Monday, August 11, 2014

Wolves in Seventh, initial thoughts... Oh, and a bit more...

Right, so after a quick read through of the Wolves Codex…  REALLY not seeing anything to drag me back to playing 40K any time soon frankly.  Perhaps I missed something, but the big thing seems to be to use the “Great Company” Formation allowing your up to 6 HQ slots, etc…  This allows you to get the BA like roll for each Unit to Outflank.  6+.  Down to 4+ iff you add an IC to a Troops unit.  This is what we pay the extra points (presumably) for to get “Acute Senses”…  For at best the 50% chance to use them iff I use the format listed in the Codex.  Mind, I probably would since my Wolves have always been based on Grey Hunters.  So, unless I am missing something Wolves lack the “Objective Secured” rule as well.  So, they Score, but cannot Secure anything unless nothing else is alive nearby.   Eh, lazy writing at best.

Essentially the whole feel I got from the Codex was a lot like the 3rd Edition one where it was in the “Hero Hammer” phase for GW.  Bring out your tooled up uber Characters, the minimum “other” to support them and run at each other.  This time I get the feeling they also want to sell a LOT of Thunder Wolves.  Since pretty much every IC can be mounted now, and the TWC have come down in price.  So, that seems to be the “good” unit in the book at the moment on first reading…  Problem I have is that this is a fucking Science Fiction game set in the FAR future involving genetically modified humans wearing Powered Armor with many futuristic weapons, etc… Oh, and now riding giant Wolves as Cavalry if you didn’t get that this game was simply the Fantasy game ripping off Tolkien’s (and Moorcock, etc…) stuff and changing the setting to be the far future, the Chariots and Cavalry should drive that point home again for you.

Not ALL bad, I like that the “Iron Priests” (Techmarines) finally got the IC rule, and this time they remembered to cut/paste in the rules allowing them to repair things…  J  Since I have at least one edition’s book where they didn’t, and when it was pointed out and the FAQ was asked for the reply was essentially “too bad”.  That and the Terminators remembered what the bloody teleporters were for.  They can once again Deep Strike.  Cheap Terminators, and since I have always liked them and have a mess I might at some point play that list…  Score now, but cannot easily mix Powered and Terminator armors…  So, not a complete waste by any means I guess.  Fliers look OK, but being limited to Wolves?  Eh…  Seems odd to produce an expensive kit that cannot be used for more Armies…

Negatives I already went over a few…  The biggest ones are the loss of the “Mark of Wulfen” and the Scout’s ability to go behind enemy lines.  Having converted the one Wulfen/Squad for my Grey Hunters and having played them in EVERY Wolves list I ever  used for several editions now, that loss is annoying.  Not devastating, but annoying.  HtH has not been the way to win games for a few editions in any case, I just tend toward the “No Kill Like Overkill” and “Fortune Favors the Prepared”.  Maybe the DLC books which hit, well probably next week, will add it back in, but that is itself another insulting and annoying negative.  $50 for the book that is itself incomplete on day one?  The Scouts loss of their traditional ability however is a killer for me.  When the Quad guns hit with the silliness that was “Interceptor” in the previous edition, these lads were essentially shelved.  Yes, I COULD bring them and if I were especially careful actually get them into position to get in their one shot with Plasma Pistols and Melta…  Then of course, they lost the ability to bring a Wolf Guard in Powered Armor with them and the ability to Assault out of Reserve.  Was great against the rear echelon gun line Troops, but really that was about it.  So, they were a Denial unit that was small, lightly armored and very vulnerable…  Now, well even worse.  I cannot come in on the Enemy or say my own table edge if the situation demands it…  So, one of my oldest and best units is now completely useless.  “Elites”, not even bloody Troops.  Not that it matters much except that the Elite slot is crowded with stuff that might actually DO something…

Other news, apparently the Grey Knights are coming out as soon as this Month?  Between the online army builder and the White Dwarf, looking like it will be very soon.  And this one will be just the Grey Knights, not “Inquisition, Assassins with a few token Knights…  Maybe.  The Dread Knights and Storm Ravens  were pretty darn good, and I rather liked using the Terminators (yes, running theme for me)…  Heck, even the PA Knights were good, better by far than their “normal” Marine brethren…  So, yea?  I guess…

Seems like it has gone to a subscription model that is simply too rich for my gaming budget, and the game itself has devolved to the point I have little interest in playing anymore…

But on to more fun gaming…  Getting a bit more used to the Warmachine v2 rules and CPT Kraye’s Cavalry battlegroup…  Fun, not hugely powerful I think, but FAST and able to surprise a lot of folks with the speed and accuracy of the fire… And the game itself is fresh enough to me that I do not have the baggage associated with the 6 previous editions J… 

Gen Con this weekend for me, playing in a STAW event, 100 points, pretty simple, taking either:
List Name

Resource: Flagship Independent (Fed) (10)

U.S.S Excelsior (26)
Mr. Spock (4)
Adm. James T. Kirk (5)
Dmitri Valtane (3)
Quantum Torpedoes (6)
Ship SP: 44

USS Voyager (30)
Jean-Luc Picard (6)
Flagship (0)
Montgomery Scott (5)
Hikaru Sulu (3)
Positron Beam (2)
Ship SP: 46

Total Build SP: 100

Generated by STAW Builder

Or
List Name

Resource: Flagship Klingon (10)

Vor'cha Class (26)
Martok (5)
Ship SP: 31

Negh'Var (30)
Worf (3)
Flagship (0)
Ship SP: 33

K'T'Inga Class (22)
Gowron (4)
Ship SP: 26

Total Build SP: 100

Generated by STAW Builder


Depending on how silly and brutal I feel like being…  The Dominion fleet is a possibility as well of course…  J…  Game time decision I guess.

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