Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Hobby Project – Bases


As part of my interest in improving my soft scores, I have decided to rebase my models.  I’ve actually been working on this for the last few months.  The first step was to figure out what I wanted to do.  I decided to go with the classic underground look.  One of my club mates has developed quite the still with base and terrain construction and after a little bribing he agreed to help me.  The first thing I did was to find examples of what I wanted.  The Bases I used can be found HERE.

I picked up a few copies and provided them to my friend.  After a few weeks of effort, my friend produced for me masters in various sizes from which we made rubber molds.

It has been a gradual effort in making copies.  My collection has gotten quite large and I only have one mold for each set.  In addition, I left the molds at my friend’s house and because of two very busy schedules it was not often that we got together for me to pour more.  Now though, I have taken the molds home in the hopes of speeding up the pace.  Currently, I figure I need up to 15 more pours of some of the sizes in order for me to have enough to replace my collection.

My friend and I met a week or so ago, and this time I picked up the molds and took them home with me.  I hope to be able to squeeze in a faster pour effort than I have been able to put in the last six months.  By count I’ve already produced over 250 bases with just over 400 remaining.  After that, I get to decide on a painting scheme.  I’m hoping that I will be able to take full advantage of an airbrush at least for the basing and washing.

I need to get my ass back into gear on the modeling as well.  I only have the occasional events scheduled for the rest of the year, so I fear that those posts will be insufficient to keep this blog busy.  If the Dark Elves do get a new book, and the changes are more substantial than the Lizardman book’s changes were then maybe I will get me in a good chunk of other games.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

August Fantasy Contest of Champions – Preparation


Since at the last CoC I played a Rat Ogre hoard with Thrott the Unclean, I decided that this CoC I would play around with the other Clan that allows for a modified army construction.  I give you, PLAUGE!

Lord Skrolk

Plague Priest, Plague Furnace, Flail, Level 2, Warplock Pistol, Scyring Stone, Poisoned Attacks, Potion of Foolhardiness, dragon bane gem
Plague Priest, Flail, Dispel Scroll, Opal Amulet
Plague Priest, Flail, Potion of Strength, Scepter of Stability

30 Plague Monks, Full Command, Plague Banner
30 Plague Monks, Full Command
40 Slaves, shields, musician
40 Slaves, shields, musician

14 Plague Censer Bearers
14 Plague Censer Bearers
10 Plague Censer Bearers, champion

5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster

Once again, like my Clan Mouldor this, I expect to get my butt kicked hard.  Its -6 comp because of the very little magic items, but a 470 point, way overpriced, special character eats up my entire freebie magic items (500 points).

I haven’t decided if I will put all the characters into the monks and make a 1300+ point bunker or if I will spread them out in the censer bearers and give the units a little more oomph.  Based on their size though (they max out their movement trays), it is doubtful.

The plan?  Why to slam super expensive plague censer bearers into units that will just be steadfast.  Why?  I think the better question is, why not?

If I hit a unit in the front, 5 wide, the unit of 14 will put out 28 attacks at strength 5.  Of course, those 21 attacks assume that I don’t lose any guys, which is unlikely.  Odds are that I will lose 3 guys, and only kill 2-3.  So say I have 11 guys to attack.  That leaves 25 attacks at strength 5.  ¾ will hit thanks to lovely hatred and a good chuck wound.  If I’m lucky I will do 15 wounds (unless they have good armor).  So a unit of may lose its steadfast, but anything else and I’m screwed.  I will have to actually fight with the slaves to make it work – haha, so screwed.  There is probably a better way to construct this style of army but a few days before is not the time to figure it out.  Also, I have composition issues holding me back (which is why I don’t just have 1 large unit of plague monks).

You know in the movies how sometimes you see something completely awesome or horrible happen and then it turns out to be a dream… well, that’s what happened here.  Basically, I wrote the list and the breakdown, went home to discover that I don’t actually have 34 painted plague censure bearers.  I only have 21.  Seems the rest are still set aside, bits and stuff, ready for assembly as a long forgotten project.  Oops.

