After seeing these past few previews for the next set, my annoyance is very high and so I have to say something with regard to a certain annoying trend.

What in blazes is up with the continuing rising trend of power pieces coming out set after set, with each set drastically raising the bar? Remember when a 9 attack was considered good? Nowadays even 10 attack is becoming low, what with the ever increasing numbers on defense. Many defenses are now approaching Mechwarrior numbers, where you use THREE dice to hit.

WizKids has no need to ban older figures, because 95% of them are doomed to be obsolete when each new set is released. Almost all the nons from unlimited see very little play in today's field. Occasionally you see a toy army or two fielding longbows or something, but you simply cannot build a competitve army using straight unlimited now.

I've been playing Mage Knight for a number of years and have recently started up on Mechwarrior. And I noticed with the release of fire for effect, the curve hasn't changed any. Range is still generally 14". Mech speed is maxed out at 10". Attack ratings have actually gone DOWN.

And what of mage knight? The highest attack power right now is FIFTEEN. Back in rebellion, what was the highest? Thirteen? The average then was 9. It's currently 10 for nons, but you can bet that'll be 11 within a set or two.

I just need to say that Mage Knight is becoming like Magic. Every set most of your old stuff is junked and useless, and you need to continue buying to stay competive. Mechwarrior, you can play with Dark Age or Fire for Effect and still play just as well. It's probably too late to stop this ever increasing spiral of numbers, but I just had to get this out of my system.

Your thoughts and opinions on this are always welcome.

No I do not think that is true I still use figs frome ww and lancers
And i win a lot of games

Mounted units are a different story. No further mounted units have been made since whirlwind, and thus there is nothing to raise the bar on. Yet.

Lord knows units like the War Hatchet have been army staples since WW came out.

for this isn't a fair comparison. MechWarrior's second expansion is just now coming out. MageKnight has had how many expansions? Uprising is the sixth if you exclude the Dungeons sets. Lancers didn't upset too much when it was released and the Rebellion figures were still very playable. After MechWarrior is facing its sixth expansion, see how effective those Dark Age or Fire for Effect figures are.

MW is still to young to compare to big brother here let it get a few expansions under its belt and then we might be able to compare the two.

I think he was just using MW as an example, not a strict comparison. However, I think that Lich is absolutely correct on this point.

MK has gradually gone up the slope of more and more power...with higher and higher stat numbers. Heck, maybe the "rule changes" coming out will allow players to use three dice in MK.

I think the mess is only becoming worse by WK covering up the power with even more power. Instead of trying to tone down the game, they are just kickin' it up a notch. BAM! (sorry...I just wanted to type that.)

Seriously though, all the character previews for uprising so far have contained bound. I say, enough with the bounding already! I don't know why WK thinks that making excessive amounts of figures with this wacked out ability (notice I didn't call it broken) will fix the problem in any way.

I think that Uprising should have been the expansion that WK gave some serious though into. Heck, maybe they did and that will make itself evident in the upcoming rule changes. For now, however, I remain un-impressed.

I've proposed a new format in another thread that requires
you to give one of your actions in 300 pts to a 'militia' figure
(<30 pts) or 'militia' formation...might shake things up a little....

Mind you I'd rather have lots of different bounders than be Bakus/AD/Striker/Scorpem/*** Mounted/Bounding Le
to death.....

I believe today's preview further tops off my argument. 86 points for a unit with charge, invul, 12" range, and pierce. She's the leader of the BPR forces so her attack and defense are obviously going to be QUITE high.

Comparing MK and MW is not a good idea. WK has had many years to get MK to the sad place it is. The big bounders marked the beginning of the end for MK. Lich has hit the nail on the head. It's no secret that MK's older peices are obsolete.

Perhaps we should start calling MK... MK:tG.

MW will hopefully remain better by learning from MK's mistakes.

I dunno... it seems like a dead-end situation to me. Assuming that there are 3 directions to take for a new expansion - 1) Tone down the stats for figs. 2) Keep stats on par. 3) Make more powerful figs than older sets.

