Warhammer 40,000: The App Reviews

by Psychic_Squid

It’s staggering how poorly games workshop did at making Warhammer40000 a functional piece of the game. Everything is now hidden behind a paywall. If you want to experiment with more than one army list, there’s a paywall. If you want to know the rules of a factions army, there’s another paywall per army. And the hilarious part is, all of that stuff is absolutely free on third party apps like BattleScribe. It’s like that don’t want people to use Warhammer40000, and consequently they don’t want to sell more minis. If they made everything free, everyone would use Warhammer40000 because it has pictures and rules. They would sell more minis too because designing an army would be easier and more visually satisfying and the rules more accessible. But no, games workshop has decided they don’t want the business.

by BrokeJesus

With the release of a new codex, GW locks the rules behind a paywall. This isn’t just a digital paywall either. In order to see your army’s rules in Warhammer40000 , you must pay $60+ for the physical copy of the codex, IN ADDITION TO the monthly subscription cost. To add onto that, they lock the rules before the physical codex is even available for purchase. They also do not allow a digital codex purchase, so a physical copy is mandatory. Good luck playing the game if your LGS doesn’t have your codex on the shelf. Warhammer40000 would be good, except for the fact that GW goes out of their way to make it as unusable as possible. I was happily paying the monthly subscription for the army builder alone, but given the current monetization scheme by GW, the subscription simply has very little value. The other WH+ content is good, but you can burn through all of it in less than a month.

by Mecha Lord

GW started off 10th edition by allowing everyone access to the datasheets of their armies for free. For players new and old, this was a great way to get them to explore armies and learn how to play 10th edition. Warhammer40000 was key to helping many get access to the rules and building armies in a more efficient and speedy manner.

For many, including myself, we used Warhammer40000 to help us play with the Leviathan box, which of course, did not come with physical datasheets. I suppose we had a good 3 month run with knowing how to play the units in the STARTER BOX, because now GW is updating units and locking those datasheets behind codex paywalls. Now we can either use out of date datasheets they offer online and hope we can find some way of knowing what they changed, or just not play correctly, and limit our ability to play with others.

It makes no sense to me why GW is acting so hostile and predatory towards their consumers, even if the datasheets continued to be offered for free, people would still purchase the physical codexes and supplemental products.

by MaggieTheRed

I was excited for this to be available but after finding out they are going right back to how the (Old) one worked. You information is free in a large variety of ways, army building can be done with a laminated piece of paper, you were making improvements with your communities.
It is understandable to charge a “convenience” fee which most (including myself) are all on board with but if your 9th Edition App failed what do you think is going to happen when you go back to it especially while single individuals can easily make better and function systems.

by ShasOFish

Games Workshop is leaving unit data sheets out of Warhammer40000 deliberately, and has admitted as such to it on their Facebook page. Entries are incomplete, poorly formatted, and multiple units are missing for factions that are not Space Marines (TM), who have the highest release rate. This also leaves aside that Warhammer40000 is only free for now, and as the physical books drop, data will be removed from Warhammer40000 , requiring shelling out $25+ (since the codes are in the physical books) for each subset of data that had been removed. Avoid at all costs, because GW certainly wants to make it cost a bundle.

by Narrow4

Instead of making all of the datasheets available and locking codex-specific rules to incentivize people to buy their codexes, GW has locked ALL datasheets for a faction unless you buy the codex—EVEN if you are subscribed to Warhammer40000 .

Eventually, you won’t be able to see any of the datasheets for any factions unless you buy each individual $60 codex, meaning any money you put forward just keeps losing value. It’s a very big, very short-sighted mistake.

I’m new to Warhammer. Warhammer40000 looked real promising, and I would have subscribed. Not spending a dime now on anything GW-related—including minis/paints. There are, simply, better options from less scummy people.

by 110110001110101000111101010

I understand them wanting us to pay for Warhammer40000 . I understand them wanting us to pay for the codexes. But they have betrayed us with poor planning. I have paid for Warhammer40000 and it is incredibly frustrating that I get locked out of stat updates when a codex comes out. The absolutely ridiculous thing is that they have locked me out days before I am even allowed to own the new codex. So now I have paid for something that they are not even providing. Not lining up updates and locking out paying customers seems like a criminal offense. I have given money and am not given the product I paid for.

by MistbornShadow

The Sept. 7th update released alongside the Tyranids codex update. This caused every single piece of Tyranid information to be locked behind the codex paywall. I pay for Warhammer+, but even that will only get you infinite lists to build. What’s the point if the only lists I can build are the ones I own the codex to? This is worse than the AoS app. At least you can look at unit stats and abilities.

