What this game is really about.

People tend to lose track of what this game is actually about.  They worry about number crunching, W/L, min/max, which unit is under/overcosted.   We just aren't seeing the real game anymore.  Perhaps it's about time we did.

I will keep it quick, but check out these two particular subjects.  The first, a blog from a former playtester for GW and then a video from Jervis Johnson.  Especially listen to him.  It's basically his game after all.  Odds are he has a better idea of what the game is then we do.

http://bloodofkittens.com/2010/07/21/meat-for-meta-the-truth-behind-gw-playtesting/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce4_rSyTpck&feature=player_embedded

8th Edition FAQs are up and running

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?pIndex=1&aId=3000006&start=2

DISCUSS!

T-Minus... uh... not very long now!

Wow, we have the absolute worst titles around here, don't we?

8th Edition is nary a day away now.  Plenty of us have been playing the new rules, adapting and changing our army lists.  Mass speculation abounds about what does and doesn't work.  Hordes were talked about amighty on forums, yet I personally am finding them to not be as dangerous and crazy as thought originally.  Shooting is good, but not gamebreaking.  The new magic phase is astonishingly great.

What are you seeing and experiencing thus far in your 8th edition adventures?  Let's hear your thoughts, your trials and your tribulations in this brand new game!

Am I Evil? YES I AM!

Maybe not the most appropriate title for this article, but I was just listening to Metallica, so it was stuck in my head.

How do you choose your army?  Let's assume for a moment that all models in the game are built equal and the game is perfectly balanced.  I'll give you twenty minutes or so to stop laughing, then we can continue.

With 8th edition dropping next weekend, I have been having a lot of conversations about army choice.  People looking to get back into the game.  Guys in the game looking to start a second army, or not liking that their uber-build from 7th ed won't auto-win them games anymore (and it not dawning on them that this is precisely why the edition is changing).  So it got me to thinking: from a purely background perspective, where do I stand for army selection?  Where do I start making the choices that help me select an army?  For me, I know the first decision is good versus evil.

The Secret to Modelling and Painting 2 - The Opinioning

I know... WORST... TITLE... EVER...

But let's get past that to the meat of the article.  Part 2 of this article is much more opinion-based than the first part.  Granted, a lot of what was said in part one is opinion, but for the most part, they are pretty obvious, and a little hard to argue with (yes having a ton of models actually does make you less likely to paint them).  Part two, on the other hand, will deal more with the painting of models, and will be very skewed to my personal opinion of painting.  Will it be as informative?  Maybe.  Will it spark conversation?  I really hope so.  So let's get down to it: (Also, I couldn't find relative ranting pictures, so enjoy these pictures of puppies!)

The Secret to Modelling and Painting

As I returned from the rain-soaked Prairies of Alberta, I found myself once again in comfortable surroundings, ready to sit down and paint up a storm.  I put out the models I wanted to paint, sat them in front of me, and stopped dead in my tracks.

Has this ever happened to you?  Have you ever found yourself keen and ready to paint, only to fall flat when it actually comes time to dip your brush?

It got me to thinking: What's stopping me?  So, as is my nature, I thought and thought about it.  My process came up with the following questions:

An alternate take on the Heresy

The folks over at Bolter and Chainsword have developed quite the alternate timeline for 40k.  It's a different look at the history of the game, using the old "What if..." adage.  It's a FANTASTIC read for any fan of Space Marines.  It's a simple premise.  "What if Horus did not turn to Chaos... so Chaos turned to Rogal Dorn?" Just simply awesome they way they retell the Heresy.  I couldn't quit reading it.

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/heresy/thedornianheresy.pdf