This Saturday sees another tournament on the schedule. This one isn't at the Games Workshop Bunker, but rather the local Redmond game store. It's a 1750 point battle, so I'll basically be able to use everything I've got. It also means I've got a tight painting schedule to get everything in order. I've got five ratlings, five ogryn, a plasma gunner and 3 assorted heavy weapons that need a coat of paint to be rogue trader legal. That means I'm going to have a few late nights.
Also on February 2nd the bunker is doing a combat patrol tournament. I've got some painting to do for that, but it's still a week out and there's only a few models. My plan is to run as a demonhunter army with an inquistor, a small storm trooper squad in a chimera, two death cult assassins and an Eversor. Based on the tactica at Bell of Lost Souls I think it could be at least a fun army to play, if not an effective one. I think it will mainly have problems with any army that moves fast. As long as I've got effective cover I should be able to zip the assassins in and provide covering fire and assault support with the chimera and storm troopers. I'm very interested to see what other armies show up for combat patrol.
1.24.2008
1.18.2008
Chaos Marines
I've finally started painting my chaos marines. I wanted to go for a mostly white paint job with a nods to the classic yellow and gold thousand sons scheme. I mainly used techniques from the Fly Lords website. I like how using the fine point pen for outlining really makes the whole thing pop. If you look at the larger version you can see how messy the whole thing actually is, but from a distance, at a small scale I think it came out really well. These guys should look great when I have them moving around in a big block.
1.16.2008
Tournament Report
I showed up to the Bellevue Bunker around noon and sat around waiting to see if three people wouldn't show up so that I could be moved from wait-list to player. In fact at least ten people didn't show so everyone on the wait list got to play.
I played the list I specced out in the last post with the exception of the Inquisitor Lord since I forgot the WYSIWYG model.
Game 1
The first game was against a black templar player. I don't think I've even ever read through the Black Templar's codex before so I was wholly unprepared. Mike, my opponent, had three blocks of ten marines, a chaplain and emperor's champion, and a razorback/predator (It wasn't painted so I can't remember for sure) with twin linked lascannon turret and heavy bolter sponsons. The mission had something to do with killing a select enemy squad.
So I guess Black Templars have a whole bunch of rules that let them make extra moves. They swept across the battlefield and by turn six had wiped out my entire army. That isn't to say that I didn't give a good accounting of myself. By the end all his squads were below half strength, one squad had only a single member left, and the tank was wreckage. Still, as the first tournament game I'd played in an awfully long time, a massacre didn't have me hopeful for the rest of the day.
Game 2
The second game was against a beautifully painted ultramines army commanded by a pleasant fellow named Timm. It was comprised of a tactical squad, scout squad, devastator squad and command squad all of which had every single option and loadout. We played on a fun ruined city location. The mission was a straightforward cleanse with some sort of extra gravity rule that we both forgot about.
This game went much better. I was generally able to exert overwhelming force on each of his squads individually, taking his army apart piece by piece. I will also admit that the dice were very much in my favor and I think that my tanks scared him because his command squad spent the whole game shooting a single lascannon at the demolisher. In the end I wiped his army off the table and only lost five or six guardsmen.
Game 3
Game three was played against an unpainted ravenwing-centric dark angels army. There was a tactical squad, scout squad, two squads of three bikes, a dreadnought, and the master of the ravenwing in his land speeder. The mission was Suicide Squads where we each had a squad that we wanted to get killed for extra victory points.
This was a total slug fest. The dark angels won the first turn and the bikes and speeder zipped forward to lay waste to my infantry squads. After that there was mainly just a lot of back and forth blasting at each other with my army having a bit more firepower and luck. In the end I had the inquisitor lord, russ, demolisher, immobile chimera and stormtroopers left, and he had half a tactical squad detachment, an immobile dreadnought, and the land speeder. It was a victory for me, but far from a resounding one.
I had fun. In the end my army performed as I predicted it would when I made the army list. Against the hand to hand templars I crumpled, against the straight up vanilla marines I dominated, and where I had to fight against a land speeder with fourteen armor on the front and sides I had a really hard time dealing with it. If I had to do one thousand points again I'd definitely tool up my command squad for close combat so that I could have some sort of response to an assault.
I played the list I specced out in the last post with the exception of the Inquisitor Lord since I forgot the WYSIWYG model.
Game 1
The first game was against a black templar player. I don't think I've even ever read through the Black Templar's codex before so I was wholly unprepared. Mike, my opponent, had three blocks of ten marines, a chaplain and emperor's champion, and a razorback/predator (It wasn't painted so I can't remember for sure) with twin linked lascannon turret and heavy bolter sponsons. The mission had something to do with killing a select enemy squad.
So I guess Black Templars have a whole bunch of rules that let them make extra moves. They swept across the battlefield and by turn six had wiped out my entire army. That isn't to say that I didn't give a good accounting of myself. By the end all his squads were below half strength, one squad had only a single member left, and the tank was wreckage. Still, as the first tournament game I'd played in an awfully long time, a massacre didn't have me hopeful for the rest of the day.
Game 2
The second game was against a beautifully painted ultramines army commanded by a pleasant fellow named Timm. It was comprised of a tactical squad, scout squad, devastator squad and command squad all of which had every single option and loadout. We played on a fun ruined city location. The mission was a straightforward cleanse with some sort of extra gravity rule that we both forgot about.
This game went much better. I was generally able to exert overwhelming force on each of his squads individually, taking his army apart piece by piece. I will also admit that the dice were very much in my favor and I think that my tanks scared him because his command squad spent the whole game shooting a single lascannon at the demolisher. In the end I wiped his army off the table and only lost five or six guardsmen.
