I'm not going to write a huge long blog post how PP is evil and I think they are turning into GW because it's not worth the time or effort, but I am being more and more disheartened in the PP community and company.
I look at the way PP is acting and it feels more corporate and less fair than it did before. People say "PP have great customer service" and act like this is a defense, but GW have flawless customer service to the point where you can steal from them if you really wanted to, I don't see how this is a magic bullet that solves all.
The community seems to have shifted since MKII hit as well. We're starting to see less of a "everyones a bro" and more of "OMG BNF! OMG LISTEN!" with several people in the community. BNF (big name fans) belong in the livejournal communities not in the Wargaming one, we're more mature than that (or I'd hope we were). But instead I've seen several names start to pop up and favouriteism and and all the bullshit I can't stand. I could go "Bobaferret did X" and "Gdaybloke did that" but lets be blunt. I don't do BNF type bullshit and I feel the Warmachine community is now doing just that. Either I changed or it did and either way, it's making me feel like I would rather not be part of it.
To go along with the above point, the community quality has dropped below an acceptable standard. We have Podcasts like Focus and Fury, Guts and Gears and to some level Iron agenda that is just releasing terrible quality podcasts that aren't enjoyable to listen to. Then PP goes and gives the worst of these favourtism out the ass, when EVERYONE hates their damn podcast. The only podcast I feel is worth listening to any more is Boosted damage and at times they skirt the quality line as well.
Maybe I've outgrown warmachine and it's time I found a new game or maybe the community has grown, either way I've lost interest in Warmachine. MKII has killed most my interest and PP has finished off the rest of them.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Vyros uses a Trackball mouse
Yesterday I finally got to play some Warmachine again for the first time in months.
I played with the following list
Vyros
-Hydra
-Hydra
10 Sentinels + UA
Stormfall archers
Eiryss
2 Mage hunter assassins
It's a list I use on Vassal and enjoy using, it's low model count but high quality and it can do a bit of everything. I knew my opponent would play Cygnar (probably Stryker) but I didn't build an anti Stryker list, I built what I wanted to play. My opponents list was thus
Stryker
-Old Rowdy
-Hunter
Squire
Stormblades + UA
Full Long gunners
Black 13th.
So he had a similar list to mine except I had another heavy and our unit sizes were switched around, then we both had a set of killer solos (even if 1 is a unit persay). We discussed his list while playing and I asked why he didn't include Jr. He had discussed it with another player and they had decided both Jr and Eiryss was "just because" and had no real point in the list and I pointed to my Eiryss on the right flank and went "Is Stryker ever going over that side of the table?" his response was "No" and then he finally got why 3 points was worth it, My Eiryss did nothing but kill 1 Stormblade all game, but she funneled Stryker into the side of the board I was controling. I only include Eiryss if I'm left with 3 points after I add the solos I want, she's not an auto include, but if I have the points I will take her as a tool box solo.
He decided to set up second, so I deployed my sentinels in the middle with hydras flanking either side, Vyros a bit back, Eiryss and the stormfalls on the right flank (hilly goodness) and my 2 MHA on the left flank.
He deployed Stryker, old Rowdy and the squire center, long gunners with the B13th mingled among them on the left flank and the Stormblades on the right with the hunter just ahead of them.
Turn 1 I moved everything up, Eiryss playing distance games with the Hunter and the stormfall taking a hill in range to attack it next turn with snipe rounds if it didn't move. The MHAs moved up and hid behind a tower.
His turn he just moved the Stormblades, Old Rowdy, Stryker, Hunter and the squire about a bit, nothing exciting.
Turn 2 the hunter gets wrecked, Stormfalls brutal shot it to death with the final shots coming from a hydra with 3 focus. I positioned my Sentinels in groups of 4 and figured he would kill 1 or 2 in the coming turn giving me vengenace and getting some face raping in. Everything else just moved up into higher ground positions or looked scary and shuffled a bit.
His turn 2 he pops feat and stormblades kill 4 sentinelss (arm 19 is a bitch to crack) and takes more shots with the long gunners but can't crack the arm on my dudes.
