This weekend marks the big Warhammer Fantasy Tournament. Here is my list!
2500pts- Empire
General of the Empire: General, full plate armor, shield, lance, Charmed Shield, barded warhorse- 140pts
Good leader, below average fighter, but his Hold the Line special rule (his unit takes leadership tests of 3d6 and picks the two lowest) is too good to pass up.
Battle Wizard Lord: Dispel Scroll, Lore of Life- 190pts
A cheap and effective battle wizard, the spell Lifeblood, will be the lifeblood for keeping my infantry alive.
Witch Hunter: light armor, great weapon, brace of pistols- 60pts
Captain of the Empire- full plate armor, shield, lance, battle standard bearer, barded warhorse- 116pts
Keeps the lads in the fight. No thrills.
Captain of the Empire: full plate armor, shield, pistol, Talisman of Endurance, Sword of Might- 123pts
Acts as a second general for the foot soldiers. He also has hold the line and his high initiative will help the always striking last greatswords early in combats.
Battle Wizard: Scroll of Shielding, lore of light- 80pts
Spells have extra oomph against undead and daemons.
10 Empire Knights, full command- 250pts
6 Empire Knights, full command- 162pts
6 Empire Knights, champion, and musician- 152pts
Together these are the "door," that will be slammed on the enemy. Foot troops thin the enemy down and these guys clean up.
16 Imperial Crossbowmen, marksman, detachment of 8 handgunners- 226pts
30 Greatswords, full command, Banner of Discipline, detachment 16 spearmen, detachment 15 swordsmen- 587pts
The anvil as the greatswords and its detachments are stubborn at leadership 9 with the "hold the line," rule allowing me throw away the highest dice in a leadership test. They go after the biggest nastiest unit the enemy has and hold them in place for the cavalry to arrive.
8 Pistoliers, marksman, musician, repeater pistol- 174pts
These guys sneak around the flank and pummel anything in their way with hot lead. They don't shoot very well, but 18 strength 4 armor piercing shots are hard to argue with. It is important to note that these guys are the only unit in the Empire list that are both highly mobile and hard hitting shooters.
Luminark of Hysh- 120pts
Every army should have one of these! I haven't seen too many of these on the field though I don't know why, it gives a 6+ ward save to everything within six inches and it adds one dice to your dispel pool. Oh and let's us not forget that it can fire a strength 8 bolt of light that shoots like a cannon and rerolls failed wounds against the forces of darkness oh and does d6 wounds! Come here Mr. Bloodthirster, I've got a little present for you!
Great Cannon- 120pts
This thing loves monstrous infantry and monstrous cavalry. One of them accounted for 6 ogres, and 10 ogre thunderers in one game (who made the bad decision to occupy a building).
2500pts.
Check out pictures on Sunday!
Showing posts with label Warhammer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Warhammer. Show all posts
Monday, June 10, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Crazy Gamer goes to the Tournament- the list
A few days ago I told you how I go about getting ready for a Warhammer tournament.
Today I will discuss two characters that I will be using and why I have decided to include them in my list (which still isn't finalized).
Here are two heroes that my list will include
Witch Hunter- 50pts
Brace of pistols +5pts
Great Sword +5pts
Why a Witch Hunter? Easy... because they're cool!
Kinda like a kick ass pilgrim! If you don't think that's cool then you need to have your head examined!
In game terms a witch hunter has below average stats, but he has two things that make him great. First he can accuse an enemy character of being a witch. The witch hunter then gains the killing blow special rule against that character with both his shooting and close combat attacks. He also can shoot at this character as if the witch hunter had the sniper rule. Will he get lucky and knock off your 600pt chaos lord? Probably not, but just the fact that he can will give some opponents pause and in my book that is worth 60pts.
His second rule is even more important. The witch hunter comes with a handy magic resistance of two. In the magic happy world of 8th edition this can really help a low toughness unit (which is all of the Empire units) survive and when combined with my next character can make a unit almost invincible.
Battle Wizard- 2nd magic level- 100pts
Scroll of shielding 15pts
This little wizard will use the lore of life and can use the scroll of shielding to give the witch hunter's unit a 2+ ward save! Hopefully I can use this when a high powered spell is coming my way to avoid most (if not all) of the damage the spell will cause.
I really like to use the lore of life to increase the survivability of my units. A unit of spearmen at toughness 3 and a 5+ armor save isn't going to scare anyone. That same unit with a toughness of five (due to flesh to stone) and a 5+ regeneration save (due to earthblood) can hold up the scariest monster or fighting character for a long time.
The other characters...
Not decided yet. Check back!
Today I will discuss two characters that I will be using and why I have decided to include them in my list (which still isn't finalized).
Here are two heroes that my list will include
Witch Hunter- 50pts
Brace of pistols +5pts
Great Sword +5pts
Why a Witch Hunter? Easy... because they're cool!
In game terms a witch hunter has below average stats, but he has two things that make him great. First he can accuse an enemy character of being a witch. The witch hunter then gains the killing blow special rule against that character with both his shooting and close combat attacks. He also can shoot at this character as if the witch hunter had the sniper rule. Will he get lucky and knock off your 600pt chaos lord? Probably not, but just the fact that he can will give some opponents pause and in my book that is worth 60pts.
His second rule is even more important. The witch hunter comes with a handy magic resistance of two. In the magic happy world of 8th edition this can really help a low toughness unit (which is all of the Empire units) survive and when combined with my next character can make a unit almost invincible.
Battle Wizard- 2nd magic level- 100pts
Scroll of shielding 15pts
This little wizard will use the lore of life and can use the scroll of shielding to give the witch hunter's unit a 2+ ward save! Hopefully I can use this when a high powered spell is coming my way to avoid most (if not all) of the damage the spell will cause.
I really like to use the lore of life to increase the survivability of my units. A unit of spearmen at toughness 3 and a 5+ armor save isn't going to scare anyone. That same unit with a toughness of five (due to flesh to stone) and a 5+ regeneration save (due to earthblood) can hold up the scariest monster or fighting character for a long time.
The other characters...
Not decided yet. Check back!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Crazy Gamer Goes to the Tournament
Today I thought I would discuss how the Crazy Gamer goes about getting ready for a tournament. Cool huh? I thought that you would agree.
The tournament is a Warhammer Fantasy tournament, typical local fair at 2500pts. In my dreams I would play High Elves, but seeing as I don't have a single model painted and the tournament is in less than 30 days my practical side must kick in. As usual then, I will play my tried and true Empire army.
About now you are probably assuming that I am lining up my hardest hitting list. Wrong! You silly people! I'm the crazy gamer remember. Here is how I will go about creating a tournament list.
1. I don't use hordes.
2. I won't use a large unit for the sole reason of having that unit be steadfast.
3. I won't use any popular gimmick.
4. I will rely on unpopular units and characters.
So what does this mean for the Empire?
I will not use any huge units of halberdiers. In fact I won't use any unit with more than 30 models.
I will use one artillery piece max.
I won't use any special characters (not that the Empire's list has any great special characters).
I will rely on things like huntsmen, swordsmen, regular knights (not inner circle, Reiksguard, Demi- Gryph or other popular types). I will also not use a 4th level battle wizard lord.
Now, I will point out that I haven't yet decided on my final list but I will post it when it is decided.
Why do I go about designing lists this way? Well the answer is simple. I want to win because I played a better game than my opponent, not because I designed a better list or exploited a silly loophole. I would rather lose than win using a gimmick. Have I lost to gimmick lists? You bet I have, but guess what? Those gimmick lists have weaknesses and I will find them and use every single one against them.
If you are reading this and think I'm crazy, try winning with good tactics, take your lumps and learn how to play a mistake free game and you will be surprised how successful you can be.
On a side note, I've been playing Empire now for almost a decade and my army has never been made obsolete by changes in rules or changes in army books. I don't fear the day that huge units of cheap infantry are no longer so good.
The tournament is a Warhammer Fantasy tournament, typical local fair at 2500pts. In my dreams I would play High Elves, but seeing as I don't have a single model painted and the tournament is in less than 30 days my practical side must kick in. As usual then, I will play my tried and true Empire army.
About now you are probably assuming that I am lining up my hardest hitting list. Wrong! You silly people! I'm the crazy gamer remember. Here is how I will go about creating a tournament list.
1. I don't use hordes.
2. I won't use a large unit for the sole reason of having that unit be steadfast.
3. I won't use any popular gimmick.
4. I will rely on unpopular units and characters.
So what does this mean for the Empire?
I will not use any huge units of halberdiers. In fact I won't use any unit with more than 30 models.
I will use one artillery piece max.
I won't use any special characters (not that the Empire's list has any great special characters).
I will rely on things like huntsmen, swordsmen, regular knights (not inner circle, Reiksguard, Demi- Gryph or other popular types). I will also not use a 4th level battle wizard lord.
Now, I will point out that I haven't yet decided on my final list but I will post it when it is decided.
Why do I go about designing lists this way? Well the answer is simple. I want to win because I played a better game than my opponent, not because I designed a better list or exploited a silly loophole. I would rather lose than win using a gimmick. Have I lost to gimmick lists? You bet I have, but guess what? Those gimmick lists have weaknesses and I will find them and use every single one against them.
If you are reading this and think I'm crazy, try winning with good tactics, take your lumps and learn how to play a mistake free game and you will be surprised how successful you can be.
On a side note, I've been playing Empire now for almost a decade and my army has never been made obsolete by changes in rules or changes in army books. I don't fear the day that huge units of cheap infantry are no longer so good.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Warhammer 101-Becoming a better General: Terrain
Many of us want to be a great general. In our quest to become Napoleon we sometimes will go down a dark path of WAAC gaming (win at all costs).
While this article will not help you become a little French dictator (though everyone should know by now that Napoleon was actually a very average five seven) it will help you to be better at Warhammer.
Today's article will focus on terrain. I will point out that I have decided to separate Warhammer Fantasy and 40k into different posts. This is on Warhammer Fantasy.
Terrain is all the stuff on your table that keep it from being just a green (or whatever color you go with) table. It can be
Hills
Forests
Swamps
And weird Warhammer wackiness
My first piece of advice is simple. Know the terrain rules.
Sadly, most players view the terrain rules as something to glance at and nothing more. To an average commander terrain is something to be avoided as a nuisance.
A wise commander knows better. Just by knowing how terrain works you will give yourself the advantage.
Learn the terrain rules! Got that? Don't feel overwhelmed, you just need to know the essentials. You don't need to know the exact rules for a charnel pit but you should know forests are mysterious and are dangerous terrain for cavalry, chariots, monstrous cavalry, and fliers using a flying move.
