I was wrong about multiple generals handbooks per year

[Sception]

When the current generals handbook was released with 'season 1' in the title, & GW announced there would be two matched play seasons per year, I said that didn't mean two generals handbooks per year. Thondia had a matched play rule set after all, so I insisted that it would be one generals handbook, and one narrative campaign per year, both with a set of matched play rules, not really different from before.

but no, i was wrong, and the negative nancies were right after all. gw does expect us to buy two separate us$50 books per year just to keep up with basic core rules. personally, I'm not happy about it, though i suppose less optimistic / wilfully blind players will have already adjusted to this.

details: https://www.warhammer-community.com...handbook-2023-a-time-for-galletian-champions/

as for the rules themselves, they feel like a lot of bother to not quite reintroduce attaching heroes to units, when what they want to do is just actually reintroduce attaching heroes to units. after all, how are you going to keep your bodyguard unit wholly within 6"of their charge when both still move as separate units, with separate run & charge distances, & you can't even know hiw far one unit can go until after you move the other? getting sniped is only the first part of why people only run infantry heroes for casting or support.

im also curious if they'll keep the two rank attacks thing for battleline infantry. if not, a lot of larger base units that might otherwise be good fits as bodyguards will be back to not being able to attack with half their models.

Also, as a side note, the hassle of even trying to define 'infantry hero' once again shows how much this game needs unit type keywords.

 

[El Syf]

I fully agree with you, I’m getting lost with all the rules that just make life more complicated. There was already quite a few rules I forget so this will be fun!

 

[Sception]

personally I'm inclined to just go back to the big rulebook conquest of generals format for my games. especially if the new season drops the galatian veteran / battleline infantry rules. its one thing if they're experimenting with improvements to the game that then stick around (though such changes would still be coming too quickly at too high a monetary cost for me), but if the additions to the game are disposable & abandoned every 6 months also?

but i dont know yet if that's the case. no sense making myself extra annoyed with speculation

 

[The Sun King]

As a competitive player I love this format. However, I can see how it is confusing for the casual player, but as you say Sception the Contest of Generals are made exactly for the players who don’t wont to keep up with new rules every 6 months.

 

[Sception]

i don't mind the more frequent format changes so much in and of themselves, but I do mind us$100 per year just to keep up with core matched play rules, not even getting any new art or lore or narrative content out of it. i didn't mind one matched play focused generals handbook and one more narrative campaign book per year, the latter full of content i can enjoy as a fan and hobbyist even if I don't get many games in. I do not get to play enough games to justify a hundo on core rules alone every year, on to of new battletomes & new edition rulebooks, but if i don't keep up then i worry i won't get to play any games at all.

But whatever, I'm over it now. Complaints are vented. I'll push for CoG in casual games, & if opponents insist on the new ghb I'll just pirate it.

 

[The Sun King]

i don't mind the more frequent format changes so much in and of themselves, but I do mind us$100 per year just to keep up with core matched play rules, not even getting any new art or lore or narrative content out of it. i didn't mind one matched play focused generals handbook and one more narrative campaign book per year, the latter full of content i can enjoy as a fan and hobbyist even if I don't get many games in. I do not get to play enough games to justify a hundo on core rules alone every year, on to of new battletomes & new edition rulebooks, but if i don't keep up then i worry i won't get to play any games at all.

But whatever, I'm over it now. Complaints are vented. I'll push for CoG in casual games, & if opponents insist on the new ghb I'll just pirate it.

Yeah Wahapedia is your friend. It is a better rules platform than the official app and books anyways. :)

 

[Sception]

Yeah Wahapedia is your friend. It is a better rules platform than the official app and books anyways. :)

pretty much, yeah. :p

venting done, my annoyance at this is not enough to eclipse my excitement at two new death battletomes in the pipeline.

 

[The Sun King]

I am really excited by the new books as well, they are both long overdue. My only fear is that GW might think that the FEC product range is good. But at least FEC has amazing conversion possibilities so even without new models I will jump right back into FEC when the new book comes.

 

[Oppenheimer]

I am a casual player and previously still bought GHB because there wasn't too much difference between matched play and most other ways to play. But, now that victory points are not just based on the scenario but based on differing rules and battle tactics and which units you kill it's way too much. I hadn't bought the last GHB with all that gallatian nonsense and am not going to get this one either. Luckily, narrative play has really stepped up its game with having a lot more interesting progression so I don't miss Matched Play at all.

 

[The Sun King]

I am happy to hear that Oppie! It is really a struggle to design a game that complements all the differing play styles and preferences. It seems to me that they take all types of play equally serious and although I don't play narrative or open play, I really think it is a good move by GW to accomodate the varying types of players in the community.