A Black Tide Rises

I haven't made a great deal of progress this weekend unfortunately.  We had a visit from some university friends on Saturday, and Sunday was spent catching up/playing Vassal.
I did however mange to scrub and dry my recent purchases ready for assembly this week :)

I really enjoyed the Vassal game, the write-up of which is here so I wont expand on it much further. Suffice to say that Gators are tough :)
It was the first test I've had of the Barny list I will be running at the BCB event this month though, so it was good to see how that panned out. I should rally try and get at least one game in with Maelok before the event though I think!

I've exchanged a couple of sketches with Griffin (forestmans.blogspot.co.uk) about the trenches he wanted for eHaley's tier so I can begin assembling them soon enough I hope, Just need to pick up a few ingredients, which I can do hopefully in town this week :)

Other than that, I'll be assembling, basing and trying to get more added to Maelok this week. The recent purchases are the only models I need to get painted by the event, but once they are done, I am aiming to get the rest of my Blindwater collection painted, as all that is left is Calaban and the small based models that I own for the faction.
Hopefully it is something which is achievable by year end. After that, I'm just Destors away from fully painted again with my Ret', and a whole bunch of unpainted Skorne :P
Funtimes

Thanks for stopping by
Lofty

Space Raider

I was at the club this week but I was playing Infinity so not much to report.

I did however pick up nq37 at last an I must admit I'm quite intrigued by the new warlock. I've been pondering lists and colour schemes all day.
Whilst I'd rather avoid a strip down ad repaint with my skorne, I do have some ideas to update the paint scheme I chose a little.
All I need to do now is get time to put brush to lead!

Most likely playing more infinity next week, buy I'm hoping for a vassal game perhaps in the meantime.

Sorry it's a short one, thanks for stopping by

Lofty


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Throwdown mk2

After lamenting my use of Wrong Eye and Snapjaw recently and garnering some varied and useful advice, I managed to get them ticking in a game of vassal last night. All I can say is 'wow'

Before I get to that take however I'd like to talk a little about my local club. From maybe three or four warmahordes players at the end of last year, I just attended a 15pt 'intros' tournament with 9 players. One of whom has recently picked up 120pts of cryx in one go... Inorite? There are at least 3 players who couldn't make it as well, so the community is really booming at the moment.
It was a really great day, and I had a lot of fun chatting with opponents I've not really met (and of course not played) properly before.

The whole thing did make me determined to vassal more though. My journey home from the club on Monday's takes around 90minutes on trains/buses as I dont drive. This pretty much limits me to one decent length 35pt game every time I go.
Now I'm not saying vassal can replace minis/real life opponents and game situations but it's sure close. So on I pops to vassal last night, and I met a great opponent (friendly and around my skill level, a rarity I find) and I had a great 35pt game with Barny and the gang.
This was also my first time at 35 with gators and the croak hunter did a great job of distracting bloodtrackers as prey, and an ambush run/charge with bog trogs took ravagers and bloodtrackers a couple of turns to clear out so I was well chuffed with recent purchases. The piece de resistance however was our infamous duo. Snapjaw charged a warpwolf stalker with the extra 2" for living model, just in range, boosted first attack with his tail... Crit knockdown, three fury and one initial bite attack later and it's all over.
In later turns Snapjaw took out a gorax as well. All this, and Wrong Eye is certainly no melee slouch either, taking names and healin' beasts :p
The caster kill was throw barny at a gheist, charge a grunt, feat and paste morvhanna. Which I felt dirty for doing but there was a clear path to her if I had range, which I did with the throw.

All in all then, good times. Sorry its been a while since the last post. Lots of wedding and honeymoon stuff going on at the moment. Which has also hit men pretty heavily financially so I won't be making any purchases till my birthday at least probably. All in a good cause though (awesome honeymoon, ask me about it :))

Thanks for stopping by
Lofty



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Mirage

Not the Transformer. I'm also not water deprived, or in a desert.
That's right, Garryth. I like the way he does things.
Yes, I forgot his feat and old rowdy spanked him for it. Yes, i didnt allocate a single focus to either jack all game (curse you fury!). But I'll be damned if sentinels moving 5" and making an attack before anyone's activation isn't the most awesome thing I've done, lol.
He's going to get some vassal time this week, along with Ravyn, who I'm also very much enjoying.
Whilst we're on the 'Warmachine is teh best' soapbox, I've done a total u-turn on my opinion of battle engines. From 'how the hell would I get it in a carry case?' to 'lol magnetise it' (cheers griff) coupled with the new magister solo guy leading me to think we may get more 40mm base stuff (new foam trays please!) makes me very much look forward to what's in store :)

On a very self - indulgent note, I got some great praise for my WIP MHSF and painted dawnguard. So I'm really inspired to get them finished :)
Also means no pics till they are done :p

Thanks for stopping by, it's good to be back
Lofty


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Cleansing flame

Welp. busy week again, and plenty to report. Still no pictures though I'm afraid. Decent natural light at this time of year is as rare as me winning with Vyros....

