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Saturday, 1 December 2012
Games Workshop Newsletter
I have absolutely no interest in this game whatsoever and think that many of the models look terrible (the goblins are very basic and the generic trolls look like they were made by a small child who left his Playdoh too close to the radiator)...but I suppose there must be some people who are curious...so here's the GW blurb.....
Friday, 30 November 2012
New Malifaux Project
Like most hobbyists I tend to get distracted by new shiny things before I've actually completed anything...this week is no different. Purely as a modelling project (I happen to be in the 'needs nerfing' camp) I'm going to create a crew for Hamelin the Plagued.
Continuing my general themes of using female models whenever possible I intended to utilise a Freebooter Miniatures model to 'count-as' Hamelin.
This one in fact...
By an amazing coincidence my girlfriend decided to buy me this model (and a few others) for my birthday which explains why Titan Games were unusually long in getting it to me as she had sidetracked my enquiry and bought it for me, lol.
Okay...I cheated a little, lol.
Rounding off the base completely would have made it too small so instead I took off the corners and then rounded them off slightly and I used a 40K Chaos Space Marine top knot (I have loads because I always cut them off but like many OCD hobbyist am unable to throw any bits away in case they 'will come in useful later') to finish off the hairstyle. I was originally going to replace the boat hook with some kind of staff but I've decided it's nicely in theme as is and changing it would be change for changes sake ;-)
Also amongst my presents were this nurse model (also from Freebooter Miniatures) that I liked the look of.
Now I just need to decide if I'm going to use the official Wyrd models for the Rat-catchers and The Stolen or whether I'll use alternatives for those as well.
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Continuing my general themes of using female models whenever possible I intended to utilise a Freebooter Miniatures model to 'count-as' Hamelin.
This one in fact...
By an amazing coincidence my girlfriend decided to buy me this model (and a few others) for my birthday which explains why Titan Games were unusually long in getting it to me as she had sidetracked my enquiry and bought it for me, lol.
Though the model is okay as it is I decided that I wanted her to have hair...unfortunately the use of 'Green Stuff' isn't high in my modelling skills but I decided to give it a go...
Okay...I cheated a little, lol.
Rounding off the base completely would have made it too small so instead I took off the corners and then rounded them off slightly and I used a 40K Chaos Space Marine top knot (I have loads because I always cut them off but like many OCD hobbyist am unable to throw any bits away in case they 'will come in useful later') to finish off the hairstyle. I was originally going to replace the boat hook with some kind of staff but I've decided it's nicely in theme as is and changing it would be change for changes sake ;-)
Also amongst my presents were this nurse model (also from Freebooter Miniatures) that I liked the look of.
Now I just need to decide if I'm going to use the official Wyrd models for the Rat-catchers and The Stolen or whether I'll use alternatives for those as well.
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
1000 Point Warhammer 40K Campaign.
My FLGS is running a Warhammer 40K campaign starting at 1000 points and then increasing to higher points levels over time. The initial idea seemed to be themed armies but a few people are using more optimised lists than I was expecting.
I'm therefore going to use a Space Marine list (of some variety or another) and theme it as an expeditionary force of my Night Reapers chapter. This will most likely involve a cheap HQ, A couple of transported Troop choices and some faster stuff to represent the 'exploration' units that such a force would most likely contain. It's damn difficult to create a balanced army in 6th edition and is borderline impossible at the 1000 point mark so I'm not really going to bother trying ;-)
So with a 1000 points there's always going to be rock/paper/scissors situations because balance in armies doesn't really come till at least 1500 and with many armies not until at least 2000. I'm told that the emphasis of this campaign is more towards the narrative than the competitive so I'll moderate what I take a little...of course if I find out that people are taking advantage then I'll break out the cheese ;-)
Anyway...
I've already decided on a Marine force and for me that rarely means spending much on HQ choices. A Librarian or equivalent is always a good choice so we can put 100 points aside for that and maybe he gets a few toys if there's any points left over.
We're presumably using book missions so I'm going to need scoring units and as its a standard FOC I'm going to need at least two to fulfil the minimum requirements. Obviously the Codex I use will effect this choice but provisionally that'll mean two units in Razorbacks (if I use BA or SW) or full squads in Rhino's if I use 'vanilla' Marines. A few people are already jumping on the Chaos bandwagon so I'm unlikely to go with a Chaos force just yet.
Keeping with my self imposed theme of an expeditionary force I'll need to take some fast moving units. I won't be using Jump units as I don't really like them (this is an aesthetic/personal preference issue, not a tactical one) so that leaves me with Bikes or Landspeeders...as I have a lot of both that isn't a problem.
If some-one decides to bring an uber Deathstar or a gigantic horde then I'll have issues bringing a balanced force against them but them's the breaks, lol.
With the preamble out of the way....
Option 1
1000 Point Blood Angels
HQ: Librarian in Power Armour (1#, 100 pts)
1 Librarian in Power Armour @ 100 pts (Shield of Sanguinius; The Sanguine Sword)
Troops: Assault Squad (6#, 180 pts)
3 Assault Squad @ 180 pts (Remove Jump Packs; Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun (Remove Jump Packs)
1 Sergeant (Remove Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol; Infernus Pistol x1)
1 Razorback (Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Assault Squad (6#, 180 pts)
3 Assault Squad @ 180 pts (Remove Jump Packs; Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun (Remove Jump Packs)
1 Sergeant (Remove Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol; Infernus Pistol x1)
1 Razorback (Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Assault Squad (6#, 180 pts)
3 Assault Squad @ 180 pts (Remove Jump Packs; Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun (Remove Jump Packs)
1 Sergeant (Remove Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol; Infernus Pistol x1)
1 Razorback (Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (2#, 180 pts)
2 Land Speeder Squadron @ 180 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x2)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (2#, 180 pts)
2 Land Speeder Squadron @ 180 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x2)
Total Roster Cost: 1000
Option 2
1000 Point Space Wolves
HQ: Rune Priest in Power Armour (1#, 110 pts)
1 Rune Priest in Power Armour @ 110 pts (Chooser of the Slain; Murderous Hurricane; Storm Caller)
Elite: Wolf Guard Pack (3#, 69 pts)
1 Wolf Guard Pack @ 69 pts (Wolf Guard in Power Armour)
3 Wolf Guard in Power Armour (Bolt Pistol; Combi-Flamer x1)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (1#, 90 pts)
1 Land Speeder Squadron @ 90 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x1)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (1#, 90 pts)
1 Land Speeder Squadron @ 90 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x1)
Total Roster Cost: 999
There are a great deal of other options but those are the two that leap to mind initially...though the temptation to bring a 15 Missile Launcher SW list may be too much to resist ;-)
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
I'm therefore going to use a Space Marine list (of some variety or another) and theme it as an expeditionary force of my Night Reapers chapter. This will most likely involve a cheap HQ, A couple of transported Troop choices and some faster stuff to represent the 'exploration' units that such a force would most likely contain. It's damn difficult to create a balanced army in 6th edition and is borderline impossible at the 1000 point mark so I'm not really going to bother trying ;-)
So with a 1000 points there's always going to be rock/paper/scissors situations because balance in armies doesn't really come till at least 1500 and with many armies not until at least 2000. I'm told that the emphasis of this campaign is more towards the narrative than the competitive so I'll moderate what I take a little...of course if I find out that people are taking advantage then I'll break out the cheese ;-)
Anyway...
I've already decided on a Marine force and for me that rarely means spending much on HQ choices. A Librarian or equivalent is always a good choice so we can put 100 points aside for that and maybe he gets a few toys if there's any points left over.
We're presumably using book missions so I'm going to need scoring units and as its a standard FOC I'm going to need at least two to fulfil the minimum requirements. Obviously the Codex I use will effect this choice but provisionally that'll mean two units in Razorbacks (if I use BA or SW) or full squads in Rhino's if I use 'vanilla' Marines. A few people are already jumping on the Chaos bandwagon so I'm unlikely to go with a Chaos force just yet.
Keeping with my self imposed theme of an expeditionary force I'll need to take some fast moving units. I won't be using Jump units as I don't really like them (this is an aesthetic/personal preference issue, not a tactical one) so that leaves me with Bikes or Landspeeders...as I have a lot of both that isn't a problem.
If some-one decides to bring an uber Deathstar or a gigantic horde then I'll have issues bringing a balanced force against them but them's the breaks, lol.
With the preamble out of the way....
