40K: Transports in 8th Edition
Transports are important to an infantry heavy army. Here’s how they’ll work in 8th Edition 40K.
Today’s 8th Edition preview is a look at transports in Newhammer. From what they’re saying, it sounds like they expect transports to play a much more active role in the game, instead of just existing a turn or two, getting shot, and then immediately crumpling because it turns out their armor is made of explosives and Ford Pintos.
Which I have to say sounds pretty exciting. There are a few big changes in the works for the way transports work too–units can charge the turn they exit a transport (but they have to debark at the start of your movement phase). This seems pretty huge, especially since we know that some vehicles will be punchy. I, for one, am eager to see Ork Trukks roll up, let a mob of boyz hop out, and then charge into combat with a bunch of claws or saws, or comically huge boxing gloves or whatever it is that vehicle close combat weapons will look like.
I just realized…this means that some transports, will be Transporters.
Like that, but the car is also punching. And Jason Statham.
via Warhammer Community
In the new Warhammer 40,000, Transports are almost universally, better: they are more durable, faster, many are better at shooting, and all have fewer limitations on the units disembarking from them. For example, a unit disembarking from a Transport is no longer prevented from chargingthat turn.
Units now disembark at the start of the Movement phase, before the Transport moves, but can then move, shoot and fight normally in that turn. This opens up loads of tactical options for both shooting and combat themed armies, especially now that multiple units can share a single Transport up to its capacity.
For a combat army, this will mean you will need to get your Transports where you need them in the previous turn for maximum effect. One tactic we’ve seen used to good effect already is to then use the Transport to charge in alongside the unit into combat!
AdvertisementYou can see already that this it is likely to be considerably more durable than it is today, and the skill of the Harlequin pilots even makes it not too shabby in a fight. This being open-topped too, the passengers in it can shoot normally even after that huge 16″ move, and still shoot pistols into units that are in combat with their Transport in their own Shooting phase!
It doesn’t all go Transports’ way though. Being inside an exploding vehicle is still bad news. Models inside a wrecked Transport will now die on the roll of a 1. This isn’t so bad for units like Orks and Guardsmen, who were used to taking a few casualties when losing their Transport, but is going to hurt a bit more for elite units, so be sure to put valuable units in your most durable Transports, like Land Raiders and Battlewagons.
So there you have it. Any unit dying on a 1 is going to make transports a little risky–but did you catch that part about units with pistols being able to shoot at models engaged by the transport? You could charge a squad with an open-topped vehicle, and then your guys can unload their pistols while your vehicle fights. I think fights are going to be a lot more dynamic in the coming edition.
Read more about Transports in 8th Edition
What do you think of the new vehicle rules we’ve seen?
