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Top 4 Things You May Be Playing Wrong in 40k Now

By Wesley Floyd | October 1st, 2019 | Categories: Editorials, rules, Rules Conundrums, Warhammer 40k

space marine wal hor wide

Are you playing these Warhammer 40k rules wrong? With all the changes there might be a bit of rules confusion over some newer points of the game.

It’s no doubt that with errata after errata, Chapter Approved, Beta Rules, etc., the game can be hard to keep track of. With that said, here are our picks for the top four rules you might be getting wrong in 40k now.

Chapter Master Rerolls ALL Failed Hits (Regardless of Modifiers)

Roboute Guilliman datasheet new rules space marines

First seen on Roboute Guilliman’s new codex datasheet, GW reworked the wording for reroll auras. Chapter Masters and Guilliman reroll hit rolls for attacks made of friendly units within 6″. Now, there’s no tricky modifier head math going on. That means if you move a heavy weapon and shoot, you can pick up those 3’s (which would have normally failed) and reroll them. Chapter Masters got a lot stronger.

Prepared Positions Doesn’t Affect Airborne Units

prepared positions update

When the Stratagem was first released, only TITANIC units couldn’t get the benefit of cover. However, now with the addition of the AIRCRAFT keyword, Airborne units also don’t get cover from the Strat. That means that somebody rolling three deep on Cusodes Ares Gunships can’t claim the benefit of cover if you end up going first. That’s a pretty huge deal and also makes a lot of sense logically. What can you do here? Tape sandbags to the cockpit?

Characters Still Can’t Be Targetted Even If Another Character Is Closer

character targetYou’ll have to read this one a few times…slowly. Essentially, characters can’t be targetted even if there is a bigger character standing in the way. (characters CAN screen characters).

For example, if your opponent has a character-keyworded Knight standing just in front of a Sorcerer, you can’t target the Sorcerer. Mainly because there is technically an enemy unit closer (albeit a character) closer than the character with less than 10 wounds. Keep this in mind if you see a random T4 character following a character Knight around in your games. Even though it looks like you can target him, you still can’t.

FW Units Get Angels of Death (Bolter Discipline & Shock Assault)

forge world angels of death

Finally, with the new rules bundle encompassing Shock Assault, They Shall Know no Fear, and Bolter Discipline, respective Forge World units also get those bonuses for their Chapters.

We’re sure that over time, we’ll be seeing more tweaks and rules added into the game. But for now, these were the hottest rules updates that seemed like most people were playing wrong.

What do you think about these rules reminders? Have Chapter Masters reroll auras gotten better? Do you think you should be able to target characters regardless of other characters standing in the way?

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About the Author: Wesley Floyd

Wesley Floyd headshot

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.