I'm Around... Just Busy

Sorry for all those participating in the 40k online RPG, but your waits will be over soon! I have class today until sometime around noon, but then I'll be back to write up stuff to either make your characters or to send you on missions!

The Magic of Number 7 - it's not just for Nurgle!

You know what, I was going to type a post about the number 7, but as I started writing it, I realized that I may have been wrong about just how magical it was. 7 is a cool number for some things in 40k, but it's not everything I was hyping it up to be.

Still, it's a pretty awesome number. Why? Two words;

Squad Size

People tend to be of a certain philosphy. Either a) go for minimum squad sizes; or b) go for maximum squad sizes. Each has their own pros and cons.

a) minimum squad size; often 5
Pros: Cheaper than 6+, leaves points open for things like transports or other gadgets.
Cons: Vulnerable to concentrated fire, resulting in either dead special weapons, or leadership checks.

b) maximum squad size; often 10
Pros: Survivability, requires that 3 die before a Ld test is necessary, doesn't go to under half strength until 6 die.
Cons: Costly, tougher to transport and thus easier to avoid. Difficult for all members to participate in close combat.

c) squad size 7
Pros:
-Cheaper than size 10, only marginally more expensive than size 5.
-Doesn't become half-strength until 4 die.
-Better protection for special weapons.
-All should participate in close combat.
Cons:
-Like size 5, still requires Ld test after 2 die.

A major part of this is that people will place the squad in the idea that it's 5 models strong - and thus 3 casualties would normally bring it under half-strength. Rather, squad size 7 makes them have to think and remember. More often than not, your rather small squad is still viable for claiming objectives. Squad size 8 is great for this too, as your opponent must kill 5 models to bring it under half strength, which really, really confuses them.


Multiples of 7 also work well;

14 Hormagaunts
14 or 21 Orks
14 Guardians

The reasons are the same, plus some extra. With Hormagaunts, the minimum squad size of 8 is much too vulnerable to being wiped out. However, 14 can survive a lot of fire and keep running forward. Two squads of 14 Hormagaunts is always better than one big squad of 28.

With Orks, 14 is good since it takes at least 4 to die before the first test is even necessary! And even then, you have Ld10 for your Mob Test. 21 is even better, since until 10 die - you are essentially Fearless!

With Guardians, it's sort of the same as Hormagaunts, except that the Guardians are shooting. 8 Guardians are grossly vulnerable to running away, but 14, as with Orks, require 4 deaths before testing.

For squad sizes, the number 7 is a powerful number, as is 8. Try to remember that the next time you make a list, and watch how much your army improves!

Glimpses

Today I happened across a most wonderful little booklet - the new Eldar Codex.

Suffice it to say, in the style of many of the new 4th edition Codexes, the Eldar Codex is much more of a revision than it is a totally new and off-the-wall product. Here are the major changes:

1. The Avatar: He has gone up to a deadly Initiative 6 with an extra attack, packs a Meltagun with BS 5, and has a wonderful 3+/4++ (inv) save. His points have nearly doubled to 155, but the extra survivability and close-combat lethality should well make up for that.

2. The Psychic Powers: Oddly enough, not a surge in power that was expected (what with Librarians suddenly becoming much more powerful). However, the Psykers of the Eldar now have more psychic-related wargear to utilize, and the Runes of Warding are much more effective (instead of opponent rolling 3 and taking the two highest, they roll 3, and if the total is 12 or more, it's a Perils of the Warp test).

3. Wraithguard: They became Toughness 6 with a gun that wounds on 2+. Wow, that's a tough squad of guys.

4. Wraithlords: Actually, not changed too much - but can now become more effective at close combat. Wonderful models though.


That's really it. Otherwise, the Eldar have stayed roughly the same. Sure there are other things (like the Dire Avenger's Storm of Blades ability with their Catapults, Starcannons becoming Heavy 2, and Scatterlasers Heavy 4), but mostly they are the specialists we've come to know and love.

Creating a Universe

So, recently, I've been trying to make a 40k-D&D adaptation. Essentially, the plan was to take Dungeons and Dragons, then modify it in such a way that I could use it in the Warhammer 40k setting.

It's not as easy as you might think.

For one, there's guns instead of bows and arros. Guns are a lot stronger, even the pesky flashlight is at least as comparable to a Longbow in sheer strength. So, to make it, I had to re-invent the weapon system.

Close Combat weapons I liked, and they can stay the same. As it says in the rulebook "The greatest gun in the galaxy is of no help if you're opponent's bashing your brains out with a rock". I wanted that reflected in the game. Also, however, there are no Chainswords or other Power Weapons. These are mighty weapons, wielded only by heros. They're not normally for sale, and as such, are getting some back-light treatment.

However, guns are much more readily available. Although much more expensive, guns have a real penetrating power. In order for the guns to not become totally overpowering, I had to make them be able to work better without killing their opponents. To solve this, I changed how armour works.

Normally armour only adds to your Armour Class (the protection the character has). However, in the 40k universe, there are many times that something may hit you, but the impact or energy is reflected or deflected off the armour. I decided that armour would have Damage Reduction - which is usually reserved for much deadlier or more powerful items in regular Dungeons and Dragons. However, this would be offset by the fact that the guns would now not be totally overpowering.

A gun may be able to do 1d12 damage, but if the armour stops 4 points of it, the best you can achieve is an 8, essentially making the damage 0,0,0,0 - 8 (which is worse than 1d8 damage). I could now make much more powerful guns in the player's mind, but still have them be manageable and, on the whole, not altogether trustworthy.

Finally, I've included hit locations. This, more or less, came out of frustration for not having characters gradually become incapacitated during a fight. Attacks now can cripple a body-part, or slightly stun a character in their next round of combat. In addition, some characters may choose that certain body parts aren't worth protecting, and so armour has been changed to a system where you buy armour for each body part you want to protect. This can also let you purchase weak armour for some body parts to save money for some really expensive but powerful armour on another body part.


With all these rules written up, I now have a character running around the universe I created. It's called the Bentar Sector. If you wish to join, leave me a comment here, or e-mail me at Mindscaper50@gmail.com with your 40kTerra screen-name. I'll get in contact with you, and we can try to put a character together.

However, remember that you'll be running around in an evolving universe - you won't be the only one out there, and you won't be the center of the story.

Have fun!
-Yarium

Y Blog? Y-Blog!

Hi all, welcome to Y-Blog. This will be my 4th Blog, so don't worry, I'm used to not getting anyone talking back (why oh why don't people leave comments!?!).

Anyways, here's a quick little thing to tell you what this Blog will be about:

1. Warhammer 40k

Hey, I'm doing this through a 40k site, what kind of person would I be if I didn't include Warhammer 40k. I'll try to base a bunch of stuff around this topic, though I might branch off now and then.

2. Other Stuff

Anything that's NOT 40k-related will go into an "Other Stuff" Category.

3. Podcast

Yes, I'm going to put together a Podcast for the 2nd time ever - this time with all the gizmos and gadgets I have around me to help. I won't have all the cool sound-effects as the guys at Warhammer Radio, but then again, my Podcast isn't Warhammer Radio. Rather, it'll be discussions. If you have a Microphone, contact me on stuff you'd like to talk about, and we can have an interview sometime.


That's it for now - it's a hurried life, so I must be on my way! I'll talk to you all soon!
-Yarium