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Long time player, getting back into the game after 7 years:

I like that the "Core" Rules are available for free PDF download, and for any games just for funnies with my friends, we can easily brush off our old dusty outdated codex with out too much conversion troubles...

Having said that, I am looking into the new codex and I am just a little confused how things work these days.
Here is what I do know:

I can get the 15 page PDF book: ( https://www.games-workshop.com/en-EU/Battle-Primer-2017-ENG )
I can also buy the bigger 280 page hard back rule book for more advanced rules,
FAQ too boot
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/07/23/updated-faqs-and-boots-on-the-groundgw-homepage-post-2/

And then I get the Index Cards???? As well as a Codex?


I see the Index Xenos 2 for example
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-EU/Index-xenos-vol-2-eng-2017
And it lists the Ork, T’au Empire, Tyranid and Genestealer Cults... So what if I do not want all the others, but just want one? And are there individual codex books in addition to the Index Xenos 1 or 2?

I did find this comprehensive list, but I wanted to bring it up here in discussion in case other noobs or returning veterans are questioning what to buy such as myself:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_(Warhammer_40,000)

8th edition killed off all the old codexes. Right now there are only the 5 indexes and the SM Codex. To play "proper" 40k, with battleforged matched play armies, you need the full rulebook plus the index for whatever army you own.

The indexes are literally temporary rules until the codexes come out, but they have promised to do at least 3 codexes a month until the end of the year but we only know the first 4 codexes, all marine flavours, so it's up to you if you want to get the index for your xenos army or wait a while/borrow someone elses.

I don't know how you're using old codexes, so much has changed between the 3rd to 7th style system and 8th that it invalidated all the old codexes pretty comprehensively.

The indexes are get us by lists, there so everybody can get going straightaway whilst waiting for the codexes to come out. It's worth getting the indexes though, for Xenos players it could be a while before any of our codecies come out and the Space Marine codex has shown that certain options that don't have models wont be included but the FAQ has said you can still use the index entry.

My recommendation would be:

Index (25$), as the stats for everything have changed drastically and it's worth getting something that's half the price of a 7th ed codex for all your models. if you're lucky, you and your friend might be in the same book.

Open War Cards (15$?). This is a set of a dozen objectives, a bunch of random "battlefield conditions", a bunch of deployment maps, and if one army is bigger than the other, a bunch of advantages for the underdog to keep things balanced. They are, in my opinion, the best standard missions 40k has had since 3rd ed dropped.

It is true that 8 has changed so much, and the old books are as old as old can be.


But just between my friends and our beers, we can still use the old books for building armies, and use the 15 page 8th edition booklet for when to move, when to shooty, and when to stabby... nothing real fancy, just friends with beer

Grab the relevant index. You'll be way less frustrated. The game works very differently.

 Psyker_9er wrote:
It is true that 8 has changed so much, and the old books are as old as old can be.


But just between my friends and our beers, we can still use the old books for building armies, and use the 15 page 8th edition booklet for when to move, when to shooty, and when to stabby... nothing real fancy, just friends with beer

Not quite. This isn't like how 3rd or 4th or 5th or 6th or 7th kept the same basic rules and just shifted things around or added new stuff.

8th edition is an entirely new game system practically speaking. No more templates or blast markers, point costs are radically different from the consistent ones from before (Rhinos jumped from 35 pts to over 70), the old psychic powers are gone entirely and replaced by these new ones, and characters work completely differently from how they used to (more focused on buff Auras now).

Additionally, your old Codex will have vehicles and monstrous creatures with stats capped at 10 and various armor values. Those too are GONE. Your stats can exceed 10 now, wounds can be 28 or more, and all vehicles now use the same profile as everyone else (Rhino is Toughness 7 with 10 Wounds and a 3+ save). Since they reworked the Strength/Toughness/Shots Per Gun tables it's also important to use the new updated values on weapons or monster stats to ensure that blob of cultists doesn't easily wreck your entire field (they can kill Land Raiders now). You really can't play this edition with those old books.

Yeah, echoing above - whilst SOME stats remain the same, or roughly so, some are simply flat out gone, new ones replacing them, etc etc.

Ignores Cover no longer exists really, Blasts of all kinds are gone, Vehicles rules are more like Monstrous Creature ones, there's no more Independant Characters (or unit joining is not a thing), the psychic powers were overhauled, Instant Death is gone, Mortal Wounds are a thing, Initiative is gone, Movement is a stat on it's own, Deep Strike is changed, many models now have more Wounds than they ever did before (Terminators having 2, Captains having 6 or 7, lesser heroes having 4 or 5), Salvo weapons no longer existing, Relentless and Slow and Purposeful going away, alongside other entire changes.

It's not really possible to use an old Codex any more.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
It's not really possible to use an old Codex any more.

Which I think was the plan all along with GW's new trademark movement. New game, new terms, new models, new rules, everything IP protected. Invalidate the old game and force people to buy their brand new game that is illegal to copy in any way.

Assuming that you already have the models that you need,
I would buy nothing.

Get the free rules.
Use your own terrain/cover rules however you like.
Get your index.
Call it a day until a new codex comes out.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Arkaine wrote:

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
It's not really possible to use an old Codex any more.

Which I think was the plan all along with GW's new trademark movement. New game, new terms, new models, new rules, everything IP protected. Invalidate the old game and force people to buy their brand new game that is illegal to copy in any way.

The law is the hand of the tyrant and the heart of the king.

Best thing to do is play your old edition for now. And let 8th mature a little bit.

Rules are changing via multiple faqs very fast.

Core mechanics and unit point values are being changed in every faq.

The indexes are quickly going to be worthless and replaced by $50 codecies.

I think the space marine index was only valid for 30 days or so. That has to be a new record!

I disagree with the above, I would just jump right into 8th. The core rules are very simple and it will put you in a better position to start list building & playing again. Most codexes won't be out for a while, so unless you're SM's just get the index and download the core rules -that's all you need.
I saw a list of the next codexes to come out, I think they are AM, SOB, Chaos and .. can't remember, but that info is out there if you just want to wait.

Awesome, thank you every one, I think I will try to recap:


Free Rules + Army Index = Good to Go With Beer Time

Of course we need Core Rules, and the hard back book would be worth it to buy for a more expansive gaming experience, but the Index Cards are a must. Things may change with a Codex later, but at least friends can fall back on the Basic Core Rules and Basic Index cards to get a quick game going in a pinch. Any Old Codex is out the door because monsters are more monstrous now.


For serious games: Hardback Rule Book + printed FAQ + printed Rules Errata + printed Designer Commentary to be safe + Index Cards / Codex as Released = Ready for Tournament

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/07/23/updated-faqs-and-boots-on-the-groundgw-homepage-post-2/ (FAQ)
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-EU/Rules-Errata?_requestid=12356139#40k-errata (Errata)