6th edition starter set minis

For those who haven't seen them, there's some starter set pics & videos floating around. And a crappy official video from GW. Anyway here are the piccies. Think Advance Order is up in a week or so with the following included:

Chaos Hell Brute
Chaos Lord
6x Chosen
20 or 18x Cultists

Dark Angels Company Master
Librarian & Chaplain
10x Tacticals
5x Deathwing
3x Ravenwing

Deathwing (Dark Angels) as Allies within light of new Rumors

Dakka

We've just got a nice new batch of Dark Angel rumors in what is supposed to be a two month old playtest copy. Yes, Games Workshop does playtest and yes they do make changes (I'm sure most people say the 36" range Psycannon Grey Knight test leak - complain about Psyfledreads now!). Anyway, currently one of the best Allies out there is Dark Angels thanks to scoring Thunderhammer/Storm Shield Terminators who can take a Cyclone Missile Launcher. Not only are they durable and very scary in combat but they come with good shooting. What's not to love? Their special character is also a decent challenge man and at 130 points + 235 per Deathwing squad (215 base + 20 for CML), you can get three squads + Belial for a paltry 835 points (600 if you don't want the Elite squad).

Update on 6th edition Eldar rumors

Okay guys, got some extra details on the earlier Eldar rumors, specifically artwork and what everything looks like. Still no rules. Looks like the Xentarchs are indeed Exarchs, whether they are special Exarch's or just new remodelling is to be seen. We've also got names nailed down a bit more from translations.

With the recent release of the end of this year's schedule looking like Chaos and Dark Angels getting done, we might see Eldar landing early Q1 2013. This would be very much appreciated. Depending who writes it!

Eldar Rumors - on the Horizon?

40k Forums

We thought Eldar were this year. If not them, at least Tau. We're seeing nothing of them coming out anytime this year, we'll be lucky to get Dark Angels this year as well with the Hobbit coming in December. We know Chaos is coming in just over a month so unless Dark Angels are squeezed in before December, we'll see them early 2013. The question is - what's next? Tau & Eldar have been rolling around the rumor mill for well over a year and it's time to, unusually, add to that.

I've been told there are some boxes in warehouses, the pre-packaged kind with the pretty pictures on the front. This doesn't mean Eldar are after Dark Angels, Games Workshop sat on Dark Eldar for years despite the models being done and reportedly, Sisters of Battle are in the same boat currently. Hopefully Eldar won't go this route as well... but this could slate them for release roughly a year from now though it could be much longer. Here's what I'm told these boxes are and as usual, please take with a grain of salt - things can change or be misinterpreted:

6th edition rules - first looksee

So we've got a brief summary for 6th edition so far  - let's see what's what from Natfka! My comments in blue.

Core System
- Change to Pre-Measure like WHFB 8th Edition. Give or take - not a terrible thing but something I thought was a skill to seperate moderate players. Now there should be no arguments :P.
- Force Organization Chart is still in use, no use of Percentage Phew.
- Adding new FoC Slot called "Fortification" [0-1] / see below Uh-oh.
- Phases remains the same, Movement, Shooting, and then Assault Good.
- No Psychic Phase
- No Initiative Phase A what?

More thoughts on 6th edition rumors...

Again, all rumors so discussions are based on what we know, which is not everything. A small rule which has been overlooked could change the way everything interacts. We're also looking at this from a competitive balance stand point.

So. We get more rumors of terrain interactions...yay. Can't I just have terrain that gives cover, potentially stops shooting and makes moving through more difficult rather than shoots/bites/claws/explodes back? Oh you're Imperial? Don't worry - if you buy this expensive kit you become Fearless! Oh and with some armies real lack of ability to deal with AV14, we're going to throw in some more - hopefully it doesn't have hull points or Tyranids can cry some more.

Comments on 6th edition rumors before launch

This is a comment on the major rumors out there that we're getting before 6th ed launch - they could all be false and we don't know all the rules or their interactions. Please read and comment with this in mind.

