LexVerum Astartes VII: The Armoury - Grenades, Special Issue, and Wargear Special Rules

After a long absence, I finally had some time to put the finishing touches on the balance and functionality of this rather arduous section of the codex, and then put the pen to the paper... or in this case, the mouse to the photoshop!  Finally I have rounded out the Armoury section for the codex, and with it, there was quite a bit left to cover.  From minor elements many of us take for granted, such as grenades, to the intricate details of the numerous weapons and wargear, it's all here.

If you have time to read it all, it was a labor of love.  Most of the items in the codex work slightly differently than what we expect when we read names like Storm Shield or Power Weapons. Things range from slight tweaks to major re-works based on the power level I think would keep the super charged Tru-Scale Marines in check.  The most fun was the final section which hits the unique special rules to the codex.  Some of them are pretty straightforward ports of rules found in the standard codex, with some tweaks to numbers here and there.  But I needed them here in order to keep the codex self-sufficient (no lazy "Consult Codex: Adeptus Astartes" here.  It's all spelled out for you, or is covered in the BRB).  The rules unique to this codex were fun, and should add some added weight to these guys, making them a real challenge, even with their extremely low model count.

In any event, here's the finishing touches to the Tru-Scale Armoury!  You may notice I have tweaked some of the format, such as title fonts.  This should make the codex easier to read, while still having some nice aesthetics.

A Quick Thought on the Style of 7th

Hey everyone and welcome back.  Though it's been a while since our last real hard look into some of the newest books brought out for 40k, that doesn't mean we haven't been having some fun collecting and reading them.  Quite a few new codexes have dropped recently, and they've given us some insight as to what we can expect from those to come.  To be honest, I'm actually fairly happy with where the releases are in so many respects, and if not for a few little hiccups in the core rules, I could easily see this rule set and it's codexes being the most balanced and the most healthy the game of Warhammer 40k has ever been.  After nearly 3 decades of existence, that's saying quite a bit.

I many cases, a game reaches what I feel to be it's pinnacle climax not long after it's first official release.  This isn't to say that it's always the case, but as a game ages, we see the developers begin to introduce more and more concepts, abilities, areas, rules, etc. to their world.  While it's not inherently a bad thing, and I fully understand it is necessary to keep these games new and interesting for the players, it can take away from a game's overall experience.

Lex Verum Astartes VI: The Armoury - Armour

Welcome to the next installment of my Tru-Scale project.  Today we'll cover something which more or less defines a Space Marine both in aesthetic and durability.  The various types of armour which the Adeptus Astartes wear may differ in their design, color, and even shape.  But they all serve to keep them alive long enough to pass judgment on the enemies of mankind.  That said, I have always been a little underwhelmed by their staying power on today's battlefields of the grim dark.

Lex Verum Astartes V: The Armoury - Melee Weapons

Welcome back folks.  As promised, this time around we're hitting the armoury for the melee weapons of the Tru-Scale Space Marines.  While there isn't nearly as much here as our previous installment in terms of quantity, it does help us establish just how powerful the Space Marines will be in close quarters fighting.

I tried to make a very clear distinction between basic weaponry, chain weaponry, and power weapons.  The Energy Field rule will be revealed at the end of the armoury, but it does promise to make the high price point for purchasing them worth the investment.  Next up in the armoury will be the amour section.  While in the current incarnation of the Space Marine codex it's more or less a brush-over, armour in this book does more than offer a save.  But, that's another installment.  For now, Enjoy!

Lex Verum Astartes IV: The Armoury - Ranged Weapons

Welcome back everyone.  It has been a long and fairly arduous process to get to this point, but finally after some long bouts of play-testing and some adjustments, the first installment of the new section is complete.  There were a lot of details that needed to be honed in on before this post was able to be made, and these details govern the entirety of the codex from basic principles to specific unit statistics.  Many of the project's finer points were worked out to a rough point and tested using a few starting points.  This allowed me to tweak some of the specific points such as weapon ranges, S and AP values, the basics of unit stat lines, and even how to balance certain pieces of special wargear.  I'm excited to add in some pieces of wargear which are a little under-represented in the current incarnation of the book.

