Privateer Press Interactive

http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/insider-6-26-13

Matt Wilson explains what has happened with the warmachine computer game and teases about an upcoming kickstarter. Here is a preview video:

Pretty sure I'm in. It's a turn based strategy game. I like those.

Vayl1 - Seraph or Naga

I have been playing a lot of Vayl1 at the moment to see if I can build her into an anti colossal list. I have come to a conclusion - I hate Leggionairres with her at 50 points. At 35 I loved them, at 50 they don't do their job which is to protect my beasts after I feat. So I am back onto hex hunters which is a problem because there is not two points in the list that I can spare. That leaves me two options:

1. Drop the Seraph:

Legion of Everblight
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
27 models

[00] Vayl, Disciple of Everblight (0 / 6 WB)
[12]  >> Typhon
[09]  >> Scythean
[09]  >> Scythean
[05]  >> Naga Nightlurker
[02]  >> Shredder
[02] The Forsaken
[02] The Forsaken
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[08] Blighted Nyss Hex Hunter (9 grunts)
[03]  >> Bayal, Hound of Everblight
[03] Spawning Vessel (6 grunts)

I know the response to this is generally "why are you playing a Seraph?" but Vayl has a lot of assassination potential and the Seraph really helps with that. In addition under incite it has a d3+1 RAT 7 shots at POW 14. It can often aim for RAT 9 and boost all 4 damage rolls if you roll 4 shots at which point it is taking a heavy out of the game. It is good. That said the Naga gives me blessed which is pretty much essential of I want to kill a stormwall. 

Option 2:

Legion of Everblight

Standard Army

PCs: 50 / 50

26 models

[00] Vayl, Disciple of Everblight (0 / 6 WB)

[12]  >> Typhon

[09]  >> Scythean

[09]  >> Scythean

[08]  >> Seraph

[02]  >> Shredder

[02] The Forsaken

[02] The Forsaken

[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd

[08] Blighted Nyss Hex Hunter (9 grunts)

[03] Spawning Vessel (6 grunts)

I recognise this list. It's my old Vayl list pre Naga. I know it's good and I loved it to pieces but no naga means that the Stormwall may be an issue. 

I think I'm going to have to go with the first list. I really don't like the Naga but I think I need it. 

Under Rated/Used Models

Just a quick post on stuff I don't see people using that I think they should:

Kell Bailoch - Two points for a RAT 8, RNG 14 magical gun with two shots when aiming, prowl and advance deployment. He can run up into a forest turn one then snipe out models for the rest of the game. He always gets a return.

Storm Troll - When a jack hits it, it immediately loses all its focus. That and its gun hits a d3 additional models and it has electroleap as a one cost animus. Great beast when you are worried about volume of attacks or high DEF models.

Anastasia Di Bray - Espionage wins games, there aren't a lot of two point models that do that.

Viktor Pendrake - Even if you don't have high DEF beasts to deal with he has a ranged knockdown and a RNG 12 bow with rerolls.

Totem Hunter - Prey, Pathefinder, hunter, reach, sprint, jump, stealth, two initials, MAT 8 without the prey bonus. There is a lot to like about this guy.

Slaughterhousers - A seriously fantastic utility unit. They can be POW 11 weaponmasters, they're MAT 8 on the charge, they have take down so they RFP and get through tough. They have reach and tough themselves. A great unit if you don't have a lot of friendly faction buffs/requirements.

Extoller Soulward - I think this model suffers because it is so good in Zaals theme force (where it begins with souls). Eyeless sight is good. This thing can absolutely crank the damage against warbeasts.

Runeshapers - Outside of Doomshaper1's theme force they are still a great unit.

Black Ogrun Boarding Party - They cost 6 points for a full unit and have 8 wounds each. They are MAT 7 POW 13 which should be enough right there comsidering the low cost but they also have a ranged weapon, POW 12 with drag, and CRA and they cause Terror. Again 6 points.

Light Artillery - OK most light artillery in the game is kind of terrible but there are some exceptions. The Chain Gun in Cygnar is pretty good. The slam gun in trolls can be good with the right build. The Khador Mortar is a great way to lob AOEs. The Scather Catapult though is my favourite for shooting your own models in the back.

Crippled System Game Videos

Crippled System (I may have mentioned that I love those guys) are recording videos and having players do commentary. It's very crippled system so expect them to stop talking about the game half way through and start talking about Star Trek or board games or just start making poop jokes (haven't watched the second one yet but I'm pretty confident in saying that will happen).

