Jive Professor over at Yes The Truth Hurts has a really nice article up on the new magic phase for Warhammer Fantasy.
The magic phase has gone from the single most important part of the game to being one that is more dynamic and random. You can still unleash a butt-load of hurt on your opponent in this phase, but it isn't something that you can bank on every turn of every game.
I really enjoy the shift away from magic dominating the game. This is one of the reasons that several of us have been reluctant to play - if your one hero can wipe out an entire block of troops that I spent hours and hours painting, what is the fun in that?