6th Ed stream of rules-lawyering blog!

So, 6th ed is currently being picked apart by pretty much every gaming site, forum, or hive-mind.  Who am I to buck a trend?

However, this post will be a page-by-page thoughts blog concentrating on the rules section.  Basically if something is worth commenting on, I’m going to.  If I skip a section (like if I don’t explain what a template is) assume it’s the same as 5th ed.

-Cover and introduction: Beautiful book.  GW is really making books that look fantastic. Even better than Fantasy 8th ed.

-p. xiv: The book doesn’t say you “need” the new buying them unless I need them.

-p. xvi: AWESOME.  At the end of the intro battle, the players get together for a pint!

-p. 4: Yes, you can pre-measure.

-p. 7: Multiple characteristics are now a thing of the past.  So, your Space Marine Captain on a Bike is T5 for purposes of insta-kill.  Codex trumps rulebook, advanced rulebook trumps basic rules, as usual.  However, it’s good that they spelled it out.  Back in 3rd ed you had to wait for a FAQ, which were notoriously nonsensical.

-p. 13: Snap fire allows heavy weapons to fire on the move @BS1.  Because Codex trumps Rulebook, I wonder if a Devastator Sergeant with a Signum would allow a moving heavy weapon to still be BS5 on the move.  Probably not though.

-p. 14: 6 does NOT auto-wound, as some rumors said!  Wraithguard can come out from behind the tanks and shrug off flashlights again.

-p 15: NEW ALLOCATION RULES for shooting.  Shooting player determines which STR or AP shots are resolved in which order, so you can blow away high-armor individuals first, or save the high STR for last to try to insta-kill a character.  Wounds are allocated closest to farthest, even with mixed saves.

-p 16: You can’t kill what you can’t see, so no more killing a whole unit because you can see one dude.  Look Out Sir! also shows up on a 4+!

-P 18: Forests are now a 5+ cover save, as are intervening units.  Focus Fire allows you to only kill models with a certain cover save, so if you say “Focus Fire 5+” models with a 4+ or better cover save are not allocated to.  This could lead to situations where you can “snipe” a character, sergeant, or heavy weapon.  I just realized you don’t have to remove according to coherency anymore, you remove based on closest, so you can cut units in 1/2 and MAKE them regain coherency, which can make heavy weapons less useful.

-p 20: You can’t assault if you ran, so the Ghazghkull 18″ assault is gone.  However, Charging is now 2D6″ so it’s still possible, just not guaranteed.

-p 21: Overwatch is not the Overwatch of 2nd ed, it’s “snap fire if you get charged.”  Overwatch never causes pinning or morale, and is only once per turn, so if you fend off chargers with overwatch fire, another unit is free to charge you unrestricted.

-p. 22: Charge through difficult terrain is 3D6 pick the two lowest, and fight at initiative 1 regardless of terrain.

-p. 23: All models “pile in” at their initiative step, even if they charged that turn!  So, if one of your dudes just barely didn’t make it into the 2″ combat zone they get another 3″!

-p. 26: Look Out Sir! applies to close combat too.  OH DANG you can choose to fail your morale check if you cannot possibly hurt the enemy (such as Guardsmen vs. Wraithlord).

-p. 27: You get ANOTHER pile-in at the end of the combat if you’re still fighting.  Disordered Charge means you don’t get +1A if you charge multiple units.

-p. 28: Further complicating multiple charges, you cannot charge a model in the secondary target unit if you CAN charge a model in the primary unit.  This means clip-charging two units to tie them up is nearly impossible.  Models can now split attacks between units.

-p. 30: Models can now regroup until 75% of the unit is eliminated, instead of 50%.  Units UNDER 25% can still regroup on a leadership roll of snake eyes!

-p. 33: Acute Senses now lets you re-roll Outflank.  ATSKNF is slightly clarified, and does not happen immediately, but there is no downside.  Also makes unit immune to “fear.”  Blast weapons can’t snap shot.  Looks like you can only shoot Krak missiles if you run!

-p. 34: New USR: Blind.  Unit takes Initiative Test, fail = WS and BS 1 until the end of their next turn.  Brotherhood of Psykers works for Grey Knight psychic units, etc.

-p. 35: Bulky = 2 models on a transport, very = 3, extremely = 5.  Crusader makes a unit better at running and sweeping advances.  There is no tiered Instant Death or Eternal Warrior.  Fear causes a Ld test @ the start of combat, a failure = WS1 for the rest of the phase.  Generic FNP is now 5+.  Fleet re-rolls the dice for running.  Fleshbane wounds on a 2+.

