Goatboy here with a quick and dirty review of the new 40k updates. Here’s the big changes you need to know.
It wasn’t a big update – and while it didn’t really make some armies better it did hit a few armies in ways that are kinda depressing. Let’s pull out the scrying glass and see what the future might have for us in the land of competitive 40k.
Overall as a data slate change – this was a pretty weak one. There wasn’t any new real rules, a very small tweak to the Blood Angels, and mostly a hard nerf to a CSM detachment. It isn’t all doom and gloom as a lot of things took small hits but overall this isn’t going to be the shake up some people wanted. I think with a new 11th Edition looming and new rules incoming it is a safe bet that GW didn’t want to rock the boat too much in the waning days of 10th Edition. The big shake up is coming so we just have to wait to see it in the next few months.
T’au Empire – BUFFED
I think the biggest glow up and issue in this is the points are released from the new T’au unit – the Twin Flame. That unit comes in at 160 which is frigging insane. That unit alone will be in every T’au army for the next few months. Be prepared to see these guys shoot across the table like some kind of demented Banshee as you can’t keep them down. You better hope you kill them in one interaction because if you don’t they will be gone. I expect to see a bunch of bad conversions, bad 3d prints, and then some really amazing 3d prints show up for these guys as GW won’t have made enough.
Necrons – NERFED
On the nerf front the C’tan took some hits with removal of a lot of interaction with army rules and monsters no longer getting them. They mixed this with some point increases and will see if it really hurts them. The point increases – while justified on each model – really means they drop one scoring piece. The models are still extremely tough to remove and some armies just won’t have the tools to get rid of one let alone the other 3 that will probably show up. This is going to be a mid table bully and remind people of the Knights and old Custodes armies that didn’t win the event but still went 4-1.
CSM – NERFED
The bigger Nerf in my mind is how CSM took a straight shot to the chest on their newest detachment – the Renegade Warband. That detachment can no longer take Cult Troops. I understand the idea behind that as this is a newly shifted Chaos Force but it just sucks for an army that wasn’t really winning the whole thing. It will most likely kill this detachment and most players will shift to Marauders, Creations of Bile, or Pactbound as the better damage producing armies.
Space Marines – Missing & Nerfed!
The other big change in this is the Old Calgar with Victrix friends are now just gone from the points. This is huge as he was a major part of the UM surge in Space Marines so this guy going away is a big hit to the army. The old Resin Cato is gone as well and the Combi-Weapon Lt finally got a points increase. You mix this with Repulsors and Redemptors going up and a lot of the Space Marine armies you see will have to shift some things around. I think this is good as the Old Calgar was so aggressively costed that he didn’t need to be around.
Votann & Bugs – MEH
We got the points for the new Votann character and the Tyranid monster. Both of them are ok but their points cost when compared to the Twin Flames is just odd. I think they are feeling damage 4 is very powerful as well as the Damage 3 on the Mid. I just don’t always understand how things are pointed out but the T’au guys will probably have a big change whenever we get the next adjustment.
The Also Rans…
A lot of things got touched on the points side with Astra Militarum Dorns getting hit. They will most likely shift to removing a unit from the army. I am surprised the Bullgryns didn’t get hit again but will just have to wait and see. Custodes took some point hits in their inquisitor friends and the Guards going up in points. Chaos Daemons and their Lords of Change got hit to showcase how the Scintillating Legion was doing in the current 40k universe. Oh EC Flawless blades went down which could be exciting as 3 are 100 points and 6 are 200.
2026 Q1 Balance Dataslate – The Verdict
Overall this is a pretty weak update but that can be expected. The game is working and there is a new edition coming. This isn’t the time to blow things up and have people shift armies before they have a new edition to cause them to shift things. I think as a player it is time to just play what you like and hope your mission deck treats you right.
Don’t Miss:
Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.
Source: Bell of Lost Souls
