When Shadespire first was announced, my initial thought was similar to my thoughts when Betrayal at Calth was announced.
"New models for the mainstream game disguised in a box marketed as a board game."
I remember back to when the Calth box set was released, and without fail, every customer ripped open the box with enthusiasm, removed the sprues, and threw the rest of the box in the bin. Not one person played the board game inside, and barely anyone even glanced inside the board game rule book. The box pretty much sold itself on the models alone. And if i'm brutally honest, I was expecting nothing different from Shadespire.
But Shadespire has quickly forged a reputation of being a well-supported and brilliantly designed game within the Age of Sigmar universe. While the war bands are set (Stormcast will have the three models in every match), the real depth, diversity and tactics come from the deck-building element that blends Shadespire into a lovechild of Age of Sigmar, Magic the Gathering and Malifaux, while being reminiscent of Arena matches from World of Warcraft.
While I haven't had time to fit in anything more than a quick introductory game (life being what it is), I can see this quickly becoming a game that every Sigmar player will get into, and have a warband and pack of cards with them everywhere they take a full army for Age of Sigmar.
Let's talk quickly about the models. The Stormcast team caused quite the buzz, with the very first female Stormcast model being released. I actually think this model was very well done, looking distinctly female without slipping into the "video game armour" trap. Joining her is a staunch soldier carrying a massive grand hammer, and then there is Steelheart; the Liberator with probably the most majestic power stance ever! Facing them are five Bloodreavers in suitably fanatical poses, and they are exquisite!
Each model also comes with a fully moulded base, and everything is push fit, meaning it's a perfect product to rip open and get playing straight away. Of course, thats not to say that these models aren't incredibly sculpted. Already, some of the faster, more talented painters in the community are posting their finished models to social media, and there is no shortage of jaw-dropping paint jobs, from traditional gold to non-metallic-metal armour.
There is also an Ironskull's Boyz and a Sepulchral Guard war band in the near future, giving Destruction and Death some love. If the rulebook is anything to go off, we'll also be seeing a Fyreslayer, Skaven (yes!) Blood Warrior-based and Stormcast Hunter-based war band in the pipeline.
The more I think about Shadespire, the more impressive this product becomes. It's a great plug & play game, where Games Workshop could release a new war band or two periodically, and completely change the dynamic of the game. Not only that, but the war bands are all at that perfect size for us Hobby Butterflies to crush one out and finish it in its entirety before the next shiny piece of glass catches our undivided attention. They're all essentially character packs, allowing the creative team to stretch their legs and create a set of models based around a theme that could otherwise never support an entire Battletome in the main game.
And just when you think it couldn't top itself, the Warhammer Community website dropped Matched Play war scrolls and profiles for the war bands currently available, setting a really positive pretence for the rest of the war bands to come!
If this game turns out to be everything we're expecting it to be, I have the feeling that we may be on the brink of a brand new realm of competitive table top gaming. I'm about to assemble and prime my own set, and as soon as they are painted, I'll be posting a Arena Report (or three!).
Are you getting into Shadespire? What war band will be holding your banner aloft?
As always, thanks for reading.
Gabe
Sunday, 22 October 2017
Sunday, 15 October 2017
#105: Time waits for no man...
Time.
One of the least forgiving factors when it comes to games of Age of Sigmar. Whether it's tactical decisions, moving a hundred and fifty models or rolling dozens and dozens of dice complete with re-rolls, triggers and extra abilities, this can all take time. And while in a casual environment, it's probably not an issue, if it's in the setting of a tournament where there is allocated window of time to fit your game in with your opponent, it can be disastrous.
Some games, time just gets away from both of you, and that's sometimes how the chips fall. But, what I want to focus on in this evening's post is the dilemma that we as gamers sometimes come across where one player grinds the game to a snails pace and either results in claiming an unfair portion of the time allowed, or worse, runs the clock down, costing either them or their opponent the opportunity to stretch their army's legs and claim a convincing win. While some armies win games in the first two turns with dominant alpha strike or precise movement tricks, other armies depend on the long game, setting up for a powerful end-game play or simply win by attrition (which usually, by definition, takes time), and it's a shame when those armies are robbed by Father Time of the chance to work how they are meant to.
This was my biggest concern with my recent foray into the exciting, whacky, and admittedly numerous forces of the Skaven. My 2000 point Pestilens list contains no less than 120 infantry, with more dice modifiers and re-rolls than you can poke a stick at, as well as an in-depth hero phase, and my biggest concern was that I'd be short-changing my opponent purely based on everything that I had to fit into my turn.
