Intermittent Tone

Well it's been nearly two weeks since I had chance to post anything. It's been that busy.
I did get a bit of painting done a week or so ago, nearly finished Ravyn finally, and some extra bits on a couple of other models. I was at a festival for the Easter weekend too so that was a write off for modelling. I did however pick up eVyros that weekend and literally just put away his base and sub assemblies until later, as I really don't have much time today.

I'll hopefully be able to get back into a regular hobby/blogging cycle soon, once things calm down. However, the theatre company i'm involved with has a production soon so I'm quite busy with that. I'm also training for a 10km obstacle course this year (sponsorship posts to follow :P) but that's usually during lunchtimes at work so that shouldn't interfere too much.

What I'm really itching to do at the moment is get my airbrush set up and go to town on Hyperion, so hopefully I can make that a priority for the next window of opportunity.

A pretty lacklustre post today, so I'll end with an apology, and a reassurance that things will calm down soon and I can start to post results more often

Thanks for stopping by
Lofty

Mi Casa

Might seem daft posting again without having unpacked any miniatures... I've been musing though so I thought I'd share :)

Hyperion is still AWOL, but I've been trying to come up with a good base theme for the model when I get it. Its a huge model and no small chunk of cash so I wondered if any if you guys had suggestions based on seeing my basing work to date?

I've also been wondering where to go after that with my ret, vyre jacks and Ossyan, (eventually leading to some houseguard) or eVyros and a Destor thane (because Vyros is awesome and who doesn't love cavalry?). Again, any thoughts guys?

After the house us a bit more sorted and work/ social events have calmed down I'll be able to establish my hobby setup again and get into it :).
Until then, Thanks for stopping by
Lofty

Boxed in

Yes, it's me, Yes I'm still alive, no I've not unpacked my hobby stuff yet...

Just wanted to add a  post saying that We've made it to the new house, and I've still got a room (shared this time) to have a gaming table and keep the majority of my stuff.

Also still chasing the Hyperion I've had on order, and eager to get hold of eVyros, and a destor thane. Vyre myrmidons might have to be either magnetized or purchased when I get my bonus this year :p

Thanks for stopping by, hopefully I'll be able to update soon with more relevant hobby stuff

Cheers
Lofty

Warpath

More fun with Barnabus this week. Won one lost one, and still really enjoying him as a caster.

I also made some progress with Discordia and hope to been done with pics soon. Slowly getting back into the swing of painting, and I'm looking forward to getting some momentum going.

I think I might switch forces for a while once this 15pt league is finished at the club. Barny is a little limited and makes for a pretty predictable game. Being so tough doesn't help his image.
I'd like to try Vyros again, but he really isn't the easiest caster to use. Possibly Garryth I suppose, time will tell :)

Not much else goin on really but I aim to blog at least once a week.

Let me know your thoughts on next caster and maybe why :)

Thanks for stopping by
Lofty


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The (crit) fires of industry

I've had a string of net related issues recently, but I finally managed to track down and order the MHSF, UA and Ravyn along with some 0.5mm drill hits and brass rod, I'm not taking any chances with those crossbows!

I'm still without net access at home however, but that's only detriment to my post count :p in all seriousness, I've been painting a lot more without the distraction.

Last night I finally put the finishing touches to Xerxis who has been close to completion for months. I also buckled down and re based my stormfall archers (better cork than a wine bottle cork) and painted all 4 backpacks bar metallics which I'm chuffed with as the amount of separate detail on them was daunting.
I'm going to be playing Vyros/Xerxis for my next few games, hopefully pulling off a win with V. If not it's all practice, and I enjoy playing both casters so there's no real loss.

All the while I will be painting Ravyn and re-visiting my magno-jack for her second manticore.
Goodtimes.

Not much else going on really 'cept Halloween shenanigans. Still very determined to get Vyros working, reading everything I can pertaining to his use. I'll get there one day :)

Thanks for dropping by
Lofty

WIP week

Big V got his Paint stripped, which I think I mentioned, and I also finished painting my DND character (war priest prestige class) shown below as well. The model began life as the Avatars of War War Priest model, see if you can spot which parts have been added :P

Other than that, there isn't much new going on, Payday on Monday and I still have no clue what I'll be spedning my monthly mini budget on, Might talk to the guys at the tourney tomorrow and see what opinion I can canvas.