Game 3
Game three was played against an unpainted ravenwing-centric dark angels army. There was a tactical squad, scout squad, two squads of three bikes, a dreadnought, and the master of the ravenwing in his land speeder. The mission was Suicide Squads where we each had a squad that we wanted to get killed for extra victory points.
This was a total slug fest. The dark angels won the first turn and the bikes and speeder zipped forward to lay waste to my infantry squads. After that there was mainly just a lot of back and forth blasting at each other with my army having a bit more firepower and luck. In the end I had the inquisitor lord, russ, demolisher, immobile chimera and stormtroopers left, and he had half a tactical squad detachment, an immobile dreadnought, and the land speeder. It was a victory for me, but far from a resounding one.
I had fun. In the end my army performed as I predicted it would when I made the army list. Against the hand to hand templars I crumpled, against the straight up vanilla marines I dominated, and where I had to fight against a land speeder with fourteen armor on the front and sides I had a really hard time dealing with it. If I had to do one thousand points again I'd definitely tool up my command squad for close combat so that I could have some sort of response to an assault.
1.10.2008
Tourney Preparations
There's 1000pt Rogue Trader tournament playing at a local Games Workshop store this Saturday. I'm hoping to attend and see how rusty my tournament skills are. I've drawn up a list that I hope won't embarrass me too much.
Senior Officer HQ - Medic, Bolter, 2 Plasma Guns
5 Storm troopers - 2 Melta-guns, Chimera w/Multilaser & Heavy Bolter
Infantry Platoon - Junior Officer, 2 Infantry Squads
Inquisitor Lord - Carapace Armor, Storm Bolter, 2 Heavy Bolter Servitors, 2 Acolytes w/Carapace Armor and Bolt Pistols
Callidus Assassin
Demolisher - Lascannon, 2 Plasma Cannons
Leman Russ - 3 Heavy Bolters
My main worries is my lack of counter assault. I can get lucky and have the assassin show up at an opportune time but I'm seriously lacking in hand to hand power. I'm also somewhat worried about going up against another vehicle heave army. The demolisher, russ and storm troopers should be able to handle one tank, but a couple of land raiders will probably send a storm cloud to rain on my parade.
Senior Officer HQ - Medic, Bolter, 2 Plasma Guns
5 Storm troopers - 2 Melta-guns, Chimera w/Multilaser & Heavy Bolter
Infantry Platoon - Junior Officer, 2 Infantry Squads
Inquisitor Lord - Carapace Armor, Storm Bolter, 2 Heavy Bolter Servitors, 2 Acolytes w/Carapace Armor and Bolt Pistols
Callidus Assassin
Demolisher - Lascannon, 2 Plasma Cannons
Leman Russ - 3 Heavy Bolters
My main worries is my lack of counter assault. I can get lucky and have the assassin show up at an opportune time but I'm seriously lacking in hand to hand power. I'm also somewhat worried about going up against another vehicle heave army. The demolisher, russ and storm troopers should be able to handle one tank, but a couple of land raiders will probably send a storm cloud to rain on my parade.
1.02.2008
Resomolutions
The office I work in has ten vending machines filled with canned beverages. Everything from fruit juice to water to Coke to Pepsi is available at the push of a button. There were times when I would go through four or five cans in a single day. Sure the cans always all went straight to the recycling bin, but that's still a large energy cost that could be avoided if I just hadn't emptied them at all. And there was often guilt associated with drinking that much soda in a single day. Strangely I never order soda when I'm at a restaurant. There I have self control enough to just stick to water or to order juice or another alternative. It's when I'm sitting in my office that I most crave the comfort that a twelve ounce can of sugary sweetness provides.
This year's resolution is to not drink anything that comes in a can. Not only will this insulate me from the evils of high fructose corn syrup, but it will also reduce the amount of waste that I'm sending to the recycling plant.
This resolution doesn't rule out soda completely. Glass bottles and plastic containers would still be technically in bounds. But by reserving such things only when they are available in specific form I'll end up drinking less of it, which should help my health levels considerably.
This year's resolution is to not drink anything that comes in a can. Not only will this insulate me from the evils of high fructose corn syrup, but it will also reduce the amount of waste that I'm sending to the recycling plant.
This resolution doesn't rule out soda completely. Glass bottles and plastic containers would still be technically in bounds. But by reserving such things only when they are available in specific form I'll end up drinking less of it, which should help my health levels considerably.
12.27.2007
Bundt Cake Transposed
I recieved a Nordic Bakeware Platinum Series Sunflower Mini Bundt Pan for Christmas. The first trial batch is out of the oven. I used the recipe that was included on the packaging (I omitted the food coloring).
The biggest worry about any bundt cake, and especially a bundt cake in a mold with lots of nooks and crannies like this one is getting the proper release. I simply used a pastry brush to spread oil on the outside. This wasn't ideal since the oil tended to bead up on the non-stick surface. The nordicware site recommends using cooking spray (among other things). I'm not a big fan of sprays with all their aerosol and extra packaging, but I've had success with larger chocolate bundt cakes in the past using a melted butter and cocoa powder paste. I could probably do something similar to that for these lighter-color cakes, but use flour instead.
All in all the cakes still released well. Two of the six released perfectly, and the other 4 managed to hold their shape pretty well. In addition to a better release mixture on the pans themselves I probably could have stood to wait for the cakes to cool in the pan a bit longer.
