Preferred Enemies - A Warhammer 40K Podcast

It’s time to talk narrative play! In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Stover, organizer of Narrative events at the NOVA Open. You might recognize him from last year’s Grand Narrative coverage, but he’s more than a chaos cultist cosplayer; he’s the person behind one of the biggest narrative Warhammer 40K events in the country! We talk with Chris about what it’s like to organize and run such a la...

The second episode of our Religious Codex Double-Feature is here, and this time we delve into the undercities of the Imperium to take a look at the Genestealer Cults. How did these half-human, half-alien hybrids get here? Will the Star Children truly save them? And how did they handle the transition from index to codex? We try to untangle their plans and figure out how they stack up, especially co...

A double event of codex religiosity is upon us, and first up are the militant arm of the Eccleisarchy, the Adepta Sororitas! In this episode, we dive into the new book for the Sisters of Battle and look at how these faithful females fared in the transition from index to codex. Can you actually have a good codex with only four detachments? Did the Acts of Faith system get changed again? And is ther...

The Long War is upon us, and that means it’s time to discuss the forces that have been fighting it all this time – the Chaos Space Marines! Their new codex is out, so it’s time to discuss these traitor legions and how they’re reflected on the table in this new book. With eight detachments to choose from, what playstyles are supported? Which ones are clear threats, which ones are there for the flav...

It’s our 300th episode, and we celebrate with a double-helping of event coverage! In part one, we talk about the Midwest Conquest 2024, with Dennis and Kevin running a narrative event, Rob playing in the narrative event, and Richard judging the paint competition for the GT. We’re also joined by Daniel, one of the judges, to hear about the competitive side of the convention. Then, in part two, Denn...

It’s time for the second half of the double-codex release review, and this time, we’ve traded Richard for Dennis as we trade Orks for Custodes! The Emperor’s golden guard are here with their new 10th edition codex, and it’s definitely had… a reception by the community, that’s for sure. No need to be coy – this book is definitely weaker than the index that preceded it. But how exactly did that happ...

Two codexes are out for pre-order, but we’ve only got room in the episode to talk about one, so we’re going with the one that’s mean and green! In this episode, we take a look at the upcoming Ork codex. What’s new, what’s changed, what’s gone, and how is this going to change how everyone’s favorite fungal combat hooligans play? Also, we take a look at the recently-announced purge of Age of Sigmar...

Sometimes, you want a break from matched play, or you just want to tell a neat story with your miniatures, and that’s where narrative play comes in! In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of Crusade, the narrative system that Games Workshop introduced with 9th edition and continues to support into 10th. We delve into how it works, what we like about it, and what we don’t like as much, and so...

The Kroot are on the hunt, and we get the spoils! In this episode, we review the new Kroot Hunting Pack army box and the new T’au Empire codex that’s included inside. In part one, we discuss the box’s presentation, examine the new Kroot models, and look at how they compare to the old Kroot Carnivores. In part two, we dig into the meat of the new book and work through the ups and downs of the new c...

It’s Crusade time! In this episode, we take a look at the new Pariah Nexus campaign book and delve into the goings-on in the Nephilim Sector. What have the Necrons been up to? Why are the Adepta Sororitas the only ones who can stop them? What does Belisarius Cawl hope to achieve with his explorator fleets? How did [REDACTED] get involved? And are super-weapons ever a good idea? We take a look at t...

Thanks to attempts by Nurgle and Vashtorr to stop us, this episode is delayed but not defeated! In this episode, we discuss all the news from the 2024 Las Vegas Open, including the previews, the main event, and Kevin bringing home a trophy from the Narrative event. We also take a quick spin through last week’s Balance Dataslate and look at some of the changes and where the game is sitting now. In...

We’re back in the new year, and there’s a whole set of previews that GW released over the holiday break! In part one, we discuss those Christmas Angels, the mystery mini silhouettes, a bizarre boxed set re-release (with a slight tangent into the Old World), and the winner of Model of the Year (two of us picked the winner!). In part two, we talk about our hobby and gaming goals for 2024. Join us on...