Allies - lol. Because Games Workshop has proven it can balance one book worth of units against each other regularly across authors and editions. I expect to see a lot of tournaments with: "6th edition rules will be used, no Allies" in their player packs.

Hull points - ah ye poor armies without meltaguns. This could be good or bad depending how it's actually implemented. If it's actual hull points like structure points, not good but it looks more to be like a sort of HP status where if you take X amount of hits (most likely penetrating) you die. This would absolve the issue of "I shook your Rhino 200 times but it didn't die" but isn't really going to solve "meltagun to the facitis" for heavier tanks if they still die to a direct damage result. This could be hugely dependent on how other rules interact with this (though it appears vehicles are now very frightened of combat).

Discussion: Fears & Hopes of 6th edition

So whilst I'm painting some Attack Bikes for one of the final 5th edition tournaments, I thought I'd get a discussion going. 6th edition is right around the corner. I'm sure you've all been reading the rumors and having thoughts about what the upcoming edition is going to be like and how that affects you.

So the discussion question is: based on these rumors, what is your major hope and fear for 6th edition? I'll start it off.

New 40k Flyers

So that summer of flyers we've been hearing about for summers upon summers? It's finally here, just before the drop of 6th edition and it's a whopping two new models... The rules will be a White Dwarf release for the Space Marine Stormtalon and the Ork Bomma and Necrons will get their Scythe kit for Night & Doom Scythes (this is all we care about).

Here are some shoddy pictures - release date is early June.

3++ and 6: How It is Gonna Be

So it's probably no news to any of you that the new edition of the game is rolling up on us pretty quick here, and a lot of folks are nervous. Rumors are flying around, everything is changing, dogs and cats are living together; it's mass hysteria.

So what should we be expecting to see out of the new edition? What are we here at 3++ gonna do about it? Should there be panicking involved? Will competitive play be ended forever? And what about Roger, the mysterious man from Lorelei's past? What is his significance?

Relax, brah; we've got you covered. The sky isn't falling and even if it is, it just means that those stupid clouds won't ruin your day anymore.

More 6th ed...well stuff

So the rumors are flying thick and thin and what seems to be agreed upon to most sources is:

• pre-measuring
• random charge distances
• addition of terrain/buildings/whatever effects before games (i.e. a fancy way of saying strategems)

None of these are good changes. Pre-measuring one can get by on, but adding more random factors into the game? Bad move. How's Fantasy going?

That being said, check this gem of an article out from MVB (the first half). Very true IMO.

Necrons 2nd Wave - No Scythes

So Necron second wave has been released, up for pre-order May 5th. No Scythes which is a big disappointment and a shame on Games Workshop's part - another TWC/Tervigon fiasco coming =D? Anywhere, Necron special characters, Wraiths, Tomb Blades, Triarch Stalkers and Spyders have all been re-done/made so you can now drool over pictures.

Some pretty nice looking sculpts at least - the Tomb Blades look particularly nice as do the new Spyders. Not a fan of the new Wraiths too much but still not too shabby :P. I'll be interested to see how big the Stalker is in relation to getting it cover - looks bigger than your standard Dreadnought! Anyway, pics below :).

Tyranids & Space Wolves New Releases - Advance Orders up

Games Workshop has put all their new stuff up for advance order - beyond what we expected with the new Tervigon/T-Fex, Hive Tyrant, Lash Whip/Bonesword arms, Thunderwolves + Lord, Fenrisian Wolves + Cyberwolf & Arjac, Grey Hunters also get a Wolf Standard along with nearly all their single models in Finecast whilst most of the Tyranid range which was metal before also moves to Finecast - buy at your own peril (I've been getting reports of about 10-12% returns after that first terrible wave so not disgusting but certainly not great. The majority of these returns according to the local scene are not miscasts but missing pieces...).

