Games Workshop had spent months needing to fix stuff like the absolute abomination that were the Cathay Sky Lanterns, and finally, on January 28th, 2026, they dropped the FAQs we’d been waiting for for ages.
But those FAQs brought a lot more changes too… even if maybe not all the ones we were expecting.
I’m going to sort and explain all of them here, plus what they mean on the table, in 4 minutes (there aren’t loads, but a few are genuinely important).
Alright—let’s get into it.
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Warhammer Old World FAQs 1.5.2 Rulebook
Unstable Old World: probably the biggest change in 1.5.2
What the community had been asking for forever: wounds lost to the Unstable special rule (so, when an Undead unit loses combat) can’t be recovered via a Regeneration save.
Changes to objectives and missions
From the Matched Play Guide, we’re told that Baggage Trains are no longer Dangerous Terrain: they’re now Impassable Terrain, but they still don’t block line of sight. They’re the only impassable feature in the game that doesn’t block LoS.
Thanks, Games Workshop.
I’m guessing they didn’t account for the problem where players build their baggage cart model and you end up having to stack one model on top of another.
And another really important one: a unit can’t control more than one objective at a time—it has to CHOOSE what it’s controlling. For example, you can’t control two objectives, or an objective and the Baggage Train: you have to pick.
The player chooses which one they control.
It’s not based on model count or Unit Strength: the player chooses what they control.
Special rules changes and clarifications in Warhammer Old World FAQ
Here’s a big one: you can now include a character in your army with higher Leadership than your General, as long as that character has something that prevents them from being the General (before, you couldn’t).
They also say a mercenary character can’t be your General.
To defend a linear obstacle with a Skirmisher unit, you have to move as many skirmishers as can fit into base contact with the terrain feature.
Army special rules don’t apply to mercenaries, unless that specific rule explicitly says otherwise.
They also clarify that casualties are removed from the front fighting rank, not the second rank, even though that second rank may also count as a fighting rank due to changes in previous FAQs. In FAQ 1.5.1, it says the models that die must be the ones in contact with the enemy.
So this can really affect units where weapons vary—like a unit of Black Orcs where some have shields, some have great weapons, and some have nothing.
In units like that, people used to include a few “naked” ones because at some point you’ll take casualties and you’d remove those before they even got to fight.
As for forests: they clarify that no matter how you place the trees, if more than half of your model or unit is inside the forest, it gets light cover / partial cover. Very important.
Another change: Stupidity. They clarify the Leadership test is taken at the start of each turn, but not if the unit is fleeing or engaged in combat.
Also, if you fail that test, the unit can’t move, but it can flee (as the one exception), on top of the other restrictions it already had. And come on… for fuck’s sake.
The Frenzy bonus doesn’t apply to mounts, to chariot beasts, or to the rider in the case where the model with Frenzy is the monster being ridden.
Another clarification: there is no maximum cap above which characteristics can’t be modified—so yes, you can have Strength 15, unless a rule specifically says there’s a maximum.
If a unit contains models with two different troop types, the maximum rank bonus it can get in combat is determined by the troop type that represents the majority of models in the unit.
Magic and shooting phases after Warhammer Old World January 2026 FAQ
The magic phase stays exactly the same as it was in FAQ 1.5.1, but the shooting phase changes in one small way—and they clarify one more thing:
The clarification: any additional crew that joins a war machine (like an Orc Bully or the Ogre of Cathay) will die along with the war machine when the machine is destroyed.
The change: for a unit to shoot in two ranks, it must be 100% on top of the hill.
It’s not enough for one model to be on the hill for the whole unit to get that extra shooting rank.
They don’t even say “only the models on the hill can shoot in two ranks”—so having the first rank in front of the hill and the second rank on the hill doesn’t give you the bonus either.