So my turn 3 I decided I wanted those storm blades gone and took my vengenace move my left bubble moved towards the long gunners and my right bubble took some swings at the stormblades, 2 were dead from the vengenace attacks (arm 23 VS weapon masters, yum yum). My opponent was just like "what the hell?" and I'm like "I did tell you everything is a weapon master". I use Eiryss, Stormfalls and the hydras to clear out some charge lanes in the stormblades to get my extra dice and then charge with the sentinels, they clean up the unit except for 1 or 2, they constantly pass command checks and hold though). The other sentinels run up to engage the B13th and long gunners, with the MHA moving forward ready to hit Stryker next turn. At this point I had Stryker staring down 2 fully loaded Hydras, 2 MHAs and other nothing but Old Rowdy to protect him.
So his turn is pretty much going "oh shit.." and trying to clear out the Sentinels in his long gunners, which he fails to do leaving 2 alive and just in command range of the officer on the hill. Some sentinels die and next turn I forget my free movement and swings, which I knew I would at some point. My sentinels are pretty much wiped out as are his stormblades.
So turn 3 hits and I know I can nail him to the wall, except my dice disagree. Sentinels miss, MHA misses, Stormfall miss, Eiryss misses, Hydras miss. I just can't hit that def 16 and had it been a tournament I would of been frustrated, but it was not so meh. Old Rowdy is all up in my face at this point and I have to wiggle around his 6" bubble of countercharge insanity. I put Vyros on a hill with the sentinel standard bearer blocking the charge lane (and Vyros is just a bit out of range incase) and pass turn.
His turn 4 is trying to work out how to get an assassination, but it just doesn't happen, the B13th can't clean out the Sentinels and the long gunners can't really kill Vyros, Old Rowdy turns up and engages Vyros and we decided turn 4 was the end since we had to leave soon after.
So my turn 4 involves everything shooting at Stryker with everything it has and doing absolutely nothing to drop him below 4 boxes. I always underestimate Def 16 and it's not like Stryker has low arm either. I was wishing I had Ravyn with me as I could have wrecked Stryker, but I think Vyros's +2 arm spell is so insane on sentinels that he played a good roll in the game and I really enjoyed that. He even got to cast Elimator on Stryker at the final attack of the game, boosted to hit and just got no where.
At this point we shook hands and called it a draw. We added up points of models lost and I had killed 16 points of his stuff and he had killed 15 of mine, but it was a draw as far as I'm concerned. Both armies were wrecked and it was all down to the dice as to who won on turn 5.
I think Vyros is a competitive 'caster and can not only support the 2 Hydras but his infantry at the same time. His 6 focus is the perfect point for him, he uses 1 to upkeep Resolve then 2 to cast mobility and has 3 to play with each turn or just camp, which is generally enough to restock your Hydras if they need it since they won't spend more than 2 a turn unless they are in melee at which point your other one should still hold his focus. He has insane mobility and can threaten people from miles away if you want him to. His feat is pretty lame but it's extra focus if you really need it, the problem with Hydras is that you can't load them up only restock them due to the focus on them counting for allocation purposes, but hey I'm a focus 12 'caster already so whats a narrow feat? Sure I'd love something insane, but it's not needed.
I think I will be playing Vyros for the near future, I really enjoyed the game and found he had more options than Kaelyssa did and while you lose the focus stealing your army becomes a real problem to deal with unlike with her who just can't support them beyond "No Magic plz, oki".
Hopefully I will get to make it again next week and play some D&D (I want to play a Dwarf based on the MMORPG fanbase), but as a back up plan I'll play Warmachine. My other Wargaming club is meeting Sunday, I may venture out to it if I'm up for it.
I played with the following list
Vyros
-Hydra
-Hydra
10 Sentinels + UA
Stormfall archers
Eiryss
2 Mage hunter assassins
It's a list I use on Vassal and enjoy using, it's low model count but high quality and it can do a bit of everything. I knew my opponent would play Cygnar (probably Stryker) but I didn't build an anti Stryker list, I built what I wanted to play. My opponents list was thus
Stryker
-Old Rowdy
-Hunter
Squire
Stormblades + UA
Full Long gunners
Black 13th.
