On Internet Lingo, A Treatise

What follows is perhaps the best treatment of internet shorthand I've ever read.  This, dear readers, is the product of the first-class, though somewhat bent, mind that calls itself Herr Fernseher.  It's referring to a comment thread, but you don't need the context to appreciate it.  Enjoy!  -Brent

Rotfl, lol, n lmao. K, not really. Trent, Kent, 6ent Chez has a ? Caring about typos and grammer? I mean grammar? R u on 420? 2B an ass or not 2B an ass, that is the ? Golly G, Enlish is EZ. –brb, g2p. (drank 2 much T)

K, where was I? O. C, I think anyone who bitches about blog spelling, there stupid. Theirs a time for being critical about Eglish, and they’res a time to chill. ‘Course I’ve been likened unto L Duderino. WTF.

OMG. Personally, I LOVE morphing the language (Ex: in a past comment, bRENT, you wrote “It’s pretty rare I get caught out on usage.” I’ve heard “It’s pretty rare I get caught on usage”, and also “It’s pretty rare I get called out on usage”, but I’ve never heard “caught out on usage.” Now, I’m not saying you are wrong at all. I know for a fact you are better read than I am and have a better grasp of a broader range of English idiom. But even if you are the first person in the history of the English language to use the phrase “caught out on usage”, so what? Everyone knows exactly what you meant, which means your language is “A-OK” (whatever that means—get my point?). And English would not be the rich, expressive language that it is if people didn’t make shit up with it.

You wanna know something else? I know some commas go inside the quotes and some don’t AND that my style manuals are in boxes in one of three places and I don’t care to bother with searching the world-wide-wasteland for how to punctuate properly. (Dear reader, your shit is posted online; do you really think I should look to the internet for style tips? By the same token, my shit is now posted here as well, so feel free to discount my opinions too.)

Should we care about misusage and misspelling? $h!#, when you write be critical, when you read, be lenient.

Fucking word Nazis. I think they are gay. Not ghey. That’s right, I said gay. And I don’t mean homosexual, though some of those anal twats might be.
And for the record, I think the term “ghey” is gay. Mocking it makes me feel gay (I could specify “dictionary.com def. 1”, but hell, interpret it how you want). Play emoticon: “:)”
And letz NOT 3v3N 93T N2 l33t. The fact is, as soon as TV is offered via direct brain transmission, 1 in 6 people will get it. Then the remaining old school, caveman-style TV viewers will see glitzy commercials flashing on their antiquated screens all about their coolest “plugged-in” friends, and that’s when most of the socially/recreationally-challenged sheep will decide that they too should get the implants as well. And when that finally happens, the only people who will give a shit about reading, misspelled or otherwise, will be the remaining 1 out of 6: old cranks like me, hopefully living on a distant farm somewhere with a shitload of books and guns.

Btw, Capital wit, I wanna see yo gaba gaba, especially the episode with Jack Black. I hear he tears it up! (and, WIT, props for knowing where the apostrophe in “y’all” goes! You make Texas proud.)

Oh yeah, and to GBF’s credit, has anyone ever really “spelt” anything? I think he could just be having fun, the same as me! :D

&BTW, 0u812 was an underrated album. And now, back to my Guinness...

P.S. Editted for spelling AND mispelling.

Listen up maggots!

Here at the store we had our usual Friday night lights, except that this is the first time I've seen everyone so excited to get a game in. Since we have started our new army build up project, the guys have become really motivated. In my three years of playing this game most of the vets at the store just didn't seem to enjoy 40k anymore. It was like a job, or a chore for these guys. Now all of that has changed with the introduction of a ranking system and a new army to build up. Even the guys that aren't impressed with there army have a competitive drive that makes them want to be at the top of the pack. Going to the store has really become a great time again, that is if you can get over the card gamer smell!

What do you do at you store to fuel that competitive fire, or to stay motivated?

Blood Angles vs Tyranids, Dark Angels vs Tau,

Demon Hunters vs Demons, Space Wolves vs Guard

Here we have the space wolves last stand on turn 6. This was a very close game that had the wolves fighting like they had rabies.

Doh! My Mess, My Mess!

Another short and sweet post... but it's an unfortunate fact that housecleaning does, indeed play a role in our hobby.  Here you see my game room is getting away from me.  When it gets to this point, it makes it harder to want to sit down and work.

Do It Right The First Time

Okay, short and sweet post time.  I hate pinning models.  There's a reason you should do it right the first time though.

See the problem?  It's much more difficult to do this type of work after the paint is applied; I'll without doubt have to touch up the model after pinning it.

Here it's not as bad, since I've only put on the first few coats, but since the wings weren't sturdy I went ahead and pulled them off, cleaned the glue, and pinned them in place.  Now I have to fix the mess, but the broken DP convinced me to go ahead and get this chore done now.