Next, insist that you use the rulebook mandated D6 + 4 pieces of terrain (pg. 142). Be aggressive with your terrain placement by looking for advantages you can use. Do they have a gun line? Use forests to block their lines of fire (especially in the center, force their shooters to one flank or another). A wise general will look for any advantage and terrain placement is one of those advantages.
Here are a few helpful hints:
Units cannot claim rank bonus nor can they be steadfast if they are even partially in a river. Have trouble with big units of infantry then this can help.
Units with most (over half) of their models in a forest cannot be steadfast unless they are skirmishers or lone characters on foot who are always stubborn in forests.
Fun tactic: Use a fighting hero and give him the Armor of Silvered Steel (or your armies equivalent) and place him in a forest to ambush a big unit of infantry. As long as he is in the forest he is stubborn holding your foes unit in place until you can dispatch it (or ignore it all together).
Obstacles like walls not only protect you from shooting but can also swing close combat in your favor by making your troops more difficult to hit.
Charging down a hill gives you a +1 to your combat resolution.
Terrain is your friend! Learn the rules and watch your game improve.
See you next time!
Today's article will focus on terrain. I will point out that I have decided to separate Warhammer Fantasy and 40k into different posts. This is on Warhammer Fantasy.
Terrain is all the stuff on your table that keep it from being just a green (or whatever color you go with) table. It can be
Hills
Sadly, most players view the terrain rules as something to glance at and nothing more. To an average commander terrain is something to be avoided as a nuisance.
A wise commander knows better. Just by knowing how terrain works you will give yourself the advantage.
Learn the terrain rules! Got that? Don't feel overwhelmed, you just need to know the essentials. You don't need to know the exact rules for a charnel pit but you should know forests are mysterious and are dangerous terrain for cavalry, chariots, monstrous cavalry, and fliers using a flying move.
Next, insist that you use the rulebook mandated D6 + 4 pieces of terrain (pg. 142). Be aggressive with your terrain placement by looking for advantages you can use. Do they have a gun line? Use forests to block their lines of fire (especially in the center, force their shooters to one flank or another). A wise general will look for any advantage and terrain placement is one of those advantages.
Here are a few helpful hints:
Units cannot claim rank bonus nor can they be steadfast if they are even partially in a river. Have trouble with big units of infantry then this can help.
Units with most (over half) of their models in a forest cannot be steadfast unless they are skirmishers or lone characters on foot who are always stubborn in forests.
Fun tactic: Use a fighting hero and give him the Armor of Silvered Steel (or your armies equivalent) and place him in a forest to ambush a big unit of infantry. As long as he is in the forest he is stubborn holding your foes unit in place until you can dispatch it (or ignore it all together).
Obstacles like walls not only protect you from shooting but can also swing close combat in your favor by making your troops more difficult to hit.
Charging down a hill gives you a +1 to your combat resolution.
Terrain is your friend! Learn the rules and watch your game improve.
See you next time!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
High Elf wishlist part 3
Hello again my fellow gamers! Crazy Gamer here to give you some stodgy prose about my wishlist for the High Elves. Today I will talk Special units, Rare units and special characters, let's dive in!
Well, actually not yet... I forgot to mention that I'm not discussing "new," units such as the Phoenix (a new monster for the High Elves that is floating around the Internet and is coming) but only pre established units. Got that? Good.
Special units:
Shadow Warriors: Let's bump their ballistic skill up to five and keep their points the same.
Tiranoc chariot: Raise the weapon skill of the crew to five, they are elite after all. Points down to 80.
Lion chariot: Same
Rare:
Repeater Bolt Thrower: Can we get a third crew member please? Drop points cost to 85pts.
Dragon Mage: A cool idea, but doesn't see much table time. If he goes to the rare spot and becomes a unit and not character (therefore he uses the dragon's toughness) he will become more popular.
Special Characters:
I assume that all the current characters will return. I'd love to see Belennear (sp?) the Wise return. I wouldn't cry if the Everqueen and Imrik also made an appearance.
We won't have long to wait! My guess is we will see the High Elf pre orders the last Saturday in April.
Well, actually not yet... I forgot to mention that I'm not discussing "new," units such as the Phoenix (a new monster for the High Elves that is floating around the Internet and is coming) but only pre established units. Got that? Good.
Special units:
Shadow Warriors: Let's bump their ballistic skill up to five and keep their points the same.
Tiranoc chariot: Raise the weapon skill of the crew to five, they are elite after all. Points down to 80.
Lion chariot: Same
Rare:
Repeater Bolt Thrower: Can we get a third crew member please? Drop points cost to 85pts.
Dragon Mage: A cool idea, but doesn't see much table time. If he goes to the rare spot and becomes a unit and not character (therefore he uses the dragon's toughness) he will become more popular.
Special Characters:
I assume that all the current characters will return. I'd love to see Belennear (sp?) the Wise return. I wouldn't cry if the Everqueen and Imrik also made an appearance.
We won't have long to wait! My guess is we will see the High Elf pre orders the last Saturday in April.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Crazy Gamer's new High Elf wishlist part 2
Yesterday I talked about how I would like to see the High Elf core section pan out. I discussed why I wanted to see silly special rules go away (always strike first) while adding a bit of durability and some options to the core of the High Elf army.
Today I will discuss what I'd like to see from the High Elves special choices.
Dragon Princes: Stay the same.
Swordmaster's of Hoeth: Same stat line as current. Should be -1 to hit in both shooting and close combat due to their awesome blade skill for 15pts a model.
White Lions of Charce: M WS BS S T W I A LD
5 5 4 4 3 1 4 2 8
The above is the stat line I would like to see. It would go without saying that the champion gets 3 attacks. They should come equipped with heavy armor, great axes, and lion pelts. Lion pelts should act like the Dark Elves Sea Dragon Cloaks and add +2 to armor save against shooting and +1 save in close combat. The White lions should also retain their stubborn and woodland strider special rules and should cost 15pts.
The idea here is to make all three of the High Elves elite infantry to be equally worthwhile. The Sword Masters have a better weapons skill and initiative, while the White Lions are stronger and more durable both in terms of armor save (4+ versus 5+) but also in terms of combat resolution because they are stubborn.
Phoenix Guard: M WS BS S T W I A LD
5 5 4 3 3 1 6 2 9
The above is the stat line I would like to see the Phoenix Guard possess. Again it goes without saying that the champion would get 3 attacks. They should be equipped with halberds, heavy armor, and a 5+ ward save. Phoenix Guard should have a rule in which they can choose to pass or fail any leadership test and should be 15pts. While the Phoenix Guard don't hit as hard as the other units they are able to hold their position (or not if the player chooses) in a more dependable fashion.
Whoops, gotten long winded again. Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow!
See you then!
Today I will discuss what I'd like to see from the High Elves special choices.
Dragon Princes: Stay the same.
Swordmaster's of Hoeth: Same stat line as current. Should be -1 to hit in both shooting and close combat due to their awesome blade skill for 15pts a model.
White Lions of Charce: M WS BS S T W I A LD
5 5 4 4 3 1 4 2 8
The above is the stat line I would like to see. It would go without saying that the champion gets 3 attacks. They should come equipped with heavy armor, great axes, and lion pelts. Lion pelts should act like the Dark Elves Sea Dragon Cloaks and add +2 to armor save against shooting and +1 save in close combat. The White lions should also retain their stubborn and woodland strider special rules and should cost 15pts.
The idea here is to make all three of the High Elves elite infantry to be equally worthwhile. The Sword Masters have a better weapons skill and initiative, while the White Lions are stronger and more durable both in terms of armor save (4+ versus 5+) but also in terms of combat resolution because they are stubborn.
Phoenix Guard: M WS BS S T W I A LD
5 5 4 3 3 1 6 2 9
The above is the stat line I would like to see the Phoenix Guard possess. Again it goes without saying that the champion would get 3 attacks. They should be equipped with halberds, heavy armor, and a 5+ ward save. Phoenix Guard should have a rule in which they can choose to pass or fail any leadership test and should be 15pts. While the Phoenix Guard don't hit as hard as the other units they are able to hold their position (or not if the player chooses) in a more dependable fashion.
Whoops, gotten long winded again. Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow!
See you then!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
What Crazy Gamer wants from the High Elves
You might be expecting that I will yell at Games Workshop about their Tau screw up, but I've seen plenty of hate posts on that already.
Instead I want to discuss what I would love to see with the new High Elves.
For those not in the know, High Elves are going to be the next Warhammer Fantasy army to be released. A week ago some pictures were leaked online from an official Games Workshop Facebook page so it's pretty much guaranteed the Asur are up for release next.
My first Warhammer Army way back in the dark ages were the High Elves. Today I mostly play Empire, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the arrogant pointy ears. The last few army books have... well... um... let's just say I didn't care for them.
So what would I like? I'm glad you asked, I'm going to tell you.
Rules changes:
First, I want them to get rid of the Always Strike First special rule. Why are High Elves faster than other elves? It's a lazy rule designed to fix the inherent weakness of the army. Let's find some more creative fixes.
Next, lets look at the High Elf core units. Now, my philosophy is that close combat troops rely on weapon skill, strength, toughness, initiative, and attacks. Therefore only those stats really matter when determining how many points they cost. Missile troops however are dependent on only ballistic skill and the missile weapon they are equipped. Why am I discussing this? It'll make sense when I talk about archers and Lothern Sea Guard.
Spear Elves: Equip with light armor and shield standard for 8pts. Should have an option for heavy armor for 3pts. Spear elves need to have an option for heavy armor, but I want to make the option one players really need to think about. If heavy armor is only 1 or 2 points then it will just become the norm and should just be included automatically. Stat line can stay the same. I'm indifferent whether or not spear elves have the martial skill rule or not.
Archers: Same stat line, long bow equipped should be 8pts. I would actually lower the cost to 6pts but Empire archers are 7pts and High Elves have a better ballistic skill. Games Workshop has long over-valued the long bow. I think their rationale has been that bows can move and fire while crossbows and handguns can't. This might be okay in the hands of more flexible troops (like Lothern Sea Guard) but the archers need to stay far away from combat so the value of being able to move and shoot is less appealing.
Sea Guard: Same stat line, light armor, shield, and bow standard, should be 12pts. They should not be given the option of heavy armor. Heavy armor and boats do not mix.
Silver Helms: These should be move to core. Same stat line as is current with light armor and lance, riding on a barded steed for 17pts. I want players to be able to configure their silver helms for their own needs. Options are heavy armor for 3pts, shields for 1pt. This means fully decked out silver helms are 21pts. Empire knights are 22pts with the same weapon skill, strength, toughness, attacks, and leadership. Silver Helms are faster both in terms of movement (8 inches instead of 7) and initiative. However, Empire knights have a better armor save so it's a fair trade off.
