It’s been over a year since 8th edition 40k dropped and we’ve still got more Codexes on the way. Could all those Xenos races be in the best position now?
Since the beginning of 8th edition, there have been tournaments all across the world. Historically speaking, Tyranids and Eldar have always placed well. Imperial soup lists have some real heavy-hitters too, but it looks like Xenos lists are hitting the top more and more often as of late…
Is 2018 Really the Year of the Xenos For 40k?
Looking at the what we’ve got left in the year, we still have the Orks, Genestealer Cult, and (possibly Ynnari) codexes left to be released. But how is this important? Seeing that the last three codexes of the year (or of 2019) are going to be Xenos, they are in the best position for power creep.
Historically speaking, codexes that get released later in the year have more powerful things in them versus codexes that got released first. Granted, GW has already announced a second Chapter Approved book, later on, to hopefully help bring those lead off armies up to speed.
New Models & Codex
What can be better than a codex coming out in the tail end of the year? Getting new models to come along with it.
New models = New rules. GW ultimately wants these models to sell so they will bring new rules and new interactions into the factions this way. We’re at a stage now where we have to wait for rules to be previewed so we can gauge the power level of the codex.
We also have to remember that some factions just seemed to have drawn the short straw as far as codexes go. Necrons and Space Wolves could have been stronger, but at the end of the day, the codex definitely helped the army.
Genestealer Cult
Genestealer Cult are looking to be in a good position so far. The army is able to bring Imperial Guard forces into their ranks and still reap the benefits of Tyranids as allies. on top of that, they’ve even got new models on the way.
No rules yet on the Gunslinger model but the latest GW previews said:
Genestealer cultist gunslinger model “coming real soon” with good rules
As for the latest model seen for GSC, the Abominant was an exclusive character in the Tooth and Claw box. His rules don’t look half bad and he’s an Aberrant lord. Plus these new changes to Aberrants rules hopefully carry over when their codex drops.
Looking at Eldar
Looking back to older editions, Eldar have always had the most insane Psychic powers. Any Eldar list you see will usually have some kind of psychic presence. It’s too good not to dip into.
Moving forward, the Ynnari are new units that got introduced into the game that may be getting a codex later on. Rumors say that their codex will be released after all the other codexes have come out. Again, this is a rumor so remember to take it with a pinch of salt.
We may even see lore advancement take place when the codex gets released. Coming from the latest GW previews, there’s talk of Slaanesh being reintroduced back into 40k and AoS. The Ynnari are essentially the ones who have to defeat the Prince of Pleasure. Who knows what we could see months down the road.
At the end of the day, multiple Xenos factions are primed and ready to make a big splash into the meta when they hit the shelves. We still have to see rules come out for them, but until then all we can do is speculate. Do you think the next three Xenos codexes will be strong? Which one are you most hopeful for?
Will you be starting a Xenos army next? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
