Jets!!!

Who knew?

Colts are next on the chopping block, fuckyear!

Tyranids

Got my Codex and Trygon today, whewt!!

Resolve

There was a tournament today, first of the year. I wanted to go, but I made a couple promises to myself on the 1st of the year. One of them was never going to a tournament without a painted army, and I aim to keep that one. I've got too much stuff lying around unpainted or even unbuilt. With tournaments alternating between 40k and Fantasy every month, that gives me 2 months to get my models up to snuff.

For the Fantasy I'll be bringing my Skaven, all I'm missing is a Furnace and some conversions (Jezzails and Weapon Teams). All told, around 150 models is a daunting prospect, but I need to discipline myself and I can get it done.

For 40k I'll get my SW cav army done. It's just down to getting another box of Chaos Knights, converting them and my other marines and getting it all painted.

Should be fun, and I'll be documenting my progress as it happens.

The Grass is Always Crazier...

Mercer asked me if there were any other local tournies to play in.


Enjoy, buddy ;)


I have made a few minor revisions to the comp list so here is the new one:
Comp score
Magic
 Count all bound items and powerstones as a power dice,
 any character that can cast a single bound spell counts as one dice if the average power level <6>5,
 Characters that can cast multiple bound spells count as the power level calculated above and then multiplied by the number of spells.
 Tomb Kings and Empire armies without wizards do not count the 2 free dice.
 Count all dispel scrolls as 1 dispel diceDice Penalty or bonus0-4 +15 06 07 -18 -29 -310 -511+ -2 for each additional dice


Character
Count assassins as Character.
All mounts count as character points even if they count as something else and mounts which count as an additional character count for the total number of characters.
No Lord +1
Special Character -2
Only 3 Characters +2
Only 2 Characters +3
Every full 5% of CP over 25% -1


Magic Items
Count all magic items even if on units or champions. Also include all poisons, gifts, powers, or abilities which are not normal equipment or mount upgrades.
Less than 3% total magic items +1
Every full 2% of total magic items over 5% -1


Standard bonus
No rares +2
More than 25% core or 20% for HE +1
More than 35% core or 28% for HE +2
More than 50% core or 40% for HE +3Banners<4>

Non magical banners <2>

Do not count upgraded units, magic banners, special character champions, or assassins as core.

Specific army lists:

Dwarves

Warrior or ranger unit with banner>2 +2

A slayer or Ironbreaker unit +1

Master Engineer +1

Deamon Slayer +2

More longbeard than warrior units -2

More longbeard, Ironbreakers, hammerers than warrior units -2

Each Warmachine after the second one -1

Each thunderer or quarreler unit >2 -1

Each gyrocopter -1

If you have more than 15 miner models -1

Anvil -4

Thorac -4

Master rune of Challenge -2

Master rune of snorri Redbeard or Valaya -1

Each rune of battle after the first -1

Rune of balance counts as 2 dispel dice, rune of spell breaking counts a a dispel scroll and rune of spell eating counts as 2 dispel scrolls.

Warriors of Chaos

Maurader unit with banner and US14+ +1

Each forsaken Unit +1

Warshrine without a troll unit +1

Each Shaggot or Deamon Prince +1

All markable units with same mark +1

Each Chaos knight unit -1

Each spawn after first -1

Vilitch, Throgg, or Festus -2

Dragon -5

Each dog unit after 2 -1

Each chariot after 1st -1

Each marked Giant -2

Golden Eye of Tzeentch -1

Raptorous Banner or collar of Khorne with mark of Tzeentch -1

War banner, word of agony, or doom totem -2

Infernal puppet or black tongue -2

High Elf

Speaman unit with banner >2 +2

Each silver helm unit +1

Ellyerion Reavers +1

Shadow warriors +1

More special infantry units than core units -1

Griffin -2

Sun dragon -3

Moon dragon -4

Star dragon -6

Each Dragpn Prince unit after 1 -1

Each eagle, RBT, or chariot after the first -1

Teclis -5

Tyrion -2

Caradyran -1

Seer staff or skeinslivert or star lance -1

Dragon armor or armor of caledor on dragon -2

Battle banner -4

Annulian crystal counts as 2 dispel dice, sigil of asuryan counts as a dispel scroll, and book of Hoeth counts as 2 power dice.

Daemons of Chaos

Army of only one god +1

More than 2 core units with banners +1

Deamon Prince +3

Battle Standard -1

Greater Deamon -3

The greater deamon flies -1

Each character on juggernaught -2

Each chariot -1

Each flesh hound unit after the first -2

Each flamer model after 3 -2

Each fury unit after the first -1

Epidemius, Blue Scribe -2

Ku’gath the plague father, or Skarbrand -3

Kairos -4

Banner of Esctasy or Icon of endless war -1

Skull Totem or Icon of Sorcery -1

Standard of seeping decay -1

Dark Insanity or Trapping of Nurgle -2

Slime Trail or Master of Sorcery -2

Obsidian armor or Banner of Unholy Victory-2

Siren Standard or Immortal Fury -3

Firestorm Blade, Siren Song, or Tz will -3

Twin Heads or Great Icon of despair -4

Great standard of sundering counts as 4 dispel dice, Spell breaker counts as a dispel scroll and Spell destroyer counts as 2 dispell scrolls.

