2.21.2011

A Campaign Commentary (And a Sneak Preview!)

Why isn't GW doing something like this?


Privateer Press is doing a series of linked campaigns... and supporting it with rules!  As you can see in the picture, I have a campaign tracker, a booklet to document my progress and upgrades, and a campaign card to augment my army with.  The winner gets a nifty coin but all the participants will get a badge.  The badges link with other campaign badges to form a larger emblem...

...and doesn't that appeal to the ruthless collector in all of us?

The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) ordered this set for us at Privateer Press.  It cost our FLGS owner a bit of out of pocket money, but he made that up when we all kicked forward our $10 bucks to participate.  We're going to have a month of gaming followed by a tournament... *trademark infringement alert* and there can be only one!

What's not to like?

Now yes, I'm aware GW has done campaigns in the past, but haven't those been huge, sprawling, world-wide affairs?  Yes, I'm aware they've released supplements where you can create maps to fight over, and that's all to the good...

...so why am I so excited about this?  Why do I feel like it's different?

You tell me.

Brent

PS:  As an aside, this is Strictly Average's 450th post.  Not bad for a personality-centered hobby blog, huh?  

PPS:  I've decided to do a contest or drawing of some kind when I hit 300 Google Followers.  Details to come - this is just a sneak preview type of thing!

8 comments:

HuronBH said...

I think it is the journal and stamp system. I haven't been this excited about a league in a while (and I am a PG).

Quaade said...

Games Workshop had a period where they released campaign packs containing a selfstyled campaign between two races, rules for the characters and some cardboard buildings.
It was mainly fantasy, but I think they made a piscina 4 campaign pack for orks and dark angels.

Atrocity said...

GW did have one "huge, sprawling, world-wide affair" in the Eye of Terror campaign.

Granesh said...

Games Workshop have done a few. The Eye of Terror, Storm of Chaos, and The Fall of Medusa V come to mind. Its a shame they stopped doing things like that, even though I wasn't playing at the time, they were fun to read and check ou the pictures for.

The stam/packet system reminds me of when I used to play Pokemon back in my younger years, I think its a good move on PP's part.

James Paladin said...

I recall the war for Armageddon. That looked like such fun. Pity that the major campains always end the same.

Take a look at the 13th Black Crusade, Chaos kicked the door in on Cadia and burned it to the ground, yet due to the realization that Cadian models made up the majority of the sales for IG, Chaos had to except a "Draw" and a pat on the back.

On the good side of that conflict the only army to accomplish their goals were the Eldar and do you know what they got. A dead Eldrad!!!

GW dick moved the official Dick mover of the 40k universe.

Now what did that teach us. Never try to win a GW campaign.

The minute your Everchosen Lord of Chaos is about to smite the human God in unholy glory an ork is just going to headbutt him in the face.
lol

Von said...

@ Quaad - the Campaign Packs were in my opinion excellent little suppelements, especially since they had storylines and character choices for alternative antagonists (I know Circle of Blood had Empire and maybe High Elves, and I'm pretty sure Idol of Gork had Dwarfs and Bretonnians). I'm just sad they never did a Chaos one...

Mustakrakish_TX said...

This is also a world wide sprawling thing because the Master Manipulator will report battles to the official Map and it will show which faction is winning on the map parts. Also, they have special bonuses if your faction is currently winning! It cemented my decision to shelve my GW products and focus on PP games.

Kremmet said...

I was always s fan of the GW way of doing a campaign or really any way that doesn't make feel like I should ell, "Cryxachu I choose you!" in order to participate. I can tell you that the vibe around PP headquarters (in beautiful Western Washington) is definitely against the slightly ridiculous concept of collecting stamps in a "battle journal." Worst part for me is that to just go full blown retard and give us battle badges would probably be found hilarious by all including me.

Oh well, c'est la vie.

(A new favorite!) Anon: I haven’t even bothered playing a game of 6th yet, cause I have read the rules, and actually understand how they interact with units. I know my armies no longer function how they should, and so I need to change them.

