Initial thoughts on Commander's Crucible in SR2014

So with the release of Steamroller 2014 we are introduced to a new format for Warmachine and Hordes games.  Enter "Commander's Crucible".  I have been trying to break down this format mentally in prep for playing it at TempleCon and for me this format feel very much like Mangled Metal with Icing on the cake.  You have a 20-25 pt battle group and then your icing aka your 15pt support.   Character restrictions aren't to bad unless your dealing with Character Jacks and or Character attachements.  

• Ret and Mercs will have to figure out which battle group most needs Sylys and Skorne will have to do the same for Marketh  
• I don't expect a huge amount of Khaor, Cryx and Minions as those faction players historically have had issues with running large amounts of jacks.  I still think the factions have three casters that can get the job done well, but it will be up to those players to find out which ones they like in order to do it.  Though I think the inclusion of the Withershadow Combine in every list in a format that will have alot of scrap piles laying around should make many Cryx players semi-happy.
• Other factions though will be able to do things like put a Janissa, Black Frost, Lord of Feast, Winterguard Deathstar, Errant/Piper/Book combo, etc. in every list, 
• Even though I would think that though they aren't super excited about 20+ pt battlegroups, Mercs would be excited for the chance to have their character units and solos in as many of their lists as they want.

In the end it's a new format though as I said it draw likings to older elements of Steamroller like pre-character restrictions and Mangled Metal.  Though in part I am curious if this is a covert way of playtesting and seeing how much of an issue the game would be if they lifted Character Restriction in our present game state.  In the end all I can say is try the format before you determine you do or don't like it.

Video Battle Reports #8-9

Here is the next round of video battle reports.  Still working on camera footage coverage, and tweaking the graphics and animation here and there.  I am 90% done with the animation just trying to tweak things to get it perfect.  Still need to sit down and draft up a logo for the channel.  Something beyond the Channel name and a star burst in the background.

Video Battle Report #8

Video Battle Report #9

Would you like to play a game?

Do you like to play wargames?
Do you (or did you) like to play Magic the Gathering?
Do you (or did you) like to play chess?
Do you like to play games with a clear and concise detailed rules?
Do you like to play games with a developed lore and background world?

If you answered yes to the above five questions than I can honestly say that Warmachine or Hordes is a
game you will enjoy and you should read more.

Video Battle Report #7 for the week

The final video of the year has been posted.  We kept to our goal of 1 video a week released by Friday (only missing the Friday deadline once and posting on a Saturday).

Starting 2014 off with the same goal in mind with a focus on tweaking lighting, video quality and if possible getting a better resource tool to improve the animation and effects on the videos.

Video Battle Reports 3 - 6

So I failed to keep up with the video battle report posting so to catch the blog up here are the videos we have produced and posted on Youtube since the last blog post.

Battle Report #3:

Battle Report #4

Battle Report #5

Battle Report #6

We have agreed to do a weekly Friday release so there should be a video up once a week all through 2014.

November 2013 - MD - Titan Games & Hobbies Steamroller Tournament Review

Just returning off of a Warmachine/Hordes tournament this past Saturday, and had a great time.  We put a call out and 7 of the Woodbridge crew answered.  Piling into two cars we drove up for an hour and a half to Titan Games & Hobbies in Timonium, Maryland.  The format was pretty standard and with a 16 player field we ended up playing 4 games total to give us a single 4 and 0 player.

The Tournament
System: Warmachine/Hordes Steamroller Tournament
Point Value: 50pt. - 2 List - Divide & Conquer (1) - Deathclock
Where: Titan Games & Hobbies (Lutherville, MD)
Date: Sat, November 23th,  2013
Time: Registration: 10:30 - Start Time: 11:00

It was a long day getting started slightly later then announced and each round having a pair of games go down to both players using their full hour clock (Myself being one of them on two rounds), the night went on till about 8pm.  This would not have been to much of an issue (almost expected) if it was to be a local tournament, but since we were an hour and a half away from home base we were in for a long drive home.  Silver lining on the drive home I got to talk to one of the better players of our group and we discussed my lists and play style and our meta, was a real eye opening experience (mean while Mike and Boyoo were sitting in the back sawing logs).

