Intermission

So guys, I've been making a lot of changes this year and in order to continue to do so next year then something has got to give.

I've pretty much had a hand in the hobby since I was thirteen and I am now thirty one. More than ever this year I have written at an increasing rate and next year I wish to do so even more. In order to do that I need to allow more time to concentrate on it and as such the obvious element that needs to go is the gaming.

Now, I'm not going all 1 Corinthians 13:11 (go on, look it up) on you all. I've written a 1800 point 40k list, a 2,400 point fantasy list and as for the Kingdom of Britannia and Russian Coalition for Dystopian Wars and Trollbloods for Hordes/Warmachine, I still have plenty of lists for those. But the difference now will mean that it will be much more sporadic. I won't have time to interact with people's blogs, forums, Facebook groups etc. To that end I've changed certain preferences on Facebook to filter out the gaming elements, so if you want me to pay attention to any of it, tag me in a post.

I also intend to radically downsize my collections to just two or three armies for Fantasy and 40k and shall be considering carefully those that are headed for the chop over the next month or so. It is my preference that the armies I do eventually sell go to friends locally rather than eBay, even at the expense of a better price (though I do wish to make enough money to fund a couple of projects that will improve my craft) so please keep your eyes peeled.

Despite this, as you know, I'm a sucker for a bargain and a nice book especially, so if any limited edition items appear for any of the above mentioned systems, please let me know.

As many of you are aware, I've got many alter egos. Some I make known to the masses, some I keep to myself. One of them, the writer, is the Shadow Scribe. Please feel free to pop over there, read and comment as the intention of that blog isn't just for me to show off my work, but to receive C&C. Another thing I wanted to mention about that site is that the original intention for it was for me to use as a means to write up my Army Background for my forces. To that end, I shall actually do some writing for them and place it on there. Should you see anything you like and would like any help writing something for your own army, please let me know. I will need a few details and such about your forces and unless you are one of the early ones that I use for showcasing, then I may well start making a small charge!

I'm nearly finished now, but before I do go, I'd like to state categorically to you Shane that I've not given up yet, I'm still in the painting challenge.

Well then friends, I shall see you on the other side, if not before, but until then, enjoy yourselves in the last hours of 2012 and the first days of  2013!

Love you all,

Mark/Drax/Vanguard/Shadow Scribe/Tzeentch/Forlorn/Jinx/Kalaghar/many, many more

My god, what have I done?

It seems that I have entered a painting competition.

Finished falling about laughing? Good.

Yeah, I know! 'Why' you may ask 'have you, you entered a painting competition?' Well, the main reason is that I want a 40k army that is painted but isn't Deathwing mainly so that I can go to an event at Warhammer World (probably Planetary Empires) with a none Imperial force at some point in the future. So to that end I've put forward the Red Corsairs as my army of choice in the hope I'll actually get something done.

And so, I've joined Nick, Mart, Shane and Chris in their efforts. Now, I don't expect I'll finish, nor that the paint jobs will be brilliant, but if I get something done then it shouldn't be too bad should it? To be honest I half expect the true competition to be whether Shane or I tap out first.

Come on Shane, don't get upset, you know it's true.

From what I understand the rules are to paint 250 points every two months which is feasible for me, so the first step is to paint a squad of Chaos Marines with Rhino.

I'm fine with the painting of the marines, but I may need help with Rhinos and Daemon Engines as I want to use an airbrush to achieve a nice clean finish, so Mart, Nick, you boys are up! Maybe Mart we could even spend the odd Saturday painting whilst you babysit your wife's children? ;)

So, the initial list:


1800 Pts - Chaos Space Marines Roster

HQ: Huron Blackheart (1#, 160 pts)
   1 Huron Blackheart, 160 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 58 & 92); Infantry (Character); Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Sigil of Corruption; Power Axe; The Tyrant's Claw; Champion of Chaos; Fearless; Hatred (Space Marines); Independent Character; Psyker (Mastery Level 1); The Hamadrya; Veterans of the Long War;  Warlord; Master of Deception; 6E Psychic Disciplines: ; Biomancy; Divination; Pyromancy)

Troops: Chaos Cultists (10#, 63 pts)
   9 Chaos Cultists, 63 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 38 & 95); Infantry; Improvised Armour; Autopistol x2; Close Combat Weapon x9; Autogun x6; Heavy Stubber x1)
      1 Cultist Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 46 & 98); Infantry (Character); Improvised Armour; Autopistol; Close Combat Weapon; Shotgun; Champion of Chaos)

Troops: Chaos Cultists (10#, 55 pts)
   9 Chaos Cultists, 55 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 38 & 95); Infantry; Improvised Armour; Autopistol x8; Close Combat Weapon x9; Flamer x1)
      1 Cultist Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 46 & 98); Infantry (Character); Improvised Armour; Autopistol; Close Combat Weapon; Champion of Chaos)

Troops: Chaos Space Marines (11#, 268 pts)
   9 Chaos Space Marines, 268 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 37 & 95); Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol x9; Boltgun x7; Close Combat Weapon x9; Plasma gun; Plasma gun; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)
      1 Aspiring Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 37 & 95); Infantry (Character); Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Gift of Mutation; Bolt Pistol; Boltgun; Power Fist x1; Champion of Chaos; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)
      1 Chaos Rhino ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 99); Vehicle (Tank, Transport); 10 model capacity; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Combi-Boltgun; Repair)

Troops: Chaos Space Marines (11#, 283 pts)
   9 Chaos Space Marines, 283 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 37 & 95); Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol x9; Boltgun x7; Icon of Vengeance; Close Combat Weapon x9; Plasma gun; Plasma gun; Fearless; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)
      1 Aspiring Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 37 & 95); Infantry (Character); Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Gift of Mutation; Bolt Pistol; Boltgun; Lightning Claw x1; Champion of Chaos; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)
      1 Chaos Rhino ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 99); Vehicle (Tank, Transport); 10 model capacity; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Combi-Boltgun; Repair)

Fast Attack: Chaos Bikers (5#, 190 pts)
   4 Chaos Bikers, 190 pts ((C:CSM, pg. 27 & 99); Bikes; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Chaos Bike; Power Armour; Mark of Nurgle; Bolt Pistol x4; Close Combat Weapon x2; Plasma gun x2; Twin-Linked Boltgun x4; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)
      1 Biker Champion (Bikes (Character); Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Chaos Bike; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Lightning Claw x1; Twin-Linked Boltgun x1; Champion of Chaos; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)

Fast Attack: Heldrake (1#, 170 pts)
   1 Heldrake, 170 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 52 & 101); Vehicle (Flyer w/ Hover mode); Daemonic Possession; Baleflamer; Fear; Daemon; Daemonforge; It Will Not Die; Meteoric Descent)

Heavy Support: Forgefiend (1#, 175 pts)
   1 Forgefiend, 175 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 51 & 103); Vehicle (Walker); Daemonic Possession; 2x Hades Autocannon; Fear; Daemon; Daemonforge; Fleet; It Will Not Die)

