Hello Warhammer 40k aficionados, SaltyJohn from TFG Radio and Pod Save the Imperium here to talk some Arks of Omen!
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So by now, I am sure we are all well versed in the changes to the next competitive season of 40k that the Arks of Omen book, new Balance Dataslate, and point adjustments are bringing.
Yes, Space Marines get a lot of free stuff. Except for you Space Wolf players… Anyway, while many people are excited about the potential of having a massive number of points shaved from their Space Marine lists there’s one army build that I think becomes exponentially better. Deathwing.
Deathwing, and lists including Ravenwing, had a few shining moments in 9th edition so far. Never quite claiming Major winner status but the lists were among the most solid Space Marine lists we saw in an edition that was not very Marine-friendly. Now, with the new changes for the Arks of Omen series, it is possible to see 50 Thunder Hammer and Stormshield Deathwing Terminators with 10 Cyclone Missile Launchers in a list. Because believe it or not, that only comes out to be 1650 points. With an obligatory Chief Deathwing Apothecary to bring back a few of the small number of DW you’ll lose a turn you’re up to 1770. Sprinkle in whatever Deathwing Character(s) you deem best and you have 150+ permanently transhuman, 2+4++, T4, Infantry wounds for your opponent to chew through. The Infantry keyword is key because they can benefit from cover and obscuring, making them even harder to shift.
The name of the game in 9th edition has been holding objectives. Whether it’s the Primary or Secondary points you are after it is more likely than not that you need to hold objectives to score high and win. This list, with 50 tough-to-shift, tough-to-kill, easy-to-hide, and easy-to-get cover saves models are bad enough, but when you add in that they’re Objective Secured too. That is bad news for anyone trying to deny you points or gain them for themselves. I know they are slow, but don’t forget you can not only deep strike these terminators, but you can also combat squad to cover more of the board faster by advancing. The list has a lot of options, if you don’t need big hard to kill bricks of 10 against an opponent you can combat squad them into 2 squads of 5, 2 missile launchers in one that hang back and lay down missile fire while the other 5 move, advance, and steal objectives away. There’s a lot of play in this kind of list and I am interested to see just how it plays out in the meta.
It is important to remember the new Arks of Omen detachment works in a very unique way, so while you could build an all-Deathwing army under the old list mustering rules, it is actually a lot easier with the new Arks of Omen detachment. You simply choose Elites for your Compulsory type!
With all the new possibilities from the Arks of Omen detachment, the Balance Dataslate changes, and the new Points Adjustments this feels less like a new season of 9th ed and more like an edition 9.5! It is an exciting time to be playing 40k and watching how the meta adjusts and what works out and what doesn’t will be a lot of fun.