The frustration is powerful, the mistake is will have far-reaching consequences. This needs to be rectified. Otherwise, Warhammer40000 will be abandoned for free options and GW will have no one to blame except their over reaching business practices.

by Modifiediowan

This making us have a codex is what keeps others from getting into this game or being able to figure out what models they want. I started late into 9th and couldn’t pick an army because I didn’t know what anything did without spending $55 for a book. Now you’re doing the same thing. I can’t check to see what my opponent’s cards say or do while playing unless I have them hand me stuff. This also locks me out from being able to use models I bought for the levitation box set. So now I can’t play with my tyranids without spend $60 on a book to do so.

That being said Warhammer40000 runs great for list building and being able to look at other factions/what they do. Let’s me see rules easily. With the newest update I have massive issues with it saying I’m not subscribed when I am.

by Gshsbucbddhs

I enjoy Warhammer40000 and the gui is much cleaner than competitors. Command tower was a great update in the right direction. Some stuff could be improved, such as export options (being able to import a list your friend sends you would be nice), but overall its a solid layout and user experience. Until you want to check if that rule your opponent just used is accurate, in which case Warhammer40000 becomes worthless and you need to go check the free alternatives anyways. I’m hoping they decide that WH+ users should get full access to Warhammer40000 , but if they don’t I’ll be canceling my subscription when it’s current period ends as I have to use the free apps more and more to supplement this anyways during a game. For reference the paywall for the full app will eventually be a 60$/year subscription + around 1500$ (21x60 for codices, 5x35 for supplements, and +60 for new faction codices) if they don't raise codex prices before the edition ends.

by Idcabtthename

As someone new to the hobby, it's very weird how they're locking all datasheets behind getting the codexes. I understand locking extra detachments to some degree as an incentive, however locking out every single detachment and unit datasheet behind a paywall makes me feel absolutely clueless abt what types of stuff I would want to get into because I don't even know if they are cool or worth it. They should have at least left one starter detachment and the units' basic datasheets as a means for people who have little to no clue how to get started to at least get a general idea abt what they want to run because Warhammer40000 was that for me when it had stuff open. I'm lucky that the faction I chose still has their datasheet open, but it feels like it's a massive turnoff for any newcomer after any info involving a faction they're interested in becomes locked behind a paywall

by PhaseMetal

Something like this was a long time coming. GW had always been behind the curve when it came to tools for their own games, so I was glad to see the 10th edition app. Having all the data sheets and an army builder available for free was great, I spent many nights perusing all the cool images and rules before bed. Now the bad. GW is a greedy beast run by sociopaths. They had a great idea, gave the rules away for free to people interested in their game, provide tools for their players. And then some troglodyte with a tie had to ruin it. Army builder is now locked behind $6 for beyond the first list. My Tyranids are straight up locked except for point values unless I fork over $60 for a coffee table book. This is psychotic. GW I had the new codex on order at my LGS and was fully prepared to drop money on this game for the first time in 20 years. Ya blew it. I’d say I’ll check it out in a few years, but let’s be honest, you won’t change.

by Allskintattoo

I paid for Warhammer40000 to have list building convenience and access to faction rules and data cards, I was sold as you gain access to all factions and as 10th is progressing it seems this is not true and falsely advertised. Why am I paying for Warhammer40000 of o have to buy every codex or data cards for each faction to use it? If that’s the case then Warhammer40000 should be free. Or it should be as it was advertised, paid access to all data sheets and rules in one place, I would even pay a bit more if this was the case, however 60 for the year with no acess to anything but list building capabilities is not worth at all, ( there are free apps for this function alone), the whole point was to have access to ALL DATA, if you raise the price to 100 for the year and include all the data and rules for the game it would be worth. But currently Warhammer40000 is false advertising and sub par to what it could be, not what is was sold as when originally was released, listen to your fan base ( who keeps you in business and loves the lore and game) not your investors (those that do not love the 40K universe and will dilute the brand for short term profit)

by Kyle Malinit

The only *real* complaint I have with Warhammer40000 is that it lumps all of your unit’s wargear selections into one card, making it so that my two units of Cadian Shock Troops share a profile. This forces me to sift through compounded lines of text to find the weapon I’m using, and is somewhat inconvenient as a learner and newcomer to 40K.

