In a moment of Battlefleet Gothic madness, here's what's been done.
I've made 3 Planets, one of each size (small, medium and large). Since you only have one planet in the game.
I've made 3 moons too. The small planet can double as a moon. Since a large planet will have moons equal to d6-2. Making 4 moons the maximum.
I've also made 35 Asteroids and 20 clumps of Dust Clouds.
Disclaimer: Remember, they're only made and not painted.
As i've not even assembled my fleet, something I hope to rectify soon, I've not had the time to paint the celestial phenomena up.
Till friday!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Fall of the Old Ones
It was over.
Gorthmaw slid his blade out of the back of the Saurus Oldblood, and turned to survey the battlefield. All around he could see his beast herds harassing the few bands of lizardmen still alive. Most of them were dead though, and Gorthmaw was pleased...
It was a interesting battle, we played a pitched battle of 2250 points: Sean had decided to change the way his army worked, and plonked for more infantry units. Here's his rough list:
- Characters: Oldblood, Scar veteran, Scar Veteran Battle Standard, Skink Shaman.
- Units: 4 units of 20 Saurus, 2 Salamanders, 3 Kroxigor, 6 Chameleon Skinks, 10 Skinks and 5 Saurus Cavalry.
I changed my style of play too for my beastmen: I decided to change the composition of my army, deciding to forsake individual unit sizes for more smaller units, added more punch by adding characters to my herds. Here's what I had:
- Characters: Beastlord, Wargor, Wargor Battle Standard, Bray Shaman.
-Units: 4 units of Beast Herds, 3 Chariots, 4 Minotaurs, 7 Centigor, 12 Bestigor, 3 Dragon Ogres, 2 units of 5 Warhounds, 1 Chaos Spawn.
It was during one crucial turn that killed the Lizardmen. With 3 of the Saurus units deployed in a line supporting each other, stretching from one edge of the flank to the centre of the battlefield, it would be hard to find a way through. Deciding to send in a sacrificial wave to do as much damage as possible, I bravely advanced my Centigor and one unit of Warhounds towards the Lizardmen line, exposing them to wicked Salamander fire.
In one turn of shooting, 4 Centigor were reduced to burning horses carcasses... In order to get the charge in, I had to make a spate of leadership tests (now I know why Beastmen are tough to use). Fortunately, my Beastlord was nearby, making my leadership an impressive 8! First my Centigors had to pass a panic test, which they did! Then they had to pass a fear test to charge the Salamanders, which they did again! And finally I also charged my Warhounds into the Salamanders, this time the Beastlord was to far away to holler at them, so the dogs had to pass on leadership 5... which they did!!!! hahaha, I rolled a 4.
What happen later was bizarre, the combined charge broke the Salamanders (interesting because he had a BSB nearby), and it caused one of the Saurus units nearby to panic! Yay!
Sadly for Sean, as he picked up his 3 dice to rally the Saurus, the fleeing unit was within 12 inches of my ambushing Wargor who was carrying the Bloodhunt Horn, which I used to make his Saurus fail his rally test! And that left a massive gap in his battleline, considering it was the unit in the middle of the three that ran away.
In true Beastmen fashion, the gap was exploited as the Beastlord with his accompanying beast herd skirmished their way through... Sean's main unit of Saurus with the oldblood was then charged with the Minotaurs in the front, Beastlord and Beast Herd in the flank, Wargor and Beast Herd in the rear... it's good enough to say it was a sad day, ten Saurus were slain in one brutal charge.
His third unit was bullied by the Shaman and BSB led Beast Herd and 2 centigor in the front, and a tuskgor chariot in the rear... He did much better losing only 4 Saurus to the whole attack, but by some twist of fate he failed his break test again, despite needing to roll 6 or under. With 3 dice. With rerolls from his battle standard.
On the other flank, Sean had a unit of Saurus and Saurus Cavalry. But they were held in check by the Dragon Ogres. Seeing his other flank threatened (this happened after the middle Saurus fled, but before being exploited), he advanced his units. Only for his Cavalry to be charged by the Dragon Ogres. In one round of magnificent thumping, none of the Saurus Cavalry were left alive...
So all in all, the Lizardmen surrendered the field by my turn 4, and I went first! Hahaha!
Bwaaaaaa! Beware the sounding of the Bray horns!
Gorthmaw slid his blade out of the back of the Saurus Oldblood, and turned to survey the battlefield. All around he could see his beast herds harassing the few bands of lizardmen still alive. Most of them were dead though, and Gorthmaw was pleased...
It was a interesting battle, we played a pitched battle of 2250 points: Sean had decided to change the way his army worked, and plonked for more infantry units. Here's his rough list:
- Characters: Oldblood, Scar veteran, Scar Veteran Battle Standard, Skink Shaman.
- Units: 4 units of 20 Saurus, 2 Salamanders, 3 Kroxigor, 6 Chameleon Skinks, 10 Skinks and 5 Saurus Cavalry.
I changed my style of play too for my beastmen: I decided to change the composition of my army, deciding to forsake individual unit sizes for more smaller units, added more punch by adding characters to my herds. Here's what I had:
- Characters: Beastlord, Wargor, Wargor Battle Standard, Bray Shaman.
-Units: 4 units of Beast Herds, 3 Chariots, 4 Minotaurs, 7 Centigor, 12 Bestigor, 3 Dragon Ogres, 2 units of 5 Warhounds, 1 Chaos Spawn.
It was during one crucial turn that killed the Lizardmen. With 3 of the Saurus units deployed in a line supporting each other, stretching from one edge of the flank to the centre of the battlefield, it would be hard to find a way through. Deciding to send in a sacrificial wave to do as much damage as possible, I bravely advanced my Centigor and one unit of Warhounds towards the Lizardmen line, exposing them to wicked Salamander fire.
In one turn of shooting, 4 Centigor were reduced to burning horses carcasses... In order to get the charge in, I had to make a spate of leadership tests (now I know why Beastmen are tough to use). Fortunately, my Beastlord was nearby, making my leadership an impressive 8! First my Centigors had to pass a panic test, which they did! Then they had to pass a fear test to charge the Salamanders, which they did again! And finally I also charged my Warhounds into the Salamanders, this time the Beastlord was to far away to holler at them, so the dogs had to pass on leadership 5... which they did!!!! hahaha, I rolled a 4.
What happen later was bizarre, the combined charge broke the Salamanders (interesting because he had a BSB nearby), and it caused one of the Saurus units nearby to panic! Yay!
Sadly for Sean, as he picked up his 3 dice to rally the Saurus, the fleeing unit was within 12 inches of my ambushing Wargor who was carrying the Bloodhunt Horn, which I used to make his Saurus fail his rally test! And that left a massive gap in his battleline, considering it was the unit in the middle of the three that ran away.
In true Beastmen fashion, the gap was exploited as the Beastlord with his accompanying beast herd skirmished their way through... Sean's main unit of Saurus with the oldblood was then charged with the Minotaurs in the front, Beastlord and Beast Herd in the flank, Wargor and Beast Herd in the rear... it's good enough to say it was a sad day, ten Saurus were slain in one brutal charge.
His third unit was bullied by the Shaman and BSB led Beast Herd and 2 centigor in the front, and a tuskgor chariot in the rear... He did much better losing only 4 Saurus to the whole attack, but by some twist of fate he failed his break test again, despite needing to roll 6 or under. With 3 dice. With rerolls from his battle standard.
On the other flank, Sean had a unit of Saurus and Saurus Cavalry. But they were held in check by the Dragon Ogres. Seeing his other flank threatened (this happened after the middle Saurus fled, but before being exploited), he advanced his units. Only for his Cavalry to be charged by the Dragon Ogres. In one round of magnificent thumping, none of the Saurus Cavalry were left alive...
