So far I have not had time to work out and write down the various other power weapon statistics against other common enemy types. This post is kind of related, so bear with me.
Rending used to be the poor relative of having a power weapon. It only used to ignore armour saves on a 6. However with the changes made to power weapons and rending remaining the same, it has actually improved rending, relative to the other weapons. Essentially, rending stood still, while power weapons took steps backwards.
The same goes for Monstrous creatures, their attacks still ignore armour save, and what is more, they now have a special attack they can use if they really want to against armour. You probably won't ever need to use it, unless assaulting Monoliths and Landraiders, but its nice to have for free!
I am not convinced fleet is as good as it used to be, and it was never brilliant before. A lot of eldar troops have this ability but are not close combat equipped. Those troops who are close combat equipped could run d6 and charge 6 in the past, now it is looking like they will be statistically worse than the average of 10.5 the 5th edition run+charge brought.
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Saturday 14 July 2012
Power weapon comparisons in 6th edition Part 1
One of the largest changes has been the change to the humble power weapon. For three editions, a power weapon was just that, a power weapon. Now, there are several different types. At first look the sword looks to be the pick of the bunch, but perhaps running the numbers will reveal something special about the others.
All numbers are assuming it is a normal marine sergent with a power weapon and a bolt pistol. This gives him three attacks, or two with a power fist.
VS Marines [T4, 3+]
5th edition Power Weapon 0.75 kills [0.25 per attack]
Power Sword: 0.75 kills [0.25 per attack]
Power Axe: 0.99 kills [0.33 per attack, strikes at initative one]
Power Maul: 0.42 kills [0.14 per attack]
Power Spear: 0.99 kills [0.33 per attack charging]
0.25 kills [0.08 per attack otherwise]
Power Fist 0.83 kills [0.41 per attack, strikes at initative one]
So vs marines it is quite difficult to make a decision. As you can see from the numbers, vs other power armoured marines, the power sword offers an identicle kill ratio as the 5th edition equivelent. The power axe offers the best return on points invested but is slow, although a charging spear is very strong, provided you don't get bogged down. The maul seems out of its depth vs power armour
VS Terminators [T4, 2+/5++]
5th edition Power weapon 0.5 kills [0.17 per attack]
Power Sword 0.12 kills [0.04 per attack]
Power Axe 0.66 kills [0.22 per attack, strikes at initative one]
Power Maul: 0.42 kills [0.14 per attack]
Power Spear 0.16 kills [0.05 per attack charging]
0.12 kills [0.04 per attack otherwise]
Power fist 0.55 kills [0.27 per attack, strikes at initative one]
Vs terminators, the power sword and charging spears potential drops off a cliff. The maul is consistant, but not great. The axe and fist are considerably more efficient than most of the weapons as they ignore the save, but still have to compete with the invulnerable.
This post is continued here
All numbers are assuming it is a normal marine sergent with a power weapon and a bolt pistol. This gives him three attacks, or two with a power fist.
VS Marines [T4, 3+]
5th edition Power Weapon 0.75 kills [0.25 per attack]
Power Sword: 0.75 kills [0.25 per attack]
Power Axe: 0.99 kills [0.33 per attack, strikes at initative one]
Power Maul: 0.42 kills [0.14 per attack]
Power Spear: 0.99 kills [0.33 per attack charging]
0.25 kills [0.08 per attack otherwise]
Power Fist 0.83 kills [0.41 per attack, strikes at initative one]
So vs marines it is quite difficult to make a decision. As you can see from the numbers, vs other power armoured marines, the power sword offers an identicle kill ratio as the 5th edition equivelent. The power axe offers the best return on points invested but is slow, although a charging spear is very strong, provided you don't get bogged down. The maul seems out of its depth vs power armour
VS Terminators [T4, 2+/5++]
5th edition Power weapon 0.5 kills [0.17 per attack]
Power Sword 0.12 kills [0.04 per attack]
Power Axe 0.66 kills [0.22 per attack, strikes at initative one]
Power Maul: 0.42 kills [0.14 per attack]
Power Spear 0.16 kills [0.05 per attack charging]
0.12 kills [0.04 per attack otherwise]
Power fist 0.55 kills [0.27 per attack, strikes at initative one]
Vs terminators, the power sword and charging spears potential drops off a cliff. The maul is consistant, but not great. The axe and fist are considerably more efficient than most of the weapons as they ignore the save, but still have to compete with the invulnerable.
