Warhammer 40K: 9th Edition Studio Q&A Rundown
Games Workshop’s Studio Q&A for 9th Edition had a lot of info – here’s what we learned so far.
If you didn’t get a chance to watch the Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition Studio Q&A you can go back and watch it. But here’s the some of the notes we jotted down and a few things that stood out to us.
Watch Warhammer 40,000 Studio Q&A from Warhammer on www.twitch.tv
Terrain
Terrain will Block Line of Sight more – can’t shoot through 3 windows and a post box to clip the wings of a creature.
New Terrain rules coming – “label your scenery” lots of different types “Obscured – blocks LOS around it’s footprint”
“How much terrain” guidance – examples of how much terrain to use. Recommended amounts.
Fun to play with terrain, new rules, more clear and more interesting. More impact on the game. “Clean and simple to understand.”
Different degrees of cover? Can you climb-up the terrain? Those types of things have been tightened up.
“Woods are different than buildings, which are different than bunkers, which are different than swamps.”
Terrain will be different instead of just “cover or not cover.”
Fixed some of the interactions of units that prevented “gamey” things from happening. “Hive Tyrant can’t attack the guy on a two steps above them” type things.
Things To Help Horde Armies
Overwatch Revamp
Horde Armies look forward to? Things coming to help Assault/horde armies – Terrain Changes.
Opponents leaving combat – new anti-retreat(?) stratagems
Tyranid New Tricks to help? Monsters can do what tanks can do. Shooting in combat. Hiding behind LoS blocking terrain.
Strategic Reserves – spend CP to put things in Reserve now. You’ll be able to outflank more.
Command Points
GW likes the mechanic
CP are representing things a general would do, as well as what your troops would do.
Some armies had a lot. Some armies didn’t have enough and they wanted to address this.
Command Points are linked to the game size now.
Players start with the same amount – but you’ll spend them differently per army.
“Soup” Armies are still viable. However, it will cost Command Points to do that.
Missions will tell you how much CP you’ll generate depending on the size of game and mission.
“Will I still need Troops?” Yes…like now. So they will hold objectives and such. You don’t “have to” include them, but you’re not taking units to unlock command points anymore. (You don’t have to bring the Loyal 32 just to unlock more CP).
“You’ll have loads more freedom.” Less “command point batteries” and more room to experiment now.
Missions
More balanced missions for Matched play.
Wanted narrative play to be more immersive for the missions.
Open play wanted to keep it simple and play a meaningful game of 40k.
“Each of the those ways to play” will be impacted by the missions.
Lots of different variety.
Missions have been written for different size games/play spaces to make the play experience more appropriate for the space/sizes.
Explosive Weapons
Random shots are still around.
Blast will be a thing they talk about more in the coming weeks.
Blast Weapons are defined in the back of the appendix and will be noted in future publications. So you’ll be able to use your current codexes until they get updates.
They give you a benefit for shooting “bigger units” – ie, max hits.
New Primaris Units
Can Space Marines like Space Wolves use new Primaris (bikes, etc) – yes. All the different chapters. Black Templars (still not confirmed for Grey Knights)
Deathwatch? New stuff on the way. “Coming Soon”
Classic Marines – still usable. Right along side Primaris.
Death Company w/Chainswords? “That would be great” (so yeah, probably happening)
Astartes Chainswords are better. And Space Marine Chainswords are just better than guardsmen chainswords.
Random Musings
Are more “big players” coming to the game – wait till Christmas.
40k Rules team is writing the rules for ALL miniatures (Forge World). Death Korp bringing them in line with the rest of the Astra Militarum (already done).
Vigilius Books still usable in this edition? Yes.
PA Books – will they be absorbed? Sort of. All the cool stuff from PA and other books and their codex will be combined. “Greatest Hits album”
Power Level is still a thing and will be adjusted as needed. It won’t be changed as much as matched play but it IS something that could be tweaked in the future.
Where are the new Necron and Space Marine rules? New boxes and new codexes on the way.
Crusade Campaign
The new codexes will have Crusade Elements.
Core Book has the nuts and bolts of the system but it will really grow with your Codexes.
Different armies will have different things going on. Blood Angels manage the Black Rage, Thousand sons hunt for artifacts, etc.
How do you start a Crusade army? Start with combat patrol (500 points/ 25 Power Level). Spend Requisition points to grow army/replace units. “Follow the narrative of your story” – lots of ways to create your own narrative of your force.
Can you use Crusade at a large event like a convention? “Absolutely it can.” It would work for pretty much any amount of players – “you’re going on your narrative” – you can still log your own crusade/narrative games.
Even losing your Crusade games can get you “unlocks” like requisition points and such. So it’s worth tracking your games
Units basically “gain experience points” and you’ll be able to give them cool stuff. Rewards and Requisition points. Very narrative with in game benefits. Games are still balanced however.
Core Rules
Still 8 Pages? Not quite – The rules have gotten expanded but lots more examples/illustration.
Rules Appendix with edge cases and the rare “one-off” stuff.
Mortal Wounds will work the same as they do now.
Capped Modifiers – never better +1 or worse than -1.
Everyone can always hit on 6s.
Turn Mechanics changes – no major turn mechanics changes.
Flyer Changes
Flyers can leave the board and come back on the board
Cleaned up a lot of the interaction with Flyers (can’t block movement with their bases).
Flyers are more interactive now as well. Fun to use and play against them.
Morale Phase Changes
Updated and improved the interactions of Morale. Previous version was too binary “It did nothing your you lost your unit.”
Introducing “combat attrition” as a mechanic.
More things impact the morale than before.
Night Lords and Reivers get to do some “cool stuff” in the morale phase as well (think of the current impacts of morale).
Warhammer Legends
More units coming – but very gradual.
No plans to cut massive chunks out but eventually you may see a model or unit moved from a codex to legends.
There’s loads more – be sure to watch and let us know what jumped out at you in the comments!
