If you were a codex writer...

[Zweischneid]

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.

I think it is quite fair.

The Blood Angels Codex is a brilliant piece of work with excellent balance between the different options and play-styles.. Jumpers, Mech, Dread-wall, DC, etc.. all army variants work wonderfully in singularity or combination. All are viable. None of them dominate the game to anywhere near as much as Melta-Vets or Long Fang/JoTWW-spam.

Dark Eldar are quite on the weak side with Raider/Venom-spam being the thing that keeps the thing afloat. I haven't seen anyone play a viable foot-list, Hellion-list or any other theoretical option. They all fall under the powercurve resulting .. like Space Wolves, in a sub-par spam-codex (if, unlike Wolves, at the lower end of the field).

The Blood Angel Codex is a brilliant contribution to the game. The Dark Eldar Codex a huge missed opportunity (especially given the brilliant new models).

[archimbald]

ersonally id rewrite the dark angels dex to be a cross between the GK one, for termie troop extras etc (although they have a small selection) and the current SM dex, ncluding all current "general" unit eg sternguard scout bikes in it, would also put scouts as troops, not elites, maybe emphasise the factthat they are hunting the falling without blatently syaing "we're playing hide and seek with a few turncoats"

maybe also put in a few of the recent bits of chapter informatin as game-able too, like the inner circle somehow


just my ideas

[HsojVvad]

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.

Of course the Blood Angel stuff is undercosted, They are Space Marines, heaven forbid we have a perfectly balanced Space Marine codex like Dark Eldar or Tyranids.

[Lockark]

In the CSM codex I would make these changes:

HQ Options
-If Lead by Lord/scor on bike, Bikers become troops.
-If Lead by Lord/scor in Termy Armour, one unit of Termies as troops.
-New "Dark apostle" unit that everyone can use. Basically like that it was in the old book.
-Have a special character for each traitor legion. Make all the legion characters good. All should have a fluffy bonus to represent each legion. No "dead ducks" like the LSM Raven Guard Character.

Elites
-Terminators should have the option to be upgraded to cult Terminators. (All Cult upgrades make unit fearless.)
(Rubrics get AP3 Bolt Pistols, Slow and purposfull, and Asparing Scor)
(Noise gives you +1I, Can replace Replace Twin-Bolters with sonic Blasters for free, option for Blast Master.)
(Khorn should give you FC and Counter-Charge)
(Plague gives you +1T and FNP)

-All Cult Termies have access to the same options normal termies have.

Fast Attack
-CSM Bikers should have the option to be upgraded to cult like terminators.

Icons
-Icon of Chaos Glory should basically be ATSKNF. Be able to choose to run away, Not get sweeping advanced, ect.) other icons are ok. But need to drop in price, and the better IoCG go up in price. The effects of a icon should not go away when the icon bearer dies.

(When icon bearer dies they just lose the guy holding the homer beacon Bassicaly.)

Troops

-Allow Bezerkers, Noise, and Rubric mariens the option for Melta, Flamer, and Plasma!

-New Cultist Unit in troop choices.
-Human Cultists.
Human Cultiest=WS-3 BS-3 S-3 T-3 W-1 I-3 A-1 LD-7
Equipment: Flack Armour, Lasgun, Laspistol, CCW.
Squad:10-20
Options: up to 4 Special weapons. (Sniper Rifle, Grenade Launcher, Flamer, Meltal Gun, Plasma Gun.
--Can be upgraded to Carapace Armour
--Access to the Chaos Icons.



So far I think most of my suggestions are things people would agree with. Now here is a more radical ideal:
Aspiring Champ should be able to kill a member for the squad to allow a re-roll. (A Aspiring Champ is trying to prove to the chaos gods his ability, he would not tolerate his squad retreating and robbing him of that glory.)

[eldargal]

Soo, a fast, transport based army is being kept afloat only by its fast transports? I can see the problem with that.

I think it is quite fair.

The Blood Angels Codex is a brilliant piece of work with excellent balance between the different options and play-styles.. Jumpers, Mech, Dread-wall, DC, etc.. all army variants work wonderfully in singularity or combination. All are viable. None of them dominate the game to anywhere near as much as Melta-Vets or Long Fang/JoTWW-spam.

Dark Eldar are quite on the weak side with Raider/Venom-spam being the thing that keeps the thing afloat. I haven't seen anyone play a viable foot-list, Hellion-list or any other theoretical option. They all fall under the powercurve resulting .. like Space Wolves, in a sub-par spam-codex (if, unlike Wolves, at the lower end of the field).

The Blood Angel Codex is a brilliant contribution to the game. The Dark Eldar Codex a huge missed opportunity (especially given the brilliant new models).

[MarneusCalgar]

I should emphatize the background and fluff of every army...

Because that would wake the players imagination in order to play theme lists

[Ghoulio]

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?".

I will have to go ahead and disagree with you there. Things like Blood Talon Furiosos and Thunder Hammer Terminators are incredibly undercosted. The only mis-step in balance in Kelly's list of codex's is the Space Wolves, and even then it's only a very small handful of units that need slight point adjustments. I am not saying that Ward is bad, in fact I would put him basically on par with Kelly as the Space Marine codex is one of the best codex's this edition with the BA codex right behind it (minus Mephiston who is just silly).

