The 3rd Edition Positivity Thread!

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

2 hours ago, Popisdead said:

It's funny how slow this thread moves compared to the rant-fest threads.  Or sad,...

Working on Synessa (or dexessa? I don't recall which name the model I built is).  I don't like the flowing cap sculpting but man,.. this model is impressive.  Also the staff is perma broken, ah well all GW models seem prone to this these days.

Another positivity: it appears universally people feel AoS model range is just better than 40k. 

For me, I just think the newest battlescroll is a step in the wrong direction, and it and the Khorne white dwarf update have once again brought all the stuff with GW's publishing model that I am less than thrilled about to the forefront of my mind.

But I overall still like the new core design of 3rd edition. I also think that every battletome so far has overall been a hit and that the first battlescroll was actually quite a nice update. I am still enjoying the actual game a lot right now.

[Aussiemandias]

I'm having a blast with assembling my Soulblight! The skellies look intimidating at first glance but they have their core bodies separated into triads (so parts 26, 27, and 28 are all for the one skellie). I ordered a corpse cart* and built into the Lodestone variant- the +1 to casting in an army with loads of wizards was too good to pass up! The zombie save bonus is well, an added bonus 😁

I think it's complete as it stands for now, barring maybe a second corpse cart and a box of ranged skeletons, should GW decide that skeletons can have ranged weapons again (I mean Ossiarch get catapults and greatbows, Nighthaunt are getting crossbows, so skellies get rifles?)

 

*Not just the cart lol- 2 necromancers, the cart, and some more skellies for 2 units of 20

[Kadeton]

I have always been a reluctant painter. I struggle to start painting projects, and then when I manage to start I struggle to finish them. It's the chore you have to slog through in order to play, and that makes it really hard to stay motivated. HOWEVER...

For the past couple of months, I've been building up a Nighthaunt army. They take Contrast paint like it was made for them. I started out slow, aiming for one model every day; lately I've been smashing out whole units (reinforced units even, since a lot of Nighthaunt unit sizes are bizarrely tiny) in every painting session, and they look awesome. I'm pushing my painting skills, figuring out blending, glazing, edge and specular highlighting, trying out new stuff - I'd never used static grass for basing before, and now I love it. For the first time ever, I'm genuinely enjoying the hobby, not just the game. I spend the day looking forward to my next hobby session, and thinking about what I'm going to work on next.

That's not really 3rd Edition positivity, I guess - but the prospect of having a new Nighthaunt book soon, as well as crossbow-ghosts and that fantastic Scriptor Mortis sculpt, is definitely keeping me engaged.

[Gothmaug]

An AoS positivity thread? Ok I'll bite 😁 Whatever you think of the rule set, you can't ignore that the models look amazing. Very high quality sculpts IN PLASTIC, making them easy to assemble and modify. Yes, resin printing has come a long way, but resin models are still relatively fragile. Drop a SoD chaos knight off the table and it bounces across the floor. Drop one made of resin or metal and you'll be picking up shards for days. And the range of models is also huge. SO from a painting/collecting point of view, AOS is spectacular. 

[NinthMusketeer]

TBF I would say the AoS range is newer on average, with many old kits cut from the range during the transition from WHFB. Though in the big picture, while there is ample room to criticize price and certain design elements at the end of the day GW makes really nice miniatures.

As for negativity, it is human nature to focus on the problems. This has been a great strength, as it directs attention towards things that need fixing. But particularly in the context of modern society and the internet that trait can become maladaptive. So it is important to keep things in context 🙂

[Talas]

I'm really enjoying a local Path to Glory campaign. I'm yet to win my first game but the organizer told us to write a narrative after every game and that's what's making the difference for me. Even if I lose, the fact that my Lord Celestant could make a 10" charge to finish a Megaboss was amazing. And I was so close to winning that game but a single grot escaped...

[Aussiemandias]

6 hours ago, Talas said:

I'm really enjoying a local Path to Glory campaign. I'm yet to win my first game but the organizer told us to write a narrative after every game and that's what's making the difference for me. Even if I lose, the fact that my Lord Celestant could make a 10" charge to finish a Megaboss was amazing. And I was so close to winning that game but a single grot escaped...

Haha, you won that battle and left one grot alive so he could tell the tale!