In addition, the Command Bunker cards don’t show how many of the weapons are in the squad itself, so I have to keep multiple mental notes of how many weapons are in each of my units, alongside strategizing and keeping track of the many stratagems at my disposal. This is yet another hurdle for new players like me, as I tend to spend a very long time making sure I’m not using too many or too little of one weapon selection.

So if those are my only two grievances, then why the two stars? It’s because the official Warhammer 40K App is trumped by BattleScribe, a free app that does all of the things mentioned above and more, all the while having the gall to push a horrible business model that is very obviously not popular.

by CurtusTheGreat

Warhammer40000 is setup great. Easy access for beginners. Build army lists easily and export them. $6.00 a month for premium is totally fair as well… If they didn’t require to go buy a physical copy for your army just so you see what your army does on Warhammer40000 . Very disappointing the codex’s are free online and the fact is the books are not really worth it outside of collecting. They will be out of date in a matter of weeks maybe months. Having an app that keeps you up to date would have been nice and could have made quite a bit through subscriptions. Alas it’s just not worth spending $72 a year on a service that is so limiting.

by Duden Fard

This hobby is just becoming too expensive for me and gw just won’t meet me half way. A $50 codex book is a novelty thing which is cool; it’s not some value. I don’t feel the same for Warhammer40000. I was really hoping that Warhammer40000 would allow me to play the game on a bit more of a budget.

Just make Warhammer40000 free. I know you don’t want to but you’re losing so much potential customers who already pay you hundreds for one army and paint and glue and decorations and terrain. If I’m being really honest here, I’m just a little sick of being bleed dry.

Here’s a great idea. Keep the subscription, BUT include a subscription to warhammer plus so we can watch warhammer shows. And for the love of Pete, have a rewards system worth using.

by Ettenart

I loved using Warhammer40000 for army building and for playing games of warhammer, it was genuinely the best tool they had offered as you had access to all of the rules at a moments notice and could build armies on the fly, which made games way more fun because it streamlined the process so much. But the monthly subscription that you need to make more than 3 lists + all the money you spend on their miniatures isnt enough for Games Workshop, in order to access ANY army rules, you have to own the $60 codex for that army (which used to be almost worth the price because of all the lore and character descriptions, but is now just a $60 rulebook for each army), effectively making it so that using this tool means you have to spend an additional $60 PER army. Absolutely atrocious business model from Games Workshop that only seems to be getting worse with time. I can only hope they come to respect their fanbase and customers within my lifetime, but that seems unlikely at this point.

by Haloguy397

Warhammer40000 appears to be set up nicely. Others have mentioned some missing features like Enchancements. It would be a perfect app for me if I could export my army similar to Battlescribe and print my army so I can have a physical copy with everything I need to play the game.

As of right now, it’s cool to see the new stuff, but Warhammer40000 isn’t really usable in a game setting due to the lack of an export option. It’s only useful for building a list, not using one.

by PaladinAtti

I’m enjoying Warhammer40000 . Building an army in cathartic but I know with the release of more codexes I’ll have to buy them for the codes. I’ve made my peace with that pay wall fact. I will say what we have right now is nice.

I’d recommend players buying the index cards to honest. It has all your army weapons, rules and abilities. It goes well with your codex and if you don’t have one released for your army yet it’s still good to have. Don’t skip on that!! They are pretty cheap if your not a space marine lol.

I do have a question though about the dataslate. Will the point/ rule changes be added/ updated into the base app? My group don’t use them right now but if Warhammer40000 changes my army will drop in points. That’s not what’s bothering me, I just want to know if Warhammer40000 will factor that in later in an update and not be a “key document”. I don’t even see the September dataslate.

I’d like some info on that please!

by Jack The K

What Warhammer40000 does it does very well but there are a couple huge misses here. The inability to search units is the biggest - if you want to find something to fill the last 95 points of your list, instead of searching for units of 95 points or fewer you have to scroll the entire army list and check each entry manually. Looking for weapons with devastating wounds? You have to manually examine every weapon profile on every data sheet.

