Here's a color scheme that works. Black and charcoal for the carapace and red for the skin. It gives them quite a hellish appearance.
After playing four games (yeah, I know a lot), my impression of the Tyranid book is that it depends on synergy. The units are interdependent and must be used as such to have their greatest effect. In other words, to survive. Imperial Guard firepower is nothing to cough at. As I found out in my game against R&C, even lowly guardsmen, if they are in cover, are really hard to uproot, and if you're caught with a Vendetta (heaven forbid two) at long range picking away at the large creatures, it's going to be a turkey shoot.
But the Hive Mind learned something from that. Cover is good.
Scores of Hormagaunts, swarming across the field is a pressing threat. They can take down all but die hard elites. But their real service is bullet eaters. But how to keep them alive? That's where the Venomthropes come in. Tervigons can give Catalyst. Unfortunately, there's nothing to keep her alive.
So, I'm looking at mid-sized creatures because they can claim cover saves from the smaller gribblies. And it's got to be fast. It's got to be a second-turn charge.
I'm looking at good ole Tyranid Warriors and Tyranid Primes. Will that do it? Or Raveners for shock troops. That's a second turn charge as well.
I am really like Mycetic Spores. They are monstrous creatures so they block line of sight, a meat shield for the advancing other creatures. And most things in the list can have them. What happens when the whole army shows up on Turn 03? As I have it, Tyranid Primes can ride with their crew in one. Is that right?
It also occurred to me that as more of them show up in the same area, their chance of scattering is reduced as they crowd a particular section, creating a wall of spore pod meat. A Deathleaper helps here.
So, the list I'm thinking of looks like this:
1x Deathleaper
2x Prime with Warriors in Pods (these can be nasty-- up to nine Warriors)
10x Ymgarls
1x Something else Elite and Nasty in Pod
3x twenty strong Hormagaunts in Pods (this is a double layer of defense for the warriors)
And various trouble-shooters: Harpies, Tyrannofexes about 700 pts worth.
The trouble here is that whatever starts on the board will be subject to attention while the rest shows up. I'm liking Tyrannofexes because they can take a beating against long-range stuff (and maybe not even that if placed correctly) and still nail the big guys with 48" range Assault Rupture cannons at S10. Not sure I like that many points in one sink since the theme here is a disruptive force where nothing is on the board until it starts raining crap from the sky.
What about Trygon Prime? That fits. No need to hang out for turn 1 and/or 2. But the Trygon in my last games has just got blown up every time. But then again the board will be dotted with mycetic pods. How many? Oh, just five.
Tyrannofex. Kills Valks Dead.
I've got a pile of Hormagaunts staring me down this weekend...
Tyranid Update
Tervigon Gamma
We now have three different types of Tervigon to choose from:
Tervigon Alpha (that's the Hive Queen style from the Mesa Nids)
Tervigon Beta
Tervigon Gamma (this is now the standard thing)
Cost for a Tervigon (any type) is $95 (two for $180). That includes the cost of model and assembly (but not painting, that's $90, two for $170). Price may vary check with me at bluetablepainting@gmail.com if this post is more than 2 months old.
Harpy (unpainted) is $79.
Note: we are nowadays doing Assembly-only projects and we can do Tyranid special creatures for you.
We are still working on standardized forms for:
Tyrannofex
Swarmlord
Parasite of Mortrex
Doom of Malan'tai
Phenomenae
I have noticed something. It's pervasive.
A conservative President is called a hypocrite because he praises firemen and police while at the same time wishing to reduce the size of the federal government and the power of the unions.
Glenn Beck (conservative) was criticized by Rachel Maddow (liberal) for decrying federal programs (eg healthcare as a socialized service) while at the same time adulating his local public library (a social service). Oooh, how can he do that?
Michael Moore did the same thing in one of his books (can't recall the name at the time), arguing "Well, you have the fire department which is a socialized system, then why don't you want socialized healthcare?" It's because the former is done at the city level and the latter at the federal level. One is easily managed and tailored to the needs of the populace, and the other is a distant power that cannot manage local peculiarities.
When you hear these types of things, please bear in mind where a service is funded. Does it come from:
City
County
State
Federal
taxes? Usually, the more useful services, that are of most benefit, come from the more local regions (eg schools, police, firemen). The city fills the pot-holes. The county keeps a jail and a court-house.
I love local government. They require the least and give the most. It is also easier to overthrow a local corruption than a distant and centralized one. The same power that acts benevolently can quickly be turned into a War Machine.
De-centralization is good. It puts the power closer to the people. Even a State government can be purged if it grows too onerous.
I suggest to you kindly reader, that you think carefully on where public services come from and how they are funded.
As far as I can tell it goes something like this.
The city wants a quarter.
The state wants two dollars.
The feds want ten dollars.
Why do they need so much? It should be the other way around, and about half that amount.
A Congressman that tries to get money back from the Federal Government for his district AND who speaks out against wasteful "pork barrel" spending is acting without hypocrisy. He wishes the money did not get sent to Washington to begin with. But while it is, he will try and get back as much as possible.
We send a pie, which is pecked over by the vultures, then get back a single slice with bird tracks all over it. It has to end.
Then again, I am biased because I live in a voluntaristic society of do-it-yourselfers (Mormons) who have a whole society running smoothly with just 600 people involved (a Ward-- you can be in one too!). Most problems can be solved at that level.
Two Tons
Based on a rough estimate of now over 3,300 project completed, Blue Table Painting has now completed over two tons of figures.
Testimonial- Boatload of Praise
Shawn,
I just realized I haven't given a single pat on the back in the last few
projects. That is a travesty as I've been extremely happy with
everything that's you and the crew have produced. Sarah continues to do
a fantastic job packing. Not a single ork casualty in the latest box of
goodies!
Krieg Tank Project: Man these things look awsome! I was blown away with
how everything turned out. The basing on the Sentinels and the Valkyries
is awesome! I think they've turned my luck around as I've been placing
higher in the tournaments now that everything is painted.
