Fantasy in 2010 - Predictions?

[fatolaf]

I think look out sir for Cannons should be removed and you should have to randomise which file of the unit gets hit, if targeting units. If its a file with a character than they take the hit and anyone behind them.

Not sure about removing it altogether, they are powerful enough as it is, and what if you are shooting at one of the plague monk super units that will soon be everywhere, with about 15+ files, could take all year to randomise that...

[Funkadelic Erik]

I'd like to see a decent selection of different style of game, ala 40K. Objectives, different scoring mehods and that sort of thing. 40K can make for some really good games, due to this being entrenched in the system - do the mission, win the game.

Fantasy is too much of a race to have the most powerful list, which 40K used to have and got rid of.

Of course, GW will add these sorts of things, and everyone will continue to play pitched battle over and over again.

[StarDragonFTW]

Not sure about removing it altogether, they are powerful enough as it is, and what if you are shooting at one of the plague monk super units that will soon be everywhere, with about 15+ files, could take all year to randomise that...

Fair Point. Who knows waht will happen. Until then...beware my cannons!!!!

[Veldemere]

If they do have scenarios they should say that skirmishers and fast cav can't hold objectives. They should think about this in advance and make the beastie rule state that they are not skirmishers, merelyt that they move as such, there would then only need to be a correction for woodies. With that you can get back to armies on the tables not just avoiding units of dark riders and shades, you would also need more than 1 uber block as that could screw you up.

[Mike]

The other thing to do would be reduce the str of the cannon shot per rank... a la bolt throwers...

To signify the broken bodies slowing the momentum!!!  So if it does go through one massive unit and just happens to be on course for that character in the unit behind... oops its slowed down so now its str 4.

Also,, Ginger people should get +1 to cast.

[Funkadelic Erik]

Only for the lore of Fire though.

[Nick]

aka the Rangastaff.

As far as what I'd like to see in 8th I do think there's an argument for boosting infantry over cavalry. Maybe a simple boost like capping ranks at 4, or perhaps something like the WAB autobreak if you lose and are below five models (I think that's right isnt it?)

Alternatively, the issue could be solved without prescriptive rules changes by introducing scenarios a la 40k 5th Ed. IMO it is an incredibly simple and elegant system. It has almost completely done away with the 'my army trumps yours, unless you actually wanted to bother rolling dice' that seems to happen at WFB tourney level. (Well, at least to some extent, admittedly I don't go to tournaments so maybe I'm taking net-nagging at face value Having nine possible scenario/deployment combos with scoring units defined as non-vehicle troops units (effectively, only keeping infantry core alive can win you 2/3 games) has made people think differently about how they put their lists together. Pesky Troops MSUs plus spammed tanks / elites etc has all but disappeared, by giving players an incentive to make more balanced lists rather than changing rules. All that does is make a different bent list the uber-unbeatable one this year.

I've seen people complaining about magic - personally I like the system, but it might be good to close the gap between low level and high level magic. i.e. give one or two L2s a chance of actually getting some magic off, while reining in the 10 levels plus bounds craziness.

[Veldemere]

Sadly I think the magic thing is more about the army books, they seem to always find reasons to ramp up the magic. High elves bought magic to the old world they need to be magically powerful......vampires. now they have to have powerful magic.........dark elves, they need powerful sorceresses and items to up their power.......Daemons, oh yes Tzeench are so powerful at magic they have to be the best.......Lizardmen, of course the slann are the most powerful magic users ever.......rats, yes they need really hard destructive magic.......

Each list seems to feel the need to try and trump the previous one magically.....

[Blue Moon]

Perhaps they could curtail magic slightly by making it more unpredictable a la earlier editions. I remember from my younger days when there was the seperate box set for magic, and it all depended on how the winds of magic were blowing. Perhaps if people knew that there's a chance that magic couldn't work at all, it would stop people creating uber magic lists and therefore allow more balance.

I too would like a much more balanced rule set based on the poor bloody infantry. Hopefully they can achieve that. Although originally not a huge fan of the missions in fantasy, perhaps this discussion has won me round to them. Lesser of two evils perhaps.

[fatolaf]

Yep a return to the days of CC troops, ie Chaos Warriors actually having a chance of getting into combat, would be nice...