Dark Elf

No Warmachines or cauldrons +1

2+ warrior units with banner not crossbow +2

Two of corsair, witch elf, or Executioner unit+1

A Dark Rider unit not fast cav +1

Each Hydra -3

Dragon -5

Manticore -2

Each harpy unit after 2nd -1

Each fast cav after 2nd -1

Morathi or Lokhir Fellheart -3

Each shade unit with weapon upgrade -1

Each assassin or cauldron of blood after 1st -3

Armor of Darkness or war banner -1

Standard of slaughteer or Hydra banner -1

Armor of Eternal servitude -1

Rune of Khaine or Standard of Hag Grief -2

Black staff or touch of death -2

Rending stars, manbane, of Pendant of Khaeleth -4

Ring of Hotek counts as 2 dispel dice, sacrifical dagger counts as 3 power dice.

Lizardmen

No Lord +1

Skink Chief on foot +1

2+ ranked skink unit >us14 with Std +2

Each Kroxigor unit without skinks +1

Each slann discipline after 1st -2

Carnasaurus -2

Each mounted Saurus Character -1

Each skink skirmishing unit after 2nd -1

Each terradon unit after 1st -3

Each stegadon -1

Each ancient stegadon -2

Each character mounted on a stegadon -1

Each character mounted on ancient stegadon -2

Each salamander model -1

War banner or Burning blade of Chotec -1

Stegadon warspear, or war drums of xahatec -2

Totem of Prophecy or bane head -2

Diadem of power counts as a dispel dice, cube of darkness counts as a dispel scroll, focus of rumination counts as 3 power dice, Becalming cognition counts as 2 dispel dice, cube of darkness counts as 1 dispel dice.

Vampire Counts

2+ skeleton or Zombie unit>19 with non-magical banner +1

2+ ghoul unit >19 +1

A bat swarm or spirit host unit +1

Wight king not BSB +1

No Lord +2

Konrad +2

Each fast cav after 2nd -2

Zombie dragon -5

Abyssal terror -2

Each balefire -2

Each black knight unit -1

Each fell bat unit after 1st -1

Each wraith of Banshee model -1

Each varghulf -2

Count Manfred -5

Vlad von Cartien -2

Infinite hatred or walking death -1

War banner and each master ability -1

Book of Arkhan or Banner of Dead Legion -2

Helm of commandment on hero -2

Helm of commandment on Lord -4

Forbidden Lore or Talisman of Lycini -2

Both Infinite hatred and red fury -4

Banner of dead legion on a cav unit -4

Both red fury and dreadlance -5

Drakenhof banner -5

Skullstaff counts as two power dice, black periapth counts as one power dice and one dispel dice.

Orc and Goblins

2+ Orc units with banner, +1

2+ Goblin unit with banner +2

2+ Night goblin unit with banner +1

Each wolf rider unit not fast cav +1

Wyvern -3

Each fast cav after 3rd -1

Each warmachine after 3rd -2

Second giant -3

Gorbad Ironclaws -2

Each fanatic >6 -1

Each chariot after 2nd -1

Noggs banner of butchery or war banner -1

Staff of sneaky stealing counts as 2 dispel dice, Mork’s spirit- totem counts as 2 dispel dice.

Empire

2+ core infantry unit >19 with banner +2

Knight unit not inner circle with banner +1

Engineer +1

A unit with 2 detachments +1

Each Pigeon bomb modeled up +5

Griffin -2

Dragon -5

War Altar -3

Each steam tank -3

Karl Franz -3

Ludwig Schwarzhelm -2

Each cav unit after 3rd -1

Each outrider unit after 1st -1

Each Flagellant unit after the 1st -2

Each cannon after 2nd -2

War banner -1

Aldreds casket of sorcery -2

Van Hortsman speculum -3

Seal of destruction counts as 2 dispel scrolls and rod of power counts as 2 power dice.

Ogre Kingdom

2+ Ogre bull unit >3 with banner +2

A gnoblar unit +1

Each Hunter +1

Slave Giant +1

No Lord +1

Each scraplauncher after 1st -2

Each gorger -1

Each leadbelcher model after 4 -1

Each maneater model after 4th -1

Skullmantle -1

Tenderiser -2

Bretonnia

2+ man at arms unit with banner +2

2+ non skirmishing bowmen unit +1

2+ knight unit without magic banner +1

Grail Reliquarae +1

A character on foot +1

Each knight of the realm unit after 3rd -2

Each pegasus knight model >3 -2

Hippogriff -2

Tress of Isoulde -1

War banner -2

Banner of the Lady -3

Virtue of duty, discipline, or confidence -1

Silver mirror counts as a dispel scroll and Sacrament of the lady counts as 2 power dice.

