SinSynn, You Owe Me Five Minutes...

...I will never get back that precious section of my life after reading through first Goatboy's article (which is very accurate) and then starting through the comment section at BoLS. And I KNOW I will never get back my lost brain cells after reading this (Edited to save you some of the precious seconds that I had to burn reading it):

"I agree, this article is purely a personal justification for doing what you want with list building while ignoring the most important rule (Fun). It's also completely fluff ignorant, while knowing it at the same time, which is the worse kind of yuck...
...I know your bag is tournament play, but bloody hell, it ain't half boring after a while "I play to win, I have fun winning, I must win, win win win win win, Win for the Win God!" why not challenge youself to make a decent, ballanced army? I really hope the new army selection percentages in fantasy make it into the next edition of 40k.... "

This is just crap. Pure, unadulterated bullshit.

A Thorough Review of the Nid FAQ - What Did We REALLY Lose?

Ok, so drinniol asked me what the Tyranid FAQ really "FAQ'd up"for Nids players.

TLDR: not too much was actually messed up. A few builds were impacted, yes, but I think the damage was MOSTLY psychological. A lot of the decisions were stupid, and angered the players.

But the actual "on the board" impacts were less than many imagine.

The reason it upset many Nids players was because some of the choices seemed... what's the word... illogical? Biased? Stupid?

Yes. All of those.

Ok, so let's look at a few of the big ones:

Hive Tyrant Reserve Bonuses:

"Q: If I have more than one Hive Tyrant with the Hive Commander ability, do their bonuses to reserve rolls stack? Also, do I get to outflank with one Troops unit, or one Troops unit per Hive Tyrant with this upgrade?


A: No the reserve roll bonuses do not stack. You can only choose to outflank with a single unit of Troops, regardless of how many Hive Tyrants you have with this ability."

SinSynn, Trying to Prove Me Wrong... Failing. ;D (Just Joking Around Peeps!)

"Wait one darn second, there, Purgatus!
I seem to recall you saying, 'why take Jaws? I don't like Jaws. Jaws is silly. There are better options than Jaws.'
Well, your turn one in this batrep is EXACTLY why I ALWAYS recommend Trygons before Carnifexes.
You removed an expensive model prior to it doing ANYTHING, and it cost you NOTHING. You just pointed, and *poof*.....problem solved.
I'm sure the Nid player was all like, "yeah, that seems fair." LMAO....
And I suspected, you and pretty much every other Wolf player bring a Jaws Rune Priest in your list...
I'd say that worked out pretty well for you, didn't it?
So please, next time I post up a lengthy reply explaining my opinions of Jaws, Fexes and Trygons, don't brush me off with a TL,DR, and then go on to explain that Carnifexes rock, Trygons blow and no one brings Jaws...
Cuz I think you just proved yourself wrong, my friend...."

Ahah! A challenger approaches!

Nids Players - Cover: It's Important

So, let's talk about Nids for a bit. Hopefully you have all had a chance to read through my Round 2 Batrep.

It's kind of crappy, and I apologize, but I don't have access to Vassal and my camera died.

So let's talk about this. My opponent made two very big mistakes which I felt were directly related to one another. He failed to advance towards me at a sufficient speed, and he failed to provide his monstrous creatures with cover. Part of these mistakes occurred during the list-building period. He had no models that he could throw out in front of, for example, his Swarmlord unit to give it cover.

No Termagants, no Hormagants, no Gargoyles, nothing.

Sure, he could have used his Genestealers, but throwing Genestealers into open ground for use as bullet shields should cause an automatic revokation of your Nids Piloting License.

Just sayin.

Conquest Seattle - Round 2 Batrep, Tyranids

Ok, here we go. Again, my camera died as I was trying to take a picture of this table at the start of this match. So, I'm sorry but you will just have to make do with a picture of my opponent's army.  Here you can find my opponent's army list. He's the Nids player with Swarmlord listed as my Round 2 opponent.

The mission was essentially "your house, my house," with each player putting multiple objectives in their opponent's deployment area. You had to get to your objectives (on the other side of the board) to win.

Cool.

Hobbying vs. Blogging = Hobby Wins

Sorry guys, I know I promised some posts this weekend. I have been busier than anticipated, trying to play catch up around the house for the coming week. Well, I finally have a chance to breathe a bit and rather than writing up a batrep I think we can all agree my time would be better spent sticking these gargoyles on their flying bases so I can finally start getting some games in.

Gotta keep our priorities straight people. ;D

Best Of YTTH: Why We Need Hobby to Be Competitive

Editors Note: I am going to be reposting a few of my favorite articles I wrote at YTTH. I am starting with this one, because to me this is where I first crystalized my "philosophy" of being a competitive hobbyist.

I hope this article is new to at least some of you. It was originally posted here on October 22, 2010.

Why So Much Hobby, Purgatus?

Blog Posts This Weekend...

Currently listening to Dethklok while making Banana Pancakes. Yeah, life is good.

Anyways, I would like to get Batreps #2 and #3 out this weekend, and I would like to get my first game with my Nids in this morning. Probably not going to photo it as it will just be a pickup game against my buddy and there will be lots of proxies.

I have a few emails to answer as well. I'll try to get to that this weekend. I hope you all are having a good one too - and remember to get some hobby time in!

RTT Tourney Pack Including Missions

As requested, here is the tourney pack to the RTT I am running on Saturday Feb 5th.

Make it out if you can.

Stiffneck Studios - Order Placed

He doesn't mess around. I gave him a list, *bam* done.

Here's the rough list, just to get the models on the way. Minor changes may be in order.

Company Command Squad, One Vet w/Regimental Standard, two Vets w/Meltaguns, Officer of the Fleet, Astropath, Chimera

Stormtrooper Squad, Meltagun x 2
Stormtrooper Squad, Meltagun x 2

Veteran Squad, Meltagun x 3, Chimera
Veteran Squad, Meltagun x 3, Chimera
Veteran Squad, Meltagun x 3, Chimera
Veteran Squad, Meltagun x 3, Chimera
Veteran Squad, Meltagun x 3, Chimera

Vendetta
Vendetta
Scout Sentinel x 2, Autocannons, Hunter Killer Missiles

Leman Russ Demolisher, Multimelta Sponsons
Leman Russ Demolisher, Multimelta Sponsons
Leman Russ Demolisher, Multimelta Sponsons

Ahh.... Breathing Room.

