Forgotten Wargear: The Combat Shield

[Katharon]

Hello there my fellow forumites and wargamers! Everyone seems to be spoiling and roiling over the recent release of the new 7th Edition Space Marine -- oops, my bad! I mean -- Adeptus Astartes codex. Now most of the internet has been unleashing its neckbeardiness against/in favor of the new formations (which by the way, are way more powerful than some of those Apoc formations which many people argue shouldn't be allowed in regular 40K games even though all formations are allowed, techically). That Demi-Company? Sexy. Gladius Strike Force!? Holy Golden Toilet, Primarch-man!

As the old Chinese man once cursed: we live in interesting time.

However, for all the arguments and new meta exploding around like a hurricane, I'm going to move towards the eye of the storm. No, please leave your Librarius Conclave argument in the corner -- let it go crush Bermuda with the rest of the storm. Over here I wanted to discuss something that has been bothering me a lot since 6th and has carried over to 7th.

Where have all the combat shields gone? Now it's an understood fact that Imperium at large is largely regressing or stagnant technologically. Imperial Guard -- oops, did it again -- Astra Militarum players got a hard taste of this when their Executioner's primary plasma cannon (you know, that thing connected to the giant heat sinks in a giant tank?) received a blow by also gaining the 'Get's Hot' USR. So, it's there. We (loyalists Imperial slaves...*cough, please don't tell the Commissar*...citizens) have to deal with a lot of tech being lost or misplaced.

Cue the entry of the new Astartes codex and we see that Terminators are better than ever. Assault Marines and Combat Squads, they can all take so many Storm Shields that I'm pretty sure you could buy a storm shield for your storm shield.

[leaves space for gratuitous picture of Xzibit]

Storm shields are pretty advanced technology and undoubtedly one of the favorite bells and whistles that Marine players like to have attached to - well - anything. This shield incorporates a piece of power field technology that is capable of letting its wielder survive just about anything (I'm ignoring the D-weapon Elephant in the room...I've surrounded it with my trained mice on loan from Star Lord).

And yet, for all that, combat shields seem to be in scarce supply. Combat shields! Rudimentary by comparison to any other form of protective armament that a Space Marine has access to and yet they seem to be more scarce than a Squat Codex. I *was* hopeful that with the new codex that they might be included once again in a larger scale, similar to storm shields; a cheaper alternative you could say. At the very, very, very least I was hopeful that they might give the combat shield as an upgrade to the Crusader Squads -- you know, the real friggen Kaniggets roaming around the galaxy, the Black Templar! I was hopeful when Forge World came out with the Black Templar precursors, the Templar Brethren Squads -- each of which may be upgraded to take a combat shield if they like; but sadly, such is not the case.


So, fellow BoLs peeps, what other bits of wargear have you seen forgotten?




Pictured: Wargear that only a Champion of Champions is able to take...
Not Pictured: A more advanced stormshield that a normal slub can take

[Perversor]

Hello there my fellow forumites and wargamers! Everyone seems to be spoiling and roiling over the recent release of the new 7th Edition Space Marine -- oops, my bad! I mean -- Adeptus Astartes codex. Now most of the internet has been unleashing its neckbeardiness against/in favor of the new formations (which by the way, are way more powerful than some of those Apoc formations which many people argue shouldn't be allowed in regular 40K games even though all formations are allowed, techically). That Demi-Company? Sexy. Gladius Strike Force!? Holy Golden Toilet, Primarch-man!

As the old Chinese man once cursed: we live in interesting time.

However, for all the arguments and new meta exploding around like a hurricane, I'm going to move towards the eye of the storm. No, please leave your Librarius Conclave argument in the corner -- let it go crush Bermuda with the rest of the storm. Over here I wanted to discuss something that has been bothering me a lot since 6th and has carried over to 7th.

Where have all the combat shields gone? Now it's an understood fact that Imperium at large is largely regressing or stagnant technologically. Imperial Guard -- oops, did it again -- Astra Militarum players got a hard taste of this when their Exterminator's primary plasma cannon (you know, that thing connected to the giant heat sinks in a giant tank?) received a blow by also gaining the 'Get's Hot' USR. So, it's there. We (loyalists Imperial slaves...*cough, please don't tell the Commissar*...citizens) have to deal with a lot of tech being lost or misplaced.

