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So, if this is true:

http://natfka.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/matt-ward-returning-to-gw.html

What unspeakable horrors do you foresee Mr Ward unleashing in 8th? Assuming he has been drafted in to help with 8th.

Ultramarines and GK players must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect.

Perhaps they'll get him to write the CSM 'dex so that we can still complain about something while having a dex that makes Eldar look balanced? Or more likely, they'll get him to re-do the vanilla marines dex for 8th and ensure marine dominance for another couple of years.

Men! Ye shall tremble with fear, as our mighty SPIRITUAL LIEGE has returned to correct your infractions upon the history and laws of this universe we call WARHAMMAH.

He shall show you what IS supported by the CODEKHS ASTARTES, and how you can be even more luke the ULTRAMARINES that you aspire to be.
But you must remember that you cannot be ULTRAMARINES, for you are inferior!

Now, you must GRACIOUSLY accept the warmth of your SPIRITUAL LIEGE'S cannon into your rectal cleft, and refrain from speaking against him, lest you be a HERETIC!.

Maybe he has "matured" as a designer?
Throw holy water on him just to be sure.

I hope he returns and makes 8th the Age of Space Marines, so I can drown in the anti-SM tears.

Maybe he has "matured" as a designer?

Personally, I always felt that the issue wasn't the Ward 'exes, but rather that the other codexes were too tame. I think they should all have pushed to eleven ...

Yeah, If anything, Ward's style might actually tone-down the current craziness.

But it's just as likely to get crazier

Tycho wrote:

Maybe he has "matured" as a designer?

Personally, I always felt that the issue wasn't the Ward 'exes, but rather that the other codexes were too tame. I think they should all have pushed to eleven ...

Nope it is just him. He doesn't balances his army book or codexes against each other at all.
If you dont believe me check out the Orc and Goblins army book by him and compare it to his edition killing chaos wfb book.
Things he loves get the fan dex treatment with a sprinkle of extra unbeatable snowflakes and those that he doesn't really like get the bland no soup for you alternative.

This guy is responsible for most of the game breaking codexes and army books pre 7,5th 40k. We really don't need more of him in the 8th edition unless he has changed his design philosophies.

Nope it is just him. He doesn't balances his army book or codexes against each other at all.
If you dont believe me check out the Orc and Goblins army book by him and compare it to his edition killing chaos wfb book.
Things he loves get the fan dex treatment with a sprinkle of extra unbeatable snowflakes and those that he doesn't really like get the bland no soup for you alternative.

This guy is responsible for most of the game breaking codexes and army books pre 7,5th 40k. We really don't need more of him in the 8th edition unless he has changed his design philosophies.

Never played WHFB so I can't speak to that, but everything you're saying of Ward is equally true of Phil Kelly. Probably more so in terms of lack of consistency. With the exception that I've not really seen Ward wright a "bad" (40k) codex. I mean, his fluff isn't for everyone and that's cool. Different strokes and all that, but in terms of rules, his 40k books were all fun as hell and, like I said, I always saw the problem as being other books were NOT written to the same standards.

Yeah, If anything, Ward's style might actually tone-down the current craziness.

RIght!?
Of course, the way things have been going, they'll just throw him Eldar, Marines and Tau and have everyone else do the other books and we'll be in the same spot we're in now ...

As I recall, his 40k books looked something like this:

Space Marines: Actually decent as far as mechanics. Quite powerful for about five minutes, and then something else came out that made it look tame (as is often the case with new codex releases). The biggest problem with this one was that the fluff told everyone that all other space marines cry at night thinking about how much less awesome they are than ultra marines.

Blood Angels: Pretty OP, but had a unique playstyle (that the newest BA book butchered).

Grey Knights: Pretty OP. Sisters of Battle become walking blood ointment containers.

Necrons: Actually pretty good overall. Was pretty balanced until hull points became a thing. Units synergized well. Crypteks were actually interesting.

So of those four (I don't recall him working on other 40k books), he actually did okay with the rules part of half of them. His fluff is mostly okay when he's not doing ultramarines (the BA fluff was pretty okay as I recall).

So he gets a very bad reputation that i probably at least partly deserved, but a 5th edition BA codex would probably be pretty tame next to many of the more recent books.

Just don't let him work on Ultramarines or Grey Knights, and maybe he'll be fine.

He's a writer now, they likely hired him to be that....a writer.

Wyldhunt wrote:
(the BA fluff was pretty okay as I recall).

I remember reading the BA codex and seeing a line about how tactical marines supercede 1st company veterans for promotion to a company captain. And tons of fan-fap about the Sanguinor and Mephiston.

Maybe BA will get good again.

Martel732 wrote:
Maybe BA will get good again.

Be careful what you wish for, remember the short period where any army with Mephiston was considered incredibly op?

Could happen again, but worse.

Black Rage now makes all afflicted marines Strength D...

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/698310.page