Post: #1

Hello,

This is a topic that I've seen on many other forums, yet our beloved Carpe Noctem seems to have been missing out on it. Anywhos...

The 8th edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles have been out & about for a month and a half now, and I'm sure that many of you have been given the chance to play a fair few games. How are you finding the changes to the game brought about by Games Workshop? What is your reception of the 8th edition - do you like it, do you not like it, or perhaps something in between?

Note that I'm not necessarily speaking of how the changes have impacted the armies, but more I'm interested in hearing how the game itself have been shaping up, in your opinion. Do you like the new movement and shooting phases? How about close combat? The new magic system? The rules for dealing with terrain? Etc.

Now please remember that everyone is free to post about their opinions here, and that any hassling and/or flaming of others will be reacted to.

...and as a last little nip, this is the first poll-thread I've ever created.

Post: #2

i voted neutral. 8th ed has some things i like and some others that i dont, cant say i am super excited but i dont hate it either, generally the changes make the game faster and fun, it was fun in 7th ed too

Post: #3

I like some changes, and I don't like some others. Overall though it is an improvement, but not by a lot.

Post: #4

I do actaully like a lot of the changes. Though perhaps not balanced I love the magic as it reminds of the older editions, I like the lots of new combinations with magic items. How infantry fights now is also a lot better than it was.

Even though I am a VC player I do think Fear and Terror are better this time round.

There are a few buts, my main grips are TLOS, pre-measuring certain things and random charging distance

So it's not perfect but I prefer it over the 7th in many ways.

Post: #5

This edition is a vast improvement over all previous editions. (I go back to 3rd, so I have seen a lot of Warhammer.)

The change back to percentages is a great idea and will allow players a good amount of flexibility when making lists. We will seldom see the same list over, and over again.

The magic system is a great change. Some people howl that 8th magic is overpowered, but I finally see it as a useful and a worthy use of points. 6th and 7th edition magic was really underpowered. I feel the new magic system is finally priced properly.

The Tlos and the new shooting rules are a bit sketchy, but I feel that most players are not building their terrain properly and thus are still using terrain like all previous editions.

The game is faster! So far, a 3k per side battle taking 6 turns--is lasting 3 hours with set-up. I really like this; more models, more battle, in a shorter amount of time.

As Disciple of Nagash states about Fear and Terror; I think the changes are good. While we are overpaying for these attributes currently, I do see a price reduction in our future.

The supporting attacks, horde rules and steadfast rules are great and go a long way making infantry a useful and deadly piece on the table top.

I enjoy the random charge moves! What a shift in game play and tactical thought!

Post: #6

I like that the new edition is a bit faster than 7th, although sometimes it´s a bit too fast. I mean, when you lose a game in 1-2 turns, then it makes less sense to put all those models on the table in the first place . The new edition will take a bit getting used to, but so far so good!

Post: #7

I think fear and terror make more sense now, and i like that we have to think stratigicly in order to win our battles now. i do think our core units are ait over priced for how crap they are compare to other core, but i do really like the changes, so i voted for i like it alot

Post: #8

I haven't actually played this edition myself, but I saw some games and it looked a lot of fun. I like the fact that it's a bit faster and more models get killed.
The only thing I don't like is that I have to change the way I play my Wood Elves in order to stand a chance against pretty much anything.

Cheers, Wolfie

Post: #9

So far for me 8th edition is the best thing ever. I enjoy the game so much more and things seem to be a lot more fair overall.

Post: #10

played my first 2 8th editions games today against empire and dwarfs today. Lost against empire but brutalized the drwarfs. I have a bunch of fun and first time playing my VC. I like how it went and who ever said VC are not powerful is crazy

Post: #11

I really like 8th, I really cannot find any drawbacks in this edition.

Post: #12

Overall I really like it, it's given a lot of new angles and options to all armies and their playing styles.

I think the new common magic item listings is a massive improvement and gives so lovely combinations to a multitude of armies.

Post: #13

Loving it so far. Havent lost a single game as O&G. Trying out the vamps tommorow.

Post: #14

I'm not really sure what to think of it I've watched a game, and Played one but I'm not to sure about it.

Post: #15

It's faster and more playable. I think that the reprinted rulebook in the boxed set may be friendlier to new players (Assuming that they were able to incorporate the v1.1 FAQs prior to publishing. But it's printed in China, so they might not.). The expanded Magic Items are great and well overdue. Magic is overpowered, but fun and we may find a way to deal with it.

I'll miss the old Skirmishers, Fell Bats-as-infantry, Cavalry-ownage, Regen, and anti-Clipping rules. But you take the good with the bad.

