40K Balance Update Expectations

[Broadcastle]

This morning I saw a Reddit thread with some alleged leaked balance changes coming at the end of this month to the game, and they were not what I was expecting. Which got me thinking, what changes are we all expecting for this balance pass? My guess would be the following

Eldar get hit more on rules than points, Yncarne/Nightspinner/Phantasm/Detachment Rules

Templars get less efficient points wise

Haven’t played the new necrons but they sound strong so they will probably get some sort of nerf

Chaos getting less damage or less efficient objective holders

Helping out the bottom factions in the game whether that’s Knights, Drukhari, or Custodes with their faction rules or points

Helping out internal balance of mid level codexes, buff some underperforming units from say marines and hit their more powerful units with points costs

What’s everyone else’s thoughts and hopes for this update?

[mrmanstory]

The big rumour for knights for the last month has been bondsmans nerf being reverted. So the big knights when they give their bondsman they would also receive the buff as well. I think that’s such a good change. My biggest hope would be that then maybe a few points cuts so o can try to fit another arm over in my list but honestly the bondsmans just going back would be very good.

[Broadcastle]

I was just under 2000pts with knights after the last balance pass so if they get a bit of help that may motivate me to get another one to round out a 2k list. The lancer is calling my name on that one haha!

[Jack Shrapnel]

I think necrons doing so well (just won LVO with a pretty standard list) means they might receive some point hikes... probably Szeras is going to be in the crosshairs... But nothing seems that egregious for rules since the FAQ corrected the big issue of mortal spam.

Eldar need some adjustments still. But I've never really seen them get that faction right it's always either too much or too little.

Even though the internal balance of the codex is horrible (as per tradition another army they struggle to get right) I think nids might get hit on a couple always take units like neurolictors, deathleaper and exocrines... But if nothing else comes down to compensate that will be rough.

I'd anticipate point drops for dark angels given the codex changes and a bit more point drops for death guard.

Marine tanks should get some point hikes to executioners and lancers.

Drukari need some work. They're in a rough spot right now with some things.

I think if your army's win rate is between 45-55 adjustments will be minor as they've said that's the range they want everyone in.

[distractedcarnifex]

Hoping they stop OC0 models from being able to complete Tactical Objectives, or at least put in some restrictions.

Making Feel no Pain against Mortal Wounds also count against Devastating Wounds would also be nice.

[drew]

Necrons will see something, hopefully just some points tweaks to keep things balanced and not a hard nerf.

Id love to see Drukhari get some love. Maybe give them a couple of additional starting pain tokens to start, and then roll back the ravager point increase a little bit? They went up 20 or 25 points, so maybe drop them 10-15 each? Then drop some points elsewhere to encourage unit diversity and see how that goes. Sweeping decreases would be great, but Id be worried they'd quickly become a hoard army with really good shooting.

Dark Angels definitely need some point drops as well... not sure why that had to come up, but it is what it is. Knights need to be something much less than 290, and the lion probably needs to go down to 290-300ish, losing the -1 to wound and point of damage on his sweep makes him more overpriced than he was before.

Im still not super familiar with Custodes yet, but I'd like to see their leaders go back down a bit, and bikes get either a big drop or rework. Some changes to guard and Allarus points would be nice, but probably wouldn't be substantial enough to do much. Just changing the dev wounds rule to counting as mortals for the purpose of fnp saves would be huge for them (and Dark Angels). Their dreads need a rework, but that'd end up being around the codex release, and seeing as they are forgeworld, may end up forgotten or barely touched. They're a tough army to balance understandably, but maybe hitting them less hard with the nerf hammer when making sweeping changes to the rest of the game would be helpful in the future

[Broadcastle]

The 0cp thing did feel a bit weird, they can’t stand in one place and half an objective but a spore mine can turn on a teleport homer?

Drukhari need some help, they’re being held up by Skari winning games, not a great strength of the faction haha!

Dark Angels got done dirty by the codex, all those beautiful models getting nerfed out of the gate is tough

[cmcd]

Jan 22, 2024 16:18:53 GMT -5 Jack Shrapnel said:

I think necrons doing so well (just won LVO with a pretty standard list) means they might receive some point hikes... probably Szeras is going to be in the crosshairs... But nothing seems that egregious for rules since the FAQ corrected the big issue of mortal spam.

Wow, a Monolith for the Win

that list is so generic 

995 points of characters
420 points of Battleline
585 points of other.

Hypercrpyt legion for the win.

[Jack Shrapnel]

I know right? that LVO winning list is like just a typical cron list that pretty much any of us could field.

That sure feels better than some spam skew list that requires some expensive hard to find unit.

Even a tyranid HYDRA list did really well with like 80 termagants and no real big stuff.