-p. 36: Deep Strike Mishap Table is less bad.

-p. 37: Furious Charge is now just +1 Str, not +1 I as well.  Gets Hot! now affects vehicles, so sucks to be Killa Kans with Kustom Mega Blastas!  Hammer of Wrath lets a character get one auto-hit at I 10.  Hatred only works for the first turn of combat.

-p. 38: Infiltrators cannot charge on turn 1 no matter what.  ICs without Infiltrate can’t Infiltrate with an attached unit.  It Will Not Die is 5+ regen for models, or vehicles!

-p. 39: ICs pass Look Out Sir! on a 2+ instead of a 4+, and allow units under 25% to regroup normally.  Missile Lock lets you scatter D6 instead of 2D6. Monster Hunter re-rolls wounds against MCs.

-p. 40: Night Vision ignores Night Fighting.  Preferred Enemy now only re-rolls 1s instead of all misses.

-p. 41: Rampage gets +D3 attacks if their unit is outnumbered.  Keep each model seperate, so this required bookkeeping for Rampage units with lots of different weapons.  Scout is VERY different as it allows a re-deploy, not a “move.”  Shred re-rolls all wounds. Shrouded gives 2 point bonus to cover saves.  Skilled Rider auto-passes dangerous terrain and gets +1 to “jink” saves.

-p. 42: Skyfire shoots normally vs. Flyers.  Smash allows you to attack at AP2, and then you can choose to halve your attacks, double strength, and re-roll armor pen rolls.  Snipers choose their targets on a roll of “6” to hit.  Soul Blaze sets the unit of fire, and can cause extra hits later.  Split fire allows a Ld test for ONE model to split fire.  Strafing Run grants +1BS against most units and pinning.

-p. 43: Strikedown knocks down the enemy, halving I and making it movas if in Difficult Terrain until next turn.  Swarms are no longer slowed by difficult terrain.  Tank Hunters gives a re-roll for Armor pen.  Vector Dancer allows a vehicle to turn more.  Vector Strike causes Swoopers to do hits to the enemy in the movement phase.

-p. 45: Eldar Jetbikes are insanely fast now.

-p. 46: Artillery works different now.  They have wounds instead of AV 10.

-p. 47: Jump Packs get Hammer of Wrath (impact attacks).  Jet Packs do not get this.

ARGHLEBARGLE MY BRAIN IS ON FIRE.  That’s all for now, part 2 later.

Antonius, Hero of Tenkath Hive

“Go, go, go!” shouted Antonius. At his command, sixth scout squad burst from the forest, bolters blazing. Their withering fire was directed towards the bunker held by the traitors. Up until five seconds ago, the bunker had been a brutal combat between the traitor Marines and Eldar forces. The Eldar had, finally, been slaughtered, but the Traitors now had only two men standing. A bolt of hideous red plasma scorched the ground at Antonius’ feet.

“Spread formation! Keep suppressing fire on that window!” Antonius ordered. That plasma pistol had to go, or his meager squad of five scouts would not have a chance across this open ground. Sure enough, Xian’s torso disappeared in another plasma blast. Antonius cursed loudly and redoubled his bolter fire into the building until his clip was dry.

“Knives!” Antonius shouted, and was answered by the rasp of each scout drawing their long steel blades. A Chaos Marine popped up to fire his bolter and Antonius dove through the narrow window of the bunker and clothesline tackled the traitor to the ground. The traitor instinctively rolled and kicked upward, sending Antonius flying. Antonius landed hard on his back. He opened his eyes to see the muzzle of a bolter in his face. He winced as he heard the bark of a bolter, and felt warm blood spray all over him. The Chaos Marine above him howled in pain as his arm and part of his torso were disintegrated by a bolter blast. Antonius flexed his back and jumped to his feet. The last traitor, cornered by Joel and Nbutu, swung his glowing red power sword wildly to keep the two scouts at bay. Jolath rushed in to try and close the gap forming between Joel and Nbutu, and keep the traitor pinned. He was neatly sliced in half for his efforts. Antonius screamed in wordless rage and hurled his combat knife. It spun end over end and clanked into the traitor’s wrist, forcing him to drop his power sword. Nbutu took advantage of this and quickly sunk his combat knife under the Traitor’s breastplate. Joel finished the traitor by slashing his neck.

