No challenge intended. No really, don't bust a cap.
Sometimes I think I forget that. I get so focused on the competitive aspects, the list building, the theorizing (which I DO love also) that I forget that, underneath it all, I love 40k.
I have been reading a lot of really bitter posts lately (some of which are really well written).
And yeah, I sure do get frustrated sometimes. Let's face it, the boyz up in Nottingham get a lot of stuff wrong.
But there's so much that's right about 40k too.
I got in a teaching game against a new Guard Player tonight. 1750 points. He didn't look like he was really going to try and play, but I encouraged him to. I think he felt a bit insecure because he didn't have a full army yet or whatever. He asked what I played, and I said "well, I've got my Space Wolves, my Grey Knights, and my Tyranids." He got kind of excited and said 'I've never played against Nids before!'
That was a cool feeling, to be able to pull out an army that was brand new to my opponent. And even though they aren't tournament ready, I got some really nice compliments. They look awesome. And I'm not talking about my paint job (though I do like my paint job). I mean, they are fucking Tyranids, amirite?
The best part is, I just had to pull out a Tyrannofex and bang, instant 1750 army. Lol. (Based upon this army which I carry around with me on game night).
So I carefully explained the entire army to him. All the hinky rules, all of their vulnerabilities. I encouraged him to be careful about making sure he didn't leave me any spots to infiltrate to for first turn assaults (two units of 12 Genestealers... hayo!). He set up, and we started the game.
We played the Total War scenario. I really dig this mission. Again, the best part is that it's a LOT more interesting and strategic than the book missions, but requires no additional knowledge BEYOND the book missions. If you've read the rulebook, you can play this mission.
My genestealers infiltrated forward, strung out so as to get Feel No Pain first turn. I go first, get FNP on the Genies, and shuffle towards objectives. I suppress some Sentinels and his Hellhound. I kill a Autocannon team with Hive Guard (he set up too close, obvs).
Anyways, he shot everything he had at the Genestealers. Including a Leman Russ Punisher. He did kill about a half dozen, but Feel No Pain does wonders. That's my favorite part of this army. Two big FNP Genestealer units.
Anyways, my Genestealers assaulted second turn and gutted several of his units. I blew up his Demolisher with my Onslaughted Zoanthrope unit, destroyed his Armored Sentinels (which could have been a pain) with Hive Guard and a T-Fex. The rest was pretty much history.
But you know, that doesn't really describe the game. The guy was really cool. We talked about the Kurt Cobain exhibit at the Seattle Experience Music Project museum. We debated whether it was "really" a suicide or not. His daughter was there (early teens?) and she was rolling most of the dice for him (and oh boy did she roll better than dad!). We joked around, I helped him out a lot, corrected some (REALLY) bad information that some other players had given him (troops assaulting a vehicle roll against the armor value of the side they are on? REALLY? COMEON!). Basically I just tried to give him the funnest and most deuche-free game I possibly could, and hope that he learned something in the process.
Yeah, it was a beatdown, but I tried to explain the "whys" behind the beatdown. Because Nids are HIGHLY beatable by Guard. But it's hard when you have no Lascannons, no Meltaguns, and only two Autocannons. Just saying.
But he "First Rank, Second Ranked" the ever loving BEJEEZUS out of me. Lol. Poor Termagants. You had not yet begun to live.
Som a great night. He called the game early because his kid had something going on early in the morning (I believe he called it "Skoole?") I called it an early night after that because I am coming down with the creeping crud. I need to go see a doc tomorrow.
So anyways I was sitting here thinking about Nids lists and more importantly thinking about finishing painting my Nids before moving on to my next project (whatever that ends up being). It's cool to collect the models, but I think it's important for my Nids to be fully complete. Even if I don't ever take them to a GT, I want them to be done.
And I realized something. I really love 40k. I do. I love the hell out of playing this game. I love tournaments, not just for the fact that they give me the KINDS of games I want (challenging games against skilled players and competitive armies) but also the QUANTITY of games I want. It's such a great feeling, you get done with a game, and BAM someone's ready for another. They even have a table with terrain ready to go! Heck, I prefer overnight tournaments at Hotels, because even after playing three games in a row, I can go for more during late night gaming!
Dear TO's: If you host a GT, you should support late night gaming. Locking the doors on 40 tables of terrain while you have a hotel full of gamers is a crime against humanity! Plan ahead. Have a staff member who will stay in the hall late into the night. Heck, have him/her gaming!
Sorry if this is random, but hey, that's me. I can unashamedly say that I do love 40k.
At least for now.
:D
