Re: [Epic] In defence of GW. Sort Of.

From: Alan Brain <aebrain_at_...>
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 1997 10:00:17 -0800

Bayani R Caes wrote:

> The boxed set contains :- (the new boxed set)
>
> Three books, An Army Book (this has details of all the armies, which
> should mean no seperate codexes), a Battle Book (this contains stuff
> about painting/terrain/campaigns/senarios amongst other stuff) and the
> Rules Book.
>
> There are SM and Orks figures (including a Card Ork Gargant) but I
> don't know what there is of each.

Compare this with the current edition of Space Marine. IMHO the new one
is an improvement: a complete package for the novice gamer. Yes, it's a
pain for us old pros, but so's the current SM box.
In addition, I wouldn't be surprised if the new Epic infantry is.... The
OLD epic infantry.

> The special abilities/flavour of the chaos demons has gone. ie a
> Khorne Hound and a Fiend of Slanesh are exactly the same now.

Silly. But I expect this won't last... see below.

> Squats are definitely out but the other races are there though in an
> altered form. ie
> There are no Imperial Knights.
> There are no trolls/minataurs for chaos.

Silly again. Contradicts the GW games still in print - see Chaos Attack,
Horus heresy.
The redundant T/Ms will be great for 6mm fantasy though. Any bets new
Codices are going to be issued, round about 1998ish?

> There is a pile of ruined buildings (don't know whether they're
> plastic or card)
> And the usual sets of dice, counter etc.

Sounds like a minor improvement on the old set. UNLESS the buildings are
the same crappy all-cardboard that's in TL. SM(1) had excellent
buildings, SM(2) almost as good, TL had cardboard cutouts rather than
models of buildings. Epic 40K will have ??

> Bikes, cavalry etc is on approx 2cm by 3/4cm wide for **3 figures**.

Now that's a pain. OTOH will look OK, and 3 cav to a base is pretty
standard amongst a whole host of wragames rules, Napoleonic, Ancient
etc. Can you say "Epic Fantasy Battle"? Knew you could.
 
> Me again, surprisingly he mentioned that psykers and commanders aren't
> overpowerful and unbalancing!!!! I was so shocked when I heard this, I
> thought aliens took over GW. Unfortunately, another person I know did mention
> that there is still room for typical GW crap in that you can upgrade squads to
> veteran status or something. The 40K "everyone in my IG army is a veteran"
> syndrome.
>
> Well, Typical GW plot.

As opposed to so the current case with mixed blood claws, space puppies
etc. No, I don't think this is any worse than at present.

> 2. Big boxed set full of worthless crap. Like I care what battle reports,
> terrain making, etc. etc.

No worse than the current situation.

> 3. I think he might be mistaken. They took all of the flavor out of Epic.
> Tyranids have for vehicles: "artillery", biovores, carnifexes, harridans and
> "assault spawns" and so to re-introduce it and special rules, they will be
> offering codexes/boxed sets/magic rules for another $30.00 each. They do this
> every time a new boxed set comes out. (40K black codex, WHFB Beasty book)

Now HERE's the crux. Look at the current edition of SM. It has Space
Marines, Eldar and Orks in. So of course you don't need AoI, Warlords,
Renegades, right? No, I'm sure that it will be the same situation again.
As per TL - a book with most all the vehicles, but not in and of itself
enough, more books required.
 
> 5. Expensive. I smell a price hike.

Surely Not! Have GW ever put up prices for no apparent reason? My guess
is current SM2 price +30%.
 
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Received on Sun Feb 02 1997 - 18:00:17 UTC