Cue the entry of the new Astartes codex and we see that Terminators are better than ever. Assault Marines and Combat Squads, they can all take so many Storm Shields that I'm pretty sure you could buy a storm shield for your storm shield.

[leaves space for gratuitous picture of Xzibit]

Storm shields are pretty advanced technology and undoubtedly one of the favorite bells and whistles that Marine players like to have attached to - well - anything. This shield incorporates a piece of power field technology that is capable of letting its wielder survive just about anything (I'm ignoring the D-weapon Elephant in the room...I've surrounded it with my trained mice on loan from Star Lord).

And yet, for all that, combat shields seem to be in scarce supply. Combat shields! Rudimentary by comparison to any other form of protective armament that a Space Marine has access to and yet they seem to be more scarce than a Squat Codex. I *was* hopeful that with the new codex that they might be included once again in a larger scale, similar to storm shields; a cheaper alternative you could say. At the very, very, very least I was hopeful that they might give the combat shield as an upgrade to the Crusader Squads -- you know, the real friggen Kaniggets roaming around the galaxy, the Black Templar! I was hopeful when Forge World came out with the Black Templar precursors, the Templar Brethren Squads -- each of which may be upgraded to take a combat shield if they like; but sadly, such is not the case.


So, fellow BoLs peeps, what other bits of wargear have you seen forgotten?




Pictured: Wargear that only a Champion of Champions is able to take...
Not Pictured: A more advanced stormshield that a normal slub can take

Irony of it Dark Angels Assault Squads Sergeants can take them in the new codex.

[Perversor]

Double post

[Drew da Destroya]

The Dark Eldar Punisher and Tormentor Helms are long gone, but I keep hoping they'll make a comeback with each new codex. I mean, the Klaives are sweet (and the demiklaives used to be cool), but weapon options would be fun.

All the good Ork artillery is either gone or so changed as to be unrecognizable. Gimme a splattakannon or a proper Traktor Kannon (I get that the new version is awesome Anti-Air, but come on, I want to pull squads closer!)... Squig Catapult used to be so fun. Have it be a non-D vortex weapon to represent the angry cloud of buzzer squigs!

[Captain Bubonicus]

Ah want mah Thudd Gun and Mole Mortar back!

[Fueldrop]

the old Vexantrope: A mask arcane that gave the wearer the appearance of a loved one, thus forcing attacks to be directed else where.

[Havik110]

The Dark Eldar Punisher and Tormentor Helms are long gone, but I keep hoping they'll make a comeback with each new codex. I mean, the Klaives are sweet (and the demiklaives used to be cool), but weapon options would be fun.

I just want them back for the archon...and the old drug dispenser, and the bike for the archon

[Cactus]

There used to be more hand flamers available. My Valhallan lieutenants are waiting for them to come back as wargear. Stubguns and autoguns as well.

[Katharon]

Irony of it Dark Angels Assault Squads Sergeants can take them in the new codex.

Funny you should mention that. Vanilla Space Marine Assault Squad Sergeants can take combat shields, but not the rest of the unit. Vanguard Veterans, on the other hand, not even the sergeant, have any method of taking combat shields. It is mind boggling to me. But then I should have stopped expecting coherent thought processes from GW a long time ago...

- - - Updated - - -

Ah want mah Thudd Gun and Mole Mortar back!

They're now in the "Imperial Armour Volume One - Second Edition: Imperial Guard" at Forge World. Only IG can take them. But, you can have SM take them if you don't mind mixing a little bit of HH30K with WH40K.

[PaladinSL]

Sentinel chainswords.
Proper Bionics.
The second ranged weapon in my 5-man squad of Termies.
Plasma weapons being scary due to the sparsity of mid strength AP2 weaponry.
The last chancers.
Flexible chapter building chart.

Yeah most of those aren't wargear pieces, but I miss them nonetheless.