The state of the game.

[Adeptus]

I've kinda checked out of 40K for the last few months. Since the Necron codex, basically. Been playing a lot of X Wing instead.

 

But I'm kinda getting the 40K bug again.

 

So, what's the state of the game? Is everything just formations for days? Are they all broken? Does a NSF army still stand a chance of rolling up on turn one and kicking in some teeth? Do we still own the psychic phase (well, shared co-ownership with Daemons anyway)? Is a 2+ save worth anything anymore?

 

Is it worth trying to convince the local group to play without formations (except for Apocalypse games)?

Or should I just batten down the hatches and wait for 8th edition?

[Zhukov]

So, what's the state of the game? Is everything just formations for days? Are they all broken? Does a NSF army still stand a chance of rolling up on turn one and kicking in some teeth? Do we still own the psychic phase (well, shared co-ownership with Daemons anyway)? Is a 2+ save worth anything anymore?

 

Is it worth trying to convince the local group to play without formations (except for Apocalypse games)?

Or should I just batten down the hatches and wait for 8th edition?

The game is in a great state, awesome models everywhere and a lot of fun rules.

No, but they get used a lot as there are quite some strong, cool and fluffy ones.

No, none of them are broken, although there are some very strong ones!

Not really, NSF is pretty dead as far as I'm concerned (when using it as the main focus of the army)

No, Eldar and Daemons own the psychic phase.

Why would you want to convince your local group to play without formations in the first place? Embrace them!

I don't know if you should play, that's up to you obviously, but your questions seem 'the glass is half empty', which is not a good sign.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

So, what's the state of the game? Is everything just formations for days? Are they all broken? Does a NSF army still stand a chance of rolling up on turn one and kicking in some teeth? Do we still own the psychic phase (well, shared co-ownership with Daemons anyway)? Is a 2+ save worth anything anymore?

 

New Marines are here to send xenos back to the stone age. It's a great day to be an Imperial :) . DA look very promising, it's possible Deathwing and Ravenwing won't suck for the first time in 3 editions. Greenwing get grav so they're gonna be at least viable (they miss out on Centurions and other 'vanilla only' tech, but you can't have everything). 

 

Decurion is probably the least obnoxious one. Craftworld Warhost is 'free buffs for days'. Gladius Strikeforce manages to be both powerful and true to the lore. Formations armies are the new black. Except Harlequin and that Khorne one. They're still garbage. But hey, "Allied codex". 

 

Nemesis Strikeforce is what it's always been; for Terminator armies. If that's not your thing, play another army. Or play 6x DK builds, which rapidly get boring. Bringing Allies makes NSF or even CAD Grey Knights a lot better. NSF is really just Ally detachment but with GK flavour and bonuses. That's how you should think of it. It doesn't hold a candle to Formation armies. 

 

Marines get Librarius Conclave, which combined with Tiggy or Loth is gonna be all kinds of insanity. But, it's expensive and they still can't bring enough warp charge to compete with us. We're still one of the better psychic armies (probably on par with Eldar, Daemons still print more warp charge but they have a different focus in the psychic phase ie printing free units over say buffs). If you Ally new Marines, you get access to the Librarius Conclave, which can be all kinds of fun when paired with the Liber and Tiggy rolling on 'Sanctic' with his friends ;)

 

2+ armour is still better in melee than at range. That said, our Termies are the best in the game still. You will be depressed how fast they die though. I can't soften that blow. No one can. GW gave everyone so much AP2, it's almost not worth it. Strikes aren't the answer, and you can't build a Purifier core list like you could back in 5th. So, you're stuck with Terminator core, because it's what the codex and NSF support best. Allies help alleviate our issues, but it's a focus that's unavoidable with GK. It's what we do. 

Is it worth trying to convince the local group to play without formations (except for Apocalypse games)?

 

(shrug) Imagine how it would feel for people to tell you can't use NSF, because Turn 1 Deepstrike is OP. That's how people will feel when you tell them how they can or cannot play their toy soldiers. I'd just adapt man. It's how everything is being changed to anyway. We'll probably get a Formation army sometime in 8th. 

Or should I just batten down the hatches and wait for 8th edition?

 

I'm having fun with 7th. Depends on your meta, but I've noticed Knight-Titans and other super-heavies are a lot less popular now Necrons and Eldar delete them so easily. People are shifting back to 'more cheap stuff that's still killy', over expensive and vulnerable key pieces that can die. MSU and infantry-heavy builds are making a comeback, as far as I can tell. AP2 Ignore Cover high Strength spam doesn't just affect us, plenty of other armies are getting bored losing half their force Turn 1 to Tau or Eldar lists. So, they just field more and cheaper, and negate quality firepower with quantities of stuff. I've seen Ork armies do really well against Necrons, they outswarm them and grind them down in melee. Eldar still run rings around people and hurt, but you just need to drown them in firepower and every casualty hurts  them (and they suck in melee mostly). New Marines kill Wraithflamers and Wraithknights pretty convincingly, and murder JetCouncil in melee. Stalkers annihilate Crimson Hunters and a lot of other armies Flyers on the cheap. Thunderfire Cannons with 'Storm of Fire' mulch horde armies. 

