Warhammer 40K: What The Votann Nerf Means For The Future

Leagues of Votann got nerfed, but is it good for the game?

The new Leagues of Votann Codex was widely decried as a really broken codex. It had some major issues, that probably made it too good. Good enough that there was a ton of backlash against the book. As you probably know by now, GW was responded to this by dropping some pretty serious nerfs onto Leagues. Let’s talk about some implications this has for the future.

Making The Change Was The Right Call

So lets get this out of the way first off. I think GW was correct in dropping a quick nerf for the Codex. It was pretty clear that the book was over powered and going to get a nerf at some point. Now GW could have waited to put out a nerf. People have argued that Leagues had no data from events and it might have been better to wait a few months to get that data and then nerf them. While I can see this argument, I think it would have been a bad look for GW. However, waiting a few months to nerf them would have given the impression of releasing an over powered book to get sales, and then nerfing it.

On the other hand, nerfing them now is a good move for players. Being quick to change the points means that players who are planning to buy armies can do so based on more accurate numbers. Can you think of what the backlash would have been if they had waited three months for everyone to buy armies and then raised point 20%? This would have left players with unneeded models and quite angry. By nerfing things now, they got ahead of it and were responsive to the players. BRAVO GW!

Did the Tournament Bans Work?

We talked the other week about how some events were banning Leagues until they got FAQ’d. Well now that they have been nerfed I guess they can be used again. The question I think a lot of us are asking, is did the ban have any effect on GW’s choice. I’m sure they knew about it, and it played into the overall backlash and outcry. Was it a major factor for them? I don’t know. However it certainly seems, from this sample size of one, that bans do help push GW to make changes.

A Slippery Slope?

So does this nerf mean anything for the larger future of 40K? I’ve seen a lot of people say this is a slippery slope we are on. GW was “forced” to bow to the pressure of “whiny” players and nerf a book before most of the models were even out. Now anytime a group of players don’t like something they can just complain and it will get nerfed. At least that’s what some people are saying.

Honestly I think this idea is bunk. The outcry against Leagues wasn’t coming from a smaller group. Pretty much anyone who looked at the Codex realized it was too good. Every TO and blogger and the vast majority of competitive players I know or read stuff from agreed they were simply too good. Rather than view this as a slippery slope, I see it as a good thing. GW was quick to move to fix an issue. When the community came together to point out something, GW took action. Sure, maybe they should have caught the issues before it went to print, but at  least the took notice of what everyone was saying and moved to fix things. At the end of the day – that’s NOT a bad thing.

Let us know what you think of the nerf, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.