Spaming Spam with a side of SPAM.

So have you seen this article on BOLS yet?

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2010/07/goatboy-40k-spamming-with-side-of-spam.html

Did anybody else read this article from Goatboy and go "WTF?" The article basically was a cry to the power gaming community to stop spamming (using the same unit over and over and over again to gain a powerful advantage over your opponent) as it is no fun for you opponent. Wait, this did come from the BOLS guys right? The same guys who as soon as they break a codex throw up army list after army list on how to use this broken list on their blog? The same guys that year after year find a way to break and take advantage of the Gladiator and Tournaments at Adepticon and win thousands of dollars in prizes, right? The same guys who not only published the Leafblower list, but included an instruction book on how to use this list? These same guys who SCREAM spam and cheese are now telling us how "not fun" it is for the opponent to face one of their UBER Killy you do not have a chance to be me lists? Seriously! No kidding! Really, I didn't know that Leafblowers and Razorback SPAM was no fun to play against.

Now, I have no problem with this. Really, personally I feel that spamming and uber power gaming lists really takes away from the fun of the game, for both players. I really feel that if, IF I believed in comp, I would comp armies like this out of the game. Now, I do not believe this. And I feel that I just need to play better to beat these lists, and that it is only a matter of time before a counter to these power lists are found, more then likely by the BOLS guys, and leafblowers will go the way of the Nob Biker. The problem I have is the source of a fast majority of the power gaming lists, tactics, and strategies is now telling everyone, don't do as we do, it's no fun.

So what are they trying to say. "Yeah, we play this way and will play this way at every tournament we play in, and we will crush you, your friends, your dog and your dreams of ever winning and win this without much challenge, post and brag about how we did it on our blog, but don't you do it. It's no fun." So are they getting sick of losing to their own cheesy tactics? Or army lists? Or do they want to soften up the competition so that they can continue to crush everybody? What?

I love the guys over at BOLS, I really do. And here is a friendly piece of advice for you guys: If you want the cheese and spam to stop, STOP FRIGGIN' PRINTING AND USING IT and BRAGGING ABOUT HOW TO USE IT! Yes, Power lists will pop up on Dakka, or Warseer, but no one there is publishing an article on arguably the biggest 40K website in the world that includes details instructions on how to use the list. Say like this Leafblower article:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2009/09/40k-ard-boys-armylist-leafblower.html

Take some responsibility for what you put out there. If you want cheese and spam to stop, try printing articles on how to beat the cheese. Find the flaws in the Leafblower and razorback Spam lists and publish that. Use you power for good, not to spread more evil!

I would love for Darkwynn to write the "How to Dismantle the Leafblower" article right on BOLS

Or Fritz to write the "How to Kill the Jetbike Seer Council lsit" Article

Or GoatBoy to Write "How to Kill Spacegoats"

But they never do. They tell you all about these killy lists and are now complaining that they have become so popular?

Ok, rant over.

New Segment: This Week in 40K Podcasting

So over the last few months I have been watching my Google Analytics for this blog and it would appear that the posts I do that receive the most hits and largest reader interest are those that refer to podcasts. 40K Radio mostly, but podcasts none the less. Funny huh?

So, then it occurred to me that there really isn't a comprehensive site out there that reports on the news, reviews or goings on in the podcast world. A site where you can go to hear some reviews of the shows, analysis, comments, or just plain reporting on what is out there.

So my readers have spoken and I am answering. Starting this week, Fridays (more or less) will be my "This Week in 40K Podcasting: segment here I list what podcasts I have listened to, my thoughts on those podcast, reviews, news in the 40K Podcast world, and contest reports.

So I have to get my butt in gear and listen to some podcasts! I am looking to you, the readers to tell me about podcasts I have not heard of yet and give them a try. Right now my criteria is 40K only. I know that there are a few casts out there the do war gaming, with 40K being in the mix. For now I am going to not review them at this time. But podcast like Dice Like Thunder, 11th Company, The Independent Characters, The WarBanner, Imperial Vox Cast, 40K Warcasting are my main focus. Got another gem of a podcast out there you want reviewed... drop me a line and I'll start listening and reporting!

So, here's to the Podcasts and off with the reviews!

Thanks Guys!

Riding the Cheese Wagon...

Alright, so admit it. At some point in every Codex Space Marine player's life they look at the other chapters and say, "I wish I could do that." They look at their Space Wolves or Blood Angles brothers and say, "Why can you have 5-Man squads with Melta guns in Razorback and I can't?" The look at 'Dev' Squads that can split fire with multiple Missile Launchers any say, "Hey, that's not fair"

And if you are lucky and decided to go with your own Space Marine Chapter and not a 'Codex' chapter, who is to say which Space Marine Chapter your army is a founding from... this week.

