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MRC(+)
02-05-2011, 11:32 AM
This is obviously simplistic and doesn't account for all the intricacies of 40K by any means. Still, I was inspired to try and add a single, one rule addition to each race to bring it into "balance" for 5th Edition. Kind of like the old Space Marine "Chapter Traits" system, each rule would have an advantage and a drawback to balance it out. Obviously, the weaker races (e.g. Necrons, Dark Angels, Chaos Daemons, etc) would have stronger advantages and less debilitating drawbacks than the stronger codexes (e.g. Space Wolves, Blood Angels, IG, etc.), which would have weaker advantages and more significant drawbacks.

Here is what I came up with:

Eldar
---WAY OF THE ANCIENTS ---
Advantage: Add +1 to the BS and WS of every Eldar unit and Phoenix Lords increase Strength and Toughness to 5.
Drawback: Eldar Warlocks cost +5 pts (30 pts base) and Fire Dragons cost + 4 pts (20 pts base) per model.
Rational: Eldar are supposed to be an elite, albeit dying, race. They should be the most skilled, hence the increase in BS/WS, but should also have some of the lowest numbers of troops which they have to husband exceptionally carefully and employ skilfully to survive... hence, keeping the current high cost of most of their units (including transports). Only Seer Council and FDs are nerfed to keep them from being over-spammed. Finally, Phoenix Lords are given a little boost to their CC ability.

Tau
---PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT ---
Advantage: Ethereals count as HQ, but do not take up an HQ slot (max of 1 Ethereal per 1000 points of army). Ethereals gain the "Path to Enlightenment" ability, which grants all friendly Tau/Kroot/Vespid units with a model within 12" of the Ethereal +1 BS and the Tank Hunter USR.
Drawback: If the Ethereal is killed, then addition to the disadvantages in the current codex, the army loses an additional 2D3 Kill Points (for a KP game) or counts as their opponent controlling an additional, "free" objective that cannot be contested (for an objectives based game)
Rational: Tau depend on their firepower more than any other race (even more than IG) to win, so I think this rule emphasizes this and gives them a better chance to stop other armies with their combined firepower, while simultaneously making them depend on the fragile, but powerful, Ethereals to keep their army functioning at max efficiency.

Imperial Guard
---AUXILIARIES OF THE IMPERIUM ---
Advantage: Rough Rider squads, Ogryn squads, and Sentinel Squadrons are now a Troops choices, vice their old FA/Elite slots. Assault Sentinels are still a Fast Attack choice (IG armies must still have at least 2 Infantry platoons and/or Veteran Squads minimum).
Drawback: Valkeries and Vendettas cost an additional +20 points to their base points value (so Valk = 120 pts base, Vendetta = 150 pts base). Also, Veterans now cost can now only take 1 Heavy Weapon and 2 Special Weapons and Storm Troopers can take up to 3 Special Weapons.
Rational: The one aspect of the Imperial Guard that the current codex doesn't capture, in my mind, is the mass of auxillary support units that an IG army can call on (i.e. Ogryns, Sentinels, RRs, etc.). Also, these units have a very hard time competing for Force Org slots against other options, so being able to take them as Troops gives them a marked advantage. At the same time, trying to offset the power of IG "Air Cav" forces by an additional points bump for Valks/Dettas and a slight nerf for Vets. Finally, giving Storm Troopers one more SW gives them some real value as "scalpel" force, IMHO (and make them more worth their high points cost).

