It didn’t take long for the 10th Edition Warhammer 40k codex rules bloat to begin; check out how much content is on the way now!
At the beginning of the edition, we said that GW seemed to be doing a decent amount right (despite some balance issues) by giving out all the index rules for free, the core rules for free, and dropping everything at once.
They also talked extensively about how they wanted the game to be easier, in terms of detachment rules, stratagems, and enhancements.
However, now, it sounds like codexes are going to be as big as ever with just a ton of rules. While each detachment might not be massive, there looks to be a ton of them coming for each faction!
Has The 10th Edition 40k Codex Rules Bloat Has Begun?
Has the 10th Edition rules bloat begun with the release of the Warhammer 40k Codex books? Let’s start with why we’re even talking about this in the first place.
In addition to the familiar Invasion Fleet Detachment, there are five more to choose from. For the Tyranids, these represent the various ways that a hive fleet wages war over the course of their invasion, and today we’re declassifying some vital Ordo Xenos intel on how they work.
The six Tyranids Detachments for 10th Edition 40k are:
- Invasion Fleet (same as index cards)
- Crusher Stampede
- Vanguard Onslaught
- Unending Swarm
- Assimilation Swarm
- Synaptic Nexus
While we wanted more than one detachment rule, six seems like it could potentially be stretching what is necessary for each army. One nice thing about the indexes is you get one detachment and then build your list. This also made it easier to play against other armies, as you really only needed to know a few of their rules.
In theory, there aren’t too many GOTCHAS at that point.
Each Detachment offers your army unique benefits: a Detachment rule, four Enhancements, and six Stratagems. While some factions will find that the Detachment from their Index changes slightly when their Codex arrives, this is not the case for the Invasion Fleet, which functions exactly as it does now.
Now, it seems like there will be a bit more rules in each code book, starting with six detachments for the Tyranids and seven for Space Marines. Here’s a look at just one of the new Detachments for Tyranids in 10th Edition:
Sure, six rules aren’t too many to learn, but remember that each detachment will have more than just one new rule. Each detachment will have a Detachment rule, four Enhancements, and six Stratagems. This means each detachment could have at least 11 different rules, and if you multiply that by six, you get 66 different rules for one army.
This doesn’t even include new datasheet rules, etc. So, depending on who you ask, 66 army-wide rules could be a bit of rules bloat.
The one silver lining is the Invasion Fleet rules from the index cards are staying the same, so hopefully, all the new codex books will keep that one initial index card detachment rule.
What Could It Mean Going Forward
If GW continues the trend for each codex, by the end of this year, we’ll have four codexes with a total of at least 264 army-wide rules... and that’s just one-sixth of all the codex books (not to mention we know the Space Marines codex will have seven detachments now.)
While more rules can be fun, this could be a bit hard to digest and remember for players. It potentially may make playing against new armies a little tricky because even the reference rules get paywalled on the 40k app as soon as the codex drops.
We’ll have to see if they continue the trend, but at this point, the 10th Edition Warhammer 40k may become bloated after the first wave of codex books drop…
What do you think about the 10th Edition Warhammer 40k Codex rules bloat? Has it begun?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
