Astronomy - looking at stars

[plasmoid]

Hi all,
I got out my Spike magazines and took a closer look at the transition from CRP (6 stars) to BB2016 (10'ish stars).

Issue 1: Chaos
Remain: Borak, Grashnak, Lewdgrip, Max, Morg
New: Bilerot, Gobbler, Guffle, Scyla, Withergrasp
Out: Brick Farth

Don't remember how many of the "new" ones came in prior to the Spike issue. Certainly Guffle.
Brick was cut from Chaos. Has he retired completely? Or will he keep playing for Nurgle and Ogre?

Issue 2: Dark Elf
Remain: Eldril, Horkon, Hubris, Morg, Roxanna
New: Asperon, Elijah, Jeremiah, Kiroth, Mordrix
Out: Ithaca

Ithaca wasn't very useful for AG4 Dark Elfs, but more useful for his other team, AG2 Khemri. Has he retired completely?

Issue 3: Nurgle
Remain: Borak, Grashnak, Lewdgrip, Max, Morg
Added in prior to Spike 3: Bilerot, Guffle, Withergrasp
New: Bulla, Tully
Out: Brick

Looks like Brick Farth has indeed (been) retired. Does that mean he's not playing for Ogres either. I'm guessing he is not, but given what happens in Spike4, someone quite similar just might be playing for the Ogres….

Issue 4: Undead
Remains: Luthor, Ramtut
New: Frank, Gretchen, Rick, Skrull
Refurbished: Bryce, Gral, Ivan, Throttlesnot
Out: Hack, J. Earlice, Nekbrekerekh/Sethek, Sinnedbad

Several interesting things here, IMO.
Skrull is a decent thrower type, which is new for Undead, but he is also added to Khemri, where he is quite similar to Ithica (see Spike 2).
The 4 that have been cut have been replaced be reasonably similar players: Ivan is a lot like Nekbrekerekh, Gral is a lot like J Earlice, Bryce is a chainsaw player like Hack Enslash, and Throttlesnot is a Stab player like Sinnedbad, though this last one has a substantially different statline.

Issue 5: Halflings
Remain: Karla, Mork, Puggy, Willow
Improved: Deeproot (gains Timmm-ber)
New: Big Jobo, Cindy, Cpt. Colander, Neddley, Rumbelow
Out: Bertha, Zara

Lots of brand new stars. Interestingly, The Ogre team appears to be losing another Ogre star. They do gain Big Jobo though.

Issue 6: Wood Elfs
Remain: Eldril, Jordell, Morg, The Swifts, Willow
New: Curnoth, Gloriel, Maple, Swiftwine, Zolcath
Out: Dolfar

Again 5 brand new stars. Also, we finally get confirmation that Dolfar is indeed dead, as was hinted in the fluff for the Dark Elf Spike. Looks like those fluff pieces are worth keeping an eye on.

Conclusions:
So, it looks to me like GW/JT-Y are cutting a few players. But more interestingly, they're making replacements, who for the most part have leaner statlines. A few of those replacements play for different teams than the player they replaced. Brand new stars are also being added.

In light of all this, I suspect that Karla von Kill is actually a replacement for Zara - and this lines up with the fluff hint from Spike 1 that she has turned to chaos. I guess we'll know for sure once a Spike is released for a team that (used to) have access to Zara.
I also think that if a player is retired from one team, then he is very likely to be retired from all his teams.

Cheers
Martin

[Mystic Force]

I am glad they "retired" J Earlice mainly because I really hated the name, also not sad to see Hack Enslash go, because he was named in a competition and my suggestion of Bone Saw did not win #Not Bitter. We know that any DZ1 and DZ2 stars also made the cut so we can pencil in a few more for the other teams. The stated aim is 10 per team, so if they don't get Spiked! I wonder what format they will come out in....