This just in - First Vyros win!! (Vassal doesn't count though does it?) that's right a win. Could've ended a lot sooner had I not activated the Griffon second with fleet to get flank. Vyros is one hardy warcaster, and packs a solid punch regardless of flank. I'm still making lots of mistakes, but learning is like that

In other less significant news, I recently overhauled my work area and have a painting queue, and a modeling queue rather than a jumble of models on cutting mats on my desk. Feels a lot less cluttered, and is a far better space to paint in now.

I've now finished the Vyros re-paint and my DnD miniature, as well as starting my friends DnD monk (an alleigant model form Menoth interestingly enough). Stormfall Archers are nearing completion too, backpacks 90% done, and just one stage (oh and skin I guess) plus snow left for the Archers themselves.

Ravyn is also pinned together and based, awaiting a good day for primer. I'm still waiting on my MHSF which I ordered and paid for around ten days ago (I really give up on any internet related webstore...) but I have a new set of brass and drill bits for the crossbows, so they should be ready by the next tourny hopefully.

Friend of mine from the club on Mondays is building a 35pt Strakhov list in small installments. Not one to be left out when there's miniatures buying to be done, I've plumped for Menoth (my first choice was the Butcher but Khador v Khador would be a bit dull). So christmas (gifts from me to me at least) will be FoW Menoth, FoH Minions and the Menoth Battlebox methinks.

Again, a lot going on, but not much evidence of it. Will attempt some pictures if it's sunny next weekend, but i dont get home from work early enough to try in the evenings im afraid

Thanks for stopping by

Lofty

Total Nihilation

I was really hoping for good light to take photos today, but it seems that when I have time like today its grim and lowsy outside, but at the weekend when we're busy with wedding stuff, its great weather.

Anyhow, I've finished the bases for my Nihilators, the skin of my Bronzeback, and bases for Tyrant, and Brute. Dentist appointment days off work ain't so bad after all!

Lack of a battle report this week, as I'm going to be going down every other Monday so that I can go to the gym too. I am far from vain, but I'm getting married next year and it's a great excuse to get rid of the beer gut I've been honing since uni.

Digression into IRL isn't why you people come here so back to the musings! I've been doing a lot of Vassal spectation recently, and watching Ret' games by happen-stance. I have been quite tempted to break them out of temporary retirement and try my luck with Warmachine again, but after a lot of deliberation, I settled on waiting until Wrath is out to start my Retribution again. By that time hopefully the Destors will be around, and Vyros will have gone Epic (pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease)

In the meantime, I will be playing a helluvalot of Hordes!

My intentions are to bulk out my existing forces to what I think I “need" to work with my current casters (mentioned in a previous post I think – Arcuari, shaman, agonizer, mr midwinter), and play them both to death :P There are two steamroller events coming up in October one of which requires two lists, which will be great for this. Other than that, I will be picking up Mordikaar and Karax, and eMakeda, maybe even the Ferox and dragoon if I can overcome the cheesy grins on the cats (I dislike them intensely)

And lastly, minion taskmaster and gators with Wrongeye and Snapjaw, which will lead me nicely into a start of a Blackwater pact. I was giving some very serious consideration to Trollbloods, as it was always between them and Skorne if I ever started Hordes. However, they really just don't grab me as much as some of the new Minion stuff. I like melee casters, and if I played Madrak with trolls, then I would feel daft for not just playing Xerxis, if that makes sense... I may well pick up the battlebox at some point, and if I ever grab a third Hordes faction, then they are top of the list.

By this time Wrath should be very imminent if not upon us, and I'll be able to expand my Ret. First thoughts are Ravyn with a couple of house guard units, which would also work with Rahn after an extra box of mages and a couple more magisters. This is all of course if Vyros doesn't get any love, and lets face it, he gets very little at the moment. I'm also holing out for multi-wound infantry, who knows what the new caster will bring to the faction :) I'm also still pretty tempted by a Rhulic force, and if they get some shiney new stuff, I'm almost guaranteed to have some kind of Rhulic/steelhead force by the end of next year

Can you tell I get a little bored at work sometimes? All this musing and pondering makes me realise what a great hobby this is!..

