WFB 8th edition rumours thread..

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**reds8n**

Righto..

Rumoured (

) to be out later this year, looking like the rulebook in the summer with a box set with 2 armies later in the year. I would suggest maybe around September/Games Day/Space Hulk time of year.

It seems the box set will include High Elf and Skaven armies, with talk of plastic war machines, weapons teams and monster/s... there is a lot of talk about a plastic griffon rider model. Those of you who remember the 4th edition boxset might suddenly have had a flashback there eh ?

Not a massive revamp of the system --it has to work with existing army books of course.

This may.. and I say again MAY.. result in a cessation in the flow of army books until the new rules hit, there are a variety of conflicting rumours flying about with regards to this.

Rumours that I consider worth listening to or of note thus far :

Larger units to be better.
Battles to be much more scenario driven, presumably this will mean different missions and deployments etc etc.
Cavalry to be improved.
Combats to be more deadly and perhaps/related quicker to resolve.
There is sometalk to do with possible changes to the turn structure.
Magic to be changed... a lot of people have noted the high casting costs of some of the Beastman spells. It would be reasonable enough to assume that Skaven and Beastmen at least have been written with 8th edition in mind. See the war machine stats for example and the templates and the loss of partials.

To go with point there, and a degree of thinking about it, I would suggest it is likely that this edition will "work" best at slightly higher points than most armies/torunies play with now. They do want you to buy more models etc etc of course.

There is some talk about different or variant boxsets with different armies in.. but.... I'm not convinced by those rumours at all.

smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

**Flashman**

Skaven in the box? Yes, yes, yes! It's a must purchase for me.

Hope improvements to cavalry involve impact hits, because this is what cavalry is for after all.

**Ktulhut**

High elves and skaven is a nice departure from the very empire-oriented WHFB, and the rules changes will benefit me, so I've my fingers crossed on this batch of rumors.

**Flashman**

Guessing we'll see a new High Elves book soon after 8th as well. Not the first time HE have jumped the cycle if I recall correctly.

**reds8n**

Oddly enough I don't think we will.

Skaven clearly won't be done for a while, and the Elf book should work well with this edition I hear.

I guess these two were chosen.. eventually.. for a variety of reasons but the durability of their current books must be a factor.

Still.. be nice to get decent plastic High Elf spearmen eh ?

**fitzeh**

The scenarios thing has been lengthily discussed on various WHFB forums. There is a significant school of thought that they might well resemble those seen at the GW Throne of Skulls Grand Tournaments this year/season. Whilst not everyone likes them, they do inform army list selection quite a bit and bring something other than "tool up with toughest units" to the table.

Myself I quite like them, but some of them are a real headache for certain armies. Getting dwarves into hostile deployment zones can certainly be a challenge!

**sonofruss**

Man two armies I don't play another horde and the elves I hope they put out a special deal like last time I still have my message bag full of old stuff hmmm

**number9dream**

So the talk about it being Empire and O&G in the box was disproven :(?

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

When it comes to rumours, nothing is set until we see it matey.

**reds8n**

..I reckon it might be crossed wires perhaps. As in there migt very well be new models for those races coming soon ( in the GW style of the word I hasten to add) just not in any army box.

Which makes sense really : they are by far the biggest selling 2 armies by quite some distance in the WFB range and, makes sense to give some love and attention to some of the other races, especially ones that might be a tad more distinctive and "warhammery".

*space marine joke here*

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Though I wouldn't be surprised if Empire and Orcses get some new book loving soon. Much as it pains me to say it, Orcs really do need some work these days. Magic Items are bland, Magic Lores are patchy, and Big'uns prohibitively expensive. Plus Empire can always do with a quick spit and polish, no?

As for the box contents, I'm not sure what we'll see. However, the model content is normally designed to introduce the core rules of the game in an easy way. Look at Skull Pass. Horde Infantry, Heavy Infantry, Ranged Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Monsters are all covered in the set, leaving out just Skirmishers (which is arguably covered by the Slayer). Black Reach is similarly styled as well, covering Heavy, Light and Elite Infantry, Vehicles, Walkers, Jetbikes and Characters, as well as the main types of weapon (Assault, Rapid Fire, Heavy, Template and Blast). This isn't by coincidence. So perhaps using this, we can extrapolate what the set might well contain?

**MeanGreenStompa**

So, taking a look at the current miniatures ranges and what needs conversion to plastic/updating to the newer look, any ideas on content?

I'm pondering the plague monks for skaven to bring them in-line with the new aesthetic.

Plastic white lions to look more like the ones in WAR.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

I reckon Spears, Bows, Boltthrower, Shadow Warriors and perhaps Elyrian Reavers for the Elves, and I dunno for the Skaven.

See, it's the inclusion of the Skaven that I'm confused by. They've only just come out, so less of a tie in with a new book to follow. Plus their range has been similarly updated, meaning that if you make cheap infantry available in the Core Set, you sell less of the boxes. Hmmm.

**MeanGreenStompa**

I reckon sea guard as plastic rank and file for the HE...

I concur with the ER cav, those current ones use the 'angry horsies' which have been around for about 14 years.

