Understand that this is an editorial and is based on my opinion of the things going on, which can of course change (i try to be open).
Lets just right into into Escalation.
Escalation
Escalation is bringing us Super-Heavies and Gargantuan creatures into the standard game of Warhammer 40k, and you had better be prepared for it. I personally love this idea, and I think Games Workshop did an excellent job on the rules they created for Escalation, where I think there are problems, are the rules they did not create for Escalation and just brought them over from Apoc.
I have been reading several reports and opinions throughout the internet (trying to stick to the logical ones and not the sky is falling approach), and it seems clear that super-heavies and Gargantuan creatures are not the primary problem in the community with Escalation and Stronghold Assault; its D-Weapons.
I really wish Games Workshop had come up with an alternative to the Apocalypse rules for D-Weapons. It would of made this whole Escalation add on to our game much smoother. After all its using the D-Weapon chart that is creating all the problems. This is where people are seeing the problems.
Yes, I agree that players should be just adjusting their lists to deal with D-Weapons and all the big boys that are coming. However, where D-Weapons are concerned like the Revenant Eldar Titan, that can shoot off 4 of these a round killing at least two units per round with d weapon large blasts, tournaments will have serious issues with the whole expansion.
How much better it would of been if Games Workshop simply added an alternative rule in there for us. Something as easy this.
D-Weapon alternative rules take on the following. Primary Weapon, S10 AP1 and ignore cover and invul saves must taken at a negative modifier like -1 or -2. And use the normal charts.
I will be clear that I do not think Superheavies and Gargantuan creatures are problem. I think they are great and the rules that Games Workshop added to the book are fantastic for their inclusion. I just think D-Weapons are where the community is having issues.
Can D-Weapons work in regular 40k as they are written? Probably, and for tournaments that are upset with super heavies and d-weapons, I wish there had been a alternative to the D-Weapon. Time will tell though, as we get more time with these massive weapons. I think we will see lots of ways TOs will try and work with super heavies, and it might just end up either not allowing D-Weapons, or providing alternate rules for them.
The Wrong Approach
Now this is frustrating, and it needs to be talked about. I hate to be negative in our hobby, but statements like the ones that come out of Warhammer World often lead me to believe that they do not read their own books, or have no idea what they are talking about before start speaking to us through facebook.
Read this.
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I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt because they have not read through the release yet and are just trying to communicate an answer with the community. The problem I have is their declaring it an expansion like Apoc or planetstrike when it is clearly not. Warhammer World is a part of Games Workshop, and blanket statements like this are just out of line, and premature. That is what frustrates me. At least know what is coming, or wait until it gets here before making the declaration. It seems that Warhammer World event organizers are often making these statements that are counter to what the rest of Games Workshop is saying.
Thats the end of my rant, and I apologize now because its rare that I go there.
I do hope that the Throne of Skulls will take a look at Escalation, and if anything, just adjust or provide us with an alternate statistic for D-Weapons.
