I have purchased a number of games that started off as Kickstarters, Cards Against Humanity, Zombicide, and Evil Baby Orphanage.  They all ended up great and we could have gotten more stuff, gotten the game earlier and gotten it cheaper if we had backed.  This makes me want to back anything that looks interesting, which may end up poorly.

Last year, I backed the Relic Knights Kickstarter quite a bit.  Enough to get 3 forces including all the extras.  Even though I was a little put off by some of the models, the rules were interesting enough and there were enough clothed models that I could play that it was okay.  They did a great job of making the stretch goals add to everyone’s backing, rather than only rewarding those top tiers.  You seemed to be getting many of the models at just above cost, which is I think how it should be.  Backers get a great quantity of stuff for cheap, and the company basically gets all of their infrastructure paid for.  The molds for plastic models can be very expensive and Kickstarter is a great way to get those pre-paid for while giving the backers a great deal.

The next one that came across my way was Rivit Wars.  This was also by Coolminiornot, which did both Zombicide and Relic Knights which adds a bit of confidence.  The gameplay video they did looked quick and fun, and the models were really cute.  Based on how Zombicide went, it seems like that for both this and Relic Knights, if I end up not liking the game, I can sell it on Ebay for a profit, so there’s not much risk.  I don’t think it will be a problem for either game though.

Now I’m backing 2 additional Kickstarters, both ongoing.

One is Realm Works, which has presented me with an interesting choice.  It is an RPG management tool which allows you to automatically link the people, places and things in your campaign and show only what you wish to players.  It seems pretty cool, and I love Hero Lab by the same company.  One of the big deals for the Kickstarter is the cloud service that the program will use.  They will allow cloud storage of all campaign material which will then be sharable online with your players.  This seems great especially the ability to mark exactly what your group learned in each session and have it be searchable.

The question I have for myself is backing level.  I was going to do the $35 level and just get the software, but then I noticed the level where you get a lifetime subscription to the cloud service.  I totally see myself using the cloud service, but monthly subscriptions are odd when I won’t necessarily be using it every month.  Only problem is that level is $250.  I’m pretty sure the company will stay up and running for years, but they haven’t released their future pricing structure yet.  If they charge ~$10 a month, this will be worth 2 years of cloud service.  I think that’s worth it but it’s a lot of cash to drop.  I’m leaning toward it, but we’ll see before it ends.

The last one is Wild West Exodus.  The biggest reason I’m backing this one is that Craig from The D6 Generation has been writing for it.  The models are cool and the theme is kind of neat.  I do have a lot of skirmish games though, and I’m not sure who I’ll play with, but I was still down with it.

Recently though, I’ve been a little put off by the way they’re doing their stretch goals.  It seems like everything they add is either for the $400+ reward levels or something you have to pay extra for.  And most of the extras they’re charging you ~80% of retail, which is worse than a vendor would get, which kind of peeves me.  It may just be me, but I feel that Kickstarter is for getting a venture up and running, not for making money itself.  It allows backers to help get your funding.  As I said, plastic model molds are expensive, prohibitively so for many small companies.  By doing the Kickstarter, they can get the large startup capital they need, and in return give backers the models at close to cost.  Everybody wins.  I just don’t see why I should back them when I can probably get things at around that rate from an online reseller.  Hopefully they realize this, but I’m seriously considering dropping my backing.  We’ll see.

“Not only do I aff to take yer life, but I aff to take yer soul. F*cking voodoo magic mon!”

1. White P3 Primer
2. Base coat colors using Vallejo Game Colors
3. Citadel Badab Black wash all over the miniature
4. Minimal highlights (teeth, studs, rivets, & eyes))
5. Bases consist of mixed grit sizes, Army Painter Swamp Tufts & Flame/Red Mix Leaves
6. I then varnish with Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch Gloss Coat (Non-Yellowing & UV Resistant) & then use Testors Dullcote to subdue the shine
7. I finally brush on Vallejo Gloss Varnish on his tongue, teeth, & bottles

This week sees Simon and I discuss the tricky subject of how we explain our hobbies to outsiders, we have all had that moment when we have had to out ourselves to others.  Following up on this we talk about how we would intro a game to new players, obviously that depends upon the specific games system.  Join The two old men of 6s2hit as we grumble on about more gaming topics, if you have any ideas for a topic send me a message here or on the 6s2hit forums.

As mentioned in my last post I’m trying to rediscover my Khador by moving out of my comfort zone and visiting some of the more unorthodox casters and units.OrsusSmash did a fantastic write up about Khadoran casters and this material along with my revitalized feel for the game has given plenty of inspiration for forces I’d like to try out and what follows are a few of those lists along with a preliminary analysis of what I’m trying to achieve with them.

For the past two years I’ve more or less played Khador the exact same way and I’m feeling like its more then a bit stale now. The usual attrition war of high def infantry isn’t just boring but in the current meta it doesn’t stand as well as it used to so I want to branch out and try new things. It doesn’t mean I won’t use high def infantry any more I jus want to find new ways to utilise them and combine them with other elements. As such I’m steering away form my 2 most common casters; pIrusk and pVlad for the moment and trying to use only what I have so far in my Khador collection and as I play on with different casters I can proxy new things before making new purchases. I’m quite lucky in that I like all the khador casters wether it be because of their backstory or nature of play so I’ve got plenty of options.

Now these are only preliminary lists and as of yet I haven’t tested any of them so I can only speculate on whats going to happen and how I’m going to adapt with them but as I play more of each one I’ll pick apart my findings in separate articles. So without further adue here we go!

The Butcher of Khardov
- War Dog
- Behemoth
- Beast 09

Rorsh
- Brine
Saxon Orrik
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich

Kayazy Assassins
- Kayazy Assassin Underboss
Winter Guard Infantry
- Winter Guard Officer & Standard

Now some of the more shrewd amongst you will recognise as a list from Templecon 2013 used by Matt Lee and you would be correct! So why, when I’m trying to rediscover the faction on my own terms am I copying someone else’s list? Well it’s circumstantial I suppose, most of the elements were already in place (kayazay, winterguard, saxon and Big B) when I was introduced to this list and in my eyes it filled in a lot of the holes I was musing over.

pButcher was my first caster with Khador after the battle box and he’s one of the major reasons I got into the faction. I love how aggressive he is and how when it all goes south he can get stuff done himself. Accompanying him is the standard IF fodder but with more heavy support then Khador is used to, one of which can alpha strike and is not dependant on butcher to do so. As such the list is still attrition based but uses the feat and R+B to tilt it aggressively and towards assassination if the opportunity arises.

One thing I may try during play testing is swapping beast out for a normal juggernaut and widowmakers but for the moment reach and the imprint is just too tempting.

Kommander Strakhov
- War Dog
- Beast 09

Fenris
Manhunter
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator
Widowmaker Marksman

Doom Reavers
- Greylord Escort
Widowmakers
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters
Kayazy Assassins
- Kayazy Assassin Underboss

I have always really liked Strakov; his fluff, the model, his aggressive playstyle and so he’s one of the casters I want to learn to use most. The thing is he’s always been seen as a one trick poney and even though knowing something is coming and being able to stop it are two different things it does leave him very one dimensional and most importantly: predictable. Most people always take a lot of CC units with him to maximise charge distance but I read a very interesting in a comment in a thread whist researching him: why not include more shooting elements in the army? This way you can engage in a more attrition based game whilst waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

To this end the Nyss and Widowmakers are in to help attrition down the opposing force as well as clear charge lanes for the feat turn. A good spattering of hard hitting infantry like assasins, reavers, Fenris finishes it off. Beast 09 is of course ever present with Strakov to provide a ridiculous assassination threat.

Kommander Orsus Zoktavir
- War Dog
- Conquest
- Drago

Fenris
Man-O-War Drakhun
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

Great Bears of Gallowswood
Doom Reavers
Widowmakers

So I owe this one to my club mate Chris Berry, he’s been playing a lot of eButcher and seeing the fun he’s been having with him has wet my appetite so this is my first list attempt with this very unique caster. The whole thing balances on using the feat to assassinate or deal so much damage in one turn that my opponent cannot recover.

To this effect theres some shooting in the list to guarantee at least a few rage points if things look sketchy and the usual assortment of fast cavalry solos and hard hitting elites to make the best of the feat. Most models in this army, if given 3 fury are capable of killing a caster. Of special note the conquest is not there to shield Butcher, although sometimes this may be necessary the massive base will hinder more then help in a lot of situations, but because with the feat, fury and conferred rage he has a treat range of 14” at MAT8, POW 25. Even with “only” 3 attacks this is enough to render most heavys dead or useless. Drago is a bit of his experiment in this list with rampager and his imprint he can go through an entire unit on his own…in theory!

