Games Workshop is settling down on just how rules will be updated, taking it down to twice a year along with a Chapter Approved once yearly. They are definitely trimming down the updates, and making them more regimented, which is a huge improvement.
Here is the link at the bottom of the page that has the beta test rules
https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/40k_8th_ed_Beta_Rules.pdf
via Warhammer Community
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/12/15/the-future-of-faqs-and-chapter-approved-dec-15gw-homepage-post-2/
An update for all you matched play gamers out there…
Warhammer 40,000 is great.
We believe that the current edition is the best one ever. And that is, in large part, thanks to all of you. From the outset, playtesters, players and Warhammer 40,000 community members alike have been giving us feedback and offering up suggestions. This has allowed us to provide regular updates to the game in order to keep things balanced, exciting and, most importantly, fun!
However, we know that for some of you, these updates have been coming thick and fast (when you’re balancing a game the size of Warhammer 40,000, turns out there are a lot of things to consider), especially with the sheer number of codexes we’ve put out in the last 6 months! (10, if you’re counting…)
So, we’ve been thinking long and hard about how to keep providing updates, but in a more structured and clear way, so that all players know what to expect and when.
Our new approach is broken into three parts: 1) regular, corrective updates through codex errata, 2) twice-a-year ‘big’ FAQs to deal with larger issues and address balance in the game and, of course, 3) Chapter Approved.
1: Codex Errata
A couple of weeks after the release of every codex and Chapter Approved book, we’ll review all the questions and comments we’ve received to see if there’s a need for an errata. If that’s the case, we’ll get one out quick smartish! These will address any ambiguities or issues that might have cropped up, such as how new rules and Stratagems might interact in certain edge cases, or when there is a genuine error in one of the rules that stop it from functioning as intended.
2: Big, Twice-a-year FAQs
Major game-wide questions will be answered on a biannual basis each March and September when a wider set of FAQ updates will be released. These will be focused on anything that might emerge as more codexes, and thus more unusual interactions, make their way into the game and will address issues across multiple factions and publications. We’ll also use these to address balance issues in the game, so these might include a few changes to rules for overly powerful, or underrepresented units.
3: Chapter Approved
As new codexes arrive, and certain styles of army come in and out of fashion, the relative effectiveness of certain units in matched play will change. So we’ll be using Chapter Approved as a chance to reassess the points values of all units across the game (just like we did with the first Chapter Approved).
Of course, Chapter Approved is far more than just these updates and will continue to include loads of new rules for every type of gamer and all three ways to play.
So that’s the process for official rules updates, errata and FAQs.
Occasionally, though, we’ll want to test a small number of new rules before we enshrine them in an official book or update, and we might use some of the world’s biggest tournaments and events as testing grounds for these potential changes. But don’t worry – if we do trial some rules at an event, we’ll also make sure they’re available for everyone, so even if you’re not attending the event in question, you can still try them out and send us your thoughts.
To make this is super-easy, we’ve created an email inbox just for Warhammer 40,000 rules related feedback.
Catchy.
All feedback will be read and factored into the twice-yearly FAQ updates.
Now then, with that in mind, here are the first “beta” rules we’re looking to test at the Las Vegas Open and AdeptiCon (two of the largest Warhammer 40,000 events in the world) in 2018, so do let us know what you think.
1: Targeting Characters
This rule means that characters can no longer be used to block characters, meaning Culexus Assassins are more likely to be used as the horrifying psyker-hunters they were always meant to be and not as elaborate human (or posthuman) shields.
2: Psychic Powers
Meanwhile, this proposed change to Smite means that the power is still a great way to dish out mortal wounds, but one that you’ll only be able to cast (easily) a few times in a turn. Using multiple psykers is still a great way to go, but rather than relying on a single trick, you’ll benefit from using a wider pool of psychic powers to secure victory in your games.
You can download these beta rules here: