Review/Drinking Game: Warhams 40k 7Ed: Send Help

[Silent Wayfarer]

Hah, that's something I wrote years ago, there's a picture that goes with it:

Other observations in that light are...

Wave Serpents:
"dem flyin' wagons got a force field ...made of DAKKA!!"

Spirit Stones:
"some Eldar after dey get krump'd go "oi I ain't done fightin' yet ya gitz, put me soul in sumthin dead 'ard wiff alotta dakka" an he comes back for anuvver go as a tank"

Shuriken Catapult:
"like a shoota ...wiff terrible range"

The guardian and the grot also fulfill the same function in their respective armies, cheap cannon fodder that man heavy weapons and gets herded into battle by herders/warlocks that prevent them from running away, while out of combat they maintain society as artisans and such.

So you were the one... gave me a sensible chuckle the first time I read it got knows how many years ago. Good on you!

[OgreBattle]

Shower thought:

Warhammer 40k is possibly the only setting out there where Jihadists and Crusaders both get along (in worship of da emprah and purging of xenos)




how progressive and inclusive

[maglag]

Shower thought:

Warhammer 40k is possibly the only setting out there where Jihadists and Crusaders both get along (in worship of da emprah and purging of xenos)

Except 40K doesn't have actual Jihadists, they're just white skinned Lawrence of Arabia clones. Notice the complete lack of facial hair for further proof. The Imperium has a disturbing lack of non-white people, in particular since the Salamanders were retconned.

There's however an old PC game called Lionheart that's an alternate real-world history where the medieval fights between the crusaders and jihadists shed so much blood that demons spontaneouslu started to walk the Earth. That made both crusaders and Jihadists decided they kinda should team up against the new menace and have been getting surprisingly along.

[OgreBattle]

One of the named Tallran characters with a model looks like an Arab football club owner tho':

Al'rahem

If anything, the "huh aren't these guys suppose to be from..." guys are the Catachans, they are born in the jungle and fight like light infantry Vietcong, but they resemble the mostly European and African Americans who were definitely not born in the jungle and relied on heavy firepower and air support to counter jungle warfare experts.

...googling "Vietcong 40k" brings up... a German guy's "I know, I'll portray my space goblins as Vietnamese guerillas" army:

[maglag]

One of the named Tallran characters with a model looks like an Arab football club owner tho':

Al'rahem


If anything, the "huh aren't these guys suppose to be from..." guys are the Catachans, they are born in the jungle and fight like light infantry Vietcong, but they resemble the mostly European and African Americans who were definitely not born in the jungle and relied on heavy firepower and air support to counter jungle warfare experts.

Neither actually. Catachan are all clones from Rambo and Arnold Scharzeneger from the Predator movie. They don't dig underground like actual Vietcong infantry loved to do, but do love showing off their big hairless white chest muscles instead of wearing body armor like the real white soldiers did, and the Catachan's special character is called Marbo, which is just an anagram of Rambo, and just like Rambo he's a one man super sneaky army who makes big explosions. Catachan even hate obeying the chain of command and used to have a special rule that gave them a random chance of taking out your own side's commissar before battle started.

Meanwhile Tallran are renowed for their tank brigades. Which is what the brittish loved to do back when they were fighting in deserts. And the jihadists never did.

[Silent Wayfarer]

I kept thinking "Taliban" through all of that.

[Koumei]

Let's not let this conversation get even close to "someone could use it to 'prove' we're racists when saying what bad people we are", shall we?

I forgot to mention that the Coldstar's High-Output gatling gun is 18" S 5 AP 5 Assault 6 Twin-Linked. That's... not great for shooting aircraft down, to tell the truth. But you might get a few Glances I guess. It's just an option.

TROOPS:
Strike Teams and Breacher Teams (ie Fire Warrios)

Pictured above: one of the two

Two different units, but they're so similar I don't even care. Yes, dual-kit. And by dual-kit I really mean "single kit but with enough weapons you can make either", because that is the entire difference. Strike Teams are more long-ranged, having Pulse Rifles (can swap for Pulse Carbines), Photon Grenades, Supporting Fire and a 4+. Breacher Teams are close ranged, with a Field Amplifier Relay, 4+ (and 5++ if they take the Drone), Photons, Supporting Fire and a Pulse Blaster. Here are the differences between the weapons:
-Rifle: 30" S 5 AP 5 Rapid Fire, you are the best basic troop weapon ever
-Carbine: 18" S 5 AP 5 Assault 2 Pinning, still perfectly delightful for its task
-Blaster: up to 5" it's S 6 AP 3 Assault 2 and already my new favourite basic troop weapon, fuck you Pulse Rifle. 6-10" it's S 5 AP 5 Assault 2. 11-15" it's S 4 AP - Assault 2 and is a shitty Boltgun with less range.

If you can manage to get nice and close, the Blaster is amazing. Like, Space Marines would kill for those. And then kill with those. On the other hand, the Rifle is more reliable and has that beautiful range, which Tau really want, and even the Carbines have their use for close-range pinning. And Close Range is still more than 12" though.

They former is 5-12 with optional Shas'ui upgrade (who can take a Markerlight and two Drones), the latter is 5-10 with optional blah blah blah. BS 3 so you really want to use your Markerlights. They can both take EMP grenades, and they can take a turret which they set up instead of moving, and it can't be targeted but hangs around as long as they're in reach. If they move it vanishes but they can then set it up again later.


You remember turrets, don't you? They're those pale round things that are full of bullets. Oh wait, no, that's you in one minute.

Turret has either a Missile Pod (S 7 AP 4 Assault 2) or Smart Missile System (S 5 AP 5 Heavy 4, No Cover, doesn't need LoS). Also they can take the Bondage Ritual and a Devilfish Transport.

I give them shit for being so similar, but honestly there are enough options scattered through, like the turret and Drones, that it's all good. If you like, think of it as one unit with lots of options.

I AM KROOT


These are pretty much the same as before: 10-20 cheap models with Infiltrate, Stealth (Forests only) and Move Through Cover, and Kroot Rifles with Pulse Rounds (24" S 4 AP 6 Rapid, also they're 2-handed AP 5 close combat weapons). You can also have up to 3 Krootox (T 6 W 2) who are Bulky and have the Kroot Gun (48" S 7 AP 4 Rapid Fire). You can also have up to 10 Kroot Hounds. One Kroot can be swapped for a Shaper, who an take a Pulse Rifle or Carbine, and you can give Sniper rounds to everyone who has a Kroot Rifle (Heavy 1 Sniper). You still use them for cheap screening and to wall edges off against Outflanking, but now you can also make them pretty annoying snipers. Well, as annoying as BS 3 lets you be.

ELITE: we like this part
XV25 Stealth Battlesuits (the old Stealthsuits)

Unless you do this, they're better suited for artistic set-pieces, from a painting perspective.




They still look stupid, but whatever. 3-6 Jet Pack Infantry with Stealth, Shrouded, Infiltrate, Supporting Fire and Burst Cannons. 3+ Armour. Each one can take a single Support System, and 1/3 can swap his gun for a Fusion Blaster, which is a grand idea. You can upgrade one to a Shas'ui, who can take an extra Support System, a Homing Beacon and a Markerlight (note: Jet Pack Infantry are Relentless so can move and fire Heavy weapons). Can also take up to two Drones and the Bondage Ritual.

