Thursday, December 11, 2014

ETC 2015 Army Restrictions - Draft 1.0

Last week the first full draft for 2015 ETC Army Restrictions was released to an eager world.


The reaction to this document in some quarters would see it as being as heretical as when Martin Luther first nailed his reformation teachings on the doors of the church.


To say there is a split in the ETC community is probably being kind and as is the case with internet warriors all sorts of hyperbole is being thrown around - comparisons to the Axis, an Iron Curtain descending across Europe (I kid you not!).


The key criticism is that the rules have no external balance and will exaggerate the Rock-Paper-Scissors aspects of Warhammer. In addition, they result in a game no greater in skill than Yahztee (personally this one amuses me as there is little or no change in the Magic system being used cf 2014).


Anyway, it appears that schisms are forming, democracies are being challenged and barricades manned.


You can check out the cause of all this angst over the page.


Rules changes
Up to 2 Characters in a unit can get a 2+ "Look Out, Sir!" against Dwellers Below, Final Transmutation and Dreaded 13th. Normal requirements for Look Out, Sir! apply.

BSBs can take all the equipment their unit type has access to as if they weren't BSBs.

Units fleeing at the end of the game and/or below 25% of starting models yield 50% of their VPs.

Simple Line of Site will be used instead of True Line of Sight as defined below:

Terrain pieces are divided into ones that:
- Block LoS: Hills, Buildings and impassable terrain.
- Don't block LoS: all other terrain.

Unit is considered to be in hard cover when:
- Majority of unit's footprint is obscured from shooter's Line of Sight by one or more Interfering Unit(s) or LOS blocking terrain(s), as described on page 41 BRB
- Unit is garrisoning a Building, as described on page 127 BRB
- Majority of unit's front rank is defending an obstacle, as described on page 122 BRB and ETC FAQ 8.4. If the unit is being shot from the flank or the rear, treat the corresponding file or the last rank, respectively, as the front rank
- Majority of unit's footprint is in Ruins

Unit is considered to be in soft cover when:
- Majority of unit's footprint is in or behind woods, as described on page 119 BRB

Models shooting from hills or buildings don't get the hard cover penalty for shooting through interfering units, unless interfering the unit is also on hill.

Units with majority of its models on hill do not receive hard cover for being shot at through interfering units, unless that part of the units which interferes is also on hill. Units with majority of its models on hill do not receive hard cover for being partially obscured from the shooter's LoS by the same hill they are on

Large Targets can't claim cover for obstacles, ruins and interfering units, unless interfering unit is also a Large Target. Large Targets which shoot don't suffer any penalties for interfering units, unless interfering unit is also a Large Target.


Magic Restrictions

A maximum of 2 dice may be added to the power pool

A 5 Dice Casting Cap will be in effect for all spells

Lore of Death spells will have a 4 dice casting cap in effect

The Lore of Shadow spell Mindrazor will have a 4 dice casting cap in effect

The Lore of Hashut spell AshStorm will have a 4 dice casting cap in effect

Lore of undeath will be available to all wizards as follows :
4 dice casting cap
No ethereal units may be raised
Raised units give up victory points

Scenarios
The following four scenarios will be used with the 20-0 scoring system as described below:-

1: Battle line (normal game)

2: Meeting engagement (no reserve rolls, all units deploy on the board as normal)

3: Blood and glory - 150 vp's for first player break opponent, further 300 vp's if that player remains unbroken. (If all remaining fortitude is in one unit, the army is broken).

4: King of the hill - the player that holds the center point of the table at the end of turn 6 receives an additional 300 vp's - to hold this a unit must have fortitude (excluding bsb and General).

Before a game both players secretly pick which scenario they want to play,

Player A then rolls a d6
Roll of 1-2 - the game is played using the scenario player A chose
Roll of 3-4 - the game is played using the scenario player B chose
Roll of 5-6 - the game is played using the battle line scenario
(Note players may select battleline as their choice)

Army Building Restrictions
All the Army building restrictions are applied only during the creation of the roster, and may be ignored during the game (for example, by joining characters to units or creating new units).

The army lists allowed are those from any of the currently published GW Army Books, and The Legion of Azgorh from Tamurkhan.

Undead Legions, the Legions of Chaos and any other End Times army lists are not allowed.

Special or Named Characters that appear in army books are allowed - this excludes all characters that appear in End Times books. Special Charachter composition will be added to this pack

Fozzrik’s Folding Fortress may not be taken.

Units cannot be more than 450 points at the point of roster creation. This does not apply to characters.

All army sizes are 2400 points unless stated otherwise in race specific composition below.

Armies must be constructed on the following basis (in addition to any specific conditions imposed by their army book)

Minimum of 3 units
Minimum of 1 character that can be the army general
Maximum of 50% of points spent on lords
Maximum of 50% of points spent on heroes
Minimum of 25% of points spent on core units
Maximum of 50% of points spent on special units
Maximum of 25% of points spent on rare choices

A team consists of 8 players, each of which with an army from a different army list.

