Learn how to play the cards in Warhammer 40k Chapter Approved: Pariah Nexus Mission Deck, PDF pack, and Tournament Companion in our guide.
Originally published in June 2024. Updated July 18th, 2025, by Rob Baer with a link to the new Chapter Approved Tournament Companion for 2025.
The grimdark battlefields of Warhammer 40k have always been about brutal combat, bold tactics, and a bit of luck. But just when you thought you had your strategy figured out, Games Workshop drops something new to shake things up.
Enter the Chapter Approved: Pariah Nexus Mission Deck and Tournament Companion, a fresh set of missions and rules designed to challenge even the most confident commander. If you’ve been coasting on your old tricks, it’s time to rethink everything.
A New Way to Play
Pariah Nexus is a region where hope fades and the stars themselves seem dimmer. It’s the perfect backdrop for Warhammer 40k’s latest mission deck shake-up, and it’s set to change how you approach every game.
Here’s what you need to know about the Chapter Approved: Pariah Nexus Mission Deck PDF, release date, new missions, terrain layouts, and how the Tournament Companion is changing the game.
Pariah Nexus Mission Deck Release Date & Availability
The Warhammer 40k Pariah Nexus Mission Deck was released on June 22nd, 2024, with stock vanishing faster than a unit of Assault Marines. A welcome reprint followed in August 2024.
The deck is available in both physical and digital formats, with the Pariah Nexus Deck PDF ready to download and deploy at your next game.
We have a list below of all the places you can find the deck.
What’s New in Chapter Approved: Pariah Nexus Mission Deck
This isn’t a minor tweak to your mission cards, it’s a complete rework that replaces the Leviathan Gambits with Secret Missions and introduces more interactive, tactical gameplay.
The focus now leans heavily on Battleline units, making those standard troops the real MVPs of your army lists. Players will see an increased need for mobility, action economy, and strategic deployment right from the first turn.
New Primary Missions
Pariah Nexus Mission Cards
The Pariah Nexus Deck PDF delivers four standout new primary missions, each with its own tactical quirks :
Unexploded Ordnance
Shift objectives into your opponent’s territory for points (you do it at the end, not the Command Phase). It’s like a deadly game of keep-away where positioning wins the day.
Burden of Trust
Players score for controling objectives outside your deployment zone while keeping units there to rack up points. This rewards armies that can maintain board presence.
Terraform
Be the first to perform an action on an objective and keep earning even if you lose control later. This favors aggressive, fast-moving forces that can strike early.
Linchpin
Defend your home objective for steady points, but have a plan if you lose it, points can still be earned by shifting to control objectives elsewhere.
Mission rule cards like these encourage a dynamic playstyle where sitting back simply won’t cut it.
Updated Secondary Missions Cards
Secondary objectives have been refined for 10th Edition core rules, offering clearer scoring and more flexibility for different playstyles.
Fixed Secondaries include:
- Assassination: Kill enemy characters, with bonuses if you wipe them all.
- Bring It Down: Prioritize monsters and vehicles, now with points based on size and toughness.
- Cull the Horde: Ideal for facing armies packed with infantry models.
Tactical Secondaries offer objectives like:
- Area Denial: Secure and control the board’s center.
- Secure No Man’s Land: Grab objectives outside your deployment zone.
- Sabotage: Perform risky actions in enemy territory for big points.
The variety ensures that no matter your army style, you can tailor secondaries to match your strengths or mitigate your weaknesses.
Secret Missions Replace Gambits
The gambits from Leviathan.
Out with Gambits, in with Secret Missions. These covert objectives add a surprise element for players who fall behind during the game.
Examples include:
- Command Insertion: Get your Warlord into the enemy deployment zone while holding an objective.
- War of Attrition: Eliminate enemy Battleline units while keeping yours alive.
- Unbroken Wall: Control at least three objectives outside your deployment zone.
- Shatter Cohesion: Force your opponent’s army into disarray through battleshock or isolation.
Secret Missions allow players who are trailing to mount a comeback through smart, risky plays.
Mission Rules That Matter
Several mission rules in the Pariah Nexus deck shift game dynamics:
- Fog of War grants all units cover in round one, cutting back on alpha strikes.
- Adapt or Die gives players more flexibility to swap secondary objectives mid-game, a lifeline when things don’t go as planned.
- Smoke and Mirrors lets players hold back up to 500 points of units in reserve after deployment, opening up new deployment tactics.
Battleline-focused missions such as Rapid Escalation, Swift Action, and Raise Banners reward players who use their troops to secure objectives aggressively.