“Are you OK sir? Joel asked.

“I’m fine. Find that beacon and shut it down.” Antonius said as he surveyed the battlefield from the relative safety of the bunker. It was a charnel house. Chaos, Orks, Eldar, and Azure Flames Space Marines littered the grounds surrounding the bunker in all directions. Antonius tried to understand how so much killing had taken only a few short minutes. Orks had made the first move, and were soundly cut down by fire from three sides. Eldar and Chaos had then taken out the forward emplacements of the Azure Flames, leaving only Antonius’ Scout Squad hidden in the trees. The only three warriors on the battlefield left standing were Antonius, and his two squadmates.

“Antonius to Vigilance, emergency Thunderhawk extraction at my coordinates. Send Apothecaries.”

“Confirmed. Medivac flight enroute. How bad is it, brother?”

“Not good. ETA on medivac?”

“Fifteen minutes. Sit tight.”

Antonius turned and addressed the remaining Scouts “Evac in fifteen. Secure the area. What the hell did we come here for?”

“This.” Nbutu said, holding up a sheaf of parchment. Antonius perused it, and his breath caught. It contained security details and shield harmonics and schematics for the planet’s main hive.

“Throne of Terra! Antonius to Vigilance! Priority one warning! Security at Tenkath Hive has been compromised! Advise them to rotate shield frequencies randomly and double their security details at the main shield generators. They have been infiltrated!”

Double Dare 40,000

Found this old story on Lexington’s site.  I wrote it when bored at work.  Enjoy!

(wa-na na!)

Marc Summers: On your mark!

(Wa-Na-Na!)

MS: Get set…GO!

Announcer: Watch as these two teams of tiny titans duke it out in the super-sloppiest battle for the fate of the galaxy in the 41st Millennium. It’s Double Dare 40,000!

A Guardsman, a Fire Warrior, and an Eldar Guardian, in red jumpsuits fire a spray of brightly colored seltzer at a Space Marine in a red jumpsuit with a funnel on his head. On the other side of the blue tiled room, a Necron, a Chaos Space Marine, and a Dark Eldar fire at an Ork with a funnel on his head, all wearing blue jumpsuits. The Double Dare theme blares in the background as Mark Summers shouts out what happening.

MS: Looks like the read team is doing good, and the blue team is doing better! Just have to get the soda past the line! Oh, the Ork is leaning back. He’s trying to catch the soda in his mouth! No, you have to get it past the line in the bucket! Well now he’s drinking from the bucket. Not a very good strategy! *buzzer sounds* OH! The red team wins! Let’s start the show.

Both teams go over to their podiums as Genestealers clean up the mess.

MS: Welcome to Double Dare 40,000! I’m your host, Mark Summers. Let’s have a round of applause for the red team, The Goody Two Shoes! *audience applauds* and the blue team, The Evil Kinevels! *more applause* Now to explain the game for the viewers at home. We ask a question to one team. They can either answer it, or if they think the other team doesn’t have a clue, they can dare them to answer it for double the amount. But be careful, because they can double dare you back for four times the amount. Then you can either answer or take the Physical Challenge. Goody Two Shoes, you won the opening challenge, here’s your first question. What are the three names of the defense stations around Armageddon?

The Red Team confers with each other.

Guardsman: Dare!

MS: Alright Evil Kinevels, what…

Ork: DUBBA DARE!

Chaos Marine: Moron! I knew that one!

MS: OK, Goody Two Shoes, do you have an answer?

Space Marine: Dante, Mannheim, and Yarrick.

MS: That’s right for two hundred Imperial Credits!

Ork: ARGH! Dat’s no fair! Dey woz supposd ta take da fizukul challunge!

MS: Next question, when can you re-roll a re-rolled die?

They confer again.

Eldar: When a master crafted weapon stacks with a psychic power?

MS: Ooooh, no, I’m sorry. The answer is: never.

Ork: HAR HAR HAR!

MS: Evil Kinevels, control goes to you. What three loyalist legions were slaughtered at the Istvaan drop site massacre?

They confer.

Dark Eldar: Dare.

MS: Alright Goody Two Shoes, Which Legions?

Tau: Double Dare.

MS: Evil Kinevels, do you have a…

Ork: FIZUKUL CHALLUNGE!

Genestealers drag out a bizzare apparatus.

MS: OK, Necron, you sit here.

