Farlands Rules: WH40k The secret hatch

This is a rule that we have played recently, and came about as we wanted to add a few RPG elements into the main game.

The idea is simple. There are two hatches on the board, wherever you want that are linked. To enter the hatch, you must assault it, and gain 2 hits on it for it to open. I has a weapon skill of 3 and toughness 4, although you can vary this to make it more difficult to enter. When these criteria have been met, the whole squad enters the hatch, and misses a turn. After the missed turn, they re-emerge at the other hatch, just as if they had done a normal move.

If a opposing squad also enters from the other end, then resolve a assault as normal, minus the assault charge. Failed leadership tests equals a automatic sweeping advance, portraying that fighting in close quarters is hard!

This played very well. The attacking of the hatch portrays the attempt of hacking, and with a stat line, fits in well with the armies themselves. Space Marines, who have a understanding of technology will be able to access easily, even with a 5 man squad, whereas Orks, with the break everything mentality, may need to use the whole squad to get through.

Give it a try in your next game!

Warhammer 40000: The Farlands Way

Thursday Night Gaming just gone, I had a absolutely fantastic game if 40k with a friend. We played Grey Knights vs Necrons, 4 objectives, random vps, in each table quarter. During the aftermath, we discussed just why this game was so good.

Now when we usually play, we stick to the rules to the letter, in a pseudo tournament style of play. In this game, we made a few changes.

1. We forgot the tape measure. Both of us. Luckily, we has a chain that measured 24 inches, so most measurements could be worked out.
2. We made rules up on the spot. If something happened that we thought would be fun, we house ruled it and just did it.
3. Some of the army specific rules for the Necrons we took back to the previous codex rules.

All these together left us with a game where we basically goofed around and just had FUN. With friends, I believe that with any game fun is the biggest factor. I have no problems with changing some rules around to make it more enjoyable for both people. This game told much more of a story than usual, there were some truly epic scale assaults that went on, and some sneaky moves by the Necrons.

I think the biggest thing was the forgetting of the tape measure. It came down to that we stopped measuring for a lot of things, such as movement and assault distance, and just approximated the 6 inches. When shooting, if we were a half inch out, it still hit.

Give it a go yourself. Get a good friend, and just play a game, and change something around. Don't change the actual mechanics, such as to hit or leadership tests, but just play in a relaxed way and have fun with it. This is the way that I think that I will play with friends. I found the stories that came out much better than saying your squad cannot be hit because your enemy is one sixteenths of a inch out of range.

First part of terrain

This is the first piece of terrain that I have scratch built for many years. I decided that I want a really cool, one of a kind game table, that I have made, full of ruined buildings. Cost wise, buying actual GW items was/is prohibitive for the scale I have in mind. So I decided to turn my hand and make my own.

Even if I say so myself, I think that looks darn good for a first attempt. I had lots of fun, and learnt some valuable lessons along the way making these.

This will sit as a corner of a ruined factory, that will be part of the board. Three more corners, and some wall sections and that will be complete.  I think the next part of this will be something like a skyskraper. I have been inspired by some things I have seen on the net, so will keep going.

I may even throw the doors open and do these on a comission basis. If you want one, contact me on Facebook and we can discuss details.

More on this project next week!

Warhammer 40000, solo?

I think that all of us must have tried it at somepoint. You can't find someone to play a game with, and you think it cannot be that hard to play against yourself. You set everything up, and play the first turn. Suddenly, it dawns upon you that this is a huge undertaking, and you get so confused you give up. Well, that was my findings from trying to play just 1000 points aside. There is just too much that you have to think about, and I always favoured one side over the other.

With the new release of Dark Vengeance, Games Workshop seem to have addressed this fact, even just a small amount. Two of the missions, (the first two infact) are solo missions. The first one pits the Chaos cultists against a out of control Hellbrute, and they must deactivate it before it gets them all. The second puts the Dark Angels Ravenwing squad against three waves of cultists, the aim to get the bikes off the table edge three times.

These missions have been designed to ease the new player into the game, to help them learn the rules on their own before they introduce someone else. There are instructions that control the "enemy" in each game, namely that they will move towards and attack the closest models.

This has got me thinking, that you could introduce these ideas for when you have no one to play with. Using the enemy will move and attack the closest unit, and always following them, some intereting games could be played, and will also teach you more about the game as you play.

Just some food for thought, and I expect solo missions to be popping up over the net over the next couple of weeks, maybe even some will be featured in future White Dwarfs or on the GW website if it is popular enough. I am even going to get my thinking cap on, and may post some of my own devising up here.

Project Necron...again

I have decided to start yet another Necron army for 40k. This will be my third army. I really like the Necrons, the way they look and the way they play.

My last army was a 3000 point infantry based army, backed up by two monoliths. Charging Pariahs into battle backed up by a Lord was great fun, but not as much as marching 4 20 man squads across the battlefield.

This army will be put together over time, I have enough left over bits to field some sort of kill team or small army.

The line up so far is this:

1 Lord
10 Necron Warriors
6 Destroyers
6 Scarab bases

I am probably going to add a squad of Deathmarks, a Monolith, 10 more troops, and bring the scarabs up to 10 bases.

Work in progress!

I have gone for a different colour scheme this time. Both my last two armies were the classic silver variety, this time I have decided to try something different. Here is a work in progress of some scarabs:

I think they look cool anyway. I will be painting these in my spare time, and am not to bothered about them winning any awards or anything, just to get them to a good table top standard that I am happy with.

Their first march will be at Thursday Night Gaming this week, against Chaos and Imperial Guard.

Warhammer 40k Dark Vengeance: First Look

Well it has been finally released, after months of speculation amongst pretty much every one who talks about these things, and Games Workshop have pulled off maybe their greatest masterpiece yet.

Lets get to the nitty gritty. The models in this box are amazing. Each one is packed with so much detail, you begin to forget that this is a starter set. Each model is of the snap fit variety, which means no glue, and that’s great for the people that just want to get stuck in and play with some new armies.

Dark Angels and Chaos is a great line up for a starter set, and even without knowing anything about the lore if the WH40k universe, you can see that these are sworn enemies. It looks as thought the Dark Angels are slightly over powered at the moment, but this is sure to be fixed by the upcoming new Chaos codex that is being rumoured, bringing fairness to the fight.

The rule book seems solid and sturdy, much better than the 5^th edition book that came in the starter set, and feels it will last longer. There are also reference sheets, a handy tool in the heat of battle when you just can't quite find the right book mark. Also included are dice, and range rulers (also known as whip sticks of doom..)

Along with a skew of accessories, such as the munitorium templates and dice, comes a book detailing the Dark Vengeance itself, and a audio book also released, both of which can be obtained in store or from the Black Library.

A solid set for beginners and veterans alike, this really is a great value box. 49 miniatures which can not be brought anywhere else, and the much better handy sized rule book make this a well spent £65. Games Workshop have set the bar high with this release, and if they can keep up the momentum and keep the quality coming (and fix Fine cast) then maybe, maybe they will end up top dog again. Only time will tell, but at the moment there has never been a better time to get into the world of Warhammer 40,000.

Warhammer 40000: Dark Vengence

Games Workshop released the details of the 6th edition 40k starter box set.

Included in the box, 49 finely detailed miniatures, in the flavour of Dark Angels and Chaos Space Marines, the Crimson Slaughter.
 
What interests me most about this box, is the Dark Angels side. You get some Deathwing, Ravenwing and normal troops, which is a solid start for a new army.

On the chaos side you get a dreadnaught, Space marines and Cultists. Again, another great start for a army.

In the box, you get the usual dice and A5 rulebook (although I really think this should be sold outside the box aswell) and quick start guide.

All in all it looks another fantastic starting point, be it beginners just starting or veterans looking for a new army to try out.

We will have our hands on a copy soon, so expect a full review soon!

Aegis Defence Line

These are the latest part of the game table that we are putting together that has been completed.

Great as part of a battlefield, what I like about the new WH40k rules is that these can become part of your army. Fortifications are a new addition, and come in the form of these, skyshields, bastions and the Fortress of Redemption, with more to be release as time goes on by GW.

The Aegis line costs 50 points, and with addition of  a Icarus Lascannon (+35 points) or a Quad Gun (+50 points), this can really sway the tide of a battle. Giving a 3+ cover save, there are a few useful applications for these.

Get your low save troops inside: Imperial Guard players will find these of great use, Hole up in one of these to gain your 3+ save, and issue orders like "First Rank Fire!" and you could have a devastating shooting phase, and at only 50 points, will not take to much from a IG army. Add in a Quad gun, and you have one powerful unit.

Or, take over a enemy line. You will get the save, and being right in their lines could cause some trouble.

The use of these are pretty much down to your imagination (getting a tank behind it to get the cover save...), and its great now that they actually play a part in your army.

