The Problem of -1 to Hit

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Perhaps because the subfaction trait hit penalty can be overcome by the Movement Phase?  I've got a battle report on here where my Alpha Legion (-1 to be hit) played Deathwatch in the Cloak & Shadows mission (additional -1).  I won by VPs, but almost my entire army was butchered by close-range shooting and melee because I was forced to move within 12" of the enemy by objective cards and tactical necessity, and my opponent used the speed of his Blackstar to deliver close-range firepower as well.

 

The counters are out there, you just have to look.  -1 from subfaction trait?  Make sure you have a mobile element in your army that can rapidly close to within 12".  -1 from Supersonic?  +1 from Hunter, Stalker, or Stormhawk.  Alaitoc Rangers have good saves and are hard to hit?  With guns, maybe, but stick 'em with chainswords and they fall to pieces.

 

I'd like to see the player base extend itself a little, try to step away from aura-bubble gunlines and actually employ maneuver tactics.  I understand that aura-bubble gunlines army lists are generally easy to make, simply employed, and reasonably effective, but the reason stacked ranged hit penalties are so damnably difficult to overcome is because so many folks are playing into the enemy's strengths. So don't.  Yes, the deep strike nerf hurt the ability to alpha strike gunlines, but there are other methods of getting into the opponent's face on Turn One.  Infiltration stratagems, APCs, bikes, jump packs, and flyers can all get your units across the mid-field, which in turn might secure an LZ for those deep strikers Turn Two.

[PiñaColada]

-Snip-

You make fair points and I was exaggerating for comedic effect but the problem still inherently exists. I would never give up from a game without playing first but some of the suggestions you give, while valid, seem an awful lot like you know what opponent you're facing beforehand. I'm talking about if you go to your FLGS and play a game against a random opponent and this very scenario pops up, which I've seen happen. The person on the recieving end of it was demolished because if you're not an experienced player of if your army doesn't have enough tactical width to counter it just ends up being a poor game. In this case the person who lost was rather inexperienced at least in 8th and this couldn't have been a fun reintroduction. If most of your counter charge units are bikers or fast vehicles it's very easy for the opponent to hide in ruins with their infantry (or vehicles if they have fly) and even if they aren't any opponent worth their salt would just focus fire on them. I realise this isn't really the place for it but stuff like rangers can now easily fill up a platform where they can't be charged so you're either stuck shooting at them ineffectively or just ignoring them. Now obviously you could say that they should simply have rerolled the scenario and that's what I would have done but they didn't, probably because this scenario is in the original rulebook.

 

As I said, you can counter this but it's a barrier of entry that comes with it and all it does is strengthening the already strong gunline armies. I hope this doesn't come off as rude but in my opinion it's just not fun and honestly, isn't that the point of the game?

[Claws and Effect]

That's why you build your lists so you have more than one way to win.

 

If your entire list is a static gunline any Alaitoc army is going to slaughter you. You need to mix it up so you have at least a few units that are useful in different situations or the hard counter to your list will be an unwinnable game.