So all in all, the Lizardmen surrendered the field by my turn 4, and I went first! Hahaha!
Bwaaaaaa! Beware the sounding of the Bray horns!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
'O' is for OGRE; 'O' is for OUCH!
I must hand it to Shahrom. He who handed me my first massive ogre kingdoms defeat ever. At the end of the battle, I had nothing left save for some gnoblars who were skulking at the wrong end of the battlefield.
I don't believe that luck plays a huge role, for I firmly and still believe that luck is created, for whoever can stack the odds will find victory easier. As you all know by now, movement is an extremely crucial element in Warhammer. However, I feel that there are two other elements that play an important part in the game, and it was these two elements that Shahrom had in greater amounts that made him the superior general.
These two elements are: Guts and the correct use of the available troops.
Shahrom had more guts; he had the courage to put his troops to the right position, no matter how precarious it might seem. As mentioned before, movement is so crucial, sometimes we just lack the courage to push our troops into a deadly situation. I failed in this aspect as when the High Elf Chariot charged my Leadbelchers, I decided to flee. It would have been better if I took the charge. Firstly, he might have failed his fear test; secondly I had six wounds in the unit which meant that if he screwed up his impact hits, my belchers could actually do some damage in return. My mentality should have been 'since the belchers were going to die, might as well try to take some of them with me'. Instead, I opted to run and my belchers were caught in the charge range, which amounts to the same thing, the destruction of the belchers. But now instead of making him earn it, I gave it away for free. In terms of guts, I was sadly lacking that day.
The correct use of troops is the other element. It means sending the right guys to do the right job. It was pretty obvious that a 'pincer' attack was being carried out by the Elves, but I decided to attack in the center. Maybe I was concerned about the magical and missile barrage that I was facing, so instead of pushing my Butcher lead Ogre Bull unit to face the coming Silver Helms, I decided to push into the center to be ridden down by the Dragon Princes. On hindsight, it might have all been over earlier if not for the fact that the Dragon Princes were not too eager to get into another fight (5" pursuit move on 3 dice is just too close for comfort!) In the end the Dragon Princes tied up two valuable units, meaning I only had one available unit of Ironguts to take on the Silver Helms. Truth be told, I felt that a unit of Ironguts charging should have a fair chance of hurting the Silver Helms, however it was not to be. That's how battles go, I suppose.
Nonetheless, instead of attacking his pincer elements, which undoubtably would have made up the bulk of his army's points, I decided to do a random attack in the middle, exposing my flanks. Whilst Shahrom on the other hand, got his troops to do the right thing, pressing on the attack even though one chariot got taken out.
So kudos to Shahrom! Congrats on a well fought victory, and I hope to learn from the lessons you passed on to me. (no hard feelings, I swear! hahaha!)
I don't believe that luck plays a huge role, for I firmly and still believe that luck is created, for whoever can stack the odds will find victory easier. As you all know by now, movement is an extremely crucial element in Warhammer. However, I feel that there are two other elements that play an important part in the game, and it was these two elements that Shahrom had in greater amounts that made him the superior general.
These two elements are: Guts and the correct use of the available troops.
Shahrom had more guts; he had the courage to put his troops to the right position, no matter how precarious it might seem. As mentioned before, movement is so crucial, sometimes we just lack the courage to push our troops into a deadly situation. I failed in this aspect as when the High Elf Chariot charged my Leadbelchers, I decided to flee. It would have been better if I took the charge. Firstly, he might have failed his fear test; secondly I had six wounds in the unit which meant that if he screwed up his impact hits, my belchers could actually do some damage in return. My mentality should have been 'since the belchers were going to die, might as well try to take some of them with me'. Instead, I opted to run and my belchers were caught in the charge range, which amounts to the same thing, the destruction of the belchers. But now instead of making him earn it, I gave it away for free. In terms of guts, I was sadly lacking that day.
The correct use of troops is the other element. It means sending the right guys to do the right job. It was pretty obvious that a 'pincer' attack was being carried out by the Elves, but I decided to attack in the center. Maybe I was concerned about the magical and missile barrage that I was facing, so instead of pushing my Butcher lead Ogre Bull unit to face the coming Silver Helms, I decided to push into the center to be ridden down by the Dragon Princes. On hindsight, it might have all been over earlier if not for the fact that the Dragon Princes were not too eager to get into another fight (5" pursuit move on 3 dice is just too close for comfort!) In the end the Dragon Princes tied up two valuable units, meaning I only had one available unit of Ironguts to take on the Silver Helms. Truth be told, I felt that a unit of Ironguts charging should have a fair chance of hurting the Silver Helms, however it was not to be. That's how battles go, I suppose.
Nonetheless, instead of attacking his pincer elements, which undoubtably would have made up the bulk of his army's points, I decided to do a random attack in the middle, exposing my flanks. Whilst Shahrom on the other hand, got his troops to do the right thing, pressing on the attack even though one chariot got taken out.
So kudos to Shahrom! Congrats on a well fought victory, and I hope to learn from the lessons you passed on to me. (no hard feelings, I swear! hahaha!)
Friday, November 04, 2005
The War in the Woods
Chapter 1: On the borders of Loren
Contrary to popular belief, not all the dwarfs were slain in the Battle of Pine Crags in the Imperial Year 1350. There was one survivor that escaped the clutches of the Wood Elves. A dwarf Longbeard, by the name of Drogbar Rockbeard, of Grungni's Old Guard managed to fight his way out of the ambush although in the process he was also grievously wounded and it was through sheer will that he managed to overcome his wounds to reach home.
It was when the sun came up one morning did the guards of the great gateway notice Drogbar lying on the steps leading to the dwarf hold. Although he was covered in wounds and dehydrated, Drogbar was still alive and he requested an audience with the King. It was only after retelling his story to his King and seeing the dwarf smiths place a new entry in the Hold's Book of Grudges (with the King's approval of course), did Drogbar retire to his cavern hole to allow the surgeons to look at his wounds.
Drogbar knew his end would come soon; thus he hastily picked up his quills and vellum papers to note down his final thoughts to be passed on to his descendents. Within his notes, he drew an intricate map of where the ambush took place and he described the final moments of the ambush; of how the Old Guard had tried to escort Grungni Goldfinger out of the woods; of how the army was separated and each unit picked off by the elusive elves; of how the Old Guard fought of waves of Treekin and Dryads; of how Grungni Goldfinger died when an accurate elven arrow pierced through his eye ball; of how the Old Guard hastily built a cairn for Grungni when there was a respite in the fighting. Drogbar wrote furiously, and only when he finished writing and sprinkled sand on the vellum to dry the ink did he rest and breathed his last.
* * * * *
It would be many decades later when young Stromni Rockbeard stumbled on his great ancestor's notes. Filled with curiousity and eagerness to prove his worth to the dwarf clans and family, Stromni requested for leadership of a dwarf throng to venture into the depths of the forests of Loren. With the map that Drogbar left behind, Stromni had a clear idea where the ambush took place, and if he could find the remains of Grungni and at the same time exact some measure of revenge on the Wood Elves, Stromni would have a good grip on the Kingship of the newly formed Karak.
