Selling Up and Moving on?

Dear Readers,

There's a moment when you can't help but feel that there is a slow and inexorable decline in your gaming desire.  I think I'm (sadly) there with 40k.  For me, it's codex creep that's finally put the nail in the coffin.  I've stuck it out as codex after codex is released.  I've stuck out the poor codeci and seen the rebirth of the Guard, Tyranid and the CSM codex - but really, nothing has changed.

I've a 'flavour of the month' army, oh great, how long will that last.

I'm not dropping it completely, but I have the desire to 'thin out' my enormous amount of models to a more manageable amount.  I have 4 pretty huge armies in 40k and right now I'd quite like to ease up space for showcasing my Flames of War units and getting back into painting.

I stopped painting a while back as my eyesight had degraded and I hadn't realised.  Glasses are in now, painting is back in - but no room.

So what do I do?  Do I store up the models I have for the 10 years ahead when my boys and girl might be interested?  Do I sell a selection, or a couple of armies?  How do you go about selling armies on ebay, by unit, altogether?  Do I sell them now (the Tyranids are ready), or do I wait until Nids are worth having again?  Will the units even be relevant in 10 years time?

Life is moving on, and as a father of three with a business to run - thinning down on plastic tanks would ease space, clear the decks and also stop the bunch of stupid plastic models in the corner giving me a guilt trip about not playing with my toys (believe me, I have REAL things to feel guilty about without 40k plastic-crack wading in!)...

Advice please,

Suneokun

Chaos Space Marines are well ... chaotic?

 Just busy digesting the new codex for the last week.  It's a cracking read I must say, and some of the notions within it are certainly exciting.  The urge to take a Disc riding chaos lord with a sigil, mark of tzeentch (for a 3++) and give him a Black Mace to do the dirty to the backfield is almost overwhelming ... however, my impressions (in a Sean Connery voice):

Defilers:  I always liked them, now they are shit hot.  4 hull points with a battlecannon, healing hull points on a 5+, and 5++ Deamon save, fleet - what's not to like?  Seems odd that they bought out these new awesome models and made the defiler even better?  Is it a landraider - nope, but it beats the crap out of the "new" dreadnought.  Oh, and if 5 powerfist attacks on the charge aren't enough, it can also have a 'power scourge', you don't even have to hit 'with it', just any unit in base to base with a model with a power scourge automatically has D3 taken off their WS every phase .  Oh and just checking the rules, a walker can move and fire ALL its weapons - so I'm thinking an reaper autocannon, Havoc launcher, combi-melta and battlecannon isn't overkill, is it?

Deamon Prince: Never bought one as I didn't like the model and THANK GOD FOR THAT.  They just took the 'must have' HQ choice and turned him into a joke.  He is an MC with 4 wounds, a 3+/5++ tops ... yeah, my trygons were tough like that too.

Revised HQ's: Ok so the new HQ's don't have eternal warrior spam like the smurf one's, but they have tactical options to make you pause.  For my money the top three are:  Abaddon, a 2+,4++ close combat monster of death with knobs on, Ahriman for all round spellcaster evil powerhouse.  Finally Typhus is a hardcore model with solid stats and fantastic upgrade options (Deathguard plus Zombies, what's not to like?)  Huron wins runner up as 'budget' option for his guaranteed 'infiltrate' roll, good stats, quality toolkit and 'random' magic.

Mutilators and Oblivitators - oh my: Oblits are even better, 2+, 5++ with a Tzeentch boost option (4++) makes them particularly sweet.  Add in a 5 point discount on the last codex, the inclusion of ASSAULT CANNON on their slow and purposeful asses.  Luckily S&P has become better (ish), it no longer requires 2D6 movement tests, but does mean you can't run or fire overwatch, which is a shame.  You can move normally and pump peeps full of S6 AP4 rending shots - which makes any imperial guard player worry over a deepstriking oblit team mincing his heavy weapons teams.  3points extra for for a 2+,4++ 2W deep striking swiss army knife - bargain!

Terminators:  Anyone else noticed that Terminators can now take EITHER a cool close combat weapon OR a cool combi weapon?  Yeah, that sucks doesn't it.  To add insult to injury, they are 5 points cheaper for 2 dudes and a chump, but you can only take 1 chump (you can't upgrade them all to champions, for obvious boon confusicrapness) and the chump has identical stats - ie: ONLY 2 attacks anyhow.  This means the end of I5, 5 attacks on the charge lightning claw'd monsters - rubbish.  Still useful, but this combo will make them second choice.

Chaos Space Marines:  These guys are cheap, at 75pts for 5 including a champion.  This is a brilliant drop from the 90pts in the previous codex.  That said, just like normal tactical squads, you don't get the pistol and knife combo (really tactical squads can't have knives, how cash-strapped is the imperium?) but the good news is that you can upgrade your boys for 2pts per fella to get a knife and that 'essential' additional attack in close combat.  At base level that's 140 versus 170 for 10 vanilla marines, although you will miss combat squads/tactics and ATSHNF rules.  Unlike vanilla, you can choose to take 2 meltas in the same squad and 200pts for 10 marines in a dirging rhino ain't bad.