[voodoo]

I'm hoping for a re-work of the Chaos Knight faction ability, forcing Battleshock as a mechanic just isn't good against the vast majority of the armies out there; not when there are some really thematic and strong army abilities out there, the Chaos Knight one always felt lazy and rather lacklustre to me.

Hoping for points to remain the same on them and/or some point drops.

Wishing Thousand Sons get a few point reductions on some under-utilized units, and/or some HQ's that have to be taken, but don't contribute well and are over-costed vs. their counterparts in other books.

Death Guard need a bunch of love, just all over. Points, rules, you name it; they need it.

Looking for some point hikes om some spammed marine units, and some balances on Ork and eldar to avoid their current "T1 leafblower" skew builds.

[Jack Shrapnel]

Jan 23, 2024 12:03:03 GMT -5 voodoo said:

I'm hoping for a re-work of the Chaos Knight faction ability, forcing Battleshock as a mechanic just isn't good against the vast majority of the armies out there; not when there are some really thematic and strong army abilities out there, the Chaos Knight one always felt lazy and rather lacklustre to me.

sad tyranid noises

[cmcd]

I would like to see.

Rework of mortals and devastating wounds. So that the units that used to get saves from dev wounds get them again.

I want nids to be scary again. So. Any help to them sounds great.

I dont run chaos, but aside from nicks Khorne i don see chaos either. Other than some od thousand suns. So, looks like some love to them could be given.

I run deathwing, tau, and necrons
Tau: railguns get some sort of submunitions, they had it with old dev wounds. Point decrease on stormsurge, and riptides. Stormsurge cause they can no longer fire overwatch, rip tides cause they cost the same as a unit of crisis but arnt as effective.
Necrons: i think necrons are pretty balanced. Maybe, fix Obeisance Phalanx detachment, so that named characters count as overlords, and so does Catacomb Command Barges. And give some love to Lokusht destroyers for the annihilation legion. Or allow units that can move when units fall back to move into engagement range.

[evad]

I am perfectly capable of losing with chaos space marines so would be content if they stayed as they are...(unlikely😆)

Dave

[raceygaming]

I guess its only 2 sleeps away but I have some hope and dream for it.

Core mechanics

- The Dev wound change has been brought up already but anything that protect vs mortals needs to work on devs or there needs to be massive point changes to units that were paying for protection they no long get

- Battle shock, right now you auto pass at the start of your turn meaning out of phase battle shock is weak and some what pointless. They should change to a unit that is shocked needs to pass to unshock. Means out of phase battle shock will block scoring easier and be more impactful.

- the OC 0 stuff that has been leak seems like a decent change but Ill wait and see


Codex Changes

Orks - the winds of shooting are blowing. New models being Blackhawk and a mek make me thing orks are going back to the 8th ed shooting power so the melee is going to be reigned in some. I think with the beast box at Xmas they are still going to be the stronger units with the point changes until I see the Codex. in general
- Mozrog and squigasaurs need a +10 pts, Warboss +5 and Ghaz needs to come down -15 pts
- Boyz still need -5 pts/10
- generally everything else feels good in the melee area
- all buggies down -10-15 pts
- Mork/Gork/Stomp -10% somewhere in the 20-60 ppm range
Wait for Codex before getting to excited for change from these guys

Custodes - Overall the previous nerfs stacking was too much, loss of Dev wound protect, squad size AND point increase just killed these guys.

- guessing dev wound protection will come back
- -5 ppm for infanty
- -10 ppm for character now that fight first isn't free
- Dreads need some help with they are staying 6" move
- Calladius is going up10-15 ppm
- IF ventitarii are in the 175-180 range they might be BEST in dex
Codex is out before may so might not get all the love they need

Tau - Kroot are making a strng showing in the previews, I know some people don't like them but I have 60 of them and 6 kroots that I am dieing to get into play. Again with the codex 1-2 months out might not see a lot here but some guess

- CIBS are gone on non-commanders , Plasma get a buff to rapid fire , flamer buff, burst cannon buff
- Kroot to more ork like stat for melee coverage , plus new cavlary could make take tau out of a single phase army
- riptides down to 170 to make 180 for crisis look less tempting
- Surge and Suspremancy suits down -10% due to loss to overwatch
- tetra full re-rolls neeeds to move to stealth suits, they are WAY too impackful for a FW unit
- would love to see some wording clean up on the FTGG, as it plays slowly still
- small point changes to get things that are close to crisis to be picked


Other Codex

- Dark eldar, knights/ big chaos knigts need a major buff
- Eldar need the data slate re-write the night spinner is a joke as it stands. The writer of those rules should be fired.
- Crons looks good
- Chaos getting a high end competitive nerf seems fine, I haven't seen an army like that in our area so little to no difference
- Most index need some internal balance to see more stuff on table.

[Typhus]

I expect to be let down.