

Some modern Imperial Guard tanks lined up next to some very old-school sentinel walkers. My feeling is that, as 9th edition codices come out, we’ll see those tightened up even more.

There has also been an effort to make some rules more universal, reducing the instances of units having the same rule with slightly different wording. It feels like there are fewer gaps between rules and grey areas open to interpretation which you would expect after three years of feedback and FAQs. What Games Workshop have done with 9th edition is to take the opportunity to really tighten up an already solid ruleset. If you did read the newcomer’s review then you’ll see that the core fundamentals of the game are unchanged. It’s best to think of the new edition as an evolution of 8th rather than a reinvention. If you’re no stranger to Warhammer 40k then your primary interest will be in what’s changed between editions, and what’s new to 9th. If you’re new to the hobby read our overall introduction to the game and review from a newcomer’s perspective. This is a review of the new edition of the game for those who are familiar with 8th edition. Having said all that, the release of the 9th edition of the game is both a great opportunity, as well as a big risk. With the model range for 40k being so broad, and gorgeous, that was all it took to propel the game, and the company, to the next level it seems. Providing comparative simplicity of rules, but still with plenty of depth, 8th edition was a ruleset that had mass appeal in spades. Players who are familiar with the mess of 7th edition may appreciate that this is quite the achievement and it has happened, in large part, due to the new direction the 8th edition of the game took back in 2017. Games Workshop, as a company, has soared in recent times, making it to the FTSE 250 for the first time. From its humble beginnings as a small scale skirmish game (with a completely different name) Warhammer 40,000 (or 40k, as many of its players refer to it for the sake of speed) is a behemoth in the tabletop miniatures scene. Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop’s flagship offering, has been through many different iterations in the twenty-plus years it has existed.
