Warhammer 40k Points and Balance Updates: Feb 19, 2025

Games Workshop released a host of small updates today, with WarCom showing updates to nineteen different documents, ranging from the Munitorum Field Manual to Grotmas Detachments to Index Cards to Legends datasheets. While there were a lot of document updates, the actual number of changes was pretty small, but as usual we’ve got you covered with a full listing of all the changes we’ve found.

Munitorum Field Manual

The Munitorum Field Manual has been updated to include a number of new points updates. Points costs for Aeldari were added two weeks ago, but this update gives us updated points costs for the Astra Militarum, who are seeing an official Codex release about one month after their Krieg army box dropped. These points are the same as what was shared with the Goonhammer team prior to the release of the special edition box, and so we haven’t seen any surprises in the set.

Note that the changes listed in this Astra Militarum points update are based on the points in the printed book and not the prior MFM, and so some things will appear to be changed even when they have not. The points here are the same as the ones published back in January as provisional points, not to be used until final publication. So it’s noteworthy that nothing has changed since then.

Finally, points were updated in the MFM for the new Tankbustas unit, bringing them to 120 points and in-line with the datasheet update issued in December.

The Balance Dataslate

Games Workshop have done an admirable job of making it clear when they change or add things to a Dataslate update, but it’s harder to tell when they’ve removed something. This latest pass removed key sections for Aeldari and Astra Militarum, taking out sectiosn which applied to the Indexes for both. As a result, there are now currently no dataslate changes to Aeldari, while Astra Militarum retained dataslate changes to Lord Solar Leontus (who can issue orders to REGIMENT and SQUADRON units), and the Tempestus Aquilons Precision Drop ability, limiting that ability to their Movement phase.

Other Changes

There were a number of other small changes made, almost all of which fall into the category of “making an editing pass.” Here’s the list of what we’ve noticed:

• Astra Militarum Bridgehead Strike – The Aerial Extraction Stratagem now requires every model in the unit to have the Deep Strike ability (or be a Valkyrie). This is a change from the unit-level requirement before, narrowing this a bit.
• Index: Chaos Daemons – The Fluxmaster’s Altered Reality ability was changed to make the result of a roll into an unmodified 6. A solid improvement, allowing it to proc Devastating Wounds on its Arcane Fireball.
• Index: Deathwatch – A clarification makes it clear that Mission Tactics don’t work when you’re not playing the Black Spear Task Force Detachment. This was always pretty clear but there’s always some jerk arguing for busted interpretations of the rules.
• Index: Drukhari – The rules for Skysplinter Assault and Realspace Raiders have been modified. These Detachments now allow you to take Harlequin and Anhrathe allies from their proper source in Codex: Aeldari – up to 500 points in a Strike Force game. This hasn’t been extended to Reaper’s Wager, meaning you can’t run 1,500 points of non-Drukhari units in that Detachment, nor include Anhrathe units.
• Imperial Knights: Questor Forgepact – An FAQ item makes it clear that Adeptus Mechanicus Doctrinas don’t work when you bring those units as part of a Questor Forgepact Detachment.
• Codex: Orks – A unit with multiple bomb squigs can’t use more than one each phase, so no more double-tapping.
• Orks: Taktikal Brigade – The Skwad Leader Enhancement can only go on INFANTRY units, meaning you can no longer use it to have a Boss on Squigosaur join a unit of Kommandos.
• Space Wolves: Champions of Fenris – The Onrushing Storm Stratagem to pick up a unit and place them into reserves has been edited; it now works on any TERMINATOR unit rather than just TERMINATOR squads. This is a huge improvement, as it now means you can use this on Terminator Assault Squads and Wolf Guard, giving the Detachment a lot more value. This is pretty big for making the Detachment actually playable.
• World Eaters: Vessels of Wrath – The Gory Dedication Stratagem has been updated to work at the end of the Fight phase on one unit that destroyed one or more models in melee, causing it to work properly – control of objectives isn’t checked until the end of the phase, so this allows you to actually flip an objective and then sticky it.

Legends Updates

Finally, a number of changes were made to the Legends docs. There’s a lot, but here are the broad strokes:

• Legends: Aeldari was updated with all of the now-missing units from the new Codex. If you want rules for the Webway Gate, Prince Yriel, Karandras, Ilic Nightspear, or the Autarch Skyrunner, you’ll find them in here, along with all the now-gone Forge World units like the Wraithseer.
• Legends: Astra Militarum – New datasheets were added for the Hell’s Last unit of Black Library models, so if you want to run Minka Lesk and her crew, you have rules for them now.
• Legends: Astra Militarum was updated with the units which have been relieved of their competitive duties. Sergeant Harker, Iron Hand Straken, the Valkyrie Skytalon, and the Arvus Lighter (now available in plastic!) are all in here.
• The updated Legends Field Manual has points for all this stuff, while the Legendary Units document has recommendations for how to proxy the special characters, i.e. Death Rider Squadron are now just Death Riders, and Marshal Karis Venner is just a Death Korps Marshal.

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