GW Revitalizing Specialist Games

[Landlubber]

I guess I don't have the...history...with GW games that a lot of other people do. For me, it will come down to the models and the rules. Mostly the models. 

[Ulric the Grey]

I loved BFG. Now I believe that GW will frack it up. I believe that they will not increase the model count or make it comparable to FA, reason is that GW is so full of themselves they believe that people will fork out 200 dollars for a BFG box set with 8 models, 4 cruisers each side, again.

[Ruckdog]

I loved BFG. Now I believe that GW will frack it up. I believe that they will not increase the model count or make it comparable to FA, reason is that GW is so full of themselves they believe that people will fork out 200 dollars for a BFG box set with 8 models, 4 cruisers each side, again.

To be honest, I'm not overly optimistic either. IF they every actually do another 40k space minis game (we don't know that they will for sure; remember that all we have is a vague announcement about re-doing Specialist Games), I suspect it will be something along the lines of the "board games" they have been doing recently, like Deathwatch Overkill. It could very well be Dreadfleet...In Spaaaaaace!

[Dakkar]

Dreadfleet...In Spaaaaaace!

If this whole Specialist revival goes that way, nothing but one-and-done box sets, I think that'll critically whittle away the last of the old guard GW support. Those of us who have patiently tried to keep games alive, whether Blood Bowl, BFG, Epic, etc ... we'll just know for sure its a dead cause... the final stake and holy-wafer in the vampire's ashes.

My HOPE is that the smell of more easy money, and the fact they don't need to support LOTR/Hobbit, draws GW resources to maximize each Specialist game with full resources and force variety. I can just imagine the retail explosion if folks start seeing Tyranid, Ork, and Eldar/Dark Eldar fleet box sets hitting shelves, let alone the expected Imperial Chaos redesigns.
And imagine seeing Epic 40K boxes for Chaos, with all those Chaos Engines of War realized in 10mm.
It would all torment me, as I'd be unable to resist massive buy-in. :-)

GW: Realizing our worst Hopes and Fears for 25 Years

[Dakkar]

Blood-Bowl rumors just hit big here:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2016/05/blood-bowl-pics-release-plans-more.html

Biggest news there is its a FULL RELEASE. No "one and done" which bodes well for Battlefleet Gothic, Epic, etc - GW could come back into the market with a nostalgia-fueled vengeance!

Bad news is, they sounds like they've changed little on the rules front. If none of these relaunches acknowledges or fixes game imbalance in prior versions (Hello Necrons!), that's a dealbreaker ...

[Ruckdog]

This is great news indeed! Makes me a little more optimistic about an eventual BFG release. However, the timeline associated with Blood Bowl does suggest that it will be late 2017 at the earliest before we could reasonably expect to see anything released for BFG. I'd actually be OK with the rules being re-released almost as-is (assuming that means the 2007 rulebook printing with the 2010 FAQ). They are reasonably well balanced near as I can tell, and they are at least somewhat polished after years of community feedback.

Dale, regarding the Necrons, which version do you have experience with? My understanding is that the initial "beta" rules for Necrons that were released in the BFG Magazine were awful, but that the revised rules that made it into the Armada book were much better. I've never played with or against them, but the discussions I've had with people who have always point to them being balanced, but playing very, very differently than any other faction. Honestly, I've heard more balance complaints about the Corsair Eldar over the years than I have about the Necrons.

This might be worth a new thread in Space Gaming to discuss...

[Dakkar]

Dale, regarding the Necrons, which version do you have experience with?

Armada Book version still utterly dominated the last campaign we had, long long ago. Other abuses that come to mind:

-- Space Marine Thunderhawk Spam and Tyranid Spore Spam (Though I'm told house rules easily handle this, GW might not get that memo)

-- Ork Ramship Spam (I forget the little thing's name, but like a dozen of those ruin a game)

-- Eldar were nasty for all, but many counters were available.

-- Tau came late to our party, but seemed to outdo a lot. Except Necrons again...

[Ruckdog]

Thunderhawk spam? Not sure how that works. A 1500 pt SM fleet can have at most what, about 12 or so on table at once.

[Dakkar]

Thunderhawk spam? Not sure how that works. A 1500 pt SM fleet can have at most what, about 12 or so on table at once.

It may have been a pre-FAQ thing that was fixed later, but when we played (IIRC) the Marines would launch clouds of Thunderhawks, swarm the enemy heavy hitters, and render them combat ineffective through crits.

[Ruckdog]

Ahhh...yeah, the ordnance rules have been overhauled. Now, the number of fighter/bomber/assaultboat markers on the table are limited to the total number of launch bays you have in your fleet. So, if I have an Emperor BB (8 launchbays) and a Mars BC (4 launch bays), I can only ever have 12 total attack craft markers on the table. ON the plus side, rolling doubles on a Reload Ordnance check no longer causes you to run out.

[Dakkar]

Ahhh...yeah, the ordnance rules have been overhauled.

Was that an official GW fix, or the de facto Living Rulebook kinda thing?

Let's hope they use it either way. :-)

One other thing I heard: new EPIC 40K will be 8mm (up from 5mm). That might mean just big enough for better models, just small enough for better affordability. And either way, it gives Planetfall and DZC a run for their money.

[Ruckdog]

Ahhh...yeah, the ordnance rules have been overhauled.

Was that an official GW fix, or the de facto Living Rulebook kinda thing?

Let's hope they use it either way. :-)

One other thing I heard: new EPIC 40K will be 8mm (up from 5mm). That might mean just big enough for better models, just small enough for better affordability. And either way, it gives Planetfall and DZC a run for their money.

The revised ordnance rules, along with the shift of the Nova Cannon from a Guess Range to a Scatter mechanic, were all part of official GW sanctioned FAQs. Not too shocked on the scale change for Epic; it allows for greater detail to be put into the models, while also obsoleting all the old official and 3rd-party models that have been made for the game.

[Pendrake]

I have most of an Orc Fleet for BFG.

[Dakkar]

The new NECROMUNDA is upon us!

Can BFG be all that far away? ;-)

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/03/gw-breaking-updated-necromunda-returns.html

[McKInstry]

They keep releasing teams for Blood Bowl (slowly but..). i am hopeful if not out by year end at least a 2018 date certain.