Wood Elves Expansion: The dragon is stunning. Fits in perfectly with
the rest of the army. The dryads and the Warhawk Riders are as high
quality as ever. Thank you for turning them around so quick (2 weeks)!
Ork Expansion: I just got these guys yesterday and folks who don't even
know what a Space Ork are think they are the coolest looking models ever.
The Battlewagons came out exactly as I had envisoned, particularly the
HtH one.
In summation you guys continue to produce a quality product at a great
price and you will continue to have business from me for as long as your
painting. Obviously, please pass this onto the crew and have a blast at
Adepticon!
--L
Pulveriza
This (a bit from a GW FAQ recently released) is insane. That makes the Deff Rolla an absolute must. It can grind a Land Raider into dust!
vehicles or does it only work when Tank
Shocking non-vehicle units?
A. The death rolla does indeed inflict D6 S10 hits
against vehicles, as Ramming is just a type of
Tank Shock.
Checking In
If you have a project with BTP, and you have a deadline or a time limit, I strongly urge you to email me with the specific date.
Same thing if it has been four weeks or more since you sent your deposit. It is likely that everything is on track. However, I would like to generally make sure everything is on track and this will help.
I don't want to miss anything.
Off the Beaten Track
Today it all came together. I am composing a vid of it. There were three games going on all at once in the main room. It was great. Productivity is in the toilet. But the games had to be played.
First off, I got Julie and Tasha behind the wheel of the studio Imperial Fists army (didn't know about that one did you?) and they took me to the cleaners. Of course, I was playing against myself since I was heavily advising them. I am truly a ... Formidable Opponent.
More on that later.
I took my two sons out this morning to get a few of their favorite type of toys just for kicks, then for pancakes at a local restaurant. It was a moment of magic with lots of leftovers. Unfortunately, I forgot the boxes on the top of the van and drove off, so there are blueberry pancakes all over the street somewhere.
I also headed to Toys R Us for raw materials for the starport. I got a bunch of stuff for that. The plan is to have the equipment that might be needed at a starport, like unloading equipment, fueling tanks, generators, defense towers and so forth. We'll see how it turns out.
But all that has to go on hold, even unfortunately the terrain-making. I am dedicating the next two days to catching up on work and emails.
About the studio Imperial Fists army. This is a decent-looking force I picked up on eBay, refurbished, and added some units to round it up to 2000+ pts.
1x Crusader
1x Predator
1x unit cc Termies
20x Tactical Marines
10x Sternguard
1x Lysander
1x Terminator Hero
1x Chaplain
5x Assault Marines
1x Ironclad Dreadnought
Tyranid Musings
The Mesa Nids are not the brightest gaunts in the swarm. They deploy badly. They spawn the wrong creatures. But they are learning...
In the Tyranid book there are three types of creatures: small, medium and large. The monstrous creatures cannot get cover saves from the others generally, so they are in a class apart. The medium creatures can get cover saves from the smaller gribblies.
Small
Termagants
Hormagaunts
Gargoyles
Parasite of Mortrex
The Parasite is jump infantry, not necessarily even on a 40mm base. I'm thinking more of a jump-packer-sized thing.
Synapse Creatures
Anything in HQ
Tyranid Warriors
Shrikes
Zoanthropes
Trygon Prime
These two things have to match up. The Parasite can run with Hormagaunts and keep up with them, which is a nice feature. I'm going to try this once and let you know how it goes. Actually, you will probably see it in a video batrep.
I am currently a huge fan of Hormagaunts. They are the same cost as Gargoyles. I'm not trying to say one is better than the other. I just think they serve the role of shock troops better. On the net, their total movement is only about 1-2" less. They can move through terrain better, getting cover saves. The big drawback of Gargoyles is that they have to take difficult terrain tests, or be out in the open. After all, who is going to screen them.
I see Gargoyles as being more of a troubleshooter unit. I plan on trying out a unit of 10 and seeing if they can cause some damage. That's only 60 points after all. They can do something that Hormagaunts cannot: get up to higher levels of terrain easily. I see them more as a unit to lurk around the edges and pounce on pesky units.
An interesting list to try out would be all Mycetic Spores. I wonder how a conga line of those things would affect the battlefield. If you've seen the models I'm using for these, we can create a painted one for you for $110 (or two for $180) or you can just get the model for $50 (four for $180).
The trick with Tyranids has to be the synergy of units. How do two units work together. Example: Parasite of Mortrex can run with Hormagaunts, giving it protection while the gaunts get some extra hitting power. But the Parasite is pretty spendy for it's relatively tame hitting power, that is a problem. I mean, it costs as much as a Carnifex for pity's sake.
Speaking of Carnifexes, I'm just not seeing it. I do plan on running a pod to see how they do. I would really like to (just once) run nine of those boys across the table. Strength 9 is their big item. And bio-plasma, don't forget they can turn into a close range plasma cannon.
Back to synergy. Small and medium creatures are the two great tastes that taste great together. The gribblies give cover saves while the large creatures add hitting power. I see Shrikes working well here as they can hop about out of sight (the best defense against shooting is to simply be unseen completely). They have the enormous downside (Gargoyles too) of dangerous terrain tests. There is a ton of difficult terrain on the typical 40K board. But I don't see that as a big downside.
Starting to love the Shrikes. Want to try them out. I'm thinking a brood of five. Or maybe just three to keep their profile slim while still keeping spread out.
Three medium creatures on 40mm bases, spaced 2" apart can only have one member of the brood hit by a large blast template at a time. That ain't bad.
I'm really worried about the trenchworks board. That thing is a deathtrap for Tyranids: gribblies forced into a tight pack down in the trenches means the cover save is not so useful. A pair of flamers and it's roasty time.
The thing I love about the Tyranid codex is that it is full of mono-purpose creatures which means that they can handle almost any situation. If the swarm is large enough.