Also no facility to duplicate rosters or change sizes is somewhat shocking - if you have a 1000 point roster you want to increase to 2000 points, you have to start a new roster from scratch.

Warhammer40000 provides decent presentation of information but is held back by terrible UX design.

by Greymedium

Ideally this should make things quicker. An army roster should have a simple list of units with their top level stat line, a single click shows a clean version of the data card without frivolous decoration, a mobile screen real estate is very limited, please don't flood it with imagery and textured backgrounds that distract and force the content to flow below the fold if it doesn't need to. It also causes things to loose performance since it is pulling from a web service. Strong type hierarchy, high contrast legibility. One click to view details of a unit in a list

by Lothair

There’s absolute bare minimum iPad support, the Battle Forge army list builder is functional (if unremarkable and missing some QoL features), and as far as I can tell has all the rules currently available, and that’s progress, so 3/5 stars to start. Devs, some feature/QoL requests: ->A way of indicating attached Leaders. ->A way to expand all sections or switch to a view without collapsible sections in data sheets (currently requires a lot of tapping and wasted space). ->Army roster sync between devices. ->Optimized iPad layouts. ->Split Screen etc support on iPad. ->State tracking (Wounds, Battleshock) for units. ->Play/In-Game view that only shows full relevant data sheets, detachment rules, etc.

by Necrons Are The Best

I understand that GW needs money to keep on going. but you need to buy the codex so you can see your own army (just your own) and the subscribe to have more then one battle sheet.
I think Warhammer40000 would be much better if you didn’t have to buy the codex. I’m fine with the whole thing subscribe. you can make it so if you subscribe you can see core rules or something like that, but just not I need to subscribe and buy the codex to play the game.

-LilMallard101

by Inaizy

Please god, it is 2024 and I’m literally begging a company to add a subscription service and take my money.

I’d rather pay 10 or even 15 dollars per month than have Warhammer40000 , which itself works great, become less and less useful with each codex that is released that I don’t buy.

And I’m certainly not going to buy all of them just to keep access to information in Warhammer40000 , instead I will just buy my one or two codexes I was going to buy anyway and feel very bad about it.

by Dr.docdoctor

General Warhammer40000 is pretty good. Solid and mostly easy to use on the army building side. The rules look up system makes it easy to search up or touch the rule in the data sheet to get the info you need.

The bad news is the rules are not up to date. Devastating wounds still read as causing mortal wounds instead of ignoring saves. In a game as big as 40K, no normal user will check Warhammer40000 to make sure all the rules are right. And stumbling across a big miss like this spooks me a little about what other rules might be wrong.

by Nkodsssa

Honestly all gui and resources are great the problem I have it that it doesn’t have a way to view all of your army stats for easy play. Currently I have to manually click on everything to see what my rolls need to be super annoying and slows the game down a lot. It kinda feels unacceptable because other apps like BattleScribe do this and do it well. As Warhammer40000 that is built by the actual creators seems kind of lazy not to include this feature.

by Blackbird12

Fine enough for a free product, but it’s not going to encourage me to buy a subscription unless it’s improved.

Wargear selections should allow us to select loadouts. For example, if I want to replace a Custodian Guard’s spear with a Shield Misericordia, and Vexilla, I should simply have to check one box rather than selecting each piece of wargear individually.

If we’re going to be forced to run specific unit sizes, the restrictions should at least show up in Warhammer40000 . Currently I can make unit sizes not allowed in the Munitorum Field Manual and it doesn’t pop up an error.

by Tychondrix999

Not exactly the type of start that will keep players interested. It’s been almost 3 days since the ForgeWorld unit datasheets and points have been released… with no update in the list-building app to reflect that. How can a free app, ran by community members, update within hours of datasheet and rule changes… but the official App, ran by a multi-million dollar company, can’t get theirs updated in multiple days? Not a good look for convincing players to pay for this thing…

by Happybookreader

So far really happy with Warhammer40000 and its functionality. It is disappointing that it appears that the Battle Forge function will be locked behind a pay wall. Would definitely give a solid four stars if Battle Forge stays free. Will make it much easier for new players to get into the hobby when they know they can create lists easily and quickly. To that end, keep it free please!

by ZombieInfection

It’s a little too clunky to get a units info during gameplay. An extra button on the side of the unit entries in the army list that just displayed their datasheet when pressed would be super useful!

