Life on the NET # 6

So, Saturday is the Gaurdians of Tyr Netrunner team championship.

 

Deck lists are in. I've gone with a super-scorch NBN Making News and as a last minute change a Shaper Kitt-Paintbrush runner that I've played six games with so far.

 

As I'm just realising the true depths of my ignorance, especially as a Runner, the event should be an "intensive learning experience". Hopefully the bruising won't be too bad ;)

 

A lot of this is down to the fact that I'm currently seeing the game very laterally. I've been struggling for economy on both fronts recently so I've trimmed some non core strategy cards for more one off payouts. What I've played against a few times in the last couple of weeks are decks that generate economy off the back of their core Modus Operandi. These are often resources that trigger from other installs.

 

Even I can work out that this is far more efficient but due to lack of knowledge and experience don't know what works with what best and how.....if that makes sense?

 

For now I'm going to dumb down a touch while I learn better decision making. Kitt is already doing better for me as I have one core strategy that I've done my best to enhance rather than my Criminal decks that have had a lot of run options which have simply ended up confusing my thinking.

 

KISS to the MAX ;)

Life on the NET # 5

Hola!

So, myself Rich and Alex headed over to Leisure Games on Sunday for our next step up in Netrunner tournament play. LG have a monthly tourney capped at 20 players so we were expecting something of an increase but still a pretty laid back event......except they were the first in London to pick up a Winter prize kit which stretched the field to 26 and brought out the virtual knives!

As such people were wheeling out the Big-Bad decks and running thier A games with four rounds ratcheting upto five.

In honesty the vast majority of my opponents were very cool and more than happy to explain things to me as and when I asked. More than once I was also let off a minor timing gaff or two which was greatly appreciated.

Having read through some deck analysis of Worlds I was aware that my chosen IDs, NBN Making News and Criminal Silhouette, were entirely unrepresented and caused some comment on the day. Over four rounds I went 3-5, having gone into the 4th round 3-3, somehow I was 2-0 after round 1, which I was feeling very proud of. The field followed the current meta with lots of Kate, Anarch Virus decks, heavy HB and fast breeder NBN.

Up until round four I'd felt pretty much up with the pace, most of the time, though it was a fair bit of effort. In that I played a couple of anarch Virus decks which were a new experience for me but I could work out what they were doing. Running mainly against Haas-Bioroid I made a few mistakes a couple of times over but the main struggle was putting together a cognet strategy. Just slowing myself down and talking myself throyugh the board state really helped.

Round Four I came pretty unstuck against Pre-Paid Kate and then NBN Near Earth Hub. My opponent obviously had a lot of experience and knew what he was doing. I really didn't have a clue what he was doing! He played along at a good pace and I just got lost. He probably could have helped me out a bit more but then he didn't have to, not that it was too likely to change the result!

Against Kate it took a long time for the Agendas to come out and by then he was so well set, and had even reset his deck, he could run me with relative impunity.  All day my NBN deck fought me with a consistently lumpy draw, rarely giving me what I wanted as I needed it but those are the breaks. Against Near Earth Hub he set up his many, many servers and then blasted out the Agendas with frightening ease. 3-3 to 3-5 in 55 minutes!

In retrospect I let myself get blinded by science a bit. I should have slowed down and asked a lot more questions. I felt like I got the bums rush a bit and as such didn't really learn a lot from the game which was disappointing and slightly soured an otherwise enjoyable day.

Clinging onto the lower places and having made plans elsewhere we took our leave before the final round. I really felt the mental effort I'd exerted throughout the day which was a big learn all by itself.

The main lesson for the day was that I just need to play more games outside of my local meta. It's all well and good reading about current meta decks but seeing them in play is very different. That probably means taking a bit of a kicking for a while but as long as I take the time to learn what's going on, asking questions, and work through what I can do about it it's all good. The team championship in a fortnight will be a massive "opportunity".

While I'm doing that I'm going to continue to concentrate on my main IDs and decks, tweaking them as I go. To that end I'd like to concentrate them a touch more, maximise thier strengths and see how that goes. As such a second core set will be a necessity........ A NECESSITY ;]

MEDIC!!

Evening all,

Just a quick one as I've actually managed to get enough time with the brushes to get the Doc, Engineer and their Zondbot helpers  buttoned. They're pretty basic figures in honesty so nothing too complicated. 5 Painting Points for the lot which is a bonus but better to be getting back in the habit.

These guys will deploy tomorrow night. Hopefully the very fresh varnish doesn't have too much of an effect ;)

EDIT: I've just realised how awful these photos are! Re-shoots ASAP!

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 ;)

Seeing RED

Hello people. Yes, getting back into the habit now.

Yesterday was another trip up to Milton Keynes for the final round of Gaurdians of Tyr's X-Wing 2015 calendar.

I took the Khiraz / Scyk list again, primarily as further playtesting, and was once again pleasently surprised to go 3-2 for tenth place :) I've now firmly established that formation flying and firepower is the way to go. Using a slow roll up one board edge I look to disrupt my opponent's formation and try and force the engagement on my terms. Patience is key and when did look to force things, to establish what the list can't do, recovery was difficult. Lesson learned!

One of these was the first game, which was always going to be a vicious joust as my opponent also had three PS2 Khiraz. I deviated from the target priority I knew I should have chosen and paid dearly for it. One way dice didn't help but they had just been varnished the night before.

Prize support was excellent as always but I'm particularly pleased with my little Death Star tin that from now on will contain my Stress and Crit tokens :)

On that note I've also finished up a TIE Advanced and a pair of Punishers. Fora bit of variety I've gone for a reversed scheme that will also feature for my TIE FOs, especially as I now own a full dozen of the little buggers.

All together that's another 12 Painting Points. I noticed the other day that I'm on for a very lean year in that regard. I think that's more because of my shift in gaming over the last year, not only towards X-Wing and now Netrunner but also because I spend more time playing. I felt kind of sad but Infinity is going to be my main painting outlet and has only really been around since the summer. I want to clock up some more points but it's time, I need to make better use of it ;)

For a further seemless segway I fully intentionally picked up a can of white spray yesterday. You can see it on the right next to my impulse purchases 😲

The store, Wargames Workshop has added a merchandise and comics section which were far too good to pass up. I could have been far far worse but resisted the Boba Fett shoulder bag and the more obvious Star Wars bobble heads.

I'd been tempted to pick up an Imperial Assault bantha rider for some time and I'm a long time Battlestar freak from my very early years. With this kind of stuff I often prefer the more niche stuff that you have to know about to understand. Slight geek snobbery I admit.

I'm also a part time comics geek. I've had a 2000AD subscription for many years now a days have a few trade paperback lines that I pick up regularly. I'm a big fan of the British scene so the pre Watchman mini series was always going to be leaving the store with me. Another blog topic is forming from the mists.........

And there we are all caught up! It's another busy geek week on the cards, plenty of Netrunner, but I'm setting an Infinity painting target of the Doctor and Engineer.

Little steps!

Dance Card

Would you look at that I've actually added a new page! Nothing too stunning, a showcase page for my current gaming.

The last batch Tuesday night's at Enfield Gamers I've been playing through  the first three rounds of the club's Infinity campaign during I have insisted on making a bunch of school boy errors where I should have known better. My dice have also been pretty terrible early doors at which point I've found myself fighting from the back foot. Having said that against both Jon and Rob I've somehow come back to clinch last turn draws. Last night it was snatched by the last dice rolled, much to Rob's chagrin.

In honesty most of my mistakes came from not playing in a while and as such failing to pay attention properly. I must get back to regular games and as such that's kind of the point. X-Wing is my main game and will remain so for quite some time. I've invested a lot of time, effort and even international travel but got so much more back from it.

Infinity gives me the long term hobby project that I need, as well as being the Sci-Fi skirmish that I've spent so many years looking for. Netrunner adds an extra element of quick turnaround, low hobby impact gaming. It's far more than a filler game but it can do that if it needs to.

With three different bases covered I can see that being a template for the forseeable. Even within that triumvirate I'll need to juggle priorities. There's been a lot of competitive X-Wing recently but as I blogged recently it'll be far more casual until the New Year now. Infinity got some hobby love with Thunderdome but there are plenty of minis to get across the painting table with a few ships to break things up. The club campaign will get me fortnightly games at worst but I want to keep that up at the least.

With another local event day in a couple of weeks and a Team Tournament at the end of month Netrunner needs to be prioritised for current table time though I'm happy to take the slower learning curve there. As such I'm not going to be looking elsewhere for a while. I'll be tempted I'm sure and other games will rotate in and out such as SAGA and Dreadball. The magpie effect is notorious amongst gamers but the bases covered as they are it will be interesting to see how I hold out.

Pretty good so far ;)