Warhammer 40K: New Units to Watch Out For
Adam here to discuss some new units that are rising fast in the world of competitive 40K!
The latest supplements have added a lot to the game so far. The new Space Marine supplements have made marines stronger, the steady releases for the Psychic Awakening series has added a lot of value to many armies, bring them up a power level, although not as close to some Space Marine armies. From what we are seeing in the previews, it looks like this trend will continue and the latest Chapter Approved release will hopefully see all the other factions, some more than others, get a much needed boost.
As a result of these new buffs, we are seeing a lot more combinations that people are trying out, and doing fairly well with. With that being said, and coming up to the Las Vegas Open, here are a few units that are beginning to make an appearance on top tables and may have an impact at the upcoming Las Vegas Open or at a tournament near you.
Possessed
This unit is now seeing play due to the lowering of points in Chapter Approved and some of the new Legion stratagems in the Faith & Fury. This unit is really good when used as Alpha Legion as they can sneak up close, be -2, or even -3, to hit and can be made untargetable if not the closest unit. They can hit hard, or hurt you just with the sheer number of attacks, depending on what mark you give them. This can be combined with ways to make it so that your opponent cannot fall back so they can be made safe from their opponent’s shooting. Being infantry, and depending on deployment, they can easily hide behind a giant L shaped ruin or inside of an enclosed ruin. There are other possible combos with this unit, so expect to see more people playing them, especially if they do well at a large tournament.
Khorne Lord of Skulls
You may not see this model very often but don’t be surprised if you do. There are a few players, one that writes for this very website, that became very excited when the Chapter Approved was released and the points dropped for this model. Big, tough, and a unit that can dish out the pain, the Lord of Skulls benefits from a large number of the new stratagems, warlord traits, and relics that have become available to Chaos players. Combine this with the detachments from the Vigilus books, and if you are able to run three of them, then there is an army that can put down a world of hurt. Not sure if it can hold up to the current hotness of Iron Hands but it will certainly cause problems for players.
Sisters of Battle
It may not seem like a big deal but we really won’t know how strong the book is until the army is played in a few tournaments. There are a large number of players that have the old metal models, so are ready to go. With the release of the rest of the range, most of the newer players should be up to speed soon so we can see the results of their army building. The miracle dice mechanic is interesting and offers the Sisiters of Battle players a way to mitigate some of the randomness of the games. Combine this with some of the unit special rules, Order Sacred Rites, and their stratagems, it can be a powerful and effective force. Due to this, you will probably see a Sisters of Battle army or two at your local tournament as they try to figure out the nuances of the army and see what works for them and what doesn’t . Although we will see some armies at the Las Vegas Open, I believe we won’t see the real power of what they can do until Adepticon and beyond. In the mean time, expect to see a lot of new players with their new armies across the battle field.
Grey Knights – Although we don’t have the full details yet I also expect to see more Grey Knight armies. I like what I see in the previews as I see a lot of people starting to actually look at, and build, possible Grey Knight armies in the various chats I am in. It is still too early to tell but things are looking good for the boys of Titan.
~That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed the article and let us know what units you will be taking, or that you think will get used more, in the comments section below.
