Goatboy’s 40k – How to fix Xenos
Goatboy’s back and on the attack. Today I want to talk about how to fix Xenos armies. I know what you are saying – why do they need to be fixed?
Look no matter what you play locally you know that the dominate army you see are the 3+ jerks across the table, Grey Jerks, Blue Jerks, FAQ Jerks, Red Jerks, and a ton of other jerks that end up being whatever color of jerk the player wants them to be. I also know that these types of armies are GW’s best sellers.
When you think of Warhammer 40k you think of giant marines crunching in obscene armor and going dakka dakka all over you face. I know there are some aliens out there but most of the time it is just blue on blue crime on the tabletop. Or is it Grey on Grey? So the question is can we fix Xenos options to help bring about more variety to our tabletops?
1. More Force Org Changes. Look we all know that having more troop options allow for more variety. We all need troops to play so having more options in the troop section allows for more variety in general. Marines work because they have variety in weapon loadouts. You can create long range shooters, short range attacks, and everything in between if you wanted too. Lots of xenos are very poor in the Troops section.
2. This leads me to the next one – More Variety in Unit Creation. I know just small tweaks in weapon options and wargear would be great for a lot of Xenos armies. Creating new and interesting unit options is one of the methods to create a unique force. Dire Avengers – bad, Kabalite Warriors -good.
3. More Stat-tweaks to Create Better Units. What if Tyranid warriors were Toughness 5 starting? Wouldn’t that unit be a lot better? What about some of the new Necron “assault” options? What if they had 2 wounds with their Toughness 5? That would make these shield guys a lot better as it would take longer to get rid of them as they slogged you down in combat. It is small tweaks like these that I think would create a much more robust Xenos environment.
4. Xenos Needs Better Anti-tank Options. Tanks are the key for 40k right now and a lot of Xenos are stuck with either having to punch a box to death or only able to take out a certain range of boxes. The worst thing is when they are saddled with a rule that allows most armies the ability to stop it beyond the unit rolling a miss to hit (Tyranids and their “mind bullets”).
5. Xenos’s Anti-psychic Abilities Need Beefing Up. Psychic powers are pushing forward more and more and there needs to be a concentrated effort to help the aliens deal with whatever mind bullets, mind missles, and mind shennanigans that are coming about. Look everyone should have some kind of anti-psychic protection. They need either some way to stop it or at least make it harder to go off. Fantasy has dispel dice for Dwarves why can’t Tau have some kind of Mind Shield or Warp Free option that stops stuff?
I am all for army variation. I want to see different lists on the table top that make me scared to face them. I want units that confuse me and armies that confound me. I don’t want to just play a sea of multicolored armored dudes who either love or hate the Emperor. I know I am a marine player at heart but more variation will make stomping on some Xenos scum a lot more interesting. I am tired of having “misunderstandings” with my fellow marine brothers on the battlefield. I want a Xenos army to play that fills in the gaps from all the marine nonsense I normally have. Make my Orks good again damnit!
~What do you think the Xenos most need to deal with the other half of the 3+ armor books?