**fitzeh**

You'd expect to see at least one multi-purpose kit. I.e can be built as an either / or unit. An infantry kit of HE that can be built as spears or bows makes sense. Whether that would be sea guard is somewhat debatable.

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

Interesting choices if correct and certainly not what I would have expected. GW normally has gone for races who have a big fluff issue between them. I can't remember any big note of the Skaven and High Elves meeting head on in fluff terms.

Would be very interested in seeing what they put in there after the last box though and a plastic Griffon would be quite amazing.

Also a part of me hopes it is correct as it might be a way of getting my wife to take up High Elves.

Seems a little empty as a Druchii player, with no Asur to murderize on a regular basis.

**nyyman**

If High Elves and Skaven (or almost any race) were in the new incoming starter box, I would stop cursing GW and for a while congrat them. I would SO buy it (well, no matter what would came in the box I would still buy it but still)

**reds8n**

I guess your plastic dark riders will console you eh ?

**Kirasu**

If GW can figure out a way to make WFB use multiple different missions with objectives that are more than just "kill in the center" then they would have improved the game 3x over..

Yay every game for past 15 years has been "line up and march to center and kill each other with super units"

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

Might make me feel a tiny bit better... ickle little bit... those and Asur to kill with 8th box set though... Priceless.

Seriously though.. Dark Riders.. the response would be where, or at the very least when?

**Flashman**

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Interesting choices if correct and certainly not what I would have expected. GW normally has gone for races who have a big fluff issue between them. I can't remember any big note of the Skaven and High Elves meeting head on in fluff terms

They have a major dust up in the new fluff for Skaven. The Council of Thirteen frustrated at not being able to penetrate Ulthuan decide to invade a High Elf sea fortress in Cathay. Result was a High Elf victory due to the timely intervention of their navy. Occurs fairly recently in the Warhammer timeline. Guessing this will be the inspiration for the box cover art.

EDIT - As for Skaven content, I would guess Clanrats/Slaves, Rat Ogres (preferably not sculpted by whoever did those minotaurs), Gutter Runners and a selection of Clan Skyre "toys" such as a Poison Wind Mortar and Warpfire Thrower. This covers core infantry, monsters, skirmishers and war machines.

**Grimstonefire**

I forget who it was, but someone over on warseer posted about there being markers in the 8th ed box. Presumably these are objective markers and not turn sequence or magic etc.

Just a small thing to support the objectives rumour.

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

Ah cheers Flashman, sounds interesting, nice to see they gave some actual fluff reasons for Skaven and High Elf warfare.

And in other news.. what the heck is this rumour about infantry getting to fight in two ranks in 8th over on Seer. That would make Witchies and Corsairs even more obscene in CC. I have to admit I likes it if true, although what does that mean for Spears, three ranks?

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

That petal, I believe is called Wish-Listing, and then some.

Same as how in 7th Ed, apparently all Chariots and Cavalry had to charge over half their range to get any bonuses. A nonsensical demand/wish/rule, as just when fighting Ogres, you simply marched into half their range, making them utterly bollocks and pointless.

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

Aye I would normally asume the same, but when Harry and such start hinting towards it being accurate, I do tend to take it a little more seriously.

It would certainly equal, combat quicker and deadlier if true.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Still not believing it, unless of course it means rather than actually fighting in two ranks, ala Spears, that a second rank can step forward and fight in the same phase it replaces casualties in? That would up them a bit without getting stupid.

Though please note, I'm not against such a rule, I just find it a little drastic and thus unlikely.

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

Aye, I must admit I'm raising an eyebrow here. Seems very .. different, the game would become even more devestating on the charge for some units.

An example given in the thread was Warriors of Khorne, 2 deep and 7 wide hitting with 56 attacks, I mean to me that sounds crazy.

I'm not sure if thats the fun or bad kind of crazy, but it would indeed change the game.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Never mind Khorne Warriors, my Savage Orc Big'uns could kick serious arse if given Noggs Banner of Butchery.

7 Wide gives me 22 attacks at present (A1, 2CC and Frenzy) doubled up to 43 (allowing Boss' additional attack) and then the same for the Banner (not including the Big Boss necessary for the Banner) all at S5!

Nah, not seeing it myself. I suspect a misreported or as yet incomplete rumour, possibly of a rule trialled then dropped.

**Da Boss**

Whatever happens, my Orc and Goblin tribe are big and diverse enough to adapt to the changes. Infantry better? Got lots of them. Cavalry better? Them too! Warmachines? Yup. Mages? Uh huh. Combat characters? Oh yes. Monsters? Plenty.

My dwarves are less diverse, but I'm not seeing dwarves playstyle altering massively anyway.

Skaven and High Elves in the box sounds interesting. New High Elf plastics are badly needed, so that's good. Skaven is suprising, given their new release, but perhaps this will be a chance for GW to release specific Slave models, and new rat ogres?

**Flashman**

Separate slave models kind of exist now Boss, at least to my satisfaction. Half of the new clanrat box is given over to some suitably downtrodden individuals that work just fine as slaves or clanrats. That said, I can't see them not doing clanrats in the box, so maybe slaves will pop up too...