Codex Supplements

Games Workshop have released what looks to me to be an experiment in Codex design; release a generic Codex that covers all bases and then release Legion/Craftworld/whatever supplements that contain specific and fluff-based rules to really theme a force and their acid test is the Iyanden supplement. From what I understand it basically contains a whole bunch of rules to make an Iyanden Eldar army perform much more like they'd be expected to based on their back story and (again I'm not 100% sure but this is what I understand) they alter the Force Organisation Chart or alter how the units fit into it or something like that.



If I've understood correctly then I'm actually a fan of the idea because there's so much potential here for new and interesting unit combinations. For example there could (finally) be Legion specific rules for the Chaos Space Marines!! Someone on the Faeit212 page commented with options for things such as Cult Terminators, extra sonic weaponry, Thousand Sons units and Word Bearers that can summon Daemons.While there is an obvious money making element of this for GW (£30 for a supplement may be a tad excessive though, I'm just saying) it also allows for far greater levels of army customisation and diversity especially when it comes to mixing and matching. From a Space Marines point of view (assuming that these are supplement armies and not codex armies of course) then you might be able to combine whatever their best shooting Legion is with their best assault units and be able to use the specific rules in tandem with each other. For Chaos Marines (and using the examples given above) you could have a Word Bearers HQ unit that just constantly brings in units of Daemons to support (maybe through Psychic powers and different levels of Daemon like Troops and HQ can be brought in by using more Warp Charges), a unit of sorcerers that maybe can utilise different disciplines within the unit (so one can use Pyromancy, one can use Biomancy... Like the Pre-Heresy TS cult system) and maybe even using the Brotherhood of Psykers special rule because I doubt very much that it was created specifically for the Pink Horrors. These units could be supported by extremely long range support from the sonic weaponry of the Emperors Children who themselves have a Death Eaters flesh wall for want of a better term. That doesn't even scratch the surface of what can be done with a pick and mix army and I really hope that that is how these supplements will work. Of course they're still cool if you can only field an army from the supplements but there are far more possibilities if there aren't any limits.

Now I'll admit here that when I first heard the idea of a Codex supplement I thought that it was simply a money making tactic whereby GW were just trying to screw us out of a bit more money but after thinking about the possibilities of this system and the potential depth that the rules can go into to translate the feel and character of each section of an army onto the table top I can see that this will actually be of benefit to the game itself, as well as being a really good way for GW to attack our wallets a little more. As a quick conclusion I don't think people should jump to criticise this new move and that we should wait and see how GW chooses to use this new system before deciding whether to love or hate it. I think I'll wait and see what the reaction to the new Supplement is before I pass judgement. Though what I can say is that I can see the huge potential for supplements and I hope that GW is able to live up to that potential. I have faith in them though.