There are a legion of internet personalities and lesser known blow hards whose only goal in life is to attempt to join the cool kids club by becoming sheep themselves. They ostracize anyone who has a tuft of anything but the same white fur they all prefer, and they employ and enjoy the mob mentality when it comes to telling you what is and is not possible, even directly attacking you as if this somehow made their point any better.
We on the other hand subscribe to the mad scientist philosophy. We know that the designers aren't all complete idiots, that they had an idea when they created each unit and they imagined uses for them that may require synergies in order to manifest their usage to maximum effect. There truly are easter egg units, whose value is very specifically for those who would take the effort and time to identify and practice with them. For us, the road less traveled is not only more fun, but validating on some level. For it is one thing to plunk a bunch of "great units" on the board and pretend like your skill has anything to do with the outcome... and it's quite another to show your skill in play and through creative thought. We endeavor to improve the skill and the diversity of units we can use effectively. Sometimes we even succeed.
That really is the essence of why I bother writing this blog. You may notice that I have never monetized it and have never sought to profit from it. As I like to point out from time to time, the goal here isn't to inundate you with click bait or post so prolifically that we become a destination for those with the addiction as a way of making money. We obviously appreciate those who regularly come to listen and offer their own great perspective in the notes below. I write this blog because there are wins to be had and because skill matters. The General matters. That is not a message trumpeted often and it is a view that has been vociferously opposed on these very pages.
Half the fun of any blog is reading the responses and with them, learning yet more from those who think of possibilities, and not limitations, first and foremost. The Blogger may have the podium but the audience can add a great deal to the discussion and I've learned things from you and extended my own thoughts on the blogs subject line just by reading what you come back with. It's pretty great.
And now I am ready to begin writing about this edition.
I will wrap up by telling you that my first dozen games of Warhammer 40K in 8th Edition are in the books. I have fought the Necrons, the Tau Empire, the Blood Angels, Orks, Imperial Guard, Adeptas Astartes, and the Craftworld Eldar. To date I have not lost. I am finding that the strategies I am using are working well. I offer that up to qualify myself in saying that while I have not seen the entire panoramic view of all the armies and have had the advantage (and disadvantage) of dealing with a new ruleset which will require an adjustment period for my opponents and for me, it is a good start and it encourages me to keep writing about what I learn.
As 8th Edition is new, there have already been some bumps in the road. In my first nine games I was overestimating what it cost me to war gear my units. So I was at somewhat of a disadvantage. the last three I played without that error and it helped considerably. Another bump in the road has been tearing free my preconceptions which are the natural hangover of an edition change. I have had to correct myself on a number of occasions as I attempted to learn the terrain rules (which have changed a lot and which will require some Tournament Organizer interventions at first). The intuitive way the Armor Piercing (AP) system works has lulled me a couple of times into underestimating the way some weapons worked at first. you really do need to pay sharp attention to the details of the changes to make sure you're not missing out on opportunities. One example is the strange way Plasma works now.
In 8th Edition I have played as the Dark Eldar and as the Militarum Tempestus. I focused in on them in order to learn the game, and moreso the Dark Eldar at first. Their changes intrigued me so much that I had to find out if they were as cool as they looked. As I get more games in I will start to explore the others I own so stay tuned for that.
Any thoughts you have about 8th Edition, please post them below. Rules changes you noticed or important little tactics you've learned are all valuable information for us to hear. Let us know what you're finding and get ready for more articles here.
It's on like Donkey Kong now.
