Codex: Space Marines – Weapons and Wargear Updates

The Warhammer-community team bring us an update on some of the common weapons in 9th ed 40k and how they’re changing!

The biggest and best-ever edition of Codex: Space Marines is on its way soon – you saw The Codex Show on Saturday, right? One of the biggest changes is that some of their most commonly used weapons are receiving upgraded profiles that are truly worthy of their potency in the lore.

However, it’s not just the Adeptus Astartes who will benefit from all of the shiny new rules found within the next codex. These changes will also be rolled out to all other factions that utilise the same wargear* – even xenos races such as the T’au Empire and Aeldari – at the same time the codex is launched!

Today, we’re showcasing a selection of these new weapon profiles, as well as highlighting some of the units that will likely benefit the most from the changes. Let’s take a look.

Flame Weapons

Flamers are ubiquitous weapons for many factions due to their simple construction and ease of use – after all, you literally can’t miss! With an increase to the maximum range, flamer-wielding units that can reach the heart of the battle, or arrive from Strategic Reserves, will have the ability to torch their enemies on the same turn they appear!

Winners:

Of course, flamers also serve as popular auxiliary attachments for combi-weapons, and they get a boost to their range too. Any unit that can field multiple combi-flamers will soon be able to make their fiery presence felt from a greater distance, even if they teleported or otherwise appeared directly into the fray. What’s more, it also conveniently matches the boltgun’s half-range for some additional rapid-fire death!

Winners:

Hand flamers may be smaller in design, but will still spew forth a wall of fire when the trigger is pulled! As such, even hand flamers will be receiving an improved range. We suspect that the subtle influence of a Genestealer Cult may have been involved, as hand flamer-toting squads of Acolytes will certainty be effective when emerging from Cult Ambush!

Winners:

Finally, the heavy flamer will also be launching its fiery payload further than ever before, making units that are armed with multiple such weapons more formidable (and perfect candidates for the Overwatch Stratagem). This also means that a Baal Predator’s heavy flamers and flamestorm cannon now share the same range for some red-hot barbecue action!

Winners:

Melta Weapons

Two tank-busting (or, more specifically, tank-melting) stalwarts of the Imperial arsenal are also due for a boost – this time in hitting power. First up is the multi-melta, which we previewed in The Codex Show. In addition to firing an additional shot (it does have two barrels, after all), the multi-melta’s modified ability makes for a more consistent damage output at close range – and it can even inflict up to 8 wounds!

Winners:

The new ability applies to combi-meltas, meltaguns, and inferno pistols too, so if your units favour bringing down monstrous beasts or armoured behemoths at close range, you’re in for a treat.

Winners:

Heavy Bolters

These weapons don’t mess around, as they fire fist-sized, high explosive, armour-piercing ammunition. The destructive power of these upscaled boltgun rounds is about to be fully represented with an improved Damage characteristic.

Winners:

Hunter-killer Missiles

These one-shot missile launchers are common upgrades on vehicles across the Imperium, from APCs to front-line battle tanks. Rather than matching the profile of a krak missile, like before, hunter-killers are getting a significant boost in Strength to help them truly live up to their name.

Winners:

Melee Weapons

The new Assault Intercessors datasheet introduced the notion of Astartes chainswords, which featured a beefed-up profile of AP -1. The oversized chainblades carried by the Adeptus Astartes are considerably larger, broader, and heavier than those designed to be wielded by a human, so it’s only right that they make more of a destructive impact. As such, all Adeptus Astartes and Heretic Astartes chainswords will benefit from the new profile accordingly.

Winners:

Thanks to the potent energy field running the length of their blades, power weapons are especially effective at cutting down armoured opponents. Yet they do more than shear through armour – they carve through muscle and bone with equal impunity! As such, power swords, power axes, and power mauls are receiving a Strength bonus to emphasise this devastating effect.

Winners:

Storm Shields

It’s an easy thing to die on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, so if you want to stay alive a little longer, bring a storm shield with you! Rather than a 3+ invulnerable save, all storm shields will instead offer a 4+ invulnerable save as well as a buff to the bearer’s armour. After all, it only makes sense that heavily armoured Terminators carrying storm shields should be all but impervious to incoming fire compared to their power-armoured battle-brothers. In fact, they’ll effectively start off with a 1+ save (though an unmodified roll of 1 always fails), so you’ll need to hit them with -2 AP to even make a difference!

Winners:

With so many weapons getting better, Codex: Space Marines is really going to change the game, whether you collect an army of Adeptus Astartes or not. As always, we’ll be revealing more over the coming days and weeks as we draw closer to the new book’s launch, so sign up to our newsletter to make sure you’re always up to speed with all the latest news. In the meantime, let us know which upgraded weapons you’re looking forward to using most on our Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page.

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* With updates to many more weapons due alongside future codexes for more exotic, army-specific wargear.