AoS NEW *rumor*

[Killer Angel]

Beastmaster is rather dissapointing, not a fan of once per battle abilities regardless, but this doesn't even provide something new. I mean the two options are basicly a carnosaur's blood frenzy and a stegadon's command ability. The effect themselves aren't terrible, but couldn't they come up with something new?

Yeah, the effect is cool, we can still have the options once granted by thunderquake starhost, that disappeared with the vanishing of old faction battalions.

But the originality is 0.

 

[Erta Wanderer]

mmm. i find this update very low effort if i'm being honest. featured factions up until now have had 2-3 battalions we get 1 and just a reskinned old one at that, general rule is 6 mount traits divided among the kinds of mounts or sub factions. we get 2 and not only 2 but faction locked so you don't get a choice you just take what your prime faction gives you, most people get 6 battle tactics and 3 grands we get 2 for each and again prime faction locked.
it just seems lazy and at best a bandage fix to "hold us over" until our book drops in 2 years. i like the new coalesced ability it's a definite improvement but the rest just makes me sad and wanting options.

 

[Plushosaurus]

Also gives us two mount traits to chose from for Stegadon, Carnosaur and Troglodon.

Coalesced get Beastmaster, which allows a once per battle choice to either be Swift or Savage during your hero phase and lasts until the next hero phase. Swift lets you run and charge that turn, Savage adds 1 to the attack characteristics of all the mount’s melee weapons.

As someone who wants to run Thunder Lizards, this sounds like a strong bonus. I can see either choice being amazing on a Stegadon with Skink Chief (either guaranteed payload delivery or additional overkill) or Savage being especially good on a Carnosaur running as an independent operator. If I'm correct that gives 5 jaw attacks potentially with Best Day Ever and all-out attack so 5 at 3+ / 2+ D5 (though I might not be correct because I haven't played yet).

 

[Killer Angel]

To be fair, to have Mystical scenery rule for terrains in our territory is pretty good, even if only for coalesced.

It means you will always have a +1 to cast and unbind, which is frankly massive, alongside with our other bonuses

EDIT: I stand corrected, tnx @Erta Wanderer

 

[Erta Wanderer]

To be fair, to have Mystical scenery rule for terrains in our territory is pretty good, even if only for coalesced.

It means you will always have a +1 to cast and unbind, which is frankly massive, alongside with our other bonuses

you're thinking arcane. mystic gives a 6+ ward and +1 to prayers

 

[Canas]

Think that's it from a rules perspective

It feels very in line with the other white dwarf stuff. Very light touch, nothing truly horrible but nothing truly amazing either.

well that's dissapointing. Like @Erta Wanderer said it feels rather low effort compared to what we've seen so far.

Also, the fact that it's yet again locked to subfaction, and starborn seem to yet again get the more interesting stuff doesn't feel great. Really makes me wish they'd just pick one of the two and focussed on that instead of this weird limbo of trying to maintain two subfactions that are supposed to have radically different types of gameplay...

On the brightside; at least this means we'l finally get some underwhelming faction specific prayers next edition. Both mount traits and a spell lore took about a full edition after the initial introduction of them as mechanics before we finally got some

 

[Killer Angel]

you're thinking arcane. mystic gives a 6+ ward and +1 to prayers

Ah, you're right... that's much less exciting, then.

 

[Cristhian MLR]

Gotta remind you that a Celestial Tome is not a Battletome. This is beta before our update at some point in the delayed future.

What's Thunderquake about?

 

[Plushosaurus]

As someone who wants to run Thunder Lizards, this sounds like a strong bonus. I can see either choice being amazing on a Stegadon with Skink Chief (either guaranteed payload delivery or additional overkill) or Savage being especially good on a Carnosaur running as an independent operator. If I'm correct that gives 5 jaw attacks potentially with Best Day Ever and all-out attack so 5 at 3+ / 2+ D5 (though I might not be correct because I haven't played yet).

Actually, I think I was wrong. Carnosaur is 3 jaw attacks base; +1 from Coalesced, +1 from Savage (once) and +1 from Prime Warbeast and you could have 6 at 3+/2+ D5. That seems really good.

 

[xoid]

Actually, I think I was wrong. Carnosaur is 3 jaw attacks base; +1 from Coalesced, +1 from Savage (once) and +1 from Prime Warbeast and you could have 6 at 3+/2+ D5. That seems really good.

Also +1 if you use the asterism of the Great Drake for a total of 7 jaw attacks.

 

[Lambs and Lions]

I am very excited about the coalesced mount trait. I run a stegadon chief and I like to charge turn 1 while I normally get run and charge from my skink priest it fails a third of the games. In those third of games I can use swift to run and charge. In the 2/3s if games that I get off the skink priest ability I can use savage to deal more damage. Sure it's only one turn but it's still really good.

Mystic terrain is okay, it doesn't effect the skink priest's ability but makes the heal prayer more reliable. +6 ward is also nice.

Overall, it's a win.

 

[Togetic]

Gotta remind you that a Celestial Tome is not a Battletome. This is beta before our update at some point in the delayed future.

What's Thunderquake about?

Thunderquake is a battalion made of 1 Skink Chief Stegadon/Engine of the Gods, 2 Stegadon/Bastiladon, and either a kroxigor or razordon/salamander.

You get the choice between Swift or Slayers. Swift is either a once per battle free At the Double or Forward to Victory, Slayers is the same for All out Attack or Unleash Hell. This is only for the units in Thunderquake, but since it doesn’t count as issuing a command to use the abilities it’s got some synergy use to it

Our grand strategies are:

Continous Expansion (Coalesced only)
When the battle ends, you complete this objective if you have one friendly unit wholly within each large quarter of the battlefield.

The Astromatrix (Starborne only)
An imaginary Ley Line 1mm wide runs between each corner of the battlefield to the diagonally opposite corner of the battlefield. When the battle ends you complete this objective if a lay line does not pass over any enemy wizard, and at least one lay line passes over a friendly wizard.

Battle tactics are:

Might of the Starborne (Not starborne only, weirdly)
Pick 1 objective on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if you summon a friendly unit worth at least 20 CCP during the turn, and wholly within 12” of the objective you picked.

Stampede of scales (also available to both)
Pick 3 different friendly Monsters. You complete this battle tactic if all the units you picked run in the following movement phase and finish that run in 6” of one another and wholly within enemy territory.

 

[Carnikang]

Thunderquake is a battalion made of 1 Skink Chief Stegadon/Engine of the Gods, 2 Stegadon/Bastiladon, and either a kroxigor or razordon/salamander.

The make-up of the unit being the same is not a bad thing I suppose. A free All out Attack isn't bad, but with that many points sunk in, and a hero in that battalion, I don't think I'll use it compared to squeezing as many artefacts out of our book+Amulet.

Our grand strategies are:

I am not shocked that this are not as good as the normal ones... but I guess they're flavorful and fit our faction well.

Might of the Starborne (Not starborne only, weirdly)
Pick 1 objective on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if you summon a friendly unit worth at least 20 CCP during the turn, and wholly within 12” of the objective you picked.

A single friendly unit? Sheesh. Why not multiple units adding up to 20+? That locks us into large beasts to summon, which isn't exactly a bad thing to summon late game (this will be a late game pick unless you are running many Slann)... it's just meh.

 

[xoid]

I think I'll probably run Thunderquake at least some of the time. I tend to like to run 3 monster heroes (scar-vet, EotG, and Skink Chief), which means I can't run double command entourage/warlord for two extra artifacts.

 

[cyberhawk94]

I honestly am super pumped for these changes. I was hoping for something that would make Saurus better, since they are the major neglected part of the faction and my favorite, but based on my experience recently these are so helpful to Thunder Lizard and any Starborne lists.

Primevial Domain was useless, but Mystical terrain has always been great for us with the priest healing (on a 2+) and now the Engine of the Gods Cursing targets. The 6+ Ward for Bastilidons and everything near/in the Realmshaper is excellent, and can make us bunker really well. Even some tanky Saurus builds Ive seen experimented with can now save 150 points on a Astrolith.

As others have said, Beastmaster on a Skink Chief or Scar-vet makes them way more consistent, and can really up our alpha strike potential. The Starbone stampede trait is also literally just free mortal wounds since it doesnt take any resources to use it, and most lists will have at least one monster floating around. (A Troglodon w/ the Amulet and this trait pumping mortals from Kroak is interesting to me).

 

[Cristhian MLR]

Thunderquake is a battalion made of 1 Skink Chief Stegadon/Engine of the Gods, 2 Stegadon/Bastiladon, and either a kroxigor or razordon/salamander.

You get the choice between Swift or Slayers. Swift is either a once per battle free At the Double or Forward to Victory, Slayers is the same for All out Attack or Unleash Hell. This is only for the units in Thunderquake, but since it doesn’t count as issuing a command to use the abilities it’s got some synergy use to it

Thunderquake is pretty much the same as the previous editions then.

I'm going to assume that the Kroxies or hunting packs are optional, since having them mandatory will be a pain.

If that's the case, it is a solid battalion, more with the new Primeval Domain and mount traits.

Still, Command Entourage will be mandatory in plenty of scenarios, but this will serve for the next year or two while we wait for a new unit as a reward for having hatched so many draconith eggs and get to pick artifacts that are not mandatory.

 

[Togetic]

Thunderquake is pretty much the same as the previous editions then.

I'm going to assume that the Kroxies or hunting packs are optional, since having them mandatory will be a pain.

The single unit of kroxigor or hunting pack is unfortunately mandatory, I don’t imagine you really want to use the boosts on them though

 

[Dread Saurian]

(Sad that I can't take myself for the Battallion)

 

[Canas]

Thunderquake is a battalion made of 1 Skink Chief Stegadon/Engine of the Gods, 2 Stegadon/Bastiladon, and either a kroxigor or razordon/salamander.

You get the choice between Swift or Slayers. Swift is either a once per battle free At the Double or Forward to Victory, Slayers is the same for All out Attack or Unleash Hell. This is only for the units in Thunderquake, but since it doesn’t count as issuing a command to use the abilities it’s got some synergy use to it

Our grand strategies are:

Continous Expansion (Coalesced only)
When the battle ends, you complete this objective if you have one friendly unit wholly within each large quarter of the battlefield.

The Astromatrix (Starborne only)
An imaginary Ley Line 1mm wide runs between each corner of the battlefield to the diagonally opposite corner of the battlefield. When the battle ends you complete this objective if a lay line does not pass over any enemy wizard, and at least one lay line passes over a friendly wizard.

Battle tactics are:

Might of the Starborne (Not starborne only, weirdly)
Pick 1 objective on the battlefield. You complete this battle tactic if you summon a friendly unit worth at least 20 CCP during the turn, and wholly within 12” of the objective you picked.

Stampede of scales (also available to both)
Pick 3 different friendly Monsters. You complete this battle tactic if all the units you picked run in the following movement phase and finish that run in 6” of one another and wholly within enemy territory.

At least the astromatrix grand strategy is somewhat inspired but other than that one this is all rather unimaginative..

Also shame they didn't do anything interesting with the thunderquake battalion. Would've been an excellent oppertunity to give kroxigors and the Troglodon something interesting, but since it's basicly just the old battalion again they'l just be ignored again...

 

[Dreamkeeper]

Hey guys, is there a link to a Seraphon rules section in new WD? A screenshot, I mean, or a scan. Sadly, I can't get my hands on it (there is a month or two delay on such things in Russia)