Disclaimer
It's been a while since I made my usual disclaimer. Though it may not seem so, I'm a bit sheepish when I post my thoughts on politics or religion. I know that's taboo in our culture. I just can't keep it bottled up.
I make no claim of special righteousness. In fact, I think that if I got anything good in my life it's a testament to God's goodness and grace. I don't think I'm particularly deserving of the heavenly life I have. I've got the same sorts of challenges as humanity in general.
Pastry Chef and a Sniper
Today it was ultra-focus on terrain. The goal is to have it all ready to paint tomorrow, and on the board by Thursday.
We are working on the following major sets for the studio:
Starport
Trenchworks
Ork Shantytown
Stalingrad-esque Cities of Death in Winter
We are working on the following display boards:
Tyranids
Orks
Bretonnians
I am wiped out. Terrain-making is pretty taxing work.
I've also got some prep work done on a new round of Mesa Nids:
60x Hormagaunts
10x Genestealers
5x Raveners
Mesa Nids in the City
Got to play a game today, 1000 pts vs Joseph's Space Marines. A very short Notrep is going up for that.
As usual I hosed myself down from the get-go, deploying a Tervigon and two units of Hormagaunts both on opposite sides of the board. Joseph seized the initiative and hosed down one unit making it flee. Why did I not keep in synapse range?
I spawned seven Termagants on turn 01 with a roll of 3+2+2 so that was pathetic. The Trygon Prime popped up and got shot down in one turn, so he did nothing. Nine snipers hit eight times and did four rends. I am surprised so far at how easily T6 W6 creatures just bite the dust. They get vaporized.
It can't be the codex. Tyranids are more awesome than ever. I'm just not orchestrating this incredibly complex army properly.
I ran two swarms each of twenty Hormagaunts. I am really liking them. They are savage little insects and a huge unit can really take a beating. They can also make it across the board quite handily. They have Move Through Cover (3d6 for difficult terrain) and Bounding Leap (best of 3d6 for Fleet) which give them a 10-11" move even through cover. It's quite astounding.
I think the strength of the list lay with masses of gribblies combined with the medium-sized creatures. Venomthropes I think are the way to go. I haven't tried Tyranid Warriors or Shrikes.
Children of Heaven
If you hold your thumbnail up to an empty patch of night sky, you are covering up thousands of galaxies. It's called the ultra deep field. A galaxy might have a billion stars. There are more stars than there ever were or are humans on this planet. There is an Almighty God who is the Creator of all this.
If you look up at the night sky and see a blank and cold place where man is alone in a vast dark sea, you really have no reason to read any further. Or perhaps you have a desperate need to do so When I look up at the night sky, I see a place of stunning beauty, full of worlds made perfect, full of harmonious human civilization. The cosmos is inhabited; the Society of God Himself. There are layers to it. There is no shortage of material resources. God is the God of Abundance. And there are laws on which the universe revolves. Some of them are counter-intuitive. For example: if you give you will get back more than you gave.
Here's another one: 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
-- Matthew 5
I am reminded of a quote from the movie Ghandi: "I am asking you to fight! To fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them. And through our pain we will make them see their injustice, and it will hurt -- as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose. We cannot. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body -- not my obedience."
Here is a rather large audio file with the whole speech (note this is from a movie!)
While this principle applies generally as to the appropriate response when someone screws you over, I have found it especially helpful in working out the injustice done to my workers through the income tax.
There are only two places in the Gospels, to my knowledge, where there is reference to taxes. The first is well-known:
Matthew 22
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
The children are made free because they lay claim on a deeper law, the law of the Society of God Himself. Don't worry about paying your taxes. Do it with a glad heart. If it so be that the government is corrupt then God will deal with them, and will also take care of you. To the man who freaks out and goes off the deep end, he only answers a negative number with a negative number, and there is no power in that, no difference.
And I mean this in the most literal way. If the tax man bleeds you dry, God will fill you up. I have found this to be the case in my own life.
Or as our mothers taught us, "Two wrongs don't make a right."
It is tempting for a mortal to take up the swift sword of Justice and give a man what he's got coming to him. But oh so rarely does a mortal have the full facts of the matter. The sword is just way too sharp to start waving it around. You don't know who might get cut. I call this "stray bullets".
On the other hand, the importance might be in the struggle, the reaction, rather than actually righting a wrong. Does it strengthen the soul?
If this life is all there is, then any injustice must be met with extreme response. The clock is ticking to set it right. But I say that this life is the smaller portion, a mere knot in the string of eternity. Each human in this world was sired in the galactic core by the Supreme Creator, and held as an infant child in the loving arms of celestial parents on a world with twenty suns. This is the pre-existence.
And after this life, after a short eighty year life-span, there is an interim journey through a deeper world. It is a world where the justices and injustices of earth life are sorted out. That's a whole lot of therapy! I've spoken on this topic in a previous post.
And that's why I pay my taxes. With a smile on my face.
Hearty Meal
As readers of this Blog well know, I consider radio and TV to be poor sources for information on politics and economics. These are mass IVs for the masses, to keep them sedated and create only the illusion of debate. It's like eating only doughnuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Want a real meal? Read a book! Read multiple books including those with views you find uncomfortable. Be omnivorous.
The great thing about a book is that the author has you for ten hours to really expound his or her viewpoint thoroughly.
I have recently just finished "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein. While I do not think her conclusions are completely right, I have a profound human respect for this author. I have a sense that I have concluded course 104. I have read, carefully and multiple times in some cases, at least a stack three feet thick of books on society, economics, monetary policy, and foreign policy.
Here is a list of books, that if you read them all, I would consider you well-versed. Some of these titles may make you uncomfortable. Good.
Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Meltdown by Tom Woods
The Revolution by Ron Paul (and End the Fed)
The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
Leave Us Alone by Grover Norquist
And if you're up for a really depressing read: Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano.