/soapbox

Thanks for stopping by :)

Lofty

Busy like a bee

It's been a while, but here I am. I've been very busy outside of the hobby this last month, long bank holiday weekends, work shennanigans and all the rest of it, so I've not had much chance to take photos or blog. Especially considering the net connection at work hates blogspot.

It's been a bit of an uphill struggle getting the Skorne minis I've bought to have all the right bits and pieces, and I'm still waiting on a Cetrati shield before I can spray them. I have my gladiator pretty much finished though, only lacking rivets, and pinned to his custom base, so I'll have my first completed Skorne mini up soon. Very please with how it looks, which is great after all the pondering I've done to come up with a scheme.

Angry elves haven't been forsaken though, my Fane knight has a modelled base complete with water effects, and is almost complete and ready to hit the table. I also bought a second griffon for big V to work with, and Dahlia and Skarath, after being in the wrong end of spray templates, it's my turn. :p

I'm going to start playing 50pt games too, as at least that way i have more options to work with. Still losing, but I'm going to try and play alot more vassal instead of spectating so much. I'd just like to get a case for my skorne, and clear my painting backlog :)
Priorities right?

Thanks for dropping by after so long
Lofty


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I haven't JUST been playing recently

And here is the proof;

Sorry about the bad lighting, the sun stayed out long enough for me to set up, and get my camera out, and then went away again... All I have unpainted atm is my Stormfall, but they are on hold till i get some new brushes, as my GW ones which I got for christmas are pretty much bald by now... Bad batch I hope. Maesltrom games ha ve a discount voucher going, so I will be replacing brushes over Easter, as well as getting hold of the ret halberdiers for mr Rahn, probably when we get back from Bruges.

A friend of mine has just posted me 35 points of his skorne models... Gratis... I know, crazy right? This is the man who got me into blogging about my hobby, as well as Vassal, so I owe him a helluvalot :) So a big thank you to Astray over at Rollingyellowdice

After playing a lot of Vassal recently, the Skorne are certainly very appealing. I've been getting better at WM through Vassal too recently (he says, as he hasn't won a single game from 14), but the rules are sticking in my mind a lot more, and I make a lot fewer mistakes. On the whole, it's getting more fun, and I'm getting better, and enjoying it more. Looking forward to branching out into Hordes too, with only fury/animi being big rules changes (I think), it makes it easier to do something completely different :)

Looking forward to getting away with my better half next week, we haven't been away in ages, and it will be great to do so.

Thanks for stopping by

Lofty

Gotta Have Faith

I'm writing this while playing a very different type of game on Vassal today. Lots of spectators, so I explain that I'm new to the game at the beginning and still learning the rules. My opponent is good about it and helps me out. My problem however lies with all the spectators who begin to ask my opponent whether or not I can do this based on my models stats. I am after all present, and wonder why I'm being spoken about like I'm not. After all, who better to answer these questions... On top of this, in light of the apparent beating I'm taking, someone starts to set up another army on my side of the board, ready for when I've gone... Unbelievable right? not to mention confusing while I'm still playing the game. I guess for every good guy, you get three idiots. which is a real shame, because I'm yet to find a bad opponent on Vassal.

On a lighter note, I managed a pretty nifty feat with a manticore trample, leaving the manticore set up on eGoreshade next turn. but of course 'shade chewed it up and spat it out ;p
Still learning and still having fun (mainly...)

Vengance

As I write this, I'm playing the final turn of a Vassal game. After not attempting a game for weeks, for fear of proxies making the matter more confusing, I am pleasantly surprised at how easy it has been. coupled with a very patient opponent (Pantheon I'm looking at you) I've had a great game, and learned a helluvalot about
 a) my Vyros list (I LOVE Sentinels, there I said it), and
b) the game - charge lanes, reach, you name it, it came up and I didn't know it, but now I do. I even feated, and made it work to feed my Hydra for a pot shot at mordikaar, and the phoenix munched down some sword guys too, but of course the turn after, I got a few Vengance moves with the Sents, so regretted spending it early :P

I feel like I'm raring to go for my next game, Vassal or otherwise. and believe you me, I'll be playing a lot more vassal ;p. PM me here or on the forums, and let's duke it out! I finished my battlemages today, so I guess I can start testing a Rahn list, se what baldy and his follically challenged magic mates bring to the table.

