Hey everyone, Reecius from Frontline Gaming here to reflect on the changes coming with 7th that look promising!
6th edition was a fun edition, and as I have said many times, it flirted with greatness. Unfortunately, it had some rules loop holes that when exploited created really unenjoyable games. Most of these revolved around stacking USRs or psychic powers from across multiple books into single units that became mathematically far out of balance with any other “normal” units in the game.
This lead to deathstar 40K. Deathstar 40K was not fun. It drove a lot of people away from the game. Now with 7th ed, we have a chance to win some of those folks back, and bring in some fresh blood to the game if this is done right. Looking at the rumors so far, I am pretty dang hopeful, actually!
Coming out of the gates with unbound rules was a poor move, IMO. That is easily the most controversial aspect of the new edition and the least balanced. You can forge a diamond hard narrative under those rules, which is what it’s for, but for any type of game wherein you are trying to have a competition, not LARP with minis, it looks like a poor choice. Like Apoc, it would be so incredibly easy to break that it takes the fun out of breaking the game rules in the first place because you don’t have to be clever to figure out how to do it.
Unbound aside, I dig the way the rumors are shaping up. We will have to wait and see what we get in its entirety of course, but so far, it looks good. From what I have gathered, psychic powers will be a lot less reliable. Good. I got sick and tired of playign games where everyone was twin-linked, rerolled saves, ignored cover and/or ignored most of the core rules of the game all the time. A lot of the copious amounts of dice rolling required in 6th became a bit of a waste of time when the odds of failing were as low as 1/36.
A lot of the most annoying deathstars rely on getting their psychic buffs off every turn to justify their points costs. By reducing the reliability of the psychic phase, a lot of these units will go too far into the risk side of the risk vs. reward equation and be seldom seen on the tabletop. Can I get an amen to that?! Good riddance to those crutch units.
Not gonna lie, 7th ed is looking pretty hawt!
It also appears that silly things like joining ICs to Monstrous Creatures like Riptides will be a thing of the past. If tht turns out to be true which it looks like it is, I will be a happy man! That was another loophole that was most likely unintentional and far too powerful and it will not be missed by me, at least.
The allies matrix is getting massaged, too. Nice one. A lot of the issues in the game in 6th came from key ICs joining units that they shouldn’t have been able to and causing all kinds of problems. Looking at you, Baron! If these shenanigans get cut back then that is good news, too.
While there are some big changes like the psychic phase, and the assault phase (consolidating into combat, etc.) it feels like this will be a further refinement of 6th which is good as I liked 6th’s basic ideas. I am fine with everything scoring but with troops being uber scoring units, too, when taken in FoC lists. That means more variability in lists as you don’t HAVE to take units like Cultists, for example, en masse anymore. Sure, you can, but no you can say, take Plague Marines without a Nurgle Lord and they can still score. Troops are still the best thing for winning games, but they aren’t the only tool and the old “hunt their troops” strategy will still be good but not game winning as it was.
Vehicles getting harder to kill is another good thing as they are so much worse than units with wounds inherently. This gives them a boost and will bring more variety to the game, too. We don’t need to go back to parking lot 40K as in 5th, but more vehicles on the table is more fun. I am also a HUGE fan of all vehicles having to CHOOSE to jink. Finally. Skimmers and Bikes now have the option to get a cover save at any time (which is awesome) but they don’t just innately get it if they move which was lame as it made them comparatively so much better than other vehicles. Now, you can also get a cover save turn 1 before you moved, too, which is cool. It helps to even things out a bit and get closer to balance. It also means the Wave Serpent won’t be so incredibly common as it was. It is still insanely good for its points, but has been reined in a bit which was needed.
In all, I feel good about this edition so far. It feels like GW may have actually listened to their customer base a bit and is giving us some of what we want. I like that.
It’s nice to see a positive attitude after spending the last couple of weeks trying to dodge the inevitable nerdrage all over the net. I agree with your sentiments here – its looking like all tournaments are going to have to do to balance games in 7th is say “No unbound lists”
Keeping my fingers crossed until Saturday
Better to be positive, right? No sense in freaking out till we’ve played a few games. My fingers are crossed, too!