Option 1
1000 Point Blood Angels
HQ: Librarian in Power Armour (1#, 100 pts)
1 Librarian in Power Armour @ 100 pts (Shield of Sanguinius; The Sanguine Sword)
Troops: Assault Squad (6#, 180 pts)
3 Assault Squad @ 180 pts (Remove Jump Packs; Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun (Remove Jump Packs)
1 Sergeant (Remove Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol; Infernus Pistol x1)
1 Razorback (Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Assault Squad (6#, 180 pts)
3 Assault Squad @ 180 pts (Remove Jump Packs; Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun (Remove Jump Packs)
1 Sergeant (Remove Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol; Infernus Pistol x1)
1 Razorback (Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Assault Squad (6#, 180 pts)
3 Assault Squad @ 180 pts (Remove Jump Packs; Meltagun; Razorback)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun (Remove Jump Packs)
1 Sergeant (Remove Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol; Infernus Pistol x1)
1 Razorback (Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (2#, 180 pts)
2 Land Speeder Squadron @ 180 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x2)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (2#, 180 pts)
2 Land Speeder Squadron @ 180 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x2)
Total Roster Cost: 1000
Option 2
1000 Point Space Wolves
HQ: Rune Priest in Power Armour (1#, 110 pts)
1 Rune Priest in Power Armour @ 110 pts (Chooser of the Slain; Murderous Hurricane; Storm Caller)
Elite: Wolf Guard Pack (3#, 69 pts)
1 Wolf Guard Pack @ 69 pts (Wolf Guard in Power Armour)
3 Wolf Guard in Power Armour (Bolt Pistol; Combi-Flamer x1)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (6#, 160 pts)
5 Grey Hunters Pack @ 160 pts (Flamer; Razorback)
1 Razorback (Hunter-killer Missile; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (1#, 90 pts)
1 Land Speeder Squadron @ 90 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x1)
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (1#, 90 pts)
1 Land Speeder Squadron @ 90 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher x1)
Total Roster Cost: 999
There are a great deal of other options but those are the two that leap to mind initially...though the temptation to bring a 15 Missile Launcher SW list may be too much to resist ;-)
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Friday, 9 November 2012
Ashes and Dust...
I'm informed that Ashes and Dust works great with Leveticus....mine tends to die in the middle of the table and the component parts get killed before I can put it back together again.....maybe I just need more practice.....
These were painted by my better half while I was teaching some-one to play Malifaux (a couple of hours) and look better than they would have done after days of my own half-arsed efforts, lol. I wanted a more 'industrial waste' look to them but couldn't get it right...my girlfriend had more luck ;-)
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
These were painted by my better half while I was teaching some-one to play Malifaux (a couple of hours) and look better than they would have done after days of my own half-arsed efforts, lol. I wanted a more 'industrial waste' look to them but couldn't get it right...my girlfriend had more luck ;-)
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Madame Kolette and the Performing Belles...
Two months of nights followed by a complete change of shift pattern has made staying awake into a major challenge and painting anything without it becoming a blur a near impossibility. Fortunately I now get two weeks of days in between the two weeks of nights so I should be able to get some stuff done.
I've started back on the Colette gang I was working on. For those of you who don't remember, the concept was to paint and/or convert them so they were in a similar style to Seamus's Rotten Belles. I'm not happy with the faces but the rest of the models are okay though they would probably benefit from at least another layer of wash and an additional light dry-brush it's not going to be happening any-time soon, lol.
The observant amongst you will have realised that the last model isn't actually a Malifaux one. Unfortunately they only do two Performer models and I wanted three so I found an alternative.
I've also converted a couple of Mannequins into a form that Seamus would find more agreeable.....
I've also been working on some Leveticus stuff but I'll drag that out into another Blog post so it looks like I'm more productive than I actually am ;-) don't tell any-one....it'll be our secret...This also happens to be my 700th Blog post.....I expected to have achieved world domination and have 10 million followers by now...maybe next year....
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
I've started back on the Colette gang I was working on. For those of you who don't remember, the concept was to paint and/or convert them so they were in a similar style to Seamus's Rotten Belles. I'm not happy with the faces but the rest of the models are okay though they would probably benefit from at least another layer of wash and an additional light dry-brush it's not going to be happening any-time soon, lol.
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| Madame Kolette. |
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| Kassandra. |
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| Performing Belle 1 |
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| Performing Belle 2 |
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| Performing Belle 3 |
I've also converted a couple of Mannequins into a form that Seamus would find more agreeable.....
