Possible DE Rules Playtest at Games Day

During games day, one of the demo games they had set up was a DE vs Dark Angels 20 person game.

I'm sure some of it was to simplify the DE for new players, but there were major rule changes in effect for most of the units.

There were a selection of 500 point forces to choose from and they consisted of typically 1 transport + 1 troop, as well as either a Heavy Support, Fast Attack or Elite Choice.

GW folks were following the game very closely and were taking notes, and may have been recording it as well. I should have taken photos but it didn't dawn on me until the ride home that it was likely a playtest.

The following info may not be accurate, but these are the changes that I think I remember correctly:

Troop Choices: Hellions, Kabalite Warriors, Mandrakes, Wychs, Reavers, Wracks

Splinter Rifles: Assault 2

Mandrakes started with a Pain token

Razorwing missiles were a little different

No Night Shields on any Vehicles

There were no Running combat drugs

Reavers only had the Skilled Rider bonus when they went Flat Out.

Succubi all had different weapons, Venom blade seemed the same, but I think there may have been a slight change to the Agonizer.

Another DE player who was playing an Archon with a Clone Field noted that it seemed to remove Wounds, not hits.

That's all I can remember: Please forgive if this is not accurate as I've been up since 6 am yesterday and just got home after a 16 hour drive straight...

6 cans of Rockstar Energy drink and 8 cups of coffee in my system...

I'll be following this very closely if you remember anything else after a good rest.

Thanks mate.

Seems bogus to me. Sounds more like a simplification for the sake of a demo. I'd be surprised if GW let their play testers/designers demo stuff outside of their secret bunker in the deepest darkest depths of Nottingham.

Mandrakes started with pain token? Well, it is helpful, but what point does their special rule's requirement then have?  
Also the splinter rifle change seems odd too. Basically just rapid fire everywhere, you wouldn't assault with them anyway!

All I can say is



but

I will say this. There was a guy there tracking every unit of DE each round. What it killed and when it was destroyed. So survivability was at least being examined.

Take of that what you will.

I just believe it no more then a demo... To let new comers just play a army they never really played or heard about.

I will explain why I think it's bogus and was just a demo.

Every 6th edition codex lists the name of every play tester in the credits. GW don't do mass play-testing any more they stopped that due to leaks, as a result they only use a handful of play-testers, small enough that they can list all their names in the codex credits. The play testing is also now exclusively done in Nottingham where the design team is based. Hell the Tau codex only had eight playtesters!

A Brief History of Playtesting and why we have so few Rumors wrote:

Games Workshop has made playtesting (the biggest leak source) more and more an internal affair.
It was less than 10 years ago that Games Workshop had us the trusty gamers doing playtesting. It was a glorious time were GW actually looked to the community for support, to design better games. The best part was GW didn't have to pay anyone as the playtesters lovingly worked for free.

Slowly, but surely Games Workshop began to phase out practice. As the Internet grew, leaks and playtesters got harder to control. This is when GW decides rumors and leaks are generally a bad thing. Playtesters are not privy to the final product and going half cocked about a unit or model can dampen a release.

This though doesn't excuse GW behavior, but makes it that more understandable. So, what did GW do next? Well they decided it was time to bring it in-house. Most of the playtesting in 5th edition happened by a group of GW employees, GW store managers from select European stores to be exact.

As a reward for either sales or loyalty, this group of managers were given rules to test. They were even taken to Nottingham for play time with the dev team. This was about the time that many rumors required Spanish, German, or French translations.

Trusting your retail managers though poses great risks. While you can sack them with ease, you cannot easily track down the culprit once they let things slip to employees or customers. The volatility of the retail market, also means managers come and go.

This leads us to the current state of playtesting, where Games Workshop has pulled everything to Nottingham. Surprisingly, this is a topic the Dev team can talk about. Having asked a few of them the answer is simple for the why: Stop Leaks.

Keeping your playtesters close means they are much more controllable. You don't have things like email trails to far off places, instead tap your cubical mate and get testing. Testing done in one place at one time, having little contact with the paying public means less GW has to fear in their mind.

GW seems pretty secure in their position, because you can find the names of every playtester in all the 6th edition codexes.

Now this isn't foolproof, as roommates and alcohol can play a role in loosening lips, but for the most part this new strategy has worked. Will it last for only as long employees stay at GW? Unlike retailer managers, the bonds/culture of the Development Team is much stronger and GW will be counting on it. Oh, and well written NDAs.

The moral of story is the rumor lockdown isn't going anywhere, and this is just another way GW is trying to pretend to be the Apple of gaming.

Most likely, its just dumbed down rules system.
But, since the Deldar codex is several years away, theres little reason it couldnt be an early test.

I got to ask if we wont be getting a codex next...
what current codex is the oldest one? If they release new ones starting from the oldest, at what order would we be?

Mngwa wrote:

I got to ask if we wont be getting a codex next...
what current codex is the oldest one? If they release new ones starting from the oldest, at what order would we be?

From oldest to newest:

Black Templars
Orks
Space Marines
Imperial Guard
Space Wolves
Tyranids
Blood Angels
Dark Eldar

Space Marines and Tyranids are rumoured to be next up for Codexes and I think Orks are possibly after that. I suspect BT might get a supplement rather than a full codex.

you forgot sisters of battle haha

ligolski wrote:

you forgot sisters of battle haha

So did GW  

Count Adhemar wrote:

ligolski wrote:

you forgot sisters of battle haha

So did GW  

touche lol

It will be nice when they do remember the sisters, I own a bunch. Feel know pain should be an army wide rule now, IMHO.

Actually, no, not FNP. I think wyches should have some kinda sneak attack or grenades that prevent overwatch, I'm not sure which, but something.

They say that the sisters were meant to be released some time ago, but the models somehow came out wrong, and so the project was sent back and they made do with the rules that were printed in White Dwarf instead. Of the truth of this, no one can say. If true, however, then it is prophesied that the sisters will return upon the hour of GW's greatest need - or rather, when they've finally worked their way through their current hectic schedule, say 2015 or 16.

Ya, I've talked with the guys at GW and they say that good things are coming their way. Just wait, it will be worth it. So we waitith. Thanks BA

There are still a load of models offered in the current codex that are not available. Voidraven Bomber is a stark omission. I enjoyed making my own Baron and Duke. Vect, Malys, Kherry- they are all milk carton kids.

Made my own Malys, too.

Our codex is a long way off...not enough DE players to make it a top priority.

why new codex? I'm very happy of what we got. Don't want any bandwagoners to DE. Those new Eldar make nice allies though.

I just want a shiny overpriced hardback book is all. Oh and I guess they could update stuff too or whatever. Mostly just shiny though lol

But really, some warlord traits would be nice.

and something to help out the poor wyches...and wwp's that are worth using...

But buffing us might pull players from the spes mehreens and gw will never do that lol

Thing is most of our stuff is just fine. We need to be careful what we wish for as GW has a habbit of breaking units when they update a codex. Wyches might work, but ravagers and venoms might get butchered as a result.