On Allies

Perhaps the image is fitting since Tyranids can't ally with anybody

So one of the big points of nerd rage around the webs these days in anticipation of 6th Edition is the addition of an ally matrix to 40k. This is something that has been around in other versions of WHFB and has recently re-emerged in WHFB 8th Edition. 

I'm going to provide a few of my own thoughts and then provide some from an email chain between the authors of this blog. First, I really would like to paraphrase something Carl said on The Independent Characters: you're worried about ridiculous combos being created through allies, but we already have ridiculous combos - see the 22% at Adepticon.

Sure, you'll see EVEN MORE Grey Knights on the board with allies, but we're used to Grey Knights now, especially in the Mid-Michigan meta. What this allies rule does is allow you to put together new models, paint new schemes, and change the way you play. Options! The best thing.

Clearly it is pretty transparent that GW just wants to sell more models, but they're a model company. I really really really like the 'narrative' focus they mentioned a few times in WD. This will help provide narratives. I can see myself painting up a small Lamenters force (the Lamenters were allied with the Tyrant in the Badab War) and use them (Codex: Blood Angels) or just paint up an assault squad and throw them in with my chaplain and Storm Raven and use Blood Angels rules for them. Or I could paint some sweet sweet Steel Legion models from the IG range. I could expand my Chaos Space Marines army (~1850 points) with some daemons.  So many different options.

This offers us MORE options. This is BETTER. More narratives. More ways to have a fun game. Yes you may have to deal with some shenanigans but we've been dealing with that since the last few power codexes have come out. If I paint GK marines somebody punch me in the face.

Other authors' opinions:

Valace2:

So one of the things that has me really stoked about 6th is the idea of allies. As most of us have multiple armies I was wondering what you guys are thinking about this? The idea of posting up Tau Broadsides or Long Fangs behind my Grey Knights sounds pretty damn sweet. 
As someone on 40k forums mentioned most codexes are balanced between great units and lame units, I am thinking using allies kind of gives GW a free pass in the future on codexes. So your army stinks at CC ally with an army that isn't, or your army can't shoot ally with Space Wolves or Guard and get yourselves some tanks. Now I believe the ally system only allows 1 HQ and then 1 Troop, but after that you can take 1 of each of the rest. I can bump up my Tau with Paladins or Thunderwolf Cavalry. 
Only problem I see with this change is the size of standard games, to really take advantage of having allied troops games are gonna have to prolly be bumped up from 1750 to 2000 or maybe even 2500. 

Geneguard:

I'm not really interested in making the most broken ass combo I can though I'm sure lots of people out there are crunching the numbers. I love the idea of making cool fluffy armies, like a joint Marine/IG task force. Neat opportunity to stretch out into other armies I'd never invest in otherwise. Nids got shafted- no allies at all. Even though there's stuff like Marines/Dark Eldar. Seems weird, when you could justify it by citing all the fluff about genestealer cults and whole regiments getting infiltrated by 'nids. Oh well.

Dustin:

I love the potential fun with fluff on the new allies list.  Daemons can team with Dark Eldar, so that's nice.  But then IG too.  So, that means I could model some awesome evil looking IG to tag-team with my CDs?  Schweet. I really like too how GW is pushing for more fluff and less competition.  They are highlighting "building the narrative" and encouraging people to immerse themselves in the fun, with IC challenges.   It's like they are making it okay to lose, but also switching up the rules a little (randomizing stuff?) so that anyone can get a string of lucky rolls and win. The one thing that burned me out more than anything on 5th edition was pulling up to a table only to see an army that was customed built to never-fail.  Playing Daemons, this happened whenever I saw more than one vehicle :) 40k is a silly hobby and a way for grown men to hang on to a little bit of our childhood.  I don't want it to be much more than that.

Phil:

I have ton of Imperial Guardsmen (Cadians) on the sprue, partially assembled, and a ton painted. If anybody wants them, let me know. I'm basically getting rid of anything that isn't Chaos (not really planning on renegade guard, and if I did, I'd go with the FW models.)

I of course, loved what I read in the White Dwarf about the design approach with 6th edition. It's like I've been saying all along, 40K is about cool models and cool narratives. Warmachine has a a much better ruleset for competitive play. I've actually come to appreciate both games and play styles, but I'd just rather play 40K for the 'cool shit' factor.