6 Comments

  1. Nin

    I play 8th edition 40k and your assessment is accurate except linking the power gaming to the newest codex. 8th has a detachment system and in a tournament army you can take units from 3 different codexes so long as they all share the same general faction keyword (imperium, chaos, tyranid, eldar, etc.,).

    Power creep just hasn’t been there. The latest codexes are good, but totally in line with all the early ones except the week grey knights. The real powergaming is when you build a multi detachment army designed to include particular abilities and stratagems across 3 different codexes. Often the stratagems from one codex will totally effect the units from another!

    GW wants to sell to as many people as possible so they created their “three ways to play” which are open, narrative and matched play. If you tell people you aren’t interested in matched play, that will spare you from 90%+ of the possible poor opponents as that is the tournament mode.

    • Mac

      Thanks for your comments, I sort of want to agree with you about 8th edition, but I have already seen a few nasty forces out there, like Eldar with their extra minus ones to hit, I have seen an army get almost no hits during a game against them!! also there are some nasty Orks out there and they don’t even have a codex yet.. but to fair to you I know less about 8th than most people so you are probably right in your assessment of the new edition.

      Mac

      • Nin

        You’re right about certain craftworld/chapter/legion/whatever abilities being better than others. And then when you combine that with only taking the best things in the codex you can get a stronger army.

        I guess my point was that the real powerful armies are a level even beyond that. Instead of taking the best abilities and units from one codex or subfaction, take it from two or three. Like combined Nurgle Tzeentch chaos armies.

        I’ve been sticking to smaller games with people who are also not into building strong armies and it’s been great. If I didn’t have those opponents, I would sell my stuff tomorrow. As soon as someone takes the time to build as strong as army as possible, even if they aren’t good at it, it’s like you’re playing two different games.

        • Mac

          I have to agree, all my games are against friends that don’t build the silly powerful armies, but that is not just 40k, that covers all the games I play.

          Again thanks for your comments, and keep playing those smaller friendlier games.

          Mac

  2. Vic Dobson

    Hi Mac,

    Just read this one – I used to play 40K many years ago but stopped when the cost per figure grew larger than I could stomach (I used to work for GW and I knew what the real cost to make the figures was – I don’t mind a bit of a mark-up, but flamin’ hell!). My preferred 40K version was the original Rogue Trader ruleset, but I modified the rules to allow (almost) simultaneous play, as follows (and bear with me – I can barely remember the turn sequence now!):

    CHARGE PHASE – Charges are declared in order of LOWEST initiative first, then next lowest etc. All the declared charges are then resolved in order of HIGHEST initiative first, the next highest etc. Charging figures/units with equal initiative BOTH get to charge and get the +1 bonus!

    MOVEMENT PHASE – LOWEST initiative figures/units move first, then next lowest etc. If two figures/units have equal initiative roll randomly to see who moves first.

    RANGED COMBAT – All ranged attacks are declared in order of LOWEST initiative first, then next lowest etc. Once all ranged attacks are declared they are resolved simultaneously.

    MELEE PHASE – This is resolved as per normal.

    PSIONICS PHASE – All uses of psi powers are declared in order of LOWEST initiative first, then next lowest etc. Once all uses have been declared, resolve all psi powers in order of HIGHEST initiative, then next highest etc. Psi power use is NOT simultaneous – it’s all done at the speed of thought!

    MORALE – all required morale rolls are now resolved simultaneously.

    I found these small changes altered the entire feel of the game. No more do you get ‘I go first – I then shoot half your squad dead – now it’s your turn … good luck!’
    Instead you end up with both sides taking the chance to break for cover and small unit tactics become normal. No more line ’em up and gun ’em down!

    Those were the good old days! Before anything like the rigid codex armies, uber space marine troopers and silly pricing policies.

    But I still love the setting, the grim-dark-gothic feel to it all, and some of the old miniatures were simply awesome!

    Happy Gaming!

    • Mac

      Hi Vic,

      Sounds like a good option to make 40k a better game ( actually anything is better than what they have now )

      I have had a few games of 40k where we just used the Bolt Action dice system and that changed the whole feel of the game.
      It took away that “now it’s you turn good luck!!” it really makes you think about which unit to use and when… probably why I used it in Stars & Lasers, I just hate the “I go you go rubbish”
      I have also used the one page rules “FUBAR” to run 40k games and that also works well.

      To me small unit tactics is what 40k is all about.

      I also love the older figures… I have many, but for big games I just get out my Epic stuff.

      Mac

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