First 40k Game in a Long, Long time

Its like Going Back to a Girlfriend You Know is Bad News...

As the title says, I played my first 40k game in a long time. Why go back to 40k, you ask? Because I have been in contact with a small group of gamers in Colombo, Sri Lanka - and they play 40k. No Warmahordes there yet, but when I arrive, rest assured I shall introduce them. Until then, I'm tenatatively excited about the prospect of playing with some expat Brits and local Lankans at their chosen 40k.

Just When I Think I'm Out...

To get into the swing of things again, I dusted off my love for the Deathwing and took them for an outing. I faced an IG Cadian army, heavy on the infantry, but with a respectable amount of support. 1500 points. Assault (kill the dudes, nothing fancy).

The Game went well. I was lucky that I faced an infantry-heavy army and had each of my 3 5-man squads with Assault Canons. The others had Cyclones. I also fielded two Dreads with TL AutoCannons and Missile launchers (anti-armor). Belial was in the army, under a standard configuration. That was about it. I wanted at least one Land Raider, but couldnt fit it.

Andy, my buddy and opponent, walked me through the rules and fielded a large IG force. His core was twho IG regiments, with lost of meltas. He had 3 Heavy Weapon squads with 2 Lascannons and one Autocannon. He used one Vet squad with meltas. His vehicles were one chimera (for the vets), one Valyrie, and 2 Leman Russes.

***

The battle wne to the Deathwing, but it was tight throughout. Those 2+ saves kept me in the game, but as expected, each loss of a single termie was devastating. The Deadnaughts were golden, being my most reliable anti-armor (each took out a Leman Russ). Late game things got dicey as the chimera came in on the side I was winning, and I suddenly found out how hard it can be to even crack relatively light armor with the Deathwing. Yeesh.

I knew going into it that Deathwing and Dark Angels have an old codex and even with the Dec 2010 Errata, arent elite like the damned Blood Angels or newer Grey Knights. Still, dropping 20+ terminators with Dread support in a 1500 point game is satisfying.

Something I learned:

If you are going to field a Deathwing army, take equal parts Assault Cannons and Cyclones. They are what is going to carry you through the game. ACs are particularly nasty. Additionally, the TL Autocannon w/ Missile Launcher on a venerable Dread is a good build. It helps make up for the anti-armor deficiencies of a small DW army.

Any Game You Walk Away From...

Overall, a good game and a nice (re)introduction into Warhammer 40k. Its been said before, but 40k plays much differently that Warmahordes and getting some time with my Khador last night accentuated the differences.

As someone once said; the GW games are made by a miniature company who attached rules to their models. The PP games are made by gamers who added good-looking minis to their game. Different philosophies - and knowing what they are and what to expect from a game makes all the difference.

"Know what you are getting into," I always... er... sometimes say.

My Viewership in Far-Flung Places

Due to the nature of my work and life, I pay attention to minutiae about countries a bit more than most, I think. In managing this little blog, I tend to watch what days get the most hits, what topics prompt the most visitors... that sort of thing. On a good day I see a spike of about 20 viewers- usually from:

- the U.S. (about 80% of my viewership),

- Canada (love you guys),

- the UK (say "hi" to Kate Middleton for me),

... and fewer but regular hits from:

- Australia (thanks NFB, I know its you),

- New Zealand (way better than old zealand),

- Germany (Koln is one of my favorite cities)

- Scandanavia (mostly Sweden)

- S. Africa (great rugby)

- China (knows how to build a hell of a wall)

.... and then there are the odd ones.

- Iran. I've seen someone(s) from Iran pop in at least a couple times a week. I really hope its a wargamer that, like me, gets stuck in odd places and has to go out of their way to get some gaming in. I cant imagine how it would be to game in Iran - I hear its actually a nice place to live and has a vibrant, if underground, young population. I like to think that Vir Triumphalis is an outlet for some 20-ish gamer who has to struggle to get a couple games. I like that image a lot better than the idea some Iranian intel dude is stuck having to read my blog and try to decipher what the hell I am talking about.

- Russia. I get a lot of viewership from Russia. Okay, not "a lot" but about 10 hits per month of so. Thats statistically significant and usually on par for places like New Zealand and South Africa. I've traced some of the origin pages and its definitely in Cyrillic - and looks to be Russian gaming forums and clubs. Thats very cool. If you are one of my Russian viewers (or the Russian viewer) I say, На здоровье!

- N. Korea. Yup, it hasn't happened recently but for a while there I would get a couple hits a month from N. Korea of all places. Huh. Maybe Kim Jong Il likes himself some Trollbloods and skypes with his buddies while playing Dark Heresy.

Or Maybe not.

***

If you are popping in to this post, and have the time and wherewithall, leave a comment and let me know where you are from - especially if you are from outside the U.S..

Back in Texas, Prepping for GenCon

Life Gets in the Way of Gaming. News at 11.

Its been a long, strange journey. The reason for my tardy update of this blog was simply due to the untimely death of my father. We were on our way out of Gabon when I was told about his death. Luckily, the embassy was amazingly supportive across the board and helped get me and my family out the door and home as soon as possible. From there, its been a whirlwind of training, consultations, and family stuff. Only now am I getting home to Texas to enjoy some R&R - and finalize the crap with my father's estate (anyone wanna buy a plane? No?)

