Ready your regiments and get your Commissars in place to keep them in line as we prepare to dive into the Codex: Astra Militarum!
The Codex: Astra Militarum is here and the Lions of the Emperor has been given Stratagems, Heirlooms, Warlord Traits, and Psykana to use in the eternal fight against the enemies of the Imperium. This codex also includes 56 datasheets that have had several major changes made to them and one new unit, the Ogryn Bodyguard, added.
Here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see in this codex. Our Tips and Tactics video will be coming soon as well!
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
The Codex: Astra Militarum is a 148-page codex that retails for $40. Well worth the price tag for the amount of content it contains. All new Regiment specific, Stratagems, Traits, Doctrines, Orders, and Heirlooms add levels of play and tactics for all Militarum armies out there. The included fluff has been updated to include the most recent events in the Imperium since the Cadian Campaign. There is also a nice Regimental Colors section that has contains an assortment of painted miniatures and several kitbashed miniatures for regiments that have been featured in lore but not in kit form.
Now, our very own Rob Baer will be going over this codex more thoroughly in a Tips and Tactics review.
Much has already been covered already concerning this codex. Check out one of our previous articles on some of the more important additions this codex contains. One of the major changes concerns heavy armored units. Point cost reductions for Leman Russes and super heavies, changes to their abilities that allow them to fire after moving without penalty, additional shots added, and powerful order and Stratagems have breathed new life into IG armor options and have become more fluffy.
The Stratagems are a healthy assortment of general and Regiment specific options that provides an assortment of play style options. Of course, there are certain Stratagems, Traits, and Heirlooms that will be seeing more use than others.
However, there is healthy amount of combos that can be made to benefit any Astra Militarum regiment. Something to note: if you play a regiment that is not in the codex, such as the Tanith First and Only or the Savlar Chem Dogs, you can choose which codex Regiment they would play as and use their Stratagems, traits, etc.
Be sure to check out of the full First Look video down below and get ready for Rob’s in-depth Tips and Tactics session that is coming later in the week.
Codex: Astra Militarum: $40
The Astra Militarum is the implacable military arm of the Imperium, and one of the largest forces in the galaxy. On thousands of battlefields scattered throughout the galaxy, the soldiers of the Astra Militarum march to war. They are the Hammer of the Emperor, who with faith, fury and sheer weight of numbers crush heretics and xenos alike beneath their boots. Massed ranks of Guardsmen unleash concentrated salvoes of las-blasts while officers bellow orders over the thunderous roar of tank and artillery fire.
Codex: Astra Militarum contains a wealth of background and rules – the definitive book for Astra Militarum collectors. Within this 144-page hardback, you’ll find:
Background
– Hammer of the Emperor: the origins of the Astra Militarum – dating back to the Great Crusade – with details of their structure and organisation, the methods of recruiting (some more humanitarian than others…), their training and deployment;
– A Galaxy of War: an annotated map of the current state of the galaxy, with key war zones where the Astra Militarum battle;
– Detailed background and colour schemes of the Astra Militarum regiments of Cadia, Catachan, Armageddon, Vostroya, Vahalla and Tallarn;
– Regiments of Distinction: background on 12 regiments – Armageddon Ork Hunters, Athonian Tunnel Rats, Miasman Redcowls, Mordian Iron Guard, Tanith First and Only, Savlar Chem-Dogs, Ventrillian Nobles, Indigan Praefects, Mordant Acid-Dogs, Faeburn Vanquishers, Truskan Snowhounds and Vresh Grenadiers;
– Heroes Beyond Number: a history of the major battles fought by the Astra Militarum;
– Background and details on each character, vehicle and unit available to an Astra Militarum army;
– A showcase of beautifully painted Citadel miniatures, depicting the colour schemes of several regiments painted by the renowned ‘Eavy Metal team – including expertly-converted models showing you how to represent the more esoteric regiments on the gaming table.Rules
Everything you need to get an Astra Militarum army primed for games of Warhammer 40,000 is in here:
– 56 datasheets containing rules for every Astra Militarum unit and vehicle;
– Army abilities reflecting the Astra Militarum’s methods of war, including Astra Militarum Orders and Regimental Orders;
– Armoury of the Imperium: wargear both ranged and close-combat used by the Astra Militarum;
– Points values for all miniatures, weapons and wargear for use in Matched Play games;
– Bulwark of Humanity: rules for Battle-forged armies:
– Regimental Doctrines for Cadian, Catachan, Valhallan, Vostroyan, Armageddon, Tallarn, Mordian, Militarum Tempestus Regiments;
– 6 unique Warlord Traits,
– 25 Stratagems, with 8 specific to the Regiments named above;
– the Heirlooms of Conquest: a selection of rare wargear;
– The Psykana psychic discipline, available to any Astra Militarum model with the Psyker keyword,
– 6 Warlord Traits for use by any Warlord, with a further specific to the above-named Regiments;
– 6 unique Tactical Objectives.
Datacards: Astra Militarum: $15
Designed to make it easier to keep track of Tactical Objectives, psychic powers and Stratagems in games of Warhammer 40,000, this set of 89 cards – each featuring artwork on the reverse – is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any Astra Militarum gamer. Included:
– 7 psychic power cards – 6 from the Psykana psychic discipline, along with Smite;
– 25 Astra Militarum Stratagems available to any Battle-forged Astra Militarum army as found in Codex: Astra Militarum including 8 which are Regiment-specific, along with 3 Stratagems – Command Re-roll, Counter-Offensive and Insane Bravery – from the Warhammer 40,000 rules, available to any army;
– 18 Order cards;
– 36 Tactical Objectives, including the 6 Astra Militarum-specific Objectives from Codex: Astra Militarum.
The Codex: Astra Militarum is available now online and in local Games Workshop stores. Be sure to press play on our quick and dirty unboxing and review video below for the full review.
For more on the Astra Militarum and all things Warhammer 40k, visit Games Workshop!
