PJetski

Here comes the new GW Same as the old GW

Other shooting options got much more expensive while taking a defensive hit. Judicators are still only 10 wounds per squad, which is bad for a 200 point unit. Raptors are 6 wounds for a 240p unit (might be the worst points per wound in the game lol). Meanwhile Ballistae gained 2 wounds and only went up 30 points. Their single shot is greatly improved with better accuracy and higher Rend. Combos well with the Celestial Warbringers trait to re-roll a single dice per phase. Multishot profile is less maximum damage than before but much more consistent damage because it's more accurate. Versatility is what makes the Ballista S tier in my eyes. In some matchups its gonna pump Rend-3 D6 shots into 2+/5++ MONSTERS but in other matchups its gonna use its higher volume Rend-2 shots to clear screens for a hammer unit to get into melee. They don't need many external buffs like a lot of other units. You can efficiently buff 4 of them with +1 hit using one Tauralon or Ordinator, so you are free to use limited resources (commands, command points, holy commands, etc.) on other units. If you bring an Ordinator you also open the door to using allies/CITIES units like Gunhaulers, Gyrocopters, and more. It's the most versatile shooting unit in our arsenal and it doesn't require dumping a ton of points/commands/enhancements into double tapping with Raptors/Judicators so you can run it in all kinds of lists.

Theyre just a solid hammer unit. Fast, re-roll charges, do a lot of damage and reach 2+/2+ pretty easily. They roll 3 dice per model when using Lightning Arc instead of 2, so they do a fair amount of mortal wounds too. They make good use of the Celestial Vindicators trait. There are some better damage dealers but Dracolines aren't bad. You can slot in 2x3 or 1x6 Dracolines with a LADrac pretty easily in a lot of lists without much opportunity cost. Ballistae are good for that same reason... cost efficient, impactful, and don't require many buffs to do their job effectively.

Organized my initial thoughts into a tier list. Tiers are ordered as units appear in the pitched battle profiles S - Easily fit into many lists or defines an entire list, high impact niche Celestar Ballistae Judicators (Bow) Vindictors Gardus Steel Soul Knight-Draconis Knight-Incantor Lord-Imperatant Lord-Relictor Krondys Lord-Celestant (Stardrake) Annihilators (Grandhammers) Protectors Stormdrake Guard Stormstrike Chariot Vanguard-Raptors (Longstrike) A - Strong units with that you can form a list around Liberators Lord-Arcanum (Dracoline) Lord-Arcanum (Tauralon) Lord-Commander Bastian Carthalos Lord-Ordinator Annihilators Dracothian Guard Fulminators Evocators (Dracolines) Retributors B - A somewhat specific but still useful niche Judicators (Crossbow) Aventis Firestrike Celestant Prime Lord-Castellant Yndrasta Dracothian Guard Concussors Dracothian Guard Tempestors Evocators Vanguard-Raptors (Hurricane) Vigilors Celestian Vortex C - Situationally useful niche, could be overcosted Astreia Solbright Stormsire's Cursebreakers Knight-Vexillor (Meteoric) Lord-Arcanum Vandus Hammerhand Karazai Aetherwings Dracothian Guard Desolators Praetors Vanguard-Hunters D - Significantly flawed, bad niche, maybe useful one day with a points drop Sequitors Knight-Arcanum Knight-Judicator Knight-Relictor Knight-Vexillor (Apotheosis) Knight-Vexillor (Stormbringer) Lord-Arcanum (Gryph-charger) Lord-Celestant (Dracoth) Lord-Exorcist Lord-Veritant Drakesworn Templar Castigators Decimators Prosecutors (Hammers) Prosecutors (Javelins) Vanguard-Palladors Dais Arcanum Everblaze Comet F - Don't use these Vanquishers Gavriel Sureheart Knight-Azyros Knight-Heraldor Knight-Questor Knight-Venator Knight-Zephyros Lord-Aquilor Lord-Celestant Neave Blacktalon Gryph-Hounds Steelheart's Champions The Farstriders Totals S Tier - 15 (20%) A Tier - 9 (12%) B Tier - 11 (15%) C Tier - 9 (12%) D Tier - 18 (24%) F Tier - 13 (17%) Big improvement over our last book but there are way too make units that they nerfed into oblivion like Heraldor and Azyros. Seems like an obvious push to buy new models... Im working on a podcast breaking down each of these rankings. After that I'll start working on something for our allegiance abilities and stormhosts

15 double tap Judicators do enough damage to kill most big monsters in the game in a single turn, even a 2+/5+ ward 16 wound monster. They are nuts. Ballistae are good. Makes me want to try that WAR MACHINE list I made in Broken Realms Vigilors are underwhelming.

