(OLD) Warhammer 40,000:The App 12+

This app would be brilliant if it wasn’t for the fact that it can’t add up points correctly! I’m relatively new to the hobby and have been creating my first 2000pt list in the app. After tailoring it to my liking I ordered all the miniatures I needed, but have since realised that the points total was actually completely wrong. For some reason the app doesn’t add the correct amount of points to the total at the bottom of the screen when you edit most load outs for units. Eg, I added a plasma pistol to an assault intercessar sergeant. The app says it’s an extra 5pts. It increased the points value of the unit by 5pts, however, it also increased the points value of the entire army by 20pts! And this happens with a lot of the load out options throughout the app. Turns out the list I ordered is incorrect and I may have built it differently if I had known. I actually had another spare ~150pts.
It’s a big shame that something simple like basic addition has let this app down. The rest of the app is super useful with quick reference to rules, an easier understanding of how to build lists with detachments etc. However, paying £1.99 a month for an app that can’t add up simple numbers has warranted a low review from me. If they can completely fix every loadout point error so I can confidently build a list with a correct points value in the future then I will gladly change this review to reflect.

I really want this app to be successful because I’m not interested in carrying a bunch of books around with me to play a game. I love codex’s for their lore and art, but I would love it if these aspects of the hobby became digital. Unfortunately though this app has been a work in progress for a while now and it is really unintuitive in its design. Updates have a habit of messing things up and it’s generally not a useful tool compared to the free options out there. This isn’t news, but the rules are still behind further pay walls, I had hoped when I initially heard about the app way-back-when that the monthly subscription service would give access to the lore and rules of the codex. But you also need to purchase the codex’s and as we progress in this edition more rules are becoming unavailable. I’m not bothered by the cost going up if the service improves to match it, but right now it doesn’t.

As I said, it’s a work in progress and I don’t doubt it will get better, but the app in its current form isn’t great. I’m sure the app development team have a lot on their plate so I wish them the best in getting app where they want it to be.

I like this app. It’s obviously a ‘official’ version of BattleScribe and being official it has several advantages. It has quick references to check rules while you build a list instead of having to guess what you’re selecting. It’s easier to use and is more user friendly when it comes to meeting list requirements. Sure it costs a small fee and I’m happy to pay the monthly fee to support my hobby but…

I’m paying for a flawed product. Fundamentally flawed. It’s an army builder that can’t do the mathematics properly. I’ve been trying to build a variety of Death Guard lists to inform my next unit purchases and have found that they are apparently not legal because I’m over the points costs… except I’m not. I checked the maths.

It’s disappointing not least because I took the recommendation to use it from a GW store employee.