As an aside, I'm making good progress on my Daemons; here you see the Horrors on the paint stick (not to be confused with a beat stick) and getting their first coats.  I use a quick, over-brushing technique followed by a wash to get the base coat.  After that, it's just adding detail or extra color.

Don't watch this video! Don't look at this picture!

Okay, I've been a busy bee, though I'm sure you can't tell from the lack of posts this last week!  I won't apologize too much, since I've got some cool stuff in the pipeline.  Basically, I've purchased the domain name and am building a website to piggyback this blog on.  This will allow me to do all the cool things I want to but am currently unable to do.  When I'm confident everything is working correctly, I'll upload the site from Dreamweaver.
 
But enough of that! A few weeks ago on Friday I played two of my required 3 games for the month of December.

So I ripped off better sites and totally stole the battle report format used at Bell of Lost Souls!  If this link works, and I have every reason to suspect I've screwed it up somewhere along the way, you'll see 7 minutes of video between me and The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) fighting it out.  I've not edited it, so watch at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3GurY_936g

 So, that's 7 minutes of your life you'll not get back!

Speaking of, here's a picture nobody needs to see...

...believe it or not, that man has a Doctorate and teaches at the university level.  That's someone's idea of terrain, by the way.

Till the next time I scar your senses - Brent

Terrain: Too Much or Too Little?

When I'm surfing the net, checking out the various sites on the ol' blogosphere, I'm often surprised by the terrain I see in the pictures.  It runs the gamut, of course, but I have to say I think most people play with less than 25% terrain.  Too me, this is the most cogent argument for the lack of a national meta-game: bottom line, the game plays much differently if you're rewarding gunlines with stadium-style setups or melee-shock with dense, large buildings.

Note that, I've changed the post from the original line, 'run the gambit' to the correct idiom, 'run the gamut.'   The term means to extend over the entire range.  Thanks to a reader for the correction - I learned something new here.

 

So what's an adequate amount of terrain?  Here's the board I set up two Fridays ago; if you're curious, it's two 4x4 boards, which is our standard at 1000pts.  This is my 'We-Need-Trees-Damn-It' terrain.

The other side.  The trees are movable, allowing us to use the piece as area terrain without inhibiting model movement.

Here's Gauthic setting up his Dark Eldar Pirates.  He's converting the entire army, creating a nautical theme that I really enjoy.  What's coolest is his magnet work - everything is done up, including the troops that ride the sideboard.

So that's that - your thoughts?  How is the terrain in your area?

A Paint Stick...

...not to be confused with a beat stick.  Two totally different uses.

So I'm doing a ton of painting, which I like.  What I hate is cleaning and basing models, and I'm not a huge fan of the first coat, either.  I really only enjoy myself when I get past the housekeeping portion of the hobby.

Here's my contribution to the hobbyist: the paint stick.

So basically I use double-sided tape on a super-sized paint-can-stirrer... thingy... and, yes, it's plenty strong enough to hold plastic models on.  I've used it for metal models as well, and while you have to be more careful it will hold just fine.  Then I spray black, and note here that I can turn the stick around, hitting the models from all angles.  You can also see I apply the first coat and overbrush in an assembly line, right on the stick.  I only really remove it after I ink or wash the model, as you can see in the last picture.  That's my 'real' starting point - up until then, it's all a chore.  After I remove the model from the paint stick, I look forward to actually painting up the squad.

Any thoughts?

Evil Homer seeks inspiration

So after 4 days of not thinking about 40k at all, I was away at a conference in Galveston. Had a good time but now need to get back into the normal swing of things.

I feel like writing something but have little inspiration. If you have any ideas chime right in...

Grade the Army Lists, Part The Last

For better or worse, this semester is over!  I apologize for the lack of posts this last week, but there is plenty of the material on the way.  That said, let's finish up these lists.  We have Little Barrera's Space Wolves, Evil Homer's Imperial Guard, Simon's Orks, (the artist formerly known as Farseer) Tim's Daemonhunters, Aaron's Eldar, and Carlos' Tyranids.  Of special note is Simon's Orks - man, that's a dude to watch.  I'd be surprised if he's played 5 games, but he's knocked the list out of the park.  He's also got a knack for modeling and converting.  The rest are all long-time Notables, with the exception of Aaron, who's still a pretty recent player; that said, he's also shown promise... I really dig his Eldar conversions.  On with the show!