A wizard generating spells from lore of death and the Standard of Discipline are mutually exclusive in any army list




Beastmen
Army size is 2700 points.

Maximum unit size at roster creation excluding characters is increased to 550 points.

May take Blight Kings of Nurgle from Warhammer End Times - Glotkin

Marks of Chaos within the army as detailed below
Mark of Khorne – As per Warriors of Chaos Book - 10 points for a character, monster, chariot or warbeast, 2 points for all other models
Mark of Tzeentch – As per Warriors of Chaos Book - 10 points for a character, monster, chariot or warbeast, 2 points for all other models
Mark of Nurgle – As per Warriors of Chaos Book - 10 points for a character, monster, chariot or warbeast, 2 points for all other models
Mark of Slaanesh – As per Warriors of Chaos Book - 5 points for a character, monster, chariot or warbeast, 1 points for all other models
Note that the Marks of Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh DO NOT allow wizards access to the corresponding lore from the Warriors of Chaos Book. Wizards with a mark have access to the same lores of magic as unmarked beastmen wizards (Shadow, Beasts, Death, Beastmen)

May take any beastmen special characters.


Brettonia
Army size is increased to 2500 points

May take any Brettonian special characters.

Chaos Dwarves
May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Each character using the Lore of Death – 1 choice
Each HellCannon - 1 choice (3 choices with lore of death)
Kdaii Destroyer – 2 choices
Each DeathShrieker, Magma Cannon, Dreadquake Mortar or Iron Demon – 1 choice
Each 2(or part of 2) hobgoblin khans after the first 2 - 1 choice
Chalice of Blood and Darkness (may be used only before casting a spell) - 1 choice

May take any Chaos Dwarf special characters.

Dark Elves
May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Each character using the Lore of Death – 2 choices
Each 5(or part of 5) Doomfire Warlock models – 1 choice
Each mounted dreadlord or master – 1 choice
One or more repeater bolt throwers– 1 choice
Each unit of dark riders after the second - 1 choice
Standard of Discipline, Crown of Command – 1 Choice each
More than 80 shots per turn (Repeater bolt throwers count as 6 shots) - 2 choices
Morathi - 4 choices (Lore of Death choice is included)
Malekith - 2 Choices
Shadowblade - 1 choice

May take any Dark Elf special characters.

Demons of Chaos
May take Blight Kings of Nurgle from Warhammer End Times - Glotkin- these models are not demonic and therefore may not be joined by any model with the demonic special rule. If the general and / or BSB have the mark of Nurgle they may benefit from them.

May take Exalted Flamers

May select up to 4 choices from the pool below:
Lore of Death present in the army – 2 choices
First Skullcannon – 1 choice
Second Skullcannon – 3 choices
Each Greater demon(Including Skarsbrand, Ku’gath) – 1 choice
Each unit of Pink Horrors after the second – 1 choice
Each unit of Plague Flies – 1 choice
Up to 2/6/10 beasts of nurgle in the army - 1/2/3 choices
Kairos Fateweaver - 4 choices
The Blue Scribes - 1 choice
Epidemius - 1 choice + 1 choice per unit of demons of nurgle.

May take any Demons of Chaos special characters.

Dwarves
May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Each Cannon, Organ gun, Grudge Thrower or Flame cannon - 1 choice each
Each 2 (or part there of) gyrocopters after the first - 1 choice
Grimm Burloksson - 1 choice

May take any Dwarf special characters.


Empire
May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Steam Tank – 1 choice
Second Steam Tank – 4 choices
Crown of Command, Standard of Discipline, War altar, Great Cannon – 1 choice each
Third Great Cannon – 1 additional choice
3 or more wizards using the Lore of Light - 1 choice
Each unit of 4 or less Demi-Griffons – 1 choice
Each unit of 5 or more Demi-Griffons – 2 choices
Balthasar Gelt - 1 choice
·
May take any Empire special characters.

High Elves
May select up to 2 choices from the pool below:
Banner of the World Dragon - 1 choice
Each frostheart Phoenix above one - 1 choice
3 or more mounted characters - 1 choice
1 or more characters on the lore of death - 1 choice
(Loremaster(s) of Hoeth do not count towards this)
1 or more bolt throwers - 1 choice
60 or more shots in the army (Repeater bolt throwers count as 6 shots) - 1 choice
Teclis - 2 choices
Alarielle - 2 choices

May take any High Elf special characters.