The Rockbeards had just three generations ago setup their new Karak Duraz (meaning 'enduring stone'). Under the commanding leadership of their present King, Gregan Rockbeard (Stromni's father), Karak Duraz had expanded in size and power. Gregan realized the importance of this expedition; if Karak Duraz could right such a grievous wrong, it would only swell the Karak's power to rival the ancient clans. The treachery and the viciousness of the Elves were known throughout, and in order for this expedition to succeed, Gregan knew he had to hand leadership of his army to his most able general, Stromni who was Gregan's most capable son and general. Having fought in several battles, Stromni had proven that he had the courage and the guile to be a great heroic leader. Thus it was with some reluctance that Gregan agreed to Stromni's request and put his beloved son's life at risk.
* * * * *
The Battle at Findol's Plain (Pitched Battle: Dwarfs vs Wood Elves 2500pts)
Amidst much celebration, the dwarfen army readied for war. A full quarter of Karak Duraz's fighting strength was placed under the command of Stromni Rockbeard, heir to the Kingship, and approached Loren through the mountains to the east of Loren.
The Elves, in the mean time, were not idle too. The Spellweaver, Illiana had already read the signs of impending woe and suffering in her portents. Waywatchers had already spotted the vanguard of the army way outside Loren and were already reporting the progress of the advancing dwarf army to Illiana. The woods were roused and ready to fight. The Elves readied their weapons, and moved their elven civillians deeper into the woods away from the path of the dwarfen juggernaut. Although invasion was not a nice prospect, the elves were never afraid of a fight, eager in fact, as the dark rage of the woods filled their souls with the cold savagery of a hunting beast. They would create another Pine Crags...
At the edges of the woods, Stromni set up camp, uneager to rampantly march into the depths of the woods, wise to the flaws of the previous doomed expedition. With the map in hand, Stromni decided on attacking the Crag Hall of Findol, it was near here that the Old Guard had made their final stand and where they buried Grungni Goldfinger. If he could sweep past the defenders he would be able to reach the final resting site. Stromni decided to enter the woods in battle formation with his troops ready for a fight. Progress would be slow due to the unlimbered war machines, but Stromni decided that he would rather have less speed than to have his army caught out in another ambush. He also sent his engineers aboard their new fangled gyrocopters on reconnaissance missions above the woods to warn him if the Elves approached.
To see the dwarfs enter the wood in battle formation was a shock for the Elves, they were still trying to encircle the dwarfs when they realized that they were already spotted. The dwarfen artillery was already in position and were already firing on the elves. How did they find out we were coming? Illiana was perplexed by how the battle had started before their trap was in place. Gaining no insight from her portents, Illiana placed her faith in Isha and ordered her elves and woodland spirits to press home the attack.
High above the woods of Loren, the engineers were having difficulty spotting the Elves, it was impossible to spot the elves as they weaved under the canopy of the forest. Until Dagra "Kamikaze" Irongear made a fantastic discovery, he realized that the foliage of the trees were shaking and bobbing and moving; a clearing appeared where there was no clearing before or a clearing disappeared when he was sure there was a clearing before. With much haste, he landed his copter and warned of the impending approach of the elves...
The elven attack was doomed to fail. With superior black powder weapons, the dwarfs were shooting down the elves with ease. With the twin Runesmiths, Ariak and Arok, they were resisting the powers of the Spellweaver. The charge of the wild riders were repelled by the devastating firepower of dwarf cannon and organ gun. With the dwarf rangers using their woodland skills to maximum effect, holding down the flank of the elves...
---Dwarf Victory (with the wood elves conceding the battle ground [by turn 3])
* * * * *
Chapter 2: The Sweeping of the Crag Hall of Findol
Despite the scattering of the first elf attack, Stromni decided not to pursue the elves, for fear of a trick. Instead he regrouped his troops and camped for the night. With the Elven defenders on the run, he decided to swing past the Crag Hall of Findol towards the resting site of Grungni. Although he had seen off an army of Wood Elves, he also knew that the Elves were tenacious fighters and would not rest easily with the dwarfs camped on their lands.
It took the dwarfs a week to traverse the woodland terrain and finally they were in sight of their goal. They could see a rough stone cairn with dwarfen runes hastily chiselled on it, exactly where the map had stated. Stromni was elated for he wasn't even sure the cairn still existed through the years.
Although the Elves were defeated, Illiana had little difficulty rallying the elven survivors; they were natural fighters, brought up in a harsh environment and were defending their homes. Gathered at the Crag Hall of Findol, they were brought news by the Waywatchers about the new location of the dwarfen camp and Illiana surmised that they were approaching the dwarfen cairn. Findol had initially wanted to remove the cairn, but he hesitated. Why he hesitated no one knows, but it wasn't long that the Great Forest heals its wounds and forgives the trespass; plants and moss started to grow around the cairn, thus with much respect to the plant life, the elves left it alone.
Illiana's portents pointed to bloodshed at the cairns; and the elves marched to war again.
Next battle! Wood Elves vs Dwarfs, 2,500 pts. Mission: Capture!
Contrary to popular belief, not all the dwarfs were slain in the Battle of Pine Crags in the Imperial Year 1350. There was one survivor that escaped the clutches of the Wood Elves. A dwarf Longbeard, by the name of Drogbar Rockbeard, of Grungni's Old Guard managed to fight his way out of the ambush although in the process he was also grievously wounded and it was through sheer will that he managed to overcome his wounds to reach home.
It was when the sun came up one morning did the guards of the great gateway notice Drogbar lying on the steps leading to the dwarf hold. Although he was covered in wounds and dehydrated, Drogbar was still alive and he requested an audience with the King. It was only after retelling his story to his King and seeing the dwarf smiths place a new entry in the Hold's Book of Grudges (with the King's approval of course), did Drogbar retire to his cavern hole to allow the surgeons to look at his wounds.
Drogbar knew his end would come soon; thus he hastily picked up his quills and vellum papers to note down his final thoughts to be passed on to his descendents. Within his notes, he drew an intricate map of where the ambush took place and he described the final moments of the ambush; of how the Old Guard had tried to escort Grungni Goldfinger out of the woods; of how the army was separated and each unit picked off by the elusive elves; of how the Old Guard fought of waves of Treekin and Dryads; of how Grungni Goldfinger died when an accurate elven arrow pierced through his eye ball; of how the Old Guard hastily built a cairn for Grungni when there was a respite in the fighting. Drogbar wrote furiously, and only when he finished writing and sprinkled sand on the vellum to dry the ink did he rest and breathed his last.
* * * * *
It would be many decades later when young Stromni Rockbeard stumbled on his great ancestor's notes. Filled with curiousity and eagerness to prove his worth to the dwarf clans and family, Stromni requested for leadership of a dwarf throng to venture into the depths of the forests of Loren. With the map that Drogbar left behind, Stromni had a clear idea where the ambush took place, and if he could find the remains of Grungni and at the same time exact some measure of revenge on the Wood Elves, Stromni would have a good grip on the Kingship of the newly formed Karak.
The Rockbeards had just three generations ago setup their new Karak Duraz (meaning 'enduring stone'). Under the commanding leadership of their present King, Gregan Rockbeard (Stromni's father), Karak Duraz had expanded in size and power. Gregan realized the importance of this expedition; if Karak Duraz could right such a grievous wrong, it would only swell the Karak's power to rival the ancient clans. The treachery and the viciousness of the Elves were known throughout, and in order for this expedition to succeed, Gregan knew he had to hand leadership of his army to his most able general, Stromni who was Gregan's most capable son and general. Having fought in several battles, Stromni had proven that he had the courage and the guile to be a great heroic leader. Thus it was with some reluctance that Gregan agreed to Stromni's request and put his beloved son's life at risk.
* * * * *
The Battle at Findol's Plain (Pitched Battle: Dwarfs vs Wood Elves 2500pts)
Amidst much celebration, the dwarfen army readied for war. A full quarter of Karak Duraz's fighting strength was placed under the command of Stromni Rockbeard, heir to the Kingship, and approached Loren through the mountains to the east of Loren.