I don't necessarily agree with all of these viewpoints. I am just saying they give a better understanding. They each give a greater and deeper context for the other.
Ron Paul Fix
Warning! This turns into a quite a shambling ramble!
Who benefits? With constitutionally-minded men who want to limit the power of the government in power the common man wins. Giant corporations lose-- they cannot maintain their power without the strong arm of the Federal Government to back them. Monopolies cannot be maintained without Federal level laws to drive out competition in all fifty states. The States win-- smaller groups of people gain greater influence over their own affairs.
People don't like being meddled with. Taking a man's money, even for Utopian visions, even for his own good, is still taking his life. You don't have a say in how 20% of your life force is expended. Your employer quietly funnels it to a distant capital. Those that claim to be wiser get to decide how it's spent.
A man has a right to self-determination. In short, a right to his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It is an inalienable right. It can't be taken away. Any government that says "at my will I can take away your life and liberty" is no less than a King-Tyrant who is no more fit to govern a Free People than was King George! It is the old chafing yoke under a new name.
I delight in the idea of State's Rights. It means that a group of like-minded people can voluntarily create their own Utopia and not have it forced upon them. One size does not fit all. And with fifty states, why that's like fifty little countries to choose from. Which one do you like best? I don't hate the Federal Government. I think it is mostly useless, mostly pathetic and the States are much more suited to securing the liberty and happiness of its citizens. I want the Feds to stick to a few basic functions and leave the rest to the States or even better to the Individual.
I live in a close-knit Mormon community where everyone knows everyone else in a two-block radius. It's called a "ward". There are 110 families. About 80 of those families are actively involved. It is a voluntary association of like-minded individuals. A group this size can handle almost every emergency. I believe that if even half of our federal taxes where left in our own community that we could even handle big stuff like brain surgery and paving the roads. We have a Bishop (like a pastor or village elder) who maintains a storehouse of goods for use by the community if one should falter. The assistance is immediate, local, responsive and is limited to the exact amount needed. It works, I know it works, I am living it. Freedom works. When left to themselves people can voluntarily create useful societies that take care of practical needs. It doesn't need to be a huge central government doing it.
If a huge central government has the power to create Utopia, then it also has the power to create a Monster.
Old wrinkly so-called Republicans cry out "You're splitting the Party! We'll lose power!" No, it is you traitor that must hang (metaphorically speaking). It is you who split from your foundation and now you must sink in the rot of your own mire. We will tear you from your horse, like peasants with sharpened pitchforks, and we will put up just and principled men in your place. Men who will obey and honor the spirit of the Constitution of the United States!
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
--The Declaration of Independence
I thank God Almighty that He has provided a foundation to which we can look, and a peaceful manner in which we can change our affairs without the shedding of blood. See you at the ballot boxes in 2010!
And don't forget to get principled and fiscally conservative men and women on the ballot in your state's Primary!
Final note: I am a believer in people. I like people. I think that the Creator of Mankind looks down on His children with delight and loves them. He has given us our freedom to choose for ourselves. What a wonderful thing! Left to themselves I think that people are generally very peaceful and it takes extraordinary means to make us war with each other and abuse one another. God looks on us with paternal regard and loving-kindness. He interferes the minimum amount needed, gently, humbly and without a lot of fanfare. He notices the individual.
Tervigon Beta
Here's another Tervigon (type Beta). You can get this type if you want. I like it, it's very evocative. Much like an insect. What do you think?
Still some open slots in March. Still running Hive Mind. Re-download Tyranids spreadsheet as some prices have come down as we've done prototypes and nailed down actual costs.
We have a lot of good mostly permanent specials. Visit the Candy Shop to check those out.
In other news: on top of the car issues the furnace went out. On Friday late afternoon. That means no heat until Monday, if that. Blargh.
Doling Out the Charm
Tonight, while gathered as a family just before bedtime, my four-year-old son G. swallowed a penny. He was quite distraught and there were some pretty frenetic antics as we tried to extricate it. He was not choking on it fortunately but it was "penny going down rough". I rushed him to the local Urgent Care where I paid a reasonable amount in cash for services with no waiting and no appointment.
They took an X-Ray of his torso to be sure the penny had not lodged in his esophagus. He was so brave on that cold table in the dark. He turned his angelic little face to me and said "I love you Daddy" and softly clutched my hand.
He got a balloon and a little toy.
The penny had moved to his stomach. We just have to monitor for anything unusual but it should pass in his stool. G. turned to me quizzically on this point. Pass in my what? They mean your poop dear. Oh.
I'm making plans for a quite different type of Beastmen army.
1x Gorthor on Razorgor chariot
2x Heroes on Razorgor chariots
(see where this is going yet?)
40x Ungor Raiders
20x Chaos Hounds
4x Razorgor Chariots (these are going to be huge creatures with howdahs-- great modelling possibilities here)
2x Jabberslythes
This easily clears the 2000 point mark and I think makes goodly headway to 2500 pts. This is already in process. I have all the materials needed except the Razorgors themselves (for which I will probably us an alternate model).
I have made good progress on The Shock Doctrine. It's a hard read but also a real page-turner. Not just a hard read because of the dense text but also because of subject matter. There's a lot on the history of torture and other forms of "shock". It's got a happy ending, though, since I read the end first! It's not conspiracy theory. It's well-documented with a mammoth fifty pages of solid citations. I don't think it's some kind of bible, it simply illuminates from a unique direction.
I'm quickly becoming a fan of Naomi Klein. So poised and well-versed! Num-tastic. She actually has some things in common with Ron Paul, oddly, eg., Corporatism = bad.
People don't want to be meddled with. They should be free to live their lives without interference and without being robbed; without being forced by someone else.
I don't want anyone to have the One Ring. I want to cast it into the pit of Mount Doom. Saruman thinks he's going to use it for good. But it's Galadriel who had it right: no one can be trusted with it, even with the most angelic of intentions. "I have passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."