Alongside this, I have a few cosmetic changes that will be implemented in the next set of data slates, but for now are left as the previous versions have been.  The main element to this is altering the font used for titles throughout the codex.  Currently the gothic-style font looks nice, but is a little cumbersome to read at times.  I plan to reel that back and use a font which is easier to read, while still keeping the current font for major section headers.  the body font seems to be working aright, so for now I'll keep it.  Additionally, I have never really be happy with the "Verum Astartes" label for the codex.  I feel it just doesn't really convey immediately what the codex is.  So I will keep the title for this series, but as it now reads in this set of data-slates, the new self-identifier will be Codex: Tru-Scale Astartes.

But there will be more updates for the codex and the project as a whole soon.  For now I'll give you the first to come of The Armoury, chosen by popular and unanimous demand.  Next up will be the Melee weaponry.  Hopefully I should be able to get to them sooner with much of the core balance worked out.

Forging a Narrative: Gimic or Constructive Design?

Hello everyone, Godfrey here.  Today I will take a short break from working on my Tru-Scale project and talk about one of the games more infamous taglines.  While many people use the term "Forge a Narrative" as a failing on the part of GW by accusing it as being a cop-out from the design team, others find it to be a doorway to making the game something more than most others out there.

While there are more than certainly aspects of the game which are made worse by this philosophy of design, it should be noted that there are also a lot of possibilities out there for non-competitive play which are made more accessible thanks to this.  With the advent of the new edition, things have really opened up on this front.  So lets take a look at some of the openings brought about by some of the additions or alterations which came about with 7th, and study just what about them is making the game a better system, both narratively and mechanically, or just abuse-able  gimics.

Lex Verum Astartes III: Chapter Tactics & Warlord Traits

Hello again everyone, and welcome back.  Last time we got started looking at the Army Special rules for my Tru-Scale Space Marines project.  I am most assuredly pleased with how the army's structure is working out, and though I still have many more months of work before I can complete this fan-made codex and it's supplementary installments, I am excited to keep working on it.  With each finished section I find myself getting ideas and making plans for future installments.  This may be one of the larger single entries of the series, as in order to complete this one, I had to delve into a lot of finer details for many a Chapter.

While I didn't quite make it to the Allies Matrix, I am very pleased with what I finished for you this time.  The army now has a complete set of Chapter Tactics as well as a Warlord Table (which players gets to choose from instead of rolling on... Go Marines!)  While the Chapter Tactics share the same name as the normal Space Marines, the effects are often different.  I had a lot of fun working to get these to fit the flavor of each Chapter.  As for the ally rules, I may simply use the same ones as Games Workshop Marines, since it seems a little more restrictive on Imperial / Non-Imperial alliances.  But without further delay, here's the rest of the Army Special Rules for Codex: Verum Astartes.

Lex Verum Astartes II: Army Special Rules

Hi Everyone, and welcome back.  Today we're going to start taking a look at some of the rules for the Verum Astartes project, and what better place to start than the Special Rules for the army.  This is the first installment of a few which revolve around the army's special rules, as there are quite a few that need to be detailed in here.

With the changes to the Allies Matrix shaking that all up, I'll be working to incorporate those in the next installment, as well as getting a list of the chapter tactics made up.  But, regardless of your Chapter lineage or the friends you bring with you to the fight, these data slates apply to all Space Marines from my project codex.

Enjoy!

Coming Soon...

Something stirs in the heart of the galaxy.  Something which has not been envisioned sense a time when the Emperor of all Mankind walked among his people.  A vision of the Imperium's perfect warriors re-imagined.

They shall be the true Angels of Death.  And they shall without doubt know no fear.

Inequality in Re-Rolls

--Please note that I've been away from the site for a few months because of school and trying to get some things together for my local group (of 2).  This was meant to be released with my last article around the new year, but it's been a long semester.--

Greetings gentlereaders,

Thinking how valuable stat points are and how this influences game design and it got me to thinking.  In a lot of places we have rules that act as artificial statistics, specifically I'd like to talk about re-rolls, how they've popped up in 40k and what that can tell us about the value of different statistics.  Broadly speaking, we can group rolls into three categories: saves, shooting attacks and melee attacks.  I'll not discuss re-rolls to wound, as they fall into one of the other categories and can vary in value much more than the other three.  This one will be much more evidence-based than statistics based, so don't be afraid to come with me.

