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Have you read the battle report BA vs. Black Legion in WD at April 2010 ?

Of course they wanted to show some possibilities to play the new BA.
However, the Chaos player moved his TS and Berzerker units (both on foot) a bit forward (in 2nd turn) so that an Assault squad incl. S. Priest was able to charge the Berzerkers and the DC squad was in the position to charge TS.
Both Chaos units got wiped out. Surprise. Surprise.

At the end of the game, the Chaos player complained about his bad shooting in 1st turn.
However, he had not many shooting options (Defiler, CSM unit with heavy weapon, Tzeentch DP, PM with 2 plasma guns) and his LR was partly behind cover.

GW obviously thinks we are morons, or what?

No, they are just morons. Upon such "realistic" battle reports and play-testing are our codexes written.

Their policy is "Oh we need to showcase this army? Throw some models on the board and take some pictures then make up some crap about Army X prevailing over a mysteriously incompetent opponent"

Dashofpepper wrote:No, they are just morons. Upon such "realistic" battle reports and play-testing are our codexes written.

Lol.

The Chaos player, Chris, is supposed to be an experience tournament player.
However, I was surprised to see no Rhinos for his troops units: Berzerkers, TS, PM, and CSM; at least Berzerkers need the charge.

It would have been a big surprise for the approaching Jump Packers (DC, Assault squad, Sanguinius squad) if the enemy would have been mounted in transports. Holy Sanguinius we have a problem...

I'm really surprised that anyone still thinks the Battle Reports are anything more than a commercial for the new book of the month.

I'm not sure the issue is so much GW *thinking* the readers are morons, as much as it is those purchasing WD are morons.

NecronLord3 wrote:I'm really surprised that anyone still thinks the Battle Reports are anything more than a commercial for the new book of the month.

I'm not sure the issue is so much GW *thinking* the readers are morons, as much as it is those purchasing WD are morons.

Bingo!!! We have a winner ladies and gentlemen!

I'm not sure the issue is so much GW *thinking* the readers are morons, as much as it is those purchasing WD are morons.

Lol.

The very next page was Jervis' column. ''Oh, military uniforms inspire me...''.

New book of the month wins almost every time. The only times I've seen otherwise were Black Templars and Nids, and Space Wolves had a tie.

I read WD for the pretty pictures.

I'd start reading it again if the battle reports were by actual gamers instead of the studio boys who have little to no thought process whatsoever. Don't even get me started on the Fantasy br's.

White Dwarf is totally the J. Peterman catalog for nerds. The "battle reports" are just dressed up sales pitches to have pretty pictures of the latest toys. Is it any shock when the flavor of the month army wins EVERY TIME? I mean, they aren't stupid. They aren't going to put out a Blood Angel list and then reprint how they got tabled in 3 turns or something.

And anyone who claims they are a "veteran tournament player" doesn't impress me. Everyone plays in tournaments, we're all veterans, even the guy who gets the last place trophy month after month. Anyone think he's got credibility?

What was the WD issue where a battle report opened saying that the first game was a bit boring and the new releases lost, so they played it again and guess what? They won. So they published that.

Howard A Treesong wrote:What was the WD issue where a battle report opened saying that the first game was a bit boring and the new releases lost, so they played it again and guess what? They won. So they published that.

All of them are like that, I'm sure. Limey bastards.

wuestenfux wrote:Have you read the battle report BA vs. Black Legion in WD at April 2010 ?

Of course they wanted to show some possibilities to play the new BA.
However, the Chaos player moved his TS and Berzerker units (both on foot) a bit forward (in 2nd turn) so that an Assault squad incl. S. Priest was able to charge the Berzerkers and the DC squad was in the position to charge TS.
Both Chaos units got wiped out. Surprise. Surprise.

At the end of the game, the Chaos player complained about his bad shooting in 1st turn.
However, he had not many shooting options (Defiler, CSM unit with heavy weapon, Tzeentch DP, PM with 2 plasma guns) and his LR was partly behind cover.

GW obviously thinks we are morons, or what?

The biggest reason I do not pick up white dwarf anymore. Its a crappy magazine that doesn't offer me anything I wanna read.

vagorin wrote:

wuestenfux wrote:Have you read the battle report BA vs. Black Legion in WD at April 2010 ?

Of course they wanted to show some possibilities to play the new BA.
However, the Chaos player moved his TS and Berzerker units (both on foot) a bit forward (in 2nd turn) so that an Assault squad incl. S. Priest was able to charge the Berzerkers and the DC squad was in the position to charge TS.
Both Chaos units got wiped out. Surprise. Surprise.

At the end of the game, the Chaos player complained about his bad shooting in 1st turn.
However, he had not many shooting options (Defiler, CSM unit with heavy weapon, Tzeentch DP, PM with 2 plasma guns) and his LR was partly behind cover.

GW obviously thinks we are morons, or what?

