If you were a codex writer...

[Gir]

Good call, could you please persuade a certain Codex Writer to see things your way.

Unfortunately I don't think Cruddance will ever quit

[eldargal]

Quite, anyone can use Power Armour, only Space Marines interface with it

You do know what 'power armor' is, right? Something that takes 'wimpy T3' humans and makes them stronger? Or in the case of already strong Marines, super strong?

As for specific current codex writers:

Ward: Rein in the fluff a little, awesome is good, awesomest thing ever not so much.
Cruddace: Work on unit balance and unit costings.
Phil Kelly: Write Codex: SoB and Codex: Eldar already.

[Cyberscape7]

Phil Kelly: Write Codex: SoB and Codex: Eldar already.

Too true!

[Drunkencorgimaster]

What would I change? I'd have the codices royalties roll into my bank account rather than into GW's.

[Ghoulio]

If I could change anything in any codex it would be the following for the Tyranid Codex:

- Genestealers (both types) come with flesh hooks (or whatever frag grenade equivalent) and their base cost be increased by 1pt

- Shadow in the Warp works on models in vehicles and is changed so that it is always the range of the Synapse of the creature with it. So, a Swarmlords Shadow in the Warp is 18” while a Tryanid Warrior’s is 12”, etc.

- Change Tyranid Warriors so they are T5, 2W, same cost - or - leave the same and reduce base cost to 20pts per model

- Give the Tyranid Prime an option for Wings at 20-30pts

- Allow Tyranid Primes to join a unit of Tyranid Warriors in a Spore Pod or Outflanking because of Hive Commander

- Give Hive Tyrant the ability “Indescribable Horror” for free (like the last 2 editions) or remove it

- Change The Hive Tyrant’s Psychic Power “Psychic Scream” to always be at 12” instead of 2d6” with only invlun saves possible

- Change The Hive Tyrant’s Psychic Power “The Horror” psychic power to be 24” and -2 to the leadership penalty or make it a 12” bubble with all units having to check at normal LD (or -1)

- Change the Tervigon’s Psychic Power “Onslaught” to be cast in the movement phase and also include the line “allows unit to either run and shoot or gain “fleet” for that turn”

- Change the Broodlords Psychic Power “Hypnotic Gaze” to be cast in either assault phase

- Change the Broodlords Psychic Power “Aura of Dispair” to be cast in the movement phase and last till the next movement phase

- Remove the “-1 to damage chart” from the Venom Cannon

- Change Death Spitters to be 24” Str 5, AP5, Assault 1, Blast

- Remove Cluster Salvo

- Change Twin Linked Deathspitters on MCs to 5 pts

- Make all Termagant basic weapon options free, 5 points for a strangle web and make it str 4

- Change Doom of Malantai to grant only invuln saves but still not effect units in transports (ie units no longer get cover saves from his main ability)

- Change Lictor Deployment to be the same as Ymgarls - or - give them infiltrate - or - allow them to assault the turn they show up. Change their reserve bonus to allow one re-roll per Lictor (maybe “d3” for the Deathleaper) and always be allowed as long as the Lictor is alive

- Rework Trygon tunnel so one unit per Trygon can be “stored” in the tunnel. That unit automatically becomes available the turn after the Trygon emerges for both and can move from the tunnel as if coming in from reserves from the board edge (ie act normally). No MCs or units with wings can be stored in the tunnel. Or, another option would be to just roll for reserves for both units and if the unit in the tunnel becomes available at the same time or before the Trygon then they can move out of the hole with the Trygon.

- Give the Mawloc 2 sets of scything talons - or - cost 140pts. I would also love to see them get a "Swallow Whole" special rule like the old Red Terror.

- Change Harpy’s to be 120pts and move like jet bikes as they ARE the flyer in the book.

- Change Carnifex’s to WS 4 and 140pts base

- Change Parasite of Mortex to be 100-120pts

- Change the Venomthrope to be purchased in units of 3, but are then turned into independent characters (ie exactly like Sanguinary Priests). Also, make BS 0 and make them WS 4

- Change Pyrovores to be WS 4, Str 5, T5, 3W, Init 2, 3 A, 4+ save. The heavy flamer reverts to being a regular flamer that is fired exactly like a hellhound. Also, Pyrovore retains acid attacks (ie power weapons) and always has a 50% chance to explode when killed, not just on instant death, taken in units of 1 - 5. Maybe 50-65pts? (**this one is only my idea of what they should be and obviously I haven’t play-tested it. I just think it is WAY more appropriate to what the model and fluff says it should be**)

I am sure there are others, but that is it off the top of my head

[Zweischneid]

Dunno.