I do hope that they rework the Dogs of War and Reknown soon. Doubt it.

Post: #16

In the neutral camp and my enthusiasm for 8th is being murdered one small template at a time.

With no more partials the shooting phase is just brutal , I feel like I am the guy that brought a sword to a gun fight.

Post: #17

I really feel that this is the edition to bring new players into, rather than the edition to make things better for the existing ones. Come back in about 12 months and 8th Ed might feel a very different game when they start to release the new armies "designed" to work in the new system.

I must admit that I only played 1 game of 7th however I did observe many games and even oversee a tournament (from an organisational point of view and not rules based) the armies I saw played just didnt look right or seem to fit in with what I imagined. Looking around the hall now however I see what I first imagined when I thought of Fantasy, big infantry battles which look far more meaningful, minimal cav which now support charges rather than breaking the enemy on their own and Mages throwing crazy spells which have devastating or disasterous effects.

Still as a chairman of a gaming club I can tell you from an organisational point of view it is an expensive transition. The random terrain generation and TLOS is causing me no amount of headaches, we need better scaled terrain, more diverse ranges and just more of it. The games of Fantasy which used to be played in my club were pretty much plain boards with one or two items thrown in. Now we have a need for many more buildings, rivers (for the first time in our 5+ year history) and more hills and woods than you can shake a gobbo at.

The biggest problem people are going to find as they start to attend tournaments (not GT but Indy) is that with the changes to the speed of the game and requirements for terrain that this year in particular its going to feel quite clunky. There is probably not going to be the correct terrain in the right dimensions for optimum play and it will probably take this year to get the timings and army sizes right. We are currently debating hard on whether to up the points and assume that tournament games are going to be much quicker or stay the course and actually find out. Despite the fact that games at the moment are quicker, people havent really played enough 8th ed games to get a true tournament mentality or appreciation of the mechanics, once this is grasped we might find that games take a similar amount of time through the dint of players making more cautious moves.

I think its too early to really tell where 8th is going. At the moment I have to say that I am having more fun with this game that I have had with 40K in years. It may not be balanced, it may have its issues but damn it when I smash my Ghouls into my opponents rats it dont half feel like the result will depend on how well I roll dice rather than how effective each unit is at killing the front rank of the opposition. Now some might not think this very tactical or what not but it certainly has more person involvement than oh so you killed 5 of my guys, now I cant do anything.

Post: #18

It looks like I'll have to be the first to weigh in below the medium option. Well, aside from the silent Riftsower...

Anyway, like many have already said, I do think that the 8th edition is a lot more easily approachable, and especially so for new players. The rules and mechanics generally makes more sense when you start thinking about them. The game has certainly been refreshed in pretty much all areas - I especially like the new percentages when building armies and the new dice generation system in the magic phase, these two changes in particular really spruces up the writing of army lists.

Yet despite of how good it all looks on paper, it has gotten less fun and entertaining to actually play the game on the table. In all the games I have played thus far (about 8, I reckon) I've started becoming bored with it already when turn 3-4 rolls around. This is the same as when I'm playing Warhammer 40k - the game just doesn't keep my interest and attention, and after the last turn I hurriedly stow the stuff away so that I can go and do something else instead.

I can't recall the same happening when playing the 7th edition, at least not with the same kind of consistency and severity. The new rules set really does feel more fun thinking about than actually playing.

I do hope that the GW's progression of this edition will be able to change these feelings. I don't know how they'd do that though...

Post: #19

I voted neutral in this poll.

There are some things that I really like in this edition. For example, I think the "Winds of Magic" are great. It really levels out the playing field, as armies like VC can no longer go into battle throwing around 15 or so PD while their opponents look on in horror during every Magic Phase. Also, close combat makes a lot more sense (it's not like the other guys would just give up attacking if their front rank got killed). Also, shooting has been made more realistic as well.

However, there are some serious drawbacks. TLOS is just asking for arguments between players. Somehow my opponents never can see the same angle that I do whenever they get down to a "model's-eye view." Random charging distances seem unnecessary, and they have the potential to turn terrorbombs into real cheese. Additionally, getting rid of range-guessing really takes away from the finesse of artillery. I liked it better when players had to get experienced with ranges, and just being able to pop your cannonball down wherever you want really takes away from the satisfaction of a well-placed shot.

And no more infantry Fell Bats or fast cav Dire Wolves...

All in all, I would give it a rating of "not bad." It could be better...but it could also have been MUCH worse.

Post: #20

I think we do need to remember that there is a difference of the 8th edition and how VC are in the 8th edition. If and when we get out 8th edition rule book we may all feel very differently.