Lastly - Skorne look pretty fun to play, mini feats on units are something I like - adds a lot of character I think. Makes my "I'm playing trollbloods" decision a little shakey ;_;

Tyrant Xerxis has always been a favourite model of mine, and I like the look of the filigree armour. Might be a little tricky to paint though I suppose. Exciting times :)

Thanks for stopping by

A very positive (even excited) feeling Lofty

A 'jack a day keeps the Doctor away

Been a busy few days. I had Thursday afternoon/Friday off with the missus, and we went out Thursday night, and a pretty quiet day Friday. I was quite content painting up mr Rahn (still very much WIP) along with the one arcanist from my order of two that was in stock. I will post pics of both when there is some half decent daylight which is un-ruined by clouds. The shake up didn't come until Saturday morning however, when my re-issue of the missing order from Maelstrom Games turned up. Both these models are in my list of guys to take to the club on Monday (Chimera from the Kaelyssa battlebox, and a magister from my Vyros 35 list) Commence panic building! Only joking, no panic, but I was/am very keen to take these new guys and field them painted if at all possible. I've base-coated the Chimera, and pretty much done the same on the magister, and the home stretch is in sight. I tried to spice up both guys bases too, and the cork I ended up using has a way better texture of the cork I just ran out of which was used on the rest of the bases I've done. Hey-ho, I just wish I could remember which cork was from which brand of wine ;p

The rest of my day today will be spent brushing up on my limited rules knowledge, and bookmarking my pdf print out of the mk2 rules, so that I'm not spending most of the game searching for rules :) Very much looking forward to my first live game of WM, and hopefully soon being able to practice m lists while I build them, on Vassal as well as with the guys at the club :)

I'll try and document the battle(s) tomorrow as much as possible, but I can't promise that there will be pics/vids to accompany what goes on, but I'll try and make notes at least :)

Thanks for stopping by, and sorry for the lack of light for any WIP shots.

Lofty

Weekend Warrior

Welp, I've had a pretty good weekend all told. New Mk2 book is awesome, Leeds PG is trying to organise a game/event at his store in Leeds, and I finished my Manticore and my Phoenix, as well as neatening up my Magnetized 'jack ready for priming

Thanks to some tutelage on Vassal from the good Mr Astray over at Yellow Dice, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of the rules and things now, just a few areas which I'm hazy on, but those are the areas that I haven't read too much about yet. I'm really looking forward to this game in Leeds, will give me chance to get my painted models on the table, and finally get some more use out of them, as well as letting me practice and learn more Warmachine, which is never a bad thing!

I placed a reasonably sized order at Maelstrom with some Money I got for Xmas, So I have Rahn, 2 Arcanists, a Scyir, a Magister, Chimera, Gorgon, and UAs for both Dawnguard units. Once I have my teeth stuck into painting that lot, my next few purchases will be both Houseguard units + UAs, and the battle mages. I'm still trying to mix what I want to paint in with what I would like to play with, so it might not make a lot of sense just now, but I hope it will be a pretty good collection to pull from for games once I have a steady gaming club to attend. Some good news on the gaming front as well is that the guy who updates the Warmachine Vassal module has finished all the sprites and things for the retribution, and is just waiting for the go ahead from Privateer to implement them into the module. This is awesome, as much as I enjoy playing and learning with the Stryker battlebox, it makes far more sense to play with my own faction, and learn the ins and outs of pointy eared xenophobes!

Onwards and upwards!

Cheers

Lofty

The waiting game

So I've had a couple more games of Vassal, and once I was assassinated on turn two by the lovely Kaelyssa.... I really need to think about what I'm doing more. I'm getting there though, I won my second game, with lots of helps and tips from my opponent ;P

I've been leafing through my PDF print rule book, and things are starting to make a lot more sense, so I'm hopefully getting there now. Just need there to be a Retribution faction on Vassal, so I don't have to proxy, and I don't have to use the Stryker battlebox anymore. Though Having said that, I'm going to buy the Battlebox (or the models that make it) and teach some friends of mine to play WM hopefully.