Here is the first one:

And the most recent one just uploaded this morning (or whenever it was US time):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeXWfQvBfu0

Upcoming Stuff

Life stuff is happening at the moment and it's taking up a lot of my spare time. That said I'm still trying to make events:

Highlander Good Games Hurstville on the 29th of June

http://www.wargamerau.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=153863

Eric is running it. I am thinking of taking either Rask, Wrastler, Bull Snapper, Gator Posse and a Totem Hunter. Or Stryker2, Gallant, Sentinal, Precursor Knights and a Journeyman Warcaster. The Rask list is painted so that may end up swaying me but I really like the Stryker2 list in the format. He has so much game and the precursors don't see a lot of table time despite being a decent unit.

50 point Steamroller Good Games Town Hall on the 7th of July

http://www.wargamerau.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=154470

It's on a club day but Harry and I are still going (sorry club peeps, you guys should come too). I am running Legion here because I again want to be fully painted and I am really close to being fully painted. Here are the lists:

Legion of Everblight
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
25 models

[00] Vayl, Disciple of Everblight (0 / 6 WB)
[12]  >> Typhon
[09]  >> Scythean
[09]  >> Scythean
[08]  >> Seraph
[05]  >> Naga Nightlurker
[02] The Forsaken
[02] The Forsaken
[06] Blighted Nyss Legionnaires (9 grunts)
[03] Spawning Vessel (6 grunts)

Legion of Everblight

Machinations of Shadow (Vayl, Consul of Everblight)

(Tier 4) 

PCs: 50 / 50

27 models

[00] Vayl, Consul of Everblight (0 / 6 WB)

[09]  >> Ravagore

[09]  >> Ravagore

[08]  >> Scythean

[08]  >> Angelius

[08]  >> Angelius

[02]  >> Harrier

[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd

[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd

[01] Spell Martyr (1 Martyr)

[06] Blighted Nyss Legionnaires (9 grunts)

[03] Spawning Vessel (6 grunts)

I really dislike that Vayl1 list but I need a list that can deal with colossals and compromises have to be made to my Vayl1 list in order to do that. The hex hunters are a much better unit the way I run the list, stealth and the high DEF help and the higher SPD makes them much better at delivering chiller but they cost two points more and with the Naga in the list I don't have two points. The Seraph in addition to slipstream provides some important ranged attacks. With incite it's POW 14, RAT 7 and has Strafe. If you roll 4 shots it can cripple an ARM 18-19 heavy all by itself, kill it if your dice are above average. Even just with 2-3 shots it can still put some serious hurt out as well as slipstreaming your heavier hitters. The list I like with Vayl1 has no Naga, Hex Hunters instead of Legionnaires, a shredder and a shepherd. 

Haley2 dude swarm

So Keith (who is my warmachine guru) and Jay from Chain Attack have been playing Haley2 dude swarm lately and I love Haley2 dude swarm. A lot of the time Haley2 can be almost as unfun to play as she is to play against but when you can just start throwing out her spells like crazy because you have all her focus for spell slinging then she is a lot more fun. Being able to telekinesis your opponents heavies together and then time bomb them is fantastic. As is swarming a zone and becoming a scenario monster before TKing out anything you don't kill. She has a lot of range on her spells too with the reaction drive on Thorn or he can use that to get away. Anyway here are the lists they have played:

Keith:
Cygnar
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
44 models

[00] Major Victoria Haley (0 / 5 WJ remaining)
[02]  >> Squire
[08]  >> Thorn
[03] Journeyman Warcaster
[04] Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team
[02] Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
[02] Anastasia Di Bray
[02] Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
[03] Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
[01] Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator
[09] Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (9 grunts)
[05] Alexia Ciannor & the Risen (9)
[10] Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (9 grunts)
[04] Lady Aiyana & Master Holt

Jay's list:

Cygnar
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
42 models

[00] Major Victoria Haley (0 / 5 WJ remaining)
[02]  >> Squire
[08]  >> Thorn
[03] Journeyman Warcaster
[06] Arcane Tempest Gun Mages
[02]  >> Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer
[05] Stormblade Infantry
[03]  >> Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard
[02]  >> Stormblade Infantry Storm Gunner (2 Gunners)
[02] Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
[02] Anastasia Di Bray
[02] Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
[03] Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
[02] Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress
[08] Horgenhold Forge Guard (9 grunts)
[05] Horgenhold Forge Guard (5 grunts)

A little comparison between the two lists. Keith was pairing with Asphixious2 who loves ARM so he could afford to be a little light on ARM cracking. He could also take a lot more character models since there are no character models Cygnar can use that are in his Lich list. Jay was pairing with Haley1, another Cygnar caster who had to share her character models and who is not generally a fan of high ARM. He needed to cram some ARM cracking into at least one of his lists. 

PPS Digital

On the tweets it has been let slip that the digital app is about to be released. Crazy excited. Will actually be able to have NQs on the release date. Might pick up some IKRPG stuff as well. Very excited. Please, please please please let them have used a different company than Tinkerhouse Games.