1000 Pts - Space Wolves Roster - 1000pts Space Wolves

HQ: Wolf Guard Battle Leader (1#, 90 Pts)
1 Wolf Guard Battle Leader @ 90 Pts
...in Power Armour
1 Wolf Guard Battle Leader in Power Armour @ [90] Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Wolf Claw (x1); Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Independent Character

Elite: Wolf Guard Pack (3#, 114 Pts)
1 Wolf Guard Pack @ 114 Pts
Wolf Guard in Power Armour; Wolf Guard in Power Armour
2 Wolf Guard in Power Armour @ [76] Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolter (x1); Power Fist (x1); Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack
1 Wolf Guard in Power Armour @ [38] Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Power Fist (x1); Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack

Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (10#, 190 Pts)
9 Grey Hunters Pack @ 190 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol (x8); Bolter (x8); Close Combat Weapon (x9); Meltagun; Power Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Rhino
1 Rhino @ [35] Pts
Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Storm Bolter

Troops: Grey Hunters Pack (10#, 190 Pts)
9 Grey Hunters Pack @ 190 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol (x8); Bolter (x8); Close Combat Weapon (x9); Meltagun; Power Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Rhino
1 Rhino @ [35] Pts
Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Storm Bolter

Elite: Wolf Scouts Pack (5#, 85 Pts)
5 Wolf Scouts Pack @ 85 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Scout Armour; Bolt Pistol (x4); Close Combat Weapon (x5); Meltagun; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Behind Enemy Lines; Counter-attack; Infiltrate; Move Through Cover; Scouts

Heavy Support: Long Fangs Pack (5#, 165 Pts)
3 Long Fangs Pack @ 165 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Close Combat Weapon (x3); Missile Launcher (x3); Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control; Razorback
1 Squad Leader @ [15] Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Close Combat Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control
1 Razorback @ [75] Pts
Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Twin Linked Lascannon

Heavy Support: Long Fangs Pack (5#, 165 Pts)
3 Long Fangs Pack @ 165 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Close Combat Weapon (x3); Missile Launcher (x3); Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control; Razorback
1 Squad Leader @ [15] Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Close Combat Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control
1 Razorback @ [75] Pts
Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Twin Linked Lascannon

Total Roster Cost: 999

1000 Pts - 5th Edition Roster - 1000pts_ImperialGuard

HQ: Company Command Squad (6#, 175 Pts)
4 Company Command Squad @ 175 Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x4); Plasmagun (x4); Chimera
1 Company Commander @ [36] Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Refractor Field; Close Combat Weapon; Plasma Pistol; Senior Officer
1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser; Heavy Flamer

Troops: Inquisitorial Stormtroopers (5#, 70 Pts)
5 Inquisitorial Stormtroopers [OM] @ 70 Pts
Frag Grenades; Targeter; Hellgun (x3); Meltagun (x2)

Troops: Veteran Squad (11#, 155 Pts)
9 Veteran Squad @ 155 Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x9); Lasgun (x6); Meltagun (x3); Chimera
1 Veteran Sergeant @ [7] Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon
1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser; Heavy Flamer

Troops: Veteran Squad (11#, 155 Pts)
9 Veteran Squad @ 155 Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x9); Lasgun (x6); Meltagun (x3); Chimera
1 Veteran Sergeant @ [7] Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon
1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser; Heavy Flamer

Fast Attack: Vendetta Gunship Squadron (1#, 140 Pts)
1 Vendetta Gunship Squadron @ 140 Pts
1 Vendetta @ [140] Pts
Extra Armor; Searchlight; Twin-linked Lascannon (x3); Heavy Bolter Sponsons (x2)

Fast Attack: Vendetta Gunship Squadron (1#, 140 Pts)
1 Vendetta Gunship Squadron @ 140 Pts
1 Vendetta @ [140] Pts
Extra Armor; Searchlight; Twin-linked Lascannon (x3); Heavy Bolter Sponsons (x2)

Heavy Support: Manticore Rocket Launcher (1#, 160 Pts)
1 Manticore Rocket Launcher @ 160 Pts
Storm Eagle Rockets; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Heavy Flamer

Total Roster Cost: 995

1000 Pts - Orks Roster - 1000pts_Orks

HQ: Big Mek (1#, 90 Pts)
1 Big Mek @ 90 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 34 & 97); Choppa; Kustom Force Field; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!; Bosspole; Mek's Tools

Elite: Lootas (9#, 135 Pts)
9 Lootas @ 135 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 43 & 100); Deffguns; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!

Elite: Lootas (9#, 135 Pts)
9 Lootas @ 135 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 43 & 100); Deffguns; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!

Troops: Boyz (20#, 160 Pts)
19 Boyz @ 160 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 40 & 100); Shoota; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!
1 Boyz Nob @ [46] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 40 & 100); Power Klaw; Slugga; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!; Bosspole

Troops: Boyz (20#, 160 Pts)
19 Boyz @ 160 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 40 & 100); Shoota; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!
1 Boyz Nob @ [46] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 40 & 100); Power Klaw; Slugga; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!; Bosspole

Troops: Boyz (20#, 160 Pts)
19 Boyz @ 160 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 40 & 100); Shoota; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!
1 Boyz Nob @ [46] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 40 & 100); Power Klaw; Slugga; Furious Charge; Mob Rule; Waaagh!; Bosspole

