Shadow War experiences so far

[Sister Alessia]

Yay, for another SWA player! I hope you enjoy it as much as everyone else is Grey Raven. Thank you for the kind words :) They could still do with more work on the metals and second highlights on the armour. But for a days work, I think they are game ready!

 

Thanks for the tip on the rescue mission Not1Step. It was always one of my favourite and usually tells a great story.

I am excited to be able to take a Seraphim or Celestian as a special operative.

[Panzer]

 

I pre-ordered the rulebook, despite the disappointing high price for a softback. People praise the game too much to not give it a try, although it's mostly sfPanzer and N1SB that pushed shoved me over edge.

 

Thanks for taking the leap of faith with us 

 

A new learning:

 

 

11. The Rescue mission is a potential trap, you'll want an Ace-in-the-Hole like an Operative

 

It's not the mission per se, but the situation.  If you're having to Rescue your team members, you're at least 1 man (if not more) short, because you probably had a few casualties in order to even get your guy(s) captured.  It's going to be really tricky, because it's like you're walking into a trap.  Despite the Sentry Rules and so forth, your captured teammates really are like bait.

 

I think if you have an Ace-in-the-Hole like a really good Operative for a stealth mission, such as say a Solitaire (if you're Eldar Harlequin) or a Purestrain Genestealer (if you're the Genestealer Cult), it's a really good idea to pay their 1 Cache fee to use them here.  In which case, you can really turn the situation around, where you use these uber units to really butcher your opponent.  It can turn a Rescue mission into a Revenge mission as well.

 

Last week (so I'm posting this way after the fact) I finally got to play the Rescue mission after capturing 2 of my friend's Guardsmen.  He started really well, Flamed a key sentry and took out my special weapons support guy, played it as smart as he could, but because he was already 2 men down to start with he got overwhelmed.  If he was playing his Harlequins, though, I'd actually be worried he'll use it to send a Solitare after me.

 

Plus that you only have the number of models to use in that mission while the defenders full team can arrive later after you set off the alarm.

Key to the rescue mission is to only strike when you are sure have the advantage. Get in position first, target your opponents mean guys first (heavy weapon or mean&mobile melee guys etc.). Oh and use as many silence weapons as possible. The more you can take out without setting off the alarm the easier the mission will become obviously.

Super mobile melee models are really helpful as well since they can get to the enemy and take them out without setting off the alarm easily (our 'Nid player has a melee warrior with M7..that's 14" charge range! Ouch!)

 

I agree that if there is a mission to use Spec-Ops then it's that one. The odds are against you by design so if you decide to rescue your model you should do everything to increase your chances to actually win the mission.

 

That brings me to my final point. ALWAYS check if it's worth to even try the rescue.

Our AM player tried to rescue his lone Guardsman Vet. Bad mistake, even with his silenced Sniper (he deployed badly as well so there's that).

Our Skitarii player tried to rescue his specialist. While an expensive model, it really didn't end well for him aganist the Tyranids and he would've been better off not doing so since now the 'Nid player got a huge boost....which helped him to win his rescue mission in return (both captured one of the others models in the previous mission).

[NatBrannigan]

No no no... The secret to the Rescue mission is to ignore the Ork you are trying to rescue and just have a good scrap! Use cunnin' tactics like shootin' the stabby ones and stabbin' the shooty ones. All this sneaking about can only lead to trouble...

 

Now I've been unlucky using these tactics, that's all, just unlucky.

[Kilofix]

Rescue mission. Rolled 1 defender. Rolled -2" movement, opponent moves defender. Opponent promptly backstabs lone defender. Opponent wins.

 

Still love SWA but RNG is cruel sometimes.

[No Foes Remain]

Got a few questions, my rule book has yet to arrive but I may get it tomorrow (hopefully, looking at your Royal Mail). So a CSM team is at maximum 10 strong but is it possible to 'buy' new guys while still having a full roster to have them in reserve or can you only 'buy' new guys after one of your roster has died? Is the 1000 points to spend just to start off with and not a limit for the whole team? And when you get 100 points after completing a game can you save them up or do you have to spend them as you get them?

[Reyner]

Maximum is always 10 for CSM so you can only buy new guys when one dies so you can't buy guys to stick in reserves unfortunately. The 1000 point limit is just what you start with and when you get a promethium cache from the end of a game you can exchange it to get 100 points to spend on recruitment or rearming - you either use that or lose it. Some skills exist where you can get more points though. 

[No Foes Remain]

Thanks Reyner, kinda sucks a little for CSM then if one of your marines dies unless you win a game and get 200 points you cannot recruit more marines but I guess that kinda balances the fact that they are power armoured marines.

[Reyner]

There's a load of info in this thread around getting points for replacements and stuff.

[NatBrannigan]

Well an interesting development for me, I actually won a game! My Yoofs are now all boyz and if I can get into combat it's all gravy. My Nob in particular is an absolute wrecking machine with his Power klaw.

 

I get the feeling that the teams with lower model counts (and can be pinned) are at a marked disadvantage? I played CSM's (all in power armour so there were only 5 of them) and pinned most of his team for most of the game with a big shoota and 4 shootas. Remembering that these are Orks we're talking about so shooting is hardly a forte. Has anyone else found this? The marines were a bit to spread out so weren't rolling for initiative to stand up at the start of the turn, but still...