Moving after Translocation is here to stay, get used to being the best teleporting army in the game again Too soo to say which are the Best Units but the obvious standouts are what I listed in my Winners post earlier Interestingly the Tauralon buffs CITIES OF SIGMAR units as well as STORMCAST ETERNALS so you can get a lot of value out of buffing a big shooting castle.

They don't use the Attacks sequence (hit, wound, save, etc.) but they still have an Attacks characteristic. You Attack twice with a weapon that has 2 attacks.

It has an Attacks characteristic. There is a command ability to boost the Attacks of a PALADIN unit.

You can buff the number of attacks on a Starsoul Mace now. You couldn't before.

The reason you take the Tauralon is because he is a fast flying monster with good defensive stats and a strong +1 hit ability. For 285 points and an amulet of destiny that's a really good utility piece. Azyros total garbage now. Starsoul maces are better now. Much better. They have an Attacks characteristic which means you can use buffs that boost attacks on them. 10x Protectors with the holy command is 4 Starsouls is 8 attacks that do d3 mw on a 2+ and 37 glaive attacks. LRelictor can do a 2+ rerollable translocation to get those Protectors stuck in on the first turn immediately, since you can move after using Translocation. In Knights Excelsior you can double reinforce the Protectors to get 2 more Starsouls (4 attacks with order) and 18 more Glaive attacks. Then your opponent has to deal with 45 wounds on a 2+ save. Amazing!

Hero phase shooting still exists through our holy commands. Its arguably stronger than before because they more than doubled the power of Judicators and Raptors, but it's only once per game. It's less cost effective, but then so is everything in the battletome. Venator at 175 LOL

First impressions Winners: Celestant Prime has a 4+ ward now Gardus Lord-Celestant on Stardrake (Way more damage, more wounds) Dracoths Dracolines Ordinator Gardus is worth mentioning twice he is the reason you want to play Hallowed Knights Tauralons (new Comet Trail is incredible) Judicators (both kinds) Raptors (both kinds) Lord-Relictor All the new models* Knight-Draconis Stormdrake Guard Retributors and Protectors (but not Decimators) Liberators (Improved, still bad, but still the cheapest battleline so theyll see play) Ballista? Celestian Vortex Losers: Prosecutors (hammers better, javelins much worse, still useless) Castigators (they got better but still useless) Sequitors *Vanquishers *Knight-Relictor Gavriel Aetherwings (RIP) Vandus (command ability gutted) Lord-Aquilor Celestant Veritant Azyros Venator Heraldor (RIP) Drakesworn Templar

Anvilstrike is dead Long live Hallowstrike and Excelstrike

Tauralons Judicators

They didn't add the Dominion warscrolls, I don't see why they would add any others

His signature command ability was changed to only effect REDEEMER and only one unit. Terrible! Gardus looks way better though

NZ preorders are up... no free warscrolls on the website

Sometimes I hate being right.

I guess I would be upset if I also lived in this level of hyperbole all the time

Did you know units can cost different amounts of points? A new unit having more stats than an old unit is not inherently powercreep.

The impact mortal wounds and the followup attacks are significant. Two or three chariots charging at once can do a lot of damage.12 wounds at 165 makes them more cost effective than Annihilators for a very similar role. I can see it running along flanks and smashing into lightly defended objectives. It's a good unit to have if you can't use reserves (eg. if you play Stormkeeps or battleplan forbids it) or are playing a castle formation. It's also good for doing focused mortal wounds to key targets.

I'm gonna value the chariot at around 150. It has good stats but it's not a HERO or MONSTER and can't use Commands. I could see GW overpricing it around 180 though.

There's always the Heraldor I think a reinforced unit of Chariots buffed by a Heraldor would be a good hammer unit

Unless there's some kind of crazy synergy somewhere in the book then you should build it with the spear every time