Chaos Corner Interviews: The Man Behind The "Joe Maneuver" Part I

Hey there Chaos Corner fans. I'm back with another series of interviews, this time is with a guy who needs no introduction. Well, he does actually, since you guys don't know him, though I sure as heck do! Joe has been my friend since the earliest days of college- though it took him a whole semester to remember my name (admittedly, he's terrible with names). At any rate, we went through college together, taking various history classes as well as required courses (don't get us started on that Woman's Studies course we had to take to graduate). We had great professors (and awful ones), we fought through crazy classes, assignments, and butt-kissing students. We laugh now, but those are our war stories, so to speak.

Of course, Joe is also a 40K player and is one of my regular opponents. Joe has had a storied career in Warhammer 40K, having had several armies. Whereas Pete "The Hivemind" is strongly interested in the modeling aspects of the game, Mr. "Joe Maneuver" is squarely focused on the game play. Joe continuously refines his tactics and strategy. At times, the concept of the "friendly game" gets lost in the competitiveness, as Joe goes for the jugular in order to prove once again that he is the master tactician in our group.

 So, without further ado, let's start the interview...

Q: How did you first get into the hobby?




I first got into the hobby soon after I graduated college. My buddy Dave called me up and asked me some questions about the size of tanks in the military, specifically the relative size of them as compared to a foot soldier. When I asked him why he was so curious, he briefly explained the 40K game. He then invited me to hang out at our buddy Pete's house, he was gaming with his brother Steve. I found the game interesting, and then they asked if I would like to take a try at it. I agreed and was given some Space Marines and played a very small game. I enjoyed the game and began an army soon after.


Q: So your friends introduced you to it; but what made you interested in it? 

1.      What drew me in ? I guess since I have always been a military history buff and a fan of science fiction the background appealed to me and I have always liked to put together models. I like that it isn't a clean or pretty universe, it was as unlike Star Trek's clean future as you could get. The unusual appearance of the machines of war, such as the Dreadnoughts, were a plus as well. 

Q: Which armies have you played over the years? What got you into each army? 

I have played Eldar, Black Templar, Night Lords, and Blood Angels. With any army that I collect the most important thing is that I like the story behind them; it doesn't matter to me if they are not the most viable or "toughest" army. The Eldar are the first army that I collected. At the time they had a companion book that had several different lists in it called "Craftworld Eldar"...

Q: I remember that book. I liked those days; Craftworld, Eye of Terror, Armageddon...

I agree 100%. The Craftworld supplement had the better armies that could be tailored to any style that you liked, therefore not locking you into any one way to create a list. A small bit of appeal of the Eldar for me was that no one else had an Eldar army in our group yet everyone had a Marine army of some kind. The Eldar didn't function like any other army and had the most different, specialized units. The Eldar models look radically different yet still have the same feel: they clearly belong together; they're cohesive, which also drew me to them. 

Q: I had the beginnings of a Chaos army, as did my brother. But, I did also have Dark Eldar, so nah nah- I had a 'space elf" army first. And besides, you got a Marine army fast enough, didn't you?
 

Uh huh. The Black Templar were the second army I collected. The Templar had a warrior/crusader look and feel and had a different build than other marine armies. They also looked great painted with a simple and easy to do paint scheme. I have to be honest and admit that, while playing solely with the Eldar, I was getting a little tired of getting rocked by the 'Nids and the Plague Marines. Against those two armies I wasn't able to field a competitive Eldar force at an affordable price. Eldar had and still do have a large amount of expensive models in metal (and now Finecast)- this isn't so bad if the most effective units weren't all in metal. Templar as with most marines is predominantly plastic making far less strain on the wallet, truthfully. 

Q: Ah the Black Templar. I still remember the first time I shot up a squad and with their rules they actually charged me, despite their heavy shooting losses...

Ha ha! I still remember the look on your face... Your poor Plague Marines...

Q: Laugh all you want, but you were unable to avoid the slide into Chaos yourself, weren't you? 

True. I did start a Night Lords army. The Night Lords had great models and and interesting story line. And their rules were very cool. That is, in 4th edition. Sadly they became the army that I was the least enthusiastically collecting not because, as I started them the 5th edition codex was published and the legion lost all character. They were simply "vanilla Chaos Marines".  I lost interest in them after that.