I took out the left sidebar entirely, and moved the "About the Blog" statement to its own page where it belongs. Thanks for the reminder Sin.

Hopefully everything will look a bit more pleasant and easy to navigate now.

Loganwing - Still Working On It

Still trying to find something I'm happy with. I think I have to drop the Cav because they just don't work with this new army. This version does allow me to use my "supar-sweet" Lone Wolf models though... kind of a have my cake and eat it too sorta thing.

Behold:

Logan Grimnar
Njal, Terminator Armor
Wolf Guard Battle Leader, Saga of the Hunter, Frost Axe

Stiffneck Studios Project - Going With Guard

Well, I think after a few days I have a pretty fair sampling of what the desires of the readership are.

For the record, Dark Eldar and Imperial Guard were the runaway favorites. Dark Eldar are currently in the lead by two votes, and probably for good reason, but I would say they are "within the margin of error."

So ultimately it is left to me to decide. I am pleasantly surprised that you all voted for the same two armies that I had in mind going into this. Pretty nice to know we are all on the same wavelength there.

In the end, I have decided to go with Guard. There are a few reasons for this. I know that Dark Eldar will probably sell a bit better and ultimately I would take home a bit more. I have to balance that, however, with the enjoyment that I will recieve from the project, in the building, painting and playing aspects.

I have wanted to do a Guard army for a good long while now, but never had the "Army Seed" that was required, or the 400 bucks that it would take to do it right from the ground floor. It has been such a huge effort getting to the point where I have an ALMOST playable Nids army that I can't even imagine trying to piece together an entire Guard army one trade at a time, one eBay at a time... yuck.

So this is a great opportunity.

But there is one final reason which in the end is much much more important to me: my dad.

I'm A Consumer Whore!

- And How!

(+10 internetz for reference).

I put ads on my feeds. For the record, any income I earn will be used to get me to the NOVA. This and the army project are officially the only sources of revenue I've gotten the green light to use for such an outlandish and non-necessary endeavor as travelling ALL the way across the country to play with little plastic men.

I am somewhat terrified by the idea of trying to paint an entire army and then sell it. But if it gets me a trip to D.C., it will be worth it.

For the record, I'm sure that the ads will, over the course of the next eight months, cover approximately half of one of my meals. *shrug* every little bit helps, right?

*Edit* Seriously, if it becomes obnoxious, I will turn it off. Please let me know. I just really, really, really, want to go to the NOVA. Lol.

Conquest Seattle - Round 1 Batrep, Chaos Daemons of Nurgle

Ok, so at long last, the time has come. My photos have been uploaded from the camera to the laptop, and it's time to get this show on the road.

Unfortunately, despite my wife's assurances to the contrary, the camera did die at the start of my second round. I do however have photos in here of at least my second and third round opponents from my general photo taking festival at the beginning of the event.

On with the show. My first opponent was named Brandy, a very nice lady who happens to be good friends of a buddy of mine. This was the first time that I had the pleasure of meeting her and I didn't actually realize that it was my buddy's friend until much later.

Thankfully I wasn't an asshole. Lol.

Running a RTT - Olympic Cards & Comics, Saturday Feb 5th

One of the REALLY nice things about having my own blog is the ability to promote purely local events. Especially local events that I happen to be running, lol.

It's my blog, right?

So if you are a "left coastie" like me, please feel free to join us next Saturday, February 5th, for a Rogue Trader Tournament at Olympic Cards and Comics in Lacey, Washington.

Here's the store website, which includes address, phone, etc:

http://www.olympiccardsandcomics.com/

What you need to know:

10,000 Page Views!

Not even including mine! Lol.

Just wanted to send out a big thank you to all my fellow bloggers who so graciously put me on their blog-rolls, and my awesome inter-webz buddies who followed me here and constantly make the comments threads an interesting place to hang out.

This first two weeks has been fun, and we've got a long ways to go!

Frowbakk's Batrep from Conquest - Game 1

Stelek has posted up Frowbakk's Batrep from Conquest Seattle here, along with some... comments. :D

A Big Opportunity – Build A Dream Army

So, this is a pretty awesome opportunity and I wanted you guys to weigh in on this.

I was approached this weekend at the tournament with an offer from a friend of a friend who owns a painting company, Stiffneck Studios.

The owner said that he wants me to paint for him.

Normally, the idea of doing commission painting would really turn me off. I don’t think I would want to be held to a strict schedule and I feel like it would take a lot of joy out of the hobby.

But this would be a slightly different setup. The owner basically wants me to write him a list – the gnarliest, hardest tournament list I can, then he will buy all the minis for me. I will build the army, play the army and paint the army. At the end I will probably take it to a GT, and then the owner will sell it.

Like I said, I wouldn’t want to do this if I were being held to a schedule – I have too much going on in my life to try and fill orders for someone. But this seems like a pretty neat opportunity to build and play something I might otherwise not have the financial means to.

What are your thoughts? Is that something you would be interested in reading about? If I did this, what army should I build?

*Note: I've added a Poll for those who have a hard time with the comments feed. Please vote!*

**DAMN YOU BLOGGER! I'll try and fix the poll. You can still vote by highlighting the words, which for some reason are the same color as the background. I tried to fix it but so far no luck. Will continue trying...

Loganwing - Lots of Tools

This is a pretty different concept from the original list. But I like it.

Logan Grimnar
Njal Stormcaller, Terminator Armor
Wolf Guard Battle Leader, Saga of the Hunter, Frost Axe

Putting the Tools Back in the Toolbox

Well, you've all seen my GT List (if you haven't, it's in the Army Pages link at the top of the blog).

You've seen my opposition and results.

Batreps are coming, trust me (I have finished on so far but it's not the first game, which came with lots of pictures).

What I would like to know now is what changes should I be looking at for my army, to prepare me for the next go around.

A little background:

I entered this hobby with a passion almost two years ago. I built a combined Vulkan/Sisters of Battle List. The theme was flame. Lots of flame. I didn't use any TH/SS Termies, it was all meltaguns and rending flamers. It was a really fun list, but people didn't particularly like playing against it. I think I actually used the version "with Vulkan" about 3 times before I took him out. I gradually transitioned away from allies as well as I realized that they were really stigmatized. I ended up with a solid Dual Land Raider/Bikers army that I enjoyed for a long time, also very melta heavy. I like meltas and flamers, not just because they were good (though they are) but because I liked fire, and flames, and purging (not in like a dietary way, but in a more Xenos/Heretic/Mutant sorta way).

