Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Steamforged - Circle competition

http://www.steamforged.com/easter-competition-win-warpwolf-more-ends-08-04-1/

Steamforged who are hosting the ashes vassal challenge (which I've been half watching, so far the games have gone from 7:30 - 10 am which is a slightly inconvenient time, it's 1-1 out of three games) are giving away a warpwolf stalker painted by one of the UKs top painters. He has a bunch of articles up on steamforged about painting - here's a few:

http://www.steamforged.com/raek-gold-winning-competition-painting-mats-painting-table/
http://www.steamforged.com/mats-painting-victor-pendrake/
http://www.steamforged.com/templar-speed-painting-mats-painting-table/

That was all I was going to post and then I saw Asphixious the Hellbringer:
That still looks like Daemortus' eye but the weapon seems to have been reformed (the weapon he made from the soul of the Lich Lord he killed and replaced).

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Another Post

Still can't make it on Sunday but one of the guys at good games said they would try to come to the uni. Sounded like they couldn't make it this coming Sunday but possibly next fortnight. Also The Skorne battle engine is out.
Spears are long enough that I believe they have reach.

I also thought I'd put up a list of warmahordes podcasts I like to listen to while I paint. Uli wanted to know some and if anyone else is interested in something to listen to here they are:

http://warcastonline.com/ - Guys from Canberra, I've met James and was crushed by Aarons Cryx at super series last year. James Morehouse is no1 in the Australian warmachine rankings (and best legion general though he now plays Circle). Currently they are competing against elite cadre in the ashes vassal challenge (haven't managed to get into elite cadre yet, James Moorehouse picked up a win game one for the aussies).

http://www.boosteddamage.com/ - British guys who never stay on topic. Expect warmachine discussion to be  interrupted with discussion of anything from Malifaux to pepper pig. Snape the old host has had a kid and the guys running it now are more hardcore painters than hardcore gamers.

http://www.chain-attack.com/ - These guys are from Idaho USA. Rather than just chatting aimlessly about warmachine they do battle reports and then rate casters and talk about how they play. Occasionally they have some gems you had not thought about how to play a caster but mostly its the obvious builds (they are obvious for a reason). Using Boomhowler with McBain was one of theirs.

http://featturn.libsyn.com/ - Feat Turn. Only one episode so far and it contains some really really bad singing (about Kovnik Joe the loneliest man in Khador). That said I have met Terry, he came to Moab and is a hugely nice guy. It's another battlereport podcast, similar to chain attack but with Adelaidiness.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Stuff and High Defence

First off:
They've finished a new colossal. I assume they are saving showing it to the public for adepticon which is a month away but they had to put this up on their site because they hate me.

Not going to be at the next club. The area we are going to is fine, apparently it's in the ACT now (I probably should have attended a few of the meetings when they were organising it).

Just quickly I want to put down some thoughts about high DEF models.

Abby's main trick is to get a DEF 17 Angelius (it's serpentine so it can't be knocked down) and that becomes an issue. It is however not the only high DEF thing in the game, Kayazy with iron flesh have stealth and DEF 19 when engaged (still 17 otherwise). Winter guard with bob and weave and iron flesh have DEF 18 and tough (from Kovnik Joe). Daughters of the flame with defenders or holy ward and the piper of Ord are DEF 18, Circle can put out a DEF 16 pure blood with stealth who cannot be targeted by spells (and druids can centre an AOE around them that gives enemy models -2 to hit, so you can put some druids next to it and cause even more problems). That's off the top of my head, I've faced most of these and if you don't have the tools you'll just get walked over. It makes a difference what you are dealing with too.

The key is to avoid rolling dice, at least to avoid rolling dice against the high DEF model. The easiest thing to do is knock them down, if you have an AOE with knockdown (like Stykers earthquake or the Revengers obliterator shot) move your own model up so they will catch the target in the AOE and then shoot your own model in the back for +2 to hit. The other option with AOEs is to advance to the point where the AOE will still hit even if you miss. For example Gorman Di Wulfe has a black oil grenade attack which is a 3" AOE, throw it at a large base (2") and you have to scatter half the base width + half the AOE width before you are off the base so if you get within 5" you automatically hit the model (max scatter is half the distance between the attacker and target) it gets -4 DEF and has to forfeit its movement or attack.

You can also slam your own model into their model, the model slammed has to be the same base size but the slammer does not (people always seem surprised when the cryx death-chickens go for a slam). Against units you can slam a medium or large base through several models (the trollblood long riders are excellent for this). Trolls also have the ability to give a model immunity to fire (through the pyre trolls animus) and then hit that model with an AOE (most useful if you have been charged by a lot of high DEF models so you can catch 3-5 in the AOE). There are also spells that allow you to place AOEs or who hit a model and then 1d6 models within 5" but these spells with only help against units (though with units the slam isn't much of an option outside of trolls).

Lastly you have spells that modify your dice rolls (never my favourite option). Purification or other upkeep removal spells will get rid of the DEF buff spells and purification does not require a target so again no dice needed. Next there are MAT buffs or DEF debuffs that go on your own models. Spells like Malediction or Chiller that cause your opponents defence to drop when they are close to your own model mean that you don't need to target the high DEF model and don't risk wasting the focus. For these high DEF models one buff will still leave them in a position where most of your attacks are missing, you really want multiple buffs (aiming and deadeye, primal and wild aggression, chiller and incite, war cry and carnage etc.). As a last resort you can use the offensive DEF debuffs, boost to hit and hope for a good roll. Not something you generally want to do. Models with Blessed are in the same catagory, Harlan Versh is quite good as he has blessed and purgitation so he ignores the DEF increase from spells and gets an additional dice to hit and damage. Eiryss is the standard upkeep removal for the warmachine factions that aren't cryx but she still needs to hit and she will still miss most shots against DEF 18.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

More spoilers

PP have released the names of the hordes colossals. Circle are probably the most interesting, there was a lot of speculation as to whether they were going to get a construct or a living colossal. It's called the Worldwrath so I think we can safely assume it's a construct (probably going to be really good with the new caster they released in Domination). Skorne get the Mammoth. Not what I suspected, there is a Giant in the skorne fluff so I assumed that would be their colossal. There is a Mammoth in the role playing game and they have been tamed by the skorne and carry a howdah. Not sure this one will be the same, the skorne already have a warwagon with a howdah. Legion get the Archangel - I am excited about that. I think the only thing we can take from that is that it will probably fly. Trolls get the Mountain King, we already know the troll one is going to be a giant troll so nothing new there.
Pictures from the role playing game:


EDIT: Doug Seacat - "I have been told by Professor Pendrake that he would like to apologize for an apparent misidentification of what he thought was a creature called a "Mammoth." Apparently his notes got a bit muddled. This is quite understandable given his recent exposure to the skorne language and not being entirely versed in the particulars. There is a skorne word meaning "tremendous sized beast" which is very similar to that applied to a specific creature that you have yet to see.

In other words, I would not base your preconceptions on what a Mammoth might be based on either the Monsternomicon II or the Witchfire Trilogy. And in general, as I have said repeatedly, looking at the old RPG stats for a given creature are not generally guaranteed to tell you much about how that creature will be interpreted in HORDES. Good examples of why this isn't a particularly great idea include both the Warpwolf and the Gorax but extend to many other creatures." (The monsternomicon - the book these things appear in for the role playing game is supposed to be the collected writings of professor Victor Pendrake)

Friday, March 9, 2012

Final

I had Uli around today and we rolled up the final:

Scenario 9 - Outfight, Outflank, Outlast.

Along the centre line between the two players are two 12" diameter circles. Controlling either is worth 1 control point. 3 wins the match. Reinforcements are in this scenario. That's 7 points of reinforcements at 35 points, you can't use points from the main force or split units/UAs or solos (some solos let you buy more than one but still count it as one for purposes of force allowance, spell martyrs for example).

Also this:
http://privateerpress.com/warmachine/gallery/cygnar/colossals/stormwall
FUCK YEAH!
Have a look at the full rotation it's awesome. I expect this one to be in this months no quarter probably not till May or June's no quater. Psyched.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

PP Stuff

For those who don't follow PP as closely as I do:
http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/insider-3-7-2012

So the Stormall will be 140mm tall, I assume the other Colossals will be a similar size. They'll all come with wreck makers, flat cardboard but it would be a pretty big job to do a proper wreck base.
Also:
I think they are friends now. 
I can fit the throne into a 35 point army without breaking it but it's a caster I have played before just not in the campaign. Not sure yet whether to play a new caster or get my throne out. Lastly

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Results and Final Standings

Having beaten the Skorne and the minions of the dragon father the Legion of Everblight has their final goal in their grasp, only one thing stands in their way. The defenders of Wollongong have defeated the other threats to their city and stumbling through the labyrinth have come across the legion. The Skorne and the Khadorians are the only other two armies with any real fighting strength left, though the city remains out of reach for them, both armies are attempting to make a final land grab in the surrounding areas to the north. To do so they will need to take control of or destroy an artillery emplacement that is able to bombard the region.

Four Player battle:
3 points Theo
1 point Uli

3 Player Battle:
3 points me

Final standings:
Anthony (Everblight) - 9 points
Theo (Cygnar) - 6 points
Graham (Skorne) - 5 points
Uli (Khador) - 5 points
Ed (Cryx) - 4 points
David (Cygnar)
Owen (Menoth)


That leaves the playoff:
Everblight (me) v Cygnar (Theo)


and the third place game:
Skorne (Graham) v Khador (Uli)


Your scenario will be Incoming. (I actually rolled restoration first but it's basically the same scenario as the one we played today so I rolled again). I'll get Ed or Graham to roll the scenario for Theo and I (to minimise their whining, SR2012).


Still 3 warlocks I have not played at all (in the campaign or otherwise) so I'll probably take one of those, although I'm looking longingly at Vayl1 (that was Vayl2 today). I'm going to say 35 points for the games. 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Game - Ed, Me, Graham

I've picked my list, I'm going with an ultra finesse list, which I'm not sure will work really under any circumstances. The beasts on the table will be, one Carnivean in the centre and 6 shredders (two scattered d6 inches from each objective). My throne still has not arrived so it won't be gracing the table. I'm taking a whole lot of unfamiliar stuff so we'll see how well it works, not holding out a whole lot of hope, I think the list I have will work much better at 50 points where I can take some more hitting power.