The new season isn’t a reboot; it’s a careful tune-up. Games Workshop has said every roster was reviewed and tweaked, with a huge guiding rule: the number of positionals now matches what comes in a single team box, with a few explicit exceptions (e.g., Goblin Secret Weapons, Dark Elf Assassins, Bull Centaurs, and most Big Guys; Ogres still 0–6 with the Runt Punter) so you don’t need a second sprue for “the good stuff.”
Below is your rolling, verified tracker of what’s changed team by team where GW has stated specifics publicly, plus the global rules that shape how these rosters will feel on the pitch.
Global Rules That Matter for Every Team
- Passing simplified: No more Wildly Inaccurate or Deflections. Throws are Accurate, Inaccurate, or Fumbles; more players have improved PA, so it’s not just Throwers throwing anymore.
- New skills/traits:
- Punt (kick the ball forward without a Turnover), Taunt, Bullseye (Big Guys can avoid scatter on superb throws), and the new Devious skill category (e.g., Dirty Player, Sneaky Git moved here).
- Terminology cleanup and quality-of-life tokens (Prone/Stunned) to protect your beautiful paint jobs.
- League spice: post-game rolls can award Hatred (X) versus specific opponents.
- Secure the Ball action: pick up on 2+ if no standing, non-Distracted opponent is within 2 squares; Big Guys/Unsteady can’t declare it. Huge for reliability on many rosters.
Team-by-Team: Confirmed Changes
Bretonnians (new to the season box)
- All Knights: Dauntless baseline.
- Grail Knights: start with Block, MA 7, AV 10+, and the new Steady Footing (on a 6, ignore Knocked Down/Fall Over).
- Knight Catchers/Throwers: their usual roles with Nerves of Steel (Catch/Pass respectively).
- Squires (Linos): start with Wrestle.
These tweaks push a high-risk, high-reward playstyle where Knights punch above their weight.
Tomb Kings (returning in the season box)
- Four Tomb Guardians as standard (ST 5, AV 10+, Brawler, Regeneration, but Decay applies to casualty rolls).
- Thrower: MA 6, PA 3+, Sure Hands + Pass for reliable pickups without needing Secure the Ball.
- Blitzers: Block and AV 9+ for in-the-mix reliability.
- Skeleton Linemen: 40k, Thick Skull + Regeneration.
The roster is slow, durable, and methodical—classic grind with modern reliability.
Skaven
- Gutter Runners: roster max now two (not four), but…
- Blitzers: gain MA 8 and Strip Ball to help steal back some playmaking juice.
- Designer interview also teases Stab on Gutter Runners in this edition’s context.
Dark Elves
- Blitzers: roster max now two.
- Runners: gain Punt (opens new field-position plays).
- Assassins: gain Hit and Run, which now works with Stab—stab, slide, grin.
Shambling Undead
- Ghouls: roster max now two, but they gain Regeneration (at last!).
- Zombies: gain Eye Gouge.
Net effect: fewer peak positionals, tougher, cheekier core.
Nurgle
- Bloaters: slightly cheaper and come with Stand Firm; the roster plays more “rounded” overall per GW’s dev note.
Snotlings
- Pump Wagons: no longer have Secret Weapon. That means Bribes help keep the little horrors on the pitch, and fielding four Big Guys becomes a practical game plan.
Norse
- No positional count call-out yet, but Secure the Ball is a massive reliability buff for early pickups (think Valkyries/Berserkers), keeping the block-party rolling without face-plant turnovers. Also noted: potential league-era Hatred (X) moments.
Pattern Watch: What This Means Across the Catalogue
GW’s rules team explicitly said every team has been reassessed, with many gaining improved stats, new/different skills, or special rules—and those roster caps lining up with what’s in a single box. Where “fan-favorite spam” got trimmed (Skaven, Dark Elves, Undead), coaches are seeing compensation via stronger remaining positionals or core skills. Expect the same logic to ripple through the teams not yet name-checked publicly.
Quick Reference: Roster Changes at a Glance (Living List)
- Bretonnians — Knights with Dauntless; Grail Knights (Block, AV 10+, Steady Footing); Catchers/Throwers with NoS; Squires with Wrestle.
- Tomb Kings — 4 Tomb Guardians (ST5, AV10+, Brawler, Regen, Decay); Thrower PA 3+ with Sure Hands + Pass; Blitzers Block; Linemen Thick Skull + Regen.
- Skaven — 2 Gutter Runners; Blitzers MA 8 + Strip Ball; Gutter Runners called out in interview with Stab.
- Dark Elves — 2 Blitzers; Runners gain Punt; Assassins gain Hit and Run (works with Stab).
- Shambling Undead — 2 Ghouls (now with Regeneration); Zombies gain Eye Gouge.
- Nurgle — Cheaper Bloaters with Stand Firm; team “more well-rounded.”
- Snotlings — Pump Wagons lose Secret Weapon; Bribes and four Big Guys builds get very real.
- Norse — Secure the Ball is the headline functional buff for their early-drive reliability; Hatred (X) adds league spice.
GW has been clear there’s more than these headline examples. As additional team articles drop or the rulebook lands in coaches’ hands, we’ll expand this tracker with exact caps and skilllines for the rest of the range.
Why the Meta Will Actually Shift
Cutting back the “optimal spam” positionals and feeding power into what remains means list variety goes up. You’ll see more squads leaning on core skills (Wrestle Squires, Regen Ghouls, Stand Firm Bloaters) and situational playmakers (Punt Runners, Strip-Ball MA 8 Blitzers). Add Secure the Ball and the cleaner passing game, and suddenly even bash teams can bank a safe pickup before returning to the gentle art of legally sanctioned battery.