Happy New Year and A Rant

Hey there, my fellow denizens of the warp! Old Man Chaos is back with the first edition of Chaos Corner for the New Year- I will have a hard time writing 2014 for the next few weeks, but I'll figure it out eventually! I hope that all of you had a great New Year's Eve, and that this year will be better than the last (even if the last year was good, it could always be better).

However, what will the new year bring for our favorite hobby and game, Warhammer 40K? 2013 was a big and busy year for the 40K universe. Tons of new releases, complete with Codexes, supplements, models, and even 2 expansions. I suspect that 2014 will keep up that relentless pace. The constant releases will undoubtedly please some, and piss off others.

As for my own part, I have some concrete ideas and feelings about all these changes and their impact on our gaming community. This is just a slight rant on my part. In between these rants I will post some nice pics of my Daemon Prince of Khorne from Ultraforge for your approval...

1- GW wants to make money- it is amazing that some people get "offended" that GW wants to make money off releases. Of course they do. Escalation reflects their wish to sell Super-heavies, while Stronghold wants people to buy the terrain kits. Some are angry that GW does this- but this is what all companies do. You don't HAVE to buy anything (especially Escalation, as so many have said they will not play Escalation games).

2. We all need to "Chill Out"- some people go crazy when they see a particular rule, model, or supplement... in other words, people fear "changes". I look on BoLS and other sites and it is amazing how many people seem to freak out when a new army or expansion  is released. The comments get quite negative, even hostile. Is this the kind of community we wish to be? Bitter and suspicious and even occasionally mean-spirited? Surely not. Therefore, I'd like to ask our gaming community to just take a deep breath and relax. Of course, share your opinions- but do it in a civil way, and try not to get too excited without having all of the facts or being nasty to those whose opinions are different from yours.

3. Let's Remember What Got Us Into The Hobby- whenever we talk about the meta, nerfs, WAACs, and all that jazz, we lose sight of what got us into the hobby to begin with. The storyline, the cool models, conversions, personalization, and fun, enjoyable games. There is more to our hobby than math-hammer and "broken" units. I hope that our community can look at all the good stuff with 40K. Yes, there are certainly "problems" with 40K too- I'm just saying that we should not ignore what's right about it. Now that is a perfect segue into my last point...

4. GW Has Responsibilities Too- The company needs to make sure that they balance their business side with doing good for their fans. For example, I wish that GW would continue to change the White Dwarf further, to include more modelling, conversions, and fluff. Also, I think that they need to be a bit more careful in their digital releases. December's Advent releases was just wild- so many dataslates and the like- perhaps it would be wiser for GW to slow that down just a bit, as their were things I would have bought but there were just too many. A little more staggered release schedule for digital releases would be better for us and GW. If the rumors are correct, the Tyranid release will see some dataslates released at the same time- perhaps a bit too much to buy all at once? If they scattered it over 2-3 months, would that make more business sense? It would allow people to buy at a better pace, and keep up excitement for the armies even after their release windows.

Well, at any rate, that's my New Year's Rant, for your consideration. Until next time...

The Grand Unveiling: The Lord of Skulls

Hey there Chaos fanatics. Let's just get right to it, shall we? Drum roll please.... I submit to you, for your approval... The LORD OF SKULLS!!!!

The Lord of Skulls
The Lord of Battles
Krond- The Beast's Head!

 Now before some of my friends start going crazy that Lords of War unbalance the game and that 40K is ruined all that (and you are certainly entitled to your opinions), take a moment with me here. This beast came out in last June/July with Apocalypse. Now, I really wanted the model (was GW reading my mind? I just started my Khorne army that fall...), but it is, as you know, quite pricey. Although I really wanted it as a centerpiece to my World Eaters, I knew that I wouldn't use it that often (outside of the odd Apoc game), and that it would, sadly, collect dust along side my Plaguereaper and Warhound Titan (great models, but not allowed in regular games). So, I decided not to get it.

That didn't stop me from drooling over it every time I went into a hobby store that had it. My brother and my wife noticed, and decided to get it for me for my birthday. Luckily, they got a good deal online, so they didn't pay full price. Little did I know, upon opening it, that the game was about to change, and Escalation would allow me to use this monster in regular games. Possibly.

