chaos only choices. Most of these options reduce the TC by 5 or 0. Most secondary sponson weapons have a -5.
Wargear is available as well, but does not affect your TC, and whatever is left over is gives you the Transport Capacity for your Land Raider.
There are also special abilities that are determined whether your Land Raider is imperium or chaos, like daemonic machine spirit or machine spirit.
There are no point cost values for making your Land Raider, as its for Open Play. A blank datasheet comes with the book.
Once we find out more on the Chapter Approved VDR we’ll be sure to let you know, but for now here is a look at how the rules USED to work:
via Sources on Faeit
2017 Chapter Approved is coming is Soon-Dec
- Rules for Open Play- apoc
- Narrative Play- planetstrike, stronghold assault
- Matched Play- eternal war, maelstrom of war, and objective markers for each faction
- Faction Rules for Adepta Sororitas, Deathwatch, Drukhari, Genestealer Cults, Harlquins, Imperial Knights, Necrons, Orks, Space Wolves, Tau Empire, and Thousand Sons
- Scenery Rules, Point Cost changes
Adepta Sororitas
Strategems1GP Martydom-use when a character dies and on a 2+ can perform an Act of Faith1GP Purity of Faith- use when an enemy uses psychic powers within 24″ on a 4+ negate it.
Warlord Trait
re-roll failed morale tests if within 6″ of WarlordRelic
Blade to replace power sword. Melee S +2 AP-3 D3Space Wolves
1 GP shooting phase choose 1 unit within 1″ of the enemy and use bolt weapons as if they are pistol 2 type.
1 GP set up a unit on the hunt- deploys at the end of any movement phase within 6″ of any board edge and more than 9″ away from enemy models.Warlord Trait
Warlord can fight first even if he did not chargeRelic
Sword- melee S+1, AP-4, D1 can re-roll all failed to wound rolls.Updated Point Values
Space Marines
Aggressor 21
Chaplain in Terminator Armour 100
Drop Pod 83
Inceptor 25
Intercessor 18
Librarian 88
Librarian in Terminator 120
Razorback 70
Stalker 75
Stormraven 192
Tartaros Terminator 26
Terminator Assault 26
Terminus Ultra 250
Vindicator 125
Whirlwind 70
Wargear
Assault bolter 10
Assault cannon 22
Assault plasma incinerator 17
Auto boltstorm gauntlets 12
Auxiliary grenade launcher 1
Boltstorm gauntlet 22
Centurion assault launchers 3
Force axe 10
Force stave 8
Hurricane bolter 10
Ironclad assault launchers 5
Plasma exterminator 17
Predator autocannon 40
Twin assault cannon 44Roboute Guilliman 385
Sergeant Chronus 40Death Guard
Deathshroud Terminators 35
Defiler 140
Lord of Contagion 100
Noxious Blightbringer 58
Plague Marines 17
Plagueburst Crawler 100
Sorcerer Terminator 120
Tallyman 55
Wargear
Blight launcher 10
Force Axe 10
Force Stave 8
Force Sword 8
Helbrute Fist single/pair 40/50
predator autocannon 40
We’re seeing a big list of changes coming in the upcoming Chapter Approved according to this rumor, with a lot of updated points values. This is the first time we’re hearing of kind of rumor regarding Chapter Approved, and given the source we highly recommend you don’t take it as 100% truth. Once we find out more on the Chapter Approved we’ll be sure to let you know.
All in all, Games Workshop has been doing a great job at listening to the suggestions of the community, and fixing rules rather quickly. This is great, and it’s nice to see them being proactive again, especially when it comes to tournaments, and putting forth some guidelines and rules for tournament organizers. Hopefully this will eliminate some of the issues we ran into with previous editions where one tournament has different rules to another tournament.
What do you think about the latest rumors? Do these sound believable? Or is it simply another rumor that will not amount to anything? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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About the Author: James Rodriguez
