My Turn! My Turn! (ToMB post, Month 0)

Hello Folks!

WenchWoman here. I thought it was about time I gave this whole blogging thing a go. Plus, I was given a reason to start blogging about my latest obsession: Malifaux.

I recently found out about this thing on the Wyrd forums (Wyrd Miniatures is the company that makes Malifaux): it's called Tales of a Malifaux Blogger. The idea is that you take a Master you haven't used yet and start building/painting/playing said master.

This is Month 0, which mean I get to talk about who I chose, why, and what I expect to see with them.

I chose to start my Neverborn collection with Lilith's crew starter box. The starter box runs for $40 and comes with Lilith, her henchman Barbarous, her totem Cherub, and three Terror Tots.

Probably the biggest reason I chose to do Lilith is the backstory that goes with her. The Neverborn are the natives of the world of Malifaux who are largely trying to preserve their way of life from the invading human population. They are also trying to continue waging battles to protect their world from other evils while keeping the humans at bay.

Lilith is the ruler of the Neverborn and is directly connected to the nature of Malifaux. In other games, I have typically been drawn to factions that are more nature driven (hippy-esque if you will): Wood Elves for Warhammer Fantasy, Circle Orboros for Hordes, and my first crew for Malifaux was Marcus.

I have played against Lilith when I was first getting started in the game. From that experience and looking at her crew's stat cards, I think I have a general idea of how she works.

Lilith does not have to worry about severe or hazardous terrain types, which means she can move full speed through forests and such. She also has an upgrade that allows her to create forests. Her whole crew has Black Blood, which means that they give damage out when they receive damage. At this point they seem to be a largely melee geared crew and I think I will have to be careful going against a range crew, although they do have pretty decent defense and willpower stats, along with speed on their side.

I am looking forward to building these models and getting a few games under my belt with them. I'll let you know next month how that goes and hopefully I'll have some pics of pretty models to share as well.

Until then, this is WenchWoman signing off

Rantings of an old school gamer

By. Overlord

Greetings masses!  Overlord here with the start of a new blog for the Weekend Warriors, Rantings of an old school gamer.  This blog covers that which have caused me ire, it is not meant be a series of complaints but more of a series of observations much like Andy Rooney from 60 Mins. So without further ado here begins the first Rant of an old school gamer.  

Wargaming and the Internet:

When I first purchased what would begin my Warhammer Fantasy Empire army, Karl Franz himself if I recall correctly, at the right ole age of 15 the internet was a flight of fancy.  Sure it existed but in the scope of AOL and chat rooms only.  Blogs such as this were not a trend yet and using it for communication had not exactly caught on yet. 

In those days Warhammer 40k was still only in its 2nd edition and companies such as Wyrd and Privateer Press had not existed yet.  As far as the gaming community was concerned Games Workshop, Ral Partha, and TSR was their world.  Since then the gaming community has changed radically, national tournaments, dedicated gaming websites have evolved due to this changing meta.  And this meta has created a slew of useful features, never before has it been easier to learn a new game, find a gaming group, or resolve a vague ruling that the local gaming group can not come to a consistent answer for. And in all of these uses I applaud the internet as it has made the gaming community tighter than ever before.

What has caused me ire is how the internet has changed the way players view and interpret a new codex or army book.  We have reached a point as a community that even before a book is released it has been picked apart and judged based on how powerful it can be.  Only the best units are worth looking at and all others are considered trash and a waste of time, money, and print.  Many years ago if one was to enter a gaming store a collection of players would be found running armies based on their favorite units, or a theme to the army, or a particular play style.  Then if one was to travel to another game store and witness the same armies in use they would be constructed in a completely different manner based upon that player's unique play style, even speaking to players in the same location would have a diference in opinion in how the army felt best to them.  