The Arrival of the Knights & Thoughts on Enhancing the Quality of the 40k Experience

Hey there everyone, and welcome back to Rites of Battle.  While my personal life has pretty much crumbled under my feet, I thought it unfair to neglect my responsibilities to those of you who return time and again to read about 40k.  While I have been somewhat detached from news, some things haven't completely escaped my eyes and ears, and it seems that these are sparking quite the discussion on the Wartrukk regarding the state of the game.  This got me thinking yet again on how to improve some of what I perceive as weak points, and even failings on the part of the Games Workshop design team, and while I won't claim to have perfect solutions, It has always been taught to me that you should try to present some alternatives or solutions if you are going to voice a dissenting opinion of the topic at hand.  Not only this, but I'd love to give a quick thought on the spark of the whole debate, as well as some shout outs to recent events.

It's a jam packed article, so sit down, strap in, and enjoy.

Rethinking the Universal Rules of 40k.

Hey folks.  So Tyranids have dropped, and whether you love it, hate it, or are just plain indifferent on it, it's the reality of the codex as it is now.  And while I do plan to discuss my thoughts on it at some point (more than likely over a podcast review of the book), right now I thought I'd touch on my thoughts on another popular topic of today's 40k chats.

There has been a rumor or two floating about that 7th edition may be coming quite soon on the heels of some of the releases later this year.  For those of us who bought into the collector's edition of 6th edition, it's a little disconcerting to think it'll be outdated in less than two years time.  My personal thoughts on what this "7th edition" rumoring revolves around less of a new edition, and more of a culmination of all the new information we've seen drop over the blitzkrieg of units, rules, codexes, dataslates, supplements, expansions and more.  Basically think of a re-release of the current rules, but with all of the new information added into it.  That is at least my hopes on it with regards to an edition shift.

However, there is a chance for Games Workshop to make some balance changes to some of the game's mechanics as it moves forward.  Whether or not they choose to with this new edition we hear talk of is another story, but they could make some nice tweaks in the form of potent erratas.  A few rules came up in my mind of places where the game could make changes that really improve the ability and increase tactical options presented to the players.  You can disagree with the power level of a specific unit or codex all you want, but at the end of the day it pays to remember that all of these issues are made possible by existing in the context of the game's rules.  So let's look at some of these possible alterations to some of the game's existing rules to see how we could change the scheme or alter the mood of 40k.

The Difficulties of Making it Worth it's Points

Greetings Gentlereaders,

One of the biggest distinctions in talking about units in 40k, especially in light of our recent podcast, is how to make units "worth their points."  From a design perspective, this is a much more difficult task than most of us would probably think.  Listen to how our discussion grew beyond its stated bounds and began re-designing the whole game from the ground up.  Thinking more about the basic mechanics of the game brings me to think the statistic system of the game make calculations of value damnably complex.  Hopefully you'll be willing to go through why 40k is so frustrating from a mathematical perspective and how that makes designing 40k such a difficult task.  If you're not up to delving into it with me, let's just say that the core rulebook's rules causes drastic shifts in the value of weapons and armor from target to target.  That means that making a rule for determining what a stat point is worth is possible, but quite complex.

--Beginning of Math--

The Characterization of 40k

Greetings and salutations folks.  Having been tromping about the real world for a spell looking for a job, I have been severely derelict in my responsibilities to you.  But while I haven't been writing, my earns never stop hearing the constant rumoring of what's to come, and has left me pondering about what has come already.

It has been some time since 6th dropped, and Warhammer 40,000 has been quite different since it did.  While the identity of the game remains largely the same, there have been many tweaks and developments which 6th has introduced that has made it a feat in itself just to keep up with them all.  Some of these were noticed right off the bat; such as the introduction of Overwatch, the massively expanded psychic prescience with Deny the Witch and the Core BRB disciplines, and the hull point system.  All of these and more have made the change over from 5th to 6th quite extensive.  But is all of this for the better?

