The redemption of the transport vehicle

"Remember where we parked, Brother Domitian."

The other day, Warhammer Community put up the latest in their series of 8^th edition rule reveals and it was the one I'd been most looking forward to: transport vehicles. Long story short, it looks like they might actually do what they're meant to this time round.

I've never really got along with the concept of transport vehicles, to be honest. There were some designs and concepts that grabbed me, to be sure. For instance, I genuinely believe the Imperial Guard Chimera is the best and most versatile light tank in the game. The problem is that transports in general just weren't that useful.

The simple shift in rules GW now proposes is this: embarked units get out at the beginning of the Movement Phase and have complete freedom to move, shoot and charge as normal. A transport vehicle is now, plain and simply, for rushing forward, absorbing enemy fire in their next turn, and then disgorging a large number of angry people right in the face of the enemy. Oh, and then the transport can move off to offer a second target to the enemy.

Hell, now they have combat statistics even a Rhino might offering interesting tactical possibilities. Who knows, maybe Guilliman's plan to make even more superhuman Space Marines will involve inventing a basic transport that's more than a motorised storm bolter. One can hope.

Also, everyone embarked on an open-topped transport can now shoot. That's going to do wonderful things for Dark Eldar and Ork armies.