# Is the Island of blood "unfair"?



## Rogue-Badger (Sep 7, 2010)

Having acquired the Island of blood starter set recently, I have played a number of games with my brother. I gave him the elves as I had my eye on the skaven for a while. I have won 1 game out of the 12ish we have played, this seems odd to me (though maybe I just suck :biggrin. Is this just a problem with my playing ability or are the armies in question a little bit unbalanced? If so what are some ways I can even this out, whether by buying a new model or two, or by altering the points a bit?


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

The armies are a little unbalanced-- the intent was to include something of every unit type so you could see how the game played, but the High Elves have an advantage since they have superior elite troops in that box, and have both cavalry and the griffon to make it almost impossible for the skaven war machines to inflict reasonable casualties. 

I'd build the armies up into full armies at around 2000 points, and see if that changes things up. I'd focus on core units for the High Elves, and Clanrats and war machines for the Skaven.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

Um, yes...

HE are an elite army- they tend to have very few models on the board
SKaven are a hoard army- they tend to have huge numbers on the board
... so when you see IoB with roughly equal numbers, and a griffin, you know it isn't even nearly fair.

Then again, I don't have the set and don't know if they have tried to balance this with a 'quickstart' game with simplified rules/set up. AoBR isn't fair either, the marines have far more points then the orks and in a fair fight would crush them every time... but to ease this AoBR set up rules put the armies much closer together then a normal battle, making it easier for the orks, which evens it out somewhat.


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## Flindo (Oct 30, 2010)

yes, the way GW does it is they typically steer the better stuff in the "good" guys dirrection for being better.


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## fritzagelmann (Sep 28, 2009)

The high elf army in IOB is about 1,000pts while the rats are at about 500pts, so yea, its unbalanced.


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## GrizBe (May 12, 2010)

The problem with GW is that they always want their poster boys to win. IE Space Marines will always have the better force in the 40k starter box, and whoever the 'good guys' are in fantasy, in this case high elves, will have the better army. 

Its a stupid system really as right now, admit it.. after 12 games with your brother and loosing nearly all of them, would you really still be playing Skaven if you didn't like them already?

This is why some armies under-perform in sales.. they spend too much time promoting their poster boys rather then trying to get the other armies popular too by presenting them fairly.

Take White Dwarf with its battle reports... have you ever seen the newest army out not trounce the opposition?


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## Orochi (Jan 28, 2009)

YES!!

ONLY ONCE!!!

waaaaaaay back when empire's previous army book was released. They lost. Can't remember who too mind you.


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

vampire counts lost to empire in their white dwarf...


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## Orochi (Jan 28, 2009)

Ah my memory has failed me. I could of sworn it was empire. Nevermind..


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## Alsojames (Oct 25, 2010)

clever handle said:


> vampire counts lost to empire in their white dwarf...


Didn't they tie?


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

No you are right. In 6th ed fantasy when the Empire was released they lost to some Skaven and were left with one man left on the board. I also notice that the Orcs and Goblins also lost their match recently. However I suspect that this is in part of having Dwarfs present on the other side. And I don't think the Dwarfs have EVER lost in WD battle reports (At least not in the last 8 1/2 years)


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## The Meddler (Sep 25, 2010)

Tyranids lost when they came out, and Space Wolves drew.


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