Battle Royale: We're men now..

Today was the day! Ahknas and I had our first ever 1000 point battle!

Ahknas could not take it for another day without that 1000 point battle, because he has been thinking about it for years! So today our dream became reality! Bitter reality...

I had lot's of fun thinking of the insane combo's that might be possible with 2 casters. Luckily the choice was already made easier by Ahknas and Sunflowers as they gave me epic Kaya (and a woldwatcher) for my birthday a while ago! (Thank you again! Sunflowers painted Kaya, and Ahknas Laris)

After drooling over lightning tendrils + against the odds, Regrowth + Brutality + Ravagers or Wolf Riders, Family pack WW-SPAM with Krueger and Baldur, I finally decided to choose Kromac simply because I never played him before and an area of effect with stealth and no spells sounded too cool not to try :)

My list ended up like this:
Kaya the Moonhunter
Kromac the Ravenous
Megalith( It's a 1000 points so why not?)
Pureblood Warpwolf (Tried him out a while ago and I just love Ferocity!)
Woldwatcher(Have to test my new mini!)
Woldwyrd(Arcane killer is just too awesome, especially since Ahknas likes Arcane shield :) )
Gnarlhorn Satyr
Blackclad Wayfarer(for the teleport tactic)
Sentry Stone( It's sole purpose in every game: Annoyance)
Shifting Stones x2 (For the teleport and as a nice charge blocking wall)
Tharn Ravagers(5)(with the Shaman) I think I always field these guys, Love the fluff!
Tharn White Mane
Wolf Riders(4)

From my memory I'll reproduce Ahknas' list:
Epic Stryker( Mr. I love Ilmater-ritual and become a melee powerhouse)
Nemo (Gotta love a 5 Focus Centurion, and some extra focus because you can..)
Squire
Ol'Rowdy
Lancer x2 (Lantern goodness)
Centurion (Mr. Muscle)
Storm Lancers(4)
Major Katherine Laddermore
Black 13th (Cheese trio)
Ayana&Holt(Always annoying)
Gorman di Wulfe
Rhupert Carvolo(Warbards rock!)
Journeyman Warcaster 2x(for when about 16 focus a turn isn't enough, let's just up it to 22 :P)

First things first: Sorry about the lack of battle pictures! I was too excited about the game, that I simply forgot!

A short summary goes like this:

I win the start-roll, I choose to start. After a bit of choas planning on my side we finally start. I pretty much run towards him and cast Mist Walker. Ahknas advances his army and kills a few of my guys. (Shabby positioning on my side) Then I see a small opening... and I see an old geezer. So I decide to have my assassination run with Laris and get in there with a Brutality-Kaya. With only a few focus on him, this was going to be easy...

*Chooo choooo* The Fail Train is coming! I rolled extremely crappy and I think I didn't even get him halfway.. It didn't take Ahknas long to kill Kaya afterwards. Luckily my honour was saved a bit, because I could get a charge in on Stryker with the Megalith:8 damage on the sucker. Not the best result but considering 18 def and 24 arm, acceptable. Afterwards Stryker pummels the Megalith like a madman! Mr. Lith was hurt bad, but Ahknas called in all the other forces he could gather to shoot at the Megalith, but the Fail Train had arrived at Ahknas now, missing a lot attacks/no damage. The next turn I regenerated the Megalith and killed Stryker, but by then the Game was already played. Ahknas has won our first 1000 point battle!

I was thinking the battle over later on though, and I forgot that Kaya had besides the Against the odds (+2) bonus also the Brutality bonus of +2 MAT. I think that would have made the difference between winning and losing. But oh well, I should pay more attention to what I'm doing!

All in all, it was a nice game, too bad the game was decided when the Train arrived. But it was still fun to see a different game mechanic with 2 casters, and I'm happy I got my maximum distance assassination attempt :)

Doc. Killingsworth vs. Doc. Ahknas

I finally graduated last Friday. It's been a roller coaster ride ever since. A magnificent rain filled party ushered me into the grown-up world of the working man. I had already started working as a doctor a few weeks ago. But now everybody calls me doctor. It has made me realize that I really enjoyed studying medicine but working as a doctor is way more awesome. As a tribute and a much deserved gift to myself I bought Doc Killingsworth.


Love his bedside manner.......

Prayers have been heard! I hope..

Hey guys,

You guys have all seen it on the PP site most likely. Yep, it's true there are plans for a videogame!

I don't understand PP though, they promote a grand surprise on August 14th. Okay fine, I get a little excited what it could be; silly thoughts like a new Hordes faction go through my head. A computer game! Awesome, even though the spoiler movies earlier this year made it only a half surprise. But still I'm loving the idea!