Reaver Knights: These guys should also be moved to core. Same stats, with bow, spear, and light armor as standard. Should cost 18pts.
I've gotten rather long winded so you will need to wait until tomorrow for my take on special and rare units but I will address characters.
I would keep the current character stat lines. I would reduce all the combat characters price by 20pts for lords and 15pts for heroes.
I know I won't get this one, but the toughness 3 combat characters is silly. A goblin is toughness 4, a scrawny skaven is toughness 4 why can't an elf combat character be toughness 4.
Goblin character: Toughness 4
Elf character: Toughness 3
Doesn't make sense to me.
See you next time!
Instead I want to discuss what I would love to see with the new High Elves.
For those not in the know, High Elves are going to be the next Warhammer Fantasy army to be released. A week ago some pictures were leaked online from an official Games Workshop Facebook page so it's pretty much guaranteed the Asur are up for release next.
My first Warhammer Army way back in the dark ages were the High Elves. Today I mostly play Empire, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the arrogant pointy ears. The last few army books have... well... um... let's just say I didn't care for them.
So what would I like? I'm glad you asked, I'm going to tell you.
Rules changes:
First, I want them to get rid of the Always Strike First special rule. Why are High Elves faster than other elves? It's a lazy rule designed to fix the inherent weakness of the army. Let's find some more creative fixes.
Next, lets look at the High Elf core units. Now, my philosophy is that close combat troops rely on weapon skill, strength, toughness, initiative, and attacks. Therefore only those stats really matter when determining how many points they cost. Missile troops however are dependent on only ballistic skill and the missile weapon they are equipped. Why am I discussing this? It'll make sense when I talk about archers and Lothern Sea Guard.
Spear Elves: Equip with light armor and shield standard for 8pts. Should have an option for heavy armor for 3pts. Spear elves need to have an option for heavy armor, but I want to make the option one players really need to think about. If heavy armor is only 1 or 2 points then it will just become the norm and should just be included automatically. Stat line can stay the same. I'm indifferent whether or not spear elves have the martial skill rule or not.
Archers: Same stat line, long bow equipped should be 8pts. I would actually lower the cost to 6pts but Empire archers are 7pts and High Elves have a better ballistic skill. Games Workshop has long over-valued the long bow. I think their rationale has been that bows can move and fire while crossbows and handguns can't. This might be okay in the hands of more flexible troops (like Lothern Sea Guard) but the archers need to stay far away from combat so the value of being able to move and shoot is less appealing.
Sea Guard: Same stat line, light armor, shield, and bow standard, should be 12pts. They should not be given the option of heavy armor. Heavy armor and boats do not mix.
Silver Helms: These should be move to core. Same stat line as is current with light armor and lance, riding on a barded steed for 17pts. I want players to be able to configure their silver helms for their own needs. Options are heavy armor for 3pts, shields for 1pt. This means fully decked out silver helms are 21pts. Empire knights are 22pts with the same weapon skill, strength, toughness, attacks, and leadership. Silver Helms are faster both in terms of movement (8 inches instead of 7) and initiative. However, Empire knights have a better armor save so it's a fair trade off.
Reaver Knights: These guys should also be moved to core. Same stats, with bow, spear, and light armor as standard. Should cost 18pts.
I would keep the current character stat lines. I would reduce all the combat characters price by 20pts for lords and 15pts for heroes.
I know I won't get this one, but the toughness 3 combat characters is silly. A goblin is toughness 4, a scrawny skaven is toughness 4 why can't an elf combat character be toughness 4.
Goblin character: Toughness 4
See you next time!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Warhammer 101: Becoming a better general
Today I will give you the first step in becoming a Warhammer grand champion!
1. Learn to accept losing. Learn from your mistakes.
Yeah, I know, that's two things, but they are connected and I wanted each written as a statement of power.
Let's look at each in depth eh?
Still with me?
Oh good!
Learn to accept losing- Notice how I wrote this? I'm fully aware that Warhammer is a competitive game. I'm not here to advocate some hippi 'let's all love each other and like get along and stuff as we sing Kumbaya while drinking liquid dirt from earthenware mugs,' policy. We all want to win.
That said, sometimes our ego can get in the way of overall success with the hobby, thus we need to learn to accept losing.
You will lose when you start out and this can make players turn to the dark corners of the Internet for WAAC (win at all costs) army lists. Don't do this!
Instead- learn from your mistakes.
An example from the Crazy Gamers past. Way back in 1994 when I was just starting to play Warhammer Fantasy I ran a High Elf army. Most of the time I played against my best friend and cousin Tom, but as he grew up and got a job (how dare he! :) I needed to branch out and find new people to play against.
I went to my local store (some 44 miles away!) to play against a group of gamers out there. These guys were quite a bit older than me, and for them Warhammer was a diversion from historical games.
One of the first games that I played was against a Dark Elf army. I was confident that my High Elves would prevail. In my mind I had crafted a wonderful army list and had refined my tactics playing against Tom.
My army was wiped out to a man (er... elf) while my opponent had only lost a handful of models. For some this brutal beat down would have been the end of their game career. While my opponent was gracious there were countless spectators that witnessed my whooping. My pride was crushed.
Was his army unstoppable?
No.
Did he bend the rules?
No.
So instead I looked back at the battle. My main advance had been in the open, and I had miss- handled my light cavalry so his archers could rain death down upon my poor battle line. That wasn't all; I kept my heavy cavalry too far back to be useful, I didn't concentrate my firepower, etc, etc.
There were plenty of lessons I could learn, and you can learn from the mistakes that you make on the battlefield if you just have the courage to look for them.
Try this after each battle:
Ask yourself-
What worked?
What didn't work?
Keep your answers focused on what is controllable.
What does this mean?
Well, we all have a tendency to overestimate our abilities and assume our losses are the result of unfair rules, armylists, players, game mechanics, and more.
While blaming these things may make you feel better, they won't help you play better.
What you can't control:
Your opponents army
Your opponents armylist
The game rules
The dice
Since you can't control them, don't worry about them. Instead look at your own list, and your own tactics.
For example: My Space Marine devastators did not destroy any enemy tanks. This seems simple, your devastators failed due to bad luck. Or did they? Were you using missile launchers to destroy Land Raiders? If you were then your devastators didn't fail you, you failed them. At strength 8 a missile launcher cannot destroy a Land Raider outright. Instead a player needs to roll a 6 on a D6 four times to take out the Land Raider.
In your next game you need to either choose a different target for your missile launchers or change your weapons.
Did your assault units not get into combat? Why not? Don't blame dice. Did the troops have jump packs? Did you have a transport?
I could go on and on, but between the two game systems there are way too many possible combinations to list out here.
If your unit did what it was supposed to, continue using them that way. If not, then change how you use them or change the unit.
I'll go into this in more detail in the future. Until then; keep on painting!
1. Learn to accept losing. Learn from your mistakes.
Yeah, I know, that's two things, but they are connected and I wanted each written as a statement of power.
Let's look at each in depth eh?
Still with me?
Oh good!
Learn to accept losing- Notice how I wrote this? I'm fully aware that Warhammer is a competitive game. I'm not here to advocate some hippi 'let's all love each other and like get along and stuff as we sing Kumbaya while drinking liquid dirt from earthenware mugs,' policy. We all want to win.
That said, sometimes our ego can get in the way of overall success with the hobby, thus we need to learn to accept losing.
You will lose when you start out and this can make players turn to the dark corners of the Internet for WAAC (win at all costs) army lists. Don't do this!
Instead- learn from your mistakes.
An example from the Crazy Gamers past. Way back in 1994 when I was just starting to play Warhammer Fantasy I ran a High Elf army. Most of the time I played against my best friend and cousin Tom, but as he grew up and got a job (how dare he! :) I needed to branch out and find new people to play against.
I went to my local store (some 44 miles away!) to play against a group of gamers out there. These guys were quite a bit older than me, and for them Warhammer was a diversion from historical games.
One of the first games that I played was against a Dark Elf army. I was confident that my High Elves would prevail. In my mind I had crafted a wonderful army list and had refined my tactics playing against Tom.
My army was wiped out to a man (er... elf) while my opponent had only lost a handful of models. For some this brutal beat down would have been the end of their game career. While my opponent was gracious there were countless spectators that witnessed my whooping. My pride was crushed.
Was his army unstoppable?
No.
Did he bend the rules?
No.
So instead I looked back at the battle. My main advance had been in the open, and I had miss- handled my light cavalry so his archers could rain death down upon my poor battle line. That wasn't all; I kept my heavy cavalry too far back to be useful, I didn't concentrate my firepower, etc, etc.
There were plenty of lessons I could learn, and you can learn from the mistakes that you make on the battlefield if you just have the courage to look for them.
Try this after each battle:
Ask yourself-
What worked?
What didn't work?
Keep your answers focused on what is controllable.
What does this mean?
Well, we all have a tendency to overestimate our abilities and assume our losses are the result of unfair rules, armylists, players, game mechanics, and more.
While blaming these things may make you feel better, they won't help you play better.
What you can't control:
Your opponents army
Your opponents armylist
The game rules
The dice
Since you can't control them, don't worry about them. Instead look at your own list, and your own tactics.
For example: My Space Marine devastators did not destroy any enemy tanks. This seems simple, your devastators failed due to bad luck. Or did they? Were you using missile launchers to destroy Land Raiders? If you were then your devastators didn't fail you, you failed them. At strength 8 a missile launcher cannot destroy a Land Raider outright. Instead a player needs to roll a 6 on a D6 four times to take out the Land Raider.
In your next game you need to either choose a different target for your missile launchers or change your weapons.
Did your assault units not get into combat? Why not? Don't blame dice. Did the troops have jump packs? Did you have a transport?
I could go on and on, but between the two game systems there are way too many possible combinations to list out here.
If your unit did what it was supposed to, continue using them that way. If not, then change how you use them or change the unit.
I'll go into this in more detail in the future. Until then; keep on painting!
Friday, February 15, 2013
How to win at Warhammer: A Warhammer 101 article
Hello true believers! Crazy Gamer here to help you in an area that everyone cares about- winning!
Everyone wants to win, we all dream of holding a massive trophy of gold; encrusted with diamonds while being flanked on each side by a bevy of beautiful women. The crowd chants your name! Oh look! Nike is calling, they want to offer you a suitcase full of money to pitch their products...
Or, more likely, you'll get a piece of paper and stand up in front of a bunch of geeks.
Anyway... how do you get there? How do you claw your way to the top of the heap?
The answer is, like everything else, complicated; especially if you're just starting out.
You may be attempted to be a WAAC player. Like performance enhancing drugs for athletes the WAAC style offers a quick and easy(ier) way to the top, but just like with athletes the fall from grace is hard and painful.
