Editing Rubric Marines (section)

=== Mainstream opinion === 
Sweet [[Emperor|Jesus]], the edition update from 5th to 6th and 7th was ''not'' kind to these guys.

While Rubrics were always a finicky option, one that had to be balanced carefully to be used to maximum effect, 6th and 7th wound up indirectly killing their potential on the battlefield by giving them way more competitive options and relegating them to a much more limited tactical control. Their AP3 Bolters and 3+/4++ saves, while once rather impressive, no longer have anywhere near the threat level they used to have, and with other armies getting major edition updates, the Rubrics were facing an uphill fight - especially since changes to the rules made Feel No Pain considerably stronger (ergo pushing [[Nurgle|Plague Marines]] even further ahead of their old Tzeentchian rivals. The changes to Sorcerer rules and Force weapons were even worse - taking a unit that was legitimately a threat to one that struggles hard for a place in a meta with dozens of options. Even within chaos a player could grab a baseline squad with two plasma guns and have better numbers (though none of the backup save) as part of the bargain!

But the cruelest cut - came with 6th edition's addition of the ability to go to ground. This meant absolutely any unit could gain a cover save, basically anywhere, and cover is one of the few things that, Psy Powers aside, the unit just has no ability to deal with, and since the Sorcerer was usually angling for Bolt of Change to kill transports, that's a pretty glaring vulnerability for a unit with a very specific tactical role.

Worse, errata made it so Sorcerers had to take powers randomly with rolls as opposed to choosing them, which seriously cut down on the strategic elements of using this unit, since you no longer had the utility of that lone bit of choice giving you the option to use the squad more tactically based on said choice. Their weapons were also given Soul Blaze, a sub-par ability that really struggled in earlier editions, further weakening their role on the battlefield.

So no more instant kills from the force weapon, mediocre-at-best weapon ability in sorcerer, can't choose psy powers anymore and has to randomize, squad still same drawbacks, in a world that gives everyone cover saves and pushes vehicles harder than ever before. They were also [[Finecast]], because ''fuck you.''

This combination of factors took what was previously a fairly effective unit against MEQs, holding terrain, and terrorizing medium infantry - and completely demolished its tactical role, turning it into an inefficient unit that struggled for any relevance against a backdrop of other chaos units doing the same thing better. With factions that were previously terrified of this unit no longer really having to even worry about it, Rubrics fell into a steep decline, and within a year and a half of the edition update, even players who lived and breathed Thousand Sons stopped using them, and the unit essentially tapered off, unused by even its most ardent fans.