You probably want a bunch of these either in general or for a formation I'll mention later.

XV8 Crisis Battlesuits


Now looking more dynamic, and in boxes of three! 1-9 per unit, and they're T 4 W 2 Sv 3+ Jet Pack Infantry. Supporting Fire, Very Bulky, each can take up to three Ranged Weapons or Support Systems. Yes it's possible to not have any weapons at all, if you really want to do that. One can be upgraded to a Shas'vre who can take a Relic in place of one of the Systems/Weapons. Each model can take up to 2 Drones, and they can take the Bondage Ritual.

The weapon options are specifically: Flamer, Burst Cannon, Airbursting Frag Projector (weak Large Blast that ignores cover), Cyclic Ion Blaster (18" S 7 AP 4 Assault 3, or S 8 AP 5 Heavy 1 Blast Gets Hot!), Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle (S 6 AP 2 Rapid Fire, doesn't get hot). I don't particularly feel like covering the Support Systems and Relics other than to mention that one of the Relics is a Donkey Punch.

XV8 Crisis Bodyguards
Just scroll back up to the above picture.

Basically a unit of 1-9 Shas'vre, so they can all take Relics if they want. Also if an Indie joins them, they automatically pass Look Out Sir! rolls.

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits

I'd paint them in John Cena's colours, because YOU CAN'T SEE ME

1-3 Jet Pack Monstrous Creatures with T 5 W 4 Sv 3+ and Stealth and Supporting Fire. Each comes with 2 T 5 Stealth Drones. If they have at least one Stealth Drone still alive, they gain Shrouded as well. They have Twin Flamers, Fusion Colliders (18" Melta Blast), Electrowarfare Suites (against attackers 12+ inches away, Stealth and Shrouded bonuses are doubled, to a maximum of a 2+ Cover Save) and Holophoton Countermeasures (1/game when targeted, activate it and the enemy can only make Snap Shots). Any model can swap Fusion for a Cyclic Ion Raker (2' S 7 AP 4 Assault 6 or S 8 AP 4 Heavy 1 Large Blast Gets Hot!), and can swap Twin Flamers for a Twin Burst Cannon or Twin Fusion Blaster. You can really get your melta on here. Any can take up to two Support Systems and they can take the Bondage Ritual.

These look awesome and are really useful for getting up close and transmogrifying vehicles into flaming messes of shrapnel.

XV104 Riptide, aka The Internet Lost Its Shit

GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN

Also links to some other, larger ones:
TRON STYLE
Beautiful
Lovely blue
MEGAZORD ACTIVATED

Back in the last Dex, this caused a lot of panicking. This was the reason why Tau were totally overpowered and the game was forever changed, "Tau in one tier, everyone else in the other" (then Eldar came along and it was either "Eldar" and "Everyone else" or "Tau and Eldar" and "Everyone else"). Pretty sure it used to be a Gargantuan Creature, possibly a Heavy or Lord of War. Whatever. Now it's Elite, and 1-3 in a unit. But they're now just Jet Pack Monstrous Creatures with T 6 W 5 Sv 2+/5++ Use Your Lascannon

Supporting Fire, Twin Smart Missile System, Heavy Burst Cannon (3 feet of S 6 AP 4 Heavy 8... unless you Novacharge it, where it's Heavy 12 Rending but Gets Hot!), and a Riptide Shield Generator (5++ usually...). Also they have the NOVA REACTOR, which is what happens when, instead of plugging your Evangelion into the city grid, you give it its own nuclear reactor, and then you start overcharging it to make it more effective.

Overloading the Eva's power systems never caused any harm, right?



Well shit.

Each of your Movement Phases, decide whether you're using the Nova-Reactor. If so, roll 1d6. On a 1-2, it takes no effect and the radiation/shock pulse causes an automatic Wound with no saves. On a 3+ you can choose one of the following: 3++ until next turn, able to Nova-Charge the Big Gun, Thrust movement is 4d6", double-fire the Twin Weapon. Sadly, they don't explode, even if Overcharging costs them their last Wound. I really feel they should explode.

Any can swap the Twin Missiles for a Twin Plasma Rifle or a Twin Fusion Blaster. Any can swap the Heavy Burst Cannon for an Ion Accelerator (72" S 7 AP 2 Heavy 3... or Overcharge it for S 8 AP 2 Heavy 1 Large Blast Gets Hot!... or Nova-Charge that motherfucker for S 9 AP 2 Ordnance 1 Large Blast Gets Hot!). They can take up to two Shielded Missile Drones each, and two Support Systems each. They can take Bondage Ritual.

And that's it for Elites, probably my favourite part of the book, but I am totally on board with the goofy 80s mecha.

[Silent Wayfarer]

I like the look of the Riptide.

[Koumei]

I like the look of the Riptide too. I dig most of their mecha. I just wish they were vehicles and thus exploded when "killed". Exploded or remained standing there, unmoving but still acting as cover, while others play out a little scene.
"Joe! Snap out of it Joe!"
"I'm sorry, Miss Nanako... looks like I won't be able... to take you to the beach like I promised..."
"JOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE!"

FAST ATTACK:
Drones


A unit of 4-12 Drones, any combination of Gun Drones with Twin Pulse Carbines, Marker Drones with Markerlights, and Shield Drones with Shield Generators.

TX4 Piranhas

Standard


Pimp Daddy

1-5 Open-Topped Fast Skimmers, each with one Burst Cannon and a pair of Gun Drones. Each can take up to two Seeker Missiles and swap the Burst Cannon for a Fusion Blaster.

Pathfinder Team

I bet you thought I'd show a picture of the guys who made Pathfinder

4-10 Scouting infantry with Supporting Fire, Photons, Pulse Carbines and Markerlights. Can include a Recon Drone, a Pulse Accelerator, and a Grav-Inhibitor Drone (reduces the Charge distance of enemies). A few can swap their guns for Ion Rifles (30" S 7 AP 4 Rapid Fire, OC for S 8 AP 4 Heavy 1 Blast Gets Hot!) or Rail Rifles (30" S 6 AP 1 Rapid Fire). They can take EMPs and one model can become a Shas'ui, able to take two more Drones and a Blacksun filter. They can take the Bondage Ritual and a Devilfish.

Speak of the Devilfish!


It is the Tau dedicated transport. The only one. Twelve models, two Gun Drones and a Burst Cannon. Skimmer (non-Fast), Tank, 12/11/10. It can swap the Drones out for a Twin Smart Missile System and take up to two Seeker Missiles.

Sun Shark Bomber


It's a Flyer with a Pulse Bomb Generator (S 5 AP 5 Large Blasts, roll 1d6 each time you use it and on a 2+ it creates another bomb so you can go again next turn), a Missile Pod, two Seeker Missiles and a Networked Markerlight (you fire that first, then the other stuff, so it can use its own Markerlights). It also has 2 Interceptor Drones with Twin Ion Rifles (Interceptor, Skyfire, Supporting Fire). They are Jet Pack Infantry that can Turbo Boost to keep up with it when they detach. It can Twin-Link its Missile Pod.

Razorshark Strike Fighter


Flyer with a Burst Cannon, Quad Ion Turret (Heavy 4 or S 8 Heavy 1 Large Blast Gets Hot!) and two Seeker Missiles. It can swap the Burst Cannon for a Missile Pod if it wants.

