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Made in ru
Drop Trooper with Demo Charge






The release of a new Games Workshop game – Shadow War: Armageddon is an important event in the wargame world. Firstly, since in the view of looming 8th edition of Warhammer 40K, it seems just a test for the new rules. A lot of them are consistent with the rumors and are likely to appear in the new edition. So, let’s see, what’s new.

In general, the rules have many similarities with the old ones. However, there are a lot of changes in the details which you should be aware of. First – there’s no psychic phase. This shouldn’t affect the big Warhammer, since this game is a sort of augmented Kill Team. But there’s a Recovery phase just like in Age of Sigmar – a phase for taking leadership test and retreating.

First thing, that I noticed – al models now have movement distance – like in fantasy Warhammer and old editions of 40K. This kills Unit Types mechanics and makes gameplay a lot easier. Also, running is no longer random and its distance equals your double move parameter. In general, there’re significantly less random parameters now.

Charge now happens in the movement phase – you can attack only the units you see and who are within your double initiative parameter (That’s a surprise). Again, charge distance equals your double move. So – in your movement phase you can either move (lets you shoot then), run or charge.

If you don’t want to be charged, you can hide your unit – if you do so, the enemy will be able to do something only within his normal initiative, not doubled one. Quite effective, especially if you have silent weapons which allow you to shoot from the cover.

Terrain mechanics has also changed. No more random here. Difficult terrain divides your movement into 2, and very difficult – into 4. Considering an average move of 4 inches, you won’t move into very difficult terrain without a reason. All floors and covers are now regarded literally – if there’s a 7 inches’ ladder, you need to move that 7 inches. No more standard 3 inches’ floors. Sure, sometimes you are not able to do so, so wobbly model syndrome is in effect. This creates a lot of problems for people with self-made terrain since all the floors now have to be 3-4 inch high if you don’t want to climb during all your game.

Shooting is almost the same. However, there’s a completely new cover and shooting modifiers system. Now you reduce your hitting result by 1 if the target is covered less than by half, and by 2 if more. So, no more cover saves. You reduce your to hit roll by 1 if the target runs or charges (which is logical). Also, there’s a modifier for too small and too big targets, but it’s said that it works for buildings and mines – not for models. It seems like all these modifiers can make you're required to hit roll more than 6+ In this case there’s one more to hit table which you use only if you’ve rolled 6. Too complicated and not necessary. Usual snapshots would be much better.

Now you can shoot into close combat! However, you need to randomize your hits so you can injure your own models. Definitely, one of the best innovations. Also it says that you mush target the nearest enemy unless he is hidden and there’s an easier target somewhere. Seems logical in the view of a real fight, but completely stupid in the view of a turn based wargame.

There’s an expected «rend» from Age of Sigmar instead of AP now. It tells us how much the opponent must reduce his armor save. It also works for the close combat. From the one hand, it increases the effectiveness of a low-AP weapons, but reduces the usefulness of heavy armor. However, this doesn’t affect invulnerable saves. Also, now weapons act differently at the short and long distance and have Damage parameter. There’re also different types of injuries and limited ammo, but it seems impossible to use it in a full-scale wargame.

Now Overwatch is not what it used to be. It’s a special mode which must be activated at the beginning of your turn. The squads who declared this are unable to do anything else, but they can shoot at the enemy in his turn, as soon as his squad gets into their line of sight and range.

Shooting with blasts (not with the flamer weapons) has also changed. Now you roll to hit as usual and if you succeed, you place a blast marker on the target model. If you miss, you roll both scatter and artillery (!!!) dice to see how far did the marker mishap. It really makes blast weapons stronger.

Close combat mechanics faced great changes, but I don’t think they will stay in the 8th edition. It’s nice for model-to-model combat, but appears extremely complicated when it comes to unit fights. You roll the number of dice equal to your attacks, pick the highest, add your WS and compare this number with the enemy. The looser takes the number of hits equal to the difference. There are also modifiers, dodges, parries, and so on – a lot of stuff, that makes combat easier. Also, the higher your strength, the more enemies armor is reduced. Quite logical. May be well see this mechanics in challenges. This will definitely make them more interesting, not just a wound allocaters as they are now.