The biggest worry about any bundt cake, and especially a bundt cake in a mold with lots of nooks and crannies like this one is getting the proper release. I simply used a pastry brush to spread oil on the outside. This wasn't ideal since the oil tended to bead up on the non-stick surface. The nordicware site recommends using cooking spray (among other things). I'm not a big fan of sprays with all their aerosol and extra packaging, but I've had success with larger chocolate bundt cakes in the past using a melted butter and cocoa powder paste. I could probably do something similar to that for these lighter-color cakes, but use flour instead.
All in all the cakes still released well. Two of the six released perfectly, and the other 4 managed to hold their shape pretty well. In addition to a better release mixture on the pans themselves I probably could have stood to wait for the cakes to cool in the pan a bit longer.
11.15.2007
Tide of Spawn
At the beginning of the month I picked up the Tide of Spawn boxed set that came out with the Warhammer 40K Apocalypse release. Now, with half the month gone I've finally got all the models put together. Ten spawn and sixteen marines later (the box comes with ten marines but I had six in blisters that I picked up a few years ago) I've finally got them all assembled. Now its on to painting. My plan is to have these guys form the core of a new Chaos Space Marine army.
11.01.2007
October in Review
Here's the October breakdown. Mortgage of course stayed the same while other home costs jumped significantly. This was due to utilities, payment for services and the purchase of a mattress for the guest room. This was slightly offset by Entertainment, which overall saw a decrease and a deferment of payment to November for some of the Leavenworth trip. The other categories remained generally the same. There was a boost this month from investment ROI that helped offset Home costs (at the expense of building Equity).
10.17.2007
Weekend Report and Other Stuff
The RoqLaRue opening was a good show. They've usually got the same guy DJing each month, and normally it's pretty unobtrusive, but apparently October is 80s month. Yumiko Kayukawa's paintings didn't do very much for me. Individually they were quite nice. She's definitely refined a particular style and color pallete that works for her. Here's an example.
You never need to see another one of her paintings. It's always the same girl. Throw in some flowers, kanji, an animal duo and some pop culture references and you're done. I think that when an artist stops trying and starts recycling it stops being art and becomes craft.
The other artist, Ojimbo, was good. I could see picking up one of the carvings (if they weren't all already sold) or a drawing (if I end up with free cash flow at the end of the month). I recommend going to see the show or stopping by the web site to see his stuff.
For dinner I took a lady to the Icon Grill. The highlight here was the fried macaroni and cheese. I'd never heard of such a thing, but it was delicious. My Stuffed Chicken Provencal and my companion's Grilled Pear Salad were both good, although the pears in the salad were underripe. In all it was a passable meal. It was a bit expensive and the decor looked like it was trying to do an upscale copy of the Seattle Convention Center's Cheesecake Factory so I can't say that I'd recommend it if someone were asking where they should go. The main problem here I think is that Icon Grill is across the street from the WestInn and a block away from the Warwick. The crowd was packed with out of town businesspeople. So in effect they're a hotel restaurant that's not exactly attached to a hotel. Which is to say they're where you go when you're staying in a hotel and want something "classy" but don't want to go very far away from where you're sleeping.
You never need to see another one of her paintings. It's always the same girl. Throw in some flowers, kanji, an animal duo and some pop culture references and you're done. I think that when an artist stops trying and starts recycling it stops being art and becomes craft.
The other artist, Ojimbo, was good. I could see picking up one of the carvings (if they weren't all already sold) or a drawing (if I end up with free cash flow at the end of the month). I recommend going to see the show or stopping by the web site to see his stuff.
For dinner I took a lady to the Icon Grill. The highlight here was the fried macaroni and cheese. I'd never heard of such a thing, but it was delicious. My Stuffed Chicken Provencal and my companion's Grilled Pear Salad were both good, although the pears in the salad were underripe. In all it was a passable meal. It was a bit expensive and the decor looked like it was trying to do an upscale copy of the Seattle Convention Center's Cheesecake Factory so I can't say that I'd recommend it if someone were asking where they should go. The main problem here I think is that Icon Grill is across the street from the WestInn and a block away from the Warwick. The crowd was packed with out of town businesspeople. So in effect they're a hotel restaurant that's not exactly attached to a hotel. Which is to say they're where you go when you're staying in a hotel and want something "classy" but don't want to go very far away from where you're sleeping.
10.12.2007
Weekend in Seattle
Recommended outings in Seattle for the weekend of October 12, 2007. Listed in order of what shows are closing first.
RoqLaRue opening on Friday. Depending on who shows up there could be sushi afterwards.
Mike Daisey will be performing at Hugo House tonight (Friday) only. I've been to a few of Daisey's monologues. He's self-deprecating, informative and interesting. I can't speak to the other people who are also presenting, but Mike Daisey alone should be enough to bring you in.
Theatre Off Jackson is putting on a Halloween show featuring Dracula. Puppets mixed (if I'm reading it right) with live actors.
5/10K Dawg Dash. 9:30 at the Husky Stadium. Sunday.
Kung Fu Grindhouse at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard. Go there. Watch Drunken Master. Drink Greyhounds.
The Latest H.P. Lovecraft stories open at Open Circle Theatre. I've gone the last two or three years and it never fails to entertain. Great for mythos fans anywhere. I'll likely be going closer to Halloween itself instead of this weekend, but its highly recommended. Open Circle is also near 13 coins, which is great for a post-show meal.
If you've never seen Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, the Taproot Theatre is putting it on. It's fucking hilarious and while I don't have any specific information on this production, I can't imagine a way to completely ruin the script.
HUG at the Frye Art Museum. I went to see this a couple weekends ago. It's got some neat stuff, and the other shows on display at the Frye are interesting, too. The pseudo-cubist stuff was neat, and since I'd never been there before I fell in love with a girl in a painting in the permanent collection.
