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Munitorium Field Manual for April 25, 2024

Alright! It's time for the next balance pass, and it looks like we're on schedule for quarterly points updates and 6 month dataslates. I'm still hoping we see a new mission pack this year too!

Balance in 40K right now is the best it's probably ever been. However that's cold comfort for some of the armies that are trailing, especially if you're facing off against the new hotness. In the video and article, GW acknowledged a few factions that are specifically being targeted.

Adeptus Mechanicus

Wildly considered the weakest army in the game right now, lowering the point costs any further isn't going to make AdMech players happy. The army is currently the most expensive army to play in the game, and points buffs will only make that worse. Still, they're apparently getting some. Hopefully they'll be carefully targeted, like on Cawl. But AdMech needs rules, not points. GW acknowledged this, but the faction might bet stuck waiting another 3 months.

Space Marines

GW has acknowledged they've written themselves into a corner here. If they buff the underperforming Space Marines, aren't they also buffing the overperforming Black Templars? This means buffs to Space Marines have to come with some buffs and nerfs to the other Chapters. Hopefully a lot for Deathwatch. They're in such a dire state they need their own batch of buffs.

Necrons

We all predicted Necrons would dominate, and they are. It's no surprise they got called out for nerfs. Sounds like at the very least C'tan are getting hit. I don't like the idea of nerfing units because of a good detachment. I'm hoping they'll just reign in the Hypercrypt later.

Orks, Custodes, and Tau

These books just came out but they're getting their true point costs in this MFM. Orks will probably need some nerfs, or they're just going to replace Necrons at the top. Custodes needs buffs, probably in both rules and points. I'm glad they pulled the 4+ FNP from the main detachment, 'cause otherwise you'd never play anything else. But unfortunately it appears to just be gone. In fact nearly all the tools Custodes had to feel and play as an elite army are gone. So while point changes will be nice, they're probably going to need more.

Tau are getting their book after this MFM, so they will be getting their points costs in a little later.

Tyranids

Although not mentioned, I can't help but touch on my faction. Many win rates have Tyranids sitting around 45-46%, just within GWs window of being okay. But as Art of War's Adam Camilleri recently discussed, Tyranids are not in a good spot. When you dig into their win rates you find a troubling trend.

Tyranids are doing fine on bottom tables and outside of competitive. This is good! This means the army has a low skill floor, and makes a good entry point into the game. This is especially important when you consider how popular the faction is and that it's one of the launch factions.

But as you go up deeper into events, Tyranids start to underperform hard. They have a very low skill ceiling. Their main tricks are all skill checks, so any skilled opponent isn't bothered by them. The end result is that Tyranids haven't claimed a single podium at a major event. Compare that to AdMech, with two podiums and a much smaller player base, and Tyranids start to look like they may be the true weakest faction in the game.

Let's hope they don't get overlooked . . .

Again, I'm going to do this more by vibe than specific changes, unless something really strikes me.

Adepta Sororitas

For a faction that is doing this well, this almost all looks like internal balance changes. Crusaders and Deathcult got a strange nerf to their 2 man units, making them completely inefficient now. But the big nerfs are to the Triumph of Saint Katherine and the Blade of Saint Elynor. This will probably steal one small unit from the average Sisters army.

Adeptus Custodes

Oh wow! That's just all good news. And boy do our Golden Gods and Goddesses need it right now! Unfortunately these green changes are from the Codex, not from the Index. Still there are buffs here. I just don't think it will be enough to stop them from plummeting into D-Tier again.

Adeptus Mechanicus

There are infantry buffs here that probably have AdMech players wincing, but a lot of these are targeted where they need to be. Cawl is down 30 pts. Kastelans are down 20. Destroyers, Dunecrawlers, and Disintegrators are all down 10. Now if we can get some rules changes . . .

Aeldari

The Galaxy's former rulers could still use some nerfs, but this still feels mostly like internal balance changes. The only serious nerf here is Fuegan. Also GW would like it if you didn't take Shadow Spectres.

Warp Spiders still haven't gotten a real nerf. I mean, come on!

Agents of the Imperium

The Callidus finally gets a nerf, and it's only 10 pts. Pretty sure that's still auto-include in most lists. Henchman are now 50 pts base and Kyria Draxus is up 10 as well. This is actually a pretty serious nerf to Custodes.

Astra Militarum

Guard needed more love than they got last time, and now they're getting it. While indirect has been further nerfed, and both Bullgryn and Kasrkin took a hit, Scions, Leman Russes, and Hellhounds all got buffs. This feel like a tad too much internal balance tweaking, but the Leman Russ buffs are going to help a lot.

Black Templars

GW says it's time to pay for those meltas! Also, Crusader Squads have taken another of those weird, minimum squad hits. Larger squads are probably still going to be really good. Sword Brethren finally took a nerf.

Blood Angels

Those are some big nerfs to Death Company and some big buffs to San Guard. Strangely Mephiston also got a buff. Don't threat over that buff to Death Company Intercessors, you're still paying the same cost overall with the nerfs to Priests and Lemartes.