Is there a reliable source for the consolidate into combat thing yet? I think most other changes mentioned came from WD and other reliable sources but that one seems a bit up in the air still.
Not confirmed yet, no. Just heard it multiple times.
Kirby confirmed it untrue.
“You CANNOT consolidate into combat. Same as before.”
I like how it seems all the competitive gamers/bloggers are actually being consistantly positive about all the changes and all the rage I hear is from semi-competative/casual gamers which makes no sense to me.
Also the constant hypocrisy is pretty entertaining to see people complaining about something, then turns out its unfounded and now they are complaning they cant do the thing they were complaining about.
Swear I have lost 2 mm off my teeth this last week.
Keep the positivity going guys I love !! Doing anything for the 7th launch? I know friday and sat the SG guys are doing something, Sat night the forge the narrative guys are doing something, any plans for you guys?
Just a heads up, to be concerned about something that might happen and then not having it come true isn’t hypocrisy, no matter how annoying you might think complaining is ;).
No but it is to complain about it coming/not coming to pass and then complain because it didnt happen.
Hypocrisy might not be the right word…cynical asshole maybe?
Thanks and yeah, we all feel pretty optimistic about it. It will be what it will be.
I’m pretty excited too. From the way things are looking with the standard FOC and being able to take multiple FOCs in your main faction, I guess not being able to do unbound for in-faction fun isn’t gonna be as big a deal. Orks will still be able to take a few extra HQs and Heavy slots without unbound which is what I was excited about to begin with. All we have to do is take the Troops to fill out the minimum requirements.
Take more Boyz??? Don’t twist my arm! 🙂
Yeah, no kidding. Orks allying with Orks? Yes, i will take 8 units of trukk Boyz!
There has been no confirmation on consolidation into another combat though.
Over on Naftkas site there is someone who supposedly has the rulebook, but if u read his answers, its almost as if nothing has changed. So im leery of what he’s posting. I really want to believe that the changes we hope are coming actually do. I really want to see the game balance back away from op shooting and make the game more tactical. FINGERS CROSSED
He’s also posting like kind of a douche. Then again there’s no knowing who’s the real leaker with that format.
That would suck, like Nids we get all these awesome rumors and then the actual product is totally different.
Just got a quick glance in the new rulebook and can confirm a few things:
– New table for Perils, on a roll of 1 psyker takes a Ld, fail the Ld and the psyker dies instantly and any unit he/she is in takes d6 S6 AP1 hits. Roll a 2 and you loose the power and takes a wound. On the other hand, roll a 6 and you get 3+ invul and Fleshbane.
– New table for vehicle damage, indeed explodes is 7+ (6 is Immobilised)
– Santic powers looks alot lite Grey Knights old powers, spotted at least Hammerhand.
– FMC’s, one ground per phase and only on inflicted wounds. So worst case one test in psychic and one in shooting.
– Prescience is now 2 warpcharges.
– Battlebrothers, same as before BUT you can embark on your bro’s transport.
Wow, nice one, thanks! Are the rumors on close combat true? How about the new ally matrix?
New ally matrix makes all imperials BBs. ALL OF THEM. Including inquisitors and the dark angels, etc.
By lumping all the imperials together, chaos are now “come the apocalypse”. Which sucks because quite a few chaos players invested in AM allies. I’m currently painting up more than 70 “evil IG” guys, and now that might be for nothing :/
Its so funny that the Baron caused such much pain and misery in the meta…. its so Dark Eldar.
I was worried about guys being able to summon hordes of daemons, but I think no competitive player will use it because 6 dice to get them reliably off and perils on any double is kinda to high a risk.
Hi all, looking at the pictures for the rulebooks, one picture shows a Dark Angel space marine another shows a Hellbrute. These pictures obviously tie in with the current Dark Vengeance box set, and I don’t see lots of blood angels or orks anywhere. Does this support the rummers going around that they’re keeping the current boxset, but with the new rules?
p.s. within a few days WAAC gamers are going to be exploiting any slightly unclear rules/ loopholes, and we’ll be back to 40K has no balance, this army is broken etc. Cheers.
p.p.s love your website and battle reports!
I was hoping for a new starter set, those are good fun. We’ll see. And glad you like the videos, that’s awesome!