Sometimes in order to make the new rules shine, the game starts to change to suit them.  Taking a page from Sir Conan Doyle, "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."  When you apply the concept with what I am seeing from 40k, you may find yourself understanding why I feel Games Workshop is twisting the game to suit mechanics, instead of mechanics to suit the game.

A Closer Look: Part V

Hello everyone.  Since Space Marines got their shiny new codex, there has been a few musings on one of their newest inclusions: Grav Weapons.  I am for one excited about these things, if not because of their usability, but for the simple fact that it's something new.  It's a new option to add more variables in what marines can do and how.  This might be something that breaks up the boring tenancy of seeing the same armies everywhere if people allow themselves to look past their upfront appearance.

But with these little buggers came somewhat of a conundrum.  As for their use against infantry, they seem pretty straight forward, given their their unique means of wounding.  Where the real confusion comes from is how they are used against vehicles.  Some people feel there is a doubt or an argument to be made for how they work on both sides of the fence.  So given that, I decided to poke around and see for myself just how they work.

The FOC and Army Design

Greetings gentlereaders,

How many of you remember playing against Dragowing and Loganwing in fifth edition.  I'm sure if you were the one playing those armies to win tournaments, those were satisfying armies.  For the rest of us, those armies were oppressive to play against.  I know my coauthors have no love for those types of armies, but I would like to propose that the fault, dear readers, is not in our codices, but in our FOC.

A Closter Look: Part IV

Welcome to another edition of A Closer Look.  With the recent Tau-rific codex, there have come a series of closer inspections given to the rules of 40k.  Some of these rules have added a deeper understanding to some rules I had recently looked at, and some have caused many a face to be palmed around the staff here.  So lets get to it.  Caution: this article can be kinda fishy!

Tau Idea

Greetings Gentlereaders,

Since everyone's throwing out rumors for Tau I thought I'd throw out an idea of my own.  This is my creation; this is not a rumor.  One of the trends I've seen with sixth edition is the increasing emphasis on the back story being represented in the rules.  I've got no idea what, if any, codex-wide special rules will be present in the new codex, but here's one I would enjoy seeing for its representation of the philosophy of Tau'va.  I'm not sure how balanced it would be and I'd love your opinions on this idea.  Rules text an what not hidden after the break.

A Closer Look: Part III

Hello everyone, and welcome to the newest installment of A Closer Look.  From the get go I'll have to inform you that this series hasn't seen some attention in quite some time, and for a simple reason.  It was started as a way to take an in-depth look at some of the more commonly used aspects of the game, and how we as players might forget or neglect certain elements over the years.  As 5th edition was about 4 years old during the start of the series, it was pretty easy to see some elements misplayed due to sheer mis-memorization.

But now we stand at the entrance of a new era.  6th edition has come, and with it, a massive overhaul of many of the game's basic, and detailed sections.  Very few aspects of 40k were not shifted in some manner or another.  As this is the case, I have decided to dust off the old series, and reinvent it as well.  A Closer Look will take us deep into the new rulebook, and bring to light many of the changes we now face as players.  I don't intend to cover every change, as many of them are pretty universally understood now.  Some examples of these big topic issues that people know are the changes to Feel No Pain, and Disembarking rules.  What I want to look into are the smaller, less frequent rule's that have slipped in which can make or break situations should they not be player correctly.

As there is a huge tome of information to sift through, I have decided a great place to start is the Universal Special Rules section.  These effect almost every army, and are fairly frequent in the 40k games of 6th edition.  So learning the key points of how 6th has changed them is crucial.  So crack open your text books to page 32, and get ready to learn!

Sniping Big Targets with Big Guns

Hey everyone, I thought I'd chime in with another look at how 6th edition rules have really changed the "scope" of the game.  Today's topic is about sniping.  With high-priority targets really meaning a fair bit these days, it's fair to say that the game has taken it upon itself to push for a change here.  We can see this with the new inclusion of the "Precise Shots" rule.  A lot of weapons and/or anything wielded by a named model will have this ability to hope for some sixes to pop up on those to-hit rolls.  But while the sniper rifle is not a bad gun... it's not the real subject of my discussion.  Yes, even the powerful Barret 50 cal or the 40k equivilant will have to submit to the awesome power that is sniping with one of these...