RoqLaRue opening on Friday. Depending on who shows up there could be sushi afterwards.
Mike Daisey will be performing at Hugo House tonight (Friday) only. I've been to a few of Daisey's monologues. He's self-deprecating, informative and interesting. I can't speak to the other people who are also presenting, but Mike Daisey alone should be enough to bring you in.
Theatre Off Jackson is putting on a Halloween show featuring Dracula. Puppets mixed (if I'm reading it right) with live actors.
5/10K Dawg Dash. 9:30 at the Husky Stadium. Sunday.
Kung Fu Grindhouse at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard. Go there. Watch Drunken Master. Drink Greyhounds.
The Latest H.P. Lovecraft stories open at Open Circle Theatre. I've gone the last two or three years and it never fails to entertain. Great for mythos fans anywhere. I'll likely be going closer to Halloween itself instead of this weekend, but its highly recommended. Open Circle is also near 13 coins, which is great for a post-show meal.
If you've never seen Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, the Taproot Theatre is putting it on. It's fucking hilarious and while I don't have any specific information on this production, I can't imagine a way to completely ruin the script.
HUG at the Frye Art Museum. I went to see this a couple weekends ago. It's got some neat stuff, and the other shows on display at the Frye are interesting, too. The pseudo-cubist stuff was neat, and since I'd never been there before I fell in love with a girl in a painting in the permanent collection.
10.10.2007
Defense of Hive City Outskirts
After Action Report: Hive City Bhamut. Bhamut defence force. Colonel Saunders. Personal Journal
Not being told why this particular piece of rock was so important, only knowing that the High City Lords had determined that an opposing force would be attempting to move through the abandoned tenements to the northeast of town. I was given charge of a small force and ordered to stop the intruders before they were able to gain a foothold.
In the middle of the day forms took shape on the horizon. Marching implacably, they came at us. We dug in and prepared. I was quite shocked to see my foe was indeed a band of Space Marines themselves. I had heard no reports of the Adeptus Astartes operating on Bhamut. I could only assume this was some sort of renegade band, no doubt given over to the depredation of the infernal powers.
Dark Angels vs. Imperial Guard. Take and Hold.
Dark Angels: Chaplain and 5 deathwing terminators deep striking, 2 10 man tactical squads with plasma cannons. One was broken into two 5 man detachments
Imperial Guard: Senior Officer command with plasma guns and commissar. Junior Officer with two squads. 5-man storm trooper squad (grenadiers) led by a veteran sergeant. 5 man squad of ratlings and 2 Leman Russ Battle tanks with 3 heavy bolters.
Terrain: A mix of forest and destroyed buildings. The right half of the battlefield had some tall buildings on it, the left half was mostly open except for some low hills. A large rock spire dominated the center of the field. The dark angels set up with the two 5 man squads on the left and the 10 man squad on the right, poised to advance through the town. The storm troopers set up on the far right, with the ratlings infiltrating into a building just ahead of them. The rest of the guard setup to hold the left and center of the table.
Imperial Guard: Looking to get some distance in order to use their main guns, one of the Leman Russ tanks drove towards the center of the table while the other threw the gears into reverse and backed away from the menacing deathwing. The remaining guard squad and Junior Officer advanced on the terminators, while the stormtroopers on the right moved into cover within the crumbling buildings. The guard squad sprayed the terminators with lasgun fire, but failed to make a mark. Then the Russes opened up, delivering a pair of explosive battle cannon shells right into the center of the terminators, killing four of them. The junior officer charged the terminators and managed to put a wound on the chaplain before falling back. Finally, the ratlings killed one of the members of the tactical squad advancing on the right flank.
Imperial Guard: The Junior Officer, being at less than half strength, can't rally and runs off the table. The command squad shoots and assaults the chaplain and terminator, killing them both. The storm troopers continue to advance to meet the large tactical squad advancing on the left. They combine their fire with the ratlings and undamaged Russ, managing to kill a few of the Emperor's Finest. The guard squad pours lasgun fire into the tactical squad in the center, killing two of the five. Finally, the storm troopers assault on the right, and manage to lose a few of their number and kill one marine, then are cut down in a sweeping assault.
Imperial Guard: The Command HQ assaults and massacres the three marines in the center, and consolidates back towards the center. The two Russes combine their fire and obliterate the Plasma Cannon firebase on the left. The ratlings fire on the right tactical squad but fail to have an effect.
Imperial Guard: everything in the army turned to pour fire into the remaining command squad. Between the ratlings, two Leman Russes and command squad the tactical squad was completely obliterated, although a plasma gunner did succumb to an unfortunate overheat.
Overall it was a fun battle. It was the first time my opponent and I had played with an objective. It was also our first experience with Deep Striking. I think I got lucky killing as many terminators I did on the first turn (average rolls would have killed two instead of four). Also I was extremely pleased with how my command squad handled close combat. Nine strength three power weapon attacks when charging puts a dent even in terminators. The stormtroopers could have done better, but I think that was mostly bad dice rolling on my part. Also I only scattered two out of seven ordnance blasts.
It looks like we won't be playing next week, but the week after we'll be adding another 250 points to the armies, bringing us up to a full 1000. My plan is to add a witchhunter inquisitor lord as a heavy bolter firebase and callidus assassin. Maybe a Culexus. I haven't really decided. They're all pretty great.
Not being told why this particular piece of rock was so important, only knowing that the High City Lords had determined that an opposing force would be attempting to move through the abandoned tenements to the northeast of town. I was given charge of a small force and ordered to stop the intruders before they were able to gain a foothold.
