Tuesday 24 December 2013

Q&A with Mr Walrus (for the benefit of a warmahordes newb)

Heya


Mr Walrus:howdy


So, as a newbie I think it’d be handy to know what I should look out for, what I should avoid, and how I should approach the different factions in the game. Ive barely read the fluff, and I have one fluke win. Lets save the best of last and you can give up the anti-khador secrets at the end, but what’s your advice? How should I think when I sit down and see ‘x’ across from me?


Mr Walrus do you mean like, how to approach each faction? or do you mean how to approach different types of armies in general?

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Warmachine Starter!

Heya all, Dave again (You can go ahead an expect that I'm going to pop my head in here only in very random intervals) this time I wanted to talk about my First impressions with Warmachine!

Initially I was a little hesitant to pickup the game. The models were a bit on the 'cartoony' side for me and if I'm going to be honest, I had a bit of a stiff upper lip as a war-hammer player; Why would I play that when I already play the 'better' game? That changed outright when the newest faction was announced and echoed in the war gaming blogs. 

Convergence of cyriss eschews the steam-punk air captain aesthetic in favor of an art-deco science fiction fanaticism. For those of you that don't have experience with art-deco scifi, take a look...

Monday 16 December 2013

All Hail the Red Queen !



So I just got my hands on the Mala Tempora data pack and 3 cards easily came to mind; Xanadu, Rook and the Red Queen, Reina Roja.
 I wanted to build something based around making it hard for the Corp to rez ice and would suck his economy dry in the process.
No, I didn't spend all my influence on account Syphon; my strategy is to make it costy for the corp to rez, period. Very costy I mean.

Wednesday 11 December 2013

FSA: Stealth Systems Engaged, My Directorate Fleet

''Shields are back online'', the robotic voice coming his adjutant always made Rob wonder how much of it was still human.
''Commander?'' Should we prepare the fold space engines for another jump?
''Yes, prepare for these coordinates and transmit them to the rest of the fleet.''.
 As he clicked on his holoscreen, the lights flickered in the ship and an alarm erupted: ''Warning: Cyber attack detected.''

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Android Netrunner: Rielle 'Kit' Peddler ''Copycat''

''Copycat'', a criminal card, is quite the interesting program. Allowing you to pass a piece of Ice in any server and continue your run from there...if you broke a piece of Ice sharing the same name during your run.
Somehow, I think this card is a card that fits Rielle more than any other runner due to her ability to break any first piece of ice.





I wanted to build a deck around ''Copycat'', but my first attempt proved disastrous. Now I built a deck based on the runner's strength: making any ''one ice'' server a liability for the corp.
If the corps puts more Ice in the servers, it increases the chances ''Copycat'' will be useful. Sadly the deck is not fully built around Copycat.

Friday 6 December 2013

Android Netrunner: Jinteki Fast Advance

Considering that Netrunner Season 2 ended a few weeks ago, and Season 3 probably won’t be here until the first quarter of the new year, I figured now would be the perfect time to test new deck ideas! I will go through my metagame-analyzing deck-building process step-by-step.

Archetype Choice

The deck that we’re building should counter the strongest runner decks.

Android Netrunner: NBN ''Invasion of Privacy''

With cards like ''Helion Alpha Test'' and ''Invasion of Privacy'', the corporations are starting to get more and more pro-active about screwing their opponent's gameplay.
These two cards gave me the idea to build a fun deck to try them out and play a more ''control'' NBN deck.


Now I know that this deck will be less competitive than other decks you could find on the internet, but I'm more about trying to discover new playstiles and new decks than simply netdecking. The idea behind my Netrunner deck articles is that if you are intrigued by a concept, you probably have to work a little (or a lot) around it to make it work...

Thursday 5 December 2013

Back to the Storm Sector




I was wasting time on Facebook when I saw a post by The D6 Generation, a picture of a 3-way Firestorm Armada with comments about the new changes in the rules and the 2.0 rules.
It was this picture: Looks awesome, click click!

Alright everyone, G asked me to contribute to this blog since I'm a bit more involved with 40k than he and the other bloggers are so that's what I'm gonna do. I figured a good way to start would be to talk about the tournament I ran last weekend.

One of the big problems I have with 40k is how static the game can be when the goals are always fixed. In 5th, kill points made up the vast majority of the games, and as a result, strong lists depended on a few high output high survivability units (Draigowing and bike-nobs were very good for this). With the shift to 6th, the idea is to have low cost, high volume scoring units to sit on the myriad objectives that rule the board. When you take troops that have a high damage output, they tend to also be costly, and you've made the choice for the other person with regards to target priority. What rules now is low cost, numerous scoring units that are minimal threats on the table. Either kill the scary things and let the troops score, or shoot the troops down and eat the return fire from the scary stuff; Damned if you do, damned it you don't.