 

 

 
 Q: Indeed, Chaos has fallen a long way, unfortunately. However, you mentioned it in relation to the newer books. Speaking of which, what are you working on now? 

The Blood Angels are the latest army that I have started to collect. I have always loved the idea of the Death Company, the Rage, etc. The back story is great and the new models and rules are fantastic. 

Q: So, of all your many armies, which is you absolute favorite? 

I can honestly say that I don't have a favorite army- it will depend on what time you ask me that question truthfully. I will always favor the Eldar because they are my original army and I'm still the only one to game with them in our gaming group- I don't count your Dark Eldar because they aren't true Eldar. I'd say the Blood Angels are the most viable right now but how long that will last is anyone's guess.

So, that concludes part one of our interview with Mr. "Joe Maneuver". I'm sure you're all asking the question "why is he called 'Joe Maneuver' anyways?", but don't worry- we shall answer that in the next interview. Let's just say it has to do with a rather interesting (ie. annoying) strategy that Joe uses in 40K. Until next time my friends...

Just Completed: Dark Eldar Razorwing Jetfire

Hey there Chaos Corner fans! Welcome back to another exciting edition. Well, let me tell you, it's been a busy time here for Old Man Chaos. There's nothing like the holidays here at the Chaos Corner- turkey, family, some sacrifices to the Chaos gods... yep, it's been all go around here.To make matters more interesting, my birthday just passed. I have great friends and family who feed my Warhammer 40K addiction quite well indeed. My friends got me some Hellions and 2 (!) more Venoms. However, my wife got me something I didn't have yet... a Razorwing Jetfire of my very own! So, guess what I've been workin' on...

I love this model, like most of the DE line. It's got a great look, and it "goes" with the look and feel of the rest of the army. I can certainly see my army having two of these ready to go... Hehe! Putting it together was a real snap. Everything fit together perfectly well, with one exception. The guns/turbines kept sliding out of place when I was assembling. I couldn't get them to stay "locked in" where they were supposed to be. Ultimately, I just assembled the body, and THEN put the guns in... It was a bit tricky, but no one will ever notice the difference.

 I also made the mistake (my own fault) of putting a different head in (I'm saving those nice helmets for another project),. The problem was, I picked a head that stuck out of the cockpit ever so slightly. Thus, I could not use the enclosed canopy. Thus, I used the half-canopy instead. This led to a happy accident, as I do like the look I achieved. Whew!

As for the paint scheme, I stuck to my traditional DE formula. I did Red Gore highlights around the edges. This is how I do all my DE models. The look is quite striking, while also fitting in perfectly with the rest of my army. One day, I'll have to take a pic of my entire army, just so we can see the unified look throughout. I love it- my most uniform looking army to date.

Of course, it isn't EXACTLY the same as the others. I put DE runes/glyphs on the vehicle, to make it stand out a bit. I also painted the missiles Dark Angels Green along with bright green streaks of energy. This is the same way I do my agonizers... the missiles look like they are crackling with evil energies and power.

I haven't glued it to the flying stand yet, as I'm not sure how to store it. I don't want to keep laying my fingers on it, putting it on/off the flying stand. And yet, I can't store it while glued on that stand. So, storage is something I'll have to think about.

 Finally, the recent codexes have made it quite clear that flyers are here to stay. Unless I'm missing something, flyers function like skimmers under the current rules (foregoing Apocalypse or FW rules). Of course, I don't want complicated flyer rules to clutter the game, but I'd like the flyers to be more than just skimmers rules-wise. I hope that when they do the new edition, they will make flyers a special category. Again, it doesn't have to be complicated, but a supersonic air plane should not be subject to the same rules as a skimmer. Just my two cents, and I could be wrong...

Well, until next time Chaos friends. Enjoy the pics!

Battle Report: Tyranids vs Dark Eldar

Archon Dave may be in trouble!

Hey there Chaos fans! Old man Chaos is back with another post- and I know you're going to love this! It's just like the title says... Tyranids against the Dark Eldar! And away we go...

The field of battle

This guy is scary!

