Games Day 2012

I know this is going to get a few eye rolls from the more jaded amongst you, but I’m really looking forward to Games Day on Sunday.  This is only the second I’d have gone to, so I suppose it could be a case of the shine not quite being off the apple yet, but I’m genuinely interest to see what’ll be going on.

Because I hear interesting things.  Talk of the new Chaos Codex.  The Horus Heresy expansion.  The Fantasy Flight booth (hopefully).  Last year I went to mainly assist Inquisitor Steve and Dagmire with podcasting reportage and we got a lot of stuff out of it in terms of sound bites and interviews.  However, that stuff took nearly the whole day.  We worked in shifts, because we needed to guys to stake out the writer’s seminars for the end of the talks. One to ask the questions, one to hold the camera.  This did well for the podcast, but was a really tiring day in all and I having to squeeze all the looking around and stuff into the occasional half hour/forty-five minute window wasn’t really conducive to my general ‘confused dithering’ style.

So I thought I’d go back without any regimented podcast responsibilities and see the place at my own pace.  I may keep you updated on that score, although my punctuality track record for this blog is fractious to say the least.

I have heard rumblings that there will be a preview of the Chaos Codex and the event and I dearly hope that’s true, as the Dark Vengeance box introduced of a couple of units that don’t appear in the old ‘dex.  Yes, I am counting the Hellbrute as new.  It lacks a built-in ranged weapon on the close combat arm and doesn’t go crazy at the drop of a hat, so it may well be new.  It makes sense to have a new Chaos Codex very close to the main box release and Games Day is an excellent time for some hands-on.  I want to have a decent gander at the new book to see what I can do with my cultists, as they are the reason I’ve got into Chaos recently and something that has sorely been missing from the game for a long, long time.

Another hope I have with Chaos is that they redo Raptors to be more in line with Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s interpretation of them and it would really help to distinguish them from the Loyalists rather than just making regular assault marines look spikier.

The Horus Heresy Forge World book is interesting and it’d be nice to have a look at, but I don’t anticipate purchasing it.  I’ve always baulked at buying the exceptionally expensive Forge World books and I have no great desire to play 30K, although there are a few people down at the club who would be undoubtedly up for it.  I’m sure I’ll be able to borrow the book from them somewhere down the line if it does take my fancy.

One big thing I’m looking forward to (or hoping blindly for) is potential new releases from Fantasy Flight.  Last Games Day was the release of the Blood Bowl Team Manager card game (more or less) and it was definitely a great purchase.  I still play it regularly now.  Great game.  And it’s getting an expansion!  Dark Elves and two Undead teams are being added to the roster and I am hoping that the expansion is going to be on sale at the Day.  Keep me occupied for quite some time, I can tell you.

Also, on the outside chance (but no less anticipated), is the new standalone 40k board game FFG are releasing called ‘Relic’, based on the Talisman system.  I am deeply intrigued by this and having a fun little 40k themed board game that doesn’t make your brain melt (lookin’ at you, Siege of Terra!) would be a great thing and a handy evangelising tool for board gaming people who don’t know much about the Grimdark.

Anyway, Sunday can’t come round soon enough, and I’m looking forward to seeing what GW and affiliates are going to put on this year.

Fingers’ crossed!

Message ends.

MTT Build-Up Round 3

Canoptek Wraiths:  In this list, I’ve been packing a full squad of six Wraiths, half them with whip coils to save on point (and for wound allocation in the old 5th ed rules).  The Wraiths can be a bit of a mixed bag, with an average weapon skill and having to rely on Rending to get rid of armour saves, making them very reliant on the few dice they put out.  They get a decent amount of raw punching power each (3 attacks at strength 6; not too shabby) but unless you’re dealing specifically with chaff, then they don’t perform spectacularly in the punching department.  What they do excel at though, is survival.  Two wounds each and a 3+ Invulnerable save each allows them to shrug off a spectacular amount of punishment and the revising of Fearless rule makes them tarpits almost beyond compare, especially when I add in my HQ choice.

Destroyer Lord:  This guy was made to accentuate the Wraith unit.  What with the changes to Preferred Enemy conveying onto the entire unit, he enters into a nice synergy with the unit, enhancing their ability to hit and the damage.  As I mentioned earlier, their main downside in combat was the mediocre WS, so rerolling a third of your misses is quite helpful in this regard.  Add in the Warscythe and unit hits much harder and can make its presence felt on the charge.  The precision attacks with a Warscythe to take out specific models also really help in this regard.  An added bonus is the 2+ save that I’ve given him.  I tend to place him as the first model in the unit, allowing him to acts as a wound soak against light damage and use hit for Look Out Sir wound allocation tricks against the heavier hit.  It’s almost as good as a 3+ Inv anyway.

Canoptek Scarabs:  You’d have to put forward a very convincing case not to take these.  These little buggers bring forth some the best anti-vehicle capacity in the game (especially now the vehicles are far easier to hit than they used to be).  They also bring it forth at a very low price.  Quite simply, if it’s not a flyer, the Scarabs can kill it.  Without a second thought (fortunately.  Dumb little buggers).  They also make for excellent tar pits against anything with less than S6.  The reworking of the Swarm and Beast rules have really upped the mobility of the Scarabs as well, robbing them of the reliable 12” charge, but doubling their movement speed and making them immune to difficult terrain.  Because of this, I tend to keep them back, lurking in terrain to help them survive early game before using them as a counterpunch to an assault vehicle or a concerted anti-armour close assault, usually in support of my Wraiths and Destroyer Lord.  However, despite this positive paean to their gribbly goodness, I only ever really go for minimum sized squads of these guys.  But that’s because I also go for…

Canoptek Spyders: Exceptional value here.  For a mere 50 pts, you get a T6 3W  monstrous creature with a 3+ save.  Alright, you don’t get many attacks (only 2 apiece), but against a non-assault specialised unit, or a light/medium vehicle, that’s enough to do the job.  Plus, they can score in Big Guns Never Tire, making them worth their Necrodermal weight in gold.  Not only that, they spawn Scarab swarms and I cannot over emphasise how cool that makes them.  If they can spawn four bases each (and they normal do!) than they have more than paid for themselves.  That’s the main reason why I only go for minimum scarab squads.   Playing the game slightly slower with the scarabs results in a greater points efficiency overall.  And they can repair vehicles (for 10 pts).  Neat.

Annihilation Barges:  Another really solid purchase for the points.  I’ve already talked about these guys in the Necrautopsy series, so I’ll keep this brief.  Arcing is funny, but unreliable.  AP - weapons are better at killing armour now.  So. Much. Better.  The Tsla effect on a massive twin-linked cannon is freakin’ awesome and the bonus hits make it a reliable anti-air defence despite lacking skyfire.  Plus AV 13 front and side for a 90 point model is unbelievably classy.  Even if it won’t stand up to scrutiny.  Or a lascannon.

Anyway; that’s the brief sum up of the units in my army.  However, as previous mentioned, and because I am a fickle sod, the unit in my army have now changed.  But I won’t tell you how.  Not yet.

I’m not going to give everything away, after all.

See you later guys!