The results of the tournament were:

Warmachine/Hordes Battle Report #2

Posted up the second Battle Report for Warmachine & Hordes on the Youtube channel:

The idea going forward is trying to get a video up every Friday.  Looking at this video though I can see that the limitations of Windows Movie Maker renders the movie a bit fuzzy.  Definitely need to look into a different tool to do post video production.

October 2013 - VA - IFL Steamroller Tournament Review

So the Iron Fist Leagues's (IFL) October 2013 Steamroller Tournament has come to an gone, and I must say it was an amazing success.  Here are some of the details of the event that was ran that day:

Tournament Details:
System: Warmachine/Hordes
Point Value: 50pt. 2013 Steamroller
Format: 1hr. Deathclock, 2 List, No Special Characters
Time: 11:30am Registration (First round started at 12:00 noon - Ended about 8pm-ish)
Rounds: There were 17 players on the field. Went 4 rounds (would have been 5 but one dropped mid game)

50pt IFL Steamroller Tournament - Fredricksburg, VA - 10-05-13

IFL is running their first Warmachine & Hordes Steamroller Tournament.

System: Warmachine/Hordes
Point Value: 50pt. Steamroller 2013 (Deathclock, 2 List, Character Restrictions)
Where: Game Vault (Fredricskburg, VA)
Date: October 5th, 2013
Time: 11:30am Registration (First round starts at 12:00 noon )
Admission: $10

Description:  
Steamroller 2013 Packet:
http://privateerpress.com/organized-play/steamroller-tournaments

• Deathclock
• 2 List Format
• Character Restrictions

Rounds: Participant headcount will determine the number of rounds we do.

Prize Support:  We will have Steamroller Coins, Admission goes to prize support, and let us not forget the Smoking Boots award.

Hope to see you there.  You can sign up using this link:
http://www.ironfistleague.com/forums/General/Events/warmachinehordes-50pt-ifl-steamroller-tournament-game-vault-fredricksburgva-100513/

Butcher 3, Damn you Privateer Press

As I pack my models up for GenCon and get ready to head out they have to release this video:


MUST.....RESIST....MUST....FOCUS ON....EVERBLIGHT.....ARRrrrgghhhh..

Warmachine Kickstarter & Journeyman Warcaster sneak peek.

Reblogged: http://endgamegaming.net/

So the next Warmachine book to be released is "Venegence". Some models have already been released by Privateer Press for this new expansion such as the various Solo Jack Marshalls like the Cygnar Stormblade Captain, Menoth Exemplar Bastion Seneschal, and Khador Iron Fang Kovnik.

Well this week we are now privy to some more rules and the release of two new warcasters.  One for Cryx and one for Cygnar.  These rules were released from PP for the new up and coming Vengence Book were as a result of their Privateer Press's Kickstarter for "Warmachine: Tactics".   The Kickstart is not even 24 hours in and as of this post are sitting at $509,219 of there $550,000 goal.  So yeah this thing is going to happen without a doubt.  It's nice to see Privateer press entering into the computer gaming arena with there IP, we all know what Dawn of War did for Warhammer 40k.  Maybe it will do the same for Warmachine.

 Looks like running "more jacks" just got a little easier

New Cygnar Warcaster


New Cygnar Warcaster Stats

Tale of Ever-Teal : Part 1

This past weekend was very good to me.  I was able to acquire a large amount of Hordes: Legion of Everblight, and it has ignited the blight in me and is slowly taking over in my heart.  I love to go to local stores swap meets in the hope of finding the ever elusive "Diamond in the Rough".  Most of the time I get something, it's just a matter of is it something I "need" or is it something that my eyes fell on and I said "Sure I would paint that".  This Everblight army fell into both categories.