I've also been working on some Leveticus stuff but I'll drag that out into another Blog post so it looks like I'm more productive than I actually am ;-) don't tell any-one....it'll be our secret...This also happens to be my 700th Blog post.....I expected to have achieved world domination and have 10 million followers by now...maybe next year....
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Malifaux in Progress...
So after a week of night shifts, not enough sleep and a day disrupted by an invasion of my daughters cousins, lol...I finally got around to doing some hobby.
I got out all the stuff that I'll be working on in the near future and decided to de-mould line and base as much of it as I could. This is how it started...
I had a pack of Malifaux's Victorian Bases so I thought they'd suit the dogs nicely. All the other stuff would be getting my usual basing treatment.
Also, for no reason that I'm ever likely to explain adequately (but can probably attribute to disrupted sleep patterns) I based this Helldorado model at some point during the evening...
They'll most likely stay at this stage till Saturday night as I'm in a light hearted Malifaux tournament tomorrow at Titan Games and it'll probably be on for most of the day. For those of you who are interested I'll be taking the following fluffy little list...
Ressurectionists Crew - 30 - Scrap
Seamus, The Mad-Hatter -- 3 Pool
+ Seamus, Avatar of Dread [2ss]
Bête Noire [9ss]
Madame Sybelle [6ss]
Rotten Belles [4ss]
Rotten Belles [4ss]
Rotten Belles [4ss]
A 'fluff' list with a little 'themed' punch added so I don't get totally slaughtered every game ;-)
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
I got out all the stuff that I'll be working on in the near future and decided to de-mould line and base as much of it as I could. This is how it started...
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| A varied selection of...stuff... |
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| Canine Remains - Unassembled |
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| Ronin - Unassembled |
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| Night Terrors - Unassembled |
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| Canine Remains |
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| Leveticus, some of his creations and a couple of girls of indeterminable ages... |
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| Some Miscellaneous Outcasts... |
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| ...and some stuff I forgot about... |
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| It seemed like a good idea at the time? |
Ressurectionists Crew - 30 - Scrap
Seamus, The Mad-Hatter -- 3 Pool
+ Seamus, Avatar of Dread [2ss]
Bête Noire [9ss]
Madame Sybelle [6ss]
Rotten Belles [4ss]
Rotten Belles [4ss]
Rotten Belles [4ss]
A 'fluff' list with a little 'themed' punch added so I don't get totally slaughtered every game ;-)
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Forge World Newsletter #320
I like the armour...not sure I like the price though, lol...especially as you apparently have to buy the weapons separately...
Forge World Newsletter #320
Forge World Newsletter #320
Hi there,
To survive the devastating firepower that is unleashed in The Horus Heresy Book I: Betrayal, your Legiones Astartes army is going to need some serious armour to protect it, and this week we can bring you exactly that with the release of the Cataphractii Pattern Terminators and Weapons sets. As well bringing you details of these formidable warriors, we also have a reminder of our presence at Games Day Italy and Games Day France this month for those of you attending these events.
To survive the devastating firepower that is unleashed in The Horus Heresy Book I: Betrayal, your Legiones Astartes army is going to need some serious armour to protect it, and this week we can bring you exactly that with the release of the Cataphractii Pattern Terminators and Weapons sets. As well bringing you details of these formidable warriors, we also have a reminder of our presence at Games Day Italy and Games Day France this month for those of you attending these events.
Cataphractii Pattern Terminators and Weapon Sets
The Cataphractii pattern was amongst the first Tactical Dreadnought armour patterns issued to the Legiones Astartes as they fought their way across the galaxy during the time of the Great Crusade . Its slab-like ceramite pauldrons housed additional shield generators, enabling its wearer to withstand far heavier enemy fire than its contemporaries, but this unparalleled protection came at a price as its bulky nature slowed the wearer dangerously, leading to its declining use in some Legions by the outbreak of the Heresy.
Designed by Will Hayes, the iconic Cataphractii Pattern Terminators set contains five detailed multi-part resin models plus an optional bare head and a grenade harness.
Will has also designed three weapons sets to be used with the Cataphractii Pattern Terminators. The Cataphractii Power Fist set comprises five combi-bolters, a power sword, four power fists and a chainfist, while the Cataphractii Power Axe set comprises five power axes, a power sword and five combi-bolters.