So I am at that point with my Codex Marines. So on Thursday night after debuting my Eldar on the gaming table and crushing my buddy Sean in a kill point mission to only get my skinny Eldar but handed to me in a Capture and Control mission, we did what we always do. We sat around after the games were done and shoot the bull about 40K. We talked rules, tactics, and what we could have done differently.

At some point though, he asked me if I was ever going to get back to my Marines. I started my Marines for a starter army to teach my boys how to play the game. Occasionally I get board with Tyranids and I would break out the Marines just for fun. So they have been sitting on the shelf looking at me wantingly to be painted and played. Now, I have no plans to give up my Eldar, I really want to have 1850 points built, painted, and play-tested for Adepticon this year. But I always have my next project in mind as I am working on the current one. This is why my 'Nids are only 10% painted.

But I was think about getting back to Marines after the Eldar are done, and I wanted to make a Blood Angels list. So my friend Sean was the first to offer up, "You know if you run you're own chapter you could be Blood Angels today and Space Wolves tomorrow and Codex Marines on Monday."

This brought a smile to my face. He's right! For the most part, A Rhino is a Rhino, Vindicator is a Vindicator, a Marine a Marine. Now each codex, BA and Wolves, have some units unique to them, but with some filing and a new paint job I really could make a Marine Army that could Go between Codex, BA, and Wolves. So I am going to do it!

I am going to Start my own Chapter, the Lightning Legion, who Started off as Codex marines when they lost a big part of their forces in a great battle with the Necrons. Along came two other successor chapters to the Blood Angels and Space Wolves to help out and they too also took brutal loses in the battle. Commanders killed, chapter masters mortally wounded. It was a mess. In order to win the battle and the war versus the Necrons, these three weakened chapters decided to combine their forces on the battle field and fight side by side, like a single chapter. This brave plan worked, the they were able to defeat the Necrons, together as one chapter. When the war was over, they had grown so accustomed to each other the the new command structure, they decided to stay a combined chapter. Hence, The Lightning Legion was born.

Game play-wise, you'd pick a codex for that game or tournament, but I plan to paint up this army and start interchanging which codex I am using.

I will report my progress here and show some of the custom models that will have to come from this so that I can have Thunderwolf cavalry next to models on the shelf with wings.

So, is this Cheese? Let me know gang!

Scott and Phil.... Together Again!

So I have been breaking my butt at work and have been getting behind on my podcasts, I admit it. I usually hit the big ones on my list first, Dice Like Thunder, 11th Company, and the Independent Characters and Imperial Vox Cast are first on my list. But, I love my man Philip Johnson and I always check from time to time to see if the WarBanner had released a new postcast. now, I know Phil. I have spoken to him and I knew that his family had been ill over the last few months. But things on the home front are better now for him and he released a new podcast this week. With special guest, Scott Steva!

After a fast email email to my man, your man, the man Phil, it turns out that Scott might be a regular feature tot he WarBanner Podcast.

Good, Great, AWESOME! As you all know I am a Philip Fanboy, and a close second is the Sheriff of 40K, Scott. To have these two guys back together is just Epic. I can even say just having Scott there has increased the quality of the content of the Warbanner.

This is great news!

LeBron James and 40K Radio moving to Flordia!

So the rumor mills have been running pretty strong about the deceased 40k Radio podcast lately and it looks like some sort of confirmation has finally come from their friends of this blog and members of their own forums.

According to sources close to 40K Radio, Romeo from Battlefoam has indeed purchased principle rights to the 40K Radio podcast show. Spencer will still have some ownership of the show (and profit sharing as well I am sure). In the lull between the show dying and being resurrected, 40K Radio has offered all of its paying members an additional 90 days to their Freebootaz forum.

Structure of the show is still in debate and I find it hard to believe that 40K radio will not turn into a full time commercial for Battlefoam. A lot of the hard core fans of the show had complained on how much of the show's content had been commercials and it looks like that will not change. "All Battlefoam, All the time"

But who will host this new 40K Radio you ask? As I reported weeks ago when this happened, 40K radio is moving to Florida, with some basketball guy named LeBron James as it turns out, and will be hosted by George Miller and his crew. No previous hosts will appear on the show. Although rumors are abound that Spencer is moving to Florida and still might be an on air presence on the show.

No indication has been given if 40K Radio will still be the name of the show, but sources believe that a name change is also forthcoming.

In the end I guess this is a good thing. George Miller is a good guy, and his crew has some pretty decent knowledge of the game. I am curious as to how the show will perform now under ownership of a company, and not a bunch of guys just shooting the breeze about 40K.

