The week that was ...

I don't know how to say this, but I'm kind of a big deal!

19th -25th October 2012

Chaos fail

My first taste of the new Chaos Marine 'dex was postponed this week because, quite frankly, Mick had bigger fish to fry. I'd put together a not completely hopeless 500pt Tyranid list to face him though so I hope we can reprise our game this week.

In the absence of a game against them, I took a closer look at the codex and decided that actually the "Typhus/Plague Zombies/anything else you like really", list does look good, does look like something I want to play and does look very reasonable cost-wise thanks to Mantic's release of the Corporation Zombies deal. Not so good for Battle Brothers but very good for the wallet!

Rumors abound

For those of you that don't follow Faeit 212, and why the hell don't you - do it NOW, there have been lots of leaks surrounding the pre-christmas release schedule. Most notable, in my 40K biased opinion, are the Wall of Martyrs, The Space Marine and Necron Mega Forces. In the past the Mega Forces have been pretty damn good deals so keep an eye on them because if they are for armies you like/collect this is probably going to be a good investment.

In other news, the on-again/off-again, maestro of SEO - Adam from The Space Wolves Blog appears to be back on the scene again and is threatening to unite all the Blogs disgruntled with BoLS's treatment of the common Blogger and to pick up where FtW's blog roll left off but with even more pazzaz! Colour me apathetic but I'll leave you to make what you will of it (Ed - Andy's opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of Claws and Fists)

In other media

Some of you may know I'm a big fan of Podcasts. I'm currently listening to The Independent Characters and the 11th Company (never missed an episode of either) and I've picked up again with The D6 Generation (not a 40K podcast but an excellent general gaming one).

Over the last two episodes the Independent Characters have been reviewing the first Book in the Horus Heresy series from Forgeworld, "Betrayal". If you are in any way on-the-fence about this book, I strongly urge you to listen to the last two episodes as they are a really superb, in-depth review of the content, both fluff and rules, by a couple of guys who have a great understanding and enthusiasm for the project. In addition to this the Podcast is very entertaining no matter what aspect of 40K they are talking about so why not subscribe while you are at it.

The 11th Company are still doing what they have been doing sublimely for the last 138 episodes most recently they have delivered some very interesting insights into the world of Tournament Organisers in the US and some early (typically cynical) opinions on the Chaos Marines Codex. Though credit where it's due Neil "he's not going to lie to you" Gilstrap has managed to maintain a cautiously optimistic take on the new codex. I think it's important to remember that when you listen to these guys they are coming from a position of playing for wins in a highly competitive setting but if you're not that type of player this really shouldn't put you off listening to the podcast, it consistently provides fantastic tactical insights into play-styles and list building that I have not found anywhere else on the internet ...

... at least not since 40KUK went AWOL, just a little note here that I miss you guys and I hope that you get a new episode out soon; and please, for the love of god, sort out your sound quality. The content is epically good but I found the last one almost impossible to listen to!

And finally

I'm a pretty keen computer gamer as well as doing the 40K stuff, and recently X-Com has had me poised over the "add to cart" button on Steam. I keep telling myself I can wait until the Winter sale, where it's bound to be 25% off, but I'm not sure I have the self restraint to follow through. Fortunately my buddy Tee has been keeping me distracted with games of Dawn of War 2, Orc Must Die 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 (I'm all about sequels). These games are all excellent, particularly in the co-op multiplayer stakes but I'm not sure how long the distraction will continue to be effective. And really, why am I punishing myself about this ;)

Anyone else out there a keen PC gamer? What have you been playing recently?

Flyers in sixth

So to start this blog post I utter a disclaimer I have only played 2 games of sixth so this isn't a post of the informed it is a post of someone looking to be informed.

When sixth was introduced there was a lot of worry in the blogging world including from myself that fliers were going to be game breaking for those who have access to them because suddenly they were so hard to kill.

Over the last week I have been working on a chaos list that looks lke this

Lord
Black Mace
Gift of Mutation
Bike

Sorcerer with terminator armour
Mastery level 3
Tzeetch

2 lots of 25 cultists with two flamers

2 lots of 10 Chaos Space marines with melta guns

6 bikers
2 melta guns

a block of 10 terminators
4 power swords
4 power axes
2 power fists
2 autocannons

1 heldrake

Now I know that the Heldrake isn't a popular model but personally I like it however is there a point to it? With the baleflame it is good at killing MEQ without a doubt but as a an anti flyer does it cut it? How many flyers are we seeing in lists? Is it only really guard who are seeing them in numbers and if that is the case then is the Helldrake actually going to be able to deal with them?

Looking for peoples opinions on the list and the Helldrake as always

Is combat dead in the 6th?

Firstly a disclaimer, I have played 1 game of 40k so if my understanding of the rules are wrong feel free to let us know because I need all the help I can get with it.

