tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674334837599082932024-03-13T20:05:33.190-07:00The Flying PredatorWarhammer 40k news, ideas, and opinions from the eyes of three gamers.Metal Rancorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382197804827241512noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-38500970790068186362014-04-14T21:39:00.002-07:002014-04-14T21:39:29.368-07:00Fresh Chaos: The Crimson Slaughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm a sucker for anything chaos related. Of this course this means I was more than excited to get my hands on the new Chaos Space Marines supplement, the Crimson Slaughter. Boy, this book is quite the game changer for Chaos. It all boils down to one relic that brings the pain in so many ways. The Balestar of Mannon. <br />
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To get my feet wet with this book I played a fairly friendly game against two of my normal gaming group with the following list. <br />
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2000 Points Double Force Org<br />
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HQ<br />
Huron Blackheart (Warlord) 160 pts<br />
Sorcerer Mastery Level 3, Balestar of Mannon, Mark of Nurgle, and Bike 170 pts<br />
Chaos Lord - Daemonheart, Lightning Claw, Powerfist, Mark of Nurgle, Bike, Sigil of Corruption, and Blight Grenades 200 pts<br />
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Troops<br />
10x Cultists w/ CCW 50 pts<br />
10x Cultists w/ CCW 50 pts<br />
10x Cultists w/ CCW 50 pts<br />
18x Possessed w/ Mark of Tzeentch<br />
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Fast Attack<br />
5x Chaos Spawn w/ Mark of Nurgle<br />
Heldrake w/ Baleflamer<br />
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Heavy Support<br />
Forgefiend w/ Hades Autocannons<br />
3x Obliterators w/ Mark of Nurgle<br />
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Total 1991<br />
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This list was tailored to give me the ability to try as many new things as I could in one go. This is by no means what I would like to field most of the time because of the sillyness behind it, but its a good way to get a lot of the new toys on the table to see how they work.<br />
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The basic idea with this list is infiltrate the possessed up as far as possible giving them an easy turn two charge while spawn with the Lord shoot up the flank to support them. While doing all of this you have the Forgefiend and Oblits giving support fire from the backfield covering the other flank. Of course I'll try to bring in the Heldrake as soon as possible and the cultists work as last minute objective grabbers. <br />
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After turn one I had made a pretty dire mistake against my opponents playing Blood Angels and Ultramarines, I left the rear of my Forgefiend open for them to just drop pod behind it and blow it to little chaos bits. Sadly, that meant I didn't get to throw prescience on it all game like I had intended. Other than making that major mistake this game taught me a few simple lessons about units that I rarely used these days. <br />
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The first lesson being that Possessed just aren't good. Even with this new chart for them to roll on, they don't get the job done. All they had done for me in this game was take on an assault squad with a chaplain and then charge a unit of tacticals with Tiggy. The saddest part? They couldn't kill Tiggy. Round after round he kept shrugging off their blows. I was never fortunate to get the power with rending and that would have made killing him a far easier task, but I digress.<br />
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The second lesson was how immensely power divination can be. My other two armies being Neurons and Flying Circus Daemons, I don't get to use divination too often so I was more than excited to reap the rewards of it. I equipped my sorcerer with a bike so depending on what powers he gets from this discipline he can either stick with the Oblits or he can shoot up the flank with my Lord and Spawn as a support beast. Seeing that I got prescience, perfect timing and scrier's gaze, I was more than happy to sit back buffing the Oblits. Let me tell you Oblits ignoring cover and being twin-linked are nothing short of terrifying. This was definitely my MVP of the game. <br />
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In short, I was pretty happy with how the army performed. Crimson Slaughter breathed some new life into a book that I have been extremely disappointed with this edition. (Last edition as well) I'm happy to be fielding the ol' Chaos Space Marines again and I can't wait to see how the Forgefiend fair when it doesn't take a Furioso to the rear first turn.<br />
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What kind of list have you guys been having success with? Have you even tried the new book yet? Why do possessed have to suck so bad?XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-79224347991245377942014-03-17T12:35:00.000-07:002014-03-18T17:05:07.258-07:00Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A new unit for one of my favorite books! What could be more exciting?! Finished rules for one. I don't quite know what GW's deal is with this Burning Chariot kit, but they seem to always miss the mark with the rules on this kit. Specifically, both the Chariot and the Exalted Flamer on foot (tentacle?) need the relentless rule to really function. The other major missing point is not allowing this guy to buy any of the Locus abilities to buff a unit of Pink Horrors. If I could get one of these deepstriking with a blob of horrors and the Locus of Conjuration, I would do it all day long. Who decided that just because this guy is a bit more on the chubby side he can't be jump infantry like the rest of his flamer brothers?<br />
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As lackluster and unrefined rules are, I can't help but be excited about the fact someone in GW saw that this model didn't have rules outside of proxying for another model and they decided to toss some rules for it in the White Dwarf weekly. Kudos on that. Check out the rules for yourself.<br />
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No comment from me on the fantasy section, but what do you guys think of the new rules? Hell what do you think about rules going up in the WD weekly? Let us know in the comments section.</div>
XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-69652395740980438962014-03-15T14:43:00.000-07:002014-03-19T12:29:08.304-07:00Necrons: My Current 1850<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It feels like it was only days ago and not almost a year ago that Necrons were the kings of short ranged fire power. Tau have usurped our prestigious role with their amazing ability to put out just an absurd amount of shots at medium range. This forces us Necron players to become a tad more creative than we used to have to be, its no longer move-shoot-move-shoot...<br />
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Here's the list I've been taking as of late that is what I would call a bit more on the creative side of things. Basic idea is simple, my silver skeletons are going no where any time soon.<br />
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Necrons:<br />
HQs<br />
Nemesor Zahndrehk<br />
Destroyer Lord w/ weave, res orb, warscythe and mindshackle scarabs<br />
Royal Court consisting of a Harbringer of Despair w/ Veil of Darkness<br />
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Troops<br />
20x Necron Warriors<br />
19x Necron Warriors<br />
10x Necron Immortals w/ Tesla Carbines in a Night Scythe<br />
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Elites<br />
10x Deathmarks in a Night Scythe<br />
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Heavy Support<br />
Annihilation Barge<br />
Annihilation Barge<br />
Annihilation Barge<br />
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Fortification<br />
Aegis Defense Line w/ Comms Relay<br />
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The overall strategy of the list is to place the Aegis Line up about at the half way point so that when my Warriors advance they still have some very reliable and powerful cover. While on the move to my trusty comms relay I like to use adaptive tactics to give the entire twenty man blob stealth to help mitigate even more damage. Doing this makes most anti infantry weaponry do very little and forces my opponent to pour what ever they have into my barges. Being an AV 13 skimmer, they tend to survive a few volleys. If I'm able to use terrain to deny my opponent the ability to shoot all but one of my barges I will toss Stealth on the lone barge to help tank the anti tank shots I'm going to have to weather. <br />
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I do my best to have the Zahndrehk blob draw the majority of the fire while going for the comms relay. While Z's squad is slowly, and I mean slowly, getting whittled down, I have the Destroyer Lord and his good friends from my other Warrior blob advance as far up as possible. Perhaps the biggest reason I want the Destroyer Lord so far up is because he is not only a good force multiplier for the unit he occupies, but he is one hell of a beatstick. Destroyer Lords excel at popping vehicles open and engaging Monstrous Creatures because of the Warscythe and Mindshackle Scarabs. Almost consistently I will advance this unit while pouring tons of Gauss shots into anything I can with my added Preferred Enemy thanks to the Destroyer Lord. In reality, all I'm doing is waiting to launch my Destroyer Lord out of the unit and have him beat up a high point, high priority target. <br />
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Annihilation Barges unfortunately suffer from a pretty short range that plagues the Necron army as a whole. This crippling flaw can be mitigated by either turbo boosting turn one or moving 12 inches to help close the gap a bit quicker. Reducing the distance between you and the opponent is extremely important for the simple fact that nimble armies such as Eldar and Tau can have a pretty easy time dancing around you if you are not careful. Luckily, we have Night Scythes to even further close this gap. Obviously, I take a comms relay to help make sure my Scythes show up as soon as possible. <br />
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When the Scythes arrive I do it in one of two ways. I either bring in both the Deathmarks and Immortals or I start the Deathmarks on the table to really take full advantage of the Veil of Darkness. Deathmarks really excel at being able to remove other pesky scoring units that are going to be tough to dislodge. When deep striking I always go for the high risk high reward route. I never scatter so it's pretty easy for me. (I'm not joking. I've been playing this game for about nine years and JUST found out that scatter dies have only two direct hit sides. Blew my mind). Using Deathmarks this way really allows me to throw a wrench in my opponents plans. This also gives my opponent something new to focus on as the rest of my army advances. Unfortunately, unless your target is extremely isolated, the Deathmarks are not long for this world after they let loose on their marks. <br />
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Scythe number two has a simple job. Drop off the Immortals on or near an objective. Immortals need to either claim an objective or shoot someone off of one. That's really all that they do in the army and I am more than fine with it. <br />
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Zahndrehk spends most of the game at the front of his blob tanking wounds like some sort of unkillable monster and while he does he picks on a unit in the enemy army that he can take their rules away. This is extremely helpful in making your opponent feel likes they wasted a bit of points on something that Zahndrehk just decided they don't have anymore. Rolling on the Personal Table for his warlord trait can be even more entertaining. Seriously, making him either scoring or having him and his entire blob have FNP while claiming an objective is amazing. <br />
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So far the list has lead to some super close games and been a ton of fun to play. I'm starting to theorycraft some changes to it, but I'm not quite sure where I want to take it without just spamming Scythes. Perhaps dropping the comms relay and picking up another cryptek of some variety. Let me know what you guys think down in the comment section.<br />
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<br />XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-51263771001863750082014-03-12T21:44:00.001-07:002014-03-12T21:44:06.654-07:00Flying Predator Battle Report White Scars vs. Ultramarines 1850pts<img height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPobj0bqyOqoTKzA7luTfojfVYyYB0sV-91jWDwOQ6XRcm-42e379dueaMZq_jqmTTfE1gQByCQ4rc3sNnoLqobXRdcTDKqdLGCV-6IPbeYfAr-s8dwk2w8KAxO0ANUauaQJZMpK_ZvQ/s320/Grey_Knights_by_hokunin.jpg" width="320" /><br /><br />
Hello readers! As promised we're working hard to churn out battle reports for your viewing pleasure, and also to feature some of the lists that we're play-testing. We're still trying to nail down the style we're going for, so any feedback on the format is greatly appreciated. Let us know if you prefer this voice-over version, or if you'd rather see each player recap their turns live. And as always, enjoy this entertaining battle as two power-armored forces duke it out, commanded by Metal Rancor and Jwhite. Remember, to comment, like, subscribe, follow and all that stuff you hate hearing but that honestly helps us out so much.<br /><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fatBTbjQZCs" width="480"></iframe>)jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-10607686435704763492014-03-06T21:07:00.001-08:002014-03-06T21:07:22.673-08:00Flying Predator Battle Report Necrons vs. Space Marines 1850pts<br /><br />
Hey Guys! We've got a special treat for you today. Our first battle report on our new gaming table is now complete, so now you can see our armies duke it out on a beautiful (I may be a bit biased, we worked hard on it!) table featuring some newly painted terrain and of course the Frontline Gaming and Table War Gaming mat. If you haven't seen the mat yet, or would like more information, you can check out our comprehensive review of the product <a href="http://theflyingpredator.blogspot.com/2014/03/bringing-our-table-to-life-frontline.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And now, you can see it in action! A familiar Necron army takes on an interesting (possibly innovative?) Space Marine/Grey Knight list. As always, let us know what you think in the comments, and like, follow, subscribe and all that good stuff that greatly helps us out!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hUGeig_p-x4" width="480"></iframe>jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-42856751471682128612014-03-05T16:10:00.003-08:002014-03-05T16:10:46.105-08:00Helbrutes Incoming!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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XinZ here and today I come to you with some lovely pictures from the new White Dwarf weekly that is yet to be released. Not too much interesting going on here other than the reveal of a new Helbrute model and a Supplement for the Crimson Slaughter that has been incorrectly labeled as a full codex by many other sites as of late. Also of note is the new Chaos Space Marines attack force that contains a rhino, 10x Chaos Marines, 5x Raptors, 5x Chaos Terminators, 1x Chaos Lord, and 1x Mauler/Forgefiend. Total savings for the attack force is $43.25, not bad at all.<br />
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I'll stop talking and let you enjoy some of these awesome pictures!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKHwk02Df08K3RRjR7kp66CuTdVP2cA-uLQUHT9raaylAFBIGn3MhxkGxLQtJEj22_r14GGLBUeBtbJ2ghZ0dZjC8ktoMhPudhMyNGcgJ5rEoIy1WlPAVyaPwWX5ZC0gXO0X_5FgnQ0Wa/s1600/Weapons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKHwk02Df08K3RRjR7kp66CuTdVP2cA-uLQUHT9raaylAFBIGn3MhxkGxLQtJEj22_r14GGLBUeBtbJ2ghZ0dZjC8ktoMhPudhMyNGcgJ5rEoIy1WlPAVyaPwWX5ZC0gXO0X_5FgnQ0Wa/s1600/Weapons.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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If only it was a more competitive unit. Oh well, the model is beyond sexy. Tell me what you guys think!</div>
