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Nicely done indeed!

H.B.M.C. wrote:And for those wondering what Regiments would be in the final game, there are:

1. Cadians
2. Catachans
3. Death Korps of Krieg
4. Elysian Drop Troops
5. Maccabian Janissaries
6. Mordian Iron Guard
7. Tallarn Desert Raiders
8. Vostroyan First Born

Plus full rules for making your own (so all your Valhallan fans out there don't have to feel left out!).

Are there going to be supplemements released for more regiments? That could be a good opportunity to put some decent fanmade armies in the fluff.

calgar 2.5 wrote:Are there going to be supplemements released for more regiments? That could be a good opportunity to put some decent fanmade armies in the fluff.

Logically I would presume so, just as many Deathwatch books have contained additional Chapters, but I do not know for sure. Besides, NDA's prevent me from taking about unrevealed information, so even if I did know anything I still couldn't tell you! Sorry!

Downloaded the book. Did a quick skim of the contents and made myself a vostroyan storm trooper character.

I definitely like the more free form character advancement compared to DH and DW(haven't read any of RT or the chaos book).

I'm interested in seeing how comrades end up working out in practice. They seem interesting and I was really wondering how you guys were going to handle being apart of a squad.

I'm playing in a star wars saga campaign at the moment but would love to run this with my group whenever that ends.

I'm assuming the final book will contain more fluff on the spinward front as well as on the imperial guard in general? The beta seems very fluff light except for regiment/specialty descriptions.

Edit: Is this the first core book where standard attacks get an automatic bonus to hit? One of my biggest problems with playing dark heresy was that no one could hit a darn thing.

Hey look at that - something else I can talk about.

I wrote Chapter 8, so that's not just vehicles but all the combat rules and whatnot. These rules are based on the Black Crusade combat mechanics, which are a redefined (and vastly improved) set of rules over the previous DH/RT/DW mechanics.

So yes, standard attacks are +10, but Semi-Auto is +0 and Full-Auto is -10 (but all are half actions). It balances out the different types of weapons, and leads to more weapon types having a use.

And yes, Droma, the book will have lots more fluff. If you look at the contents pages you'll notice that a couple of chapters are missing. These will be the general 'The Imperium' chapter, some Guard info, and then information on Only War's setting, The Spinward Front.

Having skipped both DW and BC this system will take some getting used to for me. I am however having way too much fun creating an armoured regiment and a commissar character for bossing other PC's around.

Also, I love you for both including coaxial weapons for the Vanquisher and the option for Drop Sentinels!

BrookM wrote:Also, I love you for both including coaxial weapons for the Vanquisher and the option for Drop Sentinels!

I couldn't not put those in!

Nice work, H.B.M.C. The vehicle and combat system are very good. One thing to note is that while there are 'pregen' regiments, these are themselves only representational of a single regiment from their world . A Cadian line infantry regiment will be different than the 99th Mech Infantry presented in the book, though it serves as a good template for creating regiments from Cadia.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

BrookM wrote:Also, I love you for both including coaxial weapons for the Vanquisher and the option for Drop Sentinels!

I couldn't not put those in!

The foundation is there, with a little GM magic we can easily bolt multi-meltas and heavy bolters onto Drop Sentinels.

Pity about the Baneblade not having a coax though, but again, GM magic. Maybe we can work in a little rule like the Apoc rules for coax weapons.

[Post Removed]

H.B.M.C. wrote:It does (or should!). That's an mistake on my part. It appears I forgot to add it in (hell, I wrote the Co-Axial rule because of the Baneblade's Autocannon). Someone has already pointed it out in the Beta forum. I'll see about getting it added in.

Sorry about that!

Easy does it, I'm not a mess of swearing rage.

Regarding the doctrine system: I don't have to pick one from all three correct?

[Post Removed]

Hehe, alrighty then.

I cant afford to beta test but will likely buy the rule book when it comes out. If only to get some vehicle rules for black crusade.

H.B.M.C.---

How long am I going to have to wait for a Kasrkin character option?