Seattle GT - Purgatus' Competition

Round 1 - "Heralds of the Carrion Lord" (Chaos Daemons)

Great Unclean One, Breath of Chaos
Epidemius

7 Beasts of Nurgle
18 Plaguebearers
18 Plaguebearers, Icon
18 Plaguebearers, Icon
Daemon Prince, Flight, Iron Hide, Mark of Nurgle, Aura of Decay, Breath of Chaos
Daemon Prince, Iron Hide, Mark of Nurgle, Breath of Chaos
Daemon Prince, Iron Hide, Mark of Nurgle, Breath of Chaos

Results: Win, 20 Battle Points.

New Blog Page - My YTTH Articles

I've been asked to do this by several people. For now I am just linking to the full list of my articles over there, starting with the newest you can go back as far as you like and read them. Turns out I wrote quite a few... lol.

I have written several that I think are worth pulling out and linking on their own. I would like to actually post them up individually before I put them on the page though. For now, you can find the link to the full list under the "YTTH Articles" tab at the top of the blog.

5th Edition/6th Edition Transition - Balancing, Etc.

Fritz has posted some thoughts about 6th edition over on his blog.

His basic argument is that with every edition change comes, well, change.

Good so far.

With this change (historically) comes a pretty dramatic shift in the balance of power between codices. While some old codices escape with some pretty powerful options (Eldar are built very well for drawing or winning most any 5th edition base scenario, though they have relatively limited options), the general trend is that "new" codices written "for" the edition are better than older codices written for older editions.

Onwards and Upwards

Here at Best Overall, it's not all about winning. It's about self-improvement. It's about the true meaning of competition - honing your skills against challenging opponents, elevating each other's game as we strive for victory, and having a kick-ass time while doing it.

I can now say I have experienced victories - and defeats- in a Grand Tournament setting. I have set my personal bar in terms of battlefield performance, painting, and yes, sportsmanship.

I aim to beat that bar, and raise it in the future.

My great grandpa used to say something before he passed away. Any time you asked him how he was doing, he would say:

"Every day, in every way, we get a little better, and better, and better."

Words to live by.

Conquest Seattle - Rounds 4 and 5, Results

First, the best and coolest news, my buddy Chappy brought home Second Best Painted for his army.

That is a great accomplishment under any circumstances, no doubt. But later when we talk about this particular army in more depth it will become clear just how incredible that really is. He is very proud of his accomplishment and rightfully so.

The final scores were on a small printed sheet and there were like 60 people all passing it around, so I am not 100% on this stuff but I am going to follow up with the TO directly to get the full results including as much information about lists and placings as possible.

From what I saw it looked like I came in either 6th or 7th in battle points, and came in 23rd overall (out of I believe 60 players). My sportsmanship scores were the third lowest in the tournament, and my paint score was not 'great' either.

So I have somewhat mixed feelings. On the whole I had a great time and had some great games against some very skilled players. My biggest "fear" - that I was really not that great a player and when I got thrown into a bigger pond I would get eaten - did not come to pass. The only game that I lost was to the Best Overall winner who won all five of his games handily, earning I believe 93 Battle Points out of a hundred.

My draw occurred in round 4 against a very well built and played Dark Eldar opponent in a pretty whacky table-quarters mission. It came down to one failed save preventing me from grabbing the third quarter and the win. That was a good game. And definitely convinced me of the value of Flicker Fields. Yeah.

My fifth game was, to be honest, not great. And I'm pretty confident that it almost entirely accounts for my low sportsmanship score. I won the game but it was a frustrating experience. I need to reflect on that game for a bit before I write too much more.

At the end of the day, I realized that I have a ways to go on my painting, and while I'm not sure one can "work on" their sportsmanship, I have room for growth in remaining positive when things get tough or when things aren't "right" from my perspective.

I don't know if my experience at a first GT is "typical" or not, but boy was it an eye opener. For the record, I am more convinced than ever that Win/Loss tournament formats and missions with "simple" structure but "strategic depth" (such as the the NOVA's missions) are the way to, but I am glad that I got an experience in this environment so I could see how it worked first hand. 

I have a lot of respect for the tournament organizer, especially for essentially putting together an entire tournament in about 4 days. But man some of those missions were not balanced.



I will provide further details and batreps on my games at some point soon, and post up pics. For the moment, I need to crash out so I can be semi-conscious for work tomorrow at six, lol.

Conquest Seattle - Round 3 Results

*sigh*

I'm not going to lie, it's tough to put this online for god and everyone.

Round 3 was a loss.

Kill Point mission, Dawn of War deployment.

My opponent:

Vulkan, Techpriest, 2 Tactical Squads in Land Raider Redeemers and 2, ten man Assault Terminator squads.

Yeah. About those Kill Points.

Yeah, about having one melta-unit.

I played the odds, and I knew that my hard counter was double Raider. One I could deal with. Two, maybe if I still had my scouts (yeah, yeah Stelek, "I told you so," you don't have to say it).

Now, I did wreck one Raider, one was Immobilized on terrain (but too far for my Wolves to get to effectively) and I wiped out one ten man terminator squad and was well on the way to doing in the second. If the game had gone to seven I probably would have gained a KP on him but with two live Lone Wolves still on the board it would still have been a loss.

It didn't hurt that the opponent was quite skilled. He's been playing this army for four years and Warhammer for "a bit" longer than that.

I knew I wasn't going to walk away with Best Overall this GT. But you know... I had hope.

So I learned something. I learned to listen to own advice when I tell people not to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The army is excellent, but man, it has a glaring gap.

I'm a really competitive guy. Obviously. I worry that when the game is really close people are going to think I'm mad or an asshole, but really I'm just focused. That game forced me to focus like a fucking laserbeam. I looked at his list and was thinking "Oh fuck. How the hell am I going to DO this."

I played like a man. I used Jaws and Hurricane on his Terminators to manage them as a threat, and keep them at arm's length until I could focus and crush them. I destroyed one, and was close on the second. I think I did pretty much everything I could with the army and deployment I had (Starting your Lone Wolves 12" further back really fucks them up bad). I just forgot a few tools back in the tool shed.

Like Land Speeders.

And scouts.