Also, please allow us to rename our army lists and duplicate them for when we just want to try small variations and mess around with points.

Good work so far!

by Hfffsa346

Much better than the 9th edition app. However, it’s usefulness stems from the ability to see ALL of the rules, including all of the rules for EVERY faction. This makes it possible to research other factions in preparation for events, and look up an opponent’s rules in-game, both of which are vital to keeping things fair and balanced for everyone. Once the codexes come out, if players are forced to pay for every codex in order to access those rules, the value of Warhammer40000 will once again disappear. I would be happy to pay a small monthly fee for unlimited access to all of the rules. However, paying a monthly fee AND paying for every codex isn’t something I believe most players will be interested in doing. Also, please add an ability to “duplicate” an army roster. If I want to create different variations of a list, having to build each one from scratch is extremely tedious. Thank you!

by Tangor

Warhammer40000 is very user friendly. Looks great on phone and tablet. It has the info you need and is quickly accessible to a point; I would love to have links inside my Army list that allows me to see my data sheets without having to back out to the main codex list. Devs have already stated they will be adding various wargear options etc. as time goes on, so I will reaerve my 5th star until we see where Warhammer40000 goes. I am pretty happy with it this far.

by Afatfriar

Overall, no complaints, but some features I’d like to see:
- I use this on both iPad and iPhone and would like if Warhammer40000 could display in landscape
- having the option to view models data sheets from the main battle forge page rather than having to click into each model first
- I’d like if you could see the entire army’s data sheets on a single scrollable page (like BattleScribe) once you’ve completed your list

by Herpa Flerp Derp

I give a 4 star rating now because Warhammer40000 itself works fairly well. It does the job and makes it simpler. However, the idea of ripping this from us for monetization in the future, as well as the codes codes again feels like a horrible misplay. Don’t so this. Let us keep what you’ve given, and have the codex codes be an additional expansion upon it.

by Berndh01

It’s about time Warhammer40000 is finally free. Everything in Warhammer40000 looks solid enough but I can’t imagine ever paying money for this. So glad that GW finally decided to do something smart and give everyone access to the rules in an east to use app so I’m not forced to use wiki websites to look at the rules. I give it 4 stars for the fact it’s solidly usable, but the army builder has a few issues, it also doesn’t allow me to put in what models I own so I can build easily from that. Would have been a really useful feature.

by Flyin Space Whale

Pros: - A slightly nicer to look at UI
- Free rules, and list-building (for now…)
- Separation of combat patrol datasheets from main indexes
- Quick list-building, but may be due to the simplicity of points this edition.
- Drop-downs within datasheets makes it easier to see only what you want.

Cons: - No way to add enhancements to your list (points values are found in your index)
- No way to quickly reference your army stats (you have to go into the reference, or into details for each unit within the battle forge)
- clunky reference section, its just a list of each index

Conclusion: Hey it’s free, it’ll make list building a little bit faster than a calculator. Warhammer40000 is easier to navigate than the pdf index documents. If they made a quick access “these are my unit datasheets for this battle” I’d love Warhammer40000 . As is, it’s the 9th edition app with drop downs.

by Natnuke

Overall Rating 4/5

App Design 4/5
Two simple buttons separating a long list of data sheets and list building, simple if a bit barebones.

U.I 3/5
Relies heavily on nested drop down menus, low separation of categories (Characters, Battleline, Other, Allied Units). Addition of the search function is helpful but otherwise leaves a lot of information contextless. Not the most beginner friendly.

Ease of Use 5/5
For all off that it is simple, clean, and easy on the eyes. Notifications pop up to let you know of unresolved issues (no warlord, wargear, etc), it copies to clipboard simply and effectively. If you know what you want it’s all at your fingertips.

by Marcos Jams

The functionality and bone of Warhammer40000 are great and it’s a joy to use but I see three potential QoL improvements they could make:
1. The ability to edit the name of a list after you make it.
2. The ability to duplicate a list so you can make minor tweaks without changing your original idea.
3. The ability to save favorite units and their load out would be nice. It’s a bit of a pain to max out the unit and add all their wargear every time you add the unit to your list and/or add it to another list.

by JBSCO42

Looks beautiful, thank you GW for having all stats on hand in one app! And it’s easy to add models and change wargear.

The one thing needing improvement is to have a “Done” option for army creation that displays the army list, so that when you click on a unit, it brings up its data sheet immediately rather than its wargear selection.

by Lexxmasta

…but please, please, PLEASE devs add a list view/summary view to use as an in game reference to see all the specific units in your lists along with their stats, abilities and weapons profiles. Making it printable as well would be really amazing. Otherwise on the list building side of things it works great and is fairly intuitive unlike the previous version of Warhammer40000. If a summary section was added Warhammer40000 would be nearly perfect. I will be happy to revise my review to 5/5 if that extra functionality is added in the future.

by Evan89009

I love the recent update with the battle bunker. One thing that I think everyone would like to see is a way to access your opponents army or list during a game on your phone. It might be tough to implement, but it would be great if you could share your battle bunker page with your opponent for a set time period. This way you could access the rules and data sheets for codex armies without having to purchase them or hand your book/phone back and forth.

by The Guardian Of Rage

Warhammer40000 is a must have for the table. Quickly find datasheets, rules, and have the information at hand without rifling through piles of cards or turning pages for minutes halting the flow of the game.

Could it use an auto rotate feature? Yes.

Could it benefit from syncing across devices? Yes.

Would a way to group leaders with their units make things less chaotic? Yes.

Would a way to mark units as eliminated and get them out of the way make it easier for end rounds to run more smoothly? yes

There are many slight additions/tweaks that would make Warhammer40000 even better but as is, it is a boon.

People who complain that they have to pay for the WH+ sub to make the fullest use of this are entitled and whiny. It’s $60 per YEAR… you just spent that on 3 minis that you won’t open for months… get over yourself, and stop being a petulant child a rating bombing this.

by Cade David

I don’t understand why people hate financially supporting a company. Is GW expensive? Yes. Does GW have subscriptions and paywalls? Yes. News flash every hobby is expensive.

Take golf for example. Golf equipment and clubs are expensive. Memberships are expensive. Paying for cart each time, expensive. Food and alcohol, expensive!! Golf balls that are constantly lost. Expensive.

But people will forever continue to play and PAY for golf, why? Because they love it. And it’s a great way to waste time and money with people you enjoy to be around and share the same interest as you. (the premise of every hobby)

GW supplies models, paint, rules, video games, and books for warhammer. All of those as we know are expensive. But, warhammer in my opinion is the greatest and most creative universe of all time, With truly ENDLESS hours of entertainment, warhammer is the gift that keeps on giving.

Point is if you love Warhammer, PAY for it! Support the company so that in return they can support you and the hobby you love.

by Phillip Hill Jr

My initial impressions: So much easier to use than the old app. It’s laid out better and the addition of the graphics really helps it feel like a better experience. The addition of the little lore pieces adds a nice touch. The army creation tool, seems to work well, everything is drop down menus and check boxes. It’s not hard to figure out and once you figure it out it’s really pretty easy to use. The armies should be listed by their name first and then the rule set - “Drukhari - Combat patrol”. Not “Combat patrol - Drukhari” In the army creation tool it is inconsistent in listing squad leaders first or last. Need to pick which layout and be consistent. A huge improvement, from my point of view, over the last app.

by Friendlyfire21

This should be around 4 stars, but due to the amount of 1 star ratings given by people who probably don’t even play Warhammer anymore I bumped it to 5. GW has a large following of people that hate them to hate them, and just follow suit. App has some issues but I’m glad it exists and works. Is there a Paywall? Obviously. GW has never given out free rules. There’s a reason why they are still around while most have gone out of business

by Churchgonewild

For such a swift release, the new 40K app already improves upon its predecessor in every way. Easy to use, streamlined information, and has *enough* visual flair.

It immediately stands with the Age of Sigmar app as a useful tool for any player and definitely recommend. Only “downside” is it’s a little rough around the edges in spots but time will fix that.

by Bdgfthj

Downloaded Warhammer40000 and I find it very easy to use. I was using a different one before that’s popular, but decided to try this. It’s great. It’s easy to use. I think the only issue I have is sometimes the multiple amount of Wargear changes for a unit and not getting it right and trying to figure what went wrong. I’m not an expert but ease of use is key. I recommend.