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Every single faction in the game (excluding Forgeworld only) got an 8th edition dex. CSM got one.

When Shadowspear came out, they got an 8.5 dex- it wasn't great, but it did include the new datasheets for the stuff that came in the Shadowspear box.

Then Faith and Fury came out and gave bespoke traits and relics for each legion.

Then Charadon book two reprinted that content.

PenitentJake wrote:
Every single faction in the game (excluding Forgeworld only) got an 8th edition dex. CSM got one.

When Shadowspear came out, they got an 8.5 dex- it wasn't great, but it did include the new datasheets for the stuff that came in the Shadowspear box.

Then Faith and Fury came out and gave bespoke traits and relics for each legion.

Then Charadon book two reprinted that content.

If by 8.5 book you mean "the exact same 8.0 book with nearly all units unchanged, a couple of new units, but with warlord traits, legion rules and stratagems totally unchanged", you'd be correct. So really it was just a reprinted 8th ed book with a couple of new/mildly altered units.

Which is exactly what I said in my post, yes?

It really confused me when I saw they used the same damn artwork for those two releases as from the 6th ed.

Depends on what you count as faction
not everyone who had its own Codex prior 8th got onr

Khorne Daemonkin and Inquisition did not get one in 8th, Black Templars not their own or Supplement

Every army got a dex for 8th because the indexes were being replaced. Similarly, every army got a dex in 3rd as well.

Every edition that wasn't a reboot has seen itself pass out of history with some army books unreleased during it's lifetime.

PenitentJake wrote:
Which is exactly what I said in my post, yes?

Not really, the only faction with an 8.5 book were loyalist marines, it had a complete rewrite and was essentially a new edition of their codex (clumsy wording).

The chaos marine codex was a v2 at best, it received nowhere near the same attention or alteration that the marines saw, despite being the only other army to receive a 2nd print in 8th.

An altered codex yes, 8.5 no.

I give this edition about 18 months before GW moves on to the next edition.

I really doubt there will be much change worthy of note, though. Just more shuffling the power curve around to upset the status quo, and around 2 new models per faction - except for marines, of course.

When GW starts to see their number slipping on sales of Marines. Which is why they drop a new "Chapter" ever two or so months. FOTM is now Black Primaris, with "SPECIAL" flamers that are flat 2 damage and 15".

1 damage. It was changed within minutes.

I give pretty good odds that it will be D2 in the book and then be FAQed back to 1 a couple weeks later.

Previews generally seem to the carry mistakes that made it to the printed versions.

And then, a few months later, after its errata'd to D1, they'll put its points cost up because the person in charge of the points forgot about the errata.

 Nazrak wrote:
I'd be surprised to see them shift from the 3-year cycle that seems to have been in place since 7th (and duplicated in AoS), even though 9th basically missed a year due to the whole world being shut down. Would happily be proven wrong on this, though. In the meantime, I'm just sticking with the one Codex for now; no point forking out 20+ quid a time for something I'll barely use.

Personally, I think 9th edition will have a 4 year cycle thanks to COVID. Then we'll settle back into a 3 year cycle again.

Then again, I also do have the controversial idea they'll split regular marines into 2 codexes.

- Codex Space Marine: First-born
- Codex Space Marine: Primaris

With rules that allow the 2 to either be taken together in a single detachment, or separately in their own mono-detachments. They'll say it's to avoid codex creep, but really it'll just be greed.

Jarms48 wrote:


Then again, I also do have the controversial idea they'll split regular marines into 2 codexes.

- Codex Space Marine: First-born
- Codex Space Marine: Primaris

With rules that allow the 2 to either be taken together in a single detachment, or separately in their own mono-detachments. They'll say it's to avoid codex creep, but really it'll just be greed.

Controversial, perhaps. But it wouldn't surprise me.

Personally, when Primaris arrived on the scene, I figured GW was planting the seeds for space marine civil war 2.0. Not for a long while yet- they'll likely need to work together for a good long time to bring the Imperium Nihilis back into the fold. But who knows what will happen given another decade?

Jarms48 wrote:

 Nazrak wrote:
I'd be surprised to see them shift from the 3-year cycle that seems to have been in place since 7th (and duplicated in AoS), even though 9th basically missed a year due to the whole world being shut down. Would happily be proven wrong on this, though. In the meantime, I'm just sticking with the one Codex for now; no point forking out 20+ quid a time for something I'll barely use.

Personally, I think 9th edition will have a 4 year cycle thanks to COVID. Then we'll settle back into a 3 year cycle again.