Neither of these types of game are bad by any stretch, but they certainly lend priority to a certain type of list. In 5th, bikers and paladins brought the toughness and killyness to win. In 6th, kroot, warriors and cultists are ideal in that they are super cheap, and aren't so scary that your opponent prioritizes killing them. What I wanted for my event was a game that does not force that choice, and while I'm not completely there yet, I feel like I've gotten close.

My tournaments run 6 objectives (to avoid having a player at the advantage of placing one more than the other person), with no mysterious objectives, secondaries and a special modification to each game. At setup, each table has a deck of cards; each table has the same deck, and each card has a small effect on the game. Some cards will activate kill-points, others will turn off secondary objectives. Some of them will modify the way objectives are scored (biasing the points in favor of one player or the other) and others still have no effect on scoring, but allow for modified rules (one allows a single unit to assault coming in from reserves, and another allows the warlord and his unit to fire into Close combat). Before the start of the game, each player draws five cards, elects to keep two, and passes one to their opponent. This way, you have to consider that the other person may modify your own pre-game position rather than just trying to gain the maximum advantage you can.

The idea is that a player can bring whatever list they enjoy playing (be it a strong death star, numerous small units, minimal troops, etc) and be able to shift the games objective slightly so that they stand a chance of winning. No one is forced to bring massed scoring units if they prefer a mechanized force, because they can before the game starts, sway the objective slightly away from scoring on objectives. Because of this, a resident Nid player who isn't very known for being hard won the event and took home a nice big gift certificate.

Before I run my next one, I will be sure to share the cardset on here so that other people can give it a shot. :)


`Dave

Monday 2 December 2013

Android Netrunner: Whizzard ''Rook''

For today's Netrunner deck, I'm going to show my Whizzard ''Rook'', an anarchs economic-warfare deck that wants to put some early aggression and win the game quickly while making sure the corp can't defend itself properly.



If you're the type of guy that like their games to end quickly or to watch defenseless opponents, then this deck could interest you.

Saturday 30 November 2013

Android Netrunner: Weyland Consortium ''Dedicated Response Team''

(Warning: Picture Heavy!)
Today I'll talk and show an Android Netrunner LCG deck I made around ''Dedicated Response Team''.
I know how some of you might feel 'Oh! He's going to be That Guy that talks about his card game deck that we couldn't care less for...', well, thankfully this isn't real life and you can just not read this article, I won't know it and won't be offended, or...

Or you could be open-minded and check quickly, Android has some cool art on its cards.

Friday 29 November 2013

DUST: Nikolaï

I Think Nikolaï is a really nice miniature, not only that, but his power is quite decent and he allows you to field a political platoon.

Here 's my Nikolaï painted for my SSU Shock Guard and Naval Troops for my Elba Campaign. He'll also be submitted to Club Chaos November's 'Colore ton Monde' , reinforcing the Dust presence in this monthly painting challenge.



Wednesday 20 November 2013

DUST: Massacre in Zverograd

The IS-48 heavy tank rolled into Zverograd's industrial wasteland, five men riding on top of it, they were equipped with the best the SSU had to offer to infantrymen. Clearly, Red Guards. 



As the tank grinded to a halt, a commissar carrying a PTRS-47 (rocket launcher) approached the men.
''Good day Comrades, ready for another glorious victory to make Comrade Stalin and the people of the Sino-Soviet Union proud?''

Tuesday 19 November 2013

DUST: Panzer Walker Platoon Playtest

The weather is better, marshes are not frozen anymore, grass and plants are awakening...
This is Spring 1947.



Maybe we could even ear birds sing...If there wasn't the screaming of shells falling down.
War as usual.

Friday 1 November 2013

DUST: Armored Car AB-47

Made in Italy and used by Axis forces worldwide, the AB-47 is a vehicle that has proven its utility time and time again. Its smaller frame and speed makes it perfect for Elba's road.



DUST: KoenigLuther

Although totally unfit for Elba's small roads, the 203Pzabt. could not have their KoenigLuther reassigned, as such High Command allowed the resources for it to be brought on the island.


Wednesday 30 October 2013

DUST: JagdLuther 60

DUST: JagdLuther 60


A Jagdluther 60 for Ace Pilot Gunther, painted in a '203 Elba Pattern'.



Monday 28 October 2013

DUST: Bertolt

MPW II-X ''BERTOLT''




If there is a Walker that caused trouble to the Allies and SSU during their invasion of Elba in 1947, it was the MPW II-X Bertolt.

