Weekend Update: September 26th, 2011

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending an invitational 40K tournament at All Fun in Games in Apex, North Carolina.  Since I hadn't played 40K in a while, and it was a 2,000 point tournament, I dusted off the most fun things I have in my army.  I only brought the units that I have painted, rather than bring an unpainted army, as I was going just to have fun and not to worry about competition. 

I ran Shrike and Lysander supported by Lightning Claw Terminators and some medium firepower.  I love running Shrike and Lysander so that I can make Lystander fleet, and not only were they a lot of fun to play, but they ended up winning me the tournament!  Of course, this means I get to run the tournament next year, but I think I'll enjoy that as well, and since I've been running other tournaments off and on for three or four years now, the idea isn't a stress.

Other than that, I did some more work on my Spellweaver, and hope to have her ready as my first Tale of Painters entry for next month.  I'm leaving for the Southern Assault GT this coming weekend, so I need to get any painting I'm going to do out of the way before going. 

Blood Angels First Tactical Squad: Meltas

I've always been a fan of the melta gun, and nobody will tell you these days that they aren't great for 40K, what with the Mega Mech Madness (patent pending) going down on every table.  I ordered up some of the melta bits packs from ol' GW a while back, so I can promise that the Blood Angels won't lack in this department.

The temptation with an army like the Blood Angels or Space Wolves is to name every model, to give each one a saga or story.  I like that a lot.  They're a little more flavorful, at least to my mind, than my Imperial Fists (an exercise in painting yellow) and my Raven Guard (my first army...okay, I like them a lot too).  I was initially attracted to Space Marines way back when because of the idea of big giant armored guys crashing into the enemy lines, guns blazing and swords hacking, and because of variations like the Wolves and Angels I've never been tempted to leave.  Sure, some people will say that's a bad thing, but I've know what armies I liked in 40K for years and years.

Pedro Kantor, Now in Imperial Fist Flavor

What would Imperial Fist be, if it was a flavor?  Something sour, I think, and probably smokey.

Anyway, I know that there's always going to be a great debate out there as to Space Marine special characters and whether or not you should use them in armies that are not their own Chapter.  While I love the 40K fluff, I'm perfectly willing to blur the special character line a bit.  Vulcan in the Ultramarines is a little tricky, but I figure ol' Pedro here is a Imperial Fist successor, and fits their shooty playstyle.  I'm also going to get around to painting a Telion for my Raven Guard sometime, since they are the super scout chapter and he's the super scout guy.  And Chronus...if he ever gets into my army, it's going to be as an Iron Hand.

Pedro actually marks a big day for me, however.  He's my last Imperial Fist Space Marine.  The army, which pushes around 2,500 points, is finished up, and will now sit in the cabinet between friendlies and tournaments.  Now that my Raven Guard and Imperial Fists are finished, it's time to head for Wolf and Angel country.

Who Knew? 40K Can Be Fun!

It's been a long time since I got a game of 40K in.  I've been playing Fantasy, and a bit of Malifaux, exclusively for over a year now.  The other night, Ian and Bart and I played a goofy, fun bit of 40K, and I had a blast.  I think the difference may be in the way I approached the game. 

Back when I was playing 40K a lot, I was working to win every single game.  I wanted to smash faces and win tactically every time.  I also wanted to play my Raven Guard and Imperial Fists like they played in the fluff, as killing machines that knew no equal.  I got pretty good, and had some tournament wins, but was unhappy that I couldn't really play my marines aggressively and win.  I had to focus on long and medium range firepower in order to use them effectively, and it wasn't something I enjoyed.  I wanted to make heroic strikes at my opponent, to get in his face and smash him up for the Emperor!  Basically, I loved the SM fluff, but was playing the wrong army on the tabletop. 

Fast forward to yesterday, and I've still got the same army.  But I haven't played tournaments for a while, and I'm not worried about being competitive.  It was a great almost "beer and pretzels" feeling yesterday to play, and to just do things the way I wanted, and damn the consequences.  I used Lysander like the tank he is, punting vehicles and harlequins around, and even when I was down to one wound, I still charged an incoming group of Terminators. 

So hey, maybe there'll be a little more 40K play around here.  As long as I can keep it fun and light, I think it's a great game for me.  And soon, perhaps I'll paint up some Space Wolves and Blood Angels, and have marines that will actually fit an aggressive play style competitively.  Could be good times!