 

You could wait for 8th, but I'd have fun now. Deathstar builds are really suffering, even Captain America Biker lists have matchup issues (less than many other builds, but still). I'm seeing all kinds of Allied builds, experimentation with updated units that previously were unusable (Gravistators are a thing and it's glorious). Our lot as GK players hasn't really improved or worsened, we're still a Tier 2 with some good matchups over others (Nids and Daemons still really hate us and suffer heavily). 

[Gentlemanloser]

which can be all kinds of fun when paired with the Liber

 

Still don't get how they work together.

 

Liber only works on Grey Kngihts, Conclave bonus only works on one of the Libbies in the conclave.

 

You can't stack them.

 

 

 

 it's possible Deathwing and Ravenwing won't suck for the first time in 3 editions

 

Ravenwing get Gravs, 24" Overwatch, reroll Jinks and shoot once after Jinking.

 

Deathwing get to auto lose turn 1.

 

At least DW still keep thier Plasma Cannons.  But they're still more expensive than SM, GK and SW Terminators, for a few extra rules that won't help them live any longer than usual Terminators.

 

I don't see DW doing too well to be honest.  RW all the way this Codex!

[Prot]

I absolutely love where the game is now. It's an open book. You can include whatever you want, disregard whatever you don't like.

 

And because of this it's such a different experience for everyone. Some people don't play Objective games, some people don't play pure Kill games.... you can do whatever you want.

 

Armies seem to be all getting better. I mean the last several codexes feel really good. I still do very well with GK, and again the flexibility is there to add what you want.

 

As I suspected, Necrons are starting to take a back seat. The mighty Decurion now has to face Space Marine Demi-Co's with complete ObSec. Necrons can't claim a jar of pickles from Marines now unless they wipe them. This hurts Decurion (even though it is played less and less) more because while it's still very survivable, it kills very slow, and is very poor at objectives. So if Necrons chased you away.... some of them might have gone back to sleep (IE: jumped on a different (Eldar?) bandwagon!)

 

The psychic phase is still a fickle mistress. Titan has to turn out Librarians by the fistfull it seems as the Warp seems to claim a lot of mine lately. The Eldar, are a real pain for denials, and give me the most issue in the psychic phase.... but it's still viable.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Still don't get how they work together.

 

Liber only works on Grey Kngihts, Conclave bonus only works on one of the Libbies in the conclave.

 

You can't stack them.

 

Oh GML. I thought we were on the same page with 'GW don't know their orifices from their elbow with mixed Ally units'. 

 

Liber says 'any friendly unit with the Grey Knights Faction within 6" of the bearer". So, provided the Conclave Libby's are in TDA and attached to your GKT, they land Turn 1 and within 12" of eachother, it's completely legit. Liber checks if they're a GK unit, they're attached to one, so they benefit. Now, 'Purity of Spirit' doesn't transfer, so they still Peril on doubles. However, you're harnessing on a 2+ and re-rolling 1's. You won't have to roll more than 3 dice for most Sanctic powers anyway, even 'Vortex' you can risk on 3 dice. Still a risk, but quite low compared to how risky 'Sanctic' normally is for them. 

As I suspected, Necrons are starting to take a back seat. The mighty Decurion now has to face Space Marine Demi-Co's with complete ObSec. Necrons can't claim a jar of pickles from Marines now unless they wipe them. This hurts Decurion (even though it is played less and less) more because while it's still very survivable, it kills very slow, and is very poor at objectives. So if Necrons chased you away.... some of them might have gone back to sleep (IE: jumped on a different (Eldar?) bandwagon!)

 

Ever since new Eldar dropped basically. Nothing they have will really slow down a WK with sword+shield. It stomps their infantry into paste, it rips Wraiths to shreds, and the Necrons still have to deal with the rest of the Eldar force. Scatterbikes rek them too, and they still have no AA besides their own Flyers (who are completely outgunned by Crimson Hunters and outplayed if they're in the Crimson Death formation). And yeah, new Marines paint the walls in Necron oil. Decurion still can attrition like a god, but it is slow and the lack of AP3/2 hurts it a lot, plus they have very little to deal with Biker units. Ravenwing are probably going to run circles around them too. 

The psychic phase is still a fickle mistress. Titan has to turn out Librarians by the fistfull it seems as the Warp seems to claim a lot of mine lately. The Eldar, are a real pain for denials, and give me the most issue in the psychic phase.... but it's still viable.

 

Cuirass ;) although in your case, I suppose you'd be rolling deep in Sanctic and taking Liber anyway. For those no-scope 'Vortex' headshots on everything.