Mind War, ftw!

Well Thanks!

2013-05-20T00:34:00.000+01:00

This is just a really short post to thank all you guys who continue to visit, ostensibly hopeful for more content despite the substantial gap since my last article. So really. Thanks.

Since you guys keep coming, I figure I should share something I DO enjoy!!

Check yourselves out axecop.com if you arent already familiar with it. It isnt easy for a webcomic to join my list of favourites, alongside Penny Arcade, PVP and, to a lesser extent lately, Ctrl Alt Del - but when I discovered Axe Cop... must have been a year and a half ago or so... I loved it right away. Check it out!

99 Problemz Biatch

2012-08-07T12:21:00.001+01:00

So, I haven't exactly been writing as many articles of late. I've received mostly positive feedback on the series, so thanks - and I've certainly got a lot of views, which earns me a slightly larger pittance, so thanks again.

Problem is, while I was initially exaggerating somewhat for the sake of the title, I really am finding more and more issues with the game the deeper I delve.

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Marine Cost: Brief Analysis.

2012-08-03T17:07:00.001+01:00

In my article below, Chumby made the following comment:

"And hey, let them benefit from their armor, it's not like they don't pay for it."

So, I thought we should have a little look at this claim, see to what extent it's the case...

For a baseline, we shall start with Imperial Guard, since they're the best balanced statline, other than of course Marines themselves. They're cheap, too - and enough things have IG statlines that we can adequately compare points costs and get a decent idea of what exactly Marines do or do not get for free.

A basic Guardsman, as we know, costs 5 points, give or take. Technically, they don't actually, as that would make the Sergeants free in their squads, but I know most people probably don't agree with me in thinking of it that way...either way, let's just assume that 5 points is a fair cost for 3/3/3/3/1/3/1/7/5+ and a Lasgun.

Well, Marines have a point better in nearly all those stats barring Save, so that's a total of 6 stat upgrades. If we price these at a point apiece, which is probably a little cheap, our Marine is up to 11 points...not bad, huh? So, what about equipment? Well, the Marine has a Bolt Pistol, a Bolter, Frags, Kraks - and this is compared to a Lasgun and Frags - so it's going to be at LEAST 3 points worth of gear. More accurately, a Bolt Pistol is 2 points for a guardsman who has the option, a Bolter commonly 3 points, and Kraks manage to squeeze in at one each - so Marines underpay, at best.

What else? Marines start off with Combat Squads, Combat Tactics and ATSKNF, unless from some variant Codex, but it's a fairer comparison if we only do it in relation to the most common tactical Marines, supposedly the epitome of Marine-hood.

These Marines are 16 points each. We had one at 14 points, in Flak Armour, and without those rules. Power Armour, for those GEQs who have the option, costs 8 points.

Since those rules are obviously worth more than a single point apiece (how much would Dark Eldar pay for ATSKHF? How much would Fire Dragons or Orks pay for Combat Squads?!) we know already that the cost is hugely disproportional.

So, no, to answer the original question.

Marines don't actually pay for everything they have. They'd still underpay for the quality difference between them and IG if they were 22 points each.

Let's get this straight - I play Marines too. But let's cut the crap and fanboi whining when Marines don't get everything available to Xenos, huh? Marines get shitloads.

99 Problems: Subtle Tactical Rules Changes; Part One

2012-07-30T23:22:00.001+01:00

This is a subset of my (un)popular 99 Problems Cos This 6th Ain't Fun series, where I shall be attempting to bring to light things I haven't seen mentioned as important rules changes to tactical play that haven't arisen elsewhere on the Blogosphere I am aware of...admittedly, my foruming has been very lax indeed of late, and it could have been done to death on every forum imaginable...thing is, they tend to get even more crowded and strident at big release times, so I simply couldn't be arsed. I'll return to a more regular schedule when the furore dies down.