The only codex writer I have issues with is Robin Crudace. He is horrendous at writing books. Both of his books have horrible internal balance, incredibly undercosted units (like Vendettas and Tervigons) followed by insanely overpriced units (Storm Troopers and Harpies). He also has the worst written rules in history. Never before have I seen a codex NEED an FAQ over a month before the book actually comes out! I will *never* buy another product of his ever again and if I find out he is writing the Eldar codex I am going to sell my army immediately lol.

[murrburger]

I honestly don't mind Matt Ward. His stuff seems pretty consistent, if not a bit too safe. Besides TH/SS Terminators and a few things like Blood Angels Captains, I can't criticise his work too much. People may complain about his fluff, but look at the crazy stuff in the DE book. I have never heard anyone say a word about that.

Phil Kelly seems to be the the guy who makes all the interesting rules and army designs. Pain Tokens, Wolf Guard not fitting in Rhinos (Putting in an extra list building choice) and Lone Wolves are all pretty original and unique. Then, there are characters like Nigel and Longfangs. The Dark Eldar book seems to have dialed back some of the oddities of the SW book, and is fairly well balanced.

I do not like Cruddance. I know everyone loves the Imperial Guard book, but it has too many 'obvious' choices. (Veterans over Guardsmen, Vendettas over Sentinels, Artillery over Tanks) The orders system is kind of cool and the lack of psychic defense is a good balance. Overall, not bad compared to other books, but too many 'obvious choices'. I think it's pretty boring, and I used to play Guard in 3rd.

Codex: Tyranids, a lot of people seem to hate. It also has the problem of 'obvious choices', but they play pretty differently from other armies. The emphasis on synergy is good, but there are a lot of poorly thought-out/written rules. Lictors, Mawloch, Trygon-tunnels to name a few.

In summary:
Matt Ward: Safe, if not boring books. I would like to see him try something not MEQ.(Like Necrons)
Phil Kelly: Interesting, unique rules. A little bit risky. Probably my favourite.
Cruddance: New guy everyone loves. Painfully obvious he wants to push new kits. (Other authors do it, too. But don't make it so obvious)

---

I want to see Chaos Space Marines become less like Space Marines and more like... Chaos Space Marines. I don't think they should have a Chaos version of everything (Dark Apostle, Biker Troops).

My dream would be that they play completely differently from Vanilla Marines. (More focus on Cults, Mutants, lesser Daemons)

On that note, I want to see the Chaos Daemon book not be completely phoned in. I don't want Heralds, I want completely unique units for each of the four Gods. Get rid of the Deep Strike rule (Make it Deathwing Assault or something. That would be interesting), add more types of Daemon (Maybe some cool big monsters)

Oh, one last thing. For both Chaos armies, give incentives to run 'pure' Cult armies. Kind of like the Warmachine tier lists. (If your army only includes unmarked, or marked units and heroes with the Mark of Slaanesh, every marked unit gets acute senses in addition to their normal bonus).

I wish.

[Lockark]

I want to see Chaos Space Marines become less like Space Marines and more like... Chaos Space Marines. I don't think they should have a Chaos version of everything (Dark Apostle, Biker Troops).

My dream would be that they play completely differently from Vanilla Marines. (More focus on Cults, Mutants, lesser Daemons)

I assume that was directed at me. I play CSM, and agree they should not play like vinillia Marines. But the problem is their is some stuff that logically CSM should have.

I'd like to see Dark Apostles and Chaos Cultists in the book. The reasoning is that basically old legion specif units should come back, and be a option that all chaos armies can use. Heck. I think CSM should have access to the Chimera and other "common"/easy to maintain imperial vheclies. (I.E. Chimerias, Bassies, ect.) Fluff wise that would make alot of sence. But for balance's sake I would have to restrain myself.

I'd like to see CSM biker armies, because the fluff talk about how many Chaos Warbands act more like Raiding parties then standing armies. Having a CSM army themed around lighting raids would make sense/be fluff. To help players represent this Chaos Bikers as troops make alot of sense.

I would also like to see Chaos get their own unique Rhino and Land raider Variants.

Some ideas:
-What about a open topped/fast version of the rhino? Like one that has been stripped down and lightened to increase it's speed, and help Bezerkers get into battle, Noise marines to taste the scent of thier victims, ect.

-What about a Land Raider varient with a Battle Cannon Turret on top instead of sponson weapons?

Basically the Dark Mechanics has been in the Eye of Terror for 10, 000 years, but they have only invented the Defilier? CSM should have their own unique variants of the common Imperial vheclies as know today. Thier gear should look like a mix of Pre-Hersey Stuff, and their own dark inventions.



I also have to say. I would HATE a army "tier list" system like in Warmachine. Because then I will be stuck playing what ever the writer has prescribed as the "proper" slaanesh army, "proper" Iron Warriors army, ect.

I prefer a affordable Special Character who gives army wide USR's, changes the FoC, ect to represent the legions, and then let us take what we want in our war-bands. With a large list of old units and plenty of new units you should be able to make a warband you can be proud to call your own.

Charater Ideas
-A Iron Warrior Character should let you buy Heavy Support Options in the Elite Section, and Give the squad he joins Tank Hunters.

-A Emperor's Children/Death Guard/World Eaters/1kSons character should let you make any unit for X number of points, and any vheclie for Y number of points. (This would be a way of bringing back marked vheclies, and the only way to get them in your army.)

Thows are a few I could think of off the top of my head.