Warhammer 40k News Round-Up: June

Hello, my fellow Warhammer enthusiasts!

I’d like to welcome you to Zatu’s new monthly feature: 40k News Round-Up. Every month I’ll recap everything new from the last month of Warhammer Community and other 40k News Sources. From rewritten rules to brand new models, get the latest info on your favourite game system.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the Warhammer 40k News Round-Up for June.

Living Saints Join The Crusade

I’m sure everyone has heard of the Adeptus Sororitas by now. The legendary Sisters of Battle, martyrs of the Imperium who defend with divinity. Well, there’s exciting news for you Sororitas players in the form of Living Saints. No, not Celestine, we’ve had her for a while. Early in June, it was announced that you can declare one of your Sisters models as a Saint Potentia. This means that during the Crusade (because this rule is only available in Crusade format) they can attempt several trials in order to have it take its place as one of the Emperor’s most powerful servants. Not only does that model get bonuses for each trial they complete, but if all trials are completed, they become a Living Saint and gain powers no mortal could even dream of.

Now, you may be wondering “Joey, what happens if my Living Saint falls in combat?” My first answer would be “pfft, as if she’s gonna die”. To properly answer the question though, I can tell you that Living Saints give Martyr Points upon death. Every unit in your crusade army for the battle that the Saint Potentia or Living Saint died gains experience points equal to the number of Saintly rewards the model had. This is a long-winded way of saying that your models get buffed when your Saint dies. Even in death, they still serve!

Tanith First And Only

A release I was particularly excited for this month is the fabled Gaunt’s Ghosts. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing the whole regiment, but six of their finest heroes will do. The models alone make me want to spend my entire wage on as many boxes as possible, but the rules also entice me in and win them a surefire mention on the Warhammer 40k News Round-Up.

Based on the popular series of novels, Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts are brought to life on the field through their unique ruleset. Firstly, this unit can be set up anywhere on the field that is more than 9″ from enemy models and the enemy deployment zone. That’s quite a common ability though, so let’s look at their ability “Tanith Camo-Cloak”. The Camo-Cloak makes it so that this unit cannot be targeted by shooting from more than 18″ away. In addition to this insane bonus, they also have a -1 to hit when targeted, and get an additional cover save when in cover.

On top of the unit-wide abilities, each member has its own ability that either benefits them or the unit as a whole. If I listed out all six, I might be here a while, so if you want to see the data-sheets for each of the Ghosts, check out the official Warhammer Community article on them.

7″ Models?

Well, not exactly. McFarlane Toys have released their next wave of Warhammer 40k action figures, each standing 7″ tall. We saw some of these back in October, but we’ve been shown more. The five new figures we’re getting are an Ultramarines Assault Intercessor, a Blood Angels Hellblaster, a Blood Angels Lieutenant, a Battle Sister, and a Necron Warrior! While all of these come coloured, you can snag yourself an Artist’s Proof edition of the Sister and Hellblaster. These come in matte grey, perfect for painting with your Warhammer paints!

New Models

The last section of the new Warhammer 40k News Round-Up is for new models. In June, the new Adeptus Sororitas rules were accompanied by a new load of reinforcements, ready to enter the fray.

First up are the Paragon Warsuits, piloted by the best of the Sisters. Sent to fight where the fighting is thickest, these heavily armoured but surprisingly agile suits allow the user to face the strongest of opponents and emerge victorious. If you want a comparison, think of Space Marine Terminators.

Next is the Celestian Sacresant. Celestians are known for being bodyguards to Cannonesses, but some take on holy quests and venture the galaxy. However, these Celestian Sacresants are still honour-bound to their order. When called to battle, they take up power shields and heavy melee weaponry, fighting at the tip of the spear of battle.

Lastly is the Dogmata. This fearsome unit acts as a sort of Sororitas chaplain, bellowing hymns of battle and knocking the heads off of enemies with her Mace of the Righteous.