Speaking of tournies, below are the two lists I'll be taking;

Dawnlord Vyros +6 points

* 2x Griffon 4 points each
* Phoenix 10 points

Arcanist 1 point
10 Dawnguard Sentinels 9 points
* Sentinel Officer & Standard 2 points
Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen 5 points
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt 4 points
Lanyssa Ryssyl 2 points

----------------------------------------------------

Adeptis Rahn +6 points

* Manticore 8 points
* Phoenix 10 points

Arcanist 1 point
10 Dawnguard Sentinels 9 points
* Sentinel Officer & Standard 2 points
House Shyeel Battle Mages 5 points
2x House Shyeel Magister 2 points each
Mage Hunter Assassin 2 points

Should be fun, as my game with Vyros on Monday was a really close one, which I enjoyed immensely, I will of course keep you posted on the results :)

Thanks for stopping by

Lofty

Technological interference

It's been a long week. Not only did my iPhone give up the ghost and need to be returned to the shop for repair, but my broadband provider decided to switch my service off early before the next IP could connect me...

Many angry phone calls later, and the internet seems to be back up, but my beloved iPhone is still a week away apparently.

Anyhow, in the meantime, my lost package finally arrived, and I have converted up and painted the Avatars of War War-Priest miniature to represent my DND Cleric. Very pleased with the final results, which I will hopefully be able to take pictures of this weekend.

I also had a game with Vyros at the club this week (yes that's right, Vyros) and it was a very closely fought game. eNemo's feat is horrendous when he runs many 'jacks (who wouldn't run many 'jacks with him?) but Defensive line and Inviolable resolve on Sentinels is one tough nut to crack. Vyros held his own with a flanking Griffon, but I had left him far back behind his own lines, as I insist on playing every 'caster as support until I get it through my thick skull to do otherwise.

I actually almost won the game thanks to an Arcanist un-disrupting my Phoenix and allowing him to get to Nemo (gotta love mobility on a heavy) but of course I missed with his thermal blade (snake eyes) hit with the fist, then snake eyes on the bought sword attack. Gutted doesn't even cover it to be honest.
This is all after two sentinels fluffed attack rolls the turn before, so overall I was quite pleased with my first WM game in months.

Hordes has taught me a lot about the game system(s) but deployment is still a weakness, as is order of activation. For some reason, I always seem to allocate focus to the Phoenix, despite it still being there at the end of the turn...

I'm really in two minds whether or not to run Vyros at the tourney this Sunday, or to stick with Xerxis, who I am a bit more comfortable with. If I can get a couple of Vassal games in before the weekend then I may well take Vyros. We shall see what time permits.

Payday is a-comin' and for the first time in a long while, I have no list of miniatures ready to snap up from the LGS. I'm toying with the idea of Discordia for Vyros at 50 pts (even though I bought the minion elf 'lock for just such a purpose grumblegrumble) as a spray attack on his feat turn would be ridiculous. In anticipation of the Retribution Destors who are rumoured for this year, I'm tempted to pick up the second unit of sentinels for Vyros' tier, reinforced by the amateur mistakes I made with the first unit I built (let's just say I wash all my minis before assembly, and pin pretty much all joins nowadays). Or perhaps battle mages for Rahn's tier, Mage hunters and Ravyn, the list goes on...
Then there is Hordes to consider, Marketh is out this month sure, and I want Orin and an agonizer for Xerxis' brick, but what else should I get? Beastmasters, Arcuarii?

Much pondering is needed before I get my grubby mitts on a month's worth of money...
Any input is greatly appreciated!

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

Tyrants

Xerxis is on the painting table tonight. As I'm looking forward to a beatstick caster that I can really get stuck in with. After building my hopes up in Vyros I think this may be a refreshing change. After talking to a friend of mine however, I realise that Makeda has two pointy sticks, despite me never getting her into combat... Perhaps I'm just paranoid about assassinations and not used to the transfer mechanic...
Does anyone have any thoughts on Makeda as a melée caster? I'd be very interested to hear any advice on this :)

In other news, I ordered a Bronzeback and a Krea from my LGS after deciding that a place to game is more important than online discounts. After the genesis event, they have certainly earned my loyalty. All I need to order online is hobby tools etc.

