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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

That Sinking Feeling

I am not usually one to complain when a new codex comes out and I am posting this without first hand knowledge of the new Blood Angel Codex so I may just be panicking without cause.

My friend who is the GW rep for my FLGS got his copy of the Blood Angels codex and the new sprues of blood angels. The good news is he says the new Blood Angel sprues are amazing. The bad news came to some of the things he was reading me out of the book. It just seems with every new codex that is released my two main armies, Black Templars and Sisters of Battle are falling deeper and deeper into obscurity.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy for Blood Angel players, they needed a real codex. It is just that when I hear they are getting things like fast Baal Predators with scout ability for 115 points I start to get frustrated and debate if I should just shelf my armies until they get a new proper codex.

This isn't a rant about Blood Angels but more of a rant on lack of rules updates for older armies. I mean I would be completely satisfied if they made a FAQ that just gave my Templars the same points cost for things like Rhinos, Command Squads, Speeders etc. I mean I am fine with the new armies becoming more powerful and cheaper, but some where GW needs to realize how this effects other armies as we have a less effective force that cost more play.

I have other armies to turn too, I am building an Imperil Fists army and I own Orks, I just would like to field my favorite armies without feeling like I lost before even showing up. Anyway I don't want this to turn into a long winded rant so I just pose this question to all of you other players using dated codices. How are you dealing with the new armies as they come out? Any advice for my Templars or Sisters of Battle?

As always all comments are welcome and thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

-BJ

9 comments:

Fritz said...

As a black templar player myself I feel this sting anytime I play vs. codex marines. They get so much more for the same points. When I am playing my 'templar list it is like I am really playing against 2000 points of marines.

I also play and love Eldar and Necrons- two other armies really hurting at the moment, Eldar not as much, Necrons, well...

What am I do to in the mean time, play them? It is getting to the point where I am just outmatched and outgunned where even good tactics doesn't matter.

GW could fix this, but they don't and with such a long codex cycle, well...

It has kind of forced me to start playing one of the 5th edition codexes, and I'm going with Tyrnaids, since it is the only army, other then orks, that I have never owned or played. Fun so far to build and paint, but I wish I could get my real favorites back on the table...

oni said...

I know that feeling your referring to, however not in quite the same context as you describe it. Every army will get their update, GW has attested to this, we all just need to be patient.

The sinking feeling I have is as you said "I would like to field my favorite armies without feeling like I lost before even showing up".

BJ said...

Fritz, I know what you mean I have Orks so it looks like I may start playing them more often. I can say I follow your blog regularly and a lot of you advice/tactics has helped both my armies at least fell more competitive so thanks for that!

Oni, It would be easier to be patient if they gave us some clue as to where our codex falls in their great time line. I know they like to keep secrets and all but I think a little more info flow would improve things like this.

I think for now I will keep playing them but throw in a few games with my Orks so I don't always feel like I already lost

Thanks guys for your comments!

Michael Hogan said...

I play a Dark Angels bike/terminator list and a Daemonhunter "Pure Grey Knight" list and I feel completely at a handicap, about to lose just walking up to the table when going against a "new" army, even some of the 4th edition ones! Sure, I understand how expensive bikes and terminators are, and how expensive a Grey Knight in power armor is, but it seems like other guys are paying much less for something much better (for example Ork Nobs or Thousand Sons/Berzerkers/Plague Marines and especially against Tyranids), they might not be but it sure feels that way. I've been thinking about slowly collecting a "new" army, but I don't want to finish the army just as they become the old codex, but I don't want to sit around and be at such a disadvantage some games, even at a casual level.

I do feel that a lot of these new codices wipe out my codex "special rules" and have more, too. I would love a timeline or an "errata" just to update point costs or rules that really should be removed for any army not tuned for 5th edition, but by the time they finish that, 6th will be out with its own issues. All in good time though, all in good time.

BJ said...

Michael, I am with you, some kind of FAQ/Errata would solve many problems and put player with older armies more at ease in my opinion.

Gyro said...

I've been feeling the same way being a Dark Angel player and all. Sure, the Space Wolf 'dex can build a better Deathwing list than, well, the Dark Angels one. Sure, the new Blood Angels model range is absolutely stunning and puts everything to shame. I guess I'll just plod along with my third-and-a-half edition Dark Angels codex (where articifer armor doesn't even exist).

Even if you're a pure fluff player and any semblance of winning is secondary, it's still a kick in the crotch every time a marine variant army comes out, is better than the last, and the best melee weapon your old codex can give you is a "master-crafted" power sword.

BJ said...

Mik,

I feel really sorry for you Dark Angels players, your last codex was stripped down to being with so I really sympathize with you. The good news is the rumors say you are getting a new codex this year. not sure how true said rumors are but I hope you do.

slackpeatos said...

You can always proxxy BT lists with other codexs (BA perhaps - Assualt Based) if you still want to play them and have them competetive.

BJ said...

The only problem with proxying my Templars for another army is that they then lose the Templar Flavor which is the reason I play them in the first place. I know this is something allot of players do but I will gladly just wait on a new codex before I start to proxy my army.

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