Friday, March 27, 2009

My fault for not...

Well, a little of everything. For not updating the results of the final week of the League. (A loss by the way) For putting my Warjack too far forward begging to be um...Cygnar'd! (Is that a verb?) For not reading the gamut of League possible scenarios. (Which resulted in a Universe of fun and three of my five losses as well.) For not fluffing the last two games. For not being nearly as prepared for the League as I wished. Etc.

Anyway, the preparations for the April Tournament continue, as well as the Landmark 500 with Red. Work is throwing me some curve balls as to scheduling, so I will have limited time to paint anything for the April 11 day anyway. I imagine I will be utilizing the Irusk list I settled on from the League with a few tweaks. Don't expect to do especially well, since I won't have any time to practice much before the week of the Tourney, but, I am going to compete, and to learn...mostly learn.

After that, May brings the Liberation of Umbrey, and I must say I am jonesing for the backstory. I got an undertone of rebellion from the story elements from Legends, but it may just be a Khador push to oust Skorne and the Circle from Vlad's homeland. I doubt Mk. II will introduce much new story, just the new and updated content.

Luckily I am putting the final touches on my Landmark 750 already and many of the models are built. Huzzah!

So, upset I didn't do better, yes. Think I may do better in the future? Yes, possibly. I remember from my days learning to play L5R, I lost a hundred games before winnning. I love Warmachine enough to do the same!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

The Forums, and a 50# block of salt

Yeah, I admit it....I can be a Warmachine forum junkie!

Too often I find myself pouring post after post of nothing in particular, looking for nothing in particular, and finding...nothing in particular! In all seriousness, it does take a lot of sifting to find the warjack cortex in the box of leaves.

Polar Bear, one of the forum welcome wagon has an awesome article on the forums. The gist of it being, just play what you like, get familiar with the rules and quirks of the army you like, and don't let others tell you what to play.

Here endeth the lesson.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Week 4: Loss to Circle

Mingo and I were able to meet to get a league game in at the LGS amid the nicey-nice weather! (Yay Spring!)

By the time I am writing this, though, the temp is rapidly dropping along with rain. (Boo Spring!)

Yes, it was Engines of Destruction again and I got slammed out of the control area. And the text of the rule is "if any player ends his turn in control..." So I couldn't even get back in the game. And the 85th did so well! All of my MOW were alive! Grrrrr.

More to follow.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Frenzy of Iron

"Fall Back to this Line!"
Like the well trained unit they were, the Pikemen of the 85th Iron Fangs quickly regrouped on the Unit standard, and on Alexei Kyznetsov, its bearer. 'A rough campaign already,' he mused, 'and this our first time in battle.' He thought back to the wild train ride south, then the short river ferry and the last few miles to reach the base camp of Force Kommander Radik Sashenka Grigori Egorov. A hard man in a tough spot, to be sure, left to fend at the tip of Khador's spear.

As his friends and comrades formed a line and locked shields, Alexi took stock. They had spent the morning groping though dense fog and unfamiliar ground only to blunder into the Cygnar warkaster Coleman Styker with Khadoran forces in disarray. The new kaster, Kommandant Irusk threw the men forward, bringing all his tactical savvy to bear on the situation. The Men-of-War were nearly destroyed by the Cygnar warjack that threw lightning as easily as others dropped clinker and ash. The Khadoran Behemoth seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time shelling the dug in troops on the opposite side of the battlefield. The fur clad Manhunter, rumored to be the fiercest killer among the Force spent all the time relocating. Then it happened.

Irusk, was a legend among the troops of Khador for his ability to draw the very best from the men. Sensing a change in the strategy, he stepped forward and began shouting "For the Homeland! For the Empress!" in Khard. Over and over, taken up by officer and trooper alike, passed from man to man, bolstering the courage and breathing new life into every man.

In this case, the fervor of patriotism was carried too far. As Kommandant Irusk led the cheer, discharging his rifle at the enemy, both Alexi, and the unit Kaptain Adrik Stepanov saw Irusk's error. While in full view of his own men, he had also moved in full view of the enemy and was standing exposed on the battlefield, open to fire from two units, two warkasters and the hellish 'jack of Cygnar's. Nearly as one, the two men yelled, "Protect the Kommander!"

Too late the Pikemen turned on its flank and ran to screen the Khadoran warkaster. Bolts of chain lightning and numerous bullets impacted the man knocking him back, making him jerk like a puppet. The last of the Men-of-War died and the spell warlocks of the Greylords began summoning the power to freeze and break as the Cygnaran trench fighters slid behind the Khadoran Behemoth to continue their fire. Even Stryker was lured from his cover, the life of Irusk tempting him from behind his wall of steel.

In later days, Alexei would tell of Irusk's willingness to used his own body to lure the wakaster from his position. In reality, while ordering the Behemoth to finally rid the battlefield of the Lightning spawn, Irusk staggered into a patch of forest as the 85th formed a screening wall to block him from view. Kaptain Stepanov gave his final order, "No one crosses this line! Ve kill all who try." A trench fighter's bullet killed him as he stood next to the unit standard.

Bullets from all over the field were converging on the woods where Irusk stood. Some fell short, some flew beyond the shield wall, and some scored on the Kommader again. Alexi saw the smaller Cygnar warjack plunge its spear through the Manhunter, ending his feeble attacks on Stryker. It was then the Behemoth, its boiler shrieking the same rage as Irusk, plowed through the wreckage of the Cygnar heavy to pummel the Cygnaran warkaster with armor-piercing fists.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Week Three: Win over Cygnar I

A very winded and spent "Yay!"

I accomplished my only goal for this league; win a game. I may have to try to win a game not against Red next...but it seems unlikely.

Major props to Red. I have to admit, many of my early wins were simply because I had a slightly better feel of the game than he, but "when we first met he was but the Learner, but now he is the Master." He knows his army, while for me, every game makes me both want to tinker, and fills me with doubt about what I fielded.

Plus, nearly all his stuff is painted. : P

Major doubts about the future of MOW Demolition Corps in my army.... grrr

And you can't Bond with a Unique warjack either!

more to follow...

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Building for Landmark 500 Finished!!

Congrats to me! (more champagne!)

After much finagling and not a few glued fingers, puttied joints and far too many curses (dang you Berkerker!) I have the building phase done for the Landmark 500.

(whistle)(flag on the field) Delay of Game!

Yup, the mad rush of the painter guy to get finished has put the whole Landmark game back a month. (Boo! Hisss! You're not a real gamer!)

I also didn't get a League game in this week, and my only hope is Sunday. Guess I have to hit the boards and look for an opponent.

-Sigh-

Sunday, March 1, 2009

League Week One: Loss to Cygnar

Orusus Zoktavir stormed angrily across the parade ground, his mekanical axe 'Lola' rapping against his armor in time with his stride. For a man with such a reputation as his, he was in a foul mood. His scowl and muttered grumblings did more to clear the various troops out of his way than raving or yelling, and he soon reached his destination, the tent of Force Kommander Radik Sashenka Grigori Egorov.

Barging toward the tent door, he suddenly found himself at the tip of two blasting pikes wielded by Iron Fangs of the Black Dragon. His eyes furrowed, and his growl came louder. Tension flowed like blood on the air, but before things escalated, a greybeard Koldun of the Greylords stepped from inside the the flap. "He is not yet ready for you Kommander." the wizard stated, his expression passive.

"I was summoned like a servant, now I must wait?!" raged Orsus.

"The Radik is soothing the ruffled feathers of the Drakhun, mighty one," the sage intoned, "He lost his destrier in the skirmish today."

Again, before another flair of temper, the summons were passed, and he was ushered into the presence of the Radik. He stood in his multi-hued robes, with his back to 'The Butcher,' a clear indication of the measure of safety in his own tent. Orsus silently fumed as Radik Egorov continued to ignore him, studying under hooded lids the canvas map of the area. Slowly he lit his pipe, and asked amid the cloud of fragrant smoke, "What happened, Kommander?"

"If given one more hour, I would have smashed every..."

"The task," the Radik interrupted, "was to take the high ground, Kommander. Not in an hour, not tomorrow, not in a week.... Today, now! Explain!"

"Why that hill? We were arrayed in good position! The berzerkers went forward followed by the Drakhun. Then the witch..."

"Haley. Victoria Haley, Captain and Warkaster. Try again." Egorov puffed his pipe.

"Captain Haley slowed the front units with her magic. It was impossible for them to reach the objective in that time."

"Your other units? The Men-of War? The Mortars? The Ternion?"

"All too far away."

Radik Egorov waited, intermittently puffing at his pipe, letting the seconds roll past. Zoktavir's scowl lessened, and the Radik knew that was about as much apology as he was capable of.

"Why that hill, Orsus? Should I tell you of the Kompany of engineers you have stalled by not taking it? Or of the artillery pieces we can not emplace on high ground? The data we now lack because no one looks out on our enemies." He rubbed his neck in agitation. "We are far from home here Kommander. Everything we have must come from home, by rail, marched overland, at the cost of the one thing we have too little of, and that you seem so adept at wasting. Time."


"What?" Orsus bellowed.

"We are surrounded, Orsus" the Radik continued more softly. "Cygnar, the Skorn, those druids harassing our flanks, and we have limited resources to draw upon." Egorov shook his head, "Your recklessness is costing us too dearly."

"WHAT!?"

"Tell me, Kommander," the Radik said raising an eyebrow "on you last outing, who left a quarter of their force behind behind?

"Those men were not ready in time..."

"Those men were ready when I told them. I! Your force kommander," he fumed. He turned away, gesturing dismissively. "I have no use for you. When I need an abattoir, I will summon you. Go, report North."

As the Radik returned to his map, Zoktavir slammed from the tent.

Yes, so it's true, but not entirely unexpected. Many props to Red for having such a well designed force. And he knew all the tricks of his list too, where I felt like all I did was read my cards over and over. Yes the global effect was for someone to have a 'faction warjack/warbeast' on the contested ground by turn 3 and whoever ended a turn with it uncontested won.

Yes, I fielded a jack-less list.

All in all, I felt I got a lot of mileage off the 'fembot' Doom Reavers, was totally unimpressed for the second game in a row with the Men-of-War Demo Corps (hey, who's that waaaayyyy in the distance?) and disappointed by the relative fragility of the Drakhun.

Also, never send a man hunter to destroy a light warjack.