About now you may be asking yourself, " What the hell is he talking about?"
Please let me explain!
WAAC is a gaming expression that means Win At All Cost. This style requires a player to seek out any and all game bending rules and combinations of units to win in spite of the spirit and intention of the games rules. While this isn't illegal or cheating, players who indulge in this style of play push any and all advantages be they overpowered units, ambiguous rules, loopholes, and any combination of all three.
My more cutthroat brethren may ask, "What's wrong with that? Why shouldn't I find every advantage and use it?"
Everyone wants to win, we all dream of holding a massive trophy of gold; encrusted with diamonds while being flanked on each side by a bevy of beautiful women. The crowd chants your name! Oh look! Nike is calling, they want to offer you a suitcase full of money to pitch their products...
Or, more likely, you'll get a piece of paper and stand up in front of a bunch of geeks.
The answer is, like everything else, complicated; especially if you're just starting out.
You may be attempted to be a WAAC player. Like performance enhancing drugs for athletes the WAAC style offers a quick and easy(ier) way to the top, but just like with athletes the fall from grace is hard and painful.
About now you may be asking yourself, " What the hell is he talking about?"
Please let me explain!
WAAC is a gaming expression that means Win At All Cost. This style requires a player to seek out any and all game bending rules and combinations of units to win in spite of the spirit and intention of the games rules. While this isn't illegal or cheating, players who indulge in this style of play push any and all advantages be they overpowered units, ambiguous rules, loopholes, and any combination of all three.
My more cutthroat brethren may ask, "What's wrong with that? Why shouldn't I find every advantage and use it?"
Bernie Madoff
Ponzi Scheme mastermind
WAAC Gamer
To you cutthroat brother I say, once you turn down that dark path, there is no coming back!
Excuse me, let me explain in a slightly less melodramatic manner.
As I've said before, I've been playing Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 since 1993. In all that time I've seen countless killer armies come and go. Today we have Cron Air, but it won't last. One way or another, whether from rule changes or players adapting, this army will not be the killer list that it is today. In a few months it will be something else, and then something else, and so on and on.
This is not only a very expensive way to play the game (each Necron flyer cost almost $50.00 and you need a half dozen or more) it's highly likely that by the time you get them purchased and painted a new killer list will have emerged.
More damaging for players, especially new players, is that you rely on the gimmick the list is meant to exploit. Players don't learn true tactics, they learn a gimmick. When the gimmick goes away, and it will, the player has no real skill to fall back on. Usually this will see them leave the game in frustration.
That's sad.
I understand the competitive culture of gaming. You want to win, losing to your friends or to some game store top weenie is a bitter pill to swallow. I get it. I really do. But I promise you, if you're patient and apply yourself, you can become a consistently good player.
But I don't just offer my opinion, though that is the title of my blog... I will help you become this consistent player.
Tune in to Part 2 where I give you actual skills that you can use to improve your game.
See you then!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Warhammer fixes: What I would like to see
Crazy Gamer here!
I'm sure by now you know that I'm a big fan of 8th edition Warhammer. I feel it is a vast improvement over 7th edition which was a control freaks dream, but as far as fun was concerned it was lacking.
Don't worry haters, I am well aware that my opinion is in the minority which makes me sad but as the saying goes: haters gonna hate, and my blog is hardly going to change your mind.
So instead I will talk about a few things that I would like to see tweaked in Warhammer, after all even I don't think the game is perfect.
Weapon Rules:
This subject is contentious. Many gamers look for authentic rules in which weapons mirror their historic counterparts. I don't suffer from this problem, instead I look for balanced game design in which all options are viable.
If we look at the current game it doesn't take a rocket scientist (or a theoretical physicists) to see that great weapons are the preferred choice wherever they are offered. This means that the other options aren't as balanced.
Let us look at the options and see what we can do to make them more attractive.
Halberds- This poor weapon is the red headed step child of the Warhammer game. Currently the halberd is two handed and offers +1 strength. This isn't too bad for models with a strength of 4, but currently most models that have the option of this weapon are only strength 3 and bumping that up to strength 4 is not appealing. I don't blame them.
This is a halberd:
In the high middle ages this weapon was popular because it combined the blade of an axe with the reach of a spear.
How about this for halberd rules
+1 strength in the first rank. Fight in extra ranks for ranks 2nd and 3rd (no strength bonus for them)
This will give units armed with the weapon added flexibility and make halberd a more attractive option.
Some may say, won't this make spears more unattractive? Possibly. I'm thinking of tweaking spear rules as well but let's not forget that units with spears can use shields in close combat and halberds can't.
Extra hand weapon- Currently this option allows you add +1 attack. However this isn't an attractive option because you can't a shield and you still fight at your basic strength. Units with a higher strength find this option a little better, but the current rules only allow models in a second rank fight with one attack so the bonus is lost after the first rank making this weapon option the only one that is useless beyond the first rank.
How about this: +1 attack, re-roll missed to hit in close combat.
Great Weapon- +2 strength, always strike last is how it's currently written. How about +2 strength, always strike last -1 to hit from second rank. It's a small penalty but will make the choice between all options more of a choice.
Missile weapons:
Just like their close combat counterparts missile weapons, I feel, could use some tweaks.
Bow/ Short bow- same
Long Bow- currently it's 30 inch range and strength 3. Currently I feel it's too expensive for what you get. It need to be strength 4 with a 30 inch range.
Crossbow- Strength 4, 30 inch range, move or fire. With the change to long bows we need to bump this up. Add armor piercing.
Hand Gun- currently Strength 4, 24 inch range, move or fire, armor piercing. How about 24 inch range, strength 6, armor piercing, hits on 6 regardless of ballistic skill or modifiers.
I'm sure by now you know that I'm a big fan of 8th edition Warhammer. I feel it is a vast improvement over 7th edition which was a control freaks dream, but as far as fun was concerned it was lacking.
Don't worry haters, I am well aware that my opinion is in the minority which makes me sad but as the saying goes: haters gonna hate, and my blog is hardly going to change your mind.
So instead I will talk about a few things that I would like to see tweaked in Warhammer, after all even I don't think the game is perfect.
Weapon Rules:
This subject is contentious. Many gamers look for authentic rules in which weapons mirror their historic counterparts. I don't suffer from this problem, instead I look for balanced game design in which all options are viable.
If we look at the current game it doesn't take a rocket scientist (or a theoretical physicists) to see that great weapons are the preferred choice wherever they are offered. This means that the other options aren't as balanced.
Let us look at the options and see what we can do to make them more attractive.
Halberds- This poor weapon is the red headed step child of the Warhammer game. Currently the halberd is two handed and offers +1 strength. This isn't too bad for models with a strength of 4, but currently most models that have the option of this weapon are only strength 3 and bumping that up to strength 4 is not appealing. I don't blame them.
This is a halberd:
How about this for halberd rules
+1 strength in the first rank. Fight in extra ranks for ranks 2nd and 3rd (no strength bonus for them)
This will give units armed with the weapon added flexibility and make halberd a more attractive option.
Some may say, won't this make spears more unattractive? Possibly. I'm thinking of tweaking spear rules as well but let's not forget that units with spears can use shields in close combat and halberds can't.
Extra hand weapon- Currently this option allows you add +1 attack. However this isn't an attractive option because you can't a shield and you still fight at your basic strength. Units with a higher strength find this option a little better, but the current rules only allow models in a second rank fight with one attack so the bonus is lost after the first rank making this weapon option the only one that is useless beyond the first rank.
How about this: +1 attack, re-roll missed to hit in close combat.
Great Weapon- +2 strength, always strike last is how it's currently written. How about +2 strength, always strike last -1 to hit from second rank. It's a small penalty but will make the choice between all options more of a choice.
Missile weapons:
Just like their close combat counterparts missile weapons, I feel, could use some tweaks.
Bow/ Short bow- same
Long Bow- currently it's 30 inch range and strength 3. Currently I feel it's too expensive for what you get. It need to be strength 4 with a 30 inch range.
Crossbow- Strength 4, 30 inch range, move or fire. With the change to long bows we need to bump this up. Add armor piercing.
Hand Gun- currently Strength 4, 24 inch range, move or fire, armor piercing. How about 24 inch range, strength 6, armor piercing, hits on 6 regardless of ballistic skill or modifiers.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Warhammer 101: Painting your army- the basics
Welcome back Warhammer gamers!
In my eternal quest to help new members of our hobby I bring you my next Warhammer 101 article, this one will discuss the first steps of painting your army.
Painting your army is what separates us from animals, yet many gamers stay away from this step. Painting is important, it's part of the hobby, nothing ruins the immersion of a game like playing against an army of gray plastic and silver pewter. Painting your miniatures shows that you are committed to your army and the game that you play.
Yes it does take time, but it's not as difficult as you think and painting can be very very rewarding.
I hear you cry, "Crazy Gamer, I'm not artistic and I don't have a lot of time!"
Here are my answers, young student:
1. You don't have to be an artist or even artistic to paint your army. I sure as hell am neither.
2. If you learn evil tips and tricks from criminal masterminds you can paint an army quickly.
Young warrior, take heart, I am one of these evil masterminds!
A story!
Once, ages ago in an era of dinosaurs and dial up modems, the Crazy Gamer painted a full army in two weeks. Golden Daemon worthy? Hardly, but it was quick and effective. Now I will tell you how.
First you need to decide a paint scheme. Games Workshop, for all its flaws, does a good job in their army books and codexes of showing you options for color schemes to paint in. I recommend that unless it's very very important to choose an established color scheme.
For example, if you are playing Space Marines choose Ultramarines, Salamanders, Crimson Fists, etc.
Playing Empire, choose Hochland, Middenland, or one of their established provinces.
Why?
Games Workshop already provides the names of what paints you need to use to paint those armies. This takes some of the guess work out of the experience.
Some tips:
Dark colors are easier than bright colors. Yellow and white are both very difficult colors to work with, so Dark Angels and Crimson Fists are easier to paint than Imperial Fists and White Scars. High Elves are more difficult to paint than Dark Elves.
All things being equal choose dark colors over bright ones at least for your first paint job. They take less time to look good and dark colors hide mistakes better.
Avoid yellow unless you really really really want a yellow army (i.e. Imperial Fists, Averland Empire, Biel Tan Eldar).
What paints to use?
This is tricky. There are a bunch of companies that offer paints. I recommend Games Workshop paints. Are they the best? They are average, but for your first paint job it simplifies the process of figuring out what paint to use.
What paint brushes should you get?
Here are some types of brushes:
You don't need a lot of these but I recommend a big flat brush and several round brushes.
Where should you get them?