I don't think too many of us would buy boosters if they went with number 1 or 2. Perhaps if it was only the first couple expansions and we all had small collections. But once a player has a couple hundred figs, why would he buy boosters if he knew that he'd likely get very similar figs?

As for number 3... it's only a short term solution, since the stats cannot spiral upward forever.

Another possibility is adding new Special Abilities. Which has the same downfall as 3. (Also kinda reminds me of magic and the new effects / abilities they keep introducing).

We can sorta see the trend now, and only something really drastic can change the landscape of the game. Eventually, WizKids will need to come up with something truly revolutionary to keep us all happy :)

Heirophant had 14 attack

your guess was close enough

But remember, even good or cheap or chease figs have a downside; they can be Ram bait (Amazon Drac), they can be glassjawed (Amazon drac, Thanatos reaper, Amotep Gunner). they can be pierced or shockwaved through their defences, they can have a low defense (Magus) or movement, they can be captured easily, (Amazon Drac), some have Magic Immunity to make it tough to heal or impossiable to Lev (in a rare case its useful, especially against ME)

Some of you talk like MK is only about big attack, when good tactics are just as important

whiners...suck it up and play.If you cant take the bound get out of the uhhhhh...place you play MK....J/K
Not all figs out of older sets are obsolete.you just have to get those brains working.night stalkers and an Eldrith drac. with a screen ofcrystal protectors takes care of amoazon drac quite nicely.She can only hit one:D
arties,blade golems,heirophant(14 attack highst in rebbelion not 13)just needs an LI screen and can take on the amazon any time.
I could go on but im to lazy,you just gotta use your BRAINS!I know you got one...or im pretty sure you do.

ChrisMagus... so far, the only thing you've pointed out is that the only good tactic is to spend points on a LI wall of figures. If that becomes a necessity to play, then it takes away from the game tremendously.

I played a game recently, a 200pt game where I was fielding Marrow, Amazon drac, 2 blue Khamsin Fusers and Autumn lvl 2

My main opponents (it was a pairs game, 4 players) were Centaur Champ, Pyre Spirit, and Order of Ulrik. 3 tough Centaur LT's were there buy my partner took them out mostly with 2 sislith trackers and the Fire Minion.

I got a 5damage shot on all three of the above tough figs. I had to push to do it. On the last shot at the Centaur Champ, my opponent had gotten one of his huntsman in range of my AD. I was pushed, on slot 2, 9 att on 16 and he got it. If I hadn't tied up his second huntsman with Marrow, I might have gotten another 2, another 9 on a 14.
At this point I can move only 8in and my healer is 10in away. If he had pushed his two huntsman, he could wipe out the AD with 54pts worth of figs.
So if this scenario plays out, I move 8 toward Autumn and he pushes the two huntsman to also move 8. I am back in range. I have to now push to get to autumn, if I push to attack I might ping one huntsman for 2 and making them rather useless. But now I am stuck. I clear, he clears my turn. I am on my berserk slot and cant make a ranged attack! I have to move to autumn and hope she can heal me. I am in range of huntsman with one click of life left with a 13 def. At this point I am looking at an 8 attack by both huntsman. I don't get a good heal, I'm done for. Well at a 2 heal get dodge back, that might save me. 3 and I am dead. 4 dodge again and even if I did get hit twice I'd be on my last click and Autumn could push to heal again.

But that is just a guess it all comes down to strategy. I don't think any army is entirely beatable all the time unless, hehe, it's entirely made out of shyft (sorry that hurts, but it's a cost to damage ratio, but then in a non toughness army MR could hurt and shyft have necro - Strategy!)

Try to go over a game in your mind after it is over, right down things you did well and things others did well. Write down mistakes as well. We can't all be great tacticians, but we can learn how to be better tomorrow than we are today.

Good luck! and good gaming!

Cheers!,
Bob

well....
fact is, that , youst IRL, technologies get better and more effective; ok this would mean, that we would have only titans infurther expansions (24 clcs instead of 12) ond so on put try to beat a soldier with guns with an stone-made-spear (i lave indiana jones)