Official 9th Edition Discussion Thread

[ohgodsnakes]

Jun 26, 2020 11:59:52 GMT -5 Frosty the Pirate said:

Drukhari faction focus is up.

From the article:

with the addition of the Desperate Breakout Stratagem, units like Wyches with their No Escape rule to prevent units from falling back will be even more important if you need to lock things up in combat.

Looks like some melee units will have special rules allowing them to lock up units in combat. It's a bit random but I suspect there will be buffs for certain units where you get +1 or there will be things like a free re-roll

Otherwise not really much information. FLG hinted at there's a huge bomb yet to drop about how melee combat works during their podcast on Weds but this seems too minor to be a "giant bomb".

Witches already had that ability. There are also several warlord traits already out there that do the same thing. White scars i think have one that used to make planes auto crash on a 4+ before it was FAQ'd

[Typhus]

Warhammer Community said:

It gives your army four extra Command points if you include at least three Patrol Detachments. Combined with having your Warlord in one of these Detachments, you get the flexibility of taking up to three Patrol Detachments while still getting the maximum number of Command points.

Based on this, we can determine that Patrols will cost 2 CP each (0 CP for the Patrol detachment which includes the Warlord, -2 CP each for the second and third, +4 for Raiding Party). And we already know that Battalions will cost 3 CP.

Seems a little... unusual to have a less-restrictive detachment cost fewer command points. Unless you're trying to take 3 HQs or 6 Troops, it's usually always going to be better to take a Patrol if you want a second detachment.

[Jack Shrapnel]

in the combat patrol article up on warhammer community, they confirmed patrols cost 2 CP each, free for the one with your warlord. So if you did the full 6 patrol raiding force for dark eldar, they would have 10 CP... slightly less than a battalion for everyone else. I guess it gives some benefits for sure, but not sure I'd go that route for my list at least.

[Frosty the Pirate]

Battalions also have 6 elite slots sneakily.

Only reason I can see using a patrol over a battalion as your warlord's detachment is if you are playing an army that needs multiple <subfaction> traits to work (like DE), or if for some reason you really hate all your HQ and Troops choices so much you're willing to only bring 2 Elites/Fasts/Heavys to take one less HQ and one less troop. (So I guess maybe Custodes? But their HQs are really good I think?)

At that point, you might as well take a Spearhead/Vanguard/Outrider since they only require 1 HQ and 3 Elites/Fasts/Heavys

[ohgodsnakes]

Or tau for more commanders.

[Jack Shrapnel]

so there's actually a few 9th edition rules in this faction focus... how coherency works is pretty important, and stops that stupid tactic from 8th where you could have a horde unit, take models out of the centre of it as it stretches across grabbing multiple objectives and nothing happens and they continue to hold... no more!

www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/29/faction-focus-genestealer-cults/


also previews a secondary which is pretty cool.

[Frosty the Pirate]

The new unit coherency rules are beautiful. No more ridiculous stringing a line of dudes across the edge of your deployment zone as a screen.

I remember the stupid ITC tactics where you'd take things like a 30 man unit of plague bearers and string them into a single max coherency line to form a wall of "can't walk past me". If you try that same tactic now all you have to do is cause 1 casualty EDIT: Laugh hysterically and the whole unit will fail coherency check and be removed! (I realized if you truly just strung the entire unit out it would just straight fail

[Jack Shrapnel]

well it's not that simple, because you keep coherency in a big unit, by being within 2" of 2 other models. So it's still possible to string and bubble wrap, just not as easy. You can't just have guys spaced 2" apart across the board... too risky.

[Malarks]

Cool, so just make 2 ranks and take wounds off the ends and you're fine (right?)

[Typhus]

Jun 29, 2020 13:07:38 GMT -5 Malarks said:

Cool, so just make 2 ranks and take wounds off the ends and you're fine (right?)

Indeed, or even just choose to not use the entire 2" of coherency. You can put models in base-to-base contact with each other, and no amount of casualties will cause you to lose unit coherency.

This change was made to prevent people from taking up enormous amounts of real estate with small units - which they did to prevent deep strikes, and to screen non-FLYing charges, generally.

[Malarks]

I mean, I do like my method of literally shoving a pile of Orks around the table, so all this change means, for me, is it will be easier to Da Jump but more risky to try and maximize the number of attacks in melee (spreading the assaulting unit too thin, in an effort to surround/pin the opposing unit)

I bet we will see even more folks with movement trays, after this.
(cynical comment: "I wonder how long before Hordes are modeled as multi-wound on large bases?")

[Frosty the Pirate]

We might actually see a lot more "fighting in formations" as a result of this. Units arranged in double-lines, pyramids or other phalanx style formations. Which in all honestly would be far more realistic imo.

[trantos01]

Looking at the Indomitus faceoff preview, the Eradicators are rather scary even if they don't seem to come in squads bigger than three.  24' meltas with the option of firing twice at a single target.  What's even worse is that they changed the melta rules.  It isn't roll two d6 and pick the highest.  You now can choose which to discard (my quantum shielding ).  Yeah, these guys are going to be priority number one if you have any vehicles on the field.

Meanwhile the Cryptothralls are probably going to be an auto-bring due to their Protection aura (can't target Cyptek if he's within 3' of Cryptothrall, not even snipers).  Hide them behind LoS-blocking terrain while keeping the cryptek close and all of a sudden we no longer have to fear snipers (as much). Downside is that they aren't characters meaning they can be shot off the board.

Also I'm pretty sure these guys are the first I've ever seen that have living metal and RP at the same time.  Makes me wonder if the other multi-wound necron infantry are getting the same treatment.  Though with the buff from being near a Cryptek, these guys get fairly nasty in melee combat.  I mean six attacks, hitting on 3s, S5 and AP-1?  That's not bad.  I think that's more attacks then any single Necron unit has ever had.

[Frosty the Pirate]

Jun 29, 2020 16:22:38 GMT -5 trantos01 said:

Meanwhile the Cryptothralls are probably going to be an auto-bring due to their Protection aura (can't target Cyptek if he's within 3' of Cryptothrall, not even snipers).  Hide them behind LoS-blocking terrain while keeping the cryptek close and all of a sudden we no longer have to fear snipers (as much). Downside is that they aren't characters meaning they can be shot off the board.

I'm less sure about dedicated bubble wrap units, Tyrant Guards had similar abilities for years when interacting with Hive Tyrants and were considered trash tier outside of very specific builds. With spare points going be much harder to find for such utility. Unless the unit is bringing firepower or other things to the table asside from being a bullet sponge, I just can't see the points being worth it unless they are extremely cheap

[Jack Shrapnel]

The eradicators seem okay I guess... I initially wrote them off a bit (primaris with multi-melta, which aren't exactly top tier) but the 3 wound, T5 profile is pretty decent, and assault lets them be slightly more mobile.... so they seem alright. I think anything worth shooting them at though is likely going to gun them down outside of range... I think they'll be a great target for dropping a CP for strategic reserves... show up and throw 6 multimelta shots at something... could work.

I like the rules for the cryptothralls... but given crypteks are a high priority target to lessen the effect of reanimation protocols... and these things are only two models T5/3+ save, I don't see them living very long to anyone who wants them dead. entering combat? against a melee army sure, but I'm pretty sure marines will just gun them down.... if you could take a SQUAD of up to 10 though? yep yep yep!