Yeah, the rules will get broken super quickly as usual. We’ll just have to put our foot down on broken stuff ASAP this go around to stop it from becoming entrenched like it did with 6th
Hi,
I missed the bit the 7th edition change that would make the Baron less useful. I thought he normally joined DE Beastpacks or Eldar Seercouncils, which with Eldar and DE still being battle brothers I thought he’d still be able to do. Have I missed something ?
However I do really the new ally matrix which will stop Farseer joining Tau units, and Tau Buff Commanders joining Space Marines 🙂
Really looking forward to the new edition 🙂
Rathstar
More of a change from psychic powers
I wonder what will happen with HQ’s that made X-units scoring, but not troops, If they’re now scoring anyway.
It gives those HQ unlocked troop units the “objective secured” rule.
They don’t become troops. Just scoring, ie: Sternguard remain elites, but can score with Pedro Cantor.
It’s not like Coteaz and Inquisition or Draigo and Paladins where they actually become troops.
That is a good question, I’ll be curious to see that as well.
Nice writeup Reece and I agree.. almost everything I am reading seems to be a improvement that was called for by the community. Awesome to hear! Cannot wait until Friday.
Thanks, and yes, we will he trying everything out soon!
I found leaked images of the new Psychic Power Cards from a user comment on Faeit 212 (via a FLGS owner iirc). Posted the link on the army list section of the forums. Check them out!
Awesome, thanks!
Here’s the problem.
http://daemons40k.blogspot.com/2014/05/behold-every-psychic-power-in-whole-game.html
There’s all the new psychic powers.
Check out invisibility. Only snapshots can target the unit, and you need 6’s to hit in assault.
Now envision Eldrad running with a Beaststar. It’s unstoppable. Worse than it ever was. Everywhere at once and unkillable.
Daemons with Be’lakor will have Invis on Flesh Hounds with Khorne Heralds in every army.
That is gonna be quite crazy, but at least a warp charge 2 power isnt such a sure thing to get off anymore.
On another note, this could help banshees be a lot more usable now.
Plus, you can invest all of your dispel dice into preventing that invisibility, instead of twiddling your thumbs being able to do jack all about it, as it is currently with such buffs.
Also, Banshees with invisiblity and hammerhand could be pretty cool.
Yeah, I guess you could cast invisibility on Howling Banshees.
Remember, Eldar have ghosthelms allowing them to fart off Perils. So they can roll an ass ton of dice to cast Invis, save one WC for the helm, and now you need a 6 for each of their successes to dispell.
Everybody but Grey Knights can use Malefic daemonology? Logistically that sounds like an attempt to sell everyone daemon models instead of just chaos players… but fluff wise having anyone but the forces of chaos summon daemons to fight for them doesn’t really jive.
Beastpack with 3+inv (Sanctuary) + Fortune. Depends if GW changed hit&run..
So awhile back I heard a rumor that if you took all your powers from the same discipline, you’d get the Primaris Power in addition to w/e powers you rolled. This got me thinking about Ezekiel (DA Chief Libby). Since he automatically knows Mind Worm, which isn’t a part of any discipline, would this prevent him from the above? Would you get 3 rolls in addition to Mind Worm from his ML 3?
Thoughts?
(purely speculation since we won’t know for certain until release)
“Psychic focus – generate all powers from one discipline (even one power); gain primaris. If you gain another power from another discipline, lose psychic focus. Powers not part of a discipline do not count against this.
Chaos psychic focus – mark of chaos or being a daemon of a particular chaos god = auto primaris of that god in addition to others.”
Okay over at the Daemon blog we just had a dude with the rulebook confirm that you can still join BB units and ride in transports. USR’s still spread to units.
On top of this, you can ally with your own army. Who really needs Unbound?
Honestly, I don’t see what’s so great about 7th. Everything that was broken still is, and the new invisibility power is game-wrecking. Sevrin Loth and Tigurius are likely to get it for Imperialds. Eldrad and a Bikeseer for Eldar. Be’lakor for Chaos.
I’m neither a GW apologist, nor a hater, but this is worse than ever.
Yeah, you can ally GK and Daemons in the same army and everything scores perfectly legally. People have seen the book and leaks are coming fast and furious.