Friday 18 October 2013

DUST: Wotan

The 203's Wotan is finally ready for battle, it was painted with a ''Ambush'' camo pattern, while it might me a little outdated in 1947, it will still be perfect for a walker that boast such firepower that it doesn't need to move.
Sorry for the poor lighting

Tuesday 15 October 2013

DUST: Die Experimentelle Waffe (Experimental Weapon)



Kommandant, I know you are very busy tracking SS remnants within the borders of the Reich, but I'm sure you'll find interesting this Battle Report from the 203pzabt and 144th Luftlande in Ukraine.
The following was recorded from an attack against Nazi remnants, the 203 and 144th had been alerted that SS-Fanatics stole equipment and weapons in Ukraine and discovered a well-equipped SS platoon, they even acquired some of our most recent innovations and equipment like the Wotan-AR and...a Koenigslothar of their own!

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Can You Judge a book by its cover: A Fate of The Norns Review

Although I might sound like I never play RPG, as a gamer, I pretty much try everything that sounds fun...And it just happens that Fate of the Norns new Core Rules just arrived in stores...and boy does that game sound fun!

So I decided to treat myself and buy the nice book that Fate of the Norns Core Rulebook is.

Can you judge a book by its cover?

Monday 3 June 2013

In Defeat We Learn...

...But we could learn before and avoid losing!

On the 28th of May, I played in my game store's Regional Tournament of Dust Warfare. It went badly for me as I finished last place.

Now, I'm not the most competitive player, but I'm sure I could have done way better than last place (as I could have been in the top 3). So what happened???

Well, instead of just telling what happened, I'll write a little guide on 'How to Increase Your Chances of Winning Dust Warfare Tournaments''.

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Dust: Tactics of Invasion


A Battle report for my third game of Dust Tactics (and first one since the revised system).


''Shitty Russian weather!'' swore the Grenadier next to Emil, the 203 Panzerabteilung had only benefited from a too short respite away from the Eastern Front, the time necessary to reform squads, bring new weapons and repair old walkers before sending them all back into the fray.

This small detachment had split from the main 203's forces to investigate scout reports of a Russian submarine base in-between Estonia and Leningrad.
Despite Emil's platoon being ordered to attack if the reports were true, they had been travelling in a small train and as such had been unable to bring some of the 203's heavier support.

Thursday 18 April 2013

Dust: Sigrid, Sexy Blond Psychopath

Just a couple of pictures from 1947's Germany sexiest and deadliest woman.
The miniature is from the Dust Tactics range (check out: Paolo's Dust)
She is wearing the Panzer Abteilung 203's latest camo in early 1947.



Dust: Training Day

OKH Battle report.
Classified information, for OKH members only.
As you might be aware or not, the Panzerabteilung 203 has been removed from the Zverograd because it had suffered too many casualties.
The 203 was brought back in an area thought secure: Alsace Lorraine (in occupied France).
We were proven wrong when Allied paratroopers took control of a small village nearby the 203's garrison.
If you read this report, you know that the 203 was outmatched by the new heavy armor the paratroopers were equiped with.
Thankfully two other divisions were on their way to liberate the small village, but once again the 203, or what remained of it since it saw action in the Zverograd campaign was at minimal manpower and had to be relocated.

Sunday 14 April 2013

DUST: FP2P, ''203'' Sturmpionere

FP2P: From Plastic to Painted.

Today, I am going to show how I painted one of my Sturmpionere.
The inspiration will be from my favorite RTS of all time: Company of Heroes, more precisely the Panzer Elite.

A Panzer Elite's Tankbuster Grenadier.

Friday 12 April 2013

DUST: 203 Reformed!

Despite the horrendous losses suffered in the urban warfare of Zverograd, the Panzerabteilung 203's previous accomplishments were too great and symbolic for the High Kommand to simply disband the battalion.

Instead, they brought to Zverograd a man able to bring back the 203 from the abyss...

It is 'herr' Major for you.

Thursday 4 April 2013

Arena Rex Aquila - Unboxing and painting

Hello my little turtles, I am Sensei François and since this is my first post here a little introduction is in order.
First of all, I am more a painter than a gamer, although I like to play at least once in 2 weeks. I have been painting minis since 1996, when I started using minis for AD&D. Thankfully, there are no pictures of these minis around to be shown. I've done a few commission works, but I mostly paint my own stuff, as I tend to play a lot of different games (Dust Warfare, Dark Age, Super Dungeon Explore,  Anima Tactics, Malifaux, Warmachine; and add to that Relic Knights, Kingdom Death and Arena Rex when they ship). But Enough gum-flapping about myself, on with the show!

So this article was made possible because I got really lucky and won this Aquila guy on a draw Red Republic Games did on their Facebook page a few weeks ago. There was 2 on Facebook, 2 on Twitter and 2 from their newsletter. So again, pretty lucky. Oh, and they're having a Kickstarter right now! So about 2 weeks later I get from my postman and eagerly I open it, and get at the same time the idea of this post (which might be too long if I don't get to the point soon!)