Much of the commentary seems to be the replaced players were not used that much or the replacements sufficiently similar to not be detrimental, and the additional players that have been received less favorably are new so you have gained or lost nothing if you don't want to use them, I am really interested in this type of analysis!

[BillyDee]

I am glad they "retired" J Earlice mainly because I really hated the name, also not sad to see Hack Enslash go, because he was named in a competition and my suggestion of Bone Saw did not win #Not Bitter.

Have you ever played Guild Ball..?

[Darkson]

I suspect that Karla von Kill is actually a replacement for Zara

That is common knowledge since BB was re-released.

[plasmoid]

Hi Darkson,
apparently not common enough that NAF has replaced one with the other.
So all I'm saying is that as more Spikes get released, I think we'll start to see Zara officially vanish from more and more teams.
Cheers
Martin

[TopsyKretts]

I think one of the old Chaos stars was tweaked in this new edition. And Ramtut is cheaper now?

[TopsyKretts]

Brick was cut from Chaos. Has he retired completely? Or will he keep playing for Nurgle and Ogre?

Ithaca wasn't very useful for AG4 Dark Elfs, but more useful for his other team, AG2 Khemri. Has he retired completely?

Looks like Brick Farth has indeed (been) retired. Does that mean he's not playing for Ogres either. I'm guessing he is not, but given what happens in Spike4, someone quite similar just might be playing for the Ogres….

Skrull is a decent thrower type, which is new for Undead, but he is also added to Khemri, where he is quite similar to Ithica (see Spike 2).

Cheers
Martin

Nice summary. There are also a few special/unique star players like Grak & Crumbleberry and White Dwarf and Black Gobbo.

I don't think we'll know for certain about what star players are removed or not until we have this edition finished or all Spike magazines (or future equivalents) released and finished.

[plasmoid]

Issue 5: Halflings
Remain: Karla, Mork, Puggy, Willow
Improved: Deeproot (gains Timmm-ber)
New: Big Jobo, Cindy, Cpt. Colander, Neddley, Rumbelow
Out: Bertha

Lots of brand new stars. Interestingly, The Ogre team appears to be losing another Ogre star. They do gain Big Jobo though.

[plasmoid]

Issue 6: Wood Elfs
Remain: Eldril, Jordell, Morg, The Swifts, Willow
New: Curnoth, Gloriel, Maple, Swiftwine, Zolcath
Out: Dolfar

Again 5 brand new stars. Also, we finally get confirmation that Dolfar is indeed dead, as was hinted in the fluff for the Dark Elf Spike. Looks like those fluff pieces are worth keeping an eye on.

[Centipede]

Issue 5: Halflings
Remain: Karla, Mork, Puggy, Willow
Improved: Deeproot (gains Timmm-ber)
New: Big Jobo, Cindy, Cpt. Colander, Neddley, Rumbelow
Out: Bertha

Lots of brand new stars. Interestingly, The Ogre team appears to be losing another Ogre star. They do gain Big Jobo though.

The Halflings used to have access to Zara as well.

[Bakunin]

Zara can be dead or gone in the bb2016 fluff, but it really does not matter, because if your league or tourney plays with both BB2016 and CRP starplayers, you can use both.
NAF is committed to using both.

So you will see that Duo Lady Halfling build.

[plasmoid]

Thanks Centipede.

@Bakunin: I wonder how long will keep that up. With each Spike, another team gers their definitive 10-star list. When all lists have been published, will the NAF stick to the old stars, when it was not intended by GW....?

[lunchmoney]

When all lists have been published, will the NAF stick to the old stars, when it was not intended by GW....?

Probably. It is certainly a question that will be raised in the annual review in November.

[TopsyKretts]

Looking at "Boomer" (assuming Eziasson) in the latest book, Almanac 2018, the stats looks like those of Bomber Dribblesnot? 6-2-3-7

[JT-Y]

Yep. Somehow he got the profile of a goblin. Imagine my joy to see a dwarf with the profile of a goblin.