The Transition into 6th...
Pros:
No Retreat wounds are gone – Models in Synapse range now no longer lose extra models or pile extra wounds onto other friendly broods. This allow us to tie up enemy units until our more dangerous broods assault. In previous editions it also let our cheap gaunt broods grind down enemy units. Potentially useful when assaulting into cover, too.
Winged creatures can vector strike – which could prove particularly handy against enemy fliers.
Hammer of Wrath gives MCs a bonus attack on the charge. Large broods such as Gargoyles become more powerful on the charge. Shrikes benefit from the free strikes.
Vehicles are much harder to suppress (which is bad) but can be killed by cumulative glancing hits.
Vehicles are a lot easier to hit in Close Combat. Combined with the above point even horde broods such as AdrenalGaunts and DevilGaunts can wreck vehicles.
Standard Missions begin under the Night fighting rules half the time. Night fighting may continue for several turns. Night fighting now gives a bonus to cover that increases the further from the shooting unit.
Our standard psychic powers can be traded in for randomly generated powers from the ‘core powers’ in the MRB. Biomancy seems to offer decent buffs.
Feel No Pain against AP 1 or 2 – a buff for our MCs who often get targeted by this kind of weaponary
Wound Allocation shennanigans are gone.
Implant Attacks cause instant death on an unsaved wound. This might make characters think twice about challenging us.
Cons
Rapid fire can hit us from further away on the move.
Casualties are removed from the front of a unit first, effectively pushing back the brood.
Random Assault Distance could ruin charges or make for longer ones!
Fleeting prevents assault.
We can’t take Allies.
Enemy Allies may mean more psychic defenses or elite armies bulking out with cheap cannon fodder. Strong possibility for nasty combos to be bought against us.
Vehicle can no longer be suppressed.
Flyers can’t be attacked in assault if they Zoom! Only Vector Strikes or shooting can take them down. We don’t know if any of our broods get ‘Skyfire’ yet.
Outflanking broods cannot assault on the turn they arrive.
Infiltrating broods cannot assault if you take the first turn. If you go second, you will be able to assault.
Cover is now easier to claim for Monstrous Creatures but will often be a 5+ rather than a 4+. For multi-model units things have gotten slightly worse as the enemy can specifically target models outside of cover. Depending on the brood’s size and position this may or may not be significant.
Grenades can be used in Close Combat against MCs
Warriors and Raveners are still ID’d by Power Fists and Missile Launchers.
New Mission Deployment rules potentially we are starting the battle further from the enemy.
Pros:
No Retreat wounds are gone – Models in Synapse range now no longer lose extra models or pile extra wounds onto other friendly broods. This allow us to tie up enemy units until our more dangerous broods assault. In previous editions it also let our cheap gaunt broods grind down enemy units. Potentially useful when assaulting into cover, too.
Winged creatures can vector strike – which could prove particularly handy against enemy fliers.
Hammer of Wrath gives MCs a bonus attack on the charge. Large broods such as Gargoyles become more powerful on the charge. Shrikes benefit from the free strikes.
Vehicles are much harder to suppress (which is bad) but can be killed by cumulative glancing hits.
Vehicles are a lot easier to hit in Close Combat. Combined with the above point even horde broods such as AdrenalGaunts and DevilGaunts can wreck vehicles.
Standard Missions begin under the Night fighting rules half the time. Night fighting may continue for several turns. Night fighting now gives a bonus to cover that increases the further from the shooting unit.
Our standard psychic powers can be traded in for randomly generated powers from the ‘core powers’ in the MRB. Biomancy seems to offer decent buffs.
Feel No Pain against AP 1 or 2 – a buff for our MCs who often get targeted by this kind of weaponary
Wound Allocation shennanigans are gone.
Implant Attacks cause instant death on an unsaved wound. This might make characters think twice about challenging us.
Cons
Rapid fire can hit us from further away on the move.
Casualties are removed from the front of a unit first, effectively pushing back the brood.
Random Assault Distance could ruin charges or make for longer ones!
Fleeting prevents assault.
We can’t take Allies.
Enemy Allies may mean more psychic defenses or elite armies bulking out with cheap cannon fodder. Strong possibility for nasty combos to be bought against us.
Vehicle can no longer be suppressed.
Flyers can’t be attacked in assault if they Zoom! Only Vector Strikes or shooting can take them down. We don’t know if any of our broods get ‘Skyfire’ yet.
Outflanking broods cannot assault on the turn they arrive.
Infiltrating broods cannot assault if you take the first turn. If you go second, you will be able to assault.
Cover is now easier to claim for Monstrous Creatures but will often be a 5+ rather than a 4+. For multi-model units things have gotten slightly worse as the enemy can specifically target models outside of cover. Depending on the brood’s size and position this may or may not be significant.
Grenades can be used in Close Combat against MCs
Warriors and Raveners are still ID’d by Power Fists and Missile Launchers.
New Mission Deployment rules potentially we are starting the battle further from the enemy.