Time management during your game is something that I believe every player should give consideration thought to, regardless of what army they play. If you're playing elite Stormcast or Beastclaw Raiders, you will have potentially very fast turns, and time management may not even be an issue as your game turns will be lucky to push ten minutes. That's not to say that low-model-count armies are immune to slow play, but they definitely have factors in their favour.
The true challenge of time management at tournaments lies primarily with players who have chosen armies that don't naturally lend themselves to fast play. Whether it's rolling the sheer volume of dice that Kunnin' Rukks need to be operating at their full potential, or moving rank upon rank (upon rank) of masses of infantry, every army has its strengths that can be accentuated. But sometimes those strengths on the table can be a weakness in time management as well. But we are a resourceful lot, and there's not many challenges that a gamer can't overcome in order to field a powerful army that they connect with and enjoy playing.
So, when I decided to take Pestilens on their maiden outing to a tournament (great idea, right?), I was so worried about being a slow player. But I had one tool that I would recommend to any player entering a battle with an intricate army; a cheat sheet.
My cheat sheet is broken into phases and has dot points to remind me of every trigger, once-per-game ability, or buff that was relevant to that phase. Whether it's remembering that my Verminlord has a shooting attack or that the Plague Monk unit champions carry a Book of Woes that can potentially kick out a handful of mortal wounds if used well, it means that simply by working my way quickly through a list, my army operates at full potential, taking advantage of every little percentage of power, without having to flick back and forth through a book or the app checking scrolls.
I also have a chart on the back that includes every unit with quick references to their movement, bravery, saves (or lack thereof) as well as their weapon profiles. This means that I barely need to even look in the Battletome or the App during my game.
The simple matter of the fact is that some armies take longer to play than others, based purely on their play style and army construction. And that is something to keep in mind when playing your game. Games are a social contract, and while players have a responsibility to play in a timely manner, there is a lot to be said for the sportsmanship of players who use elite, fast-playing army that give lenience and grace to players that perhaps need a little more time.
This is a challenge that I'll continue to face as I continue to play Skaven, but I genuinely believe that with practice, knowledge of the army and a cheat sheet, any army can be played well within time constraints.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
One of the least forgiving factors when it comes to games of Age of Sigmar. Whether it's tactical decisions, moving a hundred and fifty models or rolling dozens and dozens of dice complete with re-rolls, triggers and extra abilities, this can all take time. And while in a casual environment, it's probably not an issue, if it's in the setting of a tournament where there is allocated window of time to fit your game in with your opponent, it can be disastrous.
Some games, time just gets away from both of you, and that's sometimes how the chips fall. But, what I want to focus on in this evening's post is the dilemma that we as gamers sometimes come across where one player grinds the game to a snails pace and either results in claiming an unfair portion of the time allowed, or worse, runs the clock down, costing either them or their opponent the opportunity to stretch their army's legs and claim a convincing win. While some armies win games in the first two turns with dominant alpha strike or precise movement tricks, other armies depend on the long game, setting up for a powerful end-game play or simply win by attrition (which usually, by definition, takes time), and it's a shame when those armies are robbed by Father Time of the chance to work how they are meant to.
This was my biggest concern with my recent foray into the exciting, whacky, and admittedly numerous forces of the Skaven. My 2000 point Pestilens list contains no less than 120 infantry, with more dice modifiers and re-rolls than you can poke a stick at, as well as an in-depth hero phase, and my biggest concern was that I'd be short-changing my opponent purely based on everything that I had to fit into my turn.
Time management during your game is something that I believe every player should give consideration thought to, regardless of what army they play. If you're playing elite Stormcast or Beastclaw Raiders, you will have potentially very fast turns, and time management may not even be an issue as your game turns will be lucky to push ten minutes. That's not to say that low-model-count armies are immune to slow play, but they definitely have factors in their favour.
The true challenge of time management at tournaments lies primarily with players who have chosen armies that don't naturally lend themselves to fast play. Whether it's rolling the sheer volume of dice that Kunnin' Rukks need to be operating at their full potential, or moving rank upon rank (upon rank) of masses of infantry, every army has its strengths that can be accentuated. But sometimes those strengths on the table can be a weakness in time management as well. But we are a resourceful lot, and there's not many challenges that a gamer can't overcome in order to field a powerful army that they connect with and enjoy playing.
