40k’s points level seems to be creeping higher and higher. Come see what may be behind the shotgun releases of, well everything.
I was reading up on some of the late breaking rumors last night and came across this post over on Bolter and Chainsword that really seems to shed light on a lot of the things that seem to be happening in 40k right now.
It really seemed to make a lot of sense as far as the level that a lot of formations and detachments force you to play at. Plus it takes into consideration things things like Decurions, Blood Hosts, etc.
Via Tenebris on Bolter and Chainsword
Currently it is clear that GW aims for three different point brackets. The first and probably the most important is the 1000 points bracket, namely the fragment of the game where the strength and the idiosyncrasies of an army are clear to a player and it is comfortable enough to allow for plenty of game time for a relative small investment in money, models and painting.
The second points fragment is the 1500 points game. Here is the aim to center most of the gaming in this fragment. Many formations are created with this game in mind and it is also the fragment where you can afford an alliance but in order to take it you need to make your first compromise. This is how most of the games should look. Games around 1500 points, with one or two formations or a decurion, one, or if really straining it, two allied detachments. Still an affordable game for a low budget and perfect to spur people to invest in secondary or tertiary armies.
The next fragment is above the 2000 points mark. I believe that in the next years more and more events will either shift to the 1500 points mark (a good grace for a TO) or go high up to 2000 points games. Here is where all the tricks of an army are available, all the allied options and there is little to compromise. It is also the point fragment where Superheavy units have less of an impact and can be easily dealt with.
It is us, the players, who are still mired in the nigh dozen years old game fragment of 1850 points which is antiquated and clearly not in line with the current codex and unit design followed by GW.
So how the Mechanicus fares considering the above?
Well do a few counts and you will notice that this new Mechanicus is clearly an indicator of things to come and the formations are there to fill those 1500 points and are intended for those games. The current design of the formations, both Skitarii and now Mechanicus are optimized to act as a progressive experience for the player. We begin with strong but cheap in points Maniples for low tier games, we move then onto Cohort/Decurion level for standard 1500 points games, and we are given the option to go full in with the entirety of the Mechanicus plethora of units once we move past the 2000 points mark.
What do you think, is 40k’s point level creeping higher and higher to accommodate these mini releases, formations, and detachments?
About the Author: Rob Baer
