The new Combat Patrol Companion is just what a new hobbyist needs.
The worlds of Warhammer are as vast as they are intriguing, and the hobby that drives it can be intimidating to the uninitiated. Over the years Games Workshop has produced countless introductory products and guides with varying degrees of success in making the hobby more accessible to new players. The most recent iteration of these is the new Combat Patrol Companion and I think it’s their most impressive introductory guide to date.
Combat Patrol, an Introductory Format
There was a lot of speculation this spring about just what Combat Patrol might look like in 11th edition. It’s analog in Age of Sigmar, Spearhead, has become an incredibly popular format for that game. Just as in Combat Patrol, Spearhead pits small, pre-constructed warbands against one another in a fast furious skirmish battles with bespoke missions, terrain, and rules. Spearhead is one of the best skirmish games that Games Workshop has ever produced, and is very popular with Age of Sigmar players new and old.
There was a lot of hope that Combat Patrol in the new edition of 40k would become something more similar to Spearhead. I admit I was a little dissapointed myself that this has turned out not to be the case. However, having dug into the Combat Patrol Companion, I now see what the intention behind this iteration of Combat Patrol is, and it’s simple: easing new players into the overwhelming world of the Warhammer 40,000 hobby.
Squarely Aimed at New Players
I played a game of Combat Patrol myself this past weekend as my first foray into 11th edition. I dusted off my Tyranids and faced my buddy Max and his Death Guard in a fast paced little match that I soundly lost in what was a great introduction to the new edition’s rules. Was it the immersive, tactical, and nail-biting fun of a round of Spearhead? No, not at all. But what it did provide was a great way to learn the new rules. Even as a longtime 40k player a new edition is a lot to take in and the small model and limited mission format of Combat Patrol was a perfect way to digest these changes.
I think new players are going to really benefit from this format and combined with the Combat Patrol Companion, it’s really going to ease them into the hobby. Combat Patrol is fun enough on its own and I can definitely see playing it from to time, especially if I’m dipping my toe into a new army but it is absolutely aimed at the new player now and that’s okay. Not every format of the game needs to be for every player. I am never going to play a 40k tournament again in my life, but I think it’s great that the competitive audience is supported through the Events Companion just as players with my own interests receive formats like Dominatus.
Format and Function
The new format of the core 40k rules works hand-in-hand with the Combat Patrol Companion to help make the feast that is Warhammer a little more digestible for the uninitiated. Where the Core Rules is now a slim, softcover volume the Combat Patrol Companion provides a starting point. A new hobbyist will find an overview of gameplay, tips on getting started, concise synopses of the top level 40k lore, and a look at every Combat Patrol for every faction currently in the game. These are all accompanied by tips and tricks on how to play them, and some suggested next steps in building out a Combat Patrol into a full 40k army.
This might seem a little underwhelming to seasoned vets but take a moment to consider what a convenient little package you can put together for a new player. Give them a copy of the Core Rules and Combat Patrol Companion and let them decide which of the Combat Patrols excite them the most. From there, it’s a single-purchase, army-in-a-box of their choice of Combat Patrol, and they’re on their way. Even as a seasoned player, it’s fun to flip through all the Combat Patrols and be inspired by the beautiful miniatures photography.
Reducing the psychological barriers around getting involved with the miniatures hobby is critical in ensuring the longterm health of the community. I really commend Games Workshop for what they’ve done with this book.
If you were starting a new army today, how would you do it?
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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
