40K Hot Takes: Warm, Spicy, and Scorching

Let's have some fun and scream our Warhammer hot takes into the void. I broke everything into three tiers: Warm, Spicy, and Scorching.

Warm Takes

Fortifications are actually cool

Fortifications get written off as useless or niche, and honestly, they often are. But they look great on the table. Fortifications make your army feel like it's defending something and add a presence that isn't just more L-shaped ruins. I'd hate to see them all pushed into Legends and forgotten because the idea is awesome, even if the execution sucks.

40K needs more officially supported alternate game types

Right now, 40K games are either Competitive, Crusade, or Narrative, whatever that means in 10th edition. Competitive feels like the only fully supported option, with Crusade and Narrative picking up the scraps. Other games like Magic the Gathering support multiple formats that serve different types of players. 40K could benefit from official formats that change how the game is approached, provide clear rulesets, and don't get abandoned immediately. A Co-op mode would be a great start and making 1000 and 1500 pt games more balanced and fun for weekly game nights. Personally, I'd love Combat Patrol to follow the Spearhead model and become a viable game mode for experienced players, alongside a properly supported cooperative mode.

Legends should always be allowed in casual games

There are tons of great models sitting on shelves because they were pushed into Legends. For casual and even semi-competitive play, there's no real reason to ignore them. Yes, they could be abused, but my advice is simple: don't play with those players. Legends should be allowed in all non-competitive 40K games because the goal should always be maximizing fun for both sides of the table and legend models are sometimes the coolest models in our favorite faction's book.

Metal models are just as good as plastic

Plastic is easier to work with and often looks cleaner. But metal models have weight, durability, and a presence plastic doesn't replicate. They feel like collectibles in a way modern kits sometimes don't. I don't expect the hobby to move back to metal, but I'd love a cost-efficient way to collect classic metal models again.

Spicy Takes

Chaos Demons should be tied to their mortal legions

Splitting Chaos Demons into their own standalone force weakens Chaos as a whole. Demons feel more thematic when tied to a larger legion instead of operating independently. In 11th edition, each Chaos legion could incorporate Demons more fluidly, with no penalties for mixing mortals and Demons. This would allow more creative army lists and help flesh out Chaos ranges into full armies. For players running mixed Demon forces, Chaos Space Marines or a special index detachment could still support "Daemon soup."

Competitive 40K is just as fun as casual

There's a narrative that competitive play ruins the game. It's actually pretty fun. Tight games, meaningful decisions, and clear win conditions can be just as enjoyable as narrative play. Competitive players are often some of the nicest people in the community and will help you improve as a player. Narrative and competitive are both great, just make sure you and your opponent are on the same page.

GW's focus on Space Marines is good for the hobby

Space Marines are overrepresented, no doubt. But they also serve as the entry point for most players. They drive sales and engagement, which funds the rest of the range. Without the Space Marine "subscription" style release cadence, Warhammer would likely be a much smaller hobby. It's frustrating, but it's also practical.

We don't need new factions in 11th edition

New factions are exciting for about five minutes, then they become another under-supported range. Expanding existing factions with deeper model lines should be the focus. World Eaters and Emperor's Children remain half ranges, Grey Knights need a refresh, Drukhari need to regain lost models in 10th, and non-Space Marine players could always use more toys to play with. Let's build up current armies instead of expanding into new ranges that risk being abandoned.

Scorching Takes

GW should remove the 10 points for painted armies

The idea is to encourage painting, but it often punishes people who just want to play. New players shouldn't need to paint for months just to test an army they may not even enjoy. Not everyone has the time or interest in the hobby side, and that's reasonable. For narrative events and official tournaments, painting requirements make sense and it should be completely up the organizer. For the average beer and pretzels game, just enjoy the time with your opponent and stop worrying about if there is grey plastic on the table.

Wargear isn't the solution to 10th edition's blandness

Adding more wargear options won't fix the core issue with 10th list building. The problem isn't a lack of choices, it's a lack of meaningful ones. In most cases, there's only one viable loadout. A better solution would be balanced preset loadouts, each with a clear battlefield role, priced differently. Then you could add things like relics and a wider range of enhancements that add flavor and variety without being too caught up in the weeds. Keeping 40K streamlined without sacrificing flavor is important to the growth of the hobby.

L-shaped ruins are unnecessarily hated

Everyone complains about L-shaped ruins, but they solve real problems. Without them, shooting armies dominate due to the lethality of 10th edition. Previous editions had confusing terrain rules that required multiple FAQs and slowed down games. L-shaped ruins create movement decisions, staging, and positioning, which adds strategy. The issue isn't the terrain piece itself, it's that tables can become repetitive. Add creativity back to terrain design without returning to overly complex rules.

C'tan are exactly how big models should work

Big centerpiece models should feel powerful, even if that frustrates some players. Too often, expensive models die in one turn, can't move across terrain easily or struggle to influence the game. C'tan are a good template. They're impactful, durable, lethal, and supported by good rules. Are they perfectly balanced? Heck no they are a menace. But the idea that paying 400+ points for a centerpiece model that warps the game makes a ton of sense and fits with the lore/flavor of Warhammer. We need to look past the current meta and push GW to make our elite units actually elite.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few of my hot takes. I'm probably wrong on most of them. Let me know which ones you agree with and which ones are completely off base.