Games Workshop provided us an early look at Battlescroll: Impending Vermindoom. We did not get a chance to review any FAQs or rules clarifications that have typically accompanied the release of a Battlescroll.
It’s been a little over two months since Battlescroll: Nullstone Cache dropped with some major changes to several factions, core rules, and points. The latest Battlescroll is much slighter and is focused on some minor rules changes and some updates to points. First, the most important part of any Battlescroll:
The Killaboss on Gnashtooth did not receive a points decrease.
With that out of the way, let’s look at points and rules changes. They were so slight you won’t stop talking about half-released rules for fourth edition for more than a few minutes.
Rules Changes
Are we using pictures to keep your attention until Gregbot evolves and starts producing soap cutting videos? YES!
Sylvaneth
- Spite-Revenants: Cruel Talons and Fangs range is 2″
- Alarielle the Everqueen: Great Antlers range is 3″
Nurgle
- Putrid Blightkings: Range of Blighted Weapons is 2″
Flesh-Eater Courts
- Command Traits – Cruel Taskmaster: When you use the Muster Guard ability, the noble deeds cost of the first returned model is reduced by 1 (or if the cost was already 1, you can bring back 1 additional model instead.)
- Prior to this, the cost of each returned model was reduced by 1.
That’s all folks. The change to Cruel Taskmaster is a straight nerf and a show of determination to support the FEC book throughout its lifecycle. From a rules perspective this is the lightest battlescroll to ever be released. This is not a bad thing.
Points Changes
Generally points went down for nearly every single faction in the game. When looking at the last few weeks of event stats it’s no surprise that to see that OBR and Khorne received more red than green changes.
I’m also not sure how these points changes were planned and thought about prior to the last battlescroll and how many are reactions to what is being seen in the meta. The last battlescroll was one of the most impactful, with major adjustments for almost every grand alliance and faction. Some of the rising stars, like Bannerlords, received a slight points increase while many of the Khorne points changes may have been justified before.
My hope is that this is the final battlescroll update as we prepare for fourth edition.
Losers:
- Khorne received a lot of small points increases across the board. The Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage and Unfettered Fury both received 20 point increases.
- OBR saw an increase to Kavalos Deathriders and Arkhan the Black as well as a few other changes.
- Grey Seers on Screaming Bells and the Plague Priest on Plague Furnace saw increases in points.
- Morbidex Twiceborn, Valkia the Bloody, Mannfred von Carstein, Lord Kroak, and Arkhan the Black. There has been an effort over the last few balance updates to lower the cost of unique characters and these all received increases in points.
- The Chalice of Ushoran received a 20 point increase and continues to be hit every single time rules are updated.
- Dope models with horrible warscrolls, go ahead and stay on the shelf; there isn’t any hope here for you. I’m thinking about models released in this edition like the Murknob with Belcha-banna that have fun flavorful rules and won’t even get looked at. Getting a full rewrite in the new edition is the only hope for many of these units so they can be taken in competitive lists.
It’s worth pointing out that none of the factions received only received points increases so if your current favorite unit received a hike you’re likely able to substitute a less-effective alternative that you didn’t want to take anyway.
Winners:
- Kragnos received a 20 point decrease. He was one of the few unique god-characters to keep his points the same in the last battlescroll and had been consistently pointed at 720 points since his warscroll was rewritten in the early months of third edition.
- Elf-folks: For the most part outside of Bannerlords, elves that murder for fun, are slowly mutating into insects, and live a cosmopolitan life received some points decreases.
- Keeping your models: Early on Freeguild Fusiliers were identified as being undercosted in the Cities of Sigmar book when combined with all of the buffs they could receive. They were rewarded with a quick points increase and the ability to give the mortal wounds was taken away. Now however, they’ve received a decrease in points.
- Non-magical dinosaurs: Look to see more dinosaurs on the table as the non-magical units received modest points cuts all over. Kroxigor spam is still around for those who are brave enough to try it. Even behemoths like The Engine of the Gods and Stegadons received points decreases in the update.
Impact on the Game
Is somebody going to run a block of fifteen Putrid Blightkings? I hope so! Are we going to Sylvaneth armies full of reinforced Spite-Revenants? Why not try it. Are you allowed to explain to your friend that you would have won multiple games over the past year if the range of the Great Antlers was 3″? You totally can! Do I have a fourth example of how things changed? Not at all!
I’ve you’re still cooking up lists in third edition, and you should be, this battlescroll update likely has enough to get you back into the kitchen but won’t change too much. That being said, it’s entirely possible that some FAQs that we didn’t get a chance to look at will change this opinion in a major way.
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