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Post by commandersasha on Dec 28, 2010 9:44:33 GMT
From the Harpy:
Plus wings, makes 8 limbs. Riddle me that!
BTW, my Tyranids are all Skaven, but that's 'cos I'm awkward!
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Post by commandersasha on Dec 26, 2010 21:19:27 GMT
I am lucky enough to have a wife who pointed out to me how my well-meant help and criticism often came across as superiority.
A good rule of thumb is: beware of offering help unasked for. There are times it is good to offer, but if you can wait to be asked for advice, you never risk coming across as a show-off. The advice I have been given on these and other forums is invariably welcome, because I have asked for it, but if Yoritomo was looking over my shoulder every time I played, saying "You don't want to do it like that, you want to do it like this" (Harry Enfield impression!), I would get a) embarrassed and b) sick of it!
The fact that these other people still play you shows that you haven't upset them too much; everyone these days talks about everyone else behind their back, so try not to take it to heart, and try to take it as a bit of constructive criticism of how to comport yourself socially.
If you do keep winning, I wouldn't advocate deliberately trying to lose, but why not experiment with some new challenges? Run some Lictors, try some Pyrovores, choose a sub-prime list and see if you can make it work? You may even find new ways to use the bugs you love!
Good luck!
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Post by commandersasha on Dec 26, 2010 21:02:00 GMT
Sorry, searched but failed; it's in the hardback WHFB rulebook, have a look at a store copy next time you're in GW.
I think it was an entirely GS-ed huge mutant rat model with a cannon grafted on to its back, and it crawled on its belly to get the proportions right. The Biovore model looks like it would topple over backwards if it fired (clenched?) too hard!
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Post by commandersasha on Dec 26, 2010 13:47:36 GMT
Have you seen the custombuilt Skaven Warp Cannon in the WHFB rulebook? The cannon was grafted on a mutated Rat Ogre, very good conversion and has good prooportions for living artillery. I love the Pyrovore model, and would definitely accept it as a Biovore model. It deserved better than the rules it got! (When I saw the model pre-codex, I was expecting Melta rules)
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Post by commandersasha on Dec 24, 2010 10:42:45 GMT
My first army was renegade marines, and I spend a lot of time on www.bolterandchainsword.com, where Ultrahate comes up from time to time. Firstly, I think a lot of the hate comes from good-old knee-jerk reaction: a lot of people that gravitate towards geekdom, gaming etc. are the alternative, non-Jock type of schoolkids, and Ultras are the shining teeth good looking blond A-grade Sports Captain students of 40K. Doing everything by the rulebook, "setting a good example", "why can't you be as good as those kids in blue?". I grew up reacting against that, wore black, got into loud music, dropped out of college, married a coarse woman, and built a renegade marine army and a horde of filthy rats to play as Tyranids. Yeah, I'm a rebel baby! As such, the boys in blue can kinda represent the mainstream that we try to get away from. Secondly, Tactically Vanilla? C'mon, it's obvious that C:SM was actually written to be C:UM, and as such, the Ultras are as unique a Codex as any other, with all-round strength unlike any other race, ATSKNF as a major difference, T4S4 across the army, and the best assault vehicles around. All the other non-UM chapters are currently played as counts-as-Ultras, with a couple of special characters to ease the pain: yes, you have Khan, Pedro, Lysander etc, but since the removal of traits, where deviation from Guilliman's Codex Astartes was actually represented on the table, there is much less diversity of marine chapters. No 4th Heavy Support, No all-scout, no playable geneseed variation: we are all sons of Guilliman with the current codex. Finally, yes, Ultras are a good army for beginners, being easy to build (same as any SM chapter), small model count so cheaper(same), easy to paint (like a lot of SM), and pre-biuilt fluff. That's not to say, however, that only beginners play UM. There are competitive fluffy UM builds, and a good UM player can still hold their own in a tournament. Personally, I don't like the Blue, but I also don't like bullying, and Ultrahate can often be exactly that. Peace and love. And slaughter.
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Post by commandersasha on Dec 8, 2010 11:22:02 GMT
An interesting opinion, and although I personally like the shift towards the practical, you're post was well argued!
I like my models to be at least predictably feasible, whether it's the aerodynamics of a Stormraven, the realities of a walking tank, or the biological necessities for depth vision and limb versatility. I only started using a dreadnought once I'd built a tracked one, as I know how unrealistic a 2 legged robot is, whatever the state of technology.
An unbelievable model grates on my imagination, and upsets the picture for me.
That being said, the reason I have my Skaven-Counts-As-Tyranids army is to get back to that fantasy ideal, and it works for me, so have you considered building a very diverse proxy army?
My Skavenids were easy to source, being a popular WHFB army, so most of my models are standard GW ones but on round bases; A few conversions, and a lot of fluff justification, and my army has proved popular and acceptable in my gaming groups.
Why not try scratch building a small model count proxy army from really unusual figures? There's a burgeoning market in small business steampunk manufacturers, Malifaux has beautiful figures; run them as an elite 40K army, say Space Wolves or Ork Nobs: a low headcount army to minimise the workload.
Or an insect army? Plenty of bug models from toy suppliers, hell, you could even visit lepidoptery websites and use real insects! You want a scary Dark Eldar proxy? Try a real dried stuffed Tarantula as a Talos!