Vespid Stingwings


4-12 Jump Infantry with T 4 and Neutron Blasters (S 5 AP 3 guns). Fleet, H&R, Move Through Cover, and Stealth (Ruins only). One can be a leader, bumping from Ld 6 to 9. Do it.


HEAVY SUPPORT:
Sniper Drone Team


Because you totally took Tau for the drones as Heavy Support, right? It's 1-2 Marksmen (Pulse Pistol, Markerlight, BS 5 and the Drones use their BS) and 3-9 Drones with Longshot Pulse Rifles (48" Sniper). Stealth and Supporting Fire.

Hammerhead


Amazing how much of our wildlife can be found in other star systems. Anyway 1-3 Skimmer Tanks with Railguns (solid shot: 72" S 10 AP 1 Heavy 1), and each has 2 Gun Drones. Any Hammerhead can swap the Railgun for an Ion Cannon (60" S 7 AP 3 Heavy 3 or Overcharge for S 8 AP 2 Heavy 1 Large Blast Gets Hot!) or take Submunition rounds (for the Railgun: S 6 AP 4 Heavy 1 Large Blast), and take up to two Seeker Missiles. Any can swap the Drones for a Twin Burst Cannon or Twin Smart Missile System. One in the army can be upgraded to have a special character pilot (Tank Hunters, Preferred Enemy (Astra Militarum), Supporting Fire, can fire Overwatch (not just once per phase, even), and is BS 5).

Skyray


Or if you don't like the PINK look:

1-3 Skimmer Tanks, each with six Seeker Missiles, two Networked Markerlights, a Velocity Tracker, and two Gun Drones. They can swap the Drones for Twin Burst Cannons or Twin Smart Missile Systems.

Broadside Battlesuits

Yo dawg I heard you like missiles...

1-3 T 4 W 2 Sv 2+ bastards with Supporting Fire, Twin Smart Missile Systems, and Twin Heavy Rail Rifles (60" S 8 AP 1 Heavy 1). One can be a Shas'vre. Any can swap the Heavy Rails for a Twin High-Yield Missile Pod (Assault 4). Any can change their Missile Systems for a Twin Plasma Rifle. Any can take a single Seeker Missile. Each can take one Support System and up to two Drones. Can take Bondage Ritual.

It comes to a conclusion next episode, with the Stormsurge (LoW) and the quite tasty Formations.

[Koumei]

LORD OF WAR: THE STORMSURGE



1-3 of these massive guys (the Riptide stares at its solar plexus). Expensive Gargantuan Creatures with T 6 W 8 Sv 3+, a Twin Flamer (can swap for a Twin Burst Cannon or Twin Airburst Frag Projector), Twin Smart Missile System, a Cluster Rocket System (48" S 5 AP 5 Heavy 4d6), Four Destroyer Missiles (60" S 8 AP 1 Heavy 1 Single-Use, spend Markerlights to make them Strength D), and a Pulse Blastcannon (up to 10": S D AP 1 Heavy 2; 11-20": S 10 AP 3 Heavy 2 Blast' 21-30": S 9 AP 5 Heavy 2 Large Blast). That can be swapped for a Pulse Driver Cannon (72" S 10 AP 2 Ordnance 1 Large Blast). Each can also take three Support Systems.

They also have Stabilising Anchors: you put the anchors down on one turn, and starting on the next turn you can't move or Stomp, but you can shoot twice. You can retract the anchors at the start of any turn and immediately go back to normal movement on that time.

They look kind of stupid without arms, but I like the whole MASSIVE GIANT ROBOT thing and all those missiles.

Here are your Formations:
-Hunter Cadre: 1 Commander, 0-1 Cadre Fireblade, 0-1 XV8 Crisis Bodyguard units, 3-6 units of Breachers, Strike Teams and Kroot (any combination), 1-3 units of Stealth Suits, Ghostkeel, Riptides and Crisis Suits (any combination), 1-3 units of Pathfinders, Piranhas, Vespids and Drones (any combination), 1-3 units of Broadsides, Hammerheads, Stormsurges, Sniper Drones (any combination). Supporting Fire reaches out to 12" and units within 12" of HQ choices can Run/Flat Out then Shoot.

-Retaliation Cadre: 1 Commander, 3 units of Crisis Suits, 1 unit of Broadsides, 1 unit of Riptides. These are all things you have if you previously collected Tau. If you skipped the prior Dex, you still probably have everything except the minimum 1 Riptide. Anyway, they all become Relentless, and if they start in Reserve, you can declare at the start that they are going to do a Low Altitude Deployment. If you do that, they all Derp Strike in together on turn 2 and get +1 BS on that turn.

-Heavy Retribution Cadre: 1 Ghostkeel unit and 2 Stormsurge units. If something is within 12" of a Ghostkeel, the Stormsurges Twin-Link their shooting at said target. If at least two units from this shoot at one enemy in a turn, then on the next turn, that foe can't Run or move Flat Out, and their Charge rolls are halved. This is the BUY NEW BOX SETS, PAY THOUSANDS OF QUIDLINGTONS formation.

-Infiltration Cadre: 3 Pathfinder Teams, 2 units of Stealthsuits, 1 unit of Piranhas. If any unit from this is wiped out, everything you have in Reserve automatically comes in next turn. Also, if any unit from this puts three Markerlights on an enemy in the one phase, then the enemy additionally suffers an automatic hit from a Seeker Missile (not one you actually need to fire - it just gets fired in from support units piloted by Sir Not Taking Part In This Film).

-Optimised Stealth Cadre: 2x Stealthsuit units, 1x Ghostkeel units. At the start of a Shooting Phase, they can network their stealth fields to create a Wall of Mirrors. The Ghostkeels (and any Stealthsuits within 6" of the Ghostkeels) have +1 BS and Ignores Cover, and they automatically hit vehicles on the Rear Armour. Remember how these assholes can all have lots of Melta? Yeah, BAM.

-Firebase Support Cadre: 2x Broadside units, 1x Riptide unit. They can choose to do a co-ordinated firestorm. Or rather, you can choose to do that with them, plastic minis don't have minds. When they do this, they all have to target the same enemy unit, and they are treated as one massive unit for this, meaning any Markerlights you spend give their benefits to the whole lot. They also gain Tank Hunters and Monster Hunters for this.

-Armoured Interdiction Cadre: 3x Hammerhead units, 1x Sky Ray units. At the start of a Shooting Phase, you can pick any point on the map. The whole formation gets Twin-Linked shooting against anything within 6" of the point.

-Air Caste Support Cadre: 1 Sun Shark, 2 Razorsharks. They get to ignore Crew Shaken/Stunned on a 2+ (but still suffer any Hull Points lost). At the start of every turn, roll 1d6 for each Hull Point a model has lost. On a 6 they regain the Hull Point.

-Allied Advance Cadre: 4 Kroot units. 2 Vespid units. Vespids gain Infiltrate and Stealth (Forests), and Kroot within 12" of Vespids swap Stealth (Forests) for Shrouded (Forests) and gain +1 BS. They can all provide Supporting Fire, but only to each other.

And that is all. The Tau are done, and all that remains is SPESS MEHRINS. Oh and then the Mont'ka thing which just adds some formations for Guard and Tau, and has a hilarious thing regarding a Tau hero. It's amazing. But that can wait until after the Marines are covered.


