The first up is the one most of us want to hear a about first.... what will the new Chapter Approved 2018 bring to Matched Play. The point costs, adjustments, and heaven forbid...... any nerfs.
via the Warhammer Community
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/12/03/3rd-dec-chapter-approved-matched-playgw-homepage-post-1/
Chapter Approved 2018 is coming, and with it, a huge host of new content for every kind of gamer. This week, we’ll be looking over some of the main headlines, starting with a closer look at what’s in store for matched play!
2018 has been an incredible year for Warhammer 40,000 matched play. Working with our playtesters, tournament organisers, and fans from around the world, we’ve been able to keep the game balanced and fun, leading to a diverse, fast-moving competitive field at the highest level as well as making the game fair for all players. In Chapter Approved 2018, we’re going to make matched play even better:
Missions are at the heart of matched play, each designed to test a different aspect of your generalship and give tournament organisers a host of options when designing their events. We’re bringing 12 new missions to matched play in this Chapter Approved, with 6 for Eternal War and 6 for Maelstrom of War, designed in conjunction with our expert playtesters to create a balanced, objective-focused and fun experience.
One of the most interesting additions to several of these missions is Acceptable Casualties. This being the grim darkness of the far future, often, any sacrifice is worthwhile in pursuit of greater victory, and we want more of the game to reflect that. In missions with Acceptable Casualties, Sudden Death rules do not apply, meaning if you’ve played to the objectives, you can still win, even if your army gets wiped out!
This turns list-building for matched play on its head as your army might be able to table the opponent, but if it can’t capture objectives, then you’ll be unlikely to claim victory. Speed will also be key in winning these missions – if you can grab enough points early on, you’ll be able to claim an insurmountable lead.
One of these awesome missions is Narrow the Search, where the radius in which you can control each objective starts off as an 18″ bubble and shrinks every turn, bringing both players’ forces inexorably closer…
As well as missions, we’ve taken the opportunity both to enshrine some Big FAQ rules in print as well as taking a look at points. As before, this review is pretty wide-ranging, but there are a few highlights…
Take the Necrons as an example – cool units like Triarch Praetorians have had a hefty reduction in points, making them a much more viable choice in a Necron army, and offering aspiring Overlords an interesting tactical option for their matched play forces.
Grey Knights, too, have seen some sweeping points reductions to a bunch of core units, including Paladins and Purifiers, as well as the Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight. If you collect Grey Knights, you’ll have loads more flexibility when building your lists and may well find units you previously overlooked to be much more appealing.
It’s fair to say that some of the most stunning models in Warhammer 40,000 weren’t getting much time on the table in the matched play scene (Wraithknight, we’re looking at you), so we’ve made some adjustments to help encourage their use. For example, the aforementioned Wraithknight has had an enormous reduction in points, now costing a little over 300 points, rather than over 400 before weapons! You’re now free to use these extra points on reinforcements, or more Wraithknights…
We’ve also taken the opportunity to look at some units that might be over performing based on their points costs, making increases where necessary. Chaos Cultists, for instance, have been given a small increase based on their overwhelming popularity in Chaos lists of all kinds. Several other units that have been dominating lists have had a similar treatment – we’re looking to make a more diverse field where every unit has a legitimate place in matched play.
Like the previous edition of Chapter Approved, we’ve also had the chance to look at some Forge World datasheets and tweak points accordingly. One option we’ve had loads of feedback on is the Knight Magaera. Loads of you guys thought this cost a few too many points – and we agree! After some further testing, we’ve dropped its cost to a more appropriate level. If you’ve been holding off on adding a Forge World model to your army, you may well find yourself with the perfect excuse.
Loads of other content in this year’s Chapter Approved is designed to be compatible with matched play too, like the Eight – Commander Farsight’selite unit of battlesuit-armoured heroes. Taken as a single Lord of War choice and costing over 1000 points, the Eight are awesome, featuring new datasheets and Signature Systems to represent their unique abilities. If you’re looking for a powerful new choice for your T’au Empire army, this could be it…
The Sisters of Battle beta codex has also been provided with a full set of points for matched play (which we’d love your feedback on via social media and email), while Index: Renegade Knights has been reprinted in full and remains an official part of the game. The future’s bright for matched play…
We’ll have more previews of Chapter Approved in store for you throughout the week, continuing tomorrow with a look at Open Play – see you then!