The Elves, in the mean time, were not idle too. The Spellweaver, Illiana had already read the signs of impending woe and suffering in her portents. Waywatchers had already spotted the vanguard of the army way outside Loren and were already reporting the progress of the advancing dwarf army to Illiana. The woods were roused and ready to fight. The Elves readied their weapons, and moved their elven civillians deeper into the woods away from the path of the dwarfen juggernaut. Although invasion was not a nice prospect, the elves were never afraid of a fight, eager in fact, as the dark rage of the woods filled their souls with the cold savagery of a hunting beast. They would create another Pine Crags...
At the edges of the woods, Stromni set up camp, uneager to rampantly march into the depths of the woods, wise to the flaws of the previous doomed expedition. With the map in hand, Stromni decided on attacking the Crag Hall of Findol, it was near here that the Old Guard had made their final stand and where they buried Grungni Goldfinger. If he could sweep past the defenders he would be able to reach the final resting site. Stromni decided to enter the woods in battle formation with his troops ready for a fight. Progress would be slow due to the unlimbered war machines, but Stromni decided that he would rather have less speed than to have his army caught out in another ambush. He also sent his engineers aboard their new fangled gyrocopters on reconnaissance missions above the woods to warn him if the Elves approached.
To see the dwarfs enter the wood in battle formation was a shock for the Elves, they were still trying to encircle the dwarfs when they realized that they were already spotted. The dwarfen artillery was already in position and were already firing on the elves. How did they find out we were coming? Illiana was perplexed by how the battle had started before their trap was in place. Gaining no insight from her portents, Illiana placed her faith in Isha and ordered her elves and woodland spirits to press home the attack.
High above the woods of Loren, the engineers were having difficulty spotting the Elves, it was impossible to spot the elves as they weaved under the canopy of the forest. Until Dagra "Kamikaze" Irongear made a fantastic discovery, he realized that the foliage of the trees were shaking and bobbing and moving; a clearing appeared where there was no clearing before or a clearing disappeared when he was sure there was a clearing before. With much haste, he landed his copter and warned of the impending approach of the elves...
The elven attack was doomed to fail. With superior black powder weapons, the dwarfs were shooting down the elves with ease. With the twin Runesmiths, Ariak and Arok, they were resisting the powers of the Spellweaver. The charge of the wild riders were repelled by the devastating firepower of dwarf cannon and organ gun. With the dwarf rangers using their woodland skills to maximum effect, holding down the flank of the elves...
---Dwarf Victory (with the wood elves conceding the battle ground [by turn 3])
* * * * *
Chapter 2: The Sweeping of the Crag Hall of Findol
Despite the scattering of the first elf attack, Stromni decided not to pursue the elves, for fear of a trick. Instead he regrouped his troops and camped for the night. With the Elven defenders on the run, he decided to swing past the Crag Hall of Findol towards the resting site of Grungni. Although he had seen off an army of Wood Elves, he also knew that the Elves were tenacious fighters and would not rest easily with the dwarfs camped on their lands.
It took the dwarfs a week to traverse the woodland terrain and finally they were in sight of their goal. They could see a rough stone cairn with dwarfen runes hastily chiselled on it, exactly where the map had stated. Stromni was elated for he wasn't even sure the cairn still existed through the years.
Although the Elves were defeated, Illiana had little difficulty rallying the elven survivors; they were natural fighters, brought up in a harsh environment and were defending their homes. Gathered at the Crag Hall of Findol, they were brought news by the Waywatchers about the new location of the dwarfen camp and Illiana surmised that they were approaching the dwarfen cairn. Findol had initially wanted to remove the cairn, but he hesitated. Why he hesitated no one knows, but it wasn't long that the Great Forest heals its wounds and forgives the trespass; plants and moss started to grow around the cairn, thus with much respect to the plant life, the elves left it alone.
Illiana's portents pointed to bloodshed at the cairns; and the elves marched to war again.
Next battle! Wood Elves vs Dwarfs, 2,500 pts. Mission: Capture!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The New Vox Caster
Heya All,
It's been a while since the vox caster has seen any activity. I've been thinking about setting some direction for Vox caster. As for the direction to take, I was thinking of going back to the roots of the hobby, that is to 'build the hobby', ala Games Workshop style.
This is a good tool for me to also pace myself. As you know, working from home it's really really easy to get distracted... I've been playing far too much Rome Total War. So I hope to put up what I've done once every two days. The idea is to inspire all of us to greater heights in the hobby. If you guys have any exciting thoughts or fluff or new painted models or rumours to put up... please feel free to use the Voxcaster.
Also, I've now allowed other people to view our blog without the need of an invitation. Now you can let people know about the voxcaster.
So to start things off, here's my latest work... Captain Stern of the Daemonhunters. It's now on Ebay going for US$15.
Dear Junx, given our really hectic schedules, I think it's almost impossible for us to coordinate working together. So if you'll forgive me, I've decided to go ahead with my selling models on Ebay.
Cheers!
It's been a while since the vox caster has seen any activity. I've been thinking about setting some direction for Vox caster. As for the direction to take, I was thinking of going back to the roots of the hobby, that is to 'build the hobby', ala Games Workshop style.
This is a good tool for me to also pace myself. As you know, working from home it's really really easy to get distracted... I've been playing far too much Rome Total War. So I hope to put up what I've done once every two days. The idea is to inspire all of us to greater heights in the hobby. If you guys have any exciting thoughts or fluff or new painted models or rumours to put up... please feel free to use the Voxcaster.
Also, I've now allowed other people to view our blog without the need of an invitation. Now you can let people know about the voxcaster.
So to start things off, here's my latest work... Captain Stern of the Daemonhunters. It's now on Ebay going for US$15.
Dear Junx, given our really hectic schedules, I think it's almost impossible for us to coordinate working together. So if you'll forgive me, I've decided to go ahead with my selling models on Ebay.
Cheers!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Forum for Discussion
Hi guys,
I think a forum will suffice more for our purposes cos it allows avatars and photos and stuff... I've created one at :
http://www.setbb.com/phpbb/index.php?mforum=voxcaster
Just sign in and let's try and keep it alive folks!! Also please note that there are some rules like:
5. We remove all inactive forums weekly (there is no posting within 60 days).
6. We review our forums regularly and will remove any forums which violate our Term of Services.
I think a forum will suffice more for our purposes cos it allows avatars and photos and stuff... I've created one at :
http://www.setbb.com/phpbb/index.php?mforum=voxcaster
Just sign in and let's try and keep it alive folks!! Also please note that there are some rules like:
5. We remove all inactive forums weekly (there is no posting within 60 days).
6. We review our forums regularly and will remove any forums which violate our Term of Services.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Oh dear! Time to head to the hills!
I've got to hand it to Junx and his woodies. As he smashed aside my 8 game no loss streak (7 wins, 1 draw). As I sulk in my little corner it's time to place my thoughts to the whole game. Remember, this is just my thoughts from ONE game against wood elves, so it might be shock, awe or general soreness.
As I have feared, the wood elves are truly a force that the Ogres cannot handle well. Slippery as an eel, it made me hard to focus on any one single element to tackle, thus my battle plan was to advance headlong into the waiting ambush of the wood elves. I guess it was frustrating to fight such slinky troops, for unlike the beastmen (who are close combat orientated), the woodies can hide in woods and shoot you with their lousy arrows... which leads me to...
their archery...
