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Exactly, I like how I can immediately figure out what kind of unit the Shaggoth is just by looking at this. Since each rule is universal you do not have to return to the battletome every time, know every other battletome inside out, to understand/remember what different units do. I have no strong feeling either way though. In my ideal world there would be hybrid system, i.e. bespoke rules when necessary. With a strong foundation of USRs it also makes erratas and changes work more seamlessly. In other words, [ insert "why not both?" meme here ]

Not going to lose my head over deeds. I have plenty of D6s. It looks like a bit of extra you be used tactically + there will be more options. Same for the delusions (which thankfully stayed) which adds even more tactical advantage. For now I haven't seen anything that breaks my faith in the book. Just need a little bit more to chew on (huehuehue).

Yepp, the meeting in question was probably just finalising the design based on previous work. However, claiming it is going from draft to final design in a single day will generate a lot more attention. Or it could be as simple as something getting lost in translation, "a full day meeting to finalise the rules" became "create the final rules in a day" as word got passed around.

I preferred it when items where in-book specific and the generic items were priced per army. I have very little experience with 8-9th since I think they changed the game in the wrong direction after 7th. All the randomness (magic and charges, for example) didn't fit with their particular rank and file combat system very well. The good news is that TOW seem to be making changes in, mostly, the right places to make things less so.

Boom. Recognising the jank is not the same disliking a game. If there is one thing that annoys me with AoS at the moment is all the bookkeeping with very little pay-off. For example, I would like it if the heroic/monster phase was the same and just call it "epic moment"-phase or something to denote this is when the heroes and monsters of the battle do their flexing. Second part, pointless 4+ rolls and extra steps such as extra CP or roar. Just have them do the action, done, and move on to the dice rolls we're all here for.

That could also very well be the case. The combination of a low unit selection and/or running the risk of low sales due to the ghoul kits being quite prominent in existing kits it wasn't worth replacing them. Also, perhaps the moulds are still in good condition and they're going to stay the course because of that. Or cost effectiveness in the number of FEC players. There's likely a lot of metrics and KPIs going into the decision of adding/replacing units. Next up I hope factions like BoC, Skaven, Ogors, and FS too of course get an updated/expanded range. They very much deserve it since they either have so many old kits or, in the case of FS, barely distinguishable units while having so much potential for new cool units.

Definitely not opposed to new ghoul kits, however, the issue for AoS (it seems) is that GW need more guarantees on buying power to refresh kits. That said, they've let some seriously outdated kits overstay their welcome in 40k too so who the heck know what makes them decide X or Y.

The new ones are more sinewy but there's isn't a whole lot separating them. Most players already have a metric tonne of them too and the prospect of having to redo all of them won't be very appealing. Which is why I think GW decided to focus on new releases and adding to the range instead.

I love the look of the new models. Very close to how I imagined the Strigoi in WHFB. Ushoran looks like the hulk and his hunch looks more like he could explode into furious anger rather than hunched over because of being weak (looks fun to paint too). I guess Ushoran has been brought into the fold since he's given the title of Mortarch. I suspect he'll be more a Mannfred style Mortrach though, more directed and manipulated than ordered around. It also seems likely we're going to see new lore and stuff in the new book given the introduction of Ushoran and bunch of new stuff. Overall, more models than I expected. Now I just hope the book delivers, as in flavour and cool rules.

Tactical rock worn as armour? Mother of the gods... 😱

Spot on. More options and the variety is the spice of life. For some models in AoS I've restrained some design with various kitbashes while enhancing others. Putting your own stamp on things is a big part of the hobby for me.

I'm already seeing use for the marching formation to create refused flanks too. Deployment will be super important as it always were in WHFB and, like you say, it will also help in re-positioning and with faking out your opponent.

It was always going be a rank and file game in the spirit of WHFB. I'm surprised to see people were expecting otherwise. For those who still prefer AoS, well, TOW is going to be a gold mine for kitbashes and creating new themed armies.

Quite like how they dealt with minimum front + ridiculously deep formations. While certainly the most polite and British style of formation (standing in a long queue) it always struck me as very "gamey." The rest is exactly what I expected and a positive for me.