<br />XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-14570584343638306842014-03-01T23:24:00.001-08:002014-03-01T23:24:05.650-08:00Bringing our Table to Life: The Frontline Gaming and Table War Gaming Mat<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCINJcAfvdvHrF5jWJD7XpVOGKxRrO_lLyvD-EIHDXtb8BZbm030_YRo_hbt9Pz8Yw0oiYHCxuBVAnA0h2SFqmWQueLJZ7liY3WLONUUEVh9uzgabTNsVYpzX8uKssjawgmC_OkGw_dwD8/s1600/IMG_20140224_233214579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCINJcAfvdvHrF5jWJD7XpVOGKxRrO_lLyvD-EIHDXtb8BZbm030_YRo_hbt9Pz8Yw0oiYHCxuBVAnA0h2SFqmWQueLJZ7liY3WLONUUEVh9uzgabTNsVYpzX8uKssjawgmC_OkGw_dwD8/s1600/IMG_20140224_233214579.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey Guys! Today I wanted you all to check out this awesome new product from Frontline Gaming and Table War: The Gaming Mat. By now it's possible that many of you have heard of, seen, or even played on one of these mats already, but in case you haven't, we'll give you our take. Now before we even TALK about the mat, it's important to understand the dry, uninteresting, just plain awful looking table we were playing on previous to receiving our new gaming mat. Here's what we were working with:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-NPU7xpMJA3QvdD3b0BHi93WIaeLwZ8Vd1P713N1v7sVGVf4zNZlPZZgDmdm25lCHZlP5u2cKyR9fdLR7Sol15gc-M_JvFgWfPOEcQgCoy0tkIyYRXoqJjrxNBy0dGz5or33ToJdIHBr/s1600/IMAG0372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-NPU7xpMJA3QvdD3b0BHi93WIaeLwZ8Vd1P713N1v7sVGVf4zNZlPZZgDmdm25lCHZlP5u2cKyR9fdLR7Sol15gc-M_JvFgWfPOEcQgCoy0tkIyYRXoqJjrxNBy0dGz5or33ToJdIHBr/s1600/IMAG0372.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtrCau6ZJYYLdMkLAM1d_JoDGOGgVw7yPvcB3_TLUqfSc6F1DVyKVxOPYwnQjq13000VRyULh0eafLyJjZJn1zoNhLqlwxBWWc0pmdfmWmZj8oHO7quw_-YxnQJHWp-vq2tVXkawcz6CG/s1600/IMAG0373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtrCau6ZJYYLdMkLAM1d_JoDGOGgVw7yPvcB3_TLUqfSc6F1DVyKVxOPYwnQjq13000VRyULh0eafLyJjZJn1zoNhLqlwxBWWc0pmdfmWmZj8oHO7quw_-YxnQJHWp-vq2tVXkawcz6CG/s1600/IMAG0373.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now, granted, we could certainly do plenty worse. At the end of the day, it was a surface to put our models on that we could call our own and allowed us to play the game in the comfort of Metal Rancor's home. However, one can only stare at the vast grey expanse before they would eventually be overcome by overwhelming bleakness, only to end up alone in the corner having an existential crisis concerning why they couldn't find fulfillment in life. Okay, so a little dramatic, but the point is as we started producing battle reports and playing more games, we wanted to immerse ourselves in the complete 40k experience, forging rock-hard narratives across a writhing battleground complete with all the aesthetics of the grimdark future. So, after following <a href="http://www.frontlinegaming.org/" target="_blank">Frontline Gaming</a> for quite awhile, we're ecstatic when they announced their kickstarter for their gaming mat and Xinz immediately backed the "Urban Combat" version of the product. Well, we finally received it about a week ago, and after putting it through it's paces with a quick modelling session, we swapped out our landscape of grey for the new urban combat mat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjo1FPPTFAKXfFLmabEJrGeuJWyw1DWwsf3QzbzuCv1uL2rVPF_QUjfovzGW8cd9fwQEIVJfg2krG-aKLPOpcDhhBTyf6LMaUbdqLErxbgbWx3YNUdkpFtY2FbRyrBe53NhqpG3Pyf6HO/s1600/warhammertable1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjo1FPPTFAKXfFLmabEJrGeuJWyw1DWwsf3QzbzuCv1uL2rVPF_QUjfovzGW8cd9fwQEIVJfg2krG-aKLPOpcDhhBTyf6LMaUbdqLErxbgbWx3YNUdkpFtY2FbRyrBe53NhqpG3Pyf6HO/s1600/warhammertable1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymtdWC4KULLfaSy6jKbxprj8Q87J3hMmpEDI5__oLrrxULlWf1ov6iXiAF92r1LoHhyQ0B2JsEt2qvscAEDUbuSxYpxSCDOQYGw8b0Kua_-15xcTJ9aWmxeforIsg2L605RZlJGS6xdEh/s1600/warhammertable2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymtdWC4KULLfaSy6jKbxprj8Q87J3hMmpEDI5__oLrrxULlWf1ov6iXiAF92r1LoHhyQ0B2JsEt2qvscAEDUbuSxYpxSCDOQYGw8b0Kua_-15xcTJ9aWmxeforIsg2L605RZlJGS6xdEh/s1600/warhammertable2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Spoiler Alert: This thing is absolutely awesome. Made out of a water-resistant mousepad-esque rubber material, the gaming mat (which comes in a handy pull-string sleeve for storage and transportation) is the perfect weight to spread across the table evenly without letting the corners or edges curl up. We tested the water-resistance and were equally impressed. The droplet of water magically held its shape and easily rolled off the edge, ensuring us that any spills would be easily taken care of. As far as the actual urban image on the mat goes, the level of detail is truly remarkable. Bottles, newspapers, and tire tracks litter the war-torn streets while cool set pieces such as an acid/sewage spill fill out the corners and really bring the product to life. Now, one of the best features of this particular version of the mat, and what drew us to purchasing the urban combat version, is the brilliant way it is designed. You'll notice that two sets of streets run both along the mat and perpendicular to the long board edge. These roads actually mark the twelve inch and twenty-four inch deployment zones for dawn of war and hammer and anvil deployment respectively. In addition, a set of flares mark the vanguard strike deployment, thus covering all of the 40k player's bases and is a brilliant way of incorporating the game rules into the design of the mat itself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQF7VkbnTaKHjWQ2sdWLI8ObMPx19ENmcQ-x7iDyfyhKhgekl6oiESdtQEvpUGJxJa2uPu7-ZJQy3iNyCM9hqFs9kFGziJ9TH1XCuhwC7izy_vdLe0D4bVvd4hIuMh5fv8wvB6zjOhnW8/s1600/0228142242a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQF7VkbnTaKHjWQ2sdWLI8ObMPx19ENmcQ-x7iDyfyhKhgekl6oiESdtQEvpUGJxJa2uPu7-ZJQy3iNyCM9hqFs9kFGziJ9TH1XCuhwC7izy_vdLe0D4bVvd4hIuMh5fv8wvB6zjOhnW8/s1600/0228142242a.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JvN4UPVKcQBUaxHI32Y9Mkh-pYlF6wBg0ortnutKYDJeQTG_P34pmzoC5RCplwvlH0l7TKOKF-d5oVaAG-kvQejof96TwYUbZoBd9JmuCZHKIqUY9g8BPSgEASJXoZIa477huDnfOkv9/s1600/0228142242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JvN4UPVKcQBUaxHI32Y9Mkh-pYlF6wBg0ortnutKYDJeQTG_P34pmzoC5RCplwvlH0l7TKOKF-d5oVaAG-kvQejof96TwYUbZoBd9JmuCZHKIqUY9g8BPSgEASJXoZIa477huDnfOkv9/s1600/0228142242.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Finally, the surface of the gaming mat is, and this may sound a little odd, but perfect for rolling dice! They rarely get cocked but also don't bounce with such force that they exit the earth's atmosphere and hurtle endlessly into space. Overall, we were blown away with the quality of the Frontline Gaming and Table War Gaming Mat. At $85 plus shipping, it may seem a bit steep for a simple gaming mat. And it would be, were this product a simple gaming mat! But in fact, it is so much more. They come in tons of varieties to fit your style (or even match the basing scheme of your army) and they will be sure to provide an unparalleled aesthetic experience for your wargaming. If that price still seems steep for the incredible value you are receiving, you should definitely consider splitting the cost among your wargaming group. The mat will definitely get its use by every member of your group and is the perfect way for a new gaming group to add much needed cinematic improvements to their narrative forging. You can check out all of the different gaming mats, as well as order your own, <a href="http://www.frontlinegaming.org/product-category/gaming-mats/" target="_blank">here</a>. If you're not convinced yet, check out the rest of our pictures and see for yourself; the improvement is truly phenomenal!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKeh-Snqb7Cc2PoJ3dhBebsNEd_f1l_wRx9YO_3s9I4UoGvr-k-qhb3HZCTTBojqCcoOtuRMhybc85LtEi1_1yEQQDMKOiTuD0X_c8PhZxyou59gUZKTs1khKGvDxKjbB18UWtpZoFvZy/s1600/warhammertable4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOvkj-gWnCqS5C1dP4qzvZ7rdnmRTkwOlHr0MUlNsHwajH73cdUSR5nN_eY-HtsfOqCA00IoHGvH977l6OKzBTI3DFNpbWioamIRjmA4kbl-F-eLMMkf1Q6mJIb545iiE1eu_ZKAFaYTr/s1600/IMG_20140224_233139859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOvkj-gWnCqS5C1dP4qzvZ7rdnmRTkwOlHr0MUlNsHwajH73cdUSR5nN_eY-HtsfOqCA00IoHGvH977l6OKzBTI3DFNpbWioamIRjmA4kbl-F-eLMMkf1Q6mJIb545iiE1eu_ZKAFaYTr/s1600/IMG_20140224_233139859.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKeh-Snqb7Cc2PoJ3dhBebsNEd_f1l_wRx9YO_3s9I4UoGvr-k-qhb3HZCTTBojqCcoOtuRMhybc85LtEi1_1yEQQDMKOiTuD0X_c8PhZxyou59gUZKTs1khKGvDxKjbB18UWtpZoFvZy/s1600/warhammertable4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /><br />
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<br />jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-78528201578241788802014-02-26T20:16:00.001-08:002014-02-27T00:52:01.467-08:00Flying Predator Battle Report 1850 Necrons vs. Dark Eldar.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Guys! We were finally able to bring you guys another exciting battle report! This time we've got jwhite's Dark Eldar against Xinz's Necrons. The lists are both very strong, and it was a well fought match on both sides (despite some rather unfortunate dice rolls). For more information on my Dark Eldar list, you can read an in depth analysis <a href="http://theflyingpredator.blogspot.com/2014/02/dark-eldar-my-current-1850.html">here</a>. Enjoy! And as always, remember to rate, subscribe, comment, and all that good stuff to keep us motivated!</div>
jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-72259335102873162802014-02-25T11:31:00.000-08:002014-02-27T22:42:32.189-08:00Dark Eldar: My Current 1850<img src="http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/345/a/5/dark_eldar_by_herrkamissar-d4isf6a.jpg" height="320" width="320" /><br />
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Hey Guys! Miraculously I've actually been able to get in a few games recently in between my busy schedule and I wanted to share with all of you some of the results of my testing so far. Again, I apologize for being MIA for a while, but I'm graduating college this year so I've had to figure out my fair share of real life things the past couple months.<br />
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With that being said, I have still been engrossed in the community and keeping up to date on all the latest tech and now that I've finally had a chance to breath, it's about time I share with all of you what I've been brewing!<br />
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So, before I get into it, here's the list I've been testing:<br />
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Dark Eldar Primary, Eldar Secondary 1850pts<br />
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Dark Eldar<br />
HQ:<br />
Duke Sliscus the Serpent<br />
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Troops:<br />
10x Warriors w/ splinter cannon in a raider w/ splinter racks and disintegrator<br />
9x warriors in a raider w/ splinter racks and disintegrator<br />
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Elites:<br />
3x Trueborn w/ 2x splinter cannons in a venom with dual splinter cannons<br />
3x Trueborn w/ 2x splinter cannons in a venom with dual splinter cannons<br />
3x Trueborn w/ 2x splinter cannons in a venom with dual splinter cannons<br />
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Heavy Support<br />
Ravager w/ 3x Dark Lances<br />
Ravager w/ 3x Dark Lances<br />
Ravager w/ 3x Dark Lances<br />
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Eldar Allies<br />
HQ:<br />
Farseer on a jetbike<br />
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Troops:<br />
5x Dire Avengers in a Wave Serpent with scatter lasers<br />
5x Dire Avengers in a Wave Serpent with scatter lasers<br />
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Heavy Support<br />
3x War Walkers with 2x Scatter Lasers each<br />
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And there you have it. As much pure firepower as I could possibly pack into 1850pts while still staying true to my play style and having a good time in the process. There are still many decisions to be made about this list that require further play testing, but let me go over some tactics before I get into all that.<br />
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<img src="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/056/7/0/kabal_of_poisoned_tongue_by_steel_serpent-d3ad7fi.png" height="308" width="320" /><br />
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First of all, I love the Duke. His background is completely badass and he actually provides a lot to my army. While most people are all aboard the Vect or Baron train, my goal is to stay innovative while still being competitive. Vect and Baron are both incredibly powerful HQ choices, don't get me wrong. They are beatsticks in combat, incredibly resilient and provide useful buffs to the army (especially increasing your odds to go first, which Dark Eldar desperately need). Now helping to ensure first turn alpha strikes against the myriad of death stars before they are allowed to set up is a key component to Dark Eldar victory. However, Asdrubal Vect is much to expensive for my taste, and Baron doesn't really do anything else in my army, seeing don't really have any hard-hitting close combat unit for him to join. Paying 105pts just for an increased chance to go first hardly seems worth it unless he's going to be tanking wounds for a fortuned death star as well. Duke, however, provides plenty of utility for the way my army wants to play. Giving his squad 3+ poisoned coupled with his ability to allow my warrior units to deepstrike can put down an insane amount of hurt. Not to mention he often gives one of the units feel no pain with his combat drug rolls and he's good enough in combat where I can split him off from the squad if the situation calls for it. I really feel that the nature of my army allows the Duke to thrive, giving both increased damage output, a strong close combat character, and the invaluable opportunity to deepstrike. His synergy with my army makes up for the power difference he may have compared to other characters in the book, and thus I will defend this choice to the grave.<br />
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While I'm a little light on troops, the Dire avengers are very well protected in their wave serpents and the warriors are often reserved first turn or don't have a high enough priority for my opponent to shoot at them. Again, I feel that being able to deepstrike my warrior squads, especially the Duke's squad let's me pick apart my opponent's backfield or single out isolated units (particularly monstrous creatures) and put something in my opponent's face that they just have to deal with. the disintegrator cannons on the raiders allow me even more anti-infantry firepower and help me push through the last few wounds to wipe out entire units. Plus, deep striking these squads also allows me much more liberty when placing objectives, as the speed capabilities of my army ensure I won't have any problems reaching far-off objectives. Granted, I won't always deep strike these units, particularly against highly aggressive lists that want to get in my deployment zone as quickly as possible, such as white scars of flying circus lists. In that case, it's not worth risking limited fire power or deep strike mishaps on turn two if my reserves fail me, and armies like that should be in range of my shooting relatively quickly.<br />
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The next unique units in the list are the triple trueborn venoms. For very little points these mobile firing platforms unload an incredible amount of firepower (24 shots each standing still, 20 on the move) at an almost untouchable range. Having this much poisoned firepower is invaluable against many popular targets in the game, including but not limited to riptides, wraithknights, broadsides, flying monstrous creatures, and bikes. The fact that I can disembark the guys inside to fire at different targets or increase my odds to force grounding checks should not be underestimated either. My biggest issue with this unit, however, is that they desperately want night shields (which I am currently not running). Night shields drastically increase their survivability as they can safely engage broadsides, fire warriors, flying Demon princes, and many other common threats. I've strongly considered getting the 30 points by swapping out one scatter laser for a shurkien cannon on each of my war walkers. This would obviously require extensive play testing, as it decreases the range and fire power of my war walkers (although battle focus helps mitigate this) but also does give my psuedo-rending in the form of bladestorm to help push through extra wounds (the range loss is really the biggest concern). Another option would be to drop the war walkers entirely and replace them with a squad of 10 warp spiders, freeing up the points for the much-needed night shields. I'm open to any suggestions anyone may have on this matter, as these sorts of small tweaks are really difficult to make!<br />
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Finally, I've tooled around with replacing a dark lance ravager with a disintegrator ravager. I've found that often times in the current gaming environment that the dark lance doesn't have any great targets. However, against certain matchups I really need the extra anti-tank firepower (particularly against wave serpents or imperial guard) and I do already have a tremendous amount of anti-infantry firepower on the table. However, the disentegrator ravager is often a much better target for guide from my farseer, and is invaluable against riptides. With that being said, the dark lances are still great against riptides and other monstrous creatures, so for right now I'm keeping all the dark lances. Please, let me know what you think and if you've had success either way!<br />
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Well that's just about it for this list, I think I've exhausted just about every aspect of the army that I could, and I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me ramble on at this point. I would absolutely love some feedback on the army and suggestions/comments/questions keep me engaged, and it's just fun to talk about lists!<br />