If you think High and Dark Elven shooting is deadly, man, you've not seen the wood elves yet. Let me demonstrate the vicious firepower of Wood Elf shooting, a Toughness 5 Gorger (with 4 wounds) approaching the rear of a unit of 10 glade guard and in one round of magnificent shooting, the gorger lies dead and bleeding on the forest floor. Granted that Junx in his typical jammy moment rolled extremely well, but it was the elven shooting that allowed even a remote chance of killing the gorger. Here's how, the glade guard turned around and fired 10 shots into the degenerate Ogre, the Wood Elves don't suffer modifiers for moving! So they shot on a "3+" to hit, junx got 7 hits, which is mathematically average. However at short range (which is still not really short at 15 inches), they have +1 Strength! That means that they also get -1 Armour Sv... scary, but doesn't apply to the gorger since he's only got a loincloth over his privates, but it means everyone else will get hurt. Here Junx got jammy and got 5 '5s and 6s' and easily killed the gorger. Now, you might think that's no big deal, it's just a gorger, but their archery is devastating as they later panicked off a unit of Ironguts from shooting casualties...
...still not impressed? The unit probably cost 120 points.
The next irritating thing is Wood Elves are really adept at choosing their fights. They can really manuever their troops. Unlike the beastmen, where the Gors can get unruly plus the fact that only the Beast Herds are the skirmishy ones, the Wood Elves (at least Junx's woodies) are generally in skirmish formation. This is generally not without disadvantages, it means they have no ranks, but sadly this is something the Ogre Kingdoms cannot take advantage of as we have no ranks too... hahaha. Anyway, by being generally slinky, they'll edge to the rear of your armies throwing your plans into confusion as you struggle to bring your troops to bear but the Elves will generally prance away... coupled with the fact that Wood Elves are really tough and can absorb quite an amount of punishment in combat to boot!
... huh?! What am I saying? Toughness 3 Elves? Come on Jason, you must be really sore to say that...
... Allow me to explain. Firstly, most elves have some form of ward saves, whilst they have not much armour, they do have plenty of ward saves. Wardancers, wild riders, dryads all generally come with a ward save. Although the ward saves don't protect you from magical sources, it does help ping away many wounding hits, and lets face it no normal footsoldier will be armed with magical weapons. Spells? The wood elves have good anti magic too. Example, a unit of 3 Leadbelchers charge into a unit of 8 Wardancers. After rolling, I score 3 wounding hits! Yay! But the Wardancers have an aspect that allows a 4+ Ward save. So Junx pings off 2 wounds, and I kill 1 Elf. 1 Elf! Arghhh... So with 7 elves left, hitting on 3+, the cockanathan actually caused 3 wounds and killed an Ogre! It was not jammy because each Wardancer has 2 attacks (14 attacks! horrors!) and they're at strength 4! So guess what, my Ogres decided to run away in the face of such brutal blades... as the wardancers twirl and twirl, ogre arms, legs and noses flying everywhere...
The next reason why they're so resilient is that the wood elves are mostly immune to psychology. Wardancers, wild riders, Dryads, tree kin, tree men are immune to psychology. This pretty much took away my fear causing advantage. As the rest of the army like Glade Guard and Eternal Guard are not immune, they're generally skulking at the back of the opponent's table half. And if you do appear near, they're general should be nearby and basic leadership of 8 to 9 is nothing to laugh at.
You might think immunity to psychology is a double edged sword... you cannot flee. But this disadvantage is very much not so prominent in Wood Elves. As they have the ability to skirmish, generally you will not find them in your charge arc, as they'll easily skirt to your flanks and rear instead. So, if you do charge, that's because the Elves want you to...
Okay, enough ranting. I have only one line to summarise everything...
"I WANT A REMATCH!"
Hur Hur Hur.
As I have feared, the wood elves are truly a force that the Ogres cannot handle well. Slippery as an eel, it made me hard to focus on any one single element to tackle, thus my battle plan was to advance headlong into the waiting ambush of the wood elves. I guess it was frustrating to fight such slinky troops, for unlike the beastmen (who are close combat orientated), the woodies can hide in woods and shoot you with their lousy arrows... which leads me to...
their archery...
If you think High and Dark Elven shooting is deadly, man, you've not seen the wood elves yet. Let me demonstrate the vicious firepower of Wood Elf shooting, a Toughness 5 Gorger (with 4 wounds) approaching the rear of a unit of 10 glade guard and in one round of magnificent shooting, the gorger lies dead and bleeding on the forest floor. Granted that Junx in his typical jammy moment rolled extremely well, but it was the elven shooting that allowed even a remote chance of killing the gorger. Here's how, the glade guard turned around and fired 10 shots into the degenerate Ogre, the Wood Elves don't suffer modifiers for moving! So they shot on a "3+" to hit, junx got 7 hits, which is mathematically average. However at short range (which is still not really short at 15 inches), they have +1 Strength! That means that they also get -1 Armour Sv... scary, but doesn't apply to the gorger since he's only got a loincloth over his privates, but it means everyone else will get hurt. Here Junx got jammy and got 5 '5s and 6s' and easily killed the gorger. Now, you might think that's no big deal, it's just a gorger, but their archery is devastating as they later panicked off a unit of Ironguts from shooting casualties...
...still not impressed? The unit probably cost 120 points.
The next irritating thing is Wood Elves are really adept at choosing their fights. They can really manuever their troops. Unlike the beastmen, where the Gors can get unruly plus the fact that only the Beast Herds are the skirmishy ones, the Wood Elves (at least Junx's woodies) are generally in skirmish formation. This is generally not without disadvantages, it means they have no ranks, but sadly this is something the Ogre Kingdoms cannot take advantage of as we have no ranks too... hahaha. Anyway, by being generally slinky, they'll edge to the rear of your armies throwing your plans into confusion as you struggle to bring your troops to bear but the Elves will generally prance away... coupled with the fact that Wood Elves are really tough and can absorb quite an amount of punishment in combat to boot!
... huh?! What am I saying? Toughness 3 Elves? Come on Jason, you must be really sore to say that...
... Allow me to explain. Firstly, most elves have some form of ward saves, whilst they have not much armour, they do have plenty of ward saves. Wardancers, wild riders, dryads all generally come with a ward save. Although the ward saves don't protect you from magical sources, it does help ping away many wounding hits, and lets face it no normal footsoldier will be armed with magical weapons. Spells? The wood elves have good anti magic too. Example, a unit of 3 Leadbelchers charge into a unit of 8 Wardancers. After rolling, I score 3 wounding hits! Yay! But the Wardancers have an aspect that allows a 4+ Ward save. So Junx pings off 2 wounds, and I kill 1 Elf. 1 Elf! Arghhh... So with 7 elves left, hitting on 3+, the cockanathan actually caused 3 wounds and killed an Ogre! It was not jammy because each Wardancer has 2 attacks (14 attacks! horrors!) and they're at strength 4! So guess what, my Ogres decided to run away in the face of such brutal blades... as the wardancers twirl and twirl, ogre arms, legs and noses flying everywhere...
The next reason why they're so resilient is that the wood elves are mostly immune to psychology. Wardancers, wild riders, Dryads, tree kin, tree men are immune to psychology. This pretty much took away my fear causing advantage. As the rest of the army like Glade Guard and Eternal Guard are not immune, they're generally skulking at the back of the opponent's table half. And if you do appear near, they're general should be nearby and basic leadership of 8 to 9 is nothing to laugh at.
You might think immunity to psychology is a double edged sword... you cannot flee. But this disadvantage is very much not so prominent in Wood Elves. As they have the ability to skirmish, generally you will not find them in your charge arc, as they'll easily skirt to your flanks and rear instead. So, if you do charge, that's because the Elves want you to...
