# Spearhead, fearsome or fail?



## edd_thereaper (Oct 21, 2008)

After getting my white dwarf through the post this morning, I read through the spearhead rules, but i'm still undecided on them as I feel i'll need to play a game before making any judgements

however i want to know you're first opinions on this


cheers

edd


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

Haven't got mine yet. Bloody Royal Mail! But I expect to quite like it - after all I do like tanks!


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## edd_thereaper (Oct 21, 2008)

the new missions, and setup is quite interesting, i also like the fact that destroyed super heavies count as an objective for your opponent in some of the missions

the fact that super heavies are allowed is starting to put me off however

cheers

edd


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## ChaosSpaceMarineGuy (Jan 29, 2010)

Is this in the June edition?


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

Yep, should be in the shops this weekend


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## Daniel Harper (May 25, 2008)

I love the rule set. Can't wait to try this out, and for the other spearheads to appear on the website. Also I may get lucky with my new Guard tanks on Friday so this could be interesting.


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## mynameisgrax (Sep 25, 2009)

The rule set is interesting, but is there anywhere online yet where they actually list what units can make up a spearhead? It's not in the WD issue.


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## solkan (Apr 24, 2008)

mynameisgrax said:


> The rule set is interesting, but is there anywhere online yet where they actually list what units can make up a spearhead? It's not in the WD issue.


Are you looking for Spearhead: Formations (on the GW website). Although you have to sign in in order to get the PDF, it's free to do so.


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## Ascendant (Dec 11, 2008)

I haven't gotten this month's white dwarf yet, but the datasheets make it seem pretty interesting. From a competitive standpoint, I'm sure there's ways to be really obnoxious with it. That said, this doesn't seem like an expansion for the power-gamers, and I think it will be great fun to rampage around with tank columns and tides of warriors.


Though if they had some spearhead package deals online..... that would be really keen.


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## GrizBe (May 12, 2010)

Its looks interesting... only if you like Tank battles though.... Defiantely an IG players expansion more then anything else.


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

But not many of them particularly benefit Guard. Eldar, on the other hand...


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## Lord Rahl (Mar 13, 2010)

I dont like it, it's just anasty ploy to bring in more profit on those crapy made over priced tanks.


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## jams (Sep 19, 2009)

i like it. it's mini apoc. means you can play a game with just vehicles if you can't be arsed to get your infantry out


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## dobbins (Sep 19, 2009)

Having bought the June White Dwarf thinking I would be privy to all sorts of new rules and stuff, I was very disappointed. For anyone who thinks the same, just download the .pdf from GW, its all there.


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## edd_thereaper (Oct 21, 2008)

actually it is more than reasonable to use your standard army, as the force organisation chart allows it, and infantry heavy armies packed with anti tank weaponry could certainly give mech armies a beating, the only disadvantage i would see is having a superheaving could certainly be a distinctive advantage over an army that doesn't

cheers

edd


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## Geist (Mar 9, 2010)

Well, I like it, but that might just be because I just bought 5 leman russes off of ebay.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

Being an IG'er with plenty of Russes and SH's, and also being in a group with many other 'Mech'ies', Spearhead will give us a different way of fielding a huge number of Chassis. I can see the 'Battle of Kursk' been reinacted...a lot


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## Viscount Vash (Jan 3, 2007)

An excuse to build an Ork Tank army to play my brothers tank heavy IG, sounds all too interesting....


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## Abomination (Jul 6, 2008)

I like Spearhead. I think it's a solid expansion. I wasn't expecting anything other than a way to make Tanks more usable/fun etc in the game and on that front Spearhead delivered. I'm looking forward to running multiple Land Raiders with 5+ invl saves.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

I haven't had a good read of spearhead yet, but since I can already get 12 tanks (thats TANKS, not APC's) in 2000pts with an armoured company, do I really need them I wonder.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

Stella Cadente said:


> I haven't had a good read of spearhead yet, but since I can already get 12 tanks (thats TANKS, not APC's) in 2000pts with an armoured company, do I really need them I wonder.


Depends...some provide the Stealth and Tank Hunters USR's, while others give every weapon +1S (max of 10) and Front AV of 15 when ramming

etc etc.


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## countchocula86 (Sep 1, 2008)

So if you can take troops in a Spearhead game, what sets it apart from regular wh40k, is it just that you can take more vehicles?


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

Not even that.

The vehicles you DO take, can simply pay 30-70 or so points in order to gain special rules, and additional special rules if within 4" of each other (but importantly, they do NOT have to be squadroned). The deployment also changes.

I basically see it as an Errata changing squadrons from what they are now (a big pile of steaming, maggoty faeces) to a much improved system (where you can choose the type of squadron, and actually get benefits instead of drawbacks).


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## edd_thereaper (Oct 21, 2008)

like sethis said, there are 3 types of deployment, and three different missions (2 of which are objective based), any tank/walker or infantry can take an objective, wrecked super heavies count as an obj to your opponent

your army can include "spearheads", refering back to what others have already said these are basically like smaller versions of appoc datasheets for tanks (and theres one for monsterous creatures)

these vary from extra weapon strength to vehicles that takes the hits instead of your prized vehicle you want to keep alive.

GW recomend you play with 500 - 1000 points more than usual as "all those extra tanks will soak up your points fast"

The main difference to regular 40k games (apart from the super heavy allowance and the spearhead formations) is the fact that it is played across the length of the board, so you set up on a thin table edge

dispite it looking like your tanks will have to rumble across the board for a turn or two to reach the enemy, 2 in 3 missions only have a 18" gap between deployment zones, meaning those mechanised infantry with meltaguns have a lot less space to cross to become deadly. 
Of course that only applies if both players deploy right at the limit of the deployment zone.

cheers

edd


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

HOBO said:


> while others give every weapon +1S (max of 10)


that can destroy your own tank


HOBO said:


> and Front AV of 15 when ramming


ramming is the most retarded rule ever created, tanks DO NOT ram, and I refuse to do it in games because of how pathetic it is.

the only decent ones are 
armoured spearhead
tank hunters
and thats it really


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

I like the Ambush and Outriders ones myself. Stealth Fire Prisms and a use for Vypers (finally) respectively.


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## AAAAAAAAARRRGGHH (Apr 17, 2009)

Like the looks of a lot of the formations but spearhead itself just looks like a ploy to sell more tanks. It's not particularly interesting tbh and it doesn't bring anything that couldn't just be applied to apocalypse.


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## edd_thereaper (Oct 21, 2008)

reading through the datasheets, i think the super heavy one is to try and promote more baneblade kits/varients sales too


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

Stella Cadente said:


> that can destroy your own tank
> 
> ramming is the most retarded rule ever created, tanks DO NOT ram, and I refuse to do it in games because of how pathetic it is.
> 
> ...


I agree about ramming..I never ram.

and that's why I wrote 'depends'...as in some might like them for their own reasons, and some won't.

My group will no doubt use some of the Spearheads to 'add' to our Campaigns/Narratives sometimes, but not much else.


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## Geist (Mar 9, 2010)

It is a magazine expansion, practically free, so it's probably not the most perfect thing. But, it does inspire some pretty interested home rules, which is probably what I will use it for, a inspiration.


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## King Gary (Aug 13, 2009)

I'd say it's GW trying to strike some sort of balance between the (always potentially) tank heavy IG and the other races more than anything else. Plus trying to get people to spend more money of course.


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