Call to Arms - The Podium Contenders

Looking at the CTA lists I believe the event is very very open. I could list ten contenders for 1st and none would surprise me if they took it out. But tradition (and pride) doesn't allow me to pick ten people so I have narrowed it down to five.

Missing Warriors of Chaos

What will strike you immediately is that I have not included any Warriors of Chaos in my Top 5. Why? Well two of the Warriors (sam Whitt and Ryan Lister) are running their armies for the first time and although it is a blunt instrument I believe it will take awhile for them to have strategies/tactics tuned. Stu Robinson ran his WoC at Panzershreck but Rounds 5 and 6 were very brutal for Stu. I'm not sure the counselling he has had since then will be enough to see him over the line.

And Damon Quaid? Well he has the best WoC list but he is from the South Island and I can't therefore pick him and maintain any credibility. Sure if the planets align, Prince Harry officially acknowledges his father and/or the Warriors win the NRL, then maybe, just maybe.

No. 5 - Harry Dixon (Tomb Kings)

The observant amongst you will have noticed how much Harry's list has improved since the Horned Rat. Harry will also have shaken out the ring rust that comes with not playing for two years. Watch him, he's the smokie!

No. 4 - Hamish Gordon (Skaven)

Running his Horned Gobbo list where he threatened but ultimately failed to deliver at the last hurdle. A good list and with more experience Hamish should be driving this to a Top 5 finish. Gets the nod over Locky Reid who is currently more worried about his costume for some deviant orgy when there is a tournament on the horizon. Focus, Locky! Focus!

No. 3 - Joel Van de Ven-Long (Empire)

I pick him every time... and he let's me down. But just like people backed Michael Campbell to win a Major from 1995, I'm not getting off the horse now. Definitely one of the top two strongest lists on show, Joel really has no excuses.

No. 2 - Raymond Dick (Vampire Counts)

The list may not look breathtaking on paper but this list screams "SYNERGY". Raymond is a wily old campaigner and if people check out the FOB Honour Roll you'll see he pops up generally at least once a year on the podium. It hasn't happened in 2013.....yet.

No. 1 - Sam Campbell (Daemons of Chaos)

A Special Character, 12 under-pointed Beasts of Nurgle and two of the most broken thing in the game (hey, I read the internet) how can Sam fail not to win this event. No, seriously, how can he? A very very strong list with all the tools. If perchance Sam does fail to win then he should take off all his clothes, visit the mirror room and TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT HIMSELF. Seriously Sam, if you don't podium perhaps it's time to concede that this may not be the game for you. I understand Guardcon is offering 40k.

So there you go. Crazy Pete's Form Guide. Back those winners in.

FOB NZ Rankings - Warhammer 40k Nicon Update

I received the Nicon 40k results yesterday and the rankings have been updated accordingly.

This has seen Scott Birrell and Anthony Davy enter the Top 10 and Masters contention. Steve Davis, Pascal Roggen and David Foster also improved their ranking score.

New Zealand Team Championship 2014 - Registrations Open

Registrations are now open for the 2014 NZTC. These will be held on 1st and 2nd March 2014 at the Khandallah Town Hall here in Wellington.

The Players Pack can be downloaded here

The event is limited to 16 teams of four.

All details re registration are included in the pack.

Pete Lite Comp - The Skullcannon Conundrum

Most of the discussion around loosening the warmachine cap has centred on whether in conjunction with this Skullcannons should be 0-1 in a Daemons of Chaos army.

Now given that the Skullcannon is one fugly model I am not unsympathetic to that train of thought, however I do reserve doubts that such a restriction is needed.

Most of the "compers" cite the fact that Ironblasters are 0-1 under Pete-Lite and centre their analysis on a comparison between the two. Local gamer Hamish Gordon has written a very readable analysis on his blog which you can access here

However I don't think it is necessarily the best analysis to consider the unit in isolation. Rather I think you need to look at the situation as to what units add to the overall competitiveness of the army.

Here are my thoughts on Ogres and Ironblasters taken from the FOB comments:

There has to be variation between armies and Daemons unlike Ogres, for instance, are much more susceptible to Magic (ref: Hellheart, Dispel Scroll, Feedback Scroll, Rune Maw). 

Does DoC having two Skullcannons break the game? No. Personally I'd only use one as points are spent better elsewhere.

Does OKs having two Ironblasters break the game? A lot of people said yes last year, hence the restriction.

Now I have both dogs in the fight. I own Ogre Kingdoms and steered them very successfully in 2012. I will say that running two Ironblasters lifted them from a good army to a great army, their only real weakness being Warriors of Chaos during that time.

Recently I have played Daemons and used one and two Skullcannons. Neither army in the guise I ran it is as strong as an OK army with all the toys, limited to one Ironblaster.

Now that's not to say there may not be builds that are at this level of competitiveness. The Nurgle Beast build backed by Epidemis and two Skullcannons was cited by Hamish as potentially all-conquering. However I think we have to see this in practice rather than by internet analysis. Tournaments are not won purely based on Theoryhammer.