The whacky off-balance swings and roudnabouts of the IG Codex and Nid Codex kinda mark the up and low end of power scale. Cruddace clearly needs to get a better grasp of costing and balance.

The Wolves and Dark Eldar Codex are particularly atrocious in the fluff department. Womanizing Blood Claws on a night out in a hitched Thunderhawk. Loony-toon-style black-holes-in-box does not 40K make. Young audience is fine and all, but someone should tell Kelly he is writing for 40K, not for Bug Bunny the table-top game.

That said, it'd stick close to Ward. His books are by far the best balanced, provide the most varied and diverse armies and have a knack for brining fluff up-to-date without all-out flipping exiting stuff like Cruddace Swarmy/Hive-War-atrocitiy or Kelly's newly, emo "our-poor-souls-are-leeching" Dark Eldar abomination.

Haters gonna hate.

[DarkLink]

And unlike Phil Kelly, Ward can figure out when something is overpowered and nerf it. "Oh, hey, 130pts for a T7 4++ Dreadknight is a little bit crazy, let's balance it a bit".

Phil Kelly probably would have been like "Dude, Dreadknight's awesome, totally fun, hey, it's vulnerable to JotWW so I'm gonna slap Reinforced Aegis on it. Maybe a Psychic Hood, too, just for good measure. Huh, points increase? Why?".

[Thornblood]

I would change the points of almost every unit, to be equal. Somethings are just mental with their comparable equivalents (Long Fangs and Grey Hunters Im looking at you compared to Devastators and Tac squads). This would involve rigorous play-testing, as well as comparing with anything that already exists and is comparable.

After the release, I would then take a look at league tables and tournament results to see what is consistently in the hot spots. With a blend it shows jobs are being done right. If its the same few armies winning consistently I would know there was a screw up somewhere and re release a new codex for said army, ASAP, but with more new models (so those players arn't just getting nerfed, but are actually getting something). If an army was consistently at the bottom of a league table, it would need looking at too.

I would then expect that the people responsible for developing the over powered and under powered armies would stop that, and steps taken to stop them doing so. (Like extra beta testing on everything they do, including making tea).

On a friendlier note- more units without models so we have things to convert ourselves, giving us more personal armies.

More generic non hq special characters- that could be with any army. For example; a deathwatch librarian as an upgrade to a sternguard squad, as any chapter could use him, maybe mercenary hardened vets for Guard so any regiment could use them, a named harlequin for eldars (possibly someone who plays the role of an Khaine in the dance, if FW have the solitaire down ), a big fury for daemons (undivided you see), the DA fallen for chaos, maybe a rogue trader that joins a fire warrior unit, an ultra- flayed-one for necrons (although maybe that might happen), a roaming ork mek (maybe orkimedes) so any tribe could use him, or maybe 'da grot king'- he leads grots before getting them killed and being kicked out of the latest clan. Maybe a tyranid hive guard made from chaotic gene seed so he keeps warping out and turning up solo in other hive fleets. That kind of thing..

[DarkLink]

Well, you can't necessarily just copy and paste points costs from one army to the next. Some armies don't benefit from certain units the way that other armies would. That's why you can have 20pt GKSS with power weapons and storm bolters and still be balanced compared to 16pt tactical Marines.



I would release a pdf of just the rules a month before the final version goes to the printers (which is a few months before it's actually released) so people can play around with it. There would be virtually no need for FAQs then, and the super overpowered/underpowered units would get caught.

[eldargal]

I don't think that is quite fair, some of the Blood Angel stuff isundercosted for what it does while the Dark Eldar codex is extremely well balanced.

And unlike Phil Kelly, Ward can figure out when something is overpowered and nerf it. "Oh, hey, 130pts for a T7 4++ Dreadknight is a little bit crazy, let's balance it a bit".

Phil Kelly probably would have been like "Dude, Dreadknight's awesome, totally fun, hey, it's vulnerable to JotWW so I'm gonna slap Reinforced Aegis on it. Maybe a Psychic Hood, too, just for good measure. Huh, points increase? Why?".