It’s our last episode of 2023, and it’s time to wrap things up with a look back and a look ahead! In part one, we discuss a topic that’s been plaguing Rob as of late – is 10th Edition good yet? We review our first quarter grade card from August and look at how the environment has changed. Some grades go way up… and some may go way down. In part two, we take a look ahead at the 40K roadmap for next...

It’s a double event! Two codexes have dropped, and we’ve got one episode to get through them both. Can we do it? We certainly try! In this episode, we take a look at the two newest codexes with two very different takes on technology – worship it, or be it? The Adeptus Mechanicus have had a rough go in 10th Edition with arguably the weakest detachment rules – does this new codex give them the tools...

It’s the end of the Warhammer Open season, and that means it’s Grand Narrative time! We had a great time at the Narrative event in Kansas City, so we sent Kevin and Dennis down to Atlanta to experience the finale of the story we started telling back in June. We’ve got four days of coverage, from the initial briefings to the final aftermath, and everything in between. How did Dennis’s Leagues of Vo...

In our last episode, we walked through the process of building a new army from a logistic and financial sense. In this episode, it’s time to build that army in a more literal sense, so we’re talking building and painting your army! We go through the range of tools and techniques for getting your models off the sprue, assembled, painted, and based, as well as tips and tricks we’ve learned over the...

If you’re contemplating starting a new army, it can be daunting trying to figure out how to get started. In this episode, we give you our general strategy (or maybe a strategy we should have followed, in some instances) on how to handle that process without getting in over your head. With any luck, this plan should carry you from initial concepting all the way through your first dozen games or so....

The second codex of 10th Edition is coming, and this time, the poster boys of Warhammer 40K are up! The Space Marines make their transition from index to codex, and in this episode, we dive into this thick book and look at some of the surprisingly large changes. From their core mechanic getting updated, to the new First Founding detachments, to all the units that have been consolidated or cut, the...

It’s been a rough three months for Warhammer 40K from a balance standpoint, and now the eagerly-anticipated balance dataslate has been released. From core rules to faction rules to unit points, a wide variety of changes have been made to the game to try to rein in the worst offenders and pull up the under-performers. The big question, of course, is: will this fix the game? Are these the right chan...

The first codex of the new edition is upon us, and it comes with one mind and many sharp, pointy teeth! In this episode, we discuss the new Codex: Tyranids for 10th Edition. What does the new codex format look like? What’s been added? What’s gone? What about the new detachments – is there one clear “best” detachment, or do they all have their uses? What about the new units, like the Norn Emissary...

We’ve been experiencing the 10th Edition ruleset in one form or another for about 3 months, and that means the first quarter is done and it’s time to send home those report cards! So, how has the newest edition of Warhammer 40K done? We went through and graded this in a number of areas, from the initial rollout to the core rules quality to rules accessibility to game balance, all on the classic A-...

Rob returns from his first 8-round 10th Edition tournament, and he doesn’t do it empty-handed! In this episode, we talk about Rob’s experience at the Show Me Showdown and how he brought home the Best T’au trophy. Then, we talk about other games played, including escalation leagues, Combat Patrol tournaments, and more Basement-Hammer, and what is and isn’t working. Finally, we compare two xenos arm...

In this episode, it’s time to let the models hit the mat and talk about actual games played of 10th Edition 40K, and in a surprising twist, all four of us have gotten games in! We’re not just talking about your standard 2000-point games (although those are included as well). We’ve got a little bit of everything, including Combat Patrol, 500-point escalation league games to four-player team games,...

The Tenth Edition launch has come and gone, and with it comes a mix of topics for our hosts to discuss. First, an extended hobby progress segment involving magnets and painting techniques. Following that, we dig into a little bit of everything 10th edition-related, including the new points system, the new 40K app, the Forge World datasheets, our first games of 10th Edition, and the current discour...

New edition, new format! We’ve stripped out a couple of phases of the show to get it to you on a more timely, more focused fashion. In part one, we discuss our experience at the second US Open to be held in Kansas City, with a particular focus on the narrative event. In part two, we look at the rollout for 10th Edition, how this differs from any past editions, and whether or not you really need th...