False hopes / new additions.

Nope! It is not a case of new venue, new luck! I rocked up to the club to play some Warmachine and got my Menoth butt handed to me (by a guy called Jeremy and his Khador) in the first session, and then suitably squished in the second after some hot Menoth on Menoth action (thanks Nat). I will make a couple of excuses in my defence, however. These were my first games under the MKII rules and I was getting myself all muddled up. Also, I still haven't sat down and read/studied/absorbed the rules (quelle surprise as my wife would say). Yes, these are rubbish excuses! they shouldn't even be excuses. I knew I should have just sat down Sunday morning, ignored the cat and the aforementioned wife, and forced myself to do something about it. Instead, I found myself gorging myself on some Monday Night Raw and Smackdown from a couple of weeks ago.


Still, I'm going to try again tonight. I'll be playing a new guy to the club, and indeed Warmachine itself. This means it won't be a competitive game which is good as I don't do competition very well. I just like to turn up and have a drink and roll my uncooperative dice.

Gaming aside, I have made quite a few additions to my various forces:

MonPoc: I have purchased another monster (Rakadon) and lots of grunts for my Terrasaurs/Empire of the Apes force. I have nearly enough of each model released so far so I have a lot to choose from the next time I play. All before the next block of releases for the game.

Warmachine: I bought Vindictus, the Blessing of Menoth, Dartan Vilmon, The High Reclaimer (this should have been Orin Midwinter), Gorman di Wolfe, Doc Killingsworth and the Temple Flameguard unit attachment.

40k: I don't have a particular need to add to my Dark Angels or Necrons (especially with GW's future price increases), but when I saw some OOP Necrons I snapped them up. I got a Necron Lord, seven Scarabs, 20 Warriors, 5 Immortals and 3 Destroyers. ALL OLD SKOOL!!!

Malifaux: for some unknown reason, I took advantage of Tor Gaming’s clearance on their Malifaux mini’s. I bought a shed load of Outcasts, much more than I need to start.

All in all I have spent way too much on models and I'm going to take forever painting (thankfully the old style Necrons are already painted). The only thing I didn't buy was luck...

4 shades of AWESOME!!!

I love Apes. I love the Empire of the Apes faction. I love King Kondo. He has four forms. I know I can only use two in any game of MonPoc, but this was just a good time to show him off in a photo.

My love for this charismatic ape, obviously, started with the Series 4 Mega Kit where I opted for Empire of the Apes as my faction. I got my Alpha and Ultra King Kondo models (1st and 2nd in line). I then won the roll-off for Mega King Kondo (3rd), who came as a bonus model with the Mega Kit. And then the week before last I obtained Quantum King Kondo (last in line) on evilBay from a seller in the US for much less than I imagined (only $17!!!). I saw that a German seller was trying to sell Quantum King Kondo for €47.50. So I am quite thankful that I was able to finish my simian quartet for cheap. I really now have to organise a game or two.

 I have also managed to add a few units to both Apes and Terrasaurs factions. I've probably said before that what I like best about MonPoc is the fact that I don't have to paint them at all, I can just collect and play. MonPoc has a sort of PokéMon feel to it. So much so that, despite loyalty to the Radicals Agenda, I want to collect all of the other factions. But I'm not going to... yet. Instead I'll concentrate on collecting buildings.

I think I need to have a better variety of buildings, so I'll be on the look out for more.

A flurry of activity.

After some absence from gaming, I'm back. But I find myself troubled.

