Crusade: Pariah Nexus Book Announced

With the 10th edition of Warhammer 40K continuing to gain momentum after its official release in the summer of 2023, Games Workshop has announced a new expansion for their narrative Crusade game mode.

Entitled Crusade: Pariah Nexus, the book offers new background lore and thematic rules that cover the Necrons, the Adeptus Mechanicus and the mysterious region of space known as the Nephilim Anomaly. As with Crusade books from other editions, the book is designed to add a unique element of roleplaying and narrative choice when it comes to Warhammer 40K games. It will soon be available for pre-order from Games Workshop.

So just what can we expect in this latest Crusade? Below we break out all the details.

What’s Included in the “Crusade: Pariah Nexus” Book?

Crusade: Pariah Nexus is a 120-page hardcover book that includes background lore and thematic rules for use in Warhammer 40K Crusade games. The story – and its associated missions – take place in the Pariah Nexus, a remote region of space that seems to be free from the psychic influences of the Warp and which is of vital strategic interest to the Necrons and the Imperium.

In addition to the complete 10th edition Crusade rules, the book also includes a variety of new location-specific rules options, including Blackstone Discovery. This allows you to harness the power of Blackstone Fragments to buy XP for your Warlord once per Campaign phase, and also allows you to purchase new Crusade-specific upgrades, such as the Empathic Disinclinator, which grants friendly units within range of a pre-selected objective marker a 5+ invulnerable save. 

There are also new rules that apply specifically to the Pariah Nexus. One of these is the new Strategic Footing step, which happens just before you read your mission rules. Designed to simulate the chaotic communications and strange anomalies that occur in this region of space, in this phase each player secretly selects either the Aggressive, Balanced, or Defensive Strategic Footing.

Each mission then has a specific Strategic Footing associated with it, and players who chose that footing can special abilities, such as granting a unit the Infiltrator ability or increasing a unit’s Objective Control characteristic. Other advantages include unique interactions with mission rules, such as letting units ignore board-wide debuffs and modifiers.

There are also three unique agendas that tie into the Strategic Footings, so choosing one particular footing over another can have a dramatic impact on the game, adding an extra layer to of strategy to missions and also doing a great job of simulating the strange environments found in this part of the galaxy.

Notably, Pariah Nexus is the second Crusade narrative expansion for the 10th edition of Warhammer 40K, with Games Workshop having previously released Crusade: Tyrannic War back in June of 2023 to coincide with the launch of the new edition of the game. That particular book focused largely on using the Tyranid and Space Marine models include in the Leviathan box set.

What is Warhammer 40K Crusade Mode?

Crusade is an immersive, narrative-driven way to play Warhammer 40K tabletop. In this mode, you can build and evolve a personalized army over a series of interconnected battles, creating a unique story involving your armies and associated characters.

You start the game with a small force, known as an Order of Battle, which is usually limited in terms of power level or points. As battles are fought, your units gain experience, take casualties and may even earn special honors or suffer battle scars.

A key element of the Crusade experience is the concept of a Crusade Card for each unit, which tracks that unit’s experience, upgrades and battle history. This persistent progression system allows units to grow in capability, gaining new abilities, war gear and character traits.

Narratively, Crusade mode is also highly flexible, allowing you to craft your own storylines or follow themed missions and campaigns provided by Games Workshop. Crusade also encourages diverse army compositions and strategies, as you aren’t just aiming to win battles, but also trying to accomplish specific narrative objectives and grow your forces.

Games Workshop recently released the rules for 10th edition Crausade mode for Warhammer 40K for free on their website. They’ve also released only a rules sheet with information on how 9th edition players can update their existing units. The 10th edition Crusade rules – along with extra army and location-specific rules – are also in official print supplements like Pariah Nexus and Tyrannic Wars.

What is the Pariah Nexus?

The Pariah Nexus is a region of the galaxy also known as the “Nephilim Anomaly” or “Zone of Silence,” as it free from the psychic influences of the Warp. It was given this name by the Imperium as it bears a similarity to the so-called “Pariah Gene”, a rate mutation in humans which – like the Nexus – also suppresses psychic power.

In reality, however, the Nexus’ dead zone is the result of a colossal feat of Necron cosmic engineering using Blackstone to create a field of anti-empyric energy. This fact is a closely guarded secret among the Necrons and is unknown to most of the other species in the galaxy, including the Imperium.

During the Indomitus Crusade, the Imperial Battlegroup Kallides was sent to investigate the Nexus, instigating a large scale war. Notably, the Pariah Nexus is also the setting and name of a recent Warhammer 40K online animated series, which follows a lone Sister of Battle struggling to survive in the wake of a massive Necron invasion.

When is Crusade: Pariah Nexus Coming Out?

The book is currently available for pre-order on January 24th, 2024. The exact date in which the book will officially be released, however, is not yet known. Typically it takes a week or two for titles to ship after their initial launch.

How much is Crusade: the Pariah Nexus?

The standard hardcover book version of Crusade: Pariah Nexus will have an MSRP of $60 USD, if you order it from the Games Workshop website. The price may vary if you do purchase it from third-party retailers other online or in-store (many Warhammer 40K books are often on sale on Amazon after their initial release).

There will also be a Collector’s Edition that will be limited to just 600 copies. This version includes gold foil text, printed page edges and a black ribbon page marker. The price of this Collector’s Edition has not yet been released.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s great to see Games Workshop continuing to supporting the Crusade game mode (even though they have yet to release the official rules online for free). If you’re a fan of Necrons and the Nexus Pariah, chances are you’ll dig this book.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story and will update this page will a full review of Crusade: Pariah Nexus after the book comes out.

Below is also a recent video Games Workshop released about the book.

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