Sure, let's resurrect this long defunct series of mine...
So…I tried making another 8th ed list to give the game another try and found the process to be quite frustrating. I figured, I only played one game of the new edition and I have a bucket load of minis so why not give it another go. Sounds reasonable right? Right. So tossing the Orks aside (as usual) I opted for one of my other armies: The Aeldari, ahem: The Eldar.
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| Still viable... |
From the get go it was a mess. Autarchs, what the hell happened to autarchs?!? Forget designing them however you want, instead you have 3 options: the jetbike version, the swooping hawk wing and fusion gun version, or else a footslogger with a spear and grenades, that’s it!?!?!? Where’d all the other options go?
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| This one, not so much... |
Yes, like everybody else I want my army commander to be a footslogger (the generic version of Prince Yriel), who hits on a 2+ in both shooting and HTH and shooting armed with only grenades and a -1 to hit in HTH spear…(NOT EVEN A PISTOL?), what the fuck is he a Tau Ethereal now?
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| This and the Dragon Knight above are my idea of a footslogger Autarch! At least this guy can still qualify as an Exarch... |
But wait! Then there’s the designer’s notes flow chart explaining that if you want an Autarch (or whatever) with options not available in the codex, then just use the index entry instead, but with codex point values. Well why the fuck didn’t they just put that into the codex in the first damn place?!?
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| Quality game design right here... |
The variety of wargear and versatility of non-special characters, not to mention the convert-ability of the minis has been a hallmark of 40k since the beginning. So why now are they just going for the ‘only if we have a model for it’ mindset. Yes I know they want to appeal more to kids, but us old fuckers are the addicts that have kept ‘em in business all these years, go ahead, alienate us and see where that gets ya…
Separate index for one fucking model, check. Moving on.
Regular grunts are all but the same as before except that the having to give ‘em all of their specific wargear (half of which is ‘0’ points) making you wonder why they went this laborious route, but that's just a standard gripe of 8th ed., so nothing to add there. Anyways, all was going fine till I got to my Corsairs (requiring index/codex #3).
Yeah, wow. Those poor bastards really took it between the legs! Whilst an interesting concept, I really never did much beyond paint a small squad and halfway convert (but still not finish) a venom for them (which will now be relegated to the role of a funky looking Vyper I guess). With no HQ’s, they’re no longer a stand alone army and I really feel for the people who had those (and there are countless forum posts of screaming, justifiable nerd rage on the subject). Also the option for a 4+ save is gone too, because that was necessary.
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| The 1st army casualty of 8th ed... |
Basically they’re just guardians with lasblasters. Guardians on foot, guardians with jetpacks, and guardians on jetbikes skyrunners, with a handful of other options, to be added into your Craftworlds army. Yay. No command benefits for them…speaking of, the whole command benefit thing is lost on my eldar anyways. My army is made up of: Exodites, Siam-Hann, Iyanden, and Corsair contingents. So whatever command benefit my warlord would confer, would only effect a squad or two at most. Apparently variety is no longer the spice of the 40k-life.
So yeah, by this point I was annoyed with the whole process. Three index/codex PDFs AND a fucking flow chart are needed to build my list. Plus I have no idea if anything in said three index/codex’s changed even further in the just released chapter approved. Yup, no guilt on using pirated PDFs when considering that I could have $75+ tied up in books whose point values were partially rendered obsolete inside the year that they were released.
(edit: yup, Corsair point values dropped.)
(edit: yup, Corsair point values dropped.)
Regardless, after considerable frustration I did finally manage to make a list. Due to the demise of the Corsair HQ's, and the total lack of incentive to use my storm guardians as corsairs (with 4+ saves), the army now only clocks in at a mere 750 points. Bleh. For the time being I have no idea when, or even if I'll give the army a try though.