For your big flat brush I recommend going to a big box art store like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. They have brush sets for very low prices. I bought one several years ago at Michael's that contained all the brushes above for $5.99. They won't be high quality but with your big brush this isn't as important.
How big should your big flat brush be?
This may come as a bit of a surprise but a flat brush should be about half an inch in width. For those of you who aren't big on how big stuff is, your miniatures are 28mm which is approximately one inch so look for one that his about half as big as your miniatures.
This seems big, but I will be discussing the big brush method of painting and you need a big brush to employ this method (I know, you're shocked).
As for your round brushes. You need several, for your primary brush I recommend a 5/1 round brush made from camel hair. Compared to the flat brush described above this will seem tiny. These also are very expensive as a single brush of this type is probably $10.00. There are several cheaper versions made from sable and or various artificial substances. These will be cheaper but they will not last anywhere near as long as a natural hair brush.
You will also need at least one fine detail brush, labeled 10/1 which looks like this:
This is will be used for eyes and the like. This paint brush will also be very expensive and I also recommend natural hair (camel is the best).
Once you get all of this we will discuss the first step of the big brush painting method.
Step one of the Big Brush Painting method.
1. Choose your dominant color. The dominant color will be the color that takes up the majority of the model. Here are some examples:
Orks:
These orks are predominately green so the dominant color is green.
Blood Angels:
This should be an easy one, the dominant color is red.
Empire State soldiers:
This is a tough one, you could choose either red or silver.
2. Once you've chosen your dominant color (be aware I used basic color terms above, go to Games Workshop to see what the names of the paints are) get your big flat brush and your pot of paint. You will also need a paper towel, a water cup (some kind of disposable container), and a paint palette (official ones can be bought at hobby stores. In a pinch you can use a paper plate).
Also make sure that you cover the area you are going to paint in with newspaper or something to protect whatever surface you will be working on.
Take your dominant color and thin it down. It is never a good idea to use paint right out of the pot. Miniatures have a lot of detail and because you are painting miniatures and not bigs these details are very small. The paint that you are using is acrylic which is just a fancy art word for liquid plastic. This can cause several problems, thick paint will obscure fine details like noses, eyes, and fingers and the like. Also, depending on how the paint is stored it can clump up.
The moral of the story is thin your paint, it's cheap and easy. Fancy artists will tell you to use an official paint conditioner (if you find it cheap I recommend it as well) but water can be used in a pinch.
The amount of thinning will depend on the color of the paint. Yellows and whites need less, black and flesh colors need more. Try a drop or two of water (or conditioner). Your paint should be the consistency of skim milk. The color should still be clear, not watery. If you thin the paint too much don't worry, you're much better off with really thin paint than paint that is too thick. You can still use the overly thin paint, you will just have to apply an extra coat or two.
Take your big brush (the one that's about an inch in width) and pour (and thin) the dominant color. Get your brush full of paint:
Paint the color on all the parts of the model that will be that color. For example if you are painting Blood Angels, then paint the armor red.
If you paint somethings that will not be the dominant color by mistake it's okay. Your goal is to have a bright solid color on the largest surface and to do it quickly.
Your models should look like this:
Or:
Make sure that you paint ALL your models who have this dominant color. Don't just paint one or two models. Paint them all before going on to the next step.
Coming soon! The next step. Picking out details!
In my eternal quest to help new members of our hobby I bring you my next Warhammer 101 article, this one will discuss the first steps of painting your army.
Painting your army is what separates us from animals, yet many gamers stay away from this step. Painting is important, it's part of the hobby, nothing ruins the immersion of a game like playing against an army of gray plastic and silver pewter. Painting your miniatures shows that you are committed to your army and the game that you play.
Yes it does take time, but it's not as difficult as you think and painting can be very very rewarding.
I hear you cry, "Crazy Gamer, I'm not artistic and I don't have a lot of time!"
Here are my answers, young student:
1. You don't have to be an artist or even artistic to paint your army. I sure as hell am neither.
2. If you learn evil tips and tricks from criminal masterminds you can paint an army quickly.
Young warrior, take heart, I am one of these evil masterminds!
A story!
Once, ages ago in an era of dinosaurs and dial up modems, the Crazy Gamer painted a full army in two weeks. Golden Daemon worthy? Hardly, but it was quick and effective. Now I will tell you how.
First you need to decide a paint scheme. Games Workshop, for all its flaws, does a good job in their army books and codexes of showing you options for color schemes to paint in. I recommend that unless it's very very important to choose an established color scheme.
For example, if you are playing Space Marines choose Ultramarines, Salamanders, Crimson Fists, etc.
Playing Empire, choose Hochland, Middenland, or one of their established provinces.
Why?
Games Workshop already provides the names of what paints you need to use to paint those armies. This takes some of the guess work out of the experience.
Some tips:
Dark colors are easier than bright colors. Yellow and white are both very difficult colors to work with, so Dark Angels and Crimson Fists are easier to paint than Imperial Fists and White Scars. High Elves are more difficult to paint than Dark Elves.
All things being equal choose dark colors over bright ones at least for your first paint job. They take less time to look good and dark colors hide mistakes better.
Avoid yellow unless you really really really want a yellow army (i.e. Imperial Fists, Averland Empire, Biel Tan Eldar).
What paints to use?
This is tricky. There are a bunch of companies that offer paints. I recommend Games Workshop paints. Are they the best? They are average, but for your first paint job it simplifies the process of figuring out what paint to use.
What paint brushes should you get?
Here are some types of brushes:
Where should you get them?
For your big flat brush I recommend going to a big box art store like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. They have brush sets for very low prices. I bought one several years ago at Michael's that contained all the brushes above for $5.99. They won't be high quality but with your big brush this isn't as important.
How big should your big flat brush be?
This may come as a bit of a surprise but a flat brush should be about half an inch in width. For those of you who aren't big on how big stuff is, your miniatures are 28mm which is approximately one inch so look for one that his about half as big as your miniatures.
This seems big, but I will be discussing the big brush method of painting and you need a big brush to employ this method (I know, you're shocked).
As for your round brushes. You need several, for your primary brush I recommend a 5/1 round brush made from camel hair. Compared to the flat brush described above this will seem tiny. These also are very expensive as a single brush of this type is probably $10.00. There are several cheaper versions made from sable and or various artificial substances. These will be cheaper but they will not last anywhere near as long as a natural hair brush.
You will also need at least one fine detail brush, labeled 10/1 which looks like this:
Once you get all of this we will discuss the first step of the big brush painting method.
Step one of the Big Brush Painting method.
1. Choose your dominant color. The dominant color will be the color that takes up the majority of the model. Here are some examples:
Orks:
Blood Angels:
Empire State soldiers:
2. Once you've chosen your dominant color (be aware I used basic color terms above, go to Games Workshop to see what the names of the paints are) get your big flat brush and your pot of paint. You will also need a paper towel, a water cup (some kind of disposable container), and a paint palette (official ones can be bought at hobby stores. In a pinch you can use a paper plate).
Also make sure that you cover the area you are going to paint in with newspaper or something to protect whatever surface you will be working on.
Take your dominant color and thin it down. It is never a good idea to use paint right out of the pot. Miniatures have a lot of detail and because you are painting miniatures and not bigs these details are very small. The paint that you are using is acrylic which is just a fancy art word for liquid plastic. This can cause several problems, thick paint will obscure fine details like noses, eyes, and fingers and the like. Also, depending on how the paint is stored it can clump up.
The moral of the story is thin your paint, it's cheap and easy. Fancy artists will tell you to use an official paint conditioner (if you find it cheap I recommend it as well) but water can be used in a pinch.
The amount of thinning will depend on the color of the paint. Yellows and whites need less, black and flesh colors need more. Try a drop or two of water (or conditioner). Your paint should be the consistency of skim milk. The color should still be clear, not watery. If you thin the paint too much don't worry, you're much better off with really thin paint than paint that is too thick. You can still use the overly thin paint, you will just have to apply an extra coat or two.
Take your big brush (the one that's about an inch in width) and pour (and thin) the dominant color. Get your brush full of paint:
Paint the color on all the parts of the model that will be that color. For example if you are painting Blood Angels, then paint the armor red.
If you paint somethings that will not be the dominant color by mistake it's okay. Your goal is to have a bright solid color on the largest surface and to do it quickly.
Your models should look like this:
Friday, January 11, 2013
Warhammer 101: The primer on primer
Crazy gamer here with a (hopefully) helpful article on primer.
In the past I've discussed issues such as what different armies bring to the table (hopefully I'll have time to finish those soon), and about the tools you need to clean and assemble your models. Now I will give a bit of advice about the first step of the painting process.
Everyone should paint their Warhammer armies. Several noted scientists have discovered that having painted miniatures will make you more successful in life and at least 10 times more attractive to the opposite sex.*
Furthermore 94 of the 100 richest people in the world have at least one painted army.**So it goes without saying that you should paint your models.
Some people get scared of painting, and instead become CCG players (that's collectible card games for those of you who don't speak geek). This is sad though! Don't be scared! You don't have to be Picasso to paint a decent looking army (besides have you seen what that guy painted? I've seen four year olds paint things that make more sense, but I digress...)
I'm here to help!
The first step to painting is priming. Priming is an initial layer of thin matte paint that helps future coats of paint "stick," to your miniature. This is an essential step but is one that many beginners skip (or are never made aware of) to their detriment.
Do yourself a favor and prime your models. If your miniatures could talk they would thank you if you do.
First, pick the type of primer that you want to use:
Spray Primer
Spray primer is the most common type of primer. It comes in a variety of colors and is made by several different manufactures. Make sure that the paint can says "primer," because if it doesn't it probably isn't primer.
A few notes:
Spray primer is a tricky beast, even for gaming veterans. In order to use spray primer you will need a large, ventilated room that is free of anything you don't want primer on. Spray primer is very very toxic so make sure you have ventilation!
Next, follow the directions! Men usually don't like to read directions, but make an exception this time (I won't tell anyone I promise) as this will save you money.
If you are going to prime, pay attention to the temperature and humidity of where you are at. If the humidity is more than 50% don't prime!!!!! You will get a fuzzy texture to your models that is almost impossible to get off and will hurt your final product. Also, if the temperature is more than 80 degrees and you are priming outside (always a good place because of ventilation) don't prime with black primer in the sun. The sun will melt your models. Also, don't prime on a breezy day as you can also get the fuzzy texture described above.
I'm sure that the paragraph above makes you think that I'm a worry wort (whatever the hell that is) but I can't stress this enough... Plastic models are almost impossible to repair if you prime them incorrectly. Metal models can be stripped using several substances (interestingly brake fluid is the cheapest and most effective method) but plastic is very difficult to save. Resin is as difficult as plastic and even more expensive. The bottom line is: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEFORE YOU START SPRAYING!!!
