The new Imperial Knights Codex has been updated from Games Workshop today. It brings a decent amount of changes to a few different stratagems and tactics. While nothing SWEEPING, the changes will help the Knights sweep their enemies.
UPDATES & ERRATA
Page 64 – Household Traditions
Replace each instance of ‘Freeblade’ with ‘Freeblade unit’ and
each instance of ‘Freeblades’ with ‘Freeblade units’.
Household Traditions Change Explanation:
This is just a cleaning up of the verbiage in this section to make it clear. No real changes here.
Page 77 – Noble Combatants
Change this tradition to read:
‘Each time a model with this Martial Tradition fights, if all of its
attacks target one enemy unit and none of those attacks are made
using the Sweep profile of a melee weapon, after resolving all of
those attacks, it can make a number of additional attacks against
that enemy unit equal to the number of attacks that did not reach
the Inflict Damage step of the attack sequence during that fight
(these additional attacks cannot be made using the Sweep profile
of a melee weapon).’
Noble Combatants Change Explanation:
The big chainsaw swords that Knights to possess have two attack modes: Sweep and Strike. This new change allows the use of Strike for the Noble Combatants ability. Previously, you could use neither.
Why it matters:
The Strike profile is a high damaging and high AP attack at Strength 14. Being able to gain an additional attack from your failed rolls really increases the probability of inflicting more damage.
Page 84 – Exalted Court
Add the following to the second paragraph:
‘A model cannot have more than one Exalted Court upgrade.’
Exalted Court Changes Explanation:
As expected this change limits the amount of Exalted Court abilities in your army overall. Previously you could have up to 10 Exalted Court abilities. This wasn’t a common strategy, but it could have technically be done. Now, you can only have one.
Why it matters:
Now, you’re not able to stack all of those upgrades on one model. Previously, you were able to stack Monarch’s Ward and Gate Keeper which would have allowed you to make an extremely durable Questor Imperialus character.
We haven’t seen anyone who has stacked them, and this could have been a pretty tough character to beat, but it’s gone now.
Page 105 – Burdens, Mark of Dishonour
Change the last sentence to read:
‘This may mean that different Chivalric abilities are active for
models with this Burden than are active for other Imperial
Knights models in your army.
Burdens, Mark of Dishonour Changes Explanation:
The only change here is that the word ‘Tradition’ has been changed to ‘Burden’.
Why it matters:
Essentially, this change ensures that the player understands that this is a detriment to their forces and not a boon.
Page 111 – Dominus Battle Traits, Pillar of Honour
Change the last sentence to read:
‘This may mean that different Chivalric abilities are active for
models affected by this ability than are active for other Imperial
Knights models in your army.’
Dominus Battle Traits, Pillar of Honour Changes Explanation:
This crusade rule changes the word tradition to ability.
Why it matters:
This is another simple verbiage change for Crusade Play.
Page 126 – Knight Paladin, Reaper Chainsword
Change the Armour Penetration characteristic of the Sweep
profile of this weapon to ‘-3’
Knight Paladin, Reaper Chainsword Changes Explanation:
This change gives the Knight Paldin wielding a Reaper Chainsword a reason to use Sweep instead of Strike all the time.
Why it matters:
This increases the efficiency of the damage output by 16.5%. Additionally, this increases their amour penetration by a further -1. This will offset the benefit from Armour of Contempt. Which is a pretty big deal!
Page 132 – Weapon Profiles
Change the Range characteristic of the Thermal Cannon to ‘30″’
Weapon Profiles Changes explanation:
This is an interesting change. Dropping the range of the thermal cannon from 36″ to 30″ not only reduces it’s threat range, but also further reduces it’s bonus damage from half range targets.
Why it matters:
This means you have to be within 15″ to get the bonus damage instead of 18″ to get the bonus damage. Essentially, you’re going to have to move your Knights into much closer range.