L. O. L.

Now there is one thing that I DID mess up, now that I think about it. I should have done a better job of ringing his Land Raider in so I could force him to Tank Shock a Lone Wolf when he moved. Maybe. Just maybe, that could have given it to me.

Oh well. This blog is about my quest, and yours I would guess if you're reading, to improve. To pursue excellence, to learn, to better ourselves.

It's not about "winning" Best Overall. It's about getting knocked down and LEARNING from that, and next time doing better. It's about our efforts to achieve excellence, and the things we learn along the way.

That's the true meaning of competition.

Now I need to let it go. Get a good night's sleep.

And tomorrow do my best to kick some more ass.

Conquest Seattle - Round 2 Results

Win, Max Bonus Points.

A strange "your house, my house" mission where you could only capture your opponent's objectives. He was playing a Swarmlord list with Genestealers and Carnifexes x 2, Trygon and Mawlok, Warriors with Deathspitters and a large unit of Raveners. His MVPs were Raveners. As I have been thinking, they synergize with the Swarmlord very nicely with Furious Charge and 2 sets of Scything Talons.

Basically he underestimated my list's long range firepower, and after the first turn of shooting he "blinked" and started trying to pull back and get cover for his TMCs. That put me in a position to isolate and destroy one of his "wings" and then walk up my right board side shooting at his forces on his left board side, while screening with TWC and Lone Wolves. 2 of my Lone Wolves and all three of my TWC were sacrificed to hold up his Swarmlord. Eventually he worked his way through them (losing his escort and taking multiple wounds). Unfortunately he broke out of combat on MY turn and then ate a Wolf Guard unit down to the last man, but stayed in combat. Worst possible outcome. On my turn I had no choice but to suicide charge with my Wolf Guard Battle Leader and Logan to protect my vulnerable troop unit.

He dumped all his attacks into Logan, killing him by one wound (with the last wound failing on the re-rolled invul). I did one more wound to him in combat during my turn. During his turn he finished killing the WGBL and the last Wolf Guard terminator, and then on my turn I was able to finish him off (the last model left for him) with Multimeltas and Krak missiles. It was definitely tasking, trying to play the game of keeping him in combats while I took care of his army and then trying to dump him out of combat on his turn.

The guy was a real gentleman and even though I could tell he was getting a bit down at one point he rallied nicely and started to just laugh about it. So even though it was a BP game and I essentially was forced to table him, I hope that he at least enjoyed the banter a bit. And he DID chop Logan to bits with his Swarmlord, so that's pretty cool.

I'm sad to say that my camera's battery has died. It's probably for the best as I suspect that I'm really going to need to be focussed as I'm definitely going to be swimming with the sharks from here out with a max BP score thus far. Don't worry, you will get one photo batrep, and I'll try to do Vassal batreps as well. I also have lots of pics of the armies on display.

Wish me luck, it's going to get tougher from here.

Conquest Seattle - Round 1 Results

Faced a Daemons of Nurgle Army.

She got her preferred wave but deployed riskily and took some mishaps. One Daemon Prince was destroyed, one was placed across the table, and one came in within assault range of a Lone Wolf.

18 Plague Bearers and Epidemius came in on the center objective. I was able to get 2 Thunderwolves and a single Lone Wolf into that unit at the top of turn 2. One Lone Wolf rolled snake-eyes for terrain and stood there looking dumb. Of course a 35 out of 36 chance to get into combat is still not... quite... good enough.

Anyways, Logan popped his attack ability at the top of two, which is rare. We did enough damage to basically leave Epidemius alone on the table to be chewed apart, and everything else got shot to pieces as it came in.

Victory with max bonus, I have pictures and a full batrep will follow.

Not the best army and the opponent got frustrated and started to take some extreme risks which cost her. Lesson to self - don't get upset/stressed/angry and start doing dumb shit.

Later gators.

Conquest Seattle - Live Updates

There's a lot of internet access around here, and I THINK I've figured out how to post from my phone. We'll see.

Anyways, we are checked in, took a walk through the gaming hall (spacious and well ventilated... whew!) and I just finished a brief stint in the Doubletree's Business center doing some last minute printing.

Yes, I know, procrastination, yadda yadda.

Anyways, I'm here with my buddies Chappy and Wes. Wes is bringing a gorgeously painted Necrons army... and Chappy's army is a surprise. He gets his own article once we're done here. Lol.

Anyways, I'm pretty stoked but I'm starting to come down from my nervousness a bit. I've got all my models, all my templates, my dice, my tape, a tray, my FAQs, my lists... I'm ready.

I will just be putting any other updates into the comments below because it's really easy to respond to my own comments on my Blackberry. Intense Debate ftw.

List Building Deep Dive - Dark Angels Part II, Sammael

So let’s look at what a “Just Sammael” list might look like:

Sammael (Biker Version)

Elites:
Deathwing Terminators, Cyclone Launcher

Deathwing Terminators, Cyclone Launcher

Deathwing Terminators, Cyclone Launcher

Troops:

Ravenwing Attack Squad, Meltaguns x 2, Narthecium, Attack Bike (Multimelta)

Ravenwing Attack Squad, Meltaguns x 2, Attack Bike (Multimelta)

Ravenwing Attack Squad, Meltaguns x 2, Attack Bike (Multimelta)

Ravenwing Attack Squad, Meltaguns x 2

Ravenwing Attack Squad, Meltaguns x 2

Fast Attack:

Land Speeder, Typhoon Launcher, Multimelta

Land Speeder, Typhoon Launcher, Multimelta

Land Speeder, Typhoon Launcher, Multimelta

Heavy Support:

Hah! This is Ravenwing, bitches. We don’t need no stinking Heavy.

Now let’s compare that to the equivalent list out of Codex: Space Marines:

Captain, Bike, Relic Blade

Assault Terminators x 5

Assault Terminators x 5

Assault Terminators x 5

Biker squad, extra biker, Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike, Multimelta

Biker squad, extra biker, Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike, Multimelta

Biker squad, extra biker, Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike, Multimelta

Biker squad, extra biker, Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike, Multimelta

Biker squad, extra biker, Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike, Multimelta

Land Speeder, Typhoon Launcher, Multimelta

Land Speeder, Typhoon Launcher, Multimelta

Land Speeder, Typhoon Launcher, Multimelta

So what do we see here? The Codex: Space Marine has more staying power in its bikers, certainly. I see 5 squads with 5 models (6 wounds) apiece. Compare that to Ravenwing with 5 three man squads and 3 Attack Bike Squads. One of the Ravenwing squads gets FNP, which is nice, but only goes so far. Everything else is identical.