In the middle of the day forms took shape on the horizon. Marching implacably, they came at us. We dug in and prepared. I was quite shocked to see my foe was indeed a band of Space Marines themselves. I had heard no reports of the Adeptus Astartes operating on Bhamut. I could only assume this was some sort of renegade band, no doubt given over to the depredation of the infernal powers.
Dark Angels vs. Imperial Guard. Take and Hold.
Dark Angels: Chaplain and 5 deathwing terminators deep striking, 2 10 man tactical squads with plasma cannons. One was broken into two 5 man detachments
Imperial Guard: Senior Officer command with plasma guns and commissar. Junior Officer with two squads. 5-man storm trooper squad (grenadiers) led by a veteran sergeant. 5 man squad of ratlings and 2 Leman Russ Battle tanks with 3 heavy bolters.
Terrain: A mix of forest and destroyed buildings. The right half of the battlefield had some tall buildings on it, the left half was mostly open except for some low hills. A large rock spire dominated the center of the field. The dark angels set up with the two 5 man squads on the left and the 10 man squad on the right, poised to advance through the town. The storm troopers set up on the far right, with the ratlings infiltrating into a building just ahead of them. The rest of the guard setup to hold the left and center of the table.
Turn 1
Dark Angels: The deathwing terminators deep struck and landed right in front of the main imperial guard force. One of the 5-man squads advanced towards the center of the field while the large tactical squad started creeping through the town on the far right flank. The terminators and stationary plasman cannon decimated a squad of imperial guard, dropping eight of them and causing them to flee off the table.Imperial Guard: Looking to get some distance in order to use their main guns, one of the Leman Russ tanks drove towards the center of the table while the other threw the gears into reverse and backed away from the menacing deathwing. The remaining guard squad and Junior Officer advanced on the terminators, while the stormtroopers on the right moved into cover within the crumbling buildings. The guard squad sprayed the terminators with lasgun fire, but failed to make a mark. Then the Russes opened up, delivering a pair of explosive battle cannon shells right into the center of the terminators, killing four of them. The junior officer charged the terminators and managed to put a wound on the chaplain before falling back. Finally, the ratlings killed one of the members of the tactical squad advancing on the right flank.
Turn 2
Dark Angels: Left tactical squad continues its advance, shooting into the building where the ratlings were hiding, but failing to pick them out amongst the cover. On the left flank, the chaplain and remaining terminator advance on the Leman Russ near the center of the table, shooting at the guard squad as they go. Combined with plasma cannon fire and fire from the still advancing tactical detachment in the center of the table the guard squad loses a few of its number, but does not flee. Finally, the chaplain and terminator assault the Russ, manage to put a chainfist into its rear armor but only inflict a crew stunned result.Imperial Guard: The Junior Officer, being at less than half strength, can't rally and runs off the table. The command squad shoots and assaults the chaplain and terminator, killing them both. The storm troopers continue to advance to meet the large tactical squad advancing on the left. They combine their fire with the ratlings and undamaged Russ, managing to kill a few of the Emperor's Finest. The guard squad pours lasgun fire into the tactical squad in the center, killing two of the five. Finally, the storm troopers assault on the right, and manage to lose a few of their number and kill one marine, then are cut down in a sweeping assault.
Turn 3
Dark Angels: The three-man tactical squad in the center assaults and destroys the the remaining guard squad after it loses a few more members to plasman cannon fire. The tactical squad on the right takes a shot at the rear of the damaged Leman Russ, but the superheated plasma failed to penetrate.Imperial Guard: The Command HQ assaults and massacres the three marines in the center, and consolidates back towards the center. The two Russes combine their fire and obliterate the Plasma Cannon firebase on the left. The ratlings fire on the right tactical squad but fail to have an effect.
Turn 4
Dark Angels: With only one unit left, things are looking grim. The large tactical squad fires its plasma cannon at the command squad, managing to only kill the medic.Imperial Guard: everything in the army turned to pour fire into the remaining command squad. Between the ratlings, two Leman Russes and command squad the tactical squad was completely obliterated, although a plasma gunner did succumb to an unfortunate overheat.
Overall it was a fun battle. It was the first time my opponent and I had played with an objective. It was also our first experience with Deep Striking. I think I got lucky killing as many terminators I did on the first turn (average rolls would have killed two instead of four). Also I was extremely pleased with how my command squad handled close combat. Nine strength three power weapon attacks when charging puts a dent even in terminators. The stormtroopers could have done better, but I think that was mostly bad dice rolling on my part. Also I only scattered two out of seven ordnance blasts.
It looks like we won't be playing next week, but the week after we'll be adding another 250 points to the armies, bringing us up to a full 1000. My plan is to add a witchhunter inquisitor lord as a heavy bolter firebase and callidus assassin. Maybe a Culexus. I haven't really decided. They're all pretty great.
10.08.2007
Weekend Highlights
As expected, the Cody Rivers Show and Crime and Punishment were both superb.
Probably the best moment of the Cody Rivers Show was when it all broke down. There was a small kid sitting behind me, probably eight or nine years old. The guys on stage were doing a bit and the kid yelled out, "Yeah!" right in the middle of it. The guys broke and just riffed for about five minutes. It was great.
I also got a lot of work done around the house, and managed to rid myself of 13.6 pounds of clothing and books. I'm on my way.
Probably the best moment of the Cody Rivers Show was when it all broke down. There was a small kid sitting behind me, probably eight or nine years old. The guys on stage were doing a bit and the kid yelled out, "Yeah!" right in the middle of it. The guys broke and just riffed for about five minutes. It was great.
I also got a lot of work done around the house, and managed to rid myself of 13.6 pounds of clothing and books. I'm on my way.