Now there is currently a huge debate as to whether Escalation breaks 40K. Some love the idea, others loathe it. I see it as this- I've got this cool model, and I'd love to use it besides Apoc. Here's what I propose. If you are playing a one off game in a local, have 2 lists ready- one with the Lord of War, one without. Tell the person you're going to play- and give them the option. I bet that most will say yes (they want a challenge, they have already planned for it, etc). I think players just want to have a choice in the matter, and I think most players will go for it. As for tournaments, well, that is up to the tournament. I like the idea of an "escalation" league- starting with say 1000 points, the next battle is 1500, and the final battle utilizes a Lord of War... that would be a blast, actually. Again, it'll be on a tournament by tournament basis. And hey, more choice and options are good for this game, I think.

Anyways, I didn't know of Escalation when I got the Lord of Skulls, but I was thrilled. My wife and brother were not, as I knew what it was before I unwrapped it (the size of the box was a dead giveaway). Knowing the complexity of the model, I decided not to assemble it immediately. Instead, I ... gasp.... read the instructions first (which I rarely do).

After going through it a few times, I decided to dive in. It turns out that the model is in fact quite a breeze to put together. There were a couple of challenges, but it actually went quite well. The hardest part, strangely, was putting the pistons of the body on the tank part- it didn't quite line up for some reason, but I managed to get it. The other thing was the axe arm. It seems to only want to be placed in lower positions. I wanted it raised up, like he was going to strike. It worked out, but the shoulder pad is a bit uneven, since the arm was not supposed to be that high. Once it was done, I decided to add two things. Neither were anything huge- this model really doesn't need conversion, as it has a ton of details already.

Painting it was the hard part. The thing is huge, with lots of nooks and crannies, and you simply can't paint it while its sitting on the table. But, its a heavy model to hold, and there are little spikes and the tracks are rough- making it a bit painful to hold- just the way Khorne would like it, I suppose.

My determination was to paint him exactly the way my Bezerkers. I had Khorne Red base, Nuln Oil wash, crimson wash, and a P3 red ink (lightly). The highlights are Wazdakka Red. The treads and pipes are Leadbelcher, followed by Nuln and Earthshade washes (dirty and dull but not rusted).

The armor trim and symbols were straight up Brass Scorpion with some Runelord Brass highlights. The "warp energy" is Maccragge Blue followed by a streak of Caledor Sky (a sickly warp emanation powers the beast). The skulls were done with Dust followed by drybrushings of Tyrant Skull and Praxetti White.

I am most proud of the tanks. All the pics show the tanks being bright metal. I though this was too bright and distracting. Instead, I did black tanks. At first, I thought this may be too much negative space. But, as I worked on it, with leadbelcher chains and Brass Scorpion details, it started to look better. Then, I did the glass/inside. I used Mephistion Red with crimson wash, followed by highlights of Wazadakka and Evil Sunz reds. Finally, I used Dark Reaper for the empty part- followed by a simple streak of white scar, and the whole glass done with a varnish. The results are quite striking, and just what I wanted from the blood tanks.

My final task was to add some blood, and the Blood for the Blood God paint was perfect. I didn't want to overdo it, so I think I did just enough, particularly on the axe, the arm plating, and the grate in front. The effect paint is really, really handy. Now, the model was complete.

Overall, I am pleased with it. It fits in very well with the rest of my army. Indeed, I put the lone Khorne Bezerker standing on the rim, looking just like the Lord of Skulls in motion and action- the Lord of Skulls is a living effigy of the World Eaters, just as they are a mirror for the rage of Khorne. Just that little touch was enough for me.

I don't think I'll be playing at my local store until the end of the month- its a busy time of year, after all. I'll broach the matter with the guys there- I am sure that somebody would be willing to do Escalation, even if its not till the beginning of next year. I can't wait to give him a spin and try him out!

"Do you see anything?" Uhhhhh....

Skulls for the Skull Throne indeed!!!

Until next time!

Musings on Escalation

Hey there Chaos heretics and traitors! Old Man Chaos is back with a bit of review/thoughts/musings on GW's latest offering, Escalation. Now, I have been working on my Lord of Skulls diligently (a big model with a surprising amount of details). It's looking good, but I have a lot to go. I was given the Lord of Skulls by my wife and brother for my birthday- before there were real whispers of Escalation. I wanted the model when it first came out with Apocalypse in July, but I didn't have the scratch for it. Little did I know that when I got it that there would be a possibility that I could use it in regular games! I had just wanted it to be a centerpiece for my Khorne Bezerker army (and for the occasional Apoc game). Now, with Escalation, my plans on the Lord of Skulls may change.