So seven less wounds for the Dark Angels. Ouch. What do we gain?

-Teleport Homers throughout.

-Scout moves on all our bikes.

-Deathwing Assault

-6 Missile Shots.

-The ability to attack14 targets with shooting rather than 8 per turn. 

...-Oh yeah and everything is Fearless. Lol.

You see, it’s easy to just look at the points cost and say “Vanilla Marines get the same for less,” but they don’t really GET “the same.” In fact, I would venture that the Vanilla list as written doesn’t even really work. You NEED a reliable shield unit to protect bikes. Speed alone is not enough. With the Marine list you aren’t getting your Assault Terminators until Turn 2 at best, and are relying on reserve rolls. Even then, you are going to be deep striking them into a (by then) crowded midfield, without homer support.

That’s why Vanilla Biker Marines bring command squads. It’s a different army entirely.

A better army?

Arguably.

But a different build nonetheless.

This army allows you to close range by 12”before the game starts (or get behind cover if your enemy is going first), and it GUARANTEES that you are getting two of your Deathwing squads at turn 1, dropping in WHERE YOU WANT THEM (between you and the baddies) AND allowing you to suppress nearly TWICE as many targets as the Marine list. It’s a bit of a Glass Hammer, sure, but it’s got some teeth.

Now, I might even go with Sammael’s Land Speeder for this list. It provides you with a very mobile and very hardy blocking unit if you are playing against a Close Combat army, it’s  mobile cover for your Land Speeders, etc.

It’s an option. I would probably prefer at least one relatively hardy bike squad though, so putting him with the Narthecium squad and letting him soak wounds is probably a good idea. Play testing would help on that front.

Next: The Sammael/Belial list. 

(That one will have to wait until after the weekend, as I really need to get ready for this tourney, wish me luck!)

List Building Deep Dive – Dark Angels Part I

So I’ve been putting some thought into this topic since the FAQs dropped (as we all have).

Lauby has argued that the only REAL change to the Dark Angels codex was the equipment normalization, and that this only REALLY makes the Deathwing Spam army better. He then goes on to argue that Dark Angels are now stuck in the Eldar rut of “one trick pony.”

Well, yes and no. I agree that the greatest beneficiary of this change is Death Wing, but just because only one unit was really improved (not exactly true but let's say it were) that doesn’t mean that we only have one build.

Improving the Deathwing doesn’t JUST mean that a pure Deathwing army is the only way to go, does it? I don’t think so.

Eureka! Final List for GT is Final!

Mike Brandt is the man.

Seriously.

The man.

All credit where credit is due, this was all his fault... errr.... idea.

You may recall I was debating what Rune Priest powers to give to my "I'm not a psyker I'm a Space Wolf we hate Psykers I just... call on the power of the elements... ish" guy.

It was a tough choice because frankly there are at least 3 powers I can see as being VERY useful and 2 more that I can see being SITUATIONALLY useful.

How to pick? Mike asked, "why not take them all?"

Melta-support for Loganwing?

Nichley said:

"For some reason I wonder if I can incorperate GH melta bunkers into the list. just 2 to hang in the mid-field. Not sure I would need them, just want to get some melta in the list.

Thoughts my Loganwing experts?"

I don't think that Rhinos work in a Logan-wing list, no. Any list that's actually scared of mobile melta will have the tools to take down 2-3 Rhinos PDQ. Then you have 2-3 squads of Grey Hunters on Foot with meltaguns.

You can take combi-weapons on any Wolf Guard for 5 points. So if you really want people on foot with meltaguns, throw a combi or two into the Wolf Guard units. Probably not an ideal solution, but better than wasting 70-105 points on Rhinos that will just die.

Better options for getting meltas into a Logan list are:

Firestorm Armada?

Anyone have any experience with this game. It's cheap. Like, for the cost of a single unit in any other game I get an entire army?

I've been wanting a fleet space combat game for a while. What are people's experience with this one?

The Night Before the Night Before a Grand Tournament

It's like Christmas Eve, Eve. A magical time where you know you have an entire day of waiting before you finally get to start killing stuff. Or unwrapping presents. Or whatever.

Tonight is the last night I have at home to prepare, paint and pack.

And yes, I do have some last-minute painting to do.

I also need to pick up a Gale Force 9 measuring tool. I've always wanted one. This is the perfect excuse.

I. Am. Stoked.

My list - finalized (except for the pesky Rune Priest powers... sigh, I'll probably go with Lightning and Hurricane).

My paint - completed (well, actually I still have some work to do, and half the models still need basing, lol).

My strategy - perfected (at least to the best of my limited ability with the limited amount of playtime I have...)

My hope is to post up pictures of the army in its finished state, but I REALLY doubt I will have time for a photo shoot before the GT. I got a lot of painting done this week while home sick. Yes I was really sick, not "sick because my army isn't finished and a GT is coming up." But it was nice to be able to knock out my Longfangs, and three more Thunderwolf Cavalry as well as do some much needed repairs and touchups.

 I also anticipate putting up some pictures and a dedicated article for Chappy's army after the GT... more to come on that front. Let's just say there's an interesting story there.

Wish me luck everyone. I'm going to need it.

Any of you GT veterans out there with tips for surviving the gruelling two days of gaming (gruelling, really? Hell I get to play games for 48 hours what could be better?) feel free to chime in.

Seattle GT Final List - Looking for Input

So I've transitioned a bit with my list. The core is still largely the same - I mean, it IS a Logan-wing army, so we have Logan and Wolf Guard, lol.

I am dropping my Wolf Scouts and putting the Lone Wolf back. I know this limits my tactical options a bit, but it also increases the impact and effectiveness of my Lone Wolf Linemen. There is just something about having 3 dudes with Terminator Armor, Feel No Pain, Stormshields and Chainfists running towards your lines every turn hell bent for leather that tends to throw people off their game.

I have also slightly buffed the sizes of my Thunderwolf Cav units. I find that where they really get into trouble is from getting torrented down by Autocannons and Multilasers. I suspect Poison weapons will give them a really hard time as well. So for 50 points doubling the number of wounds in the unit is a really good deal.

My Nids Test List - 2000 Points

So, I had posted this over at YTTH a while back. I am posting this again here so that it lives on this site as well, and also to test out my new army archive I'm working on. It's a work in progress so don't expect anything too major yet.

