fbpx JOIN LOGIN JOIN

GW Sent This Q&A To Retailers About 10th Edition Warhammer 40k

10th-Edition-40k-warhammer-rumorsWith the new edition announced and plenty of questions out there, GW answered some of the most burning ones in this Q&A for retailers about 10th Edition 40k.

We saw a little from the preview about what to expect with 10th, but thanks to a couple of Q&As along with a new video from GW, we have a pretty decent idea of what to expect. Overall, the game seems to be much more streamlined with a smaller barrier to entry and easier rules to read.

We also have an FAQ that was sent to retailers, which is a little different from the one they released on WC, so we’ll compare those as well. Let’s check out what to expect.

GW Sent This Q&A To Retailers About Warhammer 40k 10th Edition & It’s A Lot

The first round of questions comes from this Warhammer Community post and basically echoes their preview from Adpeticon:

10th edition 40k announced 4

Is this a totally new edition? 

Let’s get this out of the way from the off – the new 10th edition of Warhammer 40,000 is a complete revision of the game you know and love. 

Every single element of the game has been revised and rewritten from the ground up for an entirely new, and more cohesive, experience. Plenty of rules remain the same – but there is not a single one that has not been reassessed and, if necessary, rewritten to work perfectly in the new system. 

This is genuinely a whole new world of Warhammer!

Well, GW is keeping to the 3-year cycle for editions. So, this means new core rules, models, and from the sounds of it, free rules! We have been asking for free rules for a long time, but they won’t stay around for the entire edition; just the index will be free…

10th Edition 40kThey showed off a new datasheet, saying everything would always fit on one card and the rules for each army will also be significantly streamlined.

10th edition 40k announced

Will it be quicker and easier to play?

We’ve listened to your feedback and have taken on board all the suggestions we’ve received since the launch of 9th edition. One thing that repeatedly came up was the number of different books you currently need to reference while playing. Thankfully, the days of flicking through multiple books to find the one rule you need are now over! Datasheet Cards for your faction now contain all the information you need to play the game at your fingertips.

One core design philosophy has governed all of the changes: “simplified, not simple”.  All the rules for your army are now contained exclusively on a single double-page spread, there are also far fewer Stratagems, relics, and special rules to keep track of. Universal special rules are back in the game – It doesn’t matter if you’re making a Dimensional Translocation or preparing Death From Below, it’s all a Deep Strike now!

On the rules side of things, they say everything will be simplified and less dense. So, there will be less redundancy, and everything will be put in smaller books.

Basically, everything will be one page now; what a refreshing concept!

10th edition 40k announced 3

How easy is it to get into the game?

We know that not everyone has a full evening to spare playing one game – or has a 2,000-point army ready to rock – which is why we’re introducing the Combat Patrol format. 

You and your friends can each grab any one Combat Patrol box, download a set of rules that balances your chosen force against any other Combat Patrol box, and you’ll have enough to play a quick, satisfying game against each other straight away.

It’s a game mode designed to allow new players to get started right with any faction in the game, or for experienced players who want to try a new force without feeling they have to get a huge army.

With things simplified, it would only make sense if the game is easier to get into, so nothing too crazy.

10th edition 40k announced 2

Will my collection and codexes be compatible?

Your miniatures aren’t going anywhere, and we’ll have plenty more to say about what codexes will look like early next week. Rest assured you won’t be wanting for options in the new edition.

Are Universal Special Rules returning?

The short answer is yes! Ultimately the Warhammer Design Studio decided that having the same special rule under a dozen or more separate faction names had become a bit of a barrier to the smooth running of the game – not least because many players simply referred to them by a single name anyway, such as Deep Strike and Feel No Pain.

Do Vehicle and Monster profiles still degrade as they take damage?

More or less, though the mechanic has been streamlined. Instead of three separate profiles, there’s a single line on each unit card that still acts like this and explains any penalties incurred when a certain Wounds threshold is reached. More on this soon.

