Wishlist: What I would like to see GW make/do

Okay so this is a wide ranging topic, covering the top 10 things I would like to see GW do, though no in any particular order.

1- Release all codices within a year or 2 of the main rulebook release. ALL. Design it all at the same time. You can spread model releases out more, but rules should all be up to date at the same time.

2- Lower Prices. We all agree here. Their profit margin has to be crazy high, but they are always raising their prices, even as their productions costs go down from better technology

3- A plastic Warhound Titan for 40k. Mars Pattern. OH YEAH.

4- Knights for Apoc. Easy to make models for too. Basically be as ubiquitous as the IG superheavies.

5- More Support for Specialist Games / Less Support for LotR. Seriously, everyone I know who played LotR left it for 40k or fantasy, and then most those people end up playing Specialist Games. Lord of the Rings was popular for a while with the Movies, but now they are stretching it. Veterans want SG games. GIVE THEM TO US!!!

6- Games Day Atlanta. You took away the Gaming event for the South. Chicago has 2 huge events. Baltimore has 2. Las Vegas has an event AND SHOWGIRLS. The south has crap. Thanks. Thanks so very much for taking that away.

7- More Missions. 3 missions with 3 setups is not enough. Lets get some more out there.

8- Bitz. Give me back the option to bitz metal box sets and sprues at least. This preselected bitz pack thing sucks. You are loosing money to 3rd market parties GW. You could easily cut in on this market.

9- A Stormblade. Plasma Destructors are awesome. Every other IG super heavy exists, why not that one?

10- Sell a Hobby not a Product. They are so concerned with pushing plastic crack on 13 year olds that they forget about selling the aspects that keep the veterans in.

Necromunda Campaign and Titan Game News

So I should have V 1.0 of the titan game up here this month, probably around the 15th.

WORKING TITLE: GOD MACHINE

Planned Updating Schedule for the Game.
V 1.0 - Basic System Rules, Human Titans only
V 2.0 - Eldar and Orks introduced, differentiate Chaos
V 3.0 - Campaign Mechanics / Historical Missions / Titan Personalities
V 4.0 ~ Not sure yet, Nids most likely, more Missions

Updates will be released to each version as I get feed back.
Note, points costs will not be in 1.0. I need some feedback on that before I can decide.
V 1.0 will have alot of designers notes on it, as well as a page with questions I would like answered so I can work out any kinks.

Some things you will need:
25, 40, and 60 mm bases
3, 5, 10 inch templates
Hellstorm Template
Measuring tape
Some Paper and Scissors to make appropriate sized area terrain
d6 will be the only dice in the game


NECROMUNDA
So my gang got here yesterday. Built them. Wanted to Prime today but it rained. :(
Anyway, we are introducing an interesting mechanic to the campaign. As the Police, everyone will report to me what their guys do in terms of violence each game. I will building up files and putting out a most wanted list each week.
Other gangs then can attempt to gain the rewards by capturing these wanted men. But I won't offer the best deals, so they have to make the choice to trade with the Enforcers or with Gangs.
We may have rescues on the Enforcers be like a prison raid, not sure yet.

Planet Strike: Does it really matter?

No, it doesn't.

Two days, two rants.

So today I talk about Planet Strike and how it failed to live up to its hype.



First off, the good.
1- Cool terrain. All if it is pretty nice and easily combinable with the Cities of Death stuff.
2- Interesting new way to play. Definately puts a new spin on the game of 40k.

The bad:
1- Terrain. Wait? Didn't I just say it was cool. Why yse I did. Here is a cookie for you. Just because it is cool though doesn't make it good. Remember Cities of Death? Maybe. Have you ever played Cities of Death? No. Why? Because it required you to spend money on terrain rather than more 40k. Who wants to do that honestly? So many different things. You needs a bunch of bastions, all sorts of defense lines, turrets, landing pads. You could probably get a decent 1500pt army for what you need to play planet strike, unless you make your own terrain. Though making your own probably costs as much as a 1500pt eBay army. Thats why Apocalypse is great. Past the rule book, it is free.

