I thought it was time enough to try to explain whereabouts I am with my hobby at the moment. It'll be in two parts - here's the first.
For those of you who are long-term readers, this might explain some bits and bobs. Word heavy, I'm afraid!
Firstly,
Warhammer 40K.
A weekend ago I had the singular pleasure of going up to Oxfordshire to play Chez Zzzzzz with Zzzzzz himself and Col. Corbane. In case you didn't see, we played a bloomin' massive game of Apocalypse...which was my first game of 40K - in any sense - since September 2012. That's a long time gone.
The reason I've had such a long absence was because of my second daughter coming along, and wanting (needing?!) to actually spend more time with my family. This compounded with my slight wariness of Sixth Edition (see below), the unusual sense of having my IG army pretty much where I want it(!) and an abject lack of any spare funds to make me put the hobby on the back-burner.
Playing with Zzzzzz's little men really gave me something of a kick up the jacksie to get back to 40K - but not with any major expansion projects: that's simply not an option. Instead, I'm trying to finish odds-and-sods off, slim-down the bitz-box and work on a couple of fun conversion projects. Watch this space!
Sixth Edition, Codices and Money.
Let's get this straight: I really like almost everything about 6th Ed (I'm looking at you: tank assault on rear bloody armour still!) - it's just I'm a little less keen on what GW and players seem to be doing with it.
I love that the rules are now more fun and really really seem designed to encourage a more narrative style of play, but two-and-a-half things concern me...and I'm pretty sure they're entirely contrived to sell more plastic crack. Which is a shame:
- Allies. These rules seem to allow armies to too-easily plug gaps which have tradionally needed to have been filled by careful planning and tactical acumen. That's not to say the rules are wrong or bad, I just think they could've been more restrictive. Seeing nothing but easy-win, all-powerful IC-builds on the table gets a little tiresome, I should think.
- Flyers (and Monstrous Creatures, and Flying MCs - that's the 'half' bit noted above). These simply do not fit in the scale or mechanic of 40K. Skimmers work fine, but flyers? No. Just an excuse to sell rather overblown (and at times rather silly) large models. As for MCs and Flying MCs? This is really just a bias. My IG flashlight gunline is simply not able to damage anything with a high toughness in any meaningful way, and I'm too old and too grumpy to change my lovely poor bloody infantry.
Codices and money.
There's no news in noting how very, very expensive 40K has got, but I simply have nothing spare for it. What worries me for the future is whether I'm going to care enough to spend the money on a new codex for the Guard when it comes out. £12 for a soft-cover is one thing - fine! - but shelling out for a giant hardback filled with bloomin' John Blanche scribbles in addition to (presumably) ridiculous power leaps in the capabilities of the average Guardsman is less attractive. I imagine the way that fighty ICs have been jammed into every recent codex means that the next Guard codex will have at the very least Solar Macharius and probably the Emperor himself.
And finally...
It's been a year, but here's the famous Draxian Painting Chart (TM) as it stands:
- Drax.
I agree RE: allies. Im notorious among my group for complaining about the allies system. I think im boring them now :P
ReplyDeleteWorst example ive seen was a Best "Tau" player at a tournament. His army was bare bones 4th ed codex Tau, fill out on Necron allies. FFS.
As for the Codecies, I used to pick them up as the came out. But the hardcover ones? Only buying the ones i really want. So far thats Tau alone.
I can understand the 40K-related frustrations entirely. I myself haven't been able to get a game in over a year either... almost entirely out of wariness for 6th edition.
ReplyDeleteHrm.... I have been lax in my 40K hobby efforts also. Sad thing is, I have so many lovely sculpts to lay paint on and they are just sitting unloved.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see some work being done on these though, excited for upcoming pics!
A buddy of mine went to a big National Tournament a couple weeks ago. He said the most used vehicle there was the Helldrake. Every Chaos marine army had at least 2 and most had three and every army that could had one as an ally.
ReplyDeleteBy all accounts, it sounds like you guys had a blast on Saturday, a little gutted that I couldn't make it. Really glad you finally got yourself a game of the new system, its not really as bad as everyone on the internet would like to make out. It's got its problems, but then I don't think there is a ruleset out there that doesn't have some things in it that people don't like. As long as you steer clear of the ultra-competitive crowd then it generally makes for really fun and exciting games.
ReplyDeleteAs for that painting chart - wow! So much green on it, I can only wish my own painting chart can ever get to that stage.
Thanks, Chaps!
ReplyDeleteI should point out I did play a few Sixth Ed games last summer (3 or 4 I think; at least two of which were against Col. Gravis) but they were very much friendlies. They were also before the significant arrival of flyers and MCs en masse.
Similarly peeved that i couldnt get to the residence of Mr. Zzzzz....
ReplyDeleteAnd i also have played only a handful of games of 6th ed, for me ots because last year was very taxing work wise and i didnt have room in my head for more rules, - i also got sucked into 28mm ww2 which was new and exciting.
i am however finding myself drawn back to working through the paint pile of wolves, with the ultimate goal of having my units that comprise that force "done"tm be=y the time orks get a new book, so they can be ressurrected in all thier green glory.
O and I need to make one of these flashy "painting progress" diagrams for my own stuff. Very spiffy!
ReplyDeleteWe were sorry to have missed you, Karitas.
ReplyDeleteDai: drop me an email if you like, and I'll send you mine. They really are super-useful!
email sent accordingly.
DeleteAh Necrons; those long standing faithful allies of the Tau. They have so much in common.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, no 'crons or Tau in the Devos System. Not too many Space Wolufs yet either, but stay tuned.