I'm tired of Christmas...

I'm normally not very Scrooge'ish or Grinch'ish, but I've had enough. Grumpy wife home from work...psycho kids showing me their new toys over and over, fighting over who gets to play the Xbox next and who touched who's toy...Chirstmas clutter piled around everywhere (actually I cleaned up the kids' messes yesterday, but the wife's crap is EVERYWHERE...).

So, I'm retreating to some peace and quiet and a quick blog post to help restore sanity!

FFS, at least get dressed!

Remember when 3++ was good?

I mean, there was a time where if you had a unit with a 3+ Invulnerable save...it was GOOD!

It was so good, some cool guys down under named their blog after it!

Amongst all the chattering about nerfing 2+ rerollable invulnerable saves, it occurred to me today...that's what you need to survive!

There are no D Weapons in Dropzone Commander!

I'm at once both amused and horrified at the upheaval caused by the Escalation update for 40k, amongst other things these last few weeks.

I'm having a hard time getting my head around the mad swinging of the ban/nerf bat that doesn't seem to address the core issues or balance problems that abound in the game.

Frankly, if folks nerf Daemons (if you haven't read, prominent vocal people are advocating banning the Grimoire), this will just make Eldar even more dominant. Dumb, reactionary, subjective, and really won't affect the core issue, that there is little to no competitive balance.

But, while I am amused and horrified, I'm also happily plugging along getting my head around Dropzone Commander!

I'm a bit fed up...

I really enjoy 40k, but for me and what I want from the game, the last several releases have started something of a downward spiral of unpleasantness that has me very dissatisfied. In the last two GTs I've attended, the lack of variety in top-table performing armies was really disappointing...


...in other words, if you're not Daemons, Tau, or Eldar (or some combination there-of), you may as well not even try.

These new Advent Calendar digital releases have me even grumpier. I don't want to play mini-Apoc. I don't want to see every army including a detachment of Tau. I want to see more armies being more viable, more internal and external balance between army books, and a more reasonable representation of all armies in tournaments.

I love Chip, and I know this is not his intent, but seeing how uncompetitive most of the non-new army books are (and even some of the new ones! Sorry, Dark Angels!!) in the data from Torrent of Fire is really the final nail in the coffin.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not rage-quitting or anything. But I'm simply not excited to play competitive 40k. I will. I hope to go to Templecon, I'll do Nova, local events that Brendan runs at Gaming Etc...

...I guess to simplify my thoughts and feelings, I don't expect 40k to be my "main game" anymore. At least until thing get a bit more even-keeled!

So what will I play? Good question, I'm glad you asked...

11th Company GT

Amidst a gaming draught, I took a quick trip down to Myrtle Beach, SC to see my friends Neil and Pat and get some gaming in!

I'm not dead yet...

I haven't been blogging, haven't been hobbying, haven't been sleeping, and in fact am having a hard time remembering what I have been doing at all!

Home from NOVA!

Holy $hit am I exhausted! I played in the Invitational, the Open, and at the last minute we formed a Trios team, for a grand total of 16 games of 40k played between Thursday night and Sunday evening. My knees are still aching and I can barely keep my eyes open!

Last Night before NOVA!

NOVA has come, and I'm still not done painting! I have to finish repairing one more guy (I'm rough on my toys!) and paint a new Herald of Tzeentch on a Disc...and it has to get done tonight, because there will be no time tomorrow!

I'm leaving my house before 7am on Thursday, to ride down with my friends from Battle for Salvation, and I'll have football practice until 9pm on Weds...so...this is it! A quick wash or two, some gold and silver parts, boney horny parts, and he's done! I'm not a perfectionist...

So, I've settled on a list that focuses on killer DPs and a (hopefully) just-big-enough Screamer-star with (hopefully) just-enough-rolls on Divination for Forewarning:

Fateweaver
Tzeentch Herald (Level 2, Disc)
Tzeentch Herald (Level 3, Disc, Exalted)
Tzeentch Herald (Level 3, Disc, Exalted)
10 Horrors
10 Horrors
10 Horrors
7 Screamers
Daemon Prince (Tzeentch, Wings, Armor, Level 3, Two Greater Rewards, Lesser Reward)
Daemon Prince (Tzeentch, Wings, Armor, Level 3, Two Greater Rewards, Lesser Reward)

No surprises, nothing flashy, in fact it will probably play extremely boring. But, it's my Daemons, it's the only Daemon build I feel comfortable using (in other words, I think non-Screamerstar lists will not do well...I reserve the right to be proven wrong!)