So he had a similar list to mine except I had another heavy and our unit sizes were switched around, then we both had a set of killer solos (even if 1 is a unit persay). We discussed his list while playing and I asked why he didn't include Jr. He had discussed it with another player and they had decided both Jr and Eiryss was "just because" and had no real point in the list and I pointed to my Eiryss on the right flank and went "Is Stryker ever going over that side of the table?" his response was "No" and then he finally got why 3 points was worth it, My Eiryss did nothing but kill 1 Stormblade all game, but she funneled Stryker into the side of the board I was controling. I only include Eiryss if I'm left with 3 points after I add the solos I want, she's not an auto include, but if I have the points I will take her as a tool box solo.
He decided to set up second, so I deployed my sentinels in the middle with hydras flanking either side, Vyros a bit back, Eiryss and the stormfalls on the right flank (hilly goodness) and my 2 MHA on the left flank.
He deployed Stryker, old Rowdy and the squire center, long gunners with the B13th mingled among them on the left flank and the Stormblades on the right with the hunter just ahead of them.
Turn 1 I moved everything up, Eiryss playing distance games with the Hunter and the stormfall taking a hill in range to attack it next turn with snipe rounds if it didn't move. The MHAs moved up and hid behind a tower.
His turn he just moved the Stormblades, Old Rowdy, Stryker, Hunter and the squire about a bit, nothing exciting.
Turn 2 the hunter gets wrecked, Stormfalls brutal shot it to death with the final shots coming from a hydra with 3 focus. I positioned my Sentinels in groups of 4 and figured he would kill 1 or 2 in the coming turn giving me vengenace and getting some face raping in. Everything else just moved up into higher ground positions or looked scary and shuffled a bit.
His turn 2 he pops feat and stormblades kill 4 sentinelss (arm 19 is a bitch to crack) and takes more shots with the long gunners but can't crack the arm on my dudes.
So my turn 3 I decided I wanted those storm blades gone and took my vengenace move my left bubble moved towards the long gunners and my right bubble took some swings at the stormblades, 2 were dead from the vengenace attacks (arm 23 VS weapon masters, yum yum). My opponent was just like "what the hell?" and I'm like "I did tell you everything is a weapon master". I use Eiryss, Stormfalls and the hydras to clear out some charge lanes in the stormblades to get my extra dice and then charge with the sentinels, they clean up the unit except for 1 or 2, they constantly pass command checks and hold though). The other sentinels run up to engage the B13th and long gunners, with the MHA moving forward ready to hit Stryker next turn. At this point I had Stryker staring down 2 fully loaded Hydras, 2 MHAs and other nothing but Old Rowdy to protect him.
So his turn is pretty much going "oh shit.." and trying to clear out the Sentinels in his long gunners, which he fails to do leaving 2 alive and just in command range of the officer on the hill. Some sentinels die and next turn I forget my free movement and swings, which I knew I would at some point. My sentinels are pretty much wiped out as are his stormblades.
So turn 3 hits and I know I can nail him to the wall, except my dice disagree. Sentinels miss, MHA misses, Stormfall miss, Eiryss misses, Hydras miss. I just can't hit that def 16 and had it been a tournament I would of been frustrated, but it was not so meh. Old Rowdy is all up in my face at this point and I have to wiggle around his 6" bubble of countercharge insanity. I put Vyros on a hill with the sentinel standard bearer blocking the charge lane (and Vyros is just a bit out of range incase) and pass turn.
His turn 4 is trying to work out how to get an assassination, but it just doesn't happen, the B13th can't clean out the Sentinels and the long gunners can't really kill Vyros, Old Rowdy turns up and engages Vyros and we decided turn 4 was the end since we had to leave soon after.
So my turn 4 involves everything shooting at Stryker with everything it has and doing absolutely nothing to drop him below 4 boxes. I always underestimate Def 16 and it's not like Stryker has low arm either. I was wishing I had Ravyn with me as I could have wrecked Stryker, but I think Vyros's +2 arm spell is so insane on sentinels that he played a good roll in the game and I really enjoyed that. He even got to cast Elimator on Stryker at the final attack of the game, boosted to hit and just got no where.