At the moment, I'm home from work, waiting for a plumber to show up to fix the burst pipe we got for Xmas, so I have plenty of time to get my Myrmidons finished. I have a Phoenix just waiting for a snow base, a Manticore waiting for one more layer of highlight, and the base, and a Hydra which has everything bar basecoats/washes. Sounds like a challenge for today ;P

I also just blew some Xmas money over at Maelstrom Games, and picked up UAs for both Dawnguard units, a Gorgon, a Chimera, Magister solo, and a Scyir. They should arrive next week hopefully, so I will be able to be fully painted between purchases :)

All I have ongoing at the moment is the magnetized Myrmidon that I started, and I feel like there is a fair bit of work to do there to rectify the mistakes I made with the arcnode/power plants. shouldn't be too big a job though, just getting the motivation to sort it out :)

Will hopefully post pictures of my entire collection tomorrow, as I will be at home again, and the snow/daylight outside seems to be pretty good for photos :)

Cheers!

Lofty

Mixed bag

As I write this, I'm playing a Vassal game against Astray from Rolling Yellow Dice and having a blast tbh :) He PMd me while I was layering on my Manticore, so I finished up, and started up the game. Lots of fun, though I still have a lot to learn, both in terms of rules, and in terms of tactics, but I think they go hand in hand. I lost by the way, I made a rather daring move with Stryker vs Kaelyssa in turn 3, and failed abysmally, but at least I played like I had a pari, I could have tried to save him, but where is the fun?!

EDIT: - I made the assumption that Stryker was a gonner, but on turn four, he smote Kaelyssa quite verily and bought me the game for no losses on my side, vs Kaelyssa and an unhealthy looking chimera, unlucky dice for Astray though :(

Still really enjoying painting, got the Manticore to the highlights stage, and pleased with progress, and got my Hydra base-coated, and not really looking forward to the detail on those fists of his :)

I know now what trays I need for the double aluminium case I'm after from KR, so I'll order that to coincide with my next day off, I hate re arranging DHL delivery, lol.

Quick update really, was just excited about finally making a contact for Vassal games, which, let's face it, is far far better than just painting up my minis with no game in sight! Oh - I did attempt to get a thread going on Army cases, as a reference, but I'm pretty sure people are just fed up of seeing that sort of topic, so it is on it's way down the board with a few posts. At least I can say I tried :)

Cheers!

Lofty

Perspective

Ok so I've been reading through the retribution book and wondering what I want to get first :)

After a lot of pondering, I decided to get the models i like the look of best for my first purchases. This being because I'm yet to find someone/somewhere to play other than over Vassal online.

So I've decided to go straight for a box of invictors, and maybe Dawnlord Vyros.

The invictors because of the awesome concept art, and really cool looking layered armour plates and. Vyros for essentially the same reasons, coupled with the fact that he is a warcaster, so at a push i can scrape together a playable force without too many more purchases.

Something else that I've been thinking is that Privateer Press minis make me want to spend more time painting, assembling and basing etc. Because there are so many miniatures needed for GW games, I've always been of the mindset of "batch painting" to try and get miniatures table ready ASAP.

After a couple of games of Warmachine, it becomes apparent that every miniature on the table is an individual. Like the infantry guy who takes down a 'jack, or the 'jack who manages to slam his way through the enemy 'caster. I guess I'm trying to say that each mini tells part of the story. The whole game is far more cinematic than anything I've experienced before. So I've been looking to get hold of some rare earth magnets to make the Warjacks I eventually buy;

a) interchangeable (I'm looking at you heavy Retribution 'jacks)

and b) easier to transport - I would much rather remove a halberd holding arm that was magnetized to the 'jack than arrive and see it broken off.

Oh and if anyone can let me know of a source in the UK of rare earth magnets (1/16" or 1/32") please leave a comment :) *EDIT* - Ebay is a wonderful place, I feel dumb for not checking sooner 

Cheers

Rational Eyes

So I just had my first game of Warmachine on Vassal online.

The guys that I blagged for a beginners game were really friendly, really helpful, and I had a great time. I lost obviously, and made some silly errors but the game is so cinematic, and even getting my jacks beat up was fun. The guys added some storyline and narration to make it interesting, and it was ace :)

The play style is VERY different from wargames I've played before, but it was a lot more straight forward, and once I had got the hang of a few basic rules, I felt as tough I could muddle my way through a turn or two :)

On top of all this, the Retribution book made its way through my postbox today too, so I have a lot of reading to do, both on the rules, and on prospective new factions. I played Cygnar today which felt really good, some nice 'jacks, and units, so I suppose its a choice bet them and the new retribution guys. I think I will go for maybe Cygnar for 'jacks, and Retribution for the infantry (model-wise) but I suppose playtesting will tell me more :) hopefully retribution will make it to Vassal pretty soon. Either that, or I find a gaming club, and somewhere to order minis from.

Lofty