Then again, I also do have the controversial idea they'll split regular marines into 2 codexes.

- Codex Space Marine: First-born
- Codex Space Marine: Primaris

With rules that allow the 2 to either be taken together in a single detachment, or separately in their own mono-detachments. They'll say it's to avoid codex creep, but really it'll just be greed.

Eh. More likely 10e will move the Firstborn to Legends only or to 30k only.

Jarms48 wrote:


Then again, I also do have the controversial idea they'll split regular marines into 2 codexes.

- Codex Space Marine: First-born
- Codex Space Marine: Primaris

With rules that allow the 2 to either be taken together in a single detachment, or separately in their own mono-detachments. They'll say it's to avoid codex creep, but really it'll just be greed.

I'd really like that to be honest. Now I can play my entire codex instead of ignoring half of it.

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
When GW starts to see their number slipping on sales of Marines. Which is why they drop a new "Chapter" ever two or so months. FOTM is now Black Primaris, with "SPECIAL" flamers that are flat 2 damage and 15".

I mean not to upset your complaint but black templars already have a supplement via free pdf, they also had bespoke rules via supplement in faith and fury in 8th and had a stand alone codex historically, they're hardly a "new 'chapter'".

The fact they delayed it until now is a blessing, it tops up their sales and figures with a minimal release and shaved 1 book and model wave off the marine deluge off the start of 9th.

I hope it lasts 4+ years. COVID denied a lot of people the chance to get value out of their rulebooks so I hope they get a bit of extra time. It should be longer than 3 years anyway, but especially in the current context.

Dudeface wrote:

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
When GW starts to see their number slipping on sales of Marines. Which is why they drop a new "Chapter" ever two or so months. FOTM is now Black Primaris, with "SPECIAL" flamers that are flat 2 damage and 15".

I mean not to upset your complaint but black templars already have a supplement via free pdf, they also had bespoke rules via supplement in faith and fury in 8th and had a stand alone codex historically, they're hardly a "new 'chapter'".

The fact they delayed it until now is a blessing, it tops up their sales and figures with a minimal release and shaved 1 book and model wave off the marine deluge off the start of 9th.

Pardon my phrasing, I meant new as in "Does not currently have a dex". Yes, you can PLAY BT, but they don't have a dex that leads to people buying new models, new combat patrol boxes, and lots of black paint for FOMO. There are several chapters that don't have Dexs yet, that will likely see the Dex-Combat patrol-special character release before 10th, or you are joking yourself.

Sometimes I think that GW should just do away with pretending there is freedom of choice. Leave the pick what ever you want for narrative or open. And for match play, just design pre build armies. And don't balance it about something abstract like points, because this clearly doesn't work for armies with so many points. But build armies play them against each other, and if they are more or less balanced they are what people should play. Give people 3-4 tiers of play ranging from 1v1 patrol to 2xbattalions vs 2xbattalions. Then design specific detachments with both limitations and special rules. So maybe this eldar army is build around just aspect warriors, but this means it has to take avatars, can't take no aspect warrior units, but in return the aspects do get some crazy rules, which aren't that crazy when they can't be mixed with other eldar stuff. But that would require like an edition of preping and then a full rules reset. So the chance of that happening is zero.

Karol wrote:
Sometimes I think that GW should just do away with pretending there is freedom of choice. Leave the pick what ever you want for narrative or open. And for match play, just design pre build armies. And don't balance it about something abstract like points, because this clearly doesn't work for armies with so many points. But build armies play them against each other, and if they are more or less balanced they are what people should play. Give people 3-4 tiers of play ranging from 1v1 patrol to 2xbattalions vs 2xbattalions. Then design specific detachments with both limitations and special rules. So maybe this eldar army is build around just aspect warriors, but this means it has to take avatars, can't take no aspect warrior units, but in return the aspects do get some crazy rules, which aren't that crazy when they can't be mixed with other eldar stuff. But that would require like an edition of preping and then a full rules reset. So the chance of that happening is zero.

That would require them to write a nuanced, skill based game with good decision space and meaningful choices to take advantage of the pre-set army lists though. GW aren't capable of that.

Preset army lists works in a small scale game like Killteam (even then the decision has a lot of detractors).
A 40k army has faaar too many moving parts to be doing that.

Jarms48 wrote:

 Nazrak wrote:
I'd be surprised to see them shift from the 3-year cycle that seems to have been in place since 7th (and duplicated in AoS), even though 9th basically missed a year due to the whole world being shut down. Would happily be proven wrong on this, though. In the meantime, I'm just sticking with the one Codex for now; no point forking out 20+ quid a time for something I'll barely use.

