The latest Chapter Approved is an absolute powerhouse – a mix of strategic innovation and flexible mission design that breathes fresh life into every tabletop battle.
Whether you’re fighting it out in a garage league or leading your faction to glory at a major event, this new update brings variety, tension, and opportunity to every phase of the game.
To help navigate this new battlefield landscape, Games Workshop has released a fully updated Tournament Companion – the go-to resource for organisers and players alike who want to run events that are both exciting and fair. It’s not just a rule reference – it’s a carefully crafted toolkit designed to keep games balanced, expectations aligned, and matchups fresh and diverse throughout the competitive season.
New Missions, Refined Terrain, and Tournament-Ready Tools
At the heart of the update are 20 refined mission combinations that integrate the newly tuned primary objectives from Chapter Approved. These combinations have been rigorously playtested for pickup games, RTTs, and major GTs alike, giving players and TOs a confident foundation to build on.
The Challenge system – a clever comeback mechanic that gives players who fall behind a shot at redemption through bonus objectives or useful stratagems – is officially recommended for tournament play. On the other hand, the chaotic Twists and bold Asymmetric War missions, while fun for narrative or casual formats, are excluded from the competitive recommendation to preserve balance and reduce variance.
Additionally, Terrain Layouts 7 and 8 have been revised to reflect lessons learned from the past season. Whether you’re hosting a 12-table local event or building terrain packs for a grand tournament, this update gives you the layouts you need to keep engagements meaningful and cover usage consistent.
A Quick Note on No Prisoners
One notable competitive adjustment is the change to the No Prisoners Secondary Mission. For tournament settings, it is no longer available as a Fixed Secondary. The reason is simple – pairing No Prisoners with other Fixed choices like Cull the Hordes or Bring It Down round after round created a tough environment for horde and vehicle-heavy armies, narrowing the viable field. This subtle but important tweak ensures that Tactical and Fixed choices remain balanced and relevant across different factions and playstyles.
Ready to Run or Play? Here’s How to Prepare
The Tournament Companion will be available for free download from the Warhammer Community website the same day Chapter Approved 2025-26 goes live – Saturday, June 7th. Whether you save it to your phone, print and laminate it, or slide it into your army binder, it’s your best bet for navigating the new event meta with confidence.
So grab your tape measures, rally your clubmates, and prepare for the most dynamic season of competitive 40K yet. Between the mission updates, terrain tweaks, and challenge mechanics, there’s never been a better time to step onto the battlefield and write your name into the annals of the Long War.
We’ll see you in the tournament hall.
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