40K: The Imperium Has an All New Look
In Ninth Edition, the Galaxy of the 41st Millennium has a swanky new look. How have things been updated? Take a look for yourself!
That’s right folks, Ninth Edition is here, and with it, everything has changed at least slightly. Don’t worry; there are still Space Marines out there, Squats janky come back, and we’ll be moving on to Tenth about six months after the Sisters of Battle get around to getting a 9E codex. For now, though, let’s look at the galaxy itself!
The New Map
The new core rulebook has a lavish 4-page pullout spread of the galaxy. Here are the central two pages.
The New Map now clearly labels the following:
- Nachmund Gauntlet (Vigilus)
- T’au 5th Sphere Expansion
- Pariah Nexus
You’ll recognize many of these from recent events. The Nachmund Gauntlet had its heyday with the big Chaos invasion where the Rubicon Primaris was finally crossed. The Pariah Nexus is home to exactly what you’d expect, and the Fifth Sphere expansion is great. Just don’t ask about the 4th Sphere expansion. We don’t talk about it. There is no 4th Sphere Enclave in the Ultima Segmentum, and if you keep asking about it, you’ll end up taking too the Ethereals at Lake Laogai.
You do get a sense of how bad things are getting though–the creeping dark of the Imperium Nihilis is daunting. It makes the galaxy feel imperiled. Like it really is the end of an Empire.
This wouldn’t be the first time the Imperium has been scattered, points of light amid the dark, but it somehow makes everything feel so much more immediate.
For comparison, look at the old map.
The Old Map
It’s good, but you don’t quite know how bad Gork/Mork’s Grin is gonna make everything. There’s yawning abyss is still just that. Now it feels fully open and hungry.
What differences do you spot on the new map? What secrets does it hold? Let us know in the comments!