This post is continued here
Friday 6 July 2012
First read through, the main differences between 5th and 6th.
Psychic powers have changed, but you can optionally use the normal ones
you have access to in your book. That is is you get any. I suspect
people will use the normal ones in their books for the time being in my gaming group at least.
Vehicles and power weapons are most changed. Vehicles now have a number of hit points. You lose one hit point on a glance, and on a penetrate you lose 1hp and roll on the death chart. Most tanks, execept landraiders and monliths have 3 hit points, so glance, glance dead occurs. Power weapons are now divided into four different types. They all cost the same and have different stats.
Random charge ranges are in though jump troops and fleet troops get rerolls on their 2d6 charge dice. This is combined with premeasuring which should help somewhat in combating failing a charge with actual close combat troops.
All heavy weapons which are not blast or flamer can move and fire at Bs1. This is called snap shot. You can also snap shot as a stand and shoot reaction, flamers work here inflicting d3 hits automatically. Rapid fire weapons like bolters can fire their 1 long range shot even if they move now, two still within 24 inches. Tanks while moving get to fire 1 gun with normal bs, but other guns have to be fired as snapshot [bs1] so twinlinked guns are where its at. Flamer/blast weapons not being able to use snapshot will obviously need to be fired using the main BS.
All characters including sergent types get look out sir. They also have a great rule that if the character rolls a 6 to hit with shooting or combat you choose who gets hit.
Wound allocation is now far more sensible. Basically you make your saves and the nearest models die, no miraculous survival of heavy weapons if they are stood at the front. There are complications due to terrain, because you can choose to just shoot those in the open, or in lesser terrain, but then you can only kill those models. This is much better IMO.
Flyers and flying monsters have the same rules as before as well as an alternative much faster, but less manuverable method of flight. Monsters will probably overtake dreadnoughts in importance due to the changes to tanks. Monsters can be attacked by anti vehicle grenades, but they typically are tougher with armour/wards so shouldn't get bogged down too much.
Deployment is different. You now choose sides, mission etc before setting terrain up to facilitate the addition of fortifications. You can also now take allies from a list, which depends a lot on what army you play as. A lot of alliances you would expect are in there, eg marines with each other and other imperial forces, but some are more unusual, eg marines and tau.
Vehicles and power weapons are most changed. Vehicles now have a number of hit points. You lose one hit point on a glance, and on a penetrate you lose 1hp and roll on the death chart. Most tanks, execept landraiders and monliths have 3 hit points, so glance, glance dead occurs. Power weapons are now divided into four different types. They all cost the same and have different stats.
Random charge ranges are in though jump troops and fleet troops get rerolls on their 2d6 charge dice. This is combined with premeasuring which should help somewhat in combating failing a charge with actual close combat troops.
All heavy weapons which are not blast or flamer can move and fire at Bs1. This is called snap shot. You can also snap shot as a stand and shoot reaction, flamers work here inflicting d3 hits automatically. Rapid fire weapons like bolters can fire their 1 long range shot even if they move now, two still within 24 inches. Tanks while moving get to fire 1 gun with normal bs, but other guns have to be fired as snapshot [bs1] so twinlinked guns are where its at. Flamer/blast weapons not being able to use snapshot will obviously need to be fired using the main BS.
All characters including sergent types get look out sir. They also have a great rule that if the character rolls a 6 to hit with shooting or combat you choose who gets hit.
Wound allocation is now far more sensible. Basically you make your saves and the nearest models die, no miraculous survival of heavy weapons if they are stood at the front. There are complications due to terrain, because you can choose to just shoot those in the open, or in lesser terrain, but then you can only kill those models. This is much better IMO.
Flyers and flying monsters have the same rules as before as well as an alternative much faster, but less manuverable method of flight. Monsters will probably overtake dreadnoughts in importance due to the changes to tanks. Monsters can be attacked by anti vehicle grenades, but they typically are tougher with armour/wards so shouldn't get bogged down too much.
Deployment is different. You now choose sides, mission etc before setting terrain up to facilitate the addition of fortifications. You can also now take allies from a list, which depends a lot on what army you play as. A lot of alliances you would expect are in there, eg marines with each other and other imperial forces, but some are more unusual, eg marines and tau.
