New table sizes may be on the way for 9th Edition Warhammer 40k, as the latest GW preview seems to have something hiding in plain sight. Here is the latest!
We just saw GW drop a teaser on the new Edition’s Objectives, deployment, and points limits, and hidden in all of that, there could be a clue to upcoming changes t table sizes in 9th Edition 40k.
New Table Sizes For 9th Edition 40k Hidden in Plain Sight?
So here is the deployment map from the recent post. At first glance, you’d think it’s like any other deployment from 40k. However, let’s look a little closer:
Image from Next Level Painting
If you take that same map and match up the grids (which you can barely see) with some guides in Photoshop, you’ll find that it’s actually not to scale with a 4X6 table. The grids spilling over into a grey background are what a scaled 4X6 map would look like aspect ration wise.
From this, it appears that the length of this map would be 60″ (5 feet) and width approximately 40″ (3-1/2 feet).
So there are three possibilities that could be the outcome of this:
- The GW deployment map diagrams just aren’t true-to-scale (no worries)
- The Deployment maps have been adjusted to fit on a smaller board. (are true-to-scale)
- All measuring will be done from the center point of the table (and table size may not matter going forward)
- Or map size will depend on game size and will fluctuate depending on how many points are being played.
Breaking down the last bullet point a bit more, we’ve already seen the points limits that’ll be supported in-game. Now, it’s fair to say that you can’t expect to have a 500 pt game and a 3,000 pt game played on the same table size. Things would be so spread out or so cramped that the game would feel awkward.
Deployments Measured From The Center Of The Battlefield
With that said, if you look at how the measurements are laid out, they’re all from the center of the table. That would leave the opportunity for the boundaries of the table to get bigger or smaller depending on game size. For this deployment, once all of the objectives are placed correctly, anyone could measure halfway up the board on both sides to mark out their deployment boundaries. It technically doesn’t have to be played on a 4X6 at all.
With all of this now highlighted, it’ll be interesting to see what future deployment previews will look like. Keep your eyes peeled for more hints that table sizes are changing. Nothing has been confirmed just yet but the possibility is definitely there.
What would you think about a smaller game size in 40k? With points going up across every faction, would it make sense for game sizes to shrink just a little bit? Do you think it’ll all scale with how many points are being played?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
