GW dropped the Warhammer 40k Balance Dataslate early after they accidentally leaked it. See the key rule changes and points updates for your army.
Turns out you can’t keep a Balance Dataslate hidden for long. Games Workshop accidentally dropped the quarterly Warhammer 40k update into the app for a hot minute (at some point this morning), and followed it up by posting the whole thing on WarCom a week early.
Here’s the quick tour through the changes, with the key faction tweaks and rules shifts. We’ll have our full thoughts next week after being able to ingest it for a little longer.
Points Shifts Across the Field:
The Field Munitorum is busy. Expect list rebuilds and fresh math across many armies.
- Adepta Sororitas pick up savings with points drops, giving Retributor spam a reason to smile.
- Aeldari see changes that nudge common builds.
- Adeptus Custodes gain buffs, tilting elite bricks back toward center stage.
- Adeptus Mechanicus eat some points nerfs yet receive helpful rules bumps.
- Astra Militarum trend cheaper in many places, great news for bodies and guns.
- Chaos Space Marines get cheaper picks, and Emperor’s Children fall in cost.
- Genestealer Cults ride the seesaw with both buffs and nerfs.
- Grey Knights enjoy modest drops that open a slot or two.
- Imperial Knights take plenty of nerfs and buffs in the ledger.
- Orks score a stack of points cuts that scream more green on the table.
- T’au Empire land widespread point buffs that reward combined arms.
- Space Wolves go up, trimming some spicy staples.
- Space Marines land in mixed territory with give-and-take changes.
- Thousand Sons rise across much of the roster.
- Tyranids benefit from a wave of buffs.
- World Eaters end up with a mixed bag.
New 40k Balance Dataslate Big Picture:
Not just points. Several armies pick up surgical rules edits that shift detachment choices and in-game play patterns.
- Adepta Sororitas sees small boosts for Retributors, making multi-melta packages more attractive.
- Adeptus Mechanicus add weapon tweaks: Ironstriders gain Twin-linked and (keep) Sustained Hits, pumping reliability and volume.
- Belisarius Cawl gets another rework of his abilities, so bookmark that datasheet.
- Chaos Knights adjust two detachments, Infernal Lance and Lords of Dread, shaking up staple lines.
- Genestealer Cults receive big changes across three detachments, which will ripple through ambush planning.
- Imperial Knights see multiple stratagem tune-ups, trimming some spikes and lifting others.
- Orks gain welcome buffs to units and detachments, putting more speed and dakka back on plan.
- Thousand Sons get changes to Doombolt and their Terminators, affecting both mortal output and anvil play.
- World Eaters adjust Exalted Eightbound with an ability change that reins in some excess.
FAQs, Core Rules, and the Tournament Companion
Expect a round of reading. About ten armies pick up FAQs. Core rules gain clarifications and new entries, and the Chapter Approved: Tournament Companion gets updates that TOs will lock in fast.
Grotmas detachment tweaks appear in the mix, so winter lists might even need fresh trimming.
Final Thoughts From Us: Early 40k Balance Dataslate
That’s the update in all its messy, early-dropped glory. The numbers moved, the rules shifted, and a few sacred cows got nudged around the pen. Now it’s on you to rebuild, test, and see which tweaks actually matter once the dice start rolling.
We’ll keep grinding through the details, but for now, update your 2k list with the new points, especially if you’re hitting the tables this weekend. Double-check detachment tweaks and print clean copies for event judges.
Get reps in on the little shifts, stratagem timings, weapon keywords, aura text, since those details can swing a game.