Heavy Support: Kannon Battery (9#, 85 Pts)
1 Kannon Battery @ 85 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 51 & 103); Kannon (x3); Ammo Runt (x3); Additional Gun Krew
2 Gretchin @ [6] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 50 & 100)
6 Gretchin @ [0] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 50 & 100)
1 Runtherd @ [10] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 50 & 100); Grabba Stikk (x1); Slugga; Furious Charge; Squig Hound

Heavy Support: Kannon Battery (8#, 75 Pts)
1 Kannon Battery @ 75 Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 51 & 103); Kannon (x3); Ammo Runt (x3); Additional Gun Krew
2 Gretchin @ [6] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 50 & 100)
6 Gretchin @ [0] Pts
(C:Orks, pp. 50 & 100)

Total Roster Cost: 1000

1000 Pts - Daemonhunters Roster - 1000pts_Daemonhunters

HQ: Grey Knight Hero (1#, 91 Pts)
0 Grey Knight Hero @ 91 Pts
Brother Captain
1 Brother-Captain @ [91] Pts
Psycannon Bolts; Psychic Hood; Terminator Armour

Troops: Grey Knights (6#, 195 Pts)
5 Grey Knights @ 195 Pts
Nemesis Force Weapon (x3); Storm Bolter (x3); Incinerator (x2); True Grit
1 Grey Knight Justicar @ [50] Pts
Nemesis Force Weapon; Storm Bolter; True Grit Hero

Troops: Grey Knights (6#, 195 Pts)
5 Grey Knights @ 195 Pts
Nemesis Force Weapon (x3); Storm Bolter (x3); Incinerator (x2); True Grit
1 Grey Knight Justicar @ [50] Pts
Nemesis Force Weapon; Storm Bolter; True Grit Hero

Heavy Support: Grey Knight Land Raider Crusader (1#, 258 Pts)
1 Grey Knight Land Raider Crusader @ 258 Pts
Extra Armor; Frag Assault Launchers; Power of the Machine Spirit; Smoke Launchers; Hurricane Bolter (x2); Pintle-mounted Multi-melta; Twin Linked Assault Cannon

Heavy Support: Grey Knight Land Raider Crusader (1#, 258 Pts)
1 Grey Knight Land Raider Crusader @ 258 Pts
Extra Armor; Frag Assault Launchers; Power of the Machine Spirit; Smoke Launchers; Hurricane Bolter (x2); Pintle-mounted Multi-melta; Twin Linked Assault Cannon

Total Roster Cost: 997

1000 Pts - Eldar Roster - 1000pt_Eldar

HQ: Farseer (1#, 168 Pts)
1 Farseer @ 168 Pts
(pp.26, 28 & 60 Eldar); Psyker; Doom ; Fortune ; Guide ; Fleet; Independent Character; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Runes of Warding; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear

HQ: Warlock Unit (3#, 89 Pts)
1 Warlock Unit @ 89 Pts
1 Warlock @ [33] Pts
(p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar); Psyker; Embolden ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear
1 Warlock @ [28] Pts
(p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar); Psyker; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear
1 Warlock @ [28] Pts
(p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar); Psyker; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear

Troops: Dire Avengers (5#, 60 Pts)
5 Dire Avengers @ 60 Pts
(pp.30 & 64 Eldar); Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 195 Pts)
5 Dire Avengers @ 195 Pts
(pp.30 & 64 Eldar); Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult
1 Wave Serpent @ [135] Pts
(pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Bright Lances

Elite: Fire Dragons (7#, 231 Pts)
6 Fire Dragons @ 231 Pts
(pp.32 & 62 Eldar); Fleet; Fusion Gun; Melta Bombs
1 Wave Serpent @ [135] Pts
(pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Bright Lances

Heavy Support: Falcon (1#, 120 Pts)
1 Falcon @ 120 Pts
(pp.42 & 67 Eldar); Shuriken Cannon; TL Shuriken Catapults; Pulse Laser

Heavy Support: Falcon (1#, 130 Pts)
1 Falcon @ 130 Pts
(pp.42 & 67 Eldar); Scatter Laser; TL Shuriken Catapults; Pulse Laser

Total Roster Cost: 993
 
1000 Pts - Tyranids Roster - 1000pts_Tyranids

HQ: Hive Tyrant (4#, 304 Pts)
1 Hive Tyrant @ 304 Pts
Enhanced Senses +1 BS; Extended Carapace +1 Save; Flesh Hooks; Toxic Miasma; Toxin Sacs +1 St; Twin-linked Devourer (x2); Psychic Scream; Synapse Creature; The Horror
3 Tyrant Guard @ [138] Pts
Flesh Hooks; Rending Claws; Scything Talons

Troops: Gaunt Brood (20#, 120 Pts)
20 Gaunt Brood @ 120 Pts
Fleshborer

Troops: Gaunt Brood (20#, 120 Pts)
20 Gaunt Brood @ 120 Pts
Fleshborer

Troops: Genestealers (6#, 120 Pts)
6 Genestealers @ 120 Pts
Flesh Hooks; Scuttlers; Rending Claws

Heavy Support: Carnifex (1#, 203 Pts)
1 Carnifex @ 203 Pts
Adrenal Glands +1 In; Bonded Exoskeleton; Extended Carapace +1 Save; Flesh Hooks; Reinforced Chitin; Toxic Miasma; Tusked; Crushing Claws; Scything Talons (x1)

Heavy Support: Zoanthrope (2#, 130 Pts)
2 Zoanthrope @ 130 Pts
Toxic Miasma; Synapse Creature; Warp Blast; Warp Field

Total Roster Cost: 997

So there you have it.  There are some others involved, notably the Sisters and Vanilla Marines, but they came in a bit late in December.