So back up list.  I first considered taking my Celesticon list, but then a -14 composition score had me reconsidering.  So I dug out my QCR list and played around with it a little.  Here is a -4 comp list (-2 for Hydra and -2 for Pendant of Khaeleth).

Supreme Sorceress, General, Dark Pegasus, Level 4, Lore of Death, Lifetaker, Pendant of Khaeleth

Sorceress, Dark Pegasus, Level 2, Lore of Metal, Dispel Scroll
Master, BSB, Dark Pegasus, Heavy Armor, Sea Dragon Cloak, Repeater Crossbow, Black Dragon Egg, Charmed Shield

6 Dark Riders, full command, repeater crossbows
6 Dark Riders, musician, standard, repeater crossbows
6 Dark Riders, musician, standard, repeater crossbows
6 Dark Riders, musician, standard, repeater crossbows
5 Harpies
5 Harpies

9 Shades
9 Shades

Hydra
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower

Assassin, Rending Stars, Manbane
Assassin, Rending Stars, Manbane

Basically, I just shaved some points in the core by dropping a dark rider unit and adding a champion to one unit to pull out the points.  Also had to drop the +1 spell on Level 4 and lance on caster.  I look forward to seeing how those subtle changes work out.

Friday, August 23, 2013

More coming!

After taking off 2 weeks with no games played and no hobby done I am going to make an effort to get back into gear. I have spent some time gearing up a new backlog so hopefully I will be able to keep some things going. I will look at what I have and what I have coming and may reassess my every other day to a every third day with in progress hobby posts inserted.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Sad Day

Seems Im through my battle report backlog. With 2 events in the last month cancelled, I guess I will need to step up my hobby to make sure I have something to update at least a few times a week. Stay tuned.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Quake City Rumble – The Eighth Edition Comparison


Here is a look at the last few years of my QCR attendance (I think I actually first attended in 2010 or 2009, but those were 7th – plus they don’t have all the standings up for them, just the winners):


Make up
Out of
2013
2012
2011
Place
33/104
52/104
91/93
Overall
battle+paint+sports+comp
203/223/223
145
153.5
132.5
General
battle+comp
130
93
95.5
72.5
Army
paint+comp
60
36
22.5
22.5
Battle
100
77
87
64
Paint
33
20
14
14
Sports
40/60/60
32
44
46
Comp
30
16
8.5
8.5

First, I find it interesting that they seemed to have dropped the value of the sports scores by a good margin.  So for better comparison, I’ve added a percentage of points:

 
2013
2012
2011
Place
33/104
52/104
91/93
Overall
71%
69%
65%
General
72%
73%
56%
Army
60%
38%
38%
Battle
77%
87%
64%
Paint
61%
42%
42%
Sports
80%
73%
77%
Comp
53%
28%
28%

First I got a favorite game (I think with my last round opponent), which is awesome.  I also got full sports on the check list.  The last 25% of the sports score is made up of favorite game votes at 5% per game.  That’s so much improved and I am very happy with it.  Based on my numbers the other years, it looks like I would have missed a few check boxes each time, probably in the “play again” section due to my list choices.

I find it interesting that in 2012 and 2011 I received the same composition score and paint scores.  It’s the difference in the battle score that sets the difference in my points and even then I only received a 4% increase in the overall category; despite the 23% increase in battle score.  This is what I saw last year, and I was so disappointed in my placement.  QCR is really about the soft scores over the battle scores, with battle making up less than half, though more in 2013 than in the previous two years.

Despite my lower battle score this year, I still outscored my 2012 overall score, by percentage and placement.  I defiantly know what I need to work on for next year – more soft scores!  I fear that this means I need to step up my paint over the next year even with the 19% increase (but this was the lesson of 2012 SAWS as well, where I only took 3rd place overall even with full battle).  Also in comp, though I suppose this one is less concerning as many people lose as well.  I would really like to get to at least the average of 8, and with that still be able to maintain my battle score.

