The Sheffield Slaughter this year has decided to impose draconian army selection restrictions.

So here they are. There's quite a lot of them so hold on

Sheffield Slaughter 2010
we have decided to make overall restrictions within the game as well as examining each individual army and restrict or ban certain items we feel are over used, over powered or plain boring.
Generic Restrictions
1. All armies will be using 2000 point standard restrictions
2. Only current army books are to be allowed. No lists from books such as Ravening Hordes or any Annual or any units from White Dwarf. This means no Chaos Dwarves, Dogs of War or Rhinox Cavalry etc.
3. It is believed a new Skaven book will be released prior to the event. To that end a separate set of restrictions will be published following its release for Skaven players.
4. A maximum of 7 casting dice will be allowed. This includes Pool Dice and is the maximum you can have at the start of the game/ magic phase. Your army list must indicate where all dice are generated from. If it is possible through spells etc to generate more dice then this is allowed. Power stones and Bound items count as 1 Power dice. Tomb Kings are dealt with differently and are referred to under their section below. So if you have 2 Lev 2 wizards and a power scroll you start the game with 7 PD. You cannot buy any other bound items or power scrolls as the maximum number of dice is calculated at the start of the game and once items are used they cannot be replaced
5. A maximum of 6 dispel dice will be allowed. Again, this includes the pool dice and is the maximum you can start the game/ magic phase with. Any item that can dispel or destroy a spell or end the magic phase counts as 1 dispel dice. So as with the 2 level 2 wizards you have 2 from the pool and 2 dispel dice making 4. This allows you to buy up to 2 scrolls or items that dispel spells. You cannot have any more than this. Items giving you +1 to cast or dispel are allowed and do not count towards either total.
6. No more than 4 war machines are allowed in any army.
7. No more than 2 of the same special choices and no double rare, apart from High Elves who may take one extra rare choice.
8. No more than 35 models including characters that can fire a missile weapon more than 20 “.This number does not, unless stated below, include war machines. Each crew member of a Chariot that have missiles count towards this total.
9. A maximum of 3 units of flyers, including any flying mounted characters, is allowed. Magic items that give a flying ability are over and above this restriction.

Generic Unit restrictions
1. Dark Rider, Glade Rider, Tomb king Light cavalry and Marauder fast cavalry. – You must include an equal amount (in unit strength) of core infantry. So 2 units of 5 fast cav means you must have 20 core infantry models. At least one unit of this infantry may not be armed with missile weapons.
2. Steam tank and War Alter are mutually exclusive.
3. Anvil of Doom is banned.(Personaly I would have put 2 &3 with the Empire/Dwarf specific restrictions as they don't seem to me to be "generic units" - Gareth, just being picky as usual )
4. Greater Daemons and Dragons are banned.

Army Break Point
To encourage larger infantry based armies we are introducing an army break point.
Each player must count up the total number of models in their army. A chariot is one model whilst a war machine or similar is equal to the number of crew. Stegadons count as 1 + number of crew. A Hydra counts as 3 and Razordons/ Salamanders as 4.
Rounding up they must denote on their roster how many figures constitutes 50% and 75% of their force. This is the starting figure and ignores raised troops etc.
Players reducing their opponents to these levels gain extra victory points as follows.
50% gains 250 points
75% gains 500 points.
So an army with 80 models loses 55 of them, their opponent gains 250 VP’s.
Similarly an army with 50 models loses 40 then their opponent gains 500 points.
A VC army with 100 models raises 50 throughout the game. You still have to reduce it to 50 or 25 figures to gain the army break point bonus.

Tournament Victory Points
All usual victory points will be used. However a table quarter can only be gained if the unit is of at least unit strength 5 and contains a standard. Any other unit, monster, chariot, single character can neither gain nor negate a qualifying unit from gaining the points. Half VPs are awarded for reducing the steam tank to half points or less.

Scenarios
Game 1..Normal Pitched Battle. Wood Elves may use an extra wood.
Game 2..Take and hold. A house or similar building will be placed in the centre of the table. Any infantry with a unit standard of at least US10 may gain 500 victory points if at the end of the game it is occupying the building. BSB does not count
Game 3..Arcane Monolith...At the start of the game before the first player commences his turn but after armies have been set up randomly pick a piece of terrain. Place a suitable marker at the centre of this feature and then roll 3D6 and the scatter dice. The monolith is moved in this direction (if it goes off the table re roll all dice until it remains on the table). At the start of every magic phase the monolith is moved 2D6 in a random direction. Always re-roll any that goes off the table. Any wizard within 8” of the monolith at the start of the magic phase after the monolith has been re-positioned gains 1 PD or 1 DD for their army’s pool. This is done before any other effect occurs such as the Black coach absorbing dice.
Game 4..Fog of War...At the start of every game turn roll 4D6 and add 8. This is the distance visible to all models and affects shooting, charging and magic. (ie, spells that requires LoS and distance for missiles etc). When rolling the 4D6 for the distance, if you roll a triple then the fog has cleared and has no effect for that turn.
Game 5..Pitched Battle...As game 1.

