Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I personally think Games Workshop has a particular tendency to make some armies really good or give them too much of everything compared to some.

Personally i think these armies are:
Necrons - These guys just get some of the most insane rules (coming back, guass weapons, pseudo FnP on a 4+ option)
Eldar - these guys always get the best stuff really (pseudo rending, shields, wraiths)
Space Wolves - these are the marines that get the most ridiculous stuff which is always better than regular marines, who in turn get too much attention)

On the other hand i feel that some armies get the scraps left over where they didn't really care enough to bother.
These guys are:
SoB - need i say more
Orks - they get some love but it never seems to be very thought out and tends to be more of a hindrance than anything
Chaos marines - these guys seem to mostly be recycled with little thought for making them work.

What are your thoughts?

They have a massive thing for anything imperial related. Look how many books/factions/ special units that imperial armies get compared to anyone else. Imperial Knights, New admech, several marine books, guard and scions, inquisition and assassins. Plus you can always ally with each other.

Compare that to any of the other armies, and they all look left in the dust.

Inb4 this becomes an imperial hate thread

But seriously, CSMs continually get complete crap for war gear and rules compared to SMs despite apparently being similar.

I feel like the Squats seem pretty left out, but on a serious note, I think one of the most left out is Dark Angels.

Tyranids get a lot of consideration. A codex every edition, and here in 7th they got new units to fix the shortcomings of the lists, and the most Formations with benefits of any race yet.

I think there are two ways to rate this.

1. Who gets more model attention and fluff attention
2. Who gets better rules?

So while the necrons certainly get some of the better rules, they historically don't get that much attention. They have more new models because they are a newer faction.

So to stay in response with the first iteration of the question I think the favorite armies of GW are the following

Space Marines
Tyranids
Chaos Marines/Daemons

The armies that get the least amount of attention would be

SOB
Dark Eldar
Black Templar (we used to have our own codex!)


Necrons fall in to a middle ground where they get a bunch of cool rules and some cool models, but they are always a little behind on being updated for new rules and they haven't had any supplements, not that they needed any.

A lot of the imperial stuff gets preferential treatment (It makes them the most money). A lot of the lesser played armies get put to the wayside. Sisters, DE. And I still remember the fact that I was still playing with a 4th edition codex in 6th for a while.

Stupid bloody necrons have been treated far too well for a faction as unneeded and uninteresting as they are. Sorry if it comes of a bit ragey, but really? Do necrons even need to exist?
Obviously the imperium gets good treatment, but a lot of the more interesting stuff (ecclesiarchy, inquisiton, lesser known chapters) get little in regards to attention.

The orks and chaos marines really need someone who truly loves them as an army to pour their heart out into the codex. Chaos forces should be vastly differing depending upon god and legion, and not just be nurgle all the freaking time. Orks need to have a good balance between all the random ork fun, while still being strong in game. Their 4th Ed codex was really good in tho regard I feel.

I think that the next codex run for the Chaos marines should be written in a way that ALL imperial tech should be available to them because well they were part of the Imps. I fully agree with Clockwork that they should also separate them into Gods with differing abilities etc.

As much as I love my sisters and wish they were given more love I would like to see this happen in the game and I'm not even a chaos player.

Clockwork Iron wrote:
Stupid bloody necrons have been treated far too well for a faction as unneeded and uninteresting as they are. Sorry if it comes of a bit ragey, but really? Do necrons even need to exist?

Yes, people like them.

I think SM+Eldar have been getting the love more than anyone else.

So to stay in response with the first iteration of the question I think the favorite armies of GW are the following

Space Marines
Tyranids
Chaos Marines/Daemons

What? Aside from fluff we've gotten worse every edition!

For being handed "make the game easy mode" hacks:
Eldar, Necrons, Tau. (The tau dropped off competitively, but they still clear tables in FLGS games pretty well.)

For being handed "make the game hard mode" hacks:
BA, DA, Chaos marines.