All these effects and stuff are modelled on!

[maglag]

Those pics are all sorts of awesome, but still not as awesome as your reviews Koumei.

[Koumei]

In my continued efforts to delay Spaz Morons, I am going to take a break for a special episode called "How I Would Do It Better Because I'm a Smartass". Or perhaps "How I'd Fix What Is". Just rules - I'm assuming that for this I have to work with whatever minis they release.

Astra Militarum

Just housekeeping and modernising, really. I'd let even the Deathstrikes and Manticores be 1-3. Give small benefits to vehicle squadrons of 3, like "3 Basilisks can fire a single Massive Blast with the Strikedown rule if they want, instead of three Large Blasts". Generally lower the point costs of a lot of vehicles by a little bit here and there. Make Hellhounds and Banewolves great at clearing people out of buildings (or in the former case, burning buildings down, which I guess works for clearing people out). Hydras would either have "Each turn, select whether or not to have Skyfire" or just expand the "Full BS Shooting" to Jetbikes, Jump/Jet Packs and Skimmers (ignores Cover).

And give them a Decurion, obviously.

Dark Eldar

Okay, I like the Angry Codex that was posited on 1d4chan, but I wouldn't have thought to do all that. So they'd have a Decurion with three different Core options (Kabal, Wych Cult, Haemonculus Coven) and whatever auxiliary seems good. Vehicles as 1-3 like everyone else gets, maybe? I'd probably make Void weapons Strength D or even have the Vortex rule. Let the jet fighters do low-altitude decapitations like the Apocalypse Formation. Vect would still be a thing - regular HQ with the option to take the Dais as a Lord of War. Change "You have +1 WS" to something that benefits drug users, and let Lelith have that one. Just give her WS 10, whatever.

Reavers would go back to the good drive-by. Maybe throw extra Beastmaster options in like Space Marines and Hormagants. Let Hellions all take Haywires? Wyches would start at WS 5 (Hekatrix 6) and gain something like "Rending on the charge against anything with lower/no WS". Change the Dodge to cover the entire Assault Phase.

Then I'd do something about the Upgraded Troops units. Trueborn would all have one special option like "Gain Drugs", "Power Weapons for Everybody!", "Soulseeker Ammo: Splinter Weapons are Twin-Linked and Poison 3+", stuff like that. Letting them take "weapon slaves" (each one lets one model be treated as Relentless due to acting as a weapon mount) would be pretty funny there. We're all up for some slave-based humour, right?

Blood Brides would have Shredding close combat weapons, which would combo well with the above thing about fighting worse fighters.

Maybe even allow some extra options for the Talos kit, see if it's possible to build that into a heavy weapons platform and maybe make that Skyfire.

Necrons

Um... just let Tesla work on Snap Shots (alternatively, let the Annihilation Barge fire at aircraft normally), maybe tweak some point values and make Formations like "one unit of Flayed Ones" more interesting? I'd like to make the "BRAIN SNIPER" weapons of Deathmarks more in theme with the descriptions - instead of pinning, you wander 1d6" in a random direction and stand in the open or something. I dunno. Acknowledge that Forgeworld exists to you can take the robot centipede and such in a Decurion.

Oh, and seriously, I'd let Stalkers take Death Rays, maybe even Close Combat Crusher Arms.

Adeptus Mechanicus

Having ruled out "make them look less stupid" for certain robots, there isn't much left. Maybe acknowledge that Forge World exists and include their Horse Heresy Mechanicum stuff. I mean it doesn't have the kind of coverage a regular army does, but it isn't supposed to be taken as one so that's sort of okay?

Craftworld Eldar

Other than fixing up Decurion options of "Take one unit of X. That is all." I wouldn't really change much. Maybe scrap the idea of turning forcefields into beam weapons and instead let them unleash the forcefields as energy waves, such as "After you finish moving, you can unleash a Tank Shock/Ram out to 6 inches, this is just a wave of force so isn't subject to damage from Ramming, nor Death or Glory!"

Oh, there'd have to be a Phoenix Lord for Warp Spiders, Shining Spears and even Crimson Hunters, but that kind of requires new kits.

Orks

Step one would be to reduce randomness. That shit needs to go.

Make Snazzguns useful for their own thing. Either by picking a specific thing and making them do that, or by starting them out as basically Heavy Bolters and then letting you take unit-wide upgrades to customise them (increase Range/RoF/Strength, reduce AP, add Blast/Shred/Ignores Cover). Taking all upgrades would be too expensive to justify doing so, but taking just a couple to make them ideal for a specific role would be reasonable.

Maybe give them some kind of defensive boost that depends on having a bunch of models in base contact, so the player has a tactical consideration there: spread out to avoid Death By Template, or bunch together to better resist volleys of fire. It'd just be something like a replacement to their random reaction to failing Morale checks, or gaining a Cover save. Yes, they would get a cover save because it's hard to hit any given ork when other orks are in the way, and those orks are harder to hit because they're being jostled about by the other orks behind them. Stop thinking.

A Decurion, obviously. And I suppose Aircraft and Deff Dreads as 1-3 because that is a thing.

Harlequins

As a supplemental dex I'd just let this one be. Reducing the cost of the jetbikes and skimmers or making them sturdier sounds great, but I dunno.

Chaos

Let each god have a dex, do not include Warp Storms, an insistence on challenging, or daemonic instability. Probably get rid of the random Chaos Rewards thing as well. Replace that with a basic "The first time you kill someone in a challenge, you get (minor fixed benefit)".

Everyone gets a decent Decurion, and Regular Chaos Marines would have their own one, with the overall Decurion choosing a Legion (Chapter Tactics). Certain formations within it might have restrictions, however, such as "The Siege Force cannot be taken as a (Legion that gets extra Fast Attack) Legion. Regardless of the Legion of the overall force, this can specifically be taken with the Iron Hands Legion".

Robots as 1-3 because that's what people do.

Inquisition

It's a supplemental mini-dex, it's fine. If we're going crazy, include Fast Attack slots with some Forgeworld aircraft, provide some extra wargear options, and just add a line of text to the RANDOM TABLE of the Jokaero such that rolling over the maximum isn't wasted and is just "Choose any result from 1-5".

Tau

Blah blah blah fix the "One unit, nothing special" Decurion options etc.
There isn't really anything sticking out as "needs changing", and I haven't the experience to glance at specific Tau things and declare "that is definitely wrong".

Tyranids

Fucking hell, they don't even have a 7Ed dex. So they'd have one of those. A Decurion, with the ability to do the multi-phase Hive Fleet thing (Genestealer Cult --> The Skies Darken --> Hive Node --> Endless Swarm --> Monster Attack --> Clean-Up). Although that's kind of pushing it, because if one of them comes on each turn, the last one only comes on in Turn 6 - random game length may have ended before that.

Genestealer cults would definitely be a thing, with mutants AND THE LIMO. Taking one of those lets you take other armies as Battle Brothers, by selecting the racial strain of the Patriarch HQ choice.

Let them have crazy deadly terrain stuff as Fortifications.

Oh and Synapse gives FnP to the Synapse creature and FnP 6+ to friendly tyranids in the area of effect. I'd probably bump T-Warriors to T 5. People don't take them as is, so if they're able to eat a Basilisk without the whole unit disappearing, that could be worth their current points cost - specifically, as a way to spread a solid Synapse (with FnP) around to others. It's not like their wargear is that scary.

