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So, that’s it. We’ve been waiting for the 8th edition of Warhammer 40 000, and here it is. Now everyone who knows how to use Internet, can look through all 5 books and the rulebook. Sure, we won’t tell you, where to get them. Qui cherche – trouve. And we are going to share our first impressions with you. We’ve just played test game of 1500 pts and looked through all the books. Our point of view can differ from yours, but that’s ok. We don’t persuade anyone.

So, let’s start with the major issues. All the rumors came true. We’ve written that movement is now in unit’s profile, that they can shoot into close combat with pistols, you can’t join characters to squads and vehicles now are just monstrous creatures.

There was a hope that flyers will still be hard to hit. No. They are also just monstrous creatures now. Nonetheless, their toughness is still created in accordance with the armor they used to have. So, it’s quite low since previously flyers were hard to hit and had a little armor. Yes, now some of them have -1 modifiers. But who cares about -1…

All this system with toughness for everyone looks arguable. This definitely simplifies gameplay. Ok. But considering the fact that now even Str1 can hurt anyone, this makes vehicles totally useless. As the test game showed, the crowd of cultists can easily reduce Land Raiders wounds to the minimum, where it’s almost immobile and dies of a single lascannon.

By the way, everything doesn’t live long anymore. Nonetheless, some units got more wounds (especially vehicles), Rend mechanics almost neglects saves, invulns (in general) were lowered – you will have to mostly rely on the 4+ 5+ throws. Wounds multiplication doesn’t leave a place for big models at all.

There is an interesting thought, which comes after all this – it’s time for huge crowds of cheap models. Why should you buy an expensive (almost all point costs have risen) dreadnaught, if it can be seriously damaged by gretchins?

So, it’s obvious that Warhammer has become more expensive. The points have risen – you have to buy miniatures. Models die faster - you have to buy miniatures. The scale of battles has grown – you have to buy miniatures.

Another thing is that surprisingly there is even more random that it used to be. We were promised a reduced game length and less dice throws. In fact, now we have all ex-template weapons shooting d3 or d6 times and most weapons with random wound multiplication. A lot of random and throws still. Dreadfull vindicator’s cannon can shoot 1 or 6 times. Sure, the template could also miss, but it was much easier to rely on it before.

After looking into the armybooks it’s obvious that at this moment game is much more boring and plane. The same was with early Age of Sigmar. The most part of unique special rules has disappeared. Or it was changed by the simple ones, No more weapons description, and ideas of how it works. Now you can distinguish flamer from the autocannon only because flamer has the note that it hits automatically. Chapter tactics, legions, marks of Gods, daemonic rewards – everything that made your army unique, has gone. Now you only have one common special rule for an army and a bunch of numbers. All special rules are standardized and in general give bonuses to hit/wound/armor. There are also a lot of mortal wounds that also doesn’t add life to the models. Magic is limited to 3 spells per discipline and 1-2 disciplines per faction. So, psykers are nothing but usual shooters with random chance to be useful. It’s really sad to admit – now it looks more like primitivizing than simplification.

Sure, the comparison with Age of SIgmar is inevitable. Many people will say that now everything is like it’s there. No, it isn’t. And it wasn’t even at the start. There were a lot of unique (even though sometimes stupid) rules. Rend -2 is still considered great. 2-3 is a great result. What’s in 40K? rend 3-4 or even 5, damage comes to 6 sometimes and totally plane rules. Besides, in Fantasy Warhammer you never had so much shooting. So close combat armies have no problems with getting to the enemy. But in new 40k it’s kind of problem. With such heavy shooting and close combat units with 4 move and no save. Also 40k in 7th edition used to be so complicated, that now when simplified, it looks just like a contraption with a lot of unusual and unnecessary stuff which is there just because they didn’t know what to do with it otherwise.

Well, new edition seems not ideal. However, we’ll still play it since it’sWarhammer 40K anyway. Besides, it’s obvious that upcoming books will bring somemore rules and artifacts. It would be great if it happened not in several years…

Our blog is also interesting. Check it: https://warzone40k.com/warhammer-40000-8th-edition

No, most of the changes seem really good. There are a few "Hmm" things, but nothing really outright stupid.

Hmm well I have been happy with pretty much everything so far.

Would have prefered alternativng acitvations but can live with the IGYG system.

At this point we donlt have abusive Formations to endure or ruin the game turn one.

Movement is in the profile - ok that good. Whats the issue?

We have usable datacards rather than rules spread across mutiple books - awesome - hopefully we will get packs of army cards.

Flyers are easier to use and just part of the game - fine with that,

Toughness for all - awesome back to the Orginal rules - no more AV rubbish and the MC's being made abusive in some cases.

So for me the sun is shinning whereas for you the rain is coming down heavy - different strokes.

Give us the link!

 3orangewhips wrote:
Give us the link!

Just here to pimpout the warhammer40k subreddit, pay no attention to the fact that what you seek may or may not be in bold on the frontpage, yep just a normal subreddit, nothing to see here.

What combat unit has 4" move and no save? Most of them seem to have decent move or ways to advance and charge or re-roll charge ranges.

Invun saves have stayed mostly the same with MORE units getting them. All Ad Mech seem to have 6+ where they didn't before. Kharn has an invul save of 4+.

If a unit of Cultists almost killed a Land Raider in one turn then whoever you were playing had some damn good dice.

I agree the rules we have look really bland right now with the loss of Legions and Chapters, etc. But these will be added back in soon (hopefully)

C.Straken wrote:
What combat unit has 4" move and no save? Most of them seem to have decent move or ways to advance and charge or re-roll charge ranges.

Invun saves have stayed mostly the same with MORE units getting them. All Ad Mech seem to have 6+ where they didn't before. Kharn has an invul save of 4+.

If a unit of Cultists almost killed a Land Raider in one turn then whoever you were playing had some damn good dice.

I agree the rules we have look really bland right now with the loss of Legions and Chapters, etc. But these will be added back in soon (hopefully)

The poxwalkers I think are 4" with a 7+ save (cover or other benefits only) but they are tarpit units that ignore morale period.

I was hopeful but I agree with most of the OP. To add to the worries of a shallow movement phase and problems for melee units, terrain is utterly detrimental to them while providing cover for compact gunline units. For the first time we have a ruleset under which Ork and Tyranid players will wish to play with no terrain on the board.

Sadly i agree with a lot of what the OP says regarding my initial impression.

Eldar keep Battle Focus, Doom and Bladestorm. I'm looking forward to seeing Guardians and Windriders killing Baneblades with Shuriken weapons.

Incidentally, Shuriken Cannon Jetbikes are only 5 more points, but trade 3+ and 1 wound for 4+ and 2 wounds, and trade moving after shooting for infinite overwatch and perfect Hit and Run.

The fact you can engage vehicles in melee is hilarious as is the thought of a Baneblade falling back because an Ork is poking it with a spear. More hilariously, a Fiend of Slaanesh prevents any unit it's engaged with from retreating, so park it next to that Baneblade and lock it out of the game.

Welcome to 8th, my friends.

The fact you can engage vehicles in melee is hilarious

And in keeping with the fluff - read any bit of 40k fiction. 40k is not and never has been realistic. Its closer to the orignal game now then it has been for many editions.