Make Stormcast Elite Again

[PJetski]

Following up on discussions in my earlier thread about rewriting the Stormcast Battletome, and a discussion in the What's Next For Stormcast thread, I have taken another stab at rewriting the Stormcast rules.

Many players have identified a big problem with the Stormcast Eternals - their rules do not match their lore or even their models!
Stormcast are large models but still die pretty easily; they have swords the size of Freeguild but their attacks are mostly weak and inaccurate; they have Wizards that can fight better than melee heroes; the large expensive centerpiece models are not impactful enough for their relative stature; most stormhosts are never worth playing and the general traits & artifacts are weak; the special characters are mostly useless, and so on.

My main goals with this revamp are the following:

• Rewrite the warscroll rules so they more accurately reflect the lore and models of the Stormcast Eternals
• Reduce the model count of the Stormcast army and make each unit feel more elite
• Revise the allegiance abilities to bring them in line with other 2.0 armies and better portray the way Stormcast go to war
• Replace the existing Stormhost rules with new identities and rules that fit better into narrative and matched play
• Increase the point costs of many underutilized units and make these units stronger (both offensively and defensively)

In order to accomplish these goals I have some overreaching strategies:

• Almost every Stormcast model has +1 to their Wounds characteristic
  • Basic Stormcast are 3 wounds and 4+ save
  • Shields give a unit +1 save. If the unit already has a 3+ save, shields re-roll 1s instead.
  • "Elite" units (Paladins, Evocators) are 4 wounds. Paladins have 3+ save.
  • Mounted units are +2 wounds over their unmounted counterparts
  • Knights are 5 wounds
  • Lords are 6 wounds
  • Lord-Celestants are +1 wound over other Lords
  • Special characters usually +1 wound
• Rules for weapon options (including shields) have been examined in every unit to make each choice feel more compelling
• Prime models in every unit each have a special once per battle ability
• Prime Electrids also increases casting/unbinding/dispel rolls by 1
• Add synergies to more unit combinations that make sense from a narrative or thematic perspective
• All Warrior Chamber units, some Vanguard units, some Extremis, and few Sacrosanct units have improved damage output

With all that context in mind, see the spoilered text below for all the updated warscrolls.

Named Characters:

Spoiler

Warrior Chamber:

Spoiler

Extremis Chamber:

Spoiler

Vanguard Chamber:

Spoiler

Sacrosanct Chamber:

Spoiler

Pitched Battle Profiles (aka Point Costs):

Spoiler

 

 

A full gallery of the warscrolls can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/9xhaNrF

Update: Allegiance abilities, Stormhosts, and Battalions: https://imgur.com/a/1lVenGv

This has not been playtested so it's obviously not balanced, but let me know what you think anyway!

Stormcast Battletome Revamp (MSEA).pdf

Edited March 25, 2021 by PJetski

[baiardo]

And again this year you made our battletome(and you didn't want to) 😂, hope somebody read it and approve it in GW HQ, at least that they can take inspiration from it.

Great Job.👌

[Nizrah]

IMO base save should be 3+ even without shields. 

[PJetski]

Allegiance abilities, Stormhosts, and Battalions: https://imgur.com/a/1lVenGv

Traits, Artifacts, Spells, etc.

Spoiler

Stormhosts

Spoiler

Battalions

Spoiler

I have updated these since the thread I made last year. I think you guys will like the Celestial Vindicators battle trait that focuses on bladed weapons, and the changes to Tempest Lords since my last version that focuses on Flying units. 

[jhamslam]

1 hour ago, PJetski said:

ABattalions

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Any thoughts on comprehensive battalions? most of ours suck cus of lack of heroes, and lack of battleline inclusion

So Cleansing Phalanx would be a lot better if it was 2-3 sequitors and 2 Evos

[PJetski]

43 minutes ago, jhamslam said:

Any thoughts on comprehensive battalions? most of ours suck cus of lack of heroes, and lack of battleline inclusion

So Cleansing Phalanx would be a lot better if it was 2-3 sequitors and 2 Evos

It's hard to care about the mega battalions when they will never be used outside of narrative games and 5000+ point apocalypse style games. Once you get past 2000 points it becomes progressively more difficult to try to balance the game.

