Preferred Enemies

We put out the call into the warp for commentary on our episodes about game complexity and stratagems, and the warp answered! Our choir of astropaths was busy collecting messages, and now we have a whole episode’s worth to go through! We talk hobby tips, Chaos Space Marine corrections, tournament scoring, and more! Also, as always news and new releases, our hobby progress, and a Morale Phase brought to you by the letter “S”! Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode 258, we asked the question: Has Warhammer 40K become too complex? In this episode, we discuss an editorial on Frontline Gaming that suggests fixing the complexity and balance issues of 9th Edition with one simple fix. One single errata, this article claims, could correct the flaws of 40K and bring in a new, better age of the game. We take a look at that suggestion and give our thoughts, as well as some alternatives. Also, news and new releases (including a review of some brand-new models), the return of your listener mail, our hobby progress, Dennis’s solo tournament update, and the Morale phase! Link: Making 40K Better With a Single Errata Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re near the end of the 9th Edition codex cycle, and the Eye of Terror finally gets its due – the new Chaos Space Marines codex is here! How do we feel about this new book? Is it everything we’d hoped? Are marks useful? Is one extra wound enough? Will the galaxy burn? Are cultists viable? And what about the World Eaters and their White Dwarf codex? We talk about all this and more as we look at 10 Things You Need to Know About the Chaos Space Marines Codex. Also, news and new releases, a hobby progress section with a new project from Dennis, and a strange new Morale Phase! Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We promised to release it before the end of June 2022, and we managed to come through just in the nick of time – it’s our review of the 9th edition Genestealer Cults codex! How do these bald mutant rebels and their alien overlord(s) manage on the modern tabletop? We talk about 10 things you need to know about the newest Genestealer Cult codex. Also, news and new releases, your listener mail, our hobby progress (wherein Rob is gifted a new hobby), and the Morale Phase! Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Instead of recording two episodes for one codex – we remember you, Codex: Aeldari – we’re doing two codexes in one episode! This time, we’re taking a look at both new Knights codexes. How do the Imperial and Chaos Knights stack against each other? What new tricks do the Chaos knights have to even the field between them and their loyalist counterparts? Which faction’s new special rules are the bigger bookkeeping nightmare? And is it finally worth it to splash a Knight into your other armies? We take a look at this and more was we cover 10 Things You Need to Know About Knights. Also, we look at the Warhammer Online reveals at the beginning of May and pick through everything that is 40K-related, even tangetially (like the Horus Heresy reveals). All this, hobby progress, and the Morale Phase in this (delayed) episode of Preferred Enemies! Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. L

2022 is here, live events are back in full swing, and that means that the Midwest Conquest is back in Kansas City! This time, we’re not running the whole show, but that just means we get to play in it! Rob and Dennis discuss their time at Kevin’s Friendly Tournament, Richard talks about the best painted army, Larry from the Heroic Morale club joins us to talk about the GT, and we finish up with a discussion of the raffle armies and the charities that they supported! Link: Heroic Morale 40K Club on Twitch Link: Taylor Lewis (army painter) on Instagram Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With all the codexes that have been coming out with more and more complicated army rules and layers of customization, have we reached peak rules bloat? Has 9th Edition Warhammer 40,000 finally reached the tipping point? Will it collapse under its own weight? In this episode, we take a look at the current state of complexity in 40K, how it compares to past editions and design philosophies, and what the potential fixes might be moving forward. Do we even all agree that it’s too complex? Is the complexity a feature? If the game is too complex, what’s the answer? Hyper-simplification? A new edition? Or something else entirely? Also, news and new releases (including a dive into the newest balance dataslate), your listener mail, hobby progress, and the Morale Phase! Link: Arbitor Ian – Rules Bloat and Mental Load Link: Arbitor Ian – How Many Things Does 40K Have to Balance? Link: Arbitor Ian – Filthy Casual Play Link: Arbitor Ian – Every Edition of Warhammer 40K in 16 Minutes Link: One Page Rules Link: Midwest Conq

Another Ninth Edition codex has dropped, and this time, it’s the Tyranids’ turn to get updated! So, what does the Hive Mind bring to the table in this new edition? What do you need to know about this book and how it works? What’s up with all the new Synapse-related rules? How adaptable is this army that constantly evolves and adapts in the story? In this episode, we try a new tactic for examining how this army has changed between editions, giving you a list of 10* things you need to know about the new Tyranid codex. Also, news and new releases, your listener mail, and our hobby progress! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. * The 10th item, Crusher Stampede legality, no longer applies. Thanks, Games Workshop!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A lot of news has hit over the last two weeks, and it’s time for us to dig in! Adepticon has come and gone, and with it come another batch of previews and product reveals! Chaos and Imperial Knights getting side-by-side releases! Two-wound Chaos Marines! The return of Horus Heresy in plastic! After that, we discuss the absolute circus that was Adepticon’s 40K tournament and what it implies for the greater 40K competitive environment. Then, a look at the new Tempest of War deck. Finally, a discussion of perhaps the greatest April Fool’s joke that GW has ever pulled. All this, our hobby progress, and the Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We continue our look at the massive new Aeldari codex with a dive into the other two factions in the book – the Harlequins and the Ynnari. Both factions have had their impacts on the competitive scene in the past, but how do they fare now that they’ve been subsumed into the larger Aeldari book? How do they exist alongside their craftworld cousins? Do the Harlequins still have all their old tricks available? And what about building a cross-faction Aeldari army with the Ynnari? We look and this and more as we complete our tour through this new book. Also, news and new releases (including a bit of very exciting news for us!), your listener mail, hobby progress, and the Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They finally did it – Games Workshop released a codex so large that we can’t reasonably review it in one episode. Only one thing to do, then, and that’s make it a two-parter! In this episode, Dennis and Rob take a look at the Craftworlds portion of the new Aeldari codex, taking a look at what changes the space elves have received to make them work in this edition of the game. How does manipulating the strands of fate work? How do the new Autarch rules work for the new customizable model? Are corsairs worth taking? And how does one get the most out of all the Aspect Warriors? We take a long dive into all things Asuryani, and next episode we’ll talk Harlequins and Ynnari. Also, your listener mail, hobby progress, and the Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Link: Goonhammer – Hammer of Math: Killing Necrons Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choice

