Warhammer 40k: 6th Edition

[Tallarn]

Summary of the Highlights:

Black Templars - have to bring a 2nd HQ and a lot of little amendments to how rules work - it's two editions old... not surprising. Preferred enemy does look to work for shooting though replaced with rage. Techies can repair Hull Points.

Blood Angels - combat squads can go in same transport, DoA is BA only (not surprising). BA only effects are BA only - no Priests for ally fun. No more smoking during Scouts. Mephiston with Mastery level 3, otherwise 1/2 for basic Libbyies/Dreads. Yes Chaplains work for shooting as well but only BA squads - still mighty fine option to use early and then jump forward as combat engages.

Chaos Daemons - Fateweaver works, that's about all we need to know.

Chaos Space Marines - Yay for true T6 Nurgle Bikers - still wanna shell out for it? Tzneetch DP's can no longer fire double psychic powers. Everyone mastery lv1 except Ahirman - still a bad toon.

Dark Angles - Same re combat squads & Techies. All psychic level 1 but can know multiple powers.

Dark Eldar - Incubi are at least S4 but only AP3. Flickerfields work on terrain. Webway portals get a slap - no charges out of them thank you. Clarified issues with allies.

Eldar - Only Mastery level 1 for Farseer, 0 for Warlocks. It isn't said explicity that Stones give lv2 though it's implied in Eldrad's FAQ (2+1 for stones). Either way, most psychic army? Not so psychic though RoWard still working. Remember, most Eldar powers are for ELDAR units.

Grey Knights - Force weapons keep their special stats. Combat squads, techies, etc. updated to stay in line with others. Halberd back to not adding intiative bonuses if I has been reduced. No squad benefits for being 'squad psykers' - only Inquisitors/Libby can get other powers.

Imperial Guard - Hydra is AA - something is! Orders & bubbles clarified in relation to allies. Techpriest same as Techmarine. Valks & Vendettas are fliers who can hover. Priests/Tech cannot be mandatory HQs anymore.

Necrons - Ever-living/Orb clarified. Melee weapons AP2 - gasp. Warscythes AP1 - double gasp. Night Scythes cannot hover - good though they gain a new special rule for disembarking. Spyders repair muchlike Techmarines. Mindshackle very good in challenges.

Orks - Warboss on a bike T6 - ooo. Mekboy as Techmarine. KFF NOT for Orks only. All those rules for flyers in the WD - ignore, now they are in the rulebook! Ink wasting *sigh*.

Sisters of Battle - Faith works on Allies.

Space Marines - Combat squads, Techmarines same. Bunch of stuff made for Space Marines units only (i.e. Calagar, Pedro, etc.).

Space Wolves - Iron Priests same as Techmarines. Rune Weapons still a 4+ nullify. Lots of stuff for SW only in terms of Allies. Frost Blade & Axe different and Wolf Guards become 'characters' for leading squads. Lukas' pelt works in challenges. Wolf Standards do not allow morale to be re-rolled.

Tau - Blacksun = ignore night fight. Bonding knives = base Ld for regroup. Yay for Acute senses on Suits. Drones can deny objectives, even if off vehicles. Gun drones are now restricted to same fire restrictions as other guns on vehicles.

Tyranids - Mastery levels are 1 (2 for Swarmlord) plus 1 for each power taken (so generally 2-3 on the usuals). Some very nice, yet random options there, particularly since most Tyranid armies took a bunch of psykers before. SitW is the same which is technically better than Hoods currently... No AA weapons.

[Anne Marie]

Chaos Daemons - Fateweaver works, that's about all we need to know.

Chaos Space Marines Tzneetch DP's can no longer fire double psychic powers. Everyone mastery lv1 except Ahirman - still a bad toon.

Huzzah for Fateweaver!

And sonofamonkey'suncleCAPSLOCKSRAGE for not being able to fire double psychic powers. It's like the Grey Knights haven't taken a severe hit in the psychic department but everyone else has. Except Ahriman who might well tromp any other psyker who approaches him. But still, stupid Grey Knights.

[Ossai]

Good thing I am starting a Thousand Sons army

[Alexei]

What army won't be using Coteaz + the possibility to include Death Cult Assassins, Crusaders, Meltas, a load of tanks and awesome Mastery level 2 in addition to stealing initiative? (stealing initiative still exists, right? If not, all the other things are still awesome)

[Honsou]

What army won't be using Coteaz + the possibility to include Death Cult Assassins, Crusaders, Meltas, a load of tanks and awesome Mastery level 2 in addition to stealing initiative? (stealing initiative still exists, right? If not, all the other things are still awesome)

Tanks are gonna get blown apart pretty quickly though...

[coulsono]

How long before people stop taking lots of heavy weapons like they do now though? When meltas become flamers and lascannons become HBs because of the mass movement to foot sloggers? There is going to be less AT weapons, and if you still want to swamp them with high AV then there might just be too much for them to handle. Large blast from 'Russ are still going to take chunks out! And 9 of them are hard to take out with 1-2 meltas and a lascannon or two.

[Honsou]

9 Leman Russ' are neither combat effective nor efficient, though. Given that it'll require squadrons they become, if anything, more vulnerable- given the increased chance of immobilisation and/or destruction, you'll probably lose them at a fair pace. After all, given some of the rules changes, it is theoretically possible to roll the "Explodes!" result on 2+. So that means you could lose one of your squadroned Leman Russ' on the roll of a 1 on the chart. Even assuming 'normal' circumstances, you could very likely lose your tank on the roll of a 1, and expect a 'natural' explodes result on 3 or 4 up. I doubt mass tank armies are going to fare quite as well as people seem to be thinking, especially since weapons capable of taking out tanks are far more prevalent- even if many will simply be going for the all new 'glanced to death.'

[Musashi]

Im in the process of building a shooty vanilla marine dp list. Is this viable now? And thunderfire cannons/1 controller artilery peice, viable? Rule changes for artillery?

[Skrall]

So here's a question; who pre-ordered from GW?

I'll put it this way, i know everyone on my island didn't get there copy at all this week, despite some dispatch notices being as early as tuesday.

Pay for express, 3 days and it hasn't arrived. Express my amesac drinking backside.

-skrall

[Alasdhair]

I pre-ordered from my FLGS. It arrived earlier than I was expecting; too early, I'm not in the country today, I was hoping it would arrive on Monday!