What Not to Wear... err... Lose.

What has the last 3+ weeks taught me? Stuff NOT to forget if you are gaming on the go.

1) If you play Warmachine, dont, for gawd's sake, forget your faction cards! I just had to rebuy my faction cards because its damn hard to play the game without them. They are small and portable and you should have no excuse not to bring them. Faction decks are surprisingly hard to find in LGSs.

2) Rulebooks. This isn't a biggie, but having the core rulebook of your game system should be important. If you forget it or intentionally leave it behind, you can rebuy it. But seriously, who wants two core rulebooks?

3) Templates. Again, small and portable and surprisingly hard to find quickly.


You might think I would say "dice" but unless you are freaky about the hoodoo associated with your particular dice, they are easy and cheap to rebuy. Plus, having more dice is always nice.

What to Bring to GenCon?

I've got a dilemma. What Warmachine models do I bring to GenCon?

think, think, think

Of course, part of it will depend on the format we choose for our tourney. We decided to do our mini-tourney on Friday night - but now I got to think about which models I should bring. As much as I want, I cant bring them all. I am NOT going to bring my full Privateer Press bag, but do have a smaller one that will handle, at best, a third of my army.

So, I got to think which Warcasters. Always start with the Warcaster. I'm thinking Sorcha, Vlad, Strak... and one of either Karchev or the Butcher.

From there, I'll have to pick the units and 'jacks that are the most versatile. I like Doomreavers, so I am pretty sure I will bring them. I like my magnetized Khador 'jack frame, so I will probably bring at least one (I have three) as well as all its arm options. Widowmakers will come.

After that? I really want to bring Behemoth and Beast 09 - but they are heavy and irregularly shaped making it hard to fit them. Bringing Behemoth might mean I have to sacrifice other models. So, is Behemoth (and/or Beast) versatile enough to justify the space they take?

Not sure. I'm open to opinions and suggestions.

Moving Armies Part 3: A Look At Battlefoam's Custom Foam

Foam Fer Everyone!

So, lets talk about Battlefoam's custom foam-maker-thingy...

Seems ready for Indy already!

Why Do Such a Thing?

In anticipation for the upcoming move from Gabon to Sri Lanka - which will involve a stop over in Dallas and Indianapolis (for GenCon '11) - I thought I could use some specialized foam to protect the bigger and irregularly-shaped pieces of my Warmachine army. As you may or may not know, I've been very happy with Battlefoam as of late (see the other posts in this series). Battlefoam's bags and foam are top notch and exactly what I am looking for in terms of durability and portability.

A comparison of the standard and custom.

So, it was only natural I utilize their signature custom foam designer. This was precipitated largely because, while the standard Warmachine foam inserts are solid, they arent large enough to comfortably hold odd/large models. Behemoth and mounted Fenris are the too worst offenders. If I am to bring them to Dallas and Indy to play a slew of Warmachine, I thought having a special foam insert for them would be the best idea.

Peek-a-Boo!

The Basics:

I used a 4'' deep piece of custom foam. The idea was to make sure the really odd moels would fit. Looking at the picture beblow, you can see mounted Fenris (in the fore) and the Behemoth (behind) - they fit pretty nice. Fenris will need to go on his side, but the Behemoth fits wonderfully with a topper covering that last little bit. I chose to put them all upright because I like having only the base touching the foam... its probably illogibal, but I feel better knowing that they arent rolling around on their sides. Plus, all the standard Battlefoam trays have the models lay on their sides, I wanted to see if an insert could be made that is both useful and allows the models to stand upright.

The Template I used

The template designer was easy to use. You play with their program on line, drop some geometry on some simulated foam, and you are good to go. In my case, I was looking mostly for a handful of large slots to hold a couple large figures, so the other stuff I added in was mostly just extra. That said, I could have done a better job utilizing the extra space. The little 1'' circles I thought would be a nice snug fit for tall models like the Thrall Warrior (with his big ass sword) or the Iron Fang standard bearer. Unfortunately, the little circle is too snug, and with a deep foam insert like I bought, it would literally pull the figure from the base if I put him all the way in there. So, those 1'' slots are going to be used for dice or holding magetized arms of 'jacks.

A general rule of thumb if I were to do this again (and I will) is add AT LEAST 1/2'' to the size you think would be appropriate. Another 1/2'' wouldnt be unreasonable either. The foam is cut with precision and the usual high standards are maintained on the custom foam.

If you are worried the custom foam wont be as sturdy or reliable as the standard stuff, as long as you dont go crazy and put too many slots (and degrade the integrity) - you will be fine.

Snug in their beds.

So, the above pic is my tentative layout. Upper left is Beast. Upper right is the Behemoth. The other larger circles are all magnetized plastic Khador jacks with their arms removed. Fenris, obviously, is in the middle. In the medium circle on the bottom right is a Thrall Warrior. Above him is the IFP Standard Bearer. Overall, things fit nicely (excpeting those little holes, which I note above).

