Off the Beaten Cobblestones: All For Naught and Random Things

All For Naught;

So, well, here's where I expected to post Campaign Update; R3S4. Unfortunitly, it didn't happen. Since it was going to be a four player Chaos on the Streets match, and we had only two players (myself and Megan) show up, it wouldn't have been a good match. Well, I take that back, any match between Megan and myself is always good.

So all that planning and plotting is all for naught. Nothing happened. Gotta wait a week before even attempting it again. So the plans are in motion, and now are just on pause.

Random Things;

Now, either Megan has not read the last blog post, or she is an amazing actress. Either way, my plans that I did NOT make public continue. A feint within a feint, so to speak.

I do find it interesting how far Megan has come since she started gaming with us. When she starting playing with us the closest thing that she had done to gaming was video games, mainly Guitar Hero. Since she's joined our group, she's played D&D, Alternity, and now Mordheim. She has steadfastly refused to play our DC Universe based version of Marvel Super Heroes Saga Edition (great game, but I like DC better), that's too geeky for her.

While this also would apply to Tom, the closest he came to gaming was a emulated version of Dragon Warrior I for the NES on his PSP.

The difference between the two is night and day. Even though I leave the books at work, and sent everyone the PDFs, Megan has been the only one to actually read them (or at least the parts pertaining to her stuff). One of these days I'm going to have to post some pics of our workspace. That is what makes her the better player. She actually thinks about her Warband (or Character's) strengths and weaknesses. Tom just kinda throws whatever he has at the problem, which is fine when when it is Skaven and you are using Dwarf Crossbows, another thing entirely when you are talking about Lightning Bolts and Frankenstein.

Well, enough praise and bashing on my fellow game players. Not that its not fun anymore, I think that I'll talk about what happened the other day.

Middle Son walked up to me out of the blue and said; 'Dad, I think I want to play 40K, can I get an army?'

I looked at his trusting eyes and said 'Hell no. I can't afford 40K, what makes you think that you can?'

I think I hurt his feelings. Not much, but a little. I took pity on the child. I told him about all the other wonderful games that I've played. While he expressed no interest in Mordheim, he did express interest in the next best thing, Necromunda.

So I made a deal with him and Eldest Child. If they sat down and read the rules, and improved their painting skills, I would buy the Imperial Gaurd units you can use to make a Necromunda gang. While its been awhile since I played Necromunda, it is the game that got me into the GW stuff. I think that I actually have enough random SM bits lying around that I might be able to cobble together a Spryer gang. That might be fun.

So I'm looking at this to help teach them painting skills, and hopefully eventually real conversion skills beyond the random Kitbashing that Eldest Child has been doing. At eleven and twelve, they are at the right age to start a crippling hobby addiction. Muhaha.

Also been kinda thinking that if Megan buys her own Possessed warband, I might give her the ones that I just got. Already cleared it with CK, and he's happy as long as the models get used. However, that leaves it up to her. Just because she's looking at a close combat killy warband, doesn't necessarily mean she'll choose Possessed...

Nerd Rage, Starter Boxes, and Mordheim

Like most of us who play any of Games Workshop's games, I was angered by the latest round of price increases and the way that GW is treating their different retailers. I mean I was really ticked off. Super mad.

Some people weren't that upset, since there has basically been an annual price increase for several years now. Others took it in stride with the finecast models. And still others didn't see the big deal.

I've talked about this other places, and vented my rage all over the internet. So I'm not going to do so further here.

The issue though is that it spurned me to make a final decision. I'm pretty much done with GW. I had been on the edge since the latest Imperial Guard codex nerfed my points from 2000 to a mere 1500 (including the new stuff I had bought!). The latest price increase priced me out of the market for the big games of 40K and WHFB.

In the past I would typically buy about $200 worth of stuff in one go, once a year, across a couple games. Can't really afford that now. It isn't enough bang for my buck. However, you might have noticed I said "pretty much done", not done completely.

The reason for that is because I am a starter box nut. I love starter boxes! It doesn't matter what kind or game they are, I'll buy them. I love starter boxes! WOOOO! Even crappy ones like the Isle of Blood. That's one of the big things that will keep me buying GW models, god I love those starters! The GW ones are really great though, and they keep getting better. I swear half of the Isle of Blood models are better sculpts then the regular models.

Enough, I could spew about starter boxes all day. Not really the point though, is it? Getting back on track, the thing is that I bought the Isle of Blood, and unsurprisingly, I went from having 4 Mordheim warbands, to having five. There was enough stuff in that box to cover almost everything for a Skaven Warband (no giant rats, though). That's when I made a decision.

I already have a Possessed Warband, a Dwarf Warband, an Orc Warband, Undead Warband, and now a Skaven Warband. Which is almost all of the official warbands out there. So I decided that I would buy all of Mordheim. I want everything for it. This is not an unattainable goal. Soon I'll really start in on it.

In the meantime, this is my list of things I have and/or need. From what is currently official. After I finish painting the Skaven, I might start to look at the other things (although, I do have all of those lovely High Elves to paint as well). Some I might hold off on, since there is always a chance that

Random Happenings:
Bloodletter: 1
Skeletons: 12
Spawn: 1
Giant Spider: Research!
Dogs: 6

O&G:
Boss
Orc Shaman: Need
Orc Boys: 19 (have some, need to research)
Goblins: Have
Squigs: 5
Troll: Have

Dwarfs:
Noble: Have
Engineer: Have
Trollslayers: Have
Dwarfs: Have

Reiklanders:
Mercanaries: 15

Middenheimers:
Mercanaries: 15

Marienburgers:
Mercanaries: 15

Possesssed: Have (complete)

Undead:
Vampire: Have
Necromancer: Have
Dregs: 1 of 3
Ghouls: 4 of 14
Zombies: 10 of 14
Dire Wolves: 5

Sisters of Sigmar
Matriarch: 1
Sister Superior: 3
Augur: 1
Novices: 10
Sisters: 14

Witch Hunters:
Captain: 1
Witch Hunters: 3
Warrior Priest: 1
Flagellents: 5
Zealots: 11
Warhounds: 5

Skaven:
Assassin Adept: 1
Eshin Sorceror: 1
Black Skaven: Have
Night Runners: Have
Verminkin: Have
Giant Rats: 19
Rat Ogre: Have



Hired Swords:
Ogre Bodygaurd; have, needs assembly
Pitfighter: Have
Warlock: Needs Assembly
Halfling Scout: 1
Elven Dude: Have, needs painting
Troll Slayer: 1
Free Lancer
Imperial Assasin
Tilean Marksmen