So with a slight shrinkage4 in battle score, made up with by my increase in composition score, I basically scored the same in general as I did last time.  My plan of skimming below the clouds showed great merit, and I will have to think of how to improve upon it in an event with this much soft score points.  Gaming the system by becoming a nice guy… haha.

Anyone willing to walk me through adding those additional levels of highlights to my skummy models – skummy on purpose, they are rats and they live underground.

Also of note, was that in 2011 I brought 2 warlords, one with the fellblade and one with the wizard hat.  In 2012 I brought a much better list with my two tower unbreakable bullshit.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Quake City Rumble – Wrap-up

First, and it has to be said, this was by far and away the best tournament I have been to in bit (since waaaghpaca!), and the best QCR I’ve ever been to.  And the big change I think was my not caring.  My goal going in was to stay just below the clouds, and I think it worked well.  I didn’t go hard core for all the bonus points, taking small wins early which put me against larger wins but softer comps later on.  This gave me better games in general, and really much better match ups.  I think all of my games could have been big wins for me if I had been going for such (and the dice didn’t end up as they did in my two non-wins – damn that 1 peasant, fleeing less than 2 inches from the board edge and my failing to hit/wound on 2s general not killing 5 chameleon skinks with 12 shots and then letting them kill her.

But a blast.  I didn’t stay for final scores.  The 2012 QCR I thought I was doing hot, going 4-1 with huge wins and when I saw the final standings, putting me in the lower half I was just crushed and it basically ruined the weekend by leaving a bitter taste.  This time I left early (for this and another personal reason) and it really separated the final score reaction from my feelings for the weekend.  Last year I left not thinking I’d go back, this year I left looking forward to next year.  Great event.

In the end I placed 33.  If I that peasant had run off round 3 and in round 5 my general had managed to kill 5 measly skinks before dying (and therefore lived) I would have earned another 16 points, which would have put me 161 and tied for 6th (not thinking about how if I had won round 3 I would have played different people rounds 4 and 5).  So two small things for a big difference in score.  All in all happy.  I focused on my soft scores more where normally I focus just on battle.  I think it paid off.

And of course, here is my running overall record for 2013:

Dark Elves – 23w/8l/1d
Ogres – 2w/3l/0d
Skaven – 3w/4w/1d

Singles – 19w/11l/1d
Doubles – 8w/3l/0d

Overall – 28w/15l/2d

Monday, August 5, 2013

Quake City Rumble – Round 5 – Jay Joye - Lizardman


The Mission: I Want it All
Deployment: Battleline

Special Rules: Generals Hate Each Other

Bonus Points: 1 point for killing general.  1 point for having more “character fortitude” with Lord=3, Hero=2 and Champ=1.  1 point for winning by >500 points.  1 point for having a unit in your opponent’s deployment zone.


The List:

Slann, General, BSB, Lore of Life, Focused Rumination, Becalming Cognition, Focus of Mystery, Book of Ashur

Saurus Scar Vet, Cold One, great weapon, dragon helm, dawnstone
Skink Priest, Level 2, Lore of Heavens, Plaque of Tepok

10 Skinks
10 Skinks
Jungle Swarm
Jungle Swarm
20 Saurus Warriors
19 Saurus Warriors
32 Skinks, 4 Kroxigor, musician

32 Temple Guard, full command
5 Chameleon Skinks

2 Salamanders

I think I typed this list mostly by memory.  Jay is a club mate of mine and has been playing basically the same exact list since the beginning of 8th edition.  He plays it really well.  I think the only reason he hasn’t gotten bored and shelved it is he has little else and he plays only rarely.  This is also basically the exact same list as last year’s QCR, where Jay scored a 5.  This year I believe he scored an 8, which shows that the expansion away from just Leadership 2 people doing composition scores added a little mellowness to the system; at least in this case.