Rask - A work in progress

First things first - this thread is worth a look. I'm still giggling at it.

http://museonminis.com/forums/index.php?topic=1979.msg34789

On to Rask. In my quest to play too many factions I am attempting to master Rask.

What does he do

He has upkeep removal, a great damage buff for beasts or units, boundless charge (+2 to charge distance and don't pay a fury) and admonition (move away, no free strikes when a model comes within 5"). He also has inhospitable ground because why not? Lastly his feat keeps you safe for a round.

What does he want?

Boundless charge seems to be pushing you towards wrastlers, especially once you factor in admonition and fury but fury also works on Gator Posse and it becomes really hard to justify putting in a wrastler unless you have 3 units of Gator posse. So that is my starting point. 3 units of Posse. Next I went for a swamp horror. The thing has 4 initials and 4 FURY, crit catastrophic damage on the one you are going to use to buy attacks and impervious flesh which stacks really well with spiny growth against ranged attacks. And admonition can get it away from melee threats. It can also give reach to Snapjaw and/or a Wrastler. I've already mentioned Spiny Growth so next I need to get that into the list. That means a bull snapper. That puts me 3 points away from a 35 point list, at 35 points I'd probably just add another bull snapper and call it a day but I'm interested in 50 points here as I am looking at making a tournament list.

So 18 points left. I can go double wrastler and I have the throws available but then I may struggle with fury management (thats a possible 15 fury I can generate). I can take a Wrastler and Snapjaw, Snapjaw can get awesome threat ranges with boundless charge and elasticity and fury so he kills what he hits. That's 14" of threat (though wrongeye may struggle to keep up). Or I can take a unit to get some use out of call to sacrifice. For that I don't think I want regular bog trogs. They are great but I like to ambush with them and you aren't getting use out of them if they are hanging back with Rask. However the Swamp Shamblers are a late game piece, they want to be hanging back collecting gator corpses and powering up for the late game. They are a lot like Alexia1 except that the zombies are a bit deadlier (and the Gatorman Alexia less so). I think they could be a great addition to the list, the other 12 points probably being a wrastler, swamp gobbers and victor pendrake. I think that last option is the best (although I'm still looking into taking out the one wrastler I have for Wrongeye and Snapjaw, that depends on whether I intend to bring another Gator list or a pig list as a pair though, also whether I can hold back the swamp horror for late game or not, I might have to change victor pendrake and the bellows for another bull snapper if I take Wrongeye).

So here is the list:

Minions
Blindwater Congregation
PCs: 50 / 50
32 models

[00] Rask (0 / 6 WB)
[09]  >> Blackhide Wrastler
[08]  >> Swamp Horror
[03]  >> Bull Snapper
[02] Viktor Pendrake
[01] Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew
[06] Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers
[09] Gatorman Posse (4 grunts)
[09] Gatorman Posse (4 grunts)
[09] Gatorman Posse (4 grunts)

I will be looking to try it out at some point. Possibly on Sunday. 

Jay told me to do it

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/647072871/chain-attack-battle-report-of-wmw-invitational-20

Other random crap (I've been too busy for my regular musings, hospitals are stupid):

Apparently wins weren't used to decide placing in the most recent Wollongong tournament. I've decided I need to put up or shut up so I'm looking at starting to run some tournaments in Wollongong at the guild. The same issue that has always prevented me is still staring me in the face - prizes. I'm not entirely sure what to do about this. There is only one Wollongong store that stocks WMH and they never have gaming space out and you have to bring your own terrain so I'm not especially keen on giving them money. Next nearest store (where I play) is 45 minutes away (40 from my house) and they don't have a web store (though they have excellent terrain and the store is a joy to play at). Though I'm happy giving Hall of Heroes (the good store) business that may be a long way for people to go to spend their winnings. Suggestions welcome, I'm looking into getting some neutral prizes and letting winners pick from the available prizes.

I played the High Reclaimer at a 35 point tournament paired with Kreoss1. I still have a 100% winning record with the High Reclaimer and still have a 100% record of my opponent swearing at the clouds. Kreoss let me down in the final. Got Gallowsed out 5 inches and my opponent rolled at 16 on the damage roll, I had thought he was fairly safe, had the Gallows missed I would have won, average rolls would have needed some luck as well. I came third because of tie breakers, there was one control point in it. In the final game had I bonked the guy near my flag rather than shooting the Sentinal UA I would have come second. Also had my first round opponent not conceded I would have scored more scenario points in that game. I don't like conceding, run at your opponents caster and camp all your focus - There's always a chance they fluff their assassination attempt and then you have one on the table, even with his stupid clouds hiding behind a wall.