8th edition

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Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition – Learning Before Playing

Posted by johnnya10 on 09/06/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 2 Comments
7th ed tombstone
It’s getting closer. Are you looking forward to it? Am I? You know I am. Yes, Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition is just a few days away from landing on the shelves, and I for one am excited. Not only that, I feel that I already know so much about the game, that I’m genuinely eager to play it. And that’s what I want to talk about now – the benefits of knowing a game before you play it.
Think about it like this; You’re new to a country or community and one day your friends invite you to play a game. It’s a local game called, I dunno, ‘Dooperball’. You like playing games and meeting people, so you agree to come along. When you get there, you find that Dooperball looks like a bizarre combination of Rugby, Monopoly, Chess and Water Polo. There are a billion and one things going on and you have no idea what any of them are. You give it a go, and make a lot of mistakes but you carry on. And then, a couple of years later, when you’ve got your head around playing Dooperball, your mate says ‘We’ve updated Dooperball’s rules!’ and everyone else has read them except you, and you find out that it’s more of a cross between American Football, Scrabble, Checkers and Synchronised Swimming. Similar, but different, and it feels like you’re learning it all over again, and by the time you master it, another new set of rules come out.
balls
That’s what Warhammer 40,000 used to be like. You’d get good, get your army list set how you liked it, and then a new edition (or even just a new codex) would come out and change all of that. Well, no more.
In yet another example of GW opening up and talking to their fans and the community is the fact that 8th Edition has been play tested by external players who have a better understanding of what the people want. And on top of that, we heard all about it long before release. Articles about each faction, interviews with designers and a steady stream of information about all the changes have allowed us to ready ourselves and, dare I say it, look forward to the changes to come. You can even go into your local GW store and have a game right now! It’s like we’re goldfish and, very thoughtfully, they left us in the bag before tipping us into the tank, allowing us time to adjust and not suffer a goldfish-heart-attack (or whatever happens to them).
aos
And of course, just as Rogue Trader borrowed from Oldhammer Fantasy way back when, 40k 8th has borrowed heavily from AoS. I won’t profess to being an expert in AoS having only played a handful of games, but it’s a much better system for someone like me in comparison to the old WFB system. And what’s more, it hasn’t made it like for like – there are some subtle differences that very much retain the feel of 40k, and 8th Ed looks like it’s taken the very best bits of AoS that make the game genuinely fun and enjoyable to play, while still keeping it challenging. This is not AoS – It’s 40k that nods to a system that has surprised many by how popular it is.
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On top of all of that, Games Workshop has been working with other content producers to help get the word out there, while using its own Twitch channel to further give people plenty of insight. At the moment, I’m loving watching the guys from MiniWarGaming get to grips with their factions and test out the games. We’re getting some insight into tactics, but not the full breakdown – it’s revealing while still being enticing. It’s a classic marketing tactic and I’m thrilled that GW are using it, because my interest is growing with every round of gaming that I see.
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Now I’ll confess; 7th Ed passed me by. I got in a couple of games, but I didn’t play nearly as often as I did with 6th, or even 5th. I just never had the desperate urge to play it. But now, I’m actually thinking that I could become much more of a gamer. I might even push myself to enter a tournament at some point. I’m not coming into this like a Dooperball noob – I already feel like I know pretty much what I’ll be playing, and I’ve got the basic rules lodged in my head. And that is a nice feeling.
So here is my declaration to you – I will be playing more games of 40k this edition, and any that I do play, you’ll hear about here. And GW deserve a lot of credit for that pledge and attitude because of their own attitude. The openness is refreshing, and it’s got me very excited for the new edition. And that seems ti be true for many – not all of course, and many have their gripes, both legitimate concerns and not. To those people, I would urge them to wait and see – I think it’s going to be a good game. And if you hate it, no-one’s stopping you from playing 7th. But I, for one, can’t wait. With excitement; Onwards!

Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition – The Units That Need Some Love

Posted by johnnya10 on 26/05/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment. Tagged: . 1 Comment
So, a new day is dawning on the 41st Millennium and all those power lists, death stars and WAAC tactics are going to be knocked out of the park by the nerf bat of newhammer. But if I know one thing about this community, it’s that there is an element within our ranks who, within hours of the new game’s release, will have worked out exactly how to crush everything in their path.
40k deathstars
The rules may change, but the game’s the same and with all those math-hammer freaks and keyword and rules stackers out there, you can be sure of seeing something “broken” very early on. Of course, GW has vowed to respond to these sorts of things with a little more alacrity than it has done before, but the serious player, in the words of the immortal Jeff Goldblum (no, he actually is immortal – I checked), finds a way. I get all this. It’s part of the game. I just want to see some cool, fluffy units get their turn in the limelight.
With all that in mind, here are my Top 10 units that I want to see performing better in 8th Ed. The units that have for too long lived in the backs of draws and the bottom levels of carry cases. The units that are reserved purely for ‘fluffy’ lists. And even some of the units that were perfectly alright. in 7th, but just a bit underwhelming. Let’s take a look at the list…
Gorka/Morkanaut
gorkanaut
When these leviathans were released, Ork players were enraptured to see their beleaguered army get something big and stompy that could match the giants that other armies were enjoying. Alas, all of that excitement was for naut (get it?) and as cool and orky as they looked, the rules just didn’t back up the looks. It was a little too slow, not quite tough enough, and for a horde army, a transport capacity of 6 wasn’t ideal. Giving it a couple extra wounds, and doing some fun things with its weaponry meansthere’s no reason why this couldn’t be a star of 8th Ed.
Noise Marines
modern noise marines
Well, well, if it ain’t my favourite broken record. I know, I bang on about my favourite ever unit ever a little too much, but I just think that the new setup of rules and keywords and all the rest of it… there must be a way to make these guys awesome. We just got good again thanks to the traitor legions book and now the game is changing so new rules and (here comes the crescendo of that broken record) a new kit would be a joy to behold. Please, GW? Pretty please with sugar on top?
Vespids
vespids
Because this is what the whole Tau mantra is supposed to be about. It’s their bit, their gag and their gimmick – the greater good. But aside from the extremely occasional Kroot, this side of the fishface army has been largely neglected of late, and boy, are the Vespids symptomatic of this. They’re a relatively cheap unit yet they seem overcosted – that’s how bad they are. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen any on a table in real life. If the Tau are going to maintain this aspect of their identity into 8th Ed, the Vespid, and the Kroot too, need some attention.
Mutilators
mutilators
Ah, the slow-witted step child of the warp. Used by absolutely no-one and I imagine routinely made fun of by their gun-toting tool-kit cousins, the Obliterators, these guys need a real helping hand. More wounds for a start, and a drop in points costs will get them some of the way there, but they also just need to be a little more interesting in general. This is a unit in real dire need of assistance.
Carnifex 
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I’ve said it before on this blog, but I remember when the Tyranid Carnifex, then called the Screamer Killer (yes, I’m old), was the scariest thing that anyone could put on the table. In fairness, it’s still plenty scary in 7th Ed, but it can also be cut down a little too easy with massed firepower for the points it costs. I want this chappy to return to the status of ‘nightmare tank’ again. I want it to regain its mantle as the Tyranids’ most potent, end-of-level boss-style hulk. And even with larger bugs in existence, we can just say that he suffers somewhat from short-man syndrome. Easy.
Striking Scorpions
finecast striking scorpions
I’m already excited about this. By far the coolest of all the aspect warriors, the Scorpions have already had their rules announced and they look awesome. In previous editions, the Eldar’s lack of assault vehicles and the preference of Howling Banshees has meant the Scorpions were relegated to fluffy lists. I’ve always been their champion, but now, I won’t have to do so much flag waving as they’ll be able to leap from Wave Serpents, chain blades whirring and madiblasters inflicting wounds a plenty. If they can get past the overwatch, they’ll be perfect for ripping down infantry units.
Chaplains
chaplain with fist
Something tells me that the Space Marines won’t be needing much more help in the new setting, but I’ve been feeling sorry for the vanilla Chaplain for a while now. For his points cost, he doesn’t add enough to an army to make him worth taking, and thanks to the big impact of the psychic phase in recent editions, Librarians are far more attractive option. Chaplains need to be a truly inspiring presence on the battlefield. How does a big bubble that negates morale tests sound?
Hunter/Stalker
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I’m not sure that 8th Ed can fix these, and in fairness, they don’t actually need fixing. The problem is that they’re a risky option to take because if you’re opponent doesn’t have any flyers, they’re completely useless. But even then, Devs with flakk/skyfire are just better. Stick said Devs behind a defence line with a quad gun and you make the H/S tanks look more than a bit superfluous. Interceptor (or the new equivalent) if they don’t move? Another cool looking unit that I don’t think I’ve ever seen on the battlefield.
Maleceptors
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A unit statistically more likely to hurt itself than the enemy with its fluffiest attack. I shall say no more.
Ogryns
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It’s annoying, because their current rules and stats broadly fit their fluff, but when their fluff makes them out to be stupid, easily confused… what’s like one step above ‘cowards’? They should be able to punch a tank to death, but instead they have guns they can’t shoot and a toughness that is rarely tested as they draw so much fire and their poor save can rarely handle it. They have their issues. So some sort of ‘stupidly determined’ rule would help them avoid morale issues, while an extra couple of wounds could keep them alive for a lot longer.
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And that’s my list. I could have gone on – there are plenty of cool units that need rules to back them up, and if you think that there is a glaring omission to this list, stick a comment below. I know that there are more than a few players praying that their favourite looking units get a boost, and it will be exciting to see what is revealed in the coming weeks. Until then; Onwards!

Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition – We Have A Release Date!

Posted by johnnya10 on 24/05/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment. Tagged: . 5 Comments

That’s right. You heard it here last (probably – I sincerely doubt that H&H has broken the news to you, but if it did, yay me). June 17th is the day that we’ll all be able to get our hands on the brand new rules and, excitingly, the new box set as well. In an article that will be a repeat of many of those facts with a few of my opinions thrown in, here’s what’s up…

warhammer 40000 starter set contents

What’s In The Box!? 

Well, shockingly, there are Space Marines in the starter box (I don’t think anyone would have guessed that, do you?) and, once again, the forces of Chaos show up in the opposite corner. What is kind of new, is that we haven’t got a standard marine or tactical squad in sight. The Primaris Marines will take on the role of “goodies” this time around, and I have to say that Jes Goodwin’s newly designed Super Marines have got me itching to get the brushes out. They’ve taken the existing, much loved Space Marine template and subtly improved on that, though not in a way that invalidates the old miniatures. These are cool because they’re new and different, and not because the old ones were bad or boring (Oh, I can feel the xenos players itching to write a contradictory comment to that).

primaris marines with plasma weapons

My one criticism of the loyalist force in this box is that they’ve given them a unit of five Primarines (I invented that – you read that here first) with plasma guns. I hate plasma weapons. Not only do I tend to fail more than my fair share of ‘gets hot’ rolls (and my subsequent saves) but I’m also getting slightly tired of the over-done lighting effects that are often done with them. Seriously, the OSL used with plasma is reaching ridiculous levels. But the rest of the loyalist force is looking great. Especially the lieutenants who are going to be really fun to work on. I haven’t seen a Space Marine Lieutenant in a long time so it’s good to have them back.

nurgle bloat drone

I’m also very excited about the Plague Marines. I’ve got an old Death Guard army somewhere (not very well painted) and these could be some damn fine reinforcements for them (though, thinking about it, the old army is so badly painted, I may as well just start afresh here). The plague cultists look like a lot of fun, the new drone isn’t quite as nice as the Forge World miniature but it still looks top notch and it’s still great to see – makes a change from a dread/brute. The Death Guard themselves look brilliant – all puss-oozing, horn-covered and disease-ridden – as it should be. The characters look like a lot of joy to paint and play with too, though I’m not a huge fan of the sorcerer – kind of has a little baby head, and unless there’s a story behind that, I’m not sold on it. He kind of looks like he needs a dummy.

Plaguecaster1

Miniatures aside, we’ve got a rulebook, a couple of specific guides to the forces included, a set of templates – oh, wait, sorry; force of habit. No templates (RIP), but we do get some dice, rulers and rules cheat sheets as well. It looks like a good set, and I will definitely be getting my pre-order in on June 3rd.

Too Much To Take In

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I’ve been a bit quiet on this blog for the last month, and while some of this is down to being rather busy (started a new job), I’ve also been somewhat overwhelmed. There’s been an unprecedented amount of information coming out of Nottingham over the last couple of months and with so much to take in, I’ve barely been able to get my head around the idea of writing any articles.

