Codex: Armageddon ReviewCodex: Armageddon is an excellent addition to any 40k player's collection of codices. With rules for not one, but four armies, and background information on one of the largest campaigns in the 40k universe, it is a must-have. It is more of a 32-page supplement for 40k than an army list book. The front cover of the codex has a stunning picture of Ghazghkull towering over Commissar Yarrick, ready to strike him down with his power claw. The Ork battlelines can be seen in the background. The three sections of the codex are History, the Colour Pages, and the Army Lists.
HISTORYThe history of Armageddon is detailed in four phases. It covers the time between the end of the last war for Armageddon right up to the siege of Infernus Hive. The history describes in rather good detail the first fleet engagements, the "battle" (or, rather, lack thereof) at St. Jowen's Dock, the aerial engagements between the Orks and the Imperials, and Ghazghkull's grand strategies as he lands Roks on Armageddon as small fortresses with teleportation devices, and mounts assaults from under the water on Tempestora. The capture of Acheron Hive by Herman von Strab's forces is also described, as is the destruction of Hades Hive from orbit when a group of asteroids was dropped on it. All in all, the history is a rather good read by itself, and almost worth the cost of the codex alone! It will provide some excellent ideas for scenarios for some players, give interesting look into Ork and Imperial tactics for others, and provide a great backdrop for short stories for yet others!
COLOUR SECTIONThe colour section of the codex is wonderful. Covering all four armies in the Armageddon3 campaign, you get to see images of the Ork Speed Freaks, Black Templars, Salamanders, and the Steel Legion. One of the most awesome figures included among the photographs is Ghazghkull, who towers almost as large as a Space Marine Dreadnought. All of the new figures for the different armies are showcased, and some wonderful conversions can be seen on the Speed Freaks vehicles (especially all of those Grot Riggers!).
ARMY LISTSI won't go into detail of rules in this section, but I'll try to give a general feel for the new rules. Ork Speed Freaks The Ork Speed Freaks army is nothing like the Appendix offered in the rulebook! Instead, new units litter the army list in eveyr section except Troops and Elites! The Ork Speed Freaks army now has Nobz Bikes (HQ), Deth Koptas (Fast Attack), Warbike Outriders (FA), Fighta-Bomba Raids (FA), and Guntrukks (Heavy Support). The army can take as many Battlewagons as you have Heavy Support choices in a mission, but there's a big reason for this - you need them to transport your elite units! The Ork Speed Freaks special rules cover the way this army works wonderfully. Some people will complain about some of their special rules, such as automatic rallying, but any strengths evident in the special rules can quickly be turned into weaknesses. For example, while Ork Speed Freaks automatically rally once they have fallen back enough toward an empty vehicle to mount up, they are automatically destroyed if there is no vehicle with free space to mount on - meaning a Speed Freaks army will quickly fall apart if their transport vehicles are destroyed! The Ork Speed Freaks vehicle upgrades compliment the army perfectly. All vehicles must take Grot Riggers, which helps to keep them from being immobilized. There are a couple of pieces of wargear that help get around the vulnerability of being open-topped, something that all Speed Freak players will rejoice at - especially with the open-topped Battlewagons! Black Templars The Black Templars are basically knights wearing Space Marine armour. The comparison may seem strange at first, but not when you consider their army composition and special rules. The Black Templars are limited in some of their unit choices. The most apparent limitations are the loss of Scouts Devastators. Instead of Scouts, the Black Templars have Neophytes, which are novice Space Marines attached to the Black Templar squads. The awesome Land Raider Crusader somewhat makes up for the loss of a Devastator squad. With its rules and weapons, the Crusader can put out the firepower of a Tactical squad that is standing still, even while moving. It also has increased transport capability, something very useful, considering the 15-man squads you can create. The Black Templars have unlimited access to this tank, but all the other Marine armies can also have a single Crusader. The only other major change to the Black Templars is the mandatory Emperor's Champion. While he may seem like a killer special character, be wary of his special rules - even the Emperor's Champion cannot survive without a supporting unit. The Black Templar special rules also go a good ways toward complimenting their background. Black Templars advance toward the enemy rather than falling back if they fail a Morale test from shooting. They also must choose one vow before the battle starts, which can have many effects, such as giving all Black Templars a 6+ save (but allowing no cover saves for them), or giving them +1 to their to wound rolls (though their Initiative is reduced by -1). Salamanders The Salamanders army has no apparent strengths at first glance. But their ability to have multiple flamers and multi-meltas, as well as other equipment, can be a strength. The main changes to the normal Space Marine army list are the limitations on fast attack and a -1 Initiative imposed on all Salamanders. The Salamanders are basically a slow-moving army, but are nasty at close quarters. They have some new wargear designed to help them survive, and their special rules keep them around just a little longer, as well as allowing them to play an extra turn in a mission to scrape out a victory. The Salamanders units' options don't allow them to have many of the heavier weapons and limit the effective range of a Salamanders army quite a bit, but their changed options make them into rather nasty assault units. All in all, the Salamanders will appeal to those who like slow, hard armies who are good in an assault, but not those who like their fast units. Steel Legion Imperial Guard The Steel Legion are, for all intents and purposes, normal IG, whether you use them as codex IG, Deathworld troops, or Mechanised Infantry. The Mechanised Infantry are the most interesting variant. They are basically an infantry IG army, but all units must have a Chimera. New Chimera rules are included. Suffice it to say that the Chimera now has some new strengths and weaknesses. The new rules look good, and IMHO are a nice step toward new rules for other transports. The Steel Legion's only "new" unit is a Sentinel with a lascannon upgrade. Planetary Defense Force (PDF) The PDF army list is just the normal Codex: IG army list, with a few units removed. They do have a new unit, the Hive Gang Militia, which are cheap troops that can be taken in squads of up to 20. PDF vehicles that are open-topped must also purchase an armoured crew compartment. The PDF is basically designed as an infantry army with one tactic in mind - swamp the enemy! The PDF army list is not just for Armageddon PDF, you can use it for any PDF you choose.
CONCLUSIONThe codex finishes up with some nice touches. On the inside of the back cover is a map of the Armageddon sector as well as a force disposition chart. The outside back cover has a trooper from each of the four new armies, and the usual quotes and content descriptions. All in all, Codex: Armageddon should appeal to all players of Warhammer 40,000. And with the Armageddon3 campaign coming in August, it will be a much needed book. A fair warning to all, though. In order to use the army lists, you will need to own some of the other codices. In order, they are:
If you're interested in learning more about the Armageddon3 campaign, check out Games Workshop's official Armageddon3 site at http://www.armageddon3.com |