BrookM wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:It does (or should!). That's an mistake on my part. It appears I forgot to add it in (hell, I wrote the Co-Axial rule because of the Baneblade's Autocannon). Someone has already pointed it out in the Beta forum. I'll see about getting it added in.

Sorry about that!

Easy does it, I'm not a mess of swearing rage.

Regarding the doctrine system: I don't have to pick one from all three correct?

You must pick one form the Regiment Type (and only one) as for the Training/Special Equipment Doctrines, you are not forced to pick any if you want a simple, generic armoured/line/recon Regiment, but if you take some, you are limited to 3.

Kanluwen wrote:H.B.M.C.---

How long am I going to have to wait for a Kasrkin character option?

Make a Cadian Regiment, take Storm Trooper as the Specialty and you're done.

H.B.M.C. wrote:
I wrote Chapter 8, so that's not just vehicles but all the combat rules and whatnot. These rules are based on the Black Crusade combat mechanics, which are a redefined (and vastly improved) set of rules over the previous DH/RT/DW mechanics.

So yes, standard attacks are +10, but Semi-Auto is +0 and Full-Auto is -10 (but all are half actions). It balances out the different types of weapons, and leads to more weapon types having a use.

And yes, Droma, the book will have lots more fluff. If you look at the contents pages you'll notice that a couple of chapters are missing. These will be the general 'The Imperium' chapter, some Guard info, and then information on Only War's setting, The Spinward Front.

Sounds interesting. Thanks for the quick yet detailed reply about vehicle combat. As for the switch to the above attack bonuses, I think it's a good thing for deathwatch (since you can easily get to 80% at rank one with min maxing) but am not sure its the best for the Only War game we played on free RPG day. With the lower IG stats and no space marine-ish perks in the demo, we practically never actually hit anything unfortunately. I'm hoping the full release gives you some easier was to reach above a 40% chance to hit with your lasgun outside of point blank range.

Inquisitor Jex wrote:

BrookM wrote:Regarding the doctrine system: I don't have to pick one from all three correct?

You must pick one form the Regiment Type (and only one) as for the Training/Special Equipment Doctrines, you are not forced to pick any if you want a simple, generic armoured/line/recon Regiment, but if you take some, you are limited to 3.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks for the confirmation!

So, after a bit of fiddling I've founded an armoured regiment from Minerva, remember those guys lads?

Spoilered to avoid page filling.


Summary:
Modifiers: -3 WS, +3 Int, +3 WP, +3 to any one other Characteristic.
Aptitudes: Willpower
Skills: Command, Common Lore (Imperial Creed), Common Lore (Imperium), and Linguistics (High Gothic), Operate (Surface)
Talents: Hatred (Mutants), Technical Knock (Tier 1)
Traits: Blessed Ignorance
Equipment: Russ battle tank (one per squad), anointed maintenance toolkit, lascarbine + 4 charge packs, hand-held targeter (one per squad)

Nice; but I believe you forgot the rest of your standard kit equipment (on page 33)

Kanluwen wrote:How long am I going to have to wait for a Kasrkin character option?

Kasrkin? What are you talking about? The only options available in this book are the types of Tech-Priest you can play!

Inquisitor Jex wrote:Nice; but I believe you forgot the rest of your standard kit equipment (on page 33)

Yeah, not gonna lie, too lazy to write that all down now.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:How long am I going to have to wait for a Kasrkin character option?

Kasrkin? What are you talking about? The only options available in this book are the types of Tech-Priest you can play!

So wait.

I can play as a Tech-Priest, a Tech-Priest, or a Tech-Priest?

I LOVE IT!

warboss wrote:Sounds interesting. Thanks for the quick yet detailed reply about vehicle combat. As for the switch to the above attack bonuses, I think it's a good thing for deathwatch (since you can easily get to 80% at rank one with min maxing) but am not sure its the best for the Only War game we played on free RPG day. With the lower IG stats and no space marine-ish perks in the demo, we practically never actually hit anything unfortunately. I'm hoping the full release gives you some easier was to reach above a 40% chance to hit with your lasgun outside of point blank range.

