There is a frustrating thing in 40K’s rules right now – big fat models with giant bases or hulls that can’t move far enough to get through terrain. We need a fix – fast!
Too many of 10th Edition’s big models have too much junk in the trunk which leaves them a small amount of room to get around the tabletop in an average 40K game. It is an issue for those who love to play with the giant models as well as a problem when those giant models are important pieces to the army. Let’s talk about how we can fix this issue beyond putting models on a diet or hoping a strategic reserve push lets them around the middle.
Higher Movement Stats For Big Models?
I think the biggest frustration is that any movement of the model should be at least its base size plus style shortest width of a ruin. This would ensure that the model, such as the CSM Defiler, World Eaters Lord of Skulls, and the like are able to move through the smaller walled terrain and clear the obstacle. If they are not able to truly clear the obstacle then it becomes such an issue to get them anywhere on the table. They become locked into the this area of the deployment zone and locked-in like some kind of toddler left in their grimdark Thunderdome while their parent takes a break. It is frustrating as a player of big bases to see these poor models left to rot in the tabletop’s backfield and hope their ranged attacks do something.
Better Terrain Rules?
The other option we could look at is creation of better definition of ruins. You could let some types of terrain not require that models be fully inside to shoot through. You could have terrain categories that larger models can move through easier, and heck you could have terrain types that only affect infantry, as giant vehicles are too tall. There are a lot of things that let models interact a bit better and not let terrain make them slower than they need to be because their base is too big and they move too slow.
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I don’t want a return of the Towering keyword as I think the idea of having terrain actively protect things is an important aspect to the competitive nature of a game that is based on one player completing their full turn and the second player having to wait to respond. I hope we see some things come into the game that allows these things to either ignore some parts of terrain, create better movement avenues to let models move through, or just figure out something to let big bases work. The idea of bases being used to showcase where a model is on the table is important. Hulls can be such a pain in the butt to measure from and too but a base is very easy. You have a set “area” you are in and if they are on a giant circle the idea of pivots and other things don’t matter.
What do you think? Should models base movement be set up to allow for anything to get thru a terrain piece if on the other side of it? Should everything have a circle base instead of these thematic oval bases? What do you think?
Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.