Next AoS release

[Calisson]

Nice summary, thank you!

[Shadowspite]

Or perhaps it will affect any Aelf

I like to think I'm pretty good by now at guessing how GW's designers think. I did consider the possibility of them changing the wording to "any friendly unit" or "any Aelves unit", but decided that keeping everything subfaction-specific was far more likely. Fits with the sorceress faction also being the home of all the formerly "cheap and expendable" (by DE standards) units.

Sorceress, needs to sacrifice a Darkling Coven model for the spell boost now

As expected.

The Standard bearer gives +2 to bravery (as it used to) but only with Darkling Coven heroes.

This is the only change that is likely to inconvenience me and my multi-subfaction army. And even that's not too big a problem. My darkshards will stick near my sorceresses, my corsairs and kharibdyss near my fleetmaster, and my witch elves and acolytes of Khaine (count as SoS) near my death hag on her cauldron (when bought). So pretty much as before. It means my assassins won't be able to give anyone a Ld bonus, but it never made any sense that they could, frankly. My dark riders will just have to manage the best they can on their own (which is quite fitting for scouts/heralds).

I'll be getting rid of my (old metal) cold one chariot, though, I think. It's the only unit from the Ordo Serpentis subfaction I have. Looks like I want scourgerunners instead.

Death Hags can now also dispel one spell.

Can the cauldron hag also dispel?

Hellebron's command ability is given to the COB Hag. Hellebron isn't showing anymore.

Good. When I finally get round to buying a cauldron, I intend to use the Hellebron model on it, because she actually looks like a proper death hag. The regular death hag is cool, but looks too much like a normal witch elf unit champion (which is what I'll use her as). This rule change means I won't have to explain that, no, that's not really Hellebron.

"If a dread lord on black dragon uses this ability, select an Order Serpentis unit from your army within 14". Until your next hero phase you can re-roll all failed wound rolls for that unit in the combat phase."

Given how few units the OS gets, that's a pretty limited ability for a model that really ought to be the default DE army centrepiece/general. I was going to buy one, but if I do I'll be using the sorceress rider now, I think.

"If a Black Ark Fleetmaster uses this ability, pick one Scourgerunner Privateers unit within 14". Until your next hero phase you can re-roll all failed hit rolls for that unit."
Bit of an upgrade, that one

My default general is a fleetmaster, so this pleases me. Shame it won't work on my witch elves or acolytes any more, but nevermind.

(Would have expected Shades here)

You shouldn't have done, since we already knew they'd been discontinued. Their absence is annoying, though, since I just converted fifteen of them. And, yes, I theoretically can still use the old warscroll from the free compendium, but there they have the now defunct 'Exiles' keyword, which means they don't interact properly with the special abilities of the rest of the army. But, then, I guess if they had the 'Shadowblades' subfaction keyword it wouldn't make any difference, would it?

You know what else we're missing? An army battle standard bearer. This annoys me, because I specifically converted one recently to represent one of the main PoV characters in the story I'm writing. Don't know what the heck I'm going to do with her now.

[Blackfrost]

There will be 10 different Aelven factions, including "the silent guardians of the Phoenix Temples" and the "Darkling Covens". There's also mention of a beastmaster faction. The implication seems to be that the Aelves are split into lots of mysterious religio-philosophical cults, each with its own culture and secret goals, and each only allied to Sigmar and the forces of Order in the most nominal way.

Sounds a lot like the Eldar, doesn't it?

[Shadowspite]

Sounds a lot like the Eldar, doesn't it?

A bit. Sounds a bit like D&D elves too, in that there are loads and loads of subtypes.

"Shadow Elves? Are they like Dark Elves?" "No, they're completely different, and they hate Dark Elves." "What about Dusk Elves?" "No, different again. They get on OK with Dark Elves but hate Shadow Elves." "And Gloom Elves?" "They hate everyone. But not like Dark Elves hate everyone. Theirs is more of a dry hate." "What."

[van Awful]

Anybody got an idea what this unforged is in the dwarfhost

[Shadowspite]

Anybody got an idea what this unforged is in the dwarfhost

Apparently, it is the pre-AoS Dragon Slayer. Presumably the name is because he's like a Fyreslayer, but without the ur-gold runes forged into his flesh that they have?

[Phox532]

Sounds a lot like the Eldar, doesn't it?

A bit. Sounds a bit like D&D elves too, in that there are loads and loads of subtypes.

"Shadow Elves? Are they like Dark Elves?" "No, they're completely different, and they hate Dark Elves." "What about Dusk Elves?" "No, different again. They get on OK with Dark Elves but hate Shadow Elves." "And Gloom Elves?" "They hate everyone. But not like Dark Elves hate everyone. Theirs is more of a dry hate." "What."

As a long time D&D DM this makes me very very sad. It was too hard to keep track of all of them an the different roles they had. UGH.

But on to AoS, I would say that I'm a bit muffed here. I don't mind the rule and name changes, but killing that Exile keyword killed my whole army which is was based on the Exile Warhost. And now looking at the current grouping, I don't know how to base my army. I recently just got a Dreadlord on Black Dragon and have it 3/4 painted, but not it seems almost useless to have it as the focus of my army. I wish that I could see some more battle groups to give me some direction in how I want to play my army.

[van Awful]

Ah right thanks! I didnt notice him in the corner