Trevy's Painting Table

I've got a 35 point Warmachine/Hordes tournament coming up this weekend; something that I am supremely excited for.  I haven't actually been able to play in a Warmachine tournament up until now, so hopefully this time it'll actually work out.

I've decided to take Lord Commander Coleman Stryker (eStryker) as my primary warcaster; I'm probably the most comfortable with him and I've been refining my list for the last couple of weeks:

-Lord Commander Coleman Stryker

-Squire

-Hammersmith Heavy Warjack

-Journeyman Warcaster

-Hunter Light Warjack

-Arcane Tempest Gun Mages

-Gun Mage Officer

-Hunter Light Warjack

-Archduke Alain Runewood

-Stormblade Infantry

I like the list so far, although I feel that it has a couple bad matchups.  It can deal with heavy armor (via the Hunters) as well as light infantry (via the Gun Mages) and just play the game until Stryker kills my opponent's casters.  The armies that the list has big problems with are high numbers of Stealthed infantry; I generally rely on the Hunters to soften up heavier opponents before introducing my Hammersmith to their face while my Gun Mages mop up their infantry (or push stuff around to keep my Hammersmith safe), but when I can't put damage on their units before contact is made, I have a problem.

So that's why I made my second list!

-Captain E. Dominic Darius

-Stormclad Heavy Warjack

-Hammersmith Heavy Warjack

-Thunderhead Heavy Warjack

-Squire

-Journeyman Warcaster

-Stormblade Infantry

Against anyone with a high incidence of light infantry or heavies (or anything too extreme for my main list to deal with) I'll whip this list out.  While Darius is generally regarded as the worst caster in Cygnar, something about his play style and survivability makes him infinitely appealing to me, and I enjoy just about every game I play with him.  Having three Arm 19 heavies and access to Fortify and Arc Shield allows this army to take a charge on Darius' battlegroup from anything less than a Titan.  If my opponent doesn't manage to wipe out a 'jack on the charge (and lets be honest, Arm 22 is tough to get through), I can use Bodge, Repair or Pit Stop to repair vital systems or even entirely repair damaged 'jacks!

On top of that, the list can deal very easily with light infantry armies with Energy Pulse from the Thunderhead, Electro Leap with the Stormclad and Darius' Steam Cannon.  I considered dropping the Hammersmith down to an Ironclad and taking Reinholdt as well (to allow Darius to fire two Steam Cannon shots), but every time I consider it, my Hammersmith either kills a warcaster or wrecks Behemoth.  I also considered dropping the Stormblades for Reinholdt and the Black 13th, but their inclusion really makes the Stormclad worth its 10 points (accumulator+having electricity immune infantry to shoot at=win), so I think I'll keep them.

I haven't put too much thought about the 7 points of reinforcements that I'll get for each list.  I might throw a Charger and 3 points worth of solos into each force; perhaps Epic Eiryss for Stryker's list (he has a little more trouble with upkeeps and camped focus than Darius) and maybe a Gun Mage Captain or some Battle Mechaniks and Reinholdt for Darius.  I could drop the Charger in either reinforcement for the Black 13th; they fulfill roughly the same roll while taking up less focus (and being generally be easier to kill ).

Anyhoo, that's my enormous text-dump.  If anyone who is better at playing Warmachine than me (so, like everyone ) wants to give me a couple tips regarding my lists, feel free!

This is a bit of a random tactical post.  Be warned; tactics be afoot!

I thought about the list that I used for my last batrep, and found that because of some silly mathematical error or somesuch, I actually had 20 points remaining in it that I didn't spend.  Looking back at my list, I don't really know what I spend them on...  I guess Meltabombs are a decent investment, but then again I'd have to remember who had them.  Lame.

Then, come to find out; Razorbacks are only 5 points more than Rhinos.  Awesome.