Necron: …

MS: Now, the Necron will toss these slime-filled balloons to the Dark Eldar, who will catch them with this funnel that pops them and catches the slime. You then pour the slime into the Chaos Marine’s bucket, and he hands the bucket to the Ork, who pours it into the container up top. If you can fill the container to the line in 60 seconds, the bucket will empty on the Necron. Ready? GO!

The Necron initially has a tough time aiming, and the Dark Eldar gets slimy, but they establish a rhythm, and the Ork laughs mightily as the Necron is slimed just before the buzzer.

MS: WOW! We’ll be right back after these messages.

Antonius’ First Battle.

Antonius crouched in the brush of a forest. Nearby, he heard the roar of an enemy jetbike. Sergeant Daniel raised his power sword, and in unison, Antonius and his scout squad stood and readied their shotguns with a loud KA-CHACK.

“Alright, move up and stay out of sight.” Daniel ordered, pointing with his sword. Antonius took point, with Daniel and the rest of the squad trailing. He ghosted from tree to tree, and paused at the edge of the forest. He saw that 3rd Squad had engaged the enemy Eldar, and were severely outnumbered. Antonius yearned to join them as a full Space Marine, but he had at least a year of surgeries and training. He motioned for the squad, and they cautiously moved out of the forest. Suddenly, an Eldar appeared before him. It was red and had a large backpack that resembled a beetle. It raised an exotic looking weapon to him.

“Hit the dirt!” Daniel shouted. Antonius did. The alien’s weapons discharged a weblike stream of gossamer thread. Antonius heard screams behind him. He shouted in wordless rage and pushed himself up off the ground. He discharged his shotgun at one of them, but it had no effect. He ran at another of them, and kicked it in the torso. With a fluid motion, he drew his knife and plunged it into the alien’s throat. Another came at him and exploded. Daniel appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and ran another through with his power sword. The fight seemed to take several hours, as Sergeant Daniel and Antonius fought back to back, slaughtering the aliens. Antonius fought with even more ferocity as he saw the rest of his scout squad, torn to ribbons on the ground behind him. Soon, not one of the teleporting aliens lived. Daniel turned to him.

“We’re not through yet lad! Charge!” Antonius followed him into combat with the aliens fighting 3rd squad. He fought side by side with his brothers in power armor, who stood a foot taller than him and Daniel. One of the aliens raised the butt of its shuriken catapult to Antonius’ temple and he blacked out. He awoke to Daniel slapping him gently in the face.

“Need an Apothecary lad?” He joked.

“No, I’m alright.” Antonius answered.

“Course you are!” Daniel shouted. “So, now you’ve seen action, what do you think of it?”

“What about the rest of the squad? Antonius turned to see an Apothecary standing over them. One was being carried away in a stretcher. The others had sheets draped over them.

“Joshua made it. The others weren’t so lucky. Care about the dead later. We’ve got a war to win.” Daniel clapped him on the shoulder. Antonius nodded. There would always be a war though, Antonius thought. If we stop for each casualty, we’d never get anywhere. Antonius and Daniel joined the remnants of 3rd squad aboard their Rhino, and returned to base. Antonius quietly reflected on his squad mates on the way back to base.

Rough Ridin’ with Daemons

Been a bit busy breaking in my new laptop.  I did some research on Epic strategy with Lost and the Damned, and most lists contain traitor Rough Riders.  Was going to just bu regular Guard Rough Riders when I realized I had a bunch of Daemonic Cavalry from the old Chaos sprue.  So, I sawed the Chaos Space Marines off and replaced them with Beastmen to fit in with the rest of the army and be more fluff-worthy.  After all, Rough Riders are not as good as Space Marines!  Here’s three formations, dedicated to Khorne, Slaanesh, and Tzeentch.  Nurgle didn’t have old cavalry.  Oh well, I got more where this came from if I need it.

So far, my Lost and the Damned contains:

-Four formations of Cultists, with Demagogues (Dark Wanderer, see previous Epic post)

-Four formations of Mutants, with Demagogues

-Four Stands of Chaos Space Marine Aspiring Champions (to swap out)

-24 Land Transporters (third party, from Brigade Models, will add chains, spikes, etc.)

