Hi all, it’s Jwolf here to tell you that the End of the World is nigh. If you are one of the majority of Warhammer 40k players and theorists, you are playing Fifth Edition as if it were simply a modified version of Fourth Edition. I see so many terrible lists constructed and praised that do not address the realities of the Fifth Edition, but the time for playing such lists is soon to be over.
The new Guard Codex is the first Codex written under Fifth Edition rules that fully takes advantage of the Brave New World. Let’s look at five reasons the Guard so capable under Fifth Edition:
1) True Line of Sight makes guns more important. No one has more guns than the Guard, and the new order system means that more of those guns will hit their targets. Further, TLoS means less to the Guard, because cover saves have actually become easier to obtain, so Guardsmen are more durable.
2) Outflanking is one of the best ways to reach the enemy. The Guard have the Master of the Fleet to both slow incoming enemy Reserves and reduce the chances that outflanking troops come in where they want to. By the same token, Guard Reserves and Outflankers are almost certain to come in where they are wanted, thanks to the Astropath.
3) Life is cheap in Fifth Edition, and the Guard has the largest number of bodies to through into the grist mill.
4) Guardsmen have more Meltas. Melta weapons are the special weapons that matter now.
5) Vehicle LOS rules favor Ordnance Batteries. In order to have LOS to a vehicle facing, you specifically have to be able to see the hull or turret of the vehicle. Vehicles fire from their gun barrels. This means that Ordnance Batteries can be parked behind Chimeras and be fully obscured against shooting. Before you go crazy, I don’t mean they can’t be shot – I mean they gain the 3+ cover save for having the facing they are being shot on obscured. Yes, I know some of you are going to whine about this and accuse me of all sorts of heinous crimes against the Emperor and who knows what else, but the rules are not ambiguous.
~I’m interested in hearing your IG and 5th edition thoughts (except for the complaints about Ordnance Batteries), so let me know what you think.
