Tau & Dark Eldar in 7th Edition - Small Rule Changes to be aware of (Updated 30 May)

Hi,

I've only had the new 7th edition rulebook for just over 24 hours now, and I'm now getting to the stage where I'm coming accross very small rule changes that can easy go under the radar compared to the more dramatic changes from 6th edition.

Now most of the big changes were all over the web weeks before the book was released, eg. the psychic phase, changes the flying monstrous creatures, charging through difficult terrain, however below are my top 3 small changes that affect the two main armies I pay with:


Smash

Exchanging your attacks to hit at double strength is more costly as it has changed from losing half your attacks (rounding up) before the charge bonus to only being able to make a single double strength attack.

This has huge implications for my Tau.  Many occasions a tough vehicle would be giving me problems until a helpful Riptide would smash it with 3 Str10 smash attacks on the charge (ie. only sacrificing 1 attack to double it's strength).  Now it will only have 1 attack, which combined with the fact that an AP2 attack will require a 6 rather than a 5 to now explode a vehicle, means I may have to reconsider putting more fusion in the army.

With smash reduced in effectiveness and vehicles being harder to destroy, has the age of the melta (or fusion for Tau) returned ?


Sniper

Snipers have lost true rending to be replaced by the same getto rending  that Eldar shuriken weapons get, ie. 6's to wound at AP2, but no benefit against vehicles.

To offset this they now are classed as str4 rather than str3 against vehicles.  What this means is that if a 6 is rolled for armour penetration my total is 10, where as in 6th edition it was an equal chance of a score betwee 10, 11 or 12.

No longer can my Sniper Drone team threaten av11 at all.  Not a big change but a shame never the less.

[Update:  Marjamhew has pointed out (in the comments section) that the Sniper USR has also lost Pinning.  This affects both the Long Shot Pusle Rifle and the generic Sniper Rifle from the Imperium.]


Poison

Poison now only gives rerolls to wound if the strength is greater (rather than equal to or greater) than the targets toughness.  My Dark Eldar wracks accompanied by my Haemonculus now do a 1/3rd less damage against marines on the charge.  In 6th (as together they had 2 pain tokens for Furious Charge) they would wound marines on 4+ with a reroll, now it's no reroll because Furious Charge will only make them the same str (4) as the marines toughness.  It's a harsh drop in effectiveness moving from going against toughness 3 (wounds 89% of the time) to wounding 50% of the time against toughness 4 (a very common toughness value they will be facing on the battlefield.

Again not a huge hit, and one I can live with for all the benefits that 7th edition beings to my two main armies.


It's still extremely early in 7th edition, and although 7th edition is more a tweak to 6th edition I'm sure there are other small changes that are being missed, so please leave a comment to let me and the community know of any small rule changes you think are still below the radar.

Rathstar

Update 30/05/14:

A few couple of extra rule changes that particularly affect my Tau & Dark Eldar armies


Haywire

Although it seems like a bit of a nerf I think Wyches will love the changes to Haywire.  Haywire itself hasn't changed, however because it does not have an AP value it means that Haywire can never explode a vehicle, only wreak them by stripping hull points.

Now Wyches in combat with a vehicle do not want the vehicle to explode for 3 reasons:

• The Wyches will take damage (which is now str4 in 7th edition) from the explosion
• An exploded vehicle is removed from the table and replaced with (if the opponent has one, which most people don't) a crater.  This would leave the Wyches high and dry in the open ready to be shot at.  A wreak leaves the vehicle in place to give at worse a cover save and possibly Line of Sight blocking terrain.
• If the vehicle is surrounded and it is wreaked all the occupants automatically die, however if it explodes all survivors are able to be placed within the area that the vehicle occupied, leaving them free to shoot and charge the Wyches that just exploded their vehicle.

No more will I roll on the damage table, praying I don't roll a 6 :)


Jink

Jink has now changed to being declared before To Hit rolls are made, however you don't have to have moved to be able to get Jink saves (so they can be used first turn even if your opponent goes first), plus it has increased to a 4+ cover save.

To offset this, if a unit Jink's it can only Snap Fire on the following turn.

This change is excellent for Raiders transporting combat troops (such as Incubi, Wyches or Wracks) because the Snap Firing penalty is not too much of a disadvantage.  Like wise the Tau Skyray waiting for flyers to arrive on turn 2 has the option to Jink to better survive so it's missiles are available when flyers arrive, plus once it's missiles are expended (I prefer a turn 1 or 2 alpha strike into a key target) it can sit on an objective or provide mobile cover for other units while Jinking for better survivability.

Reaver jetbikes also benefit, because they get to Jink before they start moving, and in most cases do a lot of their damage from bladevaning, however if they want to shoot without Snap Firing they will have to risk not Jinking.