Toxic Relationship?

Hello people,

Long time coming this one, in several different ways. As previously mentioned I've taken the plunge back into 40K with 8th Edition. GW and I had parted many years ago but I've been tempted back by Papa Nurgle.

With any break-up there's a period when you swear that you're not going back, ex's are ex's for a reason. You're moving on and so are they, you tell yourself. You tell other people that you're pleased that they're doing well, just as well as you.....obviously. As time passes you check in virtually, it's not stalking honest, and can admire at a distance relatively safely.

The issue really rears it's head when mutual friends mention them in passing. How they've moved on, how good they're looking, how they're new and improved......a new Edition...

And so it was that 8th Edition was mentioned to me, how it was more streamlined,  less power-cheese, more skirmish, more old school. Though we had turned our noses up at Age of Sigmar, whilst quietly applauding trying something different, as far more juvenile 4OK 8th was somehow retro. The memories of Rogue Trader through to 4th beckoned. Where Stormcast were ridiculous Primaris are cool x 2 and just look at the new Death Gaurd. Didn't you used to have Death Gaurd army? You'd have a great time putting together the new figures? Fancy swapping out a starter set??

So thats a double starter set plus a pair of Hellbrutes, a Rhino and a "spare" set of Plague Marines, E-Bay bargains all, later. With the Codex it made sense to pick up the cards and the plague-ridden dice are rule of cool. Ordering from my local store I ended upgrading to the collectors edition codex because it's just that bit sexier and I knew I'd be dissapointed with the standard one otherwise. Apparently time is my most finite resource these days but £72.50 still left a mark, though it was definitely the right call.

Currently everything but the "spare" marines and 20 Poxwalkers are built and thanks to a number of donations I've kit-bashed them all to individuality, a personal necessity. Painting has begun in earnest with a pre-highlight and wash scheme that I've not used before now approved. I've even play3dchalfa dozen games and rather enjoyed them. Things to unlearn but I particularly like the objective cards adding a random element. The game feels more brutal than I remember and though I'm sure power-cheese is more than possible I can see myself playing on a regular basis.

All on my own terms.....obviously ;)

Spoils of War

Hello people,

++++ WARNING: OBLIGATORY POST GAMING EVENT POST ++++

So, back from Nationals. As previously mentioned it was a very positive weekend being a geek. I also made out like a bandit for swag;

Alt arts are clearly a big thing these days, I was gifted a full half dozen to go with the gorgeous X-Wing participation Howlrunner and the Destiny BB-8 that I traded for an Armada Screed, Rebel Transport and X-Wing.

Getting a few side events in I gathered enough tickets for the Netrunner mat and picked up Hey That's My Fish! as it's an awesome pick up game.

The Netrunner mat won out over an Armada Howlrunner alt art. Part of that was because after the weekend I'd rather look at Netrunner than Destiny.

I played 10 games of Destiny over the weekend, loosing every single one. I still enjoyed those games but I simply can't compete with the card pool that I have. As much as I'm sure I could have played better I was meeting Teir 1 lists even on the lowest tables, as well as the "casual" side events. Without spending a couple of hundred I can't get close. Not salt, just reality. Still a fun pick up game but no longer an event game for me personally.

Getting back up to speed with Netrunner will mean putting in the effort with game time and going back to a steeple learning curve but that's always been a lot of the attraction for me. As an LCG I can take out the random element of the card pool and concentrate on playing better.

That's the theory ;)

Rediscovered Country

Hello people,

I tap this via the App whilst sat in a concrete room vaguely full of geeks in Liverpool.

Yes, that's correct I've found myself attending Fantastic Flight Games' UK National Championships!

It's been a more interesting event than you may think as it was this event last year that marked my decent into X-Wing burnout and 6 to 9 months of general X-Wing  discontent. The upside if that was getting into Armada.

For Friday the choice was between Armada and Destiny. I went for Destiny for extra laid back funsies. I really enjoyed Destiny at the European Champs. My 3-7 record quite simply wasn't an issue because I was having a ball all day long. As much as anything it was a decision to play just the one full on event plus extra lols.

With a notionally more focused deck, I went 0-5 plus a bye before dropping the final game. It was a positive decision to avoid any salt issues and to switch decks for some side events.

Yesterday I pheonixed from 0-3 to my standard 3-3 for almost every major X-Wing event I ever played in. The difference from last year was that there were no easy games / match ups, even on table 130, and that I enjoyed myself throughout. Maintaining X-Wing respectability was a bonus ;)

Meanwhile there's been another five of us up here from the club plus dozens of other gaming mates enhancing reaquainiting myself with a swarm of X-Wing. As always it's the community that makes so much of the game, especially now that I've accepted and embraced my more casual gaming status.

State of mind people, it makes a huge difference :)

Points make Prizes?

Hello people,


So no flurry of update posts just yet, apologies, but the pipeline is charging up :) As well as getting back to gaming I've also got back to painting, both on a more casual basis than previously.


With the current re-launch I've decided to ditch the Painting Points. The past tally, on your right, will remain for posterity but is now in stasis. As my hobby shifted there was less to paint, which in turn saw Points drop, which then helped to accelerate the mild malaise.


In the last couple of months I've mainly been painting Armada, which is also generally less technically demanding, but without a particular plan or schedule. In the last week or so I've added a pair of Hammerheads to my Freedom Fighters and a bunch TIEs in response to Admiral Sloane's release and my intention to get her on the table sometime soon.


The foray back into 40K 8th has provided me with a longer term Hobby project, which has always been a major factor for me, but more about that next post :)