I speak mostly from a competitive viewpoint here though. In funsies matches, BA aren't too shabby.

I don't think having one powerful codex is really preferential treatment for tau, especially as changes were made in the entire rule system to tone them down.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I don't think having one powerful codex is really preferential treatment for tau, especially as changes were made in the entire rule system to tone them down.

They had Fish of Fury in 4th as well.

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I don't think having one powerful codex is really preferential treatment for tau, especially as changes were made in the entire rule system to tone them down.

They had Fish of Fury in 4th as well.

Not enough to say that they have gotten the most love, even recently. Hands down it would be the Imperial armies and factions who have gotten the best of both fluff and units (even if there are one or two books that are up to snuff the best majority are pretty solid if not great) and probably will continue to do so due to their popularity.

 gmaleron wrote:

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I don't think having one powerful codex is really preferential treatment for tau, especially as changes were made in the entire rule system to tone them down.

They had Fish of Fury in 4th as well.

Not enough to say that they have gotten the most love, even recently. Hands down it would be the Imperial armies and factions who have gotten the best of both love and units and probably will continue to do so due to their popularity.

Oh I know, I'm just saying they were actually pretty powerful in two editions. (3rd edition tau was baaad!)

But yeah the Imperium as a whole tends to get preferential treatment. It's almost like they want to give Chaos Marines some love but they have just no idea what the hell to do with them, they have good fluff and they come out with neat things that underperform so badly, not to mention they still rely on that horrid 4E gavdex.

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I don't think having one powerful codex is really preferential treatment for tau, especially as changes were made in the entire rule system to tone them down.

They had Fish of Fury in 4th as well.

Up until their fourth edition codex fixed that (by making devilfish land if they hadn't moved). And besides, it's not something the designers made. It's something they simply overlooked, like riptide-buffmander combo.

In terms of regular releases/updates:

#1 Space Marines of all Colours
#2 Chaos
#3 Tyranids

These guys get updates every edition with few exceptions, the most extensive post-release support and are regularly the focus of the fluff, supplements or campaigns. Quality is another matter entirely

For least supported:

#1 SoB
#2 Tau (I know, right?)
#3 Imperial Guard

These guys all get small releases, next to no post-release support and collectively represent the oldest model range around in many cases (Eldar Aspect Warriors and soon to be replaced jetbikes notwithstanding)

As for rules quality and power level

#1 Eldar
#2 Necrons
#3 Tau

These armies have very rarely been objectively poor; 5th wasn't overly kind to Eldar and Tau, but even before their books got updated 6th indirectly buffed them. Otherwise they've had extremely powerful armies almost without fail to the point where playing them in a friendly setting is actually challenging - it's hard not to be a dick with them. Internal balance is also exceptionally good, which coupled with their high power level creates the problem.

And for the bottom

#1 Chaos
#2 Dark Angels
#3 Imperial Guard

Chaos and IG have both suffered the problem of tumbling quality since 4th; each update has stripped more and more content and neutered the army. They've had their moments of power (Chaos 3.5, Heldrake, Guard 5th), but have consistently otherwise been mediocre at best armies lacking most of the real powerful tools in each edition. Dark Angels have always been a worse version of Space Marines; first to be updated, but lacking most of the changes which will later make the other variants better. The relationship of DA being SM - 1, BA being SM + 1 and SW being SM + 2 has been consistent for a very long time. Some of the worst internal balance across the board for these armies with a tiny roster of effective units (which is why I didn't have Orks here - they're pretty weak but have a lot more viable options, particularly via formations and alternate FoC around to build a couple effective armies).

I think Tyranids at this point. Or they're like the red-headed step son to GW. The transition to 6th was removing the Biomancy crutch and not doing too much to buff them, then moving to 7th nids got a flyrant buff and games workshop even released an official Flyrant expansion while loosing out in other areas with the smash change.

After seeing the Skitarii and their dune walkers, running and charging things and even the orks ability to run and charge once a game I feel like Tyranids get left out a little bit there.