Reece, if you want to save this edition, you’re going to have to step in immediately and start banning things. Invisibility, multiple IC’s joining units for rules stacking, ally restrictions. It’s just too ridiculous to leave it in our hands as players.
How would you get GK and Daemons together? they’re “Come the Apocalypse”
Unless you mean by taking Dark Eldar as a primary, then allying in both GK and Daemons through Desperate Allies? That seems quite a lot of effort just to get GK and Daemons together?
You can do it because come the apocalypse does not prevent you from either taking that ally, or keep that ally from scoring.
Oh damn, I thought “Come the Apocalypse” prevented them from being allied 🙁
Daemons don’t Perils on any double with Malefic powers, everyone else does, but not them. Meaning that if you take 21 Heralds at 2k you could possibly spam out 210 troops in turn 1, which can then spam out another 21 heralds, and then you can start churning out greater daemons and more heralds and bloodcrushers etc. It probably won’t be that easy but it’s a scary prospect. 🙂
Consolidating from combat into another unit to lock them up was a 5ed thing. Kept my Bloodthirster safe in plenty of games back in the day. Give it time…people will hate it if it’s true…but not me!!
It was debunked a week ago.
Yeah, you are echoing my sentiments exactly.
Kirbys done a Q&A with rulebook in hand, no consolidation into combat 🙁
http://www.3plusplus.net/2014/05/7th-edition-rulebook-in-hand-live-post/
After reading that QnA it’s looking like Assault is even more screwed now that FMCs can’t charge when they change from Swooping to Gliding…weeeell, fuck my dreams of an assault army ever working unless Daemon or Seer Council. And cancelling blessing isn’t really a thing since you need to roll as many 6s as they roll 4s. Oh well, I’m still looking forward to 7th! 🙂
Eh, we’ll see how it goes! Gotta see all the rules together.
If starting to look pretty cool = Nids are fucked, then yes I agree.
No area terrain cover saves for your MC’s. Requirement of 25% obscured to get cover from intervening models. Basically, forget your walking builds.
Silly hard to cast psychic powers.
Vehiclehammer back in force, while Hive Guards are nerfed to BS3. Enjoy wrestling scoring Landraiders from objectives (pretty easy to force superscoring units outside 3″).
Smash = 1 attack (watch a Furioso Dreadnought rip through your whole army)
Vector Strike = 1 hit. trollololol
Somewhere in England, Cruddace is laughing his ass off.
I play necrons, please please let the meta shift to people taking land raiders hoping to score objectives. My cheap gauss troops and scarabs want to say high. Scoring land raiders will never become the meta because of the existence of the necron army which doesn’t even need to adjust it’s list to be able to laughably kill land raiders rushing up the field. The concern crons face are the termies assaulting out(but then that’s most of their army right their).
I am very glad FMC got nerfed hard, seriously it’s just not fun playing against something that’s incredibly hard to hit and having no real method of stopping it from charging. Was he nerf too hard? Not really the assault change is good for the game and vector strikes went form d3+1 to d3 big deal that ain’t game breaking.
I don’t think Nids are fucked at all, honestly. FMCs sound like they are going to be getting a big boost. Plus, being able to ally with yourself means Nids will be able to bring the heat. I think they will be top tier, honestly.
Castle, I would be very glad if the Necron AV13 wall got nerfed haaard. Mindshackle Scarabs and Quantum Shielding is like the most stupid thing since Splinter Cannons. Seriously, how fun is it to deploy against an army you can’t hurt, even with S4 in combat, that just keep the distance and whittle you down and no real method outside FMCs to close the distance without your MCs punching themselves out from Scarabs and the rest dying to massive fire. S6 Devourers does not apply. S4 in combat can be ignored.
Vector strikes went from 1D3+1 to a single fcking hit, that is a BIG DEAL! Only 1D3 against other flyers and FMCs. Sadly Nids would have benefit better from vector strikes being 1 hit to everything, since Heldrakes will now continue to vector Flyrants from the Sky.
The only FMC that got a boost is the Flyrant. He can no longer charge, outside a few situations when he can land and stand around for a turn without the enemy running away and without him being killed by shooting.
Yeah, you could do builds like 6 Flyrants, 12×10 Gants, but I suspect tournaments in my area to go with a single extra detachment.