Warhammer 40K: The 2025 Chapter Approved Mission Deck’s Biggest Changes
Warhammer 40K has an all new Chapter Approved Mission deck. Here’s the biggest change you need to know about!
The new Chapter Approved Mission deck is the brand new way to compete in Warhammer 40k 10th Edition games. It contains all the mission cards, deployment zones, and all other add-ons to create the 40k game play experience. It is a deck that you will need if you want to compete in the new Season of 40k, and while not all the rules are meant for competitive 40k, the majority are the bones you need to play a balanced game of grimdark nonsense.
Overall, it isn’t an overhaul of the game and instead looks to spice up some of the interactions as well as create different gameplay styles that might not be for the tournament scene, and instead just let all players have a chance to play the same basic game. This is the big thing – the new deck creates the skeletal framework we can hang our battles off of. If you go to a game store and they are playing 40k with the deck, it means that, for the most part, we are all playing the same game.
5 – Multiple Levels of Gameplay Presented
The deck gives you a lot of ways to play. You have some asymmetrical missions with funky deployment zones meant for smaller games, as well as narrative-lite games. You have a bunch of added-on twists to help create unique experiences for players wanting to try out different stuff. The shell of a lot of these is most likely what is going to be set up for Narrative, I am sure, with different twists for different planets and Warzones.
The missions for the competitive side of things have been tweaked as well to help shore up some of the point issues some games could have, as well as just making scoring easier. Really, it is just a continued refinement on what made competitive 40k work, and that is a good thing, as there isn’t a ton more to really learn in the game if you’ve been playing it awhile.
4 – Secret Missions Are Gone
The Secret missions are gone, and I think that is a good thing. I didn’t like the idea that you chose something in secret during the game, as it could create a rather poor experience. I know some events players didn’t really say they chose a secret, but somehow did. I just don’t like this hidden knowledge concept, and find that if players don’t have all the rules presented to them throughout the game, it could lead to some issues that feel bad, especially to new players. It’s a game after all, not actual military warfare.
3 – Challenger System Seems Cool – Going 2nd May Be Too Good
The new rule that replaces the Secret Missions is this Challenger concept. At the beginning of the round, the player who is down by 6+ points would be able to draw a Challenger card from a deck presented to both players. That Challenger card gives the player a choice of either a free and most of the time powerful Stratagem or a “scoring” option that goes towards the game points total for a maximum of 12 VP. You can only score a maximum of 90 mission points. The challenger card stays active until the end of the Round.
The issue with this is that the player going second has a lot of information and could create a powerful Turn 5 where a Challenger card is scored, the primary is easily scored, and you know how much secondary you need to create a very big swing. We’ll see if that is the case as the game gets played more, and GW is paying attention to the 6-point difference.
The free Stratagems range from powerful for specific armies to kind of alright. The points for missions are 3 points each and seem rather “simple” in the scheme of what you need to do. Kill some models, get to an area, or do an Action. I really think this starts to get sticky is again turn 5 when the player going second could have a turn where they earn 15 for the primary, get 10+ for the secondary, and then score another 3 points for a 28 point turn.
2 – MANY Missions Got Tweaked for Balance
A few of the missions changed to let them have a chance to be scored easier. Take “Marked for Death,” where the opponent picks three units, and then you get to pick one too. If you killed the target you picked, you get 2 VP, which lets you have a chance to score a few points.
Cull the Horde has changed too, where now it counts units that have a starting strength of 13+, including attached characters instead of the old 20+ and not including Attached units. “Bring it Down” got tweaked too where it is now just a flat 2VP for each Monster or Vehicle within bonus points given if the model has 15+ or 20+ wounds.
New missions added are a Tempting Target, which has the enemy pick an objective in No Man’s Land for you to go and control. This was in there in the beginning, and now it is back. The other new one is Display of Might, which has you gain 4VP if you have more of your army in No Man’s Land than your opponent does. Looks like Containment is gone as well, leaving a bunch of missions designed for you to get out of your deployment zone and bring the war to your enemy.
1 – Discarding Your Mission Card After Any Player Turn!
This is huge and probably the best change we got out of this. Now you can discard that Sabotage that you tried to do in your turn but your opponent killed your dudesman doing it. You do not get a CP but it now allows you to always try for the mission. It lets you discard the dead weight and hopefully keeps you moving thru your deck and playing the game. I think this is one of the best updates from the deck and one of the things that will make the game of 40k a lot smoother for players.
Overall the deck appears to be tweaked and set up for maximum usage in your Warhammer 40k experience. I would say put your name down at a store for a preorder, find some way to get the deck, and get playing!