So here's the little box, with the game's name on it, simple and elegant.
Here are the pieces, unboxed and with the "sprue" removed. Weirdly I forgot to put the right leg in the picture but it's not too dramatic. So here's my impressions of the raw product: this is a piece of art, the anatomic precision is impressive! The sculptor, Sebastian Archer, did an amazing job on this piece and I am eager to see the others he will make for this game. There was only one little bubble under the left foot, but since I was to put a pin right there anyway, it's not a problem. The round piece with the Phi symbol is a token for the gameplay which will cover the exhaustion status of the warrior (if I read it right), and I will not show any further. The die is etched, which increase its lifespan.
So here he is, assembled and primed (using a black primer then a thin white at an angle).
At this point, the flesh is mostly done, starting from a dark brown flesh and working to lighter tones, and no wash here. This gives him a darker and more red hue to the flesh, as I expect his work will give him a tan!
For the base, I kept it simple, since he's in a gladiator's pit. So I mixed sand with Acrylic gel (my secret weapon for many things!) Once dry, I again used both black and white primers.
So here he is on his base, pinned solidly. The sand was colored with a mix of inks and washes, with a quick dry brush to finish the whole. This was done before pinning him there, of course. You will have noticed that most of the legs are finalized, or at least almost done, as adding the base will give me a firmer grip on the model as I work, but it also reduces my working angles.
So here he is almost done. I had this weird idea of doing NMM, I usually don't use this technique so I guess it'snot perfect, but it'll do, I'm not going for a Crystal Brush here.
For the cloak I went for a wolf pelt (I found this one too small to be a lion and the wolf is an important animal for Rome). First step was too look for a reference on Google with an interesting pattern. I am pretty happy with the result here, as it was quick and efficient. With such a texture, I had no choice but to use a bit of dry-brushing, which I usually keep only for sand.

 And here we have the final result. I did some fancy "marble-like" base as this game will have no front/back arcs. All in all, this was not too long too paint (a few hours over the course of a week) and was very pleasing. I heartily recommend getting on the kickstarter, as the game seems to be fast-paced and dynamic. Of course it might seem pricey, but this is a resin piece of art, and if the whole range is as good, it might well go in my top games, along with Kingdom Death (I guess look is my main concern for miniatures games), as they are both in the same quality range.

So once again, the Kickstarter is on until April 21 and it worth a good look!

For now, that's all for me, but stay tuned for more reviews like this. This was not a tutorial but if you have technical questions, you are welcomed to ask them in the comment section and I shall oblige!

Tuesday 2 April 2013

A Minion Ways to Lose ep.1 ''The Color Blue Wasn't Used''

Bubble faith was the pilot episode to a larger picture: I got roughly a month and 12 days to paint enough for two steamroller lists.

Another painting/showoff article!

Well, to tell the truth, I didn't mention how many points this 'Steamroller' was going to be and I well know that the two lists I'll show you will be missing around 15pts. Let's not forget that into that same month and twelve days, I'll have two university finals as well as to finish two teamworks.

Let's continue with today's story:

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Bubble Faith

This is a ''Painting/Show Off'' Post



''He sold his kind to Emperor Barnabas as if they were expandable clones, he used to be a relentless bounty hunter, he probably survived being swallowed when Skorne Lord Rasheth wanted to throw Atlen Ashley and Stryker in the Swamp Horror pit and he got pushed in as the two heroes fled.
They call him Bubble Faith.''

Bounty Hunters talk in a bar

Monday 11 March 2013

Alsace Lorraine 1947, Wish you were here.

At the end of a small railroad, somewhere in Alsace Lorraine in 1947. Reports of allied troops having been airdroped brings two platoon of a Panzer Grenadiers Division to the area.


Dust Hade Campaign: Game 3


On the morning of a Sunday in the 1947's Zverograd Invasion Campaign, Axis High Command received dire news: Allies and SSU were counter-attacking them...again.

Sunday 27 January 2013

Dust Hades Campaign: Game 2

After the retreat from Central Hospital, Major Wilhelm was once again summoned by the Axis High Command in Zverograd.
His 203 Panzerabteilung had shown that the SSU's air superiority would be disruptive enough for Axis operations.

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Dust Warfare Hades Campaign - Round 2

Annihilation! The one word to describe the game I played yesterday against fellow campaigner Richer Sauvé's SSU all out assault.

Thursday 17 January 2013

A Guide to Kickstarting Games

1.What is Kickstarter?

This is Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is an online platform that allows you to pledge money for products and projects that needs the fund for various reasons.
Usually there is pledge levels offering you  some products when the project is completed or some kind of return on investment.

2.What do you benefit from kickstarting a game?

Thursday 10 January 2013

Dust Hades Campaign: Game 1

Schnell 203! Ze enemy is weakened!!


The super-nice facebook group (Dust Tactics Quebec) and myself decided to play the Dust Warfare Campaign from the latest book Hades.