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
Friday, 20 January 2012
Sunday, 15 January 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, 8 January 2012
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!
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!
Monday, 2 January 2012
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:
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:
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Post Christmas spread
Greetings all! Hope you all had a good holiday of choice and if you are from a present receiving denomination that you got all you hoped for. I for one have had a good Christmas, and whilst gaming related presents were low in numbers, I got a few bits I wanted for my Trollbloods, which I am very happy with!
Now, in my last entry I spoke about my decision whether to use Vampires or Beastmen for my alternate WFB army, and as I'm sure most of you have seen by now, the new Vampire Counts book and a range of delicious new miniatures are being released mid January. Obviously this has swung the balance in their favour ousting the Beastmen from the running, and now means that I have dug (get it?) out some of my VC models, which still require assembly.
For now I am holding off making decisions on which of the new units to purchase. I mentioned in my last post my Necrarch Vampire, Abdemanechus. I love the idea of him, but it seems that inevitably GW are focussing on the von Carsteins, which I have also always been drawn to, so for now I think it prudent to see what the book entails and decide from there!
In terms of the Ogre Kingdoms, I began assembling the Stonehorn/Thundertusk last night and it is currently at the point where the generic pieces are now fully assembled and the next step is to begin assembly as one of the variants. Trouble is, at the moment I'm struggling to decide on which one - whilst I like the look and idea of the Thundertusk, I can't help but love the Stonehorn too, and so am torn. I've asked the Whyf and she prefers the Thundertusk, but who knows which one I shall ultimately make, at least first as I've already decided that I'll definitely be getting a second kit!!!
The Dark Eldar have hit a lull at the moment: I'm still waiting for a couple of the models for our initial list to arrive so that they can be assembled, and due to the break, I've had no time whatsoever to even pretend that I'm going to paint them, but time draws onward and sooner or later I shall have to begin them!
In the meantime I'll occupy myself with all the shiny new toys I have!
Have a great New Year guys!
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Plans
Ernst Leichtanzer cast about frantically, searching for anything that would help. His master, the Great Abdemanechus had charged Leichtanzer with securing favour with the gods for the new year so that the venerable old Vampire may once more stalk the lands in search of prey and power. Three things were known to Leichtanzer: The sons of Tchar had fallen from favour and had been consigned to something called The Cudbord, a Tribe from the Ogre Kingdoms had secured their place and were growing stronger daily and that there was one more place of favour which Leichtanzer must secure for his master ahead of the twisted Beasts of the forests. Time was of the essence as both expected reinforcements resulting from an arcane ceremony celebrated by one of the gods that Abdemanechus referred to as Krismoss. Truly these gods were strange! Not least as they seemed to be different aspects of one god on current whims. Abdemanechus spoke of these gods are turning their gaze once more upon the Old World, though he spoke too of other worlds: one, strangest of all with creatures encased in armour of Blood vying for attention against strange elven beings that sought only torment, all the while as giant bone coloured warriors looked on lamenting their former standing. Another, similar in many respects to the Old World where a Tribe of strange blue skinned creatures led by powerful warlocks strode forth proud in the knowledge they had no rivals for the god's affections. The last world was one mainly of sea, though it was a neglected world. Upon it strange ships of iron (as if such a thing would be possible!) did battle in the name of their queen, one named Vectroria. Strange as these seemed, Leichtanzer could not help but feel that he must be wary lest they catch the eyes of these gods more often!
Well, another year nearly gone and this one really went fast! Its now time for my annual short listing of future projects that I won't get finished, and to begin with it's Warhammer! The release of the Ogre Kingdoms book has reinvigorated my interest in fantasy and I've enjoyed the few games I've had with them despite losing all but one, which was a very enjoyable draw. The idea is to focus on the Ogres as a main army but to have a second army available to use to add variety especially when facing the same opponents. I've decided once and for all to store away the Warriors of Chaos for now and so the choices that attract me the most are Beastmen and Vampire Counts. I think therefore I shall have a few games with each in the New Year to see which appeals more.
For 40k, much like the Warriors of Chaos in Fantasy, I've grown tired of the Deathwing so have decided to place them in storage for a while and work on something new. The Blood Angels had initially caught my eye, but recent decisions for Doubles have meant that the Dark Eldar that have been clogging up my cupboard are now finally being assembled, and consequently will need painting meaning that I may actually have a second army (half) painted by the end of February!
In terms of Hordes and Dystopian Wars, I'm due to get a few bits from each so its more of the same on those fronts, which is fine as I enjoy both!
So, that are my plans, but what is in the pipeline for you guys in the coming year?
If I don’t see or speak to you beforehand guys, have yourself a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
God bless!
Well, another year nearly gone and this one really went fast! Its now time for my annual short listing of future projects that I won't get finished, and to begin with it's Warhammer! The release of the Ogre Kingdoms book has reinvigorated my interest in fantasy and I've enjoyed the few games I've had with them despite losing all but one, which was a very enjoyable draw. The idea is to focus on the Ogres as a main army but to have a second army available to use to add variety especially when facing the same opponents. I've decided once and for all to store away the Warriors of Chaos for now and so the choices that attract me the most are Beastmen and Vampire Counts. I think therefore I shall have a few games with each in the New Year to see which appeals more.
For 40k, much like the Warriors of Chaos in Fantasy, I've grown tired of the Deathwing so have decided to place them in storage for a while and work on something new. The Blood Angels had initially caught my eye, but recent decisions for Doubles have meant that the Dark Eldar that have been clogging up my cupboard are now finally being assembled, and consequently will need painting meaning that I may actually have a second army (half) painted by the end of February!
In terms of Hordes and Dystopian Wars, I'm due to get a few bits from each so its more of the same on those fronts, which is fine as I enjoy both!
So, that are my plans, but what is in the pipeline for you guys in the coming year?
If I don’t see or speak to you beforehand guys, have yourself a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
God bless!
Thursday, 8 December 2011
quiet time
Not a pretty sight that photo is it? It was taken at the Planetary Empires at the end of last month.
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