Im sure there are ways to build the nid codex so everyone doesnt fall into the Flyrant/Biomancy crutches and I would hope that we see it in the future, for 7th or 8th.

But after Baal with 4+ MCs and after seeing the possible silliness of the eldar codex... I worry that they will take away the Flyrant crutch that people have fallen onto, change how nid MCs are and dont do much else, much like the 6th ed codex.

Or maybe it will be turned up to 11, and they will be OP as all hell able to do turn one charges from across the board.... Who knows with Games Workshop anymore.

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 gmaleron wrote:

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
I don't think having one powerful codex is really preferential treatment for tau, especially as changes were made in the entire rule system to tone them down.

They had Fish of Fury in 4th as well.

Not enough to say that they have gotten the most love, even recently. Hands down it would be the Imperial armies and factions who have gotten the best of both love and units and probably will continue to do so due to their popularity.

Oh I know, I'm just saying they were actually pretty powerful in two editions. (3rd edition tau was baaad!)

But yeah the Imperium as a whole tends to get preferential treatment. It's almost like they want to give Chaos Marines some love but they have just no idea what the hell to do with them, they have good fluff and they come out with neat things that underperform so badly, not to mention they still rely on that horrid 4E gavdex.

yeah thats the feeling I have with CSMs too. they're not quite sure what they wanna do with CSMs. I'd give em drop pods but that;d be it from stuff borrowed from Codex Space Marines.

I think if I was revising them I'd get ridda the champion of chaos list but instead replace it with a rule called "the treachery of chaos" where if you turned down a challange a member of your squad immediatly attacks the challanged character. to reflect the fact that displaying weakness is apt to invite treachery among the followers of chaos. it still definatly enchourages you to accept challanges but it might be easier to just tank a chainsword wound on your Dark Apostle rather then accept a challange from say... Dragio.

Forever OP:

Necrons feel like an army made for another game system hurriedly ported over to 40k. Whenever I meet them on the tabletop it's like my opponent and I were playing different games altogether.

Codex Eldar 2013. REVENANT TITANS FOR FETH'S SAKE. Codex Eldar 2015. As a wise man once said, once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.

Bottom of the barrel:

Codex Orks 2014 deprived the army of its trademark humor, replaced the lush artwork of past editions with bland, uninspired photographs, included one of the most punitive army-wide rules ever conceived by GW, introduced a new unit with poorly thought-out rules, scrambled point costs here and there at random, made deffrollas unplayable for reasons unknown, copypasted most other stuff Codex Orks 2004 and called it a day. New models were priced (in cash) at an all-time high for Games Workshop and the formations required to make them barely playable were included in costly hardcover supplements, making Orks one of the most expensive armies to collect.

Codex Dark Eldar 2014 was inexplicably bland for a newly-redesigned army stuffed with beautiful miniatures that would certainly benefit from some promotion. Not even the steaming hot Voidraven, possibly the best-looking aircraft in all of GW's catalogue, escaped from the general dullness.

Codex Astra Militarum 2014 resurrected the Stormtroopers, introduced the rather redundant Taurox and that's about it. Sure, it also introduced Tank Commanders, but Leman Russes still drag the same old rules along from 3rd edition and are badly outclassed in the current meta. The Wyvern is a bully unit: It is designed to outright massacre the weakest armies in the game. Against the hard-hitters of the Galaxy, the Imperial Guard remains defenceless.

Against the hard-hitters of the Galaxy, the Imperial Guard remains defenceless.

thats why you call in the space marines, hasn't page after page of bolter porn taught you nothing?

 Icculus wrote:

So to stay in response with the first iteration of the question I think the favorite armies of GW are the following

Space Marines
Tyranids
Chaos Marines/Daemons

Why do you stack CSM and Daemons? You don't see me stacking Necrons and Autobots

 Pyeatt wrote:

 Icculus wrote:

So to stay in response with the first iteration of the question I think the favorite armies of GW are the following

Space Marines
Tyranids
Chaos Marines/Daemons

Why do you stack CSM and Daemons? You don't see me stacking Necrons and Autobots

when Necrons get a codex varient where they can deploy a select smattering of necrons along side a selection of autobots your arguement may have merit.

