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It has been 5 years since we got the last one (2009). I've been one of those sods who bought it couple months later along with a battleforce to start IG but didnt manage to get a single game off as I have other armies I played with and real life (uni) got in the way of dedicating too much time for the hobby - especially unboxing, assembling and painting so many guardsmen put me off compared to playing a game with my already painted other armies. So, it kinda is like a kick in the butt to see a new codex being released Especially since it's only been 5 years. This is the time it took for the Space Marines to get a new codex for empra's sake - and they are the most frequently updated army there is. I think we could have waited another year or two before getting the new IG dex, but with the whole updated release schedule yadda yadda thing, I guess you cant get in the way of progress...

Still I feel the current IG dex has aged extremely well (unlike the old Tau dex that already got several wargear items rendered completely useless when 40k transitioned from 4th to 5th, so the Tau had to endure an entire edition (4 years) with a meh dex). The IG made the transition just fine into 6th. As a shooty army, neither the power weapon nerf or the nerf to assault really fazed them, and all those guardsmen suddenly being able to overwatch before getting charged only bolstered IG gunlines. Okay, so mech guard did take a beating, but so did everyone else going mech. ...which I found a very boring way to play as IG in the first place. IG flyers got boosted to kingdom come, and ordnance LRBTs did get nerfed, but thats about it.

So do we really need a new codex? Especially one with such a stupid name?

The only things that need fixing in the Guard codex, IMO, are making Vendettas more costly (*ducks for cover*), beefing Ogryns from the waste of points they currently are to a solid defensive cc-unit that can help an IG gunline survive, making normal non-ratling IG snipers more useful (the current 3 sniper rifles in a squad makes no sense), reducing Stormtrooper cost to make them viable as well as the cost of most special characters (who nobody really takes now), and reducing the points cost of some of the less killy Leman Russ variants (like the Exterminator or Punisher) given that almost nobody takes them.

Apart from that, the only further additions I can think of are cosmetic in nature - icing on the cake: more orders for variety, space marine-like traits for the various famous IG regiments would be awesome as well, etc.

Thoughts?

It doesn't matter if we need a new one. This has been GW's marketing plan since forever. We will also get a lot of digital add-ons because the are a cash cow. GW doesn't give a damn about the health of the game, only their bottom line.

Does the army need it?

Yes.

Will the new codex actually address problem units and rules?

Almost certainly not.




Currently the IG book has a couple of absolutely stellar units (Vendettas), a couple good units (HQ Command Squads, Marbo, Vets, platoon blobs, Manticores, etc), a couple "ok" units (individual Infantry Squads, Griffons, Medusas, etc) , a large grip of units with critical unnecessary weaknesses and/or notable cost issues (Stormtroopers, Heavy Weapons Teams, many LR variants, Hellhound and variants, Sentinels, etc) and a whole lot of "unless you owned the codex and read it cover to cover you'd probably never know it existed because you'll never see it on a table" units (Penal Legion, Deathstrikes, Rough Riders, Armored Sentinels, etc). There's also just a general heavy reliance on light/medium armor and weeny infantry that doesn't work out well in an edition with core rules designed around punishing lots of light/medium armor and more cover save ignoring mechanics and infantry scrubbing than ever before. A lot of these issues should be rectified, however what we're likely to get is a reboot of largely the same with a couple extra random new units and perhaps some slight rejuggling of what got crippled and what's amazing.

Yes, imperial guard always need an update. The other races will make do

They are a lot of fun and im sure the guys that took part in the release enjoyed doing it. At the end of the day, its another codex down, and another one lined up. At this rate they will all be done very soon. So not a big deal either way.

Yes, because there's been quite a few design shifts in 6e codices that 5e books do not have. Faction specific psyker power tables, warlord traits, and relics being three of these. In order to remain in step with more recently updated armies, there would at least be a need for these three.

In addition some units are either over or under efficient due to them being priced as per 5e expectations and rules that have changed entirely with the new edition. The Vendetta being an example of something that went from simply just very efficient to one of the most rightfully griped about units in the game. Rough riders being an example of an already questionable unit being made nearly useless because of the changes 6e made to them.

And of course; GW is probably going to go through and see what units need a change to force you into buying something else.

 Kain wrote:
Faction specific psyker power tables

I very much doubt IG will get their own psychic powers, they'll use BRB powers just like Space Marines. We've already seen order cards, which will be their supplementary rules product instead.

I understand why you could feel that the Guard were fine and could wait, but I'm very supportive of the fact it looks like GW will get every army onto a current edition codex for the first time in ages. If that means some are more of a facelift than reconstructive surgery, so be it.

 Slaanesh-Devotee wrote:
I understand why you could feel that the Guard were fine and could wait, but I'm very supportive of the fact it looks like GW will get every army onto a current edition codex for the first time in ages. If that means some are more of a facelift than reconstructive surgery, so be it.