At this point we shook hands and called it a draw. We added up points of models lost and I had killed 16 points of his stuff and he had killed 15 of mine, but it was a draw as far as I'm concerned. Both armies were wrecked and it was all down to the dice as to who won on turn 5.
I think Vyros is a competitive 'caster and can not only support the 2 Hydras but his infantry at the same time. His 6 focus is the perfect point for him, he uses 1 to upkeep Resolve then 2 to cast mobility and has 3 to play with each turn or just camp, which is generally enough to restock your Hydras if they need it since they won't spend more than 2 a turn unless they are in melee at which point your other one should still hold his focus. He has insane mobility and can threaten people from miles away if you want him to. His feat is pretty lame but it's extra focus if you really need it, the problem with Hydras is that you can't load them up only restock them due to the focus on them counting for allocation purposes, but hey I'm a focus 12 'caster already so whats a narrow feat? Sure I'd love something insane, but it's not needed.
I think I will be playing Vyros for the near future, I really enjoyed the game and found he had more options than Kaelyssa did and while you lose the focus stealing your army becomes a real problem to deal with unlike with her who just can't support them beyond "No Magic plz, oki".
Hopefully I will get to make it again next week and play some D&D (I want to play a Dwarf based on the MMORPG fanbase), but as a back up plan I'll play Warmachine. My other Wargaming club is meeting Sunday, I may venture out to it if I'm up for it.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
K-9
I'm in a lot of pain at the moment and not been able to do anything Warmachine related, but before I went too under the weather I managed to finish a birthday present for a friend. So I present to you, K-9.
He's found his way to America land now, but this is what he looked liked before he went.
He's found his way to America land now, but this is what he looked liked before he went.
Monday, 22 February 2010
STFU, I'm a Timelord bitch
So between watching a lot of Doctor Who (Sixth Doctor era) and playing AvP, I've been trying to work out a list for the Warmachine tournament tomorrow. I had originally want to run Vyros but Maelstrom games still haven't sent my 2 Heavy kits. So instead I decided to make a Kaelyssa/Ravyn list and go from there.
Kaelyssa's list is thus.
Kaelyssa
-Hydra
10 Dawnguard Sentinels + UA + Soulless escort
10 Mage hunter strike force + UA
Stormfall archers
Mage hunter assassin
Mage hunter assassin
Eiryss
And Ravyn gets this
Ravyn
-Hydra
10 Dawnguard Sentinels + UA
10 Mage hunter strike force + UA
Stormfall archers
Mage hunter assassin
Mage hunter assassin
Narn
I think the lists pretty much speak for themselves. One is anti Warmachine with Eiryss and 1 is more Anti hordes. I'm pondering if maybe with Ravyn I should drop the one of the units for Invictors instead, but I think the sentinels are nasty and the mage hunters with snipe and her feat can kill Warlocks.
The Kaelyssa list is a bit more interesting, it will completely shut down magic against my units. Ehe Soulless makes anything but a close arc node impossible to hit them with (and if it does then that arc node is getting wrecked by the vengenace counter attack, leaving my Sentinels free to do what they wish the next turn) and the mage hunters can just have full magic denial on them.
The Sentinels are to hold objectives, the Stormfall are to clear enemy troops and the mage hunters enemy jacks/whatever presents it's self. I expect some heavy jacks to be around and my list can wreck those since everything in the list is a weapon master against them except Kaelyssa and the Hydra, who will have other jobs to do/make them stationary. I think as an all comers list this is solid and should be able to play Scenario or 'caster kill. I'll prefer 'caster kill but I'll take scenario.
I think Kaelyssa will be my primary caster due to being able to play her at more speed than Ravyn. I want to try and play quickly and not have to read my own cards more than is really needed. Every other unit I'm familar with except for the stormfall and I remember Snipe and brutal shot so what else do I need?
If you guys have any thoughts I'd like to hear them.
Tonight I should probably read the SR2010 scenarios but they all seem to be capture an area so why bother? The lighting at the club is terrible so I don't know if I'll be able to get any pictures, but if I go I'll write a report.