I also want to run the eButcher tier list with lots of Doom reavers though obviously this requires a few more purchases first.

Kommander Harkevich, The Iron Wolf 
- Behemoth
- Black Ivan
- Conquest

Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich

Winter Guard Rifle Corps
Battle Mechaniks

With a beard like that who wouldn’t want to play Brian Blessed Harkevich! A caster I have long dismissed as being incredibly sub-par but now I want to take the plunge and see what I can make of him. I feel that Broadsides can be a trap if you’re not careful and that you should never build just for it but also for CC as the speed and armour buffs present quite a few opportunities. I chose the 3 best shooting jacks available to us that can also hammer things in combat (ok Ivan is a bit pillow fisted but we can forgive him that). The rifle corps are also an experiment in providing long range, accurate infantry support whilst also performing the essential winterguard role of being meatshields/jammers etc. I think the mechaniks are self explanatory.

Maybe its because I’ve playing hordes with lots of heavies that makes me want to use this list but I have a few hopes for it and the experience I gained playing hordes should help out hopefully. I’m fully aware that its not at all the same thing due to the focus/fury mechanics but I do have a lot of shooting potential, and a lot of close combat threat and nobody wants to have to deal with armour 23+ jacks. Either way I want to finally get this caster on the table and see what he’s worth.

Koldun Kommander Zerkova - T4 Hunting Wolves
- Conquest
- Spriggan
- Vanguard
- Vanguard

Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
Koldun Lord
Widowmaker Marksman

Kayazy Assassins
- Kayazy Assassin Underboss
Greylord Ternion
Kayazy Eliminators
Widowmakers

Ah good old Zerkhova, no doubt Khador’s most frowned upon caster yet the only one with a cult following. I played her fo the first time a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. Admittedly it was only at a small scale however I can see some of her merits now and as her theme force is quite impressive I thought I’d start with that. Now I’m not 100% about this list as I feel you REALLY want to take advantage of the FA 2 Kayazay and underboss but sadly I only have one unit of them so that will do for now.

This one is a difficult one to explain, as the theme force dictates what you take and what hunting wolves lets you take is stuff I’m already quite the fan of I just tried to get as much in as possible. Until then Zerkova has a lot of objective control with Forceblast and on the Conquest this gives her a LOT of coverage and with the spriggan you can cover both zones in multiple objective games. The Vanguards are there to cover Zerkhova and let her make the most of influence, Icy Grip and her feat.

So its not the best list but it is what I have access to (the vanguards i can proxy). The biggest challenge as the moment in any case is playing and getting used to her and then we’ll see where we go from there.

So theres the first few lists I’ve come up with but still got a few more to go including eIrusk, Karchev and the Sorschas. I’ll post them up when they’re ready but until then all thats left is to get playing and see what happens!

Steamroller is only the beginning…

One of the most interesting developments in Steamroller this year the fact Privateer Press have split the format four ways. The base point is the standard Steamroller pack. This is a more highly polished version of the pack from previous years, complete with variants so you can tweak the format.

This year Steamroller has 12 scenarios and only uses two standard control zone sizes (12″ diameter circle and a 12″ x 6″ rectangle), plus all of the objective cards are printed with the scenarios. Together with removing flanking artifice and radial scenarios, the whole thing is cleaner and simpler.

As I mentioned before, I also really like the move to five control points to win a scenario and the dominate mechanic.

Beyond Steamroller, PP have also published separate documents for Masters and Hardcore tournaments.

Mastering Masters

Masters is essentially a more formal and limited version of the Steamroller pack. This is intended for big 32 player plus tournaments. The big two differences are the number of scenarios (Masters only has six) and game timings which must use deathclocks.

This brings me to one of the other differences in the 2013 packs. In games played against a deathclock, the clock is started with pre-deployment. This means the clock starting ticking when you deploy. While this initially filled me with dread and fear (I hate timed turns, and chess clocks are only a little better); having played a tournament using these rules, I have to say it is quite ok.

However I would not want to use an infantry heavy army because you only get an additional four minutes (at 35 points) to deploy in. I know some players hate this idea because it detracts from the social side of the game, but I think it is ok. Especially as I’m never going to use an army with a large model count at a tournament.

