Codex Armageddon Review

Codex Armageddon - Warhammer 40,000 Supplement
Games Workshops Warhammer 40,000 Rule book
Published by Games Workshop

4UK pounds - 9.99 US Dollars

The fate of hundreds of worlds will be decided on the blood-soaked ash dunes of Armageddon, and we cannot afford to fail"
Commissar Yarrick.

Okay I don't mind telling you that this has got me a little excited.. Okay then very excited, a 32 page Codex dedicated to little corner of the WH40K universe. Containing 4 completely different armies, background and an entire campaign history that was around when I was young 'un and just starting out in the GW hobby!

Codex Armageddon is GW's first real sourcebook for WH40K it contains new army lists for Ork, Space Marine and Imperial Guard players. Also which is unusual for a Codex it contains a large helping of background with a complete campaign history reviewing all the Armageddon wars to date. For those of you that don't know Armageddon is a major Imperial Factory world that has suffered greatly at the hands of the Orks led by the greatest Ork Warlord ever to threaten the fragile Imperium Ghazghkull Thraka. This Codex sets you up for is his second invasion of Armageddon (the first one was just a little test!) bringing you right up to Ground Zero with the Ork dropping from in on huge rocks onto the planets surface.

What makes this Codex special is that GW have decided to run a huge world wide campaign for an entire month based on this book, check out the website here www.armageddon3.com for more details. You can log on, post your battle results and effect the course of the campaign - in their own words 'history will be written by the Victor' - We (that's you and me) have not had the chance to do this since the Ichar IV Tyranid invasion many moons ago. So its up to us, if the beleagued Imperial forces or the rampaging Orks win. Personally I want the Orks to win - it would make for a much more interesting turn of events.

I would be happy with just the campaign history and the prospect of interactive campaign, but this time GW have added a few extra things into the book so once the campaign is finished you can still use it. I've mentioned before the plug in Codexes in my Codex Space Marine review. The Armageddon contains 4 of these plug-ins. The first of which will send most non-Ork players skittering away with their heads in their hands and Ork players WAAAGGHHHing with joy. Ork Warlords can now field entire Kult of Speed armies - hordes of buggies, bikes and Trukk Mobs racing across the battlefield. This image has got me a little worried. Gone are the old fashioned sit at the back and destroy the Ork army as it advances tactic. Do that now and they will swarm all over ya - plus they have fighta-bommas .

The Imperial forces are represented in the Codex in the form of the Steel Legion - a completely mechanized Imperial Guard force. You also have the option to field Planetary Defence forces with Hive Militia - so dust off your old Necromunda miniatures and get them into action. We finally get to see what a Goliath ganger can do to an Ork close up. There are also two new Space Marine plug-in army lists in the book. The stalwart Salamanders with their ermm.. interesting nature and access to far to many Melta-weapons and an even more stubborn refusial to run away than normal Space Marines.

My favourate though are the Crusading Black Templars - perhaps one of the hardest Space Marine chapters I have ever seen. They have a passion for close combat, special vows which they can take before a battle which depending on what you choose you can always hit on a 3+, have an invulnerable saving throw, add +1 to wound or get an extra 2D6 movement in there first turn and this is free! I've fought Black Templars a number of times with my Dark Eldar and I have a very healthy respect for them. Its also no secret that my very own Space Marine chapter - the Emperors Eagles are being converted in to a Crusading chapter...

To sum up GW have pulled out all the stoppers on this one and have come up with a great sourcebook which will have longevity well beyond the special event its released for thanks to those plug in army lists. Its a mighty fine Codex and I hope it sets the tone for Codices to come.

Flaming Skulls