For the mission we decided that assassins were hero level characters since they are not champions and are core.

For spells the Slann of course got all the lore of life, while the skink took iceshard, chain lightning and thunderbolt.
 
My metal wizard took searing doom and transformation of lead.  My death wizard took spirit leech, soul blight, doom and darkness, fate and purple sun – OMG and different spell list (well, sort of).

For deployment Jay lined up a saurus unit on the left, put the skink block and temple guard in the center and the skinks and other warrior unit on the right.  The priest, chameleons and salamanders took the back area.

My deployment was my standard break down with harpies towards center.  The shades both went on the left as I decided I wanted to focus on the skink/krox unit and the left saurus unit first.  My characters went center to try to focus on the slann and 3+ save temple guard.  The bolt throwers took the hill.  We rolled off and I got the first turn.




I moved up, staying out of charge range.  A 5/4 magic phase which includes him channeling twice and I once has my phase ending without much as I rolled enough 6s for my spell not to go off.  My shooting was horrible, only getting me 1 saurus warrior on the left, 1 chamaleon with my general, 5 off the two skink units (2/3) and 6 skinks off the large mixed unit.



For Jay’s first turn he moved up.  He also zips up his character.  A small 3/2 magic phase is the best for him, as he 2 dies all his spells with free dice, so that’s 3 spells with me only being able dispel once (and him still having +1 when comparing wizard levels).  I have to allow throne, and do because he doesn’t have the dice to try to force another spell with 6s (like dwellers).  I then dispel awakening and scroll flesh to stone on the large mixed unit.  I’m not really sure why I did this.  I wanted to be able to put the hurt on the unit early as I thought they were points I could get.  I probably should have been more conservative and just focused more on the left saurus warriors for a turn.  His shooting killed 1 harpy.



On my second turn I charge both a unit of dark riders and harpies into the mixed unit.  I lose one dark rider to the stand and shoot and two to the trees.  Once again, not really sure why I did this, I was exhausted.  I was hoping they would all die in combat, which is silly, but do some wounds on the way.  He was in the forest so he wouldn’t be steadfast should I have won, so maybe that was it.  It could also have been because my shooting was so horrible and I didn’t want him reforming and opening up with poison on my characters.  Who knows.  I also have a unit of harpies charge one of the right skink blocks.  I roll a 7/6 magic phase and once again do nothing as the lack of 6s leaves me unable to compete with his dispelling.  For shooting, I am once again very frustrated.  The knight makes 2 saves from the assassin, then one bolt thrower misses while the other rolls a 1 to wound.  I kill 6 warriors on the left and 3 skinks on the right.  IN combat I kill off the skinks and run them down, leaving my harpies toast in front of the warriors (who have reformed long last turn).  In the mixed unit combat, the skinks save 4 of 6 wounds from the harpies, and the dark riders kill 3.  The skinks then kill the harpies and the krox the dark riders.



Jay’s round 2 and the saurus warriors charge the shades on the left hill.  They take 4 more wounds on the stand and shoot but pass their panic.  He then fails 3 charges.  The rider doesn’t catch fleeing dark riders.  The mixed horde doesn’t get to the shades but loses 6 skinks to the stand and shoot and the swarm in the center fails to charge the rear of my general (so hard to see which way they are facing!).  The long unit on the right also charges the 3 harpies.  Another 3/2 magic phase (with throne still up) has me failing to dispel awakening the woods which kills a shasde.  He then fails to cast flesh to stone on the horde.  In shooting the salamander eats three skinks and the other misses.  My general takes 2 wounds from the chameleons.  1 harpy dies in the combat on the right and the other two escape.  The shades kill 2 saurus, the assassin kills 2 more and he kills enough to lose, but holds.



On my turn 3 the dark riders flank the salamanders.  The fleeing dark rider unit rallies and the harpies keep running a mighty 11.  I roll an 11/6 magic phase, remove his throne and then he dispels my purple sun with 8 dice… I roll 3 6s.  I figure if I had broken up the 8 dice into 3 spells he still would have dispelled them all.