Warhammer 40000 players...

Don't forget to go and check out the updated errata and FAQ's for your armies now 6th edition is out! Here's the link to the official GW page:

GW errata and FAQ page

Be sure to read carefully, there are a quite a few things that have changed with the new rules, like double toughness value models ONLY using the value in brackets, ignoring the (usually) lower value. Well worth the read, and check out your opponents armies aswell so you don't get caught by a nasty surprise!

WH40k table is getting there!

The Thursday Night Gaming WH40k board is taking shape! Boy, do I have a lot of work to do to get this finished, lets hope its at least 50% done by next week!

Its very kill team inspired, and I hope to get game running where one side defends, then switch around for the next game. I might even right up a small campaign to go with this. If you like the look of this, and you are local, then come to Thursday Night Gaming with a kill team army, and lets play the night away!

Thursday Night Gaming is held at the Thimblemill Pub, Smethwick, every Thursday from 730pm onwards, £2 entry. Every type of game is played, from Scrabble and Monopoly right the way up to Warhammer. Go to www.facebook.com/farlandsgames for more information!

Relic first look: video

I found this first look on youtube, from Elliot Miller (http://www.youtube.com/user/mylantus100?feature=watch). Its from Games Day Chicago 2012, where FFG are showing this game for the first time. They only announced it the day before (two days ago!)

How awesome do those busts look like? I really cannot wait to get my hands on this game! Some of the mechanics also sound really nice, the corruption deck has peaked my interest. I know some people who will take a lot of those cards!

And, its not me in the video. Just thought I would clear that up. It's Elliot Miller, http://www.youtube.com/user/mylantus100?feature=watch and he has some decent videos over there. Go check them out.

Fantasy Flight Games announce: Relic

Now this is one game that I has gotten me in a bit of a twist. This is a game based on some of my favorite games, Talisman and Warhammer 40000.  Yes you, you read that right, Talisman set in the 41st millenium.  Heres the link, go and take a look.

How cool does that look? We will definatly be following that game here at Farlands Games, and with a release set for quarter 4 2012, looks like we dont have to long to wait either!

Starting young!

 

I was out with my Nephew today, and whilst his mommy and auntie were busy, I made sure he go a head start in the world of gaming. Yes, this is my two year old nephew Reece having his first read of the Warhammer 40000 rulebook. Its seems like he is going to be a warrior of the Imperium, he was cheering the Space Marines and booing the Orks... 

After the smoke

The heretics were slowly advancing, and the Ork rabble behind them following closely. The Grey Knight Paladins looked on, rage filling them as the watched one noble battle brothers pairing up with the Orks.

Standing resolute and brave, the Paladins heard their Tech Priest behind them call down yet another orbital bombardment, and they felt the ground shake beneath their feet. The battle would soon be over, at one cost no one knew.

Out of a thick cloud of dust a smoke screamed a Dakkajet, its guns blazing and the pilot screaming a tirade of obscenities, audible even over the roar of the jets. The Paladins took no action waiting for a opportune moment, but were shook as a rogue bullet from the supa-shooters struck the Tech Priest between the eyes, his body slumping under the weight of his Artificer armour. They looked back, eyes to the sky, powerless against the might of a jet powered aircraft, even as it swooped around to make another strafing run. They had already accepted their fate, and knew their brothers would avenge them with the might of the Emperor behind them himself.

The pilot saw Paladins and took a direct line straight at them, guns blazing.

The Icarus blast vaporised the top half of his body. Behind the lines was a lone Icarus Lascannon, which had just been woken by the Tech Priest, now with a enraged machine spirit. The second blast destroyed the tail, and sent the Dakkajet is a wild death spiral, right down towards the stricken Paladins.

The Paladins saw what was about to happen, and felt a force flow through them. Somehow, maybe the God Emperor himself had sensed what was about to happen, and sent his spirit to protect them. As they were one, the braced, and threw their arms up as the Dakkajet dropped onto them from above, and as a unit threw it further behind them, destroying the bastion, but saving their lives. From the dust and fire emerged 5 Paladins, ready to take on the the enemy all by themselves, fuelled by the Emperor himself.

This is a short fiction based on possibly one of the most memorable things that have ever happened in a game of WH40k that I have played, from Thursday Night Gaming. I don't know a lot about the lore of the Grey Knights, so there may be some creative license here, but I just could not let this go without a good write up!

The night that was TNG...

TNG being Thursday night gaming!

