Another week so another recap:
LictorsCode:
LV 20cm 5+ 3+ 6+ First Strike, Infiltrator, Invulnerable Save, Scout, Teleport
Flesh Hooks (15cm) Small Arms -
Lictor Talons (base contact) Assault Weapons Sniper
While their CC is getting a reduction as per 9.2.1 the above stats lend the Lictor a greater move and FS FF (my notion being that even when they're being hunted they can still surprise their hunters). All in all that makes for a much larger threatened area and makes it easier for them to get into an engagement.
While the note on them only contesting might be fluffy I don't want scenario special rules being introduced in a unit datasheet. When the time comes to talk about the special rules we can bring this back up if people want.
GenestealersCode:
INF 20cm 6+ 2+ - Infiltrators, Scouts
Rending Claws (base contact) Assault Weapons First Strike
These are the stats that Zombo and I compromised on and the ones that Jaldon tested with his group in the spring and early summer of this year. They have somewhere between 10-15 playtests in my group and a similar number from Jaldon.
My intent with them is to reduce the variance you'd normally get with 2@CC4+. Only using averages doesn't provide the full picture. Yes, on average you'll get 6 hits with 6 Genestealers with 2@CC4+ and 5 hits with 1@CC2+. However, nearly 33% of the time you'll be getting 4 or less, or 8 or more hits with 2@CC4+. That's what I'm looking to fix and make easier to balance. With 1@CC2+ you'll likely to get between 2-6 hits nearly 100% time and 4-6 hits 67% of the time. For those interested in the math, take a look at this
excel file.
On the arguments that they never get into close combat/break even if they win, I went through all my battle reports (they had 2@CC4+ and 1@CC3+ before Zombo and I sent the compromised stats to Jaldon) and found the following:
Code:
6 stealers with 2 BM engage 4 bikes, 0:3, one bike breaks
11 stealers engage 9 bikes, 2:4, bikes break
8 stealers with 2 BM engage 5 robots with 1 BM, 2:3, one robot breaks
6 stealers engage 10 squats with BMs, 3:3, stealers win but break due to losses
7 stealers with 1 bm engage 4 destructors, 0:3, stealers break
6 stealers with 3 BM engage 4 scouts, 1:1, next round scouts wiped out
8 stealers engage 4 scouts, 4:1, rest of stealers hacked down
4 stealers with 2 BM engage feral, 1 crit, got to use his FF and wipe them out
5 stealers engage 3 defilers with 2bm, 4:2, stealers win but last one breaks
3 stealers with BM engage guardians, 1:0, stealers wiped out
8 Stealers engage 7 chaos marines with 5 BMs, 4:2, stealers win but break due to losses
4 stealers with 2 BM engage mech coy, 4:2, stealers wiped out
5 stealers engage regimental hq with 1 BM, 5:3, stealers wiped out
6 stealers engage 4 sentinels and wipe them out
7 stealers with BMs engage guardians with support platforms and a wraithguard, 5:3, stealers win but break
8 stealers engage a phalanx, 6:0, stealers wiped out
8 stealers engage Pylon and destroy it
5 stealers with BMs engage 7 chaos marines with 1 BM, stealers wiped marines left with 2 stands and break
6 stealers engage tactical detachment, 0:6, stealers wiped
3 stealers with BM engage tactical detachment, 3:2, stealers wiped
7 stealers engage 6 rough riders with 2BM, 0:1, 3 rough riders break
5 stealers with three BM engage storm troopers with valks, 2:5, one stealer breaks, the storm troopers break due to losses
5 stealers with BMs engage regimental HQ with 1 BM, 3:3, stealers hacked down
4 stealers with 3bms engage 3 sentinels, 1:2 (commissar powerfoot!), stealers win but break
4 stealers with 3bms engage 17 guardsmen, 4:3, stealers wiped out
6 stealers with 4bms engage 3 scouts and 2 rhinos with 2bms, 1:2, 1 scout breaks and stealers break due to BMs
8 stealers engage 3 devastators with rhinos with 1BM, 3:1, 3 devastators break
4 stealers with 3bms engage 3 broken devastators and wipe them out
1 stealer engages a marine SC, he dies
4 stealers with 2bms engage a scout detachment, 0:3, scouts wiped
7 stealers with 3bms engage 5 speeders and a scout detachment, 3:3, broodlord breaks
6 stealers with a bm engage a tactical detachment, 2:2, marines break
8 stealers with 3 bms engage 8 chaos marines, 4:5, marines wiped but stealers break
7 stealers engage 12 chaos marines with BMs, 5 stealer hits but marines make all saves, stealers wiped
3 stealers engage with 1bm engage a retinue, 2:2, stealers wiped
8 stealers engage sentinels, 3:2, sentinels wiped out
8 stealers engage regimental hq, stealers win but break
7 stealers with 1 BM engage Warhounds, 1 stealer breaks
1 stealer enagages Warhounds, stealer killed
8 stealers engage a IG coy in cover, stealers fail to hit and are wiped out
40 engagments by the stealers, 20 wins (8 where they break), 20 losses (2 where enemy breaks)
That includes even the last ditch efforts by 1-4 stealers that attribute to 8 of their losses and only 3 of their wins (17:12). We've seen them get into CC, so saying that they never get into CC tends to jibe with our experience. However, if people really are having trouble getting them into CC, something battle reports would help illustrate, then I think that's a problem better addressed by a point reduction.
To tie all that in with my first point, what I'm trying to reduce are instances (the 33% of the time) where they're not scoring many hits, like the above battles with the Destructors, Tacticals, Warrior Phalanx and IG company for example.
BroodlordCode:
CH n/a n/a n/a n/a Leader, Inspiring, Invulnerable Save
Rending Claws and Talons (base contact) Assault Weapons Extra Attack (+1), First Strike
The only change from 9.2.1 is to remove the Sniper from the EA. This is what Zombo and I compromised on when we sent the stats to Jaldon and what he agreed with as well. With the Stealers CC going to 2 I think the attacks of a Broodlord are abstracted enough with just a single EA at 2.
