Imperial Knight Collectors Ed Codex + Companion

  Big day here, I got the packages with Imperial Knight Collector's Edition Codex and the Imperial Knight Companion.  Here goes my review of both.  Up first, the Codex.

  Ok, so I am normally the GW apologist, you all know that.  I tend to be the one that says they're not all that bad.  I also want to point out that I love this codex, and the collector's edition is great, but... It is WAY not worth the extra $74 for the Collector's edition.

  The codex is great, although, as everyone knows, there is only 2 units in the entire book.  The Imperial Knight Titan, Errant and Paladin versions.   The rules section is comprised of those sections from Apoc/Escalation that you need to play with the Titan.  It covers the super heavy stuff, plus the effects of the Melee D weapon.  Then it has the two units.  There is a section for warlord traits so that you can make the Knights your main force.  There is also a pretty cool table to determine the level of your pilot.  He'll either be green, average or Seneschal.  The seneschal is +1 to WS/BS and the ion shield is a 3+ instead of 4+.  The green pilot is -1 to all those.  It gives a little variety, but there could have been a lot more done here.  I think I'll make my own table to really vary pilots and give the game a little "narrative".   Also, there is a sentence that makes all your knights scoring if they are your main detachment.  But, as has been pointed out elsewhere, that does not make them denial units, so in an objective game, you could find some last turn shenanigans costing you the game...  The obligatory allies table is also here.

  The physical presentation is, as always, beautiful.  The codex slipcase is bound with that rubbery/leathery coating that makes it feel very 'rich'.  Inset into the slipcase is the names of all the houses and on the back is the "builders plate" that has your unique edition number.  The codex is in there along with another pullout that has some very heavy stock photo plates of named titans.  All very nice, but certainly not worth and extra $74. 

The cover of the added pullout section with the Titan photos.  Kinda like a 40k porn surprise package :)

The slipcase cover.  Sorry, I left the plastic on.  It looks better in real life

Legion of the Damned Mini-Dex - rated - Meh to cool

  Always have had a soft spot of these guys, and this new $16.99 mini-dex promised tons of fluff for them.  Needless to say, I handed over my money, pre-order fashion and waited...

  Then the great computer debacle of 2014 occurred, which has led to a completely lost weekend as I upgraded to 2 new computers... blah blah blah, I'll spare you the details.  You don't care about them (unless you like the thought of 2 brand new Macs on my desk, muahahahaah!!!!)  So, I was able to read and digest the mini-dex yesterday and last night.  All in all, I would give it a B... a solid B, but not the A+ I hoped for.

  So, as far as a mini-dex goes, it's not too bad.  It concentrates on 1 thing, the LotD, obviously.  It does also make them different from the standard marine codex entry in many ways.

  They are now a detachment unto themselves, which seems to be a new rage with GW things.  They can ally with the usual suspects, Battle brothers with Imperium, hate Xenos totally, and are meh to Eldar/Tau.  They have a force org for their detachment so you can take a nasty big amount of them.  They can also nominate a warlord who gets some gonzo abilities and a relic of his own.

  One of the warlord traits is a great one called Never too late, Never too early, which allows them to arrive via reserve at will, no roll required, starting on turn 2, have to be in by turn 4.  Very nice to know you will have them when you need, but alas, only a 1 in six for that.  The other warlord traits are pretty nice, but no game changers.

  The squads are as you would expect, no major change to their stat lines.  The special rules are bumped a bit, and makes them a bit more fluffy.  They have the rule, Aid Unlooked For, which makes them unable to have ICs join them, requires reserve entry via deep strike, but does allow you to re-roll scatter dice if you want.  they also get Fear, Fearless and Slow and Purposeful.  The other rules they get give them Ignore Cover and a 3+ invul save.  All in all, a nice package of rules.

  Also in the dex are some missions, an Apocalypse data sheet for them and some other goodies, plus some really nice art. 

  So, why the B?  CUZ THEY DIDN'T ANSWER THE AGE OLD QUESTION IN THE FLUFF!!!!  (Sorry for yelling, just frustrated).  Everyone who has been in the game since the olden days (remember Rogue Trader?) has opinions about just who these blokes are and why they are here.  Yes, this codex adds ALOT of really nice fluff, background stories, first-hand witness accounts etc, BUT NO ANSWERS.  (I say that with tongue firmly in cheek.)  Still, the fluff is really quite good, and the legion are now much more configurable and can go anywhere, with anyone.

  Can you make a LotD army list?  Nope, not that I can see.  No vehicles, no troops (all LotD are elites, but they are their own detachment, so they don't count against you) and no ICs.  (I think if you make them primary detachments though, they become scoring units, so you just might be able to pull it off).  They will make a very nice, powerful add on to an imperial list, or give some real flanking punch to one of their more erstwhile allies.  These guys are tough hombres and you have to kill them dead, dead, dead to make them go away.  Since they are, like Codex Inquisition units, a detachment unto themselves, you could conceivably have 7 units on the board (3 from main force org elite slots and 4 from this detachment slots).

  I think I just saw a Sisters of Battle army becoming viable???  :)

  So there you have it, my thoughts after a good nights reading the mini-dex.  Hope you enjoyed it!  See ya soon.  Need to get to work on my new Imperial Knight :)