CA 2018 Custom Character field test (prev. Bling My Termie)

[N1SB]

Thanks for your help, guys. Even though I didn't take all the things we discussed, just having mentally gone through those issues beforehand was really useful because I was playing out scenarios in my head. That was particularly relevant because there were so many x-factors (the extra Custom Character traits we got and it was such a clever balancing mechanic, the scenario, even being teamed up with people I never played with/against before), that going in I knew "this is what I'll be good at, this is what I gotta trade off, and I'll stick to the plan."

I also added my further thoughts on Custom Character traits while you were further discussed. And on those issues:

Thunder Hammer

Partly I was so focused on surviving to score Victory Points for my team, that I was glad I at least had my Storm Shield!

I did mention it to the others, but definitely still worth it though, because that's how our Slamguinius player got his kills, too. Half of 3 Damage rounding up is still 2, which was double what everyone else could do, so I could out-attrition them. It got to a point where enemies (not just the Tau Commander) would Fall Back from melee even though they really needed to kill me, just because they felt staying in combat with me meant I could still counter-attack, risking another death/Victory Point in my favour. It's one of those warm fuzzy moments when you realise you forced your opponent(s) into equally bad options, which meant you were winning.

The Kroot

As I was writing the battle recap, I realised I didn't take a photo of his notes. He wrote out his entire Custom Character "build" on a piece of paper, as he had so many rules! But no worries, he's one of our close good friends, I'll ask him next time. It might've been expectations management, like we expected so little of his 2 PL Character that whatever he did, we were in awe. He did finish off Slamguinius at least once, though.

The Tau Suit -1 AP upgrade

Ooooh, ok. It might have been good sportsmanship for real, like he used what he normally fields instead of tailoring it for just this game. Like he didn't want to confuse other players by changing his usual setup from his normal army, or he just took what he had made in Battlescribe and didn't fiddle with it. I was still standing with 2 Wounds left, mostly from being hit by the Lord of Contagion after he died and respawned near me (as he didn't have anything else better to do at that point). Edit - I was reviewing my photos and I was mistaken, I was already down to 2 Wounds in the late-game when the Lord of Contagion was charging me. I'm guessing I took all my damage from other sources, like the Tau's guns. The AP -1 might've made a difference...and so could've any other shot, I don't remember the exact dice rolls. Still thinking about this whole thing.

Srsly, the lead-up to the game, like reading your posts while I was speedpainting this miniature, was as fun as the battle itself. Thx a lot, Fraters.

[Lord Raven 19]

 

Gravis Captain?

 

No SS for GK aside of Draigo.

Don't take the always strike first trait. If you charge you strike first anyway, if the enemy charged both strike first and since it's his turn he is going first. It would only trigger in the rounds nobody charge and only if your opponent doesn't have such a rule either.

+1S and +1A sounds great. It would push your TH to S10 so you'd wound even bikes, gravis captains, Custodes and DG on on a 2+ and +1A scales really well with such a potent weapon too.

Just make sure you can swing before getting killed lol

Wouldn’t the Thunder hammer only be S9? I always thought it was use any multpliers before adding. If I’m wrong then some of my units just got a big boost :)

Model +1 = 5

5 x 2 = 10

Sorry, I’m still confused all I can find in the rules is this:

“You may also encounter abilities and rules that modify a characteristic. All modifiers are cumulative, though you should apply any multiplication or division to the characteristic (rounding fractions up) before applying any addition or subtraction.”

Or is it because that character ability permanently changes the models base stats before the game starts?

Sorry maybe not clear enough

It is model's strength (+1) multiplied by 2 that is the TH strength

[Panzer]

In 7th it was multiplication before addition. Partly because the model+weapon was seen as whole and partly for balancing reasons since you needed only S=T+2 to wound on a 2+ instead of S=T*2. In 8th it depends on the wording but if it increases the models characteristics then it's addition before multiplication.

Best example would be TWC who had S9 Thunder Hammers in 7th and now S10 Thunder Hammers. In 7th they were able to wound anything up to T7 on a 2+ (and only hitting last) but in 8th only anything up to T5 (while being able to hit first but always get -1 on the to-hit rolls).

[N1SB]

 

Just out of interest, what were the other 5 traits the Kroot Shaper took? Sounds like a damn impressive Shaper with 8 traits being for Legendary Heroes.

 

Hey Brother sfPanzer, was just following through.  Talked with the player today, he's a good guy and was happy to share, but was very humble.

 

He started with the 4+ to ever Wound him, half damage, then 5+ FNP...the Survival Set.

 

Then he added the +1S +1A against Characters.  The rest was buffing his ranged and melee weapon damage and AP.

 

What happened was he was just underestimated.  He said he didn't think he was optimised (probably true), but in this 8th ed of anything-can-kill-anything, he just snuck in some good shots while everyone else chose targets of anything other than him.  He was never the best use of our limited shots/attacks...so he was kinda ignored until he took down someone's last wound or something.

 

It was hilarious.