40K: The 3 Eras of Eighth Edition
Today we talk about the three great epochs of 8th Edition – Before, During and After Knights.
Eighth Edition can be broken down into the following phases:
- Pre Imperial Knights Codex
- Imperial Knights Codex
- Chapter Approved 2019
Before Knights (BK)
Prior to the release of the Imperial Knights codex Eighth Edition was in many ways the golden age of Warhammer 40k. Sure we saw some Lords of War such as Daemon Primarchs and Baneblades but they were manageable from across the table. But unknown to all the players were the distant rumbling of Knight footfalls headed our way.
Era of Knights (EK)
Then they arrived. What set Imperial Knights apart from all other Lords of War is the whole host of over the top relics and stratagems that made them all but unbeatable. Sure some really love their Knights but many don’t and find them to be no fun to play against. There are no bad Households to choose from either.
This all came to a culmination with the Dominatus class Castellan rocking the Iron Bulwark relic for a 3++ invulnerable save via the stratagem Rotate Ion Shields fueled by cheap as chips Loyal 32 Astra Militarum Battalion command point farm. The Castellan can easily delete two or more enemy units per turn which had a drastic effect on the meta… many units became basically unplayable due to being too much of a potential liability.
After Knights (AK)
Finally following the big win at the Las Vegas Open earlier this year Games Workshop nerfed the Castellan. Sure Imperial Knights are still very good but not quite as good prior to Chapter Approved 2019.
If we look at what Games Workshop has released to preview the new Apocalypse it’s apparent that they still want to push over the top Lords of War on the market. To be honest I’m nervous in regards to what I’ve seen so far. For me one of the things I loved about playing an Apocalypse scale game was the stories that unfolded over the course of a game. I would love to see Games Workshop more strongly emphasize the narrative aspect of the game, beloved by the majority of hobbyists.
Chaos is Coming Around…
So now looking forward we have Chaos Knights coming in the near future. Sure this is nice for Chaos players but I have to wonder how over the top these new Titans will be and how they will impact the meta.
~Do you think the Chaos Knights will arrive tamed, or take us back to the darkness of the (EK)?