So, when I decided to take Pestilens on their maiden outing to a tournament (great idea, right?), I was so worried about being a slow player. But I had one tool that I would recommend to any player entering a battle with an intricate army; a cheat sheet.
My cheat sheet is broken into phases and has dot points to remind me of every trigger, once-per-game ability, or buff that was relevant to that phase. Whether it's remembering that my Verminlord has a shooting attack or that the Plague Monk unit champions carry a Book of Woes that can potentially kick out a handful of mortal wounds if used well, it means that simply by working my way quickly through a list, my army operates at full potential, taking advantage of every little percentage of power, without having to flick back and forth through a book or the app checking scrolls.
I also have a chart on the back that includes every unit with quick references to their movement, bravery, saves (or lack thereof) as well as their weapon profiles. This means that I barely need to even look in the Battletome or the App during my game.
The simple matter of the fact is that some armies take longer to play than others, based purely on their play style and army construction. And that is something to keep in mind when playing your game. Games are a social contract, and while players have a responsibility to play in a timely manner, there is a lot to be said for the sportsmanship of players who use elite, fast-playing army that give lenience and grace to players that perhaps need a little more time.
This is a challenge that I'll continue to face as I continue to play Skaven, but I genuinely believe that with practice, knowledge of the army and a cheat sheet, any army can be played well within time constraints.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
Sunday, 8 October 2017
#104: Silver linings on billowing smoke...
Today's post is not a light-hearted one. It's a little bit more serious than usual, and is in a little bit of a different format for those reasons.
As some of you will know (if you're a Brisbane local, particularly), at the start of the week, the Warhammer Capalaba store was burnt to the ground. The fire gutted the entire tenancy, indiscriminately destroying everything inside, while also damaging adjoining small businesses.
It's never news that you want to wake up to, and several patrons of the store lost armies that were displayed in the cabinets. The full weight of the blow landed on the manager, Blake, however. Not only has his store been destroyed, but all of his gorgeous gaming tables and several of his armies (including the Skyfire-heavy army featured in the Game 1 Battle Report from BCGT) were reduced to ashes. He was understandably devastated by the news.
But this is where the silver lining began to shine through. Blake (and his partner in crime, Alistair from the Brisbane City store) have put blood, sweat and tears into contributing to the gaming community and nurturing a culture of sportsmanship and competition within their stores. It was all of this hard work that has resulting in an overwhelming response from the community. I've seen people opening their homes, offering tables and terrain to facilitate events and game nights, and altogether getting behind a member of our community that has been dealt a cruel hand. The local community, while all still feeling the loss of their spiritual gaming home, have picked up the slack and not missed a beat, organising themselves to adapt to this tragedy in the space of about three days. For a group of grizzled veterans and cunning generals, gamers have come out and shown a great deal of respect, support and compassion for a very well-respected member of our scene, and (without getting too warm and fuzzy), its been great to see!
Games Workshop has also not wasted time in finding him a different store to settle into while insurance and flow on effects play out.
Losing your store is a horrible thing to happen, and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy, but I have no doubt that Blake and the community will bounce back bigger and better than ever, gritting their teeth and refusing to let this defeat them. It's easy to fall into the trap of looking at the event through jaded eyes, but at the end of the day, this is less about stock and armies, models and terrain, as it is about real life people. Our community is not defined by a store or a location. It is the people. And the people are still here and still passionate about the hobby and the game, and not afraid to get alongside their mates.
I have no doubt that Blake will have no shortage of support, both in his professional and personal life following this disastrous event.
Gabe
As some of you will know (if you're a Brisbane local, particularly), at the start of the week, the Warhammer Capalaba store was burnt to the ground. The fire gutted the entire tenancy, indiscriminately destroying everything inside, while also damaging adjoining small businesses.
It's never news that you want to wake up to, and several patrons of the store lost armies that were displayed in the cabinets. The full weight of the blow landed on the manager, Blake, however. Not only has his store been destroyed, but all of his gorgeous gaming tables and several of his armies (including the Skyfire-heavy army featured in the Game 1 Battle Report from BCGT) were reduced to ashes. He was understandably devastated by the news.
But this is where the silver lining began to shine through. Blake (and his partner in crime, Alistair from the Brisbane City store) have put blood, sweat and tears into contributing to the gaming community and nurturing a culture of sportsmanship and competition within their stores. It was all of this hard work that has resulting in an overwhelming response from the community. I've seen people opening their homes, offering tables and terrain to facilitate events and game nights, and altogether getting behind a member of our community that has been dealt a cruel hand. The local community, while all still feeling the loss of their spiritual gaming home, have picked up the slack and not missed a beat, organising themselves to adapt to this tragedy in the space of about three days. For a group of grizzled veterans and cunning generals, gamers have come out and shown a great deal of respect, support and compassion for a very well-respected member of our scene, and (without getting too warm and fuzzy), its been great to see!