I want to give my 2 cents about the Escalation book, but it is a complicated matter. From my viewpoint, the book is intriguing with interesting possibilities. Others may not be so sure. So, let me dissect it on an issue per issue basis:

The Escalation Book as a GW Product: My subject here is, is it worth buying? That's a complicated answer. If you don't have and don't plan to have the super heavies they have in this book (about a dozen or so), then don't bother with it, there's nothing here for you. If you do have super-heavies and but you don't want to use them outside of Apoc, then, again, don't bother with the book- especially if you already have the Apoc book, as it is pretty much a repeat of the rules found therein. However, if you have always dreamed of using your super heavy on a more frequent basis (but not liking those big Apoc battles), then this is the book for you. It gives you the rules, allowing you to incorporate your super heavy "Lord of War" into all regular battles. The book in general has a nice presentation, with a short story, the super heavy rules, data sheets, and lots of nice artwork. The best part, in my opinion, is the extra missions that the book provides- 9 in total. Some are straightforward, others are actually really cool and offer incredible challenges- in fact the writers admit that some are very difficult for one side or another- thus heroic victories and hopeless defeats are made.

Will Escalation "Unbalance" The Game: This is, I think, a simpler question, despite the howls of rage on the Internet. Some believe that the superheavies are so powerful, that they will destroy an entire army in one turn and can't be stopped at all. First off, I don't think many players will bring their Lords of War to many random pick up games. Why? For one thing, people may not want to put up with opponents whining about it, but, for a more important reason, the simple fact is MOST super heavies are just so damn expensive (points wise). Indeed, in a 2000 point game, most of the super heavies make up a huge part of your army points, leaving you with little to use otherwise. Further, they give bonuses to the player WITHOUT the super heavy, including an extra victory point for every 3 HP taken from the Lord of War- which can make all the difference in a game. Finally, most super heavies are not invulnerable. Since both glances and pens take HPs (with pens taking off an additional D3), concentrated fire can take out- it may take a turn or two, but it can be done. And then, since the Lord of War tends to cost lots of points, then the Lord of War player will be left with little else, and probably lose. I personally think Escalation will make games a bit more unpredictable if people embrace it, but I don't think it will ruin the game at all. I think, if the players accept it, it will just be one more variable in planning and playing (on top of supplements, special character sheets (like Bel'akor, allies, etc), and I think this additional variety will be a good thing.

Which Super-Heavies: Sadly, the book is very limited in terms of which super heavies are allowed in regular 40K games. Now, I wouldn't want to see anything that was TOO overpowered. However, I am disappointed that my Plague Marines can't take their Plaguereaper (its in Apoc, but not in Escalation), which is a shame. I can understand that I can't take my Plague Titan, but still... There are certainly things left out that could have been in. However, I suspect that, based on GWs digital release schedule, there may be more super heavy datasheets released, with the moniker "Escalation-approved" or something like that. Especially if Escalation is accepted by players readily. How will GW know? If they sell more Baneblades, Lord of Skulls, etc. But where's the plastic Thunderhawk?

Who Benefits The Most From Escalation: most of the super heavies are quite costly for their points. The Lord of Skulls is 100 times the sacred number of Khorne (if you catch my drift). That's a lot of scratch for an 1800 or 2000 point game. Must of the super heavies are in that upper range. However, the various Baneblade variants are in a decent price range. Imperial Guard players can take a Baneblade and still have points left over for their cheap troops and some Leman Russ'. In my opinion, Guard players are going to be even more dangerous! Space Marines get the least, as who can afford a Thunderhawk to begin with... unless a cheaper plastic one is coming...

So, what's the verdict? I won't actually give this a rating, as I think your mileage will vary depending on your views on super heavies. If you don't have one and don't plan on one, there's little point in getting this. However, if you want to blow the dust off that Baneblade or Harridan this is the book for you. If you have been drooling over the Necron Tesseract, this may push you over the edge. However, the question that everyone has is will Escalation have a negative impact on the game? I do not believe so, as I feel that GW has really done a good job of keeping it pretty even. Lords of War are incredibly powerful, but glances and pens are certainly doable, and if the Lord of War is vanquished, it will be an easy job to roll up the rest of that force.

Ultimately, time will tell, but I just think that Escalation represents just one more contingency to plan for. Personally, thinking of the fluff, it's pretty exciting, as this just makes the battlefield more nihilistic, which is what this universe is all about. I believe that if I were playing a series with a particular player/friend, this would be a fun story to tell on the battlefield- one battle is 1000 points, the next is 1800, then the last would be 2000 with a Lord of War thrown in for the exciting climax. Sounds fun to me. I am hoping that I can get the chance to play a match in a couple of weeks.

For the record, I am getting the other book, Stronghold Assault, for Christmas, so I can give my impressions then.

Until next time...