Latest Balance Update - BA Edition

[Jolemai]

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/06/20/warhammer-40000-metawatch-downloading-the-new-balance-dataslate/

 

Full article with links for those interested. Will this make much difference to us?

[jaxom]

The impulsor change is nice; can run a full Bladeguard and a character.

[Karhedron]

The Blood Angels have received no changes to anything specifically ours.

 

To me that strongly implies that our new Codex is scheduled to arrive before the next balance slate in 3 months time. I recon our new codex will drop in September.

[DemonGSides]

Could be, but we took a massive nerf with Rites of Battle changes as well as just in general across the board marine nerfs.

 

Our jump infantry are still good, so that's nice. But I just have no idea what GW wants for SM armies. Every time they find something with success competitively it gets taken out back and shot.

[Blindhamster]

sad about the change to captains ability, same for death company intercessors, they dont get to use the strats for free now right.

[jaxom]

2 hours ago, Blindhamster said:

same for death company intercessors, they dont get to use the strats for free now right.

They changed the CP cost of Heroic Intervention to 1 CP.

Page 9 of the Core Rules Update document and I think Fire Overwatch has always been 1 CP. So the new rule still lets DCI use them for free as far as I can tell.

[DemonGSides]

Well the DCI also call out the strat by name, which changes the whole ruling.  They will remain exactly as they have been. It's captains that got hit with the stick, not much else since every other instance calls out the strat by name, and as long as it does, it will work as the ability states.

[Karhedron]

3 hours ago, Blindhamster said:

sad about the change to captains ability

 

I know what you mean but most lists were running 2-3 Captains when they are supposed to be 1 per company. At least now we have some incentive to look at other Characters, Foot and Jump Chaplains have some play for the always-on +1 to Wound and they are pretty cheap.

[jaxom]

1 minute ago, Karhedron said:

 

I know what you mean but most lists were running 2-3 Captains when they are supposed to be 1 per company. At least now we have some incentive to look at other Characters, Foot and Jump Chaplains have some play for the always-on +1 to Wound and they are pretty cheap.

I don't know if the Captain nerf will impact that because I thought Finest Hour was the reason we were seeing more than one Captain per list?

[Blindhamster]

16 minutes ago, Karhedron said:

 

I know what you mean but most lists were running 2-3 Captains when they are supposed to be 1 per company. At least now we have some incentive to look at other Characters, Foot and Jump Chaplains have some play for the always-on +1 to Wound and they are pretty cheap.

id have preferred it if they instead just made captains 0-1 frankly.

[The Unseen]

It's a nerf to using the same strat multiple times a phase, and the rare 2 cp strat won't be free, but it works on everything, not just battle tactics. So it's more versatile, but less powerful. 

It also heavily depends on your detachment 

Some didn't have many Battle Tactics

The most obvious one being that Custodes Detachment that wanted you to run lots of Shield Captains, who's unique rule was the same as a marine captain, but the Detachment had no battle tactics, hilariously

Edited June 21 by The Unseen

[Adorondak]

So, did nobody notice that red thirst now gives +2 strength and +1 attack on the charge, or was that just some crazy fever dream on my part? 

 

 

[Karhedron]

5 minutes ago, Adorondak said:

So, did nobody notice that red thirst now gives +2 strength and +1 attack on the charge, or was that just some crazy fever dream on my part? 

 

That came in on the last balance slate I think so for most people it is no change. It does make ABC lists very fun to play. 

[Brother Raul]

It's official. We are perfect? This close to a codex I guess we are about to find out.  Love that GEEBUBS finally realised they don't write code so they can release patches easily enough.

 

Might be a few over stretches (squadron IG) but the idea to update and patch is fantastic. Great way to bridge editions so they aren't so jarring a transition as they have been of late.

[BitsHammer]

So here's a question: with the flat -1 to start cost how are we feeling about Captains in their command squads? Do they seem more compatible now, or are we still better off never taking them together?

[Morticon]

I don't agree that the captain ruling is a nerf. I see it as an overall buff. I think you will see more captains in lists, not fewer. 

[Blindhamster]

32 minutes ago, Morticon said:

I don't agree that the captain ruling is a nerf. I see it as an overall buff. I think you will see more captains in lists, not fewer. 

can you elaborate please? I'm interested in the reasoning and youre a veteran player with a lot of experience so feels like a teaching moment

[BitsHammer]

Well if you play Sons of Sanguinus all the 5/6 of the strats are now free for your Captain. Same for Gladius.

 

Most Astartes starts are 1cp when you look actually.

[DemonGSides]

Sure, but a big part of the power of the Rites of Battle was being able to double up on important strats.

 

I don't think it was a massive nerf and is probably about a wash over all, but it will definitely change how certain armies are played and absolutely guts any strategy dependent on things like Immolation Protocols being double tapped every turn. 

[Karhedron]

I think for Blood Angels it is probably about neutral. A wider selection of Strats are now available but we lose the double tap on Red Rampage (always a favourite in my ABC list).

 

My Firestorm Space Wolves will definitely miss the free Immolations Protocols though. 

[Morticon]

On 6/27/2024 at 5:23 PM, Blindhamster said:

can you elaborate please? I'm interested in the reasoning and youre a veteran player with a lot of experience so feels like a teaching moment

 

A lot has been said already, but just to reiterate.

 

SoS and GTF are the most commonly played BA lists.

 

Karhedron rightly noted that the "double tap" of rampage is a big hit.

 

I think he's absolutely right in this regard when you need big go turns. 

 

This being said, as Bitshammer noted, 5/6 of the detachment strats are free. 

 

If you're a glad player like me, putting any unit into assault doc (or Dev) for free is gold. For cent/aggro bombs from the Libby, to put these guys into Dev doc you only need 1 cp for the big fire disc combo, or can gain additional AP in assault in addition to the +1 to wound.

 

Moreover, it's the core strats that see the greatest changes. 

 

Grenades get to be used for free, heroic too, and arguably more importantly Rapid Ingress. (Which we should be using each game). 

 

On top of this, the interrupt strat and Fight on Death becomes 1 cp- HUGELY changing our tactical options. 

 

As said, I predict more captains in the mix in marine lists from now- Especially Gladius.

 

Edited June 30 by Morticon
Typo*