The reduction in scenarios and removing variants makes Masters very straightforward which I think is a very good thing, especially in big events which is where this format is aimed.

Coming from the GW hobby, I’m a little disappointed that there are no painting requirements for Masters but that is more of a personal thing. This said, I’m still really liking this format.

Hardcore

The final ‘standard’ Steamroller format is Hardcore. If standard Steamroller or Masters isn’t fast enough, Hardcore is probably for you. It gets its own scenario, requires fully painted armies, and use very short timed turns.

The idea is to promote short and very brutal games which should normally end in the death of a warcaster or warlock.

The big change here are in the scenario and the condition for the Mage Hunting award.

Not my thing, however I see the appeal.

Best of the Best

In addition to these three, Privateer Press also announced the Iron Gauntlet tournament series at Templecon. As far as I can tell, this is a variant of Masters meant for the very very best players.

The one big change as that player can bring army lists from different factions. I suspect a number of eHaley/pDenlgara combinations will show up.

Again this looks interesting and different, and really plays up to the hyper-competitive end of the game.

For more on Steamroller, and a very good scenario by scenario coverage, check out Chain Attack’s Steamroller 2013 episode with Jamie Perkins.

The Steamroller packs themselves are available here and after my experience at Open Fist last weekend, I can thoroughly recommend checking out Steamroller tournaments. I will be attending more this year and if I can (and life doesn’t get in the way), I will probably also organise a few.

However, if you play slow like me, remember to bring a small army.

The infamous dynamic duo

1. Army Painter Desert Yellow Primer
2. Base coat colors using Vallejo Game Colors
3. Used Citadel Badab Black wash all over the miniature
4. Minimal highlights (studs, rivets, flesh, etc.)
5. Bases are comprised of Woodland Scenics grass, rocks & a Autumn Mix Leaf Scatter
6. I varnish with Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch Gloss Coat (Non-Yellowing & UV Resistant) & then use Testor’s Dullcote to take away the gloss

Minions Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew

PG Application Time

Khador  Kommander Orsus Zoktavir

TUTORIAL – Minions Swamp Horror Conversion

Privateer Press Templecon 2013 Keynote Address

Firstly I’d like to thank everyone for the support, it’s very much appreciated.

So whats next?

It seems the local scene is changing slightly, so things coming up on this blog are:

• Going back Warmachine once a week on Free Llael Fridays (Fleur-de-lis Forever!) My aim is a fully painted tier 4 Ashlynn list in the next 6 months.
• My Dystopian Legions Prussian force will be growing, and I’ll also start putting up battle reports as I put them through their paces.
• More from the Brushworks as i continue to paint many things that catch my eye and fail to complete more CGF creative forum pledges.
• I’m going to keep playing and reviewing new board games especially Sedition Wars.

So much more to come, so thanks for the support and watch this space!

And from this day forward they shall be known as Cheech & Chong

1. White P3 Primer
2. Base coat colors using Vallejo Game Colors
3. Citadel Badab Black wash all over the miniature
4. Minimal highlights (teeth, studs, rivets, & eyes))
5. Bases consist of mixed grit sizes, Army Painter Swamp Tufts & Flame/Red Mix Leaves
6. Finally I varnish with Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch Gloss Coat (Non-Yellowing & UV Resistant) & then use Testors Dullcote to subdue the shine

As I sit here trying to verbally remove the layer of dust the blog has accumulated it actually made me remember a very important detail; since december Whelpslayer is 1 year old! Brings a lot of things into perspective to reread your old blog posts and to see how things change over just a year. But with the new year comes new ideas and I’ve had some pretty different ones this time round. Fair warning a lot of this post is about personal stuff and I’ve written it as much for myself (a reminder so to speak) as anyone else so if you’ve come looking for reports or tips or anything im afraid you won’t find any in this post but still if I have your curiosity then by all means read on…

Another Xmas come and gone but It was a good one for me, spent a lot of time with the folks and the girlfriend and even got a few games in here and there. I’ve been meaning to get some blogging done for a while but never got round to it, usual excuses and all but more importantly I’ve decided on a pretty big change to my hobby “objective” you could say recently.