10.05.2007
Weekending
The Cody Rivers Show is playing tonight at the Theatre Off Jackson at 8:00 (doors at 7:30). Tickets are $12.
10.04.2007
Dross
Also this month I'm going to bring back the weight loss competition. This time I'm going to include weight lost on my body as well as rubbish shed from my life. I'm setting an arbitrary goal of two hundred pounds by the end of the month.
10.03.2007
More Imperial Guard
Played some more 40K this evening. I've tried out the same list a few times in a row now. We're up to playing 750 points. Against my Space Marine opponent this list has won twice and lost once. Tonight was one of those wins and one of those losses.
List:
Senior Officer HQ w/power sword
Ratlings(5)
Imperial guard platoon. 1 Junior Officer HQ and 2 Infantry Squads. No upgrades.
Armored Fist Squad. Chimera with Multilaser and Heavy Bolter.
2 Leman russ with Lascannon and Heavy Bolter Sponsons.
This list performs fairly well. At the 750pt level there are a lot of troops on the board (40, or 35 if you just count the ratlings as stationary sniper platforms) so we can concentrate firepower pretty well. The Leman Russ are hardy. One of the wins (and the loss) they were the last of my army left on the table. The senior officer doesn't perform so well in close combat. I find myself wishing his squad was a harder hitter. My opponent has been fielding two tactical squads(one with rhino), a devastator squad, and a terminator chaplain. His power-armored goons spread across his starting line then march inexorably across the board. It's a rare day when I'm able to stop them from reaching my infantry line. The lack of counterassault in my army is causing me lots of concern. I've been perusing various sites and I think I'm going to have to ditch my chimera for some meatier hand to hand and shooty bits.
Here's my probably army list:
Senior Officer HQ
Force Weapon
2 plasma guns
Vet. Medic
2 Bolters
Iron Discipline
Commissar w/ power weapon
9 Ratlings
Infantry Platoon
Junior Officer w/power weapon & bolter
Squad
Squad
4 Storm troopers (grenadiers)
1 Veteran Sergeant w/ power weapon & bolter
2 melta guns
2 Leman Russ w/3 heavy bolters
Doctrines: Grenadiers, Ratlings, Iron Discipline, Drop Troops(its free, so why not have the option of not deploying most of my troops at game start.)
This still means I have 35 models on the field (again not including ratlings). I've given up the chimera in return for a passel of special weapons and some close combat meatiness. I'm excited to test this army out and see how it goes.
List:
Senior Officer HQ w/power sword
Ratlings(5)
Imperial guard platoon. 1 Junior Officer HQ and 2 Infantry Squads. No upgrades.
Armored Fist Squad. Chimera with Multilaser and Heavy Bolter.
2 Leman russ with Lascannon and Heavy Bolter Sponsons.
This list performs fairly well. At the 750pt level there are a lot of troops on the board (40, or 35 if you just count the ratlings as stationary sniper platforms) so we can concentrate firepower pretty well. The Leman Russ are hardy. One of the wins (and the loss) they were the last of my army left on the table. The senior officer doesn't perform so well in close combat. I find myself wishing his squad was a harder hitter. My opponent has been fielding two tactical squads(one with rhino), a devastator squad, and a terminator chaplain. His power-armored goons spread across his starting line then march inexorably across the board. It's a rare day when I'm able to stop them from reaching my infantry line. The lack of counterassault in my army is causing me lots of concern. I've been perusing various sites and I think I'm going to have to ditch my chimera for some meatier hand to hand and shooty bits.
Here's my probably army list:
Senior Officer HQ
Force Weapon
2 plasma guns
Vet. Medic
2 Bolters
Iron Discipline
Commissar w/ power weapon
9 Ratlings
Infantry Platoon
Junior Officer w/power weapon & bolter
Squad
Squad
4 Storm troopers (grenadiers)
1 Veteran Sergeant w/ power weapon & bolter
2 melta guns
2 Leman Russ w/3 heavy bolters
Doctrines: Grenadiers, Ratlings, Iron Discipline, Drop Troops(its free, so why not have the option of not deploying most of my troops at game start.)
This still means I have 35 models on the field (again not including ratlings). I've given up the chimera in return for a passel of special weapons and some close combat meatiness. I'm excited to test this army out and see how it goes.
9.25.2007
Book Reports
I finished a couple of books in the last few weeks.
Darwin's Children, by Greg Bear, is the sequel to Darwin's Radio. I've read a number of other books by Mr. Bear and with the exception of W3 Women in Deep Time I feel confident recommending them all(Slant, the Eon Series). In the Darwin series, Bear asks what if the human race were on the verge of being replaced by the next evolutionary leap. Speculative genetic science and a dark view of the United States citizens and government hurl the protagonists through the story. It's a good read. The research that Mr. Bear puts into the Science behind his stories is evident, and he has a knack for being able to explain it to the lay person without dwelling on it to the expense of the rest of the story.
Where the sequel diverges from the original is its inclusion of spirituality. One of the main characters has an epiphany, feeling as though she is being directly touched by God. The story handles it maturely, exploring the emotional roller coaster this sort of experience subjects a person to. I'd be curious to discover what happened in the four years between the publishing of Radio and Children to make Mr. Bear decide to explore a topic like this in a work that had previously been grounded in pure science. Did he have such an epiphany himself, or did he stumble across the phenomenon of epiphanies while researching something else? Was he intrigued by the existence of God, or does the concept of a consistent unexplainable phenomenon happening to different people who have never met interest him more?
I've also just discovered that Slant is the last in a series of four. I need to get to the bookstore and find the first three.
