My new banner

Goatboy was kind enough to design my new banner. I really like it a lot and am grateful for the awesome artwork.

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Ghetto 40k

Blogs are all about ghetto 40k. Ghetto 40k is raw and unfiltered.

Now ask yourself is that really true or is ghetto 40k an image? Not that is really matters but certainly it is something to consider.

Thoughts?

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Blood Angels death star vs. nob bikers

Here is my optimal assault terminator deathstar (mounted in a Crusader, 16 slots):

Recluisarch (1 slot)
Librarian/terminator armor, stormshield, psy powers: Sanguine Sword & ??? (2 slots)
Corbulo (1 slot)
6x assault terminator/4x pair of lightning claws, 2x thunderhammer & stormshield (12 slots)

Corbulo has two wounds so he can help soak a wound that gets through. I also typically will use his reroll for a failed save on a stormshield. Here is a breakdown on the total number of attacks this unit can generate on the charge at each initiative step:

-I6
Librarian: 4 attacks @ S10/WS5
Recluisarch: 5 attacks @ S5/WS5
Corbulo: 5 attacks @ S6 (rending)/WS5

14 attacks

-I5
4x terminators w. lightning claws: 16 attacks @ S5/WS4

16 attacks

-I1
2x terminator w. thunderhammers: 6 attacks @ S9/WS4

6 attacks

So 14 + 16 + 6 equals 36 attacks total. Let's put this up versus a squad of 10 nob bikers (incl. Painboy, cybork body & 3x power klaw) lead by a warboss with a power klaw. Assume the BA deathstar charges from a Crusader:

-> I6
• Librarian moves into b2b contact with the warboss and puts all of his attacks on the enemy HQ. At least one wound should get through & insta gib the warboss.
• Recluisarch swings into the squad. 5 attacks, 3 hit plus 1 for rerolls - 4 hits & [i]2 wound with no save[/i].
• Corbulo swings into the squad. 5 attacks, 3 hit plus 1 for rerolls - 4 hits & 2 wounds, both saves are made.

-> I5
• Terminators with lightning claws swing into the squad. 16 attacks, 8 hit plus 4 more for rerolls - 6 wounds plus 3 more wounds for rerolls - 9 hits, 5 wounds plus 2 more for rerolls, [i]5 wound with no saves[/i].

-> I1
• Terminators with thunderhammers swing into the squad. 6 attacks, 3 hit plus one more for rerolls - [i]4 wound & no saves[/i] - all insta gibs.

So the nob bikers lose the warboss, four bikers are insta gibbed & they lose one biker plus the remaining 5 each have taken a wound. Most likely the nobs will break and cannot regroup. Suppose the 3 power klaws survived to swing back...

9 attacks, 6 hit and 5 wound. 2 saves are taken on the terminator stormshields & both pass. Another save is taken on the Librarian's stormshield and passes. 2 wounds get through the stormshields & the lightning claw terminators fail both saves.

This shows the brute strength of the unit and what it can do to another deathstar.

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1850 point all jump Blood Angels list (friendly)

I was planning to play in a local tournament yesterday but unfortunately was unable to attend. I don't have my Stormravens yet, 99% of my new BA Marines are completely assembled... So I was planning to bring a pure jump infantry list to get in three games and use it as an opportunity to learn more about how I want to play the new codex. I'll be shipping all of the Marines to GMM Studios this week to have them all painted & should hopefully get them all back in time for BoLScon. I'm still undecided as yet whether I will run Daemons or Blood Angels in Austin, Texas for the 40k tournament. I'll definitely be fielding Blood Angels for the team tournament and already have all the models I need for that event on the Friday.

So here is the list (comments below):

_HQ_
The Sanguinor
Dante
Honorguard (jump packs):
• Blood Champion
• Pair of lightning claws
• Chapter banner, power weapon & infernus pistol
• Thunderhammer & infernus pistol
• Novitiate

_Elites_
2x Sanguinary Priest (jump packs)/power weapon & infernus pistol
Chaplain (jump pack)/infernus pistol
Chaplain (jump pack)/infernus pistol

5x Death Company Marines (jump packs) + Lemartes/3x power weapon, power fist & infernus pistol
5x assault Marines/meltagun, thunderhammer & stormshield
5x assault Marines/meltagun, thunderhammer & stormshield

