Saturday, May 3, 2014

Rumblings of 7th Ed


There have been a lot of rumors coming down about the new supposed edition of 40k.  Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been moving around a lot at work and its been busy and hard to focus on 40k.  With that said, 7th ed is looking interesting though there are contradictory rumors and its not clear what is going to be in the new edition.  Well here is what I think.

Force percentages, nope I don't see that happening.  That's been a long rumor for multiple 40k editions and has yet to bear fruit.  It certainly could happen, but I really don't see it.  GW has focused on its current force org and I would be quite surprised if they abandoned it.  Now percentages wouldn't be a bad thing, and if done right could actually be quite nice, but I like 40k and how you have your minimum choices and then free reign to take what you want.  Forcing players to take a significant number of troops before other choices doesn't feel right to me.  I like choice.

Sideboards.  This I could see happening, there is a rumor that this may be part of an updated tournament rule set for GW and not in the main edition.  That I see as being more likely.  I kinda like this idea as it allows you to have minor variances in your force to deal with different armies.  Bring something to deal with eldar, something for deathstars, something for tau etc.  I would be a little surprised if it was in the main book, but not too much.

Other than that, the main changes seem to be towards assault and psychic.  Supposedly the powers are going to be reshuffled a bit and there may be some changes to how psychic powers are used, whether in its own phase or  just all consolidated into a single one.  This I see as likely as some of the tables have really shown to be really powerful while others are meh and too situational to help.  I really hope all the tables are balanced and have good powers in them and especially useful primaris powers.  This is the weakness of a couple of the tables in that the primaris power sucks so its a real risk rolling on the table as if you don't get what you want, your stuck with one of two crappy powers.

For assault it looks like consolidation into combat may be back.  Now I have nightmares still of those old days and my IG getting rolled up by a single blood angel squad due to this.  But if that is the only change for assault that is ok.  Assault is much harder than it was in those days so this makes up for random distance, overwatch, the sheer power of shooting in the current edition.  There was a rumor about needing an I check to fire overwatch, I haven't heard it since then so thats low on the possibility scale.  Though I think that would be a great change and would prefer that to be changed versus combat consolidation.

Other than that nothing seems to be clear other than a it being a big FAQ update with enough changes to need a new book.  It may be a money grab but if there is enough changes to improve the game system than I am ok with that as 6th, while being a good edition, has some serious issues and lack of support hurts it.  Though I will be getting the digital edition, no way am I getting that giant tome.  Overall it is looking to be some interesting changes and hopefully for the better.

GG

16 comments:

  1. Percentages could easily fix the spam issue in 40k. No longer can Tau players take two bare bones fire warrior squads and then just spend the rest of their points on Riptides and other battle suits.

    The choice that force org charts gives is so easily abused and percentages give you choice as well. Percentages have been in fantasy for a while now and yet i don't see people yearning for the old days where a pseudo force org chart was how you built you armies. Just by making people build armies with percentages would fix alot of the issues 40k has at the moment with spam lists and it would make me slightly more interested in playing it

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    1. My only issue with the percentage system is that it makes some units impossible to run, the main one that keeps appearing is terminators in raiders but what about a full up graded bulgryn squad or a tooled up leman russ squadron? Will need to check the numbers but I think they will have issues.

      As for the rest of the rumours, II'm not overly worried.

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    2. the problem with percentages is it will lead to a homogenization effect. people complain that at tournies you tend to see the same list all the time. a percentage system is gonna make that filter down to the lower levels too, making taking "fun fluffy armies" less viable.
      when you can only have x percent of points in fast attack, sliding in a unit of roughriders becomes a LOT harder

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    3. ^^ This.

      Losing Divination as a primaris power would be a pretty ugly nerf to AM. Wether you run power blobs or deathstrikes it will hurt your build a lot.

      BF Tabitha

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  2. It depends on the percentages themselves.
    If they are like 25% HQ, 75% Troops, 25% Elites, 50% Fast, 50% Heavy. At 2000 pts, its 500 on HQ, 500 on Elite, 1500 on Troop, 1000 on Fast and 1000 on Heavy.
    You can fit a lot of armies on this percentages.

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  3. One thing I was reminded of tonight was the blast rules, I still think wounds caused by blasts should be taken by models under the blasts, not resolved as normal shooting.

