The Warhammer 10th Edition 40k core rules have been spotted on the web, including the new Command Phase and Battle Shock Tests!
With the new edition dropping in June, it was only a matter of time before we saw some leaks hit the internet. It’s always nice to get a sneak peek into the rules, and these look like they are taken from the book, but with any leaks, nothing is 100% until GW actually drops it.
Click the links below for the latest on 10th Edition Warhammer 40k and the full articles!
- Warhammer 40k New 10th Edition Release Guide: LATEST
- New 10th Edition Warhammer 40k Starter Set
- What Will Happen To Codex Books in 10th Edition
- All the Latest 10th Edition Rules & Codex Changes
- How to Build Army Lists in 10th Edition Warhammer 40k
- New Leviathan 10th Edition 40k Starter Box Set Value Is Hot Fire!
Now, let’s jump into the new rules!
10th Edition 40k Core Rules: Command Phase & Battle Shock Tests
The new Warhammer 40k 10th Edition rules were spotted over on Imgur, but we also have them all here.
This picture comes from Warhammer Community.
The turn structure is still the same: one player still takes the first turn, to manoeuvre and fight with all the forces at their disposal, and then the second player does the same. This is still called the Battle Round, but seven phases have now become five – and both players will now contest each one to the fullest.
Here’s the headline: the phase structure is broadly the same. You perform admin for the turn ahead in the Command phase. Then you manoeuvre in the Movement phase, take aim in the Shooting phase, charge into melee in the Charge phase, and get biffing in the Fight phase.
So what’s changed? The Psychic phase and the Morale Phase are now no more – but this doesn’t mean that psychic powers and morale are gone. The effects are still very much present, but they’ve been smartly compressed into the other phases. Let’s break it down.
Starting with the phases of the game, GW cut out two phases, and now you take your battle-shock tests at the beginning of your turn.
Both players still gain a CP at the start of every command phase, and there will still be scoring, stratagems, and abilities that take place in the command phase. However, the most significant change is that all battle-shock tests occur in the game’s first phase.
Now, you have to take a test every time a unit is below half-strength.
Morale is even simpler – that all gets sorted in your Command Phase, when you take Battle-shock tests for any units that have taken enough losses.
Battle-shock tests are super simple. Roll a 2D6 for every unit that’s Below Half-strength – that means they’re a squad with less than half of their starting models, or a single model with less than half of their starting Wounds. You’ll need to roll equal to or above your new Leadership characteristic – if you fail, that unit suffers some nasty penalties until your next turn.
This means models don’t just run away; they are not nearly as effective and cannot control objectives, etc. This is pretty huge, as you can’t even use stratagems on the unit.
Then, a Desperate Escape (rules below) needs to be taken if you attempt to fall back, meaning you can lose models.
Nothing too crazy here; if you put a leader in a unit, they add to the starting strength. Such as, a unit of 11 (combined) would need to get to five models to take tests. However, killing the unit and the character can give VP.
When you fall back while Battle-Shocked, on a 1 or 2, a model must be removed. This is a huge change and probably a good one, as it forces players to actually make a choice to stay in combat or risk losing models.
Check out the latest Warhammer 40k rumors for the rest of the 9th and even 10th Edition, new releases, and more!
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!
- New Primaris Space Marines 40k Rules & Minis
- Warhammer 40k 10th Edition Rules & Rumors
- Even More Warhammer Going For Super Cheap on eBay
- Latest New JOYTOY Action Figures & Discounts for Warhammer 40k
- Get 40k RPG Books & Black Library Cheap On Humble Bundle
All the Latest Warhammer Rules & Model Rumors
What do you think about the new Warhammer 40k 10th Edition core rules?
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!
Click Here For All the Hobby Products & Tools We Swear By
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
