Green Eyed Monster

So.....this;

I'm sure there aren't too many of US out there that haven't noticed this one creeping out into the light. Reaction has been mixed, as you might expect. Mine has been many shades of Green.

Initially I was suspiciously dismissive given my incredibly JADED (do you see what I did there?) veiw of GW over the last 10 year. I tried to be positive about the re-launched White Dwarf but I just couldn't manage it. It simply couldn't outweigh my contempt for the rules and gameplay becoming a race to the lowest commen demoniator of cash for WAAC at the expense of all the canon that enthralled me for so many years.

BREATH OUT.........

As I've mentioned before, GW and I parted many years ago on what I thought were mutual grounds. We'd both moved on to different places in our lives that no longer worked for each other. I play other, better, more grown up and efficient games that suit where I am and what I want from my hobby. GW has churned through any number of wide eyed acolytes during that time and become a proper, grown up company doing things that proper grown up companies do.

But now they've gone and announced the return of what so many of us loved best. Space Hulk now seems like even more of a tease than it became the second time around. I no longer have the time, money, effort for any of their offerings and then they go and pony it up to somebody else so many years after I, and mnay others, mourned it's passing. I'll admit it, I'm JEALOUS!!

How dare they sully my formative gaming years with Space Marine flyers, retarded Centurions and the moronic Lord of Skulls. Cracked open a bunker full of long forgotten STC data-slates did you? How dare they trample the second edition copy of WHFB that I pored all over as a kid, building it up to the ludicrous heights of End of Times with arcane scenery, bound monsters and stupidly huge kits only to smash it into pieces for Age of Sigmar.

And now you're going to pimp out my last ounces of nostalgia by re-launching my beloved Specialist Games as re-imagined boxed games that will a shadow of thier former selves at three times the price just so you can prop up your beleagured profit margins!!

Oddleg mad! Oddleg ANGRY!!! ODDLEG SMASHHHH!!!!!

BREATH OUT...........

An over-dramatisation to be sure, obviously..., but part of me is quite annoyed though I'm sure I don't really have the right to be. I really hope this to be the announcement that I, and so many others, want it to be but I really don't think I is.

As they say be careful what you wish for, but then is this something that I'm wishing for anymore? Possibly not ;)

Age of.......Confusion

Hello people,

Brace yourself it's another meandering musings post.

So, as I don't live under a rock I've been watching the community reaction to Age of Sigmar. On the face of it its been pretty polarised with plenty of RAGE to go with the usual froth.

For me it's been more a case of confusion and resultant caution. I'll explain ;)

In honesty I simply don't understand where GW is going with this one. It's been just over 10 years since I left them so I'm sure I'm well out of the loop but I just don't get it. As much as I'm well out of the GW hobby I feel they've made some positive moves going weekly with White Dwarf, End of Times and the Skittari. As much as the demise of Fantasy has been rumoured for sometime I never expected this.....whatever it is!

A set of free to download quick-play mini-skirmish rules without a points system and whacky rules is a HUGE departure from the GW norm. It's almost like they're trying to out Mantic Mantic. Add in the Stormborn as a blatant link into 30/40K and is it really that simple? The most obvious answer is often the most likely and in hindsight I can see the progression with Fantasy Apocalypse, monstrous creatures and arcane scenery. It's almost like it's a return to Realms of Chaos / Lost and the Damned style gaming, almost, and you've got to go back a long way for that.

There's plenty of "opinion" out there but Tabletop Gaming News recently put up an unboxing review that covers all the bases, pardon the pun, without becoming hysterical.

In honesty I understand the RAGE with the apparent total about face after the move to bigger and bigger blocks of rank and file. Given GW's track record of abandoning previous editions and spin offs, Specialist Games anyone?, I feel that I can understand the angst. I'm sure plenty of people will play on with whatever edition they like but it has to come with the knowledge that GW WILL leave them behind. If it were me, which it isn't (thankfully), I'd be more than a bit narked feeling that my investment in the game has just been utterly scrapped for something far far less.....

I'm sure that there's got to be more to come from AoS, you'd damn well hope so, but I've always felt that the Fantasy community regarded themselves a cut above 40K, as a proper wargames, and I doubt they like feeling like they're being dragged down. Lets not even mention the idea of rebasing your whole army :/

For myself I've got enough LOTR orcs to put a force on the table and give it a go. In truth I'm kind of scared to.......I might just like it!  ;)

I shall be watching with quiet(ish) interest........

Them's the RULES!!

Another good gaming week for the shed.

Tuesday night was D&D, following a number of missed Thursdays, for THE RITUAL followed by a hard fight against a variety of end of scene beasties and bad guys. There are a few loose ends to tie up but i'm fairly sure that the locals can sleep a little easier in thier beds...... at least for a while!

As far as the rules are concerned we're fairly old hands now. We know the sequences, what checks are required when and how to do / attempt certain things.
We're all used to our individual tasks and roles, something of a well oiled machine! It's only really during the tight combats and harder tasks that we have to pull out the special abilities and "tricks".

That happened on Tuesday with Charlie scanning the back of the rulebook whilst the rest of us metaphorically shoved Mr C's Paladinic "tank" towards the teeth of the Green Dragon we had unleashed.

"You can do X" says Charlie. "Oh...good!" says Mr C. Mr C did X. It helped greatly. Scratch one Green Dragon. The post battle heal and loot SOP was then engaged :)

On Thursday shaun and Rich came round for a run through Operation Squad a set of Italian written WWII squad skirmish rules being sold through Warlord Games.

Plugs over, once I got my head around the activation system I discovered that I really liked them. Basically you take turns to nominate one of your boys and state what they're going to do. Your opponent CAN respond by nominating a reaction activation. You CAN then nominate a reaction to his reaction.

Either side can nominate a maximum of three actions in this manner. Once all nominations are in you roll an intiative order and get on with resolving them.

It might sound confusing but in my first game I picked it up fine, even appreciating how it gives an otherwise straight forward set of rules a much greater depth whilst retaining fluidity.

I'm not getting into a diatribe about rules but wish to make another point. I grew up within gaming via GW and thier rulesets. Within that culture there has always been an idea of "veteran gamers", another can of worms that I don't wish to unleash. This seems to be defined merely by time and money invested.

To be honest I now find GW rulesets too basic, prescriptive and limiting to figure within my regular gaming. Like many I limit myself to a couple of GW's Specialist offerings.

So, to me at least, another and potentially better definition of a veteran gamer is one that is able to appreciate and deal with more open and intuitive rulesets to produce a better game. One measure we often use is wether proper tactics properly applied produce a realistic result.

Another thing for me is that to play with better, less prescriptive, rules you need to be a better, less prescriptive, gamer able to use rather than abuse the latitude offered all in the name of FUN for all.

Happy gaming to all :)

Have you been to a harvester before??

Long story short; I had to run an errand up to Angel today and so popped into the recently opened GW up there to pick up some paints.

I got the standard spaniel-like greeting though thankfully the leg humping was fairly brief following a bit of foot swallowing on his part.

Well done that man :)
You see, the thing is that I worked for the Evil empire as a store manager for 6 years before moving on. As such my gradual move away from the GW hobby has been a bit schizophrenic at times. The dirty little secret is that, at times, i've missed it :(

The new Warhammer Fantasy release has been an excellent case in point. I REALLY want to believe that it'll be great and i'll love playing it BUT I know it's a lie. It feels, strangely, like a dream has died or that Santa has been put away for house-breaking.

However, seeing the poor bloke stood in his one man store, sweat and desperation dripping from him in equal measure, I found myself explaining how, other than Blood Bowl and Space Hulk, it's just not for me anymore.

He didn't say a lot to that and I smiled as I walked away feeling strangely lighter..........WIERDO :)

Rattle and Hum

As a bit of birthday treat the missus said that I could pick any location for a weekend away and she'd sort out a hotel in the area.

So, Bovington it was! The hotel was a quaint independantly run village affair, which kept the missus happy enough

She was fairly impressed actually, if not so much with the exhibits themselves, then at least with the info boards and their presentation.

We then shot off to Corfe Castle which was impressive, depsite being blown up by Cromwell. Interestingly you could see a lot more about how the place was built and functioned once various bits had been blown apart!

Saturday was then finished off with a quick stroll by Swanage beach and harbour. I was still thinking about the Stug. Mmmmm..... Whermacht armour (drool)
Sunday was another National Trust visit to a house and gardens that I forget the name of. No tanks, but we had a picnic in the sunshine involving pork pie and flapjack. Winner.

As our third National Trust visit of the year membership has now paid for itself and every further visit is effectively free. I do NOT however feel the need to invest in any open toed sandals with white sports socks!!

As much as I do like Whermacht armour, cold war soviet armour simply reaches the parts that other armour simply cannot. Anything from a T-55 onward just hits a certain spot. It took a great deal of will power to not by a T-64 kit from the gift-shop.

This example is in need of a certain amount of TLC, as do my 'Stealers.

On Friday afternoon I took my two casualties to GW Plaza following a quick stop of at Orc's Nest for some brush-on matt varnish. Jon suggests that this may do the trick. Cheers for the pointer mate :)

After an initial "well what you did wrong is" lecture I stood my ground a touch, feeling somewhat patronised, as I WAS actually aware that the "dust" was likely to be propellant from the can.

After a further 10 minutes I walked away with some useful pointers, a replacement can of Purity Seal and the promise that if they wouldn't fix I'd get one for one replacement. A fair result.

Monday night is 'Stealer night. Boo and yah!!

I won't actually ever be using Purity Seal again though as the "how to best use" advice ran more as a list of faults. Coat D'Arms stuff isn't cheap but it does a good job and it's all about peace of mind and that's priceless!!