That’s not in any way a complaint. Don’t get me wrong; it’s amazing to be getting so much information out of GW at the moment, but with such a high level of breaking news pieces, it’s been hard to get one’s head around it all. Every time I think I’ve got the bones of an article in my head, another bit of news hits! I think ‘Wow, the Imperial Knights are going to be good. I could write and articles abou- ooh, the Tyranids are going to be top notch now, I better wri- wow, the new starter set is out…’ and it’s been like that for a month at least! Brilliant but exhausting.

So What Are The Official H&H Stances On 8th?

Well, they are pretty much all positive. I generally like what GW does, but I don’t think I’ve ever been scared to take a pop at them when GW does something I don’t like. And try as I might to find any real negatives surrounding 8th Edition, I really can’t. As was covered in a previous post, even the invalidation of codices was handled very well by Games Workshop. So here’s the official line: We (yes, I’m using the royal Imperial ‘we’) are remaining positive. To break that down a little:

Primaris Marines look cool. You don’t have to take a single one of them if you don’t but I just can’t understand why you wouldn’t want to.
The Death Guard also look cool (apart from Babyhead) and the Drone is really exciting).
The story is going in a really cool direction – Bobby G doing his thing. But what’s happened to the Blood Angels and others on the far side of the warp rift!?
The game looks easy to play, fun to play, and well thought out.
Change is good.
You should put the cream onto the scone first, and then the jam.
Jet Fuel Doesn’t Melt Steel Beams.
The word ‘queue’ is just ‘q’ with four silent letters after it.
I appear to have gone wildly off topic.
So there you have it. Whether you care or not, them’s my opinions.
What’s Next On H&H
Well, as you’ve been very good boys and girls, and suffered through another rambling and run-of-the-mill article of little substance, I’ll give you a sneak peek at what I’ve been working on over the last couple of days. It’s not 40k related, but I’m enjoying it, and I hope you like it to. 😉
blood bowl orc lineman
More on this chap and his soon to be painted team mates soon. In the meantime, I shall be keeping my eyes fixed on the rumour sites and official channels as more of 8th Edition and the future of 40k is revealed. If anything else pops up, I will let you know. Onwards!

Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition – My Two Cents

Posted by johnnya10 on 27/04/2017
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 7 Comments
So, you may have noticed this little thing about a new edition of 40k appearing some time in the very near future. No? Not heard anything? I don’t blame you. It’s not like everyone everywhere within the wargaming community has been obsessing over it for the last month. It’s not like the battle lines between those excited and optimistic, and those already googling “how to set fire to my Tyranid army” and rage quitting have been drawn. Nothing like that. All is as calm as a mill pond in the hobby at the moment.
beaker crazy gif
Though it’s hard to convey sarcasm through the written word, I think you can probably tell that the above statement was made with the lowest form of wit. I’m actually surprised that I haven’t witnessed people running around inside GW stores shouting ‘The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!’. And given that everyone is weighing in on the subject of the new iteration of everyone’s favourite grimdark game, I thought I’d start shouting as well.
The Basics
You know what TV news items I hate? When there’s something big going on, and the guys in the news room “go live” with their reporter on the scene – usually some poor journalist who is stood out in the torrential rain. They ask him something like “what can you tell us?” and he starts with “Well, we don’t know anything for sure just yet, Jim but things are certainly happening!”. It’s at this point that I typically throw my remote at the TV and resolve to never watch rolling news again.
My point is, that there are so many sites already dealing in what we don’t know right now, and I really don’t want to do this. Let’s focus on what we do know first, eh? We know that a new edition is coming. We know that it has been simplified (though not “dumbed down”) and that existing codices will no longer be valid. We know that templates are gone, WS/BS rolls have been standardised/simplified and that charging armies strike first in combat.
We also know that it’s going to be Death Guard and Space Marines (likely smurfs) in the starter box. The movement stat is back, there isn’t a different profile for vehicles anymore, and that the core rules will be free. In this blogger’s opinion (humble or otherwise), I can’t see anything to be upset about here. What’s more we know that there are going to be three ways to play the game (casual, story-driven, competitive) and that there will be two ways to work out your army points – simple and detailed. Can this addition really be all things to all wargamers?
The Details: Books
codex burning
So, your codices are going to be ‘useless’ in this addition. That’s not entirely true though. Yes, the rules won’t work, but given that most codices are filled with fluff, artwork and painted minis anyway, they’re still a great source of inspiration. And the fact that GW will refund (with a voucher) any codices that have been purchased in the eight weeks prior to 8th’s launch is pretty awesome of them. That being said, yes, it is still annoying. But a sacrifice I’m willing to make for progress. But then again, I haven’t recently spent £30 on a big book.
The counter to this is that the core rules, and the stats for all existing miniatures (and one presumes a few new ones at launch – plus-sized space marines if a few grainy snaps are to be believed) will be free for the new edition is pretty huge. GW giving away free rules!? GW giving anything away for free!? What’s not to love about that?
What’s more, those who love to clutch their codex as they fall asleep at night (I may have done this once or twice) will still have the option of picking up new books in the future. GW confirmed that books are not a thing of the past, and just like with AoS, army tomes will still be published. If you don’t want them however, you will probably get free rules still, but at the very least you’ll be able to spend a couple of quid to get them in a new 40k app.
When it comes to printed words, I think this is a slight win for GW. Killing the current codices wasn’t the kindest of moves, but by giving a lot away for free, they’ve probably made up for this.
The Details: Rules
salamanders flamer
We’ve seen only a fraction of these so far. The two wound terminator stat line was a great thing to see, and details of how the template-less flamer will work already have some people declaring it OP, while others think that they will suck. By the looks of it, I think they’ll operate much the same, and it means we won’t have to worry so much about wasting time spreading models wide to avoid those deadly transparent plastic discs and shapes being placed over them.
The movement stat is actually a great call. And getting rid of vehicle profiles and unit types, while moving to a keyword based system is a stroke of genius. Not only does this mean that people who get all pissy about larger Tau suits being called ‘Gargantuan Creatures’ will be silenced, but it also means that the cross-codex death star will become a thing of the past (one can hope).
Charging armies fighting first in close combat is a good call, and it does away with the initiative step (though I now wonder what boon of Chaos the Emperor’s Children will get instead – we just got good, guys!!) and the simplifying of the BS stat is a godsend. No more explaining to people that ‘it’s the opposite side of the die’ or ‘subtract it from 7’ – that needless nonsense is gone.
The two methods of costing your armies is also a great idea. A time saver for those who need it, or a detailed system for those who want it.
So when it comes to individual rules, I think GW have scored very well at first glance. The proof of the plasma is in the firing though, so we’ll see how that goes when we know a little more.
The Details: Sigmar-isation
warhammer 40000 age of sigmar
So, all those people who were panicking and threatening to rage quit if the game went down the AoS route are still a little upset about this, but given the resurgent popularity of the fantasy system, and that it looks like GW are cherry picking the best bits of this and applying it to 40k, I’m pretty happy about this.
Again, we don’t know enough to comment (oh, God! Now I’m doing it!!), but based on what I’ve seen and heard, I’m optimistic. The three ways to play being introduced to 40k is a great shout – fun for everyone. If you want a super competitive matchup, you can enjoy that sort of game while someone else plays something else that’s super narrative.
That’s what i think we’ll get. All the best bits of 40k, smushed together with the best bits of AoS. Not bad at all.
Then There’s The New Stuff
new death guard chaos space marines
We know that the Death Guard are on their way. And we know that Papa Smurf (aka Roboute Guilliman) is working on some super-sized new Space Marines. Ok, this isn’t new edition dependent, but it is something that we can expect sooner rather than later. And to all those moaning that they’re going to have to remake entire armies with new Sigmarite-Sized Marines (Wait, does this mean we’ll have to call these Sigmarines as well!?), you won’t. Your old minis will all be valid, but you will be able to add to your armies with the new breed of super soldier. That’s what I’m hoping at least. And if I’m proved right, how’s that for a win?
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We’ve also been promised a bit of a return for close combat so suddenly those Orks and Nids aren’t looking so bottom tier any more, are they?
That’s Probably Enough For Now
Thumbs-and-Ammo-15
Quite right. This has rambled on for long enough now. One of the reasons that I kept going was that I was looking for some genuine negatives because, going by what I can see above, I am feeling really good about this. The codices thing is annoying, but GW have done enough to deal with this as far as I’m concerned. What’s more, they have dealt with one of the main issues that was making the game a real pain to play – the rules bloat. I welcome the simplification, but I’m glad that, from what we can see, it hasn’t gone full AoS. Taking the best from the Mortal Realms, and marrying it to the Grimdark is a great idea, and I look forward to seeing more details emerge in the coming days and weeks. Onwards!