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  4. As a Dark Eldar player, I feel that assualt needs a good overhaul. Some kind of nerf to overwatch would be nice, but more importantly consildating into another combat. All combat is pretty much suicide for all Dark Eldar besides Incubi due to the fact that we have a 5+ save. A squad that mops up an enemy is as good as dead sitting out in the open during an opponents shooting. As it stands one of our two basic troop choices is useless for anything but suicide anti-tank. The ability to at least tie up another units shooting would give them a purpose again.

    Servicious, the Disgruntled Dark Eldar

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    1. I have never found an issue with overwatch, I have always found it quite balanced and to be honest, not very useful.

      As for consolidating in to combat, I'm not a fan. It will make some units completely overpowered and almost unkillable (thinking termies), especially for a guard army

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    2. I'm guessing you play with an army that has a decent armor save...

      As for the consolidating into combat (again you probably have a decent armor save), having to contemplate whether I am sending in just enough guys to NOT kill a squad during my turn, but during my opponents turn is nonsensical. I should be rewarded for overwhelming my enemy, not punished. The only other alternative is to let me consolidate my FULL charge distance so that I can get back into the vehicle I charged out of or back into the cover from where I started. Now I'm not saying a full second round of combat should ensue, just that the unit should be locked for the next turns combat so they can't be shot at. Make it a disorganized charge if you are worried about it being overpowered. Also units such as termies would be dissalowed from making said charge, they can't sweeping advance afterall. If overwatch is balanced as you say, I am fine with allowing an additional overwatch for this consolidation charge.

      Servicious, the Disgruntled Dark Eldar

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    3. I'm guard player, always have been and always will be, and when charging I generally find I might loose a bloke or two to MEQs and when being charged I'll kill one if I'm lucky. Killed a termie once causing the charge to fail, which was fun!

      And it's all about tactics, the whole game is, do you charge or do you not., do you shoot or run, consolidating in to combat or not doesn't change that, I'm just not in favour of it as I think some armies, like blood angles and space wolves will become very powerful.

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    4. Ah I get it now, you are probably working with large blobs of infantry whose primary function isn't to neccessarily get into close combat in the first place. You have nice lasguns to sit and pew pew with. Take those lasguns away to reduce your max shooting range to 12, reduce your max squad size to ten (twenty but if you aren't sticking them in an assualt transport you are dumb) and charge a ten strong squad of marines, or 20+ guardsman with lasguns, or 10 firewarriors and you see what DE have to offer for their other troops choice. Whyches are our cc troops, they are supposed to own in close combat (which they do, IF they can get there). I'm going to lose about 3 of ten from overwatch, more if flamers or twin linked are involved, no save. Now lets say i manage to win the assault right off the bat, now my troops are stuck out in the open and will get melted during my oppents shooting. GW has taken what should be a useful unit, and turned it into a paperweight sitting on my shelf. All I need is a minor non gamebreaking change like sweeping advance into a new combat and reduced overwatch to make them worthwhile...

      Like you said, its about tactics and the only tactic my whyces can employ (as well as units i.e. Tyranid gaunts, Eldar banshees etc.) is to charge. If you are worried about BA or SW, employ better tactics and spread out when you see a charge coming if you don't want to get swept into. Gunlines are what this game is all about now, and the only way to fix that is to provide a disadvantage to balling up behind a wall.

      Servicious, the Disgruntled Dark Eldar

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    5. Yeah, I do run large squads, and I understand your problem. But in theory the consolidation move is supposed to be the answer to your problem. Maybe a 2d6 move would be a better solution.

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  5. Oh, and what do people think of the new rumors? Unbound or battle forged, aanyone expecting to face alpha strike elite drop pod armies?

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    1. These are no longer rumors, they are CONFIRMED. I have seen the WD pages with my own eyes... Unless the penalties (bonuses for going battle forged) are crippling to unbound armies, GW has officially jumped the sharknado. They might sell a slew of models initially, but they are going to alienate alot of people who care about the game, not the hobby, the game. GW needs to get some folks in their management who can appreciate rules and not the shiniest new models. I'm pissed off enough that I'm going to have to spend another $60+ after only getting to use my previous book for less than a year. I can already here X-Wing calling my name...

      Servicious, the Disgruntled Dark Eldar

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    2. I agree, I think gw is losing the plot slightly. The FoC system has its flaws but getting rid of it is not the answer. We'll have to wait and see what the bonuses are though, they maybe better than expected.

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    3. Lets hope...

      Servicious, the Disgruntled Dark Eldar

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