Hobby Update

This weekend I finished my Luminarch sans base and crew.

I've now started on the Hurricanium. Certainly painting a lot of yellow and Averland Sunset is my new go-to colour.

Once the Hurricanium is done I'll do the crew for both vehicles.

 

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The "Ninth Age" Beta is Out

The Warhammer Fantasy rewrite "Ninth Age" has released its beta here.

Post Call to Arms (next weekend) I am keen to try these out and get some playtesting done.

If any locals are interested then please let me know.

ETC This Weekend

The ETC is on in Prague this weekend and the NZ team warmed up with a win against Singapore in the Challenge Shield match.

Great result guys.....now onto the main event!

 

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My Kickstarters - Update

On Monday my latest Kickstarter arrived - the card game "Exploding Kittens". This delivered on time and the product meets all its specs.


I thought it might be worth looking at the Kickstarters I've backed over the past few years and see where they lie.


Tablescapes - Secret Weapon Miniatures


Originally due to deliver in October 2013, the bulk delivered in October 2014 with last four tiles in May 2015. High quality product with very good communication throughout. Regular updates even when news was bad. Would use again.


Deadzone Scenery - Mantic


Delivered on time in December 2013. Product as described. Good communication and updates. Would use again.


Creature Caster Daemons & Dragons


Meant to deliver in November 2014 but still outstanding. The models - bar one - have all been printed but now need to be produced. Unfortunately the principal, Jeremy Glen, appears unwilling to communicate when that will be. My expectation is that if we see them before Xmas 2015 we'll be lucky. Classic example of a Kickstarter that was too successful and the promoter did not have the resources to meet his timelines. Communication very patchy especially if news is bad. Disappointed in service and would not support future projects.


Custom Game Dice


I paid in USD37 to get 24 full customisable dice (planned to get Skaven Artillery and Scatter Dice). Guy bought laser, dice and paints and then nothing. The promised website never eventuated. It was meant to deliver in October 2014 but around that times things went "back". Since then we have had three updates saying he's ill, has to move, had a baby, dog ate my homework. The accountant says I should write that $37 off.


Games & Gears Pro Line Brush


Brush set and accessories that delivered on time in September 2014. I would support future Kickstarter.


Darklands Monstrous Mounts - Mierce


Due to deliver in February 2015, this KS has partially delivered. I still have one model outstanding where sculpting hasn't started. In future I'd be unlikely to support a KS and instead wait to order when posted in webstore. Do keep you informed with weekly updates.


Foldio - Orange Mongkie


Delivered on time in February 2014. Definitely would support future KS.


Exploding Kittens


Despite being the most successful KS ever in terms of money raised, this card game delivered on time with on-spec product and added extras. Definitely would support future KS (not that they need it). Great communication throughout.


Miniature Scenery Terrain


This Canadian company launched their KS in February 2015 and are due for delivery in August 2015. I received an email this week saying that it had shipped. Waiting to see the product but so far these guys have been the poster boys for how to do a successful KS. definitely will support future ventures.


So all but three have shipped. I'm sure Mierce will and I'm 90% sure on Creature Caster. I'm reconciled to the fact that John Warren from Custom Game Dice has pocketed my money and I won't get any dice.


The key thing with Kickstarter is to do your homework and make sure if a company is untested that you only risk a small amount of cash. Delays are commonplace but generally they occur because the promoter lacks the skills or because the Kickstarter is too successful and original delivery gets swamped by Stretch Goals. I'm now always mindful of any extra new product that needs to be delivered over original offering.

Warhammer World Release First Event Pack for AoS

For your reading pleasure (bolding is mine):


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 Sigmar be with you! WH_The Empire_1280

It’s the Events Team here bringing you some hot-off-the-press news about our Age of Sigmar Campaign Weekend – The Battle for the Realmgates. Not got your ticket yet? Better get one fast from here.

Today we are talking about the Mortal Realms.

Over the weekend you will playing games on seven out of the eight Mortal Realms. The ones we won’t be playing in are the Celestial Realm as there is currently no fighting going there, and of course the Realm of Chaos is off-limits, as we wouldn’t want any of your models to turn into spawn while you are here.

So this leaves the rest of the Mortal Realms to fight over. We will have tables and scenery to represent every different Mortal Realms and not only that, there will be special rules that govern the kind of environment you might be fighting in.

That’s right – Realm of Fire tables, Realm of Metal and so on. It’s going to be a sight to see.

In order to benefit from the power of the Realm you are fighting in, your Faction needs to control it completely from game to game. So if Order have control of the Realm of Fire, then that benefit is made available to you. You gain control of a Realm if your Faction wins the most games there in the previous round. To begin with, the Realms are divided up evenly.

To whet your appetite, here are some of the Realms and their effects on your troops should your Faction win enough games there:

Ghyran, the Realm of Life: Wood Elves Artwork

In all the battles, in all the infinite Realms, one thing is always true – life will find a way.

Once per turn you may restore a lost wound to a model if it has the colour green somewhere on it, or if you are carrying a (real!) flower.

Shyish, the Realm of Death:

The power of Nagash imbues every relic of death in this realm, driving them forward with relentless energy.

Every model in your army with a skull or dead body on it may charge an extra 1”.

Ghur, the Realm of Beasts:

Primal fury courses through those who can tap into the merciless energy of the magic of Beasts.

