As a hardcore Warhammer 40k player since the 3rd edition, I‘ve seen my share of rule changes. But in my opinion the 10th edition overhaul of terrain rules marks one of the most impactful shifts to gameplay dynamics in years. No longer can terrain be an afterthought – it may now decide the fate of your entire force.
A New Layer of Complexity for Line of Sight
Previously line of sight was binary – you either saw the enemy or you didn‘t. But no longer:
Ruined city terrain creates complex line of sight scenarios
- Partial visibility enables partial firing – If you can only draw line of sight to part of an enemy model, you can now shoot with penalties. Visualizing this is key.
- Seeing does not mean being seen – A model may be able to draw line of sight out of a ruin, but others outside have their line of sight physically blocked, preventing shooting back.
- Model height matters more than ever – Taller units have an inherent advantage in gaining sight lines, while troops huddled just out of view can appear suddenly.
I‘ll admit it – when I first played games with these new sight line rules, it required some real adjustment to my tactics. No longer could I shelter my Space Marines in buildings and rely on complete hard cover. And my sight lines for firing lanes became far more constrained and complex to calculate with partial visibility in effect.
The key is to study your model collection and note heights – a few millimeters difference dramatically impacts terrain interactions. Use taller models to scout or exploit firing holes. And leverage lower squad members that can hunker behind cover while being seen.
These rules add nuance but also opportunities. Our gaming group has put particular emphasis on ruins that enable multi-level sight lines for dynamic gameplay. I never would have imagined partial visibility could make battles with terrain more exciting, but it opens up new tactical dimensions. Just be ready to spend time analyzing sight lines from every vantage point!
Cover and Concealment: Pervasive but Nuanced
Perhaps the most dramatic rules change in 10th edition is that obscuring terrain means every model always benefits from some cover, however minor. This shifts deployment, movement, and targeting priority thinking.
Here‘s a look at how various battlefield elements interact:
| Terrain Type | Cover Ability | Other Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Ruins | Provide cover if inside terrain footprint, even without LOS block | Walls/floors can be moved through vertically by INFANTRY/BEASTS units |
| Craters | Obscuring provides innate light cover | Reduce charge move distance |
| Fuel Pipes | No cover, but extend Engagement Range behind them | Force spacing between units |
| Toxic Slime | Counts as dense terrain, heavily obscures | Limits charges, but enemies won‘t target 10-model units on it |
I‘ll be totally honest again – seeing my long range heavy artillery suddenly hitting on 5s or 6s because of light obscuring cover felt almost insulting the first time it happened. I had failed to position my Leman Russ battle tanks to avoid even a bit of intervening warped rubble.
But over successive games, I came to respect how the pervasive cover added more tactical decisions around target priority and maneuvering for firing lanes. No longer can you blast away at enemies hiding in structures with no consequences – you have to advance troops under covering fire to clear strongholds.
And even flimsy barricades or heaps of scrap can offer an infantry squad survivability if used wisely. It may seem frustrating not being able to unleash the full force of your army‘s firepower right away. But clever commanders protect key assets while trying to gain visibility and angles on priority threats. Playing the long game pays off!
Tactical Terrain Uses for Specific Units
Beyond just providing cover, intelligent interaction with specific terrain features can enable potent tactical advantages. Here‘s how to leverage them with different 40k units:
Infantry
- Use craters, rubble, and ruins for obscuring cover when securing objectives
- Trace movement vertically through multi-level ruins to appear suddenly
Infantry can navigate through ruins floors
Vehicles
- Hide hull down just behind crest of craters for +1 save
- Park on edges of toxic slime to prevent being targeted
Monsters
- Loom over fuel pipes to enable falling back by extending engagement range
- Flank around dense mysterious groves to charge suddenly
Heavy Weapons Teams
- Set up firing lanes from upper levels of ruins
- Nestle in obscuring barricades for survivability buff
The key is reading the battlefield and asking – how can my units leverage these terrain features? Don‘t just hunker down blindly. Be intentional with your tactical battlefield choreography. Mastering this can enable breaking deadlocks and swinging momentum.
Adapting Deployment and Movement Philosophy
Between increased cover, more terrain interactions, and elevated positions, getting a tactical advantage requires adapting deployment and movement.
Concentrating your whole army in a "castle" formation may maximize firepower, but it cedes the initiative and ground control. Savvy opponents will exploit obscurement and ruined terrain to close distance and grab objectives.
Here are some key lessons I‘ve had to learn:
- Deploy spread out – Distribute forces to deny easily bombardable targets and enable crosses fire across firing lanes
- Prioritize early mobility – Seek to grab advantageous terrain pieces to force enemies out of position
- Utilize verticality – Exploit multi-level ruins with infantry or fast attack to surprise enemies
I used to obsession over the perfect positional deployment, arraying tanks and troops just so to maximize fields of fire after seizing first turn. But with expanded rules for terrain exploitation, battles now go back and forth rather than seeing a first turn massacre.
If anything, early movement has become even MORE critical – using redeploy Stratagems if needed to adapt. This allows leveraging obscuring traits or elevated positions before the enemy can react. I cannot count how many times an opponent has curses seeing a squad of infiltrators suddenly appear behind their lines at a critical moment after advancing through terrain I had mapped out the previous turn!
Conclusion
As a devoted apostle of the Emperor‘s divine rule, I‘ll admit questioning the doctrinal validity of 10th edition Warhammer 40k rules at first. Terrain bestowing cover universally seemed almost heretical, limiting purification through righteous firepower!
But seeing firsthand how the new terrain rules reward dynamic strategy, I‘m convinced they offer a greater test of a commander‘s prowess. No longer can battles be won through static gunline supremacy alone. You must maneuver your forces decisively to control engagement ranges and visibility.
Mastering these new rules offers a path to glory worth pursuing diligently! So study your codex tactics carefully and train hard against these terrain challenges. Seize the advantage that obscuring cover and ruins provide, leverage them to annihilate the unenlightened foes of the Imperium. The Emperor protects!