Is 40K Broken?

[jboweruk]

If people played properly then allies have a reason for use; fluff. Fortifications have a reason - cool story lines when you throw all you have at them, but Super Heavy tanks are too OP to slot in easy. They're just a 'power gamers' orgasm tool, the ultimate 'I win' button.

To me, that is the epitome of a WAAC point of view. Weird how that works since you are the one claiming your opponent is WAAC, eh? Your army is probably all grey and lots of proxies. This is a hobby too. Some people have more money than you and like big cool models and want to play with them too. They likely don't care if they win, but you sure don't want to lose to their big toy. So, you complain. And that is WAAC.

I have no problem losing, I don't win anyway. So no you're wrong and making false judgements there. I don't mind losing to a list that in theory can be beaten, but I don object to not having a chance to win through no fault of my own. SH tanks belong in Apocalypse; the Aquila Strongpoint belongs in Apocalypse. Titans belong in Apocalypse. Armies with no FoC belong in apocalypse; it's what it was designed for. Don't get me wrong I love apocalypse, and it's rarely a balanced fight either. Even ordinary games, the new Nid codex is an example of how it should be, no Death Stars; it's a fluffy list that used well will win. But what happened? All the nid players are crying in their beer, because it's not OP.

And FYI, I lost to the new nid dex yesterday and really thoroughly enjoyed the game.

[Shaddranat]

I recently picked up the Escalation book because I have a couple different Baneblade variants (2 Baneblades, a Shadowsword and a Hellhammer) that I got from a friend when I bought his IG army off him and I wanted to give them a go on the tabletop. I would first like to add that I've never played Apocalypse and I've never really had a desire to; the purchase of Escalation is mainly just to satisfy a case of "oow, shiny" syndrome. I've gone over the rules with a fine toothed comb (as well as played a couple games using the SHs) and have come to the following conclusions:

A) D weapons have no place in regular 40k. Period. It's just too much overkill. If you use them you're a prick. If you agree to play someone who is using them you're an idiot.
B) Yes, a SH/GC is powerful. VERY powerful. What would you expect from a model that costs over 500points minimum?!
C) A SH/GC really isn't that hard to kill. Seriously, I lost one in the first turn. Granted, lucky dice rolling was involved, but it wasn't THAT lucky. A Necron Ghost Arc full of gauss-wielding warriors chewed it up like bubblegum (auto-glance on a 6 and 34 rapid fire shots...it was pretty much bound to happen.) A lucky Lascannon shot can easily take off half of the unit's hull points in a single shot. Get a pen, roll Explodes! and then roll a 5 or 6. That's 4 of those 9 hull points gone bye-bye.
D) A competent player should LOVE to see their opponent use a LoW unit. It doesn't matter what game type you're playing, a Baneblade is worth 3 victory points if you kill it (which, as I've already mentioned isn't all that difficult) and it is a HUGE point sink for the one using it. It's just as much of a handicap as it is a boon (my poor IG troops that were courageously hiding behind the Baneblade learned that the hard way when the it went kaboom). It also gives the opponent of the one using a SH access to special warlord traits that are designed specifically to make it easier to destroy said SH/GC as well as a +1 to their "Steal the Initiative" roll if they aren't also using a SH/GC. (Picture a deamon prince warlord in CC with a Baneblade being granted AB/FB from his warlord trait.

Sure, people will cry about it if you put a Baneblade or a Lord of Skulls on the table. They have every right too, but if you put said LoW unit on the table and you get the Dr. Evil grin from your opponent...you might be in trouble. Plainly put, a SH/GC is just like any other unit on the table. Either you find a way to deal with it, or it deals with you. Any competent player should be able to look at that giant lumbering behemoth and say "Yeah, I can deal with you," and mean it. You just have to change your tactics accordingly.