WFB: The Worst Five Items of the Old World

5 Minute Read

Sep 8 2010

a guest editorial by Minus67

8th Edition is here to stay, but there are some mighty nasty items out there that threaten to throw things off the tracks.

So now that we have had about 6 weeks of the new rules for 8th edition along with a few tournaments and the first round of ‘Ard Boyz a few things have risen to the surface of the fantasy world that demand immediate attention. These things are so broken that we fear in our local community they may chase people out of the game entirely if Games Workshop, Gaming Clubs or TO’s don’t do something about it. Here they are in order of douchebagness:

Dwellers – clearly the Eloi are strength:1

1. Dwellers Below: Every book lore has a big finisher spell at the #6 slot. Dwellers Below is from Life magic and makes everyone take a strength check or be removed from the game with no save of any kind allowed. It is cast on an 18+ with a range of 12” or alternatively on a 21+ with a range of 24”. It is utterly ridiculous. Most models have somewhere between a 33-50% chance of just dying no saves and where this gets really obnoxious is when it hits other spell casters. Most wizards are STR 3 a few lucky ones are STR 4. It is easily the fastest way to get magical superiority over your opponent which will let you cast it even easier the second and third and fourth time, assuming it’s even necessary. There are two other spells that use similar mechanics, one is in metal called Final Transformation and the other one is talked about later on. Both of these spells are inferior versions of Dwellers because they either only kill on a 5 or a 6 or can end up killing the caster and provide look out sir rolls. Here is an example of the craziness that happened at ‘Ard Boyz that can turn off players:

1. Slann uses 6 dice to cast 21+ dwellers on big unit of Grave Guard. Rolls double 6’s causing spell to be irresistible.
2. Vampire player loses 1/3 of unit and BSB with unlucky roll
3. Lizardmen player rolls miscast result, rolls a 10 which will make him lose d3 wizard levels.
4. Uses cupped hands to give that result to vampire lore that loses 3 levels and is no longer a wizard
5. Game is effectively over
6. Player questions why he plays Warhammer

Proposed Solution: Make it only kill on a 5+ and 6+ if you have more than one wound, or allow look out sir.

Power Scroll: Even he knows its unfair

2. Power Scroll: I have no idea what they were thinking when they were making this item combined with the above mentioned spell. The item lets you cast one spell with irresistible force on any roll of a double. It still causes a miscast but leads to absolute insanity. For weeks now I have been watching purple suns, dwellers below, Dreaded 13th and Infernal gateway being cast all over the place. Here is an example of the craziness that happened at ‘Ard Boyz that can very much turn off the fun:

1. Vampire player uses ghoulkin to make his ghouls do a pre-game march
2. Vampire with the power scroll, forbidden lore and the talisman of lycni marches 18 out of the unit on the first turn. He is now 2” into your deployment zone usually on a flank.
3. Reads the power scroll, casting big purple sun which goes off irresistibly.
4. Purple sun goes 24” down opponent’s battle line of dwarves.
5. 25+ dwarves die including several characters and at least on organ gun.
6. VC player generates 12 power dice from the dead guys.
7. Player questions why he plays Warhammer

Proposed Solution: Get rid of it completely. That item was a huge mistake.

Teclis: No one with a hat of that size is to be trusted

3. Teclis: This guy was kind of annoying in the last edition but wasn’t really capable of taking out entire units every single turn, but now he can and will. He is like a power scroll all the time except he will still only miscast on double 6’s and ignores the first miscast every turn. He also adds a d3 power dice to the pool each turn along with the obligatory banner of sorcery that adds another d3 power dice to ensure that the high elf player with have 10-12 power dice every turn. Teclis equipped with shadow magic is probably the most infuriating thing in the world as he will be casting pit of shades irresistible each turn along with Occam’s Mind razor. Here is yet another example of the craziness that happened at ‘Ard Boyz that can turn off players:

1. Teclis cast Withering on big unit containing general or wizard lord. Reducing their strength by d3.
2. Rolls a 2 for withering. Unit is now Strength 1 and Wizard lord is strength 2.
3. Lvl 2 with power scroll casts dwellers.
4. 5/6 of the unit dies including wizard lord.
5. Game is effectively over
6. Player questions why he plays Warhammer

Proposed Solution: Get rid of him completely. F this guy.

Hoeth: What your opponent will look like after the 5th irresistible force

4. Book of Hoeth: Pretty much read the above section, but the Archmage using it won’t generate his own d3 extra dice. Pretty much rinse and repeat.

Proposed Solution: Get rid of it completely. That item was a huge mistake written for a different edition.

Purple Sun: And thats just the small one

5. Purple Sun of Xerus: This spell is honestly on the fence. If Power Scroll and Book of Hoeth are gone than this spell becomes much less scary. It requires a 25 to cast, has a 1/6 chance of hitting the caster, has to roll an artillery dice to determine the distance it travels which can miss and can randomly bounce back towards the caster or his army and it even allows look out sir. See the situation in #2 to see why this spell is so devastating.

Proposed Solution: Only gain more power dice on a 6+ and only one roll be model, not per wound. Maybe delay dice till next casting phase.

Here are a few others items that are “on the line”:
-Folding Fortress
-Crown of Command
-Forbidden Lore