Lizardmen
May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Slann Mage Priest with Harmonic Convergence – 1 choice
Second Slann Mage Priest – 1 choice
Slann Mage Priest taking the Lore of Death – 1 choice
(Slann Mage Priests with the Wandering Deliberations do not count towards this)
Each mounted saurus character after the first – 1 choice
Each flying unit/character after the third – 1 choice
Each unit of core skirmishers after the third - 1 choice
Each skink cohort after the third - 1 choice
Lord Mazdamundi - 1 choice
Lord Kroak - 2 choices
Tetto’Eko - 3 choices
·
May take any Lizardmen special characters

Orcs and Goblins
Army size is increased to 2500 points

May take any Orcs and Goblins Special Characters


Ogres
May select up to 10 choices from the pool below:
First Ironblaster - 1 choice
Second Ironblaster – 6 choices
The Hellheart - 2 choices
The Runemaw, Dispel Scroll, Crown of Command, Standard of Disc - 1 choice each
Each unit of maneaters with either sniper and /or stubborn – 1 choice
1 or more sabretusks in the army - 1 choice
1 or more Slaughtermasters in the army – 1 choice
Each unit of gnoblars after the second – 1 choice
Each 4 mounfang (or part there of) in the army – 1 choice
Each character after the third – 2 choices
Skragg - 1 choice (for being a slaughtermaster)

May take any Ogres Special Characters


Skaven
Slave units can be a maximum of 60 models.

May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
First Warp-lightening Cannon - 1 choice
Second Warp-lightening Cannon - 2 choices
Each doomwheel -- 1 choice
First Hellpit Abomination - 1 choice
Second Hellpit Abomination - 2 choices.
Stormbanner - 1 choice (2 choices with double hellpit Abomination)
Each non wizard warplock Engineer after the first - 1 choice
Each 40 slaves (or part there of) over 120 slave models - 1 choice
Each 2 slave units(or part there of) after 3 -- 1 choice

May take any Skaven Special Characters

Tomb Kings
Army size is increased to 2700 points.

Maximum unit size at roster creation excluding characters is increased to 550 points.

Army does not crumble upon the death of the Heirophant

May include the following units from Warhammer End Times – Nagash
Morghast Harbingers
Morghast Archai

May add up to 3 power dice to the pool instead of 2 if an army does not include Arkhan

May take any Tomb Kings Special Characters


Vampire Counts
May include the following units from Warhammer End Times – Nagash
Morghast Harbingers
Morghast Archai

May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Terrorgheist – 1 choice
2nd Terrorgheist – 3 choices
Each character with Red Fury and/or Quickblood – 1 choice
Each character using the Lore of Death - 1 choice
Each ethereal character or unit – 1 choice
Each unit of hexwraith after the 1st - 1 choice
Each Scream after the first – 1 choice
More than 10 crypt horrors in the army - 1 choice
Each Direwolf and / or Fellbat unit after the fourth - 1 choice
Count Mannfred - 2 choices (including death)

May take any Vampire Counts Special Characters

Warriors of Chaos
May take Blight Kings of Nurgle from Warhammer End Times – Glotkin

May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Each character using the Lore of Death – 1 choice (2 choices if it is a deamon prince)
Each Demon Prince – 1 choice
2+ or better save on a Demon Prince - 1 choice
Each Demon Prince with Mark of Nurgle – 1 choice
Exalted hero mounted on a demonic mount – 1 choice
Model with a 3+ ward save and the third eye of tzeetnch - 2 choices
HellCannon – 1 choice (2 with lore of death or tzeentch)
2nd HellCannon – 2 choices (3 with lore of death or tzeentch)
Each Chimera – 1 choice
Each unit of Skullcrushers after the first – 1 choice
Each Core chariot after the second – 1 choice
Each flying model after the second - 1 choice
Archaon - 2 choices
Galrauch - 1 choice
Vilitch - 1 choice
Throgg - 3 choices

May take any Warriors of Chaos Special Characters

Wood Elves
All limits are about models, you can spread them anyway you like among units, unless otherwise specified.

May select up to 5 choices from the pool below:
Each character using the Lore of Death – 1 choice (3 choices if 6 or more sisters of the thorn are present in an army)
Each unit of Wild Riders after the first – 1 choice
Each 10 Waywatchers (or part there of) - 1 choice
Each 15 models (or part there of) equipped with trueflight arrows or hagbane arrows after the first 15 models - 1 choice
Each Waystalker after the first – 1 choice
Moonstone of the Hidden Ways – 1 choice (4 choices with lore of death)
Sisters of Twilight - 1 choice

May take any Wood Elf Special Characters

6 comments:

  1. 2700 pts of marked Beastmen may be very viable.

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  2. It is amusing as the balance seems to be similar to the final 2014, but ultimately with more precise execution. None of the basics of ETC have been changed bar scenarios being introduced.

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  3. Looks good. I'm keen to see small fleets of Night Goblin shamen wielding the Lore of Death and gobbling mushrooms.

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  4. Why do some armies get penalise for taking lore of death and crown of command and some not?

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  5. I'm a little bemused by the "mutually exclusive in an army list" for Lore of Death and Standard of Discipline... I must have missed a trick there somewhere *puzzles*

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    Replies
    1. Isn't it because Lore of Death relies on Leadership comparison and Standard of Discipline increases your Leadership?

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