: Aegis Defence Lines (2#, 100 pts)
   1 Aegis Defence Lines, 100 pts (Battlefield Debris (Defence Lines))
      1 Gun Emplacement (Quad-gun)

Elite: Chaos Terminators (6#, 336 pts)
   5 Chaos Terminators, 336 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 40 & 97); Infantry; Terminator Armour; Mark of Tzeentch; Power Axe x1; Chainfist x1; Power Fist x3; Combi-Plasmagun x4; Reaper Autocannon x1; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)
      1 Terminator Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 40 & 97); Infantry (Character); Terminator Armour; Gift of Mutation; Combi-Plasmagun; Lightning Claw; Hatred (Space Marines); Veterans of the Long War)

Validation Report:
c-1. File Version: 1.11 For Bug Reports/www.ab40k.org; b-1. Roster Options: Named or Special Characters; a-1. Scenario: Normal Mission; b-2. Levels of Alliance: Battle Brothers
Roster satisfies all enforced validation rules

Composition Report:
HQ: 1 (1 - 2)
Elite: 1 (0 - 3)
Troops: 4 (2 - 6)
Fast: 2 (0 - 3)
Heavy: 1 (0 - 3)
Fort: 1 (0 - 1)

Total Roster Cost: 1800

Created with Army Builder® - Try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com

It only needs to be 1500 points from what I understand, though I think that maybe I shall try to squeeze 1800 out since Planetary Empires has been known to include 2500 points games.

Here's hoping, and to my fellow painters, Bon chance.

Iron Kingdoms RPG

Well, it seems I don't play enough systems already and have now dipped my toe in to the new Iron Kingdoms RPG. Now, I will say that I have actually intended to do so for a while as I had pre ordered a copy from the ill fated Maelstrom (who still have my money for this incidentally) only for the release date to come and go and for no book to appear.

As such, I've had to wait to take a look at someone else's copy, and this Friday gone not only did I get to have a look, but I also had a chance to take part in my first ever RPG thanks to Dave.

Typically, I decided to stick with what I know and chose a Trollkin character, and Jarl being my favourite Warlock I also went for a pistolier. Now I appreciate that I won't actually be playing Jarl, but I did like the idea of a Trollkin becoming a gunslinger. Apparently, with the help of some of the other players, I've put together a ruthless combination which will only be muted by my inexperience.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

For now I await my re-order of the book and look forward to the next adventure!

Chaos Decided

Well, I'm nearly done finalising my plans for my Chaos Space Marines and I think I'm settling upon Red Corsairs. I love their background and have often considered going with them in the past, especially having taken part on the secessionist side of the Badab Wars campaign last year. I have also always been drawn to the Huron model being as it is a very strong sculpt and I bought it as soon as it was released intending to use it as a Chaos Lord if not as Huron himself. Sadly however in the previous edition it was a Lash Sorcerer or Lash Daemon Prince every time.

I've gone for a relatively unmarked force in order to fit in with the Red Corsair's background, though I have gone for Nurgle Bikers (I know, I know) and Tzeentch Terminators (I said I know) and I may add in a unit or two of marked CSMs or Legion units from time to time.

For now though it's mainly the same force I used in the last edition but with a couple of the new units such as the new Heldrake and a Forgefiend which may switch with a Defiler from time to time.

I am currently trying to find a second list to give a bit of a varied force, this time edging for a more Legion heavy force, though I suspect that it would be best to focus on the first list for a while to see what works, why how and where.

In other 40k news, I'm nearly there with the Blood Angels army (obviously unpainted) as I just need to assemble a Tactical squad before the intended list is ready. The plan here is to use them as a second force for when I play regularly against other Chaos players to give them an Imperial force to face so they can make best use of the Veterans of the Long War rule from time to time.

Distractions

I've had a lot of distractions of late. Firstly I've managed to get a job so that's taken up some time, but in addition I've started my second year of Uni studying Creative Writing, which takes up a lot more.

And yet, there are ever more hobby interests that I am trying and failing to give attention. In no particular order they are: Ogre Kingdoms for WFB, Blood Angels and Chaos Space Marines for 40k, more Trollblood lists for Hordes/Warmachine and Russian Coalition for Dystopian Wars. I'm beginning to think that I need to win the lottery more to have time to justify the money I have already spent than to be able to spend more.

For the most part I know what I'm doing with lists and it is purely that I don't have time to play, though the Chaos Space Marines are making things a little uncertain as I don't know what I want to do with them. On the one hand, I have liked the idea of a Red Corsair list since the Huron model was released, however at the same time I like the cult units and would want to include them. I had thought of using the Huron model as a counts as for my own Renegade chapter but that doesn't quite sit well. As such I may well go for a second FOC force of Red Corsairs so that I can have the best of both worlds.

Modelling wise for Chaos, I've been tinkering with a couple of existing units to adapt them to new roles I wish them to take on since they were last placed on the table but I've also put together my only new unit purchase so far for the book: The Heldrake. This model is a lovely kit to put together, let alone the end result being nice. Now I was sceptical of the Heldrake when I heard rumours of it, but I must say there is very little I don't like about it. Really, it's just the retail price I think is a bit high, that aside I'm very pleased with it.

The next step now is to come up with at least a single list to get the most of the models I wish to use.

I've not played much Fantasy lately. In fact up until last week I think it had been nearly 6 months since I rolled magic dice. The reason being that I've constantly struggled to find a working list that I like. I can make a Warriors of Chaos list no problem, but I constantly sought to make other lists work instead of them, namely Beastmen and Vampire Counts. Between the two, and possibly because they are my favourite two armies, I've often been disgruntled at not being able to work a list that included the units I wanted to include instead of building the list that works. As a consequence of this Fantasy, despite being my preferred GW game, suffers from rage quits more than most, however I've turned a bit of a corner with the game now. I can win with WoC, so why not use them? I've often resented using them because I dislike that I can make them work instead of one of my preferred armies. I've decided however that if I disliked the army so much, why do I have it? The answer is of course because I do like it. As such I'll be playing them more often now.

But first, I've frequently intended to play my Ogre Kingdoms army but for a variety of reasons I've been distracted or decided to go with something else instead and so not managed to get much table time with them. As such Meat's back on the menu and the Great Maw is hungry!

Dystopian Wars. Well, I've got everything currently available for KoB and everything for the Russian Coalition Navy and Air Force, now I just need to get some time to play. That's about all to say on DW. No I won't be sucked in to Dystopian Legions. I won't.

I LOVE my Trollbloods. I'm one War Wagon shy of full faction and I'm eager to rectify that. I've been playing Jarl a lot recently, and a few rash decisions (including playing against Dave) aside, I've not done too bad with him. Before Jarl, I'd got a bit of time in with Borka, and again was doing ok with him, though now I need to try and fit in a game using Borka and tuffalos!