Orion. Ben Bova. I don't believe I've read any of the author's other works, and I don't believe I will either. Orion is a monorail going over flat ground. The author spends as much time and detail on describing the character's feelings for a dead lover as he does listing the contents of a Neanderthal's rucksack. The time travel premises explored in the book are intriguing, but I think Mr. Bova could have gotten more mileage out of using them in a short story rather than a full length novel.
Darwin's Children, by Greg Bear, is the sequel to Darwin's Radio. I've read a number of other books by Mr. Bear and with the exception of W3 Women in Deep Time I feel confident recommending them all(Slant, the Eon Series). In the Darwin series, Bear asks what if the human race were on the verge of being replaced by the next evolutionary leap. Speculative genetic science and a dark view of the United States citizens and government hurl the protagonists through the story. It's a good read. The research that Mr. Bear puts into the Science behind his stories is evident, and he has a knack for being able to explain it to the lay person without dwelling on it to the expense of the rest of the story.
Where the sequel diverges from the original is its inclusion of spirituality. One of the main characters has an epiphany, feeling as though she is being directly touched by God. The story handles it maturely, exploring the emotional roller coaster this sort of experience subjects a person to. I'd be curious to discover what happened in the four years between the publishing of Radio and Children to make Mr. Bear decide to explore a topic like this in a work that had previously been grounded in pure science. Did he have such an epiphany himself, or did he stumble across the phenomenon of epiphanies while researching something else? Was he intrigued by the existence of God, or does the concept of a consistent unexplainable phenomenon happening to different people who have never met interest him more?
I've also just discovered that Slant is the last in a series of four. I need to get to the bookstore and find the first three.
Orion. Ben Bova. I don't believe I've read any of the author's other works, and I don't believe I will either. Orion is a monorail going over flat ground. The author spends as much time and detail on describing the character's feelings for a dead lover as he does listing the contents of a Neanderthal's rucksack. The time travel premises explored in the book are intriguing, but I think Mr. Bova could have gotten more mileage out of using them in a short story rather than a full length novel.
9.18.2007
Drake's Revenge
I've recently acquired a Drake in EVE. It's the first ship I've kitted out as a passive shield tanker and I'm loving it. I was doing quick level 2 combat missions in my caracal before, but now I've upgraded to level 3. I can finish them in the same time as the level 2s but the loot and rewards are much better. My only peeve is that it's very slow. Cleaning and salvaging the loot drops takes a good long time.
Here's the Drake Loadout:
High Slots: 7 Heavy Missile Launchers, 1 Salvager
Mid Slots: 4 Large Shield Extenders, 2 Shield Rechargers
Low Slots: 2 Shield Power Relays, 2 Power Diagnostic Systems
All the gear is basic Tech 1 stuff or some version of cheap upgraded tech 1. I'll upgrade as I find better loot in the missions I'm running. I doubt I'll buy any tech 2 gear since I just don't think it makes enough of a difference when running missions to justify a ten-thousand percent increase in cost. Those millions I'm saving can go towards getting me a Nighthawk.
Here's the Drake Loadout:
High Slots: 7 Heavy Missile Launchers, 1 Salvager
Mid Slots: 4 Large Shield Extenders, 2 Shield Rechargers
Low Slots: 2 Shield Power Relays, 2 Power Diagnostic Systems
All the gear is basic Tech 1 stuff or some version of cheap upgraded tech 1. I'll upgrade as I find better loot in the missions I'm running. I doubt I'll buy any tech 2 gear since I just don't think it makes enough of a difference when running missions to justify a ten-thousand percent increase in cost. Those millions I'm saving can go towards getting me a Nighthawk.
9.04.2007
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot was this weekend. I went on Saturday. Here is a list of bands I saw.
The Avett Brothers - Bluegrass Punk. These guys started out calm for a few songs, twanging on their banjo and upright bass. Then they started screaming and all the old people left.
Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punk. These guys had tons of fans in attendance. I watched them while eating Chicken Tikka Masala behind their stage. The music was okay but the chicken was delicious.
Devotchka - Gypsy Pop. I have most of their albums. I didn't hear anything I hadn't heard before.
Saturday Knights - Not everyone can be the Beastie Boys. These guys look like they have fun trying, though.
Aqueduct - These guys were having a ton of fun on stage. The crowd was really into them. In terms of music I'd never heard before these guys win first prize.
I wanted to go saturday to see The Damnwells and Wu Tang Clan, but I stayed home and painted baseboard and window trim instead.
Wednesday Commute: Bike to work. Bus home
Wednesday Exercise: 19 miles biking
Thursday Commute: Bus to work. Bus and Bike home
Thursday Exercise: 5 miles
Friday Commute: Bike to work. Bus and Bike home
Friday Exercise: 25 miles biking
Saturday Exercise: 9 miles running
Sunday Exercise: None
Monday Commute: Holiday
Monday Exercise: None
The Avett Brothers - Bluegrass Punk. These guys started out calm for a few songs, twanging on their banjo and upright bass. Then they started screaming and all the old people left.
Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punk. These guys had tons of fans in attendance. I watched them while eating Chicken Tikka Masala behind their stage. The music was okay but the chicken was delicious.
Devotchka - Gypsy Pop. I have most of their albums. I didn't hear anything I hadn't heard before.
Saturday Knights - Not everyone can be the Beastie Boys. These guys look like they have fun trying, though.
Aqueduct - These guys were having a ton of fun on stage. The crowd was really into them. In terms of music I'd never heard before these guys win first prize.
I wanted to go saturday to see The Damnwells and Wu Tang Clan, but I stayed home and painted baseboard and window trim instead.
