Quit the Hate, for the New Guy's Sake

 
I don't know about the rest of you, but all of this frustration over Eldar rules that haven't even come out yet is starting to really bug me. We've all seen it. On message boards and Facebook angry hobbyists are really, really upset about these changes. Passion can never be discounted, and I don't think it is fair to say that people can't have an opinion. But, it is important to focus on the effect that this behavior is having on a very important subset of Warhammer players, people who are new to the hobby.

Becoming a 40k player is not easy. It is expensive, time consuming, and requires some moderate level of model building and painting skill from the very beginning. On top of that, new players need to break into what are most often very tight knit gaming communities in local game stores and garages around the world. If you want to play this game, you really need to want to play it. Many things draw people into miniatures games. One of the largest draws is the esthetic or background of an army.

Ok, let's pretend you woke up this morning with all your memories of 40k wiped from you mind (terrifying, I know). After looking through your browser history (also, terrifying) you find a link to Games Workshop and fall back down the rabbit hole. Hey, these new shiny space elves look really cool! You want to spend hundreds of dollars and build a large collection of these tiny toy soldiers. So, you head to your local games store and buy the codex and a couple model kits. Exciting stuff!

Noticing a group of gamers playing Warhammer, you stop by to introduce yourself. "Hey, I'm [blank] and I'm starting an Eldar army!".

Eldar! Cheese! D Weapons! RRRAAAWWWWRRRR!!!

Well, you weren't really expecting that. Ever the positive one, you head home and decide to find a new store to play at. You head to a 40k message board to reach out to local players that will hopefully not turn into animals at the first mention of Eldar. Bad idea, buddy. There are like three different threads all talking about how only damn cheaters play Eldar. Boy, this hobby is really weird, huh? After some deliberation, you head back to the store and exchange your unopened boxes of Eldar for Imperial Assault.

Do you want to be the reason that new blood to our hobby turns their passions elsewhere? Do you want to make people feel uncomfortable about things that they like and enjoy? I sure hope the answer is no. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But, please think about the effect that your negativity has on new players. GW is not going to change their rules just because you don't like them. Encourage neophytes, no matter what army they chose. This is an awesome time for us 40k players. Enjoy it! D weapons and all.

CelestiCon Demon Skull 2014 Battle Report

Tournaments are a whirlwind. New faces, new rules, lots of dice, and some pretty nasty lists. Beer helps, but it is definitely a mentally draining endeavor. That being said, I can't imagine a better tournament than the CelestiCon Demon Skull. Run by the awesome Doc Dragon, the 37-man event had the perfect mix of beautiful armies and great players. I had talked about some list ideas in a previous post,  and I made some changes the night before. Conversations with my gaming buddies made me realize that my original lists, while fun and narrative-based, would have some tactical issues on the field. So, Loki and crew left the sniper rifles at home and grabbed their avenger shuri-cats on the way out the door. Maugun Ra, having nothing better to do on Labor Day (he is really gloomy at barbecues), decided to join the fun.

The Army

Loki and his Corsairs

The List

Game One

Lost, 0-10

The Demon Skull was a three round, BAO style missions event. Points were awarded for generalship, painting, and sportsmanship. My first game was against Jamie and his Farsight/Shadowsun deathstar with two Riptides list in an Emperor's Will mission. The game started with night fighting, and those cover saves were life savers for the fishmen. Fifteen (!!!) S6 AP2 suncannon shots ended up with only one melted drone. The Tau were cagey at first, but eventually Farsight and gang swept across the board to take out Maugun Ra in a blaze of plasma fire. My favorite moment was my Crimson Hunter crashing and burning into a Riptide, taking out his last wound. The game ended in Turn Five with a 10-0 win for Jamie. This was the first time I played against the Farsight deathstar, and Jamie played it really well. Very telling, as he would end the tournament winning Best General! This also made me feel better about getting my ass handed to me.

"You think this is bad, try the subways on T'au!"

Rooftop Part-ay!!!

Lunch Break

Joe 10, Hunger 0

Spicy Italian and the Champagne of Beers

Game Two

Won, 6-1

Jeff is an awesome guy, and he was playing a really fun Space Wolf army. The list was Njal Stormcaller, ten Terminators, Blood Claws in a Stormwolf, and a Grey Hunter drop pod. The mission was The Relic. Half of his army dropped in on Turn One, only to be pretty badly beat up by mighty, mighty shuri-cat shots. All of the Termies and Njal were knocked out by Turn Two. The game hinged on a fight between my Wraithknight, Loki, Maugan Ra and the Dire Avengers against Jeff's Blood Claws. The Corsairs took the day, and gunned down the remaining Grey Hunters on the next turn to capture the Relic. Good guys took this one, 6-1. Jeff was a great opponent, and I hope to see him across the table again.

In the lush jungles of Fenris

Wraithknight Smash!!!

Game Three

Lost, 0-10

Wow...

One of the best parts about tournaments is seeing really beautiful armies. It makes everything better, even being tabled in Turn Four. The mission was Purge the Alien. Izzy's dual Riptide and dual Skyray list was expertly used to completely annihilate Loki and his... Ok, can we look at Izzy's Tau again?