As mentioned however, I'm nearly at full faction, so that means that I have all the warlocks, so now I need to try out a new on. Current candidates are Calandra and Gunnbjorn, though I suspect it may be worth concentrating on eDoomie before The Mountain King arrives!

I know that I've discussed trying out a new Warmachine (as opposed to Hordes) a lot over the last few months, but I think realistically I have enough on.

So, to sum up, I play a lot of different factions, not very often and in case you think that the title isn't apt, I began writing this post a week ago whilst waiting for my new Chaos codex to arrive.

Thanks for rea SQUIRREL!

Hordes Day

Well, Saturday saw Ben host a Hordes day as our Women folk had decided to meet up for shopping and we didn't fancy that, and so Ben, Sam, Luke and I faced off with each of the main Hordes forces represented.

The humble Chainsword.

The humble Chainsword. This, ladies and gentleman is the preserve of those of the 41st Millennium, and for that matter, at least the preceeding ten thousand years, that have progressed within the Imperium at least to being a Sergeant.

It is a weapon, that the Black Library would have you believe is favoured by Captains over Power Swords and Power Axes, and yet in game terms it has the same killing power as a bit of snapped twig.

Almost all Imperial kits come with at least one Chainsword, it is a free weapon for most squad leaders and yet how many people take them? I can't think of the last time I even considered not trying to find points to upgrade a Tactical or Assault squad Sergeant to a better option. I think that the only Sergeant that I don't upgrade is my Devastator Sergeant, and by the same token my Retributor Sister Superior.

Sadly, for some reason Games Workshop has not given this weapon any form of boost. And yet, make the handle a bit longer and you increase the strength by 2, if you then increase the size of the blade you double the strength and somehow manage to cut through a Tank which is the same if you strap a small Chainsword to a giant fist and run an electrical current through it.

Why then is the Chainsword so poor? And why am I asking this in the first place?

I shall explain:

Aren't these nice models? The sculptor has taken a lot of care to ensure that these are strong, dynamic miniatures befitting of being Sergeants, and yet, as soon as I possibly can, I already intend to swap those Chainswords out which is a real shame.

Now, if they had perhaps even the tiniest chance of being good, then I would consider keeping them. Perhaps a rule such as this:

Biting point - Any to hit rolls of 6 have potentially found a weak point in the armour or hull of the model they are attacking. Roll any 6s separately as any further 6s result in the attack gaining the Rending special rule.

Now to me, that's still a long shot, but at least gives a bit of hope and a reason to use the weapon except where there is no choice to upgrade.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.

Dark Vengeance Release Day games

Well, my copy didn't arrive, not that I really expected it to as it was only shipped on Thursday, so I was lucky enough to go to the club with Matt and have a good look at his copy.

The models are beautiful, albeit some of the joins on the chosen are a little strange, so I am looking forward to assembling mine. There will be a multitude of detailed pictures accross the web of these models which will be far better than I took, so I shall leave that to them.

One of the great things about the box set that I think Games Worksop dropped the ball on with Island of Blood is the inclusion of missions. There are six within the book, at least two of which could be played by just one person.

We played Mission 5, Firefight which is basically kill points, but different points for each unit. We played ths twice so both of us managed to use each force, and I have to say that the Chaos force is up against it. Perhaps the different missions balance up so it is a fluff decision, but unless you are very tactically adept and there is literally a table full of scenery then I suspect most people will find it a tough call killing more Dark Angels than they lose from there own forces. I suspect that the Multi Melta on the Hellbrute doesn't help. If it was a TL Reaper, then maybe it would be worth shooting, but a one shot weapon means that you'd just want to run it possibly leaving him exposed and isolated.

Nonetheless, Dark Vengeance has breathed new life into my enthusiasm for 40k and I've brought down my Codexs again!

...Now to find some more time.

Say what you will about my painting...

... but Dark Vengeance is still a few hours away and already I shall be able to field a painted Dark Angels force.



Now it isn't exactly wysiwyg, the Ravenwing aren't armed as they should be, but are distinguishable enough and I never really bothered with a Librarian previously so I'm having to use a Veteran Sergeant as a proxy, but that aside it's the full and painted force.

I've not had much time for 40k since 6th edition was released, but I must admit that Dark Vengeance has captured my attention. Primarily because it contains two of my armies, so there are no redundant models.

So the plan is for me to play a couple of missions against Matt at the club tomorrow. I shall let you know how it goes, and it may be a double post tomorrow as I'll also be playing Dystopian Wars.

In Coalition Russia Dystopian Wars plays you!

So, I've played my first couple of games with the Russians now and I'm enjoying them immensely.

Firstly I played an 800 point Naval core battle against Ben's Republic of France force on Wednesday and we had a bash at actually rolling for Field orders and also in using National Fleet Commodores from the Hurricane Season campaign book. My mission was to kill 50% of his force AND destroy all mediums. For his part he had to kill all my Large/Massives (so my Borodino then).

In the end, Ben won as he tabled me, though it was a hard slog for him. I was a bit further away from my objective as he still had most of his mediums, albeit that they were limping around, but limping meant they weren't destroyed, so.

Tonight I faced Matt's Prussian Empire (Matt can't read or write so he doesn't blog) at the same level. This time we both reverted to kill 70% as we weren't keen on the options we rolled. No National Fleet Commodores this time.

I managed to pretty much cripple his battleship early on, and in addition gave most of his Frigates a big headache. Now, not sure whether it was just down to a mixture of dice luck and relative experience, but Matt was really struggling to take my boys down. I handed him the Rostovs (destroyer) squadron early and was perhaps a little over aggressive with the Saransks (medium skyships) as they took a battering as well.

I'm still awaiting a reasonable amount of RC naval and air units to arrive, but all things considered I'm happy with how things are progressing. Low activation numbers are an issue, but the storm weathering isn't as scary as I feared. My appraoch really is to view Ablative armour as a bonus rather than something to pin hopes on. Also, I'm liking the way I can target two models with the Novgorod frigates regardless of their position - the trick is to just ensure that I move tem cleverly enough to be in RB1 of the first model and far enough away to be in RB2 of the second to make the most of the lob shot. With most ships that would be a tricky prospect, but with these frigates I can dart about in any direction!

I'm happy with the Suvorov Cruisers and the Tambov Gunships alike and obviously both have Jammer generators that benefit the force against different nations, so the plan is to mix lists dependent upon who I face. An inconvenience when you consider that I was able to write an all comers list for the KoB, but I suppose that was something of a luxury!

So, the Juggernaut has begun to build up steam. Dare you stand before it?

For the Motherland!

So the day we all new would come is upon us. In a moment of weakness I have ordered a second fleet for Dystopian Wars. After long consideration I chose the Russian Coalition, though it was a tough call between them and the FSA.