Helpful tip- if you wear glasses take them off when you prime. Primer will stick to your lenses.
Because of the inherent difficulty of using spray primer, you may want to consider using hand primer.
No, I'm not talking about finger painting, this isn't preschool. You use primer that is in the form of a bottle of paint and apply it with a paint brush. Do not simply use black or white paint, it should be specifically created as a primer. Games Workshop makes a decent bottle primer and several other companies do as well.
Some tips!
You're not painting during this step. Use a big brush, the bigger the better.
With all primer, less is more. You're much better off applying several thin coats then one thick coat. Yes it takes more time, but you don't want your miniatures to look like Mr. Potato Head do you?
Thin the primer down! It helps avoid applying it too thickly and will help your bottle last longer. I recommend two parts primer one part water. What does this mean for you non artists? Your primer should be the consistency of milk. It will start off like oil, if you get water you've added too much...well water... I guess this isn't my most poetic blog entry...
At any rate experiment, but know that you won't hurt your miniatures if you get the primer too thin. Oh!!! but realize the thinner the paint the more it will get all over the place. Use paper towels and wear clothes that you don't mind getting paint on.
Color:
Primer comes in all shades, but for our purposes only two matter: black and white.
Advantages of white primer: White primer should be used for armies that have a predominately white color scheme.
I don't recommend white primer unless you plan on painting a White Scars. White primer is much more difficult to work with than black primer.
Advantages of black primer: Black primer has countless advantages, not least of all:
Gives you a natural shade
Makes mistakes less noticeable
Cool colors paint over it well
And more!
Some artists claim that black primer will not allow a painter to get his or her colors as bright as a white primer. It is true, but unless you aspire to be a Golden Daemon painter painting a select range of armies, it really won't matter for us average souls.
See you later!
*Not even sort of. Come on, you thought I was telling you the truth? I've got a bridge I want to sell you
**Please make a check out to me in the amount of one million dollars. Don't worry, the bank will know that it's a joke, honest.
In the past I've discussed issues such as what different armies bring to the table (hopefully I'll have time to finish those soon), and about the tools you need to clean and assemble your models. Now I will give a bit of advice about the first step of the painting process.
Everyone should paint their Warhammer armies. Several noted scientists have discovered that having painted miniatures will make you more successful in life and at least 10 times more attractive to the opposite sex.*
Furthermore 94 of the 100 richest people in the world have at least one painted army.**So it goes without saying that you should paint your models.
Some people get scared of painting, and instead become CCG players (that's collectible card games for those of you who don't speak geek). This is sad though! Don't be scared! You don't have to be Picasso to paint a decent looking army (besides have you seen what that guy painted? I've seen four year olds paint things that make more sense, but I digress...)
I'm here to help!
The first step to painting is priming. Priming is an initial layer of thin matte paint that helps future coats of paint "stick," to your miniature. This is an essential step but is one that many beginners skip (or are never made aware of) to their detriment.
Do yourself a favor and prime your models. If your miniatures could talk they would thank you if you do.
First, pick the type of primer that you want to use:
Spray Primer
Spray primer is the most common type of primer. It comes in a variety of colors and is made by several different manufactures. Make sure that the paint can says "primer," because if it doesn't it probably isn't primer.
A few notes:
Spray primer is a tricky beast, even for gaming veterans. In order to use spray primer you will need a large, ventilated room that is free of anything you don't want primer on. Spray primer is very very toxic so make sure you have ventilation!
Next, follow the directions! Men usually don't like to read directions, but make an exception this time (I won't tell anyone I promise) as this will save you money.
If you are going to prime, pay attention to the temperature and humidity of where you are at. If the humidity is more than 50% don't prime!!!!! You will get a fuzzy texture to your models that is almost impossible to get off and will hurt your final product. Also, if the temperature is more than 80 degrees and you are priming outside (always a good place because of ventilation) don't prime with black primer in the sun. The sun will melt your models. Also, don't prime on a breezy day as you can also get the fuzzy texture described above.
I'm sure that the paragraph above makes you think that I'm a worry wort (whatever the hell that is) but I can't stress this enough... Plastic models are almost impossible to repair if you prime them incorrectly. Metal models can be stripped using several substances (interestingly brake fluid is the cheapest and most effective method) but plastic is very difficult to save. Resin is as difficult as plastic and even more expensive. The bottom line is: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEFORE YOU START SPRAYING!!!
Helpful tip- if you wear glasses take them off when you prime. Primer will stick to your lenses.
Because of the inherent difficulty of using spray primer, you may want to consider using hand primer.
No, I'm not talking about finger painting, this isn't preschool. You use primer that is in the form of a bottle of paint and apply it with a paint brush. Do not simply use black or white paint, it should be specifically created as a primer. Games Workshop makes a decent bottle primer and several other companies do as well.
Some tips!
You're not painting during this step. Use a big brush, the bigger the better.
With all primer, less is more. You're much better off applying several thin coats then one thick coat. Yes it takes more time, but you don't want your miniatures to look like Mr. Potato Head do you?
Thin the primer down! It helps avoid applying it too thickly and will help your bottle last longer. I recommend two parts primer one part water. What does this mean for you non artists? Your primer should be the consistency of milk. It will start off like oil, if you get water you've added too much...well water... I guess this isn't my most poetic blog entry...
At any rate experiment, but know that you won't hurt your miniatures if you get the primer too thin. Oh!!! but realize the thinner the paint the more it will get all over the place. Use paper towels and wear clothes that you don't mind getting paint on.
Color:
Primer comes in all shades, but for our purposes only two matter: black and white.
Advantages of white primer: White primer should be used for armies that have a predominately white color scheme.
I don't recommend white primer unless you plan on painting a White Scars. White primer is much more difficult to work with than black primer.
Advantages of black primer: Black primer has countless advantages, not least of all:
Gives you a natural shade
Makes mistakes less noticeable
Cool colors paint over it well
And more!
Some artists claim that black primer will not allow a painter to get his or her colors as bright as a white primer. It is true, but unless you aspire to be a Golden Daemon painter painting a select range of armies, it really won't matter for us average souls.
See you later!
*Not even sort of. Come on, you thought I was telling you the truth? I've got a bridge I want to sell you
**Please make a check out to me in the amount of one million dollars. Don't worry, the bank will know that it's a joke, honest.
Friday, December 14, 2012
The Hobbit Game by Games Workshop
The Hobbit Strategy
Battle Game: Escape from Goblin Town
Crazy Gamer here to give you a crazy review of Games
Workshop’s latest game, The Hobbit
Strategy Battle Game: Escape from Goblin Town, from here on out referred to
as The Hobbit.
Let’s dive in.
The rules: The
Hobbit is based on the original Lord of the Rings: Strategy Battle Game, which
is not to be confused with the War of the Ring games, also released by Games
Workshop. Whew, that’s a lot of
titles. Back to my original point: the
Hobbit is essentially a new version of the Lord of the Rings games rules. The rules are fundamentally the same as
LOTR. In essence, one player plays the
good guys (in this case, Thorin’s dwarves) and the other plays the bad guys
(the Goblin King and goblins). Heroes and
monsters have special abilities and equipment like their movie
counterparts. Players recreate the movie
moments in six scenarios.
This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg, but I will
discuss that in the hobby section.
The rules themselves are easy to learn and are fun. Most of the rules are identical to the
previous version of the LOTR strategy game with some confusing elements
refined. What has changed are more sophisticated
moving and shooting mechanics, shooting into and out of terrain, fighting
behind obstacles, heroic actions, and monsters.
Monsters have been given new options to use that make them more tactical
to use and heroes now have twice as many heroic actions that they can call.
The game has plenty of tactical decisions for players to
make - just because the rules are easy to learn doesn’t mean the game is easy
to master. Players must balance the need
to modify their dice rolls with calling heroic actions. The canny player will be rewarded; the
careless player will lose regardless of how mighty their models may be. The game is fun to play if you give it a
chance.
The models: Having played miniature games for almost
20 years, I am still amazed by what can be accomplished in plastic these
days. Even if we go back to 2001, when
the original LOTR game came out, there were only a handful of poses and none of
the models in the basic set were heroes.
The Hobbit game comes with all the members of Thorin’s company, all
heroes, plus the Goblin King, 18 different posed goblins times two, plus Goblin
Town scenery. Each member of Thorin’s
company is excellently sculpted in the likeness of their movie
counterpart. Thorin’s model has the
option of his Oakenshield or Orchrist, while Bilbo can be equipped with Sting
if the player wants it.
The goblins, thirty-six of them, are hideous, lumpen,
grotesque critters. The models are
nasty, just like in the movies. The
Goblin King is large and imposing, bigger than a cave troll, not quite as big
as a Balrog. Goblin Town itself is
functional and includes the goblin scribe and the Goblin King’s throne.
Overall, the miniatures are excellent, coming in at a little
over $2 a piece for the collector’s set.
The Hobby: The one weak area of the Hobbit box game
is its tight focus on Goblin Town. All
the scenarios revolve around that portion of the movie when the dwarves and
Bilbo are in the clutches of the Goblin King.
This can be fun, but players will quickly want to explore
other portions of the Hobbit movie.
There are miniatures for other parts of the film (and the other Lord of
the Rings movies), but this will require purchasing the hardcover Hobbit
rulebook and additional miniatures.
As far as what’s out there for you to collect, gamers can
collect all of their favorite characters and can recreate all their favorite
events from the movies and books – everything is available from both the Lord
of the Rings movies and the Hobbit.
Overall – worth a buy!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Warhammer 101 (Armies Fantasy Flavor) Vampire Counts
Vampire Counts
Crazy Guy here to write about another army article. This time I will talk about the Warhammer Fantasy army Vampire Counts
Fun Fact, Games Workshop released the Vampire Counts army around the same time as the second to last Twilight movie. Did GW do this to benefit from the popularity of the Twilight films?
One quick read of the Vampire Counts book will tell you this isn't the case.
Let me write the Twilight saga if Edward (I cry that I know that) was a Warhammer vampire...
Bella walked to school. She didn't much like the cold cloudy weather that assailed her as she made the short journey from her dad's house to the brick building that was her new school. Although she wasn't thrilled with starting a new school she hoped her new classmates were decent. Teenagers could be nasty if they wanted to be.
Suddenly a darkness descended, a snaking black cloud to be precise, fell upon the school. Screams could be heard, carried as it was, on the fell wind.
A figure emerged from the dark cloud, a pale figure on a monstrous dragon.
Bella locked eyes with the man. He is so dreamy she thought.
The dragon descended opening its maw as it did so and swallowed Bella whole.