Okay, enough ranting. I have only one line to summarise everything...
"I WANT A REMATCH!"
Hur Hur Hur.
Friday, September 16, 2005
What Great Migration??
Seeing the great Treeman Baerlorn fall to the Ogre Tyrant's club, Kithrai decided to retreat to the glade guards' position. Not daring to betray the Great One's efforts in buying the kin of Athel Loren more time to mop up the rest of the Ogre's army.
As he ran, Kithrai could hear Mindai's Wardancers wild calls and jeers as they ran down yet another of the foul Ogres that dared befoul Athel Loren with their presence. He reached the Spellsingers' positions and they raised their voices in song to the forest, summoning the trees to do foul battle to the enemy Ogres who have so foolishly run in the glade of trees in their panic to get away from Mindai's dancers.
Dryads came out of the trees just then, watching as the foul Ogre Tyrant thrashed about blindly, having lost both eyes in his battle with Baerlorn. As Kithrai reached the position of Danae's guard, he said coolly, "Let your arrows fly straight and true my friend, cut the foul beast down!"
With a signal, Danae and her glade guards took aim and let fly at the blind beast. When they were done, the Ogre looked more like a porcine porcupine than the dangerous creature that it was only hours before.
"It is done." Sylvanos appeared out of the shadows with his bodyguard, asking his troops to sound the signal to disappear into the solace of the forest once again, to let the headless corpse of the Ogre army go. As the forest shows its savagery, so too does it show its mercy in letting the creatures live.
"Thank you for your help, my Lord." Sylvanos said. With that, Kithrai disappeared into the ken of the forest, ready to come to aid the forest should danger come once more...
As he ran, Kithrai could hear Mindai's Wardancers wild calls and jeers as they ran down yet another of the foul Ogres that dared befoul Athel Loren with their presence. He reached the Spellsingers' positions and they raised their voices in song to the forest, summoning the trees to do foul battle to the enemy Ogres who have so foolishly run in the glade of trees in their panic to get away from Mindai's dancers.
Dryads came out of the trees just then, watching as the foul Ogre Tyrant thrashed about blindly, having lost both eyes in his battle with Baerlorn. As Kithrai reached the position of Danae's guard, he said coolly, "Let your arrows fly straight and true my friend, cut the foul beast down!"
With a signal, Danae and her glade guards took aim and let fly at the blind beast. When they were done, the Ogre looked more like a porcine porcupine than the dangerous creature that it was only hours before.
"It is done." Sylvanos appeared out of the shadows with his bodyguard, asking his troops to sound the signal to disappear into the solace of the forest once again, to let the headless corpse of the Ogre army go. As the forest shows its savagery, so too does it show its mercy in letting the creatures live.
"Thank you for your help, my Lord." Sylvanos said. With that, Kithrai disappeared into the ken of the forest, ready to come to aid the forest should danger come once more...
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Travails of A Wood Elf Playa
Sigh.. Junx Calculated his list of Wodd Elf models he wanted and after adding up all the prices, it came up to about SGD$900!!! Even with the 15% discount for online buying, it will cost moi about $700.. hai...
Notice: In a bid to raise funds for the "Nature's Kindred Fund" (Aka NKF) , Lord LaCroix has generously decided to open the doors for the High Elf Lord Ithelien to buying armour and purebreeds from his stables.
In other news, the NKF impetus has gone to new heights on the otherly 40k dimension. The Sisters of Nightingale have gone ga ga and are selling everything not bolted down in a bid to prove their faith to the Holy Emperor's new pet peeve.
Notice: In a bid to raise funds for the "Nature's Kindred Fund" (Aka NKF) , Lord LaCroix has generously decided to open the doors for the High Elf Lord Ithelien to buying armour and purebreeds from his stables.
In other news, the NKF impetus has gone to new heights on the otherly 40k dimension. The Sisters of Nightingale have gone ga ga and are selling everything not bolted down in a bid to prove their faith to the Holy Emperor's new pet peeve.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Nurgle paid a visit to my house
Dear all,
Recently the great bubonic one paid a visit to my humble abode.
My poor little baby thing got infected with Nurgle's virulent windpox (aka Bronchitis).
My wife has been afflicted with the Nurgle's Infamous Airglop (aka influenza, flu)
I've been affected by Nurgle's Throat Buboes (aka sore throat)
We're all feeling better thanks to the Great Maw's blessing...
Recently the great bubonic one paid a visit to my humble abode.
My poor little baby thing got infected with Nurgle's virulent windpox (aka Bronchitis).
My wife has been afflicted with the Nurgle's Infamous Airglop (aka influenza, flu)
I've been affected by Nurgle's Throat Buboes (aka sore throat)
We're all feeling better thanks to the Great Maw's blessing...
The Call of Battle
Calling everyone who is free on the 23rd SEpt Fri... I'm free on the 23rd and would like to propose a gaming session on next Friday after work.. Who can make it to battle with the Ravening Hordes of the Great Devourer??
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Votes for Campaign
I vote for a 40k Tourney! Cos Kelvin is more versed in 40k and I'd like to test out my new Nids!! In any case, I'd like to start up my woodys first before I take part in the Fantasy stuff, which is why I vote for 40k!
Not to mention we've hardly played 40k, so it'll be a chance to really get to grips with the nuances of the game. Also, We are letting ALL that terrain go to waste if we are only playing a couple of games with the new terrain right?
P.S: Guys, try to use the comments instead of posting leh.. otherwise very difficult to keep it all organised. :)
Not to mention we've hardly played 40k, so it'll be a chance to really get to grips with the nuances of the game. Also, We are letting ALL that terrain go to waste if we are only playing a couple of games with the new terrain right?
P.S: Guys, try to use the comments instead of posting leh.. otherwise very difficult to keep it all organised. :)
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Campaign II
Hur Hur Hur.
Sounds like fun!
2400 points of hungry guts sounds like just the ticket! (Time to assemble my new Leadbelchers!)
I don't mind a allied army fight. Although, how would you guys sort out the Lords issue.
Okay, lets consolidate what we want to do... we can do one of the following:
1. 40K Tournament.
2. Fantasy Tournament.
3. 40K Campaign.
4. Fantasy Campaign.
If we're to play a campaign, I suggest playing a Tree Campaign or something equally simple...
Please send some feedback.
Sounds like fun!
2400 points of hungry guts sounds like just the ticket! (Time to assemble my new Leadbelchers!)
I don't mind a allied army fight. Although, how would you guys sort out the Lords issue.
Okay, lets consolidate what we want to do... we can do one of the following:
1. 40K Tournament.
2. Fantasy Tournament.
3. 40K Campaign.
4. Fantasy Campaign.
If we're to play a campaign, I suggest playing a Tree Campaign or something equally simple...
Please send some feedback.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Campaign
Hi All, like the storm of chaos, why dont we start a campaign based on the ogre invasion?
or a 2400 point battle where by chaos and tomb kings get 1200 each to try and defeat the ogres?
just a thought. our background is already there, the ogres rampaging all over the known world...
or a 2400 point battle where by chaos and tomb kings get 1200 each to try and defeat the ogres?
just a thought. our background is already there, the ogres rampaging all over the known world...
Saturday, September 03, 2005
The Great Migration goes on...
Err... I hate to remind you. Isotep was also eaten by the Gutlord, Brusk. *I'm so sorry, I mistook the Liche Priest for the Tomb King... So it's Himotep.