Maybe put some more Invulnerable Saves out there?

Adepta Sororitas

I'd relinquish all rights to the Intellectual Property and gift it to another company. Maybe the Relic Knight guys, maybe Toughest Girls in the Galaxy, seeing as they're already making multi-part plastic/resin kits of Totally-Not-Sisters-of-Battle-Honest.

Because to be viable in Warhams, they need a full, modern Codex, written from the ground up, and in order to have that, they need new minis, with new weapon options, vehicles and plastic kits. This isn't a case of just paving over the cracks in a slightly old dex.

[shlominus]

reduce orky randomness? lol, 2nd edition orks would have blown your mind!

[Koumei]

I am well aware of the 2Ed stuff, largely based on Fantasy Battle. But being old or traditional doesn't make it a good idea. It's a stupid idea to replace tactics, strategy, planning and decision-making with random variables. Furthermore, every time you have to roll for Strength, AP values, number of attacks or anything else, it wastes time. When taking a Leadership check involves rolling 2d6 twice then rolling 1d6 (then potentially another d6 to determine the number of hits, then rolling for Wounds and Armour Saves), you can fuck right off.

I wasn't a fan of random Charge distance. And that isn't a controversial statement. Most people consider it stupid and detrimental (especially people who actually play it and thus have to live with these rules). The worst hit were those who like to Assault. The game already has 1-4 rolls (potentially To Hit, always To Wound, often a Save, sometimes FnP) just for attacking people. That's plenty. You don't need to roll extra variables on top of that.

If you think it's PROPARLY ORKY to leave it all to chance and not have rules that make any sense or allow any planning, then you can just put all the minis on the table, shake it up and down a bit, and see which one lands on top and call that the winner. (Alternatively you can play Warmahordes with their GOFAST STEAMROLLER MODE rules, for the same result). And by doing that, you're taking stupidity away from the game where it affects other people.

[shlominus]

never said it was a good idea, did i?

while flipping through my beloved "'ere we go" i just realised that i was thinking of 1st edition, rather than 2nd. i don't think there's anything in the army that wasn't randomised somehow, except for basic equipment of basic units. totally bonkers!

[Koumei]

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the John Cena of armies: Space Marines

DO DO DO DOOOOOOO

So a full squad of 10 can split into two 5-man squads, and this decision is made just before deployment. However, they can share transports so you can drop ten guys in a Pod and have them split into 2x5 but you make that call before the pod lands.

They have their own Traits table, but only one: Fear (on 3d6), Furious Charge, Feel no Pain, short range "order a unit to gain Rending for a Shooting Phase" (awesome Trait), "whole army uses my Ld value", bubble of re-rolling failed Ld tests (Imperial forces only).

The first two are decidedly average, but it just gets better from there.

Combat Doctrines: these are things that you can be granted by certain things. If something lets you use it, then that is one use of it. It will also state which units are affected.
-Tactical: Shooting and Assault for 1 turn, re-roll 1s to hit. Independent Characters flat-out re-roll all misses.
-Assault Doctrine: Assault for 1 turn, re-roll 1s to hit. Bikes, Assault Squads, Attack Bikes and Centurion Assault Squads re-roll all misses.
-Devastator Doctrine: you already know what this does by reading the above.

Chapter Tic-Tacs:


Your army has a Chapter, and thus has Chapter Tactics for that Chapter. It just covers the main ones (and Forgeworld has some others). If you're playing a Successor Chapter, you use their Founding Chapter. If you don't know what that is, pick any one.

-Ultrameringues, Heirs of OUR SPIRITUAL LIEGE, ROWBOAT GILLMAN: gain one use of each Doctrine, affecting all Ultramarines.
-White Scars: Bikes get +1 S on HoW and gain Skilled Rider. All White Scars get H&R and can re-roll Run distance.
-Imperial Fists: Fists re-roll all 1s to Hit with Bolt Pistols, Boltguns, Storm Bolters, Heavy Bolters, and Combi-Weapons that are firing as Boltguns. Includes special ammo. Re-roll failed Armour Penetration against Buildings, and +1 damage to the damage table. Both types of Devastator gain Tank Hunters.
-Black Templars: Templars gain Crusader and Adamantium Will. No Librarians Allowed. If suffering casualties from shooting or overwatch, gain Counter-Attack and Rage until the end of the turn.
-Iron Hands: non-vehicles get FnP 6+ (or +1 to any existing FnP). Characters and Vehicles get It Will Not Die, Techmarines get +1 to fix stuff.
-Salamanders: FnP 4+ against Flamer weapons, and their own Flamer weapons re-roll failed Wounds and Penetration. Each character can Master-Craft one weapon.
-Raven Guard: non-vehicles that don't start in vehicles have Shrouded for the first turn, and you may add 1 to the "Is it Night Fighting?" roll. Jump units get to use Jump Packs in both Movement AND Assault Phases, and re-roll failed Wounds on HoW.

Decurion: GLADIUS STRIKE FORCE
1-2 Core, 1+ Auxiliary, 0-3 Command. You get one use of each Doctrine, for your whole army. If you have TWO Battle Demi-Companies (the one Core choice), then any unit that can take a Rhino, Razorback or Drop Pod can just do so for free (but you pay for upgrades).

Core:
-Battle Demi-Company
Command:
-Strike Force Command
-Reclusiam Command Squad
-Librarius Conclave
Auxiliary:
-Armoured Task Force
-1st Company Task Force
-Anti-Air Defence Force
-10th Company Task Force
-Storm Wing
-Suppression Force
-Centurion Siegebreaker Cohort
-Land Raider Spearhead

One of these is "1 of this. Optionally 0-1 of these three things". I think that's the only one that gets no special rules added at all.

Due to special characters, there are 200 HQ choices so I'll get on to actual units and stuff next post. I bet you're already unexcited.

[OgreBattle]

The flat surfaces of Tau battlesuits makes them relatively easy to convert. I like the ones that make the head feel less tacked on, and gives the abdomen a more distinct shape, as the plain XV88 kind of looks like one big torso with legs sticking out. The newer battlesuits generally don't have that problem.

fixing 40k stuff

Removing randumb rolling for Dark Eldar drugs would be another step forward. I'd just say Wyches have Preferred Enemy (Everything) to represent a combination of gladiatorial fights against everything in the galaxy + drugs. Straight up rending weapons is also fine, they're still s3 t3.

squads of bulky/very bulky multi-wound middling toughness models also bugs me... stuff like ogryns, grotesques, warriors, battlesuits, nobs would be less fiddly on the tabletop if they just got a bump in toughness and/or FNP. I like how straightforward the wraithguard is in that regard.

ogryn: t5 FNP (possibly 4+)
Ork Nob, tyranid warrior: t5
Exarch: 5+ inv perhaps
Grotesque: t6 FNP(4+)
Crisis Suit: t6 (they're the same size as wraithguard)
Razorwing flock: since its a swarm of little dudes I could see it staying multi-wound.

Then adjust points accordingly.

When I finish the doodles that accompany my "Dark/Corsair/Craftworld Eldar fandex that changes lots of things and grossly overpowers stuff" I'll post it up.