So; here's my latest list for the feared Angels Perditus:

Sanguinor

Sanguinary Priest w/ Jump Pack

Sanguinary Priest w/ Jump Pack

Sanguinary Priest w/ Jump Pack

Scout Squad w/ Camo Cloaks, Sniper Rifles, Missile Launcher

10-man Assault Squad w/ Meltagun, Flamer, Power Weapon

10-man Assault Squad w/ Meltagun, Flamer, Power Weapon

10-man Assault Squad w/ Meltagun, Flamer, Power Weapon

10-man Tactical Squad w/ Missile Launcher, Flamer

Razorback w/ Additional Stormbolter

10-man Tactical Squad w/ Missile Launcher, Flamer

Razorback w/ Additional Stormbolter

Devastator Squad w/ 4 Missile Launchers

Devastator Squad w/ 4 Missile Launchers

Unfortunately that still leaves me with 10 points to spend...  I don't particularly like adding random meltabombs or somesuch to units 'cause I forget them.

I've been considering dropping the Scout squad, but they're such a difficult-to-remove pain in so many players sides and they're a great objective holder for 100 points.  I just don't know what to replace them with!

Overall I like the list, it's very solid, performs well in all phases of the game and can really form a quite resilient offensive or defensive force, although it has 3 big flaws:  10 points remaining :D, the fact that I need to acquire two Razorback turrets for my Rhinos (although I think I have one kicking around somewhere), and the fact that I can't use the obscenely pretty top hatches that I painted up for them.

On a slightly unrelatated note, I have a couple more models to paint, but one I do I'll get photos of this army up for people to see.  I've gotten a lot of requests for that.

I've been thinking a lot about the tactics of the game lately, so I hope to write some more tactics articles for the true gamers out there to scoff at in the future.  Also, I'm looking for some Razorback turrets, so if anyone has some...

Rampant narcissism warning!

I've recently suffered a debilitating and humiliating string of defeats in recent games; and this has made me think very critically of what made me a good player.

As my Batreps would attest, I am not very used to losing.  This is not because I am bigotted and see myself as undefeatable, but because I honestly think that I am a good player.  I report the vast majority of the games that I play, and of the ones that I do not report that vast majority are victories.  It may be a reflection on the general skill of my local meta, but I doubt it considering that I proved my "worth" by going 3-0-2 at Valhalla (an event full of similarly skilled and like-minded players, but not an overtly competitive one by any means).

I played a very telling game at my local game store today while on holiday with a friend of mine that I had not been able to play for several months, as I have been living on my uni campus.  A batrep of the game should be available within the next couple of days; but the idea was this:

Seize ground, Pitched battle, 1,500 points, Blood Angels (my all jump-infantry army) vs. Dark Eldar (with lots of shooting, and a big unit of Hellions).  3 out of 5 of the objectives had been placed on my left flank, one in the middle and one on my right.  My opponent, obviously baiting me to deploy on my right flank and deny myself the objectives on my left, castled his fast-moving army on my right (everything in his force moved 12+" per turn).

I didn't see it.  I didn't see his plan.  I couldn't fathom that he had deployed on my right flank to goad me into attacking him there; where he could easily move away and snatch objectives out from under me.  I could have denied his left and castled my left, forcing my opponent to charge the objective-rich left flank and fight on my terms.  Better yet, I could have DOA deepstruck in and reacted to my opponent's movement while denying him shooting.

None of those alternatives occurred to me.  I, like a game-1 newbie, deployed on my right flank and charged straight at his lined forces, hoping to overwhelm him with sheer numbers of power-armored bodies.  A string of below-everage rolling and by Turn 5 I had been reduced to five models (from 40+).  In my defence, had the game ended on Turn 5, I would have won the game 2-1, but it didn't, and I lost.

Looking back on this game, I can see that if I had taken almost any other course of action than the one I did, the game would not have been as uphill a battle as it was.  I was only able to accomplish what I did by the end through the strength of my models (Sanguinor alone killed 4 Incubi, 7 Hellions and 8 Reavers) and the fact that, once the game started to slide downhill, the critical thinking that I had relied on at Valhalla kicked in and I started to play the game logically again.

Moaning about my defeat aside, that critical thinking is really what I want to touch on today.  The reason for my brains deserting me of late is this, as far as I can discern; at the time that I attended Valhalla in early August (which is the most competitive event I have ever attended - I have never been to a Tournament), I was at the apex of my Wargaming "career."  I was playing, between my local gaming club, my store's open gaming nights and games with friends, around 3-4 games (of 40k/Fantasy/Warmahordes) per week.  I was deeply involved in the games and my tactical senses were honed to the max.  At the risk of sounding narcissistic, had I attended any really competitive tournament at the time, I have no doubt that I would have fit right it.

Since entering university, however, that number of games has dropped considerably.  The campus gaming club is filled with players not nearly as serious nor as dedicated to the hobby as the opponent's I enjoyed at home.  Club meetings are abandoned because the member with the room keys didn't want to play, or because one player didn't want to go out in the snow.  The nearest gaming store is 45 minutes away and has only a slight population of dedicated players.  I'm now lucky to play 1-2 games a week, and even that is a luxury.

Not only has the quantity of games decreased, but the quality as well.  I find myself playing games in which deploying on the proverbial "right flank" and charging would win me the game as assuredly as playing tactically, and I'm constantly making poor tactical decisions just so that my opponent stays in the game and doesn't rage-quit on me.

I equate this to cutting a peice of construction paper with a pair of fine cloth shears - initially the tools are perfectly suited to their job, but if you use them for the wrong purpose you're going to dull them considerably.  That's the most self-centered euphamism I've ever made up. 

I guess I'll stop the self-gratifying tirade here and get to the moral of the story; gaming, like all other sports, requires constant, engaging practice for skills to be retained.  I suppose that's not a new revalation by any means, but I feel, as someone who has been deprived of their wargaming resources, that my abilities as a player have been seriously hindered - whether they be in the movement and battlefield tactics of 40k, the list and combo-building of Fantasy or Warmachine's combination of the two.

There's no way to end this article without it sounding like a complaint; so I guess I won't even try.  I am a little angry at myself; angry at losing my last couple of games so horribly for downright idiotic reasons, angry at not finding any more engaging places and players to play and angry, in general, about getting out of practice.

I've suffered a pretty miserable string of defeats on the battlegrounds of Warhammer Fantasy lately.  While I attribute most of my losses to my opponents finally discovering counters to my units of godlike might and power, I also blame myself in some circumstances as I committed the crime of entirely underestimating the unholy power of my opponent's troops to royally beat my face in!

Who knew that 30 Dark Elf Corsairs could throw that many attacks at me?  I certainly didn't!

Some army books were not designed in 8th Edition in mind, and this is becoming more and more apparent as I play the game.  I would like Warhammer Fantasy to be a game where outmaneuvering my opponent with a flexible, powerful and unique selection of troops is paramount to the number of attacks or Impact Hits any single regiment can deliver on the first round of combat.  The Beastmen vs. Warriors of Chaos game that I played so many years ago during the height of 7th Edition was a perfect example of the two philosophies.

For those who missed the report, my opponent had a very offensive Khornate Warriors of Chaos force dedicated to charging in and doing maximum damage to their opponent before the hapless victims could strike back.  It had two large units of Knights, several units of Warriors and it was all topped off by Chaos Dragon ridden by a Khornate Chaos Lord.  My army, on the other hand, was composed of much more tactical and defensive units.  It had many units of Raiders to bait my opponent's troops into charging, Chariots to combo-charge exposed frenziers, a huge (by 7th edition terms) unit of Gors complete with a Battle Standard Bearer and my General that would hold up large enemies while Minotaurs attacked from the sides with their Great Weapons.  Using these myriad troops, I was able to dance around my opponent and bait his units right into my own, eventually breaking and running down his Dragon with my 'Goatstar' of Gors.

For those who watch Trevy's Batreps on my Youtube Channel, you'll notice that not only my army lists have changed to much more offensive, "right up the guts" builds, but the strategic value of my games has decreased to the point that I feel mentally atrophied while playing.  My games of Fantasy have become little more than rock-paper-scissors contests, the army lists deciding each game because often there is no way to outmaneuver your enemy.  With the enormous charges available and myriad of ways to reform and change your unit's positions, the 7th edition chess game of movement and strategy has given way to the equivalent of a drunken brawl.

And this is where the inconsistencies between army books come to the fore.  It has become more and more apparent to me that all lists in any given book are becoming almost identical - if you want to win with Beastmen, take lots of Minotaurs, big monsters and units of 30-36 Gors.  If you want to win with Lizardmen, take one unit of Temple Guard, 2 units of 20-24 Saurus, a Slann and a Stegadon.  If you want to win with High Elves take a big unit of Seaguard, a unit of Spearmen, a unit of Swordmasters and a unit of Pheonix Guard.  Go on any Fantasy forum and tell me that I'm wrong - it's appalling how many lists on those sites are virtually identical.

The game of 8th Edition is about delivering damage, and there are some armies that do that better than others.  It used to be that this power was mitigated by maneuvering and access to lighter, more expendable troops that could redirect them, but now a damage-delivering unit can get almost anywhere on the board from anywhere else.  The worst culprit of this, in my opinion, are the High Elven Swordmasters.  My gaming club likens fighting them to willfully thrusting one's face into a blender.  While other troops in the High Elf army list are balanced in their very specific battlefield roles - Pheonix Guard can hold up almost any enemy unit, White Lions make a mockery of armor etc. - Swordmasters are unique in their ability to kill anything in the game.

In a recent game I had a unit of 20+ Gors (in horde formation because they used to be larger and hadn't had a chance to reform) complete with my Beastlord, a Wargor Battle Standard Bearer and a combat Bray Shaman pursue an enemy unit into contact with a unit of 10 Swordmasters.  The Swordmasters killed 12 Gors before I had a chance to strike and so mitigated my reply that I was only able to do 4 wounds in return.  I then lost the combat by an enormous margin and broke, losing several hundred points to the overrun.

It is my opinion that units with a similar battlefield role (i.e. beat the enemy's face in with enormous weapons) should match up fairly equally in points.  A larger unit should, ostensibly, be able to defeat a smaller one.  The fact that 10 Swordmasters that cost my opponent a grand total of 150 points were able to beat and nearly destroy a unit containing over 800 points worth of models is inconceivable.  Were I outmaneuvered or out-thought in this instance I would not be disturbed, but I decided to pursue into the Swordmasters because I was of the opinion that my 25+ models could defeat his 10 fairly handily.

And this is my main fault with 8th Edition.

The ability of a unit to do damage is more important than anything else in this game, and unfortunately that means that units not balanced for 8th Edition are can become super-powered with these new rules.  Was this game played in 7th Edition the combat would have been a lot closer - I would have suffered heavy casualties on the way in but without Supporting Attacks and re-rolls To Hit they would have been easily mitigated by the damaged caused by my characters.  Without the ability to outmauneuver your opponent, these damage-dealing units become unbeatable without heavy shooting attacks which not all armies have access to and the game breaks down.

I may take a small hiatus from Warhammer Fantasy for the time being for these reasons while expand my wargaming horizons to games that I can have more cerebral enjoyment playing.  I created Century 26 as a 15mm game that has all of the hallmarks of what makes a perfect game to me, however being a homebrew rules set I am limited in my opponents.  Warhammer 40,000, while what I beleive a better ruleset than 8th Edition Warhammer Fantasy, suffers from a similar problem in that outmaneuvering your opponent is incredibly difficult and units that can deal an insane amount of damage are more valuable than ones that can maneuver quickly.

I am considering starting Warmachine as Privateer Press is running a pretty good sale up until tomorrow that includes a free Rulebook with the purchase of a Battlebox and some accessories.

Hopefully 9th Edition Fantasy will fix the game for me.

I'm planning to have a game on Saturday that will be a bit of a grudge match - a friend of mine in my gaming group told me the other day that he felt that he had 'mastered' the Space Marines Codex.  Unfortunately for him I think that he is just a bit full of himself and a wee bit overconfident in his power-armored buddies, so I challenged him to a game to prove it.

To give this a bit of a background, this particular player has never beaten me in a game of Warhammer 40,000 and tends to forfeit at the end of turn four or five.

I've been running my Blood Angels recently with some luck (there should be pictures of them as soon as I paint one or two more as they are looking really cool), but since this is a special occasion my Tyranids will be making a reappearance to lay the smackdown.  No quarter will be given nor asked.  Of course it will be televised!

I wrote down my list this afternoon, which is a pretty competitive list, although I believe that is justified considering the situation.  Obviously, it is for 2,000 points.

Tyranid Prime w/ Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs a Deathspitter and a Pair of Boneswords

Hive Tyranid w/ Armored Shell, Regeneration, 2 Twin Linked Brainleech Devourers and Hive Commander

2x Zoanthropes

10 Ymgarl Genestealers

4 Warriors w/ Deathspitters, Barbed Strangler, Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs

2x17 Termagaunts

3x10 Genestealers

Trygon Prime w/ Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands and Regeneration

Carnifex w/ Adrenal Glands and Regeneration

Total Models - 85

Total Synapse Units - 6

Total Points - 2,000 on the money

I bought some models a while ago to play in a Necromunda campaign that my local game club is starting, but they were delayed several months in shipping.  They were those Greatcoat Shock Troopers that Wargames Factory released, so after two months of waiting for them they've finally arrived!  That's alright though, because it gave me a chance to write out my starting gang and play some test games with it.  That gang looks like this...

The House is Van Saar, so I'm looking for a more ranged combat approach to the game.

Gang Leader w/ Lasgun, Chainsword - 170 credits

Heavy w/ Heavy Stubber, Laspistol - 195 credits

Heavy w/ Heavy Stubber, Laspistol - 195 credits

Ganger w/ Lasgun - 75 credits

Ganger w/ Lasgun - 75 credits

Ganger w/ Lasgun - 75 credits

Ganger w/ Lasgun - 75 credits

Ganger w/ Plasma Gun, Laspistol - 135 credits

I only have eight models on the field, so unfortunately I'm pretty susceptible to bottle tests.  If the enemy puts down two of my guys I'll have to start taking them.  Fortunately, though, I have enough firepower to put down enemies way before they get close to me.  I generally find it helpful to split the gang into two 'groups', each one with a heavy in.  That allows me to deal with threats from multiple angles, and possibly have one group covering the other if I need to move loot counters or other objectives.

These are just some musings I was having the other day about Lizardmenin 8th Edition. They've probably already been thought of and discussed,but I'm gonna throw them here anyway.

First off, in 7th edition, Skink Skirmishers were a staple unit in any Lizardmen list. They provided a relatively expensive screen orredirector that was very fast and flexible. Like all skirmishers, theyare now less flexible than they were due to the more rigid formationthat they have to adhere to. That, and the introduction of the True Line of Sight rules means that they cannot be used as LoS screens,merely blockers and redirectors, and even then they are lessmaneuverable than they used to be. I believe that Skink Skirmishers are now a more dangerous harassment unit than ever. With their new ability to March and Fire, they effectively have a 24" threat range with a possible 20 Poisoned shots from a unit of 10 Skinks. They can march quickly at the enemy, using cover to their advantage, getting behind enemy units and forcing panic tests that send units running away from them. Position them so that enemy units run off the board or into larger, block units and they start to be able to wreak havoc with enemy formations.

In my lists, the old role of the Skink Skirmisher as a march-blocker and a redirector now falls to Skink block units. With the new musician rules, small units of infantry are more maneuverable than ever. For 5 6points I can get 10 Skinks with a musician, and this unit is excellent at covering my flanks and slowing down units that get too close to my main blocks. More than that, these units can now pump out 10 S3 Poisoned shots per turn at a 12" range with no penalty for moving, meaning that they can threaten faster flanking units and fast cavalry. Combined fire from a couple of these units can also be enough to panic even larger enemies. Another strength of these smaller units is that they do have a rank bonus, and can therefore negate ranks if they flank an enemy that's putting the larger blocks in trouble.

Saurus Warriors are the mainstay of the army - not only are they excellent line-infantry with a 4+ Armor Save and high strength,toughness and attacks but they can also pack quite a punch in combat if supported correctly. I've been running big units of 24 Spear-armed Saurus for a total of 24 S4 Attacks when I get charged. Because of the Step-up rule, Saurus' low Initiative value is not so much of a problem because they are still getting a large number of attacks, and Steadfast makes them very survivable against small, hard-hitting strike groups such as Knights.