Any thoughts?

Grade the Army Lists, Part Two

On Friday we our event kicked off in earnest, and each participant has three games to play at 1000 points in the month of December.  I, as the Daemons player, was pretty lucky in my draw... that is, I don't have to play the Daemon Hunter Land Raider Spam list.  That said, I did have to play the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) and his Black Templars.  So I have plenty of pictures - and even some video - to post over the coming week.  I'm also working on an article on Reserves; no reason not to, when there was a pretty fantastic debate over Evil Homer's article, and that almost a direct refutation of Big Whit's strategy of holding a unit in reserve... so we have a disagreement in the ranks, along with analysis by JWolf and the ever-entertaining Greenblowfly! 

You guys know I don't like posts without pictures, so since armies is the theme today let's grab some pictures of tournament armies!  I don't know who owns either of these (though the Orks look like Goat's) but I doubt they'd mind too much.

Good stuff, but in this post we have 4 more army lists: 1) Dale and his Blood Angels, 2) Gauthic and his Dark Eldar (check out his blog for progress on his many conversions), 3) The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) and his Black Templars, and finally 4) Proffessor's Tau.

1000 Pts - Blood Angels Roster - 1000pts_BloodAngels

HQ: Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost (1#, 125 Pts)
1 Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost @ 125 Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Death Mask; Jump Pack; Rosarius; Bolt Pistol; Crozius Arcanum

: Death Company (7#, 185 Pts)
7 Death Company @ 185 Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Equip unit with Jump Packs; Bolt Pistol (x7); Chainsword (x7)

Troops: Assault Squad (10#, 305 Pts)
9 Assault Squad @ 305 Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Jump Packs; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol (x8); Chainsword (x9); Plasma Pistol (x1)
1 Sergeant @ [68] Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Jump Packs; Power Armour; Combat Shield; Melta Bombs; Bolt Pistol (x1); Power Fist

Troops: Tactical Squad (6#, 195 Pts)
4 Tactical Squad @ 195 Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol (x4); Bolter (x4); Razorback
1 Sergeant @ [23] Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol (x1); Bolter (x1)
1 Razorback @ [80] Pts
Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Twin Linked Lascannon

Heavy Support: Baal Predator (1#, 125 Pts)
1 Baal Predator @ 125 Pts
Over-charged Engines; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Twin Linked Assault Cannon; Heavy Bolter

Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (1#, 65 Pts)
1 Land Speeder Squadron @ 65 Pts
Multi-Melta (x1)

Total Roster Cost: 1000

1000 Pts - Dark Eldar Roster - 1000pts_DarkEldar

HQ: Dracon (1#, 90 Pts)
1 Dracon @ 90 Pts
Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Hell Mask; Shadow Field; Haywire Grenades

Elite: Wyches (10#, 270 Pts)
8 Wyches @ 270 Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster (x2); Combat Drugs; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades
1 Succubus @ [46] Pts
Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Haywire Grenades (Squad); Plasma Grenades (Squad)
1 Raider @ [70] Pts
Dark Lance; Nightshields

Troops: Raider Squad (6#, 120 Pts)
5 Raider Squad @ 120 Pts
Splinter Rifle (x4); Splinter Cannon; Raider
1 Raider @ [70] Pts
Dark Lance; Nightshields

Troops: Raider Squad (6#, 120 Pts)
5 Raider Squad @ 120 Pts
Splinter Rifle (x4); Splinter Cannon; Raider
1 Raider @ [70] Pts
Dark Lance; Nightshields

Troops: Raider Squad (6#, 120 Pts)
5 Raider Squad @ 120 Pts
Splinter Rifle (x4); Splinter Cannon; Raider
1 Raider @ [70] Pts
Dark Lance; Nightshields

Heavy Support: Ravager (1#, 140 Pts)
1 Ravager @ 140 Pts
Disentegrator (x3); Nightshields

Heavy Support: Ravager (1#, 140 Pts)
1 Ravager @ 140 Pts
Disentegrator (x3); Nightshields