Games Workshop has also not wasted time in finding him a different store to settle into while insurance and flow on effects play out.
Losing your store is a horrible thing to happen, and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy, but I have no doubt that Blake and the community will bounce back bigger and better than ever, gritting their teeth and refusing to let this defeat them. It's easy to fall into the trap of looking at the event through jaded eyes, but at the end of the day, this is less about stock and armies, models and terrain, as it is about real life people. Our community is not defined by a store or a location. It is the people. And the people are still here and still passionate about the hobby and the game, and not afraid to get alongside their mates.
I have no doubt that Blake will have no shortage of support, both in his professional and personal life following this disastrous event.
Gabe
Sunday, 1 October 2017
#103: Vectorium Assemble!
I'll admit, since the release of General's Handbook 2017, it's been hard to motivate myself to work on 40k content; not because 8th Edition is bad, but that Age of Sigmar is just so good!
But if one army was going to do it, it was gonna be Death Guard.
I'd always intended to build a Death Guard army, and was meticulously working my way through all the models from Dark Imperium, but in the time between Dark Imperium's release and the eventual Death Guard range hitting the shelves, my attention span (which, for those of you who have been following my hobby journey for any length of time will know, is not a force to be reckoned with by any stretch) led me in other directions.
But then I received a casual invite by a group of local gamers to join a slow-grow army building challenge. And if there is one aspect of the hobby I can't resist, its army builders! The challenge of hitting those incremental goals that culminates in finishing the process with a fully painted army is incredibly satisfying. It was also not going to be at a breakneck speed, which is great for me, as it allows me to chip away at the army at a pace that still allows me to enjoy the process, because for me, painting models is very enjoyable. In the frantic madness and mayhem of work, life and parenthood, those times where I can sit at my desk, put on a podcast or tv show and just slow down, really help me to wind down at the end of a hectic day.
The choice for me was simple. It was always going to be Death Guard! With new models hitting the shelves week after week, it was a no-brainer for me.
One thing that caught me a little off-guard, and was at first a little awkward, was the use of Power Levels instead of traditional points. The organisers of the army builder had chosen this for a variety of reasons. The Builder was not going to be a power-gaming, points-scraping win at all costs process, and so the simplified army building process naturally leant itself better toward what they wanted to achieve. It also meant that each incremental jump was easier to plan. Stages would be in 25 Power Level chunks, which isn't actually very much, especially in the context of Death Guard, a traditionally low-model-count elite army. The first 25 points would be pretty flexible, but at 50 Power Levels, the army must be Battle Forged. There would be a gaming element introduced once we hit Battle Forged at 50PL. There were no rules around using models in my army that had already been painted, so that would further assist me, having already painted a handful of models. With the structure of the challenge laid out before me, and a shiny new codex in hand, I wasted no time in planning out my first two stages.
First thing's first, I needed to settle on the Warlord. I decided to go with a Nurgle Daemon Prince, as not only is he tough as nails (made tougher by the Plate), he also gives me some psychic support, a really useful aura, and combat abilities that give me a healthy amount of punch should he make it to the front line. To make sure that he didn't end up with a smoking crater where his body used to be, I also included three Deathshrouds! I've just finished assembling these bodyguards and they… are… HUGE! They stand head and shoulders over most other models in the range! This gave me two seriously intimidating combat threats, but I'd need more than four models to win games. So, having spent almost 20 Power Points already, I focused on creating a tough, defensive element in my army.
The first stop was two units of seven Plague Marines, one kitted out with Blight Launchers, the other with Plasma Guns. This gave me some reach and mid-range fire power to be able to damage elements that are either terrifying in combat or will end up pinning down my combat elements in less than ideal situations.
Being well aware that Death Guard draws their strength from combinations and layering buffs over buffs, I chose to add a Blight Hauler and a Foul Blightspawn. The Hauler not only gives me some long-ranged anti tank shooting, but essentially acts as mobile cover for my Plague Marines, bumping their already respectable save up to a 2+. It also happens to be one of my favourite models in the new range! The Blightspawn was a unit I really hadn't given much attention to until an impulse purchase resulted in him joining my collection. His ranged weapon (albeit short ranged) is incredibly powerful, but his real strength comes from his stench, which cripples the offensive capabilities of oncoming assaults. These two would form the core of my Nurgle Apple, allowing all fourteen Plague Marines to benefit from both auras, and creating a tough-as-nails moving fire base.