Temple Guard can now be viable in a smaller games without a Slann.  Because of the Step-up and Supporting Attacks rules, Temple Guard can dish out a lot of S5 attacks while maintaining a respectable 4+ save. Iuse them in my lists as a small strike team to support my Saurus blocks. Little units of 10 can easily flank an enemy in combat with the Saurus blocks, negate ranks and throw a lot of powerful attacks onto the enemy. If they are supported by a Lord or Hero, they can take smallor medium units in the front and win. In a recent game I charged a big unit of Ogre Bulls in the front with a unit of Temple Guard with an Oldblood. The Oldblood wiffed most of his rolls, but the Temple Guard cleaned up, broke the unit and ran it down.

Speaking of Oldbloods, this new edition makes Oldblood lists even more effective and reasonable choice than they were. With larger units getting Steadfast, taking the Slann for that Stubborn block of Temple Guard is less important. If the Oldblood is mounted on a Carnosaur, his Leadership bubble extends to 18", making Skink units able to be more flexible while maintaining a good Leadership of 8. Even Saurus can mitigate the effects of lower leadership through Steadfast and a combination of Magic Items. A Scar Veteran BSB with the Standard of Discipline can make a Leadership 9, Steadfast, Cold Blooded unit if it gets more ranks. Another character with the Crown of Command can bestow Stubborn onto a smaller unit or one that might be out-ranked by its enemy.

That said, the Slann is still an excellent choice. The Leadership 9 BSB bubble is now more effective than ever given that BSB allows all Leadership tests to be re-rolled. The Slann is also one of the most powerful magic casters in the game, and in 8th Edition becomes one ofthe most reliable. The Focused Rumination allows for a Slann to mitigate the effects of a Winds of Magic roll by effectively adding dice to his pool. With the new, devastating Miscast table the Slann really improves given his resilience to Miscasts. Cupped Hands of the Old Ones can transfer one of those massive Miscasts to an opposing wizard, hopefully doing significant damage to them instead. Slann areone of the toughest casters in the game with 5 Wounds, Toughness 4 and a Ward Save, and because of this they can easily survive most of the bad rolls on the Miscast table, and Soul of Stone can help when areally bad one (S10 large template!) comes up.

With the new rule that replacements for duplicate spells are chosen(not re-rolled), the Slann can easily get all the spells he wantswithout the use of the Focus of Mystery. A Plaque of Tepok can ensurethat the Slann gets most of the spells, and if he rolls a double he can choose whatever spell is most useful, making him that much more reliable.

Anyway, there it is! My initial thoughts on 8th Edition Lizardmen.

One of the perks of being a moderator at Carpe Noctem is that I was given a .pdf of the basic rules for Warhammer Fantasy 8th edition in order to contrive strategies and combinations for players before the new book came out.  Ecstatic at this little gift, I decided to verse the most imposing and masterful player I know to a small game in order to test the new rules.  That masterful player?  Me.

The game was 500 points and ended up being Beastmen on Lizardmenm those being the two armies that I had on hand.  Given the emphasis on infantry in this new edition, I have decided to play Lizardmen more religiously than I have, and this game certainly proved that that was a good move.

The two lists went something like this;

Lizardmen:

Saurus Scar-Veteran on Cold One with Enchanted Shield and Gold Sigil Sword

Wait a minute Trevy, what is this shenanigans!?  It seems like that that character has quite a lot of equipment to fit into such a small character slot (only 25% of one's army total may be spent on characters - so 125 points in this case)!

Well, considering that Enchanted Shields are only 5 points now, it's quite a good build!  Yes, you heard me, they're 5 points!  With the Golden Sigil Sword, this character hits pretty hard with an I10 (meaning he's striking first most of the time), and is fairly survivable with T5 and a 1+ Armor Save.

21 Saurus Warriors with Banner

10 Skinks with Musician

10 Skinks with Musician

The Saurus Warriors form the solid baseline for my troops.  They will take charges and pump out around 20-30 attacks on an enemy unit.  Hopefully they will be larger than the enemy and therefore be Steadfast (basically Stubborn), being able to hold well versus enemy charges.

The Skinks are there for basic redirection, march blocking and general shenanigans.  They can pump out a lot of Poisoned, S3 shots at 12", so they are extremely useful.