Now with the meta changing to one focused on national tournaments the terms "fluff" and "theme" are passed off almost as a curse to a player inciting feelings of being inadequate or not up to par.  Today the codex has been distilled to the greatest game breaking combination and given a "glorious" title such as Screamstar, Jetseer, or Taudar. New codexs that follow in these shadow are broken apart to find the next newest and greatest game breaking combination and players take issue with a codex that is "sub-par" in comparison.  To this I say let the internet have its jetseer and taudar as they do have a place in the meta on the national stage but let the local players come to their own opinion once again on how an army is to be run.  Let their own feelings and desire for theme and fluff drive them to create armies that are just as impressive to see on the battlefield as they are to battle against.  Let the spirit of gaming come to the fore and not the spirit of competition.

Sincerly-
Overlord

New Guy? Crusade of Fire!? Space Stations!

Hi there everyone! I'm Matt, part of the Weekend Warriors crew, and I thought I'd introduce myself real quick before I jump into the Nitty Gritty Terrain Blog that is to follow.

I started up in hobbies when I was but a wee lad, when my dad became part owner of a little place called the New Fiction House in Homewood Illinois. This was way back in the nineties, and I immediately fell in love with almost every system out there. I started with Warhammer 40k and Necromunda, back in the heady days of happiness that were 2nd and 3rd edition. I went on to play almost every game that was made back then, Gorka Morka, Gothic, Inquisitor, BattleTech, Ogre, Warzone. You name it I at least tried it! I even dabble in the wonderful world of RPGs. But enough of those fond memories, I am now a happily married man expecting his first child, and newly thrust back into the wide world of the Grim Dark Future. I've started my own Space Marine Chapter, The Emperor's Musketeers, and play the 313th Cadian Imperial Guard as well. So look for me in some upcoming battle-reports when the forces of the Imperium are called upon to destroy the Xenos and Heretic Plagues of our galaxy!

Along those lines, here at our friendly local gaming store, ShieldBreakers, we're getting ready to start up a Crusade of Fire campaign at the end of February. My friend and myself were immediately fired up for this, tournaments are great and all, but the fluff, storyline, and grand competition is where our bread and butter is for happiness! However, we noticed something...we don't have a space station! How are we supposed to recreate an epic battle far above the planets in outer space if we don't even have any space rocks and buildings!? We'd never done it before, but how hard can it be!?

So we have decided to take it upon ourselves to create this wonderful set piece. Our materials are relatively simple and cheap.
2 - Hardfoam sheets of insulation.You can find it in most Hardware stores, around $20-$30 a sheet.

The Foam! We went with 2" thick Sheets.

1 - Tube of PVA Glue
1 - Dremel
1 - Human Being equipped with the following
      1 - Hack Saw
      1 - File
      1 - Sandpaper or Sanding block
      1 - Box Cutter or similar cutting tool.
      1 - Electrically Heated cutting Wire (Not actually needed but quite nice to do the end pieces quick)

We started by putting our glue down on the back side of one sheet, and then stacked them together. As this was our first time doing this we then proceeded to try and shape after about 30 minutes of drying. This was a mistake, as we were suddenly reshifting things together after cutting. So we settled on putting down our traceries for future cutting.

Stacked and Glued

Our Mistake, if you look you can see the edges are a little off.

Moving on, and learning that PVA Glue takes forever to set, (some two hours later, pieces were still shifting) we decided to weigh all of this down and try again in another couple of hours.

We are very hi-tech when it comes to weights.

We then came back and started our rough cuts, for scale and playability we've opted for 2 - 12" Rocks, 2 - 8' rocks, and 1 - 15" rock. One of our 12" rocks will become a scratchbuilt landing pad, and the other rocks will house the various buildings and defenses of the space station.

The first 12" rock got cut a smidge to small by an overzealous cutter.

4" deep foam, we don't want models falling too far!

From there it was basically a lot random whacks at the rocks with the cutters and the sanding paper to make our defined edges. Our next steps are to use the Dremel and carve out some good deep gouges, and round off some chasm edges to make these islands in space look a little more worn.

The pre-finished, rough product!

