Slightly Unnerfing

Maybe I'm leaving some detail out of my calculations, but it appears to me that if the rumored vehicle damage rules come true, it will actually be harder to damage eldar skimmers with holo-fields and spirit stones than in 4th edition.

In 4th edition, for a BS4 unit to do anything more than shake a vyper/falcon with holos and stones it takes, on average:

• 21/n bolter shots
(95%/n to shake or less)

• 10/n heavy bolter shots
(89%/n to shake or less)

• 4/10 plasma or autocannon shots
(74%/90% to shake or less)

• 4/6 krak missiles
(67%/82% to shake or less)

• 3/4 lascannon shots
(60%/74% to shake or less)

• 21/n bolter shots
(95%/n to shake or less)

• 11/n heavy bolter shots
(90%/n to shake or less)

• 6/25 plasma or autocannon shots
(80%/94% to shake or less)

• 5/14 krak missiles/6-12" melta/exorcist launcher shots
(75%/92% to shake or less)

• 4/10 lascannon/0-6" melta shots
(70%/89% to shake or less)

Notice those are shots, not hits. If the rumored 5th edition vehicle damage table is accurate, to do anything more than shake the same vehicles it will take the same unit, on average:

• 55/n bolter shots
(98%/n to shake or less)

• 15/n heavy bolter shots
(93%/n to shake or less)

• 6/25 plasma or autocannon shots
(83%/96% to shake or less)

• 5/14 krak missiles
(78%/93% to shake or less)

• 4/10 lascannon shots
(72%/89% to shake or less)

• 3/6 7-12" melta/exorcist launcher shots
(60%/81% to shake or less)

• 3/4 0-6" melta shots
(56%/71% to shake or less)

This assumes they moved 12", meaning they got the rumored "5+ cover save" for moving fast and were able to shoot at least one major weapon. Vypers will be only slightly more resistant to major damage from the higher strength weapons, but otherwise it looks like both vehicles are like doubly hard to bring down! Someone please prove my math wrong!

Besides the obvious boost to falcons as transport options, I predict fire prisms will start to pop up in more eldar armies, with sets of three being especially powerful. Other than close range weapons like fusion guns, singing spears, or haywires/meltabombs, it'll be the best gun to take down monoliths and land raiders that the eldar have at their disposal. At best they'll be glancing and doing no more than immobilizing them with S8. I expect both of those AV14 monsters to become more popular as well. I would bet that the Ravenwing flying land raider will be tougher, too.

edit: Thanks to Jim for pointing out my error in my 4th edition calculations. I was including the possibility of using the penetrating damage table, when only glancing is possible in 4th against SMF! I knew the rule but copy/pasting must have got the better of me. I put the corrected versions up. So basically lower strength guns will have a bit harder time, with Vypers obviously benefitting the most from this, but high strength guns will have the same odds or better. Good to know. I tried to reorganize the data a bit below. I also calculated meltagun and exorcist launcher odds. Those get much better at bringing down SS/HF skimmers in 5th.

To do more than shake a SS/HF vyper in 4th edition vs. 5th edition, it takes a BS4 unit:

• 21 vs. 55 bolter shots


• 11 vs. 15 heavy bolter shots


• 6 vs. 6 plasma gun/autocannon shots


• 5 vs. 5 krak missile launcher shots


• 5 vs. 3 7-12" meltagun/exorcist launcher shots


• 3 vs. 4 0-6" meltagun shots


• 4 vs. 4 lascannon shots

To do more than shake a SS/HF prism or falcon in 4th edition vs. 5th edition, it takes a BS4 unit:

• 19 vs. 25 plasma gun/autocannon shots


• 13 vs. 14 krak missile launcher shots


• 13 vs. 6 7-12" meltagun/exorcist launcher shots


• 7 vs. 4 0-6" meltagun shots


• 10 vs. 10 lascannon shots