2- Not Even. Certain armies rape in Planetstrike while others blow hard. Don't even think of playing as the Tau. And there is very little in the book to try and even the playing feild. And don't say assets. Planet Strike has a poor asset system. Anyways, Deep Strikers win. Period. End of story. You land and assault. Done. If you can deep strike and have meltas, just save time by declaring victory when you arrive to the battle. Then have a popsicle to celebrate.

3- Gimmic. It really is the same gimmic battle each time. People often choose the same assets game to game. You deep strike. You punch buildings. What I really want is new Missions for normal 40k. Release an expansion on that GW. 5th ed is just so static. Yeah, there are the 'ard boyz missions, but those are designed for very competitive 2500 pt play. I have seriously dug up old codices and rule books to play those missions. ALL THE WAY BACK TO 3rd ED! (Which I recently re-aquired to much delight, more on that later).

4- Who plays it? I hear of a game every so often, but all in all, it doesn't get played that much. Why not? Because I can just play normal 40k or I can whip out some super awesome super heavies for Apoc, which is cooler anyways.

5- Force orgs. Why bother with these weird big force orgs. If I was using Force Orgs that big, I'd just play Apoc. Seriously. You could have made it like a fantasy system where you need x number of core for y number of points. Every 1000 pts, the numbers increase. Then you'd have your precious ratios correct without these silly huge force org charts that really only restrict apocalypse sized armies.

New Space Wolves: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING

+++++RANT WARNING+++++

First READ THIS.

So I want to know what they were thinking with the new SW. Were they not thinking? In all fairness, I haven't seen the Codex yet. I am basing all this off the Rumour mill. Maybe it won't be as bad as it looks to me right now. But I have a soapbox, and I am going to stand on it.



First off: The Good/Okay
It is okay that Bjorn is AV 14. I get that. Fine. Whatever.
Ragnar should be a combat beast.
Njal. Okay, Tigurius is suppossed to be wicked powerful, looking into the Shadow of the Nids. But it seems like Njal is more of a combat Librarian. Sure he knows crap tons-o-powers, but he will most likely only use 2-3 a turn. As long as he is super expensive, cool. Oh, and Mephiston better get an I save when the new BA come out.
A little weird that Logan Grimnar is now the best SM leader, but okay I guess. At least all these dudes are wicked expensive. But they are characters. I'd rather have some sweet expensive ones from a fluff and balance point than the new Guard tactic of TAKE ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK.
SW should have acute senses. Agreed.
Non-Gay He-man Character with a wolf pack. Pretty cool. Anything that can pull off He-Man minus the Homo-eroticness is fine by me.

Where it really starts to go down hill:
1. Wulfen.
Unless it is something like DC they jacked it up. What the hell needs to be more "mysterious". They are werewolfs. Done. If you read the SW novels, you understand fully what they are already. They should have done with Wulfen what they did with The Legion of the Damned in the SM codex. My friend owns 15 Wulfen models. What is he going to do with them now?

2. Sagas
So let me get this straight. You remove the trait system from the SM. You remove Doctrines from the IG. You make SM use chapter tactics, which you can use only one of.
Then you add Sagas to Space Wolves. Why? It is chapter traits with a different name and instead of just generally selected, a Character takes them. Big Whoop. They still affect the whole army.

3. Counter attack.
They already got acute senses. Why should they be better than ever SM out there? Huh? And the rule is called Battle Brothers (at least right now). WHAT! All SM are battle brothers. SW are more drinking brothers than battle brothers. Actually, just drinking buddies. I am pretty sure they are into the whole "Personal Glory" thing. Thats why you gave them the SAGAS. So what is it? A tight knit band of brothers, or a bunch of glory hounds (pun intended)? MAKE UP YOUR MIND. Yeah, so you say they are all wicked expensive and you will always be outnumbered. BUT when facing SM they should have roughly the same number of guys and same ability. SW shouldn't be these gods amongst SM.

4. Multi use blood claws.
This can swing two ways. I am fine with them being used as Infantry, Jump Infantry or Bikes IF AND ONLY IF Jump Infantry and Bikes make them fast attack. If they stay troops, then why play any other SM list?

5. Long Fangs.
They were better than normal devs already. Now they are doubly better. Since SW are better than normal Marines and then Long Fangs are better than normal Devs, you get twice the bonus. So what if I pay more, THEY SHOULDN'T BE LEAPS AND BOUNDS AHEAD OF NORMAL SM.

6. Two Special Weapons
SO now they are better than Chaos Marines. Damn. Damn Damn. Damn.
"Ten men and 2 special weapons for 150". WHAT THE HELL. It costs Blood Angels 190 for a ten mand squad (which does give 1 DC), but UNUPGRADED. AND I don't have counter attack and acute senses. ANGRY!!!! Wait, I remember seeing things saying "The SW will be super expensive and you will always be outnumbered". 150 pt, twin special weapon, 10 man scoring units. Really?

7. BOLT PISTOL, BOLTER, AND CHAINSWORD!!!!
YOU ARE NOT CHAOS MARINES! YOU ARE NOT CHAOS MARINES!
Now go back to bullet 6. 150 pts. 10 men. 2 Special weapons.
Now read bullet 7 again. There is no intelligence left in codex writing. They do whatever they want each time and don't even read the other books. They don't care about balance. I seriously think that in play testing, if a new army doesn't win 2/3rds of the time or more, they delay it and make it better. Thats why it is taking forever for Dark Eldar.

8. Terminator Troops.
Well, there is no point to play Dark Angels anymore. They killed a codex. Flat out killed it. SM can have bike troops, SW terminator troops. Game Set Match. You had a good run Dark Angels. Sorry your list was the last one written with some semblance of balance and thought. Obviously there was a board meeting the day after your release where it was decided from now on everything would be, and I (hypothetically) quote the GW game designers, "More Super Awesomer" than the previous release.

So with my luck either they will realize the monster they created and make BA worse, or they won't stop and make BA even better. Either way, I am scared and I lose.

This post is dedicated to the Dark Angels. Rest in Peace.

1996-2009

Necromunda: Spyrer Gang Commission, My Arbites List

So my club, the Wargamers at Georgia Tech, is starting up Necromunda this semester.

I am playing Arbites. My gang consists of the following:
All have Knives and Choke Gas Grenades
Leader: Power Maul and Suppression Shield
Handler: Power Maul and Suppression Shield
Heavy: Heavy Stubber, Bolt Pistol
Enforcer: Plasma Gun, Bolt Pistol
Enforcer: Power Maul and Suppression Shield
Enforcer: Power Maul and Suppression Shield
Enforcer: Shotgun, Bolt Pistol
Enforcer: Shotgun, Bolt Pistol
Enforcer: Shotgun, Bolt Pistol
Enforcer: Bolt Pistol, Melta Bomb, Photon Flash Flares
Cyber Mastiff

Next is the gang I was commissioned to do for another player.
I made the Spyrer gang for around $50 in parts, which is far less than if you just bought the GW models, which would come in at $85.

I used Eldar bodies (4 guardians and 1 dire avenger exarch) for their torsos. The two Orrus have modified SM legs (cut off the square butts). The others all have guardian legs.

The Orrus, Yeld and Malcadon all have SM Scout heads. The Jakara has an Eldar head made to look a little more feminine to match the female guardian body.

Orrus weapons are SM Powerfists with bolt pistol barrels underneath to represent the bolt launchers.

The Malcadon has SM Combat knives as the claws and guitar string as the power cables.

The Yeld utilizes a dire avenger exarch arm for its pistol (ammo clip removed). His wings are made from Dark Angels Ravenwing bike cowls. I used 2 sets, thinned them down and glued them back to back so both sides look like wings without being too thick.

The Jakara has a Dire Avenger Exarch sword and a terminator shoulder pauldron sheild for her mirror sheild.
See the GW ones here.

Group Photo: Spyrers

Yeld Back

Yeld Front

Malcadon Back

Malcadon Side

Malcadon Front

Jakara Back

Jakara Side

Jakara Front

Orrus Back

Orrus Front