Warhammer 40k, Any players? Options

[Critias]

I didn't mention them (because I've never used them), but I've also got 60 -- yes, sixty -- of the old metal Stormtrooper models (sometimes called the "SWAT" Stormtroopers) all painted up and ready to go. A buddy of mine that's an excellent painter had recently lost his job, I saw a crazy huge lot of Stormtroopers on eBay for cheap, and in order to (a) give him some money without (b) giving him the money, he painted them all up for me.

I need to check out whatever Inquisitorial Codex is currently rules legal, and look into a way to add them to a Marine list (or vice versa)...it'll be like Space Marines and their little brothers. My Scouts will get to feel like badasses compared to someone!

[Dumori]

Well the use of demonhunter in 5th ed is iffy atm. A new codex in on the books. But I think the allies rule are still the same as in 4th ed so it should be ok. But you have to play a base army with DH allies as the army list of the other have changes so you can't play a DH army with IG allies (really) and the same is likely true with SMs

[Mr. Mage]

Well the use of demonhunter in 5th ed is iffy atm. A new codex in on the books. But I think the allies rule are still the same as in 4th ed so it should be ok. But you have to play a base army with DH allies as the army list of the other have changes so you can't play a DH army with IG allies (really) and the same is likely true with SMs

I was thinking of a DH army as a secondary, especially with Grey Knights, but if the codex is iffy, I'll probably wait. Of course, I've also bee interested in starting a 'Nids army as well as a Space Wolves army, so maybe I'll look into one of those next.

For now though: WAAAGH!!!!

[Dumori]

It's not iffy to use as a second it is to use as a primary in a mixed force. Just as always new codex incoming means well you could have to remake the army again in a year/few months.

[Mr. Mage]

Yea...I'll probably stay with Orks for a while... they're fun to play, can actually win sometimes, and are great for comedy. Plus they don't seem to change all that much with newer addtions of the game (though I must say, 4th edition "Mob Rule" kicked so much more ass than the current version of the rule).

Plus I'd rather spend my money on new Orks or terrain (either building my own or buying preconstructed)

[Mäx]

If i ever have enought spare cash and if they finally realese that xenos hunters codex, i will play Deathwatch. Their just so badass.
But untill then i just read the novels.

[Critias]

Yea...I'll probably stay with Orks for a while... they're fun to play, can actually win sometimes, and are great for comedy. Plus they don't seem to change all that much with newer addtions of the game (though I must say, 4th edition "Mob Rule" kicked so much more ass than the current version of the rule).

Plus I'd rather spend my money on new Orks or terrain (either building my own or buying preconstructed)

Orks are certainly doing well right now. They're a very competitive list (if built for it), and they're not as pathetically "hah hah" as they were in earlier editions. GW really hit the right balance with 'em this edition/codex, I think...fun and with some amusing abilities, but still plenty dark and scary instead of just being comic relief.

Before the move, Orks were far and away my most common opponent (my two regular 40k buddies both played 'em). It led to some really fantastic battles that fit the fluff perfectly -- stalwart Marines standing fast against the oncoming green horde, and with neither side sure who was winning until the bitter, bloody, end.

[Mr. Mage]

Orks are certainly doing well right now. They're a very competitive list (if built for it), and they're not as pathetically "hah hah" as they were in earlier editions. GW really hit the right balance with 'em this edition/codex, I think...fun and with some amusing abilities, but still plenty dark and scary instead of just being comic relief.

Before the move, Orks were far and away my most common opponent (my two regular 40k buddies both played 'em). It led to some really fantastic battles that fit the fluff perfectly -- stalwart Marines standing fast against the oncoming green horde, and with neither side sure who was winning until the bitter, bloody, end.

Oh, I know they're more balanced and more competitiive now, but I miss some of the older rules still. I can't remember which edition it was, but one of the rules for Orks using grenades (or stikkbombs, as they called them) was to roll a die. On a certain result, the ork throws the pin instead of the grenade, resulting in casualties of course. That would always crack me up!

[Karoline]

So, I borrowed a copy of the core book from a friend, and read through the Tyranid stuff, and I really like them. I get a feel that the battle could turn hugely based on a stroke of bad luck or poor planning since they have a bunch of really expensive models, but at the same time, I see a bunch of potential for causing true mayhem in enemy lines and they do have some real cheap screeners (6 point fleet models with 2 attacks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) , for 10 points they get extra S and I when they attack and do damage when they die (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

Now I just need to scrape together a bunch of money to get some models and painting stuff (Used to have some, but I don't even know that it is still around)

[Karoline]

Am I the only one that is surprised that there isn't a true warhammer 40k video game? Like that uses the actual 40k rules as opposed to the current computer games (Which are cool, don't get me wrong)? I mean they made blood bowl as a true adaptation, they wasted alot of time on blitz, but the classic game is there exactly as you would play it on tabletop with only a couple omissions (like goblin bombs for some reason, and the ability to not reroll with abilities that grant rerolls).

