Big changes are coming to Matched Play in Warhammer 40,000 with the announcement of the Chapter Approved 2025–26: Mission Deck. Whether you’re a competitive player, a casual tactician, or just looking for variety in your games, this new update offers a whole new level of flexibility and strategic depth.
Mission Parameters: Choose Your Game Format
The Mission Deck introduces a new Mission Parameters step at the start of setup, letting players pick between three formats:
- Incursion (1,000 points): Includes revised unit restrictions and tailored deployments to balance smaller games.
- Strike Force (2,000 points): The standard format many players already know.
- Asymmetric War: A brand-new mode with uneven deployment zones and different primary objectives for each side, making for unique and challenging matchups.
Each format has its own tailored card sets for crafting your mission.
Challenger Cards: A Comeback Mechanic
Replacing the previous Secret Missions, the new Challenger Cards offer a clever comeback option. If you’re 6 or more Victory Points behind at the start of a Battle Round, you get access to:
- A free Stratagem with a powerful effect.
- A unique Challenger Mission—a bonus objective to help close the VP gap.
You can only choose one per round, so tactical decision-making is key.
Extras and Tournament Play
The Mission Deck includes punch-out objective markers, but for players looking to upgrade, there’ll also be full-size PET material objective markers sold separately.
A Tournament Pack will be released alongside the Mission Deck, outlining which components are recommended for official event play.
Stay Tuned for More
There’s more info on the way as we get closer to release, including in-depth breakdowns and previews. For now, head over to the Warhammer preview hub to see all the latest reveals and get ready for the next evolution in Matched Play.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
