Sep 102010
 

40K Tournament 2

 

Location: Parker Banner Kent Wayne, 8301 Magnolia Estates Dr, Cornelius, NC 28031
Time: Oct 2nd.  Registration begins at 10am, games begin at 10:30am
Entry Fee: 10.00

Now for the details!
1850 Points or less (no more than 1850)

This is not a Games Day.  It’s a punch in tournament.  Come prepared wit your hardest list.  Games will have a strict 2.5 hour time limit.  There will be 1 hour between the 1st and second game, 30 minutes between the 2nd and 3rd game.  Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers and one random prize.

You must have a clean written army list with you to show your opponent.

We will try to post the scenarios online prior to the tournament.  Check back at least the day before to see the scenarios.

You can help us plan by preregistering at Parker Banner Kent and Wayne before the event.

Tournament Missions

Aug 122010
 

Hello friends…long time no chat.

         Well this month is going to be fun for me, because as of right now I am going to get to come and play in the 40K team event. Because of that I have been thinking about how to best formulate a list and a few tactics that might come in handy when playing with a partner.
         When I was working for the school system here in charlotte I heard several people tell me over the years a simple and annoying solution to problems I would bring up at work. They would say, “well maybe you should think outside the box”, and I would say “well maybe I should kick you in the ear”….not out loud, but I said it all the same. And you know what, I came to a resolution when thinking about this supposed “box” I was being told about. And that’s that everything outside the box doesn’t matter, cause you have absolutely no control over it whatsoever. Not even a little bit. And if you think you do, then you my friend are living in a little place called Delusion, which I think is at the corner of Fantasy and NiceTry. But what does this have to do with 40k Joshua? I’m glad you asked Assaultphase readers. A team tournament is something in which there are a lot of elements that are going to be out side of your box. Who will you be paired with? What type of army will they have? Will they bring troops or all heavies? Should I bring assault units or my big guns? What if they all deep strike? Should I bring reserves? What if I roll all 1’s the whole day and a black warp tears down the fabric of time and space and all my dice get sucked into the time warp and then pop back out a second later BUT they’re all showing 6’s now! Is that CHEATING! IS IT!YOU KNOW THAT COUNTS! (then we all turn into orks)WAHHHHHG!
Sorry, all I am trying to say is, that when thinking about how to play in a game that already has a lot of random whosits and whatsits gallor, the best way to handle the unknown thing-a-ma-bobs is by keeping it simple.
          1) Stick to what you know. If you have a unit that you rock face with, use it.

          2) Make a balanced list, that way no matter who you are teamed up with you can complement their list to help their strengths AND you will be able to fill in where they are weak.

          3) Attitude. I hate harping on this one, but there is going to be a lot of unknowns and crazy 40K Shenanigans in a team event, so don’t freak if the two heavy hitters in the event get paired together, crap happens. You might get paired with your nightmare bizaro-world teammate OR you might get the guy (or girl, I’m looking at you Mrs.Nid) of your dreams. Either way, the picking of your teammate is outside of your control (outside your box) so don’t freak y’all.

         4) Have fun trying for crazy combos you have never had the chance to get. I.E. the Tau player who gets paired up with the Ork Mob OR the Daemon player who is fighting WITH the Grey Knights! Weird….yes, possible…likely.
Either way, enjoy the day the best you can because Team events at this level of play don’t happen often. So savor battles, relish running hand in hand with your sworn enemy for the afternoon and……with your powers combine(the rest is up to you).

Josh

Jun 082010
 

 

“What to write about” has been a topic of frustration for me over the past week or so. I have been accumulating topics left and right and have a stack pages deep waiting for me to address….but none of them felt right. Weird…I know, but then it hit me, that something popped into my brain and screamed “POW Right in kisser!” That something was; what it means in my opinion to be a full-spectrum-warhammer-40K-player. That was a mouth full, but o so sweet. This might be a little deep for some, and its going to be a bit more Warhammer philosophy then anything else, but….go with it.

What does it mean to be a 40K player? To me it means a lot of things, to you, maybe not. But when I look at the hobby that is Warhammer I distinctly see three separate aspects of the game that all have their place in the hobby as a whole. Those are…

1)    Modelings

2)    Painting                                       

3)    Playing

Modeling- this is the nitty-gritty. This happens with all those pieces of dull grey plastic that come in any box you buy. Here is an area of the hobby that goes most unnoticed and is usually something that very few players get into. The best of the best modelers however will ultimately have some of the coolest things on the table top. They have unique conversions and awesome models that are different from everyone else. One of the coolest examples of this can be found here…

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4nzgPbHlNo4/SpNxfgDvnsI/AAAAAAAAFwA/fBYjG6dsg_E/s1600-h/techno-tyranid-01.jpg

If for some reason the link does not work, then look up BoLScon winner, it is a highly converted Nid army that looks absolutely amazing.

 Painting- Whether we like to admit it or not, painting you minis is part of the hobby. It takes time, patience and a lot of practice to get right, but when you figure out how it’s done you will never go back. Check out coolminiornot.com for painting inspiration or just ask a question here and one of us will jump to help you.

 Playing- This is an aspect of the hobby that takes center stage for most people. Winning tournaments is the end goal of a lot of players. And that is perfectly fine, but I have to say that I think your missing out of a lot of the fun that the hobby has to offer if this is your one desire. Playing can be extremely rewarding, and to be honest, this is my favorite thing about the hobby. I love the contest and the competition that playing a worthy opponent brings. I love honing my skills with different armies and tactics. But this also has a dark side…DUM DUM DUUUM! (lightning crack). Loosing. When this is the only part of the hobby you enjoy its easy to start hating your hobby when you lose. And here’s why. This is the only part of the hobby that is contingent on someone beside you. OR, put simply, this is the only part of the hobby that we are not in complete control over. No one else besides you dictates how you paint your minis or convert your models into 40K masterpieces. But, winning games can be shattered by an opponent, or a new rule, or a mission, or a scenario, or by crappy dice that seem to hate you, or by running out of time when you just needed that one last turn! Or by not getting enough sleep the night before, or by being late for the tournament and it fills up OR BY…..fill in the blank!

            This is why being a Full-Spectrum-Player is important to me personally. Because I really like this hobby and I really want to enjoy it. Is it wrong to have a favorite part of 40K……absolutely not. Is ok to hate painting? Yes. But if your going to enjoy this hobby to the fullest extent it has to offer, then you have to at least try the different aspects that make up Warhammer 40,000.

May 292010
 

With Ard Boyz season upon us we are faced with an opportunity to play a certain style of 40K that we might not otherwise spend time preparing for. And that; is high points games.  A high point game is anything in my mind that is OVER 2000pts per side, some might disagree, but that’s my opinion. And when it comes to playing big games there are things that you have to think about that might not be a factor in lower point battles. So here are the meat and potatoes of this article…advice for playing large games of 40K. This list isn’t completely comprehensive, but these are just some things that I have noticed as being reason some people win and others loose. And as a point of clarification I am going to focus specifically on the Ard Boyz Tournament.

1) Know your rules and come prepared to defend and disagree.

            This might seem like something that some people just can’t bring themselves to do. When your opponent says he has line of sight, you say “ok” and don’t disagree because you don’t like to cause trouble. Or when he moves his units he gives them an extra inch of movement and you let it slide. Maybe he modeled his marines with flamers but then said that they count as meltas, I mean he paid the points for them, he just forgot to change the typo in his list. If you let this stuff slide you will not win at Ard Boyz. O, you might win your battle, and I personally find that people who stoop to this kind of level typically don’t do well against seasoned veterans, but you might not get the kind of victory that you are going to need in order to place top 3 and that’s what matters. 3 minor victories are typically not going to cut it. You have to understand the mentality and mindset of the Ard Boyz player. You don’t play in a tournament of this caliber for fun, you just don’t. You play in it to test your skills and army against the best of the best. Ask an Olympian why he/she competes in the Olympics, I guarantee there are not going to say, “well I had nothing else to do today…”. The best way to stop this is to KNOW YOUR RULES and sometimes others rules too. Bring a rule book with you and a copy of the rules for that specific tournament, tab special areas that you think might cause issues for quick reference during a match. Don’t feel like a jerk for saying, “well right here it specifically says WYSIWYG, or What You See Is What You Get, so sorry buddy but you cant proxy an Ork Battle Wagon with that remote control car” its not about hurting feelings its about playing by the rules. Bring a laser pointer! I cant tell you how quick I solve Line of sight issues with my 10$ laser pointer. I’m not saying don’t try and have fun, I am just saying you need to understand what your getting yourself into and how to be prepared. 

 2) Don’t waste points.

            Just because the points cap is high, doesn’t mean you should run all the special characters you own and upgrade every unit just because you can.  Just like in a smaller game every piece of your 40K army puzzle is going to play a part in your army and if that unit is over priced in a small game then chances are its going to be over priced in a large game as well. This ties into evaluation of a unit and a million other topics, but the long and short of it is this…. If you wouldn’t consider using it in a 1850pts game…then think twice before putting it into your 2500pt list, just because its flashy and you CAN spend the points on it doesn’t mean you should.

 3) Know the scenarios and plan accordingly.

            I plan my Ard Boyz lists out way in advance, but I don’t put anything down as an actual hard copy until I see the scenarios. This year is a great example of that. The scenarios hit certain builds hard and if you were one of those armies and you refused to change things up just because you did well last year…..you might do well, and you might be in for a surprise. Be flexible and fluid. Don’t get discouraged if you see the missions for the first time and cry a bit, just go back to the drawing board and plan accordingly. Think ahead of time (and run practice games with your buddies if you can) of the scenarios. Don’t let a mission catch you with your pants down if you have the option of being prepared.

 Large games can be fun and rewarding, and for most of us its not everyday we get to field so much of our stuff at the same time. But don’t let the hype and hysteria overtake your tried and true battle wisdom. Play smart, play hard and be prepared, because that’s what it means to be an Ard Boy.

Jun 182009
 

Not too long ago I mentioned a new iPhone and iTouch application for math hammering your way through a game of Warhammer 40k called i40K.  There is now another kid on the block competing for that same slice of Warhammer market in iPhone applications.

There are four screens focused on different aspects of the game, they are self explanatory. Shoot Units, Assault Units, Shoot Vehicles, Assault Vehicles.

It is missing some pretty key components that will certainly affect a game.  Two things I notice missing are Armor Penetration  in shooting and Invulnerable saves in both shooting and assault.  This is a pretty big oversight considering the number of troops now in 40k 5th with invulnerable saves.

Some features I could see it needing is some graphing like i40K does, adding invulnerable, AP, and an interface update.  There really is not a lot of pizzazz. Missing two key components of the game does not make it work $4.99 right now, a dollar less than i40K though.

Mathhammer 40K and it’s sister product Mathhammer Fantasy offers both some of and in concern to assaults and vehicles, more features in comparison to i40K but is honestly a less polished interface.  That being said, it’s way faster than i40K which tended to slow down dramatically on me.  i40K still keeps the feel of iPhone design but needs some code polish to make it a better product then Mathhammer at this time.  For now If you want accuracy, speed, and functionality, go with Mathhammer on the the iPhone.  I find i40K too slow to be usable.

 

A. Timm Software – Mathhammer 40k – iPhone

Jun 162009
 

The Warhammer 40K ‘Ard Boyz tournaments is where to go to display your prowness in the game.  Think you have what it takes?  Here is the list of stores in the state hosting the preliminary round.

 

All Fun & Games NC
Game Connection NC
Games HQ NC
Hit Point Hobbies NC
Hobby Chest NC
Hobbytown USA – Charlotte NC
Mind Games NC
Plan 9 Comics NC
Rules of Engagement NC
The Hobbit NC

 

For more information on the tournament, the rules, etc click on the link to Games Workshop.

Games Workshop – ‘Ard Boyz 40K Tournaments

Jan 162009
 

Nick Locking, an enterprising individual, created a portable application for generating statistics on random dice rolls to wound in Warhammer 40K.  From the iTunes store… “Just enter the relevant statistics and the app does the rest – showing you ‘Average Wounds’. Advanced mode includes things like re-rolls, Rending and Feel No Pain.

It’s limited in the capabilities right now.  But it is mentioned that future editions will include shooting versus vehicles and close combat.

i40k is $5.99 and available now on iTunes.

i40k iPhone App

Dec 232008
 

Those thugs, the Orks, know Christmas.  They’re green after all, and like to paint red all over their vehicles.  Go Faster Red, green Orks, all by the light of shoota fire. 

Here are a couple treats.  Firstly, what best to get your favorite Ork player out there than Ghazghkull Thraka’s Greatest Hits

While the hits play in the background, you can whilst away the time reading to the little Grots the story of How Da WarBoss Stole Christmas by GregorytheImpaler as found on Deviant Art.

All da grots down in Grot-ville liked Christmas a lot. But da Boss who lived just north of Grot-ville did not. Da boss HATED Christmas, da whole Christmas season, please don’t ask why, noone quite knows da reason. It could be his Flash wasn’t screwed on just right. It could be, perhaps, dat his bootz was too tight. But I t’ink dat da most likely reason of all, may have been dat his heart was two sizes too small.

But, whatever da reason, his heart or his bootz, he stood ‘dere on Christmas Eve, hatin’ dem foolz. Staring down from his Ork Hold wit’ a sour Orky frown, at dem warmly lit torches below in ‘deir town. For he knew every Grot down in Grot-ville beneath, was busy now, hanging a red-painted wreath.

“And ‘deir hangin’ dem stockingz!” He snarled through his tusks, “Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s makin’ me fuss!” Den he growled, with his Ork fingers nervously drummin’, “I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from comin’!”

For tomorrow, he knew, all da Grot gitz n’ boyz, would wake bright n’ early. They’d rush for dem toyz! And ‘DEN! Oh, da noize! Oh, da noize!  Noize! Noize! Noize! Dat’s da ONE thing he hated! Da NOIZE! NOIZE! NOIZE! NOIZE!
Den da Grotz, young n old, would sit down to a feast. And dey’d feast! And dey’d feast! And dey’d FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!

Dey would feast on Grot-puddin’, and rare Grot-roast beast! Which was somethin’ dat Boss couldn’t stand in da least!

And DEN dey’d do somethin’ he liked least of all! Every Grot down in Grot-ville, da tall n da small, would stand close togedder, wit’ Christmas bells ringin’. Dey’d stand hand in hand, and dem Grotz would start singing!

Dey’d sing! And dey’d sing! And dey’d SING! SING! SING! SING! And da more da Boss thought of dis Grot-Christmas-sing, da more da Boss thought, “I must stop dis whole thing!”
“Why, for fifty-three yearz, I put up with it now!”
“I MUST stop dis Christmas from comin’!”

“But HOW?”

Den he got an idea! An awful idea! DA BOSS GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!

“I know just what ta do!” Da Boss laughed in his throat. And he made a quick Santy Claus hat ‘n a coat. And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great Orky trick!”
“With dis coat ‘n dis hat, I lookz just like Saint Nick!”

“All I need iz a reindeer…” Da Boss looked around. But, since reindeer are scarce, ‘dere was none to be found. Did that stop da Big Boss? No! Da Boss simply said,
“If I can’t FIND a reindeer, I’ll MAKE one instead!” So he called his Squig, Max. Den he took some red thread, and he tied a big horn on da top of his head.

DEN, he loaded some bags, and some old empty sacks, on a ramshackle sleigh, and he hitched up old Max.

Den da Boss said “Giddap!” And da sleigh started down, toward da homes where da Grotz lay a-snooze in ‘deir town.

All da windows were dark. Quiet snow filled da air. All da Grotz were all dreamin’ sweet dreams without care. When he came to da first little house on da square. “Dis is stop numba one,” the old Orky Claus hissed, and he climbed to da roof, empty bags in his fist.

Den he jumped down da chimney. A rather short toss. But if Santa could do it, ‘den so could da Boss! He got stuck only once, for a moment or two. Den he stuck  his head out of the fireplace flue, where da little Grot stockingz was hung in a row. “Dese stockin’s,” He grinned, “are da FIRST things ta go!”

Den he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, and da whole room, and he took every present! Bolt gunz! Jet bikez! Meltaz! And kraks! Flamerz! Bioniks! Transplantz! ‘N Mekz!
And he stuffed ‘dem in bagz. Den da Boss, very nimbly, stuffed all da bags, one by one, up da chimbley!

Den he slunk to da icebox. He took da Grot’s feast! He took da Grot-Puddin’! he took da roast beast! He cleaned out dat icebox as quick as a flash! Why dat Ork even took ‘deir last can of Grot-hash!

Den he stuffed all da food up da chimney wit’ glee. “And NOW!” grinned da Boss, “I will stuff up da tree!”

And da Boss grabbed da tree, and he started to squat, when he heard a small sound, like da voice of a Grot.

He turned around fast, and he saw of small Grot! Little Cindy-Lou Grot, who was only a tot.

Da Boss had been caught, by dis tiny Grot daughter, who’d got out of bed for a cup of cold water. She stared at da Boss and said “Santy Claus, why, why are ya takin’ our Christmas tree? WHY?”

But, ya know, dat ol’ Boss was so smart ‘n quick. He thought up a lie, ‘n he thought it up quick! “Why, my sweet little tot,” the fake Santy Claus lied, “‘Dere’s a light on dis tree dat won’t light on one side! So I’m taking it home to me workshop, my dear.” “I’ll fix it up ‘dere. DEN I’ll bring it back HERE!”

‘N his fib fooled da child. Den he patter ‘er ‘ead, and he got ‘er a drink n he sent ‘er ta bed. ‘N when Cindy-Lou Grot went to bed wit’ ‘er cup, HE went to da chimney ‘n stuffed da tree up!

‘Den da LAST thing he took, was da log for deir fire! Den he went up da chimney himself, da ol’ liar. On deir wallz he left nuffin’ but hooks and some wire.

‘N da one speck o’ food dat was left in da house, was a crumb dat was even too small for a mouse.

Den he did da same thing to da other Grotz’ houses,
Leavin’ crumbs much too small for da other Grot’z mouses.
It was quarter past dawn… all da Grotz still-a-bed, all da Grotz, still-a-snooze when he packed up his sled, packed up wit’ dem presents! Dem ribbonz! Dem wrappin’s! Da tagz! ‘N da tinsel! Da trimmin’s! Da Trappins!

Three thousand feet up! Up da side of Mount Kill Pit, he rode with his load to da tiptop ta dum it! “Sod off to dem grotz!” he was Orkishly hummin’. “Dey’s findin’ out now dat no Christmas is comin’!”
“Dey’s just wakin’ up! I know JUST what dey’ll do!”
“Deir moufs will hang open a minute or two, den da Grotz down in Grotville, will all cry boo-hoo!”

“That’s a noize,” grinned da Big Boss, “Dat I simply MUST hear!” So he paused. And da Boss put his hand to his ear. And he DID hear a sound risin’ over da snow. It started in low, den it started ta grow…

But da sound wasn’t sad, why dis sound sounded merry! It COULDN’T be so! But it WAS merry! Very!

He stared down at Grotville! Da Boss popped ‘is flash. Den he shook! What he saw was a shockin’ surprise!

Every Grot down in Grotville, da tall n da small, was SINGIN’! Without any presents at all!

He HADN’T stopped Christmas from comin’! IT CAME! Somehow or odder, it came just da same!

And da Boss, wit his Ork feet ice-cold in da snow, stood thinkin’ ‘n thinkin’, “How COULD it be so? It came wiffout shootaz, it came wiffout rigz! it came wiffout big mekz, tank bustaz, or squigz!” And he puzzled three hours till ‘is big brain was sore, DEN da Boss thought of somethin’ he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas,” He thought, “DOESN’T come from a WAAAGH!!! …  Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”

‘N what happened DEN? Well… in Grotville dey say, dat da Boss’ small heart grew three sizes dat day! ‘N da minute his heart didn’t feel quite so tight, he came down wit ‘is load through da bright mornin’ light, ‘n brought back da giftz! ‘N da food fer da feast! ‘N he…

He HIMSELF! Da Big Boss carved da roast beast!

Dec 022008
 

Event #1: Warhammer Fantasy League Tournament Kick-Off

Location: Parker Banner Kent Wayne, 8301 Magnolia Estates Dr, Cornelius, NC 28031
Link out: Click here
Description: The League is basically a tournament spread out over a several week time period. Its purpose is to promote a tournament-type experience without the need to spend a full weekend dedicated to the game.  Dec 7th, Sunday is the kick-off where player assignments will be made.  Please contact wfbleague@pbkwcomics.com if you have not signed up yet.  (though they were due Dec 4th)

Start Time: 2:00pm
Date: 2008-12-07

 

Event #2: PBKW/Assaultphase.com Year End 40k Tournament

Location: Parker Banner Kent Wayne, 8301 Magnolia Estates Dr, Cornelius, NC 28031
Link out: Click here
Description: Prizes: (PBKW Store credit towards GW Merchandise) 1st place: $25+50% of pot. 2nd: $20+35% of pot. 3rd: $15+15% of pot. Prizes will be rounded to nearest $5.00 increments for sake of organizers’ sanity. Painting Contest: $40.00

There is a lot of interest in the tournament.  Please remember to be punctual, ie On Time.  If you have not had the chance to preregister, you can stop by Parker Banner Kent Wayne in Cornelius and pay the meager $5 entry fee.  Or at the least call the store or post in the link above that you will be going. 

Start Time: 12:00
Date: 2008-12-06

Nov 192008
 

There is a $20 entry fee, and first prize is $100 cash, favorite opponent is $50, and their is a $50 first prize for the painting competition that will be held during lunch.  First round starts at 10 AM.

See http://www.assaultphase.com/pbkw/?page_id=76/warhammer-40k/warhammer-40k-tournament-in-charlotte/page-1/post-575/#p575