[Space Truckin]

Will SWA have support after 8th ed is released?

Anyone know if they plan on updating the rules and continuing support?

[Reyner]

Will SWA have support after 8th ed is released?

Anyone know if they plan on updating the rules and continuing support?

SW:A is already it's own ruleset... It is pretty much 2nd edition 40k :) 

[Space Truckin]

Yeah I meant if anyone has read about any changes that bring it in line with the new 40k addition?

Still waiting for my book to show up.  the only reason I bought it was because it's pretty much 2nd ed

 

Basically wondering how they will support SWA in the future.  Already seeing some great homebrew campaign rules to merge it with Necromunda.

[CommodusXIII]

I doubt it'll be pulled into 8th Edition, considering it just launched.  The SW:A ruleset stands on its own without any support from the standard 40K ruleset, and as others have mentioned it diverges quite a bit as it is.  I anticipate it getting regular updates/expansions, similar to Warhammer Quest.

[Hod]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Shadow War: Necromunda, with the same core rules, but different Terrain, Missions and Kill Teams (Gangs).

[Sister Alessia]

I really hope they keep supporting SWA. It seems to be getting loads of people back into the hobby. Me included! Only 5 days until I get to play my first game of SWA, yay!

[Hod]

I've played three games over the last two weeks and it's pretty fun. The different missions and leveling up really keeps it interesting and narrative. It's my first time playing 40K so the rules are taking me a bit to pick up, but all the people familiar with normal (and particularly 2nd Edition 40K) pick it up really quick.

[Panzer]

 

I get the feeling that the teams with lower model counts (and can be pinned) are at a marked disadvantage? I played CSM's (all in power armour so there were only 5 of them) and pinned most of his team for most of the game with a big shoota and 4 shootas. Remembering that these are Orks we're talking about so shooting is hardly a forte. Has anyone else found this? The marines were a bit to spread out so weren't rolling for initiative to stand up at the start of the turn, but still...

Yeah definitely. If you don't have any rule that helps with pinning you need numbers. No way around that. That's part of the reason why I started adding Cultists to my team after a few games of getting perma pinned. ^^

[Hod]

I haven't seen too many issues with whole teams getting perma-pinned because of that rule that you always have to shoot at the closest enemy. So if there's a group, I have to keep shooting at the first person until they get knocked down (at least that's how we are playing, you still have to shoot at a pinned person if they are the closest before you can start firing at the guys behind them).

[Panzer]

I haven't seen too many issues with whole teams getting perma-pinned because of that rule that you always have to shoot at the closest enemy. So if there's a group, I have to keep shooting at the first person until they get knocked down (at least that's how we are playing, you still have to shoot at a pinned person if they are the closest before you can start firing at the guys behind them).

Yeah my mistake was to split up in two groups and crawling with the closest guy in cover while the one behind him was out in the open so he could shoot at that one instead. I had two of my 5 who didn't get pinned with both of them being out of ammo after one shot. So yeah bad mistake plus being unlucky on my part. :P

[Chaplain Raeven]

I haven't seen too many issues with whole teams getting perma-pinned because of that rule that you always have to shoot at the closest enemy. So if there's a group, I have to keep shooting at the first person until they get knocked down (at least that's how we are playing, you still have to shoot at a pinned person if they are the closest before you can start firing at the guys behind them).

 

Closest? Isn't the rule the easiest? Seems pretty weird to force people to shoot at an enemy with his head down, while his companions are flinging bullets your way.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Well, its the closest or the closest of the easiest targets.  So, chances are if you were pinned someone he/she/it was the closest of the easiest targets and since the model doesn't move on the turn it is pinned, he/she/it is most likely still the closest of the easiest targets for the rest of that turn.

 

So, weird or not, chances are that the rest of your guys will have to continue firing at the pinned target.

 

Inquisitor Psychologis Ruminahui

Edited May 10, 2017 by Dr_Ruminahui

[NatBrannigan]

Aaaah, now that's interesting. We've been playing that a pinned target no longer counts as the easiest but I like your way a bit better. Having said that with the amount of cover generally used when someone is pinned they tend to disappear out of site or at least into heavy cover, so they no longer count as the "easiest" target.

 

An unrelated question, can you voluntarily leap from a great height? Lets say from one of the new bits of Shadow War terrain, so about 6"? We had a cultist grab some loot and then plunge to his death while still holding it, but I'm not sure you're actually allowed to do that? I would have allowed it anyway because it's one of those great thematic moments and the kind of thing a cultist would do I think (probably screaming something about being granted eternal glory on his way down) but just wanted peoples opinions on the legality of it? It's essentially attempting an impossible jump.

[Panzer]

That should be perfectly fine, yes.

[Chaplain Raeven]

I finally managed to get my hands on the book. I'm amazed at how bloody complicated the whole thing is. Everything gives modifiers to anything, and some actions are needlessly elaborate. Time to start working on some cheatsheets.

 

Edit: Seems like they already included cheatsheets in the back of the book. Good thing they came prepared.

Edited May 13, 2017 by GreyRavenC

[BrotherAtrox]

The complexity of the modifiers will seem a lot less daunting after a couple games, even the ones for CQC.