My regular readers will recall that we previously had an in-depth discussion with "Hivemind Pete". This guy is one of my closest friends, and he is an OLD SCHOOL Warhammer 40K player. He's been playing for many years, and his army of choice is the Tyranids (with a name like "Hivemind Pete", what would you expect). As a player, Pete is excellent. He knows just how to build a list, and he knows how to use each unit in conjunction with other units. Simply put, the guy is a great player, all around. He usually wins, and handily. Even with the new Codex, Pete has been quite strong. When he does lose, it's usually been a scorcher of a battle. He knows the game, and he knows the 'Nids.

Keeping fast units near slower units

I realized this game would be a great challenge for me and the Dark Eldar. At this point, I've played the Dark Eldar for several months. I had been playing most against my friend Joe, facing off mostly against Eldar and occasionally Blood Angels. I've also fought my brother's fledgling Grey Knight force. Over the summer, I played Joe once a week. He's a ruthless opponent, so I learned a great deal about my DE the hard way. Yes, another advantage is that Pete has not faced the new iteration of the DE. On the other hand, Pete's a master with the Nids, and he is quite used to his Codex. And anyone who has played DE can tell you, they are a delicate army, no matter how you use them.

Concentrated firepower

I had a choice- either go Wych heavy, and try to outmatch him in close combat: Wyches, Beast Packs, and the like. Or, I could play a shooting game with a ton of Kabalite warriors and supporting fire units. I opted for the latter. I decided to go for the firepower. I equipped all squads with Splinter Cannons and Blasters (Shredders won't work against Pete as he spaces his Nids very well). My Raiders and Ravagers all were equipped with Disintegrators (which I have not use before, as I normally face armor and the Disintigrator is a troop killer). I had a Venom, with two Splinter Cannons. In support, I had Reaver Bikes and Hellions- their job was to add concentrated fire quickly where needed). I also had Scourges, all equipped with Splinter Cannons or Shard Carbines. My Talos also had a Splinter Cannon and Liquifier  Gun. As for HQ, I took a Haemonculi with Stinger Pistol and Crucible of Malediction (take that Zoanthropes) and wracks (poisoned cc weapons? Die big critters!). Finally, I ahd an Archon with a small retinue of Hekatrix Bloodbrides. To round out the points, I included a small squad of Wyches. Ultimately, my game was firepower, but I figured poisoned Splinter weapons would kill any Carnifexes or Mawlocs (if the big guys showed), so I didn't need Dark Lances. My plan was to shoot, shoot and shoot.

My set-up

Both armies were at 1750-ish. I got to deploy first. I put a Raider on the left, followed by Scourges and Hellions. In the middle, I had a Ravager, the other Raider, Wyches, the Talos, and Bikes. At the right end, I had a squad of Kabalites and the Archon's Venom. My plan was to create fire columns down the sides, and use my fast middle units to move back and forth, helping either flank as needed. The speed was essential- a Ravager could move left and shoot, then move right and shoot. This was my plan. Would it work?

Gaunts and a stand-in Tervigon

Pete wisely stayed away from big critters, knowing about my poison. He did have two Tervigons, and a TON of Hormagaunts. He also had Zoanthropes, Pyrovores (which he was trying out), Hive guard. and a mess of Tyranid Warriors. Also lurking was a Mawloc. Yikes. I knew I'd have to shoot quick, before he closed the gap on the table. This was going to be tough.

Turn 1 (my half), I shot with everything I had. I must say, my rolling was quite good, and I mowed down many Gaunts and the Zoanthropes. The poison weapons didn't really enter into it, but the AP insured the Nids didn't get a save. I killed a ton, ultimately. His half of turn 1, he ran as quick as he could at me- one squad of gaunts made it into my 3 bikes and annihilated them, and his Hive Guard shot down the Hamenoculus' Raider.

Gunning down the Gaunts

Turn 2 (my half) was just as shooty. Here, I HAD to maintain fire discipline. As more critters were in range, I was ready to split fire way too much. I realized that I had to concentrate fire and whittle the Nid's down unit by whole unit. Not a few shots to each. It worked. My Scourges and Hellions finished off another squad of Gaunts. The Raider and Talos mopped up the Gaunts that had killed the bikes. My Ravager simply nuked the advancing Pyrovores (sorry Pete), and my Haemonculus used his Stinger Pistol and killed the last Zoanthrope. On the right, my Archon's Venom and the nearby Kabalites wrecked havoc on the approaching Gaunts, wiping them out to a man (or bug). By the end of my phase, Pete had NO viable troop choices left.

