The importance of subfaction variation

[Schlitzaf]

Folks might take issue with this. But I fundamentally believe Cult Legions should been Supplements like Loyalist Chapters. And it bothers me that Plague/Rubric/etc aren’t in the Codex ngl

[Blindhamster]

 

1 hour ago, Orange Knight said:

But Blood Angels don't all simultaneously succumb to the Red Thirst, or the Black Rage.

 

If all units have the above bonuses at all times then it will be a better ability  especially in an edition where it looks like close combat might be the best way to deal with tough units.

Counterpoint: it affecting just a single unit would make it strictly worse than oath of moment. The ideal would be for it to be random like 3rd Ed, but such rules won’t be a thing ever again (I.e. the thirst should be able to affect multiple units, but it also possibly shouldn’t be something you can rely on without a sanguinary priest to incite it)

Edited April 16, 2023 by Blindhamster

[Noserenda]

Honestly i suspect the Cult codexes being split off if due to the uproar over losing cult troops as troops in 8th. GW clearly did not want to continue doing stuff like that so things get fully split off even when they didnt have a range as complete as the Deathguard so they can balance around that.

I do think the cult legions should have more of the main codex stuff though.

[jaxom]

1 hour ago, Blindhamster said:

[The Red Thirst] also possibly shouldn’t be something you can rely on without a sanguinary priest to incite it)

That's why I'm 90% that Blood Angels will have OoM. It places the onus of leaning into the subfaction on taking subfaction unique units. The effect can be more easily adjusted by tweaking the unit providing it and it has a clear cost integrated into the unit providing it. Personally, I also think it better fits the lore.

 

We can also see some supposition on how this would work in 10 edition releases. Tyranids are getting a range refresh, but 1-2 character kits and maybe 1 squad kit are very common for a new codex release. So much complaining about WE, but I bet their 10th edition codex will be released with Slaughter Priest and Butcher Surgeon models... and possibly Red Butchers now they've popped the seal on upscaled Terminators. Aeldari could see a new character kits for Farseers and Spiritseers capable of building into Ulthwé and Iyandan unique units. Or Craftworlds could get upgrade kits compatible the new Warlock kit, the new Autarch kit, and a new Farseer kit to make unique units.

 

It's the Necrons, Orks, T'au, GSC, and other factions which haven't ever had unique units (other than special characters) that I think are the most problematic for such an approach.

[BitsHammer]

So I'm going to toss in my .02¢ and then share my tinfoil hat theory on what GW plans to do.

 

First off I think subfactions should stay. The variance offered allowed players to lean into different armies and play to that theme in a way that felt rewarding as a player and made logical sense. Generally these themes encouraged specific playstyles through how they handed out bonuses as well. So as someone who leans more towards narrative I want them to stay.

 

Now for my tinfoil hat: during the announcement stream Eddie mentioned an example of switching detachments using Imperial Fists as an example. Doing so completely replaced the six double sided sheet of paper that has all the faction specific stratagems, enhancements and detachments special rules.

 

From this my guess is that each codex will have a generalist option, but will maintain sub-faction specific detachments who will change out the special rules an army has. This is not to say that there is a new FOC, but characters and specific subfaction themed units (like Deathwing Knights or Death Company) could be restricted to only being available inside of that detachment.

 

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One of the major choices you’ll need to make – after choosing which faction you like the most, of course – is what Detachment rules you’ll pick. These determine how your specific army performs, providing special rules and unique traits, as well as unique Stratagems and Enhancements. 

 

That is not to say detachments are the only source of rules we have as every faction has it's own special rules that every one in that faction can use regardless of detachment.

 

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On top of this, every faction gets an army ability regardless of which Detachment you’re using. This represents the totemic aspect of that faction in war – so the Orks get Waaagh!, Tyranids get Synapse, the Astra Militarum get Orders, and the Space Marines get Oath of Moment.

 

So, unless GW says otherwise, as I understand it that you pick a faction which gives you a faction rule like Oath of Moment. After picking your faction you then pick a Detachment which gives you six stratagems and four enhancements as well as any detachment specific rules.

 

In fact we get an example of how this works when GW talks about the Gladius Task Force detachment which will be the generic at launch detachment for Space Marines:

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For instance, you might be playing as the Gladius Task Force of the Adeptus Astartes. Your faction gives you the Oath of Moment army rule (more on this next week!) while your Detachment gives you access to six unique Stratagems – on top of the core group in the main rules – as well as four exclusive Enhancements for your Space Marine characters. It also bags you the Combat Doctrines ability, which allows you to pick from three powerful doctrines during your Command phase.

 

If you chose to fight with a different Detachment, you’d replace the Strategems, Enhancements and Combat Doctrines with those of the new Detachment. 

 

Now I have some thoughts on army composition since it does come up as a point with detachments specifically have restrictions mentioned. But first let's review how basic army construction works:

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1. You must include at least one CHARACTER

2. You can only include one of each named EPIC HERO

3. You can only include up to three units of each datasheet

4. However, you can include up to six units of each datasheet with the BATTLELINE or DEDICATED TRANSPORT keywords 

5. Each CHARACTER can only have one Enhancement, you can’t include more than three Enhancements in total, and these must all be different

 

So we see that there isn't a cap on characters in the basic army composition rules, but detachments may put specific caps on different characters (such as one chapter master for chapters, or no librarians for BT). 

 

I'm skipping past Epic Heroes as based on the Guilliman silhouette it's Primarch level characters who likely work with any detachment inside the faction even if they are designed around a specific detachments.

 

This brings us to the next major restriction: no more than three of any datasheet unless they are Battleline or a Dedicated Transport in which case you can bring up to six.

 

I believe this is one of the other things that could be affected by detachment choice: units may gain the Battleline keyword from their detachment in addition to any unit that has it on their datasheet innately. For example Blood Angels may gain Assault Squads as Battleline.

 

Additionally, if the 40k team is cribbing the Battleline system entirely from AoS we may see characters unlike Battleline as well. Like Belial making Deathwing Battleline, or gaining Battleline on a unit based on having a character in similar set up, like bikes being Battleline if you have a character with the Bike keyword.

 

You would still get to run those units in regular armies, and even get the normal bonuses your army is used to having, but the limits on units could be increased as an additional way to unlock different playstyles beyond locking specific things out of army.

 

Now I can't speak on balance, after all I am no seer, nor have I seen the actual rules but this system feels like the most likely way we can see subfactions remain in the game going forward. Maybe they'll get cheeky names like "Descent of Angels" or "Sons of Sanguinis" they might simply be called by the subfaction that represents the main represented faction for example "Blood Angels" but no matter how GW dresses it up I believe that this will be the key of running out subfactions.

 

I understand people want all the options, like being able keep subfaction rules and bounce between detachments to represent different themed builds but from what we have seen and what has been said I don't think that's how it'll work. Under what I believe to be how it works a Blood Angels jump pack heavy force, a Baal Predator heavy force, or a combined arms highlander force (aka the White Dwarf barrel army build) will all be playable under the Blood Angels detachment but the rules will favor certain themes more strongly than others. In this example that would be units with jump packs gaining the most from the detachment.

 

Bit until GW shows us something on how that specifically works this remains my Pepe Silva project board as I try and guess how the game will play.