Holy news spam.
First, and most significantly, we have errata with
actual nerfs/buffs:
- Shake Effects: Blind and Shadow Bind have been added to the effects that you can shake with a focus or fury.
Sizable nerf to Gorman, whose "piece trade" stock was just completely
off the charts as you could trade his activation for a
Gargossal/Heavy activation almost ad infinitum. No longer -
now you just trade it for -1 focus or fury on those things. Still a
really excellent 3pt solo for 2pts, all things considered.
This also nerfs Morghoul2, and is therefore my favourite errata of the lot.
The second effect shake is a nerf to Cryx, specifically Denny2 and the War Witch. Still a
superb feat, although almost entirely removes that 'insta scenario win'
potential. Brings her down a good notch.
-Pack Fury: Brings
the warbeast packs in line with warbeasts to prevent you from gaining
fury from killing warbeast pack models with friendly model.
I have never seen warbeast packs played in person but I assume this is an actual errata. Neat.
- Major Victoria Haley (Haley2): Changed Major Haley’s feat so that the Haley player no longer chooses the order of activations for models/units.
Probably
the most significant nerf in here. I agree it addressed the core problem of
player agency, but I don't know if I would have gone that far as to
remove that part of the feat entirely. I assume they playtested the shit
out of multiple alternatives though and ended up with this, so we shall
see how it pans out.
Either way, this will change the meta a lot, which is what I like to see.
- Major Prime Victoria Haley (Haley3): Changed
the wording of Temporal Flux to clarify that it grants the unit and
friendly FACTION models within 5" of one or more models in the unit +2 DEF.
Changed Time Projection to clarify how Haley Past and Haley Future can allocate focus and use arc nodes.
Mostly a nerf to Acosta, who looked cocoa butter bananas with that +2 DEF. Haley3 is one of the few Cygnar casters that loves Cygnar infantry due to Revive + the smoke wall so the nerf isn't as much a nerf to her gameplan as it is to all the OP 2pt Merc solos that would hang out near her.
The other stuff is actual clarification that we've known about for a while.
- Flank: Fixed Flank on Trench Buster and Sergeant Nicolas Verendrye to prevent them from flanking with themselves.
Another actual errata. Neat.
- Bone Shaker: Asphyxious
the Hellbringer (Asphyxious3) and Calaban the Grave Walker have been
updated so the wording of Bone Shaker is consistent across all models.
Holy balls, did Calaban just get a BUFF? It seems that when you kill a guy with Bone Shaker during feat, if that zombie dude kills a guy while zombie dude is in Calaban's control area, then Calaban gets a fury from the dead target (still doesn't get one from zombie dude, who gets RFPed at 'boxed')
Still not enough to make him worth playing (getting fury on the feat has never really been a problem), but it's a minor reduction in Skornergy. At this rate, he should playable by 2022.
- Pistol Wraith: Death Chill was changed to stationary to allow a model with Focus: Shake Effect or Fury: Shake Effect to remove the effect.
Another nerf to Cryx. I approve in principle. Pistol Wraiths don't see play so much anymore though, but they should. Or should have, prior to this nerf. 3pts is hefty. Still better than the Brigand UA though.
- Thyron Sword of Truth: Added duration to the feat.
- Mountain King: Gained Assault.
Most impressive. I think this is the first time a model has gained a full, entirely new rule (Rhyas gained reach, but that's a property of the weapon *technicality*). This opens the door to more aggressive errata in the future, I hope.
Does this make the Mountain King playable? I think it does. Does it make him good? We will see. It's an interesting change for sure and changes his dynamics.
- Siege Animantarax: Rage Tokens can be gained from friendly attacks. Rage Tokens can be used to boost any attack or damage roll.
Sweet buff. This makes the model not as bad, but perhaps still bad. Will this become significant for the developing Skorne ranged game? It could be like a different (and overall crappier) version of the Sacral Vault.
- Archangel: Draconic Aura changed from Righteous Flames to causing Continuous Fire to enemy models within 2”
Cool, the model now has an animus. Situationally good if you can get like 8+ guys on fire for 2 fury.
Also Grotesques renamed, meaning we get more Grotesques in the future! Legion players everywhere rejoice/fall to your knees and weep!
If there's anything that can be learned, it's that if you complain
enough, eventually you will get what you want. A valuable lesson for
everyone in life.
Notice how the buffs are all to huge based, really impressive looking models? The ones that look cool and you WANT to play them, but then get frustrated when you do because their rules are bad? Then you go on the forums and bitch for 2-3 years about how your huge-based centerpiece isn't even useful as a paper weight because you live in a high wind turbulence area and the resin/plastic components fall over in the face of a strong breeze? Size matters, folks. Maybe when they release a terrible Manowar Battle Engine, things will happen in that department.
The extra shakeable effects is also a systemic buff to jacks and beasts, which I like to see.
Secondly, Core Rules to the game finally made free after many years:
http://privateerpress.com/the-rules-are-free
I guess this is the first step towards a "living rulebook", and makes sense all things considered. The business model has caught up, at least partially.
Third, and most significantly, Jason Soles exits from his cave and interacts with the public:
http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/insider-8-20-2015
My favourite part of the article, except for the fact that it is written by Jason Soles, is that it includes the quote:
" We do not like to make changes during or right before a major convention or an organized play season."
on a document released literally one day after World Team Championship (probably the biggest, highest profile Warmahordes tournament in the world) lists are locked and released to the public. Pure class.
Hopefully now when I talk about my greatest inspiration, or
use my Soul tokens, people will know who I am talking about. Hopefully.
