Top 3 MOST annoying things in WH40K rules?

[DarkLink]

The thing I dislike most is people who reflexively blame Mat Ward for everything.

Especially when Phil Kelly is worse than Matt Ward. With the exception of DE, every Phil Kelly codex has turned into either an OP cheesefest monobuild, or an outdated monobuild. He loves writing books where one particular unit is obviously significantly better than everything else in that FOC slot (Wave Serpents, Warp Spiders, and War Walkers with 6th Eldar, or Harlequins and Falcons back in 4th, Nob Bikerz and Battlewagons for Orks), or sometimes even in the whole codex (Heldrakes, Long Fangs). And even with Dark Eldar, Venom/Ravager spam is still the norm, with the occasional Beastmaster or Hellion unit thrown in the mix.

Really, none of the writers are actually particularly good at making balanced rules. But Mat Ward is definitely not the worst.

[Shotgun Justice]

1. The whole pre battle sequence: choosing sides before terrain, fortifications before terrain, objectives after choosing sides, random warlord traits, random psychic powers. Especially galling is rolling a warlord trait that is useless e.g Target Priority or Tenacity in Purge The Alien, Master of Ambush if you have no outflanking units. GW noticed this for codexes - Tau is the one I've read where you can re-roll if the trait is useless. Actually, more galling still is rolling crap psychic powers - "Brother ****-face we need that handy forewarning thing you did yesterday, that's a bleeding Vindicator coming this way."
"Sorry, can't - winds of chaos, I mean uh... yeah... but I CAN tell you what's in that forest over there."
*DEAD*

2. Blessings & Maledictions manifested at beginning of Psykers movement phase - so a Psyker can't move to target an enemy with a malediction in the same manner that he does for a psychic shooting attack seconds later. See also inability to manifest these powers from firing ports.

3. Scatter with non barrage. Should be roll to hit, then scatter if a miss, using the arrow on the HIT symbol. Why is a BS5 (signum) Devastator less accurate with a frag missile fired out of the same tube as an accurate krak?

[DarkLink]

You should be able to just pick warlord traits and psychic powers. There are a wide variety of both, and I know for a fact that I would pick different powers in different games and I would use quite a few of the options available to me (Grey Knights).

Yes, some of the traits (stealth and move through cover for everyone in ruins? Really, GW?) and psychic powers (Invisibility, Hallucinate, Iron Arm) are pretty ridiculous. But this would, presumably, force GW to write some better, more balanced psychic powers in the first place. At least, one would hope. Instead, they try and cover up their lazy writing with randomness in the guise of balance.

And I agree, Blessings and Maledictions should just occur during the movement phase at any time, not restricted to the beginning.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

You should be able to just pick warlord traits and psychic powers. There are a wide variety of both, and I know for a fact that I would pick different powers in different games and I would use quite a few of the options available to me (Grey Knights).

Agreed, having random Warlord Traits really hurts character building! I might write my Chaos Lord as a defensive, reserved commander, but he can still roll an all-out assault trait.

[DarkLink]

If you got to pick, the rulebook table is actually pretty good. There are some very useful abilities there. Problem is, they're random, so on the particular occasion that you happen to need Night Fight turn 1, you're probably going to get Counter Assault in your own deployment zone instead.

[Daemonette666]

I was thinking about the Helldrake, or Hell Turkey as many who have been on the receiving end of its bale flamer have called it. It is a very good flier, and one that can also have its limitations.

It is 170 points, - way to cheap for what it can do. The vector strike is cool, but should it be forced to take a dangerous terrain or grounding test everytime it, and Flying MCs everytime when they do a vector strike? or would you allow the enemy in area terrain to get a cover save top make the attack a bit more survivable?

Also the Bale flamer. I can see what GW talk about when they say its head moves around and shoots under its body and can therefore target units in its rear arc. All I can say is thank Gawd that GW did not make it so the template can be placed over any unit the Helldrake passed over, or fired from any point during its movement. The Bale Flamer is there for one purpose, and one purpose only - to remove pesky powered armoured units say devastators or those with massive cover saves like Pathfinders that sit in cover, and take out all your high priority/threat units the enemy fears the most.

It is a flier, a cheapish flier, not as cheap as say a Valkyrie or Vendetta, both of which have 3 HP and armour 12 to the front and sides, as well as a plethora of long ranged weapons. However it gets an invulnerable save, and can still fire the template weapon without having to make a jink roll. The vector strike is also good at removing units that other units in the CSM army can not get to or see, such as artillery hiding behind walls.

I would correct the Helldrake by one of 2 methods. 1 - Make it 190 points (but that makes it too hard to filed them at all in some games. 2 - make the Bale flamer upgrade cost extra points. Note however the bale flamer can not shoot at other fliers, and if they keep ahead of it, they can avoid being vector striked.

A limit on the number of Helldrakes is a waste of time. I would them make enemy limit the number of artillery pieces, Wave Serpents, Monstrous Creatures, or even terminator units they can take because they are hard to kill, hard to get to, or kill off my units quicker. I would not do this, so why should I allow an enemy to limit how many fliers I take. The FOC limits what I can take. IN a Double FOC with Black Legion Allies I can get 8 Helldrakes. But Why would I? I could spend the points elsewhere on troops in rhinos with dirge casters, massed huge formations of cultist, or as some would have it, plague zombies, etc.

What is scary is in a Double FOC with IG allies, I could take 6 Heldrakes, and up to 6 (2 squadrons of) Valkyries and/ or Vendettas. 12 fliers - your opponent's only options would be to refuse to play against you, or hope to kill off all your forces on the table before the start of your second turn.

Onto another subject - random psychic powers, or getting to choose them before the battle based on your opponents army. here is what I think. I think that the spells should not be random, you should have to pay for them. The nastier they are, the more expensive they cost. Want a good combination of spells, then pay through the tooth for them.

Also armies that do not have psykers in their army should get a natural resistance to psychic powers say a 5+ to deny the witch - Tau (because the books say they are psychic resistant), Orks (because their Psykers are crap, and they are a naturally psychic race) and Dark Eldar . Armies like Sisters of Battle get a 4+ (because their faith protects them).

[Lost Vyper]

Just watched BTP batrep Eldar vs. Necrons...that damn Tesla-rule is SO stupid...snap shooting and getting two hits = six hits? No good, start the dance...

[Mr Mystery]

Which is the whole point of Tesla. It's usually just a one shot assault weapon, with no AP. Hardly any great shakes, even at S5. The zappiness is what makes it work!

[Cactus]

*The historical war gamer in me doesn't like how few Troops are fielded. Troops should be at minimum 50% (points) of your army imho. Plus, most armies have too few choices for Troops.

*Allies. Your army should have bonuses and weaknesses and not the ability to patch holes.

*Named or special characters in games less than 50,000 points. The balance has gotten better but I really dislike them, especially characters that allow you to restructure your army so you only have to take the top elite choices.

[Daemondad]

FLYERS I hate these things so bad. They are making so many differant types of units, that in order to make a good all comers list, you need to water down your army so bad that you are left with weak army against anyone who bring s a spam army.

SNAPFIRE Hey! Lets discourage people from getting into hand to hand combat!

JotWW With all the new shiney toys and codexs' coming out, dont think I forgot about that rediculous power! Btw, you can shove those Runes Staves up your %$# too.