Should we see a string of wins by the 2 Skullcannon army and people flocking to build such an all-conquering build then perhaps that is the time to start limiting Skullcannons.

Skaven for CTA - Ratz N Da Hood

So I wanted to change up my Skaven for Call to Arms after running similar lists at Runefang and Horned Rat. Being a boy from Pomare and therefore having enormous street cred, living how I is (see what I did there) in the mean streets of Khandallah, Seerlord Morskitta decided to go gangsta!

Here's the list I'm packing (getting into the lingo now, biatches):

Seerlord Morskitta - Bell (nice ride), Skalm, Power Scroll, Dragonbane Gem

BSB - Standard of Discipline (keeping the homies in check)

Engineer - Level 2 (packing extra heat), Condenser, Doomrocket (pew-pew)

Engineer - Level 1, Dispel Scroll (word), Ruby Ring (more heat...oh this works on so many levels)

Engineer (pretty fly for a white guy)

Assassin - Weeping Blades, Potion of Strength (Mr. One Man Gang)

33 Stormvermin - Full Command, Storm Banner (Foot Soldiers, my homos homies)

40 Slaves (biatches)

40 Slaves (more biatches)

39 Slaves (even more biatches)

22 Slaves (running short on biatches)

6 Gutter Runners - slings, poison (pew-pew)

6 Gutter Runners - slings, poison (more pew-pew)

Hell Pit Abomination (one nasty mofo)

Doomwheel (Drive By with souped up hydraulics)

Doomwheel (Don't you be eyeballing me)

Skaven Styln' N Da Hood Pomare Style

Seerlord Morskitta has oodles of street credibility and will be popin' caps while downing a trim soy latte at a table near you. Peace out.

Tale of X Gamers - Heresy Edition

It has been awhile since we have had an update on progress towards 1500 point Heresy armies. I know I got distracted with Daemons and Skaven and the release schedule that GW have keep up has put a lot of people in the same boat.

Here are the latest photos I received:

1. Ultramarines - Hagen Kerr

Hagen has given us two shots of his Veteran Squad.

2. World Eaters - David Grieg

It's character models from David.

Apothecary

Kharn

Legion Sergeant

And the limited future, Librarian

Thanks to both for sending them in. A kick up the backside for the rest of us.

So where am I? I have assembled two Contemptors, an Apothecary and a Praetor. They are on the priming table waiting for an order of White Primer to arrive. I'll have something up in the next fortnight.

Doomwheel - Classic Case of New Model Syndrome

There is a perpetual superstition among wargamers that a newly painted model never performs on its first outing. It's even got a name "New Model Syndrome".

And so it was yesterday as I took my new Doomwheel out for its first spin in a game against Mike's Lizards. We were playing Battle for the Pass and my 24" line had a building and two woods straddling it. This left very limited opportunities for placement of my Doomwheels. And so I took a chance and deployed in a wood.

Of course you all know what happened - "1" followed by a "6", then remove the model from play.

Things can only get better!

Straight off track and into a wall

Ripley the Cat never knew what hit her

The Doomwheel had picked up a stray goblin en route to the battle

Never ever expect a  newly painted model to perform! It's one of the truisms of wargaming.

Pete Lite Comp: Warmachine Cap - A Revision Due?

There has been some chat this week on Twitter re the warmachine cap in Pete Lite Comp. Currently warmachines are limited to four (with two O&G chukkas counting as a single choice and the Steam Tank counting as a choice).

The question posed is would it be such a bad thing if the cap was removed?

The armies it impacts most on are Dwarfs, Chaos Dwarfs and Empire.

Would we see a change in the makeup of those armies if the cap was removed.

I believe that we would see an increase in warmachines and I think that I would be comfortable in limiting only bolt throwers and their ilk to being 3+. This would mean that there would continue to be a limit on cannons (though Empire it seems are ok with three, if you include the Steam Tank - not sure why they are ok).

There seems to be two schools developing. The one is that the game is becoming Monster-hammer - and multi wound warmachines are a counter to this - while the other is that Monsters are largely missing from the game.

I think that the truth (as always) is in the middle. However I do think a Dwarf gunline or an Empire battery is a response to Monster-hammer and if you think that is the best investment of points then should you be restricted?

However I know Dwarf players and I'd confidently expect to face 6+ warmachines and 3+ scroll runes castled up in a corner looking for that 10-10 win.

What do people think? Should the warmachine cap be removed to be replaced with "Only Bolt Throwers and Spear Chukkas can be 3+".

The point of Pete Lite has always been to be permissive. This is becoming more so as we see more 8th Ed books. I expect a swathe of Lizard restrictions may go if the book is rebalanced on release.

Call to Arms Army Lists Published

The CTA WHFB umpire James Millington has asked me to publish the CTA lists on Fields of Blood.

You can download them here

Better Lizardmen Pictures Emerge

I'm not going to post them here as we'll be able to see the official versions in 48 hours but you can check them out here

Lizardmen will be sharing High Lore with the High Elves but with a Lore Attribute called "Contemplations". With this, if he successfully casts a spell he can choose to forget the spell and then randomly generate a new spell he has access to. Spooky!