Warhammer 40K: More Boarding Patrols, Please
Games Workshop introduced the concept of Boarding Patrols and now I want more of them for Warhammer 40,000.
Not too long ago Games Workshop teased that Boarding Patrol boxes were coming to a game store shelf near you. The first two examples were for the Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines.
We even did point breakdowns for the boxes, too. These boxes, as the name suggests, are designed for your Boarding Patrol games from Arks of Omen. While the inclusion of Abaddon does skew the math of the points a bit, it’s a good gauge that these boxes are supposed to be around 500 points. Or close enough you can get there with minor swaps.
As a concept, I think GW needs to produce more of these boxes. And they need to do it sooner rather than later.
Better Than Combat Patrols?
Games Workshop already has Combat Patrols — so what’s the value in these new Boarding Patrol? Two main things: Price and size. These Boarding Patrols don’t need to replace the Combat Patrols as those are perfect for diving in with both feet. However, Boarding Patrols open up a new opportunity for both players and GW as they give players enough to dabble without committing.
While we only have two examples right now, just imagine what GW could do with a sub-500 point box for each faction. Depending on the price point, these boxes which feature really basic options, could be ideal for ally factions or experimenting.
It’s a super simple formula here. It’s one HQ choice and two more units of any combo of Troop or Elite. Every army has that. What’s great about this is that it also gives you enough flavor from that army to get a taste but it’s not so restrictive that you can’t grow from there — or feel like a waste if it’s not your cup of tea.
For example, maybe you picked up the Aeldari Combat Patrol (or two) and want to add some Drukhari allies to your options. Well, your option for a quick fix is a Drukhari Combat Patrol:
But that might seem like a lot to throw in all at once. Sure, you could buy this box and just use the Archon, Incubi and Warriors. But what if there was a Boarding Patrol that had, I dunno… Lelith Hesperax and two units of Wyches? And it was 1/3 or 1/2 the price of the Combat Patrol? Wouldn’t that be a nice, manageable ally force for you to try out without getting super invested in the Drukhari?
I’m just spitballing here, but I could see a whole lot of these Boarding Patrol boxes for every faction. Heck, you could even have multiple versions for factions. I know Space Marines with their massive army list could be carved up in multiple 500 point boxes. It’s been done before. Just look at all the various Space Marine Combat Patrols that already exist…
The main point here is that the Boarding Patrol boxes are a good idea. They are the smallest amount of models you’d need to actually play a 500 point game and would be a good option for more than just other Boarding Action games. They allow players to dabble without over committing to a faction. And the contents are basic enough that anyone can find a use for them as allies or a starting force.
Heck, you can even include a big named character and you’ve basically got the distilled version of that army in a single box. Just add glue. And paint. And…you get the idea.
Would you like to see more of these Boarding Patrol boxes? Which faction would you slot in to your army as an ally?