Anyway, Part One is here to discuss the new procedure for Dangerous Terrain Tests, for no reason other than it is the inspiration for the series as a conglomerate entity.

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[NoVa FAQ] Dear Mike...Part 2 (99 Problems Continues)

2012-07-27T13:09:00.002+01:00

I figured since I did some ad hoc socialising (not to be confused with ad hoc socialism, another of my hobbies) last night instead of returning and continuing my article on the NoVa FAQ, it was fairer to simply start afresh with a new article, since it's more difficult for people returning to know if it's been updated yet.

So, here we go:
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[NOVA FAQ] - Dear Mike...(99 Problems Continues...)

2012-07-26T14:04:00.002+01:00

Mike, I figure the most open and honest way to go through this is to read the draft FAQ {http://www.novaopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/NOVA-FAQ-v6th.1-DRAFT.pdf} and to simply type as I read it - this may mean some questions get answered as I progress, but I don't have time to read it all in one sitting before I leave for work. Feel free to ignore anything answered. :)

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Armies In Focus; 6th Edition: Allies

2012-07-20T15:51:00.001+01:00

Obviously, I will continue to discuss Allies individually alongside each of the Armies in Focus articles, but I felt it worthwhile to compile thoughts on each into one concise article for easy reference. We're all still getting used to the concept afterall, and it can't hurt to have things all in the same place.

So, Allies form the same structure every time - 1 HQ, 1-2 Troops, 0-1 Elites, 0-1 Fast Attack, 0-1 Heavy Support.

The most obvious reason to take Allies then, apart from purely aesthetic or thematic reasons, is to get yourself an extra Troops choice, or a different kind of Troops choice.

Identifying what exactly it is you require or desire from an ally is the first step in the process.

For example - Blood Angels are (traditionally) very good at having mobile, aggressive Troops units, such as Melta hunter teams. The kind of Troop they'd be looking into getting would therefore be more static, probably a more resilient firepower unit, such as Deathwing Terminators, Space Marine Scouts with Sergeant Telion, or an Imperial Guard Platoon. Things that overcome a specific flaw in their listbuilding options.

In contrast, Eldar have mobile but relatively weak Troops, the resilience of which is entirely predicated on the AV12 and Energy Fields protecting them. They are more likely to desire more solid and deadly units to be expendable in taking the fire otherwise likely to annihilate their T3 bodies. Deathwing again can fill this role, or perhaps Grey Knight Purifiers.

Not every alliance is founded on the requirement for new or better Troops, however.

Some alliances are predicated on the neccesitation of other factors, such as:
Flyers/anti-Flyers
Psychic Defence
Meltaguns
Ranged Support Elements (ie, Railguns)
Close Combatty Stuffs (rarely worthwhile, but not unlikely most players will consider it)
Different Threat Bands.

These are largely self-explanatory, but I'll cover each for the sake of completeness:

Meltaguns -

Some armies don't get access to these, the most deadly and reliable anti-tank weapons in the game. Most armies do, granted, but most are Imperial or pseudo-Imperial. Those that don't, such as Necrons, Orks, or Chaos Daemons, now have the opportunity of selecting a nice Ally of Convenience to fill that niche for them - sometimes they Desperate Allies instead (such as if Orks chose Space Wolves) but that's rarely necessary.
It isn't QUITE accurate to say that every army NEEDS Meltaguns, but now every army bar Nids has easy access to them, so it's pretty difficult to justify NOT taking any.

Different Threat Bands -

Some armies largely function within a limited series of ranges. Orks, for instance, have only really Lootas to fire beyond the 24" mark. Sometimes, an Ally might be chosen for their capacity to fire further than this to put more and differing pressure on enemy forces (such as forcing them to advance into your other weaponry.) Conversely, you can choose deliberately shorter ranged allies, to keep the foe further back. A good example of this is Imperial Guard choosing to ally with Space Wolves - Grey Hunters being shorter ranged than varied artillery pieces and Heavy Weapon Teams.