He smashed asunder the Khemrian chariot that once carried the proud prince with a wide sweep of his great weapon. He saw his adversary half buried under the debris of the chariot, struggling to regain his feet. He reached down and casually plucked the hapless tomb prince from the wreckage with his pudgy fingers. He laughed heartily at the vain attempts to escape by his prisoner, but unfortunately was caught fast within his iron grip. He raised the mummy toward his mouth, eager to rip its head off with one colossal bite.
Himotep shut his eyes and opened his mouth in a mock silent scream...
Unfortunately, Setep now lies within the gut of Ghrund Hammerfist, waiting to be digested... the vile acids of Ghrund's stomach slowly slough away the dried flesh off his bones...
Now let's see, who we've eaten...
- Lord Kasfield's Empire. *Lord Kasfield survives.
- Ithelien's High Elves. *Ithelien survives.
- Sean's Lizardmen. Sean's Oldblood chased down and eaten by Brutan. Hur Hur Hur.
- Lord Yesoix LeCroix's Bretonnians. Lord Yesoix LeCroix survives.
- Kenneth's Dark Elves. Kenneth's Highborn survives.
- Setep's Tomb Kings. Setep slain in mortal combat and eaten by Ghrund; Himotep slain in mortal combat and eaten by Brusk the Gutlord. Hur Hur Hur.
- Kafzi-el's Undivided Chaos Mortals. Kafzi-ei chased down (along with BSB guy) and eaten by Ogre Bulls. Hur Hur Hur.
Hur hur hur.
He smashed asunder the Khemrian chariot that once carried the proud prince with a wide sweep of his great weapon. He saw his adversary half buried under the debris of the chariot, struggling to regain his feet. He reached down and casually plucked the hapless tomb prince from the wreckage with his pudgy fingers. He laughed heartily at the vain attempts to escape by his prisoner, but unfortunately was caught fast within his iron grip. He raised the mummy toward his mouth, eager to rip its head off with one colossal bite.
Himotep shut his eyes and opened his mouth in a mock silent scream...
Unfortunately, Setep now lies within the gut of Ghrund Hammerfist, waiting to be digested... the vile acids of Ghrund's stomach slowly slough away the dried flesh off his bones...
Now let's see, who we've eaten...
- Lord Kasfield's Empire. *Lord Kasfield survives.
- Ithelien's High Elves. *Ithelien survives.
- Sean's Lizardmen. Sean's Oldblood chased down and eaten by Brutan. Hur Hur Hur.
- Lord Yesoix LeCroix's Bretonnians. Lord Yesoix LeCroix survives.
- Kenneth's Dark Elves. Kenneth's Highborn survives.
- Setep's Tomb Kings. Setep slain in mortal combat and eaten by Ghrund; Himotep slain in mortal combat and eaten by Brusk the Gutlord. Hur Hur Hur.
- Kafzi-el's Undivided Chaos Mortals. Kafzi-ei chased down (along with BSB guy) and eaten by Ogre Bulls. Hur Hur Hur.
Hur hur hur.
We'll be Back
The winds of Khemri carried a foul stench this day. All around laid the broken chartiots of the Army of Setep. Isotep looked at the carnage wrought by the Foul Ones, the Tombs of his Great King Setep befouled by these fat beasts from the South...
Isotep thought back to just 1 month ago, when the Chosen One had vanquished the first of the foul Ogres' Tyrant lord, holding back the Great Migration. But alas, it seemed that the new leader of the beasts carried with him a weapon of dark magic that had been his Lord's undoing...
If he still had face muscles, Isotep would have winced, for the King will be displeased at the defeat this day... No matter, the Gods had decreed that the armies of his Lord Setep shall rise in Glory again!! The battle might be lost, but His Will shall yet be done!
For now, let Isotep and his priests gather what they could of the remnants of his great Army and prepare the rites of Djestra once again...
Let the war begin!
Isotep thought back to just 1 month ago, when the Chosen One had vanquished the first of the foul Ogres' Tyrant lord, holding back the Great Migration. But alas, it seemed that the new leader of the beasts carried with him a weapon of dark magic that had been his Lord's undoing...
If he still had face muscles, Isotep would have winced, for the King will be displeased at the defeat this day... No matter, the Gods had decreed that the armies of his Lord Setep shall rise in Glory again!! The battle might be lost, but His Will shall yet be done!
For now, let Isotep and his priests gather what they could of the remnants of his great Army and prepare the rites of Djestra once again...
Let the war begin!
Fortune is fickle
Fortune is fickle
The gods have deserted me. Out of favor is the one who was great. My body battered and torn, sprit lifted up from these hallowed grounds to feel the agony the defeat.
I too lightly looked upon the great migration, with contempt in my heart and blackness in my mind. Too drunk was I from the glories of previous triumphs that a mist of light-headedness descended upon me as battle commenced ( not too mention also using suspiciously Elven looking chaos knights, I knew I was cursed the moment they joined my army).
The gods deserted me, my amour failed and the once proud herald of chaos fled from whence they came.
Th3 agony of defeat, the pain of battle ….all so pleasurable…….
The gods have deserted me. Out of favor is the one who was great. My body battered and torn, sprit lifted up from these hallowed grounds to feel the agony the defeat.
I too lightly looked upon the great migration, with contempt in my heart and blackness in my mind. Too drunk was I from the glories of previous triumphs that a mist of light-headedness descended upon me as battle commenced ( not too mention also using suspiciously Elven looking chaos knights, I knew I was cursed the moment they joined my army).
The gods deserted me, my amour failed and the once proud herald of chaos fled from whence they came.
Th3 agony of defeat, the pain of battle ….all so pleasurable…….
Call to War
I Kafzi-ei, call upon all the brave to declare an alliance against the great migration, to stop these foul beings in their path.
Band together and they shall fall.
Band together and they shall fall.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Double Eagle
Despite all the resistance by my gut feelings, I ignored the screams of agony by every sane brain cell I had and spent $13.50 to buy Double Eagle...
For those with a lack of RAM, Double Eagle is a Dan Abnett novel about fighter action over the Sabbat Worlds.
The reason why I'm writing is out of guilt (for spending money which equates to two pots of paint) and also I've had bad experiences with GW novels.
Maybe it's my reading habits, but the scary trend with reading GW novels is that I've gotten bored with several of them and I've even failed to complete a few... Like
Star of Erengrad - God! I don't think I finished 17 pages before it flew off my hands.
Execution Hour - Ah the battlefleet gothic book. I enjoyed this one, not thoroughly but it was a decent read. The plot was a little lame but the ship to ship battles were engaging and really made me want to play BFG.
Shadow Point - The sister BFG book. Now this was CRAP. Although the characters returned and the introduction of the Eldar, the plot was again lame (i can't even remember what a 'shadow point' was) but most importantly, the ship to ship battles (which saved the first book) was sadly downplayed, and I don't think i finished the book.
Draco - Then came the Draco series. About an inquisitor. I survived the first book, but never had the courage to read the other two... sad thing is I already own them.
Xenos/Malleus/Hereticus - I read xenos already, despite much acclaim from everyone, I remain unimpressed. I've heard Junx mention that I should stick it through and go on to read the second and third book. Maybe I should, sigh.
Well, I've started reading 3 pages last night, and the Double Eagle shows some promise. I'll have to keep you posted.
The reason for my gripes is that it is obvious that fluff is now mainly handled by the Black Library, but if they keep working on things that are insignificant, the stories in my opinion are losing direction.
It used to be the Games Designers who dictated what happened in the 40k and Warhammer universe. Andy Chambers would set a certain direction along with Gav Thorpe (Fantasy) like a Role Playing Game, coupled with the fact that they wrote the rules, the game developed at the same time as the fluff. But recently, nothing significant has happened and it's depressing.