Does she say that in the books?
Also, another type of Tervigon came out of the assembly room today. I plan on making a vid of that. It's a tie for best one I've seen (the other being the type I have in my mesa nids army).
Also, I'm now booking projects for March.
Assembly Only
We are now offering Assembly Only projects. This is where we assemble your figures but do not paint them.
Cost is as per our standard pricing. We also offer an Expert Level assembly at 1.5x rate. This means a lot of pinning, puttying, and cleaning.
You can also get your models at 20% off if you want us to order them for you.
There is a minimum order of $200.
Student Loans
Don't get student loans. If you can't make it to college without them, don't go at all. If relatives complain or ride you about it, then ask why they don't pay your way. If it's that important.
Case in point.
Anphelion Base
We just finished another Anphelion Base, one of the most daunting projects in the world of miniatures painting.
Keeper of the Zoo
First off, we are working on some new templates for Tyranids. First is the Mesa Nids, and another one is just done called tentatively Shroom Nids.
I am voraciously reading a new book on Economics called The Shock Doctrine. I'm about half-done. I read the last quarter first then from the beginning. More on this later. Suffice it to say I think it may be THE best book I've read so far, possibly a close second to Ron Paul's The Revolution. I highly recommend. I got a second-hand hardback for $13 on Amazon. Hardback is the only way to fly.
Back to Nids. There is another type planned: Tentatively Toxic Nids. Pale green skin and purple carapace. And a fourth: Rust Nids. Khaki skin (like the Mesa Nids) and Rust-colored carapaces. Maybe some additional effects. These are coming.
I'm still running the Hive Mind deal. Not too late.
I still got those three armies on the block, too. Lizardmen, Dark Elves, and Oceanic Eldar.
Intellectual exercise for the day. What does this interview with Naomi Klein have in common with Ron Paul's "message"? Naomi is nummy. She can talk economics to me any day!
Testimonial
Dear Shawn,
I am constantly getting compliments about the army, and my competitors even say that my play style has improved! Think of it like this... have you ever noticed that just after you've washed your car it seems like it miraculously runs better? Faster? Saves more gas? I'm sure it's all psychological, but boy it sure seems that way when you're proud of what you have.
Secondly, I'd like to thank you, Shawn, for your customer service. You personally have exceeded my expectations. You made a commitment to me, and honored it even when it bit into your profit. I am very thankful for how you handled the situation of the armies fitting into the Battlefoam cases. I totally did not expect you to upgrade me to another 1520 at no cost. To be honest, I was braced for the inevitable "Looks like the price I quoted you wasn't right, you owe me $$$ more..." line. But you didn't. You honored our original agreement and kept me at my price cap.
Thank you. It's amazing to me to interact with someone who has a bit of ethics in business.
-GE
Ultimate Incarnation
I've been thinking a lot about the Mesa Nids and the destiny of the army. The Tyranid list is so versatile and has a number of good builds, or at least builds I'd like to try (ie what about thirty Tyranid Warriors?). So, I've got it in my mind to let this army really get out of control. Here's what I think it will look like at the end.
Oh, but first, did you know that models that are type "Beasts" are also Fleet automatically? Beasts get a 12" charge. So Raveners get Fleet, too. That's fast.
1x Hive Tyrant
1x Swarmlord (with magnetization to be a Hive Tyrant as well)
2x Tervigon
2x Tyranid Prime
1x Parasite of Mortrex
6x Hive Guard
3x Lictors
1x Deathleaper
3x Venomthrope
3x Zoanthrope
1x Doom of Malan'Tai
27x Tyranid Warriors
50x Genestealers (with attendant Broodlords)
4x Drop Spores
60x Termagants
60x Hormagaunts
6x Tyranid Shrikes
6x Raveners
60x Gargoyles
2x Harpies
2x Carnifexes (0ne with One Eye alternate parts)
2x Trygons
1x Mawloc
2x Tyrannofexes
What is that? Like 6000 pts?
Car Commercial
Introducing the all new 2010 Uterus.
You've only been this comfortable one other time...
Recuperation
Last night my wife and I went to a renaissance-themed dinner put on at our nephew's high school. It was the funnest event I've ever been to. Possibly more on that later.
5am this morning Willow gave her signature single grunt, loud enough to pierce two doors, but way better than a typical baby wailing. Like "Hey! I need some service in here". It sounds a bit like Jim Gaffigan's opening. I changed her wet diaper and brought her in to mommy for an early-morning snack. I went back to sleep, blacking out until 10am the which is very uncharacteristic of me. My mind and body needed to recuperate.
We took the older kids to the mall for some Chinese food where I parted ways and headed back to the studio (they went to see a movie). Not much to say there. I just caught up as much as I could.
For the Mesa Nids I'm painting up a few items for next Tuesday's campaign day:
1x Mawloc (just have to try it)
30x Hormagaunts (any good?)
1x Seed Pod
Lucky in CT
If you live in Connecticut you're super-lucky, you get to vote for Pete Schiff! Your Primary is on August 10, 2010.
The Manic is IN!
As the last few days have been a cheesegrater of the soul, so was today a paradise of good breezes blowing my way. Gately likey.
Now booking projects for March. Still possible to have your Adepticon army done.
Lizardmen of the Sacred Crystal SOLD!
Here's what's in the studio Lizardmen army. This army easily clears 3000 pts, more like 3200. It is a vicious cold-blooded killer, a solid list that can take on any foe. It's on the block for the time being for $1900. If you pick it up by tomorrow it's $1800.
1x Slann Mage Priest
1x Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur
50x Saurus Warriors with hand weapon/shield
20x Temple Guard
1x Skink Priest on Ancient Stegadon
1x Stegadon
20x Skinks with blowpipes
3x Razordons (with four handlers each, the maximum size)
4x Terradons (including one Tiq'taq'to who can be run as a champion)
1x Direct Order Battle Standard Bearer
1x Saurus Scar Vet (made from temple guard plastics)
I can add other models at an additional cost. The only thing I would add? A Chakax to run as a hero. Otherwise this army is solid.
