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Hate to be the bearer of another “returning player” post, but I can’t find anything definitively current through my searches, and it’s not like GW has the good grace to tell me what I need.

As I said, I’m a returning player and I haven’t played since fairly early 6e (I think). I did a bit of reading in threads and watched some 8th edition review videos and decided I was gonna come back and try IG this time, specifically Steel Legion & DKoK. I’ve always wanted to collect them and now GW is scaling back their ranges for whatever reason so I’m getting it before it’s gone.

Earlier today I popped down to the LHS and picked up the base Rulebook and “Index: Imperium 2,” plus “Imperial Armour: Forces of the Astra Militarum” on my phone. Problem is, looking through them I’m not seeing many of the rules that have been talked about in the the videos and forum posts I’ve been reading, especially the “Force doctrines” or whatever that gives you an army trait for Cadians, Steel Legion, Vostroyans, etc. That’s fine, I knew there were supplemental rules being released over time and figured they’d be on GW’s website. Only, now I see that there are codexes for my armies, (not DKoK of course) that they didn’t have at the store and that the core rules for 8e are apparently free, so I’ve just wasted about $90.00 on outdated or superfluous books. (IA appears to still be current anyways.)

I’m feeling a little burnt now, not helped by the fething despicable quality of the Index formatting, and I’d like to avoid further waste. So help me out, what all do I need to be current on the rules for IG and Space wolves? Just the codexes and the one(?) “Chapter Approved?”

You'll need the following:

1) Rulebook (though this is...of questionable import)
2) Codex: Astra Militarum (this contains your full army list and rules for Steel Legion, including your Regimental Traits, special regimental orders, warlord traits, relics, etc.) - this publication replaced the Index for the Astra Militarum.
3) Imperial Armour: Forces of the Astra Militarum (this is needed for your DKoK units)
4) Chapter Approved 2018 - this you don't need, but you'll need to check out for updated points costs.

5) (Optional) Vigilus Defiant Campaign book - this contains some optional rules for Imperial Guard

In addition to these you'll need the FAQ/Errata for each of them, available from Warhammer Community. Also, rules-wise, check out the "Big FAQ", released twice a year by GW. These are fundamental changes to the main rulebook as well.

The FAQ/Errata for 40K (basically download all that apply)
https://www.warhammer-community.com/faqs/

Note: Deathkorps of Krieg is a Forgeworld Regiment and thus does not have additional rules, stratagems, fancy stuff from the Codex: Imperial Guard (they can make use of basic Guard stratagems, etc. but have none that are special to Death Korps of Krieg)

As of yet, Forgeworld has not updated or elaborated on the Imperial Armour Indexes (the Indexes were a temporary holdover for codices later released). DKoK, thus, are stuck without some tricks.

PS: The very core rules are free, but the Rulebook does contain a bunch of additional rules, information, scenarios, the Maelstrom deck, etc. It contains a bunch of rules you will use in matched play (this also have been heavily FAQ'ed though)

Honestly, I'd avoid any FW book for now unless you have no choice.
If you can settle running your DK with the AM codex alone, do that.

FW is just non-functional for a while now. their indices are the poorest writing they have ever produced, and things they really don't get the needed FAQing, fixing and even the CA point changes that mention them don't do them justice. (let alone fixing the god-aweful rules many things have that render them outright useless)
And they released NOTHING rulewise for the entire 8th cycle. zero support for anything at all.

You will also need the guard index to have the full rules for your army since a number of unit and options didn't get put into the codex.

I'd argue you don't "need" the IG Index unless you have a load of Rough Riders - Guard lost a lot fewer models than any other army in the Index/Codex transition (you no longer get rules for units unless they have current selling miniatures/models).

The Imperial Armour Indexes are fine, but have not been supported like other 40K stuff. Their units, therefore tend to be rather expensive, but they obviously still have rules for loads of models not in the basic 40K codexes. They're not beautifully written, but they're miles better than Necromunda (so I can disagree with the poorest writing...seriously...Necromunda was written by children).

Disclaimer: Personal Suggestion Ahead


While it's very nice 8th is frequently updated, it makes it a general mess for new or returning players (as you can see). My personal suggestion/method is to create a cheat sheet for yourself with stats and information for all of the units in your army. Add the points costs to this sheet and keep it up to date yourself as GW released new stuff/changes. It's the only way I've been able to keep up with the change in rules, points costs, etc. It'll take a couple hours on Word or Excel, but the end result is hugely worthwhile.

Added to this list I'd recommend the following:
Datacards: Astra Militarum

This pack of cards contain copies of all the psychic powers, objectives, stratagems, & orders your Guard have access to in the codex. They aren't necessary, just really handy as they cut down on page flipping & dice rolls.
100% recommend them. Value wise you'll get more use out of these than that so-called "rule book" you bought.

Thanks much, everyone. You’ve made the sting of buying the first two books a little more bearable. I went out today and picked up a codex and “Chapter Approved.” Now I’m in for over $200.00 of books, and that’s without the rules for my Wolves, haha.

Especially a big thanks for linking the FAQ, Elbows.

Unfortunately the combined expletives of this Earth’s entire languages cannot adequately convey my loathing for these books awful formatting. These are by far the worst reference books of any kind that I have ever laid eyes upon. Writing stupid rules is one thing, but making me check four different pages in no less than three sections of the book just to get all the relevant data on a single unit is fething bonkers. Especially when 75% of the pages on units are only half used!

And yes, the FW book is hilariously bad even compared to the others. For instance, they have the rules for the old oop Lightning strike fighter, but not the rules for the oop Lightning interceptor or the currently produced and sold Voss pattern Lightning. Furthermore, depending on how you want to interpret the rules, the Hades breaching drill is either unable to be used by the DKoK or allows them to bring veterans even though veterans aren’t available as a unit in their regiment. It’s not like the model was made for them or anything, right?

On the topic of datacards, I would have been all for them in a previous edition, but with the abysmal quality of the books in 8ed I’m going to be transcribing everything important about my army into a notepad for referencing anyways, so they’d be superfluous.

NowhereMan wrote:
Thanks much, everyone. You’ve made the sting of buying the first two books a little more bearable. I went out today and picked up a codex and “Chapter Approved.” Now I’m in for over $200.00 of books, and that’s without the rules for my Wolves, haha.

Especially a big thanks for linking the FAQ, Elbows.

Unfortunately the combined expletives of this Earth’s entire languages cannot adequately convey my loathing for these books awful formatting. These are by far the worst reference books of any kind that I have ever laid eyes upon. Writing stupid rules is one thing, but making me check four different pages in no less than three sections of the book just to get all the relevant data on a single unit is fething bonkers. Especially when 75% of the pages on units are only half used!

And yes, the FW book is hilariously bad even compared to the others. For instance, they have the rules for the old oop Lightning strike fighter, but not the rules for the oop Lightning interceptor or the currently produced Voss pattern Lightning. Furthermore, depending on how you want to interpret the rules, the Hades breaching drill is either unable to be used by the DKoK or allows them to bring veterans even though veterans aren’t available as a unit in their regiment. It’s not like the model was made for them or anything, right?

On the topic of datacards, I would have been all for them in a previous edition, but with the abysmal quality of the books in 8ed I’m going to be transcribing everything important about my army into a notepad anyways, so they’d be superfluous.

Yup, just use Battlescribe and print your roster, it can have all your unit's rules right next to them for quick reference.

 Horst wrote:


Yup, just use Battlescribe and print your roster, it can have all your unit's rules right next to them for quick reference.

I’ll look into that, thanks.