A shout to my friends Neil and Pat at the 11th Company Podcast who will be "live-casting" the top tables for the Invitational and Open all weekend. I invite you to check it out, though I assure you you'll not be watching me! The livestream can be found HERE.

For the record, my goal in the Invitational (which has an AMAZINGLY tough field of players!) is to NOT be the 0-5 guy!
My goal for the GT is to make one of the top two brackets, in other words to go at least 3-1 for the first part!

Wish me luck, hope to see you there!!

NOVA cometh: Practice RTT at Gaming, Etc

Football season has started, leaving me very little play time, and virtually no blogging time. For those that don't know, I help coach my son's Pop Warner football team...I rush home from work, drag him to practice, deal with 7-9 year-olds that would rather be playing video games until 8pm, coaches talk, home to feed and shower the kids, and I'm not sitting down for myself until 9:30 or so...by then I don't want to do anything but eat and sleep!

So, I've not done anything new or exciting since Connecticon...until now, that is! My friend Brendan ran a "NOVA Practice Tournament" this past weekend at Gaming, Etc in Stratford, CT. For a relatively small venue, there was a great turnout with some of the region's biggest names attending: Sean Nayden; Alex Fennel; Kurt Clauss; Mike Morales; Jawaballs; Werner Born...Nick Nanavati was going to come, but he heard I was going so wimped out. :) (Actually he had family obligations, but I reserve the right to ruthlessly talk shit!)

ConnectiCon!

Last weekend (July 12-14) I attended ConnectiCon, a "Multi-genre" Convention that was primarily anime and pop-culture CosPlay and Gaming.

Yes, Warhammer 40k and little hotties wearing skimpy outfits and pink hair! What's not to like?!

If you zoom in and look close, that guy's staring at her boobs...which is cool, cuz I was too...and so are you!

OMG what an awesome weekend!!

Get ready for a Wall-Of-Text of epic proportions...it was a hell of a gaming weekend and I've got fun stories to tell!

I snuck out of work early Friday, drove thru Fri afternoon rush-hour traffic from Danbury, CT to Vienna, VA to participate in the Nova Charity BBQ & RTT; left VA about 10 heading for White Plains, NY where I crashed in quite possible the worst motel I've ever been in, and went to the Battle for Salvation Members Only annual tournament! 3 days, 2 tournaments, 14 hours of driving, one dead cockroach, 7 McDonalds meals, and 6 games of 40k goodness!

I think I ate most of that million this weekend...

Mammoth trial run, and Bitz Exchange Picnic!

On Saturday the 22nd my local gaming group, Ordo Ineptus, held it's first Bitz Exchange picnic! The idea being everyone brings food and their piles of unused/unloved/unwanted bitz, and have a barbecue and trade toys!

A brilliant idea, right! Our man Tim put this together....big shout to him for making it happen!

But before I went to the picnic, I tried out the Mammoth!

Killadelphia GT!

I went! I sucked! But I had a great time!

Lots of pics, and a bit of commentary!

Daemon prep almost complete!

Bob's brain's prep, however, is sorely lacking!

The painting (at least getting things "table top quality") is done, the basing is done, everything fits on my not very spectacular display board, and I'm ready to roll!

Killadelphia preps continue!

I've been making progress on the painting...more accurately I've been putting my female slaves to work painting for me!

I love you, Mrs. Ordo!

Killadelphia Preps

I'll be attending the Killadelphia Open 40k GT in a few weeks, and am frantically preparing...both painting and list/theory-hammer!

Daemons at the club!

A few more games from the last few weeks at the BFS Club using my Daemons...this army needs a name! Dog rush? Grinder-dogs? Holy shit that's fast! Something...

Daemons, Daemons, and more Daemons

I'm still alive, and actually playing quite a bit more than I used to, both on Vassal and I've joined the Battle for Salvation club, and have been having a great time playing there on Monday nights!

My new Daemon list is still evolving, and all these practice games are helping. I'm down to deciding if I want 2 units of Fiends and 2 Grinders, or 1 unit of Fiends and 3 Grinders. Painting has started in earnest this weekend...lots of Army Painter Quickshade in my future!

Battle for Salvation RTT 4/20/13

As discussed, I went to a one-day 2000-point tournament hosted by my friends at the Battle for Salvation!

My how time flies!