Chaos Daemons

Okay! I've been trying to pay more attention to how Daemons are doing. And they seem to be in a pretty good place! There's probably some internal balance that can still be done, but I think it's fair that they saved their time and manpower for the factions that really need it.

Chaos Knights

This is a little bit surprising. Not only could the Traitor Households use a little love, but Wardog spam is still the only real way to play the faction. They really should have given the big knights a few buffs.

Chaos Space Marines

Last time CSM took the triple tap, and boy did it hurt them! Fortunately, GW is trying to give them a little love without rolling back any of the previous nerfs. There are a lot of buffs here, and some of them are pretty hefty. Hopefully this will help them a bit.

Dark Angels

The Dark Angels Codex was almost universally disappointing. But here are a few nice point bumps on some of their more popular units. Also, Lion El'Jonson went down a full 50 pts!

Death Guard

Another MFM, another quarter of Blighlord Terminators getting left behind. They could have used some targeted buffs, and that one has been needed for a bit now.

Deathwatch

Do you play Deathwatch? Well apparently GW doesn't think you do. The objectively worst faction in the game gets no buffs. They better get some rules changes soon.

Drukhari

Drukhari really benefited from their new detachment, but they could still use a little love. GW thinks they're best staying where they are for now. The pains of making that exactly 50% win rate.

Genestealer Cults

GSC is sitting at 49% though, so they get a few targeted buffs. It's almost all on vehicles, but the slight buff to Aberrants is nice. The vehicles honestly need a detachment to help them out though.

Grey Knights

The Knights from Titan are doing pretty well right now. So GW decided to see if they can fix a little internal balance. As usual, they're trying to make the core Space Marine infantry more appealing.

Imperial Knights

The Knight Households are doing just a little worse than their Traitor counterparts. But they'll find no love here. Maybe GW will finally fix bondsman abilities in the next Dataslate.

Leagues of Votann

Again, Votann needs units. But for now they have to settle on slightly cheaper infantry. Oh, I guess Uthar took a buff too, but he needs rules not points.

Necrons

There is green on this page. Why is there green on this page? Even outside of Hypercrypt, Necrons are still doing quite well. If Orks weren't waiting in the wings, I'd be really worried this was another situation where the internal balance changes leave the top faction exactly where they were.

All of the expected targets took massive nerfs, except for Wraiths. But they let us know that ahead of time. There are some serious buffs here though! Destroyers got some nice drops, as did the Catacomb Command Barge. Necrons are gonna be just fine.

Orks

Again, these colors are based on the Codex, not the previous MFM. Even still, this is nearly all good news for the Greenskins. Squighog Boyz took a really heavy hit. But a lot of stuff either stayed the same or actually went down. Boyz at 85 pts is good news for everyone looking forward to Green Tide. With Badrukk gone, the Flash Gitz need that buff! Orks are going to be in a good place.

Space Marines

They really just don't know what to do with the Angel of Death right now, do they? The Codex Chapters really need some love, and I just don't think this is it. This looks more like an internal balance pass than a buff to an ailing faction. The Terminators could definitely use the buff, but I think they could have left Eliminators and the Stormraven alone for now. I don't think this is going to do much to help the faction as a whole.

Space Wolves

Space Wolves were doing fine. They were about as even keel as you could get. It's their detachment that needs love, not their points. I don't understand how you give them any buffs while ignoring Deathwatch.

T'au Empire

Again, we're getting points changes in their Codex and then in another MFM later. Nothing to report here for now.

Thousand Sons

What am I looking at here? They nerf a few enhancements but otherwise it's all buffs? I have a feeling they legitimately don't know what to do about KSons until they can do another Dataslate. It is true that they're running really tight on points with barely enough units to actually play the game. But that army just hurts people. I can't imagine giving them buffs right now.

Tyranids

Gargoyles are going up again. This probably still isn't to the point where you don't take them. But honestly, again, handing out nerfs to a bottom army always feels bad. Other than that, it's all good news. Maybe we might see the Swarmlord on the table again!

World Eaters

All good news here, and definitely needed. World Eaters got a double tap last time, so this is good. I don't know if this will put Berzerkers on the table, but it would be nice if it does.

Final Thoughts

I have a feeling GW is playing things a little bit cautiously. They've got new Codexes, coming in hot, one right after another, and with a meta this tight they're probably afraid of doing too much. Plus I think they need to figure out Space Marines more.

This feel very much like a band-aid to try and make things a little better before they deliver whatever rules they're working on. I feel like Necrons are going to be fine. They won't be on top anymore but they'll still be strong. Orks are coming in hot, ready to take their rightful place at the top of the pack. Sisters and KSons are also going to be in good shape. Custodes are going to be taking a nose dive, probably right back to the bottom rung.

The changes to AdMech and Tyranids are going to help, but they're not going to make us strong factions. I think CSM is in slightly betters shape, but they're not going to be anything like what they once were. Dark Angels will do a little better, while Black Templars will do a lot worse. Blood Angels and Space Wolves should be fine. I think everyone else is going to be staying roughly where they were.

And if you play Deathwatch, apparently GW would dearly like you to stop.

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