Heralds: Tzeentch or Khorne?

Man, sometimes your game sucks.  Sometimes you're confident you're heading in the right direction only to have your opponent - that jerk - point out what you should have realized before rolling dice.

That you made a bad, bad decision.  Case in point; the good and the bad.

The Good: Herald of Tzeentch on Chariots with Bolt, Breath, and Gaze.  Man, I love this unit.  With a choice of two weapons per turn (Master of Sorcery) you can fly like a Jetbike to where you need to be... and the best place is behind a tank or a flame-template away from disembarked troops.  Bolt: Str8 AP1.  Gaze Str5 AP3 Assault 3.  Breath: template, 4+ kills, 4+ Glances.  Nice stuff!  The only question I have - and this isn't so much of a question as a longshot... can this unit move 6" in the assault phase, a la Eldar Jetbikes?  I don't think so, given that rule specifically says 'Eldar,' but does anyone have information I don't?  Regardless, with a Toughness 4, a 4+ Invulnerable Save, and 5 Wounds, this unit is a great disruptor.

The Bad: Herald of Khorne on a Chariot.  This option is 15 points vs 35 for a Jugger alone... but it's cheaper for a reason.  Okay, let's look at why I took it.  It's a Str6 Rending Furious Charge mini-MC.  It can crack tanks like nobody's business, even Land Raiders if he gets some luck.  He has a 3+/4+ save and 4 Wounds; what's not to like?  Well, he can't hide in units and he isn't fleet.  That means that Juggernaught is walking slow slow slow to get the Herald where he needs to be.  Meaning your opponent has no problem getting the hell out of dodge.

Okay, in last Saturday's tournament I took two of each unit.  Granted, I didn't finish the event but had to leave 1/2 way through, but it didn't take more than a few minutes into Game 1 to realize I made a bad decision including the Khorne Chariots.  I played Gauthic and his Mech Eldar, and he put on a shooting clinic for which I had a front row seat.  Fun!

I have that game on video, so I'll post it before too long.  It was a great game and I'm glad to see Gauthic is back with the army he loves best.  It's also the army I love best, so I had a bit of nostalgia watching him gun down my units.

Point is, 4x Heralds of Tzeentch on Chariot = Fun!  Any Herald of Khorne on Chariot = Fail!

Okay, it's not like others haven't pointed this out: Stelek's Daemons list, which I'm building towards, has Tzeentch Heralds for a reason.  Sometimes, I have to learn the hard way.

That said, there's a reason I test stuff for myself.  Sometimes you find options that work for you that others may not have considered.  Sub-optimal units are only that if you can't make them work.

Thoughts?

150th Post

I've been writing away on future blogs, with material for Daemons and Eldar forthcoming, as well as tactical and painting articles and a 'State of the Game' commentary.  I've been happily working away and missed the fact that my last post was my 150th.

I feel good about it.  I've been posting since 7/14/2009; that's right, Stalking Jawaballs since 2009... and hasn't he been a good sport about it?  I've got a strange sense of humor, and I appreciate that many of you get it... or at least put up with it.  So I began this 9 months ago, and in the beginning I used to joke that only my mother was reading this blog.  That's not true: nobody was reading it.  I kept at it because I enjoyed it, with the goal of posting something every three days.  Surprisingly, I've averaged about 1.8 - so every couple of days or so.  That ain't bad - especially since I don't like posting without a picture or three to attach, and while I've occasionally borrowed (stolen) pics from around the 'net, the vast majority have been captured and edited by me.  Anyway, I don't advertise my hits, but it's a respectable number; I'm a good-sized, smallish blog!

So what's the blog about?  Whatever the hell I want to talk about!  It's mine, mine, MINE!  Sorry, the mad sense of power got to me for a moment, but it's basically my baby.  I have Big Whit and Evil Homer listed as contributors, and I've extended the offer to others in my gaming circle, but they rarely post, time being what it is.  That said, all my friends have put up with my mad desire to take pictures and videos... not to mention owning the nicknames I give them, most obviously the Master Manipulator (every store needs one).  Keep in mind, I came up with that - he found out months later when he finally decided to read the blog.  He has a good sense of humor about it, though.

Bottom line, I don't claim to be the best general, best painter, best list-jockey, best converter - any of that.  It's part of the name: Strictly Average.  The tag-line is, "...'cause 6-inches is all you get!"  And yup, I meant that too - a crude, double entendre and another example of my humor.  Like I was saying, I'll post about it all - whatever takes my interest.  I've got a lot of interests.

I won't drag this out, because I've learned over 150 posts that most people don't dig the 'wall of text.'  I thought I'd re-post my very first post, just for fun.  It's ironic, because (and I didn't remember this) my first post was about Stelek and his blog Vs the Fly Lords and theirs.  Here's my most recent post about the subject...  Some things never change.  So, after the picture, read, reread - have a laugh!  This post here is 151: I'll yak about it again in 49 more!

I'm teaming with Fritz in the Team Tournament at this year's BoLSCon event.  From what I understand, Jawaballs will be teaming with either Black Matt or Autarch Andy... point is, I'm working on casualty models for all concerned.  Here's one of the Blood Angels, painted in Jawa's style.

Without further ado, my first post...

I've had a renewed sense of enthusiasm for Warhammer 40K recently. I've been quietly building away, playing the occasional tournament, and net-lurking my favorite blogs. I rarely have much to say, primarily since I don't want to litter on someone's property.

I posted the following on Yes, The Truth Hurts and for whatever reason it inspired me to have a go at my own blog. (As an aside, I don't know if this is Stelek's property, as I posted it on his site; hopefully he won't mind if I nab it, being far too lazy to rewrite a similar position.

I find this comment interesting on a number of levels. Bell and YTTH are the primary blogs I read, but I do enjoy cruising some of the user blogs to check out paint jobs, conversions - that kind of thing. In that, I imagine I'm like 95% of the readership. I'm not sure when the shots started - but it doesn't matter. In the same way smack promotes fights on PayPerView this ain't hurting either group none. Gives me and the silent majority something to read. As a club, the Fly Lords have undeniable influence - they just can't stay on message the same way Stelek can, since he's primarily a one-dude show.
*edited*
My opinions are littered in this post like dog turds, a sure sign it probably sucks, but I've gone this far, might as well finish. YTTH has done more for proper army composition than any other site. While Stelek didn't invent it, he shouted it off the rooftops - and offended practically every net-nerd with an ego and a conviction he was hot shit. There are good players everywhere, and a bunch are in Austin. The Fly Lords are what a gaming club should be, decent dudes with motivation. I met Goatboy at Lone Wolf Dallas this year and he was as cool as could be and endlessly enthusiastic about painting. I decided to attend the BOLSCON this year, primarily on my conviction these guys are trying to do something cool.
*edited*


So I'm going to Austin! Got my tickets and room paid for and am looking forward to meeting a bunch of the people I read about.

I'm using this blog as motivation; I have no real belief others will visit, but that's cool - I need a way to measure my progress over the next month.

On Chess and the Tournament Environment.

This is a comment on a rather interesting article concerning the current tournament scene, which you can find here.  One doesn't need to read that to understand my point, however.  This is the first of some thoughts I've been developing and will share.

A correction: in chess, all things being equal, the result is a draw.  White has an advantage and can dictate play, but that's not a guarantee on any level.  I was a tournament chess player long before I played 40K in that fashion... but I'm not pointing to that as 'proof' I'm correct.  All you have to do is look at Grandmasters and championship events.  A draw is by far the most common result.

It's why games shake out the way they do.  In order to play for a win, you have to complicate the game.  In many cases, black is happy with a draw - since it is much tougher to win with the dark pieces, all things being equal - so white has to avoid trading pieces, where oftentimes black is content to do so.

I won't belabor the point, since this isn't chess.  I also don't think it invalidates the point Stelek was making.

Not that I agree or disagree.  But trying to control a tournament is tough enough without worrying about how many times a player went first.

The alpha strike was discussed...  interestingly, JWolf commented on my blog recently that my opponents needed to learn how to avoid Daemon's alpha strike.  It frustrated him no-end that, by appearance, my opponents weren't adapting.

Adapting.

That's really the crux, as far as I'm concerned.  I've said before that if there's a YTTHCon that I'd commit to going.  It interests me to think that Stelek could change how tournaments are played in this country... but right now, the tournament scene is what it is.

Congrats to JWolf and Darkwynn: I think they've earned it.  They've proven they can adapt to the environment and win big events - and that's NOT easy, despite how it may seem so. 

Let's say the scene does change though - I have no reason to think that the players who are currently successful won't be able to adapt and continue winning.

Anyway, that's where I'm coming from - Brent

Judge the List: Daemons, 1850

I have a tournament this Saturday; here's the list I sent the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) for this event.

Herald of Tzeentch: Chariot, Bolt, Breath, Gaze, Master of Sorcery = 130
Herald of Khorne: Chariot, Might, Fury (Str6 - 7 on the charge - Rending) = 110
Fiends x 6: Might = 190
Plaguebearers x 5 = 75
Bloodletters x 9: Icon = 169
Daemon Prince of Tzeentch: Might, Bolt = 160

2 of each Herald, 3 Fiends, 2 Plaguebearers, 1 Bloodletters, 3 Daemon Princes = 13 Units

I'm testing the Khorne Heralds and Bloodletters, though neither unit is currently in my Hard Boyz List (the one Stelek's sponsoring).  The Heralds are there for CC, obviously, but with Str. 7 Rending on the charge, I have chances against Mech. - not great, since I'll need 6's to start with AV 13+, but it's at least an option.

I'm also testing Might on the DP's.  I'm a bit nervous here, because they've been such great fire-platforms for me, but 6+2d6 Armor Penetration gives me good chances for a Penetrating AV14 on the charge.

The obvious downside is the number of troops units: I'd prefer 4 at 1850.  I'm hoping that the threats in HQ, Elite, and Heavy gives my opponent something to shoot at other than 'bearers, but we'll see.

Thoughts?

Daemons Vs Guard, Video Battlereport

Okay, we have Brent Vs Evil Homer, me fighting it out with my nemesis!  Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Fire Dragons, In-Game Illustration

So, I contend the current paradigm of (usually five or six, so let's say six) 6-man Fire Dragons in a Wave Serpent precludes the consideration of anything else... say, for example - and I'm just pulling this out of thin air here - oh, say 10 Fire Dragons?

Okay, to recap that's the way I use them, two squads at 1850 and nowadays probably three at 2000+.  I contend it gives you a unit that threatens anything!  Now, we're considering them alone, but Eldar more than any other army rely on synergy, so you'd use your Dragons in combination with your Farseer, among others.  Doom, Fortune, Guide - if you're reading this, you don't need me to walk you through the possibilities.

Here's an example from Game 6 of BoLSCon 2009.  Also, be aware I didn't consider this an optimized list; for reasons I won't go into now, I didn't take my Council list.  That said, I did feel like I could present a threat to anyone I played.

I dropped the Dragons on the other side of the forest to take aim at a Daemon Prince.  Note the two Falcons are immobilized - Joe Cherry took first turn and knocked them both out of the air, which was a tough blow to my game plan.  Anyway, not all the Dragons would be in range (12-inches is the big downside of Dragons), so I felt like I needed both squads to assure I torrented enough cover saves to destroy the DP, which I did.  I also wanted to draw Joe forward, since my army relied on the counter-attack... and he was content to stay home, all turtled-up.  I made sure he wouldn't be able to charge both squads when he drove his Raider forward and disgorged his 'Zerkers.  I was actually worried he wouldn't kill the entire yellow unit of Dragons on the charge, since I needed them out in the open to kill off... I needn't have worried, 'cause he did then I did.  I considered it a good trade: one unit of Dragons for a Daemon Prince, 10 Berzerkers, and a Land Raider.

Here's the follow-up.  I was able to push up, given that the left flank was secure (that forward Raider was destroyed).  I was trying to draw Abaddon and his boys out of the other Raider.  The game went on...

Note I'm not advocating for Eldar the way I played them then.  As I move on with this series of articles, I'll talk about what I believe are good options for Eldar in 2010.  I'm actually more in agreement with trends now that maintain Eldar need a fully Mech'd out army.  I have a few twists to offer, perhaps.

Fire Dragons

So, following up on the Eldar post yesterday, here's a few thoughts on Fire Dragons... what's not to love?

Okay, it's pretty standard 'play-to-win' knowledge: every good Eldar army has to have at least two Fire Dragons squads, arguably three.  Where I differ is the unit size.  Current thought is 5 in a Wave Serpent for a 'Suicide-Stop' tactic - but I'm not digging anything for Eldar that includes includes the word 'suicide.'  Here's my basic thoughts, without a lot of explanation.

If you're going with 5-man squads, you'd better have 3 units.  Waveserpents are a must - Falcons for Dragons is a tactic that's long past.  This is the route my buddy Gauthic is going.  He's also outfitting his Serpents with Shuriken Cannons; this is the most cost-effective outfitting, given you're going to get close to the enemy for the drop-off.

Fritz advocates, and I believe this to be true, that 6-man Dragon squads are the optimal size.  If you don't already know, and if you're reading this I'm sure do, Fritz is the man for Eldar online.

Where I differ is my advocacy for 10-man Fire Dragon Squads, complete with Exarch and Dragon's Breath Flamer.  Yes, it's a pricey squad, but consider.  People think nothing of maxing out squads of Marines, or Orks, or so-on.  Then it gets to Eldar... and cost becomes an issue.  I understand.  The idea is Wave Serpents are expensive, so to keep up with the mech of other 'dexes, you have to cut your costs.  My problem with this is the concepts of durability and utility.

My Dragons - pardon the flash of my camera.  The idea of my Altansar is red armor for the Guardians and Black for the Aspects.  I broke the 'black' rule for the Dire Avengers, which irritates me when I look at them but I don't want to repaint the squad.  Anyway, I painted an orange-helm unit and a yellow-helm unit for my two, maxed out Fire Dragons squad.  I was fine with this, but once I stepped back and looked at the army I didn't feel the paint scheme worked.  Too many disparate colors.  Anyway, I'm repainting all the Dragons, and any future Aspects, with Black armor and red helms.  I hope that ties the army together better.

Durability:  When the Wave Serpent crashes I want the Dragons to stagger out, ready to kick ass.  Okay, their armor isn't great, but 10 Dragons are that much harder to kill than 5.  I need them to stay a threat until my opponent kills the unit completely.

Utility:  I use my Dragons to target squads as often as tanks.  When I shoot something, I need it to die.  Completely.  All the way.  Gone.  You get the idea - Melta is great for that.  20 Dragons on the board makes my opponent leery of getting out of his ride.  My idea is using Bright Lances from a distance to crack his tank, then swoop in with Dragons to kill off a squad.  Even Terminators have something to fear.

Without spending too much time on it, those are my thoughts.  Usually I played a 10-strong Harlequins squad as my 3rd Elite, though these days I'd probably add another 10 Dragons.

Thoughts?

Eldar: A Look Now and Later

Mercer asked, quite awhile ago, for a closer look at my Eldar army.  With the best of intentions, I put this off.  I was, after all, beginning a new army - Daemons - so my time was invested in that.  Anyway, I decided to break some of them out of storage and snap some pics.

I played Altansar, so started the theme from the fluff.  I ran a Hybrid list that always included the following: Eldrad, the Avatar, two full-sized Fire Dragons in Wave Serpents, and one squad of Dark Reapers with an Exarch using a Tempest Launcher.  I usually included Harlequins, though later I experimented with different types of Councils.  For troops, I mixed things up, using Storm Guardians, Pathfinders, and Dire Avengers.  My list changed considerably over the year and a half I used Eldar competitively.  In an era where Mech is king, I understand many reader will believe the army couldn't have done well.

But it did.  I'll discuss all this over the next few articles.  I'll also discuss why I believe it wouldn't work as well now.  For now, here are some pics.

Of Note

I've been doing the ol' Blogcrawl the last few days, updating my links, taking a look around - that kind of thing.  I've also spent some time working on this blog and the companion site: the former is pretty noticeable but the latter isn't - it's mostly going to be used as a storage site for links and material for/from here.  That may be best. 

Here are some images I've been snatching.  They speak for themselves, except the second... It's from Grim's site... notice the Las/Plas conversion?  Neat, no?

Tank Shock - Lemme-Know!

Let's look at a good example of tank shock, probably the most underutilized tool in current 40K.  I was playing Evil Homer, my nemesis and sometime-cohort-in-crime, Daemons Vs Guard (and the Video Battle Report is out this week!) and I'd Stunned his Banewolves - they could move but couldn't shoot, if I've mixed up the terminology again - so here's what he did.

He Tank-Shocked the unit into a nice little grouping, setting them up for multiple Manticore and template shots.  Note how his line took away my choice; he wanted me further away from my left flank, so hit me with the tank you see to the right.  As I had to move out of the way in the shortest distance, he grouped me and controlled the direction to which I could legally move.

Now, I'm new to Tank Shock, in that I've never really started using it.  I sent a letter to Fritz and his reply got me thinking.  So, help me out folks -

What's your Tank Shock strategy or story?

Marine Painting Competition

I got a call last night from Little Barrera, fresh from his tournament win on Saturday with his Space Wolves... and as an aside, it's a pretty sure bet that in two weeks I'll have to try to knock him off the track for winning our local tournament, but I digress. Anyway, one of the Dallas Games Workshop stores is promoting a painting competition with a unique twist.

You pick a Chapter from the poster, every Chapter can only be picked once, and paint up 4 Marines from said Chapter; in addition, you paint 1 Marine from a Chapter of your own design. There are some interesting prizes, but let's face it, the challenge is the thing, am I right?

So, who's involved? Little Barrera, the Master Manipulator (every store needs one), the Mighty Mighty Carlos, and me. Check out what we each picked: spot a theme?

None of us were involved in the decision of the other, but we each picked a unique, challenging theme.  The Imperial Fists are a fan-favorite, and everyone knows yellow is a challenging color to paint.  Two of us picked quartered themes while the last is a split-theme.  None of the schemes are dark and all will look great when painted.

So I picked Nova Marines, Little Barrera went with Storm Lords, the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) decided on Howling Griffons, and the Mighty Mighty Carlos had no choice but for Imperial Fists... 'cause he has an army already. 

I'm going to have to work hard on this one, being that I'm the weakest of the four painters - one's an artist, one's a prodigy, one's a mad-technician... then there's me, Strictly Average.  I ain't gonna put in a poor showing. 

I guess the only question is... what to do with the Chapter of my choice?

Daemons Vs Land Raiders, Video

In our local store, the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) is running an army build project that we've talked about here on numerous occasions.   This month we're up to 1750.  (I've posted the list I'm using below the video.)  We have to play 3 games against random opponents before the tournament at the end of the month, and our results in the games not only give us points toward the event as a whole but determine our table place the day of the event.

