Warhammer 40K: ‘Boarding Actions’ Has Me Hyped For ‘Arks of Omen’
The new Boarding Actions rules sound like the Space Hulk battle I’ve always wanted in Warhammer 40,000.
Games Workshop announced the new Arks of Omen campaign books are coming and along with that there will be new Boarding Actions games. We don’t have a ton of details but we have enough to get excited about.
“Boarding Action pits compact, 500-point forces against each other in vicious room-to-room combat, using the rules found in the first Arks of Omen book. This new set contains enough modular terrain to fill an entire board with narrow corridors and perilous hatchways, creating a tense and exciting environment in mere moments.”
What we know so far is that these Boarding Actions are designed for 500 point games. For the most part, that means your basically taking in Vanguard Box-sized armies into these games. That’s typically more models than a Kill Team as well. I think the smaller size and the tight corridors are going to be a good fit — especially if you don’t have a ton of play space.
Furthermore, we also know that those BIG models won’t be an option as “VEHICLES, MONSTERS, or other large, lumbering models ” won’t be available in your roster. On one hand, I’ll be a little bummed that a Dreadnought won’t get to march through the halls. On the other I’m also glad that a Leman Russ won’t show up either.
I’m also looking forward to some closer engagements. Short to mid-range weapons are going to rule the roost here. Flamers and Melta are going to be quite popular in this format. But I’m really excited to see what a batch of Genestealers will be able to do in this environment!
While I do appreciate the big battles on the standard tabletop it’s going to be nice to see units have enough cover to actually get into melee and do their thing now. I’m curious about what sorts of rules changes/tweaks are going to be made in the Boarding Actions rules as well. Clearly, we’re still using standard 40k points here as the games are 500 points. But will that mean the squad sizes will stay the same? What about unit coherency? I’m also going to assume there will be some new Line of Sight rules changes as well as Indirect Fire rules changes.
If these battles are taking place inside a cramped Space Hulk then lobbing shots over the bulkheads doesn’t make much sense. Oh…and flyers or flying units — Jump Packs aren’t going to be much help here, are they? I’ve got questions and I’m excited to give these claustrophobic fights a shot.
I do feel like units that pack a punch at short ranges are going to benefit a lot here. If you can soften up your enemy with shooting at mid to close range and then finish them off in close combat you’re going to be prepared for these types of engagements. I also think faster units that can close the gaps and get in there quick will do just fine, too. Basically don’t rely on your gunline to protect your squishy units in these Boarding Actions.
With all that said I’m also hopeful that these games are quick and fun. I’m hoping these battles don’t get bogged down with a lot of bookkeeping or extra rules that feel like busy work. I’m wondering if we’ll see reduced Stratagems or new ones. I’m guessing we’ll find out soon enough! Sound the alarm because Boarding Actions are coming with the Arks of Omen!
All Hands — Prepare for boarders!