So it's a small elite army. At the 2000 point level I'd find a way to include a Stormraven (BBF patterned) with a Death Company dreadnaught (Blood Talons & heavy flamer) in tow. I'd probably drop both of the Chaplains to make some room for the extra points needed. The Sanguinor & Dante are both optional as at 2000 points I would rather just take Astorath as the only HQ. this abbreviated version of the jump list basically all starts in reserve and relies upon the Descent of Angels special rule to reroll reserves. No psychic defense and a small army as already stated above. It's mostly just a fun list to use my new models. I would have joined Dante with Lemartes & the Death Company, one priest & a chaplain per assault squad. The Sanguinor tries to stay close to the DC lending his +1 attack bubble. Also you've probably noticed that both sergeants in the assault squads are identically equipped so one of the two would benefit from the Sanguinor's blessing. The combination of the Sanguinor plus Dante means it should be fairly simple to quickly eliminate the opponent's main HQ which is very nice when you have to throw the Sanguinor at something nasty like Abbadon.

I would have loved to see how this army would have fared in the tournament but oh well it was not to be. The list definitely has some weaknesses but I think it would have done well. I was planning to shoot for the best general award since nothing is painted yet. I would have loved to run this list against mech IG just to see how it would have fared.

There was also an idea I had to possibly drop the Honorguard and take a squad of 5 Vanguard veterans:

Sergeant/power fist & storm shield
4x Lightning claw & stormshield

All kitted with meltabombs. This would be a great unit to act as a distraction since they have Herioc Intervention & I think they would work well fighting beside the Death Company & Sanguinor.

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Thoughts on hte sudden loss of allies for Imperial Guard

From a post of mine earlier this evening over on the 40k Wrecking Crew forums:

Very solid points Mike & I agree with what you said. Those are my exact sentiments.

Now sure I was going overboard when I repeatedly said it's a big blow to mech IG. In reality it's a blow, not major but not minor either. Most IG Mexh armies I see have the Inquisitor/Mystics unit. They keep it bare bones at something like 32 points. They would be deployed in the center of the IG line and I would deepstrike everything on one flank to overload that flank and keep a safe distance from the now defunct unit. Now I have a lot more choices how I drop my daemons and I don't have to come in with everything in one localized area.

IG Mexh is a meta list created on the Internet & became even more popular following the big win with leafblower at the Ard Boyz finals last year. A lot of the strength any army has going for it that makes it popular to play is how it's perceived by the general 40k online community. Nob bikers were once deemed impossible to beat then suddenly after their poor collective showing at Adepticon last year the army losts it's appeal. In reality nob bikers are still very strong as Marc was able to successfully demonstate at Bolter Beach. The collective voice of the internet said things like nob bikers were a lost cause due to the inclusion of PSB in the IG codex. Marc was able to circumvent PSB. What we here as members of the WC believe and what is the general perception are often two totally different things & that's worth noting. Loss of allies is the first major nerf for IG. Some will say it's not a big deal while others will say it's terribad for hte IG. Basically I think the end result is at least initially people will feel more positive about fielding drop pods again in SM armies & people will feel less hesitant to field daemon armies. If you play guard and don't use the Inq/Mystics then is there no adjustment necessary?No, because certain other armies' composition will change. If you play guard and regularly field Inq/Mystics then definitely there must be an adjustment. The bottom line is will guard be able to successfully make the right adjustments to stay at the top. Maybe I'm wrong and nothing will really change but I don't think that's the case here. IG will have to make some changes and then we will see if this particular army can stand the test of time. Other armies like 3ed BA & 4ed CSM had no problems with the eventual changes that came along over the course of their rules being available. So to me it's too early to say that guard will slip a notch or two but then again it's too early to say they won't either. I already feel I have gained an edge over guard with their sudden loss of allies. By the way this also means no more Vulkan armies with SoB allies as well. Things constantly continue to change as always.

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Off wif er head !!

One pill makes you larger
One pill makes you smaller
And the ones that mother gives you Don't do anything at all

Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go off chasing rabbits
Then you know you're going to fall
Tell them a grinning Cheshire cat Has given you a call

Call Alice
When she was small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of breakthrough
Now your mind is moving slow

Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
The White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen says "Off wif er head!"
Remember what the dormouse said "Keep your head !!"