I really feel low for not having written anything lately. I really enjoy writing my walls of text and battle reports, and I've had lots of thoughts on new Daemons, Hail Caesar, and non-gaming stuff that I've wanted to write, I've simply not made time!

So, I've got a little time, and stuff on my mind...

Dipping wee naked men!

As many of you know, 40k and Fantasy are not my only gaming hobbies. In the last few months many of us at Ordo Ineptus have gotten in to Ancient wargaming using Warlord Games' "Hail Caesar!" rules. Great game...simply, light, fun, cinematic. I dropped a few bills on a big army of Gauls, and am finally getting down to painting them...speed painting with The Army Painter!

Daemons and Gauls

My fiddling with the new Daemon Codex continues, as well as trying to make something constructive out of the Fantasy book...which is horrible, by the way.

While the brain is chewing on those things, I've finally started working on the Gauls! I've got over 400 models to paint, so will be doing quick and sloppy basecoats with minimal detail and using Army Painter Quickshade.

New Daemon List

Here's what I've cooked up after a few Vassal games...

Tzeentch Herald (Lvl 3, Big Locus)
Slaanesh Herald (Steed, Lesser & Greater, Big Locus)
Karanak

17 Bloodletters (champ, lesser)
17 Daemonettes (champ, lesser)
17 Daemonettes (champ, lesser)
11 Horrors
11 Horrors

19 Seekers (champ, lesser)
15 Fleshhounds

2 Soul Grinders (Tzeentch, Torrent)
Skullcannon

Thoughts?

Daemons: the new hotness!

I've spent a little time with the new 40k Daemon Codex now. I've spent far less with the WFB Daemon Army Book...primarily because I got frustrated with it and set it aside to save myself heartburn.


I'm going to ramble a bit about both, in a Bob-typical incoherent, disconnect, and babbly stream of consciousness style. You've been warned!

Pics from Colonial GT



After my first drop vs. Rich's Sisters



Colonial GT

I’m super exhausted, having done The Colonial GT this past weekend, then getting sick and having two sick kids since Monday, no sleep, lots of puke and snot…Nurgle is visiting my house. Despite exhaustion I wanted to give a quick recap of the weekend, full reports to come when I’ve had a decent night’s sleep!

New Daemons

I've been too busy and/or lazy to post much lately. I'm off to The Colonial GT tomorrow, playing a 2k 40k event...the last hurrah for my Flamer/Screamer spam!

I won't really have my heart in it, as I'm trying to get my head around the changes to my Daemons. I've not found good info for Fantasy, but for 40k, it's a very different kind of army!

This will be a very short post, but I wanted to share a thought or two...

Where did the Daemon players go?

*Note: I wrote this a couple weeks ago, but forgot to actually post it...I suck. Sorry for that! Expect some ranting about new Daemons soon!*

I saw a post on the 11th Company Forums that asked the question, “Where did all the Daemon players go?” The Poster’s thought-process was that Daemons seemed really popular in “the meta” after their White Dwarf update and doing so well at some prominent tournaments…but looking at more recent tournament field make-ups seem to indicate that Daemons have fallen back to relative obscurity…at least as a “primary attachment”. I answered briefly there, but wanted to expand on my thoughts a bit here.

GW Site down for Maintenance...

What could it be?

New FAQ/Errata...what can they fuck up now?

Advance orders for the rumored Daemon stuff?

Announcement of the return of Squats?

Or maybe nothing...just tweaking the website?

Templecon!

I went to Templecon last weekend, and had a tremendous time! Bustiers and short frilly skirts and tights as far as you could see! Oh, there was 40k, too!

Templecon Preps: Daemon Painting Complete

Hey, I'm not winning any Golden Daemons, or even best-painted, but I like how these little meanies look, and I'm thrilled to be done already...no all-night painting mission the night before the event!

What do you think?

It's Friday!

I hope you all had a happy week. Here's a quick review of my week's gaming stuff! OMG Templecon is coming, and I'm not ready!

Bad blogger! No biscuit! RTT Recap & FAQ Rant

Yeah, life has me busy. Primarily my oldest son's Wrestling, which has me out til almost 9 four or five nights a week. I don't have the time or energy to do much hobby related...but I did talk the wife in to covering for me while I got away to another 40k tourney at Gaming, Etc in Stratford!

Happy New Year!

I took 3 days vacation last week to net me 13 days off in a row...I even got a few days with the wife and kids away, AND my day-after-Christmas dentist appointment was rescheduled!

While there was little blogging, I did have a fair amount of hobby and gaming activity, including starting a few new games!