Flyers/anti-Flyers -

Not everyone gets something with Skyfire, and especially not the opportunity to exploit their enemies not having it. A good example here is Orks with Necron allies, or Eldar picking up a Razorwing or Voidraven. Vendettas and Hydras are also splashable in most forces. Again, not having a Flyer doesn't mean you auto-lose, but failure to adequately deal with them means that unbalanced Flyer lists can destroy you unreasonably easily.

Psychic Defence -

If you consider Deny the Witch a good way to prevent enemy Psykers from doing what they like you need your head examined...or perhaps you use loaded dice. Either way, get over it. Like above with Meltaguns and Flyers, you need a way to deal with these things (Psychic Powers) or get destroyed by unbalanced eggbasket lists. With Psychic Hoods barely worth the cloth they're made of, look to Runes of Warding and Runic Weapons for REAL protection from enemy casters, remembering that if you aren't Battle Brothers, they will interfere with YOU too (take heed, Grey Knights...)

Ranged Support Elements/Close Combatty Stuffs -

These two are the same side of different coins. Orks lack ranged anti-tank, and so quite gleefully take Guard to provide such things. Guard lack close combat tarpit units and more importantly (not really, but occasionally it's true) genuine melee-capable units that will win fights for them, like Nobs or Terminators.
Sometimes you get lucky and can provide both in the same unit, ie Deathwing.

Once you know WHAT you want from Allies, it's time to look at page 113's Allies Matrix (not as interesting or groundbreaking as the film) to see WHO you can have.

Allies are divided into 4 basic categories, although the 4th is a misnomer as it indicates the Alliance is prohibited. These are;

Battle Brothers - the best kind of Alliance. If you can get what you want from these guys, take it, no ifs, not buts, no 'but I prefer the idea of using x other race' - don't be a dumbass. The rules are designed to punish stupidity (but not fluff-related stupidity, as I will illustrate in another article.)

Allies of Convenience - This is the fall-back option. Sadly, some armies (Daemons, CSM, Orks, Necrons, GKs, DE, Eldar) have limited, or no Battle Brother options, and are forced to look to the Allies that contest their own Objectives if too close. :-/ 'WTF Ally, Y U Teamkill?' aside, these are better options than to have none (*cough Nids cough*)

Desperate Allies - Never use these. I've played with Wraithsight, and fuck you too GW. There is very little more frustrating in a toy soldier game than your toy soldiers not doing what they are supposed to do, when ANY OTHER UNIT IN THE GAME could have done it instead, and better. Yes, sniping characters isn't easy, and for Telion/Vindicares it's arguably harder than before - but Warlocks getting sniped can grind a Wraith army to a halt based entirely on a fluke result - and that kind of thing is Just No Fun. Having this apply to EVERY unit in your army within 6" of an Ally, including the Allies of course, is just asking for frustration on a grand scale. Rolling a 1 carries a sense of disappointment irrespective of situation, but when potentially game-breaking, it's moronic as a system for a game that CLAIMS to put 'fun' over other considerations (balance, for one...)

There you have it. You know what you want from your Allies, you know who to turn to to get it. It's a ploy and a marketing tool to get you to go out and buy more Codexes, and hopefully a few boxes,and then why not start the army proper, you're half-way there already? Etc, etc.

It will act to prevent a lot of the stagnation people complained of at the end of 5th (actually, from the middle onwards really) but that's symptomatic of poor rules-writing and a lack of good inter-faction balance, not anything TRULY to do with the possibilities of Allies.

The next article on this topic will hopefully amuse you as much as it has amused me this morning researching it...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

If the guys from Penny Arcade want me to take down the comic I blatantly stole for my image on this post (I love this one, definitely one of my favourites) then no biggie, consider it done. Hopefully, they'll appreciate the decision instead. :)

Just to Formalise My Claims of Precognisance...

