Sunday, March 27, 2016

Next 3D Model - Winterdale Tavern

On Friday I printed my next 3D model, the Winterdale Tavern. This is an 11 piece model and I think one of the nicest in their range.

I've glued it together bar attaching the front (where the water troughs are). I'll attach this later as due to the U-shaped design painting would be a bitch if glued now.

The architecture fits in with the TTW pieces I have so I'll be keen to see how well it complements them when I paint it up.
I like the quirky character of this model - and the attention to detail that Printable Scenery have given it.

The piece on the front right hasn't been glued on yet to facilitate painting.

I've started painting the River Mill now and then I will give this a go.

 

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Tabletop World - Workman's Cottage

I finally got around to basing the TTW Workman's Cottage I painted recently.

It is on a piece of 6mm mdf left over from my table. The square is 8" to give you an idea of size.

Walls and fences are GW, as it static grass. The tufts are a mix of Warlord, Army Painter and Silfuor. The flower beds are Silfuor.

Generally I lay down the gravel areas with a mix of basing material and then seal with watered down glue. The grassed area has a first layer of PVA with a small amount of sand added. This is then painted brown before the grass is applied onto new PVA.

Nice to have another terrain piece finished.

 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

River Mill Assembled

Here's some pics of the assembled River Mill. I'm probably going to target a couple of the joins with craft knife when it is set and may house some filler if it looks necessary.

Happy how it has turned out. Next step will be some primer then paint ver the weekend.

 

First Winterdale Terrain Piece - River Mill

Over the past few evenings I have been using my 3D printer to print the fourteen files needed to create the first terrain piece I attempted from the Winterdale Kickstrarter.

This is their River Mill and I decided on it for a couple of reasons. It is interesting; it is of a sufficient size to test the printer and its capabilities; and I don't have any terrain feature like it.

That is the complete model on Printable Scenery's website and here are the complete set of pieces that I have printed.

I know have to do some cleaning up prior to construction and then painting. Hopefully I'll have completely built model up tonight.

The Great Sword walking through gives an idea of the scale. It is a big building.

 

Monday, March 21, 2016

Reload! Cancelled

Unfortunate news from TO Neil Williamson, numbers for Reload! were insufficient for it to go ahead.

This is a real shame particularly as the local KOW community tries to grow towards a critical mass.

Hopefully it is just an unfortunate weekend but the recent numbers for KoW events in NZ have not been great. The Warlord Super Series "Summer" event attracted 8, Battlecry 10 and the upcoming Nationals has 8. On top of this the NZTC and Reload! have had to be shelved due to lack of support.

If people are keen to have KOW events then they really need to be supporting them to make it worth the organisers' efforts.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

T9A - The Vermin Swarm

This morning I sat down and read the v0.99 beta for The Vermin Storm for T9A.

I will say that they pretty much read as I expected them too - in that there were no surprises or WTF moments. The army book lets you build an army that with units and models would not look out of place in the Warhammer World.

One caveat - I have not read the main rules so my comments should be viewed in that context. I'm guessing "Insignificant" means doesn't count for Core and "Toxic Attacks" is some variant of poison.

The individual entries are 99% what I thought an ETC comp team would do if let loose on the Skaven book. Largely everything is dialled back one or two notches while the misfire consequences are amplified a touch. The randomness has been squeezed down a lot and layers of special moves removed. What this means is that you get a far greater KoW feel with T9A Skaven than with WHFB v8. For instance the Hellpit Abomination (now just the Abomination) looks like it will play far more as generic monster A than in 8th where it was unique.

Does this mean that things are good or bad? I've no real idea if Vermin Swarm will play like a rat horde than under 8th. I suspect it will be smaller given the changes to Slaves. Certainly I don't think it is as random as it was previously but there are enough people who remember Skaven randomness as solely beneficial that when a committee got hold of it it was only ever going to be dialled back.

Looking forward to seeing what people make of the list and how armies distill once it is up and running.

 

Saturday, March 19, 2016

New FAQ for Kings of War

Mantic have released a new FAQ for KOW. You can get it here

Hills have a new default height.

Looks like they have addressed most of the issues.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Another Test Print

Moved the printer to the garage last night and spent some time leveling the bed. Printed off the following:


Pretty happy with the quality and the resolution.



This weekend I'll start on a terrain piece



Thursday, March 17, 2016

My First 3D Prints

As I noted last week I have purchased a 3D printer to use as part of my hobby. The Wanhao printer arrived from 3Design on Monday and last evening I cracked open the box.

It took Tom and I about 25-30 minutes to get it set up and the bed levelled to a point where we could make the first print.

This little octopus is 6cm from tentacle tip to adjacent tentacle tip. There is some graining and I need to read up as to why that is. In most cases it is recommended that you treat the prints with acetone to remove the ridges.

After the octopus I tried to print one of the Winterdale walls from Printable Scenery. It took me a while to work out how to do it. I had to download the Wanhao Cura software off their website and then imported the Winterdale "Walls" file in.

This is their Short Wall which is approximately 8cm long. It took approximately 40 minutes to print. I have cleaned it up but was happy with the result as proof of concept.

