The Cami-Paign Player Packet

Well I believe that I'm to the point where I can call this done, save for some Q&A and picking it apart. I've completed the player section of my campaign rules. Woot! I'm still tweaking the race specific section, and those will be included in each player's personal packet, customized for their own race/army. 

Next, I have to create some star systems. I'm pretty amazing like that.

Without further blabbing - 'Ere we go!!

Misdirected Creativity.

I had every intention to participate in Nanowrimo, but with my own twist. I was going to make a concerted effort to write here and over on The War Dolls rather than a novel (as per the Nanowrimo guidelines). I got misdirected though. This is the story of how.

Chaos Mareeeens!

Like SO many others out there I am going to be playing some Chaos Marines here very soon. This was planned though. I've never been really happy with how my army turned out. It was also a very long term project. I started playing this army back in Rogue Trader, switched to Space Wolves shortly after and only came back to Chaos to visit every so often out of boredom and monotony from painting grey-blue on everything.

I actually began before there was a definitive color scheme to Emperor's Children and any chaos I believe. The iconic/classic 4 figures had paint schemes and Noise Marines were loud and garish (as they should be). I couldn't mimic the leopard spots, but I managed the helmet okay I think.

Everything else was in pastel shades, mostly blues and purples. My terminator squad were "Skittles" or as someone once coined them "tele tubby nators". They were vicious though with Rapid Regeneration (points if you remember that one!) 

Remember - These were painted nearly 2 decades ago!

I've seen some photo caps from the upcoming codex that are helpful and just making me want more (the psychic page has the Slanneshi powers covered up! ARGH!) but I've really tried not to pay attention to stats/points and rumors unless I've seen them for certain. The early rumor that Noise Marines were going to be Elites made me twitch. Most of my army is NM! 

The tongue looks good at least!!

When the color scheme for Emperor's Children was published I began painting my unpainted marines in that scheme, and still being very new to washes and shading, attempted to replicate that scheme. The result was atrocious. I wasn't happy with it then, tried to repair it, but wound up throwing my hands up in despair. I vowed to repaint them one day. 

Last codex I saw the reverse scheme of what I used and vowed if I ever desired to go back I would repaint the army in those colors (being mostly pink with black accent). I was seriously tempted to paint pink Sisters and resisted, vowing to make some pink marines (and trying to avoid that oh-so-tired stereotype). 

Combined with my very poor debutante moment with 6e with the Tyranids, I've decided to fall back on some sage advice once given to a newbie asking ProdigalSon and I for advice on getting into 40k. "Start with marines". I could only nod in agreement. I've stolen and re-gifted that advice many times and am now taking it upon myself. I am starting 40k over it seems. It's time to get back to my roots. 

Go forth and Amplify

Here come the Noise Marines

Costume time! (and now for something completely different)

Indeed. I haven't had the opportunity to game recently, nor paint, nor do much but work and worry with moving. However I have carried my sketchbook pretty much everywhere

Lately I've been very enamoured with some of the girls' Doctor Who costumes. (Uber nerd alert) I've gone and I've completed the preliminary design for my own 'ultimate' Doctor Who costume. I'm super excited about it as I've seen no one else with the same idea on the web, at least.

Unfortunately, due to the move my sewing machine is still packed away in storage, so making it by Dragoncon this year was out of the question for certain. Currently my goal will be for Dragoncon 2013. Should be plenty of time. Of course there will perhaps be a twelfth Doctor by then, but hopefully that won't be too much of a problem for me.

Sketches will follow eventually, especially after my drawing skills improve!  

My First 6th Edition 40K Game

I finally had an opportunity last week to get to the soon-to-be local game store while I was in town signing the lease to my new place. I brought my bugs because I was erroneously thinking that not having a lot of shooting (and focusing on just moving) would keep the complications down for me learning the new rules. 

I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Just because I'm doing very little shooting doesn't mean I'm not TAKING a crap ton of fire. After watching a broodlord get chewed up by tons of failed 'look out sir!' rolls, I realized that moving units is complicated! I caught on to the shooting/wound allocation stuff fairly quickly. I had the concept of the movement differences when I read the rulebook before, however I didn't realize the impact that it had for my Genestealers. Oh you poor poor stealerbugs. 

I relied on move, run, charge so much before (and throw in a dash of really awful charge moves) that now I've had a staggering blow to my faith in my skittering little minions. Argue dice averages all you like, but I really don't feel it's the same. I used to have a guaranteed 13" of charge and now I only have an 8" charge. While it's handy for the larger bugs and the ones without fleet, the stuff that relied on fleet is severely hampered now. In this I am disappointed. 

I DID like the flying rules for my flying Hive Tyrant. It was really nice until a Stormraven shot him with every conceivable weapon on the planet, including a mindstrike missle. 

I also liked the psychic rules. I really felt like there were a lot more options out there, some of them pretty vicious. I didn't realize that ANY psyker could drop a default power for a draw from the deck. I took that for a Broodlord and halfway through the game realized that you can't shoot lightning without a BS. Better luck next time Cami! 

All in all I learned. It was positive. I'm ready for more.

...with Eldar.

Sixth Edition 40k - Reflection on Shining Spears

I finished reading the rules and am quite happy with what I've seen. I already have some ideas and think that one of my favorite Eldar units - Shining Spears will do a LOT better now. Hammer of Wrath non-withstanding, having a constant 4+ cover save and can pretty much ignore terrain now (both because of Skilled Rider). The only question I have is can they charge into combat since they are "never slowed by difficult terrain". Previously any time you rolled; Dangerous or Difficult, caused you to strike last in combat. Now only Difficult states that rule and bikes only roll for Dangerous. If we can move through terrain I say we've got a pretty nifty unit here. Even if not the case, they have definitely improved and that's without even having a new codex!

Life, the 40k universe and everything else...

So I believe that my crises are over finally and I can soon resume some semblance of what I call normality. I've landed a good job, have some great roommates and actually picked up a paint brush this weekend in forever. I'm starting slow though - preparing some character minis for an upcoming Rogue Trader game I intend on running.

I've skimmed over the 6th edition rules and will be picking up the rulebook soon enough. I've really tried avoiding all the rumors (not hard when you aren't actively blogging and chatting) so that my read will be untainted and without expectation. So far I'm liking what I see. I'm eagerly pushing forward in order to read the flyer and allies rules.

I did continue painting the Caesta Rosa Sisters, but lack of adequate painting space crippled me somewhat. I believe I'm going to put them on hold and start my overhaul of the Emporer's Children since I have heard a rumor that Chaos Marines will be one of the first 6th ed codices. I've got a tiny space next to my computer but working on it. Once I can get things out of storage I'll be able to set up a little more properly. It's just hard to look at all the damage and not get choked up.

Back in March my storage unit was broken into. They were hunting jewelry and went through a lot of boxes and bags. They damaged furniture and turned over things. They toppled over my shop light and there is broken glass, scattered dice and jewelry findings/beads everywhere. They dug through my Orks box and damaged some of them. It was very disheartening. I'm very happy the Eldar and Bugs were here with me. If anything had happened to them I'd have been devastated.

I've pondered lately changing up my blog format and/or theme. I have found myself refraining from posting 'real life' things here in the interim as I felt they weren't related to what my followers might be interested in. I may consider a 3rd blog instead, I'm not sure just yet. Imagine that, the Farseer is unsure. We will see though.