Painting Easy, Good Looking Black

This is Scout Sergeant Asad of the Raven Guard.  When I played a lot more 40K, this was the one guy who would always perform crazy feets of dicemanship.  He killed Abaddon once, stabbed a Hive Tyrant to death, and in one game alone killed two squads of three Obliterators after the rest of his squad was wiped out, and then blew up a Chaos Land Raider for good measure.  He's blindfolded in order to give the enemy a chance.

Anyway...

When I was first painting, painting a decent black was something that was a real challenge, and it was one of the first challenges that I wanted to work on as a painter.  I like to paint efficiently and actually finish painted armies to play the game with,  so this isn't an eighteen step method for 'Eavy Metal, but it works really nicely for me.  So, here are the steps:

1.  Prime Black.
2.  Base Coat with Charadon Granite.
3.  Generally highlight with Adeptus Battlegrey.
4.  Extreme highlight with Astronomicon Grey.
5.  Wash with Badab Black to mute the higher greys. 
6.  Pick out the details!

You can get a nice looking batch of models done this way, and do so in good time.  It's a simple technique, but it will get your plastic and primed models painted for the table, and that means that like Sergeant Asad, they'll perform a heck of a lot better!

Forge World Raven Guard

Raven Guard were my first SM army, my first completely painted SM force, and are still the coolest chapter, in my very humble opinion.  I am so very excited to see the first of the new Raven Guard stuff from Forge World, which (once it comes out), I'll be picking up along with the Raven Guard Dread.  I love this new Captain model!

Sick Day

Yuck!  I try to update seriously every weekday, but I'm just falling down sick at the moment and am not going to be able to dig through the Beast book today with any real thought.  For those dying for something to read, I present to you:

Ron's awesome Shrike conversion WiP via From the Warp:  http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2010/02/shrike-conversion-part-1.html

The latest Ogre Kingdoms rumors from Drinkin' and Modelin':  http://drinkinandmodelin.blogspot.com/2010/02/ogre-kingdoms-new-army-book-rumors-part.html

See you tomorrow!

An Interview with You, the Wargamer

I love reading the stories that people have about wargaming...what it means to them, how they got started, things like that.  I started a thread over at Librarium Online for people to contribute their stories, and thought it'd be fun for people to do so here or there.  I came up with some basic questions to get people started, and hopefully I'll have some great responses.  Here we go!

1. Name (or username) and location.

2. How did you get started in wargaming?

3. Are you primarily a gamer, or more into painting and modelling, or perhaps both equally?

4. Which games do you play? What is your primary game?

5. Tell us about your greatest and / or proudest achievement in the hobby.

6. What is your favorite model? What's your best painted or converted model?

7. Do you play more on a casual level, or in tournaments?

8. What are the best and worst experiences you've had in gaming?

9. What are some wargaming websites that you really like?

10. What should we know about you as a wargamer?

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I'll start.

1. Name (or username) and location.

Ben T. (Tekore on most forums). Durham, NC

2. How did you get started in wargaming?

I got sick a few years ago, and was looking for a relaxing, low stress hobby. Painting army men sounded like fun, and soon I was hooked! I remember seeing the cover of the Bretonnian book from Warhammer Fantasy in a storefront, and thinking that I really liked the look of the Knights...one thing led to another, and I've never regretted a thing!

3. Are you primarily a gamer, or more into painting and modelling, or perhaps both equally?

I got into the hobby to paint and model, but I have grown to enjoy playing games as well, and do so quite successfully. If forced to choose, I suppose I'd go with painting, but only by a bit. I think I'm a good all around wargamer.

4. Which games do you play? What is your primary game? What armies do you have?

I have armies for Warhammer 40K, Warhammer Fantasy, Hordes, and Warmachine. WFB, however, is my main game. I get a few games of 40K in a year, and very little of the Privateer Press games.

My armies are:
Warmachine - Khador
Hordes - Trollbloods
40K - Raven Guard, Imperial Fists
Fantasy - Bretonnians, Dark Elves, Beastmen

5. Tell us about your greatest and / or proudest achievement in the hobby.

Wow. Finishing a fully painted Raven Guard army was a big moment for me, and my Dark Elves are looking pretty good as well. On the gaming side, any tournament where I get top sportsmanship and painting scores makes me pretty proud.

I also run a Fantasy tournament each year in Durham, NC, called Grail Quest. It's at www.thebigbluewaaagh.com/grailquest. It's been a big success, and is something I'm proud of.

6. What is your favorite model? What's your best painted or converted model?

My favorite model is the Harbinger of Menoth from Privateer Press. I've owned it for years, and haven't had the nerve to paint it yet. The painted models that I'm most proud of are my Dark Elf army, as I managed a unique and good looking paint scheme universally across a large army.