Anyway, here are some more pictures (still not liking that T-Fex side on shot) and Games Workshop has spru pictures up which are always nice to check out... (looks like the TWC come with a nice range of bits but we don't get Lord pictures :().

Games Workshop releases New Tyranids & Space Wolves ....finally

So for any of you who haven't kitbashed your own Thunderwolves, Tervigons or Tyrannofexes, haven't bought them from some online store or individual resin caster who wasn't viciously attacked by Games Workshop for prodiving a model they refused to do or for simply buying cheap ass Chaos Hounds or other Games Workshop plastic kits and doing something with them, Games Workshop has felt it is time to release these models! Harpies and Fenrisian Wolves come with this release - isn't that cute? Do the Tyranids get an FAQ? No? Care factor = 0.

Anyway, let's look at the models.

Warmachine Colossals

So ya I'm late to the party in noticing this but um...cool.

Update on 6th edition 'leak'

From Dakka - This comes courtesy of Beasts of War:

"The 40K Heretics Rulebook is Real… Only it’s Not!

Yes… you heard that correctly. After a lot of digging and snooping around the inside of the great citadel (or should that be Citadel) that is Games Workshop, we have some very interesting news about the so-called Heretics 40K Rulebook… or the 6th Edition Leak for those with little flair for the dramatic!

The 6E "Leak": It's Fake, It's Bad, and It's Dumb

Alright, I was kinda hoping this whole mound of bullshit would maybe blow over and get forgotten but clearly that isn't happening so it seems we need to go through and perhaps tear it apart, piece by piece, to explain why it is not only even more of a tremendously stupid hoax than my own "Tau rumor," but less believable and worse for the game.

Yes, that's right, if, in some imaginary world, this document were somehow real, these changes would not only fail to solve the problems that exist in the game right now but they would utterly cripple it for anyone who wants to play anything resembling a fun and interesting contest of skill. And, guess what, that's something almost everyone- casual, competitive, hobby, what have you- wants from the game. It's no fun to be steamrolled or to steamroll your opponent. It's no fun to only have certain, narrow armies be even reasonably capable of winning. It's no fun to have whole codices invalidated right out of the book. These are all things that this supposed leak of the rules encourages; it is straight-up poor design.

Email in: Problems with 5th edition

This isn't going to really be a reply from myself but more of a reader's comments on 5th edition in response to our posts the past couple of weeks looking at the ups and downs of 5th edition and potential changes we want to see - not to mention the questionable 6th edition rumor packet.

"Hi Kirby,

Somewhat coincidentally, wrote this last week, and after seeing the discussion on 3++, I thought it'd be nice to share :)

Cheers,
-Toast

The 6th edition rumor packet - A reply and looksie

Some people in the comments and linking to 3++ have asked (generally in a rude way outside of 3++ ^^) why I believe the rumors are fake and/or what I don't like about them. I'm not going into specifics over every rule but I'll pull a few things out and talk about the general feel of things. I will put in a disclaimer though - these rumors may end up being true or a work in progress packet like we've seen before and it certainly wouldn't surprise me if this were so. If so, one will deal with it and 3++ will do our best to help you in that regard but I feel some parts of this packet will be bad for the game in terms of competitive balance and hope these at least will not make the final cut if this packet is indeed a draft copy. However, there are a lot of nice points as well so we'll take our good with our bad  though we'll only know the true outcome of how these potential rules will affect the tabletop when the rulebook is released and we get some playing in.

Fake 6th edition rumors

6th edition rumors - bollocks. Just saying. Someone is continuing their troll from last year where they took what they thought were the best parts of different games (i.e. 40k 4th ed, Fantasy, Warmahordes, etc.) and thought putting them together would be good.

Though with that in mind, Games Workshop has shown in the past they can be pretty dumb. Glad I got my Warmachine models if they are stupid enough to follow even 1/3 of these.

You may bitch and moan below.

Edit: currently doing a post looking at some of the positives and negatives of it all - keep your shirts on.