Games Workshop dropped some surprise datasheets today when they released rules for using Vespid Stingwings and Tempestus Aquilons, the newest Kill Teams in their upcoming 2024 edition of the game, in Warhammer 40k. These datasheets include updated rules and points for both units. And as always, our competitive team are here to comment on these rules and their impact on the game.
If you’re looking for the datasheets, you can find them here.
Vespid Stingwings
The Vespid Stingwings is an updated version of the datasheet in Codex: T’au Empire, which primarily improves the old datasheet by adding new wargear and size options for the unit. They’ve retained the same statlines as before – T4, 4+ save, OC 1, 1 wound – and their ability to Deep Strike, as well as the Airborne Agility rule, though that rule has changed. Now it activates at the end of your opponent’s turn (rather than the end of your Movement phase), making it a bit more useful in terms of how it can be used.
While previous units were held to five models, the new unit can include up to 10, and taking the larger squad is what opens up all of the new wargear options. Models come with a neutron blaster, but if you take 10 models you can give the Strain Leader an Oversight Drone, and one model each can take a flamer, a neutron grenade launcher, and a rail rifle. The Oversight Drone gives you a once-per-game [IGNORES COVER] for a phase, the flamer is a flamer, and the grenade launcher and rail rifle give you heavier damage output to turn the unit into something a little more damaging.
A unit of 5 Stingwings will still set you back 65 points, while a 10-model unit costs 130.
TheChirurgeon: The big impact here is the change to Airborne Agility; I have no idea why that rule previously had you pick up at the end of the Movement phase but changing it to the end of the opponent’s turn is a huge improvement, making this a much better unit for the kinds of cheap, up-down maneuvers you need to accomplish actions in Pariah Nexus. At 65 points, they’re worth considering for that, though T’au armies typically don’t lack speed and Deep Strike.
When it comes to the ten-man squad, well, that’s a different story. Doubling the cost to make the unit harder to deep strike only makes sense if they’re going to be a reliable unit for dropping in and doing damage (in which case they won’t be doing actions), and a 10-model unit will, on average, fail to kill five Intercessors in the Shooting phase unless it gets help from somewhere. The new wargear looks neat but I think there’s a lot more value in taking one or two five-model squads to do actions than there is in their upgraded shooting output.
Fouchane: A good way to think of these is as a unit of less-damaging Swooping Hawks. Hawks are one of the best scoring units in Eldar, and that utility of having cheap stuff that can do actions and basically deep strike repeatedly across the board is amazing.
Curie: Nice change to their ability, these will probably see a decent amount of play in T’au now as opposed to the none they had before.
Aquilon Gunfighter by John from Can you roll a Crit
Tempestus Aquilons
Unlike the Vespid Stingwings, Tempestus Aquilons are an entirely new Datasheet entry for the Astra Militarum and we saved them for last because they are absolutely insanely good. For 90 points you get a 10-model unit with Deep Strike which can drop anywhere on the table more than 3” away from any enemy units thanks to its Precision Drop ability (it cannot declare a charge the turn it arrives). Aquilons come with hot-shot lascarbines but can be outfitted with a host of weapons, including one with either a melta or plasma carbine, another with two hot-shot laspistols, and one hot-shot long-las (basically a sniper rifle). The team’s hot-shot lascarbines have [ASSAULT], which is helpful given that those jump packs are one-use only: The unit has a 6” Movement characteristic and does not have the FLY keyword, though it does have the SMOKE and GRENADES keywords.
The team also comes with a Servo-Sentry, which can be shot when the unit is set up on the Battlefield using the Deep strike ability, including in your opponent’s Movement phase if (when) they arrive via Rapid Ingress. The sentry comes with a D6+3 shot flamer but that can be traded out for either a Grenade Launcher with frag/krak options or a hot-shot volley gun with Rapid Fire 4.
It’s worth noting that these can be given orders the turn they arrive if they’re near an arriving officer unit and brought back after being killed with the Reinforcements! Stratagem.
TheChirurgeon: This is insane. The Astra Militarum absolutely did not need this, and what they’ve got out of this datasheet is the game’s most reliable way of stealing enemy objectives. Having the ability at any point in the game’s first three turns to just drop 10 OC on a point with enough firepower to whittle down any chaff unit on the objective is a nightmare for opponents to have to think about and plan around, and you can also use them to clear the way for other deep striking scions. I think at least one unit of these immediately finds its way into every Astra Militarum army over the next few months.
Innes: Local GSC players in shambles.
TheChirurgeon: Yeah, these have the MILITARUM TEMPESTUS keyword, so they can’t be included in GSC armies.
Wings: One squad of ten just gives your opponent so much more they have to think about through turn 3, and the “floor” on what they can do is still really high. Imagine a scenario where your opponent deep strikes a Skarbrand or something and these little shits just arrive in a 3″ ring around him. They’re an incredible defensive screening tool.
Curie: Oh dear, more 3” deepstrike and on a unit that can actually clear chaff pretty effectively. No one’s home is safe now!
Fouchane: This helps guard scoring quite a bit. It essentially means that for 2 CP I have two units which can Deep Strike outside of 3” at 45 points for 10 models – bringing back Scions (via the Reinforcements! Stratagem) without their Command Squad was pretty underwhelming when it came to scoring but these guys easily fill that spot and cover a scoring issue you may have on a “go” turn.
Final Thoughts
We’ve been expecting new rules for these units following the pattern of other teams, but we were a bit surprised at the Aquilons. While both datasheets help their respective factions, the Aquilons seem posed to become a must-take in Guard armies, to the point that we’re seeing competitive players talking about taking three units of them. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the meta for the Astra Militarum, who were already one of the game’s best armies. On the other side, Vespid will finally actually see some play with an up-down rule that works correctly.
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