Yeah, I always thought of Destruction factions as Anarchist and having a society (or tribes) with a "survival-of-the-fittest" philosophy (a very direct and brutal meritocracy). Much like how Order wants to establish, well, their kind of order and do not shy away from cruel to downright evil acts if the ends justify the means. And so on.

Hobbyist foremost. Enjoy getting into the lore since I find it enriches the hobbyist aspect. To me, it isn't just the minis themselves but placing them within a setting is what gives them purpose. I write short stories and flavour text to create a slice of the world for myself. Not really with the aim to show to the world but just as little something-something extra. My gaming time revolve around skirmish and boardgames. I have sold off quite a lot my stuff to "de-clutter" my hobby since it was going all over the place. I do not know if I'll get back into AoS or 40k and in the end it doesn't matter. Starting anew feels pretty hecking good. Sometimes you gotta take a step back and, thankfully, I've become better and better at recognising a burnout before it hits. Have a good feeling about next year or maybe that's just my delusions talking. 😇

FS are rad as heck. It was the army that got me into AoS (alongside HoS/FEC). I was big on Slayers in WHFB too. What I consider a let down is the limited range and lost potential of what you can do with them thematically.

It is the only play we consumers have though since the other option encourage them to continue increasing prices. Also, it isn't like GW have put much energy in FS to begin with. It is a faction with copy/pasted characters, copy/pasted units, copy/pasted monsters (well, monster with different copy/pasted characters). Which is an important factor to mention since it is kind of backwards to demand consumers to pay a premium for minimal support. Basically, why should customers be excited to invest into faction/game if there's nothing there? Had GW blown us away with awesome sculpts and great support then paying a premium might actually be warranted since you'd be buying into a premium product. Same is true for FEC. Long time with non-existent updates and that errata made me think they're about to get put into SBGL or something, which made me extremely hesitant to continue to buy into the faction. TL;DR: If you want to change things you got be ready to take a few hits in the short term. If not, they'll just continue to increase the prices until their slogan, "warhammer is for everyone," becomes a parody onto itself.

Feels good. At one point I was convinced FEC was going to be absorbed as a sub-faction in SBGL (or worse). Let's hope for a Summerking release in, errr, winter too. 😄

That will entirely depend on the models. Do we know if they are rehashed minis or updated sculpts?

I believe AoS would benefit a lot from having a poster faction. SM is a huge factor in 40k's success and popularity. SCE have been consistently popular at events despite a fairly low win rate. While this may be due to easy access to models I also think the concept of an elite super soldier faction holds a lot of appeal to a wide audience. I would love to see a more even spread of releases across factions but SCE being "the marines of AoS" is a necessary 'evil.' I expect we'll see a continued focus on thunderstrike units and, similar to 40k marines, a gradual removal of the distinction between thunderstrike and "firstborn" SCE. I mean, we've already gotten AoS imperial guard so it is quite clear GW wants to see if having a bigger focus on human factions will breed the same level of popularity. TL;DR: an established poster faction will help with brand recognition and tabletop presence which ultimately will be good for AoS' popularity and growth. It all comes down to how it is handled down the line and it is fair to say there are other factions who deserve a lot more attention.

Proxying using Infinity N4 rules has proven to be a success. Their system is a lot more active despite being a IGYG-system because of how fire teams and reactive actions work which doesn't make you feel like a spectator during the opponent's turn. Feels more cinematic and like there are two groups exchanging fire/blows in an urban environment. Obviously I encourage people to support them by buying models/books/accessories if you end up enjoying their system just saying it is a good way to test it out without having to invest in completely new models.

It is. We've just reached the point where it is all we have left so we're desperately holding on to anything. 😆

Voted other. I do not consider any game my main game. Most of the gaming stuff has been board games and occasionally stuff like Malifaux. Always good with a palette cleanser sometimes to prevent burnout so I'm on a break till FEC/DoT/chorfs gets an update or something happens which draws me back in (like 4th edition dropping or a really cool GHB). Not that 3rd is bad or anything, just had my fill for the time being. Variety is the spice of life and all that.

Reject soup, embrace stew. 😄