it is hugely dissatisfying that morale hasn't played an important part since 2nd edition. Most races should be susceptible to morale damage, not only Guard and non-Ethereal Tau. Personally, I would like to see more general morale attacks, like Fear and Panic.
The increase of special rules that cancel out other special rules is quite unwanted if you ask me.
The point of Instant Death was that powerful attacks should inflict a greater damage; it's not the same to be shot by a laspistol as it is to be hit by Multi-melta, and since GW removed the potential for weapons to cause multiple wounds there is no such way except Instant Death. For me, the only creatures that deserves such a rule as Eternal Warrior is Greater Daemons, Avatars, Tyrants and some special characters (Phoenix Lords etc.). Anyway, I would much rather see that powerful weapons had the potential to cause additional wounds even if they aren't double toughness.
mm, additional wounds... the necromunda las cannon... the heavy bolter...
so much has changed from 2nd to 5th. general rules have replaced races. so much depth has simply been ripped right out: granades
Now its more that a 1-2points of str, toughness, ws, bs, init, is really all that sperates races. 'fleet' is simply a better form of the universal 'run.' sure that's not so bad, wraithlords and wraithguard can 'run' to get into cover now, but it makes races much less flavorful. stats and equipment are the biggest differences, the rest just feels more cookie-cutter.
it bugs me that every year it seems eldar and the other races have more and more in common with space marines, or rather, that space marines gain the option to take more abilities that can make them more like anyone else. except generally better.
anyways, moral.. my friends have recently started playing necromunda - which has a lot inline with 2nd Ed, a system that, if cleaned up a bit and brought inline with the current racial codexes, would be AWESOME! 2nd has a huge amount of depth, and the modifier system is far superior to the 'all or nothing' system that
IS 5th ed.
incidently, that is EXACTLY the problem with moral in 40k. its 'all or nothing,' generally siding with the 'nothing' side of things, but such that when moral actually FAILS, the result is devastating...
pinning = wtf pwned! WHEN it happens.
unit broken = the unit may still have 9 guys left in it, but it's gone!
a modifier system would make so much more sense, and it would allow Leadership to actually become an important stat, rather one that is generally at 9 out of a possible 10 for basicly every race.
(modifiers like, pinning test failed = unit moves as if it was in difficult terrain and takes a -1 to ws, bs, and init - for any additional pinning tests failed by the squad the stat modifers are cumulative.) - its still not good, but its not like 'miss a turn.' it also really plays up units that have 'move though cover' - scouts - who seem the least likely to suffer from pinning.
for moral, you should always be able to test to regroup if you are atleast 12" from an enemy and out of LoS, OR, if you are within 6" of a friendly HQ, or something of that effect.
Moral modifiers could be applied based on the condition of the squad (full strength = +1Ld, under full strength = -1) would make for things like 'fear' to come back into play, especially later in the game, when very few squads will be getting their moral bonus (could also make things like 'stubborn' count as "this unit always uses its base leadership." - its never super good, but its never super bad either.)
