Tuesday 15 April 2014

431 - Codex: Astra Militarum - Drax's First Thoughts

Well now, an interesting and evidently fairly contentious read. Here are my thoughts on the new Codex: IG, but please bear in mind that although many online commentators have thought  already about how to get the most fighty lists out of certain combinations of units and characters etc., my reflections are purely from a Draxian perspective.

In no particular order then - feel free to respond by numbers if you've anything to add:
  1. Why is the Devil Dog so much more expensive? Everyone knows its the worst and most inconsistent anti-tank choice in the imperium - why punish those of us who still persist in fielding it?!
  2. Orders: these are pretty sweet, actually, although I still find the system something of a time-drain in a game. Still, it appears that there is no longer a requirement for the senior officers to issue their orders first, so that's something.The 12" range for all orders is also A Good Thing.
  3. I like Techpriests even more now, although it's weird that it's taken sooooo verrrrry loooong for the IG to finally be blessed with any sort of machine spirit!
  4. That said, the cost of the Company Command Squad has increased a little.
  5. Snipers are now only 2pts each! That's great news! In fact, I think I worked out that a nice little stationary BS4 anti-personnel squad with 3 snipers and a heavy bolter would cost only 76pts! Someone else has pointed out that you can now field a Special Weapon Squad with three snipers (BS3) for just 36pts - nice!
  6. I think that G/Sgt Harker is a bit better now, although maybe without infiltrate. Whyever wouldn't GW give veterans - VETERANS - the chance to infiltrate for a price?
  7. Why why why why why can't Heavy Weapon and Special Weapon Squads have access to transports? Surely they have a decent claim on a set of wheels - have you seen the size of an IG autocannon + tripod compared to its two-man crew?!
  8. It's good to see that every normal guardsman (incl. HWSs and SWSs) now have access to Frag and Krak grenades. [In case you're unaware, in the old IG codex special squads couldn't take them but heavy squads could! Bonkers!]
  9. Medipacks are now only 15pts - not before bloomin' time. I might start taking medics again!
  10. Advisors are cheaper now - and seemingly better, although I'm conscious that many pundits seem to be pinning competitive hopes on buffing squads - especially 'blob' squads - with characters and advisors, and for me that's not really how it ought to work.
  11. Similarly, Priests seem to be better now, although as pretty much all of my gameplay revolves around not letting my Guardsmen get into bayonet range, I don't know if Priests will make much of a difference to me. See also point 10, above.
  12. Why get rid of so much? I get the ridiculously cynical approach of making the Taurox cheaper than the Chimera, but seriously, who exactly is meant to benefit from getting rid of so many of the heavy support choices? The company and the game can only do better out of offering a wider variety of units. Bonkers. I may yet be using my lovely Griffon battery as 'Wyverns' (but see this [link])
  13. I don't own any flyers, but thank God that GW has finally remembered their old line that the power generation for multiple lascannon has a deleterious effect on transport capacity,but I'm interested: does it only apply to the Vendetta, or will the bloody Adeptus bloody Astartes also be sent the same memo? I'm fairly sure I've seen landraiders *spit!* THREE OR MORE LASCANNON ON EACH SIDE, and I'll wager they still have room for some power armoured goodnes inside! Harrumph. Good to see their points cost go up too. By the way, am I right in thinking that the only squads who can now actually ride in Vendettas at starting strength are the Glory Boy 'Scions', Command Squads, Weapons Squads...and Ratlings?! Odd.
  14. Special Weapons Squads can now take 3 demo charges (for 90pts all-in). Suicide Squads, anyone? Mind you, there still aren't normal Guard models for it...
  15. WHY DOES A LEMAN RUSS STILL HAVE ONLY THREE HULL POINTS? It's an absolute bloody travesty. Strewth - a bloomin' Sentinel has TWO. 
  16. On that note, why are some Hellhound variants more expensive than Leman Russes? - Bonkers.
  17. This doesn't affect me at all, and I'm not even sure  without looking that it's a change, but Conscripts can't have special weapons any more.
  18. I have to say, the Storm Troopers (Scions) really do seem to have improved. Reckon I might need to expand my painting of these chaps and their mates?
  19. The models pages seem a little uninspired. That sid, on p87 of the Codex, there is a standard bearer painted up with what appears to be a non-white flesh tone - go GW!
  20. No Marbo...but just have a look at what Menzies Tank over at 512th Cadian has had to say about this [here] - it's just bloody brilliant!
Thoughts, Ladies and Gents?

- Drax.

19 comments:

  1. No marbo, no problem. His model sucked anyhow.
    love that ogryns dont suck as much now. Love their new models too. Despise bullgryns thru and thru.
    Happy there's more psychic options.
    happy commissars are more fun.
    happy ratlings are more fun.
    Wonder the same about leman russ's...
    New stormtrooper box is sexiest set gw have released in ages. Glad they are useful again too.
    yes.. I got a copyof the codex, but a naughty one on my pc. Glad squats were mentioned again since 6th rulebook.

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    1. Well, I liked *my* Marbo model! Besides, his rules were fun!
      I really can't stand the new ogryn models. They all look like Sloth from 'The Goonies' - and not in a good way.
      The psyker options look great, but pschic rules terrify me, as I don't understand them!
      Yeah, I'd forgotten the ratling rules are better
      I agree bout the new stormtrooper box...
      ...and I thought that you in particular might enjoy the nod to squats!

      Delete
    2. That nod to Squats really does give me hope that they'll get some official rules'n'models attention in the future. That may well be the one thing that would bring me back to actually play 40K again.

      On the Ogryns - See that’s why I like them I think. (Sloth reference is one I hadn’t thought of though, thanks!) The original Ogryns were more “ab-human” than their later releases “ obviously Space Ogre” counterparts. Those later releases to me also seemed far too cartoony regardless of the wonderful painting attempts to make them look otherwise that I’ve seen. These look like a human off-shoot to me, a believable one – humans who’ve mutated (To an albeit limited Imperium acceptable standard) into enormous, easily directed muscle-bound louts, perfect for assaults against the hardest defended targets.

      Sloth may well have been the 1st Ogryn, the Goonies just never found him a ripper gun to lug about.

      I also like their sculpts in that there’s little cheesy skulls and foodstuffs are not to be seen – they’re just massive mongoloid guardsmen looking both angry and confused at the same time. O, and they’re plastic!

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  2. Thanks for the shout-out Drax!

    Love your (original) Stormtroopers, I've gots me a squad too, and I'm still working up a beret-Cadian kitbash which i feel is more in keeping with the old 'IG Stormie' aesthetic, rather than the new Astra Millitarum 'Steampunk Scion' direction GW have taken to...

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    1. If memory serves, I do have a platoon's worth, but quite a few will need headswaps. More on that soon,,,

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  3. Point 12: Aye...I've got quite a glaring hole in my points because both my Penal Legionnaires and my Marbo conversion have disappeared. That and the points balancing (which isn't a bad thing mind you). I'm kinda wishlisting for a Marbo dataslate, but I doubt we'll see it.

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  4. Sadly, I've not used my Penal legion more than once since the 6th Ed changes killed off their useful ability to assault from reserve. With regard to Marbo, if you haven't yet followed the link to Menzies Tank, you ought to enjoy it!

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  5. I would guess that they eliminated units so they could add them back in with 50 dollar codex supplements later lowering the already low work level for those. Something has to make the tank company special.

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    1. Sadly, I suspect you may be right.

      Annoyingly for me, online commentators keep saying 'oh, the units are in IA whatever,' but the only IA books I have are the very first one and the pre-Apocaplyse hardback one...so I don't even think they're the ones that count!

      Good to hear from you, mate thanks for swinging by.

      Delete
  6. Yeah agreed on 7.. which you answer with 13...

    special weapon squads are now to be seen as suicide squad "payloads" for vendettas :)

    I am torn on the scions and taurox, i've picked up a kit of each to see if i can make them look right with my army - tweaking will be required. and i still prefer my kasrkin to the new stormies sadly. likewise the old ogryn were far better models. hell the old old ogryn were better models :)

    unless a better paintjob can save them i may have to try and find some of the previous gen ogryn on ebay

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    1. Hmmm...Methinks it's time to dig out, finish and post my old-old-OLD (y'know: chainmail old) Ogryn saluting Nork Deddog conversion.

      Now where in seven hells did he get to...?

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  7. Hummm. Not playing that much at the mo'.

    And I'm pretty sure I can talk you into playing 5th.

    So that's a little bit more saved in the year of frugal gaming (hey, that's a great name for a blog...)

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  8. A fair analysis. I think on the whole it adds a lot more variety and new options. Its nice to read a review which isn't straight away how can I make this the beardiest list ever and how I could include captain whatshisface with his special power and an allied inquisitor and make big blob... What a load of crap.

    Ive got some ogryns on the way, I think itll be bullgryns for me and it seems you can mix the shields in the unit so I'm thinking 2 or 3 at the fore for the 3+ and then power mauls in behind them to bash stuff. I'm not used to taking such expensive units, but should be fun!

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    1. ^ Yup!

      I was just noting to Gravis t'other day that out of the twenty-five(!) squads in my full standing infantry company only one squad has a 3-figure points cost: my never-used lascannon squad at 105pts!

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  9. The cost of Hellhounds and it's varients do have me a little stumpted but it's in the FA slot so its fliers or sentinals anyway sadly.

    Conscripts never could take special weapons before hand, but they do have frag grenades now and can be joined by a commissar.

    My personal bug bear - no Lasguns for sergeants.

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    1. Thanks for swinging by, Tic Tac!

      Y'see, I absolutely love my hellhounds, and as I've never yet managed to bring myself to shell out on (or store and transport, for that matter) a flyer, I'm fairly stuck with them.

      Thanks for clarifying about the conscripts, and yes you're right: it's a royal painin the backside that sergeants can't take lasguns. Not least because they're mostly incapableof ever hitting anything with their piddly single laspistol shots. Grrr.

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  10. Meh. Kool beats the rule on Devos IV...

    As a friend of mine is fond of saying "the triumph of art over life" !

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  11. pretty nice blog, following :)

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Thanks for taking the time to comment!