Personally, I think 9th edition will have a 4 year cycle thanks to COVID. Then we'll settle back into a 3 year cycle again.

Then again, I also do have the controversial idea they'll split regular marines into 2 codexes.

- Codex Space Marine: First-born
- Codex Space Marine: Primaris

With rules that allow the 2 to either be taken together in a single detachment, or separately in their own mono-detachments. They'll say it's to avoid codex creep, but really it'll just be greed.

'First-born' will eventually be relegated to Legends. The whole purpose of Legends was to facilitate the end-of-life of 'First-born' Space Marines. It will be a very sad day, but make no mistake, the day will come.

Karol wrote:
Sometimes I think that GW should just do away with pretending there is freedom of choice.

There is freedom of choice. Just because the area you play in is some kind of dystopian competitive nightmare where the default attitude towards other players is "I'll be a witch to everyone!" doesn't make that true of every group, or even the majority of groups.

yet all the armies I see posted, including ones on this forum , generally look like the ones being run here. I have yet to see a DE army with no raiders, succubi or witchs etc People also seem to be unhappy about the same stuff other armies run, that are run here.

Have yet to see someone post an army of scouts, footslogging harlis or something else that doesn't look like a meta list.

Karol wrote:
yet all the armies I see posted, including ones on this forum , generally look like the ones being run here. I have yet to see a DE army with no raiders, succubi or witchs etc People also seem to be unhappy about the same stuff other armies run, that are run here.

Have yet to see someone post an army of scouts, footslogging harlis or something else that doesn't look like a meta list.

Generally people running themed fun lists don’t post them here looking for feedback on how to make them more competitive.

 oni wrote:

'First-born' will eventually be relegated to Legends. The whole purpose of Legends was to facilitate the end-of-life of 'First-born' Space Marines. It will be a very sad day, but make no mistake, the day will come.

It might. I'd be a fool to deny the possibility.

But back in 8th, people swore it was going to happen in 9th. Not only did it not happen, old Marines got a second wound in 9th to put their viability on the table back in line with Primaris and just recently, they released Crowe, who I think is the first new Firstborn model we've seen (not enough of a Marine player to know if this is true).

Neither of these things fit the narrative that old Marines are on their way out.

Again, this isn't to say it won't happen eventually; anything is possible. But if it does happen, it's not likely soon.

PenitentJake wrote:

 oni wrote:

'First-born' will eventually be relegated to Legends. The whole purpose of Legends was to facilitate the end-of-life of 'First-born' Space Marines. It will be a very sad day, but make no mistake, the day will come.

It might. I'd be a fool to deny the possibility.

But back in 8th, people swore it was going to happen in 9th. Not only did it not happen, old Marines got a second wound in 9th to put their viability on the table back in line with Primaris and just recently, they released Crowe, who I think is the first new Firstborn model we've seen (not enough of a Marine player to know if this is true).

Neither of these things fit the narrative that old Marines are on their way out.

Again, this isn't to say it won't happen eventually; anything is possible. But if it does happen, it's not likely soon.

The safest bet on old marines has always been 10+ years out from the introduction of Primaris and no sooner. Even from a basic business stand point, it wouldn't make sense to do it any sooner than that. You don't kill the golden goose before you know if its replacement can stand on its own and become the new golden goose. It WILL 100% happen eventually. They just need to be sure the Primaris will hold up long term like the First Born did.

Far as how long 9th lasts - man IDK. I'm seeing record numbers of people stopping again. Not as bad as in 7th, but certainly more than at any other time I can remember outside of 7th. Something about this edition is just rubbing folks the wrong way. The local Warhammer store manager has said his Sigmar sales are on an up-swing, but 40k has been consistently DOWN for the first time in a while, and the LGS has said similar. Clearly this is anecdotal, but if other areas are experiencing similar, and as long as the pandemic doesn't prevent them, I could potentially see them cutting 9th short to jumpstart sales again.

3.5

 Da Boss wrote:
I hope it lasts 4+ years. COVID denied a lot of people the chance to get value out of their rulebooks so I hope they get a bit of extra time. It should be longer than 3 years anyway, but especially in the current context.

GW is driven by the money train, and despite people not supposedly getting play time, money has been rolling it at a record pace. I doubt COVID has even been a speed bump on their internal development schedule for when they plan to drop the next edition.