GAME OVER

If you pay much attention to Privateer Press, you’re probably familiar with their tradition of previewing upcoming models via concept art. It’s something they’ve been doing since the run-up to the original WARMACHINE: Prime, and I’ve always dug the way it points back to the company’s roots as the brainchild of a couple game industry artists. Also, having an amateur’s artistic bent, it’s nice to see the way these minis are planned out visually, giving a look at what visuals a creator had in mind before shipping it off to a sculptor in order to see it realized in 3-D.

The problem with concept art, tho, is that it’s sometimes too good – or, at least, better than the miniature that comes out on the other end. It’s understandable. Sculptors interpret concepts their own way, and often bring a lot to final product, but there’s times where I see a brilliant drawing and wonder just how it became a less-than-impressive physical object. In the case of WARMACHINE (look, PP does the caps, it just feels appropriate), the first real case of this, for me, was the Hunter. Read the rest of this entry »

D’you know what I find interesting?

Everyone who commented here said swapping factions might be worth a go. Everyone who commented on TWF took it as read that I’d be sticking with my Cryx and offered advice for such. I don’t know what, if anything, that signifies, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

However, given that I’ve had the drabs for eighteen out of the thirty months I’ve been doing this blog thing for, a change is probably a good as a rest. Most of the Cryx are now resident with Mr Bandwagon, and his Mercs and Skorne (formerly known as my Skorne) are now with me. This state of affairs will continue until Live And Let Fly in three months’ time, and if neither of us hates the way things have turned out, will become permanent.

Here are a few lists I’m considering trying out. Still quite fond of Morghoul,for playability reasons as well as for all this. I had conveniently forgotten that I got a load of Mark I cards with these originally, never had one for Hexeris and had been subsisting on printouts from the starter set for all my battle box stuff. Will have to look into that.

System: Hordes
Faction: Morghoul – Big Game Hunters
Casters: 1/1
Points: 35/35
Tiers: 4
Master Tormentor Morghoul (*7pts)
* Cyclops Brute (5pts)
* Cyclops Savage (5pts)
* Titan Gladiator (7pts)
* Titan Gladiator (7pts)
Cataphract Arcuarii (Leader and 3 Grunts) (6pts)
Cataphract Arcuarii (Leader and 3 Grunts) (6pts)
Paingiver Beast Handlers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Paingiver Beast Handlers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Bloodrunner Master Tormentor (2pts)

System: Hordes
Faction: Skorne
Casters: 1/1
Points: 35/35
Lord Tyrant Hexeris (*6pts)
* Cyclops Brute (5pts)
* Cyclops Savage (5pts)
* Titan Gladiator (8pts)
* Titan Gladiator (8pts)
Cataphract Arcuarii (Leader and 5 Grunts) (9pts)
Paingiver Beast Handlers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Agonizer (2pts)
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor (2pts)

Still messing about with the Mercs; I have the bits for most of these lists, though, so I’m likely to give them a try. Why not?

Also, you’ll doubtless have noticed that there’s a second author ’round these parts. Y’see, I am disconcertingly busy at this time of year anyway, even when I’m not moving house, and I would ideally like to remain disconcertingly busy (because that tends to mean that life is being lived, rent is being paid and fun is being had) after I’ve moved. It’s all part of the ‘less blogging about things, more DOING THINGS’ endeavour, you see.

However, I do want to keep the blog active and regular, like the bowels of a healthy elephant, rather than scatty and infrequent as it was in the early days. Lexington, bless him, has very kindly (with the minimum of devious manipulations on my part, and a poke from a moderately sharp stick at worst) agreed to join me for the duration, and will be taking over every third post to transmit his deviant thoughts and fancies down your word-reading organs.

Shiny: The merits of euthanising your Cryx force? Let’s see. There are, as I assume you have already noted, the matter of freeing up space and a possible conversion into money for your use.

Then there are other considerations, for which I will need additional context. I know you are occasionally given to frustration with Warmachine. Is it that you are quitting the game, or are you abandoning the Cryx for something you find easier to use?

Von: Abandoning them and taking up the Skorne again.

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“Oh, it’s you. Where the hell have you lot been? I could have done with you last week, y’know…”

“We’ve been to SmogCon, Von! Mr. Bandwagon took us to see the world!”

“My models get to go to more events than I do. *sigh* At least tell me you won him some games or something.”

“Well, he did take us for Goreshade’s feat, so…”

I may have given the impression that I am somewhat down in the dumps as regards Warmachine at the moment. Part of that is that there have been a few  rough months where even the £5 to get to the Darklords after work and have some sort of pre-club evening meal has been beyond my pocket, and part of it is that without regular practice, I’m becoming frankly terrible at the game, to the point where I can’t enjoy being beaten (by a skilled opponent) because I’m too busy losing (to my own inadequacies).

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In the comments to this I Do Not Play 40K post, Rob at Warhammer 39,999 asked me a Question.

Have you given any thought as to whether your interest is finally waning (And perhaps you’re “done” with warmachine), or maybe it’s just a slightly longer than normal cycle?

I’ve definitely been giving it thought, if only because there’s so much Warmachine stuff and it’s making packing for the house move inefficient, plus so much of it is just collecting dust. Now, the following post is me putting those thoughts down into words and thinking aloud. It may not be organised, it may not be logical, it may not even be correct. Please bear that in mind.

Read the rest of this entry »