Leadership hasn’t changed much. The point is only that now you take all the test at the end of your turn, and that you run towards the nearest cover, not from the table. This makes game much more interesting.

All in all, it really seems that most of these rules are going to stay for the 8th edition. And they look interesting as well as logical. There is no global simplifying, which many players were afraid of. Yes, many mechanics have become simpler, but they already used to be too complicated. Now you can spend this time for really interesting ones – like new Overwatch and Hiding. Also, the number of random rolls is reduced to a minimum, which is great. Now you always know how far will you move run or charge.

And for those, who cry that «It used to better» - It used to be the same. The most part of changes has come from the old 40K and Fantasy Battle editions. So, we hope that they will complement modern rules well.

In the other part we’ll look at the special rules and Kill Team making – the things which are likely to stay only in Shadow War game.

Find more in our blog: http://warzone40k.com/shadow-war-rules


Trying to make a best battle board at warzone40k.com
facebook.com/Warzone40k
 
   
Made in se
Regular Dakkanaut






"In general, the rules have many similarities with the old ones"

Umm, it isn't just similar. It IS Necromunda with simplified campaign system. I don't think Shadow War is any more indicative of the next edition of 40k than Space Hulk or Blood Bowl when they were re-released. It's just a stand alone game.

Edit: Is this just an ad bot linking to a blog? Doesn't seem to do any normal posts.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/04/19 18:32:47


The Tick: Everybody was a baby once, Arthur. Oh, sure, maybe not today, or even yesterday. But once. Babies, chum: tiny, dimpled, fleshy mirrors of our us-ness, that we parents hurl into the future, like leathery footballs of hope. And you've got to get a good spiral on that baby, or evil will make an interception.  
   
Made in nl
Longtime Dakkanaut






So you sell gaming mats, and terrain. Thats all right whats not to like about making a buck with your hobby, and you do have an interesting blog.

However pls do not use the forum for guerilla marketing ; )

Inactive, user. New profile might pop up in a while 
   
Made in gb
Malicious Mandrake




The release of a new Games Workshop game – Shadow War: Armageddon is an important event in the wargame world.

OK. It's an important release. BUT it's not new. It's essentially a re-release of Necromunda, which came out 22 years ago.

So, almost nothing is new in rules terms, therefore irrelevant to any speculation on the shape of 8th.

The net effect: Who are these guys who haven't even done basic research, or even read the blurb from GW about the new product? Are these people I want to buy from? Maybe not... Backfire....
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






The ruins of the Palace of Thorns

Sorry, but Shadow War is not a move forward, it is a look backwards. Nostalgia, not prophecy.

Though guards may sleep and ships may lay at anchor, our foes know full well that big guns never tire.

Posting as Fifty_Painting on Instagram.

My blog - almost 40 pages of Badab War, Eldar, undead and other assorted projects 
   
Made in nl
Longtime Dakkanaut






Playing it feels like a step forward tough ; )

Inactive, user. New profile might pop up in a while 
   
Made in us
Contagious Dreadnought of Nurgle






 oldzoggy wrote:
So you sell gaming mats, and terrain. Thats all right whats not to like about making a buck with your hobby, and you do have an interesting blog.

However pls do not use the forum for guerilla marketing ; )
Those mats look pretty reasonable, though...

 
   
Made in se
Executing Exarch






What is the point of this article? Are you saying the Necromunda rules predicted the future of 8th edition 40k nearly 30 years ago? Everything you point out has been in Necromunda since the beginning. Are you trying to get people to your site to buy stuff with clickbait?
   
Made in ca
Hauptmann





Shadow War is closer to Warhammer 40,000 2.5 Edition.

It removes or modifies a lot of the stuff that was clunky in the 2nd Edition base rules (well, not Hand-to-Hand, but at least at Necro-scale the HtH system isn't quite as bad as it was in a platoon-level skirmish game).

But the good bits of the core 2nd Edition experience are all still there. No, this isn't a sign of things to come (well unless GW really are going full nostalgia bait). This is just a cleanup of a well-beloved game meant to hook us old-timers in despite ourselves (and I hate to say it, but this one finally worked on me... not that I bought minis for it mind you, but I may grab that standalone rule book). In a lot of ways it reads like a lot of our house rule documents for Necromunda and 2nd Edition, which is a good sign I guess.
   
 
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