Largo_W wrote:
The point is: Guard has no "secure" activations apart from Titans. Thats one reason why the Warhound is so popular. By "Double is on a one" the Baneblade opens up a plethora of new tactical options, filling a niche and, at least in my opinion, is not overpowered as its main role will probably still beeing "go there shoot things, done". But now it could do this more reliable.
I say: Go for it.
No, I get the point. And looking at that point, I just can't see how people think the problem is with 2+ initiative, and not with the problem that when it doubles its guns score very few hits.
And it doesn't open up that many new options, the versatility of the Warhound comes from the way 1+ combines with speed, macro guns and void shields to produce a unit that can do a whole lot of things in any turn. This proposed change to the Baneblade will make it more reliable at one thing.
Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with specialisation. A large reason the Baneblade has drifted has been this idea that it’s the all-rounder SHT, that it didn’t matter that it wasn’t great at any one thing because it was okay at everything.
But the Baneblade does have a specialty - it uses massive ranks of close range firepower, but unlike most units in Epic it doesn’t use them in assault but in shooting. If you want to assault you have the Stormhammer. If you want a SHT to prep the target with casualties and blast markers before lending fire support to the assault, then that’s the Baneblade.
The issue, then, is that giving it +1 initative on the double means it will be a bit more reliable, but it will still deliver minimal hits on the target. That’s the issue.