For a few months I’ve been trying to get regular practice in for numerous events I had tickets for this year but due to work I was never present more than 2/3 weeks at a time. During my time away all I could really do was theorycraft as I am not a fan of vassal at all. As such any progress I made was lost by the time I got back. This compounded with other elements that I wanted/needed to prioritise meant that the whole thing became a kind of 2 steps forward 1 step back situation. All in all I have to admit it stressed me out and I was enjoying my games less and less and in general I was disliking my gaming experience.

So anyone who’s been to the U.S. before knows that international flights give you plenty of time to think…and eat tiny packets of pretzels but I digress, during my recent trip over there thats more or less what I did and had a bit of an epiphany (for lack of a better word). Long story short I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to do it, I’d rather devote the time and attention to other, more important things and try to make warmachine and wargaming what it was to me before: a hobby, a pass time I really enjoyed and an artist outlet. I still intend on playing plenty of Warmachine as I love this game and page 5 is still sacred but I intend to do it with a more casual and fun perspective without the rigors of trying to get my level of play up for serious events.

To that end I’ve sold off the tickets I had for major events this year and taken a step back from things and kind of tried to re evaluate what I really liked in the game and one of the first things I decided was to go back to my Khador. I had been slowly building up a legion army, getting it painted quickly and efficiently using Army painter dip and this was meant to be my tournament army for 2013. I was enjoying my foray into hordes and getting used to all the new elements slowly but surely however my first love has always been Khador and with no more events I’ve quickly shifted back to the motherland. What I do with them I’m not sure yet but I feel like I will sell them off in order to finish my Khador collection.

I’m trying to look at the Khadorans in a new light too. Stepping away from the stereotypical lists I normally use to try out some different approaches to a faction I’ve been playing overall very similarly for the past 2 years. My last 3 games have been with Zerkhova, eVlad and Butcher and it’s been both very enjoyable and refreshing and I’ve found myself writing loads of army lists for different casters that I’m very keen to try out. On a painting note, now I no longer have to try and paint under tournament deadlines I’ve taken to painting things I really want to and after 2 years I finally picked up pButcher and took him home to paint. Either way I feel a liberated, I’ve started really enjoying my games again and in a very turnabout way it makes me want to take part in more events so I can meet new opponents, test out new lists and just have fun as opposed to worrying about rankings, which when I think about it is why I got into this in the first place.

TL:DR – I’m still playing warmachine, just don’t want to aim for serious competitive play anymore.

Where do I intend to go from here then? I’ll also be running the PP Machinations League down at The Outpost so plenty of warmachine is on the cards. Speaking of cards I’ve been getting into Malifaux recently too as it has always interested me and my girlfriend wants to try out wargaming and chose Malifaux so I’ll be getting a crew together as well as some terrain I think. The new plastics are amazingly pretty and its a very inspirational game terrain wise so they should both be pretty fun tasks. I’m also wanting to get back into dystopian wars a bit with friends.

For the Blog well as I mentioned I’m getting into some of the more…unorthodox styles of playing Khador so I may write a few things about that. I’d like to try doing some battle reports again and maybe even stream some more games for fun. I’ll also document my adventures in Malifaux as well as any artistic endeavors.

So there you go guys, sorry it’s been a while (though I’m sure you’ve managed perfectly fine without me!) Normal service will be resuming form now on.

Peace out.

So yea….it’s time.

These were some of my first mini’s after a 10+ year hiatus from wargaming & painting

My buddy did a pretty awesome job using weathering powder like crazy!

This happens to be my 100th post! Coincidence?! I THINK NOT….DESTINY!!!

As it is the tenth anniversary of Warmachine, it also seems very fitting that PP is introducing a faction that is all about giant robots.

In style, Cyriss have gone Art Deco. This is great, but it does make some of the troops look very similar to a range of humanoid robots from another wargame manufacturer that has an ancient Egyptian theme. I like Art Deco and I know mechanical people will tend to look similar, but I’m a bit disappointed by the light infantry.

On the other hand, the weird stuff is great! If the heavy infantry looks anything like the art work, they are going to be absolutely ace. Together with the heavy vectors (cough warjacks) I think these might sell me on a heavily armoured, high technology, machine faction. So much for that Hordes army I was going to collect.

It has to be said, the faction’s warcasters also look suitably bizarre. In the background, they are humans that have transferred themselves to clockwork bodies so Privateer have been able to go a bit crazy with the designs. Of the three previewed so far, Father Lucant looks strangely similar to the Fifth Element (from the film of the same name) but with appendages, and Iron Mother Directrix is straight out of Metropolis.