This month I had to play the Master Manipulator (every store needs one), Farseer Tim, and Evil Homer... I recorded all three of them for battle reports, two in video.  Here's the first.

Note I edited the intro and first turn in order to keep the length below 10 minutes.




Herald of Tzeentch, Chariot; Gaze, Breath, Bolt x3
6 Fiends x2
10 Plaguebearers; Icon
5 Plaguebearers
5 Horrors x5 (one with Changeling)
Daemon Prince of Tzeentch; Gaze, Breath, Bolt x3

Let me know what you think - Brent

A Headless Intermission

And who says you don't learn useful skills as a gamer?  As some of you know, I'm a graduating senior this year, so there's a huge amount of work I have to get done.  I have an internship at the North Texas State Hospital, for which I'm very grateful; between that, classes, and work, I've been busier than I'd like.

It's one of the reasons my website, strictlyaverage.com, is on hold.  I'll hopefully find time to get it up and running soon.  Anyway, spring break is next week; before then, I've got a major presentation to give before the College Council tomorrow.  They're a group of faculty and students who are going to choose the presenter to represent the school in a competition.  I'm in the running with a research project I'm calling 'Pain and Perception' - and here's the backboard I'm building.  It's not quite done, but the geek-skills I've built up over the years translated pretty well.

As I read this over, it came across as a tad ungrateful, so I went back and edited it some.  I realize I'm lucky to be where I'm at right now, busy or not.  Anyway, what do you guys think?

Wish me luck - Brent

You're Dirty Too: It's Okay to Look

No, it's not another girl-gamer joke, though God Bless Watchmen for coming up with great costumes for women to squeeze themselves into.  No, instead it's time for a look at another gameroom.

Don't scoff.  Analytics tells me you guys were interested in the two times I dumped shots of my man-room on an unsuspecting public, so I know you're interested.  I think it's the voyeur in all of us, though this time that part of your mind is hijacked by the gamer portion... and that portion is a sick puppy, let me tell you.

Why, instead of internet porn like a normal dude, you're reading BoLS.  Go figure.  Still, it saves in cleaning costs, I suppose, but I'm sure you're equally embarrassed when you're caught looking at miniatures at work.

But (as always), I digress.  The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) was kind enough to accede to my constant requests for pictures of his game room.   Note the interesting solution to storage problems... as well as the sheer madness of owning so much metal and plastic.

I like this last pic - the upper shelving is a good idea for extra space.  Any of you bloggers out there have other ideas you'd care to share?

Till next time - Brent

Trying to share pics

Here are some pics that I've tried to upload about 15 times. Most of the time the pics were barley recognizable. I don't know what's going wrong. I have just given up trying to add the rest. These pics came from the GW store in Grapevine Mall close to Dallas. I was able to pick up the new battle missions there and I have to say that I am impressed for the exception of the typo on the D6D6 chart were there are 2 different 33 missions. I also picked up a salamander novel and the only army I can think about is the old red eyes. It didn't help that they had a nicely painted salamander army scene up there as well.

Avatar coming to DVD soon.

Black Templars: Grade The List

I almost called this post, "Have You Played With Your Hard Boyz Today" but wasn't sure how well that would fly.

At the FLGS, we've been planning for Hard Boyz for most of the year.  We've talked about it before, but we all created new armies to learn, use, and ultimately play in this year's event.  I rolled Daemons, so I've learned to appreciate the challenge.  The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) rolled up Black Templars.  Now Stelek has decided to sponsor army lists for folks to play - I think he's basically advocating for his skill - and it's had a lot of response.  The MM (esno) sent in his list to see if it made the grade, though as of yet there's been no response.  At YTTH, one Black Templar list has been posted...

But the MM (esno) isn't convinced it's better than his own (posted below), so you decide.  Let us know what you think.

2500 Pts - Black Templars Roster - LewisConfair1750_BlackTemplar

 

HQ: Emperor's Champion (1#, 140 Pts)
   1 Emperor's Champion @ 140 Pts
      Bolt Pistol; Crusader Seals; Frag Grenades; The Black Sword; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds
      1 Armor of Faith @ [0] Pts
      1 The Black Sword @ [0] Pts

 

TWO SQUADS OF

Troops: Crusader Squad (9#, 409 Pts)
   6 Crusader Squad @ 409 Pts
      Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds
      2 Neophytes @ [22] Pts
      1 Land Raider Crusader @ [265] Pts       

 

TWO SQUADS OF

Troops: Crusader Squad (6#, 186 Pts)
   5 Crusader Squad @ 186 Pts
   1 Razorback @ [90] Pts
         Twin Linked Lascannon;

 

TWO SQUADS OF

Troops: Crusader Squad (9#, 180 Pts)
   5 Crusader Squad @ 180 Pts
   3 Neophytes @ [30] Pts
   1 Rhino @ [50] Pts
        

THREE SQUADS OF

Heavy Support: Predator Destructor (1#, 110 Pts)
   Autocannon; Heavy Bolter (x2)

 

Elite: Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad (6#, 480 Pts)
   5 Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad @ 480 Pts
      Lightning Claws (pair) (x4); Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield (x1);

   Land Raider Crusader @ [265] Pts

 

Total Roster Cost: 2500

(I've attempted to make the army more legible)

Wraithguard - waddayathink?

I've got a lot in the pipeline, a lot coming up - I just have to finish the posts.  I've got a video battle report between my Daemons and the Master Manipulator (every store needs one)'s Black Templars.  I've also got another, more traditional battle report between me and Farseer Tim's Salamanders (I know, I know) as well as some painted casualties and display board building WIP pics.  Lastly, I've convinced the Master Manipulator to send me some shots of his OCD game space...  I'm looking forward to that one.

Until then, I grabbed some shots of Little Barrera's WIP shots of some of his projects.  The first is a Wraithlord for an upcoming venture toward Eldar, and the second is some test models for his Guard.  Frankly, I'm hoping he finishes his Wolves first, but he's got a short attention span.  Lucky for us, he paints ridiculously fast.  

I got a call from Little Barrera at about 5:15.  Turns out, he was going through his game room and opened an old box, unearthing 40+ Wraithguard he'd forgotten he owned (I know, I know).  At today's prices that's... a stupid amount of money.  Anyway, he's considering taking advantage of that.  He asked for my Yriel mini, so I set it aside for him - by the time I saw him again, a bit over an hour later, he'd already painted a test model.  Frankly, this pic doesn't do it justice.  The light caused a glare which distorts the blending on the white sections, but it's a very sweet model.

  Here's some more test minis.  Mike completed his Guard army the first time around using a dip method; that drove the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) nuts, since why bother with dipping when you paint to a high standard so much faster?  Anyway, LB is matching the look with washes.  Need I repeat how fast he paints?  It's disgusting.

Take care - Brent

Trolling Between Stalking...

Since I hate to waste the effort, here's a comment I made HERE.  You don't have to troll that thread to understand the points I (attempting) to make though.

This has been an interesting thread, so I decided to throw my 2 cents in on a few points, specifically Blackmoor's list and Nick's comment about tournaments.  Let's do the latter first.  Nick said:
 

I've lost games in local tourneys due to improbable events(say, having vulkan and a 5-man bonk squad assault a vanilla cpt. with 5 normal termies, lose combat, fail morale, and get run off the board.), only to watch a drastically inferior player(and army) win the top spot, because his road to victory was paved in kids and cupcakes. Does this prove that said player is good? FUCK NO it doesn't. I routinely destroy him head to head with whatever army I put on the table. Again, that doesn't prove I'm good...just that he's bad.  

