Deathwatch: Overkill

Looks like Deathwatch: Overkill will be released soon, and it's opened to plenty of positive reviews. Who's buying it?

I'm tempted to buy it, but I don't earn all that much, plus I've to go to Minnesota in August, so no point stocking up on so many models. We shall see. I'll wait for the datasheet on the Genestealer Cultists and their formations before I write something more specific on them. Apparently Games Workshop is releasing the rules for Genestealer Cult and the Deathwatch Kill-Team on their official website! Once they do, I'll post the link here and do an analysis of some sort.

Keep in mind that an analysis isn't terribly useful. There's a term called theory-hammering, and while it's fun to hold discussions and stuff on how this model, unit or formation might work theoretically, it's only until you actually field them on the table that you can see how they work. There are many complaints about many factions and their formations being bloated, over-costed (is that even a word? just use overly expensive), lousy, blah blah blah...

Now, I'm not saying these complaints are unfounded. I, for one, will not field the Ogryn Auxilla because it's too expensive, and I don't really like the Ogryn and Bullgryn models. Fluff-wise, my Draconian Armored Defense Force doesn't use abhumans and rely completely on tanks, aircraft and storm troopers, so...yeah. But does that make the formation useless? Nope. If I like the abhumans, I'll be happy to field them no matter how dumb the formation is. That's why I field the Cadian Battle Group as a Draconian Battle Group with a Militarum Tempestus platoon as one of the auxiliaries. I like them fluff-wise, model-wise and I like their hot-shot lasguns and other gear options. Who cares about so-called strong formations when I'm having fun fielding my storm troopers and seeing them use "Bring it Down!" to wreck a tank or assassinate a monstrous creature?

So yeah. Instead of whining about how underpowered, incredibly weak and useless the Cadian Battle Group is (it's bloated, blah blah), let's field it in 2,000-point games where it's meant to be used, and have fun using it! I have close games with it, I have a lot of fun playing my Cadian Battle Group, so why do I care if I don't get free Chimeras for dedicated transports, objective secured for my Emperor's Shield Infantry Company (I'm not even using it, I'm using the Emperor's Fist Armored Company)? I've fun throwing out 40 BS4 shots from my Leman Russ Punisher's Punisher Gatling Cannon. Plus it's more fluffy - the Imperial Guard is meant to be a blob army, so when they have a formation that makes it a blob army, it's meant to align with the fluff. Sure, it's inflexible, rigid, bloated and unwieldy, but those people who actually use the Emperor's Shield Infantry Company find it extremely fun and durable. Keep in mind, these are the guys who actually go otu and field these armies in a real game, rather than theory-hammer, then rant away by slamming on a keyboard and forcing their opinions on other people online.

Maybe it's because I don't play in a competitive environment. I don't know. But let's stop worrying about balance, competitiveness, winning at all costs, and have fun with the formations, yeah? That's what I'm going to do, regardless of whether I win or not. I'm going to play Maelstrom, go for objectives with my tanks and guardsmen, and have tons of fun!

For the Emperor!