Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan - Rules to Remember for 10th Edition
To say that there’s been anticipation for the upcoming new edition of Warhammer 40K would be a gross understatement. Let’s not forget the abstract 20 videos that Games Workshop used as teasers to tantalise players. Regardless of where you situate yourself aboard or distanced from this particular “hype train”, 10th edition is here…at least, in some form.
It’s nigh-impossible to review the new edition in its entirety until more faction rules are available. However, the below will be an attempt to help reinforce some of the changes brought in for the new edition and emphasise how to avoid falling into common mistakes or pitfalls.
Psychic Phase? Never Heard of It!
The Psychic Phase has gone the way of the dodo, according to the Leviathan book! As a Necron player, I’m quite pleased to have one less bout of my opponent reading off various rules to me that will inflict Mortal Wounds onto my units with little I can do about it. In this edition, psychic weapons and attacks are merely presented with their own rules and abilities. These rules typically matter most against models that may be particularly susceptible to psychic attacks, but these mighty powers often come with a cost. A number of them have the “Hazardous” weapon ability. For each weapon used with this trait, once the attacks have been resolved then the controlling player must roll a D6. For each roll of a 1 the test is failed and one model in that unit is destroyed. That is, unless it was a character, monster or vehicle in which case it suffers 3 Mortal Wounds instead.
It’s worth noting that if this is suffered by a model attached to a unit, these Mortal Wounds must go onto that model, even if another model in the Attached unit is already wounded.
Weapon Abilities
Weapon abilities are new in Warhammer 40K 10th edition and act as an attempt to simplify particularly flavourful weapons. There look to be around 18 weapon abilities in total. However, a handful show up very frequently and we’re here to reinforce what they do to avoid confusion and to help you get primed before you get your hands on the new rulebook.
Lethal Hits - A Critical Hit (rolling a 6+ to hit) with this weapon automatically wounds the target.
Devastating Wounds - Attacks that score Critical Wounds (rolling a 6+ to wound) with this weapon inflict Mortal Wounds equal to the Damage characteristic of this weapon and the attack sequence ends.
Anti (X) - When making attacks with this weapon against a target that shares the relevant keyword (Anti-VEHICLE, Anti-INFATRY, etc), any unmodified wound rolls that are of X+ score a Critical Wound (treated as an unmodified 6+ to wound).
Rapid Fire (X) - When making attacks within half of this weapon’s range, increase the number of attacks by ‘X’.
Blast - When targeting an enemy unit with this weapon, add an additional attack dice for each 5 models within the target unit.
Precision - When using a Precision weapon against an enemy unit, attacks that successfully wound may be chosen (by the attacking player) to be allocated to visible characters within the unit.
Leading From The Front
A character that is listed as a Leader may join a unit and is said to be “leading” the unit that they are within, though they can only accompany units specified on their own datasheet. Enemy units can target the unit but are unable to specifically target the character, unless their weapons have the “Precision” weapon ability. This is all very reminiscent of 7th edition and the “Sniper” special rule that would allow you to essentially do the exact same thing.
Leaders must be allocated to a unit before the battle. If, during battle, a unit containing a Leader is destroyed and only the Leader remains, that Leader cannot rejoin another squad.
Controlling Objectives
Gone are the days of Objective Secured. With this edition, it’s all about Objective Control (OC), the new characteristic units rely on in order to determine their level of control over nearby objective markers.
In order to control an objective marker you must count the number of models you have within 3” of it. Then, you add up the OC value of all of those models. This total is your Level of Control over that objective marker. When determining who controls an objective, you would compare your Level of Control with that of your opponent and whichever is greater controls that objective. Should both players have the same Level of Control over an objective then the objective is contested.
Remember that you only control that objective whilst you have models within range of it (3”). Some stratagems and abilities allow you to move away and maintain control until it is reclaimed by an enemy, so be mindful of this.
Stratagems
One of the many-touted points of this edition is to reduce the bloat seen in the previous edition, including the mass-injection of Stratagems across the board. The core rulebook within Leviathan contains the 11 universal Stratagems that any army can use. Below you’ll find the 5 that will likely see the most use. Keep in mind, you can still only use each Stratagem once per phase.
Command Re-Roll - The most-favoured/hated Stratagem is back! For 1 Command Point you can re-roll a single roll from one of the following:
Hit roll
Wound roll
Damage roll
Saving throw
Charge roll
Advance roll
Desparate Escape test
Roll to determine number of attacks with a weapon
Counter-Offensive - For 2 Command Points, after an enemy unit has fought, you may choose a unit from your army in Engagement Range with an enemy unit that has not already been selected to fight this phase. That chosen unit fights next.