2012-07-19T14:03:00.002+01:00

This whole 'models are able to Snap Shoot while Pinned' malarky - I suggested, over a year ago, that Dark Angels Intractable special rule should see them able to fire whilst Pinned, but always counting as having moved irrespective of the reality.

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Not enough for a feline...

2012-07-17T01:09:00.003+01:00

One thing I've noted, in my long 'career' of blogging...
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Couple Day Delay

2012-07-12T11:07:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the dearth of articles this week - I'm working a silly amount of hours as it's a public holiday, and I get paid time and a half for working over it.

As important as this blog is to me, my wallet means more! :p

Coupled with my normal shifts, the next article is liable to be Monday, but on the plus side I have a few in progress slowly edging towards completion, so never know...

Able Was I, Ere I Saw Elba

2012-07-10T13:23:00.000+01:00

REVISED INTRO:
This article was sitting in my drafts section, almost fully-formed, when I stumbled upon it. I wrote the last two sections today, briefly, but the lion's share of the work was done, and it's a terrible shame I didn't post it back when it was relevant. I can't even remember the linked articles, and haven't revisited them as it seems a lot less relevant now. Just though I should finally publish it, since this may actually be one of my better articles, despite almost never seeing the light of day. Enjoy, and please remember it's about 5th Edition.

ORIGINAL POST:
So, I recently posted a reply in a Comment thread on YTTH (here) listing a bunch of further reading as to why the game is so inherently competitive at points level of below 1500.

Obviously, when I say this, I'm referring to playing at 1k, primarily. I know that occasionally some people try to play below that, I've seen "Rate my 750 point list!" on forums too many times to be ignorant of the phenomenon, but frankly, you aren't even playing 40k at that level. You aren't.

Warhammer 40,000 is not a Skirmish game any more. it's progressed to more of a mid-level engagement thing, with Apocalypse trying to push the boundaries and take it to the kind of scale GW used to be content to represent with the Space Marine/Titan Legions/Epic 40,000/Epic Armageddon games.

When you attempt to turn 40k back into a skirmish game, it simply doesn't function correctly - and I know some people, such as Frontline Gamer, are critical of the way this has meant that 40k has developed into something of a hybrid, a game that aspires to reflect sizable conflict whilst retaining many of the skirmish elements that are the legacy of Rogue Trader... I'm not interested in whether or not the game would be improved by dropping this approach, or simply rewriting it from the ground up - not at this juncture, anyhow.

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99 Problems Cos This Sixth Ain't Fun: Double FoC, Part One

2012-07-09T14:33:00.000+01:00

A lot of people talk about the ability to take a double Force Org as though it helps the Xenos Codexes to catch up with the Marines and level out the playing field somewhat.

This is complete and utter nonsense.

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To Whom It May Concern...

2012-07-08T12:24:00.000+01:00

I have, as I've already mentioned, entered this year's HoP Idol over at House of Paincakes - the voting isn't open yet, but if any of you read my Challenge One article and feel that it deserves a vote to keep me in the competition, I'd be very grateful.

To those interested by the article itself, I will indeed be following up to show the process by which my opinion of 6th has changed, in as far as it has.

Keeping me in the contest is a good way to keep me motivated and writing btw. ;-)

Hahaha, thanks.

These Things Are Important

2012-07-06T15:26:00.001+01:00

Corwin said - "Are you serious? It's obvious the new rules are supposed to replace the second and third paragraphs, not sentences. You seem to spend an unhealthy amount of time rules-lawyering and RAW-exploiting lately. Nothing good will come out of it."

I, honestly, was at a bit of a loss when I read this.

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99 Problems Cos This 6th Ain't Fun: Multiple Modifiers

2012-07-04T15:32:00.000+01:00

For the first time I can remember, GW have set out a clear, and easy to follow process for resolving multiple modifier in the rules, instead of having to FAQ individual weapon interactions (Gabriel Seth's Blood Reaver and Furious Charge, for instance.)

