GW tring to woo us back? Merry Xmas from the Grinch who killed the Warhammer world

Ho ho ho... Merry Christmas everybody! GW doing a turn-around? 

We are not a gaming company. We sell toy soldiers.

In a huge turn-around the Grinch that killed Warhammer announce that they will again support some specialist games (that apparently made them money)

Many that saw this post thought it was a hoax, but confirmation came from GW itself. 

Seems the biggest specialist niche game, WHFB is not there, and neither is Mordheim. Clearly aimed at the blam-blam community, where their audience now lies. Oh yes, and we wont let go of that nice little income stream that is LOTR...

Soorry GW, too little, too late. In the words of Julius Caesatr: 

Alea jacta est.

Think the Age of Sigmarines was a bad roll...

lets go back to something that made us money.

"Traditional" WHFB may just be in that mix.

But has the pigeon flown the coop? For me it has.  

KWC Swap meet a (limited) success. Signs of the times...Goodbye GW, Hello SAGA and KoW

The 4th Annual KWC Swap meet took place on Sunday.

Attendance was a little lower than anticipated, but I suspect this reflects the general despondency that has crept in with the demise of the Warhammer

Poster People for the Club: Fern and Sam promoting the swap meet in the media

Good turnout from club members. I made an ok haul, some made money from selling unwanted bits and bobs, units that may be useful in KoW. Got rid of some of my unwanted Citadel carry cases, Had far too many of those. My armies had all become too large, and having magnetised the units I most frequently used, I found that the bulky cases were just cluttering my mancave. Luckily some 40K and came around looking for just those cases to protect their fighting machines!

So off I went shopping - came back with Olley's Armies Scrunts: Ideal for my KoW armies, with a bit of Steampunk flavour added. In there was a Basilean Lion rider hero and dwarf badger riders too. Just what I was after!

Also some WoC. Did I really need more ? Couldn't let the bargain pass by. 40 WoC for the price of a NIB set.

Same for the Marauder Horsemen and Lion Chariot. Funny how some of the conversions and unusual models I have admired at the club over a few years have finally ended up in my collection! 

Then came the last moment impulse. Sam had some older Norman 28mm models in an ice-cream tub. Swapped those for some really unwanted Skaven. Really dislike them ratpeople. Glad to see them go. Kept only the Rat Ogres - they can be anything, can't they? And I happen to like their sculpt. 

So...what next? Got home, started to think about SAGA again, and those Normans, and those Vikings, and the money that I did not spend at the swap meet. 

Burning a hole in my pocket. OK, let's take the plunge. 

So onto Mighty Ape...Not much there. Some Wargames Factory Bondi and Huskarls. 

$32 for 32 figures per box. What's not to like?

Compare that to GWs $100 for 10 Fire Warriors. BTW selling those 10  new on sprue and 20 reasonably painted, as well as a Hammerhead thingy Last of Luc's Tau. (I do believe they got a new codex, but 40K lost me 2 editions ago) Oh yea, and some Kroot.

Off to Gripping Beast's site proper: AAAH. Much better! 

Shield wall Ulfhednar (Wolf Beserkers), Norman Starting Set (4 points) Norman and Viking Dice and the rulebook, and a Viking command set.

 Now we are in business! Soon I'll have 2 basic SAGA armies ! 

Any takers?

Adieu Games Workshop

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

In a blur of motion Valten signals his departure from GW gaming

So I have come out of my period of mourning for the game that has been the focus of most of my hobby endevours for the last decade or three. Like many a relationship it has come to a natural end. Though I have to say, that end was none of my doing or intent.

I loved the Warhammer World. I immersed myself in a world steeped in lore and history, once written and produced by gamers for gamers. It appealed to me for many reasons, the quality of the figures, the depth and width of the fluff, the sense of community...
The excitement of new releases that fit with my existing plethora of armies.

Yup, many of them have never seen the gaming table, and I spent many a dollar just on the joy of building and painting many a model, often to find that it was worthless as a game piece, or to see its worth destroyed by a change in the rules.

I played Warhammer Age of Reckoning online, adding another level of enjoyment to my experience of the Warhammer World. I bought novels that brought the fluff to life. I got my young son into the game.

Then all of it was sacrificed on the altar of profit.

To me, my experience of my relationship with GW had become more and more abusive over the decades. Like anybody trapped in a relationship with someone they loved; and believed that the other party loved them back, I stayed. I loved GW, but they did not love me back.

Then we got to the point where GW killed the Warhammer World. It rolled out the Age of the Sigmarine.  The End Times, (or is it End Crimes?) to me, now relates as a cynical move to squeeze a few more dollars out of those who still believed the game as we knew it may survive. Thank goodness I did not swallow the bait. Only a single End Times model taints my workbench. Gutrot Spume.

Some gamers took it to the extreme.

I too am a business man. I get the business aspects of it all.

But I am also a consumer of miniatures, a gamer, and possibly one with more disposable income than many. Surely there must have been a way forward that did not destroy the Warhammer world.

I (too) have decided to vote with my feet. AoS is not for me. GW is no longer for me.

I suppose my dollar does not count to GW in the greater scheme of things.
So be it.
Hope you attract lots of 8-year olds !

I for one will now leave GW and their Sigmarines to their own destiny.
So long, fare well.
I notice others doing the same.

Interesting post from Pete at Fields of Blood  on the corporate analyst take on the situation, and today announcing NZTCs switch to KoW.

So, where to from here ?  I've looked at the options:

1. Flogging on with 8th Ed in one form or another, (Read "continue as is; pre or post End-Crimes", 8th Ed the new Old Hammer, or call it (Out-in-the-cold Hammer?) or some fan-based machination - we all know how that is going to end);
2. Using my existing figures for another ruleset. (Late medieval/early renaissance gaming sans magic ?)
3). Selling the lot, and sticking with FoW only and
4) Switching to a skirmish based gameset eg Warmahordes

The latter did not appeal, as every figure I have painted is an unique work of art to my eyes.
I have toiled over them for days, weeks and months (oft to my other half's dismay).
They are like family.

So, I weighed 'em up...Pike and Shot, Blackpowder, Deus Vult, Warmahordes, Saga...
Invest in X-Wing ? A nice game or diversion, lots of guys have gone that way...but not what I'm after; I have a love of the Fantasy genre, already have FoW as a diversion anyhow, and alack,  no spare space in the Man Cave...

(Ahem...Huge delivery of Dark Elves bought as kickstarter from Raging Heroes on the horizon; and SAGA still preys on my mind - I may still go that way for a skirmish based game)

Came to a conclusion: Kings of War. 

Had quite an enjoyable game with Matt at the club the other night. Tournament coming at the end of the year. AND NOW NZTC IS GOING KOW

Fluff not quite there, Magic a bit weak, but out of all that is our there, I think Mantic's KoW is going to come up trumps. See one of the big tourneys in the US have also swopped over. And yesterday P
D announced that the NZTC will also switch rulesets.

With many, many WHFB players flocking their way I can see Mantic carrying the massed block based Fantasy Game banner in future. GWs loss is Mantic's gain.

Mantic must be grinning ear to ear.
Cheekily calling their book: The Game of Fantasy Battles. The King is dead, fell on his own sword. Long live the King!

My GW Undead, Empire and Dwarfs are now in the process of rebasing. Enough of them for both Abyssal and regular dwarf armies; and Human and Basilean Armies, each 2000 plus. May need a couple of Eloi for the latter, and some chicks on panthers. Or do I just use those riduculous (sigh) chickens?

Rebased Graveguard..ahem, Revenants

Empire almost there (15 000+ GW points woth) Almost done with the Vampires. (Wow do they kick ass in KoW!) and same with my Greenskins. Suddenly I have both a Goblin and an Orc army, compared to a 8000+ pt well but neigh useless WHFB greenskin army.

...and keep a few of my armies multi-purpose, ...should I ever decide to play 8th ed or one of its Lazarus incarnations which may or may not happen. (Looking verrrry unlikely at this stage) other than ETC (?)

So Druchii and Daemons will remain on their magnetised bases. As for killing off Slaanesh to attract the soccer mums. Bleh on you GW. I am so over it all, and the way you treated us.

Yay! I can use my Confrontation Wolfen now! 

As for the young Prince? Sad to say that GW's move has killed gaming for him. The Lizards and Ogres have gathered dust since the End Times (Well, what would you expect if both your armies suddely get written out of the story fluff) and I have doubts that he will return to gaming for the immediate future. But who knows? The news of NZTC switching may have galvanised him too.

A week ago I set about the mammoth task of rebasing my 15 000 pt + Empire Armies:

White Wolf Greathammers and Knights of Ulrich being transformed. 

Yup, some collector's items in that line-up!

