The official 40k app has received an update with expanded support for Combat Patrol.
Combat Patrol is the small-scale, introductory format for 40k, but it’s been surprisingly underserved since this edition launched last month. Fortunately, that’s all changed today after a major update to the official 40k app. Finally, there’s support not just for the format’s rules and datasheet, but full functionality for head-to-head play against another opponent.
Small Scale Skirmish Supported
Today’s update fixes my only real gripe with the rollout of 11th edition; a digital stumbling block for the format aimed at new players. Combat Patrol is a relatively new way to play 40k, introduced three years ago with the launch of 10th edition. Pre-set armies battle it out with some slight modifications to the game’s main rules, and a handful of player choices in enhancements and army rules make it an ideal format for new players or existing players who are starting a new army.
Despite the wishes of many (myself included), Combat Patrol has not really become an analog to Age of Sigmar‘s highly popular Spearhead format. Spearhead is fantastic but has become very much a game of its own, not just a small-scale version of the main game. For better or for worse, Games Workshop’s vision for Combat Patrol is that of an introductory format.
The release of 11th edition 40k has been smooth on the whole, but I admit I was surprised at how little support Combat Patrol had received in the app. The barebones of datasheets and such were in there, but you couldn’t use the app as it’s intended to guide you through a game. Since Combat Patrol is clearly intended to help onboard new players, it’s been a blemish on 40k for the past few weeks, as an edition launch is unquestionably the period in a game’s lifecycle when new players flock to join in the excitement.
Fortunately, this has all been addressed today, and I’m looking forward to really kicking the tires on the format and app this weekend when I teach my friend Randi to play.
War Journal Integration
War Journal is the official app’s system for head-to-head play, and finally, Combat Patrol is fully integrated. Just open the War Journal tab in the app, choose the Combat Patrol “game mode,” and you’ll be prompted to enter your name, your opponent’s name, and then choose your Combat Patrol from any of the twenty-four currently listed.
Next, you’ll attach any characters to relevant units and choose one of two enhancements for your army. From there you can either connect to your opponent’s app via a generated code, or just manually choose their combat patrol and mirror their attachment and enhancement choices if you prefer to remain offline.
With your armies chosen and choices made, the app will walk you through the rest of the process of setting up your game. Today’s update also adds a new, unique mission for each Combat Patrol, which definitely makes the format a little more interesting in its own right. The Space Marine Assault Force, for example, gains the Honor the Chapter mission while the Ork ‘Ard Mob uses “Duff ’em Up!”.
Next, the app prompts you to choose a battlefield layout and set Attacker/Defender roles. It then holds your hand through the rest of the game, beginning with deployment, rolling for first turn, and lets you track your command points and VPs round-by-round. I’ll need to try it out myself to confirm, but it looks like it provides a pretty seamless experience that should be immensely helpful for new players in particular.
A Sneaky Reveal
While the app was the focus of today’s news, they did slip in an interesting couple of lines.
There have of course been many more Combat Patrol sets released over the years. There is support on the way for these too, though for this launch, the app will initially focus on supporting the core Combat Patrol offer. You can also look forward to brand-new Combat Patrols arriving alongside Codexes and releases across the course of the edition, and these will likewise be supported in the app.
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I’m really pleased to hear this as I admit to being a little put out when I discovered my old Aeldari Combat Patrol was no longer supported. I plan on getting the new one at some point just because it’s a convenient way to add those models to my force, but I’m very happy my Farseer and all his windriders will be able to rejoin the fray in this format. It’s great to hear more Combat Patrols are coming in future supplements, and while it’s not the most exciting format for veteran players, it’s always nice to have an option for quick games or small-scale events.
What do you want to see out of the Combat Patrol format?
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Simon Berman has been a wargamer since 1993 and has worked in the tabletop games industry since 2008 as a staff writer for the first three editions of WARMACHINE and HORDES. These days he’s the General President of the Brush Wielders Union, a worldwide organization of miniatures painters of all skill levels, a freelance games writer who has contributed to a number of roleplaying games like Eclipse Phase, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, and The Hammer and the Stake. He runs his own small-press publishing company, Strix Publishing, and paints more miniatures than he can keep track of. Simon lives with his wife in Tacoma, Washington along with a number of cats and a pack of savage wiener dogs.
Source: Bell of Lost Souls
