I'm kinda irked.
I played a game against 'Nids today and, unsurprisingly, my Eldar won.
While I like to think that pulling off a perfect pincer movement was responsible for my victory, the fact that the current meta has Eldar>'Nids puts an question mark next to the game. How much was my skill, and how much was the newer codex simply being more powerful?
I don't like the idea that my victory is not due to skill or even luck, both of which should I feel be the deciding factors for a game.
I know that GW is taking the line that balance isn't important, just have fun. Well if balance isn't important why are there point costs on units? The entire concept of points costs is a meta attempt to instill balance between two sides, by ensuring both are relatively equal.
However, let's look at the idea of ignoring balance for fun. It doesn't work. There's no pride to be taken in defeating an inferior opponent. There's no joy to be had in being beaten by a more powerful force. While winning despite the meta is entirely possible and can often be very satisfying, it's not the same as two roughly equal forces meeting in battle with the skill of the generals and the will of the dice gods being the prime deciding factors.
Without at least an attempt at balancing the game, it becomes less fun.
I've been playing Eldar since somewhere near the start of 5th edition. I don't have the cash to burn for multiple armies. Heck, I can barely afford to expand my existing army. So just switching to whatever's on an even footing with my opponent in the current meta isn't an option. Likewise, very few of my friends can afford to maintain more than one army and most of the ones that can have two related armies, often Guard/Marines. So having them switch up when they play me isn't really an option either.
So then you start thinking: Maybe a handicap? Give whichever codex is lower in the meta an extra hundred points or so to throw around. In other words, you're trying to do the balancing that GW should have done themselves when they were making the codex.
Sorry for the rant, I just dislike the thought that my ability to use my army is less influential on a game's outcome than what codex I use.