My general kills 2 chameleons (so 6 shots, 3 dead so far).  His rider makes 3 saves from my assassin (rerolling 5s).  Both bolt throwers miss him.  I put a wound on his wizard with the unit I’ve snaked past on the left.  With the breath weapon from my BSB I kill 8 skinks and put 2 wounds on the krox.  In combat I kill off the saurus unit on the left.  My dark riders fail their fear test with the salamander, but still put 1 wound on the salamander and kill 2 skinks.  I then lose 1, he passes his break test but not his reform.



On Jay’s third turn his skink block flanks into the salamander combat.  He rolls a 5/3 magic phase and then rolls 2 1s on throne.  With the Slann done, the skink casts thunder bolt, but I dispel it.  The general saves his chameleon wound to stay on the table.  The skink block takes off the BSB’s charmed shield.  The dark riders do a wound to the salamanders and they get their butt kicked.



My turn 4 and another dark riders charge the salamanders in the rear.  The harpies keep running to the board edge.  I get a 7/4 magic phase, cast purple sun with 2 6’s, keeping it low enough for him to dispel my cast.  My BSB kills his skink priest.  The shades together take the mixed unit down to 1 skink and 3 krox.  The bolt thrower finally takes out the rider.  The only bolt thrower kills of the block skink unit that had flanked the dark riders.  My general only kills 1 chameleon (9 shots, 4 wounds).  The dark rider kills off the skink handlers and leaves 1 salamander.  I lose a dark rider and he holds and turns around.



Jay’s turn 4 and a swarm flanks the dark riders in combat with the salamander.  The krox unit charges the left shades, lose the last skink and a krox.  In then rules through my BSB taking a dangerous terrain wound.  An 11/7 magic phase and I brace for the pain.  I dispel the casting of throne as I don’t want a strong dwellers to take off an assassin.  I allow awakening on my general because he rolls really high and I don’t want to devote my dice.  She dies.  He then regrows the chameleons to full (I fail my dispel attempt).  He casts thorns the salamanders, which kills 3 dark riders.  He casts stone on the salamanders.  In combat my remaining dark riders do another wound to the salamander.  Jay flubs, but holds (banner+wound+musician>charge+flank).  The swarm takes a wound.



My turn 5 and the dark riders on the right charge the other swarm.  I lose 2 to the dangerous terrain but thankfully don’t panic.  The 2 harpies go on vacation.  A 5/3 magic phase has me 2 dice PoD with my metal wizard (7/3).  He attempts to roll 1 die to dispel my attempt but fails (I rolled only a 7 total, meaning he needed a 3).  I then dispel thorns and do a wound to the krox with searing doom.  IN shooting the krox makes 5 of 6 saves from the unit of shades but then the assassin cleans it up.  The bolt throwers together only kill 3 warriors from the incoming line.  I kill the swarm in combat on the right, leaving one guy.  In the center both the swarm, salamander and dark riders fail to wound, letting me win on musician and giving the swarm a second wound.

 
Jay’s turn 5 and the warrior line charges the bolt thrower.  A 6/4 magic phase has me allowing throne, allowing thorns (which kills the 2 dark riders) and has me dispelling awaking the woods.  The camis clean up the last dark rider from the swarm combat.  The warriors kill the bolt thrower.
In the end I was down just over 300 points.  I think I could have played better in this game.  I was exhausted and allowed early bad choices and dice rolls to further frustrate me and inhibit my play.  I think this is a game I should have won.  I just should have focused more on my metal magic, out of range of the slann instead of keep trying to pick the slann out to earn better magic phases in the future.  Despite its soft composition score of 8 this list was a much tougher nut for me (and I think overall) than the 4.5 lizardman list I played in round 4.  Jay is however a solid player and I feel no less for having lost to him.