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9th Edition 40k Rumors May Be New Forge World Rules!

thunderhawk wal horSure there’s been rumors of 9th edition 40k for months now, but that big shipment of new books may actually be new Forge World rules…

So we did some port scrying a few days ago and it showed a shipment of books that was so massive that it put shipments of new faction codexes to shame.

We’re talking like three times the size of a codex shipment.  At the time, all signs seemed to point toward those books being the 9th edition platform. However, some industry insiders have chimed in and are saying it’s something else. Before we jump into the latest, make sure you take a look at the shipping manifest for yourself.

9th Edition 40k Rumors May Be New Forge World Rules!

primaris psyker hor wal guard angry frustratedSo essentially, we’ve got a shipment of “printed books” without any kind of title that just hit the port. Four different Purchase Orders (PO), seem to indicate that there are four separate book titles that comprise two different shipments from Chinese publisher Artron Art Group.

gw port scry mystery booksNow before we jump in head-first, it’s important to know what each abbreviation may mean:

  • PCS = Quantity
  • CTNS= Cartons (cases)
  • PLT = Pallets
  • PO= Purchase Order

The first shipment contains a whopping 38,880 pieces or what appear to be books, just in one purchase order alone.

9th edition 40k rumors Spikey BitsBreaking down the second receiving entry from April 21st, it contains 11,800 pieces split among 693 cartons of two different titles or POs.

Any way you look at it, this shipment is absolutely massive with a total of 68,000+ books hitting the US. Normally, we see anywhere between 9,000-14,000 books get imported when a faction gets a new codex or battletome for Warhammer.

contrastTo put it even more into perspective, these two shipments are roughly twice the weight of all new racking GW imported around this time last year to launch their Contrast line of paints. 

Return of the Indexes?

IndexBookCollectionENG01Remember back when 8th edition first dropped? We saw a thicker hardcover rulebook come out as well as a supplement indexices with factions bundled together. If we got everything right above, it would make sense that GW ships more of a new rulebook because everyone will need them. It would also make sense that this would be heavier than normal because we know how GW likes to throw in a bunch of lore on different things as well as include certain missions, etc.

Assuming that the second shipment (and the other half of the first) is something akin to the 8th edition faction indexes, it would also make sense that they would not need to ship as many of a single title. Mainly because so many people play different factions.

But wait, there were 5 index books for 8th, and you just said there are only 4 new titles in this rumor, including a potential new 9th Edition rulebook Rob!

Correct!

Now look back at the index book image above, while there were 5 Index books for 8th, they covered only 3 major groups of factions: Xenos, Imperials, and Chaos. That could mean that any future index release could consist of only three supplemental books total, as the Codex cycle could then begin itself again…

 These Books Could Actually Be New 40k Forge World Rules

We thought at first that these could be the start of a 9th edition getting ready to drop. However, there is also the possibility that GW has been rewriting all their Forge World 40k unit rules to make them more appropriate for their points.

imperial armor booksIndex Books Containing 8th Edition Rules for Forge World Units

GW has been pretty quiet about it for a few months. But they already made an announcement saying that they were in the process of rewriting their Forge World unit’s rules. Honestly, it’s for good reason. We’ve never seen so many units on polar opposite end of the spectrum in terms of power. Here’s the official word they gave us:

legion glaive space marines forge world.jpg

Since the release of the Forge World indexes a couple of years ago, Warhammer 40,000 has changed a lot. While the indexes were a great reference resource, we want to give you something even better – which is why the Warhammer 40,000 studio embarked on a project to bring you a series of all-new books with updated rules for these units and armies

But that wasn’t all that they announced. A little while later, Warhammer Community dropped another posed honing in on the announcement.

The Warhammer 40,000 Studio – those industrious people behind rulebooks, codexes and expansions like the Psychic Awakening books – are hard at work on a new series of tomes that will cover the range of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures Forge World produce. These books will include updated datasheets and army rules that give these glorious models abilities and benefits that are comparable to the rest of the forces in the game.

On top of that announcement, they’ve also already pulled the books from above off their website. Probably in preparation for the new books!

Industry Sources Say These Are Updated Forge World 40k Rules Index books

titan family warhammer world Forge World wal horSince those books hit the ports, multiple industry insiders have told us that the shipment is not 9th edition and is the Forge World indexes after all. Now, with the crisis still affecting daily life, we’re not sure how long it could be before GW breaks the silence on the shipment. However, it does seem like they might have been ready to shock the 40k system with a slew of updated units for people to try in their games.

We should know soon enough what these books are 100%. But with 9th edition and Forge World rules on the table for possibilities, both are definitely game/meta-shaking. As a final note, it’s also important to read between the lines a bit on GW’s announcement of new FW rules.

They never specifically said they would be updating points. Rather, just datasheets and rules and we all know that points aren’t labeled on datasheets…just Power Level. It’ll be interesting to see for sure what these Forge World units get. We know that new rules support is coming and that it’s only a matter of time at this point.

What do you think about this shipment of books being Forge World rules for 40k units? Do you think that’s more likely than a 9th edition starter? 

Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!

About the Author: Rob Baer

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Rob Baer

Job Title: Managing Editor

Founded Spikey Bits in 2009

Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X

About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.

Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls. 

Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.

Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.

With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.

While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.