The Stinger Pistol killed the last Zoanthrope

At this point, Pete shocked me by conceding. He explained logically, that without troop choices, he couldn't contest. The Tervigons simply couldn't pop out enough gaunts (which i would mow down). His Tervigons would have been the next targets of my poisoned weapons (he was right, that was my next step). The only thing was the Mawloc, but even there, he said poisoned shots would ruin his day. Thus, Pete said the game was mine. Joe and Steve, who were watching, were confounded that it had been ended so quickly, that the DE won so decisively. And quite frankly, so was I...!

Pete said he'd have to curl up with the DE book and sniff out weaknesses. So, I know what that means- "enjoy this win, Dave. Next time, the Nids will make you their bitch". Of that, I have no doubt...

"Next time Gadget... Next Time!!"

Until next time...

Necrons and Dreaming of Chaos

Hey there Chaos Fiends! Welcome back to the latest edition of Chaos Corner. The other day, I posted some musings about my recent spate of terrain-building. I have another building I'm working on right now- but I saw something on the Internet that has "inspired" me, I suppose... Necrons!

Pics of the new Necrons have leaked. I'm quite glad that another Xenos has been updated. GW did a great job on last year's Dark Eldar range. Many (myself included) believed that the foul kin had gone the way of the Squat, when GW unleashed what may be, their single finest range to date. Sure, there are a couple of models that are sub par or poor, but, taken together, the DE has been reborn in the best way possible. The range, taken together, is perhaps the best looking range, bar none. The rule book is also amazing. The fluff is outstanding, and the rules are fun and imaginative, without being overpowering, cheap, or unfair. The book is remarkably balanced- the DE have strengths and weaknesses; they are not "flavor of the month" or the latest "overpowered army". GW did a great job on it, and I've been enthusiastically doing DE ever since!

Now, GW is getting ready to revive the Necrons. These guys have gotten the shaft for quite some time (though, not as long as the DE). I've always liked the look of the Necrons, and I love their background (which, I've heard, is changing a bit- so we'll see). I would have had a Necron army, but I was too devoted to Chaos to do so (and I still am). So, the new Necrons will be out in a month, and some of the pics have leaked online.

I think the models are not as good as the DE revision. If they were, I could say it without hurting my pride- but the truth is they're OK, just not the best. I am not a fan of the vehicles (like the Ark), though I do like the one with the big gun (THAT one fits with the Pylons and Monolith). The infantry range from cool (Deathmarks) to the decent (Immortals). They're not bad, just not revolutionary like the DE, that's all. As for the rules, its a bit early to tell, though there was one rumor of Necron Weapons that if they target one type of model (infantry with plasma gun)- then ALL plasma gunners are hit- and it wasn't clear if that meant all plasma's in a squad or the entire table... That is to be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but I just hope the book is as balanced as the DE Codex... Time will tell. I am glad to see another Xenos get the lovin', though.

All of this, however, only serves to stir my old leprous Chaos heart. I so desperately want a new Chaos Codex, its not even funny. Ugh.... I know I'm lamenting now, but its not jealousy or anything. See, as my long time readers know, I've been with Chaos since this was their codex...


Yep, I've been playing Chaos for a very long time now. I first dabbled with it by trying to create my own Chaos Marines, the "Knights of Vengeance". That didn't last. I painted up a small group of Khorne Berserkers, but I quickly found Nurgle. Ah! This was the force I wanted. It was either the static plastic ones (all holding the knives the same way) or the metal ones. They all had spike helmets, rebreathers... reminding me of WWI in many ways. Yep- I fell in love and never looked back.

Well, the best was yet to come. A few years later, the later 3rd edition Codex came out. This one had it all. A general Chaos Marine list that could then be tailored to be incredibly "legion specific". Yes, all the traitor legions were vividly represented, and each had its own flavor, special units or daemons, etc. There was a TON of fluff! My Chaos gods! The book sparked the imagination. I built my Nurgle force based on this book! It was incredible.