In of itself, this is a good thing.

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Fail In Focus: Eldar Harlequins FAQ

2012-07-04T02:02:00.001+01:00

Referenced in the previous post was a boost to Eldar Harlequins, though in incorrectly asserted this applied to Dark Eldar Harlequins also.

This brief post will explain why and how they got quite a boost.

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Armies In Focus; 6th Edition: Dark Eldar, Initial Thoughts

2012-07-03T15:36:00.000+01:00

Dark Eldar.

Within itself, this Codex is great. Fantastic internal balance, lots of seemingly solid choices, good spread of special rules without being overly complex or silly. Reasonable or good statlines for most things. Only a couple of units that feel over- or under-costed relative to their 'rivals' in the Codex, or to the baseline rules themselves.

The problems for DE start, however, when you begin to compare across Codexes to what other races cost for what THEY can do, especially to your vehicles...but this isn't their only flaw.

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I Got 99 Problems Cos This Sixth Ain't Fun: Hull Points, Part One.

2012-07-02T18:32:00.001+01:00

Hull Points, Part One:

Here's the thing. GW have had a significant amount of time to produce this book, and from the artwork, it's clear which part is most important in their eyes as a use of that time.

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FAQs are UP!

2012-06-30T13:33:00.003+01:00

SO...let's get some preliminary views of these:

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Brief Interlude

2012-06-27T15:39:00.001+01:00

SinSynn asked in the comments below whether or not I play any other tabletop games, or have given thought to them.

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The One About Loneliness...

2012-06-24T02:30:00.000+01:00

So...this post is about 6th.

As an aside, today's tourny was awful. My first two opponents were my last two from the last one, Salvation - and in no way is that a bad thing in theory - but I'd rather have played different people for the novelty, since this may be my last ever 40k tournament. Plus, Loganwing and then Wraiths isn't the best start given my ambivalence in the first place. If I'd had a nice easier game, maybe that would have made me care. A warm-up, in a sense. Ah well.

So, 6th.

I haven't read the BRB for it yet, but I've read the Dwarf, so this is a commentary on the incomplete ruleset, again, but on what I do know.

Let's talk about changes then.

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Not Everything Is About 6th You Know...

2012-06-23T08:39:00.000+01:00

Up stupid early for Q-Con 2012 (I forget what numeral we're on, hard to care) [24, apparently] and another 5th Edition 40k event. My last, in fact. I've read a little more of 6th now, though I still haven't got to read the whole book, obviously, and I have to say that my desire to play 40k at all has only diminished further, so this tournament is going to be shit.

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I'mma just leave this here...

2012-06-20T12:03:00.001+01:00

+
=
Eldar get TWO of the new Lores (shudder) and Marines/Wolves/BA/DA/IG get 4 lores each? Even though BA, SM and SW already have more powers than Eldar? Yeah...okay...

It's hard to wait and see when everything you hear is progressively worse.

Blood Angels: Spess Mehreens +1? (Part One)

2012-06-18T00:21:00.000+01:00

Some people on Twitter and I were having a rather engaging conversation the other week, regarding Blood Angels, with the prevailing belief being that they are simply better than Space Marines, as they get everything Marines do, and more besides.

Sadly, Twitter being Twitter, it's profoundly difficult to convey long and meaningful points, especially when directing said points to multiple personages - I think we were each naming 8 people by the end of the chat, and with only 140 characters to begin with...well, that's bad for trying to elaborate.

Since it was (largely) a consensus contrary to my own points, realistically the onus was no me to try and challenge the accepted version of things via a more practical medium, eg, my blog.

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Random Charge Distance Is A Totally Unfun Mechanic

2012-06-14T12:22:00.002+01:00

I got into a discussion yesterday with a fairly esteemed chap who is of the opinion that Random Charge Distance, as in 8e WFB, is A Fun Thing, and in no way detrimental to both game balance and to players' ability to enjoy the game.

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