The Top 40K Codices of ALL-TIME
5 Minute Read
Oct 30 2016
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40K Codexes come and go like the seasons, but these dominated the game in their time. Do you remember these deadly tomes?
These are listed from oldest to newest, and we excluding any current edition books as they yet to stand the test of time: (but we all know who is getting inducted into the hall of fame when the next edition hits)
Chaos Space Marines – 3.5 Edition (2002)
Andy Chambers, Pete Haines,Andy Hoare, Phil Kelly and Graham McNeill
Iron Warriors still weep oily tears over this one…
Ahh, who can forget the most beloved of Chaos codices. The one that still gets old vets teary eyed. The “everything AND the kitchen sink” 3.5 codex included rules for every Legion and allowed ultimate flexibility in list creation. You could pull off first turn assaulting Daemon Princes , Lash Princes, Iron Warriors with Basilisks, Word Bearer Dark Apostles, Alpha Legion operatives, the Dreadaxe, you name it – it was in there.
Tyranids, 4th Edition (2005)
Yes there was a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth – the glory days of BIG BUGS. Kelly and Chamber kicked out a book that stomped its way across the table at a time when the Carnifex was the be all end all of the Hive Fleets. It seems that the other races have been out-evolving the Tyranids in codex design ever since. Remember having to deal with this ten years back?
Once he ruled the tabletop like a plastic T-Rex!
2 Walking Tyrants with Devourers
3 Fexes at Elites with Barbed Stranglers
4 Units of 12 Stealers – sometimes more…
3 Units of Dakka Fexes
Orks, 4th Edition (2008)
The book that brought the community Nob Bikers. Greenskin players everywhere thanks the heavens for Phil Kelly and his loveletter to to Mork and Gork. It only went downhill from this book. Anyone remember building (or fighting) lists like this:
I’m still trying to forget about these guys, the pioneers of wound allocation.
Warboss on Bikes X 2, PK, Bike, Cybork, Attack Squigg
Nob Bikers x 10, Painboy, All different wargear, 4-5 Klaws
2 Units of Grots
Chaos Daemons, 4th Edition (2008)
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This “deep strike” book was good, then became TURBO-CHARGED with the White Dwarf Screamer Update. For a while everyone was panicking over lists like these:
Remember when White Dwarf could totally shake up the game in a single article?
Fateweaver Builds
Herald of Tzeentch X 2
Pink Horrors X 4
9 Screamers X 3
Fiends X 6 X 3
or alternatively Fatecrusher Lists
Fateweaver
Crushers
Pink Horrors MSU
Imperial Guard, 5th Edition (2009)
Darkwynn’s original Leafblower
The book that brought the world Leafblower. How can we ever forget the year everyone and thier brother built all mech alpha strike IG lists. I’m sure Forgeworld appreciated the old resin Medusa sales spike.
Grey Knights, 5th Edition (2011)
The Grey Knights returned to the game after a decades long absence with a GIANT splash. Hello Draigo Star – Paladins, Draigo, Libbie – walking around not giving an Eff. All the psybolt shots. Ultimately like Doomrider, the Grey Knight’s reign of terror was mercifully short-lived. They came, they went…
Warpdust is a helluva drug…
Necrons, 5th Edition (2011)
The Matt Ward Flying Croissant Circus. This is the book that defined Flyer-Spam. Perhaps the book that invoked the most venom in opposing players. While the list could face the occasional hard counter, or be tabled on turn one by a wily foe, in general players hated having to deal with lists like this: Flavor with more Croissants per your taste…
2 Destroyer Lords, Scythe, 4+ inv save, the + to will be back
4 Croissants with 5 Warriors in each
3 units of 6 Wraiths
3 Annihilation Barges
~Which one do you think holds the crown for All-time “King of Codices”?
Honorable Mention: Eldar Craftworlds, 3rd Edition (2001)
Gavin Thorpe, Jervis Johnson,Andy Chambers
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Who can forget the Alaitoc Ranger Disruption table, or the Ulthwe’s Black Guardians. It may not have destabilized the game, but boy – it didn’t make you any friends…
Throwing your critical units back into reserves for maximum irritation.
~Which do you think was the single top codex of all time?
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Author: Larry Vela
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