2k meta BA list

Here is a list I recommend for players looking to field a strong BA list that can contend with other top tiered lists:

Recluisarch
Corbulo
2x Sanguinary Priest/power sword
5x assault terminators/4x pair of lightning claws, TH&SS - Landraider Crusader/extra armor & pintle mounted multi-melta

9x assault Marine/meltagun, power fist & infernus pistol - Landraider/extra armor
9x assault Marine/meltagun, power fist & infernus pistol - Landraider/extra armor

Baal predator/TL assault cannon, HB sponsons
Baal predator/TL assault cannon, HB sponsons

That might be a tad over 2k points but it's very close if not on the noise.

You run the Recluisarch & Corbulo with the terminators; they can be a death star unit if used properly.

You have only two troop choices (one priest goes with each squad) but they are riding in landraiders so it's okay.

You have lots of options with the Baals. I like to outflank them rather than make the Scout move.

So you have three landraiders total plus the two Baals are just annoying as Hell. You can sit back and shoot or move forard & assault. Corbulo allows you to reroll one dice which can be huge... I typically save it to reroll a failed 3++ on the terminator with the thunderhammer & stormshield. You enough melta to get the job done should you feel the need.

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What to bring

With BoLScon & hte NOVA Open on the horizion I have to decide what to bring. My Khornate daemons are well tested but transporting them is not fun. If my Blood Angels are ready I will probably take them as plastic armies travel very well & repair is very easy. I have been constantly tweaking my Blood Angels and realize they will never have the natural resiliency of daemons but they as a whole are much faster and still hit just as hard when charging. It's a real toss up for me. I had to re assemble all my Blood Crushers at Adepticon and then again when I returned home. I will definitely purchase the plastic Blood Crushers when they are released on the next wave.

I play my Blood Angels similar to how I play my daemons. I have always been a big fan of deepstriking and the Blood Angels have some inherent advantages... namely their universal special rule Descent of Angels which means each jump infantry unit can reroll an unsuccessful reserve roll & only scatter 1d6". I have been experimenting a lot lately with Vanguard veterans:

Sergeant/stormshield & thunderhammer
4x veterans/stormshields, lightning claws & meltabombs

The unit has jump packs of course. They are pretty much guaranteed a charge the turn they arrive which means a shrewd opponent will have to start with all their units embarked if they are running mech or hold their army in reserve. They are brutal when joined with a Sanguinary Priest and embarked in a Stormraven. I try to keep the Sanguinor closeby for his +1 attack bubble and if they are also joined with a Recluisarch or Chaplain plus the Priest they can hammer anything. While my army is small in terms of the total body count each unit is strong & there are lots of options how I can deploy the army depending on what I'm up against.

So like I said it's a toss up & will probably depend on what I feel the best about. Both armies are good so it shouldn't be a big problem.

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How to be #1

Okay so I am going to tell you how to be a winner. Before I go into the details I will first say what is most important is how you handle yourself. It is important to be able to share others' perceptions and understand how they feel about situations & issues. This will help you to be a better communicator. I am blunt and to the point, I don't have much skill when it comes to diplomacy but I have learned to put myself in others' shoes. If you are okay with yourself then you can deal with other people whoever they might be. So what it all boils down to end the end is you must believe in yourself and not let others be able to make you think less of yourself. If ever someone comes to you with advice then take the time to listen. If ever someone comes to you asking for advice take the time to clearly listen to what they are asking of you. I believe in delegating responsibility... I don't have all the answers so if I don't know then I will point them to someone who does, otherwise you can get yourself or them into trouble. Sometimes it's not easy to believe in yourself, you walk in a room full of people and they all give you a cold stare. It's okay. We must constantly challenge ourselves if we want to improve. It's also very important to surround yourself with strong people who can help you. This was one of Andrew Carnegie's secrets to success. If we are always around people at our own level then it's harder to learn. I firmly believe anything you do you should always do your best. Your work and efforts are a reflection of yourself. If you do a mediocre job people will see it for what it is. So these are some ways to improve upon ourselves so that we can be number one. If you really want to be number one then you must make the effort to make it happen and work hard. What I have found is that through sheer tenacity and will power we can learn anything. Once you learn something then it is always with you from then on & no one can take these things from you. To be number one you must be the best and you must believe you are the best. Luck and bullshit are poor substitutes for true skill & knowledge.

I am by no means a self help guru but I thought I would jot down these thoughts to share. While they are all general they all apply to playing 40k in a competitive environment. We must be able to effectively deal with all the difficult situations. Like I said I am not a good diplomat because of my bluntness and confrontional personality but I do know how to get my point across. That's all you can do at times. Remember also that when you lose it's an opportunity to learn.