Competitive Terrain - Where Hobby Meets Gameplay

So this is a subject I've had bouncing about in my noggin' for some time.

I think that the 5th edition ruleset is very tight. There might be a few things I would tweak here and there, but it's a solid foundation upon which to build a game. Most of the real "issues" seem to stem from codex rules, and not the BRB themselves.

There are, however, many who really and truly hate this edition. I'm sure you've heard a rant or two from these naysayers in your time. The "usual suspects" are Wound Allocation and True Line of Sight. Though I've heard some expressing frustration on other topics, those two seem to be the big ones.

Tyranids As a Business

Kennedy is the author of "40k For the New Professional" a blog focused on one man's attempt to apply business tools to his hobby. 

I've always enjoyed Kennedy's smart and aggressive writing style. I'm even enjoying reading his
sci-fi novel/blog.

Hope For Chaos?

SO I have to assume that Black Templar and Dark Angels are not looking at getting an update ANYtime soon.

That's fine, honestly while I like the idea of having lots of options for Marines, I think that "the other guys" need to get brought up to par. More variety and balance is good for ALL players.

I did notice that Chaos didn't get updated. I'm not sure whether this is an indication that they might get an update this edition, or if it just didn't fit in with their sweeping "give all Marines the same tech" effort.

It's not like there aren't questions needing answers in that Dex. Fire Frenzy anyone?

So... thoughts? Is it possible Chaos might see a 5th edition book or is that just dreaming? Something with actual Legion options please...

Sending a Message to GW

So,  I will be direct ordering a Sammael model from GW.

*gasp!*

Hobby Time! - Wolves, Nids and... a Baby?!?

So, I uploaded these photos thinking they looked AWESOME in my little viewer, and then I watched the slideshow... boy are they zoomed in. You can see EVERY... LITTLE... DETAIL...

So suffice to say there are some things that are not finished (you'll note the eyes on the Wolf Guard) and everyone will figure out I'm not a great painter after today, lol.

But I said, fuck it, I'll do it live. Who cares if they hate me and never read my blog again? *nervous twitch*

Well, part of my goal is to help people get over their hobby fear. Sometimes you just have to DO IT and hope for the best. SO here goes (yes that is my daughter).

You should follow the link to see it full sized for the clever captions. ;D

Deathwing vs. Loganwing - The King is Dead, Long Live the King

So these are interesting times indeed. I am getting people asking me whether Dark Angels or Space Wolves is a better codex to run one of the "wing" armies out of. It's amazing what a little FAQ can do. If nothing else, the fact that we are even having a DISCUSSION about whether a 4th edition codex is "better or worse" than SPACE WOLVES (?!?!) should be amazing to some.

So, SinSynn, this article's for you.

Well Supported Deathwing 2000

So even though I do have a bit of a personal infatuation with the mixed Deathwing/Ravenwing army, I tend to feel like pure Deathwing is probably going to be the stronger choice. Ravenwing didn't really get much of a boost with the FAQ and even though there are some nice synergies with Deathwing they are just so bloody pricey.

That doesn't mean I won't run the army (I am direct ordering the Sammael model and WILL be playing that army!) I just don't think it's as good as Deathwing.

So Deathwing itself gets you most of what you need in an army - durable troops with good vehicle suppression weapons and a helluva punch in close combat. What you lack is melta, and there's really only one cost effective way to get it if you aren't using Sammael.

Reader Email: Let's Keep Talking About Nids!

Hey Purgatus! Somerandomdude here.

Like I said in your opening post, I’ve been inspired by your recent discussion of Tyranids. My brother got me into the game when he started up two years ago, and his first army was Nids. The old codex let him do a lot of crazy things. While this new codex has brought things up to date and streamlined the army, it was tough for him to adjust, and he moved on to Marines last summer.

I’ve tried to help him make lists with the new codex, but it was tough to look at things outside the accepted norm (Pro-HG, Tervigon, Tyrranofex, anti-Carnifex and Warriors). This was tough to digest because of the composition of my brother’s (well-painted) army. However, after reading your recent posts on YTTH and AbusePuppy’s pro-Warrior post over at 3++, I started working on this list.

Practice Game Today... Lost

Fell short by one kill point. It was my own fault, for some reason at the bottom of turn 6 (I was going second) I thought that it was the bottom of 7, so I left myself exposed.

Good game though, my opponent was playing dual blob guard. Those blobs are always a challenge but I was able to take them both down in the end even though he was rolling 5+ saves like they were cool. Seriously, there were at least two times he made 7 out of 8 saves, lol. But it was fun. I figure any game when I make a commissar execute a Sergeant... it's a good game. I don't know why but I just love doing that. My scouts took out a Manticore and then got plasma'd to death. In retrospect I should have gone for the CCS Chimera and then got stuck in killing them. Oh well.

The moral of this story is you can't just have a good list, you have to practice. I'm glad I got that game in today but honestly I need to get some more play in before next weekend if I can.

So, Kingpin, thanks for the beating. A good loss can often teach more than a dozen wins.

Blog Layout - Thoughts?

So, I've gotten at least two complaints that Intense Debate is too difficult to sign in to. Kirby suggested it, and I do like it, but I will go back to blogger if enough people are having trouble using it. Easy access for the readers > ease of use for the author. But if anyone knows how to open up the settings on Intense Debate a bit to allow for more types of logins (yes I have Twitter and Facebook turned on already) that might be helpful.

Anyways, things are trucking along nicely thus far. I did want all of your feedback on the look and layout of the blog. Flames have always been kinda my thing, but if it's too difficult to read just let me know and I'll tone it down. Oh, and yes, that picture on the header is my mini, one of the first that I painted 'well,' it's an Inquisitorial Henchmen which has been modified to have a flaming hand/psyker power, etc.

Ummm... what else? I have a test mini for my Nids army finished. I will take some photos and put that up. We WILL be continuing on with our "Quest for the Best" for Tyranids. Just give me a few days to get my feet under me here.

I have already gotten a few emails in. That's awesome. If you guys have any special requests or suggestions just send them to Purgatus40k@gmail.com .

Thanks for all the support, almost 50 followers after only two days is pretty awesome. Spread the word.

Belial and Sammael - Time To Come Out From Retirement Boys

Editor's Note: This list was put together in about 30 minutes. I am working on refining this into my "final" Sammael/Belial list. Watch for a post in the future. 
 
