Warhammer 40K: Should All Troop Options Be Core?
We’re about to get a look at the first wave of Core Units in Warhammer 40,000. But should all Troop Options get the Core keyword?
From the sound of things, just about all Troops will become keyword Core – once an army gets a new Codex that is. We’re going to get a look at that very shortly when October arrives and GW releases the Necron and Space Marine Codexes. And this was also alluded to by GW again in another article:
“The Core keyword is used to identify units that form the fighting… well, core, of an army. These are most commonly represented by units of line infantry, though this doesn’t mean it’s exclusive to Troops, nor just Infantry.
In the case of the first two books, Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Necrons many Elite units such as Terminator Squads and Lychguard, as well as Fast Attack units like Bike Squads and Tomb Blades, have the Core keyword. Even some Vehicles will be Core units too, where appropriate.”
So we know that there will be some Elites and Fast Attack that will be considered Core. But my question is why should all Troops automatically become Core?
We know that Troops are typically considered to be the most common or most basic unit for an army. But even within that some Troops fill different roles. Should a unit of Scouts be considered Core? You could argue, thematically, a Scout Squad is just that – a squad that scouts and isn’t really a core part of your army. Or you could argue that your army is actually a Scouting Army and Scouts are very much a Core of your army. The case really can be made either way.
Core is an interesting concept and it’s going to change the way players build their armies and play the game. We already know certain Auras and Stratagems are only going to apply to Core units. And even though we don’t know all the applications yet, it’s pretty easy to see this is going to have a big impact on the game.
But I keep going back to the idea that maybe not all Troops should be Core. For example, if you’re building a Vanguard Detachment based army – wouldn’t your Elites be more “Core” than your Troops? Or A Spearhead Detachment; Heavy Support as Core? GW already has some of these mechanisms in place and I’m curious how those will interact, if they interact at all. Or maybe your Warlord options should grant Core to specific types of units, too?
For now, it seems more likely that GW is just going to do Core as carte blanche to Troops and maybe other select units. It seems more like a big experiment or an attempt to course-correct list building back to the way that is more “proper” or in-line with how GW wants us to build armies and play. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not really sure – I’ve got too many editions rattling around in my head to make the call on what “proper” 40k looks like any more. What I can say is that the Core Keyword is going to fundamentally impact the way folks view and use Troops. Good or bad – it’s going to be “thing” in the game very soon. If you have good Troops in your army you’re going to get to ride the gravy train. If you don’t…well, good luck.
Do you think all Troops should be Core or should GW be a bit more picky about who gets this new Keyword?
