40K: 10 Codexes in 6 Months – GW Did It
True to their word, GW managed to knock out 10 Codexes in 6 Months. 8th Edition Keeps on Rolling.
They’ve done it. They’ve done it. They said that they would do it, and indeed they did. Like a plastic-miniatures-obssessed Henry Higgins, GW has done what they said they’d do, and by jove, they did it. Now it remains to be seen if the Eliza Doolittle of 8th Edition will come back, bringing GW their slippers, or if she’ll stay over at GW’s Mother’s house, now that she’s a sophisticated lady.
In the meantime, let’s take a look back at the face to which we’ve all become accustomed to.
But you didn’t come to Bell of Lost Souls for timely, topical, and above all else relevant references to My Fair Lady, you came to read about those ten codexes that came out in the last six months. Doubtless you’ve seen their impact on your games, so let’s take a look back at the Codexes that have come.
Codex Space Marines
The first of the bunch. With its introduction of Warlord Traits, Chapter Tactics, artwork, lore, psychic powers–this codex laid the foundation for everything that would come next. Not quite polished, but definitely showing potential, it paved the way for everything that would come afterwards.
Still widely regarded as one of the stronger codexes. It did a lot. It introduced the Primaris Marines, who have in the ensuing release seen many new kits come out–I don’t think there’s been a new Astartes kit that wasn’t Primaris this year. We didn’t realize at the time how important Stratagems would be to the overall shape of the game, but they were there.
Codex: Chaos Space Marines
With this Codex, the real game begins. Chaos Astartes Lists are easily some of the strongest lists in tournaments. And there are a number of reasons for this, some of which are problematic, others of which are awesome. But it’s here that the first few pieces of 8th Edition start falling into place. Stratagems, combos, psychic powers to really boost your units where they need to go. This one really helps players leverage their armies in creative ways.
Like Eliza, they learned, had some polish and some diction lessons–it’s a difference you can see in the units and the codex.
Codex: Grey Knights
Codex Grey Knights also set a tone–coming out around the same time, it showed off what we like to call the bookkeeping codex. It brings the army list in line with the modern game, though not much else is added beyond that. The Grey Knights, as a faction, need a little love at the moment, but even having a Codex helps them stand out over the other armies which rely on Indexes.
With a little bit of luck, they’ll bounce back. They always do. And again, they’re not a bad army, just a little more limited one–that’s the nature of the beast though.
Codex: Death Guard
This one is at the height of learning. The Death Guard are the new kid on the block, but they come out strong. They show what the introduction of a new faction can feel like. We get cool new models, they really start to feel distinct in terms of how they play. And of course, there’s a miniature garbed in a beautiful garment flanked by attendants who makes a big splash in this index.
Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus
Everyone’s favorite machines came charging in. They are one of the rarer codexes, and the changes wrought by their codex are fairly subtle, but noteworthy nonetheless.
Codex: Astra Militarum
This one is very much a letting the hair down and partying kind of Codex. After all, with changes to the Leman Russ, Orders, and other Units, the Astra Militarum got all kinds of cool new things to play around with, without needing to get new toys. They’re great–and as we’ve seen in various tournaments, can pack a mean punch if you come prepared. They really leverage the Imperium Keyword to great effect.
Codex: Craftworlds
Codex Craftworlds is another bookkeeping type of Codex, though it has seen some of the lessons about stratagem interactions incorporated into its bones. The Eldar are very finesse-dependent, and with a bit of thought/planning, they can be a serious threat.
Codex: Tyranids
What a splash this codex made. It severely overhauled the Tyranids without needing to add anything new. It shows the moving parts of 8th Edition and how things like points changes, a few little special rules tweaks, and careful synergies can really change the way an army feels. There is such a world of difference between Index ‘Nids and Codex ‘Nids, they’re almost unrecognizable.
Codex: Blood Angels
The first of the variant Marine chapters, this one isn’t nearly as broad reaching as the Codex Death Guard book, but it feels like this group of Space Draculas got a nice boost to their units–they proved to be pretty effective on the tabletop here on our Twitch Stream. The jury’s still out–but personally speaking, I really like ’em.
Codex: Dark Angels
And then there’s the Dark Angels. The newest of the bunch on the scene–at first glance they look alright–but I have a suspicion that underneath it all we all know how they’ll turn out.
At any rate, that’s a look back on the year of Codexes. From the poor flower girl of the Indexes, to the Duchess of the best Codexes, 8th Edition is…well…I’ve just grown accustomed to her face. For more topical references, tune in next week as we look at the codexes that might be coming out next year and Count Duckula Screen Shots.
In the meantime, which of the codexes released thus far is your favorite?
