# 8th Ed Easier?



## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

I've recently seen a lot about 8th Edition being a lot easier and simpler to play than 7th edition.

My question is, is 8th Ed easier and simpler than the previous editions?

I myself haven't played it yet so wouldn't know, and it'd be handy to know everyones opinions.


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## KhainiteAssassin (Mar 18, 2009)

I would say, currently, its about the same, some things are MUCH easier to comprehend, and some things got harder. IE: some races wont be unstoppable with magic anymore so they got harder. the Lists need to be changed to accomidate GWs thirst for money, and to make the game fresh. 

the playing itsself IS much easier though for the most part, since you can premeasure. Charging got random though, Faster races have less of a Charge boost that slower races got, 3 and 4 speed got a nice boost of 1 or 2 inches on average for the charge. where faster races stay about the same on "average" the Random charge can easily hinder a game and make it seem harder. Certain Aspects of the game are much harder, once again, in charging, it has almost NO bonuses for being the one TO charge (I think its an extra rank bonus now? I dont notice it on my WoC cuz I rarely lose combat unless my units are wiped out completely) no more +1 attack on the charge / striking first on the charge. That in itsself is a double edged sword. SLower races got hit with that since if your have I 3 or 4 and you charge something with I 5 and a crap ton of attacks against you, you may regret attacking in the first place. etc.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

I think its a little easier to get your head round... and a lot easier to learn the tactics, basically because there really arent all that many. Out manouvering your opponent is pretty insignificant now and its pretty much down to managing your units better: if you have the steongest unit you want it to hit the enemy's strongest and then work its way down the list (while not getting bogged down), if the enemy has the strongest unit you'll struggle unless you can weaken it with magic/shooting first.
All in all I think that 8th is more fun then 7th, but much less of a competition. &th needed real skill at times, while the difference between a great player and merely a good player in 8th wouldnt really show up too well in 8th if they both took the same army list (damn you internet forums )

@KhainiteAssassin- charging gives you +1 combat res... but I was playing a 3k game last night with an ogre bull hoard unit with characters that can potentially kill 72 enemy models a turn (6 impacts, 6 stomp, 18 attacks from characters, 42 attacks from bulls) so 'who charged' was just about the most pointless thing around with the one exception that whoever charged had the turn and so could cast buffs/augments/hexs into the combat (but the charge itself didnt matter).


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## silentrob (May 17, 2010)

The rules in 8th are very well defined, they seem to have learnt from previous FAQs that if they don't explain a rule well it will be abused. Overall I'd say the new rules are easier but I still think fantasy will be dominated by 18+ players.

I had my first game of 8th edition at 2500pts, I used WoC against Brets and to be honest the game time was extended massively because of all the dice rolling from supporting attacks.


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## Cheese meister (Jun 5, 2010)

for beginers it's easier 2 get into but if like me you where comfortable with how it worked in 7th somethings seem stupid and ott


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## The Wraithlord (Jan 1, 2007)

> I still think fantasy will be dominated by 18+ players.


This does not bother me in the slightest to be honest.


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

I think the game is easier, *and* I think it's for the better. A lot of the stuff that was cut out from 7th really just seemed like useless crap to me. Sure, it made the game more complex, but it detracted from fun, and it seemed like a sort of faux-tactics to me. Liking the changes with 8th, that's for sure.


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## NagashKhemmler (Apr 28, 2009)

Tactics have significantly decreased.

Flanking still gives benefits, as it gives you a turn to whittle down a units numbers without suffering too many return attacks. If you successfully flank a big unit, it'll just take a re-roll able stubborn check and turn around...Death spell which reduces ld by 3 and the doom totem are suddenly worthwhile.

Terrain is kind of worthless now except for funky special rules, I hate how it doesn't s low units AT ALL, before it slowed excessively, not it doesn't slow at all!

Magic dominates less but is still useful to a degree which is advantageous and better than it was before where it dominated the game with some armies.

In general it's easier because maneuvering and tactics have been dumbed down and nerfed.

Oh, no guessing of ranges removed a LOT of the skill involved in the game too. Now cannons have become the ultimate weapons of death. Charging is also worthless now, no one even cares if they charge, especially if they're elite troops they just move towards the enemy at maximum speed without a care in the world and a skip in their stride.


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## Jezlad (Oct 14, 2006)

NagashKhemmler said:


> Tactics have significantly decreased.
> 
> Flanking still gives benefits, as it gives you a turn to whittle down a units numbers without suffering too many return attacks. If you successfully flank a big unit, it'll just take a re-roll able stubborn check and turn around...Death spell which reduces ld by 3 and the doom totem are suddenly worthwhile.
> 
> ...


So they did a 40k and fucked it up?


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## maddermax (May 12, 2008)

Jezlad said:


> So they did a 40k and fucked it up?


Only the changes are rather more dramatic than 40k got.

Among the old crowd around here, 8th has been the best thing ever... for sales of Warmachine.


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## Blue Liger (Apr 25, 2008)

I think it got easier I agree that not being slowed by terrain and changing charging around was stupid I think they should have just said if you charge you strike first however if you have a higher I value and got charged you get re-rolls to hit, the whole thing now gives armies such as the HE bow line a reason to sit there and get charged without a care in the world. I also agree that cannons should have never have gotten the ability to pre measure


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

Being a new player doesn't really help when you're trying to come up with a fair judgement, but I think its easier than 7th. I remember trying to learn all the rules for it but there was always something that I just couldn't keep in mind without having a more experienced player tell me about it. However, 8th edition rules seem to be to the point and I always get the feeling that they were made in a "lets get the job done properly and swiftly" mindset. So overall I think the rules got easier.

As for tactics, I don't think they got nerfed, just changed. In 7th ed it was all about rythm, pace and positioning, organising the where and when of units, and if you got the Movement Phase right the Close Combat Phase went like a prophecy. And then there was the Magic Phase which seemed retardedly powerful to me. I think it was for the better that the Magic Phase is now a bit of a swiss army knife combined with a trump card: you don't get to use too many tools at once but if you pick the right one for the right time its going to work wonders. And this principle is what seems to be the new governing factor for the new tactics: positioning is still important, theres no doubt about that, but the key now is to find the right combination of events, the who, when, and what. Armies that used to rely on one Phase will now have to make use of the other Phases that their Army Book supports, because no one Phase is powerful enough to circumvent the army's weakness in the other three. 
For instance, you might be able to pre-measure everything now, even for cannons, but the opponent's troops will get to your lines much sooner, narrowing down the importance of the Shooting Phase to the first two turns (Dwarves excluded :laugh; after that, you're shooting at those who couldn't get into close combat (unless you're Skaven ).

I also disagree with the idea that being able to pre-measure removed a lot of skill. There are players who don't have as good eyes as others, and its not something you can fix entirely with practice. Sure you can reduce your mistakes to some extent but you'll be always at a disadvantage when you're playing with people who happen to have a good eye for measuring without using tape. Which is indeed a skill, but one based on genetics and not player skill. 
So whenever you say that pre-measuring is bad, imagine yourself being unable to tell with precision if the target is within 36" or not, is it 6" away or 8", and you happen to love your shooty Empire army, and you have all the skill and determination to outwit, outgun, outcast, outmanouvre and then crush your opponent in the name of Sigmar, but you just can't bloody tell how far that pack of Chaos Knights are, even if your life were at stake.


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