-12 stands of all 5 types of Lesser Daemon

-One of each Greater Daemon

-8 stands of “Big Mutants” (Old Chaos Minotaurs and Trolls with Gothic Imperial Masts that look like laser pistols in their hands)

-36 square bases with the old shield-and-axe Beastmen that count as Plague Zombies (dedicated to Khorne)

-3 Hydras (to be chaosed-out)

-Two Lords of Battles

-Three Khorne Doom Blasters and One Khorne Deathdealer

-One Slaaneshi Questor scout titan

-Four Slaaneshi knight titans

-Four Imperial Guard Bombards, modded into Nurgle Plague Engines (in progress)

-2 formations of 4 Defilers from Otterman (looks just like the 40K defiler!)

-4 old Cannons of Khorne (counts as Undivided Hellfire Cannons)

Now all I need is some Tzeentch flyers and Silver Towers, possibly scratch built as regular ones are rare.

Edit: DERP!  Rough Rider formations contain SIX STANDS NOT FOUR!  I’ll get the other stands done in a bit.

On My Plate: 4-9-12

Recently re-mounted my old whiteboard, and I realized how many dang projects I have.  Here’s a re-hash so you can pity me.

-Azure Flames: YES, they’re back!  Low priority, but I still have to make a Kor’Sarro Khan stand in, add another Scout Bike, and start the Antonius Project, making Antonius my Marneus stand in.

-Orks: Gotta paint some lads!

-Imperial Guard: Low priority, but I’d like to make a 1500 pt. Creed list and paint it up.

-Warmachine: On hold, pending possibly getting out of WM entirely.  I love the minis, but hate the way the game is going: toward even bigger things.

 -Epic Marines: Still have to paint almost 9 companies, plus tanks, Navy support, and the Reaver Titan.

-Epic Orks: High priority is to finish the 3000 pt. list.  Then, just paint lads!

-Epic Lost and the Damned: Thanks to Lexington and a few ebay auctions, I have a good host of infantry and daemons.  Now, I need the more exotic things such as Daemon Engines and Chaos Altars.  A lot of this might be scratch-build.

-Gothic Dark Eldar: All built, and ordnance is printed and laminated.  Now I need to paint.  I’m thinking Teal with purple running lights and boltgun metal blades with a Mithril Silver highlight.

Necromunda: Need to choose a color scheme for the Delaques, paint my starter gang, and then paint all of the other misc. gangers.

Blood Bowl: Gotta model some cheerleaders and Coaches for the Scrappaz, possibly some Bloodweiser Babes, Apothecaries, etc.  Then, paint the Scrappaz.  Also, I bought the old “Astrogranite” styrofoam Blood Bowl board, so I’m going to create, print, and laminate custom End Zones for the Scrappaz and the Monitors.

Epic Eldar: ON HOLD.

If Lexington could just shoot me now that would be great.

New Epic Army: The Cult of the Dark Wanderer

So it seems that Epic Beastmen are pretty easy to find on ebay.  As a result of several auctions I’ve impulse-bid on, I now have the start of a Lost and the Damned army for Epic.

The above custom demagogue base forms the fluff for my army: The Cult of the Dark Wanderer.  Yes, it’s blatantly ripped off from Diablo, I admit that.  But it’s a great theme.

Now the more pertinent question: why would I want to collect the hardest army for Epic to collect?  BECAUSE IT’S THERE.

Dark Eldar Escorts

16 escorts separated into five different makes, three of each (except one that gets four).  Currently though, the one with the engine on top has only one, as I’m waiting for one more ebay auction to complete the other two.

As you can see, each escort has two magnets, just like the cruisers.  The weapons also have two each.  Now once the auction arrives, I’ll only have to drill 4 more holes and then the fleet is BUILT.

By the way, I have a new secret project or two.  Details next!

I’ve been bad: New Dark Eldar fleet for Gothic

 So I’ve been a bit busy at work.  Recently, I was bad and bid on a great Dark Eldar Battlefleet Gothic fleet.  I won.  I won too much actually, winning the five cruisers shown above.  I planned to sell two.  That didn’t happen, so I had to buy more escorts to compensate (currently shipping).

It was painted terribly, so I stripped it (and gave myself a chemical burn with paint thinner.)  I then thought: hey why not magnetize it?   It can’t be that hard.

Then I did the math.

108 holes to drill, 108 magnets to use.

*sigh* I’d better get to work.  Next: Escorts!

Love Letter to Grendel

BOLS posted this guy’s website, but I need to do so as well.  He’s been keeping a modeling blog since about 2000.  He has a lot of excellent looking projects.  Check him out:

Edit: Looks like Grendel took his site down.  Balls.