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Review of Ard Boyz 2010 semi final missions

I saw a great article by Danny Internets on his blog this morning so I'll try to follow suit.

1st Mission - DA FOG OF WAR
Deployment: Spearhead
Objectives: 3 Objectives, 2 are placed in the neutral non deployment zone table quarters & the 3rd is placed on the center of the table. Night Fight is in effect and takes place in the two neutral non objective table quarters. On a roll of 4+ starting on Turn 2 the fog dissipates, you roll separately for each table quarter. Note that there is always clear LOS looking through a 12" circle centered on the table.

There are 6 full turns.

This mission could easily favor assault armies & is obviously a hindrance to shooty armies. The hard part is holding all 3 objectives to score a massacre. Two objectives for a major victory should be easy though. So you will need four to five scoring units to massacre which is typical for Ard Boyz in general. Fast assault armies can flank through the neutral table quarters in the early game to collapse their opponents. To me this is a bad mission for IG Mexh. How long has it been since Night Fight was included? It's been a really long time. So this mission favors fast assault armies.

2nd Mission - GIT DA SHINY'S
Deployment: Pitched Battle
Objectives: 4 objectives. Each player gets to deepstrike 2 objectives at the beginning of their turn after deployment. They scatter 2d6". The objective that lands closest to the center of the table counts as 2 objectives. You must control 5 more objectives than your opponent to score a massacre.

There are 6 fixed turns.

If it was me I'd try to go second and deepstrike my objectives on top of my opponent's. Again another mission that could heavily favor assault armies depending on how you place your objectives and how they all scatter. Again you will need 4 - 5 scoring units. This mission is very dependent on the scatters so it could be anyone's game. I wouldnt make any changes to my list for this mission. Just make sure your army is mobile & has enough scoring units. This is another mission that could screw IG Mexh depending on the scatters. If you are running an assault army try your best to keep the objectives as close together as possible forcing IG Mexh to bunch up.

3rd Mission - DEM BOYZ IS IN DA SIDE
Deployment: Dawn of War (no Night Fight)
Objective: Killpoints plus objectives for bonus battlepoints. You must roll on the 1st turn to see which long table edge your reserves arrive from.

Again another mission that seriously hampers IG Mexh. The best for any army is to hold everything in reserve, bringing everything in on Turn 1 and use Outflank if you've got it. This is a fantastic mission for Tyranids if they bring the right units; Ymrygal genestealers will be very strong!

I did not see anywhere in any of the missions that you can roll to seize the initiative, which I find extremely interesting but maybe I just missed it. If I were playing I'd probably bring my Khornate daemon force as being able to deepstrike your entire army will be very powerful in all three missions. A deep striking Blood Angels army should also do very well. In my opinion these missions will hurt IG Mexh and we will see less of them moving on to the finals.

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All about Dashofpepper

This is to clear the air on some rubbish that Dash has been spreading around the internet about me. The one I am concerned about is when he states my fellow Wrecking Crew members say I am a jerk and hate me. Here for the record is what several WC members have actually said:

Marc Parker met Dash at the SVDM GT in Philly this past February. Marc told me this past weekend at Bolter Beach that Dash is a flake and to ignore him.

Brandon Palmer (GMMStudios) and I both despise Dash and have nothing good to say about him.

Mike Walsh also does not like him and informed me that Dash has been banned from yet another gaming store in North Carolina.

The Hod said based on what he has heard about Dash he would keep a very close eye on him if they were to ever game.

WhiteDevil also despises Dash as does Paul Murphy.

So yes there is a lot of hate from the club directed at Dash and I wanted to set the record straight. It seems Dash has made a friend in deadshane though, good for him.

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Destroyer

I will be bringing my Khornate daemons to hte NOVA Open. It is time to kick some ass really hard this time.

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Goth is still hte bestest ever...

Best thong ever...

Bolter Beach & hte aftermath

Well there was this fantasy player that won almost every award on that side. His name is Beachy and is one of those truly amazing individuals that don't come along often. He must be packing some serious whoop arse.

