Rulebook Ruminations, where I talk about books that were released X years before I post about them, where X is equal to the number of years it has been in existence before I decide to actually use the rules manual. In today's case, it's relatively short...X was in this instance equal to exactly .05 - Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition was released last summer, and we began 2013's campaign this January.
Well, we all know the book is awesome as an item. Huge, glossy paper and magnificent binding with an attached ribbon bookmark is just cool. This book looks great on the shelf next to the other books coming out with this iteration of the game. Of course, it follows the trends set forth by 2010's Warhammer Fantasy Battle, 8th Edition. It's alike in more ways than one, including rules conventions. This is definitely a plus for those of us who game both systems.
The system's overhaul has been light, mostly changes are in directing who gets shot with what and who gets a cover save. Previous iterations focused on generalizing these rules, but I guess the trend has been to get more and more specific as editions march on. For instance, in 4th Edition cover saves were granted to the whole unit from enemy fire. Same deal in 5th, but you could remove whoever you liked from the squad when casualties were inflicted. In 6th Edition now, LOS and Cover are determined on a model by model basis, and a system has been designed to allow for focused fire. This can make for some really dynamic firefights.
There are some minor changes masked as big changes, such as Warp Charge points and Hull Points. Though they didn't really exist as such, these have already been in the game for quite some time. The old vehicle damage tables provided about 3 damage to a vehicle if it didn't suffer a destroyed result before that. The same system is in place, but the damage tables have changed only slightly. Warp Charge is similar, but represents a condensation of the system of how many Psychic Powers a Psyker could use in a turn. Both of these rulesets might seem new, but the convention is not.
Flying Monsters and Vehicles get their rules in the main rulebook. That's nifty. Also, many conventions were generalized and given Universal Special Rules. That's also nifty, makes everything much easier to reference.
One of the larger changes is the Force Organization Chart. Now, you can have an allied detachment from another army, and certain buildings can be bought as fortifications for your army. These rules allow for greater freedom of expression in army building, and let players use certain models more frequently and in different ways. It's kinda neat to be able to plop down a bastion and call it "MINE!".
There's only one real problem with the book: the book itself. I talked about this in the review for Warhammer Fantasy Battle, 8th Edition - it's really really heavy. It's just unwieldy. Yet we've gotten used to the heft of the WFB book, so that's nothing new. There's something more unnerving than all of that.
I don't know if I really want to buy one of these every four years, Games Workshop. It's big...you put it on the shelf, it takes up a lot of space. I have every single edition of Warhammer 40,000's big hardback books...they are getting bigger and bigger...and the ones I don't use anymore are getting more and more numerous at what seems like an accelerated pace.
I think this is the last of the big books I'm going to buy. It's just too much - it's piling up on me. I'll just have to get the rules updates in the form of the small starter set booklets, unless they discontinue those.
Don't do that, GW.