Not too much else to report really. Might get time for some WIPs this weekend if I make decent progress, and I'll be at the club on Monday with Xerxis or eMakeda, and a write up :)

Thanks for stopping by
Lofty

Reflections

Ok, things I learned last night (a loss for those of you had dared to share my dream of otherwise :p)

1. The Fane Knight us worth his weight in gold... When he hits. A dismounted charge on rahn(ret v ret) left him with 5 boxes, but then I whiffed the second attack. Very glad I bought him to field though

2. Positioning - I suck at it, deploying second should give me chance to respond to threats, but I seem to deploy as though I'm first to deploy. Need to shake my preconceived ideas for deployment and factor in the bad guys

3. I need to remember things better, the Phoenix field, I barely ever remember to use, like the continuous fire on the sword

4. Vengance only triggers when the officer survives. Be more careful. Nuff said

5. I need to know what things do when I decided to take them. Like Aiyana and Holt, can he charge after she has cast a spell? How the he'll can he hit with mat/rat 4 if not? :s

6. Vyros really isn't the beatstick I think he is. Yes flank is good, but it's also pretty situational. He's a fair support caster for his jacks, with mobility and his feat(tricky) and Hallowed avenger upkeep, but his low foc doesn't make for a fantastic melée turn if he is upkeeping anything, especially with my tendency to roll below 3 on any given dice with vyros.
He is, however, unkillable with inviolable resolve and focus camped :p

Pics this weekend I promise, less Walls of text I hope in future as well as I get back into a painting routine. Lots of things going on ATM both at work and with marriage planning.

Thanks for dropping by

Lofty

Pressganged

I had my first PP sanctioned game last night. (organised by my local PG).

Still losing with Vyros, but I'm slowly but surely learning the rules. I'm also learning that I hate Cryx. Well maybe not so much cryx but spray templates in general.

Something else that has become apparent is that I know nothing about the models I'm facing. Which leads me into some silly situations, like the exploding scrap thralls, wish I has known what they did first :)
I also still haven't used Vyros' feat... Timing is a big issue for me, and I should be letting Vyros keep focus, and feat, rather than feeding jacks every turn.

I'm going to shake up my list a little, and see if I can get the hang of him a little better. I will be giving Rahn a try too, just as a break, as well as getting 'second caster' practice in as well.
Really enjoyed my games however, and despite losing, I was pleased with my performance (totalled a thunderhead with sentinels game one, and one-shotted a bonejack with MHA game two)

Thanks for stopping by :)
Lofty

Morphing into Primal

Just left this weeks club, where I was beaten by a Kaya list. I put up a fair fight though with Vyros. Going first left me doing a lot of manoeuvring with my sentinels, and Phoenix.

I was pretty chuffed with the MHA on turn two though who hit a feral warpwolf, but then went on to roll a one(above armour) for a doubled damage of two.... Couldve been nasty though.
Man of the match is the Phoenix however, who took out a lot of infantry and put the hurt on a second warpwolf before being eaten.

My problem is no longer remembering the rules, but thinking how to apply them. Vyros' feat and flank being the main contender. I find it difficult to decide the activation order of models to make them work together best.

This will come with practice though, and above all else, the game is still a lot of fun while losing/learning.

Also - gotta love weapon masters on the charge :D

Cheers
Lofty

Let the good times roll

I'm sitting on the train after my first visit to my now regular gaming night :) I had a great time. Met the local Warmahordes contingent and a few others, and watched a 50pt battle. Both players were nice guys, and watching them play left me kicking myself that I hadn't brought any minis. Not to worry though. I'll be cutting teeth with my 35points vyros list next week. Should be great!
Really pleased I messaged the guy and went along.
Cheers for stopping by :)
Lofty

Sunday Afternoon

I got my package from the local post office on Friday, and spent the afternoon drooling over the miniatures before going out for the evening. I was really pleased with the quality of the miniatures, amazing detail, hardly any flash/mold lines at all, and the metal is very receptive to being cleaned, either by back-scraping with a modeling knife, or being filed. Well done PP!

I glued Vyross and one Invictor to their base, to which I added sand, and also mounted heads and weapons for each model on paper clip pieces for ease of painting. I hope to have dryer weather at some point this afternoon to prime them all black. Once I have a paint scheme set on the one Invictor, I can start to assemble and prime the rest of the unit while taking my time over Vyross. I'll get some pictures up when I have some progress to show :)

Not really much else to report really, apart from being infuriated that my order of Legends arrive before the Prime Remix book, so I can't get reading :P Not really best pleased with all the postal strikes etc, as I only received my miniatures as they required a signature on delivery. I've been waiting for the remix book, and some rare earth magnets for ten days now. Never mind,  It will arrive some day, and I have plenty to be busy with until then!

Cheers

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