[Koumei]

SPECIAL CHARACTERS:
Sicarius: Ultramarines Captain, Plasma Pistol, Grenades, Iron Halo, Feel no Pain, Furious Charge. Grants a single Tactical Squad either Counter-Attack, Infiltrate, Scout or Tank Hunters. +1 to Reserve Rolls while he's on the table. Has a Power Sword that can be used to make a single S 6 AP 3 Instant Death attack.

Tigurius: Ultramarines Librarian. Bolt Pistol, Grenades. Psychic Hood that lets him re-roll Psychic tests. Mastercrafted Force Rod with Soul Blaze. Level 3 Psyker that can re-roll his powers known, and lets you re-roll Reserves. Lots of re-rolls on this guy. He can generate powers from any of the core book categories.

Cassius: Ultramarines Chaplain. Toughness 6. Bolt Pistol, Crozius, Grenades, Rosarius (4++), Feel no Pain, Zealot, Preferred Enemy (Tyranids). Combi-Flamer with Hellfire rounds (Poison 2+).

Sergeant Tellion: Ultramarines character who can only join Scouts. Camo Cloak, Grenades, Bolt Pistol, Stalker Boltgun: 3 feet Heavy 2 Sniper. Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Scout, Stealth. All shots (except Snap Shots) are Precision Shots, and in the Shooting Phase he can choose to let another model use his BS (instead of him shooting).

Chronus: Ultramarines character. Bolt Pistol, Grenades, Servo Arm. Tank Commander: buy a Rhino, Razorback, Predator, Whirlwind, Vindicator, Hunter, Stalker, or Land Raider (any). He pilots it: BS 5, It Will Not Die, ignores Crew Shaken/Stunned. If it is destroyed, he bails out and is an Infantry guy.

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN: White Scars Commander. Grenades, Iron Halo (4++), Bolt Pistol, Power Sword that, on a 6, Wounds regardless of Toughness and causes Instant Death. Furious Charge, and White Scars that are Bikes or on Rhinos/Razorbacks gain the Scouts rule. If he slays the Warlord in a challenge, you gain +1d3 VP. Can be upgraded to have a Bike that makes 1d3 HoW hits.

Vulkan He'Stan: Salamanders Commander. Grenades, Bolt Pistol, 2+/3++, Heavy Flamer, Digital Weapons, Two-Handed S 6 AP 3 Spear. Also he Twin-Links all Meltas, Combi-Meltas and Multi-Meltas in the Detachment.

Shrike: Raven Guard Captain. Jump Pack, Bolt Pistol, Iron Halo, Grenades, Stealth, Infiltrate. Before deploying, he can only join units of Jump Infantry. Has a pair of Rending Lightning Claws.

Lysander: Imperial Fists Captain. Terminator Armour, Iron Halo, Storm Shield, Eternal Warrior, bubble of Leadership re-rolls. Has a S 10 AP 1 Master-Crafted Thunder Hammer.

Pedro: Crimson Fists Chapter Master. Power Fist, Iron Halo, Orbital Bombardment, Grenades, AP 4 Assault 4 Storm Bolter. Sternguard gain ObSec, Everyone in the Detachment gains Preferred Enemy (Orks), and if they're within 12" they get +1 A.

Helbrecht: Black Templars hero. Combi-Melta, 2+/4++, Grenades, 1/game grant all Black Templars Fleet and Hatred for one Assault Phase, and has a Master-Crafted Power Sword that changes his Charge bonus to +1d3 attacks instead of 1.

Emperor's Champion: Black Templars hero. 2+/4++, Bolt Pistol, Fearless, Grenades. Has to issue/accept challenges. In a challenge, he re-rolls all Misses, and his To Wound rolls of 6 are Instant Death. His special sword is S 6 AP 2 Master-Crafted.

Grimaldus: Black Templars Chaplain. MC Plasma Pistol, Crozius, Grenades, Rosius, It Will Not Die, Zealot, grants Zealot and FnP to Black Templars in 6". Can take a bunch of mostly useless Cenobyte Servitors.


Apparently this.

REGULAR HQ CHOICES, FUCKING HELL THAT WAS A LOT:
Captain

Commander Bane, I believe

You know the deal. Good statline, can take a bunch of wargear. Can be upgraded to a Chapter Master, who has even better stats and an Orbital Strike. Can even take a Relic Blade or Artificer Armour, along with the Terminator/Bike/Jump Pack optiosn.

Librarian


Level 1 Psyker with a Force Weapon and Psychic Hood as well as the usual Space Marine stuff. Can be raised to level 2, and can take various Wargear, including Terminator Armour, Jump Pack or Bike. Has access to all the basic power categories.

Techmarine


Artificer Armour, Power Axe and Servo Arm. Can repair vehicles, and boosts one piece of Cover (not one you actually purchased) by +1. Can take a bunch of Servitors too. He can swap his Servo-Arm for a Servo-Harness (a bunch of Arms and also a Plasma/Flamer weapon) or a Conversion Beamer (deals more damage the longer the range). Can take a Bike or whatever.

Chaplain


Space Marine stuff, Rosarius (4++), Power Maul. Zealot. Can take a bunch of upgrades, including Jump Pack, Bike or Terminator Armour.

[Blade]

I'm still impressed by the way they suddenly retconned the whole necron backstory into nearly everything else in the backstory.

[Username17]

-Imperial Fists: Fists re-roll all 1s to Hit with Bolt Pistols, Boltguns, Storm Bolters, Heavy Bolters, and Combi-Weapons that are firing as Boltguns. Includes special ammo.

This is the thing that really gets me about 40k these days. That is not a small effect. These assholes are mostly BS 4, so that's a 17% increase in damage output on what is very likely the vast majority of your anti-infantry attacks (I'm assuming you only get the one reroll per attack and the second 1 stays. If I'm wrong, it's a 20% increase in damage output).

The vast majority of these traits are not roughly equivalent to taking your entire army's anti-infantry capability and multiplying it by 7/6. It seems very obvious that basically nothing has been math hammered, so the number of moving parts in the game make it an unbalanced and unbalancable nightmare.

All the pointless randumb tables are just to hide that fact. With enough swingy randumb bullshit going on, victory chances look a lot more like 50/50 even when one player is playing a vastly more powerful army than the other. That's just using the unfairness of game changing chart rolls to cover up for the unfairness of grossly imbalanced army lists. In either case, the effects of player skill are mostly lost in noise.

-Username17

[Koumei]

[This is the thing that really gets me about 40k these days. That is not a small effect. These assholes are mostly BS 4, so that's a 17% increase in damage output on what is very likely the vast majority of your anti-infantry attacks (I'm assuming you only get the one reroll per attack and the second 1 stays. If I'm wrong, it's a 20% increase in damage output).

If you fire two shots with a Bolter and roll two 1s, you get the re-roll on both of them. But you can't re-roll a re-roll, so if you roll a 1 and a 3, you get one hit and one re-roll, and then if that comes up a 1, tough luck.

However you are 100% correct that there is no fucking balance there and Imperial Fists are just flat-out awesome at fucking you up with Boltguns.