Would be very cool if I could play real warhammer 40k without investing hundreds of dollars in minis and hundreds of hours painting them all (or more $ having someone else paint them)

[Tanegar]

It does seem like a bit of an oversight. AFAIK, there isn't even a MegaMek equivalent (MegaMek being a free, open-source Java implementation of BattleTech).

[Mr. Mage]

Am I the only one that is surprised that there isn't a true warhammer 40k video game? Like that uses the actual 40k rules as opposed to the current computer games (Which are cool, don't get me wrong)? I mean they made blood bowl as a true adaptation, they wasted alot of time on blitz, but the classic game is there exactly as you would play it on tabletop with only a couple omissions (like goblin bombs for some reason, and the ability to not reroll with abilities that grant rerolls).

Would be very cool if I could play real warhammer 40k without investing hundreds of dollars in minis and hundreds of hours painting them all (or more $ having someone else paint them)

Yea, but how well did Blood Bowl do? It hasn't gotten a lot of ad time from what I can see, leading me to believe that it wasn't very popular.

Also, I don't really think a "true" warhammer 40k VG adaptation would be all that great. Part of the allure, for me at least, is the actual physical models themselves. Painting them, gluing them to look how you want and even modifying them with leftover bitz helps get you that much more involved in the setting. A Video Game would kind of take away from that.

Although, since Dawn of War did pretty well, maybe I'm just being silly and a "true" videogame adaptation would be better than the second coming of christ.... who knows?

[Mr. Mage]

Also, anyone else excited about the announced Dark Millennium Online? I know I am...

I just can't deiced whether I want to play Orks (WAAGH!) or Space Marines (Love the novels!)

Plus it looks like, maybe, TITANS!?
http://www.darkmillenniumonline.com/

Edit: Yes, I know that the trailer has been out for a while. Karoline's comment about video games just made me think of this.

[Tanegar]

All I want to know is whether I will be able to play a Thousand Sons sorcerer. I don't imagine I'll stick with the game any longer than I did Warhammer Online, but it should at least be good for a month or two.

[Mr. Mage]

All I want to know is whether I will be able to play a Thousand Sons sorcerer. I don't imagine I'll stick with the game any longer than I did Warhammer Online, but it should at least be good for a month or two.

Have you played any other MMOs besides WAR? IMO Age of Rckoning is pretty much just a WoW ripoff (yes, I know Warcraft is a Warhammer ripoff, but blizzard made WoW before Mythic made WAR)

From the trailer, Dark Millennium looks like it will be more of an shooter style MMO (you can see a targeting reticle at one point).
And I'm sure you'll be able to at least play some sort of CSM psyker, if not a Thou Sons sorcerer. It just wouldn't be Christmas without it...er...Warhammer without it!

[Tanegar]

I've played WoW and EVE Online extensively, although I never really got into the PvP part of EVE; I've also played City of Heroes, Champions Online, EverQuest, Star Trek Online, and of course Warhammer Online.

[Mr. Mage]

Was just curious whether you not playing WAR a lot was because you liked different MMOs more or because MMOs just weren't your thing (either or is fine by me, just curious)

[Karoline]

Yea, but how well did Blood Bowl do? It hasn't gotten a lot of ad time from what I can see, leading me to believe that it wasn't very popular.

It did exceedingly well. They are making an expansion for it that includes all the races they left out on the original pass (about 13 or so, mostly the ones with a 'this race is really exceedingly ultra hard to play' disclaimer, or a couple with the 'you aren't going to win often' disclaimer)

Also, I don't really think a "true" warhammer 40k VG adaptation would be all that great. Part of the allure, for me at least, is the actual physical models themselves. Painting them, gluing them to look how you want and even modifying them with leftover bitz helps get you that much more involved in the setting. A Video Game would kind of take away from that.

Although, since Dawn of War did pretty well, maybe I'm just being silly and a "true" videogame adaptation would be better than the second coming of christ.... who knows?

