Warhammer 40K: Summer Codex Wishlisting
We know what codexes are coming in the Winter and Spring. Here are our picks for the 40k codexes that should drop in Summer of 2024.
In case you missed it (or forgot) Games Workshop announced the codex release plans all the way back in April of this year. So we know what’s coming. That said the state of the game in the meantime showed how much a Balance Dataslate was needed. With the current win rates where they are, we’ll have to wait to see if the changes in the Balance Dataslate make a big enough impact. But, because the codexes are planned so far out, we hope some of these outlier armies get the attention they need in the next round of codex planning.
This brings us to our wishlist for the Summer of 2024. It might be a while and the game is could look very different by then once all 9 of the upcoming codexes are actually out. But if we had to make a decision based on today’s data set the armies we’d focus on next.
Aeldari
This one should be a huge surprise. The Aeldari are the #1 army as of right now by a wide margin. Frankly, I’m not even sure of the current win rate data has listed accounts for Aeldari vs Aeldari match-ups. If you pulled those out of the pool I’m sure the win rates would be even more askew. Anyhow, we will (hopefully) see a dip with their win rates in the very near future after the changes. But the sooner they get a codex the sooner GW can correct this outlier for 40k.
Genestealer Cults
Unsurprisingly, they are second on our lists. Now, unlike the Aeldari, they got hit a lot harder with a direct nerf to their army. Their unit recursion was really keeping them in the top and now, well, it’s going to be a lot weaker moving forward.
That said, I think their army had a unique ability and theme that could be explored more. I’m not 100% sure how GW could revamp the rules for the GSC so that it’s still good without being dominating but there’s something there. Plus it was nice to see this army actually be scary for a bit not just a minor speed bump on the road to victory.
Leagues of Votann
On the other end of the spectrum we have the Leagues of Votann. Oh boy…their win rate is just plain horrible. Will the Balance Dataslate help? Yes. Will it go far enough? That’s the question. This army came out of the gate looking like a straight-up boogeyman. But people were so afraid of them that Tournaments were banning them before they were even out. And then GW dropped the hammer and nerfed them into the ground. And they’ve basically been there ever since.
The point is that there’s GOT to be a middle ground for this army. The could also use some more units in their roster which generally come out the same time they get a new codex. Seems like a good reason for them to get a book, right? I hope that the Leagues get some big fixes to make them better than just “an army that exists” in 40k.
Death Guard
The Death Guard have some fundamental issues in 10th edition 40k. They are almost too slow to be a serious issue in the game. Now, is that more of a problem with the deployment/missions or a thematic handicap for this army? There’s the problem. On top of that their rework in the Balance Dataslate might be good from a rules standpoint but something still feels off a bit. I think a new codex would be the perfect time to revisit the theme of what makes a Death Guard army tick and how their contagions work.
Adepta Sororitas
The final pick is the Sisters of Battle. They are certainly in the bottom armies of the game right now but they are also in the “middle” of those armies. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of their Fate Dice mechanics (and the same with the Aeldari version) but that’s part of the theme of the army. Regardless if that mechanic is too weak/strong the army as a whole could use some help — just like every other army at the bottom of the barrel. How do you go about fixing them? That’s the hard part and that’s what the Games Workshop studio design team has to figure out.
Summer 2024 is a long way off…how do you think the game will look by then?
