Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition)

After a long fallow period, and because certain friends would not stop reminding me about it, I dove back into Warhammer 40,000 with the tenth edition. Naturally, I did not pick a gentle return: Pariah Nexus, 2,000 points, Ynnari against Grey Knights, without having done even the most basic dusting-off. My necrophile elves took their slap, but the game was enough to show me what is going on here.

At its core, it remains a game of tactical decisions across the battlefield. I did not come in ready to read every new balance point from the first game, but that is exactly where the appeal lies: there are great moments, choices worth trying, and plenty to learn before you can see what really works for your army.

In my own battle, the interaction with the Grey Knights was not a theoretical exercise but an immediate test on the table, with Pariah Nexus and 2,000 points throwing me straight into the deep end. Tenth edition seems to demand repeats: bring armies back, experiment, and gradually discover where the new balances have shifted, rather than expect one game to explain everything.

I completely understand why several veteran players are put off: the fluff has been almost wiped out. At the same time, I understand why it has gathered such strong fresh blood. If I were not dying over a keyboard every day for basic goods—and Kickstarter projects, obviously—I would happily play two or three times a week. For now, after that first introductory slap, I am preparing for a second and to dust off the rest of my armies. 'Ere we go, 'ere we go.