What’s Up With 11th Edition?
The Internet is abuzz with interest in the latest edition of Warhammer 40k. I’d say the buzz is mostly positive. It’s not a full reboot, so that’s good. But there’s definitely a solid group of… I’ll say mature gamers that seem slightly sour about it. I don’t blame them. It’s more GW churn. They have to keep selling books and models. But it’s also a benchmark on the progression of time. Sure, sure, GW used to be less corporate. Yes, there was more whimsy in prior editions. Yes, it was more magical to you when you were a kid. It’s a tough realization that it’s magical to someone now, when looking at it through wizend eyes, it doesn’t look especially magical. But you liked it when you discovered it because that’s the way it was then. Same thing now. This is the way it is now, and people are just…
What’s on the Table?! / Game Review of Lost Relics
Warhammer Quest: Lost Relics! This was my first time getting Lost Relics on the table. I found it to be… OK? I played the first five adventures solo over the course of a few days. It didn’t feel nearly as “light” as some of the reviews said. I found myself constantly in the rulebook trying to grapple with surprisingly tricky and interconnected rules. I think a sizable portion of the community saying this game is too easy misses a subtle distinction in the rulebook: You can kill any minion with two attacks. Not any hostile, but any minion. Leaders are not minions and will take numerous attacks to kill. Some critical rules are presented as a textual logic tree with odd line, paragraph, and page breaks. I wish some rules were stated explicitly, rather than through inference: Some things are explicitly said, but easily overlooked or buried: I also have…
Cogfort Gargoylian
There’s a new little buddy in a gigantic kit. That’s right, the colossal Cogfort comes with a single gargoylian, pictured below (front & back). Am I happy about this? Yes. Should there have been more gargoylians? Also yes. I haven’t seen a picture of the gargoylian painted up but check out some great Cogfort conversions. Also, I’m not an Instagram kind of person, but take a look at this amazing pirate Cogfort by thekrackenshire.
In Memory of John Blanche
The genre defining artist John Blanche has passed away. His artistic influence can not be overstated.
Ral Partha and my unredeemed gift certificates
Gather ’round the fire younglings and I’ll tell ye a tale of ages gone by. In an ancient land there was once a magic school, with a magic building, where wizards from near and far gathered to share their magic and sorcerery every year. This gathering of minds no longer occurs, but the bounty from the past still glitters today. They’re more trophies than anything. Way back in 1994 and 1996 I won two small prizes in miniature painting competitions. I though quite a bit of my painting skills, and some of it is really quite decent, when compared to contemporary 90s style painting and minis. I’m almost a bit locked in there in my own head, though I’ve tried to branch out the paint style a bit. Back to the prizes! I still have in my possession two unredeemed (and expired) gift certificates for Ral Partha miniatures. Being a…
What’s on the Table?!
Cursed City: Gorslav Decapitation! We did a better job of sticking to the rules this time. It’s easier without the Ulfenwatch and all their layed buffs. We were trying to get to the philactries, but were waylaid in the first room. So we just wiped out all the hostiles and were super lucky on reinforcement rolls. By that time, Gorslav came to us, Morrvahl Olbrecht lit him up with his spells and Dagnai finished the job! Yes, we’re pretty much speed-running the quest. But we only get to play once a month (roughly) so I’m OK with it. Let’s ask Glaurio if everything went according to plan… Oh wait, he’s six-feet under (see the obelisk below)! I’m really appreciative of my gaming buddies. They’re the best. Fun night!
My gamespace. Game space. Games pace?
After a couple years of weekly hobby-blogging, I’m down to only four remaining ideas from the original brainstorming session. This is one of them. “Gamespace” like headspace, only gamey-er In my head, I’m still really into this stuff. I’m currently reading Callis & Toll. It’s OK so far, not bad, not amazing. It’s no Road of Skulls, but also far better than City of the Damned. I’d like to finish reading the 4th edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle rulebook, and the 10th edition 40k rulebook. I had a good reading stretch there when I was home sick and couldn’t do anything else in January, but the busyness has picked back up again. No clue why, but trying an army style game has some amount of appeal now, when it never has in the past. “Game Space” where the magic happens That saying isn’t just for MTV Cribs anymore! What’s MTV you…
Why everything and everyone are absolutely right and totally fine
Sometimes it’s hard to not sound like a grumpy old person. “Games used to be different back in my day”. OK, sure grandma/pa, sure they were. And they were. And it was fine. But they’re different now and that’s OK too. Older games were frequently tougher. Your characters died frequently. Maybe that was a hangover from back when people had to have a dozen children just so they could have one or two make it to the ripe old age of 30 before succumbing to old age. OK, so in-game perma-death is less frequent. What’s the big deal? What? Now the minis are too detailed? They’re spindle and breakable too? That’s a hill I might take my last stand on… But, the good news is that old minis are still largely available on the secondhand market, as well as old games. And, if you’re so inclined, there are some (not…
Why I think Warhammer Quest (1995) is one of the best games ever made
So much. The traveling, the settlement adventures, the heroes, the skills, the leveling up. There’s just so much! But I think the ability to have a Game Master-less experience that rivals a true RPG is what makes WHQ really shine. Warhammer Quest was intimidating Maps don’t have to be pre-generated to be interesting. Set up the boss fight somewhere near the end and you’re all set. It’s an added bonus that the objective room might not necessarily be the last card in the deck. It keeps you guessing, especially when you have multiple T-junctions. I think WHQ really holds up because the game can be what you want it to be: Plus, the system is big enough that you can play as big or small a game as you want, and you’re still playing WHQ. As much as it pains me to say it; my first love (HeroQuest) doesn’t have…
My Favorite Minis
All miniatures are pretty great, but some are greater than others. I really can’t start talking about my favorite minis without starting where it all began… Britains The classic toy soldiers are absolutely where my love for these little people started. A local specialty toy retailer stocked Britains and my brother and I spent lifetimes drooling over the catalogs and peering through the display cabinet glass. Debating about which figure to get. Cowboys? Soldiers? Knights? Space aliens???? Sadly, Britains have been gone for a while. But I still have most if not all of them. I’m pretty sure some mounted knights were lost to the ravages of childhood play. As much as that pains me a bit, that’s what they were designed to do. To be loved and potentially lost. These were the days that I pined for “Indian in the Cupboard” to be a true story. Playmobil The next…