See pics
I can attest that this is a great build for Lizardmen. If you buy this army, on request, I will make a short but concise video tactica for it.
A couple of reviews:
http://bluetablepainting.blogspot.com/2009/08/razordons-review.html
http://bluetablepainting.blogspot.com/2009/08/lizardmen-redux.html
Here are some vids either of this army specifically or a similar (but different) army in action!
Deep Forest
I had a dream last night.
I was at the edge of an old forest in Oregon. Wood Elves came out in a double file; sombre warriors, clad in browns, greens and red. They called me to come with them and two of them took me in to be fitted with gear and weapons.
I told them they had the wrong guy: I'm forty, I'm feeble, I'm no warrior, I have a wife and kids to take care of. With a look I knew the response.
I know the deep forest. I have been there.
40K Campaign- Week 2
I found one morning a display made for a studio Imperial Gaurd army. Renn's force includes models based on BTP staff! I'm a banner bearer (with a bluetooth in his ear). If you look close you can see the BTP table logo here and there.
See pics here
The Tyranids have played two games. Can't tell you the outcome of the second game yet as the vids have yet to be processed.
Pits
Well, I've had a pretty crappy last few days. One thing after another. No, I don't really feel like talking about it. My goal tonight: drink some hot chocolate and watch some Red Dwarf in my jammies. And do something nice for my wife and kids.
In related news, I'll have three armies up on the block soon:
The Ice Elves ($1950)
Lizardmen (2500 pts or so, $1950)
Oceanic Eldar ($1850)
I have added a unit of Dark Riders to the Ice Elves that no one has seen. If you want to claim one of the armies, I'll require a non-refundable deposit of $100 and total payment within 7 days. However, you get $100 off.
If it comes to it I'll make vids and pics of the armies, but then they will cost more.
I've pared down the Oceanic Eldar a bit (less one unit of Avengers, Striking Scorpions, 2 Vypers).
Blarg
Today was insane. I was running all day.
Well, not really. I spent about four hours playing a campaign game of 40K. Nids v Guard. There are eight active players and I think every single one is on track for 800 points done by tomorrow. I have 1720 pts ready to go.
Battle report forthcoming. It's a real wild ride.
My $900 clunker needs $1100 worth of repairs. That is the bad news I got from the mechanic today. That really just set me on edge.
I think I have ear infections. I got to go to the clinic tomorrow.
But when I got home I was sure to hang all that on the hatrack. I love my kids. They are a delight. I can't get enough of them. Last night at the local shop the boys pulled some balls out of the rack and when we handed this pink one to Willow her little smile just cracked open the size of a yam. She was grinning ear to ear as she held this giant ball in the shopping cart. Of course we got it and she couldn't get enough. She even wants to sleep with it.
She has two more teeth budding on the upper gum. #5 and #6.
The People... Incorporated
Here's an interesting intellectual exercise. Watch the news or listen to talk radio.
As you're doing it, think of what the opposite is. What if the opposite of what they are saying is the situation as it really is. It's an interesting exercise. The article that follows will be the opposite of everything you are hearing on TV.
Many people don't vote. They are "apathetics". They rightly sense that they do not have any real power and that voting is all a sham. And they're right. But if these apathetics, just for a lark, showed up and voted third party, it would sweep the cancer out of the system.
Two candidates, who follow the same basic monetary policy, are propagandized to victory. By the time the two people are presented you really have no choice. The Apathetics must rise up! Show up at the polls and vote for any third party candidate.
That's my opinion. Who cares?
Recent Dispatch from Downsize DC:
You just won a big victory in the Supreme Court, but the media would have you believe otherwise. This message will explain . . .
* What you just won in the Citizens United case
* How and why the media is lying to you about it
* And what remains to be done to restore more of your Constitutional rights
Here's the basic situation . . .
Governments spend nearly half of the money you earn. This means that politicians have more influence over your life than anyone else. But how much influence do you have over the politicians?
You have the power to fire any employee or company that doesn't provide you with a good product or service at a price you're willing to pay. But you have almost no power to fire and replace your most important employees -- members of Congress.
Why is that?
The answer is disturbing. Incumbent politicians have erected campaign finance restrictions designed to protect themselves, silence taxpayers, and cripple challengers. The politicians and the media tell us these laws are needed to prevent corruption, but does government seem less corrupt to you? Here's the truth . . .
If you're an incumbent, and it's virtually illegal for people to raise enough money to unseat you, then you're free to do whatever you want. THIS is a recipe for corruption. THIS, and NOT campaign contributions, is one of the main reasons WHY we have such a Big, Wasteful, Corrupt government.
Many things must be done to achieve honest, Constitutional government, but among the most important is the need to restore your . . .
* Freedom of speech
* Freedom of the press
* And freedom of association
Doing this will allow you to associate with others to raise and spend the money required to FIRE incumbent politicians. At present, the campaign finance laws prohibit you from doing this. Ask yourself this question . . .
Can you afford, all by yourself, to run for office to unseat an incumbent officeholder?
The answer is clearly no. This means that you must exercise your freedom of association to join with others to raise the required funds. But first you will have to spend large sums of money to persuade people to participate. This is like starting a business, and that requires capital!
Too bad. This kind of capital has to be raised in chunks of ten and a hundred thousand dollars, but the campaign finance laws limit you to contributions of $2,100. That's why its mostly the rich and well-connected who win election to public office. Meanwhile . . .
The established corporate news media can do something you cannot. They can raise and spend unlimited amounts to communicate about politicians, campaigns, and issues. The media constantly tells you what your choices are, and they never include, for instance, people like Ron Paul.
Media businesses have an unrestricted freedom of the press, but you do not. This helps to explain why so many in the news media . . .