I do plan to do a little cutting of my own. If I remove a little foam between the prongs of the "x" in some of the slots, I can fit other irregularly shaped jacks like Drago and Beast. The other problem children are those damned plastic Detroyers and Juggernauts in the new box set. They are very wide and wont fit in anything short of those big circles or the big square. I have access to Juggeys and Destroyers through the magnetized 'jacks, so my motivation to find room for these guys is pretty low.

Another pic of the foam compared to a normal Warmachine troop tray.

I am happy with the X-circles. That extra room fits some of the weapons that hang akwardly off some of the larger models and 'jacks, and will provide a useful spot to start when I make my own cuts. The X-circles also come filled with their own foam, adding to their utility (and the overall stability of the insert). I can cut those fillers as I see fit as well us use them to provide a more base (for foam stacked on top) when not in use.

Lessons Learned:

- When you plan out the foam with the designer, always add at least 1/4'' for each model that is standing upright.

- Those little 1'' circles are pretty much useless.

- Dont be afraid to cut the foam you just customized to accomodate the really odd models.

- 4'' deep foam is deep enough for everyone but mounted Fenris standing upright and Behemoth.

- Really, just because its driving my nuts, the plastic Destroyer and Juggernaut from the battleforce box set are annoyingly large and wide. If you want to find them a nice home using the custom foam designer, go with the really largle slots. Ugh.

P.S.:

Oh! If you look closely at the pics in this Blog you will get a hint of the topic of "Moving Armies Part 4: Bigger Than a Breadbasket" (any guesses?)

GenCon '11: Event Reg

Event registration for GenCon '11 has come and gone. Now, the real planning begins.

What to say about registration? It could have gone better - but it wasn't a complete waste. GenCon LLC has instituted a new "wishlist" system which I am still on the fence about. basically, you go through all the various events, rank them, and then when reg begins, you submit your list and hope that you beat out all comers. There were three of us that I know from my group that submitted our wish lists within half a second of event registration opening and we all ended up with more than 1,000 people "in line" before us. Really? 1/2 a second and I'm 1322? My buddy, Brad, was right behind me at 1350 and Eric, my other buddy in Europe was 990-something.

On one hand, this new system makes it a lot less stressful and allows for some planning ahead of time. In this case, my buddies and I worked on getting one of the TerrorWerks live action games thinking it would be great fun to do as a group. Alas, it was not to be. We had two of us working in coordination (across Skype) and still couldn't come up with an opportunity to get us all in the same slot. Within two minutes almost all of the blocks for TerrorWerks were sold out. Dammit.

Worse yet, even one of the seminars was sold out. I've never, ever seen a seminar sold out on the first day... much less the first five minutes. I've been to seminars by the same group and while they are popular - they have never been that popular. The only real change is the new wishlist system, so I blame it for me losing out on a bunch of events.

In the past, when registration opened, you logged on and we all raced to get each event one-at-a-time. maybe because I had better success with that system is the reason I like it better. This new wishlist system left me incapable of prioritizing on the fly. It got even more complicated when I was trying to buy tickets for multiple people - if even one had a conflicting event then you couldn't get tickets for all of them. Suck. So, all those extra events I signed up for because they simply looked interesting made it so the few opportunities I had to nab the TerrorWerks events. Boo!

In the past, if you had a a buddy with a conflicting event, it took a couple seconds (as long as a page reload) to drop that particular event and look for another or drop your buddy from the event. Now? With the new system you had to put it into your wishlist, reload, and wait in line for the computer to tell you that one of your buddies had a conflicting event - and in the mean time someone else grabbed the last good spot.

I dislike this new system for a couple reasons:

1) The guy that gets lucky and has his wishlist in first gets ALL of his games. In the other format, that (fictional) guy and me were competing at the same time, so he got some and I got some. In this case, because I was milliseconds late I got left in the cold.

2) Its nigh impossible to buy tickets for a group due to the mutual block-outs that occur due to scheduling conflicts. The added wait time of the wish-list aggravates an already existing problem.

3) I really dislike picking an event after registration has opened just to have to wait a minute or more for the computer to tell me there is a conflict. Event registration is a competitive environment, and having to sit on my hands sucks.

***

So, this year it looks like I am foregoing gaming in official events and focusing on the auction, loot room, seminars, and gaming with my buddies. Honestly, thats the way it usually ends up... so its not a total loss.

92 days to go (or so the countdown times on the GenCon page tells me).

The Rifles Win the Cup!

Its a Statistical Fact: I rule!

Long story short - I won my fantasy Hockey League for the first time since I joined the league four years ago. Go me. This reunites the regular season trophy and the overall championship trophy under my sage stewardship. I'm really quite please with this result - not only for the trophies - but because I really like the guys that play in this league and consider them good opponents.

A little piece of advice for you budding fantasy players out there. Dont sweat the draft. If your team looks exactly the same coming out of the regular season as it did going in, you did something wrong. No matter what fantasy sport you play, its all about the Waiver Wire. Play your hunches on the waiver wire, not the draft, and you should do just fine.

Did I mention, "Go me?" Yeah, Go Me!

Now, if the Stars could win out and actually make the playoffs...