Games Workshop dropped a new Dataslate today, giving us another set of game wide balance updates as well as updated points for new units and Detachments. In this article we’re looking at the changes made to the game’s Imperium Factions - what changed, what it means, and how it changes the faction’s outlook in the overall meta moving forward.
Before we dive in, we'd like to thank Games Workshop for providing us with a preview copy of this update for review purposes.
Adepta Sororitas
The Sisters of Battle have been remarkably stable in this meta, with several builds putting up good numbers (Hallowed Martyrs being the most successful, with Celestian Sacresants showing up in heavy numbers there as well as in Champions of Faith).
Points Changes
None.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Neutral
Thoughts
Sisters are in a pretty good spot at the moment in that their hardest matchups are everyone else’s hardest matchups, and they’re not dominating the rest of the field. As with many of the middle factions, the best buff would be in nerfs to the apex predators.
Adeptus Custodes
Adeptus Custodes have been putting up some very interesting results as of late, particularly in the teams scene with the triple land raider build backed by cheap Custodian Guard.
Points Changes
Custodian Guard +10pts for both the 4 & 5-model unit sizes.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Slight Loser
Thoughts
The bigger impact here is to Draxus and Inquisitors over in Imperial Agents; she goes up 15 points, which means that your 5-model unit of Custodian Guard really costs an additional +25 points. This ultimately does very little to change the Custodes’ best list right now, which is the triple land raider list running Talons of the Emperor. That list likely loses a unit of Prosecutors as a result of this change.
Adeptus Mechanicus
The forces of Mars have been continuing to do reasonably well since the last balance Dataslate cut back on the volume of bodies they were able to field - most notably to WCW winner Richard Siegler’s Skitarii Hunter Cohort list. They’ve held pretty steady since their initial fall from grace at the top of the meta.
Points Changes
None.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Neutral
Thoughts
The Adeptus Mechanicus are likely to stay relevant following these changes and hold in place - they don’t gain any ground, but aren’t likely to lose much either given how few things change with other factions.
Agents of the Imperium
The Imperial Agents aren’t a real army and can’t hurt me, no matter how many of you best-in-faction-chasing sickos email our inbox; They’re mostly a small collection of allied units for making other armies better and of those the most notable right now is Draxus, whose role in Custodes armies is to provide insane anti-infantry shooting to a unit of Custodian Guard who can shoot twice once per game.
Points Changes
As a real army:
None.
As imperial allies:
Inquisitor +10pts to 65pts.
Inquisitor Draxus +15pts to 110pts.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Neutral
Thoughts
The real impact here is to the Adeptus Custodes who are actually a real army and would run both Draxus and Inquisitors.
Astra Militarum
The Imperial Guard had a recent nerf to Grizzled Company, reducing their output by removing the wound re-rolls of 1 against enemies on objectives. That stopped them from being overly dominant but hasn’t stopped them from being one of the game’s top factions over the last month.
Points Changes
Rogal Dorn Battle Tank +10pts to 260pts, 1.625 Twin Lances.
Rogal Dorn Commander +15pts to 290pts, 1.8125 Twin Lances.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Slight Loser
Thoughts
Not totally surprising since Rogal Dorns and particularly Rogal Dorn Commanders see at least two units in virtually every list that isn’t a full infantry/cavalry Recon spread. This is gonna cause a bit of a pinch, but it shouldn’t see huge changes to most lists.
Grey Knights
Grey Knights have been creeping back up the standings this year on the back of a mix of Warpbane Task Force lists and Dreadknights which can ostensibly do better into a C’Tan-heavy meta.
Points Changes
Brotherhood Terminator Squad -10pts for 4 models, -5pts for 5 models, -20pts for 8 models, and -25pts for 10 models, to 150/185/300/375, respectively.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Slight Winner
Thoughts
Brotherhood Terminators aren’t showing up in lists right now and dropping them 2-3 points per model isn’t going to change that. There’s just not a strong case to make for slower 3-wound infantry in a meta which is incredibly hostile toward models with that profile.
Imperial Knights
Imperial Knights have been struggling a bit since Big Knight Summer. While they’ve been putting up some results in teams formats, they’ve been having trouble breaking through to the top tables.
Points Changes
Helverin -5pts.
Knight Errant -10pts.
Knight Gallant -10pts.
Rules Changes
None.
Impact
Slight Winner
Thoughts
Norman: This is neat to see but probably won’t move the needle too much. It makes 5 big lists a little easier to try and squeeze in and the Errant is a pretty solid datasheet. Helverins back at 135 is probably a mistake, but now that its not very good it should shake out just fine.
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