More reliable rumours
- Army construction is moving back to percentages.
- Strength in Depth/ Stepping up (models may fight in 2 ranks)
- Crush attack for larger creatures
- 40mm models moving to 3 model-wide ranks.
- Multiple objective driven scenarios in the rulebook
- All non-english rulebooks are moving to inches.
- Power dice aren’t generated by the number of spellcasters. The pool is decided by 2D6. Magic users add their magic level to the score rolled. All Wizards have a chance to generate more power dice.
- All missile units fire in two ranks (not just High Elves). Missile units will not gain a rank when shooting from hills.
- Autobreaking from fear or terror is gone.
- Combats are strictly decided in initiative order.
Warhammer 8th Ed Rulebook to be released July 10th
528+ pages. Full colour
Possibly going to get the pdf erratas for all armies on July 6th
Introduction games for Warhammer 8th edition starting around May 22nd (only one scenario apparently)
Copies for Staff available early May
The book is up for advance order from a swedish store. £45.
There will be a "General's" Edition as well as a "Gunner's" Edition: Both are the basic rulebook along with multiple different gimmicks, as golden templates, dice, angulometer, combat-resolution-calculator, markers and more. "General's Edition" is supported with a white linen bag with two silver coins attached to it, so if you fall in battle, they may put them on your eyes...
Other rumours (and description of above)
These are all listed in no particular order.
ARMY SELECTION
- Army construction is moving back to percentages.
All from Avian (confirmed):
25% max characters (includes mounts)
25% min core
50% max special
25% max rare
Just so I am clear on this, as there has been some misunderstanding, you can have a lord level character leading a small army if you want to (within the points), you don't have to take a hero as you do currently.
- Allied forces will not get a % allocation. However, rules for using allied forced (i.e. an updated allied forces chart) are in the rulebook.
- Categories for core/special/rare are remaining.
- There *may* be something to prevent spamming...
- There will be a system wide errata to clear up issues for each army.
MOVEMENT
Standard Movement
- Measure the distance for the furthest moving model, and perform whatever manoeuvres you wish within that lax limitation (i.e. they all move like fast cav currently do, minus the reform).
- (edit: It seems I am very close with this, the champion one is only by process of deduction. Still awaiting further confirmation on all this)
Standard Bearer = Re-roll one of the charging dice
Musician = +1" Charge bonus
Champion = One free reform
(edit: As it has caused some confusion, these are all only additions to what all the command models currently do)
Charging.
- An added 'bonus' of getting an 'extra' +D6 or +D3 inches of movement to your Movement range (presumably the D6 or D3 decided by the category of warrior; infantry/cavalry/ogre sized).
- Edit; rumoured to be:
M1-M6 (and not flying) = Basic M value + D6
M7+ (and not flying) = Basic M value + 3D6 (choose the 2 highest)
- +1CR for charging. -Avian (confirmed)
Marching.
Heavy cavalry - Avian says this is possibly speculation
- - Rumoured to be something like this:
All infantry and cavalry models (i.e. smaller than ogre sized) with a passive non-magical save of 3+ or better cannot march move. I.e. heavy armour and shield would allow you to march, as the +1 HW & shield is only in combat.
Brettonians and Dwarfs will be exempt
MAGIC
NOTE: The magic rumours nobody seems to agree on, so rather than try and find what exactly the truth is I will just put here most of the theories
Edit: I've sorted out the ones that seem more likely, based on the info from anonymous sources:
- Power dice aren’t generated by the number of spellcasters. The amount if dice is decided by 2D6. The active player gets the sum as power dice and the other player the highest throw as dispel dice (throw 3+5, = 8 PD and 5 DD). (not sure if this is 100% correct yet).
Magic users then add their magic level to the score rolled. This could be 1 PD for lvl 1/2 and 2 PD for lvl 3/4).
Every magic user has access to the pool.
- Giving irresistible force a downside (confirmed)
There may be some sort of irresistible force ‘incident’ table, this may be an extension of the miscast table.
Roll of 1 on the chart: This has been confirmed as being even worse than number 4… Which (pure speculation) may involve every model in the unit taking a hit, this was something I actually heard a while back, but it could be worse than this.
Roll of 4: The wizard is sucked into the warp and the large template is centred over him. S10 hits for something (could be the centre model, meaning S5 for the rest?).
[*]Most spells generally have a basic and an up-powered version (confirmed) - Avian
Lore of Fire
- Some spells will scale up. One Example is Fireball; which sounds like it could be D6 S4, or 2D6 S5, or 3D6 S6 hits.
Lore of Metal
- One spell from the Lore of Metal: Swap the enemies armour save for their toughness, e.g. 1+ save and toughness 3 becomes toughness 1 and 3+ save.
Lore of Shadows
- One spell you can switch the position of two characters that are 'within 18"' (not sure if they have to be within 18" of each other, or just to the caster).
- Double 6 = a miscast (confirmed)
- Making miscasts much more devastating.
- Something rumoured is carrying over power dice, but holding too many could lead to a ‘magic backlash’. Wizard will recieve wounds or hits if he didn't use the excess power-dice (than originally allocated) at end of the turn.
- All the book Lores will have more supportive spells than they have now, and will all be getting a major overhaul. Each lore to get a mega spell.
[*]Spells can be chosen, not rolled for, but can't be duplicated in the same army with the exception of the first spell of the lore -Avian (confirmed)
[*]If a wizard fails to reach the casting value, it's a miscast. -Avian (confirmed)
[*]Everybody can cast with a maximum of 6 dice -Avian (confirmed)
And the other rumours:
[*]Each spell can be cast once per magic phase, regardless of how many casters there are. - Avian says this is possibly speculation - All Wizards have a chance to generate more power dice. – Avian. This *may* be something like; for every magic user throw D6, on a 6 a further power dice is added. Though someone else has discredited this.
- Dispel scroll only adding dispel dice (+2 dice to the dispel dice pool once per game). (edit - possibly speculation)
- Dispel attempts to be made by specific wizards (presumable your casting level is beneficial for dispelling spells)
- A higher chance of miscast with multiple casters.
SHOOTING
Armour Save Modifiers
- As it happens to be the same rumour; fewer armour save modifiers. - Harry. Avian has said this may or may not be the case
Bows fire in 2 ranks as standard.
- Units armed with bows, short bows and longbows fire in two ranks. Units armed with handguns, crossbows, anything else fire in 1 rank - Avian and someone else, so I'm considering this confirmed now.
- Missile units will not gain a rank when shooting from hills.
War Machines
- Weapons using the flame template or large or small blast templates automatically hit any model in contact rather than cause partial hits. If you are touched, you are hit. -Avian and someone else, so I'm considering this confirmed now
COMBAT
NOTE: Trying to nail down what the facts are here is very hard. Some of this is only my understanding of what has been discussed.
Fighting in 2 ranks
- Infantry models in the second rank can fight, with a maximum of 1A per model (with whatever weapon they have). - Avian/Harry
[*]Special rules apply as normal.
[*]Spears +1 rank as normal, but one attack only (fighting in 3 ranks).
[*]Spearelves may fight with an additional rank as normal (citzen levy).
[*]This is the same regardless of which side they are attacked on
[*]Cavalry still only fight in 1 rank.
[*]This does not apply to Monstrous Infantry, who are rumoured to fight with their normal number of attacks from the second rank.
Stepping up. – Harry/ Avian / other people
- Casualties are strictly removed from the back. [confirmed].
Horde
- 10+ wide units attack with one rank more than normal. There are no other requirements to be a Horde. - Avian
Stubborn
- If you are only engaged to the front and have more ranks than the opponent, you are Stubborn. - Avian/Harry
Unit Strength
- Unit Strength is completely gone, lots of things are altered to compensate for this. -Avian
Rank bonuses
- Unchanged. (edit) GW handout supposedly saying unlimited! (- Avian says this is possibly speculation)
One Save to ruin them all!
- Models will only ever get one save (be it ward, mundane or magical armour). No word yet on whether regeneration is included. From Alessio himself!
Monstrous Creatures
- 40mm models moving to 3 model-wide ranks. Ogre sized models are officially being put into their own size category (finally).
Crush them!
- Additional stomp/crush attacks for big infantry (ogres, trolls, etc) to represent them trampling lesser races underfoot. Bigger bonus for large creatures like giants. These are not impact hits. (edit: these could be overrun hits)
Armour Save Modifiers
- Fewer armour save modifiers - Avian has said this may or may not be the case
Striking in Initiative order
- Combat will always strictly be resolved in initiative order (confirmed).
Chariots
- S7 autokill is gone. - Avian (confirmed)
WEAPONS
Combat Weapons
- Great weapons Always strike last (this overrides any army book rules).
Missile Weapons
- Longbows Same. See shooting above for more rules
PSYCHOLOGY and SPECIAL RULES
Panic
- If a large unit panics, ie. 30 Orcs, they panic all smaller units within 18 inches. But if your general is withing 12 inches you are immune to panic.. Take this with a lot of salt.- Avian says this is possibly speculation(Avian)
Fear and Terror
- Fear / Terror reduces the combat effectiveness of your unit if you fail the test, but give no CR bonus in and of itself. - Avian (confirmed)
- Autobreaking from fear or terror is gone.
- Leadership tests against fear is rumoured to be going
- Fear and Terror incorporate immune to panic (with possibly a change to crumbling for undead).
Killing Blow
- Killing blow only against models in a similar size category or lower (large creature>ogre sized> infantry/cavalry sized)
(edit: apparently this is close, but not quite right). Killing blow is still a roll of 6.
Always Strike First
- Models with great weapons will always strike last, regardless of ASF. There is supposedly a change to the ASF rule to compensate HE a bit, not sure what yet. - Avian has said the ASL trumping ASF is probably right.
MAGIC ITEMS
- Apparently there is an absolutely HUGE list of magic items in the book… Could easily be 50+ (possibly 85). There is a chance you may not be able to duplicate most of them in a list.
OTHER RULEBOOK CONTENTS
- Multiple objective driven scenarios in the rulebook (no kill points). See GW grand tournament and doubles scenarios.
- 15 or so missions in the new rulebook. 9 or 10 of the missions required units to capture objectives (not just core). Units must have banners to capture objectives. Several missions had multiple objectives
- Victory Conditions
Interestingly something I picked up from a post was that ‘victory conditions’ have been referred to in the last 3 books, not victory points.
- A section in the rulebook dealing with specific issues that may arise during battles
Terrain
- Difficult terrain may be merged with very difficult.
- D6+4 compulsory terrain.
- Terrain will not just affect the movement phase so much but will affect fleeing units, like in the War of the Ring game.
- The rulebook includes terrain rules for all the GW products.
- Bonuses and hazards for terrain (such as rolling the dice to see how many people don’t make it out of the wood...). This appears to be D6 for every model, on a 1 a model is lost. This is only the tip of the iceberg…
- Finding a magic item in the woods.
[*]Something to do with a unit charging out of a cursed forest causing fear. - Avian says this is possibly speculation
[*]Fighting in woods is -1 CR for ranked infantry and +1 CR for skirmishers. Might be worse for cavalry. - Avian