Total Roster Cost: 1000

1000 Pts - Black Templars Roster - 1000pts_BlackTemplar

HQ: Emperor's Champion (1#, 110 Pts)
1 Emperor's Champion @ 110 Pts
Bolt Pistol; Crusader Seals; Frag Grenades; The Black Sword; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch
1 Armor of Faith @ [0] Pts
1 The Black Sword @ [0] Pts

Troops: Crusader Squad (6#, 140 Pts)
5 Crusader Squad @ 140 Pts
Bolter (x4); Meltagun; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch
1 Rhino @ [50] Pts
Storm Bolter; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch

Troops: Crusader Squad (6#, 140 Pts)
5 Crusader Squad @ 140 Pts
Bolter (x4); Meltagun; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch
1 Rhino @ [50] Pts
Storm Bolter; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch

Heavy Support: Land Raider Crusader (1#, 265 Pts)
1 Land Raider Crusader @ 265 Pts
Extra Armor; Hurricane Bolters (x2); Multi-Melta; Power of the Machine Spirit; Twin Linked Assault Cannon; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch

Elite: Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad (5#, 215 Pts)
5 Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad @ 215 Pts
Lightning Claws (pair) (x4); Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield (x1); Furious Charge; Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch

Fast Attack: Attack Bike Squadron (2#, 130 Pts)
2 Attack Bike Squadron @ 130 Pts
Frag Grenades; Multi-Melta (x2); Abhor The Witch, Destroy The Witch
1 Space Marine Bike @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Bolter

1000 Pts - Tau Empire Roster - 1000pts_Tau

HQ: Commander Shas'o (1#, 124 Pts)
1 Commander Shas'o @ 124 Pts
Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Multi-tracker; Missile Pod; Shield Generator

Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (5#, 226 Pts)
1 Crisis Battlesuit @ 226 Pts
Team Leader; Crisis Battlesuit; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Multi-tracker; Shield Drone; Missile Pod; Plasma Rifle; Drone Controller
2 Crisis Battlesuit @ [124] Pts
Missile Pod; Plasma Rifle; Multi-Tracker
2 Shield Drone @ [30] Pts
Shield Generator

Troops: Fire Warrior (7#, 186 Pts)
6 Fire Warrior @ 186 Pts
Pulse Rifle (x6); Photon Grenade
1 Devilfish @ [120] Pts
Burst Cannon; Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Targeting Array

Troops: Fire Warrior (7#, 186 Pts)
6 Fire Warrior @ 186 Pts
Pulse Rifle (x6); Photon Grenade
1 Devilfish @ [120] Pts
Burst Cannon; Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Targeting Array

Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (16#, 106 Pts)
10 Kroot Carnivore Squad @ 106 Pts
Add Kroot Hounds; Kroot Rifle (x10)
6 Kroot Hounds @ [36] Pts

Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 165 Pts)
1 Hammerhead Gunship @ 165 Pts
Railgun; Two Burst Cannons; Targeting Array; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker

Total Roster Cost: 993

There you have it... thoughts?  Grades?  Critiques?   

Grade the Army Lists, Part One

Okay, for those of you watching our Army Build Project, the December lists have been posted.  I'm going to copy them here, two at a time until they're done.  Your job, oh reader, is to comment and/or grade them.  This event is designed to encourage modern, tough list creation, so be as critical as you believe it merits.  To start, let's look at some of the blog contributors, me and The Big Whit.

1000 Pts - Chaos Daemons Roster - 1000pts_ChaosDeamons

HQ: Herald of Khorne (1#, 130 Pts)
1 Herald of Khorne @ 130 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; S: Independent Character; DG: Iron Hide; DGK: Hellblade; sW: Rending; sW: Power Weapon; DG: Unholy Might; DGK: Fury of Khorne; DS: Juggernaut of Khorne; S: Furious Charge; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Elite: Bloodcrushers of Khorne (6#, 275 Pts)
6 Bloodcrushers of Khorne @ 275 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; DG: Iron Hide; DGK: Hellblade; sW: Rending; sW: Power Weapon; DGK: Fury of Khorne (x1); DG: Chaos Icon (x1); S: Furious Charge; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Elite: Fiends of Slaanesh (6#, 190 Pts)
6 Fiends of Slaanesh @ 190 Pts
Unit Type: Beasts; DGS: Rending Claws; DGS: Soporific Musk; sW: Rending; DG: Unholy Might (x1); S: Hit & Run; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Troops: Bloodletters of Khorne (10#, 185 Pts)
10 Bloodletters of Khorne @ 185 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; DGK: Hellblade; sW: Power Weapon; DG: Chaos Icon (x1); S: Furious Charge; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Troops: Plaguebearers of Nurgle (5#, 75 Pts)
5 Plaguebearers of Nurgle @ 75 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; DGN: Plaguesword; S: Feel no Pain; S: Slow & Purposeful; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Troops: Plaguebearers of Nurgle (5#, 75 Pts)
5 Plaguebearers of Nurgle @ 75 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; DGN: Plaguesword; S: Feel no Pain; S: Slow & Purposeful; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Troops: Daemonettes of Slaanesh (5#, 70 Pts)
5 Daemonettes of Slaanesh @ 70 Pts
Unit Type: Infantry; DGS: Aura of Acquiscence; DGS: Rending Claws; sW: Rending; S: Fleet; S: Daemon; S: Fearless; S: Invulnerable!; S: Eternal Warriors

Total Roster Cost: 1000

Okay, here's Big Whit's Chaos Space Marines...

