New DoC Army Book: Demonic Instability and Alignment

New DoC Army Book: Demonic Instability and Alignment; New Units

Yet some more info on the new DoC Army Book. Developing some slight instability on my part, as I have not laid my hands on it yet. Will have to wait until tomorrow before I can purchase a copy.

Sam, on the other hand, has already had a game or two with his...

Best I can do is to trawl the internet for snippets:

Daemonic Alignment - 

Splits Daemons  into two different factions:

Individual daemon rules for each god and then the rules affecting allegiance.
Each type of daemon (Khorne, Slaanesh, Nurgle, or Tzeentch) suffers from Hatred for daemons sworn to their nemesis
Khorne vs Slaanesh
Nurgle vs. Tzeentch

Khorne daemons gain +1S on the charge
Tzeentch rerolls ward save results of 1 (and wizards can reroll channeling attempts of 1)
Nurgle daemons have a -1 penalty to hit in combat
Slaanesh retain their armor piercing

BUT  Daemons no longer receive benefit from the general's Inspiring Presence rule or BSB's Hold the Line! rule unless they are of the same allegiance.

Daemonic Instability - Instability works largely the same as before with two big exceptions:

If the unit rolls double ones then all friendly models removed in that phase are restored to the unit they were lost from, as time flickers back to a previous point before they died.

However, if double 6s are rolled then the entire unit is banished.

Reign of Chaos 
Whenever the winds of magic are generated the daemon player consults a chart with the winds of magic dice (the two highest if playing Storm of Magic) and sees how it affects the army.

• High number mean bonuses (new units emerging, +1 to ward saves, etc)

• Low numbers mean penalties (instant instability tests, -1 to ward saves, etc).  

Demonic Gifts
Now Random.  Costs a set number of points for a roll on a specific table (75, 50, or 25).  The effects are random but the daemon may always swap the result for the "0" option just like spells.
None of these abilities are harmful in any manner.

• Examples of each table include:
• Lesser Gifts (Impacts hits, Multiple Wounds (2) ability, ASF, etc), 
• Greater Gifts (+2 Attacks, 2+ Armor, +1 Wound, etc)
• Exalted (+2 Toughness, +3 Strength, extra dispel dice).  
• The 0 options amount to magic items.

Core units 

Bloodletters
Moderate point increase and the loss of a point of strength but gained a 6+ armor save.

Given the frequncy of these units on the tabletop, it's easy to see that GW felt they were a bit undercosted for S5 with killing blow.  So they reduced the strength and raised the point cost.  Now, remember that on the charge they are still S5.  With the new changes they are less of a no-brainer but still useful for overall combat.

Plaguebearers

The core Nurgle daemons saw a small points increase (yay!) and the addition of the daemon of nurgle rule (-1 to hit in close combat). (Double yay!)
They cost less than bloodletters but more than horrors or daemonettes.  The penalty to hit them in close combat is a nice addition that adds to their survivability.  Overall, they are great for anvil or horde units but at WS3 and I 2 they are still not the best fighters. (Awww...)

Pink Horrors
Didn't suffer from a point change or stat changes, Pink Horrors experienced some of the largest changes overall.  First up, they lost their flaming attacks rule.  (Double Awww...)
Retained the ability to cast spells, but they will only ever know a single spell that is rolled for at the start of the game.  Additional ranks of horrors only add to the bonus to cast the spell.  Lastly, horrors gained the blue horror ability.  This rule essentially means that as the unit takes damage in close combat the enemy unit will take more damage the more horrors they kill.

All of these rules tie together to indicate that horrors are probably best run in multiple small units and can actually pose some threat in close combat, particularly with the locus abilities of any attached herald.

Daemonettes - Daemonettes really didn't change much at all other than a small point decrease.
Now, this point decrease does mean that daemonettes are slightly easier to purchase in bulk and with WS5, I 5, and 2A with armor piercing they can cause quite  a bit of damage!

Other noteworthy units 

Beasts of Nurgle
Huge point reduction and moved from the rare section to special.

In addition they can challenge and accept challenges and are daemons of nurgle but are otherwise unchanged.  Run them in units for some nice damage and staying power or run them singularly as an awesome redirect unit and you can't go wrong!

Bloodcrushers - Dropped a little in points, gained a wound, and picked up the scaly skin save that normal bloodletters get.  However, they also lost two points of strength and a point of toughness.  This unit used to be a great glass cannon.  Point it at a unit and it would run over there and kill it and then likely be removed from attrition.  Now it will struggle against just about everything except mediocre infantry, skirmishers, and other things that are already easy to kill.

Flesh Hounds - Dropped in points a tiny bit and, like all Khorne units, lost a point of strength and gained a scaly skin save.  For a modest point investment the unit can purchase the ambush rule which is interesting albeit random (as ambush usually is).  Due to the point adjustments Flesh Hounds are still worth their points and still fill a nice role within the army of hunting down light cavalry, skirmishers, and other nimble but weak units.

Skull Cannon of Khorne - Wow.  So while the rest of the Khorne units got slapped with a pretty big pricing and stat adjustment, the new skull cannon of Khorne is remarkable.  A chariot with a cannon on it that could actually defend itself in close combat.  And heal itself when it charges?  Yup.
All that and this only costs marginally more than a single Empire cannon.(Whee-Hah!)

Plague Drones - VCs received the first flying Monstrous Infantry and now Daemons receive the first flying Monstrous Cavalry.  Stat-wise it's everything you'd except from Nurgle with the added bonus that the flies have S5, W3, A3.  With their toughness and the Nurgle Daemon rule they prove pretty durable given they have little armor save.

Upgrades are interesting with everything from poison for the rot flies to attacks that automatically wound if they hit, and a short ranged shooting attack that is poisoned and does multiple wounds (D3).  Promising as they look like a very convenient method for taking out opposing monsters.  Without upgrades they are cheaper than the skullcrushers too.

Burning Chariot of Tzeentch - For the price of a doomwheel you get a flying chariot that can fire either a fire thrower or grape shot.  In close combat the enemy is looking at nine S4 attacks plus d6+1 impact hits. (Ouch) The only caveats is that these weapons can't stand and shoot and suffer from random strength values (d6 for fire thrower and D6+3 for grapeshot).  Run one of these up the enemy flank and then let loose with a torrent of flame.  Just not the most durable chariots in the Warhammer world (no armor, 5+ ward rerolling results of 1).


Plagiarized from Chronowraith; et al.