Kaelyssa's list is thus.
Kaelyssa
-Hydra
10 Dawnguard Sentinels + UA + Soulless escort
10 Mage hunter strike force + UA
Stormfall archers
Mage hunter assassin
Mage hunter assassin
Eiryss
And Ravyn gets this
Ravyn
-Hydra
10 Dawnguard Sentinels + UA
10 Mage hunter strike force + UA
Stormfall archers
Mage hunter assassin
Mage hunter assassin
Narn
I think the lists pretty much speak for themselves. One is anti Warmachine with Eiryss and 1 is more Anti hordes. I'm pondering if maybe with Ravyn I should drop the one of the units for Invictors instead, but I think the sentinels are nasty and the mage hunters with snipe and her feat can kill Warlocks.
The Kaelyssa list is a bit more interesting, it will completely shut down magic against my units. Ehe Soulless makes anything but a close arc node impossible to hit them with (and if it does then that arc node is getting wrecked by the vengenace counter attack, leaving my Sentinels free to do what they wish the next turn) and the mage hunters can just have full magic denial on them.
The Sentinels are to hold objectives, the Stormfall are to clear enemy troops and the mage hunters enemy jacks/whatever presents it's self. I expect some heavy jacks to be around and my list can wreck those since everything in the list is a weapon master against them except Kaelyssa and the Hydra, who will have other jobs to do/make them stationary. I think as an all comers list this is solid and should be able to play Scenario or 'caster kill. I'll prefer 'caster kill but I'll take scenario.
I think Kaelyssa will be my primary caster due to being able to play her at more speed than Ravyn. I want to try and play quickly and not have to read my own cards more than is really needed. Every other unit I'm familar with except for the stormfall and I remember Snipe and brutal shot so what else do I need?
If you guys have any thoughts I'd like to hear them.
Tonight I should probably read the SR2010 scenarios but they all seem to be capture an area so why bother? The lighting at the club is terrible so I don't know if I'll be able to get any pictures, but if I go I'll write a report.
Friday, 19 February 2010
This blog is all about the bitching
I was going to make a post on running a IABN Vassal league but then I started listening to the latest IA and just cringed.
Last week I thought the episode was bad but it feels like it's going downhill fast. I enjoy IA as a Warmachine podcast but it feels less like a Warmachine podcast and a lot more like a fratboy podcast.
I'm all for banter and chit chat in podcasts but not when that is limited to family guy jokes and your mum jokes, it gets pretty old fast.
Last week I thought the episode was bad but it feels like it's going downhill fast. I enjoy IA as a Warmachine podcast but it feels less like a Warmachine podcast and a lot more like a fratboy podcast.
I'm all for banter and chit chat in podcasts but not when that is limited to family guy jokes and your mum jokes, it gets pretty old fast.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Paranoia
I don't trust Battlefoam. I know this may come across as some random internet hatred but I just have this bad feeling about the bags and Romeo. I just ordered a new carry case and considered battle foam, tried to contact them and got zero response, so in the end I followed Loftybloke's lead and got a KR case.
Any way, back on topic.. I've been keeping my eye on various forums and podcasts and I've noticed the battlefoam name leaking into more and more places. Since it's a new company this is to be expected when they hit it big with people like PP, but I've found Romeo's attitude to be.. suspicious. Every post he makes is "My shit is superior to everything, we have super secret tech, super magic glue and our bags give you a handjob when you turn them sideways." And that's fine, to a point but he's just come out of no where and is doing it.
I checked his handle online and he has a few models on Cool mini or not and that's pretty much it. For someone claiming he's been a gamer for such a long time isn't it weird he says he's only been painting for 2 years on CMON? Why does he not take part in the PP forums if he's a Warmachine player?
I'm not going to write a huge rant on this and do massive amounts of research to prove or disprove my point, but I thought it was worth expressing my thoughts on this. He seems to have got into bed with PP and many podcasts and Plykon's keep from Fell Calls is still fresh in my mind. The PP community has been taken for a ride before and can't afford another.