Epic Challenge - At the cost of 1 Command Point, you can choose a Character unit from your army within engagement range of an enemy unit containing a character. Your chosen Character model has Precision on its weapons and can thus allocate attacks to the enemy Character.
Insane Bravery - For 1 Command Point you can choose a unit that just failed a Battle-shock test. They are not Battle-shocked as a result.
Fire Overwatch - Whether you like it or not, Overwatch is still a Stratagem, so use it wisely. However, it has a twist this time around. For 1 Command Point, when an enemy unit starts or ends its Normal, Advance, Fall Back or Charge move, you may select a friendly unit within 24” that is eligible to shoot. You may then shoot that enemy unit as if it were the Shooting Phase with the chosen friendly unit. As ever, Unmodified Hit Rolls of a 6 are needed to hit these enemy models.
Note - You can only use Overwatch once per turn, which means you can only use it in either the Movement Phase or the Charge Phase - not both!
Gaining Command Points
At the start of each Command Phase (regardless of whose turn it is) both players receive 1 Command Point (CP). In addition to this CP gained at the start of each Command Phase, both players may only ever generate 1CP per battle round, no matter the source of the CP.
Battle-shock
The days of Combat Attrition and the Morale Phase are now far behind us. After generating Command Points in the Command Phase, Battle-shock tests must be taken for each unit on the controlling player’s turn that is below half-strength. You roll 2D6 for a unit and the test is passed if you roll equal to or higher than their Leadership (Ld) characteristic. Else, if you roll below the Ld value of that unit, the test is failed and they are Battle-shocked. This means that:
This unit treats its Objective Control characteristic as 0 for each model in the unit.
Should this unit Fall Back from combat, you must make a Desperate Escape test for each model in the unit.
This unit cannot be affected by Stratagems triggered by the unit’s controlling player.
Note - An Attached unit (a unit with a Leader attatched) treats its Starting Strength as the combined number of models within the unit when it started, including all models in the Leader unit and Bodyguard unit combined.
Falling Back
If a friendly unit is within Engagement Range of any enemy units, a player can elect this unit to Fall Back during the Movement Phase. In this, a chosen unit can move up to its Movement (M) characteristic, provided that it ends the move without being in Engagement Range of enemy models. If this cannot happen, then it cannot Fall Back.
However, Desperate Escape tests are a far more strenuous affair. In this, a chosen friendly unit may try to Fall Back and move over enemy models as if they weren’t there. If this is declared then a Desperate Escape test must be made for each model doing so within the escaping friendly unit. For this test, roll a D6 for each model - on each roll if a 1 or a 2, one model (elected by the controlling player) is destroyed. You can only declare a single Desperate Escape test per phase - so be wary!
Note - Models that are Titanic or can Fly do not need to make Desperate Escape tests.
Benefit of Cover
Cover is back and is seemingly far simpler than ever. The Benefit of Cover rule is consistent across the board in that it grants any unit meeting the relevant conditions +1 to their saving throws against ranged attacks. Although, this does not apply to models with a save of 2+ or 3+ against weapons with AP0.
However, each different type of cover comes with a set of characteristics that determines what is eligible for cover and any other impact on gameplay. Let’s look at some examples below that you’re most likely to come across.
Craters and Rubble - Each time a ranged attack is allocated to an Infantry model on top of this feature, that model has the Benefit of Cover against that attack.
Ruins - Each time a ranged attack is allocated to a model, if that model is either wholly within this terrain feature or it is not fully visible to every model in the attacking unit because of this terrain feature, that model has the Benefit of Cover against that attack.
Barricades and Fuel Pipes - Each time a ranged attack is allocated to an Infantry model that is wholly within 3” of this terrain feature, if that model is not fully visible to every attacking model in the attacking unit because of this terrain feature, that model has the Benefit of Cover against that attack.
Consolidate
Within the latest edition of Warhammer 40K, Consolidate has had a face-lift. Now, once a unit finishes making all melee attacks, it can consolidate. It must follow this sequence:
Each model in this unit not in base contact with an enemy model must make a Consolidation Move (3”) to be within Engagement Range with an enemy model without breaking Unit Coherency.
Else, each model in this unit can make a Consolidation Move (3”) to the nearest Objective, but only if in doing so that unit will be within range to control the objective (3”) without breaking Unit Coherency.
Else, no Consolidation Move (3”) can be made.
Note - This is in addition to Pile In, which occurs when selecting a unit to fight. Thus, a unit in close combat can Pile In before AND THEN Consolidate after.
Wrap-up
This was all merely a glimpse into some of the more notable changes to existing systems or elements of Warhammer 40,000 as they evolve into the new 10th edition. Which changes are you most excited to try or which previous edition rules are you going to miss the most? Be sure to let us know!
Disclaimer - Games Workshop provided us with a copy of the Leviathan Box for the purposes of this content.
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