|
|
Post by Frosty the Pirate on Aug 9, 2021 8:21:27 GMT -5
As some may or may not have heard, there's a official-word that this friday will reveal the codex-roadmap for the next series of releases.
I thought I'd create a thread for us to discuss all our hopes and dreams and wishes for new codexes so they can suitably be crushed with a thunder hammer on friday when it revealed that Tau won't come out until 2024.
The only "officially teased" content at this point is Black Templars supplement will be coming at some point, everything else is wild-speculation or wishlisting from what I can tell, which would logically give us the following to-be-announced possibilities (ordered by oldest first)
Astra Militarum October 2017
Craftworlds October 2017
Tyranids November 2017
Chaos Daemons January 2018
Adeptus Custodes January 2018
T'au Empire March 2018
Harlequins May 2018
Imperial Knights June 2018
Gellerpox Infected September 2018
Elucidian Starstriders September 2018
Genestealer Cults February 2019
Chaos Space Marines March 2019
Chaos Knights July 2019
Of these, the _most_ likely I feel will happen, HAS to be Tyranids. With Warzone Octarius happening lore-wise, and Octarius being a known Leviathan/Orks battlegrounds, I cannot fathom how upset the Tyranids community would be to NOT have a codex announcement given the support behind this current chapter of the lore with how involved they are.
Thoughts? Hopes? Dreams? Various-Forms-Of-Shouting-Into-The-Warp?
|
|
|
|
Post by Jack Shrapnel on Aug 9, 2021 9:01:49 GMT -5
Dreams vs. Reality on the above armies that I own. I may be somewhat jaded lol.
Tyranids:
Dreams: new lictor kit, survivable monstrous creatures, effective choices not limited to six units in the entire dex.
Reality: written by Cruddace again, MC's remain trash outside of forgeworld. FW options nerfed.
Daemons:
Dreams: more usable strats beyond the 3 good ones, non-nurgle options outside of HQ being good. Khorne being playable. Tzeentch having a good spell lore
Reality: 1x greater daemon per detachment, no more exalted greater daemons, Khorne nerfed as it's "too strong"
GSC:
Dreams: the ability to not die to a stiff breeze so can actually score primary, genestealers gaining cult creeds, not be codex acolyte/ridgerunner anymore
Reality: acolytes and ridgerunners nerfed because they're too strong. No other buffs.
CSM:
Dreams: 2 wound CSM + elite cult units, 3 wound terminators, Daemon engines with a 3+ Weapon skill, a reason for some units (ie: mutilators) to exist
Reality: Codex put off for another 2 years because it's "fine" as it is.
Craftworlds: (well the parts I own at least)
Dreams: Wraithlords buffed, the wraithknight being actually scary again, wraithblades having the troop option under certain circumstances or "perish the thought" an actual new wraith troop unit.
Reality: all wraith units stay exactly the same, except the Wraithknight which gets a point hike because it's "too tough".
|
|
|
|
Post by raceygaming on Aug 9, 2021 9:13:13 GMT -5
I am assuming that GSC and Tau are going to be pretty close to last Codex out in 9th. They are both fundamentally broke in the way they play the game based on the new 9th missions and philosophy.
For the Alpha strike of GSC is too easy to counter with things like, can't set up 12" and its over, Auspex scan (and the like) that will punish any scary units. Once your one trick pony is done you are expensive t3 5+ bodies that get mulched.
Tau are stuck in the one phase issue, which means they have to be twice as deadly since most armies get 2-3 phases to dish out damage. Drones are either way to powerful or way to expensive depending on the way the wind is blowing at the time ( currently in expensive). The shooting phase being the most deadly means that Tau are really oppressive if balance is off by a little bit.
Both need a ground up rework of the basics to be a army with playing so I'm guess GWs will make them as late as possible in the cycle.
|
|
|
|
Post by dave on Aug 9, 2021 10:56:19 GMT -5
As tau is my only 40k army, I'd really appreciate a rework. Definitely agree with your points, but honestly I have next to no faith that GW will really get it right, even if they do make the effort to redesign the army.
Too much of the identity revolves around these lynchpin ideas (markerlight/drones/one active phase) that are just suuuuper hard to tweak just right.
Honestly, I'm more looking forward to CSM or even better, an emperor's children codex to get me back into 40k.
|
|
|
|
Post by raceygaming on Aug 9, 2021 11:12:41 GMT -5
Ya I will agree with that statement. I suspect Tau will come out at Admech Level busted or so low tier they stay bottom of the barrel and will have a new codex that needs a full point cost rework at CA.
