4th Edition Review

Okay, the 4th edition rules are here and I've gotten in a few games with them. While I know that I haven't encountered all the possible permutations of the rules, I think I've got a pretty good handle on what the changes mean, at least in terms of the big picture. If you haven't already gotten the rulebook or downloaded the PDF, go get, I'll wait...

I'm going to go over most of the changes in the same format as the rules PDF for clarity. I won't list every rule, just the ones that strike me as important differences and ones that I think I have a good understanding of how they will change the game.

Units
all units are now categorized into specific types (avoids confusion about what different things are and how they should be treated in the rules.) The new rules also make a number of things that used to work in slightly different fashions all work the same for less confusion. These are minor changes, but they will, I think, help clarify the game and make it easier to play and understand.

Shooting
Choosing Targets. Well, there's no more total screening. If you want to shoot somebody in the back of the army, you can just make a Morale test and shoot them. That clears up a lot of uncertainty and will make a major change in the tactics of many armies. This won't impact my Tyranids, since their Shoot The Big Ones rule gives enemies the same thing, except that they don't even have to be smart enough to pass a Morale check to do it to the Tyranids.

Line of Sight and Cover. Cover and Line of Sight are now cleared up, which makes things smoother. The fact that ONLY vehicles and terrain block Line of Sight does mean a big change for my Tyranids. A large part of my strategy was to quickly engage the enemy in close combat, thus blocking off a good chunk of the enemy army by putting combats in front of them that they couldn't shoot over or through. All in all, though, I think this helps speed up and clear up the game.

Rapid Fire Weapons. Rapid Fire weapons may now fire twice at 12" even if they move, giving basic troops (the people usually given Rapid Fire weapons) a big boost! On the downside, if you fire a Rapid Fire weapon, you may not assault, much like with a Heavy Weapon. I like this as it encourages people to move and fire, which will make for more interesting games and better tactical options.

Barrage Weapons. No more guessing range. This doesn't seem like a huge deal, but for those who weren't good at guessing range, or those who are just getting started, it makes things a little easier, plus it speeds up the game.

Ordnance Weapons. Well, aside from Ordnance Barrage weapons, Ordnance Weapons may now be fired on the move, which will also encourage people to actually move, instead of just treating their tanks like Bunkers.

Assaults

Attacks. Bonus attacks for charging are given to all models in a unit that is able to charge. All models in Base to Base contact or within 2" of a friendly model get their full number of attacks, along with any special attacks or abilities they may have. This is going to be huge, as it generally means that there will be far more attacks in the first round of any combat, which will make combats more decisive. In addition, this rule gives assault specialists (who often have multiple attacks) an edge and encourages large units. It will also make units that have a lot of special attacks even more powerful. (Howling Banshees or Terminator squads, for example.)

Sweeping Advance. The new version of Sweeping Advance incorporates Initiative, which is often underused in the game, and provides a good opportunity to wipe out the enemy unit swiftly. The d6 movement after wiping out the enemy is a good compromise between only being able to consolidate and getting to run 2d6 inches of free movement. This is one of the rules that will very positively effect my Tyranids, as it lets them kill more enemies more quickly, which goes hand in hand with what I said above about more decisive combats.

Vehicles
Skimmers moving 6" or less when immobilized simply land instead of being destroyed. This won't hit my forces too much, but it does give Fast Skimmers a reason to consider slowing down.

Firing. Now vehicles may fire all their defensive weapons (S6 and under) and fire a Primary weapon as well. This makes it more effective to arm a vehicle with multiple weapons, and should make many vehicles more powerful as well.

Disembark. Passengers cannot assault unless disembarking from a stationary vehicle, an open-topped vehicle, or a Land Raider. This puts the brakes on the nigh-ubiquitous rhino rush, while giving armies with Open Topped vehicles a reason to use those flimsy targets. It also gives a shot in the arm to the LandRaider and Terminators everywhere.

Damage Charts. Immobilized and Armament Destroyed results now default to the other result if the first is not applicable (ie: no more shooting the Storm Bolter off the Rhino 47 times in a row. Once it has no more weapons, the next Armament Destroyed result counts as Immobilized, and vice versa. Once the vehicle is immobile and has no more weapons, the next result of either Immobilized or Armament Destroyed turns into a Destroyed result.) This is another great rule, as I can't count the number of times that I've repeatedly blown the weapon off a vehicle and had no other effect.

Passengers. They must now immediately disembark and take a pinning test if a Penetrating hit is scored on their transport. They are automatically pinned if the Transport is Destroyed. Again, a great rule. Not only does it give a nod to reality. (Some countries actually chain their tank crews inside their vehicles, because the crew is likely to abandon the vehicle if it is hit, fearing fire and explosion. It also "inconveniences" the passengers of damaged vehicles, which is part of the point of damaging them. :)

Outnumbering Walkers of AV12 or more and Monstrous Creatures count as 10 models for purposes of Outnumbering. Lighter Walkers count as 5, and Multi-Wound Creatures count as their number of Wounds. (Ie: An Ork Nob counts as 2) This is another good rule, as it makes sense that a group of guardsmen might feel slightly threatened by a multiton killing machine rampaging through them.

No Retreat
Fearless units that lose combat suffer a wound if they are outnumbered 2 to 1 or more. This doesn't seem like it'll make a huge impact on the game, but it will help those situations where a fearless opponent holds up a unit or two with a single model. I don't think you'll see it very often, since most Fearless models or units are pretty good at winning combat, not losing it, but I like it just the same.

Missions
All use Infiltrate and Deepstrike on a 3+, all use Escalation on a 5+. Good call. It gives a wider variety of tactical options, meaning you have even less chance of having the same game every time. In addition, the Escalation rules encourage lots of basic Troops and the Conceal rule helps get rid of First Turn Kill Syndrome.

Overall, I am highly pleased with what I've seen of the new ruleset. They look like they will be smoother and faster, allowing me more fun! In addition, they've done a number of things that reward players for taking more Troops. If you take a look at the rules, there are a number of different bonuses you can get if you have a lot of basic infantry. a) Choosing targets. If you have more Elite, expensive models, they can be easily picked off. b) Rapid Fire Weapons. Most of the models equipped with Rapid Fire weapons are Troops, and they just got a big boost in terms of mobility and firepower! c)More attacks in close combat, meaning you can kill more enemy more quickly. D)Escalation. The more foot troops you have, the more advantage you will have in a Mission using this special rule.