Wood Elf

Only forest spirits in the army +1

2+ glade guard unit with banner +2

A eternal guard unit with nonmagical banner +1

Each tree Kin unit +1

Each treeman -3

Green dragon -6

Durthu or Naestra -5

Orion or Drycha -2

Each wild rider unit after 1st -2

Each skirmishing unit after 3rd -2

Each fast cav unit after 2nd -2

War banner -1

Annoyance of netlings -2

Hail of doom arrows -3

Staff of wylm elm counts as 1 dispel dice, each treeman counts as 1 power dice, each treeman ancient counts as 2 power dice.

Tomb Kings

2+ Skeleton Unit >19 with banner +1

A skeleton horse unit +2

Icon Bearer +1

No Lord +2

Each it came from below unit after 2nd -3

Each chariot unit after 1st -2

Each carrion after 1st -2

Each catapult with skull of Foe upgrade -2

Second bone giant -2

Cloak of Dune Crown of kings or flail of skulls-1

War banner or standard of sands -1

Icon of Rakaph or Destroyer of eternities -2

Casket of souls counts as 2 power dice, Hieratic jar counts as 2 power dice, and brooch of the great desert counts as a dispel scroll.

Skavan

3+ Clanrat units with banner +2

A Stormvermin unit w/o magic banner +1

Assassin +1

Poison Wind globidiers +1

A rat ogre unit >2 rat ogres +1

Lord on a mount -2

Each plague furnace after 1at -2

Each plague monk unit after 1st -2

Each plague censer bearer after 1st -2

Each warplock Jezzail unit after 1st -2

Each hellpit abomination -4

Each Doomwheel -2

Warp scroll, stormbanner, or warpstone stars -1

Grand banner of clan superiority -2

Doomrocket -4

Warp-energy condenser counts as 1 power dice, every other warpstone token counts as a power dice.

Yeah.

Set Sail for Fail!

So today we had our big pow wow at the FLGS to toss ideas around and figure out how the tourney series is being run this year. I tried to show everyone that having a competitive, balanced tournament is not only easier to run, but fair and arguably better. I'm talking about comp, or removing it. Of course I was shouted down by the scrub brigade, so we're stuck with this system for the year:

Overall-Battle Points + Painting + Comp + Sports

This one I have no problem with, it gives everybody a shot and fits the "ideal" of the compy tourney.

Best General-60% Battle, 30% Comp (peer and judge scored), 10% TO's discretion

In other words, who can kiss the most ass and sneak their strong list while maintaining a fluffy facade. Fucking joke.

Painting-Combo of peer review and judge review

I don't see a comp score here? Bullshit, fuck you.

Player's Choice-Everyone picks their favorite army

The Ass Kissing/Crony award.

Sportsmanship-Player review after each game.

The butthurt/chipmunk score

So, there's our system. Fuck me, right? The main argument for comp was to prevent people from bringing powerbuilds just to win.

Hold the fuck up.

Why the fuck are you going to a tournament if not to win? Die in a fire.

Then we get the same bullshit scrubtastic responses

"Any three year old can play Vulkan!"-Fucknuts

"What if some guys from out of town bring in their unpainted Green Tide and stomp."-Dumbshit

"Waaaah! Special Characters are broken!"-Assclown

Listen up idiots, if you actually fought against competitive armies and not bullshit 4th ed armies or crap like footdar and Green Tide you would become a better player and see the crap armies for what they are, crap. A bad general with a good army will beat a bad general with a bad army. Get better and/or bring better armies and this problem goes away. How do you get better? Practice against good armies, you fuck!

Somebody actually told me that my DeathRaven army would be comped poorly (Sammy, Belial, 4 DW squads, 2 RW units for reference) because I picked the "power options."

What

The

Fuck

Welcome to my god damn nightmare.

The biggest arguments came from how to use soft scoring, particularly how to eliminate shenanigans. You know what the best way is? Don't fucking have it. It eliminates all this chipmunking bullshit and gets you focused on beating your opponent, not the system.

It's as easy as this:

Overall-BPs + Painting, Sports as the tie breaker

General-BPs, Sports as the tie breaker

Painting-Painting

That requires 0 extra effort from the TO beyond making sure people aren't cheating or being assholes. There's no system to exploit, no way to snipe somebody who beat you, no way to game your friends to victory, none of it. It's simple and lets you focus on the real important bits: playing the damn game!

But wait, there's more!

They also tossed around ideas for missions, eventually deciding to use the main rulebook missions (salvation!) BUT letting the player make up their own missions and submit them. They were talking bullshit like having only Elites score, using 4th ed VPs (the Eldar player suggested that, I guess he wants to bring back SMF too), a railgun train driving through the map (anything not hugging the board edge dies! lollololollollol FUCK YOU!), empty board with Night Fight all game and wacky random teleporting.

Fuck my life.

Oh hey, we're also using the INAT FAQ.

Also the Fantasy game is still 1800.

I hate everything.

Bugs on the Brain

Hey, we're still here if anybody was wondering.

Playtesting bug stuff and working on a crash course for bug players and their opponents is taking up most of the blogging time.

Expect something sweet on the 16th.