Beast of Chaos
1. No more than 3 chariots, including character mounts.
2. Beast Herds may rank up 5 wide.
Bretonnians
1. Maximum of 6 units of Knights
2. Knightly temper can not be used with the Tress of Isolde
3. Silver Mirror is 1 dispel dice
4. Banner of the Lady, Errantry Banner and Chalice of Malfleur are not allowed

Dark Elves
1. Pendant of Khaeleth, Ring of Hotek, Standard of Hag Grief, Focus Familiar and the Sacrificial Dagger are not allowed
2. Manbane and Rending Stars are mutually exclusive
3. Assassins are classed as heroes. .
4. Black Staff is 1 power dice.
5. A character with Lifetaker is classed as 2 models and the Repeater Bolt Thrower as 3 models for calculating shooting over 20”
6. Seal of Ghrond is 1 dispel dice
7. Darkstar cloak is 1 power dice
8. Bolt Throwers are 1 per rare choice as per High Elves. They can be duplicated. So 2 BT or 1 BT and a Hydra.
9. A Hydra is a war machine

Daemons of Chaos
1. Icon of Sorcery and Power Vortex is 1 power dice
2. Banner of Despair, Banner of Unholy Victory, Standard of Sundering, Siren Song, Noxious Vapours and Master of Sorcery are not allowed
3. Spellbreaker and Spell Destroyer count as a dispel dice.
4. No duplication of gifts apart from Spellbreaker.
5. May only have 1 rare choice.
6. May have a max of 4 Flamers.

Dwarves
1. Master Rune of Valaya is 2 dispel dice
2. Master Rune of Balance, Spelleating Rune and Spellbreaking rune are 1 dispel dice.
3. Gyrocopter is not counted as a war machine.
4. Maximum of 1 Rune of Penetrating.

Empire
1. Steam tank counts as 2 war machines. If you take a Tank you may only take 1 canon from the special section.
2. Outriders count as 2 models each when calculating models shooting over 20”
3. Seal of Destruction is 1 dispel dice.
4. Van Horsmans Speculum, Casket of Sorcery, Ring of Volans and Rod of power are not allowed.
5. An Arch Lector counts as 2 PD and 2 DD whilst a Warrior Priest counts as adding 1 PD and 1 DD to your total.

High Elves
1. Allowed a double rare (can have 2 BT and 1 Eagle max or 2 eagles and 1 BT max)
2. A character with the Reaver Bow counts as 2 models and the Repeater Bolt thrower counts as 3 models when calculating number for shooting over 20”
3. Banner of Sorcery, Battle Banner, Book of Hoeth, Seerstaff, Ring of Corin are all not allowed
4. Annulian Crystal, Sigil of Asuryan are 1 dispel dice
5. Ring of Fury is 1 power dice

Lizardmen
1. A maximum of 1 Stegadon of any type allowed. If armed with a giant bow or blow pipes it is classed as a war machine.
2. War Drums, Diadem of Power, Focussed Ruination,and Becalming Cogitation are not allowed
3. If a Slaan takes Focus of Mystery it MUST take a second Discipline of the Ancients
4. Cube of Darkness is 1 dispel dice
5. 1 unit of skink skirmishers allowed per unit of Saurus/ Temple Guard
6. No more than 6 terradons.
7. Each individual Razordon and Salamander is counted as a war machine.

Ogre Kingdoms
1. Butchers are Lv 2
2. Bangstick and Gruts Sickle count as 1 power dice
3. Hunter may join a unit provided he is not accompanied by Sabertusks. Additionally his bow loses the move or fire restriction.

Orcs and Goblins
1. Black Orc Warboss can not ride a wyvern
2. Max of 4 fanatics
3. Morks Spirit Totem, Staff of Sneaky Stealin, Idol of Mork is not allowed
4. Horn of Urgok is 1 power dice
5. Max 3 chariots inc characters
6. Shaggas screaming sword cannot be used by a character riding a wyvern

Skaven [ to be reviewed after new book release]
1. Warlock Engineers are Lv 2 if have warp power accumulator.
2. Screaming Bell, Storm Daemon, Eye of the Horned rat is banned.
3. Rattling Guns and Warp fire throwers count as war machines.
4. Max of 10 Jezzails.
5. Bands of Power does not count as a power dice.
6. Warpstone tokens count as power dice.

