January 2023 Balance Update - it's the big one

[Jye Nicolson]

After a *very* light touch in the previous quarter, GW have well and truly upended the meta with big changes in the January 2023 Balance Data Slate + Points updates.

To some extent this is a simplification - they've axed Armour of Contempt, and a lot of balancing has shifted back to the points, which have seen sweeping changes but ones we can let Battlescribe think about for us. Other factions like Custodes have seen some nerfs wound back a bit, so in some cases things are a little bit closer to as printed and you can just forget some of the stuff you've learned and play with slightly more or less toys.

However certain factions do have significant balance dataslate changes - Harlequins got hit hard (mostly just my problem but they weren't top of my priority stack anyway), as did Tyranids. Marines got buffed, particularly shooty marines - doctrine progression now works like it did in 8th, so you can sit in Devastator all game if you please (I think you will find my Emperor's Children/Emperor's Scythes were *always* Iron Hands, who I've been a diehard fan of lo these 24 hours). Marine troops also get sticky objectives, so they can capture them and wander off.

The points changes are very significant too, with Marines in particular getting so much free equipment they may as well be playing Power Level anyway.

I'm cautiously optimistic the changes are going to the right places and this will result in a more balanced game than we've seen in some time, but it is a lot of change and the proof will be in the pudding. Goonhammer's review is a good place to get a feel for how your faction has been impacted, though as always you can expect a competitive lens there, and our Crusade/Tempest heavy play isn't impacted by some critical competitive changes like Secondaries.

What does it mean for us?

- We've generally made a habit of playing with the Balance Dataslate even in non-competitive modes, and I think we should continue to do so. Keeping up with the rules changes is an extra burden but it's definitely for the better.

- If we don't get a PL update soon, we should consider playing games with points for a while, and maybe temporarily fudging the loadouts on Crusade units to make things fit if necessary. Getting rid of Armour of Contempt is a welcome simplification but it is done in the context of point changes that should help the factions that were relying on it. Votann PLs are, uh, nonsense. It's been a long time since the last update and while I'm hopeful for one shortly, without it I think the gap has gotten too big.

- Likewise we should consider giving the Arks of Omen detachment a go, since the changes were made in the context of that less restrictive list building environment. I think the only list being played around the club recently that doesn't benefit from that format is my VH/BR Sisters soup, which is probably OK to go back on the shelf for a bit anyway.

[Mattb]

Personally I'd love to start using points more often, even for things like crusade. It just makes the game feel more balanced and doesn't make me feel like I've shot myself in the foot for not using the best and most expensive equipment at all times be ause it's not modelled.

I'm absolutely looking forward to the arks of omen detachment though - extra HQ and heavy support slots will be very welcome.

[Jye Nicolson]

I'm planning on playing in Goonhammer's global Crusade campaign which is using points and Ark detachments so it turns out I'll be doing that *anyway*. My main Crusade has enough slack in it now that I can just add extra units for points rather than PL if necessary, so in practice it wouldn't be hard for me to bring points based lists rather than PL ones to a game day.

[Jye Nicolson]

Iron Hands are real, and strong, and they are my friend.

I'm not planning on playing them at the club soon/at all, but I am hopping on this bandwagon (as an alternate ruleset for the purple Loyalist Emperor's Children I painted up - they have an anti EC strat!) and I am going to play them online. Played for the first time tonight and I'm feeling carried by their rules.

So going to enjoy that until their inevitable nerf. I doubt they'll break the game like they did last time - very likely Guard at least can easily step up to them - but they have such a good supplement that it's tough to buff Marines without it being a real good time for the old Sons of Medusa.