Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Discussion: Genuinely excited for 8th edition.


8th edition is on the horizon!
Games Workshop FINALLY got around to announcing the new edition, and it sounds promising.

Even before I had kids, I didn't actually play that often. Deet and I got together once a month (at best) to drink and play a 1,500 point game. The combination of scotch and unfamiliarity with an unwieldy rules set usually led to a game that started at 1 and ended after dark. Now that my boys are in the picture, spending four to five hours on a game just isn't a realistic option.


From everything I've heard, they've been taking feedback from the community, playtesting the new rules with tournament regulars and have done a lot to streamline the flow of play. A 1,500 point game in 90 minutes sounds great to me!

It's obvious they're taking lessons learned from Sigmar and applying them to make the game more enjoyable. Some of the info from the live stream was interesting, including the removal of armor values, vehicles and monstrous creatures sharing stat lines with infantry to standardize them game mechanics, and the removal of templates. Curious to see how that plays out.


The single most interesting reveal so far has been the addition of "Command Points" that allow players to interrupt the turn flow. Deet and I have often discussed how frustrating it can be to "sit and watch things happen to your army" when it's not your turn. This sounds like a literal game changer.

Everything revealed so far sounds like a step in the right direction. From the free rules and game altering additions, to the willingness to rethink fundamental aspects of a system that has become calcified over the last 10 years.

This attitude, coupled with the recent shift in the company's approach to community outreach has been remarkable, (who are you and what have you done with the GW i've known for the last five years?!) and it really does look like they are trying to make this the best Warhammer yet.

what do you guys think?

-trip

5 comments:

  1. I'm optimistic too. The little exposure I have to Sigmar was certainly pleasant and I think the game moving that direction is definitely a positive for me. I really look forward to less look-up delays and the speed that'd let us get a couple of games in an afternoon.
    Now if we could just get an afternoon...

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  2. Cautiously Optimistic here. I'll miss templates, but 2W Termies will go some way to making them more durable. Vehicles as T and Wounds will be different, like Artillery is now I guess.

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    Replies
    1. Termies. 100% Might make my GK actually useful finally.

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    2. Well, you just have the worst 2+ luck of any player I've ever known. I've never seen terminators die so consistently.

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  3. Arjac's Shieldbrothers are comin' outta tha boooootha!

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