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Once again, thanks for reading! I hope you've found this insightful and hopefully I've inspired some fellow archons out there to expirement and try out new things! Please remember to follow the blog, we have a battle report featuring this list coming out soon where you can see it in action. Until next time!jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-78584912898847935242014-02-03T19:00:00.007-08:002014-02-27T22:43:59.697-08:00Opening the Box: Bandua Garbage Container (designed for Inifinity)<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE6ikYguILmwxIiqTOPK2c3VfZfEZV1d63ZP0JFKRZF6DLZ-8aMxJA-AS49uJYWIS9Mc_YOVafWzC-r5rV2SWeJdnZsT8dFBVu4lXuPCg8Wpt2WUxp6e1FgVtE7PIKqEOclioS214v-5v/s640/blogger-image--1701886557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light",HelveticaNeue-Light,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE6ikYguILmwxIiqTOPK2c3VfZfEZV1d63ZP0JFKRZF6DLZ-8aMxJA-AS49uJYWIS9Mc_YOVafWzC-r5rV2SWeJdnZsT8dFBVu4lXuPCg8Wpt2WUxp6e1FgVtE7PIKqEOclioS214v-5v/s320/blogger-image--1701886557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Perhaps my favorite part of the enitre hobby is collecting. I love owning tons of miniatures, dice, books, terrain, gaming mats, you name it. There's something about owning a mountain of gaming supplies that fuels me to really love this great hobby.<br />
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As of late my gaming club has been collecting everything we need to be able to play our games without all having to travel to our FLGS just to get a game in. Perhaps the biggest investment of this has been all the terrain we need to collect and/or make. Looking at all the different brands of terrain that our FLGS had to offer I picked up pretty much one box from each of the companies to compare and contrast what I thought about it all.</div>
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My journey of comparison began with a company called Bandua Wargames. They host a rather large online store that carries a massive quanitiy of both original and resold miniatures and miniature accessories. I opted for a small piece that would fit with our urban table we are in the process of constructing. The garbage container. Most of the buildings that they have designed for Infinity have a very clean Sci-Fi look and don't mesh too well with the grimdark world of 40k. In the future I am more than considering going back to collect a whole set of the infinity terrain because it is nothing short of beautiful. </div>
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<b>The Build - 5</b></div>
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Mostly everything else I've worked with in the past has been white metal, plastic or resin (or whatever that shit GW passes of as Finecast is) this was my first time working with a model made out of MDF board. After making this tiny dumpster model, I'm going to be going out of my way to find more terrain made out of MDF board. This material is just so easy to work with, it's nothing short of mind blowing. All the pieces come on a "sprue" after they have been laser cut and are simple enough to pop out with your fingers. After that, a quick scrapping with either a hobby knife or a metal file will complete your clean up. That's it. You're done cleaning the model, it took no time at all!</div>
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Next up is glueing all these laser cut pieces of compressed board together. Well, that's done. Super glue adhears to them incredibly easy. Very small amounts is all it takes and everything stays together extremely well. The whole process took no more than ten minutes start to finish. </div>
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<b>The Finished Product - 5</b></div>
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The critic in me is looking for something to complain about. Luckily, there isn't a complaint in sight. The garbage container looks damn nice at a good scale. </div>
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<b>The Value -</b> <b>4</b></div>
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Okay so four is a little high for the value of this particular tiny prouct, right? Nope! Over time I have bought far less when it comes to terrain for far more. Ammo barrels and other similar battlefield debris come to mind in particular. This is a solid, well detailed miniature that I love. </div>
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The super exciting Garbage Container from Bandua Wargames is my first of many purcahses to come. Not to mention, I will be looking for a lot more of these laser cut MDF board models. I can not stress enough how easy they are to work with. </div>
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If you're interested in checking out more products like this one head over <a href="http://www.banduawargames.com/es/designed-for-infinity/4439-garbage-container.html" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">here.</a></div>
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Let me know if you guys have had some good experiances with this kind of terrain before. </div>
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XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-19558601495018755052013-10-16T10:18:00.002-07:002013-10-16T10:18:41.579-07:00Hardcore Wargamers: Playing with a Casual Crew<div dir="ltr">
<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" 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Can't we all just get along?<br />
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Welcome readers! </div>
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First off, it's good to be back. Real life can get in the way sometimes, so it's good to be back doing what I love. Today I've decided to put a new spin on the classic "Hardcore vs. Casual" Wargamers debate that plagues the 40k community. Now, I'm not claiming to find all the answers and finally end the constant bickering that persists among gamers. I am looking, however, to provide a suggestion to help the hardcore and casual crowd game together in harmony. Here we go! </div>
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So, if you're anything like myself (and I can assume you are, because you're reading this blog! ) then you often spend hours tweaking lists, analyzing your preferred codex, and even contemplating endless table top scenarios in your head, and for good reason. You like to win. Because winning is <i>fun. </i>Right? Well I don't know about you, but there's one occasion where winning actually isn't all that enjoyable. Now most of my gaming group are pretty hardcore, battles are rarely one-sided and lists are as refined and full of spam as they come. However, we often meet up with other friends, or strangers at the local game store who often don't put in as much pain into what they bring to the table. And I often find myself, when up against these friendly players (who are all awesome dudes, they just play the game differently) absolutely decimating their forces with any list I pull out of my collection. By the end of it all, neither of us had that great of a time, because while we all love to win, let's face it we also like those intense, emotional, anyone can win type of battles, too. For you football fans, it's like what the Broncos are going to do to those poor Jaguars this Sunday. Sure it will be interesting to watch, but is either side going to feel all that great after the inevitable slaughter? My point is, we all know those less competitive gamers among our respective groups, and much of the solution for having a good time on both sides boils down to your list. Not only will a casual list help even the odds to make the game more intense, but it also gives you a chance to try out units you may not normally use, or theme a list in any number of compelling ways to have more fun. Because we all like having fun, right? </div>
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So, my goal is to provide the typical hardcore gamer with a toolkit to create a fun, intriguing list that is approachable by casual gamers so that we as hardcore gamers may maintain friendships, instead of beating our fellow gamers into the ground with torrents of spam and brokenness.</div>
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Tip #1: Theme your list</div>
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Providing your list a theme can be an easy way to not only make your army more casual, but also give purpose and design to your game, rather than an assortment of rag-tag units that don't really get along, but happen to form this super broken combo for which there is no escape. A very simple theme that my Dark Eldar codex provides me is an all cult-style army. This would include only the super fast, super fragile cult units such as wyches, hellions, and reaver jet bikes. Many other books provide similar themes, such as space marine chapters or tyranid hive-fleets. A theme, however, does not have to be so obvious. Work with different concepts and ideas to find something that feels right. Maybe you want to create an army that is based entirely on psychic powers, or perhaps you want a space marine company that has a reputation for being expert armor killers, and contains only heavy hitting, anti armor units. Sure, the army may get destroyed by a swarm, but that's okay, it fits the theme! Which brings me to my next point... </div>
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Tip #2: Don't worry about covering all your bases</div>
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In a casual list, it will serve the game better if you avoid fighting to squeeze in every tool for the job. The purpose of a casual list is not to be balanced, but rather to play towards a certain idea and give your opponent a fair fight while still bringing the units you love. If you're light on High strength weaponry, that's fine! So you're opponent brought two land raiders? Great, that's tough for your specific army to deal with. But that just means you will have more fun playing your army to its strengths, and figuring out clever ways to deal with threats that your forces aren't prepared for. It makes the game feel more "real" because in an actual battle you may not have every tool at your disposal, and improvising is what makes great generals. So stick to your theme, and don't worry if you don't have enough templates to repel a horde of gaunts. </div>
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Tip #3: Avoid spam<br />
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Now, this rule isn't universal. However, it may help you avoid taking as many of your best units as possible, and freeing up space for units that you don't normally use, but that seem fun. For example, in my Dark Eldar lists I usually run the full amount of three ravagers for my competitive builds. In a more casual list, however, I might mix it up and limit myself to only one ravager, freeing up space for those awesome pain engines or fliers, which are units I wouldn't normally use but always seem really powerful. The point of avoiding spam is to free up your unit choices. Causal gamers love to see varied armies on the table, and variety is not only the spice of life, but the spice of causal gaming. It keeps the game more interesting as different units respond in their own unique way, making for a less competitive, yet equally fun battle.<br />
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Tip #4: Take units you normally would never use, but you've always wanted to<br />
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This tip goes hand in hand with avoiding spam. Avoiding spam gives you the opportunity to put units on the table that you've never used before because there may be another unit that performs the roll slightly better or for less points. Ever wanted to see vanguard veterans crash onto the battlefield? You love your new mandrake models? Go for it. This is your chance to play the army you've always imagined, not necessarily the army that the meta has forced you to play. Also, trying new things doesn't have to just involve units. Try out some new special weapons or HQ upgrades (those grav weapons sure do look fun). Remember, treat a casual game as an opportunity to change things up with no risk!</div>
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Tip #5: Be creative with the scenario<br />
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The scenario can help balance lists in a variety of ways. Putting the stronger player at a slight handicap can be fun for both players, as the hardcore gamer gets to see what he is truly made of while the casual gamer gets to enjoy the battle on a more level playing field. For example, you can put a 100 point handicap on one player, while also giving that player a guaranteed first turn. Moreover, make it cinematic. In that same scenario, you can create a narrative about a weaker scouting party that spots the enemy, or any number of possible situations that you want to see played out. This can add purpose to your game while still keeping it fair and fun. Also, campaigns are an awesome way to keep new scenarios coming and letting each player feel like every battle means something.<br />
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Well that's all I've got on this subject. Remember, my goal isn't to force hardcore gamers (I am one, remember) to play less competitively. I'm just trying to give everyone the tools to ensure a unified, harmonious gaming group and show that it is possible, if you so desire, to alter your method of play.<br />
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Finally I just wanted to say that I appreciate all of our readers' support, and if you're new to the blog feel free to comment with suggestions and follow us for more content! We've been gone for a bit, but our resurgence is in the works, with lots of new content to come including battle reports, product reviews, and of course more tactics. Stay tuned!</div>
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jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-46719962807329421802013-10-03T15:43:00.000-07:002013-10-03T15:43:06.731-07:00Opening the Box: Battlefoam P.A.C.K. 1520 XL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDAie5tkNiEtAxMFXVgBpbM4WWuW12dlw2q-vIh85h4qkboYpIvFQGqwTNuwJKCgyl41GMxw7udFzMPgmbzjiPfYNtQQQX2kgVIuOmPKHJb_-C5qJ6XR0zQVKO4Oiwot2gbKB58UNdpGB/s1600/BF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDAie5tkNiEtAxMFXVgBpbM4WWuW12dlw2q-vIh85h4qkboYpIvFQGqwTNuwJKCgyl41GMxw7udFzMPgmbzjiPfYNtQQQX2kgVIuOmPKHJb_-C5qJ6XR0zQVKO4Oiwot2gbKB58UNdpGB/s320/BF.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After years of playing this game I find that one little issue always seems to rear it's ugly head. My models are constantly getting broken while moving from place to place. It seems like most all gamers go through the same process of trying to either find or make cheap ways of transporting their minis and for some it works, but for me it came down to needing some heavy duty to get my army from point A to point B. The route I went was with the Battlefoam P.A.C.K. system.<br />
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Luckily my FLGS carries a massive amount of Battlefoam products so I was able to bypass having to deal with any shipping nonsense. It was as simple as find my case, pay for it and enjoy! Well, turns out I made a pretty big mistake when purchasing my gargantuan P.A.C.K 1520 XL. I snagged myself a case filled with varying sizes of the pluck foam. Little did I know this involved a lot of labor to make work.<br />
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When you order your Battlefoam cases from their direct website you're able to do a lot of extensive customization. Not only can you make a case filled with their amazing pre cut trays, but you can even have trays made specifically for you. These guys have a wonderful tool for making trays any way you want. This allows you to really cram any army you can think of in this case without any sort of issue. They have pre cuts for all sorts of wargaming systems beyond just 40k. Fantasy, Warmahordes, and X-Wing just to name a few. You are also presented with the options of leaving the case empty to buy trays at a later date or go with the pluck foam. For any future case purchases I will definately be going with the pre cut trays to fill the case instead of the tedious task of plucking the pluck foam to fit for my army.<br />
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Lets break this case down piece by piece to really illustrate what a quality item it is.<br />
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<b>The Case Itself- 5</b><br />
When you take a glance at the Battlefoam cases they looks like luggage meant for traveling. Little does one know, they're actually a Kevlar lined hard wood case reinforced bastion for your miniatures. After using it for months and often letting it roll around in my trunk, I can tell you that this case will take some abuse for you. The lining hasn't shown any signs of wear in all the times I lug it back and fourth from my FLGS. A big worry for me was the wheels that support my case. After dealing with cheap luggage my whole life I was expecting more of the same. Luckily, these wheels are very high quality. I typically only use the wheels when going through parking lots so I was surprised to see the way they held up after a constant assault of concrete.<br />
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<b>The Foam- 4</b><br />