Now, I don't think people need to care about the Forgeworld Space Marine Chapters, but if you do, their Tictacs are as follows:
-Red Scorpions: Veteran Sergeants/Tactical Sergeants get Narthecium, granting the whole unit Feel no Pain. Re-roll Pinning, can't Go To Ground voluntarily, can't take Camo Cloaks.
-CarcharadonsSPACE SHARKS: everyone gets Fear. Anyone can swap a Bolter for a CCW for free, or take an extra CCW (so you're Bolter, Bolt Pistol and CCW) for +1 point per model. Units gain Rage after they wipe enemies out in Close Combat or make them fall back. Can't ally with non-Imperial armies, and treats even them all as Desperate Allies. This was written in 6Ed before "I have ten detachments."
-Raptors: non-Bulky models gain Scout and, on the first turn, Stealth. Any unit that stands still in the Movement Phase may add Rending to their Boltguns, Bolt Pistols, and Combi-Weapons fired as Bolters. Doing so makes them Heavy 1.
-Mantis Warriors: non-Bulky Infantry gain Move Through Cover and Hammer of Wrath, and when they charge out from terrain, they get Furious Charge. They can re-roll to Seize the Initiative, and Librarians get access to Divination (they didn't in 6E before GW realised the error of not giving Space Marines absolutely everything).
-Executioners: everyone is Stubborn, and all characters inflict Instant Death on a To Wound roll of 6 in a challenge. Characters have to issue/accept challenges.
-Angels Revenant: if the enemy has Necrons, they have Hatred (Necrons) AND Preferred Enemy (Necrons). Otherwise they become Fearless when they lose half their models.
-Red Hunters: Adamantium Will all around. And 1/game you can select a number of units equal to the Turn Number. Each of those units gets to select one of Counter-Attack, Monster Hunter, Tank Hunter, Hatred (everything), Skyfire, and Interceptor. Finally, an old 6E thing where, if you have an Inquisitor in your army, they treat Adepta Sororitas and Grey Knights as Battle Brothers.
-Star Phantoms: Derp Strikes can re-roll Reserve rolls of 1. 1/game all Rapid Fire, Assault, Salvo and Heavy weapons are Twin-Linked. Pretty sure this doesn't affect vehicles? Not that it matters, almost all vehicle weapons that aren't Twin-Linked are pintle-mounted Storm Bolters or are Ordnance anyway.
-Minotaurs: getting shot doesn't cause Morale checks, and they can re-roll failed Pinning tests. They get Crusaders and, when in the enemy zone, get +1 to Charge Distance.
-Fire Hawks: Flamers, Hand Flamers and Heavy Flamers get +1 Strength when the unit enters via Derp Strike (just that turn). This includes models in Drop Pods, so you can safely drop right next to the enemy then let them burn. Hammer of Wrath from Jump Packs is also +1 Strength. The Ranged Weapons option list for characters now includes Hand Flamers (5 points each). Assault and Vanguard Squads are Scoring, which no longer does anything because everyone is always scoring.
-Astral Claws (before their transformation into Red Corsairs): Stubborn, can't choose to fail Morale checks. Bikes gain Skilled Rider. Fast Skimmers get Scout.

You will easily notice they carry the proud tradition of not giving a shit about balance.

[maglag]

It's even more hilarious when speech merines fanboys claim it's totally fair when compared to chaos marines who need to pay premium for their special traits and don't get "And they shall know no rules fear" at all.

[OgreBattle]

so what would be an army-wide ability roughly on par with 'reroll 1's for this category of anti infantry weapons'

There's also movement, morale, defense buffs to balance against offense buffs.

[Koumei]

TROOPS:
This is still a pretty short section after all the years.

Tactical Squad


5-10 guys. 1 is a Sergeant and can be upgraded to a Veteran Sergeant. Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Grenades. One dood can swap his Bolter for a Special or Heavy Weapon. If you have precisely ten, you can have one of each. Sarge can take Melee/Ranged Weapons, Melta Bombs, and a Teleport Homer. They can take a Rhino, Razorback or Drop Pod.

Scouts



What is up with that Flamer?

5-10 guys. 1 is a Sergenat and can be upgraded to a Veteran Sergeant. Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Grenades, 4+ Armour. Scout, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover. You can give them all Camo Cloaks (+1 to Cover Saves, so it does what Stealth does but stacks with Stealth). Anyone can swap their Bolter for a S 4 Shotgun or a CCW for free, or pay for a Sniper Rifle. One can swap his Bolter for a Heavy Bolter (can take Hellfire shells which explode in a Poison (2+) Blast), or a Missile Launcher (with optional AA missiles). The Sarge can take the usual options. Only transport option is a Land Speeder Storm.

Crusader Squad (Black Templars)


5-10 Initiates (Space Marines), one can be a Sword Brother (Sarge). They are equipped just like Tacticals so far. You can also take 0-X Neophytes (only a 4+ Save, so ~= Scouts), where X equals the number of Initiates. Anyone can swap a Bolter for a CCW. One Initiate can take a Power Weapon, Power Fist, or Heavy Weapon. A different one can take a Special Weapon. Any Neophyte can swap his Bolter for a S 4 Shotgun. The Sword Brother can take the usual options. They can take a Rhino, Razorback, Drop Pod or Land Raider Crusader as a transport. Fuck yes Combined Arms Detachment everyone gets Land Raiders Here We Go!

ELITE:
Command Squad




5 Sergeants with Grenades, Bolt Pistol and CCW. One can be a Standard Bearer. One can be Company Champion, swapping his stuff for a 6++ and a Power Weapon. One can be an Apothecary, giving the unit FnP. They can all take Bikes. They can take Storm Shields, Melta Bombs, Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons and Special Weapons. They can take a Drop Pod, Rhino or Razorback. The Champ has to issue/accept challenges when possible.

Honour Guard


3-10 really expensive assholes in Artificer Armour (2+) with Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon and Grenades. You can upgrade one to a Chapter Champion, who has to accept/issue challenges and can replace his weapon with a Thunder Hammer. Anyone can swap his Power Weapon for a Relic Blade (Two-Handed Strength +2 Power Sword). One can have a Banner, and they can take a Drop Pod, Rhino, Razorback or Land Raider as a transport.

Centurion Assault Squad


Centurions look somewhere between hilarious and adorable. And really are another thing where Orks wonder why they didn't get that. So they're S 5 T 5 W 2 Sv 2+ "Yo Dawg, I heard you like Power Armour so I..." In this case it's 3-6 of them, with Twin Flamers, two Siege Drills each (Chainfists that aren't Unwieldy. Also they're Specialist Weapons like Chainfists (can't just have "another CCW" for +1 A, need two Specialist Weapons) but the only thing that gets them are these guys who always have two. DRINK), and Frag Grenade Launchers. They can each fire two weapons per turn like a bauss. Move Through Cover, Slow and Purposeful, Very Bulky. Try not to think about the stupidity of something being a close combat assault unit and waddling around at 1d6" per turn (or rather, 2drop1).

Any can swap the launchers for a Hurricane Bolter, any can swap the Twin Flamer for a Twin Melta, and the Sarge can be a Veteran, and can take an OImniscope (lets him fire at a different target to the rest). They can take any flavour of Land Raider as a transport.

Vanguard Veterans

I chose orange ones in deference to our spiritual liege, Commander Trollmanus

5-10 Veterans. Base 2 Attacks, +1 for dual-wielding. BP, CCW, Grenades. They can re-roll one or both dice for charge range and ignore the penalty for charging into terrain, into enemies with Defensive Grenades, or multi-charging. Anyone can swap either weapon for a Power Weapon, Lightning Claw, Grav/Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Thunder Hammer or Storm Shield. Any can take Melta Bombs. They can all take Jump Packs (and probably should). The Sarge can take a Relic Blade. If they don't Jump, they can take a Rhino, Razorback or Drop Pod.

