Quote from: Crüesader;934201See, I'd read your stuff and say "This guy knows his shit and loved the squats".  I'm not joking, you are the first person to ever explain them in such a way.  As I said, everyone else seemed to be just saying how awesome they were for the credibility... sort of like a kid that was born in 1987 saying how much 'better' the metal concerts were in the 80's- but he's never been to one, he's just repeating what he's heard other folks say.  

I feel the same way about Sisters.  They had a couple of neat tricks, but they were the Tempestus Scions of that time- just a novel little army that was just 'more of the same shit you already have' at over 1000 points.   And since most people played at 1200-1250 at the shops, they were a rare sight.

Really, I'm a guard guy but I do think Squats got the short end of the stick at GW.  I've heard the problem was that they couldn't come up with anything interesting to do with them.  Eldar lore grew and grew but a dwarf is just a dwarf I suppose.  Really, I think they needed to step back from the Hells Angels look a bit but keep them as dwarfs.  But possibly give them more mole vehicles and mining gear.  I'd want beefier looking bikes, they looked a bit silly on the choppers.  Mantic's got a Forge Father tank coming out that looks okay, but it's their space skaven that are getting a tunneller.

Quote from: Crüesader;934197Not at all.  You're the first person to explain -something- about squats that sounds interesting.  Everyone else talks about them the same way 12-year-olds talk about Dark Angels.  "Dey ahre djust ahesome!"

Well, its 40K. " "Dey ahre djust ahesome!" is basically the essence of Space Marines.

Quote from: Tristram Evans;934365Well, its 40K. " "Dey ahre djust ahesome!" is basically the essence of Space Marines.

That armor save comes in handy, actually.  And they're flexible, but never excel at anything.  Best thing for people to go and explore what they like to do.  Still enjoy my Deathwatch, but as far as fiction and RPG's goes- Scions/Stormtroopers all the way.

Quote from: David Johansen;934339Really, I'm a guard guy but I do think Squats got the short end of the stick at GW.  I've heard the problem was that they couldn't come up with anything interesting to do with them.  Eldar lore grew and grew but a dwarf is just a dwarf I suppose.  Really, I think they needed to step back from the Hells Angels look a bit but keep them as dwarfs.  But possibly give them more mole vehicles and mining gear.  I'd want beefier looking bikes, they looked a bit silly on the choppers.  Mantic's got a Forge Father tank coming out that looks okay, but it's their space skaven that are getting a tunneller.

Eh, probably would have been better if used like Ogryns or Ratlings.

Bullgryns are the shit, though.  Retard Shield Wall, activate!

Quote from: Crüesader;934394That armor save comes in handy, actually.  And they're flexible, but never excel at anything.

Not really the point though. The (current)rules are based on the popularity of the figures. If Squats were more popular they'd have better rules.

People who like Squats like them for fluff/aesthetic reasons, or because they represent a time period when the focus of the game wasn't centred on tournament dickwaving and constant powercreep to sell models. The rules for any given army are based on a publishing cycle, and ultimately are meaningless as the new hotness will constantly be around the corner to move plastic units.

I've often thought Space Marine Scouts would be the best thing to field Squats as in the current game.  I've always thought Squats were better with bolt guns than lasguns and there are scout bikers.  Because Squats should have better hardware than the guard but possibly not the same tanks.

If I were to modernize the Squats I'd probably give them the big genestealer mining trucks, light trucks with a heavy weapon on them, and maybe the bikes, I don't know, the biker vibe is somewhere between dated and kitsch.  I'm thinking welding visors and jack hammers.  Carapace armor troopers with storm bolters.  Light troopers in flak with bolt guns.  I'd probably let the whole army deep strike from tunnels dug by mining trucks.  I'd try to stay away from Viking or medieval themes for the lords.  Might even put them in old style business suits like a bunch of robber barons.

I do really like Mantic's Forge Fathers though.  I've got a small army of them and the Iron Ancestor and the Jottun quad cannon are fun.  Not sure how I feel about the tank yet.  We'll have to see what the actual product looks like.  I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to the new Warpath, the previous version was really fun but I think the new version looks interesting.  Not sure how I like multibases in 28mm though.  I do like the new alternating activation.  You activate whatever you want but can hold units back to allow you to respond to enemy action.  It's simple and might really be the best of alternating activation and I go you go.

Quote from: Tristram Evans;934448People who like Squats like them for fluff/aesthetic reasons, or because they represent a time period when the focus of the game wasn't centred on tournament dickwaving and constant powercreep to sell models. The rules for any given army are based on a publishing cycle, and ultimately are meaningless as the new hotness will constantly be around the corner to move plastic units.

Well, fortunately the area I'm in these days is much less competitive than some.  A lot of players will tell you if the game is skewed in their own favor and adjust.  There is a spot called the 'powergamer table' for tournament guys- who, actually to my surprise, have been helping players become more competitive.

How are the Genestealer Cults working out?

Have anyone run them with Kill Teams yet?

Quote from: Spinachcat;934985How are the Genestealer Cults working out?

Have anyone run them with Kill Teams yet?

Not with Kill-Team.  I played an Allied game, me and a new friend.  I ran my Scions as a mechanized/airborne CAD and he ran an armored formation.  The guy running the Genestealers was a former guard player, so he had some Leman Russ tanks and some infantry platoons.  The tanks never disappoint.  The infantry platoons can be shredded down like any other, and tabled.  But what I did learn:

-Fuck that truck.  DO NOT get near it.  And 'tank shock' is nasty with that thing.  YOU WILL LOSE.

-Stay put on objectives and shoot as much as you can, and reinforce that. I found what helped me was using Hot-Shot volley guns, Flamers, and the Taurox Gatling cannon.  GS units can pop up out of nowhere, so outmaneuvering them (even with a fast transport like the Taurox) isn't feasible.  Then assault and overwhelm, if at all possible- because they can go 'poof' and then come back with more fucking dudes to replace the dead dudes.

-When stuff comes out of reserve, you have more than a 50% chance of having GS Cultists up your shit pipe.

-The sergeants can throw disposable mooks in front of them all day long, so any 'slay character' objectives are a pain in the ass.

-Overall, in the near-range shooting game they can melt you.  What really helped me was actually, for once, 'mixing special weapons'.  I know, blasphemy.  But because every squad of Scions had a flamer and some volley firepower, I did fairly well.  But you need that range to thin the horde, because when they get close they're just obscene (and their infantry can take shotguns, apparently).