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I don't like First Blood because the winner of a game frequently boils down to who got FB. So I have a "fix." Simply add this to First Blood:
"Bloody Revenge: If the opposing player can kill the unit that scored First Blood in his NEXT TURN, then he also gets 1 VP for First Blood. If First Blood is gained from a unit falling off the table, then Bloody Revenge can be gained by killing the unit that last caused it wounds."

Dark Eldar will never get First Blood again.

This rule seems to benefit tough armies. Nurgle laughs at this rule.

Just make it so the first unit in each army killed is worth a bonus VP. Keep it fair.

 Lotet wrote:
Dark Eldar will never get First Blood again.

If Dark Eldar goes first, then they'll definitely get First Blood, just like they always do. If DE goes second, then they probably won't get First Blood, again, just like it is now.

This rule seems to benefit tough armies. Nurgle laughs at this rule.

How are you planning on Nurgle getting First Blood originally? It's not like there's much shooting in those lists, which is where FB comes from 90% of the time. And Nurgle, just like everyone, will have a tough-ish time getting Bloody Revenge, lacking ranged weapons. So I don't understand what you're trying to say...?

Also, Nurgle laughs at everything. He's the Jolly Green (Sickly) Giant.


While I think that First Blood frequently wins games, I don't think it should be completely removed. I like a reward for doing something a bit hard--getting FB takes some strategising and hard choices, unless your opponent is a doofus. And FB is definitely in the rules, so I don't want to rule it out. I just think Bloody Revenge will add a bit to the game.

As always, 40K is your game so go ahead and house rule it for a while and see how it plays out!

From gut feeling it seems like a nice solid idea, adding that little bit extra to the game. However at the lower point totals I tend to play at (500 to 1000 points) it might be a little redundant (sometimes we dont see first blood till second game turn and another unit might not fully go down for a while)

Weird, I know. Probably down to awful lists but still FUN

In an objective based game, going first is usually a drawback. 2nd player gets the last try to gain an objective.

1st blood typically rewards the player that went first, such that if they're otherwise tied after the 2nd player finishes the game, the 1st player has probably played better, and thus deserves the win. It's a tie-breaker point, in my mind.

greatbigtree wrote:
In an objective based game, going first is usually a drawback. 2nd player gets the last try to gain an objective.

1st blood typically rewards the player that went first, such that if they're otherwise tied after the 2nd player finishes the game, the 1st player has probably played better, and thus deserves the win. It's a tie-breaker point, in my mind.

On the flip side, player who goes first can blow away a good chunk on the other players army on the first turn, leaving the second player with say only 80% of their army to shoot back etc.

I do see your point though.

Id love to see some stats on what percentage of games are won by the player who went 1st/2nd.

 Elric Greywolf wrote:

 Lotet wrote:
Dark Eldar will never get First Blood again.

If Dark Eldar goes first, then they'll definitely get First Blood, just like they always do. If DE goes second, then they probably won't get First Blood, again, just like it is now.

This rule seems to benefit tough armies. Nurgle laughs at this rule.

How are you planning on Nurgle getting First Blood originally? It's not like there's much shooting in those lists, which is where FB comes from 90% of the time. And Nurgle, just like everyone, will have a tough-ish time getting Bloody Revenge, lacking ranged weapons. So I don't understand what you're trying to say...?

Also, Nurgle laughs at everything. He's the Jolly Green (Sickly) Giant.


While I think that First Blood frequently wins games, I don't think it should be completely removed. I like a reward for doing something a bit hard--getting FB takes some strategising and hard choices, unless your opponent is a doofus. And FB is definitely in the rules, so I don't want to rule it out. I just think Bloody Revenge will add a bit to the game.

Hunker out of line of sight, put a model on a quad-gun and wait for Interceptor kill, or turn 2 for the Heldrakes to wreck something.

 Elric Greywolf wrote:

 Lotet wrote:
Dark Eldar will never get First Blood again.

If Dark Eldar goes first, then they'll definitely get First Blood, just like they always do. If DE goes second, then they probably won't get First Blood, again, just like it is now.

I meant they will never benefit from it. They get ahead by a point then they'll lose it. If they go second they'll lose a point then gain one. They're so fragile that they can only keep it even, never a bonus. "Never" is an exaggeration, of course.

 Elric Greywolf wrote:

This rule seems to benefit tough armies. Nurgle laughs at this rule.

How are you planning on Nurgle getting First Blood originally? It's not like there's much shooting in those lists, which is where FB comes from 90% of the time. And Nurgle, just like everyone, will have a tough-ish time getting Bloody Revenge, lacking ranged weapons. So I don't understand what you're trying to say...?

Plague Marines, mainly, I don't play, nor play against Daemons. Not by choice. I meant that Plague Marines (and other tough armies) will only see this as a benefit. If they get first blood then they enemy will have a more difficult chance of revenge than the other way around. Not that it would be extremely hard to do it one way or the other. It just favors Plague Marines.

Also: Plague marines won't be getting first blood that often. There reach is only 24 inches and they are, as stated before, durable but not hugely Killy in the way other units are.

 captsabre wrote:

greatbigtree wrote:
In an objective based game, going first is usually a drawback. 2nd player gets the last try to gain an objective.

1st blood typically rewards the player that went first, such that if they're otherwise tied after the 2nd player finishes the game, the 1st player has probably played better, and thus deserves the win. It's a tie-breaker point, in my mind.

On the flip side, player who goes first can blow away a good chunk on the other players army on the first turn, leaving the second player with say only 80% of their army to shoot back etc.

I do see your point though.

Id love to see some stats on what percentage of games are won by the player who went 1st/2nd.

I think you will find it's about 80% of games are won on getting 1st turn because first blood always goes to who ever got 1st turn.

Yorkskargrim, I've flunked enough shots that First Blood has to wait for more than one turn. Played a game against a typical pre-update Tyranid list and got First Blood and Slay the Warlord from the same model at the start of turn 3.
I played a Guardian-heavy foot list supported by an Avatar (which was my only full-unit casualty). MVP of that match were the Swooping Hawks Exarch who never once deep struck - 'cause when the enemy's Tervigons are T9 you can still shoot them with the laser pointer in the eyes.

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Other ideas include:
* First Blood is determined by who won the first challange.
* First Blood can only be achieved against characters, but is achieved when the first character dies regardless of if his unit is still alive.
* First Blood can not be achieved against vehicles.
* First Blood can only be achieved by eliminating the entire unit as purchased meaning it's dedicated transport and both parts of the combat squad must be destroyed.

First Blood as a concept is cool, but it does make the cheap transports a complete liability and as such is poorly designed.

Letting both sides get first blood isn't a bad idea. As long as they score a kill in their first turn they get it. That way its not an automatic situation.