Sternguard Veterans:


5-10 Veterans with Bolter, BP, Grenades and special ammo:
-Dragonfire: Ignores Cover
-Hellfire: S 1 Poisoned 2+
-Kraken: 30" AP 4
-Vengeance: 18" AP 3 Gets Hot!

Any can swap for a Storm Bolter or Combi-Weapon, and two can take Special or Heavy Weapons, and they're one of the few units that is allowed to take Heavy Flamers. The Sergeant has the usual options, and they have the usual transport options.

Dreadnought:

This is a great idea



1-3, Motherfuckers. 4 base Attacks, and that's just with one Power Fist (and Storm Bolter) and a Multi-Melta for the other arm. They have a lot of weapon options that you should know by now, and Storm Bolters can be swapped for Heavy Flamers. Anyone can take Extra Armour. If it's just a unit of one, it can take a Drop Pod.

Venerable Dreadnought:


1-3. Exactly like normal ones except they have WS 5 BS 5 and if you take a Penetrating Hit, you can force the opponent to re-roll the damage result.

Ironclad Dreadnought:

Standard


Forgeworld

Front and Side Armour 13, bitches! That's right, you can take your Krak Grenades and get fucked! Power Fist with Storm Bolter, Seismic Hammer (Power Fist, AP 1, Concussive, drink once because it's Unwieldy and you're a Walker) with Melta-Gun. Extra Armour. Move Through Cover. 1-3 of them. Any can swap either small gun for a Heavy Flamer, and the Fist+Gun can be swapped for a Hurricane Bolter if you like. Seismic Hammer can be swapped for a Chainfist, and any can take Frag Launchers (Frag + Defensive Grenades for close combat) and up to two Hunter Killer Missiles. Can Drop Pod if it's just 1.

Legion of the Damned:


5-10, including Sergeant. Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Grenades. 3+/3++ for Saves, Fear, Fearless, Slow and Purposeful. Can't be joined by anyone, and they always Deep Strike, with optional re-roll on the Scatter. They Ignore Cover with their shooting, and one can take a Special Weapon (not Grav), one can take a Heavy Weapon (Heavy Flamer allowed, no Grav), and the Sarge can take Ranged Weapons (not Grav). He can also swap his Bolter for a CCW or Power Weapon/Fist. Pretty damn expensive for what they do. I can see maybe taking them in a Combined Arms Detachment for Objective Secured - there's something to be said for Fearless T 4 Sv 3+/3++ who steal Objectives.

Terminators:


Or rather:


2+/5++ because Terminators. Storm Bolter and Power Fist (or Power Sword for the Sergeant). 5-10 of them. Any can swap the Power Fist for a Chainfist. 1/5 can swap his Storm Bolter for a Heavy Flamer or Ass Cannon, or take a Cyclone Missile Launcher (it's a Missile Launcher fired as Heavy 2). They can take any flavour of Land Raider.

Terminator Assault:


2-5 guys in Terminator Armour, each with a pair of Lightning Claws. Any can upgrade to Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield, and they can take any flavour of Land Raider.

Next episode we cover Fast and Heavy.

[Username17]

so what would be an army-wide ability roughly on par with 'reroll 1's for this category of anti infantry weapons'

There's also movement, morale, defense buffs to balance against offense buffs.

Almost every bonus in Warhammer can be expressed in proportions. So for example, the Imperial Fists get +1/6 to the offensive output of all bolter attacks (except twin linked attacks, where the damage increase is only . A movement buff that gets you into close combat a turn early is going to increase the amount of time you're in close combat by 1/3 or 1/4. A morale bonus is going to reduce the number of squads you lose to breakage by some fractional amount, and so on and so forth. The fact that most things are handled on a d6 means that a "+1" has entirely different effects depending on where on the die you are. A +1 when you are BS 2 is an increase in damage output of 1/2, while a +1 when you are BS 4 is an increase of 1/4.

Now, not all of these are equally important. Obviously you're going to kill a lot more points worth of enemy models than you are going to lose points worth of troops to failed morale tests (at least, you'd better). So an offensive bonus is almost always worth more than a morale bonus if the proportions are remotely similar.

Remember also that some things are truly worthless. And when it comes to close combat, lots of things are worthless. Close combat numbers only matter at all if the unit actually gets into close combat. Anything too slow to get into close combat on its own terms and not valuable enough for your opponent to assault themselves might as well not have a Weapon Skill. It could be 1 or 10 or any number in between and it doesn't fucking matter because you'll never roll it. Similarly, morale only matters if you take losses and have units left in the squad. Any squad that is too small and fragile to get shot out and survive might as well have a leadership of 2. A Guard Weapon Team is a good example: it's two guys in flak armor and they will never take a casualty and have the second guy still standing so any bonus to their morale is a waste of time and ink.

As far as offense goes, your opponent has a number of kinds of targets of varying priority. In older editions this was roughly "soft targets" (generally infantry of some kind, for whom you wanted more hits and attacks that hit more models) and "hard targets" (generally vehicles, against whom you needed special hard hitting weaponry). Very roughly there are enemies you want las cannons against and enemies you want heavy bolters. These days, there are enough weird enemy types that you may need multiple specialist weaponry. Monstrous creatures need multiple high strength attacks to pop because of their multiple wounds, but don't need or benefit from super high single target effects and are only hit once by blasts. Aircraft have their own stupid rules that I can't be fucked to learn. And so on.

How much you need to pack of any particular weapon type is wholly up to the discretion of your opponent. In most versions of 40k, "degenerate" armies, where all your points go towards units of one target type are quite effective, which may invalidate many weapons that your opponent might have. So for example, your opponent might be a Guard Tank Company, in which case all the splinter rifles in your entire army serve literally no purpose and you hope you brought enough Dark Lances because otherwise the battle is literally over as soon as the players show each other their lists. But against "most" armies, you will get most of your important kills by shooting at infantry, with a variable number of variously harder targets that you also want to do something about.

And of course there are things that operate a lot like Blackjack. That is, if they hit the sweet spot they are very valuable and otherwise do little or nothing. The classic example is AP. If your AP hits the magic number of whatever armor your enemies have, that's amazing. If it's any other number, then changes to your AP mean nothing. Many armies have multiple different kinds of armor saves on their troops, allowing different APs to matter against different targets. But it's entirely possible for Speech Marines or Guard to go to war with every single model having the same number. Close combat ability produces similar effects on movement bonuses. Being faster at assaults is only a meaningful thing if it reduces your time in transit by at least one turn and your are good enough at close combat relative to your opponents that engaging them in close combat is a thing you actually want to do.

[hl]

Bottom line I suppose is that for a marine chapter, getting a reroll on 1s with Bolt weapons is probably about the same level of relevance as upgrading all your lascannons to Heavy 3, automatically passing every leadership roll you are ever required to make for the entire game, or starting two of your units in your opponent's deployment zone or already in possession of an objective on turn 1. It's actually really big, and the fact that the Imperial Fists also get a bonus with Devastator Tanks on top of that is kinda nutz.

And I am aware that there are a number of degenerate armies that are so hard to fight that the Imperial Fists aren't even considered good. And that makes me weep.

-Username17