The new risks of End Times magic

Okay, here's the deal about the new End Times magic rules.

First, it's a little less clear than the other books about what is a scenario rule and what isn't.  It can easily be interpreted that the rules are always supposed to be used, and just as easily interpreted that they're not.  but anyways, the rules!

Winds of magic: 4d6, with two highest used for dispel dice.

Wizards know all spells from their chosen lore of magic.  If they know spells from multiple lores, they know ALL the spells from those lores (this just make loremasters of hoeth ridiculous).

The loremaster rule now allows you to reroll all dice when casting.  Also allows you to reroll to avoid a miscast.

Broken Concentration is out, but Not Enough Power (must role a min of 3) is still in.

Spells may be cast multiple times by the same wizard as long as it:

• Isn't an End Times spell
• Isn't a spell that has a casting value of 15 or higher
• Isn't a spell that has already had a failed attempt to cast

Max power dice: this is the big game-changer.  After choosing a spell to cast,and choosing a target, you role a d6.  The number roled is the maximum number of dice you may use to cast the spell.  However, a minimum of 1 must always be used.  This means if you're trying to cast your big-bad End Times spell, and roll a one for the max number of dice, its an auto-fail, and at least one dice is lost from the power pool.  To make matters even more wonky, you have to role a dice to determine the maximum dice you may use to dispel a spell.

Oh, and our End Times spell sucks.  It basically just purple sun.  Beast sucks (but it's easy to cast), it's just a crappy vortex (S3 hit).  Fire is cool (affects charges, flees, and pursuits, and adds flammable.  Hits all enemies).  Heaven's is funny and easy to cast, but situational: it lets you push up to 4 vortices and/or units away.  Death is a spirit leech vortex at -3 leadership.  Undeath rocks, in that it halves all enemy unit's strength until next caster phase


Conclusion: big spells are even riskier and harder to cast, small spells are now absurdly easy to spam the heck out of.  Get ready for the magic machine guns to come out.

Did you actually have to be level 3 to get the End Times spell?  Because our Firebellies capped at L2 kind of bends us over there.

Whoops, good catch.

Yes, only level 3 wizards can use End Times spells.

Is this stuff in the new Khaine book or latest WD?

It's mentioned in the previous WD, but it's all in Khaine.  The new rules are used if:
* Someone's running one of the new elf lists
* You're running one of the appropriate End Times scenarios
* Either player feels like running it
(according to Khaine)

The new rules are used if:
* Someone's running one of the new elf lists
* You're running one of the appropriate End Times scenarios
* Either player feels like running it
(according to Khaine)

Okay just to be crystal clear, in regular games these new rules do not replace the magic phase as described in the main  8th ed rulebook.

Because this new magic phase would have some seriously heavy influence on army list construction.

The funny thing is, I kinda like some of the rules for the new magic phase - specifically the 'roll to how many dice you can throw' - though I do think it would be better as a single throw for how many dice both the caster and dispeller can throw. Anything that helps prevents 'Imma throw 6 dice at this spell every magic phase' as a viable strategy

On the whole I'm still not really digging this direction of GW. Will let all the books come out before nerdraging too much.

The big issue is whether or not a successful dispel prevents further casting of that spell.  If it does, then the magic phase is wildly unpredictable and more likely to be shut down by a combination of good/bad rolls of the max-dice-casting roll.

If it doesn't, then low-cast cost spells and high level casters (ie, gruts sickle, book of hoeth, etc) are king and become virtually guaranteed buffs/hexes/damage.

Just picture bonecrusher from a level 4 with Gruts.  The max-dice roll is barely an issue; so long as you roll a 3+, you cast the spell.  Sure, S2 isn't much, but if you're casting it seven or eight times with only half of them being dispelled, that adds up QUICK.