* Love the campaign finance restrictions
* Tell so many lies about how these laws really work
* Constantly promote the need for more such laws
* Shriek whenever you gain rights similar to what they enjoy
It's important to understand that the campaign finance restrictions not ONLY protect incumbents, but they ALSO give the established corporate news media privileged influence over public opinion. Fortunately . . .
DC Downsizers have worked for years to change this, and that work is starting to have an impact.
Most cases against the campaign finance laws have focused on the freedom of speech, but these challenges have always been denied by the courts, under the perverse reasoning that "money isn't speech." This is why . . .
Our attorneys were the first to argue that, even if money isn't speech, money IS required to run a press or broadcasting effort. Our 2003 case, Ron Paul v. FEC, argued that the freedom of the press is a right that must be protected for all Americans, not only for those who run media businesses.
Our claim was denied, but the influence of our reasoning was clear during the oral arguments and in the dissenting opinions. But that was only the beginning . . .
A co-plaintiff in our 2003 case, Citizens United, renewed the fight last year. They challenged campaign finance provisions that prohibited them from broadcasting a movie they had made about Hillary Clinton, who was then running for President. We asked DC Downsizers to help us provide funding for a brief in that case.
Our attorneys once again made their signature freedom of the press argument, and were the only ones to do so. We believe this argument had a big influence on the outcome.
On January 21 the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment freedom of speech guarantee prohibits the Government from enforcing any financial restrictions limiting core political speech involving elections based on a speaker’s corporate identity.
This is a huge victory for YOU. It's a great step toward restoring YOUR ABILITY TO FIRE AND REPLACE YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. But the media's self-serving response has been predictable . . .
They have screamed that corporations have been given the right to buy elections, even though the media itself is entirely corporate, and already has the ability to spend unlimited amounts to influence elections. You can better understand the real truth by paying close attention to the full legal name of our two Downsize DC organizations . . .
The Downsize DC Foundation, Inc, and DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
Both Downsize DC organizations are corporations. The Supreme Court has just restored some of your ability to use us as a way to join with others in order to better exercise your freedoms of association, of speech, and of the press. To gain an even better understanding of this please watch the following 3-minute video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Ms. Sampson and her friends (depicted in the video) are nearly identical to the kind of association Downsize DC is, except that we've already bowed to legal requirements that we must incorporate in order to more fully exercise some of our supposed rights.
We will have much more to say about this in future Dispatches and blog posts . . .
* There are many more self-serving media lies that need to be corrected
* We need to develop a strategy and tools for dealing with the media in the same way that we deal with Congress
* We need to educate taxpayers about the true causes of government corruption, and why campaign contributions are a cure, and not a cause
* And we will need to continue to make our case to the Supreme Court in order overturn all of the incumbent protection laws, enhance your ability to fire members of Congress, and allow you to regain all of your rights of association, of speech, and of the press
If you're happy about this victory and the role we played in it, and would like to see us do more, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Downsize DC Foundation, Inc.
Thank you for helping to make this victory possible.
Jim Babka
President
Downsize DC Foundation
& DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
P.S. The mainstream media sure had a lot to say about the Citizens United case, and much of it wasn't true. We have some further analysis about this case at our blog, "Lying About the Citizens United Case."
Pirates and Mercs
Just uploaded the spreadsheet for Mercenaries and Pirates for War Machine.
Downloads
Oxidized World
Here is an army for the studio 40K campaign: a roughed up contingent of Guard on a rust-atmosphere planet. There are more figs, I just grabbed a few to take a pic or ten.
Hive Queen
Over the weekend I managed to get the Mesa Nids up to 1500 points.
See pics.
Note that these are taken under flourescent so it makes the skin look really yellow and all the colors are skewed. I also see some areas where I have to go back and touch up.
Here's what was added:
1x Tervigon
40x Termagants (need a LOT more)
3x Zoanthropes
1x Doom of Malan'tai
And my Planetary Empires Tile.
I'm ready for my campaign game tomorrow.
On a side note, we rented a local warehouse (very small area) to make terrain in for two weeks starting tomorrow. If you need some terrain done now's a good time.
Odiferous Bastage
The year is 1989.
I was a young man, just out of high school, I lived in the Plum Street House. It had aluminum siding, pale green on the top and white on the bottom. In the front yard were two sixty-foot Oregon pines overlooking a gravel driveway. The porch was a tremendous slab of concrete. It had three bedrooms and one bath. It was in (what I later found out to be) the equivalent of the "Medford Ghetto". To me it seemed normal. And beautiful.
Rent was $250 split three ways with my two room-mates, Korey and Mark. My share: $83.33.
Getting home after work was a dark time, though, and I often felt a yawning chasm of coldness in my heart.
One day I opened the back door to find a dead calico cat on the back porch. In a senseless act of macabre fascination I reached down to poke the cadaver with my finger. The corpse kitty shook to life and stumbled to its feet, letting out a pitiful "Bleh!" noise.
I took the poor creature in, combed the burrs out of her fur, and nursed her back to health. She had a crooked tail (where I presume it may have been slammed in a door). She was missing claws and most of her teeth, the longest of which was a single canine that hung out over her bottom lip. Life had heaped misery on this scrawny stray, the worst of which were the mites that had eaten out her ears including her semi-circular canals. For this reason she was deaf and had not a sense of balance, often stumbling into the door frame or falling over.
She could not "meow" as other cats, but rather a long zombie-esque exclamation of "Bleh!".
I named her O.B. "Off Balance".
My roommate jokingly called her "Odiferous Bastage".
It may seem that she needed me, but it was I who needed to serve her. Taking care of this forlorn animal gave me a flickering light.
One morning I awoke to hear her piteous cries just outside my window. I whipped on my bathrobe and saw through the window that two dogs had her pinned in the alleyway. I grabbed my baseball bat and flew out the screen door and leaped over the back fence. I chased after the mutts, yelling obscenities and causing at least one woman to get in her car and lock the doors. When I returned I found O.B. mashed into the rain-soaked ground, unable to even stand. I took her in and tended to her hurts.