I know its greedy but I do hope GW follows the trend of OP then nerf, just so tau can get a little time in the sun and every one will remember back to the days of 6th and 7th and riptide wings and buffmander and the cycle of hate can be renewed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jack Shrapnel on Aug 9, 2021 11:24:28 GMT -5
I'm thinking that tau will be admech level shooting, with a lot of mobility tricks. I doubt they'll suddenly give them psykers or anything so they'll be absent from that phase. They COULD potentially make kroot the combat arm of the army, but my guess it will be still 90% all about shooting, but if they had mobility shenanigans that could make them alot more active in other parts of the game, namely board control, scoring primary / secondary.
Having to Castle with tau is extremely limiting in 9th edition, so my guess would be the codex will change to allow a more aggressive / mobile playstyle. I mean they're battle suits and their weakness is melee. They should be running all over the board and difficult to catch then!
I don't want to go back to the days of triptide, but I don't think that just tag them in melee and the army folds is a good design either.
My thoughts would be that Tau should be a sooner rather than later codex, along with GSC. It's been shown pretty clearly that both armies are just not built for 9th edition, so having them redesigned would go a long way to game balance, as the rest of the armies don't need THAT much ground up work. (even csm as much as they struggle, do not need the same amount of work to get right as these two)
I also suspect that Gellerpox and the Starstriders will be dropped from 40k... I mean it's not like they're ever used anyways, it was just kind of a niche list to allow the models to be used.
|
|
|
|
Post by Frosty the Pirate on Aug 9, 2021 11:57:19 GMT -5
For Craftworlds I have a wishlist so long I'm sure half of it is too much. Summarized into not-too-much-wall-of-text it would go something like:
1) Rework Aspect Warriors from the ground up, a lot of aspects have been benchwarmers for multiple editions due to points cost, fragility, and other problems. Scorpions, Banshees, Warp Spiders, Swooping Hawks have very little role other than expensive action monkeys currently. Aspect Powers need to be heavily cleaned up as well, post-Psychic-Awakening every shrine has 5-6 powers an Exarch can choose from and 2-3 weapons, but as with anything really only 1 or 2 of them are actually worth using.
2) Autarch - A lot of potential here to be a kingpin of a rework for #1, lore-wise he's supposed to be an Aspect Warrior who has mastered multiple/all the aspect shrines and understands how to command Aspect Warriors best. I would really love a DE/Ork style "specialist unit" that can be bestowed by the Autarch that represents this. Similar to the Drukhari it would be really cool if they could enhance a specific type of aspect warrior based on their loadout or a selected ability.
3) Warlocks - Baby smite is stupid, most of the other Warlock powers other than Protect/Jinx are essentially worthless since they have to be cast on a 7+ and warlocks have no access to Psychic Buffs other than other Warlocks or having to be next to a Farseer to use Co-ordinance of Power. While we're at it, let's clean up Unparalleled Mastery so that doesn't specifically require the Farseer successfully cast their 2nd of 2 powers to make it work.
4) Wraiths - Wraiths need a complete overhaul as well. Wraithbone is supposed to be quite-literally the toughest material in the galaxy. After seeing what they did with Orks, I'm a massive fan and _really really really_ hope they give a toughness boost, and a buff to armour save (2+ base, with a +1 against S7 and lower weapons). I honestly think a 2+/1+ is required to not give these guys an invul, and I don't like the idea of slapping a 5++ on them and calling it a day. They need to be resistant to infantry-portable weapons and I don't want them to rely on an invul to do that. Wraithlords need W9 so they don't degrade, and Wraithknight needs all the above, and maybe more to be on an even keel.
5) Relics - Every relic in the current book is trash-tier hot garbage. The few that do see play are only taken typically "because there's nothing better" to do with your free-relic from Battle Forged / Matched Play. Give us something useful, I won't even wishlist here because I could fill 20 pages with suggestions for cool relic ideas here.
6) Faction Traits - We all know Expert Crafters is going to be nerfed, so at least give the factions a boost by making them not completely worthless. Alaitoc is the best of a bad bunch with old-raven-guard 12" -1 to hit debuff, but the rest of these are essentially worthless. Make Bien Tan or Ulthwe or Saim Hann good again, so much potential here. Each faction having a specific set of units that correspond to it's lore grants a "bonus buff" to would be amazing too. An abstract example would be "All units with the <craftworld> keyword gain _____, All units that additionally have the <___> keyword(s) additionally gain ______." to reward players for taking faction-appropriate units.