But I pity the guys who went to the grand presentation. I didn't had the "uhh"-counter on but it was pretty extreme. I have never been to GenCon before, but I expect a good presentation of your grand announcement. You go there and you know what you want to say and how you're going to. This was just an interview with 3 guys of the gamers industry. If you want people to go nuts, show them a in game movie at the end. We already saw one earlier this year! Only a snippet of a teaser trailer would do! Usually PP are hype-masters, but this time it was a bit disappointing.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea and I want to know everything about it! Hooray for computer games, but I hope they upgrade their marketing tactics next time! When we know a bit more, except for "fast paced tactical action game", I'll share my ideas on what the game should have.

Preparing for the Benelux Masters

I have had trouble getting my self to paint lately. My new job has made me realize that I spent an awful lot of time on warmachine. Not that, that is a bad thing.... I did however decide to concentrate my warmachine efforts on the upcoming masters tournament starting on the 31th of October. It is a 2 day event with the first day consisting of 4 games of 500 pnts and the second day only 3 games of 750 pnts.
I have already decided upon my final list for the 500pnts matches. Caine has been my most reliable caster killer and his def 17 often forgives me my mistakes. Last tournament I managed to win 2 out 3 games and accumulated most vp's. The match I lost was pure bad luck combined with overconfidence. In practice games I have been undefeated. Not that it matters much. I am just really fond of current Caine list.
art by 101louise


The list is really simple:

Caine
Stormlances x 5
Major Kate
Black 13
Aiyana + Holt
Ogrunun Bokur x 2
Journeyman

How I play this list:
I start of the match by casting arcane shield on the Stormlances. That will ensure that my opponent is busy trying to kill armor 20 cavalry. Black 13 pick out solo's or big targets for the chain attack. The ogrun are often my go to guys to slam stuff or just pulverize big things. Meanwhile Aiyana and holt drive people crazy with their 19 def (I love invisibility) and cast harm/mageblight when the opportunity arrives. Caine just stays out of trouble picking of solo's and small models before flashing back to safety.

The list is of course really cheesy. No warjacks, mostly auto-includes (journeyman, black14, A+H) and is pretty difficult to defend against. Caine does not mind if his army dies and will just wait for a cast kill opportunity. I will however have trouble with vlad and goreshade. I am thinking about a second list. But for now its fine like this.

The first day of the masters will see my Caine hopefully kick ass. Unfortunately I have no idea what to field for 750pnts. I have really only failed at that point level. Maybe tomorrow will bring me some new ideas.

Back from the dead

So, I went on vacation. Visited Poland and stayed a short weekend in Prague on the way back to Holland. My pal Kirdamo was nice enough to look after my blog. Awesome posts and I hope he will continue to write stuff for the blog. I will probably have to nag a bit more but I can always hope...

Now, back to business. When I left 3 weeks ago on vacation, the store I play at had a small group of regular warmachine players. This Friday however when I came back the scene had totally transformed. I counted at least 8 new players. This makes me totally excited of what is to come the next few months. I love playing new armies and can't wait to play some battles against less seen factions.

Me = Happy

Dirt, Dictators and Death

Time for a little different kind of game: roleplaying games!

Last year I said to myself: "It's okay to throw all the birthday money into RP books!" and so I did. Now I am the lucky and proud owner of all the Iron Kingdoms RP books! I've been scanning through all the books, but I have never actually played in the IK setting. But still I love it, and here's why!

About 8 years ago I was playing some shooters on the pc and my all-time favorite was and is Counterstrike. One round, One life! No respawns, no kamikaze, fighting for your life(and money) ! And that's exactly what I love about IK. When you die, you die. (Thanks for the biology lesson, Drago) Normally in the D&D games, you can always get resurrected, but in the IK there is no mercy. If you act stupid or simply face a foe too strong, you die. Only in a very rare case you can convince the priests to retrieve the soul from the afterlife, but this can have dire consequences for both the victim as the priest!

This is completely in line with the grim and harsh life the peopl life in Immoren. There's a war going on so there is no time for festivities! There is no such thing as a safe spot. If you don't come across a Khador patrol, then you'll find a infernalist sect. There is so much going on that you have endless possibilities for adventures.

The books contain a lot of background information. A lot about religion of course as it shapes the setting for about 40%. So you get to know more about Morrow and Menoth. But Dhunia and Thamar are also represented. They also spend a lot of attention to their world view, about the calender and the different moons. Being a scientist student, I couldn't help but drool at the science part. Of course it's a lot of work to actively track the moon positions during a campaign, but at least they give you the chance now. You also get a view at the every day life behind a world of waging war every day, with the labor jacks and mining jacks.

I could go on for ages, but I'll spare you guys! I just love the cold grim setting, nothing is for free and your days are numbered. It makes you feel content when you actually achieve something, and hey when you die afterwards at least you died as a hero! And your new character can be a secret admirer of your old character, which helps shape your own world within IK.