I think that this formation will be the foundation of the entire army in later stages. I fully intend to add another two Haulers to increase the area covered by their cover aura, but also to add to the potential and reliability of the unit! And I'm sure there will be a few more Plague Marines added to the fold!
Has 8th Edition inspired you to start a new army? or build upon an existing one?
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
But if one army was going to do it, it was gonna be Death Guard.
I'd always intended to build a Death Guard army, and was meticulously working my way through all the models from Dark Imperium, but in the time between Dark Imperium's release and the eventual Death Guard range hitting the shelves, my attention span (which, for those of you who have been following my hobby journey for any length of time will know, is not a force to be reckoned with by any stretch) led me in other directions.
But then I received a casual invite by a group of local gamers to join a slow-grow army building challenge. And if there is one aspect of the hobby I can't resist, its army builders! The challenge of hitting those incremental goals that culminates in finishing the process with a fully painted army is incredibly satisfying. It was also not going to be at a breakneck speed, which is great for me, as it allows me to chip away at the army at a pace that still allows me to enjoy the process, because for me, painting models is very enjoyable. In the frantic madness and mayhem of work, life and parenthood, those times where I can sit at my desk, put on a podcast or tv show and just slow down, really help me to wind down at the end of a hectic day.
The choice for me was simple. It was always going to be Death Guard! With new models hitting the shelves week after week, it was a no-brainer for me.
One thing that caught me a little off-guard, and was at first a little awkward, was the use of Power Levels instead of traditional points. The organisers of the army builder had chosen this for a variety of reasons. The Builder was not going to be a power-gaming, points-scraping win at all costs process, and so the simplified army building process naturally leant itself better toward what they wanted to achieve. It also meant that each incremental jump was easier to plan. Stages would be in 25 Power Level chunks, which isn't actually very much, especially in the context of Death Guard, a traditionally low-model-count elite army. The first 25 points would be pretty flexible, but at 50 Power Levels, the army must be Battle Forged. There would be a gaming element introduced once we hit Battle Forged at 50PL. There were no rules around using models in my army that had already been painted, so that would further assist me, having already painted a handful of models. With the structure of the challenge laid out before me, and a shiny new codex in hand, I wasted no time in planning out my first two stages.
First thing's first, I needed to settle on the Warlord. I decided to go with a Nurgle Daemon Prince, as not only is he tough as nails (made tougher by the Plate), he also gives me some psychic support, a really useful aura, and combat abilities that give me a healthy amount of punch should he make it to the front line. To make sure that he didn't end up with a smoking crater where his body used to be, I also included three Deathshrouds! I've just finished assembling these bodyguards and they… are… HUGE! They stand head and shoulders over most other models in the range! This gave me two seriously intimidating combat threats, but I'd need more than four models to win games. So, having spent almost 20 Power Points already, I focused on creating a tough, defensive element in my army.
The first stop was two units of seven Plague Marines, one kitted out with Blight Launchers, the other with Plasma Guns. This gave me some reach and mid-range fire power to be able to damage elements that are either terrifying in combat or will end up pinning down my combat elements in less than ideal situations.
Being well aware that Death Guard draws their strength from combinations and layering buffs over buffs, I chose to add a Blight Hauler and a Foul Blightspawn. The Hauler not only gives me some long-ranged anti tank shooting, but essentially acts as mobile cover for my Plague Marines, bumping their already respectable save up to a 2+. It also happens to be one of my favourite models in the new range! The Blightspawn was a unit I really hadn't given much attention to until an impulse purchase resulted in him joining my collection. His ranged weapon (albeit short ranged) is incredibly powerful, but his real strength comes from his stench, which cripples the offensive capabilities of oncoming assaults. These two would form the core of my Nurgle Apple, allowing all fourteen Plague Marines to benefit from both auras, and creating a tough-as-nails moving fire base.
I think that this formation will be the foundation of the entire army in later stages. I fully intend to add another two Haulers to increase the area covered by their cover aura, but also to add to the potential and reliability of the unit! And I'm sure there will be a few more Plague Marines added to the fold!
Has 8th Edition inspired you to start a new army? or build upon an existing one?
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)