Warhammer 40K: 10th Edition – ‘What About Your Old Codex?’
Warhammer 40,000 10th edition is around the corner and Games Workshop answers the question “What about your old Codex?”
In case you’re unaware 40k 10th is coming out in the summer. Now, if you’ve been with us for a long time this answer won’t surprise you. However, there might be some folks around who’ve never been here for a edition change. So they might have questions about what that means for their old Codexes and card packs. Well, if you needed it spelled out for you, GW has the answer.
“Those sticky complexities have now been smoothed out, and without losing any of the game’s depth. These much-needed simplifications are substantial enough that, from a rules perspective at least, every ninth edition codex has been rendered obsolete. That’s not to say they’re useless – they’re still bursting with the lore, history, and short stories that define each faction, and until new codexes emerge over the course of the new edition, these books will still be the main repository of the knowledge you need.”
What About My Old Codex?
When 10th edition comes out all the rules in the 9th edition codexes will be obsolete. There you go. That answers that question. This has happened many times before. Welcome to the cycle of Warhammer 40,000. It doesn’t always happen like that but when there’s a big shift in the rules (like in this case) it’s a necessary evil due to sheer volume of outdated rules.
Now, the lore and all the non-rules info is still relevant. In fact, if you’re a lore junkie, sometimes it’s good to hold on to your old books for reference or to see what lore has been changed/added when the new codexes come out. Here at BoLS we have quite an extensive collection of old codexes. It’s kind of necessary for our line of work. But hey, that’s not for everyone. That’s okay, too.
That’s just the tip of the codex iceberg…
Will I have to rebuy all my rules now?! That’s probably the next question you’re asking yourself. There’s some good news on that front.
“You will nevertheless be able to play your chosen army as soon as the new edition lands. We are releasing revamped, restatted, and reconsidered datasheets for every single unit in the game – all free to download at launch and ready to go. You’ll also be able to buy inexpensive packs of these cards at launch.”
Emphasis added. So no — you’ll just have to download the core rules and your army rules for free. You can purchase those packs of cards as well. Those might be handy if you prefer physical media or have a spotty internet connection. Personally, I do like having the physical cards like Datasheets or Warscroll cards handy when I play. Even if I stop referencing them eventually as I start to memorize/remember all my rules. Still, they are nice to hand to an opponent if they have questions.
Boarding Actions Sticking Around
One fun note is that all the Arks of Omen rules with the Boarding Actions will still be used for the new edition. So if you have those books or want to collect them then you can use them for Boarding Action games. It’s good to know that the framework will still allow those smaller games to be played. Just grab your Boarding Patrols and some terrain and you’re still good to play.
So yes, your 9th edition codexes will be obsolete when the new edition launches. And we’re all getting new rules on day one. Now I’m just wondering how long before we see a new codex series and what sorts of rules those will contain in them.
9th edition codexes are dead. Long live the 10th edition codexes.