So, many of you might not know, but before I picked up my Space Wolves and later moved on to Tyranids, I was a regular Space Marine player. I have always loved Dark Angels iconography and models, but the rules were, frankly, terrible.

SO I decided that I would use the Vanilla codex to make the most "Dark Angels-ish" army I could. I felt that Stelek's "Best of Space Marines, Part Deux" fit the bill for a hybrid biker/terminator force that could hold its own. So I embarked on a long journey, picking up robed bikers and Dark Angels Stormshields, and basically building a Vanilla Space Marines force out of Dark Angels models.

I went with the Guardians of the Covenant paint scheme because, well, it's awesome.

After a time I became a bit bored with my Vanilla Marines. They were still "good" and I could win with them, but I moved on to Space Pups and later on to my current project, Nids.

But I knew I couldn't get rid of the models. I determined that when the Dark Angels codex got updated, I would pull them out of retirement.

Today is that day.

So what does the new FAQ give us? Well, Dark Angels now officially have the best Land Speeders in the game, hands down. The Ravenwing Support Squadron gets you a Speeder armed with a Typhoon Launcher (a REAL one now, not a BS 3rd edition one) AND a Multimelta... for 75 points. Yeah. That's... a fucking steal.

So let's take 3 of those, shall we?

Deathwing. For a long time now they sucked balls. Their Cyclone launcher sucked, so you had to give them an overpriced Assault Cannon and use THAT for anti-vehicle duty. Not the best. Oh, and the crappy Storm Shields sucked too. Not good. Well kiss all that goodbye. Now, for a reasonable 235 points, we can have 5 2+/3++ dudes with Thunderhammers, AND they get a Cyclone Launcher (AGAIN, a REAL one this time!). So they can actually contribute to the anti-vehicle game, and now they kick ass in CC, just like their cousins in Blue.

And, of course, Belial and Sammael were always pretty cool. Both decent characters that unlocked worthless units, but the characters themselves are fine. Belial has gotten significantly better now that he has a real Storm Shield. And let's not forget that these characters now unlock Feel No Pain for a squad a piece - gee, that might be nice to have.

So let's see what we can throw together before I head out to the Doctor's office for my kiddo.

It's not a final product and hell there might be some errors in there, but it certainly appeals to ME.

Sammael, Jetbike
Belial, Thunder Hammer and Stormshield

Deathwing Terminator Squad (Troops), TH/SS x 5, Deathwing Company Standard, Narthecium, Cyclone Launcher
Deathwing Terminator Squad (Troops), TH/SS x 5, Cyclone Launcher
Deathwing Terminator Squad (Troops), TH/SS x 5, Cyclone Launcher
Ravenwing Attack Squadron (Troops), Extra Bikers x 3, Narthecium, Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike (Multimelta)
Ravenwing Attack Squadron (Troops), Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike (Multimelta)
Ravenwing Attack Squadron (Troops), Meltagun x 2, Attack Bike (Multimelta)

Ravenwing Support Squadron, Land Speeder with Typhoon Launcher and Multimelta
Ravenwing Support Squadron, Land Speeder with Typhoon Launcher and Multimelta
Ravenwing Support Squadron, Land Speeder with Typhoon Launcher and Multimelta

So, let's see, 6 Cyclone/Typhoons for 12 Krak missiles. 3 scoring Attack Bikes with Multimeltas (remember they operate independently), 3 units of regular bikers with 2 meltaguns each, one squad has three extra bodies and Feel No Pain (they are Samael's escort). That seems like enough anti-tank.

No one will like my TH/SS Terminators. You can't really ignore them because they can still shoot you with missiles, lol. One squad gets Feel No Pain, which is unique outside of Blood Angels IIRC. They also get +1 Attack each and Belial. So that's, ummm.... 25 Thunderhammer attacks on the charge from that unit? Lol?

This is an age old concept, Turbo-boost the bikes during their (Self edit: Dark Angels are codex restricted from turbo-boosting during their scout move. Thank you to Jordan for catching that) scout move, then Deep Strike in 2 units of Terminators on top of them. That's a whole lotta "fuck you buddy" in your face. It's not necessarily the best list you can make out of the new codex, but it's not bad for an hour's work.

Shit just got real.

Black Templar - Russell Crowe Style

                        

"On my signal, unleash Krak Missiles. Yes, with Tank Hunters."

So you remember the opening scenes of Gladiator? Maximus is in the barbarian lands of the north bringing them "into compliance with the imperial edict" (heheh). The barbarians come to pick a fight. Maximus instructs his men "on my signal, unleash hell." Remember the battle that followed?

Yes, I agree it was the coolest scene in the movie. But that's neither here nor there.

What I wanted to focus on was the Roman army's strategy. They unleashed an absolute deluge of firepower on their foes, arrows and ballistas and flaming oil. And they slowly but implacably advanced behind this onslaught of firepower. And once they got to their weakened foes they chopped them to bits.

That's pretty much how this army works. It's been talked about before, but this update makes them, in my opinion, a million times better. Tell me what you think.

Castellan, Terminator Armor, Storm Shield, Lightning Claw
Castellan, Terminator Armor, Storm Shield, Lightning Claw
Emperor's Champion, Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds
Terminator Command Squad x 3, Tank Hunters, Cyclone Launcher x 2
Terminator Command Squad x 3, Tank Hunters, Cyclone Launcher x 2

Sword Brethren Terminators x 5, Tank Hunters, Cyclone Launcher x 2
Sword Brethren Terminators x 5, Tank Hunters, Cyclone Launcher x 2
Sword Brethren Terminators x 5, Tank Hunters, Cyclone Launcher x 2

Initiates x 5, Neophytes x 2, Power Weapon
Initiates x 5, Neophytes x 2, Power Weapon
Initiates x 5, Neophytes x 2, Power Weapon
Initiates x 5, Neophytes x 2, Power Weapon

1993 Points.

So that's... 20 Relentless Krak Missile shots with Tank Hunters. That ought to do er. Plenty of anti-infantry too.

You can tweak it a bit. If you want the extra wound and point of leadership on the Castellans you can upgrade them. If you want weapons on the Initiate squads you can probably find the points. But the basic frameworks is just... brutal.

Oh, what a great time to be playing 40k. The new FAQs have injected a new life into some very old codices. There are of course so many new lists to think about but this particular army (albeit the Assault Cannon spam version) has always had a special place in my heart.