In the end it came down to the fact that the Russians seem to be a different beast to the initial nations and I liked the idea of having to weather all the incoming fire before unleashing a barrage at close range. It'll be tough, but at least it'll mean a swifter game until then. The models too are very nice being a mixture of inspirations from CoA to KoB whilst still keeping its own identity.

 In what is technically the second batch of purchases I have a bought a Kostroma Battle Carrier, a squadron of Tambov Gunships, a squadron of Rostov Destroyers and a squadron of Saransk Medium Skyships. The first batch is the Naval Battle group and the Moskva Dreadnought (which is holding them up as it hasn't yet been released) and so once that arrives I shall have a substantial Naval force supported by a small Air force.

At the moment however the models I have amount to 655 which is an awkward amount, so it may be a little while before the Russian Coalition sees action, however if all goes to plan I hope to use them in the upcoming mini campaign at Hulls Angels.

Until then however, the KoB shall rule the seas!

Dystopian Wars - Hurricane Season

Yesterday saw the arrival of my copy of Spartan Games' first expansion for Dystopian: Hurricane Season.

I must say that I am very impressed with the book as when I ordered it, I had done so believing it to be softback like the rulebook, however I was delighted to find out it was hardback, as after all, despite the fact that when you were a kid you just wanted to be advanced enough to read soft backs, there is something about a hardback rulebook that sings to the very soul of the common or garden Geek.

The majority of the book is devoted to driving the story line onwards. In fact, of the 121 pages, 84 pages are taken up with the background. The story picks up with the Japanese establishing a new colony in Argentina which eventually leads to a large scale confrontation with the KoB and the FSA.

The writing is solid and cohesive and gives a good standing which players can use to develop their own background including incredibly detailed fleet structure and deployment.

Each of the major nations has inclusion within the book, however due to the timing of the book, it focuses less on the Republic of France and the Russian Coalition and more upon the Covenant of Antarctica to whom they have used this book to draw them into head on conflict rather than them using espionage tactics as they had previously. In this vein, the back of the book contains all the units for CoA in the same manner as the main rulebook does for KoB, PE, FSA and EotBS. In addition it includes the rules for all of the new small fliers as well as the Black Wold and all supporting MARs and generators not included in the rulebook.

Having had a glance over the new missions, they each look fun, and the inclusion of nation specific Commodore rules is a nice touch. I won't go too in depth as to what other rules are included, though obviously the landing barges are there and there is a nice section to support the campaign play including a simple weather chart.

So all in all, I'm very impressed with the book and am happy to pay the £20 RRP (though I paid a bit less) for this and look forward to the next book. Who knows, I may try to get an inclusion within it!

The Rise of a Kingdom

The trouble with playing so many systems is that you need to make decisions as to which you favour. You can obviously play all of them at the same time, though doing so means that you cannot get used to any particular one. On the other hand, concentrating on one means that the others suffer and in addition it means that you have invested a great deal of money (and if you paint your models, time) on systems that fall by the wayside.

With such a good following for Hordes/Warmachine lately I've spent most of my time using my Trollbloods with a couple of 40k games thrown in to the exclusion of Dystopian Wars. Beccause of this I have considered shelving the Kingdom of Britannia several times, but the one thing keeping them out was that Ben was hosting a Dystopian Wars weekend last weekend meaning that they were kept in 'play'.

Going in to the weekend, I had only had one Naval Battle recently and it hadn't gone well, however having used my Armoured forces lately I was more confident with those.

Over the weekend I lost a couple, drew one and won a couple so was fairly happy and I had learned a lot on how the KoB worked and when to activate each squadron. Consequently the love is back for Her Majesty's Kingdom and I am intending to field them as much as possible.

With a growing group of players at the club I should be able to get a variety of games in.

Finally, a big thank you to Jamey and Ben for putting up with us all over the weekend!

Choosing between the pair I play with.

I've given a lot of attention lately to the new kid on the block, but it isn't just 40k that I play. One of my favourite games is Hordes/Warmachine, and as many of you know I play Trollbloods and in September I intend to take part in the Hull's Angel's Hordes/Warmachine tournement with them, so now I need to decide upon a list, and primarily upon a Warlock.

Now I'm not the greatest player, I've taken my time to get to grips with the system, and in many ways I still am, but I do enjoy the challenge. I've tried out a few of the different Warlocks in the last year and a half, starting with pDoomie (technically pMadrak, but I only had one intro game with him) and whilst I struggled to use him, I think in part that was because of the models I had at the time. I do intend to go back to him eventually, however for now he is travelling Western Immoren grumbling about the new fangled technology that the younger ones are using and how they should concentrate more on killing humans.

After Doomshaper I had a brief attempt with Grissel. Again I didn't have the best troops to make her work properly, but then I stumbled upon Borka (yes there is a kind of pun there).

I enjoy Borka, he's a blunt instrument with a couple of hidden tricks with the right backup. He's got a nice background too, so that helps and I enjoy the randomness he adds when he has a drink. I also enjoy the kind of list that he works with. Rok is probably my favourite Warbeast: what's not to love about a giant snow dwelling Dire Troll that goes crazy at the drop of a hat? I do tend to run him a bit beast heavy with a Mauler and a Winter Troll, so there is the potential to frenzy, but the hope is that won't hinder them too much anyway. I think however I may swap the Mauler for an Axer and see how that fares.

On the other hand, Jarl too has a nice background: the lone highwayman, distrusted and distrustful of even his own kin, the incursion upon his home has forced him to cooperate with the other kriels. Jarl himself plays in a direct manner that Jarl does, however his style is range although he can cope with combat to an extent. He also allows me to field the Impaler which is something that I don't tend to do any more as his Animus can really boost Jarl's pistols making them 16" range. Add to that Magic Bullet and Jarl is a real threat from turn 1! Although I tend to have three beasts in every list, with Jarl I go for two lights rather than two Dires like with Borka. At present I'm using a slag troll to help with Warjacks, though I suspect I'll favour the Storm Troll when he arrives. After that, for the Dire Troll, I've gone back to the Bomber. Again with the Impaler animus it increases his threat range and his ability to throw two bombs a turn can really help thin some numbers against single wound infantry.

The infantry for both lists revolve around the same unit: max Fennblades with the UA. A very solid unit and the models are lovely. After that, for Borka the list is in flux. I'm needing the tuffalos but i think they shall have to wait, consequently I find myself again compromising with what I take.

On the flip side, Jarl's list is more complete. The recent arrival of the min Scattergunner and their UA have really helped and on top of this I do love using the Pyg Burrowers. Janissa is going to make an appearence soon in an attempt to a) add a second magical attack and b) add the ability to throw down a wall if needed. A runebearer will probably be included to make the most of Jarl's fury and a Stone Scribe Chronicler to assist the Fennblades which leaves me 5 points. Initially this is being taken by Scouts, so I shall see how these go.

I think that by virtue of the required models and perhaps a slight edge on the fbackground (currently) It's going to be Jarl that I focus on, though don't tell Borka, he may try and punch me.