That would definitely make Cleansing Phalanx better, but does Cleansing Phalanx need to be stronger? I would rather reduce its point cost to make it easier to fit into a list.

[jhamslam]

3 minutes ago, PJetski said:

It's hard to care about the mega battalions when they will never be used outside of narrative games and 5000+ point apocalypse style games. Once you get past 2000 points it becomes progressively more difficult to try to balance the game.

That would definitely make Cleansing Phalanx better, but does Cleansing Phalanx need to be stronger? I would rather reduce its point cost to make it easier to fit into a list.

I dont mean mega battalions, i dont care if Phalanx was strictly stronger (although since it does nothing for the evcocators i dont think its THAT strong), its just that our battalions dont cover a wide enough range of units sometimes or cover battleline requirements. 

Stormkeep battalions are a good example. 

Hero Battalion, Comprehensive (including battleline + Paladins) Battalion / Army battalion and Utility / Trick Battalion
 

Edited March 25, 2021 by jhamslam

[rosa]

The Resolution is so bad, i cant even read the content.

I mean, you put so much effort in writing these and than this Resolution?

[PJetski]

20 minutes ago, rosa said:

The Resolution is so bad, i cant even read the content.

I mean, you put so much effort in writing these and than this Resolution?

The resolution is a result of uploading it to the TGA forums. I'll try to reupload them, but for the time being if you open the imgur link it has proper resolution images there

Edited March 25, 2021 by PJetski

[rosa]

Even in the external link the resolution is so poor, i cant read the rules with a little zoom in.

[PJetski]

1 minute ago, rosa said:

Even in the external link the resolution is so poor, i cant read the rules with a little zoom in.

Are you on a phone or desktop?

I'll look into finding a different site to host the images

[Nizrah]

11 minutes ago, PJetski said:

Are you on a phone or desktop?

I'll look into finding a different site to host the images

Its perfectly fine on desktop

 

[rosa]

Im on my phone.

[PJetski]

44 minutes ago, rosa said:

Im on my phone.

Here's a pdf compilation, let me know if this works for you 

Added this to the OP

Stormcast Battletome Revamp (MSEA).pdf

Edited March 25, 2021 by PJetski

[PJetski]

1 hour ago, jhamslam said:

I dont mean mega battalions, i dont care if Phalanx was strictly stronger (although since it does nothing for the evcocators i dont think its THAT strong), its just that our battalions dont cover a wide enough range of units sometimes or cover battleline requirements. 

Stormkeep battalions are a good example. 

Hero Battalion, Comprehensive (including battleline + Paladins) Battalion / Army battalion and Utility / Trick Battalion
 

There are many new battleline options and lots of battalions use units like Judicators. Take a second look at both the battalions and the pitched battle profiles and let me know if you still feel the same way

[Mattrulesok]

Looks good but frankly I'd like to see the celestant prime be stronger, the one here is worth 340 points but I don't think he should be 340, he should be a 600ish point model becuae that's what his lore says. I'm sure GW price him under 400 so he can ally into order armies but it's easy enough to give him the gotrek ally rule. 

 

I also feel like shield of civilisation allegiance ability should effect sequitors as well, they are functionally the sacrosanct equivalent and should act as such

[jhamslam]

Just now, PJetski said:

There are many new battleline options and lots of battalions use units like Judicators. Take a second look at both the battalions and the pitched battle profiles and let me know if you still feel the same way

oops...fair fair, i didnt notice the battleline changes haha

[jhamslam]

Just now, Mattrulesok said:

Looks good but frankly I'd like to see the celestant prime be stronger, the one here is worth 340 points but I don't think he should be 340, he should be a 600ish point model becuae that's what his lore says. I'm sure GW price him under 400 so he can ally into order armies but it's easy enough to give him the gotrek ally rule. 