Any way, back on topic.. I've been keeping my eye on various forums and podcasts and I've noticed the battlefoam name leaking into more and more places. Since it's a new company this is to be expected when they hit it big with people like PP, but I've found Romeo's attitude to be.. suspicious. Every post he makes is "My shit is superior to everything, we have super secret tech, super magic glue and our bags give you a handjob when you turn them sideways." And that's fine, to a point but he's just come out of no where and is doing it.
I checked his handle online and he has a few models on Cool mini or not and that's pretty much it. For someone claiming he's been a gamer for such a long time isn't it weird he says he's only been painting for 2 years on CMON? Why does he not take part in the PP forums if he's a Warmachine player?
I'm not going to write a huge rant on this and do massive amounts of research to prove or disprove my point, but I thought it was worth expressing my thoughts on this. He seems to have got into bed with PP and many podcasts and Plykon's keep from Fell Calls is still fresh in my mind. The PP community has been taken for a ride before and can't afford another.
Friday, 29 January 2010
busy busy busy
I can't remember if I posted about this before, but the LGS group has founded a games club now and it's pretty much the same thing but in a pub. They're running a 35 point tournament in the coming months and I'm going to take my Ret to it. Not sure on the list yet but I'll post about that another time.
I've also become addicted to the Shin Megami Tensei MMO and got a puppy this week.. Which isn't exactly a positive thing on all fronts. The puppy's name is Eevee and she's a black labrador, 5 months old and just starting to realise chewing things is entertaining..
But now onto the meat of the post. I picked up a cheap Orc and Goblin army on ebay (aka, I stole it because I paid so little for what I got) and I'm going to be running a build up campaign over the next 6 months, but we're starting at 500 points and going to build up to 2,000 points and I, being the idiot that I am is going to do a Goblin army.
I laid out all the models and took some pictures, all of them (except maybe the night gobbos) will be stripped and repainted or just have the sprue remains removed from them and painted as is in the case of priming. In an ideal world I would clean them up and paint them all to display quality and base them and blah blah blah, but this is a "STFU and play" army. It's going in a carry case and if it gets broken or whatever then it gets duct taped together and done with.
Here are the pictures
The orcs can be ignored, I may include the old shaman but nothing more, I like the idea of a gobbo horde.
I'm not 100% sure on the quality of this but I'm looking at about here. There is shading on the face and shield but nothing more. They can be done in 30 minutes each, which is acceptable. The thing I'm pondering is the teeth, it wouldn't be hard to pick them out and it would increase the quality quite a bit, but messing up would take more time to fix than it's worth, so undecided.
Now back to Shin megami tensei! I'm turning 24 on Sunday and I think I have enough 50 years of life to waste and better get to wasting it in a construtive way!
I've also become addicted to the Shin Megami Tensei MMO and got a puppy this week.. Which isn't exactly a positive thing on all fronts. The puppy's name is Eevee and she's a black labrador, 5 months old and just starting to realise chewing things is entertaining..
But now onto the meat of the post. I picked up a cheap Orc and Goblin army on ebay (aka, I stole it because I paid so little for what I got) and I'm going to be running a build up campaign over the next 6 months, but we're starting at 500 points and going to build up to 2,000 points and I, being the idiot that I am is going to do a Goblin army.
I laid out all the models and took some pictures, all of them (except maybe the night gobbos) will be stripped and repainted or just have the sprue remains removed from them and painted as is in the case of priming. In an ideal world I would clean them up and paint them all to display quality and base them and blah blah blah, but this is a "STFU and play" army. It's going in a carry case and if it gets broken or whatever then it gets duct taped together and done with.
Here are the pictures
The orcs can be ignored, I may include the old shaman but nothing more, I like the idea of a gobbo horde.
I'm not 100% sure on the quality of this but I'm looking at about here. There is shading on the face and shield but nothing more. They can be done in 30 minutes each, which is acceptable. The thing I'm pondering is the teeth, it wouldn't be hard to pick them out and it would increase the quality quite a bit, but messing up would take more time to fix than it's worth, so undecided.
Now back to Shin megami tensei! I'm turning 24 on Sunday and I think I have enough 50 years of life to waste and better get to wasting it in a construtive way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