Chaos Cultists: Yep, they are what we've been waiting for.  They're the grease beneath the wheels of Dawn of War and they're pitiful cries (whilst building/fighting/dying) are what makes the chaos player sing.  The combo of hardcore marines and fodder is a tempting one.  If you throw in MR T in green and make them all zombies (FOR FREE?!?), with fearless and FNP - Ummm suddenly those like me with huge Imperial Guard armies and a selection of zombies are laughing.  165pts for a 35 man 'blob' with 3 flamers?  Errr ... yes please.  My Alpha Legion styled army are licking their lips already.

Raptors:  Looks like my 5 man raptor team is being decommissioned as they are now completely pointless.  Even the Chaos Spawn (which is better value than a Deamon Prince), can potentially charge 30" - eeek!  Raptors can move 12" and then charge.  Less impressive.  This is set against Chaos Bikers who get Jink (5+ cover save if moved), +1T, Hammer of Wrath and Relentless (making plasmaguns awesome).  Warptalons are equally 'meh', as the price is more than a plague marine?!?

Heldrake: The other reason why Raptors are so last year, there's a bloody great dragon on board.  It can vector strike (which means D3+1 automatic hits at S7, AP3 - on vehicle side armour) ... ignoring the hades autocannon (4 S8 AP4 pinning), this beasty should definitely have the torrent baleflamer.  It an AP3 soul blaze template at strength 6 - specifically designed to turn tactical squads into glue.  170pts and it can regrow it's hull points... OMFG.

Havocs:  If the previous explanation wasn't enough, Havocs can now kit out missile launcher, which have flakk skyfire rounds.  Not quite the Heldrake, but for taking down those pesky flyers - essential.

So what would I take?

• Huron BlackHeart - (160)
• Plague Marines (7) - Powerfist, 2 plasmaguns, Mutation, Rhino, Dirge Caster (273)
• Terminators (5) - 2 Lightning Claws, Chainfist and combi-bolter, Heavy flamer and powerfist, combi-melta and power weapon - (265)
• Chaos Space Marines (10) - 2 x melta and powerfist, Rhino, dirge caster (225)
• Chaos Space Marine (10) - 2 x melta and power weapon, Rhino, dirge caster (215)
• Chaos Cultists (35) - 3 flamers (165)
• Chaos Bikers (3) - 2 meltaguns and combi melta and a power weapon (115)
• Obliterators (2) - Mark of Tzeentch (156)
• Defiler - Power Scourge, Reaper Autocannon, Havoc launcher, dirge caster and combi-melta (252pts)
• Havocs (5) - 4 Missile Launchers with Flakk (175)

Total: 2001 pts

The Heldrake would be interchangeable with the Havocs.  I've only left out the heldrake as I already have the list above.

Infantry Guard Army: Snipers and Mortars and Allies, oh my!

I was inspired by an excellent tactical review at "From the Fang" to dust off the codeci yesterday and have a new look at my Imperial Guard Army.  I have to say, I haven't written an army list in over a year now (for 40k anyway) and thanks to 6th Edition, all my standard references are up the swanny!  But that's the same for everyone.


Reading online, there seems a lot of heat about several key meta areas in 40k now!

• Flyers as vehicles
• Flying Monstrous Creatures
• Infantry over tanks
• Value of Snipers and Blasts
• Characters are awesomesauce
• The value of glancing

I'm very largely in favour of most of the changes in 6th Edition, lets face the facts, I'd stopped playing as 40k had become very stale compared to other games systems, and it wasn't just me.  The majority of games at the local club were made up of Hordes, Warmachine, Flames of War and even Infinity!

Foot Guard - are they better?

So what are my thoughts, well this list is based around what I've already got, a a few 'wishlister' based on the meta.  Overall I think my foot-centric guard force has really won out in 6th.  Let's look at my 'staples' and chew the fat!

Ratling Snipers - These little guys are now awesome, they are still super squishy, but a BS4 camo'd sniper - wicked.  Sniper doesn't just grant 'rending' on a 6 to wound, but on a 6 to hit you get to choose which model in the enemy unit you're shooting.  Not so good against Characters (including powerfist Sergeants) thanks to the 'look out sir' generic rule, but awesome against those pesky models holding flamers, plasma, missile launchers and the like.  I've got twelve, so 2x6 ratlings?

Vehicles - On the face of it, hull points have made vehicles more durable, but in reality they pop easier.  Every glancing AND penetrating hit will take a hull point, which means that 4 autocannons with bring it down can guarantee a rhino stops dead (completely ignoring the penetration rolls).  This is GREAT news for Guard!  While the +1 for AP2 Lascannons and Plasma on the penetration chart is welcome, rate of fire seems the best guarantee of glancing a vehicle to death ... And between the Chimeras, the Hydra's and the Autocannons ... we got it!

