If you’re not first you’re last, and the same may be true when it comes to the Psychic Phase in Warhammer 40k. Come see the “secret”!
There is a good chance that you involuntarily roll your eyes when someone says the word Invisibility in 40k, and there’s good reason. Psychic powers chief among them Invisibility (along with summoning) are probably the highest source of angst in the game next to the dreaded “D” weapon.
No don’t get me wrong, there is ways around both (and an FAQ to help as well), but that’s the main topic of this article. Discussing ways to dominate the Psychic Phase is.
Lately in 40k, there seems to be no “middle” ground to go with when it comes to casting powers. An army that relies on a pool of 1o-ish psychic dice to accomplish it’s purpose on the table top, from combos to maneuvering (Gate or Levitate) probably will have a hard time doing so with that “little” of dice.
The problem stems from the randomness of the initial roll to harness warp charge. An army that only has 10 or so dice starts at a disadvantage if they roll a high number against an army that has no psychic presence. Think of it like this if you have 6 dice in the psychic phase and roll a “4” giving you 10 dice and your opponent 4 dice (assuming they have no psychic dice themselves), you just gave them a high potential to dispel ONE spell that costs warp charge one.
Plus it can alter your casting plan as well, forcing you to OVER compensate and thrown extra dice at spells that can very well result in a perils result OR the inability to cast you full lineup of spells.
Sure you can take a Librarius and harness on rolls of 2+, dramatically shifting the odds of not getting dispelled in your favor, but some folks don’t have points left in their army for that kind of investment (hence why they are only trying to cast on 1o or so dice to begin with)
Think of this too, what happens when an army that relies on 10 or so dice to carry the day, matches up against a super psychic heavy army like Daemons OR Grey Knights? Chances are that army will not be able to interact very well in the psychic phase, which may lead to bigger problems overall in game.
From what I’ve seen in the past, it’s a good rule of thumb to be “all or nothing” when it comes this critical phase and try to bring to the table TWENTY or so psychic dice to dominate that phase, and be near equal footing with Daemons, Librariuses, and perhaps Eldar as well. More and more it seems like whoever is first in the Psychic phase may never be last in any other phase!
If you’re not first, you’re last?
Can The Orks Work Now in 7th Edition 40k? – Long War Episode 41
About the Author: Rob Baer
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.
