Tabletop Teacher

Sometimes a new bit of news feels more like just an update to the thinking I've done. And then through the glorious process of obsession and overthinking blossoms into a full discourse. And finally you realise you've gone down a rabbit hole that you really shouldn't have done... Hello chaps and chapettes. We've had a bit more news about how 40K will be played in 9th since last week, where I wrote about the new close-quarter blood baths that might be coming in. I'm right, but you will need to make a small adjustment to your expectations for smaller point lists and might want to build in some greater mobility... and I'll explain why. Also, a theme of 9th Edition missions appears to be specifying where objectives are in the mission itself, and big shift from players deciding where they are. Warhammer Community released their 4 Sizes fits all article amidst the other updates and leaks about 9th Edition. The most relevant things to know about this are the article I w...

It's a beautiful deluge of leaks and reveals last week. My poor laptop is crying from the sudden strain and furious typing it must endure! Hello chaps and chapettes, back in the classroom again to discuss the new Command Point structure for 9th edition. I have to admit when I first looked at I was the very definition of confusion. But as I delved more into the thinking of it, I could see the wheels turning and why the system was engineered so. Let's start shall we? First up, we have regenerating command points, for the reasons I outlined in an earlier article . They make a lot of sense, and despite the additional book keeping mean that you can spam your stratagems a little more. Now you can build around a Stratagem knowing you'll have access to it later in game, and don't feel too bad about popping it in a slightly sub-optimal situation. Games Workshop clearly like this reactive and dynamic game play, as do I. They're a way of granting stupid powerful rules to units...

I looked at the mission and started off by saying "Meh". And then I looked closer. And closer. And closer. And then I hit my head on the computer screen.  Slapstick comedy doesn't translate well into text, but I was still pretty shocked on close analysis. These missions are vicious! Hello chaps and chapettes, we're working late in the classroom now because Games Workshop won;t let up with the new edition reveals. You'd think they wanted us to get hyped up over 9th Edition or something! This mission is a very clear indicator of the direction they want to move in, and I have to say I am very impressed, and think the speed of games is going to go through the roof! First up, go and read my thoughts on why the points costs are changing. The TL;DR is that it can help increase the speed of games, but I dive into the economics of it too. Now, look at the mission above, taken from Warhammer Community. A couple of things should stand out to you. The distance between deplo...

What are you up to Games Workshop? You've been playing the power creep game since Rogue Trader, and now you decide to scale things back. Is this about game mechanics? Is this about helping new players? Or is it something else... Ask any of the boys in the boarding house, and they'll probably say I'm a deeply suspicious man. They'll also say that I'm very fair with my suspicions if they do come up. They'll also probably say that I'm scarily good at detecting contraband materials or general shenanigans in the house. And my little radar is pinging away at this news, because it strikes me as kind of strange. First of all, the argument as to why it's strange. Typically in tabletop games points values go down rather than up. This is usually an easier sell to players, as it means they can have more powerful units in their games, and allows them to show off new stratagems. It also gives incentive to take weaker units, and is the sole reason for the popularit...

Sufficiently hyped up for 9th Edition, it's time to do what any self-respecting hobbyist would do, and start a brand new army for the edition! I respect myself so much I fully intend to give myself more work to do! I miss Judge Dreadnought Hello chaps and chapettes, we're back in the classroom to talk about what things you can do to prepare for 9th Edition. And here it is: Just wait. Literally anything you do will be countered by the new rules changes.  All right, so make sure to leave a comment on the way ou- Okay, it's not the best idea in the world to just wait it out. It's usually a good way to drive yourself nuts with anticipation, and you'll way over spend when the Edition drops as you rush out to take advantage of the latest rules hack to come out. And that will end up getting FAQ'd out of existence a week later, so you will have spent a load of money to enact a strategy that you don't fully understand and probably won't ever get to use. So what ...

You know, I think Eldar players have every right to be annoyed right now... the Imperium keeps on nicking their stuff. Let me explain... Hello chaps and chapettes, we're back in the classroom to discuss the Eldarification of the Space Marines, and what we can look forward to from the new Intercessor Veterans!  I'm only half joking about the Imperium nicking Eldar ideas and applying it to new models. Primaris Aspect Marines was a joke way back in the beginning of 8th Edition, and I even pointed out some of the similarities (much to the casual disgust of the internet). And I can't be the only one who is marvelling at the new AdMech Swooping Hawk: I'm certainly not comparing the aesthetic of these guys to what's come before, but I think we can definitely draw some parallels to an aeldari unit.  You probably know which one. Yeah that one. If you didn't know already: Now clearly the new Primaris aren't dead souls locked inside tough robot constructs, but I am g...