Wednesday Commute: Bike to work. Bus home
Wednesday Exercise: 19 miles biking
Thursday Commute: Bus to work. Bus and Bike home
Thursday Exercise: 5 miles
Friday Commute: Bike to work. Bus and Bike home
Friday Exercise: 25 miles biking
Saturday Exercise: 9 miles running
Sunday Exercise: None
Monday Commute: Holiday
Monday Exercise: None
8.29.2007
Cluck
The Savage Worlds game we played was a chicken themed survival horror game in the vein of Black Sheep. It was also the only game that our band of three played all together (aside from a twenty minute dungeon delve). The module was called Chickens in the Mist and is put out by a company called 12toMidnight.
The game was a lot of fun. It was certainly a great start to convention gaming. This picture is from the climax of the game, where I heroically leapt from the back of the truck and tossed a bundle of dynamite at a five hundred pound chicken blocking our escape.
Monday Commute: Bus to and from work.
Monday Exercise: None
Tuesday Commute: Bike to work, bus home.
Tuesday Exercise: 19 miles biking, 6 miles running, 1 hour yoga
The game was a lot of fun. It was certainly a great start to convention gaming. This picture is from the climax of the game, where I heroically leapt from the back of the truck and tossed a bundle of dynamite at a five hundred pound chicken blocking our escape.
Monday Commute: Bus to and from work.
Monday Exercise: None
Tuesday Commute: Bike to work, bus home.
Tuesday Exercise: 19 miles biking, 6 miles running, 1 hour yoga
8.26.2007
Dungeons & Dragons
So I guess Dungeons and Dragons is entering into fourth edition. I have to admit to not being aware of the announcement while I was at GenCon. Like many others I've seen posting on the web this news doesn't really impact me. Games I'm involved in rarely use the system. I also imagine that when I do sit down to play some narrative-light simulationist tactical roleplaying I'll have my choice of editions.
I think of D&D as being much more the summer blockbuster type of game system. It's a beer and pretzels game enjoyed by a wide audience but lacking the nuance required for more mature role-playing. My current interests run closer to what various independent role playing games are trying to do. These are the art house movies of the games industry.
This makes me a gaming snob.
At GenCon I played two separate DnD events. The first was the Dungeon Delve. You and five others attempt to get through three combat encounters in twenty minutes. You recieved tokens redeemable for semi-fabulous prizes depending on how far through the module you got. D&D is well suited to this sort of thing. At its heart the game is about simulating fantasy combat. Most of the rules are dedicated to this. The other section of the rules is about how to make your characters more powerful as they gain in experience and wealth. Look on the forums dedicated to the game and you'll mostly see guidebooks for player class builds and rules clarification discussions. I end up with the distinct impression that the pen and paper game is now looking to the video games it spawned for its guiding design principles.
Also I am playing D&D tactics for the PSP.
The other D&D event I played in was the first round of NASCRAG. Claiming to be to the RPGA what the Shriners are to the Masons. After running through the first round module with a juvenile minded group (our group name was Richard Head and the Jizz Juice Brigade (team cheer: Boner, Brah!)) I was left with little interest in playing in a D&D tourney ever again.
The game was a mishmash of combat encounter followed by some puzzle solving followed by an encounter that was solvable through the use of game mechanics. Points were given to teams based on solving the puzzles and roleplaying. The roleplaying points were assigned based partly on genuinely being in character, and mostly on hitting bullet points on the provided character synopsis (which is really just another puzzle to solve: "What should I have my character do that will make the GM think I'm playing him in-character?"). My little group ended up talking to one of the GMs in the airport on our flight back, which gave me some insight into these proceedings.
Still, 4th Edition! Exciting!
Saturday Exercise: None
Sunday Exercise: 5 miles running with hills.
I think of D&D as being much more the summer blockbuster type of game system. It's a beer and pretzels game enjoyed by a wide audience but lacking the nuance required for more mature role-playing. My current interests run closer to what various independent role playing games are trying to do. These are the art house movies of the games industry.
This makes me a gaming snob.
At GenCon I played two separate DnD events. The first was the Dungeon Delve. You and five others attempt to get through three combat encounters in twenty minutes. You recieved tokens redeemable for semi-fabulous prizes depending on how far through the module you got. D&D is well suited to this sort of thing. At its heart the game is about simulating fantasy combat. Most of the rules are dedicated to this. The other section of the rules is about how to make your characters more powerful as they gain in experience and wealth. Look on the forums dedicated to the game and you'll mostly see guidebooks for player class builds and rules clarification discussions. I end up with the distinct impression that the pen and paper game is now looking to the video games it spawned for its guiding design principles.
Also I am playing D&D tactics for the PSP.
The other D&D event I played in was the first round of NASCRAG. Claiming to be to the RPGA what the Shriners are to the Masons. After running through the first round module with a juvenile minded group (our group name was Richard Head and the Jizz Juice Brigade (team cheer: Boner, Brah!)) I was left with little interest in playing in a D&D tourney ever again.
The game was a mishmash of combat encounter followed by some puzzle solving followed by an encounter that was solvable through the use of game mechanics. Points were given to teams based on solving the puzzles and roleplaying. The roleplaying points were assigned based partly on genuinely being in character, and mostly on hitting bullet points on the provided character synopsis (which is really just another puzzle to solve: "What should I have my character do that will make the GM think I'm playing him in-character?"). My little group ended up talking to one of the GMs in the airport on our flight back, which gave me some insight into these proceedings.
Still, 4th Edition! Exciting!
Saturday Exercise: None
Sunday Exercise: 5 miles running with hills.