7. Do you play more on a casual level, or in tournaments?

I'm very much a tournament player, as those are the events I'm best able to schedule around my work, as compared to weekday night games. I also enjoy playing to the best of my ability and challenging myself.

8. What are the best and worst experiences you've had in gaming?

Best - I think the best experiences I've had in games are those cinematic moments that come from throwing caution to the wind, like a lowly Scout Sergeant charging and killing Abaddon in close combat. The greatest thing I've gotten from the hobby are the people I've gotten to know, near and far, through the game.

Worst - Rude and unfriendly gamers ruin my experience. I've had a few just outright hostile opponents, especially in tournaments, and they can really flush my day. However, I've found that these folks tend to work themselves out of the scene, so it's worked out in the long run.

9. What are some wargaming websites that you really like?

One of the first sites I came across, and one of my absolute favorites, is Librarium Online. It's friendly and helpful. I'm also a regular reader of Warseer, although I don't post there much. I have my own blog, The Quiet Limit of the World, at quietlimit.blogspot.com. Also, a great site for the North Carolina and surround community is http://www.thebigbluewaaagh.com/.

10. What should we know about you as a wargamer?

I'm a perfectionist with my own play, but I think the most important thing in a game is for both players to have a great time. I'm constantly friendly and cracking jokes at the table, or at least I try to be that way. I'll almost always give you the benefit of the doubt.

Happy New Year (Plus some Pesky Resolutions)

First, for those who haven't seen it, one of the funniest Warhammer videos ever produced:


My Dark Elf army is the greatest power for evil! from Flyweight Films on Vimeo.

Here's what I accomplished last year:

- Eleven local WFB tournament first place finishes, one second place finish, and one third place finish.
- One local 40K third place finish.
- Expanded my tournament visits to Fayetteville, High Point, and Charlotte, NC.
- Finished painting my 3,000 point Raven Guard Army, 500 points of Trollbloods, and on 4,000 points of Bretonnians.
 - Started painting 3,000 points of Imperial Fists, 1000 points of Trollbloods, 1000 points of Khador, and 5,000-6,000 points of Dark Elves.
- Administered Tale of Painters of Librarium Online.
- Started this Blog.

And my resolutions for next year:

-  Get into some Warhammer Fantasy GT's.  Specifically, I'm thinking Brawler Bash III in Raleigh, NC, and Battle on Beale in Memphis, TN.
- Finish the above painting projects.
- Start my Beastmen army and work on painting it throughout the year.
- More magnetizing!
- Compete in the NC Master's Rankings.  

Cheers!

What Helps You Pick Your Army?

It's the pictures and models grab me, and off I go.

I started 40K with Space Marines, and remain years later playing only Space Marines. It's the cover art and imagery, the armor and swords and the huge guns blazing. Shrike screaming down from the sky and slashing at his foes. Implacable Lysander lumbering slowly across the field, shouldering aside huge blasts and scattering tanks with his hammer. I started with Raven Guard, and at 3,000 odd points switched to Imperial Fists. Another chapter, and another, will follow.

Cover art got me into Bretonnians as well. I love that image on the cover of the knight wading into the spawn of Chaos. Open the book, and you see the faded pennants. Loved it. It burns me out, painting all the different colors and patterns, and at around 4,000 points of painted models (with 4,000 left unpainted), I've had to put them on hold for a bit.

The models got me into Dark Elves. By the time I bought into them, I had improved my painting at least to the point where I knew that I wanted to paint beautiful and intriguing models, and Dark Elves were it. Leaked Cold One Knights just looked so fantastic, and when I saw Lokhir Fellheart, I was doomed forever. I'm more than halfway done painting the army, and I can't wait to finish it off.

Khador and Trollbloods from Privateer Press grabbed me with the models. It's the Khadoran infantry, all in red, that I love, but for the Trolls I simply fell in love with the Mauler model. It's amazing and dynamic and all I needed to collect the whole army.

So yeah, pictures sell me. I'll play good armies or bad, but the art on the box and the sculpts inside, that's what gets me and keeps me.

Raven Guard Captain

I originally picked up the hobby based on a picture in a store window. A space marine running rampant over some bad guy or another. I piddled around with Ultramarines, Crimson Fists, and a few do it yourself chapters before settling in on Raven Guard. I like their speed, stealth, and fortitude in the face of great odds. Shrike is a really fun and fluffy special character. This gentleman is one of my many Raven Guard Captains (and the one that I have a ready picture of at the moment).