The end
Warhammer Vampires are not broody emo guys. They want to destroy the world with dark magic.
If you start a Vampire Counts you will have:
The worst troops (statistically speaking) in the game
Elite troops that are more expensive than other armies
Powerful, yet vulnerable, leaders
So why would you want to play this army? Well beyond controlling an army of horror movie monsters yours is the only army (well, except Tomb Kings but they are also undead) that can get your troops back.
Skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wights, whatever can be summoned back to the battlefield using Necromantic magic. You will lose a lot of models, but unlike other armies you can get those guys back.
The army is considered a solidly mid range list. You will be able to compete and be successful. The range is largely new so you will not have to worry about new models replacing the models you just bought.
Older kits that COULD be replaced soon include vampire bats, Blood Knights, the Black Coach, bat swarms, but that's about it.
Painting is pretty easy, kits are nice.
Be aware that a Vampire Counts army is MORE expensive then the average army. Why? Since you can summon models back and add models to your units that weren't originally purchased for the army you will need extra models. Games Workshop's rule is once you don't have any more models left then you can't summon anymore.
A note on Zombies:
I'll leave you with this, if you want to play this army and you don't play in an officially marked GW store, you may want to look into alternative companies for zombie models. Mantic games makes a good set as does reaper miniatures. The GW zombie kit is a weaker kit and isn't likely to get replaced anytime soon. Just FYI.
Crazy Guy here to write about another army article. This time I will talk about the Warhammer Fantasy army Vampire Counts
Fun Fact, Games Workshop released the Vampire Counts army around the same time as the second to last Twilight movie. Did GW do this to benefit from the popularity of the Twilight films?
One quick read of the Vampire Counts book will tell you this isn't the case.
Let me write the Twilight saga if Edward (I cry that I know that) was a Warhammer vampire...
Bella walked to school. She didn't much like the cold cloudy weather that assailed her as she made the short journey from her dad's house to the brick building that was her new school. Although she wasn't thrilled with starting a new school she hoped her new classmates were decent. Teenagers could be nasty if they wanted to be.
Suddenly a darkness descended, a snaking black cloud to be precise, fell upon the school. Screams could be heard, carried as it was, on the fell wind.
A figure emerged from the dark cloud, a pale figure on a monstrous dragon.
Bella locked eyes with the man. He is so dreamy she thought.
The dragon descended opening its maw as it did so and swallowed Bella whole.
The end
Warhammer Vampires are not broody emo guys. They want to destroy the world with dark magic.
If you start a Vampire Counts you will have:
The worst troops (statistically speaking) in the game
Elite troops that are more expensive than other armies
Powerful, yet vulnerable, leaders
So why would you want to play this army? Well beyond controlling an army of horror movie monsters yours is the only army (well, except Tomb Kings but they are also undead) that can get your troops back.
Skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wights, whatever can be summoned back to the battlefield using Necromantic magic. You will lose a lot of models, but unlike other armies you can get those guys back.
The army is considered a solidly mid range list. You will be able to compete and be successful. The range is largely new so you will not have to worry about new models replacing the models you just bought.
Older kits that COULD be replaced soon include vampire bats, Blood Knights, the Black Coach, bat swarms, but that's about it.
Painting is pretty easy, kits are nice.
Be aware that a Vampire Counts army is MORE expensive then the average army. Why? Since you can summon models back and add models to your units that weren't originally purchased for the army you will need extra models. Games Workshop's rule is once you don't have any more models left then you can't summon anymore.
A note on Zombies:
I'll leave you with this, if you want to play this army and you don't play in an officially marked GW store, you may want to look into alternative companies for zombie models. Mantic games makes a good set as does reaper miniatures. The GW zombie kit is a weaker kit and isn't likely to get replaced anytime soon. Just FYI.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Warhammer 101: Tools of the trade
Hello all,
Sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. I have journeyed long and far to a strange land to partake in local rituals of consumption. I traveled through arid desert where rocks teetered upon other larger rocks until they reached the heavens. For long hours I thought that perhaps the whole world was nothing but dirt and sand but then suddenly a temperate climate appeared with trees, and grass, and, and... water.
But I am back...
In my Warhammer 101 series I have discussed several armies. This time I will discuss several tools that every gamer needs.
These tools are necessary for you to get the most out of your models. Citadel Miniatures do not come assembled. You have to do this for yourself. If you make sure that you have the proper tools you will reduce your frustration.
First, you need a knife
No, no no
Not this kind of a knife, you're not fighting off pirates! You need this kind:
This kind of knife is used to clean off mold lines on models.
What are mold lines?
(Face palm)
See that line that runs down the models leg. That is a mold line. It looks bad in plastic, when you are painting it's even worse. A knife will get rid of this.
It is also wise to purchase a set of small files. These are good for metal miniatures primarily. The metal will dull your knife quickly so files will save you money on blades. You can use files on plastic miniatures as long as you are delicate with it. Under no circumstance should you use a file on Citadel Fincast miniatures.
Glue:
Adhesives are a sticky subject (badah boom, I'll be here all week.) with different models needing different glues. Let's look.
First- Super Glue
Super glue is used on metal models and resin models. I advise that you use a super glue gel as pure super glue has the consistency of water which makes it difficult to work with.
Some things to note:
Less is more with all glue, but especially super glue as the more you use the longer it will take to dry. Too much super glue will leave a white residue on your model.
Super glue is strong but it will not hold a piece if that piece is too big or heavy. As a good rule of thumb if the piece was thrown at you and you think it would really hurt, it probably needs something stronger. Look for my advanced modeling techniques coming soon.
Usually warnings on products are just for stupid people, but as the wise man once said "There are two types of people who use super glue; those who have glued their fingers together and those who will glue their fingers together." Watch what you are gluing, it will take only a second for your fingers to glue together and boy is it painful getting them apart (your knife is good for that also by the way)
Super glue WILL ruin whatever it touches that isn't your model. Clothes, carpet, wood, plastic, whatever. Make sure you use the glue in an area that has protection against the glue.
2. Plastic glue
This is a catch all for several different substances that are designed to glue plastic. Games Workshop does offer a decent plastic glue.
Some things of note:
Plastic glue will only work on plastic models.
Some types of plastic glue actually melt part of the plastic to create adhesion, be very careful to make sure that what you are gluing together actually should be glued together. Plastic glued models are more difficult to break apart then metal ones.
Elmers White Glue
White glue like Elmers has a use. Your models bases will need to be flocked or given sand. In order to put this on your models you need white glue like Elmers. There is no other modeling use for this glue so one small bottle will last you for a long time.
Sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. I have journeyed long and far to a strange land to partake in local rituals of consumption. I traveled through arid desert where rocks teetered upon other larger rocks until they reached the heavens. For long hours I thought that perhaps the whole world was nothing but dirt and sand but then suddenly a temperate climate appeared with trees, and grass, and, and... water.
But I am back...
In my Warhammer 101 series I have discussed several armies. This time I will discuss several tools that every gamer needs.
These tools are necessary for you to get the most out of your models. Citadel Miniatures do not come assembled. You have to do this for yourself. If you make sure that you have the proper tools you will reduce your frustration.
First, you need a knife
Not this kind of a knife, you're not fighting off pirates! You need this kind:
What are mold lines?
(Face palm)
It is also wise to purchase a set of small files. These are good for metal miniatures primarily. The metal will dull your knife quickly so files will save you money on blades. You can use files on plastic miniatures as long as you are delicate with it. Under no circumstance should you use a file on Citadel Fincast miniatures.
Glue:
Adhesives are a sticky subject (badah boom, I'll be here all week.) with different models needing different glues. Let's look.
First- Super Glue
Some things to note:
Less is more with all glue, but especially super glue as the more you use the longer it will take to dry. Too much super glue will leave a white residue on your model.
Super glue is strong but it will not hold a piece if that piece is too big or heavy. As a good rule of thumb if the piece was thrown at you and you think it would really hurt, it probably needs something stronger. Look for my advanced modeling techniques coming soon.
Usually warnings on products are just for stupid people, but as the wise man once said "There are two types of people who use super glue; those who have glued their fingers together and those who will glue their fingers together." Watch what you are gluing, it will take only a second for your fingers to glue together and boy is it painful getting them apart (your knife is good for that also by the way)
Super glue WILL ruin whatever it touches that isn't your model. Clothes, carpet, wood, plastic, whatever. Make sure you use the glue in an area that has protection against the glue.
2. Plastic glue
This is a catch all for several different substances that are designed to glue plastic. Games Workshop does offer a decent plastic glue.
Some things of note:
Plastic glue will only work on plastic models.
Some types of plastic glue actually melt part of the plastic to create adhesion, be very careful to make sure that what you are gluing together actually should be glued together. Plastic glued models are more difficult to break apart then metal ones.
Elmers White Glue
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Warhammer 101: The Armies (Fantasy Edition)
Since I've been slowed in my blogging I figure I should begin my run down of Warhammer Fantasy Armies.
Today I'll start with:
Ta Dah!!!!
The Empire
The army is loosely based on the 15th Century Holy Roman Empire (that's where modern Germany is now by the way!)
Anyway... I won't bore you with geography... but you really need to learn it. Seriously!
Ahem
The Empire is one of the "flagship," armies for Warhammer Fantasy. The army is human, so that should be familiar... to most of you... and has plenty of fantasy archetypes such as knights in shiny armor, flamboyant heroes with fancy hats (or helmets, most kits have options). They have wizards aplenty. The Empire army is also has guys with guns (black powder muskets not M16's), guys with crossbows, and guys with bows and arrows. Want cannons? The Empire's got them. How about a mortar? The Empire has that also. Perhaps a Gatling cannon with nine barrels is more your thing? Well the Empire has that to.
The range is 100% available right now and is almost all plastic. Plastic kits mean more options, and cheaper prices. The range is fairly new and so it won't be replaced anytime soon.
This variety has a price though. You have access to all this cool stuff, but your army is reliant on the humble old soldier whose stats are near the weakest in the game. This shouldn't be taken to mean the army can't win. It can. It's just that you aren't going to get a cool stat line like a Chaos Warrior, but then again a Chaos Warrior can't carry a hand gun...
Empire soldiers are cheap and if used properly are quite effective.
Empire soldiers are also colorful and look good on the tabletop.
Empire armies utilize the colorful Renaissance style with slashed duel color doublets, feathers, and steel armor.
First time players will find that this army is a good starting point as the list can be tailored for your style of play.
If you want to play aggressive then the army offers Knights, Griffon mounted leaders, and other hard hitting units.
Prefer to be a static army then the list offers big blocks of infantry and plenty of guns and artillery.
The army also can use units that are good for tricky, hit and run tactics.