This is in a friend's basement (I don't have one) and the wife won't let me take over the garage. The next update on this project should be in about a week! We're hoping to have it all banged up and painted by the end of next week, that way we can start in on our buildings! Hope this inspires some of you! Til next time, remember to aim for the eye stalks, that's where the daemons are weakest! - Weekend Warrior Matt

What's in the Box?! - Triumph & Treachery

In the premiere episode of the Weekend Warriors "What's in the Box?!" CJ & Nate review the recent Warhammer Fantasy Expansion Triumph & Treachery

Triumph & Treachery is a Warhammer supplement which features rules for playing three, four, or even five player games of Warhammer Fantasy.  It's a totally new way to play, allowing you and your friends to bribe you enemies, hire mercenaries to bolster your armies and carry out all manner of underhand tactics.  Anything goes in the quest to win the war!

This 96-page, full-color, hardback book includes:

-A history of the underhand tactics employed by devious generals to defeat multiple opponents.
-Full rules for playing multiplayer games of Warhammer Fantasy.
-Three new Triumph & Treachery scenarios.
-Three historical scenarios featuring the background to the battle; an overview of each army; scenario rules; and an order of battle showcasing the miniatures on each side.
-A showcase of expertly painted Citadel miniatures.

Also included is a deck of 36 beautifully illustrated Treachery cards that allow you to employ all sorts of nefarious bribes and ploys in your games.  There are also five player turn cards.

As well as this there is a drawstring bag containing victory tokens.  These provide a handy method of keeping track of each player's victory points throughout the game (and can be used for other things, such as bribing an opponent or hiring mercenaries.)

All of this is presented in a slipcase to keep the book, cards, and victory tokens together.

You will need a copy of the Warhammer rulebook and relevant army books in order to use the contents of this book.

To order, visit your friendly local gaming store!

-Weekend Warriors CJ & Nate

Teach Your Kids to Game Week

So this weekend that epic cold front that is pushing across the United States skirted us here in Colorado.  I was pretty much snowed in for much of the weekend, so I spent some time getting caught up on much needed Magic: the Gathering card organization.  For those of you who don't know I currently live with a pair of good friends and their young sons to help them out as their father has been unemployed for awhile now.  While I had several piles of cards all over the coffee table, their oldest son and his two friends from down the street who were spending the weekend via sleepover expressed interest in the game.  Fortunately I had a few sample decks that a friend had given me specifically for the reason to teach people how to play.  With the weather outside being so frightful I pulled them all out, let each one pick a color, and dove into the basics of the game.

They all definitely had a great time, and have mentioned they all want to get into the game so I'll probably bring them down to Shieldbreakers with their parents in the next few weeks, but it got me thinking.  Being such an avid casual gamer and not personally being a fan of the tournament scene, I wondered how we continue to get people into the hobby.  I looked at what ages our favorite tabletop systems are recommended for, how and when people were introduced to various systems or how they have or plan to do so with their own little ones.  I reflected on what brought me to the industry, how each game progressed to giving the next a try, and pondered when is a good time to introduce people to various games.  After all, the boys this weekend were between 8 to 12, and while I know officially Magic is supposed to be for ages 13 and up, I also know for a fact I was only 12 myself when I started to play.

For me it all started at the end of sixth grade.  I received my first 60 card starter deck at the end of the year when I "graduated" to middle school.  I acquired the cards from a friend at school, but aside from admiring the art work it pretty much sat on my shelf for most of the rest of the year.  That is, until that fall when I began social studies with our teacher Sacha Gerrish.  Every Thursday afternoon he would run a game club for students to help keep such young impressionable minds away from those things that can start to creep into our lives at that tender age.  Foremost were Warhammer as well as, low and behold, Magic.  I discovered several other classmates of mine met up there every week and begged my mother to let me join them.  I quickly was snatching a booster pack every week with my allowance and played every lunch with my friends at our own little table in the cafeteria.  This was also when I started playing Warhammer 40,000 myself, enjoying the hobby aspect of building up my Dark Angels.