Last night was my first game of 40k; I played Duncs with his Necrons. I've been playing Duncs for about 2 years and really expected to face his Orks so it was a pleasant surprise to see Hordes (or 500 points worth) or living metal across from me.

This was the first time I'd played Necrons, I've discussed on here starting an army of them I love the models and the simple but effective paint jobs that people manage on them.

We ended up playing the 1 objective game with the short edge deployment.

The game was very close with Duncs winning as he destroyed the first unit while we drew on primary objectives.

So thoughts on 6th

Combat is clunky, really clunky.

We found it really slow to allocate wounds to Space wolves that are all in base to base.

It’s also really hard to win combat with the fact that you just seem to run away no matter what happens in the combat. It’s also just harder to get into combat with the fat that you can't assault out of a parked rhino.

Our game really made me think that Combat is dead, the game was shooting based in fifth, with over watch and new combat resolution it’s even more so or at least that was the impression I got.
Personally I don't have a problem with that, I always thought that fights in the 41st millennium should be solved with guns rather than sticks but it leads you to think.

So what did I learn? Grey Hunters are even more awesome than before, over watch + counter charge + rapid fire and the options for either plasma or melta they are the most adaptable troop choice in the game.

Rhinos really are paper thin, I just don't know how many we will see, and do you want to just sit in a tin can and then when you are going to do something you are going to get shot anyway? I could certainly see drop pods making a comeback. You are going to get out and get shot anyway so why not make sure you get where you want to get before you get shot?

Now when the Necron codex came out I discussed with Darren how I thought they had big holes in them because of their low I they could get chased off the board so easily and he discussed that as it was written ready for 6th it was going to really find its place on the introduction and I have to agree, Tesla really comes into the fore, as do gauss with their ability to glance vehicles to death. I was tempted to do a necron army before, after last night I am even more so.

As always I look forward to reading you comments.

Everything FAQ'd except for 1 thing - Brilliant job GW

All in all life seems pretty sweet and people seem happy with the new rule book.

I would say Space Wolves have been fortunate to come out of it so well, only thing that’s really got worse is a chaplain with his lack of AP3.

However we still have the question of Flak missiles,
The internet seems to be broken into two factions so let me explain both sides

The rule book entry for Missiles specifically says that missile launchers can have the option of an upgrade to flak missiles which have the sky flier rule while the stats at the back of the rule book give Missile Launchers 3 types of ammo, frag, krak and flak (Not all types of missiles have that).

The FAQ then says that if there are any differences between the Codex weapon and the main rule book that you should use the main rule book stats.

Some are taking this upon themselves to say that Missile Launchers have frak straight off some are saying we must wait for the new codex. Personally to begin with I was in the latter group, however the more I think about it and the lack of the entry for other variants of missile perhaps so.

So what do you think? Whose side are you on?

A answer to an earlier question - what are Wolves going to do about Air support?

I think this was the main question for me.

However people have now got their hands on the rule book and substantiating reports are telling us that we are going to do exactly what we did before shoot the hell out of them with missile launchers.

Just to cover the source I have now read this on Bolter and Chainsword on a thread that seems to have been given the hammer already and on the Warhammer Forums.

Missile launchers now have a third type of ammo which is flak. It’s at strength 7 Ap4 and allows missiles to hit fliers at normal AP.

So we have lost a point of strength but with hull points (and I think I am right in thinking that all fliers have 2) it doesn't matter so much because you can glance a vehicle to death.

Did the ubiquitous missile launcher just become even better and did 3 squads of long fangs become even more needed? I would say so


Happy days

A new army for a new edition

2 more sleeps to go (unless of course you head to Warhammer world for the midnight opening, what do they think this is Call of Duty?)

So with 2 days to go a challenge has been set by Dan our resident campaign man at the first company veterans.

Many of the Veterans will be starting a Tale of 4 gamers style challenge which is being used to get more of us having a new army.

I've said many times on here that I would like to start a new army, I've toyed with the idea of Necrons, Traitor Guard and Grey Knights but I haven't finished anything.

My painting this year as with my blogging and my gaming has really ground to a halt. Wedding planning and extra work has put a stop to that sort of thing so Dan's challenge is exactly what I need.

The plan is to paint 200-300 points each month to build up to a 1750 point army with the idea suggested that at the end of it the group attends a tournament together.

You get a three points for completing your monthly painting oath (building, basing and painting), there is a bonus point for the person with the best painted models, there is a point for completing a game and each month there is a bonus task, these range from putting together fluff to building a diorama.

What army to pick then?
The rumourville is already churning over the inclusion of Chaos Space marines in the box set and for that reason I think I will be going with them.

