The new ROB board and what it means for Destruction

[Emicus]

Arcanabulum PDF (gw website)     Fell Chasm PDF (gw website)

This new board is obviously going to be the new hotness for AOS around the world, a board everyone will want to play on (especially since your models wont keep sliding off that hill all the time..) But what does it mean for Destruction?

 

The Arcanabulum

Spoiler

This is a tough cookie. It's such a large (and thus random) table to roll on that you can't ever know what you're going to get. The average dice roll of 7 is nothing happens and most of the effects only apply while on/near the Arcanabulum but there are some table-wide effects that are pretty important for us.

Nr5 and Nr9

These effects appear to be table-wide, meaning that every time a Nr5 or 9 rolls up your MONSTERS have to move either away from or towards the Arcanabulum in the movement phase. That means if you're trying to get somewhere, you are likely stuffed. That means if you're in combat mashing 'eads with your MONSTER and either of those results show up in the movement phase, you're likely to have to disengage.

If your enemy is occupying the Arcanabulum that's a 50/50 chance you get something you were doing anyway (running towards them), but I reckon clever opponents will fast realise that holding the Chasm (see below) is going to be much more key - and indeed make that Nr5/9 a nasty 100% bad.

 

Fell Chasm

Spoiler

This is going to be a clutch area of contest for ranged and melee units alike. Models attempting to cross the chasm have a 1/6 chance of dying unless they use the bridge, and it's impossible to stand inside the chasm itself. So if you can hold the bridge with a Character (a beastly melee one that's now re-rolling everything) and line your side of the chasms edge with models, the opponent will be unable to cross - at all. This is great for range units as you are now highly protected from melee retaliation, forcing the opponent to go around the sides to get to grips with you.

or perhaps you want the opponent to brave the chasm and leave a 2-3" space between you and the chasm on 'your side'?

But Emicus, you might say, what's the benefit of holding the bridge if there's no objectives and/or your opponent wont bite?  Glad you asked, Timmy, 24"Arcane Bolts on Stereoids. And with the Rule of One, that's a 'second' Arcane Bolt source.

 

TLDR;

- Arcanabulum is bad if you take MONSTERS in your list, learn to mitigate forced Disengagement via clever placement (so you'll be unable to move 3" away from an enemy thus making an illegal move - stopping you from doing it)

- Fell Chasm is clutch for bunkering up, forcing your opponent into bad moves and giving you a 'second' (and better) Arcane Bolt under the Rule of One