Even better, the Eye of Terror Campaign came out not too long after. Wow! That book was also amazing for the forces of Chaos! The "Lost and the Damned" got me going, thinking about the "larger picture" of Chaos- its not just the Lost Legions- traitors, lunatics, mutants, scarred individuals, and more, all flocking to the banners of Chaos. Now, I got to clearly see how the forces of Chaos would REALLY work. The Marines were the leadership and heavy hitters- it was the "Lost and Damned" that provides the bulk of Chaos' fighting forces around the whole galaxy. Imperium of Man- Beware!!

I love the idea of a single Chaos Marine Champion leading a host of zombies, traitor guard, or whatever against a besieged Imperial citizenry. The idea that each and every Marine is a one man army in and of himself is expressed so clearly here- plus they are empowered by the gods of Chaos. As far as the book goes- again, this really inspired me and my friends, and I made a TON of Plague Zombies because of the EoT book. The best of times, no doubt. At the height, I had a hundred Plague Marines, tanks, terminators, Daemons, and +50 Plague Zombies.... Whew! And that was before Apocalypse!



But then... that was before the dark times... before the current 4th Edition Codex. This book would have been excellent if it was called "Space Marine Renegades" or something. If you were building up a Marine Chapter that went wrong in the 41st millennium- maybe joined Chaos, maybe became pirates (Red Corsairs), this book would be just fine. Buuuttt.... no. This book was to apply to all of Chaos. Almost totally gone from the book was the fluff in regards to the gods or the Heresy, or the Traitor Legions. The rivalries. The "Long War" enmities... just about gone from the book. It was, compared to 3rd and EoT... a dull read. This is wrong on so many levels, especially for Chaos.

As for the rules... ugh. Nothing was legion specific. Even the daemons are "generic". Chaos should be anything but generic. There were a few options for the Daemon Prince or lord, but the variety was gone. The Plague Marines (and other cults) were there and fairly good, but the rest of the army had no flavor. Nothing special. And... the Chaos Icons for non-troops. How the heck does that work?! So, a set of "Death Guard" terminators need an Icon to get the "favor of Nurgle" (+1T) but.... if the Icon guy dies, then the bonus is gone. Huh?! So 10 thousand year old PM Terminators suddenly are no longer sick because they lost a banner?! That's crazy! And so UN-FLUFFY! The biggest crime of all in the 4th Edition book. Oh boy.


But now, I have some hope. GW has been doing well in reviving and repairing the books that really need it. The Blood Angels redo is fantastic, the Dark Eldar has been phenomenal, and the Grey Knights are strong (though not as good as the previous two). This makes me think that GW can and will repair the damage done to Chaos. So, with that in mind, I will be listing the top 10 things that I would like to see done for a new Chaos Codex. This list is in no particular order, so here we go:

1- Represent the original Traitor Legions in full and vivid terms, both in fluff and in playing. The biggest crime was that the book made all Chaos marines into "vanilla"- all were the same. Bring back (or create anew) rules for the Traitor Legions. This should be rules bonuses AND limitations. The mode of this should be like the DE- a Wych army? Sure. Haemonculus themed? Of course! All Hellions? You can d that too. There's a TON of variety in that book- a few changes to HQ can make a totally different army. Add to this system, and it would make a LOT of variety in the Chaos armies. Plus, the fluff is what got me STAYING with Chaos- so make that really good! The HH books have added so much- keep that going in the Codex.






2- New models- some of the models for Chaos are great- possessed, terminators, etc. However, the cults could all use a redo. So could the raptors. And the obliterators. And the... well, you get the idea. The latest models (Necrons included) look very good overall. So, Chaos should get the full on treatment. Have people look at these models and say "Damn- these are GWs best yet"!

 3- Fluff please! The Chaos Marines have the best backstory out there, both for the Legions and more recently turned renegades. There is so much story to tell. Again, take a page from the DE- go all out with the stories these guys have to tell. Are they pure evil? Fallen heroes? Pawns of the gods? Anti-heroes? Pirates? Lone wolves? It is endless, and the book should really sell that aspect.

4- Not just "marines with spikes" OR Marine reavers (Corsairs). The last book suffered from this in many respects. Chaos Marines were just regular marines pretty much. Change that. Make these guys unique. You can balance the idea that they WERE marines, but still have them having their own rules and abilities. Push it!

