Dataslate changes - spill over from the new Astartes Codex

[Dr_Ruminahui]

So, the last of the "post introduction" data slate changes dropped today and it pretty much just carries the new design philosophy for marines over from the new Astartes codex to EC and the other "marine adjacent" factions.  These are set out in the faction pack and munitorium manual.

 

What this means is a bunch of stat and weapons changes, with some accompanying point hikes.  There are also a few point drops (landraider, foot princes, the "multi-unit" tax for winged princes, but all the other points changes are increases and are for units that have had their profiles improved as a "spill over" from the new Astartes paradigm.

 

Importantly, this means our T4 marines (infractors, tormentors, sorcerers, exultant lords) go to T 5, our T 5 marines (terminators, lords kakaphonist, Lucius) go to T 6, except for noise marines who stay T5 by get 3 W - making them the same T & W as flawless blades, whose base profiles don't change.

 

Additionally, most of our bolt weapons  (boltguns, bolt pistols, combi-bolters) gain a S and AP (going to S 5 AP-1) for all units that have them.  Our "basic" close combat weapons (Dueling Sabres and Close Combat Weapons) get +1 S (going to 5) on all units that have them.  Other weapons (all power weapons, all whips, etc) weirdly don't change.

 

For these changes, the sorceror and kakaphonist get them for free (no points change), tormentors and exultants cost +5 more (+10 for 10 tormentors), infractors, terminators and Lucius are +10 more (+15 for 10 infractors) and noise marines are +15.

 

Oh, and the Slaanesh's Chosen detachment has gone down to 1 DP (still doubt anyone will use it), Carnival of Excess has gone to 3 DP (which seems unwarranted, given the massive points increase to our demons last update) and the 3 DP detachments have gotten a second force disposition (Carnival is now Disruption & Priority, Coterie is Purge & Priority).

 

Good to see that we don't have to wait 1/2 an edition to get the improvements given to marines (I'm looking at you, 9th edition, where chaos had to wait forever to get 2 wound marines after all the codex Astartes marines got it with their first codex), though the ultimate question is whether the buffs are worth the new point costs.  My own infantry heavy list went up 105 points, necessitating some cuts - it will be interesting to see how it performs.

[LSM]

Marshall Loss said it in the N&R thread, but the Sonic Blasters staying at S5 AP-1 is a little... sad.

 

The new Noise Marines turning Sonic Blasters into bigger, heavier guns was a welcome change in 10th. Now they're back to being more on the level of Bolters (comparatively: +1A, +1D, [Ignores Cover], -6" Range), which feels... inadequate for our elite shooting unit. 

 

The three Wounds is a nice breakpoint, but I don't think they needed to go up in points again. They were already starting to feel expensive, had their fire-support niche largely supplanted by the Defiler, and have had their effectiveness into their favoured targets (MEQ) reduced (going from wounding on a 3+ to a 4+).

 

I'll never not start a list with maximum Noise Marines, but... I had enjoyed the period where doing so felt good and right.

 

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Rapture Lashes staying at S4 is annoying, purely for dice rolling reasons. 

 

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Agree on the Detachments. Chosen going to 1DP interested me, but honestly the extra book-keeping involved gives me pause. Still, starting a LK as Warlord (for Wound rerolls on a Noise Marines' initial round of shooting), maybe a Wing'd Prince with Eager to Prove (Charge re-rolls, coming out of Deep Strike), and Vengeful Surge could be useful.

 

Carnival at 3DP is annoying (as the only way to run Daemons), and the change to Frenzied Host ([Sustained Hits] instead of +1 Strength) nixes the possibility of S7 Infractors with Court.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I had missed the change to Frenzied host - not sure how I feel about it generally, but it kind of sucks in my current list where I get sustained hits anyway through Peerless Bladesmen.  Which does make Slaanesh's Chosen something to look at, as its the only other 1 DP detachment that works with the units I'm fielding (as I have no termies or flawless blades yet).  I've always felt the Frenzied strategems were largely crap (though, my only source of defensive strategems) so maybe Chosen might give me better choices - though, as you said, the book keeping seems like it would be a pain.

 

The noise marine changes... I think the extra cost is okay, though they are probably too expensive, but I think that is a legacy issue not because of the new changes.  Certainly the extra wound makes them a fair bit more survivable, especially against 2 wound weapons, and it better IMHO than T6.  I also like that they now have the same T and W as flawless blades, which makes sense to me and casts the two units as noise/melee sides of the same coin.  Not having their blasters buffed is annoying, though, as are not having any of the other melee weapons in the army - and I agree that the whip is now a huge pain to resolve.  Hopefully those issues are addressed next year in a dataslate, otherwise I assume they will be in our codex.