True, I know part of the appeal is having the models and stuff, but I still think there would be a huge number of people who would get and play a video game version. Heck, I'd imagine even you would get it just so you can try out different races from time to time and such without having to dump a couple hundred dollars in minis. And think how much quicker it would be with the game automatically picking out hits and remembering all the rules and everything for you.

Oh, and of course if people are just starting out, it gives them a chance to try out different stuff and see how it works, so they don't buy some big tank mini that they end up not using all that often.

Honestly, I don't imagine it would be that hard to make either. I mean if they just grabbed the people who did DoW and DoW II, they'd already have all the models ready, including how they look moving and firing and everything. They'd just need to set up everything, which I imagine would be too hard for a turn based game.

Heck, I know I could write programs to do all the basic rolls in no time, measuring distances would be easy, etc. Still plenty of work, but given how many people got a game like blood bowl, I'm sure they could easily have it be worth their while.

[Karoline]

Have you played any other MMOs besides WAR? IMO Age of Rckoning is pretty much just a WoW ripoff (yes, I know Warcraft is a Warhammer ripoff, but blizzard made WoW before Mythic made WAR)

From the trailer, Dark Millennium looks like it will be more of an shooter style MMO (you can see a targeting reticle at one point).
And I'm sure you'll be able to at least play some sort of CSM psyker, if not a Thou Sons sorcerer. It just wouldn't be Christmas without it...er...Warhammer without it!

Oh yeah, you might want to check out fallen earth. It is a shooter style MMO and is quite a bit of fun.

[Mr. Mage]

Planetside was a pretty good Shooter/MMO...too bad it never caught on

[Karoline]

Planetside was a pretty good Shooter/MMO...too bad it never caught on

Oh, I remember that (I think) it was fairly good.

[Karoline]

So, since it is a favorite past time of mine, I went through and made a couple Tyranid Armies. I think they're decent, but I don't really have anything to compare them to, so I figured I'd post them to see what people though. If I do decide to get into this, I want to know I have at least a reasonable army before I buy a bunch of models.

Army 1: Fairly standard 'advance and kick butt' army. 1000 points

[ Spoiler ]

CODE

HQ:
1 Tyranid Prime (Infantry)
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
6  4  5 5 3 5 4 10 3+
Rerolls 1s to hit in melee
roll d6 for each wound at the start of movement, each 6 rolled heals one wound.
18" 5S 5AP Assault 3
Synapse Creature, Shadow in the Warp, Independent Character, Furious Charge
If he joins Tyranid Warriors, they all use his WS and BS.

Elite:
1 The Doom of Malan'Tai (Unique, Monsterous Creature)
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
4  4  X 4 4 4 3 10 5+
Feed, Fearless, Shadow in the Warp, Psyker
Every shooting phase (own and enemy) every enemy unit within 6" takes 3d6 leadership test and takes unsavable wounds equal to amount missed by.
Every unsaved wound inflicted by this unit give it +1 wounds
Strength = W
Power:
    24" XS 1AP Assault 1, Large Blast <- S = W, takes d3 wounds after shot but before drain when using this power.

Troops:
9 Tyranid Warrior Brood (Infantry)
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
5  3  4 4 3 4 3 10 4+
Reroll 1s to hit in melee
Synapse Creature, Shadow in the Warp, Furious Charge
18" 4S -AP Assault 3 <- unit that takes a casualty must make a moral check at -1

15 Termagant Brood (Infantry)
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
3  3  3 3 1 4 1 6  6
Lurk, Move Through Cover
18" 3S -AP Assault 1

1 Trevigon (Monster Creature)
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
3  3  5 6 6 1 3 10 3+
Synapse Creature, Shadow in the Warp, Psyker, Furious Charge
roll d6 for each wound at the start of movement, each 6 rolled heals one wound.
Reroll 1s to hit in melee
Each wound sustained in melee causes an unsavable wound on enemy unit on 4+
Poison 4+ on melee
Can spawn 3d6 Tereagant (as above but with 12" 4S 5AP Assault 1), roll of doubles means can't use the power for rest of game.
Tereagants within 6" gain Poison 4+, Furious Charge, Counter-attack, and can use leadership of Trevigon.
If Trevigon dies, each Tereagant unit within 6" takes 3d6 3S hits.
18" 5S 4AP Assault 4
Powers:
    Beginning of turn, expand synapse range to 18"
    Movement phase, single unit within 12" gains Feel No Pain.