 

 

 

[Popisdead]

On 3/17/2022 at 12:36 PM, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

For me, I just think the newest battlescroll is a step in the wrong direction, and it and the Khorne white dwarf update have once again brought all the stuff with GW's publishing model that I am less than thrilled about to the forefront of my mind.

weird, I thought I could come here for the positivity thread.  My mistake.

[amysrevenge]

I'm so glad I haven't read the Skaven battletome yet.  I'm about a thousand points in to my painting project (I looked at points, minimum unit sizes, and base sizes, and some Googling to figure out what the heck some of my second-hand models even are, but that's all) and I have no idea what anything does.  And it is EXHILARATING!  Such freedom!

[Skreech Verminking]

On 3/18/2022 at 10:31 PM, NinthMusketeer said:

to criticize price and certain design elements at the end of the day GW makes really nice miniatures.

If you say so.

Last time I checked all those models (from the skaven range) I don’t own from gw, look like monky man, with an unlikely big snout.

 I wouldn’t buy does models, even if gw would just hand them out for free.

[NinthMusketeer]

8 hours ago, Skreech Verminking said:

If you say so.

Last time I checked all those models (from the skaven range) I don’t own from gw, look like monky man, with an unlikely big snout.

 I wouldn’t buy does models, even if gw would just hand them out for free.

Ok seriously dude, cherry picking kits that are decades old to criticize is just the sort of pointless negativity we have the entire rest of the internet for. Take it to another thread.

[Skreech Verminking]

3 hours ago, NinthMusketeer said:

Ok seriously dude, cherry picking kits that are decades old to criticize is just the sort of pointless negativity we have the entire rest of the internet for. Take it to another thread.

Actually I’m trying to hint certain companies towards certain range so they ca. di some certain updating.

just think of all this beautiful skaven models they could do.

now that would something to gaze in amazement.

[NinthMusketeer]

So the other day I was thinking, while GW still makes the normal share of mind-bogglingly 'interesting' design choices with every release, they have really been making a good faith effort to do better in AoS. And it's paid off; the amount of mechanics in AoS that just work well is way higher than it used to be, while the intensity of outright broken ones has reduced. Almost all of the problems I have had with 3rd edition rules have been with specific options, X unit or Y artifact, etc. Those are much easier to fix and GW has been more responsive about doing so.

Obviously GW still has a long way to go but it has been really encouraging to see the increase of rules quality for AoS over time.

 

 

 

 

Also makes me really glad my main game isn't 40k.

[NinthMusketeer]

In other news, the last balance update for AoS suddenly seems much better by comparison to what it could have been...

Never been quite so glad that the people involved in AoS rules development are not doing whatever drugs the 40k devs are apparently on!

[pnkdth]

What do you mean?

The Tempest of War was universally well received as is a fun blend of balanced objectives and while adding a bit of randomness into the mix to combat hyper-optimised lists.

The dataslate actually implemented meaningful changes and, personally, made the guard feel more distinct as a faction. Massed ranks of lasgun fire, special rules for indirect fire, and more. While it also had the trademarked GW mistakes with needing a FAQ for a FAQ, what else is new?

Kind of sad that a positivity thread for AoS has turned into "let's dunk on 40k"-thread. Let's get back on track about what's good about AoS without kicking down (or is it up in the case of 40k? 😆). And on that note, let's appreciate the Tome Celestial changes for KO. Not earthshattering perhaps but the admiral rules added extra flavour and useful fun.

I'm now huffing serious amounts of hopium in anticipation of the HoS update.

[NinthMusketeer]

For me personally, 40k doing badly translates very directly into AoS doing well. One of the most common reasons I get new people in my local AoS community is from them leaving 40k, so that does predispose me to a certain mindset. This is coupled with the more pragmatic side, where I understand that due to the nature of popularity feedback loops 40k is, in practice, too big to fail. It makes them the low-handing fruit when it comes to tongue-in-cheek mockery. On the more serious end, the standard for design quality for AoS is much higher because massive player participation is not a guarantee. I see this in the 'scalpel' style of making relatively small changes and seeing how they work while also ensuring they are well-integrated into the established mechanics. Even their experimental change with the most recent balance update works within the framework of the established system.

Comparatively, 40k updates are a sledgehammer. Among the most common criticisms of 40k is that it is too lethal and has too many rules. The recent update exacerbates the latter, and for Guard does so in a manner completely disjointed from their army mechanics and narrative immersion. The former is certainly addressed but only for marines and sisters; NPC factions are left out. I prefer the AoS update even if it does not work because it is the designers showing a degree of thought, a willingness to try new things, and a strong consideration for quality-of-life during gameplay. Comparatively the 40k update is throwing more rules at the problem to see what sticks, and while it does more or less hit the right problems it shows a lack of understanding as to why they are problems. Finally, AoS is in a better state balance wise than 40k is even after the recent update. A lot better.