Arjac + Rune Priest = Shenanigans?

From the new Space Wolves FAQ:

"Q. Is a model that has suffered an unsaved wound, but

hasnʼt been killed, from Arjac throwing his Foehammer

reduced to initiative 1 until the end of the next player turn?

(p51)

A. Yes."

Ummm.... so does anyone else see the entirely obvious and entirely hilarious implications of this?

Stop the Presses! Dark Eldar FAQ!!! This soon!!

Jeez. Things are even better than I thought over there in Nottingham, or wherever the hell GW's staff hang out.

Of note: The Voidraven can now Turbo-boost and drop his Voidmine. I was SO very much hoping that was going to be how it was eventually FAQ'd, but the RAW from the Codex didn't seem to allow for it. Let's just say this guy, right here, is pleased.

Go go GW. You continue to impress.

FAQs Updated Again: BT and Dark Angels Get Needed Facelift

Kirby picked up on the fact that GW has updated their FAQs again.

This is great. Really, fantastically, awesomely, great.

Increasingly, GW seems to be showing that they care about the state of the game, clear rules and even (gasp!) balance.

What struck me as really exciting (if tremendously overdue) is the fact that Black Templar and Dark Angels received erratas to bring them in-line with 5th edition. I can't wait to go through those in detail. This might provide some fresh options for list building. In particular I am wondering if I can take a look at running my Space Marines "counts as" Dark Angels successors as ACTUAL (gasp! again!) Dark Angels. We'll see.

Anyways, I'll let you know if I find any hidden gems in there.

The most important point is that times, they be a changin'. And they is changin' for the bettah.

Baby Is Sick

So I will be working a short day tomorrow and then coming home to take care of her. It sucks and it's very possible that I won't get much sleep tonight. But while I'm home from work I may have some time to set up the photo box and take some of those pictures I have been promising for like a month.

So... look forward to THAT. Lol.

Thanks for all the support so far everyone.

Blogger or Wordpress?

I have set up the blog on both systems. And now I'm just debating whether changing to WordPress would be overly disruptive or not.

Do you all prefer working with Word Press?

A Note On Blog Format

This is the start of a long journey. The blog itself is pretty rough at this point. I have opened up the comments for non-registered users, so hopefully that will resolve some of the issues people were experiencing. We'll refine things as we go, and thanks for your patience.

Thank You

I want to dedicate this blog to four people.

First, my wife who allows me the space and time to play with my little plastic man dollies. Love you babe.

I want to thank Andrew Sutton for teaching me to be a competitor.

I want to thank Chappy for teaching me to be a hobbyist.

And finally thank you Mike Brandt for teaching me that I don't have to choose between them.

Who I Am and What I Do

Or, "Why the hell should I read your blog, Purgatus?"

Well, I have been playing Warhammer 40k, technically, for a little over a decade. I remember the first box of GW minis I bought was some warriors and a Necron Lord when Necrons had JUST come out and were still "White Dwarf rules" only. So that was, what, sometime after January 1998. So I've probably been playing for about twelve years, and technically since the end of Second Edition.

But you know how it is. When you are a kid you love the game, you play a bit (badly), paint a bit (badly) and you have a blast. But then you get a bit older, figure out that there are such things as girls, guns and booze, join the Marines, and become "a man." Lol. Well if you're awesome like me that's how it worked.

But then, the renaissance. At some point, often in your early to mid twenties, after having settled down, gotten married, had a few kids, you "rediscover" this great hobby of ours. And while you may have lost some of the childish wonder, you have other things that more than make up for it. Mostly money and your own car to get to a game store. Lol.

I figured out that while this hobby is great for youngin's it's really best enjoyed as an adult. There are whole new levels of painting skill, tactical accumen and appreciation for the game that you can enjoy. The opportunity to go to large tournaments, buy the actual models you want for the army instead of using kitbashed monstrosities (no knock on converting, but you've all seen the 12 year olds with the chaos marines that look like they literrally dunked them in a bottle of plastic cement before rolling them around in a bin of bits and just letting whatever stuck there stay there) etc make this hobby, if anything, even better and more fun now than when I was a kid.

So suffice to say that I have been playing 40k "for real" for about 3 years now. My first real game I got my ass handed to me - badly. The other player was using a pretty strong IG list and was even fudging some rules pretty badly. I was using a TERRIBLE Grey Knights/Sisters list.

I resolved to improve myself. And I did.

I found Yes the Truth Hurts. That was the beginning of the end. I started improving my lists, and more importantly, learning HOW to improve my lists. I gained experience on the field and I was getting better and better.

Eventually I was invited into a gaming club called the Dead Body Crew. This is a great group of guys, very much in the "old school" vein. They were more concerned about having good looking armies than crushing face. I respected that, but I didn't lose my own desire to be competitive. What I did gain was a desire to have great looking armies, and a group of dudes who could teach me how to get there. That and hanging out with guys that are passionate about the background of the game and the universe sort of infected me with that outlook a bit too. Yeah, they all still call me a cheese-eating beardie WAAC jerk, but it's all in love. Lol. And the truth is that I have a much greater appreciation for the fluff now than I ever did before.

In 2010, something in 40k changed. The NOVA Open was announced, planned and then executed virtually flawlessly. I first began talking with Mike Brandt, the TO of the NOVA Open. Before the NOVA, I had been very much in a "competitive" vs. "fluff bunny" mindset, with me very firmly on the "competitive" side. While I was getting a greater appreciation for the hobby side of the game through my gaming group, I still felt like ultimately you had to choose a side. Mike showed the way forward in healing the rift in our community between hobbyist and competitive player. The NOVA successfully brought together all types of gamers under one roof - and no drama resulted!

Mike showed that our problem is a structural problem, very much related to the way that traditional Battle Point tournaments operate. The nice thing about structural problems is - you can change the structure and solve the problem. I think all across the country and indeed the world that is happening right now.

That brings us to today. I believe in a "whole hobby" approach. I believe in competitive play, tactics and strategies designed to put your opponent (and yourself) through the intellectual wringer. This is a strategy game, and we should learn to play it well. I also believe that this is not chess. A great portion of what we get out of this game can come from the wonderful stories that we weave into our armies and the hours of work spent creating beautiful and unique models. Not only do I believe that hobbyists and competitive gamers can coexist, I believe they can be one and the same thing.

I am a competitive hobbyist.