Tomb Kings
1. No more than 2 units of chariots plus 2 chariots containing characters.
2. Destroyer of Eternities, Heiratic jar, Icon of Rakaph and the Casket of Souls are not allowed.
3. Staff of Ravening, Banner of Undying Legion, Crown of the Kings and Enkhils Kanopi are 1 power dice
4. Brooch of the Desert is a dispel dice.
5. High Liche counts as Lv 4, Liche priests are Lv 2, a Tomb King is also a Lv 2, the Prince a Lv 1. Dont forget that TK’s still generate pool dice and these can be used to dispel spells in play.
6. When calculating the amount of power dice a TK army generates simply add up the magic level of the characters. This can not exceed 7.
7. When calculating dispel dice, you get the 2 from the pool plus 2 for a HLP and 1 for a Priest. Kings and Princes do not generate dispel dice.

Warriors of Chaos
1. Maximum of 3 chariots including character mounts
2. No more than 2 Disks of Tzeench
3. Puppet, Tendrils of Tzeench, Blood Curdling roar, Power familiar, Book of Secrets are all not allowed

Wood Elves
1. Only 1 treeman of any type allowed and counts as 1PD when calculating PD for the army.
2. Cluster of Radiants is 1 dispel dice
3. Bow of Loren counts as 2 shots towards calculating shots over 20”
4. Annoyance of Nettlings, Hail of Doom Arrow and the Combo of Bow of Loren/Arcane Bodkins are not allowed.
5. Eternal Guard of unit size of 15+ always count as core and get free command group and free magic standard worth 25 points

Vampire Counts
1. Helm of Commandment, Black Periapt, Drakenhof banner, Forbidden Lore, Crimson Gem of Lahmia and Master of Black Arts is not allowed
2. Book of Arkhan, Hand of Dust and the corpse cart are 1 power dice
3. Max of 5 Cairn Wraiths with/without Banshee
Gareth

While I agree with the sentiments, I am sure there will still be options for power gaming, these will just not be as obvious (and may take some skill to use, rather than the usual no-brainers).

What would I do?

Not bother going as it would take more than a weekend just to work out my list!

It's a nice idea, but they seem to have taken it a bit to far. I personally don't think that I could be bothered putting together a list and checking to see if it meets all of the requirements, but if you are going, maybe a middle of the road Skaven Horde or your Throgg army (I didn't see special characters on the list of banned stuff - but I could have missed it).

pete! your skaven list from the club challenge would be funny!

on the whole i like it! it adds a new dimention to tournement play and makes even verteran gamers think about whats going in the army! i might even be tempted to go! if anyone fancies a game using these rules sometime i'd be up for that!

I think it looks a lot more complicated than it actualy is. Most you can ignore as it is army specific.
I like them. I would find it very easy to field a Skaven army I liked under these restrictions.
We'll have to see what special restrictions they impose when the new book comes out. I bet they ban Vermin lords

Gareth

Reminds me of a bad mod, personally I don't see the point in a tournament if you aren't competing against or using the best builds available, I wouldn't bother wasting your money to be honest but the Slaughter seems to be a yearly ritual thing that you go to, so have fun!

Thanks,

Lee

Lee, just because there are additional restrictions over and above what can be found in the army books does not mean there will not still be best builds available. They will just be different that's all. Players will need to find new tactics and strategies as old ones they have relied upon in the past will not be available to them. The competion remains just as fierce. It would, in my opinion, be to the detriment of tournaments and the hobby in general if the only type of tournament were GT style ones.

Gareth

Looks pretty complex & it's going to take the organisors quite some time to check lists etc.
Pity they've chopped DoW, I don't think that anyone would argue that they're "overpowered", especially if you take the prohibition of Special Characters to mean that RoR are prohibited.
I can see where they're going, plenty of ranked infantry, (But I still don't see Brets having many Peasants!), with a bit of support from archers/gunners and a few warmachines. No armies that just do the one-phase domination trick (Unless it's the Combat phase), none of the really tricksy items (Rakaph, Annoyance, Anvil) that an enemy's got no real defence against.
Woodies.
I don't like the idea of no Annoyance, the lack of good armour & real Ward Saves leaves the Woodies a bit exposed, still, I expect it'll mean that Oaken Armour figures more.
I do like the idea of larger units of EG being Core & getting free upgrades. Should actually see them being played.
TK
Odd thing to ban the Casket, surely having it count as 2PD would be sufficient? That would then mean that you'd have just your HLP & a TP or TK, LP, LP/TP & LP/TP and no other Bound items, or start losing characters, or rather even (gulp) replace a real character with an Icon bearer, if you want other bound items.
They obviously have a higher opinion of the efficacy of chariots than I do!
Brets.
Nothing too bad here, I forsee big units of Knights, especially Grail Knights!
I reckon that we'll see Empire & High Elves coming out on top.
Oh, how are they going to treat Horrors? I can't see anything that says how many PD they're considered to be.
I'll say Demons will be dominant, in that case.