1000 Pts - Chaos Marines Roster - 1000pt_ChaosMarines

HQ: Daemon Prince (1#, 160 Pts)
1 Daemon Prince @ 160 Pts
Wings; Mark of Slaanesh; Close Combat Weapon; Fearless; Warptime (x1)

Troops: Khorne Berzerkers (9#, 263 Pts)
7 Khorne Berzerkers @ 263 Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Mark of Khorne; Bolt Pistol (x7); Close Combat Weapon (x7); Fearless; Furious Charge; Rhino
1 Skull Champion @ [61] Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Mark of Khorne; Bolt Pistol (x1); Power Fist; Fearless; Furious Charge
1 Rhino @ [55] Pts
Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Dozer Blade; Twin Linked Bolter; Havoc Launcher

Heavy Support: Obliterators (2#, 150 Pts)
2 Obliterators @ 150 Pts
Obliterator Weapons; Power Fist; Fearless; Slow and Purposeful

Heavy Support: Obliterators (2#, 150 Pts)
2 Obliterators @ 150 Pts
Obliterator Weapons; Power Fist; Fearless; Slow and Purposeful

Troops: Chaos Space Marines (11#, 275 Pts)
9 Chaos Space Marines @ 275 Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Chaos Glory; Bolt Pistol (x9); Bolter (x7); Close Combat Weapon (x9); Meltagun (x2); Rhino
1 Aspiring Champion @ [55] Pts
Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Bolter; Power Fist
1 Rhino @ [55] Pts
Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Dozer Blade; Twin Linked Bolter; Havoc Launcher

Total Roster Cost: 998

Reserves (or more basic 40kisms from Evil Homer)

Let’s talk about reserves. This comes from a comment Big Whit made in a thread below implying that I don’t like reserves. Having played all reserve armies in the past, and partial reserve armies, I can honestly say I like the reserve rules but they have specific uses and purposes.

Principle 1

A unit should not be placed in reserve because you don’t know how to deploy.

I’ve seen players put something in reserve because they don’t know how to deploy. Deployment, if you think about it, is tricky. You have to weight a lot of factors, turn order, shooting lanes, movement rates, threats, are factors to consider.

In some minds it’s easier to skip deployment entirely or at least partially rather than make the mistake and learn from it. (A little aside here, when I started playing 40k I intentionally played an army that did not require me to deploy. I have been paying for it ever since.) In their minds it’s easier to react to the opponent than to deploy and try to dictate to their opponent. The problem with this is you sacrifice the initiative, the ability to play the game on your terms rather than the opponents.

Learn to deploy. Learning to deploy is a key to winning in 40k. Deployment is the subject of many posts across multiple forums and blogs, and still a difficult thing to learn properly. Deployment strategy is beyond the scope of this article but at some point you have to accept that you are going to get hurt regardless of how you deploy, you need to learn to plan for it.

Principle 2

Understand what you are losing when you place a unit in reserve.

Understand that anytime you place a unit in reserve you deny yourself its use until it arrives. Dwell on that for a minute. It seems obvious and it is but consider many of the tactics that get bandied about talk about being able to use a all of your army to fight a portion of your opponents, by reserving a unit your are enabling this not preventing it.

The loss of fighting power a unit represents is proportional to the point value being played. The lower the points the higher the value of a unit, the greater the loss of fighting power the unit represents sitting off the table.

Understanding what you deny yourself, what you sacrifice by placing something in reserve is important in weighing whether or not to do so.

Principle 3

A unit placed in reserve should have a tactical purpose.

Any unit you place in reserve should be there for a specific purpose. Lets use obliterators as an example. I like to use oblits as an example because they illustrate an obvious sacrifice for tactical gain. Oblits are very handy to have on the table from the 1^st turn, flexible shooting on a move and shoot platform that is also easy to hide? Yes please. But let’s say you know your opponents has heavy armor. Deep striking the oblits for a shot with the multi-melta nets you a better chance to kill a Leman Russ sitting in the back field or a land raider for that matter.

The oblits being left in reserve have a specific tactical purpose. They are there to accomplish a goal as part of your overall strategy and plan. Leaving a unit in reserve to respond to your opponents actions is rarely wise as it costs their fighting power until they arrive and their arrival is random.

Outflanking

Outflanking units obviously have to be placed in reserves, as these units have a clearly defined role in most lists their use is governed by Principle 3.