5- Bringing Daemons back in- another crime was the creation of "generic daemons" in the previous edition. Now, I am all for having a Daemon Codex, but I still think Chaos Marines would get specific daemons. Maybe a 0-1 rule or something (though not for Word Barers). Let the daemons come back in, but without breaking the Daemon Codex. It CAN be done.

6- Lost and the Damned- am I getting greedy here? No. This is what the dark forces of Chaos really are. If it was JUST Marines, there simply wouldn't be enough of them to be a threat. The gods can sway the minds of mortals. This is what swells the ranks of Chaos. The Marines are the leaders. They use these dregs, and then take what they want. This MUST be reflected in the book. Let them take traitor guardsmen. Let them have mutants, spawn, etc. Again, it certainly CAN be done. EoT did it- so can they now. It would make the Chaos codex the widest, most INSANE army to face, and that's what it should be. Not necessarily TOUGH, but certainly UNPREDICTABLE. That's Chaos.

7- New unit types- I remember when the defiler was new and cool. I think Chaos needs a few newbies. 'Nids got new types, GK got the Dreadknight, etc. Chaos could use a few. Not a lot, just a couple. Maybe even these "dual purpose" models that have been appearing lately. That would be fine with me. What kind? Don't know. But nothing would excite current players (and lapsed) more than some really cool NEW units.

8- Make them competitive- the current book was good when it came out, the real problem was lack of variety and fluff. However, codex creep set in and well, Chaos became much weaker in comparison. I think they should be stronger- but not overpowering. Again, I look to the DE book- it is balanced. ALL books should be so balanced. Certainly, Chaos needs a bit of a bump to compete against newer books.


9- Make it the premier of the new edition, not a bridge between the two rulebooks. If current rumors hold true, then we will be seeing a new edition in the coming year or so. I'm afraid that GW will release the book that plays well in the current edition, but has element of the new edition coming down the pike. This is what happened last time. This is a bad idea, simply because by trying to do both, the book will accomplish neither. It HAS to be one or the other. I'd rather it be totally build with the new edition, even if that means Chaos must be delayed. Yep- I've waited this long, I'll wait more till Chaos is ready and fully aligned to the new rules. No half measures.

10- Make them cool! Chaos is cool- the gods, mythology, the Legions, Corsairs, daemons, Lost and Damned... Chaos is amazing for 40K (in fact, I think 40K would have LESS pull without Chaos). So, come what may, make the forces of the coolest thing going. That will draw players, and that will be good for us and GW.

It is time, my followers of Chaos. It is time for us to be feared again. To be dreaded again. For our names to be accursed on every planet in the Imperium. For us to be a blight on the deluded followers of the False Emperor. I think that time is coming. Until then...

Talos (WIP)

Hey followers of Chaos! Old Uncle Chaos here bringing you some pics of my Talos. It is currently a work in progress, though it is nearing its final stages. Some ideas to consider:

The model itself- The model is very impressive, to say the least. The Talos was one of my original favs, and I was thrilled with how GW updated it. Upon opening the box, I was impressed with the various options (heads, weapons, etc.). I also like the size and "grace" of the model. Some have said it's small. I disagree. Its about the size of a dreadnought, but more lithe, in keeping with DE aesthetic . The only thing I don't like is that the bottom ends in a nub... but GW must have thought that way, because they included the parts for a Cronos, which has tentacles on the bottom. Sooooo- I built a Talos with weapons and stinger tail BUT with bottom tentacles. Problem solved, and the model looks great. If I were to rate the kit, I'd give it 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos, no doubt about it!

The paint scheme- I have only briefly shown my new paint scheme for my new DE. It is somewhat evocative of my old scheme (red and black), but my painting has gotten a lot better, so they reflect my new technique also. The Talos fits into that scheme, though I did his flesh to look very different from other DE units. It's almost done, and I'm quite pleased.

I will show more pics of my DE army soon. I will also begin explaining how I got into Chaos. Indeed, though I'm working on DE, Chaos is still calling to me... perhaps I'll need a Chaos project or two in between my DE work... the wheels are already turning...

Until next time, enjoy!