Put more simply, I get the strong sense from the AoS update that the designers do care and are making an honest effort to improve whereas with 40k I am just scratching my head. But it wasn't all that long ago that AoS was in the same place, so to me it is a reminder that while AoS still has plenty of room to improve there is a striking contrast between where it is now and where it used to be.

Sidenote: three lines of text from one person does not make this a 'dunk on 40k thread'.

[NinthMusketeer]

So doing some work on a friend's model happened to notice that the little tab on the bloodthirster box has this and it is pointless but awesome:

Edit: so the image is right side up on my end dunno why the forum is flipping it!

Edited May 8, 2022 by NinthMusketeer

[NinthMusketeer]

Having gone through the DoK and NH tomes, I want to give credit to GW from stepping up the quality when it comes to enhancement options. Particularly for artifacts and command traits, there are far fewer options that are either completely awful or obviously superior. Still a few hot items and duds, but the playing field is much more level as compared to earlier 3rd edition tomes. Glad to see the improvement.

[Skreech Verminking]

2 hours ago, NinthMusketeer said:

Having gone through the DoK and NH tomes, I want to give credit to GW from stepping up the quality when it comes to enhancement options. Particularly for artifacts and command traits, there are far fewer options that are either completely awful or obviously superior. Still a few hot items and duds, but the playing field is much more level as compared to earlier 3rd edition tomes. Glad to see the improvement.

I can’t quit give them any credits yet.

It depends what they will have dine with the skaven battletome.

so till then I’m waiting.

as for the hoped rat model range update, well I think it is better not to mention my thoughts on that.

 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Skreech Verminking

[NinthMusketeer]

Every army book in Skaven's history has been an erratic shotgun of OP, UP, crazy rules and weird one-off factors seen no where else. I'd be disappointed at anything different tbh.

[Lightbox]

I've been looking into the Maggotkin 3.0 book recently and honestly I'm absolutely loving the idea of it! It's got everything I could ask for!

Small elite army - Check!
Tough models - Check!
Awesome conversion & kitbash potential - Check!
Fun alleigance abilities - Check!

I am super looking forward to playing with the disease mechanic, the idea of playing an army trying to maximise attacks and out attrition my opponent feels like a really different style compared to the usual: Do as much damage as possible and pray you don't fluff your rolls. Also the fact that between the unit of blightkings i bought ages ago, my unused gellerpox infected models and my sheer amount of spare chaos bits I'm able to make quite a bit without having to buy anything new! Which is super nice 🤩

[NinthMusketeer]

Being a long-time Nurgle player I can say it is the best GW has ever done in making a Nurgle force play and feel thematically like a Nurgle force. The marriage of theme and mechanical design is perfect, it is a really great tome. The only real weak point are the completely schizophrenic enhancements, but that is rendered a minor quibble next to how great the allegiance is.

[NinthMusketeer]

Well I am pleased by the recent balance warscroll. I like that they are playing it cautious because GW has a history of overcorrecting, and I get the sense that there really is a good-faith effort to improve things behind it. While there is still much to be desired in Warhammer balance it is nice to have a quarterly update which meaningfully improves things.

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

On 6/22/2022 at 10:45 PM, NinthMusketeer said:

Well I am pleased by the recent balance warscroll. I like that they are playing it cautious because GW has a history of overcorrecting, and I get the sense that there really is a good-faith effort to improve things behind it. While there is still much to be desired in Warhammer balance it is nice to have a quarterly update which meaningfully improves things.

I have to say, I was really critical of The Hunt, but don't have anything to complain about with Gallet. The added attention GW is paying to rules updates is really appreciated.

[NinthMusketeer]

I have three big problems with gameplay in the new GHB, of those only the most minor is subjective and might not play out but is also relatively easy to address. The other two are systematic and lie outside the bounds of the GHB.

Meanwhile the new GHB mixes things up without being 'buy tons of battleline NOW!' as some black knights suggest, sticks with a large number of scenario archetypes that work while also experimenting with some new things--in a creative and restrained manner. I get the sense that the developers really care about the rules quality, play the same game we do, and are making good faith efforts to improve.