For some of us, it was our first army, and for the duration of the current edition, we’ve been slagging on them for not being playable, but it’s finally time – the Tau have finally gotten their Ninth Edition codex! Can they finally compete? Are they finally getting out of the corner and playing on the table? Are Crisis Suits good? We dig into all this and more as we dive into this book. Also, news and new releases, your listener mail, hobby progress, and a double-dose of Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The release may have been a bit delayed, but the Emperor’s Talons finally have their new book! Officially combined into one codex, how do the Adeptus Custodes and the Sisters of Silence fare in this new edition? Do they get major changes, a few slight tweaks, or something in the middle? What’s the new “katah” system all about, anyway? And are they still a new-player-friendly army? We talk about all this and more as we give this book a once-over. Also, news and new releases, your listener mail, our hobby progress, and a Morale Phase a year in the making! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a new year, and the previews for what’s coming up keep rolling in. From the new Aeldari/Chaos battle box, to the sheer insanity of the new Tau railgun, to a shot-by-shot analysis of the latest 2022 preview video, we take a look at everything that GW has shown is coming up in the next few months. What’re our feelings on everything? Are we curious? Intrigued? Concerned? Terrified? Or maybe a bit of everything? Also, (other) news and new releases, your listener mail, our hobby progress, and the Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The holidays are upon us, and while time is short, we can still find the time to answer your listener mail! In this episode, we address some criticisms of letters from episode 249, as well as answer a question or two about ourselves! Come for our ignorance of Age of Sigmar, stay for a deep dive into international tax rates – it’s actually more interesting than you might think! Also, news and new releases, a look at the final results of the US Open, and a quick-and-dirty Morale Phase covering a number of winter watching options! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GW’s wargaming roadshow has been in three cities – Orlando, New Orleans, and Austin. So, what was this event like? What differentiated it from other Warhammer 40K tournaments? Fortunately, we don’t have to wonder – we had eyes on the ground! Dennis was lucky enough to attend the US Open Austin, so he gives us a full report on what it was like playing in one of these official Games Workshop events. Was it good? Bad? Weird? Did the terrain work? Did the balance datasheet change things up? Can Tyranids actually compete now? We discuss all this when he gives us his rundown. Also, news, new releases, your listener mail, hobby progress, and the Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s got us recording an episode just 3 days after the last one dropped? Games Workshop releasing a surprise re-balancing document! With just days to go until the Austin Open (and the Renegade Open), the 40K rules team has released the first in a promised quarterly system of balance adjustments to the game, both to tone down the runaway armies at the top of the heap and to bring up the ones that have been struggling in the current environment. Army building changes, points changes, major faction rules changes – there’s a lot to discuss in this small 3-page document! We even look at what wasn’t changed and our thinking on why. Is this a brand new day for 40K? Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Black Templars are on the march! In this episode, we look at the new Black Templars codex supplement. With their named characters all crossing the Rubicon Primaris, the introduction of Primaris Crusaders, and the return of the Black Templar vow system, how do these extremely pious, extremely angry marines stack up? Can they bring the pain in the Emperor’s name? We discuss that, along with our normal segments – news and new releases, your listener mail, hobby progress, and an extra-long horror-themed Morale Phase! Link: Midwest Conquest Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re all together again, Kevin and Rob just got in a game, and Dennis is fresh off his return to competitive 40K events, so it’s time to look at how things are looking in the 40K game space! A year and change into 9th edition, and with large competitive events really coming back into full swing, how are things looking in the 9th edition landscape? Have problem armies been reined in? Are armies with old codexes holding their own? What are the best-crafted codexes? How has the new mission structure shaped how we play the game? We take a look at all this and more. Also, news and new releases, your listener mail, hobby progress, and a Morale Phase that may leave you seeing visions… Link: Goonhammer – Competitive Innovations: List Archetypes Link: Goonhammer – Competitive Innovations in 9th: London Goes Big Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices.

The psychic shenanigans continue ninefold! In this episode, we take a look at the new Thousand Sons codex. Did Magnus really do nothing wrong? Did Ahriman just have the best of intentions? And what’s changed for everyone’s favorite blue-and-gold dusty boys? In addition, Dennis gets a brief interview with Jason Horn, organizer of the Iron Halo GT during their final event! Also, as always, news, new releases, your listener mail, and a Morale Phase that might have you seeing green. Link: Bitesize Irish on YouTube Link: Mischief Maker Games on Etsy Sponsor: Preferred Enemies on Patreon Sponsor: KR Multicase Sponsor: GameMat.eu Theme: Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II ‘No Need to Reload’ by RoeTaKa, courtesy of OCRemix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices