Age of Sigmar

Hey peoples,

So this post is going to be a little different. Today I want to share my thoughts on the latest release by Games Workshop, the new Age of Sigmar game. First off, I need to throw down a little background for myself.

I started playing Rogue Trader way back in the late 80's. During that time, I saw that GW had a fantasy game, and it looked interesting. But it also looked like a ton of models, so I didn't get into it. Fast forward several years and fourth edition. One of my college buddies started playing this game, and told me I should give it a try (1994?ish). I picked up the undead book because the thought of playing a necromancer summoning the dead seemed really cool. However, I didn't understand the rules when I looked over the book, and thinking that they were similar to 2nd ed 40K, I passed on them, and instead got drawn in by the super cool looking wood elf dragon that had just been released (still have that model).

From there I began my descent into Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Over the years, my collection has grown quite a bit. Where once I had a small wood elf army, now I own six large armies, and have bought and sold several throughout the years. In the late 90's, I really got into it, pulling several new friends into the game, running events at local game stores, and eventually going to Grand Tournaments. It was my favorite game.

Something happened though during 7th edition that took the game off of its pedestal. Part of it was the popularity of the game, and the big push into competitive gaming. The other part was me being too competitive and no longer playing for fun, but to win. Eventually it got to the point where I just needed to stop. Since then I have played from time to time, keeping up with the armies that I own and trying to find fun in the game again. 8th edition is okay. I'm not thrilled with some of the meta out there, and I don't care for the magic so much (needs some tweaking), but all in all, a good game.

Just recently GW released the End Times, and at first, I thought it was the greatest thing. I loved the Nagash book. A combined undead army and an interesting story line was just perfect. However, as the rest of the books came out, it got more and more clear that something was up. I really hated how much the good armies were getting trounced and I kept waiting for the balance to settle in.

At the end, I was extremely upset. They had taken this world that I had invested myself in for the last 20 years and literally blew it up. Already I have not been a fan of GW's policies over the years...and now they dared to ruin the very game I loved. So yeah, AoS was not received with open arms.

But here it is, and while the cement hasn't dried just yet, it looks like the time of Fantasy Battle has indeed come to its bitter end. No more rank and file...no 9th edition. What we have is Age of Sigmar.

Sigmar is the epitome of my love/hate relationship with GW. On the one hand, I hate the loss of rank and file, but I do love the dynamic posing of the round bases. I hate the total lack of point values for models, but find most of the unit rules to be intriguing. The fact that the rules are free is great. However, the silly rules for the existing models is a slap to the face. As I look at the game and see the plan that GW has laid out for it, it makes me want to go "that's cool" and then kick them in the nuts.

Even though I know that GW did not make the game for me...it still hurts. I do try to be objective about it. GW is trying to re-energize fantasy. But you know, that isn't even right. They really aren't trying to fix fantasy. They are simply trying to capitalize on their previous fantasy IP, and launch a new product to sell to new players. I am not their target audience.

How is this talking about Age of Sigmar exactly? Well, its simply hard for me to separate how I feel about GW, and how I feel about the game. The game is simple. Take that as a positive or a negative. The rules for units are free and there are some interesting things in there. I am mostly a VC player, and I really liked the stuff I saw. That being said, the rules that the "war scrolls" sit upon are, in my opinion, too basic. I think GW could have easily included an "Advanced Ruleset" in the AoS starter to fix some of the glaring issues. I mean this company has been producing these games for almost 30 years. AoS just falls too short. Combine that with the knowledge that my current collections are going to be obsolete soon, it makes it really hard to support this game. And since GW isn't talking about the future, we are left to speculate if this is it, or with AoS evolve into something more.

What this adds up to for me, is that GW has had its chance. I want to support a company that wants to support me. GW simply doesn't do that. Their actions make me feel like they don't care about me at all. And no amount of shiny new models is going to change that. For plenty of people, it does, and they will keep on going supporting GW. Luckily for me, there are lots of other games out there.

So bottom line, AoS isn't for me. I will probably give it a run or two just to say that I have. But it doesn't fill the gaping hole left by WFB.

Progress

Hello sports fans,

So I've been working on finding the fun in gaming again and have actually kept to the plan for the most part. I went to my LGS and got in a game of Flames of War. I brought my German DAK force and played against a US rifle army. I need to really read the 3rd edition rules again and many things have changed from last I played. My mini book is falling apart so I need to get that rebound...or just bust out the large book. It was fun though...I still hate those damn teleporting M10s of super cheese, but I'll live with it. :)

Also, I've been getting in some painting. I'm currently working on my Firestorm Planetfall models from the starter set. I've only gotten in a few hours here and there, but it is work, and it was nice. I have all my models and gear in a nice little carry tray. When I have time, I bring it out to the table and get to work. I might only get a few colors on in a single sitting, but it is progress and I'm enjoying it. In fact I can't wait to get the models done. It is so weird. Instead of feeling this need to finish the models, this new tact of just painting when I feel like it is actually creating a sense of anticipation for when the model is done. I like it.

Now the one piece I haven't really done is assembly. I did purchase a few models towards my Militarum Tempestus force. However, after looking at the codex and such...I think I am going to shelf that project for the time being. I think if I am going to work on a force, I'd like to work on something that is a little more complete. I traded/sold all my old DA and Salamander forces in order to get Space Wolf models. I even got a few things already painted. I think with the other models I got from that battle box that GW released, it will be a fun force to put together. I really like the SW models. They have a lot of individuality for being a marine army. So I think I'm going to take an inventory of what I have for the Space Wolves and then come up with a build plan.

So all in all, a good start. I'm enjoying my stuff and not stressing out over anything.

The slate and how to clean it

So once again life has led me to re-evaluate my gaming outlook. Apparently I am just not getting it right. How can I tell? Well the total lack of follow-through is a big hint, and just a general lack of sustained enthusiasm. I used to attribute this to gamer ADD. But perhaps taking a more honest look at myself, it isn't the ability to hold focus that is the problem, it is the loss of joy in gaming as a whole.

My whole outlook is dooming my gaming. There once was a time where I built and played armies because something about them touched me. It appealed to me and my imagination on some level. It was fun just to put the models on the table.

Now, I'm somewhat obsessed with ensuring a good time while playing. Armies have to be fair, game systems need to be balanced....yada yada yada. Basically, there has to be this perfect storm of conditions in order for gaming to be fun. WTF? right? I mean, that is just the more ridiculous thing I have ever heard...and yet, that is exactly what I do. I have been on this search for this perfect game to make sure that I will have fun every time I play it. Guess what me...it doesn't exist.

So I need to go back and clean the slate. I need to get rid of all these silly notions on what should be, and try to capture that basic interest in the games themselves. What makes games fun? Playing them. Duh.

I need to just play. Forget about winning. Forget about probabilities. Stop worrying so damn much. Just build models that you like, paint them in a way that makes me happy, and put them on the god damn table! Roll some dice and enjoy the ride. I have enough stress in my life without making my hobby add to it. But that is exactly what I have done.

I have a few ideas about this slate and what should start going on it. First off, a return to my favorite game, Flames of War. FoW never disappointed me. I love my armies. So I'm going to start playing it again. I'm going to pull out my favorite armies for it and give it another go.

I'm also going to keep painting my Planetfall stuff. That stuff is ready, and it shouldn't take me too long.

I'm also going to start assembling a 40K force too. I have these models I really like, and I'm going to build them to make me happy.

If things go to plan, I'll be playing FoW, painting Planetfall, and building 40K. I'll be engaged in every aspect of the hobby, but with no real deadline or stress to get things done. I can just do it, and hopefully enjoy it.

I am a really big slacker

So yeah, goal? what goal? Where's that edit button? Did I say last week? I meant this week....err no...I mean next week...yes, that's it....next week I'll paint my models.

Oy.

So then what have I been up to? Well, I did get in another game of Kings of War this past week. I brought out my elves to face off against some undead in a 1500pt learning game for a friend of mine. He ended up winning by about 120pts or so (over what he needed to get a win). We did make some minor mistakes, but for the most part, the game went very smoothly for a learning game.

We used the latest (v2.4) of the beta army lists for the game. So far, I think the tweaking is going very well. They have really nerfed shooting. So much so, I'm wondering how much it will be worth even having it in lists. For example, in my elf list, I had one archer troop and two bolt throwers. My opponent had nothing but hordes and characters...so I really had no good targets to go after (characters hid mostly). They did get lucky (both good and bad luck) during the game. But really, I could have used those points better taking a bigger cav unit, or more forest shamblers.

Plus, I want it on record that they are making a big mistake with Large Infantry and Large Cav. You see, for every other unit type, you have Troop, Regiment, Horde, and then Legion sizes (not all get these, but these are the four that exist). Now, Regiment is 2x the size of Troop...but done through depth, ie additional ranks. Horde introduces 2x by doubling the frontage. Legion then adds more, but does so through depth again. Frontage is a pretty major factor in this game. It determines how many units can charge you, and how you maneuver.

Well, Large Inf and Large Cav don't follow those rules. Why??? beats me. I've brought it up on the forums, but was shot down because the rules are now in stone. Basically, those units only have Regiment, Horde, and Legion. But Hordes are 2x Regiments with depth (ie ranks) instead of by frontage like the other units. Thus, Hordes for LI and LC get all the benefits of being a horde (stats and army selection bonuses), but get to keep the same frontage as a regiment. That is a big balance mistake in my mind. You just removed a fairly major disadvantage to those types of units. And there really is no reason for it. I don't see why these can't be changed in the army lists. Does it kill the game? No. But armies that can take advantage of this, will perform better on the field than they should. You heard it here first. :)

Oh, and in other news I am going to go shoot my rifle for the first time this weekend. Pretty excited about it. I'll try to take some pics. Well, until next time.

The distractions continue

First off, I'm still here. I'm still a gamer, and at some point, I will get back to painting my Planetfall models. The poor little guys keep looking up at me from my desk going "paint me....paint me...."

But I've been distracted lately. First and foremost, I started a new hobby these last few weeks...historical gun collecting. Let me tell you, there is a lot to learn. So for the past few weeks, I've been scouring the web for info so that I can make the best purchases possible. It has been really interesting. I've learned all about corrosive ammo for instance, and what a counter-bored barrel means. It has all been very fascinating. And then the best part is, I'll eventually get to shoot these guns! Just to be clear, I'm all about killing paper targets...but that is about it.

So, this past week has all been about getting my first rifle. As I said, tons of research online, looking for the best deals, and finally, making the purchase. I can now say that I'm a proud owner of a Russian 1891 Mosin Nagant rifle. It was made in 1922 and was at one point, captured by the Finnish army and stamped for their use.

I used to be a big flames of war player. I still own many armies for that game and it is probably my all time favorite. The historical aspect of it was just so interesting. I also got into Bolt Action a little too. So to now own a piece of that history....it is quite something.

However, for the time being, I'm done. I live on a gamer budget. Buying a rifle pretty much wiped me out. And I won't be able to go shooting for a couple of weeks...so that means I can get back to my models. So with that said, I will make a goal of finishing the two Planetfall models that are currently on my desk by Friday. I think that is reasonable and attainable. Lets see how much of a slacker I turn out to be.

Little break from Planetfall

So this week I did try to get back to painting. I started on my second medium tank for the Aquans, plus I threw down some more paint at the Directorate buggy. Progress is slow, but I hope to finish up the buggy this week and post up pics. It is turning out okay. What a big difference a nice wash will do.

Most of my time was gearing up for some of Mantic's Kings of War. I own lots of GW armies. And Warhammer Fantasy Battle was my favorite game of them all. But lately, GW has decided to bend the players over and it has gotten so bad that I've walked away from the game.

Enter Kings of War. Lets me still use my awesome models and I don't have to try to figure out this month's meta. Version 2 is currently in Beta, so we decided to try out the new rules and army lists.

We were hoping to draw in some more players from our game club, so I came prepared for Sunday's game night with three armies. My buddy Robert though was the only one to show, and he brought his Kingdom of Men army (empire).

With version one, I've played undead mostly and gave the elves a try. I packed up both of those and then brought an orc army (using my beastmen figs). Just recently, Mantic announced that they are going to release a book with a bunch of army lists to cover armies that are not in their lore, but are made by other companies. Basically, they are tossing a big :P at GW who is rumored to be letting several armies go from the Fantasy line.

As an owner of a beastmen army, one of the only armies not to get an 8th edition book, I am quite pleased with this. I really have no interest in the mess that will be 9th edition from Games Workshop, and will be quite happy to use my models playing Kings of War.

We played 1000pt games and each one took about 90 minutes to complete. Not too bad. Robert's army had 9 units, and almost 100 models. My orcs took the field first at just over 50 models (I took a giant and a big unit of trolls) and were promptly tabled. They didn't perform poor by any means, its just that KoW orcs are a little tactically limited in my opinion. They have almost no shooting or magic to help them. Kind of a big hole in my opinion.

In the second game, I brought out the undead (I don't think Robert wanted to face my elven shooting). This match ended in a tie, but probably should have gone to the undead. The nerve tests (leadership) went in favor of the KoM most of the game. In fact, the whole game changed when I failed to route one of his units. I had done enough damage where any roll would route them...but I rolled snake eyes which let them stay regardless. That left my poor undead open to a flank charge which spelled their doom.

Overall though, very fun, very quick, and it still felt like playing a war game. In fact, it felt more like playing warhammer back when I played 5th edition. Kings of War is like WFB without the crazy. And for this old man, that is just fine.

If you haven't given KoW a try, there is no reason not to. The current V1 rules are up for download, and even the beta rules can be found if you look at the blog posts. Gotta love a company that gives out free rules and army lists. :) Suck it GW.

Creative slump

I'm pretty happy with how the aquans are turning out. I've got five tanks done so far and I think they look pretty damn cool. Plus, they have been fairly easy to paint so far, so that always help. The larger models are more difficult though due to the larger flat areas where drybrushing doesn't work so well.

I also tried to start on a directorate model. Here, I'm having a much harder time. I just don't know where to go with it. I have a buggy that I've primed red. I've picked out some parts for silver paint (the weapon systems and hub caps) and I've blackened the tires. I've also put on the first coat on the base (needs another). But I'm a little stumped on how to make it better.

I think my next steps will be as follows:
1) 2nd coat on the base.
2) strong tone ink the whole model and base.
3) careful drybrush of red color over model to rehighlight areas
4) careful drybrush the tires with desert color to give dusty look.
5) finish base
6) add some detailing

I've got to do something with it. Once I'm done though, it will be back to the aquans to finish up the mediums...and then start on the heavy.