I personally will miss Scott. He had become the reason I enjoined 40K Radio and this whole mess leading up to his leaving the show and causing all of this makes me sick.

But, we will be watching, or listening, and see what will become from that little podcast from Erie.

Eldar Building Project

So I have been 40K-less for almost a month now. I got to play the week before the family vacation to San Fransisco. But the week leading up to the vacation was all prep work for this massive trip. I am really upset that I did not find this great new podcast called "The Independent Characters" (http://theindependentcharacters.com/blog/) which is based out of San Fransisco that I could have visited and played while I was there.

But, vacation was awesome, we had a great time, and came home. The week after was really recovery, as jet lack sucks as an adult, but the kids took it really hard. So I did not get any hobby or gaming done that week as I was just too beat. Then, my wife went to San Diego for a conference for work and I was at home with three boys all week. No hobby - No Gaming

We come home to find out that we have a small gas leak in one of our vehicles and we needed to get that taken care of as soon as possible, which sucked up my regular gaming night of Tuesday nights. NO GAMING!!!! However, the three day 4th of July weekend did give me the chance to get some hobby done.

So with a great three day weekend, I decided to go ahead and break the rule I had established with myself and started building my Eldar army. I only own at this time about 1,000 Points of Eldar and I thought it would be fun just to get them together. The next thing I knew, I had an old school Falcon built, a unit of Fire Dragons stripped, a unit of Rangers stripped, a Wave Serpent built, a ten man Dire Avenger Squad built, a Farseer built, and the new Fire Prism built all in two nights! Yea Hobby!

But now that I am staring at these freshly built models, I want to play them. So shoot me. I plan to take out the Eldar tonight and play a game or two with the unpainted Eldar. Now, I want to paint these, but with the blistering heat wave and high humidity we have been having in western PA this week, I did not want to chance spray paint to model. Trust me, they will be painted before I built any more models. I will buy more, just not build them. I want this army to be fully painted at 1850.

However, next week looks better weather-wise and I'll be priming and painting.

I plan to film at least one of the battles tonight and throwing it up on the YouTube page. I'll let you know what I learn tonight. I expect to get my butt kicked pretty well, as my gaming group has no idea how to take it easy on a vet player starting a new player. Got I love them!

Tyranid FAQ Released!

Finally, FINALLY, the Tyranid FAQ has been released for Codex Tyranids and I have to say it is by far one of the best, most straight forward FAQs I have ever read from GW. ***Applause all around for doing something right*** No ambitious rulings, no shaky or contradicting findings, simple "If this happens does this happen Questions" with a solid Yes or No answers. Now while I might disagree with a few things in here, it at least answers almost all of those crazy questions that came up when this codex launch

Some of the High Points of this FAQ as I saw it:

1) Tyranids with multiple CC Weapons do get the benefit of both of them at the same time, so Yes, lash Whip and Bone Sword are used simultaneously and work together. Duh.

2) Multiple Hive Commander Abilities DO NOT Stack! So no 2+ to Reservers from running two stock tyrants. Also, no two more outflanking troop choices either. Thus, no real reason to run two basic Tyrants.

3) Yes, even though the Main Rulebook says so, and I have no idea why this was ever in question, having Wings do permit the unit to deepstrike. DUH for those how said it didn't!

4) And a big Surprise here, Hive Guard who fall into Instinctive Behavior can not fire at things they do not have LOS of, despite the fact their gun can. Ok, I can live with that.

5) Yes the Mawloc can choose to Deep Strike onto a point occupied by an enemy model and blow them all to hell. This makes the model just a bit cooler.

6) I do not get this one at all, of all of the rulings here, this one makes the least amount of sense to me. If a Tyranid unit takes a Mycetic Spore, can it choose
to deploy normally whilst the empty Mycetic Spore deep strikes on its own? The shocking answer... No? NO! Why not? But Drop Pods and Rhinos and every other dedicated transport can? Ok... whatever. Bad call... but I'll live with it.

and of course, how could I go without commenting on this one:

7) DOOM is nerfed!!! Or clarified if you will. Yes you do get a cover save from the woundd his life leech ability inflicts and No, it does not effect units in transports! Ok, two comments. Cover saves from a special ability that does not draw LOS or targets a specific unit??? I disagree but this is how I have been playing it so no big deal. Second, I never really bought into the idea that it effected units in transports. So really wishful thinking by some power gammers if you ask me. For starters, the main rulebook states that psychic powers do not effect units in transports so to me this is a no-brainer. Too many problems would come up if it did. Like does the unit have to take a moral check if they take 25% and if they flee, where to the flee to?

Does this lessen the unit... I don't think so. Most civilized players have been playing it this way anyway.

Overall... great FAQ! Good job GW!