Preview of Empire Rule Changes (Updated 3/4/12)

I almost feel bad for all the Empire-spam on this blog this week. But then I realise how much I love and am enthused by the army, and that can only be a good thing.

So one more post before I get my hands on the new rulebook and switch my focus back from rumours to working on my figurines. Here are some quick-fire rule updates from a member of the Warseer forums who has seen the book. A few power level downgrades, a few upgrades. Overall I'm quite happy - if it means Empire gets less comp onions for tournaments around these parts, that too can only be a good thing.

Stats of new models are now up on the GW Online Catalogue.

Frenka:

Regular knights have gotten a point drop by 2pts and there will be mounted Reiksguard Knights at 27pts. They are like normal Inner Circle knights but also stubborn.   

Griffons are down to 170pts .

Engineers can now either pass their BS to a  war machine each turn OR reroll a dice. 

Captains up in points but along with General, give the equivalent to Lizardmen 'Cold Blooded' rule for unit they lead.

The rules for sacrificing flagellants have been remade so they can get +1T instead of that +1 combat res. 

Steam tank now T6, 1+ AS. The effectiveness of the main cannon and the steam gun is dependent on how many steam points you spend on it that turn. the steam tank moves D6 random move per steam point (so it could in theory charge 30") and it does D6+[sp]D3 per steam point impact hits. It now rolls on a boiler mishap chart. Now 250 points.

Helstrom Rocket Battery will fire D3 S3 small templates and fire like a normal stone thrower except always indirect fire. 

Mortars will be S2(6) large plate and get a 33% point increase. Great cannon gets a 20% point increase. Price increase of 25 points, Great Cannons increase of 20 points.

Runefang is still in the book at 85pts.
Helm of the Ratslayer - fear to evryone, terror to skaven but skavens hate the model wearing it for 15pts.
Armour of Meteoric Iron is 1+AS and 6+ ward for 50 points.
Griffon Banner same as usual for 60pts.
Steel Standard ignores movement penalty from barding and reroll 1's on the charge, flee and pursue.
Mace of Helstrum  50pts.
Van Horstmans Speculum 40pts.
Ring of Volans (think it was 30 or 40).
The White Cloak redone at 50pts .

Also all statetroops except spearmen have gone up 1 points (including crossbows, handgunners and greatswords). 

Detachment rule: Detatchments now count towards the same unit type as the parent unit (for example core, special etc.) They gain the same special rules as the parent unit (stubborn, stupidity etc) and also get the same prayer as the parent unit. 

War Altar stubborn instead of unbreakable, only one bound spell (Banishment), gives hatred in 6" bubble. Price increase of 50 points, but Arch-Lector down 25 points.

The Luminark of Hysh gives a dispeldice, 6+ ward to all units within 6" and fires a boundspell power level 4. S8 flaming magic missile that does d3 wounds, no armour saves, and pierce ranks like boltthrower. Rerolls wounds against undeads and daemons.
 The Hurricanum gives +1 to hit in cc and has a boundspell that shoots a template that can do damage or turn the targeted unit towards a random direction. Both altars around 120 points each. 

Priests don't generate dispeldice anymore, though they can channel both power and dispel dice. Now 65 points.

Their prayers are though much better: Augments instead of Remains in Platy. One that makes the whole unit reroll wounds. One that gives the unit 5+ ward in close combat, and then we have old Soulfire that now gives flaming attacks to the unit and damages models in base contact with the priest. 

Witchhunters get some sort of 'assassin' type role. After deployment you pick a model to "accuse of heresy!" and then the witchhunter will be extra strong against that model.