A few days later, while we were watching a movie, I had her in my lap curled up on a towel and sleeping peacefully, gently combing out her mangy hair. Her purring was broken and gravelly. As the end credits rolled I noticed that she had stopped purring. She had passed away.
I buried her out in the back yard.
O.B. was a cat-angel who filled some divine purpose to humanize my soul. She made me softer inside.
Studio Beastmen
Well, it's time. I think the strength of the Beastman list is not so straightforward. Crazy yahoos coming in from all directions. That's it. So, with this list, I've abandoned the direct approach. Beastmen clearly aren't a frontal assault army.
Here's the preliminary list:
1x Khazrak One-eye (re-roll ambush)
1x Slugtongue
1x Moonclaw
40x Ungor Raiders
20x Gors
20x Gors (ambush!)
2x Tuskgor Chariots (maybe one Razorgor Chariot)
2x Jabberslythe
This army is going to be very effective, or a complete mishap. But it will definitely be fun.
Beastmen Review: initial thoughts
Games Workshop has been doing a fabulous job on army books recently. They include tons of options, multiple army builds, and a dazzling web of synergistic units, heroes and magic.
Last night, I started combing through the Beastmen book, looking for the good stuff. Firstly, the new army is a home run for modeling possibilities: Razorgors, Jabberslythes, Cygors and so forth are a modeller's dream come true. It's too bad that most of them are in the coveted Rare slots. It's a toughie.
First off, you've got to remember that Warhammer Fantasy is the game of winning combats, not the game of "killing things". Though the two go hand-in-hand a massive Shaggoth is still statistically unlikely to win against a mob of peasants (ie six attacks, of which two will miss, won't win against the magic five).
Ungor Raiders
That said, remember that there are 400 points on the table from table quarters. A properly played Beastmen army won't ever have this problem. And that's because of another magic five; the minimum unit size of Ungor Raiders. A unit of five, at six points each, is a throwaway unit of thirty points. Oh man, it's delicious. Better yet, they have Beastmen ambush which means for every unit on the board, a similar unit can be lurking off board and come in from the side or back.
For the studio Beastmen army I plan on running six or eight units of them. Their job? Stay alive and take table quarters. And then pitch in wherever possible. Even better they have bows. There's a psychological effect to that. If they cause a 200+ point unit to divert for a turn, that's well worth the cost.
It gets better. They get a musician for a modest three points. This means a better chance for rallying if they have to flee a charge. I wouldn't waste points on a unit champ. Who cares? Just buy another raider.
Minotaurs
Will they never learn!? Units that pay a huge price for offensive power, while ignoring any sort of defense, are compromised. They look good on paper, but any opponent with half a brain cell will just take care of them in another way.
Minotaurs are Toughness 4 with light armor. Fifty-five points. Throw these losers in the garbage. Too bad, GW could have done it right this time.
Same for Chaos Spawn. They insist on putting these pathetic lumps in every book. Make them good for pity's sake! And they're in rare choices swimming with three really cool new entries. Forget it.
All that said, Minotaurs do get this new thing where they get Frenzy, but after they get into close combat. That's a nice feature.
Slugtongue
Here's a winner. A Bray Shaman L2 is 110 points. For 80 points he gets poisoned attacks, Regeneration (woot), and Curse of the Famine Fiend. This last power is what makes him a must-take in any army in my book (nevermind the cool conversion possibilities). Wounds on every enemy unit within 36" of him at the beginning of the game. It's a complicated chart, but let's say there's an outside chance he could vaporize a unit of Chaos Knights before turn 1. And the juicy possibility of hitting an exposed character. This is a good example of what to look for in a unit: sure he has a great ability, but what keeps him alive? Regeneration. And even better, the full benefit comes into play before the game even starts.
Doombulls no longer make Minotaurs Core. Sad. And there was no reason not to carry that over since Minotaurs are completely pitiful. So, congratulations "guy who made a minotaur army" you're screwed.
On the other hand, Ghorros Warhoof makes Centigors Core. Yippeeeee! you can make an all Centigor army! Too bad Centigors blow chunks now that they are no longer fast cavalry. Additionally, the Centigor model has the left arm fused so forget about doing any conversion work. I predict you'll see Chaos Marauder Horsemen ($4.40 each) with Bestigor ($4.10 each) bodies. Cheaper and better looking than metallics.
Tuskgor Chariots are Core. That's pretty slick. Of course you don't need to really worry about filling your Core choices now that you have six Ungor Raider units.
Bestigors. Awesome models. Solid, but they're no Black Guard!
I am here making a mistake. I'm looking at each unit standing alone and not how they work together.
Maybe I was too hard on the Minotaurs. They really are killing machines, which makes the different than other ogrish models (eg Kroxigor). They have S7 with great weapons, and increasing attacks if they keep winning combats, potentially turning them into an unstoppable massacre. They just need to get in there with another unit with ranks/banner/outnumber.
OK, definitely going to at least try the Minotaurs.
Miscellaneous
I'm liking the Razorgors. They're like the cavalry for the Beastmen. Like Toughness five.
Liking the idea of a squad of three chariots. Maybe six. Definitely got to use plastics for that because the new models are so amazing. I'd use warhounds to pull the chariot.
Magic items.
Pathetic. I thought I was reading the Ogre Kingdoms book for a second. "Hey, here's a good thing about this magic item, but then we'll give it a crappy drawback, but you have to pay points for it." Blarg. Re: the banners.
But that's OK, because maybe Beastmen aren't supposed to have earth-shaking magic. One notable exception: Stone of Spite. This little bastard means that your opponent will have to keep two dispel dice on standby every magic phase or else you're going to turn every Dispel Scroll into a pine-apple-sized grenade.
More to come.
