Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K: Mission Deck Changes – What To Expect
Goatboy here. We got a Balance Dataslate update, points update, and finally are just waiting on a 40K Missions update. Here’s what I expect.
A Mission Deck update could mean a lot of things if you think about it. Leviathan was a mission deck, deployment deck, rules deck, and even how to build your army. It is a lot of things, and if we get an updated deck in a few months, what could that actually mean for 10th Edition?
Magic: the Gathering used to run under the guise of seasons with their Standard Rotation and Draft Rotations. It really hasn’t done that in a while, but the thought on how they did it is something that could happen in 40K. It might not be a full refresh, but what if it was? What kind of shift could happen?
Most Likely Missions Update – Minor Gameplay Shifts
The easiest thought would be simple shifts to the current gameplay. This would be tweaks to the current deck, update simple missions, and maybe some new simple stuff added. It could be removing some of the “first” turns can’t be done options or, at the very least, updating some parts of the deck. Things like the old X amount of wounds damaged equals X amount of points due to some of the larger wound-based units. It could be some other action options like arming the objective, calling in some kind of reinforcement, or just a random action to score points.
This is the most likely update we’ll see and, in some ways, something that is easiest to swallow. We are getting used to the game currently, and without breaking it completely, we would continue getting used to it. A simple Missions deck update does make for an easier game for someone to jump in, learn, and utilize all the tools we currently have.
Less Likely Missions Update – Major Gameplay Shifts
But that isn’t too exciting is it? What if GW threw us a bigger change? Like let’s say we suddenly get a true Force Org chart like we had in past editions? How much would that shift things up and cause armies to rethink how they work? It could easily happen.
It’s something I could see come out especially as the codexes get updated, detachments get created, and we see the overall path GW wants in the current game. There is a lot of simplifying and smoothing over of the game’s rules right now from codex to codex. While new codex rules rollouts hasn’t been as exciting as it was in previous editions, we are no longer seeing rules inflation things explode the Meta, and add rules bloat as heavily as in years past.
This leads me to think shifting how we play the missions will be the change-up we might really see and really deal with. The main armies’ rules are where we have a lock down but having a new “game environment” defined by the missions deck could be neat. Especially things like shift deployment zones, extra mission rules, and other fun options that go beyond just having the most efficient murder machines on the board. This would be an avenue for GW to keep the game fresh over an edition – while keeping the rules balanced and on an even keel.
40K Needs Something to Shake It Up
Do you want a shift in the mission decks, deployment zones, and combo’d pieces for competitive plays? Does it feel like we need it now? Or just having some new cards to add to your deck be all we need? Will this show up when the GW events start back up again?
I think just a nice simple refresh, rework of some of the missions, and some new action options will be the right jump-start to help get people exciting about 40K, and ready to update their armies. I know I am in a little bit of a rut as I wait for new Chaos stuff and get sad at the changes I had to endure to my army of bad guys. I am just happy I didn’t paint any Accursed.
What do you want most out of a new 40K Missions Deck?