What is the OC stat?

OC stands for Objective Control, and it’s a measure of how good a unit is at holding a contested objective. The confusing days of Objective Secured are gone – and we’ll have more on how the new rule works very soon too.

These were a bunch of burning questions, with more universal rules, what’s happening to Objective Secured, and degrading profiles are here to stay. We’ll have to see more about the indexes soon, but all the codexes are obviously going by the wayside.

Retailer Q&A for 10th Edition Warhammer 40k

Games Workshop sent out a retailer Q&A over the weekend to retailers to update them on the edition change.

10th edition 40k announced 5

Why have you made a new edition?
We are always looking to make our games the best they can be.
A new edition allows us to make improvements right across the game that impacts every army. It also allows us to explore more of the rich setting of the universe of Warhammer 40,000 with a refocus on a new region of the galaxy.

Can customers still use their current armies to play?
Yes, current armies and miniatures will still be usable in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000.

What happens to codexes and expansions?
The rules in the current range of codexes are not compatible with the new edition, so they will be retired. Rules for every army and unit will be free at launch of the new edition.
The recent Arks of Omen books and the Boarding Patrol rules ARE supported in the new edition.

What new models are on the way?
The vast majority of the 40k range will stay the same. Space Marines and Tyranid fans can look forward to a swathe of new and updated units.
Your Account Manager will contact you at the appropriate time to discuss any changes to your ranges.

What happens to Kill Team?
Nothing. Kill Team is its own rules set, so it isn’t affected by changes to the main Warhammer 40,000 game.

Will the ‘core’ rules still be available for free?
Yes. The core rules for the game will be free.
At launch, datasheets and army rules for every unit in Warhammer 40,000 will also be free.

What languages will the new Warhammer 40,000 be launched in?
The new Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook will be available in full in English and French.

Nothing too crazy here or different from the other FAQ but the only mention of new models is for Nids and Space Marines. It does look like the Boarding Patrols and Arks of Omen will stay, though. Maybe the most significant thing is French, and English will be the only available language at the start for the rules.

However, keep in mind that this was the email to North American Retailers, so there may be other language translations as well.

A Chat With The Developers of Warhammer 40k 10th Edition

This video was posted on Warhammer Community, but not on their YouTube channel as of this writing.

Here are some highlights from the chat as WHC didn’t provide many talking points…

  • Rules not being all over the place, this seemed to be a primary focus, so you don’t have to search all over the codex for rules. You will have a detachment sheet at the front and then just refer to the datasheets for almost all the other rules.
  • They tried to make stratagems more reactive (in the opponent’s phase) and fewer of them overall. Maybe a one-time use for something really thematic, but not as many gotcha moments with stratagems. 
  • There will be fewer decisions before the game (such as rules and which sub-faction), and you unlock a pre-set of rules depending on what you pick. It looks like there will still be sub-factions, just each will have a smaller impact. 
  • They simplified the turn structure and added a bunch of universal special rules put back into the game with a common language for the community.
  • Took out rules that don’t necessarily need to be there, core rules very streamlined, and rewrote all datasheets.
  • Combating new rule bloat, instead of writing rules on top of rules they will just make changes in the datasheet,
  • Taking out “Gotcha mechanics” such as over-buffing a single unit, tons of stratagems to buff one thing, and fewer rules overall will reduce the gotcha feel. 
  • Lastly, they really tried to make the barrier to entry easier, especially in terms of rules.

Here’s the most up-to-date list of new Games Workshop bits from preview models that we should watch out for. Click on the gallery above to see dozens of Rumor Engines with new models still to be revealed!

      All the Latest Warhammer Rules & Model Rumors

      What do you think about the Q&As for the 10th edition of Warhammer 40k?

      Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!

      Get ad-free access to our hobby videos, a monthly crate of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!

      patron_button

      About the Author: Travis Pasch