Really 4 or 5  distinct armies sporting the livery of Talabheim, Talabecland, Nordland (Incorporating Kislev) and The Knights of Morr, and a small contingent of Knights of the White Wolf. Not that it matters any more, as in GW's own words "such things are obtuse"

I could actually not have anticipated the feeling of liberation that I got when I started gluing bases to movement trays! "Yes, yes! Never have to remove and restack you, you little bastard !"

Handgunners, Arquebussiers, 10 to a stand. Sooo easy.

Same with the XBows. 10 to a base. Simple. 

Sorry Chaos Army. 

You will have to wait for the rules to catch up with you. No doubt in the pipe-line.

Anyone with a horde army will appreciate what I am saying...
Couldn't wait to glue down those skeletons and zombies. Never will you fly all over the place again!
Not even speaking about night goblins!

Still have to think about the Vargulfs, but everything else seems transferable

 

Night of the Walking Dead

Skeletons, Zombies and ghouls surge forth. No longer shuffle or shamble. Undead are not slow in KoW. Change of Mindset. Oh yes, and then there is SURGE.

Still a huge amount of work to do on the aesthetics, but getting there slowly...

 

Mantic looking promising? New Rule Book out soon, free army books

GW Killed WHFB, Mantic Rejoices

Nobody stands to gain more out of GWs decision to  torpedo and sink WHFB than Mantic:

Their unit block based wargame seems the likely contender for most of those who seek an alternative classic style fantasy wargame. Their basic rules are free and read like a more basic form of WHFB. Some names and facts have been changed to protect the innocent. Whilst most of their models don't quite meet up to the standard of GW's, they are probably a little closer to true 28mm than those sold for WHFB by GW. I think they are probably closer to 32mm.

Their designs are quite nice, particularly the undead zombies and ghouls, but the rest look rather scrawny when in the company of GW figures. Then again, so do my older 3rd and 4th Ed GW figures.

Unlike earlier contenders copiers and pretenders to GW's throne, mantic has the advantage of the internet and the current level of rage against the machine that killed WHFB. (Of those previous pretenders I liked Chronopia best)

“Many converts have found themselves won over by a mixture of solid game play, straight-forward but elegant mechanics, and an approach to development that plainly puts the player first.” - Rick Priestly 2015

Anyhow, here is the link to all the free MANTIC STUFF

(and free shipping worldwide if you buy more then $75 (Presumably US)

The 2nd Ed Rulebook is out in August and sells for $40

Mighty Ape is the local stockist.

Rage of Sigmar. Coping with the Grief

WHFB is dead. Valuable tips on dealing with it from the realms of Psychology

Slaanesh is dead. The Old World is dead. Stormcast Archers on the Horizon: 

Harbringers of more destruction of what we loved? 

Like any loss, the loss of the Warhammer World and 8th Ed as we loved it, has evoked a significant emotional response. I believe some players have actually rampaged through Warhammer world.

So I turned to Psychology 101 for the answers: So this is what is happening to us at a psychological level:

The 5 Steps of Grief:

1. Denial and Isolation

The first reaction to learning of the death of a cherished loved one is to deny the reality of the situation. It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock. We block out the words and hide from the facts. This is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.This has been happening since the End Times broke, and accelerated once we learned that there will be no 9th Ed.

2. Anger

As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge.
We are not ready. The intense emotion is deflected from our vulnerable core, redirected and expressed instead as anger.

The anger may be aimed at inanimate objects, complete strangers, friends or family. Anger may be directed at our dying or deceased loved one. Emotionally  we may resent the person for causing us pain or for leaving us (Or the ones that caused their death) We feel guilty for being angry, and this makes us even more angry.

Remember, grieving is a personal process that has no time limit, nor one “right” way to do it.

3. Bargaining

The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control–

If only we had seen this coming…
If only we had not invested as much time and effort into our armies the are now useless/nerfed...
If only GW had actually listened to its player base…
Lets draw up our own ruleset to survive this/Move to KoW/Keep playing 8th Ed/Modify AoS to suit our needs...

4. Depression

Two types of depression are associated with mourning. The first one is a reaction to practical implications relating to the loss. Sadness and regret predominate this type of depression.

We worry about the costs and waste.
We worry that, in our grief, we have spent less time with others that depend on us.

The second type of depression is more subtle and, in a sense, perhaps more private.
It is our quiet preparation to separate and to bid our loved one farewell.

5. Acceptance

Reaching this stage of mourning is a gift not afforded to everyone.