By the time I was in high school my tabletop gaming had dwindled as I became fascinated with music, cars and women.  However, I was soon drawn in to tabletop games again when I joined the United States Army and spent my first year stationed in Seoul, South Korea.  Others in the barracks began teaching me roleplaying games, mainly through West End Games Star Wars as well as Wizards of the Coast Dungeons & Dragons.  I began to play my first video games like Neverwinter Nights and Diablo II.  Then, late one weekend while drinking in the barracks, my battle buddy pulled out his Magic collection.  Immediately I called home to ask my mother to find and mail my old cards, which by the end of the tour my battle kindly donated his entire collection to.  By the time I was stateside at my next duty station in Fort Lewis, Washington, I was again hooked.  Being in the Pugent Sound didn't help either, as I spent nearly all my free time at Wizards of the Coast or Games Workshop stores.  And so I have stayed active in all things tabletop gaming ever since.

Where does that bring me today?  Well, for starters, I already spend a lot of time in Colorado trying to introduce people to tabletop games they may not be familiar with.  I run the weekly Pathfinder Society scenarios every Thursday at Shieldbreakers, as well as their weekly boardgame days on Sundays.  I even own a company that specifically builds affordable custom gaming and hobby furniture as you all know.  The thing is, most of this time I've been either introducing adults to these games, or broadening their awareness of other systems.  Until this weekend, I had never had the privilege of introducing youngsters to the hobby.  Truth be told, I found it to be a very rewarding change.  I now look forward to other opportunities to bring middle and high school teenagers into the hobby.  One of the reasons I've personally avoided most tournaments is that I see a lot of "win at all cost" individuals which, frankly, turn off a lot of people my own age from wanting to play new systems.  Young adults on the other hand appear to still have that innocence of just wanting to learn the game without having to bash everyone's teeth in.  This is refreshing, and something I believe I am going to continue to pursue into the next year.

In essence, it's almost like a new year's resolution.  To openly and proudly share my favorite tabletop hobbies with all ages.  I both encourage and challenge each of you to do the same.  Let's make the first full week of each year "Teach Your Kids to Game Week" then lets spread the word on what we've introduced the next generation of gamer to.  Either comment below or message us at WeekendWarriors@KreatorHobbies.com with how you introduced the hobby with someone you loved.  Furthermore, Happy New Year to you and may you have a fun filled year of gaming yourselves!

-Weekend Warrior CJ

Welcome to the Wargamers Consortium Weekend Warriors!

Weekend Warriors.  That's really what we all are, isn't it?  Sure, our "weeks" may differ from person to person, however in this community we all celebrate those days off pretty much the same way don't we?  We either hit up our friendly local gaming store, or perhaps give our "battle" buddy a call, asking if they want to get a game in.  From Friday Night Magic, to escalation leagues, to simple board games, the one thing that brings us all together & get away from the troubles of the world for an hour or two is a great time rolling dice or flipping cards with our friends.

That's what this is all about.  Weekend Warriors is a new Wargamers Consortium affiliated group out of the gateway to the Rocky Mountains in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado.  The small group of us consist of a store owner, a custom gaming furniture fabricator, a scenery & accessories manufacturer, and a few guys who love to document their tabletop hobbies.  Eventually we'll all get around to introducing ourselves individually, but today we're going to introduce the network as a whole.  From blogs & vlogs, to podcasts & vodcasts, we're going to invite all of you into our world of tabletop gaming & hobbying.  Unboxings, demos, reviews, painting, modelling, tips, tactics, strategies, battle reports, you name it, we'll likely be covering it.

In fact, if you're making a cross country (or maybe even international?) trip, and you happen to find yourself in beautiful Rocky Mountain High Colorado, you should stop by & say hello!  We're only 15-20 mins from Denver International Airport, so if you're on a lengthy layover, lets get a game in!  We're also just east of I-25 & south of I-70, so if you're taking a road trip along those interstate highways, we're a quick detour for what will obviously be a much deserved rest stop.  Just plug our studio at Shieldbreaker Games' (724 Peoria St, Aurora Plaza, Aurora, CO 80011) in your GPS and come hang for a spill.

We hope that you'll enjoy everything each producer puts out in the coming weeks, months, & (we pray) years.  Just follow us at any of these links below to stay in formed on the latest & greatest from all of your Weekend Warriors!

https://twitter.com/WGCWeekendWarri
http://www.youtube.com/user/WGCWeekendWarriors/