See long before I ever ventured into Trolls I was looking at the various Warmachine and Hordes factions and my first eye catching interest was in fact Everblight.  More specifically the Throne of Everblight their battle engine.  With it's drooling maw and sharp teeth, mutated skin wrapped in armor, writhing tentacles and sheer size my little chaos heart leaped with joy.  It has mutation, and tentacles, and mutations, and a being to worship like a god, and mutations, and dragons....and mutations.  It was only more interesting that they were "evil", which I like more cause I never have been very good at being "Good".  Hell my own troll army has a Japanese Magi Daemon for a Dire Troll Mauler.  Evil is my thing...did I mention mutations?

Warmachine & Hordes - 50pt Battle report - MENOTH vs TROLLBLOODS

Gave it a shot at my first video battle report.  Was definitely a creative experience, lots of room to grow.  Hopefully this will become a new hobby within a hobby for me.  Time will tell

What the hell is this?

So the popped up an image over on Matt Wilson's twitter and from the looks of it, it's clearly a troll.

http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?146293-New-troll-sculpt

However the troll community has a mention of this possibly being the Black Troll that wonders around eating zombies for left behind.  Could this possibly be a Minion model instead of a Trollbloods?  Could it be possible for a dual faction single model release?

All I know is my first reaction when I saw this was.  If I get this model I have to paint it up a Demon.  The tongue just screams Gene Simmons

Scrum's Painting Challenge II - Results

Been a crazy month and forgot to post up the final results of the Trollblood Scrum Painting Challenge II.  Here is the link:

http://www.trollbloodscrum.com/2013/01/painting-competition-winners.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+trollbloodscrum%2FxnwB+%28Trollblood+Scrum%21%21%21%29

I look forward to the TrollScrum Podcast crew doing this again.  Always good to get your models out there and test your abilities against others.

TempleCon 2013 Announcement: New Faction - Convergence of Cyriss

So the new faction was announced at TempleCon 2013 and it is to be another Warmachine Faction called the Convergence of Cyriss.   The linked video at the top will show you the preview specifically for them.  So finer points of what you can extract from the video are:

• When Warjacks (called Vectors) spend focus you can place that when spent allocate the spent focus to other near by Vectors
• Vectors in a battlegroup share the MAT and RAT of their warcasters
• Warcasters give something to jacks in battlegroup via their individual Field Marshal Ability. (ex. Arc Node and shield guard)

Lets see.  Knee jerk reaction:

Scrum's Painting Challenge II - Week 6

Man it's been a crazy Christmas week.  I managed to get an attempt at Borka on the last week just before the submission was due.

And to add to the listing a group photo of all 6 week submissions:

Here is hoping I place, it's pretty stiff competition with some really well painted theme sets in the running.

A Troll in the Woods

If a Troll knocks over a tree in the woods, does anyone hear it?

Just having fun with my forest terrain I just finished painting up.

Scrum's Painting Challenge II - Week 5

Week 5 Submission.  One more submission to go.

Five weeks ago I was chomping at the bit.  I had my six models in line on my table with theme and paint palette in mind.  I was excited to participate in a painting competition with "so few models".  An then I saw the Week 1 submissions, and i knew I had to put my A game pants on to keep up.  Now I am rolling on the 6th and final week of the challenge and all I can say is "Man I can't wait till it's over".  Not so much a case of I hate painting these models, just a case of I can't wait till I can just paint simple stuff and not agonize over every little detail.

Six models over six weeks, one model a week,  This should be easy....Yeah right!

Scrum's Painting Challenge II - Week 4

Week 4 submission: A Champion's Toast

Conversion was relatively simple.  Took a stein from a dwarf model from the Warhammer Fantasy range.  Chopped off the top (sadly snapping the handle in half in the process) and stick the top of the stein on his hand after chopping off an axe.  The bottom of the stein gets glued to the under half.  Leaving the old shaft of the axe to be the body of the stein.  The trickiest part was reattaching the broken handle from when I was chopping the bits up.  Little fiddly pieces of plastic never go where you want them to the first 30 times you try.

Though I can't help but keep looking at his stein he is toasting with and think of those people who go to my work with a Thermos full coffee.  Gotta have that wake up juice.