The new season will start on Monday, May 11th.

From the measured and controlled warfare to the all out chaos and carnage of the Speed Freeks, we hurtle at top speed into a new Season with Wazdakka leading the Waaagh! 

It should be seen as no coincidence that the addition of the new Initiative sorting and slider is being introduced just before Wazdakka’s arrival, and will also come with an overhaul to Initiative in general, more news on that to follow soon.

This month’s Community Balance vote winner is Abaddon the Despoiler, with a tidy lead at 397 votes with Grand Master Voldus in second with 365. So with too much preamble lets get straight into the balance changes!

Warlord Changes:

[Community Pick]

Abbadon the Despoiler

Warmaster of Chaos

Mark of Chaos Ascendant: When this Warlord attacks, all your friendly cards (including those in your deck) gain +7 -> +15 to all attack stats.

To no surprise Abbadon won the vote, he is the most hotly requested change. As highlighted in the balance vote, we aren’t able to offer him a full rework at this time, but we have now tuned his rule up to be almost double. Realistically he’s already a high performing card easily beating his Supreme Commander counterpart in all measure which leads us nicely on to the next change.

[Supreme Commander]

Abbadon the Despoiler

Warmaster of Chaos

Position: 73rd | Winrate: 70.9% | Playrate: 35th

Dark Destiny: At the start of your turn, two of your cards increase all attack stats by +20 -> +30%, lasting until your next turn; any remaining cards receive 10 -> 5% of their base Wounds as damage.

While the Supreme Commander Abbadon does have a high playrate, with the recent changes to the rest of the Chaos roster he is now the worst performing Chaos Warlord. We’ve updated both parts of his rule, buffing his attack increase while reducing the damage he deals to friendly cards. This brings the damage boost much more closely in line with other % based attack buffs from other Warlords, and means the risk of destroying your own cards pre attack round is much lower. 

Hatred’s Embrace

Chaos Knight Abominant Dreadblade

Position: 72nd | Winrate: 72.0% | Playrate: 73rd

Cost Change: -10 Cost (90 -> 80)

Hatred’s Embrace and Canis Rex have, understandably, always struggled to find their feet in the smaller points value Ranked mode vs their natural home in Apocalypse. However, for the first time Canis Rex has noticeably outperformed Hatred’s Embrace. Since they both normally are on the lower side, its makes sense to attempt to keep them as level as possible and give the Abominant a boost, and the most efficient way to do that in a cost hungry deck is to bring down the Warlords cost, which we have done here by a hefty chunk.

Morvenn Vahl

Abbess Sanctorum of the Adepta Sororitas

Position: 62nd | Winrate: 76.3% | Playrate: 69th

Holy Aegis: When a friendly card is deployed, the first 3 attacks against it have their damage reduced by -30 -> -35%.

Morvenn Vahl (not Supreme Commander version) may be a surprise to be on here, but she has steadily been falling in winrate, and also by a noticeable playrate too. With a number of more offensive Warlords being released the damage debuff has struggled to keep up, along with its temporary nature vs the more permanent attack increases. While it is a modest buff, given she is not yet quite at the bottom of the pile, it’s been a clear downward slide, and so we’re hoping to slow that slide to a stop with a little bit of early divine intervention.

With that lets now have a look at this Season’s Bodyguard changes for the Orks!

Bodyguard Changes:

Zagblag – Deffkopta with Kustom Mega-blasta

Stat Change: +10 Wounds, +5 Range, +5 Melee

Gutrog – Goff Clan Deffkopta

Stat Change: +5 Range, +18 Melee

Uzgob’s Dragsta – Bad Moons Clan Shokkjump Dragsta

Cost Change: -5 Cost
Trait Change: Outflank -> Target Acquired

Ruknar – Blood Axes Clan Tankbusta

Stat Change: +10 Wounds, +10 Ranged

Hakka Buzzkill – Goff Clan Nob

Trait Change: Anti-Infantry -> Fear

Zogmex – Goff Clan Big Mek in Mega Armour

Stat Change: +10 Range, +10 Melee

Thugruk – Evil Sunz Clan Meganob

Stat Change: +15 Range, +10 Melee

Da Skull-Krusha – Deathskulls Clan Bonebreaka

Trait Change: Scout -> Shield

And last but not least with the start of this Season the following cards are being added to the general pool!

Cards Added to the General Pool:

Space Marines

Brother Vorne

Iron Hands Heavy Intercessor

Captain Darnath Lysander

Imperial Fists Captain

Brother Skarden

Iron Hands Firestrike Servo-Turret

Suboden Khan

White Scars’ Spearpoint Brotherhood Leader

Caanok Var

Iron Hands Iron Captain of Clan Avernii

Chaos

Mortarion

Primarch of the Death Guard

Golch

Death Guard Miasmic Malignifier