You sure? If the rumors are true and 7th edition releases this summer, there won't be much time for SW, BA, Orks, GK, Necrons and DE

If the rumors can't even agree on whether it's a hard edition reset (like AD&D-AD&D 2e) or just a simple edition patch (3.0e D&D to 3.5e D&D) I'm somewhat dubious of 7e being on the horizon.

Usually as a new edition looms you see codices with units and rules that seem a bit out of place or perhaps seem like they had different rules in mind. The nobs being built to take advantage of 5e's wound allocation or the necron scythes for example.

So far, about the biggest deviation from the new books is that the current tyranid book disallows usage of BRB powers, removed all units that only had chapter approved models, and is entirely arbitrary with buffs and nerfs.

Also, there were a boat-load of rumors on 6e's rule shifts quite a bit in advance of the edition dropping. The power weapons change, challenges, random charge distances, overwatch, fliers, hull points, rulebook psychic powers, allies, smash and other monstrous creature changes, and FNP changes were all predicted in advance. I haven't really heard any consistent predictions on rules for "7e".

After the Tyranid codex I'm just worried about all the ways the new IG codex is going to kick me in the balls.

Guard need an update, but so did 'nids and their update really didn't help them at all, with many things getting worse.

IMO if I have literally never seen huge portions of your codex in any game (or in any batrep), that's a big problem. That's definitely the case with IG.

Also most especially with Orks. Does Kaptin Badrukk even exist? I don't even see him mentioned in comprehensive reviews.

IG needs the new dex very much so, and so do Orks.
Nuff said.

I remain convinced that the 5th Ed IG codex, from a gameplay standpoint, is possibly the best codex I've ever seen. There are so many ways to run the army, and nearly anything is possible. Want an armoured column with mobile and fast tanks everywhere? Done. Want Aircav? Done. Want an infantry horde with artillery and forward operatives? Done. It's one of the most versatile codices, beaten only (maybe) by the 6th Ed SM with its Chapter Tactics, and even then, only with the FW ones added in.

That said, new units, full colour artwork, and technical reworkings like Warlord Traits and cost tweaks are a) inevitable and b) can't be a bad thing, really.

Odd to take such a position on an army you don't play.

 Colpicklejar wrote:
IMO if I have literally never seen huge portions of your codex in any game (or in any batrep), that's a big problem. That's definitely the case with IG.

Also most especially with Orks. Does Kaptin Badrukk even exist? I don't even see him mentioned in comprehensive reviews.

Agreed,

I've never fielded Deathstrikes, Rough Riders, Ogryns, Penal Legions, Ratlings, SWS, PBS, Valkyries, Straken, Chenkov, Yarrick, Bastonne, Devil Dogs , Bane Wolves, or Stormies in any other role than deep striking suicide teams (and probably some other things that I've missed).

I understand that there are better and worse units in most codexes, but IG really has horrible internal balance right now IMO. There is always one thing that overshadows multiple others in one role in this dex, and honestly I'd be happy if they just made more things useful. My IG list basically starts as either CCS + 2 Vet Squads in Chimeras with Plas/Melta or CCS + 2 Platoons w/ Commissars and heavy weapons. It would be nice to mix it up a bit and still be able to play, but I don't have super high hopes.

IG do need a new codex, but I voted 'no' because the chances are good that the new dex will not address any of the real problems with the old dex and create new ones.

For example, it'll take a unit that needs help, like the armored sentinel and raise the cost or some other arbitrary nerf.

Then if we're lucky we'll get a data slate a few months later that will say "if you take 20 armored sentinels they get ____ special ability which will make them slightly better than "awful."

 Vaktathi wrote:

Spoiler:

Does the army need it?

Yes.

Will the new codex actually address problem units and rules?

Almost certainly not.




Currently the IG book has a couple of absolutely stellar units (Vendettas), a couple good units (HQ Command Squads, Marbo, Vets, platoon blobs, Manticores, etc), a couple "ok" units (individual Infantry Squads, Griffons, Medusas, etc) , a large grip of units with critical unnecessary weaknesses and/or notable cost issues (Stormtroopers, Heavy Weapons Teams, many LR variants, Hellhound and variants, Sentinels, etc) and a whole lot of "unless you owned the codex and read it cover to cover you'd probably never know it existed because you'll never see it on a table" units (Penal Legion, Deathstrikes, Rough Riders, Armored Sentinels, etc). There's also just a general heavy reliance on light/medium armor and weeny infantry that doesn't work out well in an edition with core rules designed around punishing lots of light/medium armor and more cover save ignoring mechanics and infantry scrubbing than ever before. A lot of these issues should be rectified, however what we're likely to get is a reboot of largely the same with a couple extra random new units and perhaps some slight rejuggling of what got crippled and what's amazing.

The IG codex has some serious internal balance issues, even if it has some strong units and builds. I think the new codex is needed to balance these out, since Vendettas need a points hike and units like Rough Riders, Penal Legion, Ogryns, Ratlings, and some of the lesser Leman Russ and artillery variants need some definite work.

Also I'd wait til the actual codex release before saying it won't fix anything. Yeah, the Tyranids codex was crap, but most codices this edition have been improvements on their predecessors.