The third set is the Cataphractii Special Weapons set, comprising two sets of lightning claws, two thunder hammers, a power sword, a power maul, a chainfist, a plasma blaster, a twin-linked autocannon and a heavy flamer.
While you can use these sets to represent Terminator armour in games of Warhammer 40,000, rules for fielding squads of Cataphractii Pattern Terminators can be found in the Space Marine Legion army list in The Horus Heresy Book I: Betrayal. All of the above kits are available to pre-order now for despatch on Friday 2nd November.
The Cataphractii pattern was amongst the first Tactical Dreadnought armour patterns issued to the Legiones Astartes as they fought their way across the galaxy during the time of the Great Crusade . Its slab-like ceramite pauldrons housed additional shield generators, enabling its wearer to withstand far heavier enemy fire than its contemporaries, but this unparalleled protection came at a price as its bulky nature slowed the wearer dangerously, leading to its declining use in some Legions by the outbreak of the Heresy.Designed by Will Hayes, the iconic Cataphractii Pattern Terminators set contains five detailed multi-part resin models plus an optional bare head and a grenade harness.
Will has also designed three weapons sets to be used with the Cataphractii Pattern Terminators. The Cataphractii Power Fist set comprises five combi-bolters, a power sword, four power fists and a chainfist, while the Cataphractii Power Axe set comprises five power axes, a power sword and five combi-bolters.
The third set is the Cataphractii Special Weapons set, comprising two sets of lightning claws, two thunder hammers, a power sword, a power maul, a chainfist, a plasma blaster, a twin-linked autocannon and a heavy flamer.
While you can use these sets to represent Terminator armour in games of Warhammer 40,000, rules for fielding squads of Cataphractii Pattern Terminators can be found in the Space Marine Legion army list in The Horus Heresy Book I: Betrayal. All of the above kits are available to pre-order now for despatch on Friday 2nd November.
Forge World Events News
Games Day Italy and Games Day France
On Sunday 14th October Games Day Italy will be held in Modena at the Forum Monzani. Forge World’s Simon Egan will be attending this event, designer of the recently released World Eaters Legion Primarch Angron model.
Please note that we can no longer accept reservation orders for Games Day Italy as it’s only a few days away, but there will still be plenty of Forge World products available for you to purchase on the day.
As well as Games Day Italy this month, Forge World will also be at Games Day France on Sunday 28th October in Montreuil at the Espace Paris. Forge World Designers Edgar Skomorowski and Stuart Williamson will both be attending this event alongside our intrepid sales teams.
We’d like to remind you that you still have a few days left to place a reservation order for this event. To do so just send an e-mail entitled ‘Games Day France Reservation’ to forgeworld@gwplc.com. We will require your name, a list of the items you wish to order and a contact telephone number and e-mail address for you. In the week prior to the event we will then send you an e-mail to confirm your order number, details of any items we have been unable to reserve, and the total cost in Euros that is payable at the show. The cut off date for Games Day France reservations is Friday 12th October.
Games Day Italy and Games Day France
On Sunday 14th October Games Day Italy will be held in Modena at the Forum Monzani. Forge World’s Simon Egan will be attending this event, designer of the recently released World Eaters Legion Primarch Angron model.
Please note that we can no longer accept reservation orders for Games Day Italy as it’s only a few days away, but there will still be plenty of Forge World products available for you to purchase on the day.
As well as Games Day Italy this month, Forge World will also be at Games Day France on Sunday 28th October in Montreuil at the Espace Paris. Forge World Designers Edgar Skomorowski and Stuart Williamson will both be attending this event alongside our intrepid sales teams.
We’d like to remind you that you still have a few days left to place a reservation order for this event. To do so just send an e-mail entitled ‘Games Day France Reservation’ to forgeworld@gwplc.com. We will require your name, a list of the items you wish to order and a contact telephone number and e-mail address for you. In the week prior to the event we will then send you an e-mail to confirm your order number, details of any items we have been unable to reserve, and the total cost in Euros that is payable at the show. The cut off date for Games Day France reservations is Friday 12th October.
More Horus Heresy Releases Coming Soon
Our production team is even now working hard to build more stock of all the kits we had available for pre-release at Games Day UK. Once we have sufficient numbers we’ll be making these available through our online store, so keep checking our website, Facebook page and newsletters for further information.
Our production team is even now working hard to build more stock of all the kits we had available for pre-release at Games Day UK. Once we have sufficient numbers we’ll be making these available through our online store, so keep checking our website, Facebook page and newsletters for further information.