Strictly Average: 'cause 6-inches is all you get.

Stalking Jawaballs since 2009.

Jawaballs: "My butt just tightened up."

Brent, preferred 2-to-1 over Not Brent in a recent, scientific poll.

Brent: emptied the Kool Aid and DRINKING YOUR MILKSHAKE with an extra-long straw.

Unicorns don't exist.

Home of the Stormbuster, the Dyson Pattern Storm Raven.

I'm a comment whore and this whore is getting no play.

Not Brent hurts Brent's feelings.

I think, therefore I blog.

"You should stop writing for everyone else and worry about your crappy blog." - Anon.

Not Brent has been spotted lurking around with a green marker.

He's not like a bad guy from a cartoon, all devious but never quite evil, Not Brent is bad beans, man, bad beans.

Dethtron: "Again I feel obliged to remind you that trying to sound smart only works if you are."

MVB: "I am not one to join the unwashed masses of self-titled 40k experts out there distributing advice from their blogs about exactly how your list should be built..."

Shiner Bock on tap: that's how I choose hotels.

Strictly Average: The Home of Hugs and Gropings.

Don't feed the trolls!

MoD: "Welcome to Brent's head."

Competitive is Consistent.

Dethtron: "...you could use that extra time to figure out a way to get your panties unbunched and perform a sandectomy on your vagina."

Dethtron: “When calling someone an idiot, it's generally best to avoid making grammatical mistakes.”

Warboss Stalin: "You know, if it actually WAS funny, maybe I wouldn't mind."

Mike Brandt: "It's not a successful bachelor party if you don't misplace someone".

"The Master Manipulator (every store needs one): "...now, enough stroking."

Kirby: "I don't know about gropings. Seriously, Brent, keep it in the pants, please."

Loquacious: "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Hugs & Gropings or Stalks Jawaballs into Brent's little tribute."

Captain Kellen: "I rate this article a Brent on the Faith Hill to Nancy Pelosi scale!"

Drathmere: "Come for the balls, stay for the Brent? Kind of disturbing, man."

Go no further, lest thee see something thine eyes would fain look past!

Isabelle: "So, thank you for supporting your local and not so local unicorns. A noble gesture like that can show some scared kids out there that they don't have to hide from everyone and it's ok to be who they really are."

There is nothing more interesting than We The People... in all our beautiful, ugly glory!

On Internet Advice: You see, I have an almost religious belief that's it's a huge, colossal waste of time.

...I think I'll call it the Gun Shy Pattern Stormbuster, because after the Internet destroyed my first humble effort, I find I'm a bit worried about the reaction to this one.

Lauby: "Is it left over from that time you thought that you could just complete step one 12 times to meet the mandates of that court order?"

Not Brent: "I guess we'll have to read on and find out. Signed, Not Brent. Especially today."

Cynthia Davis: "I think the scrolling text is from Glen Beck's new book."

Grimaldi: "Spamming certain units creates interesting possibilities but also fatal weaknesses."

Purgatus: "Math can inform decisions. It cannot make decisions."

Thoughts? Comments? Hugs and gropings?

You'd be that much quicker to figure out what I mean when I refer to a Unicorn if I covered it in a rainbow flag.

SinSynn: (To Brent) "Curse you and your insidious influence on the internets..."

Dave G (N++): "You know you're an internet celebrity when your following is more akin to tabloids."

I prefer the term Internet Personality (or IP) myself, seeing as how I coined it.

Lauby: "Your attempt to humanize him as failed. I feel nothing but scorn for his beard - it's like a warcrime or something."

BBF: "I've always thought you are a good player but I finally figured out that you are a great player. It's hard to see sometimes because your personality is engaging, sincere and quite charming - to me that is kind of a rare combination."

'Clearly cheating?' I didn't misspeak: you jumped to conclusions. If you'd like to apologize I'll be happy to send you an autographed picture of my ass.

Ass.

I thought I was doing alright before I realized I was losing.

Age and treachery beats youth and vigor every time.

Popular Posts