I think that’s a really drastic change, and it would’ve been better if only the models actually on the hill got the benefit… but whatever. Let’s move on to the juicy stuff, to…
The combat phase changes in 1.5.2
In combat, there’s a FAQ that makes explicit what was already implied in the rulebook: a model can’t choose to make fewer attacks than it has. Which would be really handy for monstrous-mount characters like, for example, a High Elf mage or a Black Orc boss on a Wyvern. In the first case, you’d often want the mage not to swing; in the second, you’d want the Wyvern not to swing (because it has a “strikes first” attack, and if that single attack kills the unit champion who challenged you, your Black Orc doesn’t get to hit… tragic).
Here’s a big one for people playing things in a kinda “weird” way: Impact Hits and Stomp Attacks can’t be allocated onto characters inside a unit, and not onto champions either.
So the Orc “headbutt” thing—where some players use the Black Orc on Wyvern to kill the unit champion and avoid being challenged—you can’t do that.
Wounds caused by Timber! / Tree Falls! do count toward combat resolution, for both sides.
Stuff that’s mostly just clarifying:
When a unit has two fighting ranks, the model in the second rank can still attack even if the model directly in front of it died.
So unless casualties go beyond the first rank and start removing models in the second rank too, the second rank still makes its supporting attacks normally.
Another one that really didn’t need clarifying: when a unit catches an enemy that retreated in good order, all charge bonuses apply (weapons, Initiative bonuses, everything).
The Evasive rule can’t be used while the unit is engaged in combat.
Another important one for Deathstars: if there’s no space for a character in the front rank of a unit with Press of Battle (two fighting ranks like infantry), can the character drop into the second rank?
And the answer will shock you…
NO.
If the character isn’t in the front rank—like they are 95% of the time—then they get moved to the rear, to the back rank.
And here’s my question: what if you only have two ranks? If the unit only has two ranks, that “back rank” is the same as the second fighting rank. Anyway—questions that keep you up at night.
Related: they also clarify that a character can’t push the command group into the second rank. The command group must always be in the front rank.
And finally, to wrap this up: unless the character sitting in the back has a special rule that says otherwise, that character provides no bonuses to the unit (Skaven have their own rule to get around this).
Changes for Chaos Warriors — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
Chaos Spawn change their Movement from 2D6 to 2D6+1. This is not going to make anyone start playing them.
It changes nothing.
They’re still not going to show up, either solo or in units.
This change is absurd and it annoys me.
The Berserkers and the Barbarian Tribe Chief (Wolves of the Sea) change base size to 30×30 to match the rest of the barbarians.
Changes for Orcs & Goblins — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
Quell Impetuosity gets nerfed: before, impetuous units could completely ignore the rule if they were within 6″ of any Black Orc; now, instead of ignoring it, they can only re-roll the Impetuous test if they fail it.
They also clarify that Fanatics don’t instantly die when they enter the command range of a Dwarf Engineer with the “Hostile Terrain” rule (from Expeditionary Forces).
They simply have to pass a Dangerous Terrain test (remember: normally, Fanatics just die when they touch any difficult, dangerous, or impassable terrain).
If you were hoping for a Fanatic nerf, these are not your FAQs.
They also clarify, for the Orcs & Goblins troll list, that a Troll Hag doesn’t apply the benefits of any magic weapon she’s carrying when she makes her Motherly Love attack.
Oh—and the character Druz Swampdigga (who I’ve never seen on a table) can choose spells from both of his “family lores”: Elementalism and Troll Magic. He doesn’t have to stick to spells from only one of the two lores.
Changes for Beastmen — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
Viletide goes from casting value 8+ to 9+.
Is it necessary? Yes.
Is it enough to nerf a full Viletide list? Probably not. +1 isn’t huge, but it’s true that this +1 combined with other modifiers like Magic Resistance (which is super common since 1.5.1) can make it pretty painful.
Minotaurs drop from 47 points to 44. Is that enough to start seeing Minotaurs? Or to make the Minotaur “Infamy army” competitive? Probably not.
