40K: Thousand Sons Answers & Questions (In That Order)
After a week of Interweb speculation and facts regarding the Sons of Magnus …let’s look at what we know and which questions linger.
I know that many tidbits of data (which is not the same as information) have been tossed our way. But there is some actual information in there. There will of course, continue to be speculation (the grist of the Interweb mill) right up to release time. But let’s give this a go and see where we are so far…
Fact: GDub has once again given us some amazing models to get working on. Once this thing appears in real-space, and I have had a chance to give it a good look over, I can’t wait to put primer and paint to that Ahriman and those Floaty Sorcerer models.
Question: Is GW holding back a few other models for a staggered release once these beauties are out the door (would not be the first time)?
Fact: We are getting a primarch!!! Yes my 40K friends, we are getting a plastic primarch, the first such animal of the 41st millennium. From his stats, he looks pretty damn beefy.
Questions: Here is where that impressive stat line will be put to the test. What is his point cost? What are his special rules? Does he have an invulnerable save? What are the stats on his shooting attack? How will his advertised psychic awesomeness work in game terms? What is his Mastery level?
Fact: We are getting Tzeentch daemons…specifically, the Horror Triplets. Pink to Blue, Blue to Flames.
Questions: Will this Tzeentch army be able to avail itself of other Tzeentch daemons? Fateweaver? The Changling (very fluffy/narrative given the Warzone Fenris story so far)? Screamers, Flamers? Who will be able to summon and how easy will it be? Will Tzeetch daemons be Fearless and not have to worry about Instability (like KDK)? How many wounds do each of the Triplet models have (not guesses, actual stats)?
Fact: There has been mention of a Warp Storm Table (the fact is that is has been mentioned, not that it actually exists).
Question: Will this table be similar to the Blood Tithe Table for KDK?
Fact: There are Thousand Son specific models, and they are not limited to Rubricae. We also have Ahriman, Floaty Sorcerers, Tzeentch Goatmen (Tzaangors) and Beefy Terminators. Beautiful models for sure.
Questions: Profile/Stats for Ahriman and the Floaty Sorcerers (Mastery Level, Special Rules, e.g.)? Are the Goatmen going to just be Cultists with blue skin and animal bodies? Do we know that the Termies have two wounds, and do they have unique shooting/melee weps?
Fact: We have seen some of the names for weapons, but nothing confirmed regarding stats…or have we?
Question: Are the stats we have seen confirmed, and if so, what are the loadout options for the different units? For example, I am a bit skeptical of a hand-held D-Wep profile I have seen.
Some Thoughts
Wrath of Magnus is NOT a fix for Chaos Space Marines. I know this is an obvious statement, but I want to make it clear that this is not the intention of this supplement. How do I know? I have been around long enough for that dream to have died long ago. However, it will continue the tradition of KDK, Traitor’s Hate, Crimson Slaughter and Black Legion. I strongly believe it will give the Chaos Space Marine player even more ways to utilize otherwise “broken” units (the definition of CSM “broken” is way too open to definition…you make that choice for yourself) and make them viable options on the table again. KDK did this for several units. Another issue to consider is that rumors continue to persist of an 8th Edition release sometime in the first half of 2017. Will Wrath of Magnus help us transition into 8th? Will we seen any new mechanics in regards to the Psychic Phase, or will this merely be another rule set released right before a major change in our paradigm?
Speaking of KDK, Wrath of Magnus looks and smells a lot like what KDK gave us. Just focused on Tzeentch now instead of Khorne. The Warp Storm Table sounds like another Blood Tithe. The mention of Tzeentch specific formations, Warlord Traits, Relics…all things that KDK gave us. I know this is not a codex as KDK was. But the things that Khorne Daemonkin provided seem to be contained in Wrath of Magnus. Decurion-style builds? Maybe, and that would be great.
I have previously mentioned that Wrath of Magnus has some pretty high expectations to meet. We desperately want it to be another game changer, as both KDK and Genestealer Cults were. I believe what we have seen so far moves us far along the path to meeting expectations. That being said, most of us have been around long enough to see our hopes dashed upon the rocks like the Wreck of the Hesperus more than once. Someone once said that we believe what we want to be true. If that is the case, then I believe that the Wrath of Magnus will meet our hobbying, narrative and gaming expectations.
How are you feeling so far about what you have seen and heard (rumor or otherwise)?
