8th Ed. Bastiladon... something that bugs me

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Has anyone else noticed that a Bastiladon and a Skink chief are both strength 4? Fluff-wise that bugs me!! How can a tiny skink be as strong a big giant dinosaur?

I'm not saying that fluff should dictate rules (or even that rules need to be changed), but it just struck me as odd.

Anyone else find this strange?

 

[Pinktaco]

Yes. The beast could've easily been S5 for those points and it wouldn't have messed with the role of the baby steg (which have an impact hit). If the bastiladon would've been S5 it would've *almost* been auto-include IMO. Currently S4 is just so sh1tty and something we have in abundancy.

 

[Mr Phat]

I think that the S4 in this case indicates its slow + blunt movement.

Strenght doesnt measure "muscle", it measures how hard an attacks hits -> the strenght of the impact.

I imagine a bastiladon would be using "pushy" attacks when NOT using its tail.
A Skink cheif has the same "strenght" because his strikes are sharper and better directed.

Thats at least how I see it.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I think that the S4 in this case indicates its slow + blunt movement.

I feel that the slowness and bluntness of it's movement would be fully captured in it's movement, weapon skill and initiative statistics.

 

[Pinktaco]

I think that the S4 in this case indicates its slow + blunt movement.

Strenght doesnt measure "muscle", it measures how hard an attacks hits -> the strenght of the impact.

I imagine a bastiladon would be using "pushy" attacks when NOT using its tail.
A Skink cheif has the same "strenght" because his strikes are sharper and better directed.

Thats at least how I see it.

Fvck that. There's no excuse to not give it S5 really. :3

 

[n810]

Well technically its ST 4/10.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Well technically its ST 4/10.

That's true... but the S4 portion makes no sense. Nothing that big should be that weak.

Personally I think that the one S10 attack should cause d6 wounds (or d3 at the very least)

 

[pendrake]

There are not enough nuances on the ST scale? or not enough variations on the ST vrs. Toughness chart?

How strong are those creatures the Ogres ride?

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

There are not enough nuances on the ST scale? or not enough variations on the ST vrs. Toughness chart?

That's the truth of it. Although strength and toughness have the potential range of 1 to 10, most units/models are clustered around that 3-6 mark. Of course you'll come across a few outliers (toughness 2 skink, toughness 8 sphinx, etc.), but those are pretty few and far between.

 

[Scalenex]

Bastiladons are herbivores making a bite attack. I don't have a problem with the Strength 4 attack.

 

[Mr Phat]

Bastiladons are herbivores making a bite attack. I don't have a problem with the Strength 4 attack.

this.

While I do agree that the tail should do D3 wounds.

 

[Ben Tranter]

A Bastiladon is meant to be a cheap, cheap monster. It only costs 150 points and most of that is 'spent' on the excellent carapace weapon and the great defence.

I'm happy to sacrifice the combat ability to retain the other abilities and leave the high strength fighting to the Stegadons

 

[owain_b]

Yeah there are just too few increments on the str scale, so there are loads of things the same str or toughness that shouldn't be fluff wise but just doesn't work in game, as nightbringer said usually between 3-6, doesn't leave much room for variation. But I can see a sword hitting as hard as a herbivore bite, but it doesn't explain a str 4 thunderstomp! That must be the only str 4 thunderstomp in the game

 

[Scalenex]

But I can see a sword hitting as hard as a herbivore bite, but it doesn't explain a str 4 thunderstomp! That must be the only str 4 thunderstomp in the game

Being crushed underfoot by something that is basically a living boulder should be almost unsurvivable. Don't take the word "Stomp" literally. I think of it more as a headbutt in this case.

 

[Pinktaco]

Being crushed underfoot by something that is basically a living boulder should be almost unsurvivable. Don't take the word "Stomp" literally. I think of it more as a headbutt in this case.

I prefer thinking of the bastiladon literally rolling over it's enemies with the round shaped shell it have. I propose S10 crushing thunderstomp.You have to follow up by taking a roll-test, on 4+ it continue to roll in a random direction - the dice is thrown by your opponent for added randomness (not really). In the following round, if you manage to stop the rolling beast roll another D6, on 4+ the initative buff is given to your opponent because the bastiladon is dazed.

Alright, maybt not. Unless we were playing the orc and goblin army

 

[Pinktaco]

A Bastiladon is meant to be a cheap, cheap monster. It only costs 150 points and most of that is 'spent' on the excellent carapace weapon and the great defence.

I'm happy to sacrifice the combat ability to retain the other abilities and leave the high strength fighting to the Stegadons

In truth the bastiladon comes off as weird. It's good in low point games, but when we reach the 2000+pts games we have our Slann who can deal enough magic. It's an extra magic option for an army with plenty of magic to begin with.

The increase in initiative is weird, couldn't we have been given +1 WS?

The combat power of the bast beast isn't good and nowhere near what other armies can get for the same points. It's a resiliant monster though, so I suppose that's something.

I love the model, just not what it does in bigger games. Again I'd argue that S5 wouldn't make a stegadon bad, but just make the bast a more worthy pick because it can now decently fight for itself.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Bastiladons are herbivores making a bite attack. I don't have a problem with the Strength 4 attack.

But I can see a sword hitting as hard as a herbivore bite, but it doesn't explain a str 4 thunderstomp! That must be the only str 4 thunderstomp in the game

Consider other herbivores... elephants, rhinoceros or hippopotamus (usually). I wouldn't classify any of them as S4 for the same reasons why I don't think it is justified that a bastiladon is S4. All that mass and the muscle to move that mass should grant you a little more hitting power.