The next few nights I intend to play around with settings to try and fine tune the output. If there are any 3D printers out there I'd certainly appreciate feedback/comment on the prints/mistakes I'm making/what I should do post-production.

Exciting!

 

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Ninth Age Nearing Completion

With my cry for help yesterday over my missing the "fun" aspects evident in WHFB v8, I was told that all my pleas might be answered with the upcoming release of The Ninth Age.

Apparently the 0.99 Beta is being released with a view to finalising the completed product by April. Posters on Twitter and some of the commentators to the blog have told me that it will address all my 8th Ed yearnings.

I hope they are right but let's say I'm skeptical.

"Why?" I hear you ask Dear Reader. Well two reasons. First it is being designed by Committee (and not one but it appears 20+ committees) and secondly, the Europeans (at the heart of the venture) have a long history - via ETC - of killing any kernel of randomness in the game.

Now I hope I'm wrong but I suspect I'm not. For so long things such as scenarios were a foreign country to the people involved. The Magic Phase was something to be regulated even if that had unintended consequences - the emergence of points denial death stars that plagued the ETC 2012-14. Any item of fun e.g. The Reign of Chaos in Daemons for instance, had to be removed because it was "random". The whole concept of having to adapt in the event of randomness was an enigma that couldn't be faced.

Although I confess to not having read the multiple iterations that T9A has gone through, hearing things like the removal of "Insane Courage" on a Double 1 doesn't make me a happy little camper.

So yes I'm keen to see the final product but we'll see how much "fun" survives the great Euro bureaucracy approach.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

I Really Miss Warhammer Fantasy

I was thinking over the weekend about gaming and it dawned on me I really miss playing Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

That doesn't mean I'm not enjoying Kings of War - which I think is a really good game - rather that I'm missing the Warhammer World. Not unexpectedly, I don't feel the same sense of attachment to the Mantica world that I do with the Old World. That has nothing to do with depth - I think Mantic have done a good job providing context - but more with familiarity. I just don't care about Mantica the way I cared about the Warhammer World.

I have made a conscious effort to embrace Ratkin but when it comes down to it they don't mean as much to me as Skaven. The Council of Thirteen's plans to take over the world really would have worked if they had just been given time! Certainly my Grey Seer, the Mighty Seerlord Morskitta was but an inch from world domination - and he would have got there too but for that silly gold nose*.

But it is not just the fluff I miss, it is also the game itself. I really really loved 8th Edition. I liked the mechanisms inherent in the game....the requirement for risk rather than resource management. Towards the end of the five year lifespan of the rules I got a bit jaded but that I put down to playing a lot of ETC-hammer with the same list (guaranteed to squeeze the fun out of any game).

I miss the Magic Phase, I miss Random Charge lengths........basically I miss the fun.

Of course this is all rose-tinted glasses. I don't miss the ubiquitous Banner of the World Dragon, the 1+ Rerollable Armour Saves with 4++ Ward. I don't miss the points denial that the 20-0 scoring system created. But I think at its heart v8 was a "fun" game. And I'd like to play it again.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Terrain - Tabletop World Blacksmith

I've had the Tabletop World OOP blacksmith sitting on my painting table so decided to base it ready for gaming.

I wanted to make a diorama base for it and so have added some extra bits to provide some context.

As well as the Blacksmith I've added an outbuilding with hearth in it, as well as workman's bench, anvil and cabinets.
The whole enclosure is walled and a copse of trees added.
Around the back are some flower beds with a path leading to the front.
At the front gate is a kennel for the blacksmith's guard cat.
Some close ups show the work area with tools and hearth.
The stairs up to the house with more flower beds and water barrel.

Sorry the photos are a bit overexposed but you get the gist.

 

Friday, March 11, 2016

My Latest Toy - A 3-D Printer

Just before the holiday break I backed a Kickstarter by local company Printable Scenery that creates files for medieval Wargaming terrain pieces. These files have been delivered and a new funding project is being run through Indiegogo for additional files (which I've also backed).

Initially, I was going to get my stuff printed but that is not really efficient or economic. Therefore I have bitten the bullet and purchased a 3D printer of my own.

I sought advice from Matt and he directed me towards the Wanhao Duplicator i3 v2. After reading a few websites and watching a few YouTube videos, I went to the NZ distributor, 3Design, and ordered a unit.

Initially I had been looking at the da Vinci Printer but it was pointed out that it required proprietary consumables and produced lower quality prints - so I shelved that idea.

The new toy should arrive in the next few days and hopefully by next weekend I'll have it up and running.

 

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Mantic's New Wights

Mantic are releasing new models for their Wights.

These are Large Infantry so are made for 40mm bases.

The models look quite nice, I think. They are suitably varied and I think the paint job they've been given captures their essence well. I particularly like the one on the right, rampaging with his scythe.

Here's another angle of them. Certainly can see them turning up in a few local Undead armies.

 

Friday, March 4, 2016

Kings of War - Six Months In

I looked at the calendar the other day and realised that I had been playing KoW v2 for six months. Happy Half Birthday to me! That gives me sufficient distance to have looked at the game and decide whether it is or is not for me.