Popped my 6th edition cherry!

I had my first game with the new edition against Ben on Saturday night, and we had a really good game!

We decided that we would keep it fairly simple playing Purge the Alien with a Dawn of War deployment but with the use of secondary objectives.

The idea was to get used to the rules as much as focus on the victory conditions, however since we'd need to focus on the secondary objectives going forward we also followed these.

Ben used his Tau which consisted of (I think) 3 Fire Warrior squads (two with Devilfish), 1 Pathfinder squad, 1 large Kroot infiltrator unit, 2 stealth teams, two Hammerheads and was lead by a Commander and retinue with a few drones which Ben kept in reserve.

For my Part I decided to field my Chaos Marines. It has been something of a tradition for me to see in new editions with my Chaos army, so that was a big factor here.

My list consisted of:

• Lash Sorcerer
• 10 Chaos Space Marines w/ Asp Champ w/ Powerfist, Undivided Icon, Plasma gun, Heavy Bolter
• 9 Thousand Sons w/ Sorcerer w/ Doombolt
• 8 Bezerkers w/ Skull champ w/ Powerfist, 2x Plasma pistols. Mounted in a Land Raider w/ extra armour
• 4 Bikers w/ Champion w/ Powerfist, 2x Plasma guns, Icon of Nurgle
• 7 Raptors w/ Asp Champ, Lightning Claws, 2x Flamers, Icon of Slaanesh
• 2 Obliterators
• Defiler w/ extra CCW and Reaper Autocannon

I figured that a varied force would allow me to try and deal with a few different options and I hoped that the biker squad specifically would soak up a fair amount of fire being T6. The
Raptors too would probably take a bit of attention since their aim was to get in combat fast and try and hit first. The rest of the force was essentially taken to try and test possibilities. I'd not really used the cult units in the previous editions - I'd only assembled the Plague Marines prior to 6th ed preparations, so I wanted to trial the Bezerkers and the Thousand Sons.

Finally, I had 100 points left and so I decided to take an Aegis defence line with a Quad Gun. I knew that there weren't going to be any fliers in this game, but I suspected that 4 TL S7 shots would at least irritate any lighter tanks.

Ben took the first turn and I failed to seize the initiative. I shall just note the key points from the battle in order to discuss how it played.

Although there weren't too many successes by Ben in first turn (inevitably) those that he did have were particularly good for him. He immobilised the defiler which really caused me issues as that had been one of my forward forces, thus meaning that I would need to re-think my forward forces. I addition, I lost the my Plasma gun to the CSM squad due to not paying attention to wound allocation. Something that I would suffer from again as Ben took a heavy toll on my Raptors with his rapid firing Kroot meaning that as well as a couple of regular raptors I lost their aspiring champion!

I would retaliate, but first I decided to immobilise my Land Raider on a crater. Great. So the Bezerkers disembarked and got ready to find some blood to spill. The Raptors positioned to make the Kroot burn resulting in a bit of crispy space chicken and the bikes took out a Piranha that was edging Its way towards targeting my Land Raider. Meanwhile, I moved the Undivided squad a few inches out of their deployment zone towards the Aegis Defence line and Quad gun which I had deployed slightly forward so that I didn't use up space within the deployment zone - a position I would leave them in for the rest of the battle albeit that I moved squad members around to make best use of firing positions. I also detached the Sorcerer from the Undivided unit so that I could lash one of the Stealth suit squads into range of the Bezerkers so that despite their ride being stationary, they could get stuck in asap. Ben failed his Deny the Witch roll so I moved the suits a decent 8 inches nearer and between the ksons and the bezerkers I managed to destroy the Drones that Ben was using to cunningly shield his more useful troops in order for the bezerkers to wipe them out in combat, which they duly did.

I took the opportunity to issue a challenge trusting that the other bezerkers could cope with with suits. challenge will play a big part in this edition. If you want to keep alive a character that you think will die to a fist sergeant or that would be better taking on multiple opponents (Lelith for example), then it is now possible to sacrifice a Sgt (or equivalent) of your own by issuing or accepting with him. Perhaps using a Fist armed Skull champion to challenge a Shas'ui was somewhat overkill, but at least I know how it works now.

In turn two, Ben managed to explode my Defiler, reduce the Raptors to three (two flamers and the icon), the Bezerkers down to the Skull Champion and a regular Bezerker and took a couple of models out of the Undivided squad.

In retaliation the Raptors wiped out the Pathfinders inc combat. Meanwhile the Thousand sons shot at a Fire Warrior squad reducing them enough for them to fall back thus saving them from being in charge range (note the 2d6 roll required wouldn't reach them even had I had another d6 and got 6 on all!) Also, the bikes turbo boosted to get further up the board and the Obliterators came down, took a couple of shots at the Ion Cannon Hammerhead, both of which penetrated, but Ben managed to pass both his Jink rolls. Say what you want about vehicles in this edition, but Ben is working those Jink saves! out of the approx 15 that I forced on him by the end of turn three, he failed 5, and three of those were on the Piranha's!

Speaking of Turn three, Ben's Commander appeared with his retinue and killed the Obliterators. It seems to me that the only time my Obliterators survive turn 3 or longer is when they don't deep strike, so I think I shall try that next time. The last two Bezerkers died, though it took a great deal of fire power (two squads I think, one being the re-grouped squad that fled in turn 2). In the end I like to think that they took the equivalent number of shots as Boromir and Willem Dafoe in Platoon before becoming the foundations of a giant brass throne. Finally for Ben this turn, a flamer toting Raptor died.

In retribution for the death of the Bezerkers, the two Raptors finished the recently regrouped fire warriors with flame and steel making it fish and fowl for them in a single battle!
The Bikes targeted the Commander's unit taking out most of the drones which the Thousand Sons then also fired upon removing the remaining Drones and one of the bodyguard retinue. The Bikes then charged and won the combat against the commanders unit, but the unit managed to flee, thus meaning that they would keep safely out of charge range if they regrouped, which they would do.

Turn four saw the last squad of Fire Warriors took out the last of the Raptors, though in truth they had done well. They hadn't quite earned their points back (I don't think) but they had occupied what could have been a devastating attack by the Kroot, not to mention the attention of the Fire Warriors. The bikes also died to the Ion Cannon hammerhead, and again they had soaked a lot of fire power before their demise. It's nice to find a use for these guys as I couldn't get them to work in the last edition. The Thousand Sons also took a pounding and were wiped out. They hadn't quite worked how I had planned, but I think that was misuse rather than their ability. They had helped weaken a few units allowing others to wipe out, so maybe that is the way to use them rather than rely on them being game winners.

I'll write up turn 5 and six together as they are a little hazy. Ben managed to wipe out the Undivided squad in turn 5 leaving just the Sorcerer (who was on one wound) and the Land Raider. I cannot remember now, but I think that the Sorcerer died. Luckily however I managed to kill the last of the Commander's unit including the commander himself as well as the last of the stealth suits.