On the game play side, some of the faction’s game mechanics look very interesting. Their warjacks (called Vectors, in case I didn’t already mention that) use the casters’ MAT and RAT, and gain an additional ability via the warcaster. I suspect this faction will have no jack marshals.

In addition to this, Vectors can reuse a single focus point spent by another Vector. This makes them very focus efficient. The aim is the enable casters to run large battlegroups and I very much approve. More big robots can only be good.

I suspect the Convergence will be launched with a battlebox, a light and heavy vector kit, and a light infantry unit, plus one or two alternate warcasters. I hope they will also have the heavy infantry available (neither Retribution or Cygnar have heavy infantry, and I want them!).

As Privateer Press announced they would be available at their Lock & Load event, so I reckon they will be launched globally at the end of May. We also heard from TempleCon that the Convergence will have a battle engine at launch and a colossal following afterwards.

Despite not being convinced initially, I think they are growing on me. However I think would want a more high tech paint scheme than the one done the studio. Accordingly I have already started formulating plans to paint titanium and nickel plating.

Oh dear…

I always thought his rules looked like he could be a ton of fun to play. With special rule names like Arcane Dementia, Conferred Rage, & Homicidal Maniac who wouldn’t have fun!? Well it certainly is when your not going against a gun line force, I got DESTROYED by a Retribution of Scyrah Ossyan force. I’ve only used him about three times but his FEAT “Feel The Hate” can cause some serious shenanigans when timed right against the right army (i.e. a lot of units). I would definitely recommend trying him out in casual/league play for the fun factor. I would probably never use him in a tournament unless I was running his Tier list with 4,642 Doom Reavers. That’s the correct amount…right?

I decided to not use his original base and keep him in line with my force’s theme. Now he’s just Captiain Morgan’ing it

The base coats…

Base is Khador bodies free!

1. Army Painter Desert Yellow Primer
2. Base coat colors using Vallejo Game Colors
3. Used Citadel Badab Black wash all over the miniature
4. Minimal highlights (studs, rivets, flesh, etc.)
5. The splatter gore effect was accomplished using 1 part Vallejo Rojo Visceral Gory Red and 3-4 parts Black or Brown Wash. I then loaded up a size 3 flat brush and flicked it onto the axe
6. Bases are comprised of Woodland Scenics grass, rocks & a Autumn Mix Leaf Scatter
7. I varnish with Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch Gloss Coat (Non-Yellowing & UV Resistant) & then use Testor’s Dullcote to take away the gloss
8. Finally I use Vallejo Gloss Varnish on the blood splatters to make it look “fresh”

TOOLS NEEDED

• Hobby Pliers/Cutters (I recently bought a Xuron 410 which are pretty amazing!)
• Razor Saw (You can find them for around $6USD-$7USD)
• X-acto Knife
• A file of some kind
• Pin vice & some brass rod (Any size except super thin)
• Superglue
• A hollow base if water effects are desired for later (Secret Weapons Bases or DIY)

Get all your tools ready, we’re going to be ripping things apart!

Use your Razor Saw to cut the main body as you desire.

Use your Razor Saw & Pliers to cut up the tentacles so you ultimately will have 3 separate ones. File and smooth down the bottom of all your pieces so it can sit on the base properly.

Dry fit all the pieces to make sure they sit flat and how you want to arrange them.

Use your Pin Vise and brass rods to superglue all the brass rods to the pieces. Figure out a arrangement you like and mark it by scratching the surface of the base with the brass rods on your pieces. Pin vice holes into your base for final placement. I also physically bent some of the tentacles so they were more dynamic. Glue everything down when you’re ready!

And now your all done! Wasn’t that easy?! This conversion also helps remind you that it has 3 tentacle & 1 bite attack

Well, its been a hell of a week at work, at home, and working from home; however yesterday I got to go out and play games!  So, I woke up far to early, picked up army and my Khador counterpart, Niklas; and then drove down to the pointy end of Sweden and the city Malmö.

Our target was Playoteket and a 16 player Warmachine-Hordes tournament entitled Open Fist I.

