Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Game play issues, long random post :-)

Mkay, kind of just killing time before next meeting, so...

Wondering if I am missing something, but there seems to be some things that just do not make sense to me...

Comparing Chaos to Loyalist Terminators.  Chaos has by default the "Combi Bolter", so twin linked bolter.  Loyalists have the "Storm Bolter".  Combi Bolter, looking at the math, I get one shot at >12" to 24" range that hits something like 90% of the time (8/9).  Storm Bolter for out to 24" range has the Assault 2, so 2 shots at the usual BS 4.  Been a while since I took Statistics or Math, but I'm thinking the odds of at least one hit are (1 - [1/3*1/3]) or 8/9...  The same odds for a single hit from the Combi Bolter...  Getting TWO hits, your odds are somewhat worse, so 4/9?  The Loyalist weapon is slightly better for that range bracket, but within 12" range when the Combi Bolter fires twice with twin linking?  The Chaos version is clearly superior at the shorter range bracket, and enough so that I would question why I would want to ever run a Storm Bolter over a Combi Bolter.  Mind, the reality is both are pretty crap weapons in the grander scheme, but on a Terminator at least I do have to question why I would go away from the working version to one that may be slightly better at longer range, but clearly worse where the bulk of my shooting actually occurs?  Started thinking about this looking at my Wolves where I CAN get a bunch of Combi weapons, though not a Combi Bolter.  For balance I can see why GW would not change the SB rules given the Grey Knights and the huge mass of them they could field on "non Terminator" models...  Would I pay a few more points to swap CB for SB?  Maybe...  I DO think it should have been a default option, to allow the Loyalists to keep the CB over the SB if they want...

Keeping on the Terminator weapons, I've previously gone over how I feel about the once mighty Assault Cannon...  Currently, 4 shots is nice, but needing a 6 on the to wound/armor penetration roll to do much of anything makes it "less useful" as far as I am concerned.  Str 6 AP 4 just doesn't cut it these days especially given the 24" range and the Rending shots are still just AP 4, and so less likely to actually destroy a Vehicle rolling on the chart vs. taking hull points...  And since I'm looking for 6's a lot of the time anyway to do anything to Vehicles...  Needs a range boost, Str boost and something helping with Vehicles...  Until then, I cannot see paying an additional 30 points and giving up the (admittedly crap) Storm Bolter for the "gee, I hope I roll lots of 6's" weapon.  In general the new Assault Cannon compares unfavorably to the "older" Reaper class Autocannon.  Once again, fewer shots, but in this case higher Str and 50% greater range?  Yes, loses Rending, so cannot ever actually touch AV 14...  OK.  But I think I'd rather be able to ping lighter armor more regularly...  And of course the extra range would be really nice...

Cyclone took a hit as well, though it is still useful.  AP 3 makes the Krak missiles less useful for taking down vehicles, but they still actually kill Marines, so...  Not TOO bad, but when compared to some of the more modern choices, it is simply overpriced.  But this and the Heavy Flamer are the ones that seem close enough to actually use...

Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield...  With the game going away from HtH, not nearly so useful I think.  Giving up all shooting attacks is bad, but the 3++ and "I Don't Care" weapon...  Worth 45 points on a Terminator.  Worth 63?  No.  Wolves get to customize the hell out of their Terminators, but we do have to pay a really heavy cost to do so.  Lightning Claws are 48 points on either Terminator or Powered Armor...  Yeah, the LC are slightly better than "Vanilla" ones, but all of the LC took a pretty serious hit in the age of AP on powered weapons...  NOT so bad a hit as the "Power Maul" of course...  AP 4 on a Powered Weapon?  Tre' Craptastic.  AND the fact that all of my Chaplain types are stuck with it?  Why?  Why would I field a standard weapon incapable of actually punching through Powered Armor?  Yes, Str 6 so it is not complete crap, but really?  Playing a lot with Wolf Priests in my force and finding them losing combats because they cannot ignore 3+ armor...

:-)  Mkay, mostly unfocused free riffs there, but a start I think...

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