In my game versus myself I ended up tabling the Beastmen.  They only received a few points for putting a lucky Wound on the Scar-veteran, but even 20 Gors with a Wargor couldn't deal enough damage to the Saurus to mitigate their offensive power, and were wiped out.  That and some charge rolls that did not go the way of the Beastmen...

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the new edition of Warhammer so far;

• Shooting is incredibly powerful - like I said earlier, my little 56 point Skink units can pump out 10 shots a turn, at now 12" with poisoned javalins that ignore Move-and-Shoot penalties.  Skirmishers are now meant to be excellent shooting units (they can March and fire!), but they are much more restricted in their movement.  Because of this, I think that I'll be seeing four or five of these little ten-Skink units in my list in larger games.
• Combat is fast and brutal - gone are the days of grind combats relying on static combat resolution.  I had a single rount of combat between Saurus and Gors in which 11 casualties were sustained, and one unit was broken and run down!
• Dice are bad for you - random charge lengths mean that nothing is certain!
• Characters are still awesome - Warhammer is a game in which mighty heroes do battle amidst the backdrop of a massive conflict between armies, and this new edition still epitomizes this theme.  Characters are still as they always were, but with new option in the 80+ Magic items in the common list!  Battle-standards are also a must-have, as they allow nearby units to re-roll all failed leadership tests!
• Terrain is complicated - the new terrain rules have more charts and diagrams than the Skaven army book itself!  It's not what the terrain does, but there are many different types of specific terrain categories.  For example, a simple marsh could be an "Earthblood Mere," a "Khemrian Quicksand" or a "Mist-wreathed Swamp."  Thank goodness the book tells us that we can simply choose our own terrain, because I don't seriously think that anyone is going to use their bonkers terrain rules.

Anyway, those are my thoughts for right now.  Maybe I'll get into some more depth later on with strategies and the like, but that's it for today.  If anyone has any questions on the new rules, feel free to post them in the comments section!

I have it on good information that I will be able to get to my overly-friendly local game store (just kidding, Evan, I love 'ya!) tomorrow to play a few games of good 'ole Warhammer Fantasy.  That said, I decided to settle down and actually write a list for myself.  I call it the 'goatstar.'

Lords

Beastlord w/ Sword of Battle, Gouge-Tusks, Ramhorn Helm, Gnarled Hide, Chalice of Dark Rain, Heavy Armor and Shield - 254 pts.

Heroes

Gorebull BSB w/ Banner of the Beast, Heavy Armor and Shield - 257 pts.

Bray Shaman w/ 2 Dispel Scrolls - 125 pts.

Core

26 Gors w/ Additional Hand Weapons and Full Command - 233 pts.

10 Gors w/ Additional Hand Weapons - 80 pts.

6x5 Ungor Raiders - 180 pts.

2x5 Chaos Warhounds - 60 pts.

2 Tuskgor Chariots - 160 pts.

Special

3 Minotaurs w/ Great Weapons - 189 pts.

3 Minotaurs w/ Great Weapons - 189 pts.

Rare

Jabberslythe - 275 pts.

Well, that's a weird list, you might exclaim.  26 Gors, what do you expect that to do!?  Not much, is the answer, but it's all part of my cunning strategy.  The Gorebull with his +1 Strength banner and the Beastlord with his 5 attacks and 1+ Armor Save will go into the giant Gor unit, creating what I call, the Goatstar.  With this crazy, sick-nasty awesome unit, I will have a Gorebull striking with 5 attacks at S6 with a 3+ Armor Save, a Beastlord striking with 6 attacks at S6 with a 1+ Armor Save, and 3 Gors striking with 9 attacks at S4.  The unit is frenzied (meaning also Immune to Psychology), has a total Unit Strength of 31, is immune to fear, and has a Static Combat Res of +6, including the Outnumber that it will undoubtedly get on its opponent.

The Minotaur units sit on the sides of the main block and take out any annoying flanking units, or units that are a little too hard to break with the initial charge by charging them into the flanks of the enemy.

The Jabberslythe is there for its Terror, Aura of Madness and sheer distraction quality.  People will be more reluctant to shoot at the giant block when this massive monster is flying around, possibly eating its artillery crews and smaller ranged units.  The smaller unit of Gors is there for much the same reason - to Ambush and distract the enemy (hopefully).