A review of the DA Official Update for 6th Edition version 1.0A
released 16 January 2013
19 January 2013 | 6th Edition
The 6th Edition Codex was barely 5 days old and an FAQ is released by Games Workshop. Released January 16th 2013 it is mainly a means of correcting cross-referencing rules and wargear discrepancies within the Codex's sections to ensure everything joins up. But there are other rule changes too.
All well and good as now this FAQ brings the printed Codex into line with the digital Codex that apparently had already fixed lot of these errors. But that isn't too say that other issues still remain that will require a further FAQ once the Codex shakes out a bit.
Down to small the print
There are 15 items in the Errata section, and 2 questions clarified in the FAQ section — one answer results in a new DA character.
I have classified these updates into four broad types:
Typo addition
a straight change or addition to the printed text.
RAW
where the rule was covered by RAW but was misleading or confusing or just needed reinforcing.
Clarification
where the rule was not covered specifically by RAW so required further explanation.
New Rule or an Amendment
where the FAQ has created something different to existing RAW, or something new entirely.
The Errata items
Techmarines/Techmarine
Amendment: Adds another weapon.
Comment: CSM Techies get a boltgun or a bolt pistol, DA get both?
Azrael Warlord Trait
Amendment: Azzy must now be in your primary detachment to be your compulsory Warlord.
Comment: So no putting him in an allied detachment and using his Warlord traits — as if you would. And now he can safely be an ally and not forced into being the Warlord should you not wish it.
Stasis Bomb weapon special rules
Typo addition: Tidies up a missing rule.
Comment: An important addition as without it the Stasis Bomb
would have been unusable in rules terms.
Plasma Talon
Typo additions: Error tidied up.
Comment: Might have caused difficulty if assuming plasma talon was rapid fire as other plasma guns are.
Displacer field, rules
Typo addition: Clearly stating what the bearer can't scatter within 1" of.
Comment: Might have caused issues if deciding what constituted a 'unit', but now cleared up.
Azrael, wargear
Typo addition: Error tidied up.
Comment: Nothing more to be said except why was the bolt pistol omitted from this section in the first place if it's already in his profile section on p53?
Belial, wargear
Typo addition: Error tidied up.
Comment: Belial's profile page lists him as having an Iron Halo that somehow didn't make it into his Army List entry.
Deathwing Command Squad, options
Amendment: Tidies up a loose end that might have been exploited.
Comment: The DW Champion with halberd looks good all round. But no using more than one in your multiple DW Command squads — if you run them — from now on.
Ravenwing Command Squad, options
Amendment: Error tidied up.
Comment: Needed sorting as there are no Relic Banners in the DA Codex to take!
Company Veteran Squad, wargear
Amendment: A good change.
Comment: No longer restricted to just three vets being allowed to upgrade their weapons.
Ravenwing Black Knight, options
Amendment: Restricting power weapon choice to just two options.
Comment: Power axes and lances are out of bounds now, just swords or mauls. Shame because he would have looked cool with a lance.
Ravenwing Darkshroud, special rules
Amendment: Error tidied up.
Comment: A Darkshroud confers Stealth on other units, it was never an ability it could use on itself.
Assault Squad, options
Amendment: Transport rule option tidied up.
Comment: The distinction between a dedicated and non-dedicated transport is important so this was a necessary revision.
Nephilim Jetfighter
Amendment: Redundant rule deleted.
Comment: Missile Lock only works with weapons that scattered and its Blackswords were not blast weapons so never scattered anyway.
Land Raiders (all), options
Amendment: Rule change. DW Vehicle now available to all Land Raiders whether dedicated transport or not.
Comment: For those who want to make their AV14 Heavy Support
vehicles virtually unstoppable— now you can.
The FAQ items
Just two items in here on this version
Combat knife
Amendment: So it's a close combat weapon.
Comment: Pity it isn't like the old Choppa of old.
Points cost for Seraphicus
Amendment: So the Dark Vengeance Interrogator-Chaplain comes to life with a points value at last to use in 40K games other than the DV scenarios.
Comment: Bit of a strange one: he's costed exactly the same as a standard DA Interrogator-Chaplain armed with a plasma pistol. That's fine as that's what he has. And Seraphicus is fielded using stats and rules as that of a DA Interrogator-Chaplain from the Codex, but, replaces Zealot with his own version of Litanies of Hate (for which you'd need his Dark Vengeance roster card incidentally). Unfortunately this is useless. As a DA Interrogator-Chaplain he'd get the Inner Circle special rule anyway that contains Preferred Enemy (Chaos). Preferred Enemy (Chaos) is exactly the same as Seraphicus' own Litanies. So essentially you are losing Zelaot for nothing. So why take Seraphicus at all — for his name?. Bit of a puzzler to be honest.
Summary
With the Codex not even a week old was an FAQ is required? Well yes it was frankly. I think GW needs to pay a bit more attention to its editing abilities. That said, many issues have been plugged so that is good. This update is merely a stop-gap to fix issues that were so I'm told, not in the digital Codex. I'm sure another fuller update will be along within 6 months.