In the end it was a good close game and I did like the changes to the rules that came in to effect here.

Key points to remember are:

• model placement within the unit, remember to make use of the secondary objectives,
• use your grenades at range (I didn't really cover it much here, but I did make use of throwing the odd Krak grenade at the Piranhas - stupid Jink Saves)
• move skimmers - Jink saves can be a real boon
• remember to state when particular models remain stationary in a moving unit.
• Remember overwatch

Thanks for reading, let me know if there are any questions.

Drax

GNAAAAH! Where's my new rulebook?!

Well, frustratingly I am still awaiting the 6th edition rules to arrive, so whilst you lot (who for the most part ordered their copy at least 8 hours after I did) have been enjoying your new book, I have been trying to occupy myself in between ranting on twitter in impotent rage.

So what have I been doing? Well, I've already honed my KoB Naval and Armoured lists as much as I can without further gaming, so that was out. So instead I have now done the same with my hordes lists:

I've written a 35 point list for Jarl Skuld, Borka Kegslayer, p&eDoomshaper, the same at 50 points and a 100 point two 'Lock list for all combinations of these casters. So that was me sorted until about 3pm yesterday.

I've watched Red Riding Hood, Sucker Punch, all the Resident Evil movies currently on DVD and the same episode of Revenge twice. My Ogre Kingdoms army has been written at 2400 points AND packed away. The Vampire Counts list has been written, printed, packed and placed in my car. I've dragged the Warriors of Chaos to the top of my warchest (yes, I have a chest that I store my miniatures in. It's a 16th century chest so I suspect that wasn't what the carpenter had in mind).

Eventually it occurred to me that sooner or later I'm going to have to focus on a doubles army as currently the plan is to go to the december event. It seems likely that whomever I partner, I shall be paired with Ogre Kingdoms. With this in mind, I began to look at which factions a) I would like to play and b) which army would work well alongside the Ogres.

As a backup, there is obviously the aforementioned Warriors of Chaos. I know them well enough to pick up and play, though I would prefer not to use them.

Beastmen I struggle to work in a form I like (I'd rather not go doombull/ungor spam) and Dwarfs I think would be fun, but I can't ever really summon enough enthusiasm for.

To be fair, It's been the Empire that I've wanted to get to grips with for quite some time and with the doubles force being 1000 points it will give me a solid start to my army.

As said, as I'm expecting Ogres as an ally, The Empire shall add some much needed numbers and with that in mind the first port of call (which it would be anyway) was a nice solid 40 strong halberdier unit with a 20 strong swordsmen detachment. To keep them steady and hitting correctly a captain (with a standard in all likelyhood) and a Warrior Priest shall lead the force. From there I'm still undecided. Initially my thoughts are to supplement my combat block with a few missile units, beginning with Outriders. My thoughts here are that I won't expect them to survive long, but whilst they do, to try and disrupt the enemies initail moves and perhaps whittle some numbers to boot. From there the Empire wouldn't be the Empire without some artillery, so next thoughts are either a Hellstorm or a Hellblaster. There is obviously a Cannon, but the Ogres can bring that, and can do it better to boot. The mortar is a bit here and there for me and the way I see it, if you want templates, go for the rocket.

That leaves about enough space for a cheap Lord or Celestial Hurricanum, which I must say will add to the complimentary magic aspects of the force and may also disrupt the enemy a little.

So thats the initial thoughts on the Empire and what I've been doing to avoid insanity over the weekend. Perhaps next time I write on here I shall be able to speak about 40k properly.

Adaptation

Well, I've not posted in a while for various reasons, but with the impending release of 6th edition Warhammer 40,000 at the end of the month, I have to say that I am looking forward to it.

There seems to have been a degree of disillusion about the new edition. I must admit, I felt the same way when 8th edition fantasy was released, and if I recall correctly, 3rd, 4th and 5th edition 40k. So whats changed with my mindset? I'm a pretty stubborn sod, and I don't react well to change, so why am I so relaxed now when I haven't been at every turn before? I think that the answer must partially lie with 8th ed fantasy.

As it approached I dutifully did what many gamers are now doing: trawling the internet for scraps of information regardless of source as to what I could expect. Looking back now, I think that I had 'given up' on fantasy about a month before it was released and the reason was that I had read abstract information presented in a format that denied the reader the ability to see the 'bigger picture'. A cliche I know, but for a reason. By reading such information on a rumour mill rather than as part of the updated rules it meant that I couldn't understand the context of the new rules set. Sure it may seem odd that fear and terror aren't as powerful now as they were, but does that mean that they are under powered now, or over powered then? Sure a Daemon or a Zombie are scary, but so too is another human running at you with a sharp sword and a determination to survive. The difference is that a soldier is trained to overcome these horrors, and when his own courage fails him, his officers and the standard are there to inspire him to conquer that fear and stand firm against his better judgement.

Another common complaint with 8th edition that unit sizes, in the main, were forced to increase in order to keep up with the changes to the combat rules. People felt that it was unfair how their well honed forces that had done them proud over at least the last two editions with the minimum of fuss between the changes were now required to undergo serious alterations. Yes this can be frustrating, and yes you probably spent hours getting your force just how you wanted it and to have it perform at it's peak efficiency, but what's fun about having all the answers? Sure it means expenditure, and sure Games Workshop are increasing prices, but I've been wargaming nearly 20 years now, as have many of my fellow regular gamers and price rises aren't a new phenomenon and if there is one thing a gamer likes at least as much as a win or achieving a good paint job on a model(s), it is buying something new.

You can't tell me that all the gamers that became despondent at news of bigger sized units and games hadn't previously moaned that they couldn't fit in a particular unit or a few more models within an existing unit.

But I digress. In truth, much of what I have said can be applied to the fears of 6th edition, though I suspect my own reasoning for looking forward to seeing what changes are ahead of us lay away from Games Workshop. Over the last year or two I have for the first time in my gaming career played none GW wargames, namely Hordes/Wamachine by Privateer Press and Dystopian Wars by Spartan Games. Both are very different to 40k and Fantasy, but both are very enjoyable. Essentially both these new systems have forced me to learn an entirely new rules set and in many ways forget how GW has taught me to wargame. Now I won't profess to be a better wargamer for this, indeed I suspect that I now fall under the 'master of none' category as I've not had the opportunity to dedicate myself to one system, however I think what it has taught me is to tolerate a different way of looking at the games I play. For example, for the first time in nearly two decades I am having to really adjust to new and unfamiliar rules sets.

I see no reason why one cannot adopt this approach with new editions of 40k or fantasy. Change can be good as it progresses the game as much as it streamlines it. Yes there will be elements that are unpopular I have no doubt. Experience tells me that I won't realise how unpopular they are with me until an opponent, probably at a tournament, points out that I am trying to play the old rule, not the new one, however with the negatives, there will be positives; not least that the models we use are better than ever and that the community is ever more widespread and supportive. All in all, I think 6th edition Warhammer 40,000 will be one to look forward to.