Well, it was a good turn out, many games were played, and more drinks were consumed. Everyone had a great time, and I hope to see them more at the next meeting!

A difficult question needing discussion...

The night kicked off with a group playing the great game LOGO. I heard lots of laughing and joking just from this group, and they played the game about 4 times I think. Just goes to show how a game so simple can be so social. Moving around the room we had a mahjong game going on, with a brand new player and a experienced player showing them the ropes. I did have to jump in and help the new player (even though I missed the most obvious move..oops!)

MageStones, a game that I highly rate and love, got a good airing, with two players having a good few games of it. A simple game like naughts and crosses with a twist, I can see this being a great hit with everyone.

Take that lowly monk!

Talisman was next, and although only two players, quite a few were involved, laughing at the undeafeatable monk, and a dragon slaying bard (!). That game ended messy, with a unanimous win for the monk, again. It seems like you draw him you win....

Around the room there was a game of Monopoly going on, with a improvised rule I overheard “its only cheating if you are caught”, which I like the sound of.

....But all in good jest

The point someone cheated....

And finally we had a game on Warhammer 40k 6^th 

Edition. I think the new rules shine much better than previous, and a testament that the players had almost no experience of the game, it went smooth with a somewhat predictable Space Marine win (best moment, a dreadnaught assaulting a 10 man group of Ork boys...)

All in all it was a great night. There was plenty of space left, so we want more people to come! Bring your own games, or come and see what we have there ourselves. There will be something for everyone, and I can nearly guarantee that there will be a game there that you will not have played, so come on down and let us show you what you are missing!

Thursday Night Gaming will be every on Thursday night at the Thimblemill Pub, Smethwick, from 730 pm till late. Entry is £2, and there will be at least 10 games supplied by Farlands Games every week, ranging from Scrabble all the way up to Warhammer 40000. Come on down and say hello, we welcome everyone and there will always be something to play!

Painting a Ork Dakkajet

So I painted a Ork Dakkajet this weekend. I have wanted to paint one of these since GW released the model, so decided what the hell, lets do it. And was I glad that I did, this was a fun model to paint!

So from the beginning, here is how it comes out of the box:

Only three sprue’s, but these are packed with fun little bits of detail and items on them. All was cast well, no problems there.

Putting it together was a breeze, but watch those wing supports! I put them on upside down to begin with, which gave me a headscratch moment when I tried to connect the exhausts.

As I have found with most GW instructions for models, its best to use these as a example of how to put these models together, not the be all and end all. A little experimentation can yield some simple yet nice conversions straight out of the box.

It took about 45 minutes to put it together to this stage.

Note the pilot and weapons are not built at the moment, this allows for easier painting of the main aircraft.

I under-coated it with Tamiya Grey Primer, then put a base coat of Humbrol Crimson down over the top.

After that, I just had fun with this model. I used a variety of different techniques to get the battle damage in place, and played around for around 3 hours until I liked it. (One note, Humbrol crimson spray is a pain to paint over. It has a very gloss finish, and shows up every brush stroke on top of it. Lesson learnt, next test will be with a coat of matt varnish over the top before painting.)

Like I said, I had some real fun painting this, and it is going into the commissions folder to show people what I can do. For now, this is on ebay. Go and check it out if you want, maybe you might even want it, I don't know. More of these can be painted, so if you want a squadron painting, head over to facebook.com/farlandsgames and drop me a message!

Warhammer 40000 6th Edition – First Impression

I just received my copy of the new rulebook (I know, a bit late, but there were some supply issues) and have decided to share my initial response.

The book itself is gorgeous, big and heavy. The paper is thick, and the printing is impeccable. And this is only the normal version, I would love to get my hands on a collectors edition.

As with most of the GW rulebooks, the rules come first in the book, followed by 300+ pages of background, missions, hobby related items and reference tables. I have yet to read through the 130 pages of rules yet, but a few new rules such as mystery terrain and artifacts really stood out on a quick flick through.

There are a lot of pictures of beautiful boards and army’s in this book. I think maybe to many. I do believe there should be two versions you can buy, this version and an version with just the rules. Yes there will be a A5 rulebook in the new box set most likely, but the option to get it on its own would be nice, and most gamers would have both anyway.

Overall, I was very impressed with the presentation of this book. I cant comment on the rules, there will be another post soon dicussing them, and only time will tell if they stand up. If you have a spare £45 knocking around I would recommend getting this if not for just the pictures and story alone.

First impression presentation: 9.5