Wednesday 4 July 2012
First thoughts on 6th
Ive been busy reading away at my rulebook. Ive not finished yet, but I have noticed a couple of big changes to how my group used to play.
You now roll up deployment before mission type. This is the opposite way around. You also can't put terrain down until AFTER deployment areas have been agreed, because the rules facilitate monstrous fortresses being deployed. In my opinion this is going to cause a LOT of issues because people will think that they are being shafted with the table set up.
People have been telling me that the allies are optional. That isn't how it reads. It is optional for the player making the list, so he can choose or not, the other player doesn't get a say in it at all. A lot of the ally rules are fluffy, eg dark angels and space wolves are not battle brothers, but they both are with all the other marines and guard. Tau and space marines being chummy is probably because the Ultramarines [who are the only space marines apparently] are protecting the tau these days.
Seems noone especially likes grey knights. Probably due to how over powered they are that they are no-ones battle brothers because other armies would be able to become beardier just by adding a liberal dose of grey knights.
Dreads, along with nearly every other tank are shafted. Cheap tanks like rhinos still have a purpose. Im unsure about any others without playing some games to get some better perspective. I did however read there is something called "heavy vehicle" which as far as I can tell no actual vehicle in the rules has at the moment. I am guessing this is what super heavies may become. The Vulcan mega bolter is also in the weapons section which adds more weight to this theory, as only super heavies and titans have ever had this.
It would be very silly to have stupidly expensive vehicles and crap rules. People, well me anyway, will pay good money for a tank if its rules are decent, but I certainly wont be buying any more vehicles until I can convince myself they are worth the points. Its much like if its god awful looking and has good rules, it would still be bought. But with no positives, it really wont find its way into my shopping basket.
If Baneblades do come over, and I am hoping they do, I would like to see structure points remain and/or a huge amount of hit points, eg 10 or so, otherwise its 500 points which is easy to kill. I would have preferred they removed vehicles entirely and gave them toughness/wounds/saves as it would have made things much simpler.
Also field artillery guns are now halfway decent. A good toughness value, 2 wounds and power armour and the ability to move. Maybe the Thunderfire cannon wont be as lame!
Aircraft are also very good, as are flying monsters. We could be seeing a lot more of these.
You now roll up deployment before mission type. This is the opposite way around. You also can't put terrain down until AFTER deployment areas have been agreed, because the rules facilitate monstrous fortresses being deployed. In my opinion this is going to cause a LOT of issues because people will think that they are being shafted with the table set up.
People have been telling me that the allies are optional. That isn't how it reads. It is optional for the player making the list, so he can choose or not, the other player doesn't get a say in it at all. A lot of the ally rules are fluffy, eg dark angels and space wolves are not battle brothers, but they both are with all the other marines and guard. Tau and space marines being chummy is probably because the Ultramarines [who are the only space marines apparently] are protecting the tau these days.
Seems noone especially likes grey knights. Probably due to how over powered they are that they are no-ones battle brothers because other armies would be able to become beardier just by adding a liberal dose of grey knights.
Dreads, along with nearly every other tank are shafted. Cheap tanks like rhinos still have a purpose. Im unsure about any others without playing some games to get some better perspective. I did however read there is something called "heavy vehicle" which as far as I can tell no actual vehicle in the rules has at the moment. I am guessing this is what super heavies may become. The Vulcan mega bolter is also in the weapons section which adds more weight to this theory, as only super heavies and titans have ever had this.
It would be very silly to have stupidly expensive vehicles and crap rules. People, well me anyway, will pay good money for a tank if its rules are decent, but I certainly wont be buying any more vehicles until I can convince myself they are worth the points. Its much like if its god awful looking and has good rules, it would still be bought. But with no positives, it really wont find its way into my shopping basket.
If Baneblades do come over, and I am hoping they do, I would like to see structure points remain and/or a huge amount of hit points, eg 10 or so, otherwise its 500 points which is easy to kill. I would have preferred they removed vehicles entirely and gave them toughness/wounds/saves as it would have made things much simpler.
Also field artillery guns are now halfway decent. A good toughness value, 2 wounds and power armour and the ability to move. Maybe the Thunderfire cannon wont be as lame!
Aircraft are also very good, as are flying monsters. We could be seeing a lot more of these.
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