Spearhead Release

OK, so they released the Spearhead Formations today on the GW site.

Spearhead Formation PDF

After looking at them it looks like Apoc style formations. Not sure if they are supposed to be used in regular games, but after reading them most of them are pretty retarded (tanks with Stealth and Infiltrate, really?). I guess in a casual game you could throw them in. All in all its just another layer of the lunacy that GW is currently putting out on the 40k side of the business.

A couple ideas from over at BOLS

Quote :

Seek & Destroy.
Vendettas.
24" move, followed by 3x TL Lascannon shots (combat speed, remember?). Dear god.

Ambush Spearhead
2 ideas.
Chem-dogs, infiltrating w/in 18 inches. *shudders*
Artillery vehicles in cover. Maybe some camo nets just for a 2+ cover save...

Actually the final spearhead indicates that they are NOT to be used in apocalipse style games.

It basicly says " These rules are not for apoc. but at the cost of a penetrating hit you may take a super heavy tank"

The rules for "Spearhead Engagements" are in the new WD (#365), basically it's all about massive tank battles. I really think this is more for the fluffy people than seriously competetive players.

Nathan wrote:

The rules for "Spearhead Engagements" are in the new WD (#365), basically it's all about massive tank battles. I really think this is more for the fluffy people than seriously competetive players.

I actually disagree a bit. The system is very balanced, and although every spearhead offers some crazyiness, there actually is not too many things that I see as overboard.

Certainly the rules are from a fun standard, I wouldn't say fluffy at all. Alot of spearheads don't follow fluff at all.

Though me and my local group are self tweaking to create a very balanced spearhead that can be used in addition to normal games at all times.

I'm with Chad mostly.

I only glanced at the spearhead formations and I don't know or care if they are cheesy. The bottom line is that most players will look at this and maybe play one game with the spearhead rules just to screw around and then it will be back to business as usual with the standard competitive play.

Meanwhile, instead of fixing current rules issues (Doom anyone?) and updating codexes people want badly, GW is spending resources on expansions only a very few players will ever use or care about (who needs more than five fingers to count the number of Planetstrike games they've played?).

Necron players - Spearhead is what you got instead of a new codex.

Dark Eldar players - Spearhead is what you got instead of a new codex.

Daemonhunter players - Spearhead is what you got instead of a new codex.

Dark Angel players - Spearhead is what you got instead of a new codex.

You see what I'm getting at?

I respectfully disagree, TML.

These little things, particularly this Spearhead one, take a mere fraction of the time to write and develop than an actual codex does. Why? They don't have to be overly concerned with balance.

I really like the release, and hope it's a move in the right direction for White Dwarf. While I don't mind the adverts and other filler in the mag, it certainly would be nice to see some more 'new' stuff in there.

Yeah this confirms to me they wasted some trees printing these rules up. The guys at BOLS did the leg work I didn't want to do on the formations so here it is:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2010/06/40k-tactics-using-spearhead-formations.html

And, it may not take a lot of time or development, but it could have been time better spent.