The shooting thing has to work everywhere. That's why the penalties for Full-Auto apply whether you're a Marine or a Gretchin. Yes, it means that the Guard (with their Dark Heresy-like stats) will have trouble hitting things with full-auto shots, and will require range bonuses a lot of the time, but consider that standard attacks are +10. If your average starting BS is 31, that's a Basic attack on 41 all the time. Now you aim as a Half-Action. That's 51. Most engagements tend to happen at short range, so that's 61. Now you factor in Semi-Auto and its back to 51, so not a huge dent.

I'll take that over the "I need 127 or lower to hit with my Assault Marine and therefore cannot miss!" any day.

I am a bit disappointed though that we have hot-shot lasguns and not HELLguns. I mean come on man, it sounds way cooler!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The medal section made me squee though, some people have really been mining the previous Guard codex for inspiration!

BrookM wrote:I am a bit disappointed though that we have hot-shot lasguns and not HELLguns. I mean come on man, it sounds way cooler!

Whoever approved the continuation of Cruddace's horrendous return to "hot-shot lasguns" should be slapped upside the head with a carp.

The medal section made me squee though, some people have really been mining the previous Guard codex for inspiration!

Or the Munitorum Manual/Uplifting Primers.

Kanluwen wrote:

BrookM wrote:I am a bit disappointed though that we have hot-shot lasguns and not HELLguns. I mean come on man, it sounds way cooler!

Whoever approved the continuation of Cruddace's horrendous return to "hot-shot lasguns" should be slapped upside the head with a carp.

The medal section made me squee though, some people have really been mining the previous Guard codex for inspiration!

Or the Munitorum Manual/Uplifting Primers.

Agreed on both, though when you look at the regiment doctrine stuff, I see an awful lot of previous Guard codex stuff there, which is a nice nod to the previous (and much loved by me) Guard codex.

Really want to build a squad of storm troopers and have each of them pick a different skill with their starting XP. So regular troopers, medic, and sergeant. Medic would choose medicae and Sergeant would get command, everyone else picks what they want.

Or let them go the actual Sergeant, medic, heavy, etc options and give them common carapace and hot shot lasguns.

I'd have a good time.

Two words: GM Magic.

I'm reading through the regiment creation rules for really the first time (only skimmed them while we were writing the book). There are doctrines! Not only that, they're doctrines from my beloved 3.5 Guard Codex.

Close-Order Drill - so good to see you again!
Iron Discipline - how I missed you so!

I fething love these rules!!!

H.B.M.C. wrote:I'm reading through the regiment creation rules for really the first time (only skimmed them while we were writing the book). There are doctrines! Not only that, they're doctrines from my beloved 3.5 Guard Codex.

Close-Order Drill - so good to see you again!
Iron Discipline - how I missed you so!

I fething love these rules!!!

Regiment creation rules need some work.

Mostly the equipment part, the rest is pretty decent. It's just annoying that it's impossible to buy just one heavy weapon, for example-- you buy it instead as standard kit for the whole squad, giving my GM a headache until we decided to houserule changes to the equipment part. It's fun to play around with though, and I know FFG will include more options for regiment creation in supplements. And there's always houserules, as always.

The section on aptitudes is also highly confused and poorly worded, though I THINK we get what they were getting at. It's a good idea, it just needs someone to sit down and think of better grammar for how to explain it.

And we also had to houserule a sniper class that was modified from the Ratling class, for those of us that wanted to play sniper without playing a mutant. On the plus side, the long las was VASTLY imporoved over the previous incarnation, and it and the sniper rifle are both more useful in Only War than in Dark Heresy, without being overpowering.


Aside from that though... in most ways, Only War is a pretty big improvement on the FFG series of games. Which might seem like deceptively light praise, but keep in mind that I consider FFG's roleplaying games to be the best in the business.