Mortars - I've always been a huge fan of mortars in guard forces, I think they are a key force multiplier, hitting and hurting a little bit every turn.  I have 15 mortar bases in total and love to field them.  The new rules are really kind to mortars.  Since pre-measuring is now in, there no more worries about being 'just' out of range.  The key to this is that the wound allocation is now directional, with the direction dictated from the centre of the blast.  Indirect fire and 48" range means that I only need to 'hit' with 6 hits to guarantee the death of that meltagunner, or 2 hits to start mincing those Ork dakkaguns (sounds a lot, I've got 15 shots!) ... I'm used to whittling down units to the powerfist and the special weapons expert ... looks like it'll be a boltgunner from now on!

Challenges - Now, this is less of a bonus, but still a very effective stalling tactic.  You can (I think ) call a challenge in the charge, this means that the Rough Riders sergeant (With I5) can 'call out' the Space Marine hero at I6, thus guaranteeing that more of his disposable brethren get their pointy stick into the enemies pointy beaks!  It also works well for the Imperial Guard blob, inhibiting the super ninja character from dishing the death mongering from YOUR player turn and allowing you to apply those power weapons (or sheer weight of numbers) onto his bodyguard.  It'll probably do nothing more than slow them down ... but that's the point isn't it?

Flying Vehicles - I like the Vendetta, it's awesome.  I just don't own one, 6th edition AND the snap fire rule makes Vendettas the 'must have' vehicle for delivering death to the enemy.  4 meltas in a vendetta is an evil combo and will attract a lot of heat, luckily that heat will need a 6 to hit and blast weapons can't snap fire.  So their problems are largely over.  Nice.

Flying Monstrous Creatures - Urkk, Tyranids that fly just got a huge bonus.  Something tells me they want to sell stuff with wings?!?  For my money the best bonus for a guard army is to have some Chaos Space Marine allies.  A few deathguard are never a bad investment, and If I happen to bring along some nurgle bikers (true T6! and jink!), plus my Obliterators and a Deamon Prince with wings and a magic spell for 160pts - bargain!

Now, as you can see from above, none of this is actually that expensive.  The Allies total 660, which still leaves me plenty for the following:

• Company Command Sq: Autocannon, 3 sniper rifles  (75)
• 6 Ratlings (60)
• 6 Ratlings (60)
• Platoon Command Squad: 4 meltas (70)
• Squad 1: Autocannon (60)
• Squad 2: Autocannon (60)
• Squad 3: Autocannon plus Commissar (95)
• 5 Heavy Weapons Teams, Mortars (300)
• Veterans Squad, 3 melta (100)
• 2 x Vendetta (260)
• Deamon Prince, Wings, Magic, Nurgle (160)
• 5 Plague Marines, Powerfist and 2 Plasmaguns (185)
• 3 Bikers, 2 melta (119)
• 2 Obliterators (150)

Total: 1754 pts.

Maybe a Hydra would be better than the Obliterators, but with three flying things, I should be troublesome enough??  What's your thoughts?

Twenty Questions

Thanks to Drax for the heads up!  

Posties' Rejects 20 Questions

Favourite Wargaming Period, and Why?

1990? Advanced Space Crusade, Confrontation and Rogue Trader saga's.  They weren't wargames, took forever, but they were fun.

Next Period, money no object?

Money no problem, I hear that Duxford and Bovington have 1:1 scale WW2 wargaming materials, I'm sure Flames would scale up fairly effectively?

Favourite five films?

Blade Runner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Die Hard
Moulin Rouge
Singing in the Rain

Favourite five TV series?

Band of Brothers 
Dune (the SciFi version)
Firefly
True Blood (Season One)

Game of Thrones


Favourite book and author?
Top Five please...

China Mieville (City and the City)
Peter F. Hamilton (All of his books are awesome)
Joe Abercrombie (Best Served Cold)
Steven Erikson (Toll the Hounds)
Martin (Game of Thrones)

Greatest General? Can't count yourself!
Montgomery

Favourite Wargame rules?

Flames of War

Favourite Sport and Team?

Team GB In the fecking Olympics ... because that's a real sport!

If you had a one-use-only time machine, when and where would you go?

Back to Japan, and without the 18yo hang ups I'd have ruled.

Fantasy relationship and why?

Split between Jennifer Connelly (in Labyrinth) and Samantha Mathis (getting topless in Pump up the volume).  Always liked my 'spunky' brunette girls.

If your life were a movie, who would play you?

Sean Bean ... as he would have a particularly tragic and yet meaningful/hilarious way to go at the end.

Last meal on Death Row?

Fish finger sandwich, mayo.

Favourite comic book superhero?

Batman, there no one cooler?

Favourite military quote?

"Truck, what truck?" (sorry couldn't resist)

Historical destination to visit?

Monte Cassino

Biggest Wargaming regret?

None yet...

Favourite fantasy job?

My job ... no really!

Favourite song top 5?
Son of a preacher man - Dusty Springfield
The One - U2
Yes to beer, no to booty -
Eastbound and Down - Smoky and the Bandit
Cosmic Girl - JK

Favourite Wargaming moment?
FIghting Mark's foot guard to a standstill, he fought like a trooper and nearly drew against hellhounds!

The Miserable Git Question: what upsets you?



Lying. Especially people who lie to themselves and then present it as 'the truth'.