Take for example, the Armageddon campaign that happened several years ago. Important things did happen that made the main story flow, Orks battered the Blood Angels to the point where they are in a recovery stage. Captain Tycho succumbed to the Black Rage and sacrificed himself. At least even Yarrick aged. I wasn't a 40K fanatic then but I was caught up with the stories, and made me want to collect Blood Angels. New units, like the Armageddon Steel Legion were created. Cadia on the other hand paled a lot in comparison. They introduced 13th Co, and Eldar strike forces, but fluffwise things didn't really matter. We've read about 13th Co, black guardians... nothing really new, just new rules to old fluff. But at least the setting was important, the 13th Black Crusade is fluffy. The only major loss was the relictors who got betrayed by a Daemon possessed Inquisitor. Relictors? Do you really care? Not me, it's not as if it was like Ultramarines (now that would be a story) who got beaten to pulp.
The heroes of the current age were spawned from Battle Reports from really old White Dwarfs. Ghazhkull, Yarrick, Tycho and several others like the Ulthwe Farseer (can't remember his name). were all from battle reports, and although it might have been rigged at least they built a name from themselves through battles.
It doesn't happen anymore. The characters from the current fluff aren't like major heroes. Maybe I don't read that much Black Library stuff to really know what's going on. But I just think the Warhammer universes have become just settings for games. True, they've delved into a lot more details, like the shapes of imperial canteens and how many teeth a skaven has, but suddenly, I felt that the big picture is lost.
Battle reports turn into Army Intros, it doesn't matter who wins or who loses, it's just a game. It seems that nothing has happened after Cadia fell. And it seems that the Storm of Chaos didn't blow... I mean, Archaon fought till Middenheim, but the old city held, who cares about the hamlets and villages, it's probably being rebuilt anyway. What next? nothing. No fluff in Dwarf or anywhere... everyone has gone to Lustria.
Cadia? Oh the imperials left the main planet, recamped themselves in a nearby moon. Meanwhile, with chaos capturing the pylons, what will happen? Will Chaos flow forth? Are the pylons of Necron origin? Nothing! It seems that Macragge is under attack again. (Oh, it's more new rules to old fluff... no? It's worse? It's old rules to old fluff but new miniatures...)
Arghh! It's frustrating!
Sorry! Rant over... *breathing regulates again*
For those with a lack of RAM, Double Eagle is a Dan Abnett novel about fighter action over the Sabbat Worlds.
The reason why I'm writing is out of guilt (for spending money which equates to two pots of paint) and also I've had bad experiences with GW novels.
Maybe it's my reading habits, but the scary trend with reading GW novels is that I've gotten bored with several of them and I've even failed to complete a few... Like
Star of Erengrad - God! I don't think I finished 17 pages before it flew off my hands.
Execution Hour - Ah the battlefleet gothic book. I enjoyed this one, not thoroughly but it was a decent read. The plot was a little lame but the ship to ship battles were engaging and really made me want to play BFG.
Shadow Point - The sister BFG book. Now this was CRAP. Although the characters returned and the introduction of the Eldar, the plot was again lame (i can't even remember what a 'shadow point' was) but most importantly, the ship to ship battles (which saved the first book) was sadly downplayed, and I don't think i finished the book.
Draco - Then came the Draco series. About an inquisitor. I survived the first book, but never had the courage to read the other two... sad thing is I already own them.
Xenos/Malleus/Hereticus - I read xenos already, despite much acclaim from everyone, I remain unimpressed. I've heard Junx mention that I should stick it through and go on to read the second and third book. Maybe I should, sigh.
Well, I've started reading 3 pages last night, and the Double Eagle shows some promise. I'll have to keep you posted.
The reason for my gripes is that it is obvious that fluff is now mainly handled by the Black Library, but if they keep working on things that are insignificant, the stories in my opinion are losing direction.
It used to be the Games Designers who dictated what happened in the 40k and Warhammer universe. Andy Chambers would set a certain direction along with Gav Thorpe (Fantasy) like a Role Playing Game, coupled with the fact that they wrote the rules, the game developed at the same time as the fluff. But recently, nothing significant has happened and it's depressing.
Take for example, the Armageddon campaign that happened several years ago. Important things did happen that made the main story flow, Orks battered the Blood Angels to the point where they are in a recovery stage. Captain Tycho succumbed to the Black Rage and sacrificed himself. At least even Yarrick aged. I wasn't a 40K fanatic then but I was caught up with the stories, and made me want to collect Blood Angels. New units, like the Armageddon Steel Legion were created. Cadia on the other hand paled a lot in comparison. They introduced 13th Co, and Eldar strike forces, but fluffwise things didn't really matter. We've read about 13th Co, black guardians... nothing really new, just new rules to old fluff. But at least the setting was important, the 13th Black Crusade is fluffy. The only major loss was the relictors who got betrayed by a Daemon possessed Inquisitor. Relictors? Do you really care? Not me, it's not as if it was like Ultramarines (now that would be a story) who got beaten to pulp.
The heroes of the current age were spawned from Battle Reports from really old White Dwarfs. Ghazhkull, Yarrick, Tycho and several others like the Ulthwe Farseer (can't remember his name). were all from battle reports, and although it might have been rigged at least they built a name from themselves through battles.
It doesn't happen anymore. The characters from the current fluff aren't like major heroes. Maybe I don't read that much Black Library stuff to really know what's going on. But I just think the Warhammer universes have become just settings for games. True, they've delved into a lot more details, like the shapes of imperial canteens and how many teeth a skaven has, but suddenly, I felt that the big picture is lost.
Battle reports turn into Army Intros, it doesn't matter who wins or who loses, it's just a game. It seems that nothing has happened after Cadia fell. And it seems that the Storm of Chaos didn't blow... I mean, Archaon fought till Middenheim, but the old city held, who cares about the hamlets and villages, it's probably being rebuilt anyway. What next? nothing. No fluff in Dwarf or anywhere... everyone has gone to Lustria.
Cadia? Oh the imperials left the main planet, recamped themselves in a nearby moon. Meanwhile, with chaos capturing the pylons, what will happen? Will Chaos flow forth? Are the pylons of Necron origin? Nothing! It seems that Macragge is under attack again. (Oh, it's more new rules to old fluff... no? It's worse? It's old rules to old fluff but new miniatures...)
Arghh! It's frustrating!
Sorry! Rant over... *breathing regulates again*
Monday, August 29, 2005
To clear the air II
Okay,
It seems that the tourney rules are generally accepted without major gripes.
To further answer dylan's questions, I did think of a simple say 2k game for our tourneys, but I decided to add the 250 points in as a surprise element, otherwise we'll know what we're playing against all the time and that i feel kills a bit of the suspense.
Fluffwise, after the bulk of the army leaves camp, it's not surprising for armies to receive some minor reinforcements or ragtag troops signing up. Or the general picking a different blade to bring to battle.
Promoting generals is a great idea! But my fear is that it unbalances the gameplay and brings unfair advantages to a winning player. Afterall its a tourney not a campaign...
great horned rat
It seems that the tourney rules are generally accepted without major gripes.
To further answer dylan's questions, I did think of a simple say 2k game for our tourneys, but I decided to add the 250 points in as a surprise element, otherwise we'll know what we're playing against all the time and that i feel kills a bit of the suspense.
Fluffwise, after the bulk of the army leaves camp, it's not surprising for armies to receive some minor reinforcements or ragtag troops signing up. Or the general picking a different blade to bring to battle.
Promoting generals is a great idea! But my fear is that it unbalances the gameplay and brings unfair advantages to a winning player. Afterall its a tourney not a campaign...
great horned rat
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