Thanks,
Ead Brown
Customer Service Manager
Forge World
Ead Brown
Customer Service Manager
Forge World
Monday, 8 October 2012
Alternative Models for Malifaux.
Okay...I really like the style of Wyrd Games Malifaux models...however...sometimes I need four of something that there's only three of, fancy a change or there just isn't a model that fits with a conversion project I'm working on.
With this in mind I had a couple of ideas...
Firstly, I wanted a model to represent a dead doxy, belle, showgirl who had more of a 'belly dancer' or 'Arabian' look about her.
While looking through my bits box for possible conversion parts I came across a box containing several models from other product ranges that I had bought for no reason that I can now remember...however as most of the models were female, daemonic looking or daemonic looking females I guess it was something to do with my daemon army...
...anyway...
I found a model from the 'Helldorado' range called Fatina who fitted the stereotype nicely. She's only got a basic skin colour at the moment as I'm undecided on outfit colour but here's the progress so far.
I'll add a bit of blood splatter at the end so she's not too normal looking...maybe I can make a heart out of green stuff for that outstretched hand...or get someone else to do it for me, lol.
Secondly, I wanted a model that looked more like the traditional image of a brothels 'madam'.
I can only presume that Sybelle didn't wear her bondage gear outside of her 'specialist' work and was hopefully a bit easier on the eye than years as Seamus's bitch has made her. I found a model labelled as a 'Governors Daughter' from a company called Black Scorpion Miniatures that seemed to fit the bill nicely...she even had a fan...
Still needs a lot of work but I think she'll fit the bill when completed though.
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
With this in mind I had a couple of ideas...
Firstly, I wanted a model to represent a dead doxy, belle, showgirl who had more of a 'belly dancer' or 'Arabian' look about her.
While looking through my bits box for possible conversion parts I came across a box containing several models from other product ranges that I had bought for no reason that I can now remember...however as most of the models were female, daemonic looking or daemonic looking females I guess it was something to do with my daemon army...
...anyway...
I found a model from the 'Helldorado' range called Fatina who fitted the stereotype nicely. She's only got a basic skin colour at the moment as I'm undecided on outfit colour but here's the progress so far.
I'll add a bit of blood splatter at the end so she's not too normal looking...maybe I can make a heart out of green stuff for that outstretched hand...or get someone else to do it for me, lol.
Secondly, I wanted a model that looked more like the traditional image of a brothels 'madam'.
I can only presume that Sybelle didn't wear her bondage gear outside of her 'specialist' work and was hopefully a bit easier on the eye than years as Seamus's bitch has made her. I found a model labelled as a 'Governors Daughter' from a company called Black Scorpion Miniatures that seemed to fit the bill nicely...she even had a fan...
Still needs a lot of work but I think she'll fit the bill when completed though.
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Themed, Fluffy, Competitive?
First lets clarify one thing....being a competitive player doesn't automatically make you an asshat.... admittedly there are a lot of players who hide behind the competitive label who are actually WAAC gamers and a few players who think they're good players but only appear that way because they pick on weaker players or only play against people they know they can beat...that 2nd group are WAAC gamers who try to hide the fact but clubbing baby seals is only okay if you explain how your doing the clubbing at the end or as you go along...and even then it's still not nice ;-)
So with that out of the way...
When it comes to 40K I play competitive lists...with Warmachine your sort of obliged to play to win as it's actually designed that way and with Malifaux I play with themed lists almost exclusively because that's the way I enjoy playing that particular system. Despite what certain factions on the internet will tell you...none of these ways of playing are wrong...if done in the right way that is.
Competitive.
The internets view of the competitive player tends to be that of the moody neck-beard who picks on every piddling little rule query, mis(interprets) every rule in his favour and strops like a little child when things don't go his way. Other warning signs involve blaming his bad dice rolls for every loss (whether they're actually bad or not), actual cheating (I've covered this subject in detail before) and generally being a complete twat...Though it's certainly true that this archetype exists it would be unfair to tar all those who enjoy playing to win with the same brush.
Playing any system competitively can come with certain drawbacks. The chance that all the coolest looking models also perform best in game isn't by any means a certainty and as you'll most likely be spamming those models that can impact on both your own enjoyment of the army and to a lesser extent your opponents as this is still a visual hobby primarily. It's also probable (in some systems) that an army that works from a rules point of view might take liberties with the background material or historical accuracy. Of course if none of these things bother you then it ceases to be an issue.