Space Marines
---HONOR ABOVE ALL ELSE ---
Advantage: SM Honor Guard now come with Auxillary Grenade Launchers for free and cost only +10 points/model to upgrade their PWs to Relic Blades. Vanguard Vets now cost only +5 points/model to be equipped with Jump Packs.
Drawback: Assault Terminators with TH/SS cost +5 points per model, or 45 points base.
Rational: Trying to balance out the the SM elite close combat options so that there is a reason to take something besides Assault Termies (namely, Honor Guard or VVs )

Black Templar
---THE GREAT CRUSADE ---
Advantage: Black Templar get access to expanded FOC: 1-3 HQ (plus "free" Emperor's Champ), 0-4 Elite, 2-8 Troops, 0-4 FA, 0-4 HS.
Drawback: Assault Terminators with TH/SS cost 45 points base and all Veteran Skills upgrades now cost +5 points/model, up from +3 points/model.
Rational: Black Templars are actually pretty solid right now (especially with the recent FAQ!), so just a few tweaks to balance them and give them even more "Crusading flavor" (hence the expanded FoC, to represent the extra manpower of the different Crusades).

Dark Angels
---OATH OF VENGEANCE ---
Advantage: If an enemy unit causes at least one casualty to a Dark Angel non-vehicle unit during a turn, then that unit gains a Vengeance Token, which stays with it for the rest of the game unless it is destroyed. Any IC joining that unit is affected by the Vengeance Token as long the IC remains with it. Any attacks (shooting or CC) by a DA unit against an enemy unit with a Vengeance Token may re-roll failed To Hit rolls. An enemy unit (Squad, IC, Monstrous Creature, Vehicle) can only ever have one Vengeance Token assigned to it, but units consisting of a Squad and one or more ICs can have one Vengeance Token per IC/Squad.
Drawback: Dark Angel units must target a unit with a Vengeance Token over one without a Vengeance Token if they are both within range and/or charging distance. If both potential targets have a VT, then the DA unit can target whichever one they want.
Rational: Dark Angels are relentless in their quest for Vengeance and will turn the wrath they have for The Fallen against any who would hinder their mission (i.e. anyone who would harm a Dark Angel), thus this rule seeks to keep with this theme and buff DA damage output while balancing it with the weakness of being forced to target certain units.

Blood Angels
--- DRAGOON TACTICS ---
Advantage: All Blood Angel Tactical Squads count as relentless on any turn they start inside a vehicle of any kind.
Drawback: Sanguinary Priests have their base cost increased by 25 points to 75 points per Sanguinary Priest.
Rational: Give Blood Angels an actual reason to use Tac Squads while toning their Sang Priests down significantly. After all, if they are willing to "air drop" Land Raiders in order to keep up with their fast moving assaults, then the least they can do is train their Tac Squads to use mounted tactics effectively.

Space Wolves
---FENRISIAN ASSAULT ---
Advantage: Space Wolves Drop Pods cost +15 points (so 50pts/Drop Pod), but can hold up to 16 troops (or 8 Terminators/Jump Pack Equipped SWs/Fenresisian Wolves) or 1 Dreadnought
Drawback: Rune Priests have their base price increased by 25 to 125 points/Rune Priest and have their Ld reduced to 9.
Rational: Basically, providing a way for effective Drop Pod armies, as per SW fluff, but nerfing Rune Priests a little bit to prevent them from being an overly good deal. Space Wolves are supposed to shy away from using Psykers too much, hence the nerf to RP Leadership.

Daemonhunters
---ARMOR OF PURITY ---
Advantage: All Grey Knight units may re-roll failed armor, invulnerable, or cover saves.
Drawback: Grey Knights lose Shrouding special rule, GK Terminators have their cost increased to 50 points/model, and Brother Captains have their cost increased to 70 points/model.
Rational: The codex is about to be replaced, so this is more of a stop-gap, but it still adds greatly to the GK survivability, allowing them to be small in number and elite, yet still survive a long fight due to their enhanced armor.

Orks
---DA GREEN TIDE ---
Advantage: For every full 500 points in the Ork Army, they get access to a free unit of Gretchin, fully upgraded at no cost (e.g. in a 1500-1999 point game, the Ork player gets 3 free Gretchins, in a 2000-2499 point game, they get 4 free Gretchins, etc.)
Drawback: Nobz can never count as scoring, even if they are taken as Troops.
Rational: Trying to emphasize the "Orkiness" of pure hordes and provide a reason for armies to include Gretchins and also temper Nobz a little at the same time.