This was my first tournament in Sverige and the first using my Retribution. Of course due my aforementioned crazy week, I only had one of list organised, but that was only a minor detail. The objective was to throw some dice and try not to get deathclocked. Anything else would be a bonus.

With the clock in mind, I took Kaelyssa (because I know how she works) with Sylys, a Banshee, a Phoenix, a full unit of Invictors plus officer and standard, two Mage Hunter Assassins, and eEiryss.

I even picked up a black tray from City Gross so I looked organised. This was a ruse.

A Game of Many Screw Ups

My first game was against Johan Ridell, an extremely nice fellow who fully deserved to win best sportsman at the end of the day. He had a plan to use a Circle warlock he used familiar with, and then swapped to Kromac just before the event, which probably was not the best idea. There was a scenario, but we both deployed in a perfect manner to completely ignore it.

Although it would not have affected the final outcome, here is a list of mistakes, which were mostly mine, made during this game:

• Allocating focus. I really really really have to remember to do this.
• I know what the Lord of the Feast does, and I put myself into a position for him to eat most of my Invictors. Again.
• Slamming small bases into medium bases DOES NOT knock them over. I can’t apologise enough for this one. Sorry…
• Arcane secrets is on both attack AND damage rolls.
• Mage Hunter Assassins should keep their distance from Warpwolves.

Anyway, Johan was very gracious when I rolled stupidly high damage on a Rift spell and nailed Kromac (after stealing what little fury he had, and with a lot more focus in hand).

“Aren’t you a little short for a gun mage?”

Very Posh Dwarves

My second game was versus a Highborn list with Durgen Madhammer, a bunch of converted dwarf gun mages and a chap called Andreas. Once again I largely ignored the scenario, although I think if things had turned out differently, Andreas would have died by the clock as he only had three minutes left.

However when presented with an opportunity to get myself killed, I happily obliged and went for the assassination.

Sitting on five focus, Durgen was a tough target. First came the knock down from the Banshee. Next, the Invictors (who should have activated after Kaelyssa) trickled him a bit with a single CRA shot.

Then a lucky Mage Hunter Assassin removed Alexia. This allowed to Kaelyssa start slinging spells. After stealing three points of focus from the Dwarf. She nailed him. Just.

Two jammy assassinations, and I had not clocked myself. Not a bad start.

eLylyth

The problem with using a single list, is that sometimes, someone else will have a hard counter for it. Torbjörn had two, and he chose to use eLylyth. The challenge I had here was that eLylyth’s battlegroup had Stealth, they mostly ignored my Stealth, could seriously out shoot me; and had eLylyth.

Half of my army evaporated on Tobbe’s first turn. My caster went turn two. It hurt. However Torbjörn was very happy because he secured his place at the top table for the final game of the day.

Although this was a horrible matchup, I think the addition of some really heavy armour with a side of Stormfall Archers might help next time. I have plans should I come across this matchup again…

It was a very short game so I had plenty of time until round four.

Just behind us, Christian Aas and Johan Persson were fighting it out for the other top spot. In the end, the Menite won so Johan would be my opponent for the final game.

Pros at work…

And finally…

As it turns out, Johan was another very good player and I got his pDoomShaper brick list to the face in my final round. Again, this was another learning experience and despite Johan’s suspicions I was leading him into a trap, I made a big mistake and fed both of my mymridons to his heavies.

Under Johan’s feat, which damaged Kaelyssa every time she used a focus point, my failed assassination run almost killed her. Mulg sealed the deal the following turn. For the record, that dire troll should have critical pitch because the tree definitely has a baseball bat feel to it.

Anyway, a fourth great game against another great opponent.

Christian Aas’ Menoth beat Torbjörn to win overall, and he also walked off with best painted army, although for the record Christian’s Legion are a lot prettier than his Menoth.

Conclusions

In the end, I lost two and won two. Considering I only took a single list and it was the first time I played any of these four scenarios, and I was playing under a clock, and I didn’t have a single cup of coffee all day; I’m pretty happy with that.

Actually, considering my objective was to quote “throw some dice and not deathclock myself”, I was very happy to finish 6th out of 16.

A special mention should also to Viktor for running a great little event and finally I would like to thank everyone attending for making this Englishman feel very welcome. Tack sa mycket!

Next time, I think I shall be mostly bringing casters beginning with the letter ‘R’. This means I need to paint a lot more stuff.

Daniel’s Conquest. For the record, I really like this model.