BrianDavion wrote:

Against the hard-hitters of the Galaxy, the Imperial Guard remains defenceless.

thats why you call in the space marines, hasn't page after page of bolter porn taught you nothing?

Grab your nearest astropath, dial the Space Marines' number, cross your fingers and pray it's not the Dark Angels ("the Fallen took all our grav-guns, sry") who answer.

bottom barrel rules wise-
Chaos marines.
Dark Angels- I love em to death, but we get ravenwing, something that white scars do MUCH better. overpriced Terminators that grey knights do MUCH better. (hell, chaos does terminators better then us), our marines have jack all. Most of our HQs are lackluster.

Azreal is a good beatstick, and a decent HQ, Ezzy as well. but belial and sammeal leave things to be desired. At least sammy can whomp terminators.

BA/Orks. Orks are meh, with about 1 army that works well. (speed freaks), BA are shoehorned into a roll where actually have some good stuff to work with, but suffer from other aspects that I won't go into.

 raiden wrote:

BA/Orks. Orks are meh, with about 1 army that works well. (speed freaks), BA are shoehorned into a roll where actually have some good stuff to work with, but suffer from other aspects that I won't go into.

Speed Freaks works well, thats really the type of army I play, but I have also seen numerous instances of a greentide list win games. So really there are a few ways to win with orks. And the speed freak list can be quite different depending on what is in side the vehicles.

 raiden wrote:
bottom barrel rules wise-
Chaos marines.
Dark Angels- I love em to death, but we get ravenwing, something that white scars do MUCH better. overpriced Terminators that grey knights do MUCH better. (hell, chaos does terminators better then us), our marines have jack all. Most of our HQs are lackluster.

Azreal is a good beatstick, and a decent HQ, Ezzy as well. but belial and sammeal leave things to be desired. At least sammy can whomp terminators.

Right in the feels. Ezzy is probably the only okay HQ. Sammy's weapon is AP3, so no terminator killer. Azzy is T4, AP 3 and doesn't even have EW like Sammy.

 jreilly89 wrote:

 raiden wrote:
bottom barrel rules wise-
Chaos marines.
Dark Angels- I love em to death, but we get ravenwing, something that white scars do MUCH better. overpriced Terminators that grey knights do MUCH better. (hell, chaos does terminators better then us), our marines have jack all. Most of our HQs are lackluster.

Azreal is a good beatstick, and a decent HQ, Ezzy as well. but belial and sammeal leave things to be desired. At least sammy can whomp terminators.

Right in the feels. Ezzy is probably the only okay HQ. Sammy's weapon is AP3, so no terminator killer. Azzy is T4, AP 3 and doesn't even have EW like Sammy.

sammys raven sword is Str: user, AP2 at initiative

 raiden wrote:

 jreilly89 wrote:

 raiden wrote:
bottom barrel rules wise-
Chaos marines.
Dark Angels- I love em to death, but we get ravenwing, something that white scars do MUCH better. overpriced Terminators that grey knights do MUCH better. (hell, chaos does terminators better then us), our marines have jack all. Most of our HQs are lackluster.

Azreal is a good beatstick, and a decent HQ, Ezzy as well. but belial and sammeal leave things to be desired. At least sammy can whomp terminators.

Right in the feels. Ezzy is probably the only okay HQ. Sammy's weapon is AP3, so no terminator killer. Azzy is T4, AP 3 and doesn't even have EW like Sammy.

sammys raven sword is Str: user, AP2 at initiative

Pfft, my bad. So then seriously, Azzy and Belial are terrible, while Sammy is semi-decent. Plus Hit and Run at his Initiative is awesome. Ezzy is good, but I still think he lacks a bit unless you run him in the Librarian formation.