The latest Balance Dataslate for Warhammer 40,000 has arrived, bringing with it a swathe of rule updates, point adjustments, and FAQ tweaks aimed at keeping the battlefield fresh and competitive.
From sweeping changes to core mechanics to subtle enhancements for underused units, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s dig into the major highlights from each faction — and why they matter.
Adepta Sororitas
Sisters of Battle fans have reason to celebrate. The Champions of Faith Detachment is now more flexible, opening up broader list-building options. A selection of lesser-seen units have received buffs to encourage their return to the tabletop, alongside some strategic points drops that should give Adepta Sororitas armies more teeth in Matched Play.
Adeptus Mechanicus
The ever-stoic Kastelan Robots now benefit from the army rule across any Detachment, significantly improving their synergy across lists. With this change, the Cohort Cybernetica Detachment rule has been retooled to better reflect this new level of integration, helping Mechanicus players create more cohesive and powerful forces.
Aeldari
The Devoted of Ynnead have been a bit too devoted to wiping out enemies with overwhelming damage. Their Lethal Intent ability has been narrowed to focus more on specific triggers, aiming to provide a more interactive and balanced play experience for both players. Expect a more tactical edge to Aeldari gameplay going forward.
Astra Militarum
The Guard have seen mostly points tweaks in this update, smoothing out internal balance. However, Lord Solar Leontus now brings something big to the battlefield — literally. He can now issue orders to Titanic units, giving super-heavy Astra Militarum armies a tactical boost.
Blood Angels
Death Company fans will find this update particularly exciting. Rules adjustments and points tweaks bring these frenzied warriors more into line with the faction’s unique identity. The Death Company Captain’s new rule interaction — where he disables his own aura when joined to a Death Company unit — may seem odd at first, but it ultimately encourages more thematic list-building.
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Daemon Princes now join their loyalist counterparts in gaining Lone Operative when near Infantry, making them much tougher to snipe. Meanwhile, the Lord Discordant and Vashtorr — two of the faction’s flashiest kits — have been reworked to better reflect their narrative dominance and battlefield prowess.
Dark Angels
The Lion has had some polish added to his datasheet, reaffirming his status as a formidable centrepiece. While specifics weren’t detailed, expect slight tweaks that improve his synergy and survivability on the table.
Drukhari
The Reaper’s Wager Detachment — which enables Harlequin allies — has been rebalanced to give both the “losers” and “winners” of the wager meaningful bonuses. This encourages a wider variety of list archetypes and adds a new layer of mind games to the Drukhari’s strategic toolkit.
Leagues of Votann
A small but welcome quality-of-life improvement: the Iron-master and Grimnyr attendants no longer take up transport space. This subtle change makes unit cohesion smoother and improves battlefield flexibility for these stoic warriors.
Orks
Da Orks get a speed boost! Speed Freeks benefit from widespread points drops, making your go-faster mobs more affordable. The Adrenaline Junkies Detachment rule now cranks up the momentum, letting Ork units thunder into combat with even more fury than before.
Space Marines
Specifically targeting Ultramarines, this update reins in the powerful combo of Roboute Guilliman and Marneus Calgar. Guilliman’s Supreme Strategist ability now works once per battle round (not turn), and Calgar must be your Warlord to use Master Tactician. These changes should tone down the CP-churning powerhouse lists we’ve seen dominate recent metas.
T’au Empire
T’au receive one of the most significant mechanical overhauls. The Observer system has been streamlined: now, any non-observer T’au unit firing at an observed enemy becomes guided. This makes the army rule easier to use, especially for newer players. Related datasheets and Detachment rules have been adjusted to match this core change.
Tyranids
In a parallel to Roboute Guilliman, Hive Tyrants now use their Will of the Hive Mind ability once per battle round. The Psychophage also gets a big boost — improved stats and updated abilities make it a much more compelling support choice for synapse-heavy builds.
These are just the big-ticket changes — there’s plenty more to discover in the full dataslate. Be sure to grab the latest version from the Warhammer Community downloads page, and keep your forces ready for battle with the most up-to-date rules at your side.
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