Wow... again

Awesome army played by a great guy. It felt like getting punched in the face by Princess Leia, in the slave costume. Fitting that they won Best Painted.

Final Results

1-2 and Best Sportsman

Woot!

I won something! I am all about the experience of the game. Above winning, losing, and forging the narrative, 40k is about having fun rolling dice and playing with awesome models. I am really glad that my opponents enjoyed themselves, and that I didn't nerd rage over Feel No Pain rolls on a Riptide. Would I make changes to my list for next time? Yes. Am I going to run a Seerstar? No. Will I go out and buy a Riptide kit just to build it so I can drunkenly smash it with a sledgehammer and cry? You'll have to wait and see.

Until next time!

Eldar Corsairs List for Celesticon (or, how to fail at tournaments without really trying)

This Monday I will be headed to Celesticon in Fremont for the Deamon Skull 40K Tournament, where I am expecting to be thoroughly roflstomped into submission. Beatings aside, I am really looking forward to this event. It will be my first big tournament in what feels like forever, and my army is only one unit away from being done. I'll post the sexy pictures later, but for now I would love some feedback on the lists I have been mulling over.

From Traveling the Immaterium

The Story

Loki Starborn (Illic Nightspear rules) and his Corsairs are known for their skill in covert operations. When they aren't killing dignitaries and wrecking havoc on Imperial shipping lines, they can be found on the deathworld of Tirnan in the Segmentum Obscurus. Trapped in an eternal storm, known as "The Tempest", the conditions are excellent for special operations training. If you can hit something from two clicks away in driving rain, you can hit anything. Their base, hidden in one of the planet's massive pine forests, is known throughout Rogue Trader circles as the best sniper academy in the sector. It is even whispered by some that Loki has a training contract with the Vindicare Clade. Lies and rumors, according to the Inquisitors.

Loki and his warband will often work with the craftworlds on various missions (for a price, of course). Farseers have saved the lives of countless would-be guardians thanks to the deadly skill of these corsairs. This instance is no different. They will fight, and kill anything that stands in the way of them and their prize.

The List

Both have a very special forces feel to them (only 31 and 27 models in each list). I am going to be depending a lot on cover and target priority. I already know that some lists are gonna rock the crap out of my scissors. But, I feel like if I play well I can at least keep games close and pull out a win or two. I have used Loki and the Pathfinders (great band name, by the way) with some success. The key will be good deployment and some lucky dice.

List One

Loki Starborn (Illic Nightspear)

Farseer

Pathfinders x6

Pathfinders x6

Wraithguard x5

Crimson Hunter

- Exarch

Warp Spiders x5

- Exarch (Power Blades/Dual Death Spinner)

Dark Reapers x5

- Starshot Missiles

Wraithknight

- Suncannon/Shimmershield, Scatter Laser

Total 1500 pts (31 models)

List Two

Loki Starborn (Illic Nightspear)

Farseer

Pathfinders x6

Pathfinders x6

Wraithguard x5

Crimson Hunter

Dark Reapers x5

- Starshot Missiles

Wraithlord

- EML

Wraithknight

- Suncannon/Shimmershield, Scatter Laser

Total 1500 pts (27 models)

Let me know which one you like more. 

Until next time!

Forge the Mechanic (or, the birth of the pathfinder-star)

I have been playing 40k for almost 15 years now, and this is the first time I have really fallen for the fluff behind my army. Illic Nightspear is the Ranger Phoenix Lord we were all waiting for that nobody wants. He is one of the best shots in the entire galaxy, but he only kills his prey half of the time. But, that shouldn't take away from his sci-fi Legolas bad-assness.

 Warhammer, the universe, is an expansive place where almost anything is possible. Warhammer, the game, is full of deathstars, buffs, and power combos. It is kind of funny to think about how weird the storyline would be if it was dictated by the mechanics.

Sad Tau Crisis Suit Salesman #1: "How am I going to pay my rent this month? I haven't sold a stealth suit in years!" 

Sad Tau Crisis Suit Salesman #2: "Your tellin' me! Do you have any idea how expensive a good Fire Warrior college is? My kids gonna kill me if they end up at some Earth Caste school" 

         ::flipping through Crisis Suit Monthly Magazine:: 

Salesman #1: "Hold on, Frank! Do you see this?"

Salesman #2: "Holy Ethereal, it's huge! What's it called?" 

Salesman #1: "A Riptide. What the hell is a Riptide?" 

Salesman #2: "What does it matter! Everyone is going to want one of these!

The beautiful thing about 40k is that you really can "forge the narrative". But, can you "forge the mechanic"? I doubt it, but why not try anyway!

Here is my Illic Nightspear pathfinder-star that I will be using in my upcoming games. Sneaky Eldar Outcasts hiding out and shooting Space Marines through their vox grills, awesome. Having to roll a +4 to wound with a 140pt model, not awesome. Screw the dice! Get scared, bike-star. Tremble with fear, screamer-star. Just... just stop, seer-star. Here's the core of my army.

Illic Nightspear's Pathfinder-star

"This sniper rifle was a bad choice!"

Illic Nightspear
Pathfinders x5

Farseer (w/ Uldanorethi Long Rifle)
Pathfinders x5

Total 515pts

Tactics: Sit in terrain and roll sixes.

Until next time!