Heavy Support:
3 Biovore Brood
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
3  3  4 4 2 1 1 6  4+
Lurk
48" 4S 4AP Assault 1, Barrage, Large Blast <- If no enemies within 6" of the center point after scatter, then put a number of spore mines equal to biovores on the board at the center of the template.  Each Spore Mine scatters d6" each turn (Hit means player picks direction) on movement phase, and blows up (with stats as above) on contact with impassible terrain or enemy units, or if it ends within 2" of an enemy or if it suffers a wound.  Each spore is its own unit.

Lurk means that if there is no synapse creature within 12", it must pass a leadership test or it is unable to move or assault, but may still shoot and use powers.
Synapse Creature means units within 12" are fearless, and will automatically rally if within 12" at movement.
Shadow in the Warp means enemy psykers within 12" must roll 3d6 for their powers, and any double 1 or double 6 causes perils of warp.

So the basic idea is to run up to the enemy with Tereagants shielding my Warriors (Who have the prime attached) while the Trevigon advances, pumping out reinforcements on the way which act as its honor guard to get the boosts for being within 6", and the biovores rain down pain, which even if they miss still generate bombs that will either blow up on the enemy eventually anyway, or each bomb can tie up an entire enemy unit's shots if they want to clear them out.

I'll post the other army later, that took quite a while to write out.

[Dumori]

Today I brought a devisator squad for the sake of painting a death watch squad. £20 I can't really aford to spend.

[Mr. Mage]

@Karoline:
I lightly skimmed over your army, but don't really know much about running 'Nids, so can't offer much of my own experience.
From what I can see at first, it seems solid for the beginnings of a swarm. The trevigon is a nice little touch, with the chance to add some additional gaunts to your army (just make sure to buy enough pieces, a lot of people can get really picky about letting you use proxies).

One of my friends (who unfortunately goes to RIT, so I can't game with him very often) plays 'Nids and says that one of his favorite and most effective strategies is to field massive swarms of gaunts. Can't remember which is which, but he prefers the melee gaunts over the ranged ones (hormagaunts or termagaunts, can't remember which one is melee), and will simply overrun all opposition by assaulting.

According to him it is pretty effective and wins quite a bit against "elite" armies of Tau or Eldar. I must say I have similar success as my Orks are composed almost entirely of Ork Boys (Troop, 6 points apiece) and a Warboss (HQ) with either a small contingent of Kaommandos (Elite) or Warbikers (Fast). My friend who plays Eldar Elites usually remarks that it is hard to keep up with me since my boys can soak just as much damage as his rangers/banshees, are amazing in melee, and outnumber him 3 to 1. Can't say whether this translates well to 'Nids, but since they are a swarm army, I'd imagine it would.

It's good of you to have a plan for your army as well, but I've found that after a few battles with small stuff, you start changing your plans around. I was originally not going to use Burna Boys (Orks with Flamethrowers, Oh my!) but after witnessing my Tau friend utterly demolish one of my mobs with them, I figured I'd have to try them out...
Plans are nice, all I'm saying is they're bound to change eventually so don't commit to that army too quickly...

Of course, i believe you said you used to play Warhammer Fantasy, so maybe you're already familiar with what I'm saying and I've been ranting for too long.

I'm gonna stop now.

[Karoline]

Yeah, that'd be the Homagaunts. Even with no add-ons at 6 points each they are

CODE

WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
3  3  3 3 1 5 2 6  6+

With Bounding Leap (roll three dice when running, pick highest), Fleet, and Move through Cover. And they get to reroll 1s on melee attacks. For an extra 2 points each they can get Furious Charge which gives them an extra +1 I and S on a charge (Meaning 3 attacks at I6 and S4 with rerolling 1s to hit), and for another 2 points they get Poison 4+ so they can wound even very tough things without trouble (Makes the furious charge kinda pointless though, so usually only get one or the other). So yeah, I could totally see having an army with nearly a hundred of these being a serious danger to 'elite' troops. Their main weakness would be serious trouble taking down a tank. For that they could have a Hive Tyrant as the HQ guy who is a monstrous creature with strength 6, meaning he could beat down on tanks in melee (2d6+6 to beat rear armor? Yes please). Could also go with the Tervigon (Can act as HQ or Troops depending on certain things) as it would also have 2d6+5 against rear, and be able to sit around putting out even more troops. Yeah, you could literally field 100 of those guys with a mix of poison 4+ and furious charge, then have a Tervigon in the back to put out a couple dozen of the ranged guys to act as backup and tank destroyers.
Edit: And synapse range wouldn't be a big problem either, because if they get out of range and fail their leadership... they are simply required to attack enemies (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)