I get how this can happen in a tournament: I don't get how it can happen in many tournaments.  The standard format is the Swiss - basically, top player plays top player, and so on.  So after Turn 1, you have 1vs2, 3vs4, 5vs6 and so on.  The games get harder.  To really break out and secure the money at the end of the day, you have to beat the tougher competition.  The only way I see Nick's example playing out is if each round the opponents were determined randomly.  Even then, I'd expect the better players to use that to their advantage and maximize their Battle Points.

I play in small, medium, and large size tournaments, much like I'm sure many people here do... I've only ever seen the Swiss system.  In our local tournaments, which we have monthly, the same people are constantly in the top quarter (it's why I'm always playing Evil Homer - we're always fighting for the win).  That's not chance, that's skill.  I'm sure you could say the competition in my area sucks; while I assure you it doesn't I have no way to prove it to you, except to say when the same players go out of town to Dallas or Oklahoma City, they end up in the top quarter and top tables their as well... point is, I think tournaments do prove something...

Even if that's only, "I play in tournaments." 

Regarding Blackmoor's list, I'm sorry to tell you folks I can absolutely see how it could win.  Mech has never been a formula for an auto-win.  If one's opponents don't know how to capitalize on a weakness, it's not a weakness.  Some points:

Eldrad and the Avatar are an extremely potent combo - they are both force multipliers, making each other and the army much harder.  I used them in my Hybrid Eldar and it got me to Chicago for last year's Hard Boyz.  Then I didn't 'dance with the list what brought me': like an idiot, I changed armies and went 50/50 on the day with a poor Chaos list, but I digress.  The Avatar with Fortune against a Doomed opponent will beat face.  The reason I stopped using it, besides retiring that force, is the new availability of psychic defense.  Shut down Fortune, bye-bye Avatar.

Regarding the rest, if Blackmoor's opponents allow the game to be turned into a shooting match, well - count the shots.  Obviously Blackmoor's job is to try and mold the game to his strength.  Give him a turn of shooting and your transports are going poof.

I don't know Blackmoor, so this isn't me sticking up for a friend.  I just like the application of critical thinking over blanket statements.

Part of what Stelek says he's trying to do is increase the percentage of decent lists on the circuit.  For all that people here think it's obvious, the tournament circuit is slow to change.  Blackmoor's list is viable until it does. 

*shrugs*  That's just my opinion; given that I'm lines on your computer screen, how much is it worth? 

Billy Mays here with.....

Here are some pictures of the dice cups that are up for sale on ebay right now. They are hand crafted from the finest cow's ass (leather). The symbols and lettering have been tooled on to the cup, not just painted to give the cup more depth. My user name is big.whit and the auction will end this Saturday from around 3pm to 530pm. So please check it out, and if you are looking for something in particular that you want made just drop me an email at bigwhit77@yahoo.com . And if you order now then I will throw in this smart ass comment for free! Thanks.

Hobby Tip: .005 Pens

Okay, it seems like some of my hobby ideas have merit, so I'll continue to share 'em.  Keep in mind, this site is meant to be a catch-all: I've never thought I was the best painter or genius general - thus the name, Strictly Average - but I do okay on all fronts.  I don't think the average hobbyist will feel out of place by the material here.

Except maybe the pretty constant innuendo about Jawaballs.  Ain't changing that...

Dirty, Dirty Secret - Don't Look!

(Pssst!  This is a cute, gamer-girl, totally nude with only a camera... but I know none of you are interested in that.  Instead, I've got pictures of Brent's gameroom, newly cleaned.  Except for the closet, packed to the ceiling with more game geekery, but let's avoid that.  Instead, let's find out if the rumors are true.  Is Brent really, truly stalking Jawaballs?)

(Strangely enough, Brent's long-suffering wife is annoyed he still hasn't hung curtains in this, the only room he's allowed to do with as he pleases.  Strange woman.)

 

(All that crap, packed away... but what's that on the white board?)

  ...?

  ...warn him - before it's too late.

Strictly Average: Stalking Jawaballs since 2009.