Well I guess Games Workshop wasn't kidding when they said, the dying fight back! Yesterday we got our first glimpse of the new Craftworld Eldar codex. Firstly, it is now clear this is new codex to replace the old 6thed one. What isn't clear is Eldar may have become the most broken army in history 40k or Fantasy. I am by nature not a negative person, and most of the time I rail against GW at the same clip I rail against the general wargaming populace, but what we have seen in the latest White Dwarf is perhaps the most reckless game designing of all time.
Warning: the following is going to be full rant not half rant. So, if you don't want negative feelings about what GW has probability done to the game stop reading now.
What has happened for me to be so hyperbolic?
Three things.
- Eldar Jetbikes: Each can now take either a Scatter laser or shuriken cannon for 10 points a model. To put that in perspective a full 10-man Jetbike unit can have 40 S6 BS4 shots with a 48" threat range. At only 1350pts that can be 200 shots a turn. This on a 3+ armor jinking Bike unit, did I mention they are still Troop choices.
- Destroyer Weapons: Wraithguard, Eldar Flyers, Wraithknights, Artillery now all have access to these kinds of weapons. Beyond a few very random powers, Destroyer Weapons have not been accessible to non-super heavy units.
- We still don't know what else is in the codex.
In a vacuum these changes without any other combos (which will be in the codex) are stupid. It makes games completely un-fun for the other player. Sure, the most competitive players might enjoy this sort of challenge, but these changes effect not those people they effect the majority the regular player. What makes it even more sad and aggravating is GW was doing fantastic work for the past year; they fixed 6th with 7th, gave us so many different ways to play, and had us believing for once they were listening to customers, codexes that were balanced between each other. Now, with one move they have thrown it all away.
Are we missing something, maybe, could it be all typos? Maybe we will open that new Eldar codex and everything besides Jetbikes are 500 points a unit, otherwise it looks like GW has jumped the shark.
Why GW?
Did you figure people wouldn't buy the new jetbike models unless you made them OP with a bit they didn't have before? Where you angry people refused to play with Destroyer Weapons, so they put in multiple Trojan horses to force people? I just don't get it or understand. Worst of all it is Eldar, maybe people wouldn't care so much if it was Sisters of Battle, but Eldar are already top of the mountain!
With faith now shatter, should we dare to assume the Serpent Shield is gone? Will Eldar still have all the ways to block Perils of the Wrap effects? Or does it even matter at this point?
You know who gets hurt the most from these changes? It is Eldar players, especially the non bandwagon types, those who have only played them. Eldar players will now be the pariah for everything wrong with the 40k. People will just assume they are WAAC. When they beat anyone it won't be looked as skill, but a win by easy mode. Worse they will be pressured into changing to a different army or take units that don't fit their style or have, just so they don't look like the bad guy.
Is there hope?
Sure, we all could be missing something, I have read the threads popping up everywhere about the new Eldar Problem, but no matter the argument telling us it isn't that bad the counter argument seems to blow it up every time. No matter how hard I try not rushing to judgement, my gut and everything I see tells me GW has really fucked things up, when they had the golden opportunity to make everything so right.
I should note, their looks to be some good changes, Eldar might not have Daemon Summoning anymore, and target lock looks to be gone as well.
The following images are designed to show skeptics that what I am talking about is real and the changes are coming.
Warning
Meat for Meta is rated editorial nonsense. These articles are meant to complain about some group, somewhere, that is playing the game for all the wrong reasons or simply to just make fun of 40k nerd rage.