Unsurprisingly the answer is "Yes, I Like It". And I thought I'd go through some of the reasons why. None will be new to those who are regular visitors to the blog as they have all appeared in other posts and the Hidden Easter Egg series I've run through the past six months as I got to know the game. In the first instance I like it because it plays a lot like historical Ancient/Medieval Wargames I've played in the past....and especially enjoyed.

So here are a list of things I like about the game (and followed by a smaller list of things I'd prefer were different):

  • Massed Ranked Unit Game - critical for me. Skirmish games are ok but I much prefer playing big battle games. Currently KoW and the upcoming 9th Age are the only real options
  • Company-Supported - this is critical for me as I like to get excited by new releases and new directions. I also like the idea of a "central entity" rather than a committee of gamers deciding these things. I subscribe to the 'benevolent dictator' model rather than the socialist collective model where everyone has a say (and all voices are valid). My experience is that it is very hard to develop fan-driven games though I accept it can be done. Personally I'd rather buy into a commercial product where they have "skin in the game".
  • Rules (Presentation) - I like the KoW rules. They are presented well and have the right level of complexity. I am a great believer that complexity =/= depth and Alessio has managed to present a set of rules to act as a framework for games in 40 pages where the core concepts are well explained and their is little ambiguity.
  • Rules (Concepts) - The core concepts of the rules are very intuitive and easy to grasp. That means an experienced gamer new to KoW can pick up the rules, read them and pretty much have an understanding of how a game will play. This is a testament to the presentation but also to the design. "You" do everything in your turn, moving through a set series of stages and there is limited use of exceptions.
  • Rules (Accessability) - In almost all games you need to have a good grasp of the rules to be successful. However in a number of games currently en vogue you need to have a knowledge of ALL the rules to be really successful. This then rewards the person who builds up a knowledge base by knowing all the army books, all the races and all the combos. It doesn't necessarily reward better tactical thinkers or strategists (unless they have put the time in). KoW is different. Streamlined Core Rules, Building Block Units, Set Series of Special Rules and Universal Set of Magic Item. The Accessability Curve is therefore much flatter - and given a few months - everyone should be similar in "the knowledge".
  • Building Block Army Creation - as above less combo-hammer. But also arguably a harder list building exercise because there is no granularity in points value. No dropping two models here, a musician there etc to squeeze items in.
  • Game Time - I can pretty much play a 2000 point game in two hours. That makes it great for week nights and also...dare I say it...in a world of Gen-Y and Gen-Me opponents who have far busier lives than me. The days of dedicating 3-4 hours to a single game are gone.
  • Emphasis on Tactics - the game seems from my limited understanding of real life military doctrine, to reward the general principle of concentration of force. Therefore there is a reward for manoeuvre.
  • Scenario Play - variety is the spice of life and in the case of Wargames acts as its own form of comp....rewards combined arms lists.
  • Challenge of the Clock - timed games, while less social, introduce a new challenge into the game.
  • Cost - apart from the rules and trays, for a Warhammer refugee the game is virtually free. Mantic have welcomed GW's detritus with open arms not only giving us similar lists in the main Rulebook but also creating "Uncharted Empires" for our other armies.
  • Terrain - KoW requires new and in some cases different terrain. I love terrain and I like the conceptual nature of KoW's terrain system.
  • Modelling Opportunities - the unit basing creates opportunities for diorama basing and anything that encourages hobby is good in my book.
  • Playability for Tournaments - no need for Comp, no need for 100 pages of FAQ, no need to second guess answers because the Company doesn't support its rules - need I say more.

So what don't I like? Well at the moment the only two things that I hope very different are the inclusion of Allies and the lack or randomness.

 

I always think Allies provide opportunity to fill holes with units rather than tactics. My preference would be that armies have weaknesses that you must adjust play style to overcome. The ability to just plug in a unit from elsewhere is not something that sits easily - though I can appreciate the rules mechanisms that Mantic have included so there are disadvantages.

 

With randomness, I wish there were more situations than just the "Double 1" roll that you couldn't cater for. That's just the risk manager in me appreciating that even in what is a fantasy simulation I hoped for more scope where you might have to deal with unexpected outcomes. As it stands in KoW, if you throw enough force at something there is only 1/36 chance of unexpected outcome. It feels too certain.

 

So that's my current thought process on the game - I'm enjoying it and it providing life to collections that have been lovingly built up over years.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

KOW Update - Elves Finished

I've managed to finish painting and basing the models I needed to get my Elves "KoW-Ready". If you remember these are High Elves that I purchased years ago from Phil Comins. I needed to get a few extra models done as well as paint a Drakon Rider Hero painted from scratch.

They are now all done and I have 2000 points fully painted, based and ready to take the table in anger...well as much in anger as PEGs can get. I'm guessing it is more a fit of pique.

I also hope to get 2000 points of Orcs based this weekend along with the same number of points in Ogres. I'm not sure what holes there are in my lists but will probably need to paint the Fleabags I bought recently. When done I'll have four painted and based armies of 2000 points ready to go at a moment's notice. I'm keen to continue converting others as required.

Let the Elf Angst begin! A race empowered to see a slight in a tight smile.