As I wrote in yesterday’s Astra Militarum article, we’ll be looking at regimental doctrines and various upgrades. While the reveals have focused on Cadia, this articles looks at the many worlds and regiments of the Imperium and how they’re reflected on the tabletop.
Regimental Doctrines
The Codex contains 15 doctrines. You’ll choose two to represent your force. You can combine a pair of traditional doctrines together to create a canon army. However, you can also take a divergent pair to represent a blended unit or whole new world. I’ve been told a few of the doctrines cost two slots, so there are only 93 differetn combinations instead of 225. Here’s the previews!
The first three doctrines explicitly draw from historic Imperial Guard regiments. However, they are not solely linked to them. You could even make a “Mordian” force that didn’t have Parade Drill to represent a force fielded for a very long time….
Now, certain doctrines provide keywords to units. They further unlock Stratagems that mirror their fighting styles. See the following for Veteran Guerillas (or any old Catachan) and Grim Demeanour.
Finally for Tuesday, Regimental Tactics encourage an Astra Militarum pure force by greatly expanding the effectiveness of your orders. Of cource, Agent of the Imperium and Unaligned models don’t disrupt Regimental Tactics.
Upgrade the Astra Militarum
Now, Wednesday’s preview looks at specific regiments, characters, and one BIG rocket artillery piece. We start with the Death Corps of Krieg and Catachan Jungle Fighter.
For the Death Korps the ability to ignore wound rolls of 1-2 undermines high Strength weapons and always wounds on 2+ traits. Now, it doesn’t effect much, but every Death Korps troop that lives through a Strength 10 attack is another victory for the Emperor! And let’s you hold an important objective that much longer.
The Catachans score additional hits in melee with each 6. While you don’t want guardsmen in melee, if Catachans keep Strength 4, they’ll make effective counter attackers. On the other hand, take a whole force and make your opponent pay dearly for their melee wins.
Characters get to do their own thing as well.
Sly Marbo lives up to his reputation. Whether opening up with his Ripper pistol or closing with an Envenomed Blade, he’ll make mincemeat out of opponents dealing Damage 2 per hit and scoring mortal wounds on a 6.
The Commissar has learned leadership takes more than a bolt shell to the back of the head. They get a effective pair of Prefectus Orders and may take advantage of the Regimental Tactics rule above. Forwards, For The Emperor! pairs well with any infantry unit and hopefully counts for Parade Drill. More situational is Get Back In The Fight! Unless things have gone horribly wrong, you shouldn’t need to use it on multiple units.
Finally, the changes to the Deathstrike may actually make it usable! You’ll place a Deathstrike marker on the battlefield and launch on the next turn. While your opponent has the opportunity to evade the strike, you do not have to launch. Instead you can move the marker. In addition to the lethal Godspear Warhead below, you may choose from a wide radius plasma strike or persistent gravitational effect. We’ll know all the details in a few short weeks.
Thus end our previews of Regiments, upgrades, and other goodies from Codex: Astra Militarum. Games Workshop and your favorite local stores will have the Army Box up for preorder this weekend. I hope to see a separate Codex release in December, but won’t know till much later.
Pictures and previews originally posted on Warhammer Community.