I personally get round the issues of background material by making my own up and from a hobbyist point of view I bypass the model spamming problem by utilising conversions and 'counts-as'. Obviously these are not solutions that are viable in every game system but are common enough to be worth mentioning.
'Fluffy'.
Whether your preference is for Warhammer, Warmahordes, Malifaux, Infinity, Helldorado or any of the myriad of game systems out there they all by definition have a certain style to each force. A Space Marine army is very different to a Necron one, Khador play in a variant style to Scyrah, Resurrectionists work in a way completely unlike the way an Outcast one does, etc. Nearly all gamers would have made their selection of a force based on play-style and/or appearance...even if they're of a competitive mind-set I don't know of a single system that has only one effective army.
I dislike the term 'Fluff' as it tends to imply that the background material is actually of no importance. It can obviously be ignored if you wish but to class it as unimportant I think does a great disservice to the hobby in general...however it can be taken too far...
I often hear the phrase 'I only play for fun'...That's fine but I have trouble believing that anybody enjoys losing every game. By definition if it's in an army list for a force it should be okay to field in your army because the game designers obviously wanted you to have it. Of course in certain systems (40K especially) an army list can cover a number of army types which will make many limitations self imposed. I once taught a person to play 40K who had a Space Marine army painted in Salamander colours and had chosen not to use certain Heavy Support choices because he considered them 'out of character'. Effectively he had an army that was obliged to work at close ranges as it needed to be in Melta/Flamer range to maximise it's potential. I pointed out that his army would greatly benefit from a couple of Predators to provide ranged support and perhaps a couple of units with longer range weapons to provide covering fire at longer ranges...his answer was that he didn't think that was very 'Fluffy'...My reply was that they were still Space Marines and winning battles was by definition 'in character' ;-).
In effect he had imposed limitations on himself in order to keep within the background material...but in this case those limitations were unnecessary...I'm not saying that this is always the case but it is a common mistake made by people obsessed with Fluff over effectiveness.
Theme.
Many people consider themed armies and fluffy ones to be the same thing...are they wrong?
In many ways creating a themed list is even more restrictive than making a 'fluffy' one. My favourite Malifaux crew is my Seamus 'The Mad Hatter' one and the models I choose my force from fit a particular theme...In this case undead hookers...Or more specifically I have taken a single aspect of his background (womanising serial killer) and made my model choices around this idea. Therefore I deliberately ignore viable choices that are entirely valid from a background point of view (such as Crooked Men) as they don't fit my theme...how is this different from my criticism of someone who takes a restrictive Fluffy list?
It isn't really, I suppose, lol.
However 'Theme' can also mean a particular paint scheme, unit configuration or just infantry instead of vehicles (or vice versa). Therefore themed armies can be a way of making a competitive army that's also fluffy or conversely can leave you with an army that's useless for anything other than decorating a shelf or making your opponents feel good about themselves as they beat your force into the ground for the tenth time that day.....
In Conclusion.
I'm a competitive player, who themes his lists and keeps to the fluff (even if it's fluff I wrote myself)...There's no reason why these concepts have to separate us into little camps, extolling the virtues of our own little worlds to the exclusion of all others.
There's room for all of these things in each of our hobbies and in my opinion your doing yourself and your hobby a massive disservice by ignoring them...
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
So with that out of the way...
When it comes to 40K I play competitive lists...with Warmachine your sort of obliged to play to win as it's actually designed that way and with Malifaux I play with themed lists almost exclusively because that's the way I enjoy playing that particular system. Despite what certain factions on the internet will tell you...none of these ways of playing are wrong...if done in the right way that is.
 |
| All Viable Options... |
The internets view of the competitive player tends to be that of the moody neck-beard who picks on every piddling little rule query, mis(interprets) every rule in his favour and strops like a little child when things don't go his way. Other warning signs involve blaming his bad dice rolls for every loss (whether they're actually bad or not), actual cheating (I've covered this subject in detail before) and generally being a complete twat...Though it's certainly true that this archetype exists it would be unfair to tar all those who enjoy playing to win with the same brush.
Playing any system competitively can come with certain drawbacks. The chance that all the coolest looking models also perform best in game isn't by any means a certainty and as you'll most likely be spamming those models that can impact on both your own enjoyment of the army and to a lesser extent your opponents as this is still a visual hobby primarily. It's also probable (in some systems) that an army that works from a rules point of view might take liberties with the background material or historical accuracy. Of course if none of these things bother you then it ceases to be an issue.
I personally get round the issues of background material by making my own up and from a hobbyist point of view I bypass the model spamming problem by utilising conversions and 'counts-as'. Obviously these are not solutions that are viable in every game system but are common enough to be worth mentioning.
'Fluffy'.
Whether your preference is for Warhammer, Warmahordes, Malifaux, Infinity, Helldorado or any of the myriad of game systems out there they all by definition have a certain style to each force. A Space Marine army is very different to a Necron one, Khador play in a variant style to Scyrah, Resurrectionists work in a way completely unlike the way an Outcast one does, etc. Nearly all gamers would have made their selection of a force based on play-style and/or appearance...even if they're of a competitive mind-set I don't know of a single system that has only one effective army.
I dislike the term 'Fluff' as it tends to imply that the background material is actually of no importance. It can obviously be ignored if you wish but to class it as unimportant I think does a great disservice to the hobby in general...however it can be taken too far...
I often hear the phrase 'I only play for fun'...That's fine but I have trouble believing that anybody enjoys losing every game. By definition if it's in an army list for a force it should be okay to field in your army because the game designers obviously wanted you to have it. Of course in certain systems (40K especially) an army list can cover a number of army types which will make many limitations self imposed. I once taught a person to play 40K who had a Space Marine army painted in Salamander colours and had chosen not to use certain Heavy Support choices because he considered them 'out of character'. Effectively he had an army that was obliged to work at close ranges as it needed to be in Melta/Flamer range to maximise it's potential. I pointed out that his army would greatly benefit from a couple of Predators to provide ranged support and perhaps a couple of units with longer range weapons to provide covering fire at longer ranges...his answer was that he didn't think that was very 'Fluffy'...My reply was that they were still Space Marines and winning battles was by definition 'in character' ;-).
In effect he had imposed limitations on himself in order to keep within the background material...but in this case those limitations were unnecessary...I'm not saying that this is always the case but it is a common mistake made by people obsessed with Fluff over effectiveness.
Theme.
Many people consider themed armies and fluffy ones to be the same thing...are they wrong?
In many ways creating a themed list is even more restrictive than making a 'fluffy' one. My favourite Malifaux crew is my Seamus 'The Mad Hatter' one and the models I choose my force from fit a particular theme...In this case undead hookers...Or more specifically I have taken a single aspect of his background (womanising serial killer) and made my model choices around this idea. Therefore I deliberately ignore viable choices that are entirely valid from a background point of view (such as Crooked Men) as they don't fit my theme...how is this different from my criticism of someone who takes a restrictive Fluffy list?
It isn't really, I suppose, lol.
However 'Theme' can also mean a particular paint scheme, unit configuration or just infantry instead of vehicles (or vice versa). Therefore themed armies can be a way of making a competitive army that's also fluffy or conversely can leave you with an army that's useless for anything other than decorating a shelf or making your opponents feel good about themselves as they beat your force into the ground for the tenth time that day.....
In Conclusion.
I'm a competitive player, who themes his lists and keeps to the fluff (even if it's fluff I wrote myself)...There's no reason why these concepts have to separate us into little camps, extolling the virtues of our own little worlds to the exclusion of all others.
There's room for all of these things in each of our hobbies and in my opinion your doing yourself and your hobby a massive disservice by ignoring them...
Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.
Monday, 1 October 2012
Malifaux Tournament(s)
One of the locals has organised a couple of Malifaux tournaments and I've decided to enter one of them...I may end up entering both but currently I'm only paid up for the more relaxed sounding of the two.
For those of you in travelling distance of Walsall here's the appropriate links.
GT Warm-Up Event.
http://www.wyrd-games.net/showthread.php?35597-Midlands-Pre-GT-Warm-Up-Event-on-the-27th-October
Winter Tournament.
http://www.wyrd-games.net/showthread.php?35670-40ss-1-Day-Event-on-the-17th-November-in-Walsall-West-Midlands-UK
Hopefully I'll see some of you there...I'll be the guy desperately trying to make a 'themed' Seamus crew work in a tournament environment...and most likely failing dismally at it, lol.
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