Well, not if Stormcast had anything to do with it!
The new Stormcast Eternals Battletome is absolutely jammed with content! It took the Sylvaneth/DoT level of detail and cranked it up to eleven. Not only has it rolled together Stormcast Eternals and the Extremis Chamber into one book, but it has added a ton of new warscrolls from the Auxilary Chamber in the form of the Vanguard range that is currently in the middle of dropping.
To top it off, there are tons of new Warscroll Battalions as well as "super-battalions" for each of the main Chambers, giving them unique play styles and differentiating them from each other in ways a little more complex than simply colour scheme and perhaps in the lore. Now, if you play Celestial Vindicators (which is totally not a side project that I'm working on... Cough), they have a set of restrictions and rewards that are decidedly skewed to play a certain way.
And I don't see that as a bad thing at all. It gives the Stormcast (which I always viewed as a bit faceless and lacking personality) a lot of character and theme, even from force to force. There is definitely a big focus on characters in these mega formations, with Vindicators needing at least six characters, with at least two of them being Knight-Heraldors. This tax is offset by the fact that Vindicator Heraldors gain bonuses that make them far more effective on the table.
Looking past the new Chamber formations, there are plenty of new Warscroll Battalions for both new and old models! These range from impenetrable shield walls to long-ranged death dealers (but more on them later!).
Stormcast are also the first to receive an absolute ton of options when it comes to artefacts and the likes. They have a table for weapons, talismans AND armour as well as magical standards and tables involving mounts. Like I said, jam packed!
The new Vanguard kits are exceptional, both in design and on the table. My personal favourites are Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows. These marksmen fill the same battlefield role as Jezzails, giving Stormcast a brutally efficient way to dispatch of any pesky characters or cripple Behemoths from a comfortable 30" away. They only get stronger in their formation with the Aetherwing spotters.
There are definitely more avenues to playing Stormcast now. Astral Compasses, Scions of the Storm and many other combos will surely become pillars of dominance upon which Stormcast players build a victorious Chamber. Gone are the days of Warrior Brotherhood and Vexilor Bomb being to go to choices.
Speaking of, it is worth addressing what has become a talking point since the release, and that is the change to the Knight Vexilor's Pennant of the Stormbringer. Long has this mechanic been used to instakill half a flank with a full strength team of Paladins, but the ruling has changed from 3" away from the enemy (all but ensuring inevitable doom) to 9" away. A charge is still possible, but it is no longer a near-guarantee. Some people online have been very upset by this. But I have to say, it's a rule that needed changing.
In my opinion, some people lent far too heavily upon this mechanic to win them games. The loss of this isn't really that bad when you consider the plethora of movement and redeployment mechanics available to Stormcast now! One flick-through of the book makes this evidently clear!
That's not to say Vexilors are in any way redundant. This ability still allows you to claim far-off objectives, insert powerful units to threaten weak points later in the game, or even to throw up a protective screen unit to save a hero or monster from an undesirable combat. Not to mention that he has had a sixty-point cost reduction and can carry one of your brand new magic banners into combat, all of which have significant use!
All in all, this has been a solid release. The models are fantastic, the rules are solid, but not so strong that they are stupidly over the top (at least at first glance...), and I think it is another great addition to the game.
There are some who are disappointed that Stormcast got another update before other factions received any, and to this I say I am neither surprised, not upset. Stormcast are the poster boys of Age of Sigmar as Space Marines are to 40k. They have the largest range, the newest models, and they are only really establishing themselves at the forefront after being the new kids on the block with a point to prove.
I know that it may feel like some other factions are not feeling the love, but trust me when I say that every race will (in due time) receive their moment in the sun! Of that I am sure.
What are your favourite parts of the new book? Is this release enough to draw you into a new project involving Stormcast?
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
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