Most armies (in both Fantasy and 40K) tend to have just one strength but the Empire is a good all round list.
Today I'll start with:
Ta Dah!!!!
The Empire
Anyway... I won't bore you with geography... but you really need to learn it. Seriously!
Ahem
The Empire is one of the "flagship," armies for Warhammer Fantasy. The army is human, so that should be familiar... to most of you... and has plenty of fantasy archetypes such as knights in shiny armor, flamboyant heroes with fancy hats (or helmets, most kits have options). They have wizards aplenty. The Empire army is also has guys with guns (black powder muskets not M16's), guys with crossbows, and guys with bows and arrows. Want cannons? The Empire's got them. How about a mortar? The Empire has that also. Perhaps a Gatling cannon with nine barrels is more your thing? Well the Empire has that to.
The range is 100% available right now and is almost all plastic. Plastic kits mean more options, and cheaper prices. The range is fairly new and so it won't be replaced anytime soon.
This variety has a price though. You have access to all this cool stuff, but your army is reliant on the humble old soldier whose stats are near the weakest in the game. This shouldn't be taken to mean the army can't win. It can. It's just that you aren't going to get a cool stat line like a Chaos Warrior, but then again a Chaos Warrior can't carry a hand gun...
Empire soldiers are cheap and if used properly are quite effective.
Empire soldiers are also colorful and look good on the tabletop.
First time players will find that this army is a good starting point as the list can be tailored for your style of play.
If you want to play aggressive then the army offers Knights, Griffon mounted leaders, and other hard hitting units.
Prefer to be a static army then the list offers big blocks of infantry and plenty of guns and artillery.
The army also can use units that are good for tricky, hit and run tactics.
Most armies (in both Fantasy and 40K) tend to have just one strength but the Empire is a good all round list.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Warhammer 101: Choosing an army
Yesterday I started my Warhammer 101 series with a basic overview of the hobby. Today I will discuss choosing an army to play.
Ultimately you should choose an army that you like the look of. Don't succumb to popular Internet sentiment. If you don't like the models you won't want to paint the models and your enjoyment of the hobby will diminish.
I will also point out that you should be careful about looking for super powerful Internet lists. They don't last long.
What do I mean by this? Back in 2002 I began an Ultramarines army which I based off of the 5th Battle Company. Over time I have added different elements, but I still use my 5th company as the core of the lists that I use today ten years later. In the same time I have seen hundreds of "super," lists come and go. These lists are usually highly specialized and very expensive and even small changes to the game can greatly reduce the armies effectiveness.
Currently the 40k darling army is a Necron army known as Cron Air. It uses as many Necron fliers as possible. The problem is each Necron Flyer is some $50.00 dollars. This army will set you back a small fortune and their is no telling how long the list will be super.
I cannot stress highly enough to purchase a balanced army (which I will discuss later). It will be cheaper and will last you as long as you play in the hobby.
Now I will give a brief overview of the current armies, starting with 40k ones.
Space Marines: This is the bread and butter army. It is almost entirely plastic (fun to model, more variety, light, etc). Space Marines are tough, skilled, and well equipped. Space Marine armies are smaller in numbers and as such are cheaper to purchase. However because they are an elite army you will have to make tough choices with what to bring to a game.
Space Marine armies also allow many easy painting techniques to be used.
Here are some cool images to wet your whistle.
Space Marines also come in several other flavors:
Blood Angels are more close combat oriented and favor use of Jump packs.
Then you have Dark Angels which are more shooty and have more bikers.
Finally we have Space Wolves that have things like giant wolves, and viking weapons.
Next up we have
Necrons: Necrons are similar to Space Marines in that they are tough and resilient and effective in combat. They are essentially metal skeletons who want revenge against the universe. Necrons are currently very popular but are likely to be reduced in effectiveness.
Necron armies are also mostly plastic and can be effectively painted using the dry brushing method (which is both quick and easy).
Those of you who are children of the 80's may notice a homage to the Terminator. Necrons even have a special rule that used to be called "I'll be back."
Next up- More 40k armies and then Fantasy armies!
Ultimately you should choose an army that you like the look of. Don't succumb to popular Internet sentiment. If you don't like the models you won't want to paint the models and your enjoyment of the hobby will diminish.
I will also point out that you should be careful about looking for super powerful Internet lists. They don't last long.
What do I mean by this? Back in 2002 I began an Ultramarines army which I based off of the 5th Battle Company. Over time I have added different elements, but I still use my 5th company as the core of the lists that I use today ten years later. In the same time I have seen hundreds of "super," lists come and go. These lists are usually highly specialized and very expensive and even small changes to the game can greatly reduce the armies effectiveness.
Currently the 40k darling army is a Necron army known as Cron Air. It uses as many Necron fliers as possible. The problem is each Necron Flyer is some $50.00 dollars. This army will set you back a small fortune and their is no telling how long the list will be super.
I cannot stress highly enough to purchase a balanced army (which I will discuss later). It will be cheaper and will last you as long as you play in the hobby.
Now I will give a brief overview of the current armies, starting with 40k ones.
Space Marines: This is the bread and butter army. It is almost entirely plastic (fun to model, more variety, light, etc). Space Marines are tough, skilled, and well equipped. Space Marine armies are smaller in numbers and as such are cheaper to purchase. However because they are an elite army you will have to make tough choices with what to bring to a game.
Space Marine armies also allow many easy painting techniques to be used.
Here are some cool images to wet your whistle.
Blood Angels are more close combat oriented and favor use of Jump packs.
Regardless of type, all Space Marines are tough and effective in combat. Next up we have
Necrons: Necrons are similar to Space Marines in that they are tough and resilient and effective in combat. They are essentially metal skeletons who want revenge against the universe. Necrons are currently very popular but are likely to be reduced in effectiveness.
Necron armies are also mostly plastic and can be effectively painted using the dry brushing method (which is both quick and easy).
Next up- More 40k armies and then Fantasy armies!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Warhammer 101: The basics for building an army
So you've decided to ruin your life
Oops! Wrong blog title.
Ahem...
Warhammer (in this case referring to both the fantasy and futuristic versions) is a wonderful hobby. If you put forth both time and effort you will be rewarded many times over.
But, for many beginners, you can often feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of everything that is involved in the Warhammer hobby.
Sadly many gamers ignore new members of the hobby as bothersome and do not try to help the fresh faces of the game. Alone and bereft they soon leave the hobby never to enjoy it or accomplish as much as they could if someone would have looked out for them.
I won't do that. So here is my attempt to help people new to Warhammer with my on going series of Warhammer 101 articles. Please remember that these articles are geared to both Warhammer and Warhammer 40k players.
Without further adieu
Where to start?
First you need to pick a game system. Both Warhammer Fantasy and 40k offer unique experiences. Both have their good points and a few bad points but what it really comes down to is the following:
Do you prefer swords and sorcery, with massive regiments of foot soldiers fighting against dragons, hordes of zombies or even (gasp!) zombie dragons?
or
Do you prefer futuristic warfare with soldiers using big fancy guns and huge tanks who fight against alien invaders in the forms of green skin brutes, skeletal robots, or acrobatic lithe pirates?
Once this has been done-
I would recommend going to all the nearby local stores and see what is played and when to make sure people nearby play the game you enjoy.
Don't know where your local store is at? Go to www.games-workshop.com they have a link to a local store finder. A more old fashioned approach would be to look in your local phone book under the "hobby," section. Always call ahead if you use this approach.
Typically I recommend independent retailers over Games Workshop stores. The reason is very simple, independent stores are usually larger and less crowded. If you live near Chicago, LA, or Memphis, you might try the Games Workshop battle bunkers, which are larger than the typical GW stores.
You first purchase:
If the armies interest you I would go with either the Dark Vengeance boxed game for 40k or the Island of Blood game for Fantasy.
Oops! Wrong blog title.
Ahem...
Warhammer (in this case referring to both the fantasy and futuristic versions) is a wonderful hobby. If you put forth both time and effort you will be rewarded many times over.
But, for many beginners, you can often feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of everything that is involved in the Warhammer hobby.
Sadly many gamers ignore new members of the hobby as bothersome and do not try to help the fresh faces of the game. Alone and bereft they soon leave the hobby never to enjoy it or accomplish as much as they could if someone would have looked out for them.
I won't do that. So here is my attempt to help people new to Warhammer with my on going series of Warhammer 101 articles. Please remember that these articles are geared to both Warhammer and Warhammer 40k players.
Without further adieu
Where to start?
First you need to pick a game system. Both Warhammer Fantasy and 40k offer unique experiences. Both have their good points and a few bad points but what it really comes down to is the following:
Do you prefer swords and sorcery, with massive regiments of foot soldiers fighting against dragons, hordes of zombies or even (gasp!) zombie dragons?
or
Do you prefer futuristic warfare with soldiers using big fancy guns and huge tanks who fight against alien invaders in the forms of green skin brutes, skeletal robots, or acrobatic lithe pirates?
Once this has been done-
I would recommend going to all the nearby local stores and see what is played and when to make sure people nearby play the game you enjoy.
Don't know where your local store is at? Go to www.games-workshop.com they have a link to a local store finder. A more old fashioned approach would be to look in your local phone book under the "hobby," section. Always call ahead if you use this approach.
Typically I recommend independent retailers over Games Workshop stores. The reason is very simple, independent stores are usually larger and less crowded. If you live near Chicago, LA, or Memphis, you might try the Games Workshop battle bunkers, which are larger than the typical GW stores.
You first purchase:
If the armies interest you I would go with either the Dark Vengeance boxed game for 40k or the Island of Blood game for Fantasy.
Even if the armies aren't of huge interest to you you might still want to invest in the boxed game. In addition to getting a soft cover rulebook (the stand alone rulebook costs $75.00) you get two armies that you can clip together and play right out of the box.
Find a bud who is also interested and split the cost!
If neither army in the box game lights your fire then feel free to buy the stand alone rulebook and miniatures that you like the look of. Keep in mind that in order to play you need one leader and a selection of basic troops (called core in Fantasy and troops in 40k).
You will also need a specialized book called a Codex in 40k and Army Books in fantasy. This option will cost more money up front but gives you a good starting point.
Remember two things:
1. You will need a rulebook so you have to get one someway.
2. You will need your armies individual Codex or Army book. This may seem expensive but if you really want to understand the game these two things are essential, even before the models themselves you must have these resources.
The good news is that these two essentials aren't like Apple products. They get replaced about every six to seven years. 40k just changed to 6th edition this year and isn't due an update before 2017 and Fantasy was updated in 2010 so it will not see a new edition before 2015.
Next time, we will discuss choosing an army and the tools you will need to start off.
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