Not too much needs to be said about the foam that comes in this premium case. It holds up well to abuse, it's very stable, and beats the pants off of most competitors storage systems. The only thing I can really say is that while the pluck foam gets the job done for the more budget conscious gamers, the pre cut is well worth the extra cash. My only complaint I had was the amount of time I invested in getting my pluck foam pretty to go. At the same time though, the pluck foam works great for those oddly shaped models. My icon wielding chaos marines and daemons really like the pluck foam for that!<br />
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<b>The Value- 4</b><br />
Spending this much on a case can be tough. Having to spend slightly over $200 was a bit rough on just transportation, but I would do all over again. The more I use this case and compare it to what other people use and compare it even to my old GW army case, I appreciate the purchase all that much more. One unique option Battlefoam gives you is the ability to trade in your old cases from a list of approved cases for credit to be used towards your purchase. Trade in certainly makes the price much more manageable.<br />
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Out of all the transport systems I've seen, the Battlefoam products take the cake for me. I couldn't be much happier with my purchase. I keep picking up different pre cut trays for some of my more oddly shaped models as to not waste as much space and I don't intend on stopping any time soon.<br />
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If you're interested in checking out these fantastic bags just click <a href="http://us.battlefoam.com/categories/Battle-Foam-P.A.C.K.-System-Bags/">here</a>!<br />
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<br />XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-57643045304933102552013-08-29T19:19:00.000-07:002014-03-05T17:10:21.587-08:00Necron 6th Edition Tactica Part 3: Troops and Transports<br />
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Boy has it been awhile. Working on actually playing the game for once instead of just talking about it makes my blogging go down.<br />
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Anywho, now its time for the third installment in my less than comprehensive Necron tactica! Enjoy Troops and Transports!<br />
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<b><u>Warriors</u></b><br />
Whats better than a horde of shambling skeletons? Silver skeletons with gauss flayers of course! These guys do a wonderful job of forming a horde army, or at least as close as Necrons can come to it.There are three ways that I've found these guys to be effective. The first being blob squads. Blobs can put out a disgusting amount of firepower and no vehicle is safe from their gauss weaponry. Load the warriors around a Ghost Ark with a Lord with a res orb and they're going no where.<br />
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The second way I run the warriors is by loading them into a Night Scythe either as a suicide squad with a stormtek or in a small squad to grab late game objectives. Running warriors this way is one of the most cost effective ways, yet the easiest way to lose your friends. Lots of Scythes creates no fun for anyone.<br />
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Ghost Arks are the key to the final way I run my mighty warriors which leads us to ...<br />
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<b><u>Ghost Ark</u></b></div>
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One of the few vehicles in standard 40k to reach the amazing level of four hull points! Ghost Arks are one hell of a tank. (Even though they may not actually be a tank...) Like most all Necron vehicles you're getting AV 13 on both the front and side armor that is also a skimmer. This means more resilience to those pesky autocannon equivalents that seem to be flooding the game now a days! Back that up with an almost constant jink save and you become a tough nut to crack. <br />
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Now we come to the third way I like to run warriors, in the stalwart Ghost Ark. Obviously this gives them a way to safely make it from point A to point B, but less obviously is the synergy with other units. Triarch Stalkers combo very well with the Ghost Ark filled up with warriors because twin-linking nine warriors, at least five more gauss flayers on the same target and a destructek as they unload on anything is just plain fun. Ghost Arks are great because not only do you get a resilient transport, but you also get a beacon for restoring your fallen necron warriors around the field. Expensive, but worth it.<br />
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<b><u>Immortals</u></b><br />
Immortals are the stronger, tougher older brothers of Warriors. The only difference for them is a bigger gun and a stronger armor save. (four points per model as well) They do not have many different options, but because of that it's pretty hard to make them ineffective. What you need to decide is as simple if you want to take a Night Scythe, how many cold soulless bodies you want in the squad and what gun you want to be mowing down infantry with. I typically run them in max sized squads of ten footslogging equipped with Guass Blasters, but as of late I've been rolling them with the Tesla Carbines more often. I find that I often prefer to use smaller units of warriors in my Scythes and have my Immortals on the table launching their volleys at the enemy as soon as possible.<br />
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The biggest debate with Immortals comes from what weapon they should have. The Gauss Blaster is probably the more reliable of the two options for the fact it brings more guaranteed fire power at half range. Gauss Blasters also give you a bit of anti-armor capabilities when it comes to both infatry and vehicles for the simple fact you can always strip hull points on the roll of a 6 while still having that AP 4. However, the Tesla Carbine is by far the more fun option. You do not get as many guranteeed shots at close range with the carbine, but when something charges the Immortals, you get to see the power of tesla. Every snap shot that hits generates a total of three shots. Think about that for a moment. Fun and effective. </div>
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<b><u>Night Scythe</u></b><br />
The bread and butter of most Necron lists. Odds are if you've played against Necrons in 6th edition, you've had to deal with one (or five) of these monsters. It's a cheap flyer that can transport nearly anything in the army in large numbers. It does this while be backed up by one my favorite guns in the army. The fearsome Twin-linked Tesla Destructor. Four shots with a potential for twelve hits? Yes please. Scythes don't take much skill to use at all. Just load up some small units of warriors in these to get as many as possible and watch as people refuse to play against you. One or two is the max amount I ever run. One for my Deathmarks and one for a squad of warriors that I either equip with a stormtek or to grab objectives.<br />
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That about wraps up my Troops and Transports. In most of my armies that I run at around 1500-1850 points totals I tend to run a full squad of Immortals with Tesla, five warriors in a scythe and the variable of nine warriors in a Ghost Ark or a blob squad of warriors on foot. Let me know what tends to work for you guys in the comments sections. I'm always looking for more ideas that my stubborn brain has not been able to come up with quite yet. </div>
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XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-72695052226801570322013-04-04T11:36:00.001-07:002013-04-04T11:36:10.392-07:00Flyers in 6th Edition: A Prisoner's Dilemma<br />
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Greetings, fellow 40k-ers!<br />
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The latest edition of our beloved hobby has brought many changes to the ways in which we build, paint, and most of all, play. The greatest change, as I believe many agree, to the ways in which we stay up late building army lists or how we throw dice on our cinematic, narrative-forging battlefields, is most certainly the almighty flyer. Some teams get them, some teams don't, and even allies often boil down to teaming up with whoever can give you the most powerful wings in the sky. Scouring the internet you will soon stumble upon all-too-common hatred for flying behemoths on OUR battlefields. Some people love them, some people hate them, but one thing remains constant... almost all of us use them. So did GW's grand scheme to get us to buy plastic planes work? Do our competitive natures blind us from the realities of flyers? My goal is to analyze why exactly it is that many (not all) of us shell out lots of cash we may not have for units that our opponents often don't want to see. So the question is, why?<br />
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In my opinion, the use of flyers boils down to an age-old cooperation problem: The Prisoner's Dilemma. Let's put this in Warhammer terms.<br />
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Don't take flyers<o:p></o:p></div>
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3,3<o:p></o:p></div>
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0,4<o:p></o:p></div>
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4,0<o:p></o:p></div>
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1,1<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now let's take a look at this chart that lays out the choices that two 40k players have, to take flyers or to leave them at home. The numbers represent possible outcomes, with higher numbers equating to bigger payouts (in this case more fun, better chance of winning, etc.) for the players. So in a perfect world, the best outcome that can happen for both players is for neither to take flyers - Both players have maximum interaction with eachother's units and have an have a much more level playing field, leading to a better quality game. However, the dominant strategy of this dilemma is to take flyers. Think about it. If you take flyers and your opponent doesn't, as a self-interested actor you just maximized your chances of winning and thus the fun YOU will have. Furthermore, if your opponent also takes flyers, while the overall game will be worse off, you will still be better off than if you didn't take your flyers because your opponent would have taken all the benefits for himself! Make sense? To put it in simpler terms, in this scenario, which assumes a tournament setting where you don't know what your opponent is taking ahead of time, both players are incentivized to take flyers, even though the game would most likely be better off as a whole if neither of them did and they were able to interact with each other's units without being forced to take models that they may not want to include in their army. So GW has effectively pinned us down in this unfortunate situation, making the dominant strategy to take models we may not want to if we want to win or have a fair game (if you don't care about winning, then this doesn't apply! Unless of course you like having fun....).<br />
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Now, you shouldn't understand this analysis to mean that I hate flyers and think they should be eliminated from the game. I love the idea of flyers and think they're great, I just simply disagree that to remain competitive, we are often (but not always) forced to take flyers or flyer defense, even if we don't want to. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that not all armies are created equally - some just don't have hard access to air power and are at a significant disadvantage. This means that players may find themselves struggling to take allies that they flat out just don't want, just have access to that precious flyer, or even abandoning an army altogether. In my opinion, that just isn't good for the game, or for players as a whole. 40k is at its best when variety and innovation are encouraged, rather than seeing the same armies everywhere you go. It's no discredit to the players, it's just the dilemma that we live in if we want to play competitively, brought on by an onset of a 6th edition rulebook that heavily favors flyers. Not being able to interact with models on the board is boring and bad for the game, so how can we solve this prisoner's dilemma without altering the rules with which we play?<br />
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The simplest answer is communication. While I definitely think that knowing what your opponent is taking before you make your list is just unfair, I think there is a simple fix. "Hey, I want to use flyers this game," or "Hey, let's just duke it out on the ground" is all it takes for matches to remain enjoyable for both players, without them being forced to play the dominant strategy in the '40k gamer's' dilemma. Of course, the ultra-competitive gamer will raise a good point - it's all part of the tactics to try and out think your opponent before the match begins and create balanced army lists that can deal with flyers. I firmly agree, and I think flyers add a whole new dimension to the game that tacticians have the opportunity to try and test themselves by countering. However, I also believe that the "auto-include" nature of flyers or flyer defense limits our choices, and thus our tactical decisions. This makes list building all the more boring and stifles creativity which promotes an even more competitive environment. I don't think it takes away from the game if players communicate beforehand to make sure that the match is as fun and competitive as it can be, rather than the disparity between the air-superiority of codexes determining the match before it begins.<br />
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This is definitely a touchy topic in 40k, and I definitely don't claim to be the authority. I do however believe that we as gamers should have an open conversation about this issue. With that being said, what are your thoughts? And as always, comments and follows are greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
jwhite1078<br />
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theflyingpredator.blogspot.comjwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-55823545935245253112013-04-03T23:27:00.001-07:002013-04-03T23:27:40.750-07:00Getting a Feel For the Warp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It seems that with every new codex that comes out we hear more about how the codex should work on the tabletop and less how it actually functions. XinZ here to give a quick run down of my exploits with the new Chaos Daemons codex.<br />
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One thing that must always be kept in mind when it comes Daemons and it is more obvious than you might think. They are one extremely chaotic army. When building a list for this army you need to be able to adapt to some pretty drastic changes that can take place each turn. For me this translated into using the more resilient troops I could get backed by some big artillery. So far it's come to a total of two lists. Pure Daemons and allied Daemons. I'm trying to get each unit on the table slowly so I can really see their strengths in actions as opposed to just looking at everything on paper.<br />
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"Pure" Daemons<br />
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<b><u>HQ</u></b><br />
The Great Unclean One - 2x Greater Reward, Psyker Level 3 - 280<br />
Herald of Tzeentch - Exalted Locus of Conjuration, Psyker Level 3, Lesser Reward - 130<br />
Herlad of Nurgle - Greater Locus of Fecundity, Greater Reward, Lesser Reward - 100<br />
Herlad of Nurgle - Greater Locus of Fecundity, Greater Reward, Lesser Reward - 100<br />
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<b><u>Troops</u></b><br />
20x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch, Iridescent Horror - 185<br />
16x Plaguebears of Nurgle, Plagueridden, Lesser Gift - 159<br />
16x Plaguebears of Nurgle, Plagueridden, Lesser Gift - 159<br />
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<b><u>Fast Attack</u></b><br />
3x Plague Drones of Nurgle, Rot Proboscis, Plagueridden, Lesser Gift, Icon, Instrument - 176<br />
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<b><u>Heavy Support</u></b><br />
Burning Chariot of Tzeentch - 100<br />
Soul Grinder of Nurgle, Phlegm Bombardment -180<br />
Soul Grinder of Nurgle, Phlegm Bombardment -180<br />
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Total: 1749<br />
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Allied Daemons<br />
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Primary Detachment<br />
<u><b>HQ</b></u><br />
The Great Unclean One - 2x Greater Reward, Psyker Level 3 - 280<br />
Herlad of Nurgle - Greater Locus of Fecundity, Greater Reward, Lesser Reward - 100<br />
Herlad of Nurgle - Greater Locus of Fecundity, Greater Reward, Lesser Reward - 100<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Troops</u></b><br />
15x Plaguebears of Nurgle, Plagueridden - 140<br />
14x Plaguebears of Nurgle, Plagueridden - 131<br />
10x Plaguebears of Nurgle - 90<br />
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<b><u>Heavy Support</u></b><br />
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Soul Grinder of Nurgle, Phlegm Bombardment -180<br />
Soul Grinder of Nurgle, Phlegm Bombardment -180<br />
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Allied Detachment<br />
<u>HQ</u><br />
Chaos Lord, Mark of Slaanesh, Meltabombs - 85<br />
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<u><b>Troops</b></u><br />
10x Noise Marines, 8x Sonic Blasters, 2x Blastmasters, Icon of Excess - 294<br />
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<b><u>Fast Attack</u></b><br />
Heldrake, Baleflamer - 170<br />
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Total: 1750<br />
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What have you guys been using lately that's worked for you or better yet, what hasn't work? Let us know in the comments.<br />
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XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-65069498882765903582013-04-02T11:01:00.000-07:002013-04-02T11:05:22.320-07:00Decisions, Decisions: Voidraven vs. Razorwing<img height="205" src="http://www.mi40k.com/wp-content/uploads/Razorwing.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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Hey again readers! I'm doing my best to produce regular content for your viewing pleasure, so remember that comments and follows keep me motivated to keep churning out knowledge! If you have suggestion, or would simply like some advice, feel free to email us at any time!<br />
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This time I'm bringing you a debate that has long raged in my own head, and I'm sure many of my fellow Archons have experienced a similar dilemma. With the onset of 6th edition, flyers have obviously become an integral part of the game. Dark Eldar, aside from fortifications or allies, really has only two options for reliable anti-air: the Voidraven Bomber or the Razorwing Jetfighter. My hope by the end of the article is that you will come away with a common understanding of the pros and cons between the two, and I also hope to offer my recommendation based on the weight of the benefits each brings to your army, should you chose to include one! Now I have usually always included either one or the other in my army lists just as a fail safe, because Dark Eldar can find themselves at a significant disadvantage when facing down enemy flyers. Granted other armies will generally dominate the air when compared to us, but having at least one flyer can help mitigate that damage. So we've determined that taking a flyer along for the ride is good. So, with that established, how do you choose between the two?<br />
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<b><u>The Razorwing Jetfighter</u></b><br />
First off, let's look at what the cheaper, lighter variant of the Dark Eldar aircraft has to offer. At base 145 points, you're already looking at paying more than most other competitive flyers, but hey, we've got to work with what we've got, right? The Razorwing comes stock with 4 monoscythe missles (S6 AP5 large blast) free of charge, which is great, because paying for missiles is a pain. You also get two dark lances (which you can reasonably replace with disintegrator cannons for more anti infantry punch), and for some reason a splinter rifle, which you'll almost always want to upgrade to the splinter cannon for 10 more points. The splinter weapon is nice inclusion, as it gives you more anti-infantry capabilities beyond the missles, since you can only shoot two of those per turn. The biggest weakness of the Jetfighter is the AV10 on all sides, meaning that even concentrated bolter fire can bring the thing to the ground. I almost always recommend taking a flickerfield for ten points, as that means you don't have to worry about dodging to stay alive and thus sacrificing all of your offensive output. As far as the power level of the flyer goes, I would put it about on par with the storm talon. It is too overly costed to be taken in quantities similar to night scythes, and it just can't deal as much damage as a heldrake or other similarly costed flyer. The Razorwing, in my opinon, strikes a nice balance between cost and effectivness, and is much more of what I expected from flyers in 6th edition: Not game changing, but fun to play. Instead we find ourselves competing with flyer spam that enables virtually no interaction with your opponent making for games that just aren't fun. But I digress.<br />
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<b><u>The Voidraven Bomber</u></b><br />
The bomber variant of the Dark Eldar flyer plays very similarly, but has a few key differences that set it apart from the jetfighter. While the Voidraven also begins at 145 points base, it doesn't include any missles. Paying ten points per one shot weapon adds up quickly too, so you will find that the Voidraven will almost always be more expensive than the Razorwing when all is said and done. As far as the missles go, I have found that two shatterfield missles is the ideal loadout. while you can take up to 4, you can only fire two per turn. I often find that my first turn is spent targeting enemy fliers if there are any, the second is spent shooting the missles, and the third is usually when I fly off the board and drop its bomb. While the extra two missles are nice if you have the points, I definitely like to trim the fat on expensive units, and that is the most efficient way to keep the bomber cheap. Furthermore, the Voidraven comes in at AV11 on the front and sides. This extra point of armor is exponentially more important as it takes you across the threshold of bolter damage. This means that the Voidraven will hopefully be around much longer to cause havoc and be a general nuisance. Again the flickerfield is pretty much an auto-include here, since you don't ever want to be forced to dive to save your craft. Diving basically translates to a turn of doing nothing, which you can't afford on a 175pt model. In addition to the increased armor, the Voidraven comes equipped with the best anti armor weapon in our book - the mighty S9 AP2 void lance. Being a lance weapon, you are guaranteeing penetrating hits on a 4+, and against lower armor enemy flyers such as a night scythe or dakka jet, the void lances can tear them apart. In my opinion this is the greatest advantage over the Razorwing, as it vastly increases the likelihood that the flyer will make its points back every turn. Finally, the Voidraven also comes stock with a void mine (ironically the only "bomb" on the bomber) which definitely isn't game changing, but is nice to have. the S9 AP2 small blast is great for when you have to fly off the table, allowing you to get in some extra damage before you leave.<br />
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<b><u>The Verdict</u></b><br />
Overall, I rank the Voidraven slightly above the Razorwing. While it is the more expensive option, it brings along significantly more anti-flyer potential in the void lances and AV11, and that's why you're really bringing it along for the ride, right? That's not to say the Razorwing doesn't have its place, however. If I knew I was playing against a list that did not include flyers, I would choose the Razorwing every time. It is cheaper and carriers a significantly larger anti-infantry payload, making it ideal to use when it is alone in the sky. However, since most of us do not have the luxury of knowing what our opponent is bringing to the table, the Voidraven ranks slightly higher because of it's increased reliability and resiliency against the enemy it is being brought to fight, namely other flyers. Furthermore, it still provides anti infantry support with its missles, making it the more versatile choice for a balanced meta where you find yourself playing a vast collection of different enemies.<br />
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Hopefully my thoughts have helped your internal dilemmas as well, but please comment with any thoughts or suggestions! And as always, make sure to follow so I can get myself motivated to produce more content for your viewing pleasure!<br />
<br />jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-20592401133727222622013-03-30T16:33:00.000-07:002013-04-02T11:03:32.468-07:00Dark Eldar: My Current 1750<img src="http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/thumb/1/13/Dark_eldar_activity.jpg/300px-Dark_eldar_activity.jpg" /><br />
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Hey guys!<br />
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So I've gotten the chance to get plenty of battles in with my Dark Eldar, and I've been able to refine and perfect my 1750 point list to maximize efficiency. While I still have many experimental lists to test, I believe my current 1750 list provides the core of what Dark Eldar does best. This is as competitive as my list can get without bringing the multitude of variables of allies into play, and I feel like I've struck the perfect balance between speed, firepower, and assault capability. As always, that's not to say this list is perfect, and I'm always open to suggestions, comments, and critique. So have at it! Feel free to let me know what's worked and not worked for yourself as well!<br />
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<b><u>HQ</u></b><br />
Archon - Shadowfield, Huskblade, Soul Trap - 135<br />
Succubus - Agonizer, Haywire grenades - 90<br />
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<b><u>Troops</u></b><br />
10x Kabalite Warriors - blaster, splinter cannon, raider w/ dark lance, splinter racks, nightshield - 195<br />
10x Kabalite Warriors - blaster, splinter cannon, raider w/ dark lance, splinter racks, nightshield - 195<br />
9x Wyches - Haywire grenades, Hekatrix w/ agonizer, raider w/ dark lance, nightshield - 208<br />
9x Wyches - Haywire grenades, Hekatrix w/ agonizer, raider w/ dark lance, nightshield - 208<br />
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<b><u>Elites</u></b><br />
3x Trueborn - Blasters, venom w/ 2x splinter cannons, nightshield - 156<br />
3x Trueborn - Blasters, venom w/ 2x splinter cannons, nightshield - 156<br />
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<b><u>Heavy Support</u></b><br />
Ravager - 3x Dark Lance, nightshield - 115<br />
Ravager - 3x Dark Lance, nightshield - 115<br />
Voidraven Bomber - Flickerfield, 2x Shatterfield missles - 175<br />
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Total - 1748<br />
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Big shoutout to Hero for the inspiration/suggestions!<br />
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Give me your thoughts and don't forget to follow!jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-27414392310131523422013-03-27T09:26:00.001-07:002013-04-03T08:06:10.052-07:00Fighting Daemons: First Impressions<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RCG2t2E7Qz_sa-Z3qfbMNgBkp9Ubt3DVIiDEjKOfnyL9qDPJjROYm9zcFdE0f4yRq0BpEUPtFQc8jC_w0xcyO4uHgbV15BpC0_WU0oNrjaifXZpnSmQJg5630GzohNpzvJck9C25wfc/s1600/termie.jpg" /><br />
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Hey readers!<br />
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My apologies for the brief hiatus, but the life of a college student often makes for a chaotic schedule, and it certainly hasn't helped that my computer crashed along the way! Well I'm back on the internet now, and I wanted to give my first impressions of the new (not so new anymore) Daemons book not from the perspective of their general, but rather their opponent. Now I only recently played my first game against the warp fiends, and my good buddy Xinz was itching for the dramatic showdown, challenging my Grey Knights. Now I decided to use a little bit of an unconventional, non-competitive list just so we could see what the Daemons book had to offer. Xinz took a similar approach, with minimal spam as to maximize the testing of the different gods (except for Khorne. Xinz really doesn't like Khorne.). Now to preface, I was very impressed with the way the new book played, and I though it offered significant challenges to my Grey Knight army without being insurmountable. Remember, this is meant not as a review of the Daemons book, but rather as a general tactica against daemons as an army. Now, onto my thoughts!<br />
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First off, it is important to understand that I was playing an army literally designed to fight daemons (although I forgot preferred enemy more times than I can count!) and they still proved a formidable foe, which is a testament to the competitiveness of the book. Now granted I wasn't using an incredibly optimized list, but I did have plenty of terminators, psyker support with Coteaz and a Librarian, and even a Dreadnight to bring some torrent flamer hurt. Furthermore, I had just about the perfect storm of psychic powers of the divination table. My Librarian had prescience and misfortune (ouch, right?) while Coteaz received prescience and the 4+ Invulnerable buff for his unit, which was perfect for defending my foot-knights against his AP 3 templates from the Soul Grinders and Burning Chariot. All of these factors made the narrowness of the Grey Knight victory that much more surprising, as the Daemons were able to hold their own against formidable odds.<br />
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So, in my opinion, one of the best new units the codex has to offer is the Nurgle Soul Grinder. Xinz fielded two, and those mechanical monstrosities definitely did work. They put out enough fire power to the point where they can't be ignored (including skyfire) but their size allows them to almost always take advantage of their shrouded cover save. Coupled with AV13 and 4 hull points, they are nearly impossible to eliminate from a distance, making my psyflemen dreads basically useless. I would say that close combat is a much more cost-efficient way of eliminating them as a threat, but even that is a risky endeavor as the Nurgle Soul Grinder can put out plenty of AP2 S10 attacks (which made short work of my dreadknight). My best advice, if you don't have a clear shot or a powerful close combat unit, is unfortunately to just ignore them. They don't put out ENOUGH fire power to warrant pouring all your resources into destroying them, and you're much better off eliminating other threats or enemy troop choices. Continuing with the trend of nurgle-awesomeness plague-bearers are INCREDIBLY hard to move. Even though they are only T4 now, getting through shrouded and FNP (if a herald is taken) is tough enough, and the herald makes the unit actually pretty decent in CC. You can bet your opponent will be sitting them on objectives, and your best bet is to get your dedicated CC units on them or just pour enough shots into them. Luckily, however, they don't present much of a threat on the board and I found that the best way to deal with them is to not deal with them at all, until the end of the game when you need to capture objectives and the other main threats are eliminated. Don't get me wrong, it's not a perfect strategy, but the Plague-bearers won't be doing any damage just sitting there, and you are most likely doing more damage to yourself by pouring all of your firepower into them. Take them out when they are actually relevant, at the end of games!<br />
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<img src="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111207161522/warhammer40k/images/c/c6/MarkofNurgle2.png" /><br />
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So, Nurgle yeah? The Great Unclean One is an absolute beast, especially with the right powers. If he gets iron arm off biomancy, look out, because there isn't much in the game that can take him out easily. Iron arm also mitigates the one weakness of Daemon MC's, the loss of eternal warrior. I got extremely lucky when Iron Arm didn't go off and I was able to insta-kill the grotesque monstrosity with only one wound from a S10 hammer. Even still, the great unclean one took out 7 terminators in one round of combat before going down. My best tactical advice is to simply outmaneuver the beast. It is relatively slow moving and has no ranged attacks to speak of, so you should avoid CC at all costs, and hope to strip wounds with concentrated fire and take advantage of open opportunities.<br />
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One of the most important lessons I took away from my first encounter with the new 6th edition warp was the importance of psychic defense. Whether it is denying an entire turn of shooting for a unit of horrors or preventing Iron Arm on the great unclean one, Daemons rely so heavily on psychic powers that it can make or break the army if they don't get them off. Also, aside from Monstrous creatures and the new Burning Chariot, and to some extent Soul Grinders, Daemons don't have that much access to reliable long range Anti-Armor weaponry. I'm planning a battle with my Dark Eldar against the Daemons soon, and I'm hoping that my transport-heavy list and poison weapons will allow me to outmaneuver and out shoot any and all of the warp entities. Remember, these are just my first impressions, but hopefully my experiences can help you deal with the more troublesome (nurgle) units that your opponent is sure to field! My philosophy holds that tactics and strategy help you win more than the best list, so I believe sharing these tactics can be applied to any list or army that you choose to field.<br />
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That's it for now, but remember, you can always comment or email me with suggestions or for advice. I'm always happy to help!<br />
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Please help us out and follow!jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-29687670857851548942013-02-15T08:11:00.005-08:002013-02-15T08:11:53.286-08:00Inner Thoughts: Dark Eldar List Concoctions Part 1<img height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjouD2uvXcMfUwo-P35sO0ZzthKYCFAGYladZxNISvWoggKs1KoJTMT_Xhw3gDi12AQRk-5v0b6jgcs4GAjThlaFAzoXwS6PIPKNBzI2PlOdwp3IcvjYn0-R2ZHroYZ3KD5udLnDMTnk/s320/the_thinker%252C_rodin.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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Hey again readers! Things have been getting pretty busy lately so it's been tough to post, let alone get in many games! Even though I haven't been able to play much recently, my mind has been hard at work creating some new dark eldar lists. Just as a heads up, these lists are highly experimental, don't follow my normal formula, and utilize some units that may seem questionable at first glance. So make sure to take these ideas with a grain of salt, as I have not been able to test them yet, but hopefully my theories are sound enough to make them work! With that being said, let's take a look!<br />
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List #1: Shining Spear-Star, aka "Hooked on Sathonyx"<br />
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HQ <br />
Baron Sathonyx - 105pts<br />
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Troops<br />
10x Warriors w/ blaster and splinter cannon, raider w/ splinter racks - 185pts<br />
10x Warriors w/ blaster and splinter cannon, raider w/ splinter racks - 185pts<br />
10x Wyches w/ haywire grenades and Hekatrix (Agonizer), raider w/ aethersails - 215pts<br />
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Heavy Support<br />
Ravager, 3x dark lances - 105pts<br />
Ravager, 3x dark lances - 105pts<br />
Razorwing Jetfighter w/ flickerfield - 155pts<br />
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Allies - Eldar<br />
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HQ<br />
Farseer w/ jetbike, Runes of Warding, Runes of Witnessing, Fortune, Doom - 185pts<br />
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Troops<br />
3x Guardian Jetbikes - 66pts<br />
3x Guardian Jetbikes - 66pts<br />
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Fast Attack<br />
5x Shining Spears w/ Exarch (skilled rider) - 197pts<br />
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Heavy Support<br />
3x War Walkers w/ Scatter Lasers - 180pts<br />
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Total - 1749pts<br />
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<img height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WfdkojSAygV4waJfzMpL6QxJ2dHaN1K_ibmo93FVF0bdP6kobM4t7zz2DtJO65i0aMQIRuiEki9oTWkH_n-ZJkvGp11sdrlgJYPkWAxevd-dzz2WELEeS2lxn0TA_tbeIjvdX3UnJ3Y/s320/Chibi_Shining_Spear_by_skeenoman.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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To begin, this list is fast. And I mean really fast. All of your troop choices can soar across the board to far-off objectives, but the real focus of this list is the shining spear unit. Now, shining spears may not be the most well-liked or underpriced unit in the Eldar codex (I've seen people even claim they are the worst unit in the book, and I do agree that they are grossly over-costed) but I definitely believe that they don't get as much credit as they should. Here's how it works: The Farseer and Baron join the spear unit, and turbo-boost turn one. Now understand that the Baron cannot turbo-boost, but the squad still gets the cover bonus from boosting and you can keep baron in coherency in the back. The combination of skilled rider from the exarch, stealth from baron, and fortune from the farseer all means that you will have a 2+ re-rollable cover save on the first turn you turbo boost. Even against cover-ignoring weaponry, you still have a re-rollable 3+ armor save on the squad. Furthermore, Baron grants the squad hit and run and assault + defensive grenades with his PGL. Now your goal should be getting into an assault by turn 2, as this is where the spears shine. Against either vehicles or infantry, their S6 power weapons and hammer of wrath should easily be able to get the job done. If you happen to not finish off a unit, that is actually great, because then you can stay locked in your opponents turn to avoid getting shot at and then just hit and run out of combat to charge your next target. You have to be extremely careful when using this unit, however. In your first turn, it is very important that you don't get too close to any enemy assault unit, as power weapons will make short work of you if you don't have the charge, and your re-rollable coversave is for nothing. If this does happen, your best bet is to try and tank all the wounds on either baron or the farseer and then hit and run the heck out of their as soon as possible so you can get the charge. The shining spear-star can devastate your opponents backfield, but only with careful, strategic play. Also, a helldrake is your worst nightmare. Basically your only hope is to get locked into combat on turn 2 and then try and take it down with your war walkers, razorwing, and/or ravagers.<br />
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The rest of the army provides solid fire support, war walkers and ravagers in the rear and warrior gunboats keeping pace with the head of your army to rapid fire and grab some pain tokens. The wyches provide another assault threat that can easily take out enemy vehicles as well, so use them wisely while your opponent is distracted by the spears. The way I see it, your opponent has two options: Ignore the spears and focus on the rest of your army, leaving the spears to cause havoc, or focus their entire army on destroying them, leaving the rest of your army safe to bring the pain. The biggest weakness of the list is the lack of anti-air, thus the included razorwing for as cheap as I can take it, but hopefully the war walkers can help. Also, you can use your speed to mitigate most of the damage from enemy fliers. I believe that if you can work out the nuances and master the movement phase, this list could be exceptional. In addition, no one will see it coming.<br />
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Well that's it for my first experimental list. This is going to be one of the first armies I test, so I will make sure to update you all on its successes/failures and provide any modifications that I think are necessary. Until then, stay tuned for further list ideas, and let me know what you think in the comments!<br />
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<br />jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-90382794112908086482013-02-02T19:42:00.001-08:002013-02-03T07:49:16.361-08:00Dark Eldar 6th Edition Tactica Part 5: Elites<img height="202" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120822175144/warhammer40k/images/1/17/Dark_eldar_on_raids_by_beckjann.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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Welcome fellow Archon's to the final installment of my comprehensive 6th edition Dark Eldar Tactica! It's been a lot of work but just as much fun writing these, and I've even learned a lot more about the book just by taking a closer look at all the units. Hopefully you are all finding these just as useful! Now, without further ado, here we go!<br />
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<b>Kabalite Trueborn:</b><br />
To preface, I would have to say that trueborn are not only the most used elite choice in my army, but they are often some of the most effective units in my entire army. At 13 points a model, you don't get much more than a standard warrior stat-wise (+1 attack and +1 Leadership) but where there true value comes in is their access to special weapons. The way I see it, there are two main ways to equip your trueborn, as it is best to specialize the squads for specific roles. One of the most effective is to take 4 (or 3, depending on your points) all with blasters in a transport (either a raider or venom) giving you four/five S8 AP2 lance shots at 18", for an effective range of 24" of vehicle/heavy infantry hunting power. I usually prefer taking them in a venom because of the lower target profile of the model, and because of the versatility of the two splinter cannons when targeting heavy infantry with the squad. The Dark Lance of a raider will keep the unit specialized for heavy target hunting, but either way the squad equipped this way will be able to do some serious damage. While taking multiple small squads of Blaster trueborn can doom you in kill point game types, the target saturation of such high damage capable units can certainly overwhelm your opponent. The second way to equip your trueborn is to turn them into premier light infantry killers with an onslaught of poison. All your trueborn can be kitted out with shardcarbines, which provide 3 poisoned shots per model at 18". I've had tremendous success with 4 shardcarbine trueborn and 2 with splinter cannons in a venom. The amount of firepower that this unit can unleash will literally astound you upon first use. In total, this unit has 32 shots at 18" which will likely make a significant dent in MEQ or other infantry, and can be the bane of high toughness units or monstrous creatures, which will likely be eating a face-full of a dirt after a few concentrated volleys. Overall, I usually prefer the heavy-hitting capability of the blaster trueborn squads, but be aware that they can really hurt you in missions involving killpoints, as they are often a primary target for your opponent (they can dish out some hurt, so they should be!). Either way, I almost always try to find room for trueborn in my lists, and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed once your blasters tear through an enemy heavy tank or your torrent of poison brings an enemy monstrous creature to its knees.<br />
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<b>Hekatrix Bloodbrides</b><br />
Alright, so if you've been following my tacitcas up until this point, you know that I am a huge fan of wyches. However, I cannot in good conscience put my seal approval on bloodbrides. Given my love of wyches, that may seem strange at first, but lets take a second and examine what you get. For 4 more points a model, you get +1 attack, +1 leadership, the ability to dump more points into more special close combat gear, and that's it. Oh wait, there's more, you also LOSE the ability to capture objectives. While these mean gladiators are slightly more effective in close combat, it definitely does not warrant and increased point cost to lose a scoring unit. Furthermore, the elite slot is already heavily contested in the Dark Eldar book, and if you're looking for a powerful close combat unit then check out Incubi, who play much differently than wyches and are quite a force to be reckoned with. All in all, I can't recommend bloodbrides, unless you plan on filling your troops up with wyches and just can't get enough of these lovely ladies.<br />
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<b>Incubi:</b><br />
While granted I don't have much experience with these elite close combat fighters, I am a big fan. I oftentimes simply don't have the points to shell out for a squad after all of my necessary units have been filled, but I always feel myself longing to include a unit as a bodyguard for my HQ of choice. My biggest hesitation with incubi, however, is their complete lack of anti-armor capabilities. I like versatility in my close combat units, because you may often find yourself stranded after losing a transport and need to be able to engage targets of opportunity. When it comes to non-TEQ infantry, however, Incubi have few equals. Sporting the best armor save in the book, Incubi are definitely appealing on account of their increased survivability, which couples nicely with the speed of a transport and their incredible offensive output in close combat. WS 5, S4, I5 power weapons with two attacks base will make very short work of any light infantry unit, and any models that aren't killed in the initial assault will be swept away when you inevitably force your opponent to flee. I usually recommend the Klaivex upgrade, as you get an additional attack and a boost in stats with access to some pretty awesome wargear (the bloodstone and Demiklaives are my favorite, but can put a steep cost on this single upgrade model). Don't fret if you don't have the points however, the unit can still be a significant threat without the help of the Klaivex. It is important to note, however, that Incubi have one glaring weakness: they lack grenades. It blows my mind how a unit that is completely dedicated to the assault phase can be written without assault grenades, but hey, nothing I can do about that! Furthermore, this weakness is easily mitigated by taking a Phantasam Grenade Launcher on an Archon to travel with the squad. While the Archon can take challenges and adds even more destructive potential to the unit, the pricetag begins to get fairly hefty with the PGL attached, which is the main factor that tends to turn me off to using a valuable elite slot for this unit. Overall, I know many who swear by Incubi, and I tend to agree on their offensive output and survivability (which is rare in our codex), but I am often caught weighing them against cheaper units that can do a similar job. If you have the points, they will be well spent on Incubi, but just make sure you aren't sacrificing anything essential.<br />
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<b>Harlequins:</b><br />
While I am absolutely in love with their models, Harlequins are another unit that are very expensive for how fragile they are. With that being said, there are ways in which you can make up for this weakness, and harlequins are indeed a versatile, effective close combat unit. The first upgrade that is absolutely necessary in my opinion is the Shadowseer. To the unit, he grants both stealth and shrouded, for a 4+ cover save always, and a 2+ when in cover. Couple this with their ability to ignore difficult terrain, and your best bet is to hop from cover to cover until you can lock into assault with the enemy. While they bring a ton of attacks on the charge, I would recommend taking at least a few of the harlequins kiss in order to ensure that you are taking out armored targets. This is especially important because they only have a 5+ invuln so you want to make sure to do as much damage as possible to keep them safe. Another pretty big weakness with Harlequins is that they can't take a dedicated transport, which means you're stuck hoofing it across the board since webway portals are no longer an option. As far as the troupe master goes, I tend to think he's too overpriced and sort of detracts from the job that harlequins want to do, which is assaulting and not shooting. With that being said, however, I think a couple fusion pistols can go a long way by adding versatility to the unit in the form of anti-vehicle capabilities. While I think Harlequins have their place, it's tough to justify the cost when they are generally slower than the rest of your army and are extremely vulnerable to template weapons. Use with caution!<br />
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<b>Grotesques:</b><br />
Initially, I wasn't a huge fan of these hulking meat monsters. With the death of the webway, it became difficult to take large units if you wanted them to get into combat. Also, 35 points a model is a lot to shell out for a unit with only a 6+ armor save and FNP. Sure they're T5 and 3 wounds a piece, but that can end quickly with concentrated fire. Once in combat, however, the fury of flesh is truly unleashed, and since they will generally have furious charge (they will go berserk without a character, such a haemonculus, in the unit) they can do significant damage to both vehicles and infantry. In case you couldn't tell, assault versatility is very important to me, and grotesques definitely fit the bill. However, there is always the chance that they can go berserk if the character is killed, or that they can die to massed fire without cover. However, as of late, I have discovered an interesting use for them. I love using a challenge Archon with a shadowfield, huskblade, and soul trap to hunt down enemy characters. However, he suffers from his unit and the ease in which they are wounded. However, an Archon with a body guard of 4 Grotesques and a Haemonculus with a liquifier in a raider give the unit majority T5 with FNP and furious charge, which is a tough nut to crack! The grotesques basically serve as a shield to get the Archon into combat, where he does some serious damage. I love the abberition upgrade for look out sir advantages, and taking another liquifier gun gives you two in the squad which can be devastating with the right rolls. The raider, while you only can fit four models with the characters, provides reliable speed to rush these guys forward and have them start crushing vehicles and infantry alike. I genuinely believe that Grotesques can provide a unique role for the army and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.<br />
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<b>Mandrakes:</b><br />
I'm sorry, but mandrakes are absolutely, without a doubt, the worst unit in our codex, and make a strong case for worst unit in the game. They are so weak (even with stealth) that infiltrating them will often just get them annihilated, feeding your opponent an easy first blood. They're only S4, and WS 4, meaning they don't put out much damage even if they do manage to stumble into combat, especially with no power weapons. Don't get me wrong, their models are some of my favorite, but please save yourself the time and trouble by finding a use for these pathetic half-daemon weaklings.<br />
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Well folks, that's it for the elites, and the entire Dark Eldar 6th Edition Tactica is now complete. I plan on continuously updating with new FAQ's and erratas, and as always I would love your feedback and suggestions! Don't forget to follow!<br />
<br />jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-39715501253779586992013-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:002013-02-02T16:05:25.869-08:00Necron 6th Edition Tactica Part 2: HQs (Named Characters)<div style="text-align: center;">
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The tomb has been awakened. I've only just begun to tell you about how I like to utilize my Necron army in an effort to broaden your tactics, as well as mine. Hope you all enjoy!<br />
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<u><b>Imotekh the Stormlord </b></u><br />
The Stormlord has more than enough potential to really ruin your opponents day. He's extremely resilient, has amazing abilities to cripple the enemy army, but he is just not very good in combat of any kind. From turn one he can strike any unit on the battlefield with his lightning that can instant kill most all units and he forces night fighting for a minimum of at least one turn. Couple him with a couple of crypteks with a chronometron and solar pulse and you can have night fighting in effect all game long. He even takes your chance of seizing up to a 50%. You're going to have a tough time killing him, but odds are he won't be killing you. In melee he's just a fairly high strength character that gets some re rolls. At range he only has a basic flamer and fairly random one shot weapon that <i>can </i>do some good damage. Not exactly a powerhouse, but has some amazing abilities that come close to warranting his price, but it's still a lot to swallow. Imotekh is a great choice, just don't expect him to get into combat and do some damage. He's a buffer.<br />
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<u><b>Nemesor Zahndrekh</b></u><br />
Another character of pure defense backed up by utility. Armed only with a Staff of Light, you won't be dealing much serious damage with Zahndrekh. Luckily he does have some extremely nice utility powers that can bolster your army in a multitude of ways, all while crippling your foes. You get a nifty list of universal special rules that you can add to one of your units per turn and take away from the enemy. This provides you a monkey wrench to toss in your opponent's spoke at just the worst times. The other major utility that Zahndrekh gets to bring to the battlefield is that on any turn your opponent brings in any unit(s) from reserve you can immediately bring in any number of your deep striking units on the opponent's turn without having to roll for reserves. A great force multiplier that can really do an excellent job of controlling the game.<br />
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<u><b>Vargard Obyron</b></u><br />
The Nemesor's sworn protector, Varagard Obyron is the reason that Zahndrekh doesn't have to lift a finger in combat, he does all the work necessary. Few targets can stand up to the fury that is Obyron's Warscythe. As long as they don't have an extremely high AP weapon that strikes at initiative 3 or higher, you will cleave through the unit like tissue paper. The best part? The more times they miss him before he gets to strike the more attacks he gets! He has a possibility of 10 attacks on the charge and at his massive strength, you can cut through just about anything. If the going gets tough, just Veil your way out of that combat. The double edged sword of Obyron comes from his duty to protect Zahndrekh. If at any time Zahndrekh is engaged in combat Obyron is forced to use his modified Veil of Darkness to pile in to that combat immediately. Using Zahndrekh as a beacon to pin point Obyron and his squad is more than a valid tactic, but has to be used carefully due to the fact you can not assault til the following turn after deep striking. He's a nice beat stick to have around.<br />
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<u><b>Illuminor Szeras</b></u><br />
With such a fantastic model, it's hard not to want to use Illuminor Szeras. Although once you look at his stats you may just want to field him as Harbinger of Destruction instead. He's basically just a Harbinger of Despair with an extra wound, 3+ save and for some reason 4 attacks! He brings an interesting buff to a squad of Warriors or Immortals that is random and can't be relied on because of that. (On a 5 or 6 you get to give them +1 to their strength! Wow!) You can probably find more use in any of the other choices, but the price is fairly nice.<br />
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<u><b>Orikan the Diviner</b></u><br />
Probably the most interesting character in the book. He controls your opponent's first movement phase, has an extremely powerful gun, can help your reserve rolls and when the stars line up just right, he "Hulks out". The Diviner is okay in combat until he decides to rampage and becomes an unstoppable beast. However, all good things must come to an end and as quickly as his new found power comes, it can fade. Pairing him with a Chronometron will drastically increase your ability to keep this amazing power going. Orikan is best paired with another Overlord of some variety to give him a royal court. Best used in higher points games, but still an excellent battlefield controller.<br />
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<b><u>Anrakyr the Traveller </u></b><br />
One of my personal favorites, Anrakyr does a great job of chopping up high wound toughness 4 units because on the charge he strikes at strength 8! Mounting him on a Command Barge for extra mobility is an excellent way to get into range to control your opponent's vehicles. He's another one of those characters that is pure fun and poses a massive threat at all times. Attach him to a resilient squad of Lychguard or Wraiths and he won't go anywhere fast while absorbing a massive amount of fire. What do you do when you can't force your enemy to have his own vehicles shooting him? Well, Tacyon Arrows make short work of just about anything. If you decide to go with the Traveller, you should take at least a single squad of Immortals for the free upgrade to Pyrrhian Eternals. Giving them some added CC benefits isn't the best, but always nice to have.<br />
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<u><b>Trazyn the Infinite</b></u><br />
Following the theme of most of the characters, Trazyn is hard to remove from the board. This resiliency doesn't come from exceptional wargear like the others, but his ability that whenever he "dies" roll a die and on a 2+, he can possess another Lord, Cyptek, or Lychguard and continue to fight on. Trazyn brings his full might down on horde armies. All it takes is one kill to make approximately half of the remaining enemy squad with the same name be forced to take an armor save. On top of that he comes with Mindshackle Scarabs to make that same enemy that is dropping like flies attack themselves! Trazyn is an extremely fun character that isn't always the most effective, but does a great job of upseting your opponent at every turn. Also, he's scoring! Can't complain about that.<br />
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What characters do you guys like to include on a regular basis? My favorite is by far the Traveller, but I love hearing what kind of nasty strategies you have concocted. Let us know in the comments and be on the look out for part 3 of my Necron Tactica: Troops.XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-32601401983308291682013-01-24T09:46:00.002-08:002013-01-24T09:46:23.161-08:00Flying Under the Radar: Dark Eldar in 6th Edition<div style="text-align: center;">
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Welcome readers!<br />
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Frequent visitors who have seen my Dark Eldar Tacticas understand that I have tremendous confidence in the army and I truly believe that they are a competitive force in today's 6th Edition environment. In fact, I have had enormous success against a wide array of opponents, but I seem to still get strange looks when I line my fleet up on the table. My love of the game means I often frequent forums, watch battle reports, and otherwise scour the internet to see how the game, and how my preferred army, are changing. Too often, however, I find that feelings about Dark Eldar in 6th edition are ambivalent, at best. At worst, the army is a useless waste of time, effort, and plastic. All too many times I have read stories of complete and utter defeat, rampant frustration, and an overall feeling of disadvantage when compared to other 6th edition powerhouses (looking at you, Necrons). While many of these feelings are warranted, I argue that Dark Eldar are one of the most underrated armies in Warhammer 40k.<br />
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<b><u>Playstyle:</u></b><br />
If there's one point of consensus about this army, it's that Dark Eldar epitomize what it means to be a glass cannon. Dark Eldar are not a forgiving army; their fragility does not lend itself to mistakes like a 3+ armor save might, and the army requires an incredible amount of finesse to play. In my humble opinion, many armies out there seem to play themselves. Dark Eldar, on the other hand, require players to make extremely effective use of cover, understand and utilize speed, and be able to take advantage of targets of opportunity. Now to be clear, I'm not claiming that all other armies in 40k don't require similar tactics, but I am arguing that Dark Eldar will punish you for mistakes to a much higher degree than many other armies, and this can be very frustrating, especially for players new to the army. If you can take advantage of these tactics to keep your units safe, Dark Eldar can put out incredible amounts of damage. Warriors in raiders can pump out shots and their speed means they will always be in position. Similarly, wyches can get into the face of your opponent quickly and efficiently, and can then serve as a jack of all trades, excelling at not only killing infantry but also taking out armor with haywire grenades. Listbuilding is also very important, as you can supplement weakness with the pain tokens provided by Haemonculi and take plenty of S8 AP2 lance weaponry to eliminate vehicles. While your transports may not be sturdy by any stretch of the imagination, using cover, speed, and night shields can add so much to their survivability, and thus their effectiveness. What many players dislike about Dark Eldar, as I have discovered, is that they are so unforgiving that many players don't give them more than one chance to discover the nuances and details necessary when playing with the army.<br />
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<b><u>The 6th Edition Environment:</u></b><br />
While 6th edition is no longer new, there is still much to be said about the advantages and disadvantages that Dark Eldar have gained. The first, and biggest rule that this army takes tremendous advantage of over any other army is Night Fighting. Although this rule is random, you can augment your chances with the Warlord trait table, and it provides such a huge boost to Dark Eldar on the first turn, it is almost unfair. With jink saves on all of our vehicles, getting that first turn is more important than ever now, as you want to be able to move vehicles to get a cover save, take advantage of night fighting, and grab that ever important first blood. Night fighting can basically give you a free turn, which great Dark Eldar players will take advantage of to do some damage and get into position.<br />
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Flyers are another huge factor in the 6th Edition environment, and some armies have a clear advantage over others in the air (once again, looking at you Necrons). Night Scythes and Dakka Jets can definitely ruin our AV10 parties, and I have seen the tears flow all over the internet among Dark Eldar players, claiming that there is just nothing that they can do. While I do concede that flyers pose a unique problem to our army, we have many tools to (literally) get around them. The first of these, is our speed and maneuverability While you likely cannot avoid all the damage from the skies, the biggest weakness of fliers is their lack of agility. Our vehicles, on the other hand, can maneuver into blind spots in order to avoid fire altogether. Many Dark Eldar players, however, often do not have the patience to make mistakes and learn from them in order to figure out the best way to take advantage of the weaknesses of enemy units. In fact, isn't that what Dark Eldar is all about, exploitation? In addition to speed, Dark Eldar also have access to (in my opinion) one of the best flyers in the game: the voidraven bomber. While not as cheap or accessible as the Night Scythe may be, it is a versatile, offensive powerhouse with access to many defensive upgrades as well. Two S9 AP2 void lances can do a real number on enemy flyers, and it has some incredible anti-infantry missile options as well. The final option is always to use an Aegis defense line, which can end up being quite effective with some creative list building. While air superiority is a big factor in the 6th Edition environment, we have plenty of answers and are not at as big of a disadvantage as many would believe.<br />
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Overwatch is another point of contention among players, and many argue that those pesky fleshbags that shoot you while charging have "completely ruined" all Dark Eldar assault units due to their low toughness and lack of significant saves. While I definitely agree that overwatch fire hurts the Dark Eldar assault, I also argue that Dark Eldar have many ways to mitigate that damage, and we have even reaped several benefits from the rule as well. First of all, changes to defensive grenades means that when charging, Phantasam Grenade launchers will often give us stealth, meaning that in combination with fleet, Dark Eldar can safely charge through cover and actually benefit from the increased save. Secondly, assaulting with Dark Eldar is all about opportunity. With the changes to Haywire Grenades, wyches have become premier vehicle hunters, and increased their assault versatility exponentially. Overwatch, on the other hand, provides a huge advantage to Kabalite Warriors. Many opponents like to assault our vehicles since they only need 3's to hit, but our Warriors can do a significant amount of overwatch damage from out of the open-topped vehicles in combination with splinter racks. This can be an absolute riot, as your opponent charges your gunboat, breaking down in tears as he loses 2 terminators in the process.<br />
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The biggest advantage Dark Eldar have in the 6th edition environment is their unexpectedness. Everyone and their mother gameplans for Necrons, Dark Angels, Grey Knights and the like. However, Dark Eldar can capitalize on the blindness of your opponents and exploit their lack of answers to many Dark Eldar staples. I can't tell you how many times I've faced opponents who never expected the speed and offensive capability of Dark Eldar, and lost because of their lack of knowledge and preparedness.<br />
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<b><u>List Building</u></b><br />
Finally, I want to make just one small note about a trend I've seen all across the web. Players have become slaves to the "latest and greatest" lists, and much of the creativity has been sapped from the game. I have read countless comments about how people refuse to use units because the almighty internet claims that they are bad. While some units are just god-awful (what's up mandrakes?), I encourage everyone to figure out what works and what doesn't for themselves. First of all, it is my philosophy that your tactics on the table make a much bigger impact on the outcome of a battle than the list you bring. That is not to say that the list doesn't matter, but I think that a great player can make many "bad" units work very effectively. I encourage all players to experiment, try things out, and don't be afraid to fall flat on your face. While you will often find units that are worthless, you may discover new ways to use some units that turn out to be fantastic. My current project involves a list with an Archon that travels with a Grotesque bodyguard. It could end up being terrible (the internet consensus is generally that Grotesques suck big time) but I have an interesting and creative theory that I personally feel will make them awesome. Another list I'm working out uses twenty footslogging warriors with an Aegis defense line (What!?). The great thing about the Dark Eldar book is that we have so many hidden gems and great units just waiting to be used in the perfect, unstoppable combination, including our craftworld allies. So go out and try it! And if you've always wanted to play a Dark Eldar army but have been turned off by the haters, I say go for it. I'm always here for advice if you need it, and once you learn the army, you won't be disappointed.<br />
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Thanks for reading, and don't forget to follow! Let me know your thoughts!<br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>jwhite1078http://www.blogger.com/profile/11493574416261274562noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-65866858003468592672013-01-22T22:19:00.004-08:002014-03-05T17:18:17.253-08:00Necron 6th Edition Tactica Part 1: HQ's (Non Characters)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Something about evil robots that spent sixty million years in a tomb just biding their time really strikes my fancy. That's why I place this wonderful army we call Necrons. I'm sure you all have similar reason for loving them and you can't wait to hear how I like to field these lovely silver killing machines. </div>
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<b><u>Necron Overlords</u></b></div>
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As far as non character HQs go in the Necron book you have two options, smash things in CC or be a jack of all trades. Overlords are your jack of all trades. You can kit these monsters out to do anything. They can soar across the battlefield on a Catacomb Command Barge popping vehicles and dealing some serious damage to heavy infantry or even MCs. You can have them do anything you want, but not everything at once.</div>
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The Overlord really needs to be broken up into a few different categories. The first of which is going to be your defensive capability. Deciding early on what kind of targets you want to engage with your Overlord really decides what kind of armor upgrade you want to take. Take the Sempiternal Weave when you want to slice through infantry, Phase Shifters for terminators and other heavy infantry that will make a mockery of a 2+ save and Command Barges for when you want to run this guy by himself. (Phase shifters with Command Barges are also worthwhile). Phylactery just ins't a great use of points. A lot will swear by this extremely situational piece of wargear but too often do you find yourself not standing back up after being killed or standing up with only one wound due to the only 66.6% chance this will be any use. (If you pass your reanimation protocols). </div>
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Offensive capability is next up and you'll find the Necron lord is not lacking at all when it comes to this category. Being that Necrons are a very short ranged army and are by the majority terrible in CC most players will love to charge you. Fear not! That's where our Overlords shine. The Overlords love to get into combat with basic troops because we can either overwatch with a Gauntlet of Fire or let our Warscythe taste their sweet, sweet blood. Also, there is nothing more frustrating than getting into a challenge with an Overlord with Mindshackle scarabs. If you intend on seeing CC Mindshackle scarabs are mandatory, an average roll will make your opponent fail their leadership test and be forced to attack themselves while your Overlord prepares to thrust his Warscythe in them for the killing blow. Tesseract Labyrinths are pretty pricey, but can easily remove a pesky Swarmlord or similar threats. Tachyon Arrows are useful, but only if you have really built a slow low ranged Necron army, even then, I wouldn't rely on this fluffy point sink. The only option for weapons that I find really doesn't have a place with the Overlord is the Void Blade. The Warscythe can perform any job that the Void Blade does, only better and for the same price!</div>
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Necron Overlords don't bring as many utility powers as HQs from other books can, but they can still be extremely useful. Unfortunately we only have two, and they range from one of the more frustrating pieces of wargear in the game to useless. Resurrection Orbs are an extremely common thing to find on Lord and Overlords alike. They make your evil robots stand back up on a 4+ instead of a 5+. This makes your Overlord and his squad, much harder to move and gives you a sick sense of satisfaction when your opponent pours in as many shots as he can muster to finally end their miserable existence The other option is Phaeron. 100% useless. </div>
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<u><b>Royal Courts</b></u></div>
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Royal courts can only be taken for every Overlord or Overlord character you have in your army. You can run them as an immovable deathstar or by attaching each member to different squads.</div>
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<u><b>Necron Lord</b></u></div>
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A scaled down Overlord, but they still pack quite the punch. Give them a Warscythe for chopping and a Resurrection Orb for annoying. </div>
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<u><b>Vanilla Cryptek</b></u></div>
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Comes stock with a staff of light that can be a decent upgrade to a squad's shooting capabilities, but you should really look into a harbinger to bring a lot more utility to your squad.</div>
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<u><b>Harbinger of Despair</b></u></div>
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Ever wish your Necron units could easily become the most mobile unit in the game? Well, that's what Veil of Darkness is for. Veil of Darkness gives you the ability to make your Deathmarks appear exactly where you need them once they've destroyed their marked target or even make it so your Lychguard can assault as soon as possible. Despairteks provide an excellent utility to your army and allow you to take control of the battlefield.</div>
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<b><u>Harbinger of Destruction</u></b></div>
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One of the more common Crypteks people like to field for their "long" range Eldritch Lances. They really shine to give Warriors and Immortals a bit more of a punch against enemy armor. The major ability these guys can take is Solar Pulse, this allows you to control when night fighting rules are in effect. With our extremely short range, we often find that a bit of cover goes a long way in closing that gap. In the instance of fighting lots of units with night vision(I'm looking at you Tau and Dark Eldar), we can take away their advantage and allow for our long range guns to begin hammering them.</div>
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<u><b>Harbinger of Eternity</b></u></div>
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Pure nastiness. Not because of a major damage output, not because of a massive amount of defense (although, the Timesplinter Cloak does make them a great deal survivable) it's the Chronometron. You need to know how to use this insane piece of wargear. It can be extended to any member of his unit once per phase, plan out your most important roll. Maybe you want to save it for that Overlord that you took a gamble on with Phylactery, maybe its saved for Imotekh's Lightning, or even Orikan's ability to Hulk out. Save it for when it's needed most and you will always be laughing manically at your poor opponents expense. If you have a Royal Court, you need to have a Chronometron. </div>
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<u><b>Harbinger of the Storm</b></u></div>
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The Voltaic Staff provides more anti-tank weaponry to our army that is already filled to the brim with it, to top it off it even comes with an even shorter ranger than we're used to. The Ether Crystals are situational at best and the only time I really see them coming up is a really terrible scatter or a mishap that lets you place the enemy unit within 6" just to hit them with your wargear. Lightning Fields are nice as a shield to stop an enemy from wanting to assault you, but even then, it won't always stop them. Maybe I was a tad hash when it came to the ol' Stormtek. They take a gentle touch to use. The best way to have one of these guys destroying enemy armor is isolation. If you have them in a transport and can move them to a lone enemy vehicle, they are worth their weight in gold. Be wary of making those fast suicide runs. </div>
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<b><u>Harbinger of Transmogrification</u></b></div>
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There seems to be a theme with Crpteks that they either bring extremely short ranged firepower, or longer than average range for the Necrons. The Tremorstave is one of those longer range weapons. It also comes with a pretty interesting ability. Any unit(s) hit by the small blast are counted as being inside of difficult terrain the following turn. This gives you a great way to help slow down those assault units and even force some dangerous terrain tests on units like bikes and jump infantry. One of the most fun ways to use these is with a C'Tan Shard that has Writhing Worldscape. The Harp brings an even larger range (infinite) and is a nice upgrade, but you'll find it doesn't always make it's points up. However, it is really nice to knock a point of armor off something before you rip it apart with your bigger guns. The Seismic Crucible is nothing more than a great idea, but a waste of points. </div>
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<u><b>Catacomb Command Barge</b></u></div>
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While not technically an HQ, it does belong in this section. For all intents and purposes this is an upgrade to your Overlords and Overlord characters. This allows them to move extremely fast and attack units they pass over while they do it. I really recommend using a Warscythe while you do this to just annihilate vehicles when you pass over them. This also gives you a fun ability that few units in the game can do. Blow up a transport and then attack the occupants. The other major merit this barge gives you is it makes you not have to take Sempiternal Weave because it improves your save to a 2+. Making this an excellent unit to charge even heavy infantry with and do some serious damage. Don't forget you hammer of wrath!</div>
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<u><b>Destroyer Lords</b></u></div>
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Robots that have gone completely mad and are obsessed with slaughtering any and all life in the galaxy. What could be better? Well, he imparts his madness on his squad with Preferred Enemy (Everything!) so that's a start. Best way to run one of these maniacs is with a Warscythe, Sempiternal Weave, Mindshackle scarabs and big bodyguard of wraiths. Getting to re roll your ones when you already wound on 2+ pretty often is a lot of fun. The only weakness to a destroyer lord is also it's greatest strength, it doesn't do much of anything other than smash. (That and it can't have an invulnerable save)</div>
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Let us in our what has worked for you guys in the comments below. This is only round one of my Necron Tactica, next up we have named characters. Be on the look out for it real soon!</div>
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XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-33446189895638036722013-01-19T21:38:00.001-08:002013-01-19T21:38:32.759-08:00The War Club<div style="text-align: center;">
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XinZ here and I unfortunately haven't been posting too much lately with so much going on around here. Luckily that's all about to end! My Necron force is starting to come along and my Daemon force is following right behind. The nice thing about these Daemons is that I can use them in both 40k and fantasy. I know what you're thinking, this isn't a fantasy blog, why am I even mentioning fantasy Daemons? Well, I'm glad you asked.<br />
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40K isn't my only game when it comes to miniatures. I dabble it GW's original bloody wargame as well. Playing both games is how I actually began my mighty Daemon force. The nice contrast for WHFB and 40K is the campaign driven setting that one of my friends developed and I'm currently in the process of converting as much of it as possible to 40K to share with you all. This type system really allows you to make a hero that you fall in love with and cannot wait to see wreck face on the battlefield.</div>
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If you just can't wait to get your hands on some new campaign rules and are even interested to see what my other gaming group has going on check out <a href="http://tinyurl.com/thewarclub" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/thewarclub</a>. Its always fun to try and even adapt WHFB tactics to 40K. </div>
XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-467433483759908293.post-22477696427766351952013-01-16T11:36:00.002-08:002013-01-16T19:36:05.324-08:00"Oh God, a Six For Game Type ..."<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original "relic"</td></tr>
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Something about seeing that dreaded six when we roll for gametype upsets us every time. It always comes down to us talking it over to see if we should just reroll it or act like men and stomach it. Occasionaly we decide that it's worth a shot. Maybe it isn't as bad as we remember? Wrong! It's the relic and we all hate it.<br />
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The relic is one of the missions that comes out of the 40k BRB meaning it should be pretty basic. The main idea behind the gametype is something that I love. What the game breaks down to is capture the flag for miniatures. I used to even say that this would be a really cool homebrew gametype back in 5th editon, but I never came up with anything for it. For some reason though, I just cannot stand playing the relic no matter what army I'm fielding or my opponent is bringing.<br />
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The Pros-<br />
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It all seems pretty straight forward. Grab that relic and run. What it turns into is two forces clashing in the middle just ripping one another part with tons of close combat, rapid fire and overwatch. Don't even get me started on how fun this makes templates of all types. Flamers burn the Xenos, Doomsday Cannons remove handfuls of marines, and Frag Missiles really get to force some armor saves.<br />
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This even creates an interesting battlefield for armies like Imperial Guard and Tau that may prefer to sit back on their firing lines, they have to move up if they hope for victory points other than secondary objectives. Making those weak infantry come out of their safe cover and transports really forces you to think differently. Having you react to new situations like this is exactly what makes a good general out of you.<br />
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The relic really begs for lots of blood. What I love about this is it can really force people out of strategies like castleing up and just laying waste into their opponent from a far and into to something a bit less favorable for them. And when it comes to armies that can control deployment like Damons or Drop Pod Marines, they're not at as huge as an advantage as one might think. As long as you take a transport it is more than easy to be on top of that relic on turn two as it would be for those armies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPyS2IQ0opWaxHbVDpJbe89Zplh_t9D0rOnHrR_tElfrfaz7Pc4JlvCylz4aSKCCWfeWlkeZn-x_ojPyqWDdatZRV9KWUA71cVX828N3nHuzvZTQi67y5F51bxGFyHmnGw7Qlgja7i_Rl/s1600/First+blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPyS2IQ0opWaxHbVDpJbe89Zplh_t9D0rOnHrR_tElfrfaz7Pc4JlvCylz4aSKCCWfeWlkeZn-x_ojPyqWDdatZRV9KWUA71cVX828N3nHuzvZTQi67y5F51bxGFyHmnGw7Qlgja7i_Rl/s400/First+blood.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Cons-<br />
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Now with all those kind words about the relic you might be wondering how we could ever have anything negative to say about it. What it really comes down to is the secondary objective first blood. In nearly every game of the relic we've ever played it turns out to be nothing but a race to pull all scoring units of the board and then complete the secondary objectives. It feels much less like we're trying to gain access to this relic and take it back to cover. I would even say it a fair amount of our games that relic doesn't move much from the center of the board at all.<br />
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The other major issue we tend to see with the relic is it really makes games predictable. At the end of every last relic game, we're all rushing towards that center one and only objective to try and claim it in the name of some god or empire. With the objective always being in the same place, albeit it is the most fair option, it really creates a lot of monotony by every game starting in a very similar fashion.<br />
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While I have been warming up to the game type reccently, I tend to find that the relic can be called by turn one or two by seeing who was able to manage wiping the first unit off of the board. What do you guys think? Have your games of the relic been as lackluster as ours? Also, remember to follow! Your support keeps the content flowing!XinZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702895958887468736noreply@blogger.com5