Did the Land Raider Achilles foreshadow the new Hull Points system?

This has been bothering me ever since 6th edition came out. No, actually.. even before that - when the first "concrete" rumors and leaks flooded the blogosphere.

Before I added the side sponsons.. which were a PAIN to build.

So.. was the Land Raider Achilles an early sign for the Hull Points system - perhaps one of the biggest changes brought to us by 6th Edition? I think so.
But let me clarify the actual fact of the matter here:

Here are the early "Experimental Rules" of the Land Raider Achilles, as posted on the Forge World website as soon as the Land Raider Achilles was announced. Notice, for example, the original point cost of 300 points (compared to the actual, current point cost of 325 points.)

"... reduces the effects of all rolls on the damage chart made against it, by -1"

Before: Back then everyone was super excited, because it meant that a regular, non AP1 Glancing Hit couldn't even immobilize a Land Raider Achilles without actually destroying all of its weapons first, since a roll on the damage chart would have been at -3. Penetrating hits were only at -1, which meant that an actual, natural roll of a 6+ was needed to Wreck it. Add to that the immunity to the Lance and Melta special rules and the Land Raider Achilles became pretty resilient. This rustled the jimmies of a bunch of people who immediately yelled "OP! OP!", especially when it was announced that the Land Raider Achilles had the "Warhammer 40,000" stamp on it.

"reduces the effects of all rolls on the Damage chart caused by Penetrating hits by -1."

After: Shortly after the Experimental Rules were posted, there was an update (I think). I mean, I got the book pretty soon, so I also noticed it there. At first, the most obvious difference was the slightly gouged price of 325 points, but after a careful examination on my part I saw the changed wording of the Ferromantic Invulnerability special rule. It struck me as odd. Why would this amazing, super-special hull armor only work when it has been actually penetrated. Why didn't it affect Glancing hits or just ALL rolls on the Damage chart? Back then I saw it as a weird way to nerf the Land Raider Achilles by at least giving some armies the chance to deal with it somehow by Glancing it a bunch of times.

Using 6th Edition, though, it all makes sense. Glancing Hits no longer roll on the damage chart, they simply destroy one Hull Point from the vehicle. It is only Penetrating Hits that get to roll on the chart.
So it is possible that those responsible for the editing/rules of Imperial Armour Apocalype: Second Edition got a whiff of the new vehicle rules... pretty much a year before the actual release? We are constantly being told that Games Workshop and its sister company, Forge World, are pretty independent and separate and that the guys from FW have no idea about what's going on over at GW. It may be true.. but I still think it's weird and quite hard to believe, so I wouldn't be surprised if the book was written, or at least edited with 6th Edition in mind. Even if it was a year ago, I bet that coming up with a new Vehicle damage chart and the Hull Point system was one of the first things that was added to the book. It is just such an important, fundamental part of the game - there's no way that it was not a priority.

But then again knowing GW I wouldn't be surprised...

So whaddaya guys think? A possibility... or a coincidence?

Killzone: Facebook, Podcasts.. Oh my!

Well, the holidays are over and as the last Christmas carols are turning into silent whispers in the night, the Special Operations: Killzone project is rising once again!
I know that we have been silent for the last week or so.. but now it's time to unleash the hounds.

Let's start with.. oh, I dunno.. The Killzone Facebook Group! Now you can follow us online and see what's new in the world of sneaky operatives and THE way to play a skirmish game of Warhammer 40,000. It's still a young page, but at least I'm hoping that it can turn into a source of information, where people post links to their battle reports, experiences and painted Killzone Teams. Ah, that would be glorious. 
The Social Media is definitely a great way to get things going, so then.. what are you waiting for? Join now! :P

Killzone has also been getting some publicity all over the web, which is nice because I honestly can't think of any other ways to lure you in. So.. yeah... good thing that others are now doing it for me *maniacal laughter*
The folks from the Signals from the Frontline (from Frontline Gaming) podcast have.. well.. a podcast about Killzone and some other Fantasy rumors. They seem genuinely excited to give Killzone a shot and from what I hear they also have a good grasp of the basic rules as well, which is great. I might be a whelp when it comes to designing a game, but I felt a sense of pride and shared their excitement for the game. It's amazing to see/hear/read about other people who want to play and be a part of Killzone as much as I do.

That's all the Killzone I have for now.
Update on the Land Raider Achilles situation: Today I exchanged the Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer kit I got for Christmas over at the Chicago Battle Bunker. Since they can order directly from Forge World the cost of my Land Raider was subtracted from my overall purchase, so it was just like buying a Land Raider and then the Achilles Conversion. I am actually super excited, folks. Besides the Land Raider Achilles kit I also picked up the Space Wolves Land Raider Doors and the Land Raider Spaced Armour upgrade. Because.. you know.. when you do field a Land Raider Achilles you either go big or you go home. Oh, and did I mention that I'm slapping a Vindicator Siege shield on that bad boy? Yeah. It's gonna be huge.