Centigors are the same story: they drop from 19 to 17 points, but I still think they won’t show up in competitive lists, because the problem isn’t their points—it’s that they’re just bad.
In the Beastmen Arcane Journal Q&A, they say that if one Beastmen force takes another Beastmen force as allied contingent, they can’t bring two Herdstones. But if two Beastmen armies are fighting each other, obviously both can deploy their own Herdstone.
They also clarify that if a shaman has the Chalice of Plague (every double casts the spell with irresistible force—Perfect Invocation) and they also have the Dark Coven rule from the Infamy army… both effects simply apply:
So: when you roll a double, the spell goes off as Perfect Invocation, but also you and nearby wizards suffer the appropriate MISCAST.
And last but not least… (honestly, I think this one is actually really important):
Demon Heart does not increase dispel range under any circumstances. So a Level 2 wizard with Demon Heart only gains +1 to dispel, but does NOT increase their range from 18″ to 24″.
(In the item description, it says the bearer dispels as if they were one wizard level higher.)
Changes for Tomb Kings of Khemri — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
Besides the Unstable change I explained at the start, Tomb Kings have some ups and downs:
Chariots drop from 43 points to 41, while also improving their armour save from 5+ to 4+.
In the Royal Host Infamy list, the points for Tomb Guard chariots drop to 49.
These changes could be really interesting. It’s likely chariots start showing up more on tables.
Armour of the Ages can no longer be used by characters on dragons. Now it can only be used by models whose troop type is infantry, cavalry, or chariot.
And the only other FAQ for Tomb Kings says you can resurrect models into a skirmisher unit, and you simply place the new models in coherency with another model.
This lets us do THE CONGA LINE. Let me explain:
The Khemri conga line
The resurrection rule doesn’t say the new models must be in coherency with models that were already in the skirmisher unit.
Let’s say I want to get closer to an objective on my left: if I resurrect 6 skeletons, I can place the first resurrected model within 1″ of the leftmost model, then place the second resurrected model within 1″ to the left of the one I just placed, and keep chaining like that.
That lets you move a long way toward advantageous positions.
Changes for Renegade Crowns — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
For Renegade Crowns, the only change is troop type:
The unbarded warhorse is light cavalry.
The barded warhorse is heavy cavalry.
Everything else was already clear, and you can check it in the link I leave here where I analyse the whole Renegade Crowns situation.
And finally, for doubles-event allies in the Matched Play Guide, Renegade Crowns can ally as Trusted Allies with The Empire and with Bretonnia.
Changes for Dwarfs — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
Looks like Games Workshop really doesn’t like people making a mega-unit of Rangers, so they’ve set the maximum unit size to 20 models (before, there was no maximum).
Rune of Hesitation: enemies that charge the bearer of this rune don’t benefit from Press of Battle to fight in two ranks. What they do still get is the Initiative bonus from charging.
Entrenchment: they also clarify that a skirmisher unit that is entrenched doesn’t lose entrenched status when it gets charged (even if it has to move to form up into fighting ranks). And not when a model from that entrenched unit moves through the ranks to accept or refuse a challenge, either.
Doomseeker stops being a character and can never join a unit of Slayers.
The Goblin Hewer gets even worse in 1.5.2
And in a completely inexplicable way, the Goblin Hewer gets worse than it already was: it no longer gains D3 shots per enemy rank/column—now it’s just a single D3 total.
Changes for The Empire — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
ALL Warrior Priests—of Sigmar and Ulric, heroes and commanders—gain +1 Leadership.
Let’s see if anyone actually uses them now.
General Hans von Löwenhacke also goes from Leadership 9 to 10.
Harald Gemunsen gains Magical Attacks.
Empire Engineers only benefit from the “get cover within 3 inches of a war machine” rule if they are not mounted.
Apparently, people were putting Steam Tanks near war machines to get full cover.
Flagellants, which nobody was using, go back to Toughness 4 instead of 3, like the old days.
