10th Will Be A Mess - Enjoy it Anyway
By: Innes Wilson
I’m not sure if you noticed, but there sure is a new edition about to drop on us. If you haven’t seen the tide of fury, vitriol, anger, and fear roaming the 40k social sphere, I envy you greatly.
From where I’m sitting we’re upon the precipice of a huge shake up to the way 40k is played, and people are naturally lashing out and latching on to everything that comes through the Warhammer Community website, the rumour mill, or otherwise. It’s a very normal response and one we’ve seen for every edition change that I’ve had the pleasure/misfortune to take part in.
The crux of the argument is that as we see this slow drip feed of information, combined with the standard propaganda and marketing of Warhammer Community has resulted in a crucible of discussion where everything is simultaneously right, wrong, and lacking context. One of the stated goals of the new edition is a reduction in re-rolls, yet every datasheet previewed in the first week felt like it contained them in some variety. Lethality is going down? Here’s ‘Devastating Wounds’ everywhere just in case you were worried it might affect your armies output.
“Re-rolls are significantly less common in the new edition, so the ability to single out one target per round for complete annihilation reinforces the Space Marines’ reputation for disciplined, targeted hammerstrikes.
”
Couple that then, with the reveals that don’t show an increase in output, or a unit which lost re-rolls where once it had it or otherwise and the discussion can quickly turn sour, even for something that has a complete lack of context.
This is not to say that none of this will turn out to be an issue. Some units previewed will be too weak. Some will inevitably be too strong. Above and beyond our wildest expectations in some cases. I’m here to tell you that that isn’t a bug, it’s a feature.
The genesis of a new edition, especially one like the 9th to 10th Transition is a chaotic time in all senses. We’re going to have a huge rules dump, new missions, new core rules, new implications beyond anything that currently exists in 40k. Games Workshop will have, to some degree considered all of these factors together. With the vast quantity that is 40k, they’re going to get stuff wrong. Catastrophically wrong.
With the growth of 40k in the last 5 years, significant portions of the competitive community will never have experienced an edition change, and certainly never one on this magnitude. The 8th to 9th move had the continuity of Codices carrying forward and a general smoothing of game mechanics rather than upright overhaul, and was also broadly obscured by COVID for the majority of the playing population. While that period had vast changes in the strength of armies, units, and strategies, it was hard to be overly burdened by it when you played one event of it in 2020 before waiting 10 months until your next (speaking from personal experience, your mileage may vary).
Before that then, was the 7th to 8th move, one which bears many markers of being similar to that which is happening now. A full indexisation of all core rules. Everything updated at once. A full overhaul to missions, rules, everything. I can’t exaggerate when I say that the 8th Edition 40k Indexes were one of the least balanced, utterly bizarre periods in my 14 years of game play. There are a dozen sources you can look at for the reasons and the manner behind that, but happen it did. And do you know what? It was fun anyway. Sure getting run over by Razorwing Flocks and Stormraven Gunships and 4 Drop Chaos Knight + Magnus lists that went first 83% of the time wasn’t always a shining example of the game. But it lasts a few months. It’s a chance for the list writers to do something extreme in a bold new context. You can be the person who finds a new combo nobody has ever seen or considered before. Break an interaction. Be the problem.
Stormravens Take Flight at ETC Salamanca 2017
Photo Credit: Team Scotland Warhammer 40k
Is the launch of the new edition going to be an incredibly balanced time where all are equal in the eyes of the dice? Absolutely not. What I’m hoping to impress upon you is that that’s okay.
One of the stated design goals of the new edition is reducing lethality across the board. What that’s meant is that a lot of weapons and abilities look worse in a 9th Edition Context. Thunder Hammers have lost a point of damage. Blood Angels now get +1 Strength instead of +1 to Wound. This is an example of Games Workshop succeeding at the stated design goals in my opinion. On the other hand, some units appear to wildly have not had this same reduction in damage output. The Lion who was also previewed today is fairly close output wise to his current form, What that means for your faction will vary. Some of them, the design goal will have been reached and your army will on average, leave its opponent alive longer. And when playing an army that has the same level of appropriate care, you’ll probably understand the type of game that’s been aimed at here.
“This huge update has also given us the opportunity to look again at lethality and durability across the entire game, and rebalance it at a stroke – something we could never do outside the launch of a new edition.”
Some won’t have that. Lethality will have gone up, whether through mechanical failures, underpointedness, or overlapping buffs and stratagems. When you play those, it’ll feel like you’re playing a different game. Because you fundamentally will be. You’ll be playing the factions and rules that got away. They won’t for long. Games Workshop, even in the dark times of 8th Edition took a swift and appropriate response to the very worst of the indexes; and codices were quick to follow with even more changes for most. 30pt Malefic Lords became 80 and disappeared overnight. We saw the first of a dozen flier changes. It’s okay for things to be bonkers at the start.
The important thing is that it won’t last. Balance Dataslates have grown in frequency and potency over the years. Whatever the starting state of the edition is, will not be the stick we measure it by. It’s a passing phase; one that resembles more a gold rush than what we might want 40k to be. We all want to think of 40k as some big brained game where you make the right choices at every step. Play the right list. Make the right decision. Take the right risk. And 95% of the time you get that, or something close to it. Indexhammer is the rest. It’s a once in a blue moon chance to just be wild. There’s no right answers here, there isn’t even a reference sheet. Once these Indexes drop, the game is what you make it for a bit. There’s a leg up if you’re on the right faction. We’ve seen Tyranids and Harlequins hit 70+% winrates in 9th! I’d be surprised if there wasn’t at least one of those in 10th. There’s just too much going on.
““There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat. Well, I don’t cheat. And although I like to think we have some smart people here. It sure is a hell of a lot easier to just be first”.”
Such is the price of progress. You can argue whether 10th Edition was needed. You can argue whether you’ll enjoy it or not. There’s no requirement for you to. If this doesn’t sound appealing, its a great time to take a break, see what shakes out and pick it up again with confidence when the meta solidifies and we know what’s worth buying, building, painting. But it’s here regardless and it’s like anything. You get out what you put in. Personally I’m diving in with a positive attitude to borrowing and a healthy addiction to winning; and a World Team Championship to prepare for on the wildest meta since 2017. It’s anyone’s game, but it’s also Games Workshops. The edition is moving on with or without you as their bottom line dictates. Why fight it now when there's so much change coming down the line to fight for instead?
——
I hope this has been some measure of comfort or solace to anybody who is worried about the new edition. Yes it’s a wild time, but it won’t be for long and it isn’t often. Come into it with an open mind and embrace the chaos. There’s good games and better memories to be made here, same as any other time.
- Innes
If you’re looking for assistance with developing your game play, and want to jump start the process of improving with 10th around the corner, as well as reviewing games you play or receiving help with your overall game experience, you may find it useful to inquire with us about Coaching. Full details can be found Here, or send an email to coaching@stat-check.com
