In Defense of Warhammer Fantasy 8th Edition
So time for a ‘hit back’ at 8th Edition’s detractors. It’s not only better, but the best edition of the game EVER.
A guest editorial by Mr. Mystery
As much as the detractors are very much entitled to their opinion, and I’m not about to question or challenge them, I though I should post up what it is that makes 8th Edition, in my mind, the finest edition of Warhammer to date.
1. It’s All About the Infantry, Baby!
Infantry are the powerhouse of Warhammer now. It’s your bog standard Core choices which will ultimately carry the day, either by staving off the big single nasties, or grinding down the opposition in a war of attrition. More of them than ever get to have a swing, thanks to no more ‘front rank wipe’ and of course steadfast. Anyone attacking a block of infantry needs to have it’s arse in gear, and hit them with multiple units. No longer will we see opportunistic cavalry charges unrealistically breaking a mass of infantry. They’ll do damage, sure, quite possibly winning the combat, but then they’re more likely than ever to be tarpitted, and attritioned into the dirt. Same goes with Monsters, and single chariots. You want to take out my infantry? It’s finally time to sing for your supper.
And this has changed the whole dynamic of the game. Min-max has thankfully had it’s day, and core infantry is no longer something taken just to field a legal army.
2. It’s Much, Much Faster
I know some aren’t keen on the random charges, and I guess I understand why. But I don’t agree. Random charges have added far more strategy to the movement phase. Before, I could comfortably hold my Chariots at 9″ away from most Infantry. This means I have 5″ of charge to spare, and the majority of footsloggers could do nothing about it. Sure, they could back off. At half speed. And no march. Leaving me a comfortable 3″ of charge reach left. Only other option was to flee from a charge they should realistically be able to receive. Another issue raised is that the 2D6+M makes infantry unrealistically fast compared to Cavalry. Well, yes and no on this one. Cavalry still have a far, far longer march move. But now rather than being used simply for hurling them into the first combat you can, and hoping for a ‘front rank wipe’, that increased movement is better off actually maneuvering into an advantageous position, to support a later combined charge. Again, even more strategic planning is now required. Cavalry still have their place, but again, they now have to sing for their supper!
3. Combats Are More Protracted
This to my mind is a good thing, as once again, you’ve guessed it, more strategic consideration. I know my horde of infantry should be able to pin the big nasty stuff, allowing me to bring in more combat effective troops to deliver a coup de grace. But it’s still a massive risk. It can fairly easily win the combat against me (thanks to thunderstomp), so I need to ensure when I attempt this, the BSB, General or ideally both are within their bonus range to make that holding action all the more likely. It also means I have to be mindful of what the other units in my opponents army are doing. It’s all well and good bogging down the big nasty in it’s own turn, but if you’ve failed to spot other enemy units that could jump your unit before you have a chance to reinforce your own unit, well it’s likely to all go a bit wrong, as they can either provide ranks of their own to tip the balance, or hit you with enough stuff to whittle off you’re own ranks.
4. Magic
Yep. The spells got souped up, and how. Yep. You now can’t necessarily magic your way to victory, due to random power dice, and also a typically greater preponderance of dispel dice. Good. This to me is how it should be. Before, people took Lvl 1 scroll caddies, just to shut down magic. This sucked horribly for the likes of Vampire and Tomb Kings, who utterly depended on their spells going off reliably. Now those armies have ways to generate additional dice, without giving out dispel dice to the opponent. Yet anyone, those armies included, who decide when writing their list they’ll just win through overwhelming magical force, can no longer really depend on that. Only a good thing to my mind.
5. Artillery
It’s not what it used to be, and given this is the Age of Infantry, that’s quite appropriate. It can still knock holes in approaching formations, but it really struggles to one hit kill now. Removing guess ranges? Again, I appreciate people’s worries about that, but face it. Play with artillery for a while, and you soon get laser vision for it. And given GW’s own Realm of Battle? I can see the middle of the board now, and know from edge to edge it’s 24″. I’ll also know how far I’ve deployed the artillery on the board, and make pretty accurate guesses as to how far in the target is. So guessing wasn’t the science it once was. Ergo, they did away with it all together. It still scatters. It can still overshoot or fail to bounce… It’s still potent, but hey, you won’t be winning the game with that alone anymore. Bad thing because? (seriously, anyone who has played against Stunties before will be familiar with the apparent tactical genius of just sitting up on a hill, and blasting everything in sight…) It’s also effectively killed off stupid character sniping. You know the old wheeze. Wizard or other character legging it between units, and out in the open, but safely out of line of sight. Oh my. What a surprise. My opponent has ‘accidentally’ overguessed his cannon….splat. Yes. Well done. Aren’t you a tactical genius and all round good sport, and certainly not bending the rules somewhat. Again, only a good thing.
6. It’s a Combined Arms Race
The infantry are the powerhouse. But it’s well supported infantry, and a carefully orchestrated combat plan that wins the game overall. Newer monsters have buff/debuff ranges (including the new fangled big kits, like the Luminark and that) to assist your other units, and no surprises, the more in the unit, the more that buff/debuff is felt! Infantry lead the charge, whilst chariots and cavalry hit the flanks to bring the big res.
7. The Army Books
GOOD GOD JIM! It looks like we finally have balance! Even Orcs and Goblins are a nice little army, and they were the first out of the trap! It’s still not completely perfect, but then, given the sheer number of variables, it never will be. But what we have now is a system and supporting books where the main factor of any win is sheer player competency. And with far fewer beardy combos out there, that competence is more about tactical and strategic nous than list spam!
So yeah. 8th Edition. I love it. I love it to bits. The games are closer. The tactics sneakier. And because of that, even when I get Purple Sunned off the table in turn two, I really, really don’t mind, as it’s far from a regular occurrence!