And that's WITHOUT the Spaced Armour. You mad?

 

Update on the Land Raider Achilles Conundrum

My last post was about the Land Raider I received for Christmas a few days ago, my desire to turn it into a Land Raider Achilles and my frustration when I learned that Forge World was only selling a complete conversion kit of the model and not just the conversion parts.

I e-mailed Forge World a few minutes ago and actually got a very quick response!
Here's what I asked:

Q: Hello, there! I just received GW's Land Raider kit for Christmas and quickly entered your website in order to purchase the Land Raider Achilles conversion kit. Unfortunately I found out that you guys only have a complete kit for the Land Raider Achilles which has the plastic Land Raider sprues and then all the resin conversion pieces needed for the conversion. Is it possible for me to order just the resin pieces for a different price or do I have to wait for a release of the conversion kit. More importantly, are you aware if a conversion kit is ever going to be released and if it might be coming out soon?

A:  Hi, 

Thanks for your e-mail. We do not sell a conversion kit of the Achilles, because of the amount of plastic that is replaced by the resin parts. Like the MkIIb and the Deimos Rhino, it wouldn’t be cost-effective as a conversion kit compared to the complete kit that we currently sell.

Regards,

Ead Brown

Customer Service Manager

Forge World

So unfortunately for me there's no hope and reason to wait for the conversion kit to come out.. but this has only increased my desire to possess a Land Raider Achilles... Damn, I even have the perfect name for it as well..

So.. does anyone wanna trade their Land Raider Achilles for a Land Raider NiB? I'll pay the difference. ;D  

Until then... I'll be working on a super secret project that will change the way you play Space Wolves FOREVER.

P.S: Check out the sweet candy cane-wielding Santa Skarvald up top! Thank you, Frozencore Joe.

So.. I got a Land Raider. NOW what?

On Saturday the local Games Workshop had a Secret Santa gift "giveaway"-thing!
I drew the name of a really good friend o' mine whose I.G plasmacide Chimera spam list has been terrorizing all the little kids at the store. Though to be fair, my Space Wolves are not too excited about facing his little metal boxes. Same goes for my Orkz.

I gifted him the joy of having to put together 20 Cadian Shock Troops and then a Lord Commissar to lead them. ;D

And then he gave me a Land Raider! 

Turns out we drew each others' names!! ;D

I love Land Raiders.. but unfortunately I don't get to use them very often. I actually already have one - it's a Land Raider Crusader. And I'm pretty sure I've used him only once in a normal game of 40k to transport a bunch of angry Blood Claws with Arjac Rockfist. It's cool and what not, but I guess I don't like fielding it because it's not painted. I don't really remember how I sprayed my other vehicles.. hehe..

Now.. where I've used my Land Raider a bunch is in games of Apocalypse.

As a Land Raider Achilles. 

Yeah.. yeah. I know. Cheese. But it is so AWESOME to put something on the table knowing that it can actually survive despite all the scary templates, lances, meltas and other anti-tank shenanigans that are being thrown your way. I mean, come on. A THUNDERFIRE CANNON. And two twin-linked multi-melta sponsons :-O! Honestly, the Thunderfire Cannon is the only thing that I would gladly steal from Codex: Space Marines (okay, maybe the Land Speeder Storm school bus for our sweet Wolf Scouts to ride in..).
It has the word "thunder" in it, people!

So that's why I put the Land Raider kit in my list. The plan was to order the Forge World kit for the Land Raider Achilles and then convert it. But it wasn't until I sat on my computer all ready to order some resin crack until I realized that the only way to purchas the LR Achilles from Forge World is.. as a COMPLETE KIT. Basically they are selling a plastic Land Raider kit plus all the resin conversion parts that I actually need to make an Achilles. Well that sucks. Now I'm "stuck" with a Land Raider until Forge World decides to release only the conversion kit like they have done with all the other Land Raider variants. <_< I'm not spending all that cash in one big lump sum, you know? And I definitely don't want another Crusader or a Redeemer..

There's always the Orky option, though. Instead of waiting I could just unleash the Big Mek inside me and convert the Land Raider into (or is it "to"? Any Grammar Nazis out there?) an Ork Vehicle of some kind. Maybe a Battlewagon.. or something of the super heavy variety? Any ideas? 

Maybe you guys could help me with this decision?

Do I.. 

A) Wait for the Forge World conversion kit to come out and then make the Land Raider Achilles?

B) Convert it into/to an Ork vehicle?

Help me out, bros!