40K: Space Marines In Apocalypse – Rules Preview
Apocalypse is bringing big changes to the grim darkness of the distant future–it’s a whole new game, so come take a look at the rules.
If you want to play massive games of 40K, then Apocalypse might just be exactly what you’re looking for. But not only does it let you make the battles big, it’s got a completely different ruleset that is all about handling those kinds of conflicts. There are heavy shades of Epic in what we’re seeing. Today we’re going to be taking a look at the Adeptus Astartes and what they bring to the apocalyptic table. Let’s dive right on in.
via Warhammer Community
It seems fitting to start with the poster boys of the Imperium. The Adeptus Astartes touch most of the rules in the game, from heavy weapons, to deep strikes, to psychic powers, and so on. And easing us into the transition, we get a look at some old familiar concepts:
But what’s really interesting is the accompanying text:
What’s more, Adeptus Astartes armies are more resilient to morale than most thanks to their And They Shall Know No Fear Faction ability, awarded to Detachments made purely of these superhuman guardians.
The phrasing seems to imply that you’ll be able to take Detachments that are mixed–after all if it goes only to detachments made up of Space Marines then it stands to reasons there’d be Space Marines in detachments that aren’t exclusively Astartes. Which is pretty exciting. Intercessors and Guilliman get some specific shout-outs, so you know that there’s going to be a Primaris push. But let’s take a look at Guilliman’s weapon:
SAP and SAT are Strength Against Personnel and Strength Against Tanks–so right away that tells us there are two different stats for most weapon. And the Destroyer trait doubles the blast markers placed on units you wound, so Guilliman will be scything his way through the battlefield, perhaps taking on a more active role rather than just standing beside a bunch of Intercessors and Hellblasters and hoping something gets close enough for him to sword.
Here’s a brief look at some of the tactical options that Guilliman brings to the table.
Command Assets, for those of you who don’t know, are the special tactics cards that you can build into decks that are included with the Apocalypse starter kit. The Imperium Detachment business confirms the earlier suspicions too, and gives you a look at some of the cool things Apocalypse will let you do with your armies.
When Apocalypse debuts, we’ll also be seeing the relase of the Repulsor Executioner.
Here are some of its weapons as they are in Apocalypse.
So it gets to shoot a whole bunch as long as you move only up to half your speed, which means they could be pretty sweet against all those Knights running around. Here’s a closer look at Command Assets:
In Apocalypse, every army has access to Command Assets – tactical plays that represent your grand strategy that can change the tide of battle. Each Faction can use universal Command Assets, or Faction-specific choices that represent their distinctive abilities and the character of their sub-factions. Flamecraft, for example, lets you unleash devastating fusillades of Small Arms (a weapon category in Apocalypse) and is perfect for the Salamanders’ mastery of short-range warfare.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some vehicles that are immune to small arms fire, by the way. Especially since they are their own special category now. Everything’s on a much grander scale–even psychic powers.
Be sure and stay tuned for more previews, they’re rolling out hot and fresh off the internet.
What do you think of the new rules? Let us know in the comments!
