The upcoming points changes for Warhammer 40,000, arriving on Wednesday, are driven by modifications to the core rules.
Units that have become more powerful in the new edition have had their points increased, while units with reduced effectiveness have seen decreases.
Key Increases
- Vehicles with powerful mid-range firepower: Points increased due to easier movement through terrain.
- Large combat-leaning monsters and vehicles: Points increased due to improved ability to reach and charge enemy units.
- Fast melee infantry: Points increased.
- Large flying models: Points increased due to easier battlefield navigation.
- Titanic units (Towering keyword): Points increased due to Plunging Fire bonus.
- Units manipulating battle-shock: Points increased.
- Models with Psychic weapons: Points increased due to ignoring negative modifiers.
- Units with charge re-rolls: Points increased due to flexibility in target selection.
- Units with Surge Moves: Points increased due to changes in engagement range.
Key Decreases
- Fights First units: Points decreased due to reduced effectiveness.
- Large units (20+ models): Points decreased due to 9” coherency rule limiting spread.
- Units with both Infiltrate and Scout: Points decreased as they must choose one per game.
- Units with Stealth: Points decreased as Stealth does not stack with Cover.
- Indirect fire units: Points decreased when taken individually due to reduced effectiveness against unseen distant targets.
Additional Changes
- Some very powerful units cost more when included more than once (e.g., Defilers).
- Certain weapon upgrades now cost points if significantly more powerful. Example: Macro plasma incinerator on Redemptor Dreadnought costs 10 points, but base cost drops by 10, netting no change or 10 points less if taking the heavy onslaught gatling cannon.