 

I also feel like shield of civilisation allegiance ability should effect sequitors as well, they are functionally the sacrosanct equivalent and should act as such

Id rather not. i want sequitors to feel different. Like holy paladin battleline as opposed to the staunch defender of humanity battleline

[rosa]

11 minutes ago, PJetski said:

Here's a pdf compilation, let me know if this works for you 

Stormcast Battletome Revamp (MSEA).pdf 28.42 MB · 3 downloads

Perfekt!

Thanks a Lot!

[MarkK]

👍 Great job, gives an elite feel to Stormcast

[Frowny]

Mostly, I like and support your changes generally. They do feel too weak for their fluff and model scale. 

 

More specifically I'd prefer a 3rd wound but think you went to far with a 3+ save is a bit much. You buffed their points cost a bit but not enough to more than double their durability. And with better output.

Poor chaos warriors, supposedly their equals are crying. But a lot of these changes are spot on.

I'll never understand why the knight azyros with his massive sword is 1 damage.

[PJetski]

24 minutes ago, Frowny said:

More specifically I'd prefer a 3rd wound but think you went to far with a 3+ save is a bit much. You buffed their points cost a bit but not enough to more than double their durability. And with better output.

It seems like you're talking about Liberators. It's likely not controversial to say that they are not currently worth their 90 points at 2 wounds/4+rr1 and negligible damage output. If I had to give a fair point value to Liberators right now I would put them around 70 points per 5, maybe 80 if I was feeling generous.

I think bumping them to 3 wounds, replacing the rr1 with +1 to save, adding a second grandweapon (it's on the sprue!) and improving the accuracy of their attacks is justified by increasing their cost to 140 per 5.  I think that the 140 point price tag is further justified when you consider that their support pieces are either more expensive or have different mechanics (like the Castellant lantern no longer giving +1 to save rolls). 

What price would you give them with these rules?

[jhamslam]

On 3/26/2021 at 1:39 PM, PJetski said:

It seems like you're talking about Liberators. It's likely not controversial to say that they are not currently worth their 90 points at 2 wounds/4+rr1 and negligible damage output. If I had to give a fair point value to Liberators right now I would put them around 70 points per 5, maybe 80 if I was feeling generous.

I think bumping them to 3 wounds, replacing the rr1 with +1 to save, adding a second grandweapon (it's on the sprue!) and improving the accuracy of their attacks is justified by increasing their cost to 140 per 5.  I think that the 140 point price tag is further justified when you consider that their support pieces are either more expensive or have different mechanics (like the Castellant lantern no longer giving +1 to save rolls). 

What price would you give them with these rules?

 

 

Have you thought about battle traits?

One idea I liked from the LRL book was the Temple specific battle traits on top of allegiance abilities.

Hurakan getting weird pile ins

Vanari getting shining company and sooo on.

We have 4 chambers, so specific allegiance traits perhaps?

[PJetski]

15 hours ago, jhamslam said:

 

 

Have you thought about battle traits?

One idea I liked from the LRL book was the Temple specific battle traits on top of allegiance abilities.

Hurakan getting weird pile ins

Vanari getting shining company and sooo on.

We have 4 chambers, so specific allegiance traits perhaps?

It is something I did consider, but unlike the Lumineth we have a great deal of unit variety within each Chamber. Each Chamber has a mix of melee, shooting, cavalry, etc.. There doesn't seem to be any kind of cohesive rules you could apply to both Evocators and Celestar Ballistae. My initial impression is that it would just end up being another set of rules to slap onto individual units and that just ends up feeling too bloated.

I would rather consider adding Conclave rules (eg rules for all REDEEMER units, all JUSTICAR units, etc.) because they are a unique aspect of the Stormcast military structure and should be explored further. The rules are already so densely layered this would probably just end up taking another rewrite to make it all fit together properly.

Great ideas to explore but I'm not sure there's enough gas left in the tank to bother with 3rd edition so close.

[CommissarRotke]

Bit of a necro but: with all the tomfoolery concerning free warscrolls access, homebrew like this for all the factions is looking even better. I went over the OnePageRules and they look good, but am not a fan of the lore they've refit AOS/WHF factions with (especially us).