I've always said my gaming is strongly influenced by my reading and throughout the Horus Heresy I have found the Renegades to be far more interesting than the Loyalists the only problem is I don't find the codex colourful enough to want to build an army so it’s a risk going for them.


Are they going to get the new codex that has been promised? Is it going to be legions rather than warbands? And if so what legion to go for?

The legion that has stood out for me in the Heresy has been the Word Bearers but the baron already has dibbs on them, do I go Word Bearer to Word Bearer with him or look for someone else?

Certainly needs thinking about.


So are you planning a new army for the new edition or just adapting what you have?

Look forward to seeing replies.

Space Wolves in 6th - Air Superiority

4 sleeps to go until sixth edition is in our hands but the overlying question I come to after reading the reports on 3++ and white dwarf is how are we going to deal with fliers?

Lets just be clear here in case people don't know, as I understand it, unless you have the AA special rule (unsure of the proper name) you are only shooting fliers at BS 1 obviously meaning that you need 6's to hit.

Looking at white dwarf it appears that they are setting the scene for dog fights over the battle field, other fliers certainly seem apt at dealing with their counterparts fighting them at natural ballistic skill. The problem with this is that so far we don't have any fliers.

So what can we use to deal with them?
Rune priests with the divination psychic powers have the chance of pulling a power that allows snap shot (which a shot at a flier is) to fire at its normal BS, useful but white dwarf indicates that psychic powers not from the codex are random so its not consistent enough.

Riflemans have the reroll at least giving you slightly more of a chance but its still not enough really is it?

So we come to the only option we definitely know that Space Wolves have for Anti Aircraft duties, fortifications.
Both the bastion and Aegis defence line have the optional upgrade of the quad gun. However I suspect that within a few months tournaments will have banned fortifications as they did in Fantasy.

This is certainly going to bring a new challenge to the Space wolfs game and one that may not be able to be sorted with mass firepower from Long Fangs.

6th edition - The Scouring of White Dwarf

So as I am sure everyone in the 40K Universe knows by this time next week we will all be able to have a nice new shiny copy of the big big sixth edition book in our hands.

So I thought I'd take this blog post to describe what we actually know and what impact I think it will have to us, Space wolf players.

First off let me say that none of this has come from friends of a friend who work at GW but all from White Dwarf and trying to read closely the snippets of spoilers that the have given us.

So where to start?
Well its going to cost us £45 for the pleasure of this and still GW are working back before the millenium and they haven't caught on to the fact that plenty of tournament goers are IPad wielders and it wouldn't be a bad thing to have an electronic copy rather than a HUGE book to lug about at least until August or September when we get the box set.

On to the rule then.
We have always known that fliers would make up a big part of this edition, personally I didn't realise how big.
Page 24-25 of this months White Dwarf makes it quite clear that if you aren't specified Anti Aircraft you are only hitting them on a 6 +. This is then confirmed on page 61 with the mention of the quad gun on the bastion. The quad gun has the interceptor rule which means it shoots fliers as they arrive from reserve (which all fliers have to) and it fires at its normal BS.

So in one way a leaf blower army isn't going to be as nasty because they aren't going to be shooting 9 fliers at you first turn but secondly for the Space Wolves especially do we have anything to knock them down? Normal anti flier tactics is going to be to shoot them with everything we have (normally missile launchers), now that they are only going to BS1 they obviously aren't going to be nearly as effective. Hopefully there will be something in the new rule book that will mean that we have something to deal with them otherwise a bastion is going to be vital.

The next and perhaps most contentious rule change is going to be hull points.
As far as we know, Land Raiders, Soul Grinders and Ghost Arks have 4, most other vehicles including dreadnoughts have 3 while fliers have 2. So how do they work, nothing definite but as far as I can tell and I take this from the necron section where I quote 'Guass Weapons take off a Hull Point for for every 6 rolled to penetrate' as far as I remember that's a glance so each glance causes you to take off a hull point? Grey Knights look a little less resilient now?

The next biggies deal with the assault face, as predicted Assaults are now a random charge length of 2D6 and if you have fleet you can re roll one of those dice. The other main thing is that the over watch ability is now available this means that you can fire at an enemy that charges hitting them on 6's. Excellent for necrons who on a 6 get 2 extra hits from tesla weaponry and Orks who hit on 5 ups anyway so what does an extra 1 mean? Its also good for any psykers who can take from the Divination discipline so you can gain Foreboding which allows the affected squad to fire at an assaulting unit at their full BS which does include the might Space wolves.

Rapid firing seems to have changed but no complete details of how. For example page 54 says that fire warriors can now move and rapid fire up to 30' away.Again far more dangerous to your humble Space Marines.

So all in all this is what I know. I'd like to know what else you have spotted that I haven't and I look forward to next week and hopefully having my excitement of 40k renewed.