On the 40k side which is what I know here are all the high points:

The vast majority of players who came out were awesome and these are the kind of people I like to play. It's special to me when you all these people under the same roof for a couple of days. Much kudos to Clark Welch & Jacob Pauly for helping us to impartially judge the event. Half of the judging team was from the Skul N Bonz club out of Port Richey, the other half was from our club. I did not see any bad decisions, there was a few tough calls to make and overall it went off without a hitch.

Much kudos to Marc Parker for reviving orks from their current level of mediocrity and taking best overall in the 40k GT. Much kudos also to Gabe Dobkins & Joseph Sledge from Jackonsville. Gabe won the award for best appearance and his GI Joe themed Imperial Guard army was a true terror to behold. It's something different from any other IG army I have seen and I respect that a lot. Mike Walsh won best the best general award with his Space Wolves. There were some truly epic battles and Mike did very well in every game. Mike Walsh & Paul Murphy also won the 40k team tournament with ten teams showing up to play. Aaron Hagney took home the player's choice award with his potent Khorne/Nurgle daemon army... His Skulltaker looked like a heavy metal rock star.

Communication is always very important for any large event. Yuri & I will work even harder come the next event to make sure everything is clear. I received a lot of feedback regarding the missions for 40k. A lot of players told me they loved the missions. There was lots & lots of playtesting several months ahead of the event and I personally thank everyone who helped to make them better with their positive feedback and suggestions. There were three mechanized IG armies on the top three tables for the final round of the 40k GT & to me that says a lot. The missions were designed to be challenging & exciting. There were at five armies that had a shot at best overall going into the final round so I think the missions accomplished their goal. Obviously there will always be some people that don't like the missions at any event you attend. Their criticisms were noted and we use this feedback for the next event. Having put lots & lots of time into the missions the praise I received was very gratifying.

It is looking like we will do another big event in February. Thanks to everyone who came out to play. Some people only came out to play in the 40k team tourney & I thought that was very cool.

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Who currently is the best special character in 40k?

Who do you think is the best special character currently in the game? I will attempt to throw together a list by army. If I feel that a codex does not have a good special character then I'll just put NA beside that army. So here we go!

01) Black Templars:
Marshal Helbrandt, Chaplain Grimaldus

02) Blood Angels:
Astorath, Dante, Mephiston, Sanguinor

I know most will pick either Mephiston or Sanguinor but based upon my own playtesting I have to pick Dante as he is the greatest force multiplier in my opinion. Note that I would rather take a character that is a force multiplier over say a scary close combat monster.

03) Chaos Daemons:
Blue Scribes, The Changeling, Fateweaver, The Masque, Skulltaker

I think the Fateweaver is the top choice here. The others I listed are popular as well so I included them as well.

04) Chaos Space Marines:
Abbadon

I'd like to include the winged lash prince but it's obviously not a special character.

05) Dark Angels:
Belial, Sammuel

I was tempted to go with NA but there are those who still love their Deathwing & Ravenwing. I respect that too. I haven't seen anyone taking Azrael so I didn't include him.

06) Dark Eldar:
Lelith, Vect

07) Daemon Hunters:
NA

08) Eldar:
Eldrad, Maugan Ra

Eldrad is one of my top choices for best overall.

09) Imperial Guard:
Al Raheem, Creed, Sly Marbo

While I rarely ever see anyone field Creed he is pretty solid for blob IG. Marbo is obviously the most popular by far.

10) Necrons:
The Deceiver, Nightbringer

The Deceiver is another one of my top choices. Just like Eldrad his ability to redeploy is often overlooked but very powerful.

11) Orks:
Ghazkul Mad Thrakka, Snikrot

Ghaz is another top pick for me!

12) Sisters of Battle:
NA

13) Space Marines:
The Khan, Captain Lysander, Vulkan

Vulkan is another top pick for the best special character & extremely popular amongst those who love their power armor.

14) Space Wolves:
Logan Grimnar

He has to compete with the generic Wolf Lord mounted on a Thunderwolf but Logan is definitely a very strong force multiplier and a staple to many Space Wolf armies.

15) Tau:
NA

16) Tyranids:
Deathleaper, The Doom of Malanti, Swarmlord

If I missed any let me know!

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Bolter Beach 40k GT this weekend

Well this is the big weekend. I am hoping to run a completely fair event with no shennigans (like TOs playing in their own events) and give out lots & lots of awesome prizes. It looks like we will have over 100 players and this is our first time out so I am very excited about that for sure. I spent a lot of time writing and playtesting the missions. Should be a good one.

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