Eldar Codex Project: Dire Avengers & Puffy Albert

Puffy Albert

Hello everyone...! S'been a while.

Once again, real life has been hard work and doesn't seem to be relenting with UCAS, Vet work and applications coming to an unpleasant mount next week. TKE and I have been discussing behind the scenes niceties and rules that have been written, are being written and are yet to be written (I sound like an oracle... lol).

Well, I haven't yet replied to the ranger sniper rifle and Jetbike points raised from last time, but I can say that some of the plans out there will make Saim-Hann players happy.... Autarch Upgrade do I hear...? I have taken your pointers for the cannon upgrade though - I genuinely made a mistake there I intended to make them every 3.

Lamenting some choices... educate the Mind War Readership!

Sergeant TKE of the Lamenters... note how he is slightly looking up? He is scared of swooping hawks since a terrible accident back in 998.41 saw him develop a phobia of eldar. :) Yes these are some of my figures and yes the Sergeant is known as TKE..on my list. (Just for fun)

I had a few emails after my last post about asking questions of people and saying hey great idea... so I therefore decided to make this post one to throw open to the readership here and also ask TKE for his input as it should educate as well as define some different opinions.

Iamaddj/Kirby/Mkerr Triple Snowmobile!11 Rawr!

MKerr, of Chainfist and BoLS fame, put up the following article, which is a response to Kirby's article, which is a response to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Premier of Iran, informing those of us in the Western World that, while the Russians power up a nuclear plant in his country, he has decided that Wound Allocation is a more important topic (perhaps just trying to divert attention?) and is in fact a rule that is so inherently wrong as to be virtually cheating.  No, I'm not sure how you can get cheating from playing by the rules either.  

To be fair, I think this is more the failure of the English language than anything else, as there isn't really a word to define the intellectual dishonesty of talking advantage of loopholes in an unsportsmanlike fashion without resorting to such a loaded word.  Some of us, in fact, are more than a little annoyed with the flagrant and widespread use of the word across the Blogosphere and forums, to the point where they attack the use of the term itself.  Personally, I would like to see some sort of distinction drawn between "cheating" (inadvertently playing the game wrong in a way that benefits one player or the other unfairly - usually through ignorance or failure at Reading Comprehension) and "Cheating" (intentionally garnering some sort of tangible in-game advantage by bending to a ludicrous extent, or outright breaking, the rules of the game.  An example would be moving from front of base to back of base, an especial bugbear of mine.) - Note how this follows my own attempts to foster a division between the use in common wargaming parlance of the terms "competitive" and "Competitive".  The former is something that can be used to describe any lose attempt, desire or ambition to win on the part of one or more participants (eg, an event that includes games will ALWAYS be 'competitive' because the aim of the Tournament is to win.)  The latter refers to the more specific times when the competitors are ACTIVELY engaged in the process of trying to win - rather than perhaps seeing it as an unfortunate consequence of playing a table-top wargame, the players craft lists, tactics and playstyles with the singular purpose of competing in and winning games of toy soldiers, and thus having fun, primarily through the satisfaction of overcoming a challenging opponent.  

It shouldn't need to be pointed out, but if I get any BoLS migrants commenting as a result of this article it is perhaps inevitable that the cry of 'WAAC' will come up.  While I plan to discuss later in the week (or the one after) topics that lend themselves better into a description of WAAC and the unpleasantness associated with this divisive phraseology, I cannot simply let the comment sit, either.  Essentially, it suffices for now to say that being Competitive includes the desire to compete, to pit yourself against the best and to overcome them in a fair and even fight.  Since the concepts aligned with the 'WAAC Gamers' the internet hates so much are not compatible with the idea of fair and honest competition, these players can never truly be referred to as "Competitive".

Well, that's the lengthy editorialising out of the way.

Oh, and another thing.

RE: Project Icarus - thanks to the three of you for your interest, especially Joe who has emailed me about it as well - I am postponing further development until after I return on the 24th, so please don't expect further detail until after then.

What I will likely do is put in a neat little bit of backstory, and some artwork to illustrate (*ahem*) my ideas.  I'm no Goatboy, but I know what I picture in my head, and can at least try to translate that.  Hrmm.  Maybe I will commission Goatboy for the release too, if he's up for it...Curses, now I'll be thinking about it all day instead of drinking myself into an early grave and laughing my balls off at the splendiferous selection of comedy present.

Slow Day...

So, was playing football last night, and, one thing led to another,and...no, wait...that doesn't fit...er...

Ahem.

Was playing football, and have badly sprained my ankle.  Fairly sure it's not broken, but I don't own an X-Ray machine.  Sadly.  Man, would that be cool...Anyway, yeah.  So's, I'm pretty much a cripple today, and feeling a bit down about the fact I can't get the 2/3 games of 40k I'd have liked to get in as I often do on a Tuesday.  :(

...In fact, really all I've done today is discover the Onion News Network, via Youtube, and watch a few dozen videos.

So, since I'm unlikely to do anything, I'll take requests, if they get to me before I get fed up and turn on the XBox, for a series of short articles.  Anything* you want an opinion on - hit me up!


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* - But nothing too long.  It's depressing enough I can't do what I want, anything time-consuming, like BA review, won't get done.  Sorry!

Heresy Blog Network.

Some of the more observant readers may have noticed some of my compatriots on the blog roll doing posts about this topic (Big Jim's Galaxy in Flames, Commissar Ploss' The Founding Fields, etc) - the Heresy News Network is a blogger group, akin to the FtW group, but different in many ways...essentially, there's no purpose in me blathering on about it, rather than linking to the person who's brainchild the durn thing is!

I'm a fully-signed up member, and would recommend all bloggers to check out this potential behemoth of the blogging scene before it becomes blase to join.  :p

http://www.heresy-online.net/news/the-heresy-blog-network/

That's all for this post.  More Sunday.

FTW Collaborative Post - Creating a Unified Army Without Composition

Hi guys, something a little different in this post - I'll be discussing how to build an army to a theme.  (See title, duh!:p)

Fields of Blood 2010 preparation.

Okay, important stuff:

Imperial Fisting ; Advice for Flekkzo

" Hi :)

I'm pretty much trying to figure things out and painting as fast as circumstances allow. But this is what I own:

2 Razorbacks + 1 Assault Cannon

2 10 Tactical Squads, 1 Sergeant with power fist

2 Captains, one with a power fist

1 AoBR Dread (*buuuh*)

1 Ironclad Dread (still on sprue)

1 Devastator Squad (will use them as heavy weapons choices for the tact squads. 2 lascannons done, planning 2 heavy bolters and 1 rocket (which will bring me up to 2 in total)

1 5 man AoBR terminator squad

My next plan is to cut down on the tons of extras I carried (extra armor and dozer blades proved useless) and move the ironclad into the list, see how that works. I have thoughts of replacing one of the Captains as well. My fists proved to be super weak in close combat most of the time and their boltguns proved to be weak in killing potential. Can be my noobness as well, still trying to figure out the best way to use them. I do find 40k far easier to grasp than warmachine 5-6 months ago:)

Cheers,

Flekkzo"

Thanks for the email there Flekkzo, :)

Sorry this took so long! Without further ado:

At 1k, from that, I'd use:

Captain:

(Don't waste high I with a Fist) - Relic Blade, Artificier Armour. - 145 (a Bike would be nice, but not without Bike Squad. Don't ever use him on Bike alone, he'd just die. :) )

10 Tacticals:

Flamer/ Missile Launcher (Multi-Melta better), in Rhino (Razorback are bad, because they force Combat Squads. Combat Squads are bad, see LINK) - 205

10 Tacticals:

As above. - 205 (Note, no need for the Fist. Fists = aggressive use of the unit, Scoring Units need to be shielded in the way Fritz does, because they're the most important on the table. Don't use Combi-Weapons on Sergenats for the same reason.)

5 Terminators:

Assault Cannon. PLEASE REPLACE WITH CYCLONE ASAP. :) - 230

SUBTOTAL: 785 - if you could play 800 points with this a few times to get a feel for the units etc, as some prefer MLs to MM s in Tac Units, it'd be great. The Captian either gets a Stormbolter or Hellfire Rounds, with Melta Bombs. I'd recommend playtesting Digital Weapons also, to see if it makes much difference, but, at S6, I doubt it.

To go on up, 105 points of AoBR Dread.

Seeing as an Ironclad would then take you over, I'd playtest it as a second regular Dread. 995 Points total. Try that, and let me know how you get on! :)

- Note, fully Reserving Marines is a bad plan. Marines are a Shooty army, but no slouches in CC. The point is, you get as much shooting as possible, and in middle of the board where you're most effetive. Within 18" you're probably most powerful, so you want to be there.

BatReps always welcome!

EDIT: AAAARGH! Spelling mistakes everywhere, Spellcheck fail. Next time I won't type in NotePad!

Collaborative List - Raven Guard as Blood Angels of Blood

Sqwerl and I are cooking up a nice new BA list. Unsatisfied by the majority of BA lists he's seen floating around the web, Sqwerl decided to properly bring it into 5th Edition, and revitalise the whole malarky. I'd been thinknig similar thoughts, wanting to build up a Raven Guard army from the BA list, as it's such a radical departure from my Ulthwe list (which reminds me...must do painting...)

With that in mind, we're pooling our creative juices [messy] and have this first draft to present. Enjoy!

HQ

Dante 200

Corbulo 100

Elites

Veteran Assault Squad w/ 3x Thunder Hammer, 2x Meltagun 385

BA Rhino 0

Death Company 6x w/ Jump Packs 90

Troops

Tactical Squad w/ 5x Add Marines, Powerfist Sarge, Meltagun 215

BA Rhino 40

Tactical Squad w/ 5x Add Marines, Powerfist Sarge, Meltagun 215

BA Rhino 40

Assault Squad w/ 5x Add Marines, Power Fist+Meltabombs Sarge 280

Fast Attack

Attack Bikes 2x

then a Whirlwind

Now, that is 99% his work ;)

I'd tend more towards including some LCs on the VAS...Rhino for Asses...

Thinking along the lines of:

Dante - 200

Corbulo - 100

5 VAS Marines - 2 Meltaguns, 1 twin LCs, 2 PWs, Rhino - 230

5 VAS Marines - 2 Meltaguns, 1 twin LCs, 2 PWs, Rhino - 230

5 VAS Marines - 2 Meltaguns, 2 THammers, 1 Storm Shield, 2 Combat Shields, Rhino - 250

6 Death Company - Jump Packs - 30

5 Ass marines - PF, MBombs, Rhino - 170

5 Ass marines - PF, MBombs, Rhino - 170

5 Ass marines - PF, MBombs, Rhino - 170

Attack bike - MM - 50

Attack bike - MM - 50

Attack bike - MM - 50

Attack bike - MM - 50

Attack bike - MM - 50

Attack bike - MM - 50

TOTAL: 1850 on the button.

For 2k?

Add a Crusader. :)