Tau Firebase Support Cadre and 40k's First True Formation

So today, GW's Digital folks released another dataslate. This one, unlike Be'Lakor yesterday, represents a formation and unlike the FW, Apocalypse and other Expansion formations, this one is meant for use in 40k. It is a detachment all to itself and has some potency that will likely see it used. I will include the details below and then pose the question of what this means for 40k and how we play our game:

Guest Post: Play it right: Grenades in 6th Edition

Play it right: Grenades in 6th edition.

TJ here with a guest post from a blog we really like called 40k War Zone, a member of the 40k blogrolls, an excellent source of news, rumors, tactics, discussion and entertaining rules posts like the one below that made both Chris Vinton and us think of the opening days of 6th! Enjoy this post by CrAzY 424 and when you are done, check out their blog!

I wanted to make a quick post about some common misconceptions about how Grenades work within 6th edition 40k. It came to my attention that a number of gamers have misinterpreted the rules and have, unfortunately, been playing some pretty crazy games. Most of this stuff will be pretty hilarious for the majority of 40k players. Here it is:

PSA: Legion of the Damned and Chapter Tactics

TJ here to help get the word out about a common error I am seeing on tables, reading about online and hearing in podcast. People are running LoD and they should, they are fantastic, but they are also using chapter doctrines and such to get re rolls (ultra marines or salamanders for example). Please note that they do not have the Chapter Tactics special rule and thus, according to the codex entry "All models Benedite from the appropriate chapter tactics for their detachment's chapter, providing they have the Chapter Tactics special rule.

A Simple, Fair Method For Terrain Placement: Video and Interview!

One of the things people have a hard time adjusting to in 6th edition is terrain placement, specifically when set up by the players. Now, yes two decent human beings should be able to do it with no problems, but not everyone is always a decent human being (even me). With that being said, Ken Blakely of the Second Founding posted a video explaining a method he pioneered that was a precursor to the current Adepticon Primer method that will be used this year for the GT.

Now, before you turn your nose up or move on, give the video a view and see what they are talking about. Myself and Chuck play with this method in all of our pick-up games, regardless of whether or not the tourney we are practicing for uses terrain placement. Not only do we find this modification fair for both parties, we find it to be a fun way to help set the conditions for your army and that way neither player can blame the board set-up for their win/ loss without pointing the first finger at themselves. Enough of my thoughts though, below is the video, demonstrated by Greg Sparks (American ETC Captain) and Adepticon 2012  Warmaster, Brad Chester.

Keeping the scatter honest

There is always a rule that seems to get pushed, prodded, pulled and abused in its proper fashion in a game. Some rule that is necessary to the game creates a whole slew of issues which frustrates gamers.

For me this is deep striking, and to a lesser extent blast templates in general (which I do love btw). Mainly this is due to the issues that arise from scattering, and with deep striking, the mishap table. No one wants to lose a good chunk of their army to the warp because of a half, or even a quarter of an inch difference in placement and angle of the scatter, or going from 3 wounds from your blast template to none.

An Often Overlooked Cover Save Trick

 

I was sitting around in my thinking room reading the 40k rule book and noticed a funny thing about cover saves. It would seem that people should be getting less cover saves than they have been getting...