Circle Army stolen

Guys, I know I haven't posted in a while and sadly this isn't a good post. This post is by a good friend and fellow gamer, Luke who unfortunately suffered a burglary recently. Please read and spread the word within the community. Luke can be contacted at http://splatter-mania.blogspot.co.uk/

Circle Army Stolen

Hi all,

This is an appeal for readers of this blog (and mainly friends from the club) to keep their eyes open for my Circle Orboros army which I had stolen from my house in Hull, East Yorkshire during a burglary on monday night (7th May 2012). It was taken along with a laptop, wallets and my car.

It is most likely that the burglars will throw the models away as it is likely they didn't know what was in the case but if they should surface in any of the second hand model shops or a fellow druid sees these available to buy second hand - Id be so grateful if you could contact me. Id love the chance to recover or buy this army back as I have sunk 100s of hours into painting it and it has been my passion for the last year since I got into WM/H.

The details of what are stolen are below along with some pictures of some of the models.

Brand new KR Multicase KR Transport Bag (Black)
- Containing 2 Cardboard KR Multicases with Blue Foam Trays

KR Multicase Accessory Case (Black)
- Containing
Circle Orboros Faction Dice, Measuring Sticks, Printed out tokens etc.
Custom made 'Hull Warmachine' Dice

Circle Orboros Deck
Hordes Rulebook Softback

[b]Warlocks[/b]
Kromac the Ravenous - both forms (painted)
Kaya the Wildborne (painted)
Krueger the Stormlord (painted)
Baldur the Stonesoul (painted)
Baldur the Stonecleaver (painted)
Morvahna the Autumnblade (painted)

[b]Warbeasts[/b]
Gnarlhorne Satyr (painted)
Warpwolf Stalker (old metal) (painted)
Warpwold Stalker (new resin) (unpainted)
Wold Guardian (painted)
Megalith (painted)
Classic Pureblood Warpwolf (painted)
Woldwyrd (converted to be swimming) (painted)
Woldwyrd (unpainted)
Argus (unpainted)
Argus (unpainted)

[b]Units[/b]
Druids x 6 (painted)
Tharn Ravagers x 4 (painted)
Tharn Ravagers x 4 (painted)
Tharn Ravager Cheiftain (painted)
Tharn Ravager White Mane (painted)
10 x Tharn Blood Trackers (painted)
Nuala the Huntress (painted)
6 Stoneward & Wold Stalkers (painted)
6 Stoneward & Wold Stalkers (painted)
4 Sentry Stone & Mannikins (painted)
Lord of the Feast (painted)
War Wolf (unpainted)
Black Clad Wayfarer (unpainted)
Druid Overseer (unpainted)

Oh Games Workshop, how I hate thee!

Sounds like I'm about to rant about their negatives, doesn't it?

Quite the contrary actually. What I really want is for them to give me a bit more time between releasing the armies I use.

I was going well until the released the Beastmen book at the end of last edition, but as soon as I had completed my new units, the Ogre book was released so I began work on that. Then the Vampire Counts were released so I scambled to get them risen. I'm still awaiting the arrival of some of the units I ordered last month to complete my Kemmler army and now I hear that the Empire are getting re-done, which is awesome, especially seeing some of the new models, but the problem is I keep running just to keep up with army development.

Seriously GW, I've already heard that the Dark Angels are on the way, so if you DARE release Daemons, Wood Elves, Warriors of Chaos or Dwarfs this year, we are going to seriously fall out!!!!

The freshly risen

Well, its been a long weekend but I've finally managed to complete the 50 strong Skeleton unit.

Whether I'll ever field a full 50 unit remains to be seen, but it never hurts to be optimistic about Invocation rolls. Other than that I've also recently built a Terrorgheist and Kemmler and Krell.

Although recently assembled, I have used Krell and Kemmler in an intro game I had with Mart and whilst I kept things basic so the intro game flowed, I was happy with how Krell in particular worked. His Heroic Killing blow is going to be useful against Ogres and other Monstrous Infantry Characters and Champions, however the fact that it is restricted to challenges seems somewhat rubbish.

I've just received Vlad and Isabella as late birthday presents but other than those two, there are only 20 Zombies left to assemble of the Vampire Counts models I already own, which is just as well as May isn't that far off and I have a lot of Blood Angels models to assemble for Chris' Spring wargaming weekend.

I just can't get away from those blood suckers!

Darklands Campaign, Turn 1

I am currently taking part in a campaign based in the Dark Lands with Ben, Sam and Chris and we have just completed the first turn. The campaign is being played using the Blood in the Badlands supplement with a few adjustments.

I am using Vampire Counts and have two armies: One led by the not so magical Abdemanechus, a Vampire Lord, the other led by the Lichmaster himself: Heinrich Kemmler.

My first battle saw Abdemanechus face Ben's 'Archlector' let Empire (I'll provide a bit more info on these at a later date). It wasn't going too badly until the latter stages, but sadly the Flagellents wore down my Ghoul unit and that really swung the battle.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to field the army I really wanted to as I am still waiting for parts of it to arrive, though i think that Ben was in a similar position so i cannot complain too much. Especially since I deployed and used a unit of Hex Wraiths for two turns before realising they weren't in the revised list I'd written!

Because of this I'm quite glad Ben won the battle as I think that their presence changed how he had wanted to deploy and for them to be simply removed meant that part of his army had to readjust its position to be of benefit, so the fact that it didn't stop him winning means he may eventually forgive me. Eventually.

So I'm in need of a win and sharpish! all the others seem to be getting interesting bits and bobs and I want me some of that!

So, I'm behind on the tile claiming and the relics

In absentia mea, ego vigilate te

Well, since my change around on this blog three weeks ago, I've been rather quiet. The reasons for this, simply, are that I don't have enough time! Between work and University, real life and trying to squeeze in some games now and then, I've not had much time left for recreational writing.

That isn't to say that I've not been busy as I have been working on army development! Although it is old news now, the Vampire Counts have had a new book and lots of new miniatures, and as such I have been busy assembling my forces.

It always strikes me as odd that I seem to have sufficient models for a reasonable sized army until the new book arrives, at which point I seem to need to spend weeks assembling basic units all over again, let alone all the new units that get released. However, I am now on my way to a viable force. The goal is to have a Kemmlar army, but to do so shall require a lot of Skeletons, as well as time and funds. Sadly, the Winds of Magic aren't real, and even if they were, I suspect that the Invocation of Nehek wouldn't work on plastic skeletons. So in the meantime the intention is to run a Vampire list including a large unit of Crypt Ghouls to get me used to the army once more and slowly turn it towards the Necromancer list. I have only used the force once since the book came out, and frankly it didn't fare well, though admittedly this was against Ben's own Vampire Counts army. Essentially I lost through a mixture of attrition, terrible luck with magic and a lack of experience, the latter being something that despite it being a force from a new book, I could have mitigated by spending more time using the army when the previous book was in use. Instead I darted from army to army never really giving myself time to become use to it.