If you own a pet and have a photograph of it (or any animal), once per game choose one unit; it may add +1 to it’s to Wound rolls this turn as they are overcome with feral anger.

That’s all for now but keep your eye out, as on Wednesday we reveal the remaining Mortal Realms and their powerful effects! If all these extra details are getting you excited, then you can get your ticket for this great weekend here.

See you soon,

The Warhammer World Events Team


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Looks like they addressed the balance issue!

New Skaven Releases

Apparently we have new Skaven releases to look forward to in the next month. There is uncertainty as to whether these are new models or - more likely - repackaging of existing sculpts (warscroll/round bases).


Here is the supposed line up with USD prices:

Skaven Plague Monks $35

Skaven Plague Furance $62

Skaven Pestilens Plague Catapult $33

Plague Priest $15

Plague Censor Bearers $13

It would be great if they are new sculpts. GW might be able to prise my wallet open.

AoS Stormcasts

A few people have asked me why I haven't jumped into Age of Sigmar. Most of the WHFB podcasts have been cheerleaders for the new game, notably the UK based ones.

I've indicated my reluctance to embrace the game has been a combination of things. Firstly, I wasn't really looking for a skirmish game and if I was I'm pretty sure that there are others with better credentials. Secondly, I liked ranked units - on movement trays - the aesthetic appeals to me more. The third reason is that I'm harbouring a bit of resentment over GW's treatment of gamers over the past year. I had an expectation that when GW released five large campaign books that there was some understanding that they would continue to support the game and world they were shilled for. Yeah, I'm a bit of a sook that way.

However there is another reason - I really hate the Stormcast models. By that I mean the whole aesthetic. Yes I understand the commerciality of introducing Space Marines into Fantasy - and let's not kid ourselves that the Stormcast are anything but Fantasy-esque Astartes. They know Little Timmy will buy them - especially if the local GW Hobby Centre Manager tells him how cool they are. But they are not.

They are lazy. The Design Studio phoned them in when they were told to put Space Marines in Fantasy.

• Space Marines with big swords - tick
• Space Marines with big hammers - tick
• Space Marines with big bows - tick
• Space Marines with Boltthrowers - tick
• Space Marines with Bazooka bow thingey - tick
• Space Marines with wings and big swords - tick

They must have loved that assignment.

 

"Ok Jes...we want Space Marines with big weapons - but no back pack. There's only three rules - 1. They are Space Marines; 2. Little Timmy can paint them preferably using our $55 Gold Spray; and 3. They are Space Marines. Think you can do that?"

 

And that's what we got. Sure there are character variants like Stormcast on Thunderwolf sorry weird lizard thing. Or Mr. Hammer Cape - "Great Design Team, now we can have a rule that gives him a shooting attack - like his cape throws hammers - how cool is that!"

 

The whole model release for Stormcasts is just so lazy. Minimal thought, minimal anything but tedium.

 

I don't think I have ever seen a range from GW that I have so disliked in 15 years from aesthetic point of view. The nearest would be Cadian IG which were similarly lazy.

 

And for me in the end aesthetics is what does it. It's what makes me want to play the game. Six or seven years ago a few 40kers here got into Confrontation. I looked at the game and just did not like the models. I saw people use them as GW alternatives and they did nothing for me. The Privateer Press aesthetic is the same to me. It just does not appeal.

 

I may have been brainwashed by GW over the years but the release of the Stormcast shows that - in my eyes at least - you can polish a turd.

 

I'm waiting to see future AoS releases before I write the game off. At the moment there seems to be a lot of people willing to give the rules and the models a free pass. I'll stay on the fence and hope the Design Studio gives us better product.

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Hobby Update

Over the weekend - in between talking cat to the vet, coffee machine to the repair shop, stripping paint from windowsills and repairing curtain rod holes - I managed to get some hobby in.

I've been working on my Luminarch for my Averland Empire army and last night finished the wagon. Work has begun on the "Death Laser" and hopefully over the next two nights I'll get that progressed. Then it is the two horses and crew. The Luminarch has an awful lot of detail on it and is another example of the great kits GW is making.

Other than that I sent in my list for Call to Arms which is on in a couple of weeks. Seems like there are at least 18 people playing. I have a grudge match versus lead Dwarf cheerleader Adam Richards in the first round.

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Review - GW Retributor Armour

One of the hardest colours to paint is gold. This is because the coverage is usually very patchy and requires multiple coats over a black primer.

Well I've finally found a paint that gives great coverage in a single coat - Retributor Armour.

This is a GW base colour and was released as part of the Age of Sigmar release. It costs more than the normal GW paints - NZ$10, GBP3.50 - but my experience is that it is well worth it.

The paint provides a rich colour as well as coverage and can be easily shaded with a sepia wash.

I'm using it on my Luminarch and finding it really good.

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Fields of Blood Warhammer v8.1 House Rules

Over the past week - and with the realisation that in GW's eyes at least, Warhammer Fantasy Battle is dead - I put together a set of house rules to address some of the outstanding issues in 8th Ed. this was then circulated to a few people for comment and feedback.

You can see the completed document here

The intention with this document was not to rewrite Warhammer Fantasy Battle or to create a new version of v8. It was to address glaring issues in the rules where an FAQ had never been made. There is one indulgence. The building rules have been modified slightly to give buildings a capacity and to allow the attacking unit to continue the fight.

Up to you as to whether you use them or not. They may form the basis of your own pack or just give you ideas.

Thanks to those that provided input.

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