Games Workshop’s Leagues of Votann Changes: Balancing or Blundering?

Games Workshop’s new Leagues of Votann rules shake up Warhammer 40K — but are these changes smart balancing or a huge mistake for the faction’s future?

Games Workshop has a long history of making sweeping changes to rules and factions in Warhammer 40,000 to keep the tabletop game feeling fresh. But fresh doesn’t always mean better — and the latest Leagues of Votann rules leaks suggest this might be one of those times where change could hurt more than it helps.

Over the last few years, the Squats’ return to 40K has been a rollercoaster. Their initial codex was infamous for feeling fundamentally broken in places — such as ignoring invulnerable saves while having an army rule that oddly clashed with that same mechanic. Then came their sharp decline at the start of 10th Edition, before settling into the mid-tier of the competitive scene as the edition matured.

Now, that balance is about to be disrupted again with the release of the new Codex: Leagues of Votann.

Old Rules: Simple and Effective
Under the previous system, four enemy units started the game with +1 to hit and +1 to wound against them via judgement tokens. This effectively countered the army’s common 4+ Ballistic Skill and synergized well with certain weapons that needed help on the wound roll. Additional judgment tokens could be earned as the game progressed, either when enemies destroyed friendly units or via a Kâhl on the battlefield. This worked very well in our recent battle report.

New Rules: A Step Backward?
The new system is less generous. Units now start with re-rolls to Advance and Charge, and gain +1 to hit against enemy units on objective markers. Over time, they generate Yield Points, a new in-game currency, which eventually grant +1 to hit when standing on an objective, while enemy units suffer -1 to wound those same infantry units.

On paper, this sounds tactical. In practice, it’s a downgrade:

• The army loses its across-the-board +1 to wound.
• +1 to hit is more situational.
• The durability boost is undermined by the fact that many units have lost wounds, toughness, and defensive tricks.

Losing Their Identity
The biggest problem isn’t just the stat changes — it’s that these rules make the Leagues of Votann feel less like a unique faction and more like a slightly elite version of the Astra Militarum. That’s a big departure from the distinct playstyle they’ve had in the last two editions.

We’ll have to wait for competitive data to see the full impact, but early signs suggest this could push the Leagues of Votann toward a “more bodies, less bite” approach. And even with that adjustment, they may struggle to hold onto their semi-competitive standing.

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