I realize this is a lot, but Craftworlds is really in the dumpster right now. I haven't seen a unit in a "competitive" list that isn't a Farseer, Warlock, Ranger, or Dark Reaper that isn't FW since I returned from hiatus.
|
|
|
|
Post by silverwhasp on Aug 11, 2021 8:27:18 GMT -5
As for Astra Militarum, much needs to be updated to feel more like Guard.
1) Add a refractor field on Tank commanders. 6+ Invul save wouldn't be too overpowered I think, right now they are way too squishy and don't feel like the tanks they are. Regular Russ's don't need it but officers, yes please.
2) Rework how orders work. I really like the orders format. I've heard people wanting to see no range limit for orders, especially with vox-casters, but have orders not as strong as Move Move Move. I Infantry should not move faster than vehicles.
3) Survivability. Really hard to survive on objectives right now. We either go full mech or flood the board with infantry. IMHO i'd like to see more of a mix.
4) Rework Regimental Doctrines. They were useful in 8, but in 9th they didn't age well. Have Scions as a supplement to Astra militarum.
I just want it to feel like Guard in 9th. Bring back the Platoon Structures with added benefits. The more organized the Regiment is, I.E: If you have a commander, commissar, Flag bearer, e.c.t. you get added bonuses.
IDK. We had it good in 8th, maybe it's our time to eat it for awhile.
|
|
|
|
Post by lightcavalier on Aug 13, 2021 8:13:19 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by voodoo on Aug 13, 2021 8:40:02 GMT -5
I feel like the Nid codex might be more prevalent than GSC, as the bottom photo shows Orks vs. Nids. Might be wrong, but it feels like a subtle hint that GW is known to drop.
|
|
|
|
Post by lightcavalier on Aug 13, 2021 8:43:24 GMT -5
Nids was my assumption too, I dont think GSC will drop again until after Guard + Nids have been released.
|
|
|
|
Post by Frosty the Pirate on Aug 13, 2021 8:48:00 GMT -5
Apparently the art is generic, so you cannot use it as a clue. It's reused from the last round of codex reveals.
The only thing we actually know is it's a Xenos codex and an Imperial codex.
Which given my list in the post means
ONE of the following three:
Astra Militarum October 2017
Adeptus Custodes January 2018
Imperial Knights June 2018
PLUS
ONE of the following five:
Craftworlds October 2017
Tyranids November 2017
T'au Empire March 2018
Harlequins May 2018
Genestealer Cults February 2019
|
|
|
|
Post by raceygaming on Aug 13, 2021 8:54:08 GMT -5
My guess is Custodes and Nids. Both have model ranges that look good and only have minor updates to do.
They seem like 2 really easy layups into the holidays plus with all the holiday army box sales they arent pressured to crush it on those codex alone.
Eldar are *suppose to get a new model line so I think they need more time. Gsc and tau still need time to actually make something playable.
Guard or harlies but again seem like they could use more time to get things right.
I know it sounds dumb but I'd be ok to see harlies rolled back into Eldar, as a sub faction like wraiths.
|
|
|
|
Post by Frosty the Pirate on Aug 13, 2021 9:01:53 GMT -5
Yeah, if I had to gutshot, thinking about it a little. Feels like Astra and Nids are both easy layups for the holidays and are really highly popular factions that'll sell well over the holidays.
I agree it definitely won't be Harlies or GSC, and both Craftworlds and Tau need total-rebuilds, but we know for a fact that GW designs the rules long ahead of time and sits on them so they can release slowly and keep up with factory/model demand. No October release says to me they will be focused on producing starter boxes and kill team boxes made-to-order style for Christmas rush.
Sounds like the meta we have is basically going to stay this way until January at this point.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jack Shrapnel on Aug 13, 2021 9:13:34 GMT -5
If it's two in one month, then we can safely assume it's not a "ground up" model release like necrons had, so I'd say it will not be craftworlds.
I don't think we'll see harlies before craftworlds or GSC before nids, because they're both technically offshoots of the main codex.
Knights and Custodes are the easiest as they require no models, but Guard also requires pretty much little model investment, and they need a revamp for 9th more than knights / Custodes.
So Xenos will be Tyranids or Tau I believe... and due to the Octarius Sector stuff I'd lean to nids.
my prediction: Astra Militarium and Tyranids. Think it would make the most sense.
The fact that CSM aren't being updated until 2022 is a damn shame, and is going to harbor nothing but more ill will from the customer base, especially when they're churning out supplemental books like warzones etc. when they could be releasing codexes instead, especially ones that do not require big model releases.
|
|