Chaos Space Marines
---FURY OF THE FALLEN ---
Advantage: Once per game at the beginning of his turn, a CSM player can choose to declare that he is using this special rule. Until then beginning of his next turn, every unit in the CSM army gains +2 S and has the Eternal Warrior USR.
Drawback: For the rest of the game, all units in the CSM army have the Rage USR.
Rational: This gives CSM a slight boost for a single critical turn, similar to the Ork Waaaagh!! ability, making them stronger in Close Combat and reflecting the uncontrolled rage of these fallen heretics. The Rage USR reflects the effects of this fury and the inability of the CSM leaders to control themselves or their troops for the rest of the battle.

Dark Eldar
--- DARK RAIDERS ---
Advantage: All DE units roll 2D6 for their Fleet rolls and take the highest. Units that already get 2D6 (e.g. from Combat Drugs) don't have to roll and automatically fleet 6" every time.
Drawback: Dark Eldar non-vehicle units get -1 to their Cover Save on the turn they fleet until the start of their next turn.
Rational: The essence of DE is their mobility, and since they already have it on the vehicle side, this adds just a little bit more to their foot-slogging units while balancing it with the drawback of getting less use out of cover if they do use Fleet.

Necrons
---UNSTOPPABLE ADVANCE ---
Advantage: All Necron units get +1 to their base Toughness when they are within 12" of a Tomb Spyder.
Drawback: Monolith cost increased by + 65 pts to 300 pts per model.
Rational: The essence of the Necrons is their pure un-killable-ness.. thus allowing them to increase their base Toughness via Tomb Spyders, combined with WBB, means that it is much harder to put them permanently down (i.e. a Necron Warrior is now T5, so he still gets his FNP roll even when hit by a S8 Krak Missile), as long as they are within range of a Tomb Spyder (this obviously makes Tombs Spyders much more valuable, which is a good side benefit). Increasing Monolith cost so much helps account for how tough they are to kill, especially in 5th edition and especially with the "Living Metal" special rule, and encourages players to use them sparingly.

Tyranids
--- LIVING TIDE ---
Advantage: Termagants, Hormagaunts, and Gargoyles can move an additional D3" per turn, on top of their normal movement.
Drawback: Zoanthropes and Hive Guard cost +10 points more per model (so Zoan = 70 pts base, HG= 60 pts base)
Rational: Trying to restore Nids to a slightly more "horde" focus by giving their basic grunts some more speed/rush capability while give a tweak to the cost of their high-powered AV shooters, making them focus more on CC to take down vehicles.

Witchunters
--- EMPEROR'S BLESSING ---
Advantage: One turn per game, every Adeptus Sororitas unit (including Repentia) in an army may make use of a free Act of Faith that doesn't take any Faith Points and is cast automatically.
Drawback: Basic Sisters of Battle Troops units cost +1 point per model than they currently do (so 12 points/model base).
Rational: Trying to emphasize the "Faith aspect" which is so key to the SoB armies while balancing out the extreme value of basic SoB Troops (11 points for a model with BS 4, Power Armor, and a Bolter is pretty ridiculous).

Chaos Daemons
--- HUNTERS OF THE WARP ---
Advantage: One per game during his movement phase, each individual Chaos Daemon unit may teleport back into the Warp and then re- Deep Strike the next turn. Chaos Daemon units may do this on different turns, as the player owning the army chooses, but if any units are still in reserve when the last turn ends, they count as destroyed.
Drawback: Bloodletters and Bloodcrushers each cost +1 point per model more than they currently do.
Rational: Chaose Daemons chief problem is their mobility, so this helps them reposition themselves a bit while slightly tempering Bloodletters/Bloodcrushers.

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How about you. What would you do if you could make one special advantage/drawback per race and why?