Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K: 2023 Dataslate – What You Need to Know
The 40K release drought has finally come to an end. Here’s the new Balance Dataslate means for Warhammer 40K.
We are getting a huge update to the current state of 40K with Points, FAQ, Mission Pack update, and a Dataslate change. Today we’ll go into the Dataslate change a bit. While all the other pieces will shift the game – the Dataslate really hits the rules part of the game and actually changes how armies play.
These tweaks really feel focused in bringing armies up, removing old “restraints,” and attacking some of the meta-breakers we are currently dealing with. It is a pretty big massive swing at stuff, so it will very much create a wild Wild West sort of event for whoever runs these rules.
I won’t go over each part as there will be much more in-depth discussions elsewhere. Instead, I want to discuss some of the things that stand out to me. A lot of things were added – but then a few things got deleted – so it makes for a very interesting update.
Tyranids
On the Tyranid side of things, there is a big hit in the points department. On the Dataslate side of things, they basically have the same old changes they had before plus removing the “free” Sporemine aspects of a lot of units. This, combined with the point hikes, really puts a damper on the army as they continue to get tweaked. This is starting to feel like the Dark Eldar changes. Most likely, the bigger issue with Nids is just that their Datasheets end up being very powerful. We’ll see if this puts them back in the box for some of the players, as the nerfs might put them in the old Ad-Mech range.
Adeptus Mechanicus
Speaking of Ad Mech, they continue to lose a lot of their old rules updates and gain something new again. The CORE mechanic is given to new units with the Destroyers/Breachers, so we’ll see how they shift things. There are so many interesting layers of power with that interaction, so we will have to wait to see how good it becomes. Of course, it comes out right in time to sell that Christmas boxed set that had just come out!
Death Guard
On the terminator front, Death Guard kept their Objective Secured while the Thousand Sons option lost theirs. I think Thousand Sons are getting more changes in how they win the game with their Secondaries than the Balance Update. But most likely, the T-Sons go down a few pegs. However, there are a few interesting interactions, and with the big Marine changes coming, they might be nearly as good in the meta.
Armor of Contempt
The big meta shift that I waited a bit to talk about is Armor of Contempt going away. That is huge, as it hits so many armies. I think on the Marine side of things, it wasn’t nearly as amazing as the army still had issues doing damage, and making them take less damage didn’t matter. They just didn’t do enough damage to armies to make it worthwhile. Thus GW did a huge update by removing AoC, allowing Marines to stay in the Doctrine they want when they get there, and giving them automatically Sticky Objectives. We’ll see if this is enough. The big points update gives Marines free upgrades and cheaper point costs. This makes them much more aggressively costed and has more “damage” options on the tabletop.
Chaos Space Marines
Of course, this hurts CSM and the Chaos options as AoC allowed them to survive and get into combat or hold objectives with fewer “damage” options at range of other armies. They still hit hard in combat, so we will see if they shift into using vehicles or other options to get there. The Creations of Bile took a hit, going to a 4+ for their Fight on Death option. I don’t know if it makes the army go away or move into something different, like using Red Corsairs to get there faster.
Harlequins & Tzeench Both Nerfed
The meta-breaker armies both took hits, with Harlies now going to a 5++ instead of a 4++. This will shift them to going as many vehicles as they can to score primary options as quickly as they can. It’s s a pretty harsh update, and I would think just increasing their points to make them unique would be better, but we will see.
The other bad meta issue is of course, the Flamers of Tzeentch. A big shift to them is moving the gun from Auto Hitting to just being an Assault weapon. This shifts them into using their 3+ BS or a 4+ if they advanced. I think this is probably the correct change instead of increasing their points to the moon, as the unit now is good – just not flat broke. They are a very fast unit that can help the army score, and their Chaos Friends have a really tough 3++ unit that can drop a banner or just get in the way.
Adeptus Custodes
The final one I want to talk about is a nice shift to Custodes, who didn’t get Armor of Contempt. Their Core Infantry now regains Objective Secured, which activates a lot of options instead of just using the FW Custodes with their Special Combi Weapons. Terminators now get to activate, so single-choice options look neat as well. Wardens and the Venatari become a lot better choices than they were before. Now, does this mean we will see some funky stuff with a new Detachment and tons of Options? Will just have to see.
The Verdict?
Overall this is a huge batch of updates. I don’t know what will shake out in the Meta as Knights didn’t get touched, and with AoC going away, all their weapons become a lot deadlier. The massed Wardog builds sound good, as they can still hide behind terrain. The bigger Knight still is an issue as, again, all the Marine builds have free options, which just means a ton of “damage” guns will be showing up. I don’t think Marines are going to be top tier, but the mid tables are going to be full of them and will be rough for armies to deal with as there will be so many bodies, so many guns, and just a lot to chew thru.
Points are also here, and they are a big shift in some of the problem issues. Hopefully, thru all of this World Eaters can still do some work, but we will have to see. I know it is a heck of a lot easier to fit a big mean Daemon Primarch now, even if you have to hide him a turn or two.
What do you think about the Dataslate? Are you ready for the new game of 40K?
