8th Edition Goodies....

[ben1028]

So, my buddy got some info about 8th edition from his GW store manager who just returned from a conference. The following are some of the changes that will supposedly be taking place:

1. A new rank system: a couple new rank systems added to the current 5 man front with different bonuses. A four-man front was mentioned, but what was showcased at the conference was the "horde". The horde is a 10 man front 5 ranks deep, and apparently the bonus (other than having a big ass unit) is that the second rank fights without the need of being equipped with spears.

2. A new combat resolution system: Nothing was really mentioned on the actual mechanics, but apparently it will be harder to make a unit break in combat. This is to address complaints that combat is currently more about scaring the other units away rather than killing them.

3. Revamping the magic system: Also not much for mechanics, but apparently a lvl 2 mage nuked about 60 night goblins in a demo... Oh, and the magic phase is supposed to be going before movement now...

4. Charging: Apparently charge range is getting changed to double the units movement + an additional d6+1. Not sure how I feel about this...

5. Scenarios: there will be more scenarios in the rule book, with the highlight being an incorporated siege system and siege scenarios (I guess they based the new siege system on the Lord of the Rings siege mechanics, which supposedly are pretty good). Also, all new army books are going to come with race specific scenarios in the back like many of the 40k codexes do.

6. Monsters: some kind of "Stomp" bonus for large creatures fighting human sized models...

So, that about sums it up. Oh, the boxed game is High Elves and Skaven. For Orc and Goblin players, there is a new army book that will be released in the near future (apparently they are trying to keep that a surprise, probably so they can offload their inventory of the current edition). Upcoming army books are rumored to be Tomb Kings and Ogre Kingdoms.

So, the semi-official rumor mill is now ending. What are peoples thoughts on all this?

I am assuming that shooting will get changed a bit with all of these giant 50 man units that will be running around,since shooting is already a bit weak for most armies. I would hope that templates get rid of the 4+ to hit partials. War machines will get a boost probably because of the siege rules, and also because even a great cannon won't be very effective against such massive units...

[hardihar]

hmm, 1 im ambivelent about. wonder what broken complexity they will put into it.

2 oh man this sounds like the suck. units dont kill everyone, they BREAK the other unit to win then run down the other guys as they run away. thats where the casulties come from in ancient combat, and this sounds like were going to get the static attrition combat that i see in other less tactical games.

3. hmmmm no idea about the magic until i see it. some rumors made it seem like the Vamps were going to get their magic gutted.

4. not impressed with this, again it diminishes the tactical manuever necessary to win. makes it easier to just push units out accross the table with less need to think.

5. scenarios are fine, but the reality is that most ancient battles were fought on realtively level ground with minimal terrain.

6. monsters, hmmm how about we actually get big infantry blocks working first?

[ben1028]

Yeah, I pretty much agree with you on all points. From what I heard it definitely seemed like they were just showing highlights though, and weren't going into the details so hopefully there is more to some of these things that make it work. I would like to see a little bit less reliance on combat resolution, but hopefully they don't over do it.

I don't think I like the charge rule, so hopefully that one goes away. Take the beastmen spell and move a centigor unit d6+1, than charge for double movement + another d6+1, and you are looking at a 20+" charge in the first turn. Add that to the huge units and it would make shooty armies useless unless they are also changed in significant ways.

[ross]

vampire magic should be gutted

[doctorclockwork]

From all of the threads I've read on the subject, it sounds like GW is trying to fix the rules to weaken the power races (vamps, daemons etc). But a lot of people are worried how badly other races will get nerfed as a result...

[ross]

I hear from a very reliable source (the people who update fantasy AB) that they are going back to the 25% lord 25% hero 50% troops and 25% rare force organization chart.

that ruins my plan for the beastman army so now I will have to buy lots of gors, oh well

[khornedog]

Would special be 25% or 50%?

[phoenix]

I've seen 25% on a number of the rumor sites. Whether its true or not, who knows - but I haven't seen anyone saying 50%. There's also the limit on how many of particular choices you can have - i.e. only two of any one rare choice, for instance.

[ross]

May 24, 2010 8:33:31 GMT -5 khornedog said:

Would special be 25% or 50%?

probably 25% as well. this really hurts Vamps since now they will have to put the points into skeletons starting on the table instead of just doing the minimum squad size and putting the rest of the points into characters. It also hurts my beastman army since I can't just get away with having three 80 point chariots as my core choices.

[Sterling Archer]

There goes my dreadlord and his pet dragon...

[droofus]

People might have to play with armies that look like actual armies now, not just ragged gunlines supporting deathstar units.

Sounding good!

[phoenix]

It's a boon for WE - their deathstar unit is core! Plus their "ragged bowline" is all core, and got better, too.

[droofus]

May 24, 2010 9:58:44 GMT -5 phoenix said:

It's a boon for WE - their deathstar unit is core! Plus their "ragged bowline" is all core, and got better, too.

Well, Wood Elves always have been the square peg in the round hole of WHFB.

An parallel can be drawn between them and Daemons in 40k. No army plays quite like them.

[phoenix]

May 24, 2010 9:19:06 GMT -5 Sterling Archer said:

There goes my dreadlord and his pet dragon...

Unless the Dragon counts against the Hero slot? It currently takes up an additional Hero slot. Anyone heard anything about how the split units work, units which use a hero and a rare slot for instance?

[Sterling Archer]

True Phoenix. That will be intresting.