It’s official- GW has just confirmed all the wild new 40k Chapter Approved rules changes to relics, CP, and Warlord Traits.
We heard rumors for a while now about big changes to 40k matched play, and for better or not, the majority of them are true. So, if you’ve been paying attention to the rumors, brace yourself, if you haven’t we’ll cover them all here for you.
Warhammer Community just unveiled the preview of the new 40k rules changes coming in Chapter Approved Nephilim. Let’s check them out from the top.
GW Confirms 40k Chapter Approved Matched Play Changes
First up, secondary objectives have received an overhaul. No more flipping between books – all the secondary objectives you can pick from are revised and collated here. That includes faction-specific objectives – there are even secondary objectives for factions that haven’t yet received their newest codex, such as the bold Astra Millitarum or frenzied World Eaters. Each player starts with three generic secondary objectives – Assassination, Grind Them Down, and Behind Enemy Lines – which they can swap out ahead of deployment. Another change – there are no limits when it comes to faction secondary objectives. If you want to pick two objectives specific to your faction, or even all three, go right ahead – so long as they’re all from a different category.
This is quite the change and it might actually make the game easier for newer players as they could always just keep the three. However, it could obviously come with its fair share of issues.
Still, we’ll have to play some games with it and see what it actually changes in terms of gameplay and if it makes things feel more balanced.
Command Points Changes
Perhaps the biggest shift comes with Command points. Players now start each battle with half as many as before – three for Incursions and six for Strike Force battles. What’s more, there are no freebies in Nephilim – players must now also pay a Command point for their first Warlord Trait and Relic, using two new Core Requisition Stratagems.
If you build your list as before and get one Warlord Trait and one Relic (not including extra traits or relics), you’ll be starting the game with 4 CP which is a huge rules change for matched play warhammer 40k. Compared to the current system is just insane as you’ll have a 3rd of what you could have now. This also forces players to build their lists around more troops.
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Either way, it’s happening and might really reduce alpha strikes and make the games longer as you’ll get more points throughout the game. It might be better for new players as instead of constantly having to search through their book for stratagems, they just won’t have the CP to do it.
New Missions Changes in 40k Chapter Approved Nephilim
On top of all this, the book features nine missions each for Incursion and Strike Force games, tweaked and revised where necessary from last season’s Grand Tournament mission pack. It also includes the Warhammer 40,000 core rules – paired with your faction’s codex, you’ll have everything you’ll need to play your way through a tournament.
Having new missions is always nice but maybe even better the points updates will all be free this time around.
List of New 40k Chapter Approved Secondary Objectives Spotted
There looks to be a huge list of new secondary objectives for just about every faction coming in the new 40k Chapter Approved Nephilim book.
We cleaned up the new product preview image from GW and you can clearly see who is getting what, along with the overall table of contents as well.
So it looks like there will be about 40 pages of new Secondary Objectives, followed by another 40 or so pages of missions, etc.
But the meat and potatoes of the book will most likely be from pages 4-7 where all the new Warlord Traits, relics, and Command Point 40k rules changes are.
Any way you look at it, big changes are coming for Matched Play in the new Warhammer 40k Chapter Approved Nephilim book.
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What are your thoughts about all the wild new 40k Chapter Approved rules changes to relics, CP, and Warlord Traits? How do you think it will affect the game?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Joined: 2019
Socials: @paschbass
Bio: Dark Eldar Dracon and Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the third edition in 1998. He also loves camping because you can only paint so much! He joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the main daily writer since 2020.
Maybe one day, he’ll finish converting all his Ad Mech models and turn into a true tech enjoyer, complete with sad and happy robot noises!
