The One About Loneliness...

So...this post is about 6th.

As an aside, today's tourny was awful.  My first two opponents were my last two from the last one, Salvation - and in no way is that a bad thing in theory - but I'd rather have played different people for the novelty, since this may be my last ever 40k tournament.  Plus, Loganwing and then Wraiths isn't the best start given my ambivalence in the first place.  If I'd had a nice easier game, maybe that would have made me care.  A warm-up, in a sense.  Ah well.

So, 6th.

I haven't read the BRB for it yet, but I've read the Dwarf, so this is a commentary on the incomplete ruleset, again, but on what I do know.

Let's talk about changes then.



IN:

Random Terrain Effects, just like Fantasy.
Random Psychic Powers, just like Fantasy.
Random Objectives
Hull Points
Dedicated Flyer rules.
Dedicated anti-aircraft weaponry.
Purchasable cover saves, ie terrain.
Throwing Grenades as Shooting - that thing they removed to speed up and simplify the game and actually improved it overall.
Independent Character Challenges - bye-bye Sanguinary Priests!
Jump Packs re-rolling...
Random Charge Distances! Because being able to rely on a unit is for losers! And Combat was too good!
Vector Strikes
Overwatch
Randomly generated Warlord Traits
Allies
Free extra weaponry or wargear randomly granted
Objectives that have been sabotaged and kill you for trying to claim them. Unless you're in Power Armour of course...
Wound Allocation to closest models
Non-Troops choices Scoring in random missions - even Vehicles
Psychology rules
Jink Cover saves
Moving and firing Heavy Weapons, on infantry, and despite vehicle speed
Sniping
AP in assaults
Assault moves even being random when not used to engage foes, ie Jet Packs.
Intercepting enemy Flyers, thus negating them completely and making them unsuitable for balanced Competitive lists so easily neutered.
Short edge deployment
'Deny the Witch'
MCs getting a much needed boost versus Vehicles, that might be a detriment if hitting vehicles with half your attacks isn't too hard
Almost-Auto-kills if shot out of a Flyer
Multi-charging gets boned by removing the bonus Attack for doing so
Fleet units re-rolling random charge distance
Tank Traps being impassable to Mech
Terrain giving free Fearless to Imperials only
Exploding barrels (cos all games need more asplosions!)
Craters nerfed to a 5++
Flyers leaving and returning again
Look Out, Sir, - just like Fantasy (yes, for Squad Leaders, not just ICs, not just Guardsmen...even guys that by fluff wouldn't be protected by subordinates, like Ork Nobz)


What's Out:
Balance
Any pretense of being competitively evaluative
Phil Kelly?

Yeah, Phil Kelly.  There must be a reason he's practically the only guy anyone can name still at the company (barring ex- or current-employees, duh) who hasn't a mention in the 'show me your army' or 'what I like about new 40k' articles.

I'd be sad to see him go, except that if he quit because this crock of shit doesn't even slightly resemble the game 5th is then my respect for him is so elevated by this that I'm delighted by the prospect.  Still, I won't succumb to false hope - I'm sure the reality is that he'll be back next issue of WD, talking about Allies or something.

Don't be silly here - I know not EVERY change will be bad, even some of the things on the list above.  But, most of those things are bad, or very bad, or absolutely fucking awful.  The combination of so many things that fit into those categories, means the whole thing will be bad.

If you don't agree, there are going to be plenty of follow-up articles, don't worry.  Day 2 of the tournament will be too busy to reply to comments, of course, like today has been - but I'll get back to it eventually. :)