Trident Wargaming

This week, we feature a special guest writer: Josh Baines from 3uptabletop, and his take on the Q1 2024 Dataslate. Give it up for Josh, and dont forget to check out http://www.3uptabletop.com

It’s always the best day of the month when a new balance dataslate come out. And let me tell you, this one didn’t disappoint. Mostly. You’ll see what I mean.

Before we jump in, I just want to clarify, I will only be talking about the three factions that I have been actively playing this edition and my thoughts on their changes: Drukhari, CSM, and Admech. Anything else would be a disservice to you the reader. I use to play a metric ton of Votann, but I’ve maybe played two games with them this edition.

Starting off with CSM there were a few major changes:

• Having to match your chaos marks in order to use a transport. 

This is probably a good thing. Rhino rushing with 10 Chosen who are marked Khorne or undivided while the rhino is Nurgle just so that it can’t be shot at was super unfun. Flavor wise it is a shame, but when the flavor is salt, it doesn’t take the annoyance out of my opponents eyes. I’d give this change a solid A, if for no other reason then it’s going to diversify lists and create more choices in the list building phase.

• Dark Obscuration is now 18″ not 12″

Truthfully, I don’t know how I feel about this one. It’s probably a really good change. But the amount of times I would tell my opponent that, “X is marked Nurgle, I can use this strat,” and then they try and shoot it anyways with no other targets, speaks more to how listening to what your opponent tells you pre-game is a skill most players don’t have. Or something. Regardless, this was a pretty predictable change and a reasonable one. I wonder if they’ll do the same with similar stratagems in the future, or will remove the ones they had written for future books with this type of stratagem. Either way, solid A.

• Profane Zeal is now only re-roll wounds

It was this or make it 2 CP (Why is our armor of contempt 2 CP still GW? Punks.) You’re probably still running Abaddon who didn’t go up in points so your re-roll hits aren’t that hard to access, just play around that, and you’ll still be fishing all day. A+.

• Accursed cultists are OC 1, and only in your command phase do they return models.

F. I hate this. Very balanced unit that I definitely don’t run three max squads of of. I have no bias here at all. Very bad change.

Ok but actually as much as this makes me sad, I get it. Being OC 2 was ludicrous. And having them return on your opponents turn just to tag into combat was super feels bad (I have been told by everyone I play, it makes me feel warm). If they’re going to be OC 1, I don’t know if the second change was super needed, but again, I’m filled with bias. B+

Can you guess what got nerfed for points in CSM? I’ll give you a hint, it starts with a C, and ends in hosen. And maybe some very cursed cultists. Chosen are up to 130 a squad now, which feels more in line with how silly that unit is, I wouldn’t be surprised if they go up again at least one more time. Accursed Cultists are 105 for eight, which is probably fine.

Forgefiend’s are 200 points now, which I don’t know how to feel about? The damage 3 is so good, but when I can just take two Predator Annihilator’s for 60 points more, it’s a harder sell. I don’t even know when the last time I used the devastating wounds option on the fiend was ever since the last dataslate. Plus now I don’t have to keep painting my second one. Yay!

Lastly I just want to take a moment to celebrate Warp Talons being brought back down to earth at 110 points. Whose Idea was it to make them so cheap last time? Man I hate twin-linked. This is a good change, thanks GW.

Moving on from something that was really good and is now, pretty good. We look at something that was depressingly bad, and is now back to former glory, probably. Drukhari!

This is the army that really got me to stick with 40k back in 8th edition. It’s that speed along with glass canon melee that’s always made my heart tingle. So when they took away my melee abilities in 10th, I wasn’t too keen on playing “36 dark lances, the army.” Remember when I said I’ve played the armies I’m talking about today a lot? I lied about that a little. I haven’t play Drukhari since 10th dropped because I was that sad by their new playstyle. Incubi were actually awful: a model I own 50 of. Wyches were pathetic, and advance and charge was taken from us.

Don’t get me wrong; pain tokens? That’s some hype juice if I’ve ever drank it. Dark lances and blasters having huge damage? Oh buddy. Scourges being viable for something that wasn’t being an action monkey? Ohhhhh buddy. But man, it was like meeting an ex again after a few years, you search for that old flame just to realize she’s not who she use to be and you’ll never meet the person who you fell in love with again. Dark stuff (Gain a pain token).

But man, did someone at GW choose to give the best faction in 40k some love. The changes we’re pretty simple.

1. Pain tokens give 1 AP in combat now. Awesome. A+
2. Archons can join Incubi now. A+++

This on it’s own is awesome, but truly, it’s the new Skysplinter Assault detachment that has brought me back. Get out of a transport and gain lance or ignore cover that turn.

Buddy. This detachment is like crack. I’m so deep on it, you don’t even know. Have you ever seen Incubi move 14 in the raider, then get out wholly within 3 of the raider, use 1 CP to still be able to charge, then re-roll all hits and wounds with 30 AP 3 D2 attacks? WITH LANCEEEEE. Because I’ve seen that. It rocks my socks off. This stuff makes Wyches decent. Wyches. How?

What else does this detachment have? How about falling back into your raider at the end of fight phase? Those 10 Incubi are extra safe now. Thanks for the pain-tokens KID.

How about sustained hits 2 on that dark lance that’s ignoring cover now? This detachment makes me feel fulfilled. I don’t need the old gods anymore.

On top of that, pretty much everything went down in points. Did they need too with these changes? Probably not, but I’m going to ride this army until they take it away from me. Is 5 raiders too many? Couldn’t tell you, I’m busy doing it anyways.

I’m excited to play this army again. That’s always a good sign that GW is doing a good job with these things.

You know what I’m not excited to play?

Admech.

I get it. It’s a new book, too early to make some changes. Too little data, not enough time to look at it.

I’ll do it for them though. Here’s some free data for GW tested by the entire Admech player base:

1. Kastelan Robots should not cost 200 points.
2. Doctrines working in melee would make me want to play priests
3. Every detachment not named: Skitarri Hunter Cohort, is so much worse.
4. Cawl is still 180 points, making him probably the worst unit in the book.

I really love this army. Playing it makes me feel big smart when I win. But did I really win? I just walked Vanguard onto the objective over and over again while my Dragoons tied up whatever the biggest thing was. A small change to anything would have been nice.

Am I going to drop the army? I don’t think so. I still do genuinely enjoy them, but having every game be a Sisyphean struggle isn’t exactly motivating when I can be making Incubi move 17″ instead. But hey, if I have to wait another 3 months to have a second Drukhari moment with Admech, I’m down for that.

GW did extremely good with this dataslate, even beyond what I covered today. The balance teams finger really feels on the pulse. Ok Imperial Knight players might not feel the same but I have no sympathy for them. You know what you did. Nerd.

Thanks for reading my thoughts on the dataslate. It’s all gut feelings for the most part, and I’m about as mid at this game as you can be. But uh, make your own blog. Fight me.

Be safe, and remember to drink lots of water. Nerd.