But one word of advice: Don't go in the woods! You never know who you might run into!

Artwork by Matt Howerter

Miss Freeze vs. The Rock

Today I played a nice friendly game against a friend in the crappy-but-will-have-to-do-game-store. I was pretty excited about playing against him again. He's fairly new to the game, but a wargaming veteran and knows the rules probably better than me. My idea was to have a throwing slamming mayhem and usually I always throw in my tharn ravagers, but I figured they would be silly without a White mane killing something(not enough points) so I decided to go with the Druids. Ahknas every now and then "subtly" hints that I should get them because he thinks/knows they are awesome, so why not check them out?

I wanted to make a brick of the following:
Baldur
Gnarlhorn Satyr
2 Shadowhorn Satyrs (Proxied with Wolfriders)
Druids and Overseer Buddy(Proxied by Bloodtrackers and a Wayfarer)
Feralgeist (Proxied by a fearsome Mannikin)

With a nice healing/anti magic crew, and the warbeasts would slam and throw the warjacks all over the place, of course they would all be chilling in Baldurs private grove of coolness. Almost like the cave at the Playboy Mansion, except for the aggressive slam and throwing etc.

We both got our armies out on the table. Still smiling both, until he mentioned he had the same army as last time.. I forgot about it, but this was his list:

Sorscha and her doggie.
Destroyer
Beast-09
Man-O-War Demolition Corps
Widowmakers
Greylord Ternion

Ahknas told me stories about the Beast so I was very careful coming near to him, and I remembered that the Widowmakers were also a force to fear. Sorscha.. well.. Untouchable and fear had a baby and called her Sorscha.

Anyway I won the roll and started the first round, completely not thinking about my "tactic" I misplaced my druids. Since it was a friendly match anyhow I don't really care, and I just tried to make the best of it.


Nothing really special going on in the first round. I marked the druids for a quick and clear overview. I always hate it when I have to look for models where they are and what is happening, hopefully you like neon-green!

I ran the Druids into the forest because I wanted to push them all around, and at least they'd be safe in the forest. I cast the Love Grove next to the big rock to have a nice wall in front of me. Sorscha simply advanced a bit and cast some cloud effects on her beloved Demo corps.

Round 2:
I advanced a bit further. Ran my shadowhorn towards the healing squad. Walked the Gnarlhorn in the new Love grove a little bit further awaiting what Miss Freeze is going to do. Hopefully come closer so I can throw things at her and get her knocked down!

She got close alright! She ran all the way down with her dog to peek at my behind! I forgot about the great speed of Sorscha, but now she was so close to me and the Gnarlhorn and so far from the Beast and Destroyer that I had to go for the kill! Beast-09 charged my shadowhorn knocking out his spirit and mind. I was hoping for the coolness of the failed charge attack. But no, after the kind words "Just have to throw high then!"(hopefully successfully translated) those dice fell on the table are hard as I've ever heard. In slow-motion I saw the dice slowly choose their sides.. Double 6's. Critically freezed.

Round 3:
I moved a bit back and hoped to knock Sorscha down with earth spikes targeted on her doggie. I misread it a bit, but the conclusion was that it failed anyhow. I couldn't resist going in with the Gnarlhorn, knowing it would be his death sentence with the Man-O-War in his back. I killed the doggy first, for all kinds of bonuses he gives. Then with my immaculate knowledge of the rules I wanted to instantly throw Sorscha away, instead of hitting her first... Plan failed: Big time. So now my Gnarlhorn way standing there, just trying to tap Sorscha on the shoulder. This calls for the feat, because I don't want to end up in the stationary void!

Healing squad did their job on the frozen shadowhorn. And the other shadowhorn came to the rescue and threw the Beast away. Shadowhorns got to stick together, you know!

We made a little mistake here with Sorscha here, because we let her charge without having LoS. It was cool though to see her having a go at hitting and then wind rushing out of there, ending her movement just as close as she started to Baldur.

Round 4:
I decided Baldur had to regroup with my beasties so I could throw something at her, preferably my own warbeast with Earth's Blessing so there can be immediate Sorscha bashing. I'd also set up for the forest teleport for complete safety.

The Shadowhorns took care of the Beast. (I sure showed him! I countered his Double 6's with double 1's. He was shaking in fear of the 1 1) Afte bering fully healed by the druids.

Sorscha windrushed, advanced, popped her feat and did some damage with a spell. I was doomed, next turn I tried to save Baldur from more spells with the druids, but all Baldur needed was a nice hard hit in the back of his head in the Love Grove. So remember guys, watch out when you're in the Playboy Cave alone, because you never know who pops up!









Sorscha artwork by: nutmaeg