The Full Spectrum Warrior

 Uncategorized  6 Responses »
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.

4/10 Warhammer Fantasy Tournament

 Misc Events, Tournaments, Warhammer Fantasy  1 Response »
Mar 152010
 

As posted in the forums by Dan R; An upcoming Warhammer Fantasy tournament at Parker Banner Kent and Wayne

There is a Warhammer Fantasy tournament at PBKW on 4/10. Details below or go to the WarhammerCarolinas yahoo group and check the Files section. There are currently 7 slots available out of 18.

LOCATION:

Parker Banner Kent & Wayne Comics & Games, Cornelius NC

8301 Magnolia Estates Drive Suite 9

Cornelius, NC 28031

704-892-GAME (4263)

PBKWComics.com

TIME: Check in at 10:00 am; Games start at 10:30 am 

POINTS: 2250

ROUNDS: 3 rounds, 2.5 hours each

ENTRY FEE: $10

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  Maximum = 18

 

TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER: Matt Milburn (matt@pbkwcomics.com) and Dan Rothrock (drr1776@gmail.com); contact either to register

 

PRIZES: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Sportsmanship

DETAILS:

-         Armies do not have to be painted

-         Tournament lists are due by April 5, 2010. Please send them to Dan Rothrock at drr1776@gmail.com  

-         Sportsmanship will be based off of a set of four Yes or No questions. At the end of the tournament, you will receive 1 Battle point for each YES received. The person with the most YES answers will receive the Sportsmanship prize. In the case of a tie, the winner will be selected randomly among those that are tied. Any attempt to manipulate scoring (e.g., consistently score all your opponents low, score a contending opponent low when everyone else scored them high) will be investigated and could result in disqualification and/or adjustment of results.

-         This tournament will be run under the 7th Edition Warhammer Fantasy rule set

-         You must provide 3 army lists. One to the organizer, 1 for your opponents to review, and 1 for yourself. All lists must be printed and legible with all units, items, and costs noted and totaled. No handwritten copies.

-         Players may choose to exchange army lists before or after their game; roll off in case of a discrepancy

-         Tournament games will use the standard Pitched Battle scenario; There may be some extra special scenario points for each game

-         Terrain will be fixed on each table. All hills, impassable cliffs, buildings, and trees are considered to be infinitely high for LOS purposes (e.g., block line of sight to all models).

-         Weapons, armor options and upgrades chosen from the army list must be shown on the majority of the models in a unit. Please clarify all exceptions with your opponent before the game begins. 

 

RESTRICTIONS:

-         No characters that are: special, named or Albion

-         Rare slot choices may not be repeated (2 for 1 still gets both), except for HE, where they can be repeated once for each choice.

-         Max.2 of the same special choice.

-         Max.4 of the same Core choice, except ranked infantry without missile weapons

-         Max.3 units of flyers (incl. characters; dragon counts as 2 units of flyers)

-         Max.45 models/70 shots that can shoot with a range of 20″+ (not including war machines)

-         Max.5 war machines.

-         Max.2 Terror causers

-         Max.2 Large targets

-         Maximum 12 Casting Dice (from any source) can be used by a player during their Magic phase; bound spells count as 1 dice;

-         Maximum 2 Dispel scrolls (or items that act like dispel scrolls, i.e., Runes, Seal of destruction, etc) in an army

 

ARMY SPECIFIC RULES:

BRETONNIANS: 2nd unit of Pegasus Knights counts as an extra Rare choice

DAEMONS OF CHAOS – All Greater Daemons count as an additional hero choice; Herald BSB may take either daemonic gifts or a daemonic icon, not both; Daemonic Gifts may not be duplicated;

DARK ELVES – Assassins count as a hero choice; Shades limited in unit size to max. 8 models; The second item+ (the first is free) out of the following counts as an additional hero or rare choice (player’s choice): Pendant of Kaleth, ASF Banner;

DWARFS: Anvil counts as 2 war machines

EMPIRE – Steam Tank counts as 2 War Machines;

HIGH ELVES – Star Dragon takes an additional hero slot;

LIZARDMEN – Engine of the Gods is limited to one in the army; Temple Guard count as a Terror causer in an army with a Slaan;

OGRE KINGDOMS – A Slaughtermaster can be taken without a tyrant; Gorgers are a 2-1 choice

TOMB KINGS – Jar counts as 2 Casting Dice in the round it is used

VAMPIRE COUNTS – The second item+ (the first is free) out of the following counts as an additional hero or rare choice (player’s choice): Drakenhoff banner, Helm of command, Skull Staff; Banshee cannot scream into close combat

Building a Display Board Part 1

 Tutorials  No Responses »
Mar 092010
 

One of the things every army needs for a large tournament such as Adepticon is a display board.  This is a tray that will hold your figures and serves two purposes.  First it goes into judging of the paint scheme.  Second it will be used to quickly move your figures from one table to the next, as opposed to sticking them in and out of their foam cases.

My first step in going about this process was to think about framing.  There was an old GW article that provided some pretty detailed steps on making a display board.  Thy suggested using a basic picture frame.  I wanted a more detailed frame with scroll work or something ornate.  Unfortunately those can get expensive.  I decided instead to make my own frame our of molding which you can get even detailed molding for $10 at the home improvement store.

For backing, the GW article suggested using foam board on top of the normal picture frame backing with slats of some kind to hole the base in against the frame since it has that lip and all and would stick out.  This seemed cumbersome to me.  Plus it wouldn’t work with my self built frame.  The foam board would be marked where the figures were to go and then holes cut out.  Good idea, but I did not want to be constrained to only one set force organization.  I wanted to be able to reuse my display board as often as I need.

Materials: Cost me in total around $30

  • Black Foam Board
  • Thin aluminum sheet metal
  • Hardboard
  • 8 ft detailed wall molding
  • Liquid Nails

First thing to do is decide the size of your frame.  Cut your molding at 45 degree angles such that the shorter length is on the inside of what your frame should look like.  When you have 4 equal lengths, or 2 sets of equal length boards, arrange them on the table or on one of the large foam boards to make sure your measurements are what you expected

InsertDepending on the thickness of the molding, you will need to know the measurements for the inside square and the outside perimeter.  My outside perimeter was 26.5 by 21.5.  The inside was 17 by 22.  Cut the foam board to those specifications.  What you are doing is making the backing and the insert.  Then using your liquid nails, glue the boards to the larger backing.  It should fit perfectly.  Make sure you glue the joints of the frame as well.

Let that dry for a few hours.  Then you should be able to place the insert foam board into the frame and it should be snug but not tight.  If it’s tight, shave the edges a bit.  The insert is going the be the piece that is cut specific to your formation.  You want that to be able to slide in and out so you can switch formations if needed.

When you have all these pieces you are are done with step one.  The next step, which will be posted later, will be to cut the holes and do the terrain for your insert.

FoamShot  ArmyPlacement

WFB RUMORS: 8th Edition Cometh

 Games Workshop Releases, Warhammer Fantasy  No Responses »
Nov 042009
 

 warhammer-fantasy-7thPicked up from Bell of Lost Souls it looks like the pick up in WFB releases is set to climax in 2010 with a new 8th edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle.  There is no speculation around what may be changed in the new edition, so let rumor mongering commence.

Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Fantasy & Wargaming News | Bell of Lost Souls: WFB RUMORS: 8th Edition Cometh

Army Builder 3.2 Released

 Third Party  No Responses »
Aug 072009
 

Lone Wolf Development have released the latest update to the Army Builder program.  Many changes have been made to the interface and as well several new enhancements to the program.

• Save rosters as PDF files
• Generate the combined model list for your entire roster, providing both a convenient "what-to-pack" or "what-to-buy" list
• Output rosters in a format designed for viewing on mobile devices so you can have your entire roster at your fingertips and save the trees
• Major changes to the overall user-interface make army creation even faster and easier than before, as well as more intuitive for new users
• The "New Roster" form has been completely re-designed for ease of use and instant access to all aspects of your force
• The Updates mechanism has been integrated into the Select Game System form at launch, allowing you to instantly see when new updates are available and retrieve them directly
• The Options list for units uses a tree structure that can be scrolled, collapsed, and expanded – equipping your units is even easier than before
• Lots more information is available about the roster and individual units
• The overall visual look has been updated with new buttons and use of textures, providing a more modern and cleaner style
• An alternate dark-on-light skin is provided for users who prefer it
• Significant enhancements are provided for data file authors to make the process of data file creation faster and easier
• Plus a huge list of other enhancements and refinements that will be found in the readme file installed with the product
This new release is free for anyone with a non-expired product license. You can download V3.2 from our website or via the integrated Updates mechanism within AB.

In irony, the day it was released, my license expired and I could not download it myself.  I had been waiting all week, checking the updates to get it in before my license expired.  OK, I know you planned that Lone Wolf.

Army Builder – Lone Wolf Development

Games Workshop – White Dwarf Archive

 Games Workshop Releases  No Responses »
Jul 142009
 

Today Games Workshop announced that they are putting online a collection of White Dwarf articles from past issues over the years.

We’ve all got our favourite issue of White Dwarf, whether it is one with a great article, battle report or piece of cover art, there’s one issue that will always stand out for us as being the ‘best’ ever, fact. A somewhat heated discussion of this, helped us realise that really, over the 32 years that White Dwarf’s been in print, there have been hundreds of great articles, covering every aspect of our hobby – I even remember Jervis winning a battle report, once! How great it would be, we thought, if we had access to those articles of yore, without spending half a day trawling through the attic. Well now we, and you, do.

Launched today, the White Dwarf Archive is a collection of those great articles. We’ve uploaded them all as PDFs so you can download them, print them out, and read them on the bus, train or wherever. There’ll be new, old articles added every month and all you have to do to access them is make sure you’ve registered here at games-workshop.com.

If you head to the the White Dwarf landing page.  You can see it’s all organized by game system as well.  Then you can drill into it by gaming, tactics, etc.

Games Workshop – White Dwarf Archive

Fantasy Flight Games – Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game

 Third Party  No Responses »
Jul 082009
 

While I was at the Fantasy Flight site getting information on Chaos in the Old World, I saw that the most recent news posted happened to be the announcement of a new card game, Warhammer Invasion. 

“As you build up your Capital, you must construct buildings to grow your empire, muster troops to defend your realm, destroy the foes arrayed against you, and send your troops on perilous quests.”

It was listed as LCG or Living Card Game.  LCG’s are not a collectible game, but there are instead regular releases with readily available cards.

Fantasy Flight Games [Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game] – Leading publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games.

Fantasy Flight Games [News] – Updates on Chaos in the Old World Board Game

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jul 072009
 

Catching up on the latest in the news of Chaos in the Old World board game.  A new post detailing the different regions of the old world tells us some tidbits about what the maps and areas on the map may be like.

Fantasy flight has actually had a flurry of updated information, giving some speculation that there is no small effort being put into the game.  Some other updates that I missed since the last post.

Blood for the Blood God
Kindly Old Grandfather

There is some updated release information, setting it for release in the Fall 2009.

Fantasy Flight Games [News] – Leading publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games.

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