Pariah Nexus Tournament Companion: Your Competitive Playbook
The Pariah Nexus cards Tournament Companion complements the mission deck by offering preset terrain layouts and deployment maps, helping ensure fair and balanced play. It takes the guesswork out of terrain placement and creates consistent scenarios for tournaments.
Maps like Sweeping Engagement, Tipping Point, and the updated Dawn of War reduce the no-man’s land and encourage earlier, more aggressive engagement. This means fewer passive standoffs and more decisive action from turn one.
Balanced terrain layouts ensure that neither side has an unfair advantage, making sure skill and tactics determine the winner, not random terrain placement.
New Deployment Maps
Three new deployment maps have been introduced in the Pariah Nexus Mission Pack, and each one presents a unique challenge. Here’s what you need to know:
Sweeping Engagement
Ever wanted to start your forces face-to-face with your opponent’s army? Sweeping Engagement does just that. The deployment zones create a diagonal, stepped formation, meaning your units are closer to the action right from the start.
It’s great if you’re playing an aggressive army that wants to get into the thick of things fast, but it can also leave you exposed. Careful positioning and use of cover are going to be critical if you want to avoid being chewed up in the opening salvo.
Tipping Point
This new deployment map is all about balance. Your forces are positioned on opposite ends of the battlefield in a hammer-and-anvil formation, which sounds standard—until you realize how close you are in the middle.
It creates a “tipping point” (pun intended) where you can quickly engage, but you’re also more vulnerable if you overextend early. Armies that like to push forward, like Orks or Tyranids, will love this setup, but if you’re a more cautious player, you’ll need to pace your advance carefully.
Dawn of War (Updated)
The classic Dawn of War map has seen a bit of an update. Now, your forces are deployed 12 inches onto the battlefield, meaning the no-man’s land between you and your opponent has shrunk to just 20 inches. This makes those first-turn charges or shooting volleys much more likely, so expect things to get spicy quickly.
Armies that rely on a fast, hard-hitting approach will feel right at home here, while more defensive players may need to think about how to use terrain to slow down their opponent’s advance.
Strategic Insights: How to Win With the Pariah Nexus Deck PDF
Winning with the Pariah Nexus Mission Deck PDF requires armies that can do it all: secure objectives, hold ground, and move fast.
Battleline units shine in this meta, as their flexibility allows them to perform actions while still holding the line. Units that can deploy quickly, reposition, or deep strike will thrive.
With Secret Missions in play, even games that look unwinnable offer a path to victory for savvy players. The emphasis on positioning over raw firepower rewards thoughtful commanders who understand both their army’s strengths and the new mission pack’s nuances.
Where to Buy
Snag your new Warhammer 40k Pariah Nexus Mission Cards from our handpicked list of retailers, and give us a high-five in support! Every qualifying purchase helps Spikey Bits keep the lights on and the fun going.
Quick Order Links To Get 15% Off or More:
- Mid Atlantic US: Fabricators Forge | Bazooka Games | or | The Rogue Traders |
- Central US: Wargame Portal | Dicehead Games | Noble Knight Games | or | Warpfire Minis |
- West Coast US: Frontline Gaming | Gamers Guild AZ | or | Squad Marks |
- UK: Element Games (UK) | Merlin’s Minis | or | Wayland Games |
- Canada: Fenris Workshop | Tista Minis | Abyss Game Store | or | Kingdom Titans |
- Worldwide: Amazon | eBay | or | Games Workshop’s Store |
You can save even more on your purchase by using our exclusive list of redeemable discount codes from some of the best hobby retailers and miniature manufacturers!
Final Thoughts
The Chapter Approved: Pariah Nexus Mission Deck PDF and Tournament Companion mark a major evolution in Warhammer 40k’s competitive scene. The focus on Battleline units, Secret Missions, updated primary and secondary objectives, and balanced terrain layouts means players have to rethink their armies and strategies from the ground up.
Whether you’re playing casually or at a grand tournament, mastering the Pariah Nexus Mission Deck and Tournament Companion is key to staying competitive in 10th Edition.
And remember, if you’re looking for the Pariah Nexus Deck PDF or details about the release date, it’s all available now and ready to shake up your next game.
Here are the latest updates from the Warhammer Community 40k universe and tabletop game!
- Chapter Approved Mission Deck
- Chapter Approved Tournament Companion
- New Release Roadmap For Warhammer 40k
- Warhammer 40k 10th Edition Balance Dataslate Updates
- Lore & Faction Guides
- New Warhammer 40k Codex Release Order
- Warhammer 40k Combat Patrol Box Set Guide: Pricing & Values
- Best Warhammer 40k Armies
- Exclusive Warhammer Miniatures
- 40k Base Sizes Resource Guide
