Monday, July 25, 2011

Post Games Workshop

Our little gaming group has decided to take a sabbatical from Warhammer and 40k. For the past couple of months we have devoted our hobby time to upstart Privateer Press. Just this past weekend I came to a startling revelation: I don't miss 40K!

I was shocked! 40K has consumed much of my life for the past six years. I didn't take up the hobby until my late 30's (Needed something to take my mind off of tobacco) and for the most part, my hobby time was devoted to 40k.

Like some of you, I have become disenchanted with Games Workshop due to their recent actions. The apparent disregard for their customers leaves me wanting to voice a protest in the most only way that I, as a consumer can, by withholding my dollars.

What does that mean? For the rest of the year I will not purchase any of their products, including Forge World. This is not easy as I am very close to completing my Dark Eldar force which I enjoy playing and I really want a Nightwing and some Haemonculi. Unfortunately Games Workshop will only change their practices if I and others vote with their dollars. Time to take a stand. Honestly I thought this would be difficult....

.....Until I started playing Warmachine....and loving it! I have over fifty points of Menoth painted and just placed an order for fifty points worth of Circle models. Sorry GW...I'll come back when you start thinking about customers first.

Mike

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Time Spent Painting----armies vs. time vs. quality vs. kids vs. wife vs....





So in preparation for our Horus Heresy Campaign (Yes it's coming!)----I'm painting up some Orks for the Ullanor Campaign. I'm speeding through the Boyz pretty quickly----spending a bit more time on my Battle Wagon/Nobz---will spend a lot of time on my Bikers---which got me to thinking; When did I start painting like this?

To explain---I realized that I've pretty much created an internal formula for the amount of time spent painting a miniature. Unlike CMON artists, I lack the skill---and time (Some state 300+ hours on a miniature!) to make an Ork army to a very high standard. Sure, I could take my time and pop out some fantastic Orks (Humbly speaking)----but it would take about 5 years probably.

As you get older, you find yourself having more and more with less and less. Kids, wives, life, staying in shape, school, work, eating, bathroom breaks, kids----etc etc. Getting straight 'paint time' is so tough to find---you have to make concessions (at least I do). So there is my internal formula working away---basically telling my body how much motivation to have on a piece. I think it's something like;


How Cool the Sculpt Is + How Long It will Be on the Table + How Many Different Builds I Can Fit It in = Amount of time/motivation painting it.


So, using that formula----I can see why I spend hardly any time on Ork Boyz---but I hesitate on rushing through my Nob Bikers. My Custodes are similar---I can fit them in as Th/SS Terms, Grey Knights, etc---so I spent an inordinate amount of time on them.

Basically, I'm venting because I have too many projects....and not enough time...

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Adepticon Bound---We present the Defenders of Holy Terra!

Well, Adepticon is almost upon us---and we're getting ready to pack things up and head out. Decided we would post a few shots of our team table before the con---not the final product---but only missing a few bells/whistles.

We'll be putting up more shots on the blog following Adepticon, along with information regarding our kick off Horus Heresy Campaign. Blog info here;

http://op40k.blogspot.com/


We tried to be accurate to the fluff as possible during the Siege----so we have all the Primarchs present with their action/placement on the table representing where they were during the Siege. Full lit underground with the Big E/Malcador/Custodes plotting---full basement for vehicles, etc.

Anyways some teaser pics!




















Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Dakka Friend/Moderator ripped off

Posting this up-----this is Alpharius from Dakka. A great guy who was recently ripped off by Redstarone.

Redstarone has an infamous reputation online----from getting banned on Bartertown for ripping people off----then Dakka. Anyways, I'll let Alpharius speak for himself;













I am really NOT happy about being, for all intents and purposes, ‘forced’ into posting this.

Clearly Matt has been through a lot – the loss of a child and the loss of a wife.

However…

I started e-mailing Matt (RedStarOne, RSO, Red the Conversionist, etc.) way back in December of 2008.

I was looking for help in getting an all MKVIII marine army on the table.

It quickly became apparent that it wasn’t feasible, and would probably be too expensive in the end.

So, instead, we moved on to other conversions I’d like to have built.

Conversation went back in forth and on 5/13/2009 I sent the following to Matt:

1) Stormhammer Super-Heavy Tank conversion (Baneblade based)
2) Pre-Heresy Land Raider conversion (Land Raider based)
3) Venerable Dreadnaught (Finish a conversion I started but was having trouble completing)

Good communication followed and in late July 2009 he announced he was finished!

He sent pictures, I was happy and so, on 8/3/2009 he requested payment, and on 8/4/2009 I sent $120 to him via PayPal.

Now, oddly enough, nothing ever got shipped – but I was VERY happy with the pictures and figured this was just a minor glitch – after all, he was going through some tough times with his wife’s illness.

I received MANY assurances that Yes, my package is on its way soon!

In September of 2009, we moved forward with the next round of conversions:

1) Stormhammer Super-Heavy conversion (Baneblade based)
2) Stompa Lifta-Dropa arm (bits based, provided by me)
3) Leman Russ conversion – Magnetized with turret and sponson options
4) Space Hulk Terminators – all 12 of them, for removal of BA specific icons.

So, even though he still hadn’t shipped the first round of conversions, which I’d already paid for, I shipped him the next round.

Many excuses and delays later, he announced that the second round was complete!

On 11/27/09 he requested payment, and on 11/27/09 I paid him $140 via PayPal.

I was then told everything was going to ship – no worries!

In fact, I soon heard that everything did ship!