The biggest reason I do not pick up white dwarf anymore. Its a crappy magazine that doesn't offer me anything I wanna read.

For $9.00

I've never bought an issue of WD in my entire carrer as a gamer (of about a year and a half). It contains only rubbish and its sole aim, as most of you have stated, is to promote GW's latest product.

The problem is that noobs are actually convinced by these "battle" reports. I have never bought a WD but I've read a couple of my buddy's and they are rediculously stupid. But that's the problem: we know, but the noobs don't. They're the ones that get screwed.

When WD feature battle reports from players who are not studio, from stores or gaming clubs for instance, The blurb that accompanies their army lists usually reads like this.

'I usually run a competitive build but being asked to do a battle report in WD I have tried something different. Instead of TH/SS termies I am taking devastators with a multi melta, two Heavy Bolters and a Lascannon'

Or

'Being featured in WD I thought I would use a Leman Russ Eradicator instead of my usual Demolishers and I have taken Ogryns instead of my game winning PBS'


WD should appeal to the lowest common denominator, but seriously, there should be more competitive reports showing optimal builds.

It mostly comes from what happened in the RT/2nd ed era....
You'd get a big build up from each commander then the BR and a few 'afterthoughts'. And they reported fairly honest results.... most of the time.
Of course when one player talks about his wins and lack of defeats, then loses, badly and has to report it... well.. some people can't handle that too well.

So now its "Flavor of the Month Wins so we can sell more models."

I actually quite enjoy WD, but you have to read it with a pinch of salt.

Anyway, even GW have admitted that the Battle Reports in WD are "slightly" (!) fixed.

Can't remember where I read it, but it was words to the effect of "If the new armies shiny new toy dies to a freak shot on the first turn, we might re-roll the dice. After all, readers want to hear about the best new stuff available, not see it die on the first turn."

Which completely defeats the point of a battle report.

Do they still limit armies by what they have painted in the studio? I vaguely recall this being the issue for non studio players suddenly taking less inspiring units...

I find myself really wishing that they wouldn't always have battle reports with that month's new army as its feature. It sure as hell would feel a lot less 'fake' if, for example, they sent a couple of guys and a digital camera to some local gaming club to watch two reasonably experienced players who aren't part of the design studio play a game.

It would add a level of variety to the armies as well: pages of WD would not just be filled with 'Eavy Metal armies and their frustratingly 'cloned' feeling, and they'd be able to show how regular gamers can make good-looking armies without being professional painters.

But then I live in a dream world...

People used to use their own armies in the magazine, or bulk out studio forces with a few of their own. There's a lot less of that now. Do you recall they would do a spread each month about a staffer's personal army? Usually store managers, I recall the manager in our local having his colossal IG army featured. I guess GW can't spare the two pages needed to do that sort of thing any more.

ultramarinelord wrote:I've never bought an issue of WD in my entire carrer as a gamer (of about a year and a half). It contains only rubbish and its sole aim, as most of you have stated, is to promote GW's latest product.

It's been like that years though. You'd have to go back over 100 issues to get something any better.

Also they always include special characters, which, most of the time, are completely useless. Tau Ethereal, I'm looking at you....

Skaven lost their battle report, but they would have won if the two skaven players didn't try to kill each other. Although all the new released plastics did alot of damage and were models of the match.

Tyranids also lost theirs, due to legion of th damned being released at the same time. Makes me feel sorry for tryanid players their always win battle report was lost to a splash release of space marines Of course the new release tyrgon did a tonne of damage and was model of the match.

Also the space marine one way back was 3 battle reports and they won the first, draw the second and lost the last one. The imperial guard also had the same thing where the lost the last one but won the first 2.

But I also agree the new models always do unbelievable damage and make you think they are game winners.

The Tyranid Battle report was Physically painful. Seriously, putting Hive Gaurd up against an AV14 Bunker instead of an AV 10 Landspeeder? Taking Deathleaper? Not taking Adrenals on MC's, despite their all being modeled with them? Not multi-stiking the Mawloc? Seriously?

Not only are they crap, but they do more than 1 to get the result they want. Back in 6th edition fantasy, when the new Lizards came out, they did 4 reports. The first 2 had the Lizards loosing bad to Skaven, the 3rd tied, and Finally in the 4th they won, as all the nasty Skaven units disappered and the Lizardman player took the perfect units to win.

The Bat reps are as one poster said already, a commercial.

Crazy Carnifex I´m going to report you to the authorities, you are requesting logical army lists on a WD. What's next? play testing the armies before release ?

I cant remember when was the last time I read a WD with a real battle report but I´ve heard that from time to time they play the battle before writing the battle report.

M.

The older battle reports seemed to be dependable enough at times. These new ones have no substance in my opinion. As has been said, many times, they're now just a commercial for the new shiny toys.

Brother SRM wrote:I read WD for the pretty pictures.

I read WD because I don't have to pay for it.