Characters with Laurels of Victory: they clarify that wounds caused by these characters when they Stand & Shoot do not count double for combat resolution.
Changes for Bretonnia — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
We start with a REALLY important one: the Royal Pegasus, the mount of basically every Bretonnian Duke and Baron, goes from 60 points to 70, and becomes a Monster instead of Monstrous Cavalry. So since it’s no longer cavalry, it loses 360° line of sight, and Bretonnian players will start swapping it for either a Hippogryph or a Barded Pegasus.
Battle Pilgrims drop from 8 points to 6 points, and they say each unit can only include one Grail Reliquae.
They spell it out explicitly, just in case someone got the bright idea to bring eight of them in the same unit.
Important change to Finest Warhorses: they clarify that the Swiftstride die is NOT part of the charge roll, so you can never re-roll that die using this rule.
Lance Formation: they clarify that every enemy model in the front rank that can reach the Bretonnians with their Movement characteristic counts as being in base contact with them.
And they also clarify that if the enemy is regular or heavy infantry, the second rank is not in base contact with the Bretonnian cavalry unit.
Small clarification for Men-at-Arms: they must choose the weapon they’re fighting with, and also how they’re using the polearm if they’re using it, in step 1.1 of the combat sub-phase.
If you were expecting a Men-at-Arms nerf… today isn’t your day, and these aren’t your FAQs.
VERY IMPORTANT: at this point, GW backpedals and allows warhorses to be on 25×50 bases, or to stay on 30×60.
Does this mean BRETONNIAN KNIGHTS CHANGING BASES?
No.
They are mounted on “BRETONNIAN WARHORSES”, not “Warhorses”.
The only miniatures affected by this are mounted Damsels, mounted Prophetesses, and mounted Sergeants-at-Arms.
Changes for Wood Elves — FAQ 1.5.2 in Old World
A lot of units in this army drop in points, and some of them change rules too:
Glade Guard drop by 1 point, from 11 to 10.
Eternal Guard drop from 13 to 12.
Dryads keep their points cost but go from Move 5 to Move 6 and gain Armour Bane (1). Is that enough for them to start showing up? Probably not. I’d bet no—especially if you’re also buffing Glade Guard, which is what people were running before, by dropping their points… but hey, at least it’s something.
Glade Riders drop from 18 to 17, and the minimum unit size drops from 5 to 4. That smaller unit size could be interesting for using them as redirectors, although I still think the little forest critters are going to stay the redirector kings because they’re way cheaper, with Glade Riders staying what they used to be: objective grabbers.
Sisters of the Thorn drop by 2 points, from 24 to 22.
Kurnous Riders drop from 27 to 26.
Orion: as long as any of the dogs accompanying him are still alive, Orion can’t be selected as the target of enemy shooting attacks.
Araloth, the other special character, drops from 170 to 150 points.
They clarify that a Wood Elf Noble from the buildriders kindred can wear a helmet in addition to light armour.
Changes for High Elves — FAQ 1.5 Old World
High Elf player: if you were expecting any kind of change, any kind of buff, for any of your units that are completely useless—like elite infantry—you’ll have to keep waiting for months and keep playing double dragon if you want to win games.
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered:
Competitive High Elves: The Old World list analysed so you don’t leave empty-handed.
And everything else—down below you’ve got the other Cathay post, and with that we’ve covered all the changes in 1.5.2.
The Cathay changes are genuinely big and important, so I decided to split them into a separate post. Hope it helps, and enjoy the hobby.
Cathay 1.5.2 FAQ & Errata: Complete Breakdown Warhammer The Old World
Competitive High Elves List The Old World Explained
Battle March Rules | Warhammer: The Old World | New Skirmish Mode Explained
Cathay 1.5.2 FAQ & Errata: Complete Breakdown Warhammer The Old World
Parry in Warhammer The Old World | How does it work?
New Recruit vs Old World Builder: Best List Builder for Warhammer The Old World in 2026
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