So now I have a lot of work ahead to get the army I want assembled, but am eager to get going. In the meantime, however, I shall likely be an irregular poster and may or may not get time to look over your own blogs, but I shall do so eventually!


Take care all.

Brax

Quick note regards the blog

hi guys, just a quick note to let you know that I've changed the blog name and the web address. Other than that I'll still be dodging painting as normal.

Cheers

Weekend of War

I went over the Pennines this weekend, or on to them - unsure to be honest, but regardless, I had a great time at My Friend Sam's house where he hosted our first seasonal event.

On the Saturday we had a Warhammer siege game whereby Chris, Ben and I each used our Ogre Kingdoms armies to take on Sam's Dwarfs. It turned out that Chris had been paid off to betray the other tribes; Something that Ben and I gave Chris plenty of flack over (you were a good sport on that one Chris). As such Ben and I decided to hold our alliance and take on the other two whom aside from being against us, didn't last long as allies. In the end, the record showed a joint victory for Chris and me, however Ben had borne the brunt of Chris' treachery and Sam really did face an uphill struggle to fend off three armies.

We used the Siege rules from the Blood in the Badlands book (which I shall discuss a bit more in depth in a future post) with a few tweaks that Sam tailored to suit (at least Ben and my) armies backgrounds. I really enjoyed the game as it was the first siege I have played and was great fun to take part in!

Today we had a game of Dystopian wars. We once more fought over somewhere hot outside Yorkshire which I'd already suffered a defeat at so wasn't too fussed about especially since the locals couldn't make a proper cup of tea!

Who am I kidding? I fought tooth and nail for this one! I felt that my fleet was a lot stronger than it had been in the last battle - I substituted the cruisers for another unit of Destroyers and took three Doncasters in addition to the scout rotors. In essence I think that the main downside came with the fact that I was forced to face two threats which although I had weakened (and had done so to eachother) at range, once up close I lost the edge against their superior boarding actions, tesla weapons, rockets and above all tactical skill (very unsporting chaps!).

I think that more adjustments are needed to try and find the most effective combinations, but once I feel I have done so, the plan is to assemble a more typical battle fleet.

So all in all, very tiring, but very worthwhile weekend of gaming!

Army background development

I've spoken a lot recently about what armies I am and am not planning to use this year, but I've not really spoken much about the background of the armies I have. In this post I plan to discuss the background of my WFB armies, or some of them at least, and the decisions made in creating them.

For me, having a generic theme typical of the race isn't something to be avoided, but rather to be embraced. Obviously if you have something left field that works, then fair enough, but the Warhammer World works because a lot of effort has gone into making a system filled with goblins, daemons and elves as realistic and coherent as possible, so to have an army that sits well within that is something that to me at least is important. The way i see it, my army is to be a supporting player, not trying to outshine. It is it's deeds that define it, not how outstanding i can make it from the others.

So then, on to a bit about some of my armies!

Warriors of Chaos

Their background is probably the most developed. The tribe was a mixed Norse and Kurgan one led by a follower of Tzeentch, though his tribe containers followers of all the powers. His main rival however is another Tzeentchian Sorcerer lord, Ch'Zeth Cloudstalker, who is currently pursuing his own agenda in the border princes having been cast out of the tribe following the death of  Kalaghar's father as a result of his cowardice, however Ch'Zeth isn't one to write off yet, as his plans are intricate and extensive. the army itself is intended to be inclusive to account for the way a regular tribe may be like - to the Norse and the Kurgan, the gods appeal in equal measure and should be honoured as such. as such although the army is heavily Tzeentch themed, to reflect the influence of the tribal leader, other aspects of the army

Empire

Although the army is yet o be assembled, I've decided to base them in Nordland. The reasons being that I loved the idea of the early stages of Warhammer Age of Reckoning and the idea that the army is constantly under threat of invasion from both sea and their own forests. In keeping with the AoR theme I've decided upon taking a reasonable sized unit of Knights of the Blazing Sun. The idea of them however is to be an inland force, the second wave of defence, meaning that there are fewer sea themed references, but still distinctly Nordland. I liked the idea of them being on a major trade route and being a way point force responsible for being a safe overnight spot for trade caravans as well as being a muster point for any required counter attacks. for that reason, the force is comprised of career soldiers rather than local nobility and their levies.

Ogres

Now I'm struggling with these boys. I don't really want them to be wandering, but i want something other than other Ogres to be their main opponent (whats the point in stomp if you can't use it?) for now I'm still working on this, and shall have to leave this one at the minute.

Beastmen

Another one I'm struggling with - I was planning to place them in Averland to go against Ben's Empire, but i do like Malagor who is a Drakwold character. i had considered, since i don't use Malagor all the time, that he may travel from time to time to further his plans, but I'm unsure. Its a fair trek from the Drakwold to Averland, even with wings! but at the moment, if i place my Beastmen in the Drakwold, unless a Middenland force rocks up, the best suited enemy for my Beastmen are my own empire!

Dwarfs

another reasonably well developed army here. My army hail from Khazid Rhynn, which is not a fully fledged hold. their main source of income is from the rich iron ore veins in the area, which have largely been ignored as they are both on a limb for the Dwarfs and also because Iron doesn't have quite the kudos that Gromril has. links have been well established with both the O'Dubhda clan and the Brunnisson clan, and whilst there are no specific enemies yet, they are ideally placed to be under threat by many of the forces of destruction

Vampire Counts

these guys have proven difficult to pin down for me. All things considered, they are a relatively new army in their own right and as such have undergone some significant revisions to their fluff over the last couple of books. sure they still come from Nagash, and the von Carsteins are still and always have been the poster boys, but GW have altered the bloodlines subtely but importantly a few times, and it seems to be that the new book will do so again. I've always loved the von Carsteins, and i have developed a story for one particular vampire: Klaus von Carstein. Nobody seems to know where Klaus came from as he has no clear sire. It is suggested that he is one of Vlad's first gets that somehow kept, or was kept out of the light (so to speak). He has emerged now however, and at least for now has pledged allegiance to a suspicious Mannfred.

I have also developed some background for a Necrarch vampire named Abdemanechus who is rising in power in recent years. He has sent out his agents to seek artifacts of power which he intends to use to bring the mortal realm to it's destruction, a feat that would make him a god. Clearly this vampire lacks lucidity!

So that's the majority of my armies! i do have others, but since none are on the radar at the moment, I've not really given much thought to them. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas, let me know!

I have been somewhat distracted of late...

I have seriously been considering re-naming this blog "The Nation of Procrasti"

Let me know what you think.

Anyway, just a quick one to show you what I've been doing rather than start painting the Dark Eldar for doubles: