tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1188739933545403472024-03-14T01:05:07.968-07:00Tactical GamageAdventures in the life of a statically challenged GamerBlind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-58672118783200504462023-09-18T02:37:00.000-07:002023-09-18T02:37:17.323-07:00Nebula Faction Review, Res'ai<p>After many months, WMTG and I have finished our initial playtest for the Ugnix and Res'ai factions. For more information on Nebula, go to:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.nebulawargame.com" target="_blank">Nebula</a><br /></p><p>Here are my thoughts on the bugs.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><span color="initial"> Nebula</span><span color="initial"> is a great wargame that only lacks some polish to achieve true greatness; so I'm going to focus my comments on Res'ai as a faction and not as much on the game rules which I'll address in a future post. </span></p><p><span> Res'ai are the clasic "horde" faction relying on numbers and a few key unit synergies to win. Their design elements and themes are:</span><br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Easy to hit (low defense)</li><li>Excellent regeneration (resilience.)</li><li>Thematic focus on poison and biological mutation</li><li>Very few ranged elements</li><li>Highest movement values in the game</li><li>Close combat focus</li><li>Low initiative values (go first in combat)</li><li>Low points costs</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span> The design challenge with this kind of faction is balancing the need for lower cost/greater model count, the need for even the cheapest models to be individually relevant, and the very real threat that the faction becomes unstoppable in common play. This is hard to manage in skirmish games--especially scenario-based games with unit scoring since larger forces have an advantage in attrition. This means that horde factions tend to have higher win ratio-floors and lower maximum potential; So Res'ai do not have "bad" lists but as other faction players get more experience, the bugs do not scale up as well. I'm going to list all the units and their current points/descriptions followed by my suggested changes.</span></p><p><br /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-10c3dc73-7fff-6d11-ef6c-d059ae0cabae"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Res’Ailing</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">25mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Ability</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Flyer - This unit ignores terrain height when moving</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 10”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bite</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 1”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 3</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> These guys are fine after the most recent points adjustment. They die to a stiff breeze but are cheap, fast, and can go anywhere you need. A hive nightmare's aura makes them a tad more survivable but not by much. In our games they held objectives reasonably well but excelled in forcing me to pick them off as </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">guaranteed</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> kills due to their single HP. This left more capable models alive longer since removing scoring models is just as important as removing high-threat pieces. We can argue over whether they are worth their 8 points or not but I think 8 points is the sweet spot for this model--cheap enough to spam but expensive enough that with a nightmare a 100pt force maxes out at 9 of the little guys. I could also see them going up to 9 points and adding the poison claw upgrade from the alpha...but that might be a little too good.</span></span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Res’Aigon</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">14 Points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">35mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 8”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Heal Wounds - Remove 1 Damage counter from this unit</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Crunch</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 1”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 4</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> Based on their profile, these guys should make up the bulk of the Res'Ai front line. In practice they do not get used as often since their melee output is strictly worse than the alpha. I suggest keeping the current profile but cutting them down to 13pts. With this change you can have 6 and a nightmare which traids bodies and melee output for duribility and staying power over the res'ailings. At their current cost they were just a tad too expensive relative to other models' ability to score and delete opposing units.</span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Res’Ai Corrupter</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10 Points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">35mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 8”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Death Rush - This unit moves up to 12” and explodes, dealing 2 Damage to all units in a 1” radius. This unit dies</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bite</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 1”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 3</span></p><br /><span> This model is the intermediate evolutionary step between the res'ailing and the res'aigon. You can set up some interesting moves with its death rush and a nightmare's special move but in practice it was more effective forcing me to focus it down to avoid the blast rather than a strategy in-and-of-itself. I want it to be more of a strategic resource...it just doesn't do much now short of spamming them. I'd suggest increasing the explosion range to two inches, making it deal 1 dammage but only to enemy models. The base profile is fine, it's just making that explosion mean enough to be a problem without 10 of them winning the game by default. An alternative would be having the death rush move happen in the action phase but the explosion go off at the beginning of the combat phase. If you have them deal 1 dammage to every model within 2 inches then placement is critical so overlapping AOEs do not remove your own models before they can go off.</span></span><div><span>They should probably go up to a 9 inch move too. That's less than the res'ailings but more than the res'aigons.<br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Res’Aigon Alpha</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">22 Points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">50mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3bd4c0c1-7fff-7e5e-35ce-e48feeb5d3cd"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Initiative 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Ability</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Double Hit - this unit can perform two melee attacks each turn.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 9”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poisonous Claw</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 1”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Every time this attack deals Damage to another unit, roll a d6. On a 5+ result deal 1 extra damage.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> I hate this model. It is either too good for its points dishing out more damage dice in a turn than my Ugnix titan including the poison claw or it gets taken out too soon and doesn't earn its points back. It is very hard to balance this kind of model in such a way that it provides real value but doesn't get substituted for an </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">equivalent</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> value of cheaper choices. I would prefer it going up to 24pts. </span></span></span><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I'd prefer seeing the damage per claw go down to 4 dice instead of 5--the double strike and poison claw means they'll still do more dammage than 2 res'aigons. Their move should go back down to 8 inches so the res'ailing and corruptor are faster skirmishers. Finally, they need something other than move in the token phase such as a leadership move to reduce friendly initiatives by 1 (minimum 1.) This way the "alpha" leads the pack rather than acting as a bigger better version of other models. If this option is chosen I'd suggest going with a 6-inch aura so as to make the nightmare slightly better at buffing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I cannot stress this enough, this model is the source of most of the bad-play experiences in our games for me as the opposing player. It is not a question of liking or disliking the model, it just has too much potential to run the table--and if it doesn't perform above expectation, the owning player feels cheated. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hive Nightmare</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">28 Points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">50mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Ability</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Swarm - All other Res’Ai units at 7” from this unit get -1 Resiliance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 10”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Telepathic Shock - Deal 1 Damage to a unit up to 13”. Then move that unit in a Range up to 3” in any direction</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tentacles</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 3”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 4.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Hooo-Boy, nightmare is right. this is Res'Ai's defining faction model. It's tuff, sets up turns with movement and damage shinanigans, and it makes all its friends within 7 inches tuffer too. There are a couple small tweaks I'd make mostly for theme but also to direct its usage. First, cut the movement back to 8 inches. A 10-inch move rating on a model that has a 13-inch attack and a 7 inch aura in a game that starts with a 25x25 board is </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">excessive</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. It also detracts from the potential for model placement strategy if it can just move to wherever it needs to be. Really I'd like to see it go down to 6 or 7 inches but just dropping it to 8 lets it keep pace with all its front line pieces.</span></span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Second, telepathic strike needs a little bit of a limit. I'd like to see it work on models with 35mm or smaller bases and see it renamed to psychic strike. That's the rule for the Ugnix </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">cavalry</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> mount and it works very well by limiting it's ability to push bigger models around while giving it an important roll. This would also give the crawler a job when dealing with anti-armor. As for the name, why is telepathy dealing damage to a tank and moving it 3 inches? "Psychic" is nice and generic.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The rule could use some clarification as to whether this ability requires line of sight.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Crawler</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">24 points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">35mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 6</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Ability</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Acidic Death - When this unit dies, it deals 2 Damage to all enemy units in a 3” radius</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 8”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Titan Burrowing - At the beginning of the combat phase, if this unit is 1” or closer to an enemy unit with 10 or more Hit Points, deal 1 Damage total</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Steel Claws</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 4”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The attacked unit gets -1 Resiliance for this attack only</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Strong Jaws</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 1”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When attacking a unit with 10 or more remaining Hit Points, add +3 Hit Dice</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> This model is strange. Its profile is closer to the nightmare than a res'aigon. It has a ton of strange limitations that are presumably designed to make it better at dealing with titans. In practice it has a hard time getting to use its signature abilities because not all titans have 10 or more hit points and even if they start that way, most won't stay at max for more than a turn. Other than the death explosion, the alpha does everything the crawler does with less rules and more mechanical efficiency. I'm going to suggest a modified profile:</span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"Crawler</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">22 points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">35mm base</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Ability</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Acidic Death - When this unit dies, it deals 2 Damage to all enemy units in a 3” radius</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 8”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Titan Burrowing - At the beginning of the combat phase, if this unit is 1” or closer to an enemy unit with 8 or more Hit Points, deal that model 1 Damage before attacks are made.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Steel Claws</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 4”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When attacking a unit with 8 or more maximum Hit Points, add +3 Hit Dice."</span></p><div><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> That profile gets you a big armor killer with some utility but not something that will take the place of a nightmare or alpha. It </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">incorporates</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> elements of other models like the corruptor while keeping its own unique flavor.</span></span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hive Gehenna</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">65 points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Titan</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 7</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 8</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Abilities</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Titanic Size - This unit can’t benefit from cover. This unit ignores terrain while moving. All other units get +2” move</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defensive Appendages - Enemy units in base to base contact with this unit have their Move distance reduced by half (rounding down)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 8”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poison Cloud - Deal 1 Damage to all enemy units within a 6” radius</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tentacles</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 1”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This unit can attack 3 times as long as it attacks a different unit each time.</span></p><br /></span><p><span> I love the physical model. In practice, this was the worst titan we encountered, never doing anything or surviving long enough to justify its points. It was a giant target that looked like it was suppose to lock down the scoring zone on paper but just died quickly in-play.</span></p><p><span><span> It feels like this model needed to decide what it was supposed to do. It's a giant brain but it spews...poison? I would have thought it would buff its troops but nope...it's just a bad melee fighter with good movement speeds. Here is an alternative profile:</span></span></p><p><span><span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span>"</span></span><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hive Gehenna</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">62 points</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Titan</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Initiative 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defense 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resilience 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Points 8</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Passive Abilities</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Psychic Titan- This unit can’t benefit from cover. All friendly units including this unit ignore terrain while moving.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Defensive Appendages - Enemy units within 6 inches of this unit have their Move distance reduced by half (rounding down)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Psychic Shield - Deal 1 Damage to all enemy units the first time they come within 8 of this model.</span></p><div><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action Tokens:</span></div><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Move - Move this unit in a Range up to 8”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Regeneration - This model heals 2 damage</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Attacks:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tentacles</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Range 6"</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial" face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hit Dice 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;">This model attacks every enemy unit within 6 inches once for 4 hit die"</p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span> I really wanted that model to work. Unfortunately, it needs a complete over hall.</span><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span>Thoughts on Res'Ai as a faction:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span><span> Nebula's skirmish-level scope makes Res'Ai very attractive to people like me who don't want to manage 100-strong armies in larger games but like the feel of outnumbering our opponents. When everyone is a new player, especially for those who have not played wargames before, Resai seem invincible. The models are fun to use and are built strongly enough that you don't have the fragility the archetype tends to encourage.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span><span><span> Their challenge is that once games and boards grow a bit, once the other players get to know their faction range better, Resai do not have the strategic options and flexibility required to swiss-army knife scenario's. They have to charge the objective and overrun opponents. This can make larger conflicts feel one-</span></span></span><span color="initial">dimensional. This is particularly true if you are facing a faction with good ranged elements where it's difficult to engage key pieces and play the objective game at the same time. Res'Ai are very good but would benefit from a little more choice in their potential strategy besides relying on the nightmare to handle things at long range. This leaves them overly dependent on the nightmare and alpha which does not feel good as the player or opponent.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial"><span> I would really enjoy more choices in the action token phase for leadership models like the alpha, nightmare, and titan. Passive affects are nice but do not force the Res'Ai player to consider each choice in critical fassion.</span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial"><span><span> Finally, Res'Ai are the only faction that do not have their model costs set in multiples of '5' (the Ugnix death hornet being the one exception.) If this was an intentional choice, it definitely sets them apart when building lists. There is some chance of bad feelings though as even though the bugs have relatively low average model costs, the player feels cheated if their opponent gets to spend all of their 100pts and the Res'Ai leave a couple points unspent. The most recent points adjustments brought the faction into balance but I worry that the designers are not always thinking about how cutting the cost of "x" model will affect this dynamic. For example, corrupters are 10pts. They are the only model in the faction with a cost of a multiple of '5' other than the titan. These types of design choices drive players to build lists in certain directions--I just hope the designers are taking this into consideration.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: initial; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span color="initial"><span>**Next on the list, a run down on my beloved Ugnix***</span></span></p></div>Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-22680301806945595962023-02-15T05:15:00.000-08:002023-02-15T05:15:37.736-08:00Nebula initial thoughts<span id="docs-internal-guid-7df79012-7fff-e3ff-14ba-3d489d53dc57"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I picked up the original “Nebula” wargame purely for the models. At the time, my focus was pointed towards stargrave and rogue planet. Fast forward a year and I’ve lost interest in stargrave. Rogue planet was fun but requires a pretty big hack to gain the level of dynamism that WMTG and I are seeking. It is still on my list but not as a primary choice.</span></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nebula is Cast and Play’s entry into the tabletop wargaming market. It features a sleek d6 engine, skirmish level warbands (2-15 models depending on faction), and an all-3d printable figure range which can be purchased at <a href="http://www.myminifactory.com" target="_blank">myminifactory</a>. Battles are fought on a 25x25 inch board with a central objective. The designers provide several pre-built terrain map templates including player usable mines and turrets. While the game is fully playable as is, I place it in a beta mode. The developers are still tweaking rules and points values. This is an Indi product—a little ruff around the edges while retaining a scrappy small business charm.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The models:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nebula scales around the standard 25mm-32mm heroic style. The figures are a little chunky. That being said, I like their durable designs. I tend to handle models a lot which leads to delicate figures taking a beating. The Nebula models have plenty of flair. Many figures come with configurable limbs and alternate weapons. There are currently four factions--each with basic troops, specialists, and war machines of varying size and complexity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Building a Force:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Nebula rules and stat cards are available <a href="https://www.nebulawargame.com/" target="_blank">online</a>. Since stats and rules are regularly updated based on playtesting and feedback, it is a good idea to check your model listing before deciding which figures to use. Nebula battles are designed around 100-150pts. Each model has a points value which you add to your total to get as close as possible to your agreed upon limit. No matter how you pose or equip a model, it has the same stats. Models range from 7pts to 75pts. So an average warband that is not trying to spam single models runs around 4 figures.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Game Play:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nebula games go very quickly. In our first session we went through 5 games in 5 hours—and that is with a few stops for drink refills and rules checks. After deployment, Models activate their token-based abilities such as movement and special actions from highest initiative to lowest. Then combat is resolved with each model making a single attack with one of its weapons from lowest initiative to highest. The rules are simple and unambiguous. After the combat phase, end-step actions are resolved and we see if any faction controls the objective. If a faction holds the objective at end step for 2 consecutive turns or wipes out the enemy army, they win.</span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Game 1/map 1:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wvzCgxX6Zb9mXgh6o1OBOoI6jqx9svqGXF3qHkjdTkZJsTewwBlZ6F5mGtsJ_h3pbaQT7ETenxweV6fb-hjMBnIR5RX03tTQ95R-EEioLTUbUAULcBnsUZvPhwjMvW1VbTCbYZ7agvgS7vutSEU9qwh-bgNkvVTGtTrXEQHoorlFDmWWBa-1trIgZg/s4080/Game%201-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wvzCgxX6Zb9mXgh6o1OBOoI6jqx9svqGXF3qHkjdTkZJsTewwBlZ6F5mGtsJ_h3pbaQT7ETenxweV6fb-hjMBnIR5RX03tTQ95R-EEioLTUbUAULcBnsUZvPhwjMvW1VbTCbYZ7agvgS7vutSEU9qwh-bgNkvVTGtTrXEQHoorlFDmWWBa-1trIgZg/s320/Game%201-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXs_ITAZQPpXH6FC_MkCm5p_vVIM85M7O7vgyOK5uKEWms5eoOVe6fGNYF5M1SEFnNj6ivy4nNMTH3ib_xHW60mNH9AiNzqVUHt64G0KyQofjNigqzFi3nehIO31T2c8qaHYaFV9UdQU2e53x3yUAHrA9xJegqPnKc9QERhaJg2NxM-cI00ycBm_XfgQ/s4080/Game%201-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXs_ITAZQPpXH6FC_MkCm5p_vVIM85M7O7vgyOK5uKEWms5eoOVe6fGNYF5M1SEFnNj6ivy4nNMTH3ib_xHW60mNH9AiNzqVUHt64G0KyQofjNigqzFi3nehIO31T2c8qaHYaFV9UdQU2e53x3yUAHrA9xJegqPnKc9QERhaJg2NxM-cI00ycBm_XfgQ/s320/Game%201-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYS3q5aTPBVxWZhgjl6HTRL6dIfIBsDyVz7eAfTgd8kQYy7JAHzk5uU5mYrXUEmTlCbwvfVYG7QCVDOZQzz-acb9D79RsdTKyQoZp1ULQlsNNJ8ZvgsiUkKNBQExFy6MqMhubwzsIifaYy7CopcA0TagPNdDZHFH2kHKoPhrzq0QN3mMGoNy-v64SWQ/s4080/Game%201-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYS3q5aTPBVxWZhgjl6HTRL6dIfIBsDyVz7eAfTgd8kQYy7JAHzk5uU5mYrXUEmTlCbwvfVYG7QCVDOZQzz-acb9D79RsdTKyQoZp1ULQlsNNJ8ZvgsiUkKNBQExFy6MqMhubwzsIifaYy7CopcA0TagPNdDZHFH2kHKoPhrzq0QN3mMGoNy-v64SWQ/s320/Game%201-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Game 2/map2:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxt5mHAeDMD894lB2x058YACWlP6YaXuZ6LRoscx6cDlPHpS4nILRU9lPZ1OPL24Zo3aaQSW2m126S0oz3Ld1_v9S-WjRAq7fD9-0OrUYB4pArsfEsTpavbUJQEaevac-9AF2d5yDM-XkdY4C7SH0wq67Voba_bO8kYcjwRy8JdEI9V42RbzYU7BX8g/s4080/Game%202-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxt5mHAeDMD894lB2x058YACWlP6YaXuZ6LRoscx6cDlPHpS4nILRU9lPZ1OPL24Zo3aaQSW2m126S0oz3Ld1_v9S-WjRAq7fD9-0OrUYB4pArsfEsTpavbUJQEaevac-9AF2d5yDM-XkdY4C7SH0wq67Voba_bO8kYcjwRy8JdEI9V42RbzYU7BX8g/s320/Game%202-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERaKyFDKsKIlpwJG-tFi7hmZ0fbvBeM4MzGLTM-4PeeuO0UvnQIO9SWILrS53JuWDI83Cw9xuqLr9L7ADgJfxpw2YGmWgxBVlTYu1Ft9lVJs9pCwbHM3b_qPbCiYYdZWAuTwko2nYcu4tzQ9n_F1_vRl1bd6qsvP7fwZVv_sPfSOOqfArFOXOAo6hOg/s4080/Game%202-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERaKyFDKsKIlpwJG-tFi7hmZ0fbvBeM4MzGLTM-4PeeuO0UvnQIO9SWILrS53JuWDI83Cw9xuqLr9L7ADgJfxpw2YGmWgxBVlTYu1Ft9lVJs9pCwbHM3b_qPbCiYYdZWAuTwko2nYcu4tzQ9n_F1_vRl1bd6qsvP7fwZVv_sPfSOOqfArFOXOAo6hOg/s320/Game%202-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtGDa1KOSdTjo6YtUYhfvhEFTJKYvGGoG_ORJivf1ym0H9uIefaDvv7YOZ2-wwMtuTzdoZSY9apfUq-nItDSoPv3wWENxxKKcQbPWwWHY2TybPvjMBqxseib9TTM01Tp9QSdp7n9Cj642hHMoPhzKl4rK-fU9luDLiRMUVrQeyiOIYCw2g0xRtvOzIg/s4080/Game%202-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtGDa1KOSdTjo6YtUYhfvhEFTJKYvGGoG_ORJivf1ym0H9uIefaDvv7YOZ2-wwMtuTzdoZSY9apfUq-nItDSoPv3wWENxxKKcQbPWwWHY2TybPvjMBqxseib9TTM01Tp9QSdp7n9Cj642hHMoPhzKl4rK-fU9luDLiRMUVrQeyiOIYCw2g0xRtvOzIg/s320/Game%202-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Game 3/map3:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQLzdKn8Qk6pdfS8O7GUfr75YkWkcBNDbfRAa9FfoKthNAX4XV5RUwu3agk8BlW9m87DB42nA_bX4_BaL9ur4VoAJzK1YhrdgLBZOH7vNvjUJVDDnLcyuEwqlNC84gHfpjec85PxsDTaT6fcmCXcAHfm3xH5vI48q4P-M3viDmeir23x2hFRBhGso5g/s4080/Game%203-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQLzdKn8Qk6pdfS8O7GUfr75YkWkcBNDbfRAa9FfoKthNAX4XV5RUwu3agk8BlW9m87DB42nA_bX4_BaL9ur4VoAJzK1YhrdgLBZOH7vNvjUJVDDnLcyuEwqlNC84gHfpjec85PxsDTaT6fcmCXcAHfm3xH5vI48q4P-M3viDmeir23x2hFRBhGso5g/s320/Game%203-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgRYY4rhReANvshrjRwH6dQiShTSF7XngEf66tgmEvGkt2HCxqpul0rKGOj3-rEicV-tsLWOIQX1UnEN94tdynfVIXB_jv8J0RICHoo_RwcG0UYIFqSDEVoNzHwPKfDXPWCBzCkIP58Y04rUmEjucsqFgC3ION_B5w5kvb_jWv__qR0We5yPMllFfBg/s4080/Game%203-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgRYY4rhReANvshrjRwH6dQiShTSF7XngEf66tgmEvGkt2HCxqpul0rKGOj3-rEicV-tsLWOIQX1UnEN94tdynfVIXB_jv8J0RICHoo_RwcG0UYIFqSDEVoNzHwPKfDXPWCBzCkIP58Y04rUmEjucsqFgC3ION_B5w5kvb_jWv__qR0We5yPMllFfBg/s320/Game%203-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymdxBAgIdO8y4HF847V2SJ24r1PNWHa04WskEI25ZOd7VZjtInnBTmAaxzYRAPLoRbwv2ES0mmupxquD28jWBNDSGRrYa__curAQgZV8r3sOX_Ibjx6VUxqRPXFRz5OhwhkOdf8yeC8d3_d46J1J9EhCDnOwxbzbBUfL9Ygug_Lr_LllEA0yw0FzLfA/s4080/Game%203-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymdxBAgIdO8y4HF847V2SJ24r1PNWHa04WskEI25ZOd7VZjtInnBTmAaxzYRAPLoRbwv2ES0mmupxquD28jWBNDSGRrYa__curAQgZV8r3sOX_Ibjx6VUxqRPXFRz5OhwhkOdf8yeC8d3_d46J1J9EhCDnOwxbzbBUfL9Ygug_Lr_LllEA0yw0FzLfA/s320/Game%203-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7pKZRb6XDH_uAvwAhkI-P_DQ9jkzkXYOsQvlwwG6EvguNcaH9RXEPqMcvh0baPL6Icub_IFwTB_QJl7PNx4vc-C5KtVtWzKl65z-KSWYU4dSkUNETXc4RuE8wqSmfNz4mGnzkbbJAIHa1gfWm-hC5HDQ_H3YYWo8jGstTV2XaYFg3td4DXjoUUEHwA/s4080/Game%203-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7pKZRb6XDH_uAvwAhkI-P_DQ9jkzkXYOsQvlwwG6EvguNcaH9RXEPqMcvh0baPL6Icub_IFwTB_QJl7PNx4vc-C5KtVtWzKl65z-KSWYU4dSkUNETXc4RuE8wqSmfNz4mGnzkbbJAIHa1gfWm-hC5HDQ_H3YYWo8jGstTV2XaYFg3td4DXjoUUEHwA/s320/Game%203-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Game 4/map 4:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC138wFNObd_8FkB8PhZCrMsMCLxcqyeME5LNw31oiK0xONcgQoMYsoJeQRDgk2fpb6iVFMgrl1M16QFHVQMzPgap1FzZDZ0PiGGRj5A0ovAOU_zALHOntpkob0HlRoK2jzW80wG386XBwVGYRlQTPNfssWKq-r0WTOW-K0aFW4CFqlPG1VACg8U0V0Q/s4080/Game%204-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC138wFNObd_8FkB8PhZCrMsMCLxcqyeME5LNw31oiK0xONcgQoMYsoJeQRDgk2fpb6iVFMgrl1M16QFHVQMzPgap1FzZDZ0PiGGRj5A0ovAOU_zALHOntpkob0HlRoK2jzW80wG386XBwVGYRlQTPNfssWKq-r0WTOW-K0aFW4CFqlPG1VACg8U0V0Q/s320/Game%204-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bXeTvale17qg_ET11GZjAbAaizSoeRu6ZB_S94wbSnVWn-r_tkHOdyaNikHeEHThkCxNJn-OO1B1KkJGoet_WHikNHBNw_-g60TRVzXAuoNhXiX_MnRr05gcD3OjJfKws43TZSzgDMd1jv6Vnf0IQi6oEqp2QOZc23eSBR0hdEaEyJ3H1bB1AhRGmw/s4080/Game%204-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bXeTvale17qg_ET11GZjAbAaizSoeRu6ZB_S94wbSnVWn-r_tkHOdyaNikHeEHThkCxNJn-OO1B1KkJGoet_WHikNHBNw_-g60TRVzXAuoNhXiX_MnRr05gcD3OjJfKws43TZSzgDMd1jv6Vnf0IQi6oEqp2QOZc23eSBR0hdEaEyJ3H1bB1AhRGmw/s320/Game%204-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeGdfzpa5MPp1w_H7aB0xr3_1Ebw9m_oUukJ_GYTzRPRvZKqP82IUzrqpAJfq193TUVnvCEo4l3fkRwZIhcVSmfm2lA1oL3v6O8dh5rX0PlebCxl3pP3csL_9UIMlmEbgUM4gjEbXvDrVEOfow2PXYvcyfqIzBI3OIEszNFMzflsqeF-OONtq5M355Q/s4071/Game%204-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4071" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeGdfzpa5MPp1w_H7aB0xr3_1Ebw9m_oUukJ_GYTzRPRvZKqP82IUzrqpAJfq193TUVnvCEo4l3fkRwZIhcVSmfm2lA1oL3v6O8dh5rX0PlebCxl3pP3csL_9UIMlmEbgUM4gjEbXvDrVEOfow2PXYvcyfqIzBI3OIEszNFMzflsqeF-OONtq5M355Q/s320/Game%204-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Game 5/map5:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeocJAsm8N0zikwSt8VCkyrGd_OxmHxNNxHWGj3PqJS4KC9BrC5W2NrHHP_h1X5NJxsCiGtvbP3uHs7Fdpb0SzlsBGYf1Pn_sE5Qo7rZ-zAgbJBDg8c68IKrsMqiFYT8QxqkBHnRVf6TG0KUQjB888s5OgjAwtPr3YQQwD2_sB7SHZPGNhfmG0g2yFg/s4080/Game%205-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeocJAsm8N0zikwSt8VCkyrGd_OxmHxNNxHWGj3PqJS4KC9BrC5W2NrHHP_h1X5NJxsCiGtvbP3uHs7Fdpb0SzlsBGYf1Pn_sE5Qo7rZ-zAgbJBDg8c68IKrsMqiFYT8QxqkBHnRVf6TG0KUQjB888s5OgjAwtPr3YQQwD2_sB7SHZPGNhfmG0g2yFg/s320/Game%205-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrT_eCTVvG4ZuRf0AeDaLXZJqXogQTIjGDmqm7nKNb23LsDsarA4CuXg6IXEWeRu8gvu4BNtI26Q2h2tSpCQzCquOnUQbfO_vzylAX3n1caGC4LQaEDtVLE1QSVnkNV6HaiZqjn-S_bnmplm-jeOWgK7jd8Bv6zgGrbGGmu3vG90lDdcPmTPkH296PQ/s4080/Game%205-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrT_eCTVvG4ZuRf0AeDaLXZJqXogQTIjGDmqm7nKNb23LsDsarA4CuXg6IXEWeRu8gvu4BNtI26Q2h2tSpCQzCquOnUQbfO_vzylAX3n1caGC4LQaEDtVLE1QSVnkNV6HaiZqjn-S_bnmplm-jeOWgK7jd8Bv6zgGrbGGmu3vG90lDdcPmTPkH296PQ/s320/Game%205-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZNXgB9L2ZcnotVFCNm-2EdYlRZ-CAP71v-BXXkC1uAe7tXY-LSAdRmKch6imcRF3MYCWe5nTGpzrXcjWLKgZg7yPMFYutFKm7kMUm_0RPGohlWPoxyZDJsXc8U6IG0N3mfWiTh2ciaX6y4W8-X1ytt9IMdTAKptyGpXyDxDs6X200X7Sj5WfPLqj6Q/s4080/Game%205-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZNXgB9L2ZcnotVFCNm-2EdYlRZ-CAP71v-BXXkC1uAe7tXY-LSAdRmKch6imcRF3MYCWe5nTGpzrXcjWLKgZg7yPMFYutFKm7kMUm_0RPGohlWPoxyZDJsXc8U6IG0N3mfWiTh2ciaX6y4W8-X1ytt9IMdTAKptyGpXyDxDs6X200X7Sj5WfPLqj6Q/s320/Game%205-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EMTo1KWa2P9fr8LTRcFTLEaS1HGR41Y_X3lQIXde7Q3FFHd4vnREP-B1hyW6QiGm_rYYby8L1X936Vvw5KqYXTP2mVtcERXkRBXnMK2oExR_q0aXR9Voyw7DTisZ8EcH7XdIII6IqI9mj53e3TwRWHyuZWd1BXNlSdjpUkCVikqkHFpa7q_GsrCZ7A/s4080/Game%205-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EMTo1KWa2P9fr8LTRcFTLEaS1HGR41Y_X3lQIXde7Q3FFHd4vnREP-B1hyW6QiGm_rYYby8L1X936Vvw5KqYXTP2mVtcERXkRBXnMK2oExR_q0aXR9Voyw7DTisZ8EcH7XdIII6IqI9mj53e3TwRWHyuZWd1BXNlSdjpUkCVikqkHFpa7q_GsrCZ7A/s320/Game%205-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These were fast games featuring rapid attrition. The only reason I got ahead in game 5 was the addition of a machinegun turret that let me out-attack my opponent. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZk4FVtfaXcFgtnj6eBSRci0nj-7IM4DYjrQfo9SgiBjhij-JlSf-_FCDUE9Nq1HMJ3zccpbFVcfouWtUpDsk84jn_MIMfIwFaDyAMjfKbldcA2t530IUjsQ-zxdUkc5zRlXhski6sXDbRuakVrUX8LJi8MaXB-PRfv5_SrCcQhSa18rOicyt3ymaptQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZk4FVtfaXcFgtnj6eBSRci0nj-7IM4DYjrQfo9SgiBjhij-JlSf-_FCDUE9Nq1HMJ3zccpbFVcfouWtUpDsk84jn_MIMfIwFaDyAMjfKbldcA2t530IUjsQ-zxdUkc5zRlXhski6sXDbRuakVrUX8LJi8MaXB-PRfv5_SrCcQhSa18rOicyt3ymaptQ" width="319" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Initial Impressions:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s start with the fact that I played 5 games and got cleared off the board in all 5. My list comprised 2 Kinkalis troopers, 1 Kinkalis commander, and a death hornet. My opponent had 3 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Res’Ailings</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 2 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Res’Aigon</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 2 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Res’Ai Corrupters</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">, one </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Res’Aigon Alpha</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and 1 hive nightmare. I think the designers thought that ranged ability and movement buffs made my troops more durable and effective. That…was not our experience.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really really really liked the speed of play and resolution. We did not spend hours trying to figure out what the designers meant. I also enjoyed the fact that the game doesn’t go by turn after turn, both players are engaged in all phases. The core structure is refreshingly simple and avoids many of the complex swingy mechanisms I have come to dislike.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, Nebula has some pretty significant issues in its current form, though they are not deal breakers yet. The first is that points, model profiles, and board layout seem to be constructed with the idea that ranged models can hold off assault models as a viable strategy. Since deployment zones are 5-inches in from opposing edges and the center objective takes up about 1 inch, Players start the game about 15-inches apart. This means that most forces can and will put troops on the objective turn 1. So, if you cannot contest or clear the objective before the end of turn 2, you will lose the game if you hang back. This means that dedicated ranged troops have to come to assault troops if they want to contest objectives. This effectively turns ranged troops into poorly trained assault troops. It also means that there is little difference between close combat attacks and ranged attacks since most are going to be generated within 7 inches of the objective.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Second, point values and model profiles do not seem to be built along a common cost/benefit formula. My troopers have a 1/3 chance of taking 2 damage using their headbutt ability which only inflicts 1pt. They have a reasonably high defense but a terrible resilience stat. So even though the bugs were easier to hit, it was much harder to make that damage stick, especially once the nightmare’s -1 resilience for all friendly models within 7 inches is taken into account. It feels like the defense stat and resilience stats are not clearly delineated. One would think that defense represents how hard a model is to hit while resilience measures how tuff a model is. Some elite troops should have decently high defense and resilience while others should be better in one than the other. The problem comes when looking at a model like my death hornet which has a low defense, good resilience, and low hit points. It is fairly easy to hit but shrugs off more damage than my troopers who are designed and equipped for front-line battle.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conclusion:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I backed the Nebula origins and Nebula all out war campaigns. I got my money’s worth with the models alone. The wargame has real potential if it can clean up some of its elements. I would like to see how it plays on a slightly larger board (30x30). This would let ranged troops potentially get some shots in before the game devolves into “king of the middle.” I would also like to see an aggressive review of model points and profiles. There are models that feel like they were designed before all-out-war which have not aged well—like the ugnix titan. I would like to see a mechanic whereby players can pick the type of some turrets and mines while others are randomly rolled. Maybe on boards where each player controls 2 elements, they get to choose one and the other is rolled. That way the choice of resource is just as important as which one to leave to chance. Mostly, I like the game’s current underpinnings; though it needs some tweaking to rise to its potential.</span></p></span><p> </p>Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-63292842268014970922021-09-10T07:56:00.001-07:002021-09-10T07:56:43.917-07:00Stargrave, initial thoughts and first game<p><span> </span>Saturday, WMTG and I sat down for our opening game of <a href="https://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=295&page=1" target="_blank">stargrave</a>. My initial thoughts follow...</p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><span> WMTG and I got our love of wargaming in the 40k zone. Whether it was a childhood playing against brothers in the basement or going to the LGS every Sunday, something in the far future has called us to the table ever since. </span></span><span><span>I love fantasy gaming be it minis or RPGs. I love reading about elves, dwarves, undead, and magic but when it comes to wargaming...my heart holds a special place for laser guns, powered armor, psychic swords, and man-portable artillery:) So, </span></span>I've wanted to play Stargrave ever since I saw the game on the author's <a href="http://therenaissancetroll.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>.</p><p><span><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span> After reading and rereading the teaser crew creation guide and power list, the book wasn't entirely a surprise. It builds on the same d20 mechanic as the author's other properties. You don't have a wizard and apprentice but a captain and first mate. You have powers instead of spells. You have a ship instead of a base. The differences come in small tweaks here and there that don't seem like much at first glance but drive a very different feel.</span><br /><p></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span>Our lists, edited for brevity:</span></p><p><span>WMTG:</span></p><p>Captain - Veteran:</p><p>light armor, filter mask, carbine, pistol, hand weapon</p><p><span> </span><span> </span>command, coordinated fire, fortune, regenerate, target designation</p><p><br /></p><p>First Mate - Mystic</p><p>filter mask, carbine, medic kit, hand weapon</p><p>camouflage, dark energy, heal, suggestion</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>Hacker, chiseler, two troopers, two commandos, gunner, dog.</p><div><div><br /></div><div>Me:</div><div>Captain Robotics expert</div><div>heavy armor, flamethrower, hand weapon, filter mask, med kit</div><div>remote firing, drone, electromagnetic pulse, armory, transport</div><div><br /></div><div>First Mate cyborg</div><div>Combat armor</div><div>Camouflage, quick step, void blade, regenerate</div><div><br /></div><div>4 recruits, codebreaker, safecracker, 2 snipers</div></div><div><br /></div><div>WMTG generously printed my models from <a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-raygun-raptors-complete-kickstarter-set-133932" target="_blank">this</a> excellent collection:</div><div><br /></div><div>I chose to focus my starting credits on a fast capable ranged element and upgraded objective openers. My time with rangers of shadow deep opened my eyes to moderately capable disposable troops--hence the recruits. All my powers activate on a ten or better so I wanted capable soldiers since I couldn't count on always activating when I needed it. My captain was supposed to activate drone and do his work from behind cover. My first mate was supposed to haunt the battlefield, slaughtering where needed. I grabbed a flamethrower for the captain because I figured if he ever had to get out of cover...things were really bad and setting things on fire would be a good solution.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scenario: The botched deal</div><div>This was a standard deployment mission with a designated physical loot in the middle of the board and placement of 1 ruffian per player next to a loot token of their choice with additional ruffians placed whenever someone rolled a 4 or less for initiative.</div><div><br /></div><div>The board had a bunch of old cardboard 40k 90dg ruin walls and some buildings surrounding a huge (15 inch ) multi-part shuttle WMTG printed, complete with removable top and lowered ramp. The central token went inside the shuttle. I won the roll for sides and picked a spot where my snipers would have access to a raised platform with plenty of surface area. We split tokens trying to put them as far from our opponent's dedicated specialists as possible. If you didn't put your codebreaker/hacker and company in the middle of the board, you risked having their target token so far away that you would be behind the ball.</div><div><span> I'm not going to go turn by turn because I don't remember the game that well. We had to check rules several times, it being our first game with the new rule system. I had a glass or 2 of excellent whiskey...and well I try not to dwell on first game technical aspects anyway.</span><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span>I didn't activate Armory, meaning I had to spend my remaining 50 credits to kit out my first mate with his combat armor.</span></li><li><span>The captain failed to activate drone so moved up to support the snipers which hopped to their elevated hide.</span></li><li><span>The first mate got off camouflage and void blade while running to support the rush to the shuttle.</span></li><li><span>A furious firefight followed with WMTG gutting my first mate with dark energy and lots of fire spraying over the field as we started gravitating towards objectives.</span></li><li>The battle changed drastically when I moved my captain up to support the troops after he couldn't get a power off. He got 3 of WMTG's troops in a flamer hit, nearly killing all of them.</li><li>WMTG hit me with a couple grenade hits when I bunched up after combat.</li><li>I tried to run my captain off the board but the enemy captain started following so I turned around and flamed another 3 models, killing most of them.</li><li>I ended up creating 3 ruffians which I placed to great affect...one of which took 9 health off WMTG's captain with a fluke pistol shot and killed his hacker.</li><li>The game ended with my captain down to one health, my first mate badly wounded, most of my recruits dead, and having secured 2 tokens with the third netted on a lucky roll.</li><li>WMTG's captain has a lingering injury, first mate has a crushed arm, hacker, commando and dog are badly wounded, and the other commando is dead. They secured both of their initial objectives...though at a heavy cost.</li><li>I got 190exp and WMTG got 195.</li><li>I rolled 200 credits worth of information, 2 uses of combat drugs (sold for 50 credits), and the first item on the alien technology table which was promptly sold for 300 more credits since I didn't have or expect to get the associated power.</li><li>WMTG got a +1 fight hand weapon and 150 credits in trade goods.</li><li>I leveled up my captain to 16, dropped armory's activation cost to 10, and bought the armament workshop upgrade.</li><li>WMTG is going to replace his first mate with a biomorph, buy a replacement commando, and take a recruit in place of the dog.</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> This was a ruff game. I couldn't get most of my powers to work and I couldn't seem to roll over a 6 for the first couple turns. WMTG's wife got a kick out of the completely uninflected way I moved on from those rolls without comment but it really put a spanner in my plans. I had counted on drone to let me run my crew from the shadows and the dice weren't having it. I only got to activate one of my captain's powers, remote firing, once the entire game and it didn't do anything other than earn me 10 experience. My first mate got his big defensive powers off and then couldn't roll high enough or had to focus on close combat attacks. Then his captain hit my captain with target designation and the first mate hit my first mate with dark energy, almost killing him outright.</span><br /></div><div><span><span> I looked at WMTG's crew and couldn't figure out the plan. They represented compromises in quality or value from my perspective, hitting that mid zone between throwable trash and truly elite troops. I mean, the first mate didn't even have armor. My mistake was under estimating the value of dark energy especially against robots and what moderately capable troops with grenades and carbines can accomplish.</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span> That early lack of powers forced me to try and take ground with my captain and their flamer which mangled a third of my opponent's forces and brought us somewhat back to parity. It was the placement of those 2 extra ruffians and a couple random high-roll pistol shots that really turned the tables though. I got to ambush his back line with free bodies in a great firing position. When both my flamer hits scored big damage it left WMTG with no way to fight back. I didn't bring on my third ruffian since it was more likely to interfere with picking up that third token than to inconvenience my opponent.</span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> If you look at experience and loot, WMTG came out a little behind. If you factor in injury rates then their crew took a serious loss despite netting slightly more experience. That is my single biggest problem with McCullough's games thus far, one or two bad injury rolls turn a tolerable shellacking into a crushing loss. The inability to buy off ongoing damage makes them consider starting from scratch rather than deal with a permanently limped signature character. After already taking a drubbing on the field of honor, those survival rolls that don't outright kill crew or leave them fully functional feel pretty personal because you'll have to live with them next game--reminding you--again--of that self same drubbing. Granted, losing most of your crew and getting that many bad survival rolls doesn't happen every game. However, most games of frostgrave 1st ed and rangers of shadow deep saw at least half our support staff rolling on the injury table with leaders less frequently but consisstently taking their turn as well. It...doesn't feel good as the "loser" and it doesn't feel great as the "winner either. I can't tell if this trend is a byproduct of our increasing skill level raising the lethality or just bad luck.</span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Initial thoughts (insert obligatory disclaimer for only having played one game):</div><div><span> Let's get the most important thing out of the way. Stargrave is not frostgrave in space. Despite what <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFPSfBbb24s" target="_blank">this</a> guy thinks, they are very different games built on similar skeletons. I'm going to go over some of this in more detail later but loot tokens are handled differently, character advancement and creation are different, power/spell usage are different, weapon selection and usage are different. I think it's fair to say that they are similar enough that if you don't like frostgrave in broad strokes, stargrave may not be your kind of game but to say they're the same thing with the words changed to add <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeKMS62GrTI" target="_blank">space</a> is incorrect. That being said, </span>I'm going to compare stargrave to it and rangers of shadow deep a lot since that's where my experience with McCullough's games derives.</div><div><span> Initially, building a stargrave crew looks a lot like building a frostgrave warband. However, as soon as you start trying to create a captain and first mate the similarity ends. Even though you get nine powers between your characters (5 for the captain and 4 for the first mate) the fact that those powers are split between the two characters with the potential to build down different paths and activation costs made me look at the process like picking spells and heroic abilities from ROSD. Frostgrave lets you pick a suite of spells that your characters share. You can aford to balance future activation cost reduction with momentary utility with game winning staples. Stargrave doesn't allow for that kind of thinking. If you pick four of your captain's five powers for your first mate, then you've just got a weaker captain and access to less utility. Powers fall into two groups, the ones from your background and the ones that aren't. So you can't hedge your bets by choosing a background that gives you better access to certain allied powers as in frostgrave. Some powers from the psychic and mystic backgrounds are harder to activate depending on what kind of armor you're wearing. So you've got to think about how you want your characters equipped too.</span><br /></div><div><span><span> WMTG pointed out something I hadn't considered until after our first game. Every crew member save the dog has a gun. If you're within ten inches of an enemy model then you're 'within range' of that model. Even models with 'shoot 0' such as drones can make fluke ranged attack rolls. It's a very combined arms approach to wargaming; one which fundamentally influences turn-to-turn tactics and colors soldier selections.</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span> Along similar lines, stargrave is more lethal than frostgrave. Part of this comes from the base armor stat reducing from 10 to 9. Part comes from objectives having to be unlocked before they can be picked up--often requiring models to stand in one place for multiple turns. It's very difficult to avoid threat ranges when everyone can cover a quarter of the board or more just by walking around. Flame throwers and grenades aren't ubiquitous but their very presence as a standard equipment option means that you have to worry about non-power related affects threatening multiple models all-the-time. Grenades don't even require line of sight to put up smoke clouds or target concealed figures.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> I found stargrave power activation refreshingly simple and frustratingly difficult. If you fail a spell casting in frostgrave, you will usually take some dammage from the backlash. This encourages spellcasters to empower failed rolls since if you're going to take damage, you might as well get something for the price. Since powers cost health to activate in many cases but don't damage if you fail the activation, the option to just not take damage is far more apealing than in frostgrave especially if yu know you're going to have to take damage/stress when you eventually activate that power later anyway. This mechanic combined with the fact that my first mate and captain had real equipment from the beginning meant not even bothering to try and activate a power became atractive in 40% of my turns--this in spite of characters generating experience by power activation and getting a free 3 inch move for doing so. Powers aren't an every-turn deal in stargrave especially since you're lucky to have even one power activate on an 8 or less due to the way background associated power selection operates.</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span> One element that I haven't seen discussed much is the fact that stargrave isn't a replacement for killteam, 40k, or any military themed offering. It was tempting for me to view it as such due to the presence of powered armor, robots, flamers, grenades, and machineguns but the very limited availability of those resources is what changed my mind. It's more like a space western such as firefly where the big guns are available but not to the entire crew all the time. You can make room for military stories since the weapons and equipment tables provide modifiers rather than specific profiles. The equipment descriptions specifically allow for gear to come from varying scientific diciplins and cultures provided they end up with the same modifiers. In this way, an eldar catapolt is much the same as a biocarbine firing bone spikes. The difference comes in modeling and back story not mechanical impact. This leaves the base rules as more of a template for players to tell their own stories rather than a dedicated universe with iconic technology and setting elements. I appreciate the sandbox approach but others may find it a bit generic. I really hope McCullough does something involving midsized wargaming with vehicles, tanks, aircraft...etc but having played stargrave, it doesn't feel like a good fit.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span> One rule we're going to lose is the critical hits rule. We found that if you roll a 20, adding 5 damage on top of the character's governing combat stat killed everybody outright save some very niche situations. That's fine if you're playing a ROSD game where we're all on the same side but not so fine if you want to have a relaxed game and a power armored trooper goes down to a freak critical having done nothing and taken no previous damage. It took the fun out of several combats that would have otherwise been entertaining contests.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span> Finally, I want to stress how much better balanced I find stargrave than my 30+games of frostgrave first edition. There are small quality and quantity of life improvements everywhere such as how experience is gained for enemy crew elimination not based on who does the eliminating. There are very limited ways to railroad enemy figures and none that outright remove them from the board edge. There are tons of costs for tactical movement powers which I found were the most valuable in FG1 but which also lead to first or second turn loot scoring (leap and telekinesis I'm looking at you.) There are no powers that let you carry benefits into future games. There are rewards for good strategic and tactical play including direct experience for effective soldier employment. Stargrave represents a multi-layered tactical skirmish challenge; one that I enjoy esthetically even if our first game didn't feel great. You have to accept the swingy nature of the d20 mechanic but after that there is definitely gold to be mined from this game.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span>More later.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-89240047548701970302020-12-13T07:39:00.003-08:002020-12-13T07:39:46.727-08:00World Whisky Calendar PT2<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As promised, here are my continued notes on 5 further days
of world whiskeys.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span></span></o:p></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">World Whisky Blend (That
Boutique-y Whisky Company)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.thatboutiqueywhiskycompany.com/blog/worldwhiskyblend">https://www.thatboutiqueywhiskycompany.com/blog/worldwhiskyblend</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Traditionally distillers and bottlers blend whiskeys to
create a specific flavor or maintain it across multiple bottlings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was an odd duck blending multiple whiskeys
from across the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps a better
palate than mine could speak to its unique character but I found it rather
average—a beverage distinguished by its pedigree rather than its singular
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Republic Single Grain
Whiskey<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.copperrepublic.com/product/single-grain-bourbon-cask-whisky/">https://www.copperrepublic.com/product/single-grain-bourbon-cask-whisky/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was interesting if not exceptional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had lighter notes but suffered from a lack
of aging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worth a try if not repeat buys.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Teeling Small Batch<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.teelingwhiskey.com/us/en/teeling-whiskeys/small-batch-whiskey/">https://www.teelingwhiskey.com/us/en/teeling-whiskeys/small-batch-whiskey/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was excellent—so good I wish I had more than a
sample.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was rich and flavorful—obviously
drawing character from aging in rum casks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve always loved good Irish whiskey and this was something I’ll be
looking for again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Starward Solera<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/new-world-whisky/starward-solera-whisky/">https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/new-world-whisky/starward-solera-whisky/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ah, the good stuff<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span> I never thought I’d be loving
a Scotch derivative from Australia but this proved me wrong as several of these
offerings have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has a nice nose and
a beautiful taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The finish is a
little lacking—short as if it runs out of gas just before the end—but has a rich
smooth complexity to it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I misidentified one of my bottles so I’ll have to come back
when I figure out which one it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyway, there are lots more in the box<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-24078057776602406102020-12-08T07:47:00.001-08:002020-12-08T07:47:29.417-08:00The World Whisky Calendar tasting notes PT1<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My lovely wife got me a whiskey advent calendar for Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://thespiritco.com/collections/advent-calendars/products/world-whisky-advent-calendar?variant=31962740916339">https://thespiritco.com/collections/advent-calendars/products/world-whisky-advent-calendar?variant=31962740916339</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So here are my notes on the first 7 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Man, I love the holidays</span><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span></span></o:p></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whistle Pig Single Barrel 10-Year-Old<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is an excellent rye with the usual spicey flavor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had this before, though not aged ten
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I think American Rye, I
default to this product line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
quite good, though at ten years you start running into diminishing returns on
the price point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything over $50 for
750ml has to bring a good ‘A’ game to be worth that cash.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListBullet" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kavalan Distillery Select<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://flaviar.com/kavalan/kavalan-distillery-select">https://flaviar.com/kavalan/kavalan-distillery-select</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
is a Scotch archetype made in Taiwan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I enjoy the history and identity backing a bourbon made in
Kentucky, there are distilleries making bourbon in other states and countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absent the obvious “made in Taiwan” joke, the
country of origin doesn’t change my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These two sentences say it all though:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“a</span><span style="background: #E9E4DD; color: #333333; font-family: "Malaga",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">pproachable, softer spirit that would stand up when sipped neat while
also being </span><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: #E9E4DD; color: #333333; font-family: "MalagaBoldItalic",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">ideal for craft cocktails</span></strong><span style="background: #E9E4DD; color: #333333; font-family: "Malaga",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> — all at an
exceptional price point…[and]…The softness comes from using refill casks, so
the character of their signature style is fully maintained with gentle notes of
vanilla with floral aromas while allowing the natural fruitiness of the core
spirit shine out at 43% ABV.”</span><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m all for introducing new drinkers to classic whisky
expressions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this purpose, it’s
useful to try scotches like Macallan in the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As preferences form you move on to bottles
with more peat and smoke, highland and isle, shorter and longer aging periods
in different kinds of barrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scotch in
particular comprises a range of flavor profiles, each with their own character.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But this, this is a watered-down Scotch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe the maker is trying to ease people into
whiskey and maybe they’re trying to get a cheaper product out the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You usually use refill wood so that the whiskey
can mellow over a longer time while taking on many of the same flavors as liquid
aged in new wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, however you age it
for shorter periods in refill wood, it looks kind of like you’re cutting
corners and trying to sell the imperfections as features.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, this is not a $50 whiskey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not even sure I’d put it as a $20 whiskey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not “bad” it’s just so inoffensive as to
barely catch my notice.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amrut Single Malt Whisky<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/amrut-single-malt-whisky/">https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/amrut-single-malt-whisky/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A Scotch analog made in India?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This I have to try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was good enough that I’m going to ask my
local drink store if they can carry it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a Scotch but one with a quixotic character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each sip was a little different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the finish of one sip mixed with the nose
of the next, I had a wonderful evolving taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It isn’t aggressive but doesn’t lose anything for that fact.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5d5c5a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cotswolds 3-Year-Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/cotswolds/cotswolds-that-boutiquey-whisky-company-whisky/">https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/cotswolds/cotswolds-that-boutiquey-whisky-company-whisky/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was another Scotch analog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bourbon has spoiled me in ways I hadn’t
realized till I came back to Scotch after years of single-minded Kentucky
dedication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having read books like
bourbon empire and listened to a couple great courses audio books on whiskey, I
tend to hesitate at words like “3 year” and “bottled by.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most whiskey isn’t worth much under four
years…assuming it’s being aged in new barrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s not to say there aren’t good young whiskeys but I tend to be
suspicious of anything under the bottled and bond limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bottled by usually means someone bought the
liquid, came up with a catchy label, and marketed it with a questionable back
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more a vendor focuses on the distillery’s
aesthetics and the less they give me about the actual mash bill and aging
statement the less reputable they sound.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was happy to be proven wrong about this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a nice young whiskey with more
character than its age statement would suggest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not running out the door to buy more but I’d be happy to be seen
drinking it in public and I’d enjoy the experience too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brenne Cuvée Spéciale French
Single Malt Whisky<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/brenne/brenne-french-single-malt-whisky/">https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/brenne/brenne-french-single-malt-whisky/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m pretty sure I’ve had this before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t like my normal Scotches and bourbons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a lighter character without
sacrificing body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are definite
maple and light brown sugar notes to it—sweet but without the darker notes of
molasses found in dark rum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed it
greatly but would relegate it to an interesting conversation piece for
gatherings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is absolutely worth
checking out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sonoma Distilling Co. Rye
Single Barrel<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.sonomadistillingcompany.com/product/Single-Barrel-Rye">https://www.sonomadistillingcompany.com/product/Single-Barrel-Rye</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A California Rye?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why
don’t mind if I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This had all the
right spice notes with a lighter base than I’m used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s probably due to the 5-year age
statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d love to try this at 8
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it stands it’s a solid young
rye.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #5d5c5a; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sonoma Distilling Co. Bourbon
Single Barrel<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.sonomadistillingcompany.com/Shop">https://www.sonomadistillingcompany.com/Shop</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was my second favorite of the bottles I’ve opened so
far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a nice bourbon with the sweet
wheat notes I love and the traditional bourbon foundation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to call them later and see if there’s
a way to get some of their more unusual expressions in MD.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So that's the first 7 days. I’ll
post more as the bottles are opened.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-67386770267092801412020-09-11T15:57:00.005-07:002020-10-10T07:20:04.650-07:00Rangers of Shadow Deep or a new beginning<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been muddling around with miniature gaming stuff
lately. By muddling, I mean endlessly
thinking about it when I should be focusing on larger projects. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Saturday
WMTG and I set up for a good old game of frost grave. We’d been planning something like this for a
while and then it came together at the last minute. We opted for the first mission in the Thaw of
the lich lord campaign. He played a
summoner with leap, summon demon, reveal secrets, possess, and
telekinesis. I played an elementalist
with elemental bolt, wizard eye, strength, scatter shot, and leap. We had more stuff but it isn’t relevant to
this story. The game ended when I tabled
his warband claiming 4 treasures (3 of mine and one of his.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I had a couple huge advantages in this game. In no particular order, the line of sight
limiting element for the scenario meant telekinesis and his ranged element were
severely hobbled. Elemental bolt smokes
unarmored starting troops and characters.
Wizard eye plus elemental bolt is way more powerful than I thought it
would be (it’s absurdly more powerful when you can use wizard eye to extend
line of sight past the scenario limits.)
Since this was game I, he hadn’t had time to raise his wizard’s fight
score which left him and the apprentice vulnerable. Finally, we haven’t been deploying treasures
before choosing table side…which means we usually end up on whichever long
board edge we belly up to at setup. That
means I don’t have to focus on 30% of his warband because they’re off the board
before I can get in range or contest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Nothing
about that victory felt good. Oh, frost
grave is a great game. WMTG is a great
opponent. I had fun…but I did not enjoy the
technical aspects. My goal going into
this campaign was to skip the random utility and engine building I tend to
default towards. I noticed in our last
campaign (hunt for the golem and sells word) that I was relying on my marksmen
to apply board pressure but that by relying on 2 warband members to aid my
wizard (who cast bone dart a lot) I had a 66% chance of the NPCs stealing the
kills and bonus experience. Also, they
sat there on elevated terrain raining death from above but didn’t actually help
me take objectives. I found myself
looking at spells like enchant weapon and imbed enchantment to build a janky
resource engine while WMTG jumped on absorb knowledge and reveal secrets. This time I wanted to skip the intermediates
and go right to the bloody work. It felt
weird going in without a bunch of if-this, then that, utility spells but it
turns out I didn’t need them. WMTG had a
round of honestly bad luck—His wizard critically failed his summon demon roll
putting him in combat at the worst time.
His apprentice lost a couple rolls putting him at 1hp in front of my
wizard eye but most of the game came down to me having a toolbox that was
Taylor made to exploit my opponent’s unleveled characters and the scenario’s
particular restrictions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All of that might have been fine but then I rolled up mind
control as a spell from my only grimoire drop.
Ever get a reward that you really want but you know is going to suck all
the joy out of your life? Well that’s
how I feel about mind control. It’s a
feel-bad spell and not just because I lost my wizard to my own mind-controlled
knight in our LGS’s league during the finals a couple years ago (no, I’m not
over it.) Mind control lets you steal
your opponent’s scoring models especially easily when combined with wizard eye
on a 2-player game. WMTG might have
handled it well but I would have felt guilty.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That moment has forced me to look back at what I actually
want out of mini gaming as opposed to just playing anything available. With covid I miss people and want to spend
any time I can justify with friends and family.
If you give me a shot at gaming on top of that…well I’m in. The problem is that I don’t want the same
things I used to savor from 1-1 wargaming.
We game so rarely that a bad taste from poor rules or a blow out feels
way worse than it used to. I’m not in a
tournament any more so nobody is paying for the right to have me try and kick
their metaphorical teeth in. I want to play
my figures, have a drink, and generally let fortune send her slings and arrows
where she wills. I also want my opponent
to enjoy the experience such that both of us are champing at the bit for the
next game. I want a certain amount of
book keeping and upkeep. You can call it
army building, character creation, or crunchiness but I like having choices
during and after games. So, what to do?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> It turns
out that frost grave’s author wrote a cooperative campaign game called rangers
of shadow deep with a recent deluxe version.
I read a couple reviews, WMTG was down, and that’s our next
project. It has a lot of things I love
between narrative development and actual character building. This lets me bring out my 3d printed frog
folk villager models I kick started recently.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So, here’s my first ROSD ranger and companions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sir Selver, knight of the realm<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Move 7/6 (+1bp), Fight 3 (+1bp), Shoot 1, Armor 10/12, Will
+5 (+1bp), and Health 18.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Heroic abilities:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">DISTRACTION<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The ranger may use this ability whenever an evil creature is
called upon to make either a random move or a move towards the Target Point.
The player may instead move this creature anywhere he wishes following the
standard rules for movement, provided this move does not cause the creature
direct harm or force it to make Swimming Rolls (i.e. no walking off a cliff, or
moving into fire or deep water).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">FOCUS<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The ranger may add +8 to any one Skill Roll. He must declare he is using this ability
before he rolls.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Spells:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">AMPHIBIOUS<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The target of this spell automatically passes all Swimming
Rolls for the rest of the scenario.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">STRENGTH<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The target of this spell does +1 damage in hand-to-hand
combat for the rest of the scenario. In addition, it receives +5 to any
Strength Skill Rolls it makes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">TELEPORT<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The caster may immediately move up to 9” in any direction,
including up. This may not take the figure off the table. The figure may take
no actions for the rest of the turn after casting this spell.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Skills (2bp):<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Acrobatics +2, ancient lore +0, armory +2, climb +0,
leadership +2, navigation +2, perception +2, pick lock +0, read runes +0,
stealth +2, strength +0, survival +2, swim +0, track +2, traps +0<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Base Recruitment points 100 <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Equipment: heavy armor, two-handed weapon, rope, and spell
book.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Companions (3 max for 2-player game)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gorf the arcanist +3 Swim<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Forg the rogue +3 Swim<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Crunchy the bloodhound/stag beetle <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I toyed with making a paladin build with all the holy spells
but It seemed rather niche. Instead I
chose to play on the frog theme with his spells and abilities while focusing on
personal combat and survivability. His
companions cover skills he doesn’t have and can act as backup combatants.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">This will probably all blow up in my face but such is gaming<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span><o:p></o:p></p><p></p>Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-6301795339446143132019-08-25T15:25:00.003-07:002019-08-25T15:25:51.566-07:00"you don't know what you've got till it's gone."<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Have you
ever had one of those moments that forces you to fundamentally reconsider your
goals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had such a moment last week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a sad and joyful realization—the kind
that makes you happy you have found the truth but sad it took you so long to
get there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have spent
the last 5 years seeking group wargaming opportunities—mostly through war
machine and Warhammer 40k.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caught the
original bug at a hole-in-the wall gaming store 16 years ago. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved learning every aspect of the game from
the challenge of matching wits with my opponent to the hobbying side to the world
lore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That initial foray into competitive
wargaming grew into a thirst for high-level play that I have sought to slake ever
since.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I should point out here that wanting
something doesn’t make the desire reasonable, actionable, or achievable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is all-too easy to rationalize our goals
based on the outcome rather than critically looking at what it will take to bring
the dream to fruition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dropped 40k
back in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bounced around war
machine and FOW with a smattering of magic after that—hoping against hope that
I could find that lost mantle of competitive play—the perfect alchemy of fight,
friendship, and fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The seed did not
grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All my attempts were thwarted.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stores
closed; leagues ended; jobs changed; and the empty recreational hole in my life
remained unfilled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then last year GW
brought out a new edition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Desperate for
a competitive outlet, I researched my prospects and found an undiscovered local
40k community, a worthy army, and a painter/assembler to take my cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was all it took to drop me back into GW’s
clutches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To their credit, they’ve embraced
their customers, built a great rule set, and really turned the company around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dropped my tax return into an adeptus
custodes army, shipped it to a painter ‘R’ recommended, and started listening
to podcasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to do it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to triumphantly reenter the arena
after 7 long years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was finally going
to step into the squared circle again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then
reality started to pick away at my carefully constructed dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further inquiries revealed that the local
store only took event registration through face book—a company I swore off
using years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the custodes back
and they were shattered—requiring a return to the assembler and a significant
re-build.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of that was due to a bad
packing job but most of it was due to far more delicate design than I had been led
to believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the rebuilt models
back last week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a solid re-working,
30% of the figures were broken or damaged despite the use of magnets, custom
cut foam, and an excellent packing job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I looked at a couple thousand dollars in parts and labor, hundreds of
hours of research, a dream long denied and wondered how I got to this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All my problems could have been avoided if I
had researched more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had stepped
back and really done my homework, I could have saved myself 9 months of disappointment
let alone the material costs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First,
let’s talk about what I need to play any wargame competitively in open play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m blind so my needs are similar to most
players’ requirements but very particular in some aspects.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I need a game with quality accessible rules that
I can practice and consume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means I
need a rule system I like, that is available in an accessible electronic format
(usually PDF or word), and an update/FAQ vector that is also accessible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->My models need to be able to take some ruff
handling in transport and on the table—preferably with as little conversion as
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I can’t see, I interact
with the game on a purely tactile level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Easily broken bits, week joints, and poorly balanced models are guaranteed
to suffer constant mishaps as I move them around and find them through the
course of setting up, playing, and putting them in the case again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I need a somewhat local gaming community that I
can regularly access for games and league/scenario play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That community needs to be friendly enough
that my particular issues are not a deal breaker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If the game requires it, I need a dependable
painter/assembler that fits my budget and grasps my particular needs (strong
assembly and affordable fee structure holding the top spots in that list.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to
have a competitive format that is forgiving of my fumble-fingered play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>War machine in its current form (steam roller…masters…etc.…)
is a good example of a game I’d love to play but that is too unforgiving in its
precision. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I have to be able to use a model roster of
manageable size—usually 50 models or less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This keeps the variables and turn length down to a workable
complexity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
A close reading of those requirements
shows my needs have not changed over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What has changed are my standards and my access to certain resources—especially
local painters/assemblers and a regular gaming group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have gotten older, I have grown to want
the best in life such as a professional paint job, quality opponents, and a
place to fit in—a community to join if you will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to be able to relive my glory days
with ‘R’ and the crew traveling over the weekend to kick ass and take names or nurse
my wounds over an adult beverage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; text-indent: .25in;">
That last bit is
the most important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to be part of
a community of friends where I am a member in good standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want that sense of fraternity and camaraderie
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think in this instance I let those
hopes and dreams push me to a rushed decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not lonely—far from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have fewer close friends than I used to though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have changed; our friends have changed; and our friends’ group has
evolved as careers and family units have reconfigured themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to game every week—in person—at least
twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to spend at least 2 hours
a day talking about gaming or actively researching game related material when I
couldn’t actually sling card stock or put little dudes on the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one time it was 40k.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was dragon storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was dragon dice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gaming used to be my social outlet, my
creative wellspring, and my reaffirmation…and then it wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People moved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My work schedule changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
couple of my usual compatriots just cut ties without notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the sudden gaming was a once or twice
a month kind of thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My circle of
friends got smaller—better—but smaller.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How does that song go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“don’t it always seem to go; you don’t know
what you’ve got till it’s gone.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeh,
that feels about right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a couple days moping around
the house brooding, I see where the mischief happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I predicated my happiness on other people and
material things over which I had no control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I valued competitive play over social interaction and a creative
outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the lesson was expensive
in terms of time and money, I think I got off easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to seek out some gaming and
creative outlets that are not dependent on others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been looking at doing a podcast for a
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been thinking about
running an online gaming group using the dungeon world system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are within my power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are things I can do on my own terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to stop thinking about the way
things were and start focusing on how I can make better use of the way things
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-10458427707873755142019-05-26T11:23:00.003-07:002019-05-26T11:23:25.979-07:00Frost Grave-The stars are wrong<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Several
weeks ago, WMTG and I hit the gaming table for the first scenario in the sells
word mini-campaign of the frost grave folio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fresh off the hunt for the golem, the stars are wrong promised some
interesting challenges.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As per
usual, we set up on a three by three board covered in WMTG’s excellent 3d
printed terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This board was packed with
line of sight blocking pieces save for the epic tower in the center of the far-left
side which had sight to most of the board if you got up to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per usual, we set up our treasure
tokens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not per usual, I set up an
uneven distribution—with one side’s tokens in the clear and the other in
difficult terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This made the choice
of sides more important—especially for WMTG who has fewer movement tricks than
I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won the roll for sides and
picked the easier treasure side with the tower—all according to plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Next, we
set up 6 pillars; one on each of our starting sides and two on the other
non-deployment edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would roll off
at the beginning of each turn and if the odds were against us, a +3 bolt of
energy would hit everything between those 2 pillars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, we secretly chose a school of magic our
opponent couldn’t use for this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
chose illusion because screw teleport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>WMTG chose enchanter because he hates telekinesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoiler, I chose poorly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s just say I hate the stupid shield spell—a
lot—really—a lot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Right off
the bat on turn one a bolt zapped lots of my soldiers including my apprentice
knocking him down to 3 health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leaped
my wizard to the top of the tower and my ranged elements started climbing up
the back of the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apothecary
healed the apprentice to 8 and the apprentice leaped a bear off to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fortune hunters went after the treasures—making
good use of the open board edge lanes I created in token placement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG ran the entire enemy list at my front
lines using the edges of buildings to cut off line of sight angles from above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
that, we ran the best game of frost grave I have ever played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG had a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By turn 2 my entire ranged cadre, including
my wizard with a +5-bone dart spell, was standing on the top tower levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had or was about to have control of all my
treasure and my bears were running the city in search of easy targets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used one of my figures to backstop the
other 2 ranged models and my wizard had his back to a wall so push wasn’t an
option. I also had a problem in that WMTG’s troops—especially the wizard—were really
good in melee—as in I wanted no part of that fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My problems got worse when shield went up on the
opposing wizard and apprentice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
followed was an epic battle between an entrenched defense and a mobile assault
element.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shot or killed 5 of the opposing
warband—two of which came from my wizard’s bone darts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One kill came when a ranger won a combat with
an infantryman and pushed him off the edge of a landing where he fell to his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG forced me further and further back as I
lost troops to treasure scoring and to delaying tactics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The enemy did for both my bears in single
combat at which point I abandoned the field as I was about to be over-run by elite
close quarters fighters.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The game
ended on a far more technical level than our previous games as we delayed
moving our last treasure off the board on the chance that we might score more
kills or grab an extra treasure from the opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we used every rule in the base book
this game squeezing every advantage from the scenario.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I ended
with 320 XP—70 for spells, 150 for treasure, 80 for two soldier kills, and 20
for the energy bolts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wizard’s bear
is down for a game (hopefully I can summon a new one at the beginning of the
next session.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I earned 180 gold, a
Grimoire of Possess, and a Grimoire of Planar Tear—which is just enough to not
get me another spell—though possess is really tempting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used my 3 levels to boost health, lower the
casting cost of bone dart to 8, and lower heel’s cost to 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That leaves me with 462 gold and a decent
toolbox for the next game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I found
that while defensive tools are nice, my forces thrive on aggressive long-range attrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If WMTG continues with this full-bore melee
plan, I’m going to have to start using beauty more often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I need to look at ways to cast more
spells and generate more resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Assuming we stick with this campaign plan, I have 8 more games with this
character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I’ve held my own
lately but WMTG’s overall resource engine is better than mine between his base,
absorb knowledge, and the ability to brew potions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-47497052700139362212019-04-06T07:45:00.003-07:002019-04-06T07:45:51.357-07:00Round 2 of the grave "Fight!"<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Recently
WMTG and I finished up the 3-part Hunt for The Golem mission for frost
grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of us had planned our moves
and built our warbands well in advance of the game so this was a final showdown
between our design philosophies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The last
mission “In the House of the Golem” featured standard treasure placement, a
centrally placed golem, and a random golem move post deployment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one of us killed the golem with a magical
attack, it had the potential to explode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The board looked like a ruined city with little city blocks of ruined
terrain blocking line-of-site to board edges and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were several other variables in the
scenario description that did not come into play—which is one of the reasons
I’m interested to add random monster roles to our future games.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first
2 turns played pretty normally with our runners grabbing our treasure and
moving toward the board edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made two
mini castles with my casters each with a marksman for priority ranged
support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sent my ranger and animal
companions off to the right to work on killing the golem and running down one
of WMTG’s treasure carriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I
used my apothecary to hold one of the treasures after he healed my apprentice
so my combat troops were free to run the board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My wizard gunned down one of WMTG’s warband with a well-placed bone dart
spell earning an extra 40 experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The rest
of the game saw us splitting our remaining forces to try and force the other
player off the board in search of a 50-experience scenario reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My crew got into a huge fight with the golem,
WMTG’s apprentice, and an infantryman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
managed to bring down the golem with a lucky ranger shot using the magical bow
from last game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rained down ranged
death at WMTG’s troops to little affect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No matter how well I rolled it seemed like the opposing roles were
higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I strategically
dominated the battlefield but WMTG ended up pushing me back forcing me to end
the game prematurely lest I risk my casters in direct combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My long-shot run for one of his treasure
carriers fell flat leaving me with 2 troops down, 3 treasures collected, and 8
spells cast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I netted
270 experience, 250 gold, a grimoire of reveal death, and potions of strength,
teleport, and elixir of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose to
sell off all my loot including my magic bow netting me an additional 475 gold
for a total of 782gp in the bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
spent my 3 upgrades on maxing out my fight, adding more health, and learning
enchant weapon which cost me 500gp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
leaves me with 282gp on tap and a reasonable toolbox for future games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of my downed soldiers came back with no
injuries so I lucked out there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This game
was more aggressive than past scenarios largely because we were trying to push
the other player to end the game prematurely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It changed the feel of many of the smaller decisions making it more
interactive than the first two runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today we take another run at the grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I cannot wait to see how this plays out!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-79619609855492103902019-03-08T15:17:00.001-08:002019-03-08T15:17:30.549-08:00Starting the Frost Grave Folio, The hunt for the golem<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are
some games that pull you in like a good B movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know they aren’t polished gold but you
just can’t help coming back for more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s frost grave—reasonably well written—simple enough to play quickly—and
a resource management mechanic which gets me every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple days ago WMTG and I kicked off our inaugural
2019 gaming season with a fresh new campaign working through the 15 adventures
in the frost grave folio.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Building starting
warbands is its own minigame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agonize
over how to spend my cash, what spells to pick, whether I want to focus on meta
mechanics, and how to put my own spin on things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel a compulsion to try something new with
every warband just so I can feel like each iteration is unique unto itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time I went for a less physically aggressive
witch build focusing on board control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My starting lineup was an apprentice and wizard with staves and the
following spell list:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>POISON
DART, FOG, ANIMAL COMPANION, TELEKINESIS, LEAP, BONE DART, BEAUTY, and HEAL<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This gave me a variety of ways to control the board, mess
with movement, block line of sight, and get out of sticky situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned last campaign that wizards always
want a cheap magical ranged attack to pick off opposing warband members hence
bone dart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve learned to pick spells
with reasonable casting requirements (preferably 10 or less) because the higher
the target number the more health you are going to spend to bring the noise on
average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to keep my spell
casters out of combat so I focused my resources on boosting my warband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My starting roster was 2 thugs, 2 thieves, 2
war dogs, a marksman, and an apothecary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apothecaries are essentially a free healing potion every game which
means they pay for themselves in 2 deployments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I like having that potion around in case I have to empower a spell early
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love marksmen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pop them up on a building or covering key territory
and they don’t have to move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have
an outstanding ranged presence on a body with excellent defensive stats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means they are pretty hard to kill while
projecting threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dogs are just
place holders till I get my animal companion spells off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thugs are warm bodies for combat and
blocking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thieves are for grabbing treasure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Game 1 of the hunt for the golem—the attack sight:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The board
was pretty standard with a huge central tower and random ruins evenly covering
the rest of the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG did 3d
printing magic to create a wonderful selection of home-grown terrain which
always makes me feel smug even though I didn’t do anything to put it there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We placed 5 tokens each which when revealed
could become up to 6 treasure, 1 survivor, 1 golem notes, and 2 zombies
(randomly rolled upon an attempt to pick them up.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This game
when very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got off one of my
animal companion spells netting me a bear replacing one of the war dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG got an initial hot run grabbing 3
treasure and the golem notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I
was able to bully the board with my larger warband and managed to take out 2
soldiers while resuscitating the survivor and grabbing the three remaining
treasures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of WMTG’s infantrymen
killed a thug which was totally acceptable all things considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up with the golem notes and command
of the board for a total of 280exp and 3 treasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That netted me 250gp and grimoires of time
walk, planes walk, and undead control (none of which I particularly wanted.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took an inn as my base and spent my 2 level
upgrades on fight and HP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent all my
gold on 3 treasure hunters and a discounted thug for 10gp due to rescuing the
survivor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That left me with a warband
built from 1 bear, 3 treasure hunters, a marksman, an apothecary, 2 thugs, and
a war dog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Game 2 of the hunt for the golem—Field Research:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>WMTG
picked up absorb knowledge and a laboratory base which left me a little
concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That plus reveal secrets was a
strong economic engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opposing
ground game featured shield to armor casters and a couple 2-handed weapon users.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teleport gave good reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to look at my warband and my offensive
capacity and think I had the upper hand but I think WMTG was well-placed to outpace
my wizard if I wasn’t careful—especially since many of those spells were
designed to take out my models for a turn or 2 like petrify.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both glommed on to the value of +2 damage
weapons which means the game is a lot more lethal than it has been previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means I have to think about which models
I want to throw out as blockers because one infantryman assisted strike can put
my troops down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means I’m having to
team up more often which leaves me covering less ground than I’d like.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
board featured a central square with a “Golem” represented by Lego Thanos for
the fucking win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The terrain did not offer
many chances for elevation or heavy line of sight blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the normal treasure, we had
goals to hit the golem with a non-damaging spell, get our wizard close, engage it
in combat, and get one of our soldiers close to it—all without killing the
golem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the golem died, we got no
experience and the mini adventure ended.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I started
off by successfully bringing in my apprentice’s animal companion (another
bear.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This game went off the rails
right from the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By turn 2 my
marksman managed to 1-shot WMTG’s apprentice because crossbow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were throwing random models all over the
board in an attempt to draw the golem’s attention to less valuable (i.e. easily
replaced) models while key pieces grabbed treasure and got the extra mission
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanos got pushed toward me
while I blocked line of sight using fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I managed to hit Thanos with poison dart seriously limiting his output.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The game
ended with WMTG leaving the field after getting half the treasure and both of
us earning all the bonuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up
with 250 experience which gave me 3 more levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The treasure rolls netted me 260gp, grimoires
of invisibility and crumble, and a bow of +2 damage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent 5gp to upgrade my base with carrier pigeons
so that all my future soldiers cost 1gp less. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent 99gp on a second marksman and another 99gp
on a ranger so I could do something with the magic bow—leaving me with 57unspent
gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I upgraded fight and health again
and spent my final upgrade to reduce bone dart’s casting cost to 9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This left me with 9 soldiers comprising 2
marksmen, 1 ranger, 1 apothecary, 3 treasure hunters, and 2 animal companions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post session thoughts:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->It took a bit of work to get back into the swing
of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG had to gently prompt me a
couple times because I’ve played so many miniature wargames at this point that
turn order and certain rules get crossed in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, it amazes me how clean this
rule set is and how most often a misunderstanding is due to my own error and
nothing on the designer’s part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
strategic and tactical elements combine in subtle ways to make the game self-balancing
in interesting ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->This session proved to me that where possible I’m
going to use the google assistant to roll my dice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, I felt bad because I wasn’t using
my braille dice but more and more, I like the energy surrounding a role that
both of us learn about at the same time in the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels honest and freeing in a way that I
haven’t felt in a long time what with having other people read my dice for
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, Google’s luck is way better
than mine and it makes the die rolling noise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I find it interesting that both of our first
moves were to pimp our warbands to the highest level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I started my first campaign my driving
instinct was to pump up my wizard with magic gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I’d rather just have competent help that
lets me address problems in different ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m only on game 2 and I’ve already maxed out all my warband slots with
top-flight minions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I powered
up because buying crap for squishy characters doesn’t actually help sometimes
because you’re just making them a bigger target.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I enjoy the way scenario requirements make
competition challenging and different every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wizards who focus too much on a single mechanic
or spell will find themselves in trouble sooner rather than later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like this game lets WMTG and I put our
decades of gaming experience to use solving complex strategic problems as our
initiative ebbs and flows separate from our board control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives the experience a spice that is
lacking in some legacy games like blood bowl—especially as the season gets on
towards the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->There is a pacing to scenario play that I have
only recently come to appreciate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
game ends when someone doesn’t have any more models on the board or all the
treasure has been moved off a board edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This means that while I have a better ranged game, WMTG actually controls
my window of opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since 2 of my
soldiers can’t carry treasure, I have to mix it up quickly if I want to keep
even.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we didn’t do it this
time, I am going to suggest we try the random monster rules after the third and
final mission of this pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to
see if it changes how we approach our deployment and strategy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I need to read the rules—again—paying attention
this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The excellent rum is no
excuse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I really really love being able to use random miniatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time I went with a plastic bag full of
pre-painted minis from magic the gathering the board game and its expansion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so nice not to have to glue my guys
back together again or worry if one falls off a building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wizard and apprentice even have little
spells coming off their hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next game is slotted for early on March 16<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dream is to finish the last game of this
pack and finish the next pack for 4 games total but road to hell and all that…Frost
grave scratches lots of itches—the need for a stimulating competitive game—my love
of resource management—my love of story gaming—but best of all it’s a judgement-free
place to talk, drink, and renew a friendship I wish I had more time to enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 42, I know my time miniature gaming won’t
last for ever but while it lasts, I’m loving having the disposable income,
friends, and opportunity to make the most of this excellent product.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-56324940288101349522018-11-06T10:07:00.001-08:002018-11-06T10:07:32.453-08:00Taking the field or desert as it were<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over the
last month I’ve been fortunate to play 3 games of FOW with my loyal opponent!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thoroughly enjoyed the games, the company,
and the chance to share an adult beverage with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been part of our commitment to
playing more regularly and dedicating ourselves to a single game system for a
season or two.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I find
myself looking back at the last year with some new insights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG’s 3d printing addiction has let us try terrain,
models, and scenarios that would otherwise have been foregone due to cost,
convenience, and availability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve
played more often with a larger variety of components than in the past which
has let us move beyond the stage of “how does that work again?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG has also kindly typed out a summary of
the 3<sup>rd</sup> edition FOW rules in google docs which means we now have an
accessible organized rules document. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
has made learning and playing the game far more rewarding than previous
go-rounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lots of thoughts but
first, let’s look at the games.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Game I (1250 mechanized Germans against British infantry.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This game
featured a desperate defense by an outnumbered force waiting for reinforcements
against a numerically superior attacker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As WMTG had a mechanized company and I had my 4<sup>th</sup> Indian
infantry, I was the defender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had 4
full infantry platoons backed up by antiaircraft guns, antitank trucks, a light
machinegun platoon, and light aircraft interception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG had 2 full infantry platoons carried by
8 lightly armored transports each of which carried 2 machineguns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also had a platoon of P3s and some serious
air assets—a significant problem considering my lack of durable antiarmor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This game
played out on a 4x4 table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The board consisted
of a beautiful village in the lower left quadrant facing a diagonal line of
area terrain running from the upper left to the lower right quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I placed my objective as deeply into the
village as I could manage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG put his
right in the middle of nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he
started any of his turns within 4 inches of either objective without any of my contesting
models nearby, he won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to last
long enough for my reinforcements to come in and bolster my lines.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I had to
put at least half my army in reserve so I kept an infantry platoon, my machine
gunners, and my AA guns on the board—hoping I could stand off his army with my
volume of fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The MGs took their
places in the village where they would be nearly impossible to dig out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The AA went in front of the village where
they could cover the most probable approaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The infantry mobbed up around the exposed objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started in prepared positions so life
seemed pretty good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
first 2 turns WMTG rammed his tanks down my left flank, straight at my infantry
platoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held off his air support
while 8 heavily loaded transports rushed my lines partially protected by area
terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly found that by hunkering
my MGs down in the village I had rendered them unable to draw line of sight to the
approaching swarm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost some of my AA
guns but managed to knock half of the troops out of their transports.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Turn
three, was…bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tanks hit my
infantry and drove them off the objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My AA guns were completely eliminated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I failed my motivation test to rally and move back to contest—leaving WMTG
in control of one scoring zone and no way to move they’re without abandoning my
village defense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The game
ended on the top of turn four with none of my reserves having arrived, most of
my forces dead or combat ineffective, and the Germans largely untouched save one
transport.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Games II and III (1750 Fortified Italians against British
infantry.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Game two was
identical to game one except the direction that reserves entered the table and my
approach toward the far short board edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had three full infantry platoons, a platoon of nine carriers thanks to
the wonders of 3d printing, a platoon of antitank trucks, one platoon of three Valentine
tanks, my usual antiaircraft guns, and 3 dice of anemic AA interception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG had 2 fully fortified infantry platoons
with mine fields and barbed wire plus the usual gun pits, two AA trucks, two
platoons of tanks, two artillery platoons, and his usual Falco aircraft.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Games II
and III were played on a 6x4 table to accommodate the larger points
spread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While building the board, WMTG’s
son, Pidge, asked me what I was doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
told him I was setting up a balanced board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He asked what that meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said
making a board that neither of us would enjoy—it’s possible my 40k tournament
experience influences my opinion of what a “good” board should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The major elements of this setup were the
same village as before but placed in the middle of the far-short board edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The middle section was broken up by several
ruff terrain segments and oasis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The far-left
corner featured a rocky outcrop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>WMTG
dropped his objective as far back on my right as he could manage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I placed mine as far forward and left as I
could manage—hoping to use a central oasis to partially shield me on the
approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only had to worry about the
left most platoon and fortifications as there was no point pushing for the
farther objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This let me deploy in
a left running refuse flank maneuver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
AA guns, darned immobility, were effectively out of the game but considering how
the scenario played I don’t have room to complain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This game
played very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Brits, I exercised
my option for night fight which screwed the Italian aircraft and artillery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost most of my carriers and infantry on
the approach but rammed my tanks into WMTG’s fortifications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost 2 Valentines piece meal to the mines but
my remaining Valentine broke the Italian defense winning me the game at the top
of turn three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Infantry hitching a ride
on tanks are particularly easy to kill since they go from a 3-up save to a 5-up
save but I still like the universal carriers as transports.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Game II, Free for All!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was
the most instructive and least interactive game we’ve played in some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG deployed his defensive down the far long
board edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put my 2 objectives in the
far-right trench blocking out as much of the fortification as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG put an objective on either side of my
deployment forcing me to split my defenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I chose to bulrush his objectives while leaving a token force to defend
my far-left zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG’s artillery bracketed
the far-right quarter with his tanks dead center—waiting to react to wherever I
chose to push.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much like
game II, I rushed my tanks at the right-most artillery battery and fortified
platoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The carriers, thanks to a reconnaissance
move, were in the Italians’ face turn one hosing the artillery down with MG
fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of turn two I had taken
out half of his artillery and driven the infantry out of the trench with my <br />
valentines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My carriers died in glory
while my infantry covered the back-board edge double contesting each objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We called the game when it was clear that my
tanks were going to run the table before he could score on my backfield.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This game
was the first I can remember where we really “played” the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at deployment we were trying to bate each
other into prematurely committing to a flank or leaving an objective open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the outcome was the same as the two
previous games (tank takes objective in three) it was nice having to strategize
in the moment rather than just throwing dice at my opponent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Considering
these games, the easy call is to say that tanks are broken—especially my tanks—and
we should try and play around armor for a while. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, WMTG pointed out something incisive
on the way home that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
first set of games where we’ve really tested the limits of our armies and force
selection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He claims he employed his
forces badly seeking binary solutions to complex problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Infantry die to tanks on their own but
infantry paired with armor pose a significant challenge to enemy tanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of us could have as easily used tanks as
defensive assets which would have drastically changed the game tempo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our first game, I should have ambushed my
AA guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should have payed for sticky
bombs for my HQ and troops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once all
those infantry were out of their transports, my MG teams would have been
invaluable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve done
a lot of thinking about how FOW plays V.S. other wargames and I think WMTG is
correct in that we need to think more big-picture about army construction and
strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one thing, 1250 points
doesn’t leave us many platoons or utility to answer strategic questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FOW, unlike GW and PP doesn’t have units that
outright remove opposing resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Direct fire artillery and some anti-aircraft guns are probably the
closest shooting analogs while tanks assaulting infantry are the closest CQB
comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even then, it’s difficult
for all but the most expensive units to bring the pain in such a way to render
a single unit irrelevant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it does
mean longer play times, 1500-2500point games will give us more ways to respond
to varied missions and deployment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
issue unique to FOW is how shooting interacts with given models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My to-hit role is determined by the enemy
skill not my own ability. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes my
trained French more vulnerable to Veteran Germans and less effective in return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s also why WMTG holds my horde of armored
cars in such high regard while I remember how easily they died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FOW is designed to mimic actual historic
forces not to create a balanced engagement per say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are steps I could have taken to maximize
my chances in game I but realistically I should have lost that game given our
capabilities and correlation of forces.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That dynamic
is what makes historical gaming interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Germans, especially at the beginning of WWII, were fighting the next
war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The French were fighting the last
war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Brits are better off than my
French specifically because their forces were better positioned to fight Germany’s
mechanized tactics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem with
this dynamic is that it is sometimes difficult to remember that FOW is only an approximation
of historical conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, artillery is
decent against tanks but Valentines armor is 1 less than the Italian general artillery
which makes them functionally immune to direct fire save highly improbable dice
luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Machine guns should mowed down
infantry but the mechanics of bullet proof cover mean I through 36 shots at
WMTG’s artillery in one round and didn’t remove a single model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think our expectation for some units is
often incorrectly colored by how we think the unit should perform based on our
understanding of history rather than a straight mechanical analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has driven me to some unfortunate
strategic blunders—something I hope to remedy as we play more games with the
same rule set.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
I’m beginning to dislike the way in which FOW balances quality and quantity of
fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tanks, mobile units, can’t fire
their main guns more than once on the move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many of my primary guns don’t even have H.E. meaning I can’t easily pass
my firepower check to bypass bulletproof cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Machineguns have the rate of fire required to do damage but again lack
the FP to deliver on that promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
isn’t a condemnation of the system—just a general frustration that we’ve been
playing such small games for so long that I’ve failed to notice how smaller
games push the scenario in favor of heavy armor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It creates a dynamic where the defender ends
up killing off a ton of ancillary elements but still looses the game due to one
unit that they couldn’t really deal with in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is a somewhat overbroad generalization—I
mean that it is less fun to spend a game watching most of your army die, only
to have the invincible juggernaut win you the contest because your opponent couldn’t
affect your key component.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels “bad”
to groan as you loose model after model only to punk your opponent who never
really had a chance to begin with.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It’s fun to roll dice and play with
toy soldiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s equally fun to spend
time with good friends over a shared experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think knowing the rules more, putting the
time in to better learn the game, and getting the reps in will make FOW even
more fun in future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-16917062225574730392018-10-10T17:07:00.003-07:002018-10-10T17:07:26.940-07:00Unto the fields of WWII
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saturday, I return to the fields of WWII with my 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
Indians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WMTG and I are going to slug it
out before gaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have read the
rules at least once since WMTG kindly transcribed the details to google for
universal access.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My list:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">25-points<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two Rifle teams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Combat Platoons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Four Rifle Platoons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ plus three squads for 175-points=700-points<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ consists of a command rifle/MG team, a light mortar team
and an AT rifle team<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each squad consists of two rifle/MG teams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brigade Support Platoons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One MG Platoon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ plus two MG sections for 145-points<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ consists of one Rifle team<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each section consists of two heavy MG teams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Divisional Support Platoons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One platoon of Royal Artillery antitank portee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ plus four 2 pounder portees for 180 points<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ consists of a rifle team and a truck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These guys are 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Army, and are Confident
Veteran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One platoon of anti-aircraft artillery<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ section and four Bofors AA guns for 175 points<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">HQ section is a rifle team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These guys are 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Army, and are Confident
Veteran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Infantry and Gun Team Stats:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rifle Team:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Range 16”, ROF 1, AT 2, FP 6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rifle/MG Team:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Range 16”, ROF 2, AT 2, FP 6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Light Mortar Team:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Range 16”, ROF 1, AT 1, FP 4+, Can fire over friendly teams,
can fire smoke<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">AT Rifle Team:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Range 16”, ROF 1, AT 4, FP 5+, Tank Assault 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heavy MG Team:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Range 24”, ROF 6, AT 2, FP 6, ROF 2 when pinned<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Range 40” Bombardment, no AT or FP value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cannot do much against hard targets, but can
tear up and pin down soft targets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bofors AA Gun:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Immobile, Range 24”, ROF 4, AT 6, FP 4+, Anti-aircraft,
Turntable<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vehicle Stats:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trucks and tractors:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wheeled, no armour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bofors Portee:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wheeled, no armor, AA machine gun, Tip and Run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bofors gun – Range 24”, ROF 3, AT 6, FP 4+, No HE, Portee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 pounder Portee:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wheeled, no armor, AA machine gun, Tip and Run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 pounder – Range 24”, ROF 3, AT 7, FP 4+, No HE, Portee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This gives me a nice versatile force at 1250 points that can
take and hold objectives while not throwing too many points into artillery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now…on to homework—I mean reading the rules—again</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😉</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-36926251568524171342018-10-07T12:02:00.003-07:002018-10-07T12:02:59.231-07:00A letter to DGI re-Crippled System
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear discount games Inc.,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure if I am addressing this to the correct
organization so I apologize in advance if you aren’t the people I am looking
for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been a loyal listener and customer of DGI and the muse
on minis podcast network for the last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The numerous podcasts are one of the shining points of my day—especially
on my 2-hour daily commute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though
I barely ever get to play war machine, it has been a pleasure to live
vicariously through battle driven, dark guidance, and many other fan-produced
shows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, I’ve had to delete the network from my feed
going forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning I popped on my headset for one of the few
quality quiet moments my schedule affords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I started with an episode of crippled system—usually an entertaining
ramble through food, movies, and pop culture with a sprinkling of gaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the hosts, Nathan, went off on a rant
about Wisconsin’s Governor’s attack adds stating that to say he is like a sack
of shit is not a simile because the governor is scientifically provably exactly
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then said, I can only assume
while turning to face the live stream, “to all our Republican listeners, Fuck
you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I understand that in today’s deeply polarized political
climate that a certain amount of political acrimony is unavoidable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no issue with a gaming podcast dipping
into ruff language and political commentary—especially if it’s limited to the
hosts’ personal beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
conservative leaning independent though, I do take issue with the host telling
40%-50% of the voting population to fuck themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have the same reaction if he had told
his Democrat listeners to fuck off too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I listen to gaming podcasts to get away from the real world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gaming is my hobby and escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially since the other 3 hosts seemed fine
with Nathan’s outburst, I have to assume that this sort of thing is acceptable
to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wanted you to know why I won’t be listening to the network
any more in case this is an issue you wish to address.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to continue following chain attack,
battle driven, and buying my gaming products from DGI but I will not be
listening to the MOM network any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have no interest in even passively supporting intolerance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you for your continued support of various gaming
communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize that crippled
system doesn’t represent DGI’s views on any given subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not hold you responsible for my
frustration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please have a great holiday weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-52776605544483754662018-09-23T18:44:00.003-07:002018-09-23T18:44:40.662-07:00Setting down the game.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently set out to play more war machine, build up to a
tournament footing, and attend a couple local events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listened to podcasts, read a ton of
material, and played a couple starter games to get my toes wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goals were modest and, I thought,
obtainable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, I’ve concluded that war
machine in its current form just isn’t for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is hard to admit—I’ve been playing in one form or another for 15
years now—but I think I’m done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are a lot of reasons for this decision.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Let’s start with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the halcyon days of MKI, the game wasn’t
exactly blind friendly but it was workable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Games were small enough and casual enough that my friends could mark my
cards—even my tournament opponents were happy to assist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MKIII is a bigger more technical game than
the version I cut my teeth on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The app
is not accessible to those who depend on text to speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t buy cards any more—you can print
them out yourself but it’s not ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have to touch models—mine and my opponent’s—to understand the board-state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the current focus on precise placement
it is borderline cheating if I bump a model—especially if it’s one of my opponent’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game has become so technical that I have
to get handy to understand the board state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That necessity means I am constantly nudging models, terrain, zones, and
objectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For someone who wants to
play in local steamroller events that’s not good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I’m not happy with my faction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador is in a great place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is genuinely competitive and has plenty
of unexplored depth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also doesn’t
play like I want it to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of this is
the fact that many of the things that used to be uniquely Khador’s have been
appropriated by other factions—medium based infantry, the cold North, crazy
berserkers…etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t specific to
big red but given how much of the faction’s design is based on the things it
cannot have, it is frustrating to see other factions doing the things that used
to be uniquely part of my shtick—often better than I can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I freely admit to a bad case of faction envy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want the faction to be in a different place
especially with the lack of spell channeling and slow low defense jacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone said recently that the MOW CID was
what every CID should be—a measured balanced exploration of the theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The problem being that some factions get a reasonable approach and some
get entirely new toolboxes and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as
to which is which.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted something
out of left field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something to take the
faction in a hither-to unexplored direction…that…didn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just feels like PP has a different vision
of Khador’s faction identity, design space, and viability than I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a lot of issues from my lowly
perspective but the biggest is the fact that Khador’s raw stats (in particular
boxes and armor) seem to rank higher in PP’s estimation than in my experience—especially
when my jacks’ run range is less than the length of a zone and the base
charging threat of other factions’ heavies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Themes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
hate themes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People say you don’t have
to play themes if you don’t want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
reality steamroller is the only format being played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current SR packet requires solos, units,
and jacks/beasts to score scenario elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In most cases you’re going to have to sacrifice models to contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know what makes that easier? Free
units!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free solos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The points really aren’t important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The extra scoring and contesting models are
huge though—especially in a faction that values quality over quantity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Themes force me into an arbitrary game of
rock paper scissors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I don’t buy in,
I’m giving up free scoring elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
I do buy in, I’m seriously limiting myself as to model selection—often to
minimal benefit just so I can keep scoring parity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Competitive play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is ironic since one of my goals was/is
to play competitively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more I’ve
read, played, and tried to prep for local steamrollers though the more dissatisfied
I’ve become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started with a podcast
discussing a certain elite tournament in which a player made a mistake, a judge
was called, and both players got a warning—one for making the mistake and the
other for not catching it when it happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve become a community so obsessed with perfect play that it is
driving the game to absurdly frustrating extremes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve spent the following months watching technical
tournament play dominate the hobby and drive public play in uncomfortable
directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This covers a gambit of
problems but some of the big items are the move to 2D terrain which makes me
feel like I’m playing a board game, the decline in the hobby side (painting,
conversions…etc.), the focus on the game as less narrative and more about flags
and zones, and a rise in an unhealthy MTG-like focus on “getting good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->CID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
love the idea of CID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate the reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the fact that defined faction elements
get a universal overhaul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate the
down time between cycles—something on the order of 14 months or more if they
keep adding mini factions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate the way
the cycle tunes one theme up to 11 while leaving others to suffer in obscurity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are just too many parts of too many
factions that need fixing—and waiting 14 months or more to have only one of
several pain points addressed grinds my gears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are single units like assault commandos and sword knights that deserve
their own themes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve waited years
already and we’ll be waiting more years at this rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commandos don’t even count for points in
their current theme even if they were playable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s…maddening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The loss of heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the dark days of MKI, PP had a certain
style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t just page 5, though that
was a part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They built their legend on all-metal—all-the
time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was literally full-metal-fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When hordes was previewed, Matt Wilson got
down in the weeds and did the online release in the forums himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The early books were magnificent combinations
of fiction, art, and marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still
love some of those old stories to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The RPG, the miniatures, the fiction, all melded as a unified artistic
gaming endeavor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each book was an
exploration into a new aspect of a fascinating universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of that magic is gone for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no more books really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Models are produced with no eye to a bigger
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t all-metal any more and
page 5 is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t feel like the
game is tied to a unified story being told at many levels…it’s just a company
running a tournament miniatures game—one I enjoy but lacking the magic of old.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Production quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to cut PP as a young miniatures
company, some slack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot do it anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had to send in for recast parts or mispacked
components in a third of my recent purchases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m talking stuff like 2 left halves of a horse or a gun arm that is a plastic
blob at one end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been doing mini crate
and they sent me 2 of the promotional models for signing up for 6 months and
completely forgot the actual monthly model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure, they will fix these issues at no cost to me without
complaint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just feels like they don’t
care anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mini gaming is a labor of money
and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like they’ve lost focus
on the simplest part of being a miniatures company—to produce useable miniatures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m going to sell off my Khador in the next month or 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll keep my pigs for the novelty and since I
have almost all of the faction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows,
maybe I’ll want to give it another try in a couple years but for now, I’m just
done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-71175145657908440552018-07-02T17:29:00.000-07:002018-07-02T17:29:03.755-07:00Thoughts on Khador and MK III 2 years in
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We’re passing
2 years into Warmachine MKIII—well past the honeymoon period with several CID
cycles in the rearview mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it’s
time for my hot takes on the game state, community, faction, and hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obligatory disclosure, I’m a casual player
with less than 50 games under my belt this edition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please do not take my opinions too seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The game:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I got
into warmahordes back in the early days of MKI—back when there were only 4
casters per faction and the model range was in its infancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This edition is functionally an entirely new
product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MKIII is a better rule set in every
particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Privateer press has
obviously put a lot of thought into making jacks and beasts integral list
elements again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I do not appreciate
all their design choices, they have done a ton of work to insure a clean
flavorful experience at the model VS. Model level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After that
point, the experience degrades for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>PP’s continued insistence on basing its game on a straight 75-point SR
tournament pack—it’s the only model discussed or tested these days—restricts
the scope of play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Company of iron and
colossal wrestling do not represent serious alternatives in my experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Company of iron may come into its own—it is a
very new product and will benefit from more publicity and manufacturer
support—but for most of us steamroller is the game entire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a serious player desiring
meaningful competitive play that’s fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If however, you’re like me, it’s difficult to choke down the steamroller
experience even after a couple journeyman cycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SR is a huge animal with 2 static formats, an
ever-changing model set, and a high skill requirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, Warmachine has become more about
objectives, flags, and zones and less about the narrative three dimensional
skirmish interactions that drew me to the property.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To be
fair to Privateer Press, I want a game that has a low bar to entry that is
played at many point-totals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the
way PP unapologetically sets the bar; I just wish there was more diversity in
accepted points levels and formats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Themes fall into the same hell mouth—they are the way PP wants the game
played—not the agent I want driving my list construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just have different visions for the desired
end state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The community:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
this temptation to think of the community as a monolith heralded by the vocal
contributors on lormahordes, chain attack, fully boosted, battle driven, combo
smite, dark guidance, dominate for two, and all the other random places I go for
my PP fix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In practice, I suspect they
represent a small percentage of players worldwide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when I say “community” I’m talking about
all the casual people catching a game here and there not just the globetrotting
tournament goers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not seen a demo
day, tournament, or PP open gaming event since March 2017—and I live near 3
game stores that used to have regular MKII events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The edition swap was always going to drive
some attrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stores come and go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People move on—these things happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so, I hear a lot of people suffering
from the same malady.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I used to blame the end of the
official PP forums and the press ganger program for this “decline.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon reflection, I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those programs did not drive the hobby—they
just provided a convenient forum for hobby development and community
interaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to be the guy
running demo games as people walked into the LGS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to be the guy helping run small
events—I just don’t have the time or resources to do that anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MKIII’s launch killed warmachine in my area
but the local community’s inability to reconstitute around a flagship store,
organizer, or forum is what has kept it in the ground. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel honestly bad about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to help—I just do not have that much
hobby time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Organizing events and
running demos is work—rewarding work—but still work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m talking to a local game store about doing
a twice monthly warmachine day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
have to be other players like me out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe an open game day will be enough to start the ball rolling
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me worry about the
game’s future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is PP’s
outreach?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about all the people not
in a thriving meta?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These things trouble
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Faction:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Khador
is in a weird place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a time
when a Khador list was Sorscha and some destroyers killing your caster by turn
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was butcher 1 with 2 MOW
kovniks and 3 devastators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador’s
shtick has always been quality of stats be it armor, boxes, or elite
infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you listen to people
discussing armored korps, you’d think Khador was back in its hay
day—unbreakable elite models requiring an unusual effort to repel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The days of berserker spam and defense 19
assassins must have scarred the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The thing is, Khador is not that faction any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone are the days of armor 25 devastators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, those dirty Swans have a reach jack
with armor 21 that can’t be charged most of the time and SPD 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think people remember all the good parts of
big red and forget how much less unique we are now and how much we’ve lost in
translation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It feels like
people focus on the armor 20 34 box aspect and completely ignore the defense
10, SPD 4, RAT 4, no light, no arcnode part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No other faction is defined as much by the game elements it lacks than
Khador.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every other faction breaks the
rules in some meaningful way—whether through theme, model design, or caster
impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador just tries to out-fundamental
its opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a world where Other
factions have access to themes providing mass carapace, RFP, and free
battlegroup models I feel just a little homely in comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the other side of the coin, I
have never had this much jank to build lists with before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My demolition korps are fixed and the rest of
my MOW are playable again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old Witch II
(if I ever find someone to build and paint her) is mind blowingly amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Victor is everything I wanted him to be at a
price I can afford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador is…in a weird
place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Hobby:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Warmachine is a top-tier wargame
with a constantly changing meta and a responsive community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It used to be a small skirmish game with a
low entry threshold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the larger
relative points values and the massively evolved product line make it a more
daunting challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as the game
has improved—and it has whatever my reservations—it has also become a little
more insular—a little more elite—a little harder to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fluffy narrative books of my youth are
gone in favor of a more competitively focused experience—one where the glorious
art and writing of old has given way to a clunky app and articles in NQ Prime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game is different now and I don’t know
what to think of that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-47928700844599595352018-03-21T17:43:00.001-07:002018-03-21T17:43:20.763-07:00Safe Spaces
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk509427962"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
used to be an optimist; then I found out how the world actually works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still have faith in my fellow Americans—generally—but
recent events have called into question the practicality of that view.<o:p></o:p></span></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A couple years ago I was
presenting to a group in a state facility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Half way through my spiel, the building went into an active shooter
drill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We squished into a closet, closed
the door, and waited for the all-clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Based on the jokes made at the time, I think I was the only person upset
with our defenseless tactics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The door
was not locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were just hoping that
the dice didn’t come up snake eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
found out later that the only person in the building with a gun was the head of
security and he was required to keep it locked in his office.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later that year I was called into
jury duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got there already having
stripped my pockets of pepper spray, pocket knife, bottle opener, and anything
I thought could be even mildly objectionable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I passed through the metal detector and earned a wand check because I
always forget my cane is a no-no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
lone security guard checked me in and whisked me off for processing for my civic
duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was nothing stopping someone
from walking in—no security barrier—just a single rent-a-cop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A couple years later I had to request
a replacement social security card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I entered
the Federal building and found my way to the appropriate floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon entering the waiting area, I was greeted
by a Federal police officer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
kind enough to walk me to registration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In doing so she made me walk on her left side (not my normal practice)
so her gun hand was free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could feel
the contours of the body armor vest under the shoulder she graciously offered as
we walked to my seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember
thinking that here at least was someone taking security seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I had to strip down all my normal less
lethal gear before that trip and the guard was in the office not at the
building entrance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A couple weeks ago I had the
pleasure of touring my employer’s Federal counterpart in DC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time, I was used to the normal
restrictions—so I divested myself of my usual panoply the previous evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I went through the metal detector, the
guard made me go through my pockets again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They saw my key-bar which looks like a pocket knife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I explained that I was carrying an innovative
keyring and not a potentially deadly universal multitool, I was cleared,
badged, identified, and eventually given the run of the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially given the recent shootings, I was
not encouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happened if someone
chose not to go through the metal detector and went on a rampage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was exactly what happened in the DC Navy
Yard shooting—and the poor security greeter was the first targeted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am committed to the right to
keep and bare arms as well as the essential right to self-defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody should be forced to take up the tools
of protection if they do not wish but I feel strongly that those who do not
wish to do so should not render the rest of us defenseless either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider that National police and emergency response
times vary from ten minutes to an hour or more depending on region and volume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, yesterday my county ran out of ambulances
due to the number of snow-related accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consider also that most of the recent active shooter events have played
out in less than the amount of time it takes police to respond in the first
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of the Florida school
shooting there was an armed school resource officer on premises as well as
several nearby sheriff’s deputies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
stood back and waited while the shooter went about is grizzly business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the pulse nightclub shooting, the police
waited hours to confront the shooter while many victims died from their wounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday a Maryland student took a gun to
school and shot two classmates before being shot by a proactive school resource
officer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes emergency response is
a hard counter to those up to no-good and sometimes not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In wrestling with this issue, I am
reminded of Tommy by Rudyard Kipling:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I went
into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’beer,<br />
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”<br />
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,<br />
…<br />
<b>O makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep</b><br />
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;<br />
An’ hustlin’ drunken sodgers when they’re goin’ large a bit<br />
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kipling’s rhyme is pertinent despite its age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soldiers returning from Vietnam, Korea, and
world war II felt the lash of public opinion despite standing in harm’s way at
their country’s behest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not pretend
to such exalted company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do feel society
would rather denigrate me for my unwillingness to become a victim than celebrate
me for my clean record and moderate track record though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He’s one of those gun people—you know, one of
those.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The end result
of all this security theatre is that I have to stand outside my employer’s
building in the middle of Baltimore, where there was a shooting a couple months
ago, stepping over homeless, across from some abandoned buildings used for drug
peddling, with nothing more than a container of pepper spray, strong language, and
the hope that the rent-a-cop shows up soon to let me in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I routinely have to divest myself of basic
tools like pen-knives because it makes someone somewhere “feel” better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been followed many times by unstable
people from the midsummer mitten wearing profit who followed my wife and me
onto a cross-town bus to the guy who tried to lead me by my cane while claiming
he could punch me in the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My very
obvious disability seems to draw crazy people like a moth—and this is run of
the mill every-day crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not have
the luxury of door-to-door personal car service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spend more time in the company of strangers—in
the wild—than any of my friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
have the double whammy of being a self-defense minded person and a PWD who
society views as incapable of self-advocacy much less self-protection.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m not going
to argue for guns in schools or constitutional carry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to claim to have all the
answers or even the best answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
said and will continue to say disarming law abiding freedom loving people like
me helps nobody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am rendered even more
of a victim than the general public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
we are really and truly going to discuss how to make our schools, our places of
business, and the halls of government safer, we need to start by saying that
good gun owners and self-defense advocates are not the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guns protect people every day, from the
students who were not shot yesterday because an armed resource officer stepped
in, to the thousands of crimes that are prevented each year by responsible
armed citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state will not
protect me while I wait outside its building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It will fire me if I fight back against an active shooter though—I was
told so during our employee orientation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the standard our society is setting; that it is better to die an
unarmed sheep with no blood on my hands than be given the minimal tools to
defend myself.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our buildings,
our airports, and our most vulnerable are defenseless despite useless inconvenience
like the TSA’s repeatedly verified inability to stop real threats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who have done nothing can’t even carry
a pen knife into a federal building but people like me are the problem—or so I
have been told lately—often—forcefully.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk509427962;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I mention this because
readit, YouTube, and Facebook are in process of culling legal firearm related
material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are private companies
who have every right to sensor their content as they see fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These private companies are also where a lot
of “free speech” takes place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we want
an honest discussion of gun ownership, where is it supposed to take place if
not on YouTube, reedit, or Facebook?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
can I make people aware of my particular concerns without those platforms?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YouTube is banning videos containing even images
of legal magazines capable of holding more than 30 rounds or legally owned
accessories like suppressors and bump-fire stocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happens next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we ban images of political views we do not
agree with—oh wait, that’s already happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An honest discussion takes place when there is a forum for those with
whom we most disagree. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moderate
candidates succeed when all views can be heard—not when uncomfortable
discussion is prohibited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am safer
when society has to consider the full implication of its decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please consider writing to your social media
vendor of choice and politely request a more open policy—for my sake—and for
the sake of honest conversations everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today it is guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow the “publican”
may decide not to serve “your” kind</span></i></span><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-19287238242167217592018-03-17T07:37:00.003-07:002018-03-18T11:48:49.955-07:00Into The Dojo
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that I have 1 teeny tiny game under my belt, it’s time
to jump back into the dojo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
couple choices to make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Based on
last week’s partial game, I’m going to mostly follow the internet’s advice and
switch up my perspective 75-point list:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Armored Korps or steam cold killers:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorscha
(S1 +29)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Marauder" title="Marauder"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Marauder</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Beast-09" title="Beast-09"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Beast-09</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-18)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Man-o-War_Bombardiers" title="Man-o-War Bombardiers"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Man-o-War Bombardiers</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Full -16)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bombardier officer (Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Man-o-War_Demolition_Corps" title="Man-o-War Demolition Corps"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Man-o-War Demolition Corps</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Full -14)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sergeant Dragos Dragadovich (-6)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Koldun_Kapitan_Valachev" title="Koldun Kapitan Valachev"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Koldun Kapitan Valachev</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Lady_Aiyana_and_Master_Holt" title="Lady Aiyana and Master Holt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Lady Aiyana and Master Holt</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> (-8)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Greylord_Forge_Seer" title="Greylord Forge Seer"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Greylord Forge Seer</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Grolar" title="Grolar"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Grolar</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-18)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Man-o-War_Kovnik" title="Man-o-War Kovnik"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Man-o-War Kovnik</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Gorman_Di_Wulfe,_Rogue_Alchemist" title="Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-4) or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Orin_Midwinter,_Rogue_Inquisitor" title="Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-5) or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Saxon_Orrik" title="Saxon Orrik"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Saxon
Orrik</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a
balanced force with some interesting threat vectors and buff targets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not know which of the 3 mercenary solos
works best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gorman (I own the recent
mini crate edition) can shut down a battle engine with blind, rust a construct,
and hold flags tolerably well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orin
covers antimagic and blows through units using chain lightning (particularly
good on feat turn.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saxon gives
pathfinder, an ok gun, and contests well with tough and stealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any suggestions are appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As to a
pairing, I’ve been wandering around with a variety of options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve mostly settled on Old Witch II in jaws
of the wolf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked at butcher 1 with
a jack gunline but it lacks defenses and would probably get shot off the
board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is my tentative dojo list:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jaws of
the wolf or no shoot for you:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Old Witch II (+27)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Decimator" title="Decimator"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Decimator</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-15)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Decimator" title="Decimator"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Decimator</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-15)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Juggernaut" title="Juggernaut"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Juggernaut</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-13)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Victor" title="Victor"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Victor</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-34)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Kayazy_Eliminators" title="Kayazy Eliminators"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Kayazy Eliminators</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-5)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Kayazy_Eliminators" title="Kayazy Eliminators"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Kayazy Eliminators</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-5)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Widowmaker_Scouts" title="Widowmaker Scouts"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Widowmaker Scouts</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-8)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Manhunter" title="Manhunter"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Manhunter</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Widowmaker_Marksman" title="Widowmaker Marksman"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Widowmaker Marksman</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yuri the axe (Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Alexia,_Mistress_of_the_Witchfire" title="Alexia, Mistress of the Witchfire"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Alexia, Mistress of the Witchfire</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-7)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Decimators
can push heavies out of zones and get surprisingly mobile by following up on beat
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alexia’s ability to deliver RFP
and create solos in some matches can win games, assuming OW can protect
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On feat turn OW turns the
decimators up to 9 or 10 with rerolls on all those shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am fond of the fact that if OW is standing
in front of victor she gets to pick deviation direction for his shots—which can
be a huge problem for some bricks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Regardless, I have a lot of collecting to do before any of this hits the
table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-24789309391892678502018-03-16T19:20:00.003-07:002018-03-16T19:20:39.470-07:00First steps
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week I got together with a friend to play a small
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are both out of practice
looking to put in whatever gaming we can manage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jayson forgot his models so I made him a 25-point
list on the fly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My List:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kommander Sorscha (+29)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Juggernaut" title="Juggernaut"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Juggernaut</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-12)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Marauder" title="Marauder"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Marauder</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Marauder" title="Marauder"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Marauder</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Man-o-War_Demolition_Corps" title="Man-o-War Demolition Corps"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Man-o-War Demolition Corps</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Full -15)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Man-o-War_Kovnik" title="Man-o-War Kovnik"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Man-o-War Kovnik</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-5)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jayson’s list:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Orsus Zoktavir, the butcher of Khardov (+28)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Decimator" title="Decimator"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Decimator</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-16)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Decimator" title="Decimator"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Decimator</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-16)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Juggernaut" title="Juggernaut"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Juggernaut</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-12)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Widowmaker_Scouts" title="Widowmaker Scouts"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Widowmaker Scouts</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-8)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yuri the axe (Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was not a hardcore game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a game for out of practice fans needing to get our toes wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dumbed the scenario and terrain down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jayson wanted some time playing games with
adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to test out some
concerns regarding Sorscha and demolition Korps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We used my winter themed 4x4 play mat with a
tree in the dead center marking the only scoring zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The left side had a bunker situated between 2
straggling forests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The right hand side
featured a couple of ruins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew the
center would become a grind-fest—the objective was just to get our brains used
to playing on a board with real minis again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jayson won the roll and chose to go first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He broke his list into 3 groups with Yuri and
a decimator on the left, Butcher and the juggernaut in the middle, and the widowmakers
with the second decimator on the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decided to throw everything at the objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I placed the demolition korps slightly to the
right with the jacks continuing my red wall to the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Kovnik stood in the middle of the 2
groups with Sorscha behind her jacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am so used to thinking of her as a super solo that I almost placed her with the
jacks outside her control range but fixed my error at the last minute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turn 1, everybody ran forward on both sides
except the Kovnik, who put desperate pace on the MOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Side note, I hate, hate, hate, the fact that
it takes his action for this benefit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turn 2, Jayson moved up with his jacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decimators blew the arms off my
juggernaut, pushed a marauder back, and killed a MOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His juggernaut ran to the objective.
Widowmakers fired away doing a couple points of damage to the 4 remaining
demolition korps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Butcher cast iron
flesh on himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reviewed the
situation and found that butcher on armor 20 is near unkillable for
sorscha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have put a dent in the
big guy but not enough to kill him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
Sorscha moved up and feated on his entire army except for Yuri and a couple
widowmakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She dropped a scout with a
hand cannon shot and hit butcher with tempest, knocking him down, finishing by
moving back enough that when butcher shook the affects she would be out of
charge range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Kovnik walked forward
putting desperate pace on the MOW—again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The MOW charged the objective (1 had to run lacking LOS) and did 23
damage to the contesting juggernaut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My remaining
jacks ran forward, trying to get a line on the enemy for next turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turn 3, Jayson had butcher shake all affects,
dropped his feat, and charged to kill a second man-o-war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two widowmakers brutally gunned down the
kovnik on raw dice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His armless
juggernaut head-butted one of the demolition korps, leaving it knocked down but
alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A decimator finished off the
juggernaut with a couple dozer shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other dozer took shots on Sorscha and missed (defense 18 for the
win.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my turn, the demo korps
finished off the juggernaut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorscha
cast boundless charge on a marauder who slammed one of the decimators 1
inch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I scored 1-point on the objective
and we called the game due to time and work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Takeaways:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Demolition corps are brutal—even more so on the
charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, they need desperate
pace to get in range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they keep
shatter after the CID, they are going to completely wreck face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to love trying them with their
command attachment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting out-threated by decimator guns was…not
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hocestbellum was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need something that threats more than 8
inches on the charge—which means range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was going to skip the bombardiers on account of resolving all that
blast damage but now I think they have to come back in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Kovnik, while being my least favorite MOW
piece, is helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll re-work the main
list to include one to give the demolition korps a boost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After turn II though, I cannot expect him to
stick around sadly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: .5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just need to play games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not even a question of “reps.” When you
forget to check if your jacks are in control range at deployment you are really
starting at the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to
test smaller list elements until the MOW CID update goes live and then it’ll be
time to lock the list down and get some actual reps started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was a
great experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can play—I just need
to get back in the swing of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next
up, revising my current test list and dojoing a pairing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-49896600989193971822018-03-04T18:12:00.004-08:002018-03-04T18:12:55.134-08:00Big plans for big red
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my goals for this year is to play in at least one
tournament or warmachine event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used
to play in monthly tournaments ranging from magic to 40k to warmachine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately though, what with the demise of my FLGS’s
PP league and associated group, I’ve been reduced to vicariously watching
others play through the inter-tubes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It turns
out that another local store has occasional PP events—no regular gaming there
but I’m going to reach out and see if we can work on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figure at this point I’ve done enough
complaining over how PP has chosen to run MKIII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s all well and good in the abstract but
at some point, I have to draw steel in the world they have wrought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That requires me to accomplish a couple goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to get comfortable playing in the SR
format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my games in this edition
have been at 50 points or less with narrative campaign scenarios or journeyman league
games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing timed games with a full
75-point list means I have to get at least minimally proficient with the upcoming
SR rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s going to take some reps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to build 2 lists that I can handle in
timed turns that are somewhat competitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What with my visual impairment, giant spam lists are a no go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need smaller model count lists that use clear
strategies so I don’t clock myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
probably going to be asking my opponent to mark my cards—war room is entirely
inaccessible for us blind folk—so I’m going to want to minimize the hassle for
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m going to have to pick up a laminator so I
can print and create my own cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I own
plenty of top loaders—I just need to make sure everything is current.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I need to figure out what material components I
need to bring other than models, cards, dice, dry erase markers, and measuring
sticks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I need to find a way to carry and deploy my
list(s) quickly.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I need to make sure my lists are fun to play
since I’m probably going to lose a lot in the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, here’s
my first list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want something that has
a chance against Cryx and other random nonsense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It assumes that the end of the AK CID
represents the upcoming game state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Armored
Korps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kommander Sorscha +29<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Marauder" title="Marauder"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Marauder</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Beast-09" title="Beast-09"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Beast-09</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-18)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Man-o-War_Demolition_Corps" title="Man-o-War Demolition Corps"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Man-o-War Demolition Corps</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Full -14)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sergeant Dragos Dragadovich (Free)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Koldun_Kapitan_Valachev" title="Koldun Kapitan Valachev"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Koldun Kapitan Valachev</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Lady_Aiyana_%26_Master_Holt" title="Lady Aiyana & Master Holt"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Lady Aiyana & Master Holt</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-8)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Hutchuk,_Ogrun_Bounty_Hunter" title="Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-6)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Battle_Mechaniks" title="Battle Mechaniks"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Battle Mechaniks</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Min -3)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Battle_Mechaniks" title="Battle Mechaniks"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Battle Mechaniks</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (Min -3)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Greylord_Forge_Seer" title="Greylord Forge Seer"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Greylord Forge Seer</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Grolar" title="Grolar"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Grolar</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-18)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Greylord_Forge_Seer" title="Greylord Forge Seer"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Greylord Forge Seer</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> (-4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://battlecollege.org/index.php/Marauder" title="Marauder"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Marauder</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(-11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This list has several ways to
deal with incorporeal through A&H applying their buff to the demolition
corps or Beast 09 as well as the two marshalled jacks who already have magic
weapons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The demo corps with shatter
will wreck things on Sorscha’s feat turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The grolar and Hutchuck can set up assassination runs with knockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mechanics can repair and score as well as
providing advanced move to all three of the MOW elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorscha is a threat all on her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is small enough that I should be able to
handle the movement easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even have
movement trays for the units.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll
probably throw this out to the larger community once I have a pairing set
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to figure out something to
deal with more attrition-based lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
always, feedback is welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep trying
to rearrange the 12 points of Hutchuck and mechanics—mainly the mechanics—to see
if I can build something more flexible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-87494585262977506992018-02-18T10:43:00.000-08:002018-02-18T10:43:26.993-08:00MOW CID, 1-point, that is the question<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The armored corps CID is up and
life is…interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After going back
and forth with some people on a couple isolated points, I am just going to put
one wall of text down here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While I
want to discuss man-O-war testing, there is a more important issue on the
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There seems to be a significant
part of our community comfortable with and/or rabidly behind the juggernaut’s
one-point-increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had several
people ask why this is such a big deal—after all, juggernauts are still good,
the battle box is still net 0-points, and community consensus says our basic beet
stick heavy was undervalued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, let’s
look at why this is such an issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
juggernaut is an iconic jack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sets
the standard for what you want a heavy jack to accomplish—punchy fist for an
extra initial—access to power attacks—a big main weapon to break armor—a nice
critical affect—high strength for throw checks—MAT 7 to make those attacks hit
as reliably as any non-character heavy—the highest armor and number of boxes of
any baseline heavy—and a grid designed to take a beating and still remain fully
functional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not a faction in
the game that would not love that stat line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The juggernaut also sports defense 10, SPD 4, and no special rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The protectorate’s crusader costs 10-points
while sporting an only slightly inferior profile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a model-to-model comparison the juggernaut
is objectively better than the crusader so should cost more than 10 points.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
question is how much more?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next
comparably situated heavy is the ironclad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is slightly less resilient than Khador’s finest but sports 25% more
SPD and 20% more defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, it can
drop a mass knockdown affect as a special attack while the juggy has no similar
capacity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an open field grudge match
between the iron clad and the juggernaut, the ironclad wins every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The juggy runs as far as the ironclad charges
so regardless of its output, the ironclad will get the alpha.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is
important to remember that while people look at the juggernaut’s durable stat
line, there’s a reason he’s so tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Khadoran lists often have to rely on their durability to weather enemy
alpha strikes before they can strike back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At defense 10, few heavies have to boost their attack rolls to hit
yee’old juggernaut—meaning they get their full focus worth of attacks while the
reverse is not always true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cryx’s
slayer, while considerably less durable, still requires a boosted to-hit-roll
to overcome defense 13—and that’s not taking into account that the helljack
sports SPD 6 base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raw stats are
important but only in the context of how the total package performs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can build a god slaying gun on an
invulnerable chassis but if it is SPD1 and RAT 0 its impact is diminished—see the
current state of the Victor as an example.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Models do
not exist in a vacuum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their performance
is influenced by the chosen caster, support pieces, theme lists, scenario
types, terrain, and player skill with same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, when I say the juggernaut is roughly comparable to the ironclad, I’m
speaking in general terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is a slayer
worth 10 points?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much more is it worth with unyielding and
carapace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The response I get most often
is that the slayer only achieves that level of crazy with one caster in one
theme list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d be willing to accept
that save that another reason I get for the proposed 1-point juggernaut tax is
that Harkevich jack spam is “oppressive.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Isn’t that one list with one caster too?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The more
I’ve discussed this issue the more I feel there is a double standard for Khador.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The juggernaut profile isn’t just an icon for
warmachine, it’s a faction defining piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Khador’s shtick is big slow tough jacks that do not shoot well and hit
like a ton of bricks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unspoken
argument I hear most often comes down to the juggernaut feels too good for its
points if you’re on the receiving end because it would be more expensive
in—insert another person’s faction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is a massive double standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point
of having faction defining elements is that they should be largely unique to
that faction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means that they
should be competitively priced and reasonably appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador’s identity is based around the
empire’s willingness to forego arcnodes, light jacks, focus 8 casters, any jack
with a base move over 4, accurate jack shooting, alchemical innovation, and
crazy magic tech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In return we are
supposed to get scary medium based infantry, hard hitting durable jacks, self-sufficient
troops, warcasters that get the job done without a lot of support, berserk convicts
chained to cursed relic weapons, small units of specialists, lots of inaccurate
AOE attacks, and a focus on the fundamentals with a pinch of winter for flavor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador derives a lot of its identity from
what it cannot have; so, when someone says ‘X’ model feels too strong it bugs
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at all the things I do not get
that_every_other_faction gets. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pay for
that _slight points efficiency by forgoing a metric ton of design space.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The corollary
to this argument is that other factions get tons of broken oppressive crap that
I have to swallow because it is in-theme for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ambushing bears that hit harder than some
light jacks? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really PP?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*looks at my unit of woodsman sadly*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sloan shredding my entire army at range
freeking 16 with armor piercing hunters that advance deploy and have long leash
with fully boosted shots for every jack in her battle group that all have true
sight???<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t get a focus 8 caster
but Menoth gets a focus 10 caster…because reasons?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am supposed to take that degenerate
nonsense on the chin because other factions should have nice things too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m fine with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If one faction getting stealthie incorporeal solos free is the cost of Santa
visiting once a year then that’s cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am not OK with being told that the things that define my faction are too good
by factions that are granted the proverbial keys to the kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call it faction envy if you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Genuinely do not understand why everyone
else gets to be pulled up to Cryx’s current status while my faction has to pay
a tax for just being what it was designed to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If PP is
upset that juggernauts and marauders were omnipresent in Khador lists I wish they
would consider why that was the case rather than trying to force a
macroeconomic correction using microeconomic tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason those 2 jacks see so much time is
that they are *fairly* costed given their effectiveness, faction relevance, and
ability to trade in the all heavies all the time world we live in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The berserker chassis was rendered unplayable
to keep Karchev spam to a minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
grolar, spriggan, demolisher, and decimator suffer from poor design and excessive
cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That leaves 5 jacks that are reasonably
effective and usefully costed—and the destroyer had to be cut 2 points to meet
that standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of that list, the juggernaut
is the only one that can consistently one-round other heavies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it any surprise that it showed up all the
time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’re going to see more huge
bases then the marauder needs to go up in cost but the juggernaut?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying that something didn’t need to
be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just do not see juggernauts
going up to 13 solving the larger problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My bigger
question isn’t why raise the cost of the juggernaut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather I want to know why the Khador all-jack-list
with 7ish jacks is a step too far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not buying the “it was a negative play experience.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cryx can run 2 incorporeal battle engines
(with tough mind you) that require me to take a 12-point mercenary package to
even have a chance at defending the alpha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve seen a Sloan player cause a new player to rage quit the hobby on
the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are those negative play
experiences acceptable and my faction’s defining play style elements a step too
far?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am assuming that upcoming CIDs
will give the least among us more tools and corrections to current inequity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it necessary to bring this one element
down when presumably everyone else is going to be brought up?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
asked this question in many forms in many forums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The discussion always degenerates into a
discussion of base level mechanical interactions with no substantive answer to
the big question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it ok for other
factions to ask questions I do not have good tools to answer when apparently
the same is not true for my faction?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not quitting the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not trying to
flame PP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just want an honest
considered answer to this question.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-69548862170894752422017-12-17T13:05:00.002-08:002017-12-17T13:05:53.090-08:00Health stuff or confessing my sins<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to
write something profound—something witty—something self-deprecating that speaks
to a greater truth…but I cannot. So, let’s
keep it simple. I am fat. I am 50ish pounds down from where I was in
2013 but I am still way bigger than I would like and being brutally honest, I
have not been good to myself of late.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the
past I have been able to point to progress in other areas to justify lack of progress
in matters massive. I might have backslid
a bit but look at my new job, my exercise regimen, my improved finances…as long
as I did not backslide more than 20 pounds or so it seemed worth it. Now…ah…not_so_much. Fatness does not bother me in and of itself
(that is fixable) but my lack of willpower irks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fatness is
a symptom of larger problems. First, I
have lost most of the reinforcing schedule structure that kept me on my best
behavior. Squish and B have put their
gym membership on hold. Twas a time when
we went 2 or 3 days a week without fail.
The free transportation, social pressure of gym friends, and the buddy
system insured regular gym time. Now, with
each uber trip costing $7.00+ each way, it is harder to justify the quantity
and quality of activity of old. I have
purchased blind-friendly exercise routines which I genuinely enjoy but the
motivation and accountability is not as high as before and my participation has
suffered accordingly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then
there’s “work.” I no longer take public
transportation to and from work each day.
Paratransit takes me door-to-door, supplanting my daily treks around the
bus stop. My commute is 2 to 3 hours
round trip—cutting down time I used to use for walks and grocery junkets. My activity level is noticeably decreased.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second,
work is dietarily toxic. My previous
routine left me with few disturbances. I
could not leave my desk easily because of my work flow. So, while I was not covering much ground, I
had few opportunities or reasons to stray from plan. I was an employee in an office building of a
couple thousand. Nobody cared about my
habits as long as my job got done. Nobody
was pushing me toward my health goals but there were few negative pressures; so
as long as I was mildly motivated, I could stay on-plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You would
think that working in the library for the blind that I would find a more
supportive environment. Part of my issue
is that the library employs no more than 30 employees even counting contractors
and volunteers. Everybody is in my
business—commenting on what I ordered for lunch—counting how many snack
wrappers are in my trash can (I am not kidding)—pushing me to order with or for
them. It’s that whole small world thing. The contract and operational employees are as
like to treat me like a special snowflake as a valued professional peer. Most of the time I politely redirect,
educate, and do the smart tolerant thing.
I try not to engage—not to give them a chance to hit my buttons. Sometimes though I just lose my patience. The secretarial and security staff comment on
how much I order, how often I order, if I order or not, whether I included them
on my order. It does not matter that I order
delivery at most twice a week and they order out every day for lunch and
breakfast, the delivery people come in through that front entrance and they feel
empowered to voice an opinion. I hate
being made to feel self-conscious. My immediate
reaction is to fight back in pure spite.
So even though I did not think of ordering or snacking when I started
this job 9 months ago, I feel like I have to keep doing it to make a point…to
prove they have no power over me. Stress
makes me hungry. Food makes me feel better. The more stressed I am the greater the chance
I will overindulge…multiply…consume…etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Supplementing that issue is the
fact that my schedule is 2 hours off the rest of the office. I arrive at 6:30 in the morning, have lunch
by 11:30, and am on my way home by 3:30.
Most employees work 8 to 5. Everyone
else is eating lunch hours after my meal is done. So, my day is coming to a close and my work
area smells like fried food, burgers, and pizza every-single-day—just when I am
at my weakest. Put that together with
food being the proximal cause of my stress in the first place and meals are problematic. I tried incremental fasting and failed horribly. I was fine till 1:00ish and then olfactory
suggestion destroyed my willpower.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My
schedule changed. My activity level
changed. I let stress get the best of
me. My gout is acting up again. My belt is starting to tighten…and I know
where this spiral leads. I feel bad so I
eat more, more often, more per serving, more of the things I know I should not. I feel worse so my motivation slips. I stay home and do the one thing that makes
me feel better—eat. Screw that nonsense. I am going to make better choices by finding
sustainable patterns that fit my new life.
I am not falling back down that rabbit hole. I need to proactively change to sustainable
choices that I am motivated to perform.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Here are some of the better choices
I am making going forward:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->A friend of mine going through addiction recovery
and I have a call scheduled twice a week.
He talks about recovery and I talk about health stuff. If he can fight off controlled substance
addiction I can eat better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I have tested and am now using reusable 14oz plastic
shake pouches by little green pouch. I
have a breakfast shake that I make in 5 shake increments, freeze, and take to
work in the morning. It is the best
combination of health and efficiency I have come up with so far. I am going to take it to work every day
starting tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I am going to bring in a selection of Birdseye
frozen steamed vegetables each week—whatever is on sale. Lunch is going to be a heaping 500 calorie or
less serving of random veggies. I’ll add
some low cal hot sauce to make it palatable if required. That is a 0-effort meal that should fill me
up with good things for the rest of the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I am reading a book from bard called the gut
makeover. It is…interesting. The author talks about how to reconfigure
your digestive track over 4 weeks. There
are no portion sizes. I need to get out
of the holidays but after that…I am going to give it a try.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I am publicly acknowledging that exercise or the
lack there of is not my problem. My
friend Phoenix has cut over 50 pounds through moderate portion control. If she can do it how can I do less?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I have asked to have my desk moved to a less
disruptive location. It may take a
couple months until the area is ready but my boss has agreed. In the mean time I’m just going to confront
bad behavior openly and honestly. I am
not doing myself or anyone else any favors by letting this crap slide.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I work in a library. I am going to take my breaks on the lowest
basement floor and walk through the stacks.
I need to get out of my office periodically anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I am going to work on confronting the behavior
that makes eating uncomfortable, guilty, stressful, and socially awkward. I am entitled to splurge every once in a
while—I need an eating plan that can handle that within reason.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .25in;">
I was already
doing most of this stuff desultorily—I just need to commit to doing it all the
time. I do not want to get down on myself
but I feel brutal honesty is the only way to deal with my health issues. I am going to make better choices.<o:p></o:p></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-76409293666269079022017-10-23T07:14:00.002-07:002017-10-23T07:14:59.549-07:00Back to the grave<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WMTG and I recently squared off for a third installment of frostgrave. I finished my required weekend short shift at the reference desk and it was off to the frozen city after a taco bell appetizer.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-60301a4f-4991-7e80-66fc-32c881c02e03" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was the first game in which I feel we had truly comparable warbands. I was betting on a superior range game with my 4 marksman dovetailing with my fortune hunters’ reach. Most games I find one of my warband is gone by the end of turn 2. If they pick up a treasure and have to move 6 inches (doubled to 12 due to treasure halving movement ranges) then a marksman is just as capable as a 6 or 7 inch base move model of scoring the loot. The difference is that if I fail my reveal secrets roll, I often want the marksman’s resilient accurate range game more than I want another long distance mover like</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the ranger or fortune hunter. I hedged my bets with the 2 archers but the plan was to keep WMTG playing defense while the rest of my crew worked on the objective.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We rolled up the hunted huts scenario. We alternated placing six roofless huts on a 3x3 board. The huts ended up in an ‘H’ formation with the ends of the arms extending toward our respective deployment zones. There was a tall tower construct on my right with ruins forming a perimeter around the board. Each hut got a treasure marker. When anyone entered a hut we rolled. If we rolled high, a wraith appeared in the hut. Wraiths were immune to all but magical attacks. They did double damage to living creatures and went through terrain at no penalty.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The farthest huts (the ones on the ends of the ‘H”) were as good as claimed. Short of an all-out push, we were going to pick them up and be well on our way to scoring by turn 3. This left the 2 central huts up for grabs. Since the huts were open-topped, I opted to use my wizard and apprentice as elevated telekinesis bots. Butcher climbed to the second story of a ruined building flanked by 2 marksman. Another marksman deployed on the 6 inch mark to grab my reveal secrets treasure first turn and score in turn 2. The apprentice Went far left on top of another ruin with the archers and war hound. The hunters and remaining marksman spread out across my front line to pinch hit as needed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both of us made our reveal secrets checks. Butcher had too empower for 6 but I was able to move the 2 closest treasures back and out of the huts with telekinesis. My marksman picked up my bonus treasure and started trekking for my rear board edge. The rest of my team ran forward to snag the two central treasures or fight WMTG’s guys for the gold. I try not to go on full offense in the beginning of this kind of game. It is easy to focus on assassination to the exclusion of mission objectives. The catch is that if you are successful early on, it becomes a very negative play experience. So I started out focusing on securing objectives more than fighting for territory.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the end of turn 2, we had scored our bonus treasure and were well on our way to moving the other 2 off the board. It was quickly apparent that WMTG was at a disadvantage since as in our last game, he had to physically pick up the treasure while I could just levitate the items out without activating monsters. He had to get his treasure and hug the back of buildings to stay out of line of sight of my marksmen.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Turn 3 saw us fully engaged. We pushed wraiths out of buildings, used the 1 inch victory push to get out of combat, and used supporting models to contest treasure. The rules are clearly and elegantly written down to the finest grammatical shaving. It is a testament to their quality that on only our fourth game, we were utilizing combat resolution as an advanced strategy.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rest of the game deteriorated into a running battle with three wraiths while WMTG worked to overcome my ranged advantage. I ended up with 5 treasure as WMTG ran out of resources to throw at the problem. I lost a treasure hunter, an archer, and my war hound. He lost a couple models including his apprentice. After the post-game wrap up, I lost the hunter permanently. WMTG did not lose anyone outright but did get a niggling injury on the apprentice. I earned 350 experience, 437 gold, a grimoire of control undead, 2 scrolls, and 2 potions. This left me firmly at level 9 with 807 gold to spend after I sold all my perishable loot.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am never sure how to optimally advance my warband. After I max out fight and HP, there a ton of directions available even when I have a template in mind. Sigilists start off weak on offense but quickly amp up the resource acquisition power curve. I bought the carrier pigeons upgrade for my base for 5gp. I spent 277 gold replacing my downed fortune hunter and upgrading my 2 archers to rangers (saving 3gp thanks to the pigeons.) Next I spent 500gp for a grimoire of scribe scroll. I used my 4 level boosts to max out my fight, add one too my hp, lower the casting cost of elemental bolt down to 15, and learn scribe scroll. That leaves me with 25GP, an optimized warband, and a decent start on a functional spell list.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Random muzings:</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WMTG was at a distinct strategic disadvantage in this scenario. He is a competent player but the ability to remotely move treasure around the board let me mitigate most of the scenario risk. Leap is a more overtly powerful spell than telekinesis but it is less flexible too. This game re enforced how distinct the magic schools are from each other and how certain spells can dominate a particular match.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charma is a bitch. WMTG picked up a grimoire of mind control from one of his treasures. As seen in my game with Squish, it is right up there with leap in terms of relative power. On the one hand, I absolutely hate that spell. On the other hand, it is a perfectly valid way to challenge my ranged strategy. It is a new wrinkle in an already complex framework.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I love how internally balanced this game feels. I come off a strong showing only to have to worry how WMTG will respond. I have played a lot of wargames over the years. Most of them hit a point where one person secures a large enough advantage that it is very difficult to meaningfully challenge them. The constant random changes in scenario, toolbox, and warband composition mean there is no certainty of future success.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing that has not changed is that the dice can sink you before you even get to strategy. WMTG had absolutely terrible dice luck this time but last game he could not roll less than a 17 against my wizard. I certainly failed rolls but not with his frequency. I used my phone to randomly select my die results and I think it averaged out better for me. Of Course doing so deprives me of the visceral satisfaction of shaking polyhedrons. That being said, I am moving toward an electronic die model. It saves a lot of time and seems to be more internally consistent than the physical versions.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope we’ll be able to play twice more before the end of the year. WMTG is printing terrain like crazy. I love planning out builds. I love trying to work through how a scenario plays...and this is just the base rule set. The expansion campaigns are unique themed experiences in their own right. Here’s hoping for more soon.</span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-48431344116461366212017-08-21T18:37:00.001-07:002017-08-21T18:37:24.876-07:00Final thoughts on MKIII one year in.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The best
game lines represent a relationship between fans and the production
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first gencon, PP took over a
local restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They renamed every
item on the menu for warmachine characters and had open gaming in the
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana,
they put out a charity resculpt of Vlad I to raise funds for the victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they had to raise prices or start using
new materials, they explained their decision in simple language—no razzle
dazzle—just the facts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They set
the standard for quality, design, and community engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not like every choice they made but I
knew they had a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I trusted that
they had it under control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I doubted
for a moment, my faith was soon restored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Flash forward to a year after MKIII’s release and I am let’s
say…concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please keep in mind that
although the following is inherently critical, it comes from a love of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
talked about my dislike of the ubiquity of theme forces and steamroller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize those issues are design choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may not like the end result but that is a
matter of personal preference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the
end of one of those posts someone commented that I sound frustrated—which is
true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That frustration started the day
we heard that the old PP forums were closing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those forums were my warmahordes fix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had all my battle reports, tacticas, and game design articles
there—not to mention the extensive community user reviews and introductory
guides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day Privateer press said
that the forums would be closing down shortly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was no explanation, no answer as to whether the old material would
be available again, no idea of whether there would even be faction forums any
more, no understanding of the decision process…just that they would be gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To be
fair, I probably would not have been happy with the forum cancelation no matter
how PP handled the transition. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
being said, with a reasonable explanation I could have moved on with a modicum
of fuss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the announcement came
at the same time as the press ganger program cancelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Press gangers got a personal explanation, a
community thank you, and a detailed timeline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Forum rats got a vague bulletin, a couple days to pack up their stuff,
and an uncertain future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inconsistent
approach between these two announcements left me puzzled, especially since some
of the most active forum contributors were also press gangers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire process felt haphazard--a term I
never thought I would be using to characterize my favorite game company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During
this process, one of PP’s talking points was the introduction of the community
integrated development program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would
get to test drive new concepts, provide feedback, and talk to developers
directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The catch was that the CID
forums were strictly controlled—only certain kinds of discussion were allowed
and only people committed to a certain amount of regular gaming were encouraged
to submit a CID application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To their
credit, PP said that initially they would accept anyone who applied straight
out of the old forums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They stressed
that this was a step forward in game design and community engagement—which it
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also came after a factional
do-over for Skorne and Cryx.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I took
from this that while the base mechanics were sound, Privateer Press’s internal
development process was so out of touch that with three years to create the new
edition, they still screwed up a quarter of the original mainstream faction
design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with so much in MKIII, this
left me feeling vaguely uneasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
expected their to be balance issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
cannot fully balance a game system with over a thousand models, multiple
formats, and millions of potential competitive pairings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were going to be some challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the scale of the required adjustment
that surprised me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine that with
Privateer Press’s no-notice forum closure, the end of the press gangers, and
PP’s lack of transparency and it has been hard to keep faith in their
implementation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
preceding points are important because they set the tone for how the community
views Privateer Press as a company and their ability to deliver a quality
product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are entitled to a SNAFU or
two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their ability to identify problems
and respond relatively quickly is to their credit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have just seen a lot of things this edition
that make me question their grasp of the larger game and player
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PP has historically set a
high bar for professionalism, quality, and engagement—and they have usually exceeded
those expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I sound overly
critical it is because recent behavior is out of character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moving
on, let’s talk about game design, faction identity, and design choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Khador has always had its quirks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not get arcnodes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cannot have a focus 8 caster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the exception of Behemoth, we do not get
accurate jack shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until recently,
I felt these were interesting design choices that added color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, having played a bunch of games in MKIII,
I am not so sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at other
factions and I see an elegance of design—a uniformity of purpose and
concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sloan is a good example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is powerful, thematic, and accomplishes
her goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the grimkin casters
have that excellent fusion of versatility and power that make for fun effective
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By contrast Zerkova 1 has a
variety of options that look good on paper but make for clunky play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old Witch II is proof that PP can design a
versatile spell slinging caster in Khador that is fun and effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zerkova is proof that some ideas need some
polish before going prime-time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel
the same way about Kozlov, the MOW kovnik, and the decimator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get value from them but they do not
seem to work as cleanly as you would think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I feel as
if PP has these preconceptions about Khadoran design that trump all
reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is as if because we have
durable jacks, we cannot have a decent ranged stat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why cannot Khador have a focus 8 caster?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The more
I look at certain design choices the less confident I become in PP’s
vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the decimator—one of the
jacks in the Khador battle box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is
a jack with a 2-shot gun that has less range than a hand cannon whose special
affect is to push targets farther away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you boost to-hit on both shots you only have enough focus to boost
the damage on one of the hits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
on a RAT 4 chassis by the way; so on average you are hitting defense 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its melee weapon has sustained attack which
would be great if you did not need to spend 1 focus to charge, 1 focus to boost
the hit-roll, leaving one focus to buy a second attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if the saw had critical shred?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about a range 12 dozer with powerful
shot?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the idea of the decimator
but in practice it has consistently disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Look at
the vaunted gun carriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the
recent CID it was a great model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
the CID it is still a great model…but 2 heavy cannon with range 10?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mobile artillery piece designed to trample
massed infantry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is exactly this kind
of disconnect between stated roll and actual profile that makes me think
someone at PP is playing in a different world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All is
not gloom and doom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The recent decision
to release all the beta theme forces was a refreshing bit of jiggery
pokery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Privateer Press may not be
getting everything right but they have always been good at changing direction
on the fly for the good of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Blood and iron is not my cup of tea but hey, I’m happy they continue to
innovate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to see how they handle
mercenaries and theme forces—the fact that this issue seemed to come as a
surprise was disheartening…but they are taking steps to resolve the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
summary, I feel like Privateer Press has lost touch with the average player
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That might just be a
function of my chosen faction though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am probably still salty about the obvious lack of quality internal playtesting
invested on the current model range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
do not know if that is a byproduct of PP’s factional bias or something
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once all the CIDs are finished for
the base factions, I think the game is going to be greatly improved—it is just
going to take a while to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
leaves me in a weird place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to
continue playing but numerous MKIII related issues have killed warmahordes in
my area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to focus on building
my collection and wait to see where PP takes the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are good things ahead—I just hope they
come soon enough to rejuvenate my local community or I am going to be sitting
this edition out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-57484997895760738942017-07-19T17:29:00.001-07:002017-07-19T17:29:24.468-07:00Thoughts on Warmahordes MKIII PT2
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Game play:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I believe
you should value a game for what it is—not what you want it to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put differently, it is unfair to complain
about how little variety there is in tick tack toe VS. Chess because they are
fundamentally different games that happen to share a board design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is value in the comparison from an analytical
point of view but not from the standpoint of personal preference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mention this because I am going to compare
warmachine to several board games in the following article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That comparison is not meant to say that one
game is better than another—just that different systems have different
strengths and weaknesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My opinions
are just that—the preferences I have gained through 20 years pushing around tiny
combatants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Warmachine
is what I call a tactical game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tactical
games are micro systems in which each element (trooper, jack, caster…etc.) has
multiple ways to affect the board state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The order of activation, the particular action chosen, and your
opponent’s response create complex decision matrices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In contrast, 40k is a strategic game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The focus is less on the individual model and
more on the macro impact of the entire force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many strategic games are decided at deployment—who has the weight of
momentum and the benefit of terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Model actions are batched into single large rolls for unit shooting,
magic, and hand-to-hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dice tend to be
rolled by the handful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love strategic
games for the sheer scale of the combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over here a tank takes out a unit from across the board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over there a unit of monsters overruns a
strongpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The narrative is as
compelling as the competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love tactical
games because the “skirmish” rubric lends the experience an intimate atmosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you roll for twenty models at a time
there is a distancing affect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When each
roll signifies one model’s survival I am personally vested in every
outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The competition feels more
skill-based than many larger games. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By that
definition, MKIII warmachine is one of the best tactical rule sets in distribution.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power up mechanic makes it possible
to utilize jacks without resource starving casters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Losing the psychology rules cut a rarely used
and inconvenient element.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Removing skill
tests simplifies activations while making models more reliable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Game-wide premeasurement eliminates a huge
level of uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small changes like
the use of “control range” underpin the rules with an easily intuited
lexicon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the recent change limiting
power attacks to target enemy models was a step up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These simplifications make game play
considerably more vibrant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Part of
that vibrancy stems from PP’s design consistency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike every-other-game-in my portfolio,
warmachine has made an effort to maintain a consistent ambience throughout its
iterations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I play with the same models
as in the primitive days of MKI—occasionally updated for materials and
esthetics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorscha still freezes her
enemies with her icy gaze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still roll
a couple d6 for my checks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being
said, MKIII represents the first time PP has broken me out of that feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At issue is the end of physical stat
cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, I know, you can get them
in PDF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get them through war
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless you do not have a smart
phone that can handle the app or you do not want to have to arts-and-crafts
your way into physical cards after each update.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I understand Privateer Press’s desire to simplify production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In theory cutting the physical cards
eliminates confusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In practice I have
found the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People do not read
war room as closely as they should—they just assume the stats have not
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People use whatever printed
materials they have on hand—even if it is out of date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am willing to pay a couple bucks per card
if it means getting useable reference materials but as of now…no dice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some units are just fine using the original
MKIII cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others like the gun
carriage have been rewritten such that the original card is useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of those small details that chafes
my nether parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What, now I have to
keep an extra battery charger for my phone or hall a bunch of binder sheets
around to keep track of my models?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
just feels weird and inconsistent and generally beneath PP’s execution
standards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My only
major complaint with MKIII game play is the continued reliance on steamroller
tournament rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have played many
tournaments using a variety of systems over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was most active back in fifth edition 40k
when I took several first place trophies around the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now a days, I catch a magic pre-release or
FNM occasionally—nothing regular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
appreciate a good competitive system that lends itself equally to high level and
casual play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best competitive games
in my experience are based on a rock solid mechanical foundation with a little
extra clarification for the given format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you play in a magic tournament the basic rules, victory conditions,
and restrictions apply plus some deck construction tweaks for EDH, draft,
standard…etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same is true of the
bloodbowl living rulebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your roster
might change depending on league but the basic game remains the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These
systems have precise rule sets that set the tone regardless of how the
landscape alters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fundamental
victory conditions do not change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think Privateer Press intended warmachine to operate under the same model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately steamroller has become a
balancing tool and design limiter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
year PP revises the tournament rules to account for new material and
competitive trends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The community spends
the following year optimizing around that format until the process renews with
the subsequent year’s SR update.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outside
of battle box and journeyman leagues—both of which are. Precursors to larger
games—the hobby defaults to steamroller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take the SR 2017 rule set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PP
wanted to encourage lists with a balance of jacks, solos, and units.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They changed the rules so that only certain
models could score on certain objectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They published theme lists that reward well rounded rosters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a regular tournament player there
is no issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, however, you are a
casual player just getting into the game, you read the base rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You read the sample scenarios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get to your LGS and everyone is playing
with the SR rules—which are objectively different than those in the main
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to go back and rethink
your lists because models have different value in the new format.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Further,
the game has defaulted to 75-point lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know, the designers always intended that to be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My challenge is that many casual players do
not have the resources and time to operate at this level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly prefer playing around 50
points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the level of complexity
and time commitment that best fits my needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, the SR format’s gravitational pull has warped the
perception such that anything other than 75-point lists is not taken seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am not
saying that steamroller is bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am saying
that with an already complex base rule set, model stats changing constantly due
to CID, and the yearly changes of tournament rules, there is a material bar to
community play for a lot of us less hardcore players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warmachine is dead in my area in large part
because of these barriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish PP had
picked three or four tested scenarios and stuck with them for competitive play
save narrative campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The constantly
changing landscape is harming the community even as it seeks to restore
balance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
summary, I like playing games in MKIII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This edition is a straight up improvement over past offerings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However the inconsistency of the larger play
experience and the need to constantly check online references is
disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My impression is that even
though PP had three years to put project egg roll together, the final product
needed more playtesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My next and
final article will focus on the community relations and design aspects of this
edition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then, stand firm my
brethren.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118873993354540347.post-80039845172530486132017-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:002017-07-12T17:00:21.174-07:00Thoughts on Warmahordes MKIII 1 year in
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Preface:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I love
warmahordes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the longest running
of my mini hobbies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when I heard
MKIII was inbound I had astronomically high hopes and proportionately terrible
fears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was my pet game going to
change?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was I going to like those
changes? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was my style of gaming
going to fit in the new sandbox?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
difficult to separate my feelings about the new edition from my feelings about
the associated decisions PP has made since the initial release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The PP faction forums were a daily
touchstone—the first thing I checked when I woke up and the last thing I
checked at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their loss, regardless
of the reason, is indelibly associated with MKIII in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot objectively review the new edition
without considering the changes to the surrounding bureaucratic
architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I am going to write a
couple of rambling reviews on a variety of subjects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be advised that this is all personal
opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a long term casual player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not get to play much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, errors are my own—salt to taste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">List building:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This edition often
feels like it is just a little off—like a pair of jeans cut for someone not
quite my size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in MKII
standard list construction was 50 points with average war jack points of
6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Double that for the edition change
and you get 112.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In MKIII the system is
balanced around 75-point lists with an average of 28 battlegroup points,
totaling 103.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, even though the
relative point ranges were doubled, we are working with less wiggle room when
adjusted for inflation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From one perspective, having all
those war jack points makes it feel like you are getting a bargain on
battlegroup models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The catch is that 25
of those points used to be unencumbered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This forces us to build lists that more closely resemble PP’s vision but
it also puts us in a compositional box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those points are not free—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They are just a force composition requirement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Theme lists further complicate the
matter. I prayed that theme forces would be less prone to abuse while providing
for a wider range of lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially I
was thrilled with the new template.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
played a couple games and read about tournament composition though I lost that
good feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theme forces do not expand
list building options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, they ask
the question, if you do not use a theme list, can you overcome the qualitative
and strategic disadvantage posed by forfeiting 8-12 free points and associated
bennies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often the answer is
no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mercenaries exist primarily as
add-ons for faction lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How appealing
is it to grab a unit of steelheads or dwarves, even with a ranking officer, if
that choice puts you at an 8-12-point handicap?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What combination of mercenary solos provides such a boost that you can
give up 8 free points to field it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further,
sometimes I just want to take a unit of doomreavers with my man-o-war. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if there is no theme force that combines
both of those choices?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So even when I am
not looking to get my merc on, I find myself wondering whether it is worth it
to go themeless<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Note: As I was
writing this piece, PP started a CID development cycle with limited theme
mercenary access.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will go into design
impressions later but suffice it to say that this gives me some hope that
someone somewhere is listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does
not resolve the inherent imbalance in free models but progress is progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These
issues are not a big deal individually but collectively, they have a profound effect
on list construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if
privateer press looked at the MKII list trends and said, “We are not going to
tell you how to have fun but we are going to strongly encourage you to do
things our way.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, while I still enjoy
playing the game, I also find this forcible design style concerning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
bothers me the most about this scenario is that this sort of nonsense is
exactly what I was afraid would happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unlinking theme forces from specific casters provides for some list
flexibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, keeping the
discount rate mechanic means that theme forces still break the basic
point-based economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ability to pick
your caster just means you have more ways to capitalize on the disparity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I might not feel as bad about list
construction if I was not playing in the only faction without light jacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever since the berserker chassis was edited
into obsolescence, I keep coming back to the same jack subset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cutting the destroyer down to 14 points
certainly helped but not to the extent I would like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At issue seems to be the gap between the way
PP wants Khadoran jacks to perform and the way they actually behave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, this is just my experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others may have a different double penny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My impression is that Khador jacks
are supposed to be the near invincible juggernaut—hitting hard and darned near
untouchable without dedicated armor cracking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While armor 20 and 34 boxes is a difficult nut to crack, it is far from
invincible—lose an arm and you may be in the game but without a way to affect
the board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I judge a jack’s worth based
on utility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What job do I need 25% or
more of my army to perform?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What tools
do I have to make that possible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
problem is that Khadoran jacks design philosophy is inherently defensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High armor, low defense, multiple boxes
assumes that the way we get to battle is by weathering the storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This requires me to take damage to get stuck
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presumably our low speed and
relatively poor shooting is to compensate for our toughness and melee
strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These factors combine with a
lack of cheap supplemental platforms (no light jacks) to push me toward the
most efficient and effective models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
cannot afford to dabble in the jank because all my choices are 10 or more
points and I do not have cheap filler to cover all my bases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Put another way, I tend to shy
away from melee jacks without MAT 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
I am going to be slower than my opponent, then I tend toward destroyers and
behemoth as my ranged jacks to offset my snail-like pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend to avoid non-character jacks that cost
more than 14 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decimator,
which used to be one of my favorite jacks, just does not get enough work done
to justify its cost—thus losing out to the destroyer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What hurts old doser hand even more is that I
can take 2 destroyers and exactly expend my battlegroup points giving me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maximum list
building flexibility for my unencumbered resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Infantry suffers from the same malady.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am going in-theme-and let’s be honest
most people are, then my first choice will probably be a full unit of ‘X’ plus
a unit attachment, and a free support solo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That combination just feels boring—especially if you double up—that is
almost half your army pre-selected as auto-include by virtue of the theme
force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When lists just build themselves
it does not feel like there is much undiscovered territory left to delve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally, I feel as if I am missing
something every time I look at the points values for most of the range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of this is that the system is still not
granular enough to account for certain models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alten Ashley might or might not have been underpriced at 5 points but at
6 he is definitely over-costed—especially since they made it so his gun cannot
stop huge models from healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Man
hunters, MOW Kovniks, and the spriggan all suffer from this disorder as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have utility but not quite as
much as their points would suggest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
problem also crops up when you find you only have 1 or 2 points left…what do
you do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like most solos are
slightly over-costed but cutting them down a full point would be too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also feel that in designing the model point
matrix PP overlooked what happens when you only have a couple points left over
and nothing to fill it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some models
like bombardiers, a mere point cut would not be enough to make them generally
viable again but for others like the spriggan, it would be enough to give it serious
consideration if it came down to the 16 or 17-point range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The math just pushes me toward certain
choices and the spriggan and manhunters are not down that path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know PP had a lot to balance
with this edition—over a thousand models, 13 factions, supplemental pieces from
hordes and minions, multiple formats, and a wealth of fan expectation could not
have made the development process easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have a lot of sympathy for the designers tasked with fulfilling this devil’s
bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want this edition to be
successful even if it takes a few false starts to make it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I cannot give my seal of
approval to the list building component yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rules are better than MKII but theme forces, high war jack point
quotients, and a limited pool of high-value choices finds me unimpressed so
far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Next up, game play.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Blind Furyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10520436070549149135noreply@blogger.com0