My gaming brain has been led astray by the many gaming systems I wish to involve myself in. This year, I’m starting off with Necromunda as there is a bit of a campaign going on at the club. I was fortunate to be part of it as I started while I was away on my honeymoon. But then someone dropped out. A fellow gamer, Marcus, immediately put my name forward as a replacement. The organisers said yes, but only if I took over the Ratskin gang of the guy who dropped out. I accepted, but was disappointed not to be able to use my Van Saars. So now I’m playing with a totally new gang (but having said that, even if I used my Van Saars’, it would be like playing with a new gang because I haven’t played Necromunda for over a decade). But then the idea struck me, that when the campaign is over I would have to give the gang back to their rightful owner. I would have a small gap in my heart without them. So I did something bad. I went to evilBay and scored myself a lot of Ratskins! This means that I can replace the gang with my own models (maybe change the names) and keep the gang alive. I hope this isn’t a foolish thing to do. At the same time, I am also thinking about beefing up my Van Saars. I am most likely going to add some reinforcements.
Next on the list, is Monsterpocalypse. I have been building up my Terrasaurs and Empire of the Apes forces at a very steady rate. I now have more monsters to choose from (including a lot of Mega forms and Quantum King Kondo!!!) and a fairly flexible amount of units. I am hoping to get some games in down at the club soon. I now have made the conscious decision to not spend anything on MonPoc until Series 5 is released in a couple of months time. This is because I would like to get back into Warmachine.
Recently I purchase the Warmachine MKII rulebook and Menoth MKII card deck. All I need now to carry on the momentum would be a new warjack or unit. This would be ideal when the Necromunda campaign finishes. But then, this will be undermined by yet another gaming system. Infinity.
I have seen a few games of Infinity being played at the club recently and it looks to be a slightly more tactical game. I’ve been looking at the models for the various forces and have been taken in by either the Combined Army or the Yu Jing (most likely Yu Jing). This would mean getting a starter box and possibly the rulebook (I may just keep with a pdf that I printed). But starting with a new gaming system, means less time for 40K.
I will be adding some Destroyers and Warriors to my already large Necron force. This would be really great, as I like playing with an armada of Destroyers. They can really cause some problems during some games. While on the subject of 40K, I am still waiting for the Dark Angels to get a new lease of life in the shape of a new Codex (hopefully). Until then, I have quite foolishly entertained and old idea to have a small force of Deamonhunters. There have been a couple of deals recently (one at the club and one on evilBay) that I just missed out on, that really could have started this off. So now this idea goes back onto the shelf in the back of my mind. With all of these gaming paths to follow, I almost forgot about Warhammer Fantasy.
At the end of last year, I bought a load of Dwarfs that will make my own small force (heh) into a much larger (and legal) throng. I even bought the rule book as well. Who knows when I‘m going to get the time to learn how to play this amongst other games.

As a result, I just have no idea how this year is going to pan out. I think I have worked out a priority list of what I want to do, but that might be thrown out the window fairly quickly. One thing is for sure, the year will start with Necromunda.

Meet the Radicals.

Here is a bunch of nice guys who have found their way into my gaming heart. My Empire of the Apes and Terrasaurs. When I first saw King Kondo (the one with the scars) I fell in love. The look of rage on his face convinced me that I NEEDED to start up yet another army in yet another gaming system. Me and a few guys down at the club decided to club together and get the Monsterpocalypse Series 4 Mega Box and divided up the goodies. I chose the Apes and happen to be very happy with my lot. Since then I bought a load of Terrasaurs from E(vil)-bay. I aim to be buying more throughout the year too!

 Here are the Empire of the Apes.

At the head of the family is King Kondo in his Alpha and Ultra forms (Mega form is currently sitting on my desk at work in all of his golden shinyness). Next to him is Gakura, again in his Alpha and Ultra forms.
Then the little children are made up of:
1 x Howitzer Ape
1 x Howitzer Ape Elite
1 x Command Ape
2 x Airbourne Apes
1 x Airbourne Ape Elite
5 x Glass Airbourne Apes (not pictured as they arrived on my desk this morning)
1 x Stealth Ape.

Next we have the Terrasaurs commanded by Terra Khan (Alpha and Ultra) and Tyrranix (Morphers and Ultra form - Mega form not pictured as again they just arrived). They are accompanied by:
5 x Pteradactix Elites
3 x Pteradactix
3 x Pteradactix Shadows (just arrived today)
1 x Carnidon Elite
5 x Carnidon
2 x Bellower Elites
1 x Brontox
1 x Spikodon
1 x Raptix Elite
1 x Raptix
                                                                                     2 x Green Fury Van Elite Shadows (just arrived)

 I've only played one practise game so far but think I have concentrated on flying units a little too much. Hopefully I can make it work once I get back to the club and playing every week.

State of Play 2010.

The festive holidays are here, which means a fair bit of must be devoted to family. This, in turn, means a lot less time devoted to gaming. Which is a shame really as I do not want to end the year with a loss (damn those untrustworthy rusty Necrons). Having said this, I think that another game between now and New Year is not going to happen.
So it has to be time to look to the future. In the coming year, I seriously hope to not lose as much and I aslo seriously hope to actually read some rulebooks and get things to stick in my mind. I also hope to take part in another tournament or two. This would most likely be for either Warmachine or 40k (the Tanelorn London Riots was good fun), but I would be open to other themed tourneys. Campaigns at the Cross Gaming Club will be a must and I hope to take part in as many as I can.
As for the collecting side of things, I will be hopefully be making a few purchases here and there:

• I'm not going to add to my Dark Angels. They don't need anything else, unless a new Codex comes out with some spanking new must-have models.
• I want to add some more Destroyers and Heavy Destroyers to my Necrons. Maybe some Warriors as well. I think I have enough Elite units to cope.
• As I have just made a significant Dwarf purchase, I now have a LEGAL force that I can use. New units here and there will be a must.
• My Protectorate of Menoth have what sounds like a cool unit to be released soon, so I may have to get me some of those. I still want a Castigator and a Fire of Salvation, and possibly a new Warcaster too!
• I will definately add to my Terrasaurs and Empire of the Apes for MonPoc. I will hope to play more games in the New Year.
• One of my friends has a blister of Van Saar Gangers and one of Juves that I'm hoping to take off of his hands. May try and find a Bounty Hunter and/or Scum to add to the fun.

As usual, there isn't going to be much painting being done but a little more effort will be made. I can't wait to get back into the gaming.

Why did I do that for?

Like any other gamer, I play in a few different systems. Actually, it's only since I've been attending Charing Cross Gaming Club that I have branched out into other systems. Before, I was just loyal to 40K with my Dark Angels and Necrons. But now, I play Warmachine with my Menoth, Monsterpocalypse with my Terrasaurs and Empire of the Apes. In the past, I have also collected Fantasy Dwarfs and Warriors and Daemons of Chaos, but those flirtations never became any thing.
Until now! I managed to get rid of my Chaos horde (all those Warriors, Knights and Horrors) but for some reason kept my Dwarfs. I have seen an opportunity to make my Army of Smaller Persons into an actually legal force. I have never played Fantasy. I had no inclination to play Fantasy. So why did I agree to take on even more Beardy Midgets? I have trouble remembering the rules for 40k and Warmachine. I've just started to take MonPoc a bit more seriously and also don't want to lose touch with Necromunda. So why do I have the urge to start playing with Dwarfs?

I guess I have all of next year...

Monsterpocalypse? Yes please!

I've decided that the Cross Gaming Club is a dangerous place for me. Since I have started to attend, I have been roped into Warmachine/Hordes and now Monsterpocalypse. I was just happy building up my Necron army, awaiting the new Codex that's supposed to be coming out next year (also waiting to see if they give the Dark Angels an updated Codex as well). If I built them up to say 10,000 points, I, then at that point, might have actually started to read the Warhammer rules and then made my Dwarf army legal. I'm now safely hooked on WM/Hordes (although taking a break after the Riots and a C2A league at the club) and have now turned my greedy eyes on plastic monsters. The idea that there is a game that plays exactly like an old monster movie is just too much to resist. I've watched games where monsters throw each other and stomp and rampage through built up cities.
As the Monpoc scene was gradually gathering new players just like Katamari Damacy, a guy called Carlos decided to purchase the Series 4: Monsterpocalypse Now! Mega Kit and get people involved. Also he needed 5 additional people to cover the cost, I helpfully put my name forward. Once it was agreed who was taking which faction (I chose Empire of the Apes), we all got together after London Riots and shared out the Mega Kit. Because no-one knows what is in each box, we had to swap our goodies until we got what we wanted. It is a nice idea to do this, but I had reservations about this because you can't choose what you get. But having to swap means that you will most likely meet another gamer and end up playing after you trade. After divvying up all of the monstrous goodies, I had to rush home as I had something planned with my Princess at home. From what I heard, the rest of the Mega Kit Shareholders had pretty decent games.
I had to wait for the following Wednesday in order to get my first game. Instead of playing on club night (Tuesday) I met Carlos in a pub in Marylebone to go through the finer points of Monpoc. Carlos used his one of his new monsters from the Mega Kit (UberCorps Gorghadratron) while I used the Terrasaurs Terra Khan (whom I picked up in a box of Series 1 Monpoc stuff on evilBay). I probably should have used one of the monsters from the Mega Kit (King Kondo or Gakura), but somehow felt that a rampaging dino would have been better. It was to work out how things should work like how many units you can spawn, how to balance the Action Dice between monster and units, which buildings to stomp all over, etc. Even though it was just a friendly, I still ended up on the losing side despite being in a pub called the Perseverance (my secondary school motto being Persevere (I forget how to spell the Latin version) which I thought was a good sign). It was my first full game and I didn't know much of what all the various symols mean and how that could affect my play. A good idea would be to actually pick up, and read, a rulebook. I don't think I've ever sat down and immersed myself in any set of rules (I thaven't even read the Monpoc, Warmachine or 5th ed 40k rulebooks!) as I think it's best to learn by playing. But as I have a bad memory, I get confused and ended up losing. Which is something I should remedy as soon as possible.