I then FOOLISHLY believed this, and sent in the last round of conversions – ‘upsizing’ Marine vehicles to accommodate my long labor of love, a Pre-Heresy True Scale Alpha Legion army.

So, without waiting to receive the package which had allegedly shipped, in December of 2009 I sent along:

1) 6 Rhinos
2) 2 Predators
3) 2 Whirlwinds

After MANY excused and delays, including TWICE being told that the packages had shipped but… mysteriously BOTH times it was returned to him for… some reason.

On 2/1/2010, he emailed me to tell me that EVERYTHING was complete – finally!

Final payment for this job was requested on 2/1/2010, and on 2/2/2010 $235 was sent via PayPal.

Fast forward 13 MONTHS and over 150 e-mails later and still… NOTHING.

Now, you’re probably thinking … “What were you thinking?”…and I’d have to agree with you.

Basically, I believed all the stories Matt told me, and even though he could never provide a tracking number, I always thought ‘tomorrow’ would be the day he’d finally ship everything AND provide a tracking number.

So, to summarize:

Total paid in conversion fees adds up to $495.

And the list of models?

1) Leman Russ tank - $50
2) Pre-Heresy Land Raider – plastic Land Raider $65
3) Venerable Dreadnought - $40
4) 1 set of Space Hulk Terminators – 12 Terminators, irreplaceable at this point, but call it $100
5) 6 Rhinos - $198
6) 2 Predators - $89
7) 2 Vindicators - $89
Stompa Lifta Dropa Arm – misc. bits
9) Stormhammer Superheavy Conversion - Baneblade Kit $99
10) Stormblade Superheavy Conversion - Baneblade Kit $99

That's around another $829 right there.

That totals up to about $1300.

MANY times I've offered to send more money to get it shipped, but that never helped either.

Fast forward to 2011.

Matt has started a new blog, in order to “Pay it Forward” and “Give Back to the Community”.

Miniature Wargame Conversions.

miniaturewargameconversions.blogspot.com

You could imagine my surprise upon seeing this.

He can find time to continue to model, organize give-aways and give back to the Wargaming Community…

But he can’t find the time to ship my stuff back to me?

Stuff I’ve already paid for and have been waiting, very patiently for, since August of 2009.

I don't know what else to do.

I’ve been supportive of him and his efforts.

As much as it is possible to be someone’s friend via the Internet, I have been his friend.

I can sympathize with what he’s been through.

I have been though some things during this time too.

I’ve had heart problems.

I’ve had a skin cancer scare.

My wife has thyroid problems.

And, most importantly, I’ve had my youngest daughter, now five years old, diagnosed with Autism.

She still doesn’t speak, and the medical bills associated with all of her challenges and now the legal bills as we fight the school department to get her the services she needs…

My hobby used to be a release for me, something to do to get away from the stress of ‘everything else’, at least for a little while.

Now, along with a lot of my money and models, Matt’s kind of taken that away too.

Now, he's almost killed this hobby for me.

I cannot recover from this hit. I cannot afford to replace what Matt is, for some bizarre reason, holding hostage.

I just want my models back.

The models I’ve already paid for.

The models I’ve offered to pay shipping for AGAIN in order to get them back.

The models that Matt allegedly shipped back to me (for the third time) on 3/9/11, that still haven’t arrived.

The models that allegedly shipped back to me (for the third time) on 3/9/11 but for which he still hasn’t provided tracking numbers.

If Matt wants to “give back to the community”, if Matt wants to “pay it forward”, I sure would appreciate it if he would do the right thing here.

Thanks for reading this…

Ken

Friday, January 28, 2011

Some musings on the Space Marine FAQ


Well, the Space Marine FAQ came out and I've decided I'm doing a pre-heresy Smurf force----led by Guilliman (Counts as Calgar). I had thought about it for some time for other reasons....but two things led me to it. One, I ended up buying an Ultramarine Thunderhawk for relatively cheap---and two, the FAQ! So what changed....

Calgar's God of War no longer triggers No Retreat! wounds.
When Space Marines rally, they get a 3" consolidation (and don't count as moving during shooting). Or you can go ahead and move 6" more for a 9" move.

So what funny stuff can we do now?

Well, first---you can't ever seriously shoot a unit of mine you plan to assault. I'll simply auto-fail, run away----then auto-rally next turn----move 9"----then rapid fire or assault you. 100% reliable with Calgar.

Second, if you choose to shoot one of my units that's in cover because it's out of assault range---I can go to ground for a better save----then auto-fail-----then auto-rally at the start of my next turn. Yeah really.

Third, you better be careful when you multi-assault me. I'll auto-pass with the unit that has one model left and auto-fail with my big unit I want. So you sit in HTH with a one model unit while I dance away----then maybe after I auto-pass at the start of my turn and move 9" I'll go ahead and charge back in with bonus attacks.


So combat tactics----well is combat tactics now! Plus, let's face it....Calgar beats face in HTH as well. So he force multiplies (a great deal now) and can stick it in HTH. I'm going with him. I've also decided I'm going to make this my mech-marine army. I have other variants...so this is the natural gap filler. So something like;

Marn.

Dread
Dread
6 TH/SS Terms in an EA LR

Full Tac Squad with Flamer/ML in a rhino
Full Tac Squad with Flamer/ML in a rhino
Full Tac Squad with Flamer/ML in a rhino

Predator with Hvy Bolter sponsons/Auto Cannon
Predator with Hvy Bolter sponsons/Auto Cannon
Predator with Hvy Bolter sponsons/Auto Cannon


That's 1850 and it's mobile, hits hard and has plenty of Dakka. Thoughts?