Death may be sudden and unexpected or we may never see beyond our anger or denial.

It is not necessarily a mark of bravery to resist the inevitable and to deny ourselves the opportunity to make our peace.

This phase is marked by withdrawal and calm. (Think I may there now)

 NB: This is not a period of happiness; and it must also be distinguished from depression.

Loved ones (Read GW-WHBF) that are terminally ill appear to go through a final period of withdrawal. (Has this been going on for the last decade?)

This is by no means a suggestion that they are aware of their own impending death or such, only that decline may be sufficient to produce a similar response.

 Their behavior implies that it is natural to reach a stage at which social interaction is limited.  

The unfortunate thing here is that this has become way of life for GW.

Coping with loss is a ultimately a personal and singular experience - nobody can help you go through it more easily or understand all the emotions that you’re going through. But others can be there for you and help you through this process. The best thing you can do is to allow yourself to feel the grief as it comes over you. Resisting it only will prolong the natural process of healing.

So our outpouring of grief and rage over the loss of a GW Supported 8th Ed with nothing substantial (or acceptable) to replace it has caused a significant grief reaction in the WHFB community. Like the death of a loved one, it also cannot be undone.

Alea iacta est  - attr to Julius Caesar on January 10, 49 BC - crossing the River Rubicon with his army - The Die is Cast. GW has taken a gamble on AoS. Will it work? Only time will tell.

 

So where to from here ?
We have an internal conflict on our hands.
Again the rule of 5.

5 Ways to resolve conflict:

1. Avoidance – People who use the avoidance technique withdraw and detach themselves from the issue. They do not want to assert their own perspectives nor do they want to help others resolve the situation. They just want to “mind their own business.”

• Lets just continue playing 8th Ed
• Rage Quit and move to something else

2. Accommodating – When a person uses this technique, they may do so in order to avoid conflict, (or is powerless to affect the outcome of a conflict), and gives the other person what they want.  A person who uses this style often gives in to others to avoid disagreements, and they may give in to others to the extent that they compromise themselves.

• Ok, lets play AoS there must be something good in it

3. Competing – When someone competes, their only interest is to resolve the conflict their way, rather than clarifying or addressing the issue. They have no interest in the well being or satisfaction of others, they just want to be right or ok

• Lets switch to KoW or some other set of rules

4. Compromising – Compromising is a mutual give-and-take. It is often used when both parties are willing to concede and make concessions. Compromise is a good strategy for when the parties want to resolve the issue quickly.

• OK, lets adapt the rules to suit our needs, or 
• Lets hope GW may in future realise the magnitude of the mistake of alienating their veteran players, and fix it

5. Collaborating – Collaborating is when the parties work together with the goal of resolving the conflict to everyone’s complete satisfaction. The parties approach the situation with a solution-oriented, “team” approach. This approach also results in “buy in” and a higher level of commitment.

• Unlikely any collaborative approach will come from this conflict at present

Rage against Age of Sigmar

Knocked up a bit of fun last night: No hidden political agendas:

Hitler rages against AoS (Click):

Rage against Age of Sigmar

Avalanche from the net: Warscrolls, Life in the Realm Bubbles, Force organisation and

The floodgates have opened with tons of new pictures, all indicating the future direction of Warhammer. The (Warhammer) world as we know it has changed irrevocably. 8th Ed is dead, WHFB is dead. Unlike in the case of Beethoven, there will be no 9th.

As many pictures and changes there are, as many opinions. GW has obviously moved from the classic mediaeval setting of Warhammer Fantasy Battles to another realm where it can better protect its IP.

It has simplified the game to an almost dumbed down version of 40K. Timmy or Tommy or Jimmy can bring anything he likes and we'll compensate for the imbalance somehow. You do not need skill to choose your army, and points do not matter...

Its all about the base, the base, its all about the base. No trouble?

And Size, does it matter? 

Army Comp: Premade simple organisational charts ?

And a first look at the war Scrolls:

A good review on Jossy's site (clicky)

 And the Price, dear reader, you may ask?

So $250 NZ, $200 AUS 75 UK pounds, 100 Euro and $100US. 

NZ and Aus get shafted again. Exchange rates mean squat.

The Only model I vaguely like (head swop or lightning trim likely)  :

And the rest of the Sigmarines:

How Space marine can you get?

And yes, you do play in bubbles....

and the ones to come...

 

 

And yes, you can use your Dark Aelfs

 

 and UnDaed...