Conclusions

The reserve rules are a tool for a general. Understanding how best to utilize them and the cost to your army they represent is a valuable skill that will improve anyone’s game.

Defensive Demons Part II

How Do Demons Control the Table

ok...a lot of this is basic stuff but someone needed to set it down...

Alright the objectives have been placed and you have picked out which ones you are going to be fighting for. This is the most important decision you will make during the game. Look at the objective placement. Look at the terrain around them. Look for the best places to drop. Don't be afraid to drop into terrain with your plaguebearers, they have 16% chance of suffering a difficult terrain wound, then a 33% chance to save.

You will drop your plaguebearers on the objectives and scatter from there. Your plaguebearers will have icons in them to vector in the following wave to defend your positions.

Run after the drop straight onto the objectives and into terrain wherever possible. Spread your demons out so that they are not blast template bait. If you get shot with anything, go to ground. Its that simple.

Plaguebearers going to ground in good terrain will have a 4+ cover save. You can actually manufacture this yourself through screening if necessary. On top of that you get FNP save and your base T5 so small arms are much less effective against you.

Your plaguebearers are coming in 15 man units, minimum, so where's the problem if you take a couple of wounds. Your fearless and very hard to dislodge. You more or less plan on going to ground regularly anyway so movement won't be an issue for models. Your trying to hold territory, not take it.

See the whole key is holding the objectives, your only job, the only thing on your mind is defending the plaguebearers from assault. Keeping the opponent more than 3 inches away from an objective. That's it. That's the sum of your strategic planning.

On Blogging

Bruce sent an email asking my thoughts on his recent post.  So I was replying when I realized the content was worth blogging about.  Read on!

I did like it and I do have some tips.  Blogging takes some getting used to; not so easy though, is it?  In general, I try to post every 3 days, and I always try to include a picture (even if it doesn't always relate).  I don't have the time for daily posting but I certainly don't want weeks to go by between posts.  Not every post is a winner; sometimes I've been convinced a post I've written will generate interest and I run back and forth all day to check the 'comments'... and nothing.  Other times, I've thrown something out and people seem to just respond.  There's no telling. 

Actually finding the discipline to post regularly isn't easy.  I've seen lots of blogs start strong only to fizzle out, and it's easy to understand why - there's only so much time in your life, so much content you can think up, so much time to sit and write... but I enjoy it.  Strictly Average is a smallish blog but you'd be surprised how many hits it gets, and by that I mean people that actually visit and read a post, not just bots.

Although 7 states don't actually visit... I wonder what it takes to get Wyoming to pay us a call?  Not that I worry about it; I'll take my 52 regular visitors from London any day.  But I digress.

Bruce, here are my thoughts on your post (Chaos and Space Wolves Dance):

1)  Before the report, document the army lists used.  It doesn't have to be much, nor do you have to include the points values or the unit's wargear, just a synopsis.

2)  You'll develop your own style as you do this, but for example I concentrate more on an overview of each turn plus the highlights.  I don't try to illustrate each shot unless I'm making a point.  This is a more stylistic thing; you'll develop your own groove in time, but don't kill yourself trying to document each detail.

3)  I bet he photos took awhile to upload, didn't they?  I usually cut them down a bit; I want them bigger when people click on them - 'cause that's why they do it, to get a closer look - but not so large they take up a ton of memory.  On the display, when you are creating the post, click the picture and make it 'large' then center it.  I find it looks better.

4)  I was asking myself some questions about your game with Mike, like what were the star units, what worked, what didn't, what would you change..?  That kind of thing.  The comments about reserving were useful information that could definitely been in the post.

I'll leave it at that.  Don't be afraid to experiment and find your own voice.  Practice makes perfect.

Brent

(The pictures, in case you're wondering, are from the dice cups Bruce designs and sells.)

Chaos and Space Wolves dance

This is a battle between my chaos and Mike's Space Wolves. We rolled annihilation and pitched battle. Mike set up first and put his scouts in reserves along with a unit of gray hunters in a rhino. I put a unit of chaos troops with 2 meltaguns and a chaos glory icon.

Turn one, shot twin link lascannon off of razorback.

Scouts come on and kill one oblit, and come up 1'' short on the assault. My rhino came out of reserves and killed the scouts with shooting.Turn 3 I moved my berserker rhino and that's about it.
Turn 4 Mike blew up berzerker rhino with his long fangs, and put a wound on my D.P.

Turn 5 Mike kills D.P. with a gray hunter unit, and I kill two of my own berzerkers with plasma cannon from my oblit.

I pull up with my chaos squad and miss with both meltaguns, and then I assault his rhino and destroy it with my berzerkers.
Mike pulls up with his other gray hunter unit and shoots the crap out of my berzerkers with them. He then shoots my squad up with his long fangs and finishes them off with an assault.Last round I kill his razorback and kill 6 gray hunters with plasmacannon from my oblits.

Mike wins by one kill point, and I hate his guts.

Next time I will cheat to win.