February’s White Dwarf has been spotted already, and it looks like even more new rules, and content are on the way in a few weeks!
It’s 2019, and it seems like everything can be found on the Internet. Heck depending on who you ask, we live in an age where magazine subscriptions are becoming less and less a thing.
Magazines that are still going strong, however, seem to offer some kind of exclusive “bonus” that people can only find from their magazines.
January’s revamped White Dwarf, GW seems to be doing two things, getting back to their 2000’s format roots and adding in exclusive new rules for 40k, as well as AoS to entice readers to buy each issue.
From a big picture standpoint, however, with all the rules bloat that seems to be steadily creeping into 8th edition Warhammer 40k, it’s unclear if this is a good idea for the game in the long term. Furthermore, those rules get leaked all over the internet as soon as the first hobbyist with a cell phone gets their issue, so does that content really create more sales?
Will hobbyists want to lug around a crate of White Dwarves, as well as their Codex, BRB, Chapter Approved and Vigilus supplement books to each game they play?
Let’s say someone wants to mix Crimson Fists with a Battalion of Imperial Guard. In order to stay up-to-date on the most current rules, they’ll need:
- Codex: Adeptus Astartes
- Codex: Imperial Guard
- White Dwarf Issue (with Crimson Fists rules)
- Chapter Approved 2018 (for points changes)
- Vigilus Book (for Formations)
- A copy of the FAQs involving both factions.
That’s six totally different material pieces with all but one costing some kind of money. While the rules may make it easy for a player to jump into the game, the supplements and resources are a maze to navigate for someone going in blind. 40k has almost become a college-level class to play correctly.
If you want to hear our ideas on how Games Workshop can still make the White Dwarf better without rules bloat, we have a whole post on it here.
Fast forward to today and the new cover (but none of the content inside), was spotted for February’s White Dwarf. Planned leak or not, Games Workshop said the following at thier New Years Open about the future of White Dwarf, and what would be coming inside:
Specialist games and Forge World will have content going forward in the ‘non 40k/aos’ section. Necromunda battle report coming soon.
AoS will be getting an ‘index astartes‘ style segment adding new sub-faction rules like what we got with crimson fists this month.
The new rules section will alternate between AoS and 40k. So 40k got crimson fists this month, next month sees AoS get a new stormhost.
Regarding 40k, these rules will not be locked to only loyalist chapters but will include chaos and xeno factions; basically, anyone with a sub-faction rule will be looked at in time. (Remember there will only be six new sub-faction per game system each year and Loads of armies to cover.)
WD team excited by the suggestion to look at the FW chapters that use to have rules like the Badab war chapters.
Also, there will no longer be a ‘new releases’ section at the beginning as the community site has that covered.
For February’s issue, we can probably safely assume on top of the epic pairing of Andy Chamber and Jervis Johnson for Kill Team that the rules portion will be an expansion on the Stormcast’s Hammerhands chamber militant from the back cover of last months White Dwarf. It also appears there will be more on revamped skirmish system as well:
From the above cover
Tome Celestial: Hammerhands
If you missed the new rules from January we got you covered here:
New Crimson Fist Rules
Kroot Kill Team Rules
So hurray for new content this year! Question is will hobbyists want to lug around a crate of White Dwarves, as well as their Codex, BRB, Chapter Approved and Vigilus supplement books to each game they play?
Either way, we can’t wait to see what this new year holds for the hobby! Make sure you keep those hobby muscles strong, stay in the trenches, and check out our Pass or Fail: 2019 No-Ads & New 40k Rules White Dwarf Format video below!
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.
