8.22.2010

Learning Warhammer

At the FLGS, we're all learning how to play Warhammer Fantasy by participating in an army build project similar to the one we did for 40K.

Okay, so there are some obvious differences.  For one, 40K is the primary game at the store; we all play it, some of us at a pretty high level.  Better have the goods to back up the statement, yes?  We knew what we were doing there, but this is a different animal. 

CliffNotes: Brent yaks briefly about some thoughts on learning a new system.

...but this is a different animal.

Obviously, you say?  Maybe.  Still, let's finish a thought before we finish a thought.

The 40K build was a huge success.  For those of us who stuck it out, we learned an new army from the ground up - in my case, that was Daemons, and there's not a doubt in my mind I can give anyone, anywhere a topnotch game.  And I don't care how good they are, they'd better play well or I'll win.

That's arrogant/cocky/brash/egotistical - insert the word of your choice, but it's true.  That's what almost a year of hard work and practice did for my game.  I was good before; add discipline to that and you've got great.

That goes for anything.  We're all adult enough to know hard work pays off, right?

So we're trying to apply the same logic to Warhammer... and at this point, I'll be happy if I can learn how to play with all the rules.  The 40K project put a shine to my game - I just hope this teaches me one!  After my first tournament in a long time, all I have to say is:

Crap, how hard is this going to be?

My army has something to do with my mood about it; I've chosen to play Tomb Kings and after today I think that's like saddling a weight to my leg and trying to swim.  My decision was based primarily on interest and owning the models... and if I want to be honest, I know there's a new Army Book on the horizon.

Still, I have to admit I'm underwhelmed.  Let's look at what I took.


My basic idea, after losing with traditional builds including archers and Screaming Skull Catapults, was doing an Undead Construct build.  I took advantage of being able to fit in a Bone Giant, then added two Scorpions.  My General is killy overpriced and I have two supplemental Priests for spells.  The big horde of Skeleton Archers gives me the ranks I need... blah blah blah - you get the point.

Game 1, Vampire Counts: LOSE... a close loss
Game 2, Orcs, LOSE... a beatdown
Game 3, Dark Elves, LOSE... a beatdown
Game 4, Dwarves, WIN... a blowout

So much for that idea!  I'll talk about each game individually at some point soon, but my general idea is Tomb Kings don't have enough in the tank to win consistently in 8th Edition.

Remember, my motto is Competitive is Consistent.  I'm not here to win a Rock vs Scissors match.  I'll leave that to other Internet Personalities.  There are IP's out there who swear that's all 40K is; I don't buy it.

I really thought I'd have an edge in magic, what with having spells from 3 sources that auto work.  The problem is my casting values are low and I give up, on average, 5 or so Dispel Dice.  That's enough to shut me down in some cases.  Even when spells get through, it's not enough quality magic.  More on that another time.

More on it all another time.  I'm tired!

Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm not quitting on this; I'm stubborn I am.  I wanna learn and I'll put in the time and hard work.  I'll find an angle.

As a matter of fact, I've got a cunning plan...

8 comments:

Herr Fernseher said...

Good luck, Baldrick! Erm, I mean Brent!

But damn you, the real reason I didn't participate in today's tournament was because you said YOU were going to win. Do you mean to tell me you were bluffing?

(Seriously though, I won first place in one category and third place in another at the cook-off today--better than I've ever done in a wargaming tournament. But I'm gunning for you at the next tourney, Brent!)

Chumbalaya said...

Tomb Kings have all kinds of problems in 8th, magic and the general crappiness of their units being the primary culprits.

Hope you can figure something out, I've always liked TK myself.

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain. I chose to do Ogre's, and they were supposedly even worse than your TK last edition.

We'll see how I do when I finally get down to my FLGS for a game...

Mister Disco said...

I just recently played a game against tomb kings this week and I have to say that their magic is going to be really hard to really do anything with. during our six turn game my opponent managed to get only one spell off, I can't remember what it was, but I do know it didn't effect the outcome one bit. We were even playing the casket of souls wrong (for some reason he thought it was a shooting attack) and I still managed to rape him regardless. I'll be keeping an eye on your tomb kings as they progress so make sure to post a lot, I need to pass on any goodness I can to Jason (the tomb kings player) so he can step up his game too, because frankly it's just no fun steamrolling the 40k champ in fantasy nonstop. (ok... it is a little fun...)

Anonymous said...

A big thing to remember is that the game is designed to be played at 2k. Tomb Kings do not work in small games.

Some armies (Tomb Kings especially) do not scale well - I'm sure that if you actually played 2k, that you'll do much better.

Good luck with the new system!

TheKing Elessar said...

Not really Anonymous. GW sources say it was designed to be played at 3k, or at LEAST 2500.

Paul said...

A plan so cunning that your head would explode if you even begun to know what you were talking about? lol!

I'm still wracking my brains as to what to squeeze into a 1500pt list against Dethtron's Empire. I added more Tomb Guard, and a Scorpion. But what spells???

Brent said...

Paul: it's sort of like a Black Adder bit...

"You wouldn't know a cunning plan if it came up and sang three bars of 'I'm a cunning plan!'"

(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.

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