Your original post shows you are someone for whom imagination is important; let yours run away with you, and please, please, take us with you!
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 29, 2010 22:53:49 GMT
Send him to www.bolterandchainsword.comExcellent, well moderated site with library of tactica, and a huge membership base of veteran players.
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 28, 2010 15:00:40 GMT
My FLGS does 20% on GW prices, plus loads of other games and minis too, and has a great atmosphere, and gaming tables, so I now exclusively buy from them.
Remember that when you buy a seemingly overpriced plastic toy, you are also paying for the background, research, continuity, supporting a community and so on. I'm not keen on corporate monsters, but we do get much more than a physical product for our money. Kids starting out and paying through the nose for battleboxes etc is what keeps GW afloat, so if us older players shop around, especially on line, we can't (please do not swear) about shops full of kids: they have more right to be there, as they're spending, just as we have more right to take the moral high ground and cite experience!
When I get friends of my son asking about how to get into 40K, I have no hesitation in sending them to a GW. Once they're up and playing, with a good sized army, then I start leading them astray with links and distributors.
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 5, 2010 9:19:05 GMT
If you hate painting as much as I do... 1) Keep your colour scheme simple, and dark; then, as suggested above, dark recesses can be left undercoat-black and no-one will notice. The black eyed Stealth Ninja Tyranids are really easy...! 2) Check out Army Painter products: coloured undercoat sprays, that's your body done already, just carapace (not tucked away) and details(ditto); they also do shading 'dips': dunk the model, shake off excess, TA DA! playable! Really that easy. 3) Tea, biscuits, pile of favourite CDs/playlist/DVDboxset (OK I'll confess, I'm a vinyl junkie, I sit in front of my absurdly expensive speakers with a stack of LPs, I'm old)
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 3, 2010 18:22:35 GMT
As to the second question... I run games for a group of 12yr olds, inc. my son, and I always tell them you can't tell who is winning until the end. A game can change so quickly, and a round 5 objective swoop can tip the balance a lot. Instinctive Behaviour often does what you would have done anyway: your Terms sit on the back objective, whilst your Hormies run at the nearest enemy Troops units, who, lo and behold, are parked on an objective! Synapse is important, but allow for your enemy taking down your brains, and your claws and teeth can still finish off the job!
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 3, 2010 10:47:14 GMT
My painting is poor, but I have come on a lot since discovering how much better good brushes are: I use the most expensive brush my art shop has, Windsor&Newton series 7 No.2, but it still only costs £12, and is so much better than the GW ones. All that Yori says is good advice, I'd add: rinse brush out completely every 2-3 minutes when batch painting (stir in water not leave to soak), wipe dry by squeezing in folded tissue/cloth, then repeat, second wipe should leave virtually no colour on tissue. Then form point nicely again: I place bristles between my lips, and withdraw with a slight twist. My first No.7 has lasted me over 2 years, a whole SM army and half my 'Nids
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 3, 2010 10:35:25 GMT
Just told off someone on Bolter and Chainsword for snapping at a newbie, must be the weather! No, you can't take options from a generic unit for a character that is based on that unit. The special character is effectively a "pre-built character", like in role playing games, that saves you having to choose your own, usually with a couple of unique rules or toys thrown in. The Swarmlord is a special hive tyrant, already defined. No options I'm afraid! Compare with Deathleaper: he is a special Lictor, but rather than saying he is a lictor in the list section, it lists all the rules he has in common, linking to the lictor page for describing the rules. If Lictors had options, he wouldn't get them.
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Post by commandersasha on Nov 1, 2010 8:48:57 GMT
No my wife just told me she was going to buy me 150 worth of whatever i wanted from games workshop. Marry her again! An elite Ork army is hard to beat, loading up on Nob Bikers, Heavy weapons etc, and if you're leaving 'Nids, I presume you don't want hordes, so no mobs of 30 boys. Dark Eldar were always designed in the game to be the antidote to Marines, with high initiative, fast attacks, and lots of tin openers, and in the fluff to be the antidote to Craftworld Eldar, so would be perfect for spanking your mates. The new codex release means you'll also have the bestest meanest shiniest codex out there, so whilst you're still learning how to use the army, your opponents are still learning how to resist it. I started Tyranids when the new codex came out, and riding the wave definitely helps!
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Post by commandersasha on Oct 31, 2010 21:46:23 GMT
^thirded. Have fun, young man, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Don't make any silly mistakes, don't break any hearts, and most of all, don't lose a good friend by trying to put a different nametag on your friendship. You're in a band with this girl! Awesome! Play gigs, get drunk, get lost on the European leg of the tour and end up hitching back to Paris for the next gig! Write a song together about how so many people ruin their relationships by trying to conform to a media-driven framework of what a "Relationship" should be like. Another few years, she & you will still be there, and if it's meant to be, it will be. Upset her parents, on the other hand, and you'll force her into choosing between them & you. Shakespeare wrote a play about how that sort of thing turns out. "Zombiedalmations, Zombiedalmations,Wherefore art thou Zombiedalmations?"
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Post by commandersasha on Oct 20, 2010 10:26:35 GMT
Food for thought, the Landstriders from The Dark Crystal. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DBkjvXHgj4 (they appear at 0:36) I am trying to design my Shrike substitutes for my Skaven Tyranid-proxy army, and am looking at long-legged warriors rather than flyers.
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