Where’s my Gunpowder?

Having covered monstrous creatures and hordes which are both combat orientated articles it’s time for a bit ranged orientation. A major tactic that is very good with ranged armies is MSU. Multiple Small Units, meaning exactly what it sounds like, you make an army of lots of small units. Between 10 and 16 is the best. And you run them in 2 ranks because that makes the frontage smaller and you can still shoot with all the models. Most of the time no command or only a musician.

There are a few armies which are suited very well for this tactic and those are:

Any kind of Elves

Empire

Dwarfs

Dwarfs are arguably the since they got a high toughness and armour save too so they could sustain some combat damage too. And this brings us to the major flaw of these armies… They are poor in combat, Empire hand gunners, Wood Elves glade guard, High Elf archers all either lach toughness or armour saves. But every downside comes with something positive. That is the range they have and the hitting power. Being able to shoot 36” means you can hit your opponent in turn 1, and you can deal (serious) damage from turn 1. And 80+ S3 arrows or S4 armour piercing bullets can put out a lot of hurt, giving that it takes at least 2 turns before you’re in combat, 3 if you move back/started on the backline and don’t forget to always take the charge and have another turn of shooting due to stand and shoot.

Some Mathhammer on 14 Empire hand gunners, you can shoot 3 turns, which means 42 shots, of which 18 hit. Against T3 you’ll score 12 wounds, with a -2 on the armour save. 9 wounds against T4. That’s only 1 unit of at least 10, meaning you wound on average (120+90)/2=105 models, with a -2save, perhaps 1/3 survives it, so you killed 70 models, from shooting alone, no magic and war machines included.

And next to all the small units you have all kind of other goodies. War machines, treeman, miners etc. Pairing your hand gunners with 2 hellstorm rocket batteries and 2 mortars means you can throw around some very nice big templates. For dwarfs the same, you can take some nice grudge throwers, cannons and perhaps some miners to show up behind your enemy lines. Wood Elves can take some nice treeman as Shawn demonstrated with his Rainforest Elves army.

There are numerous possibilities to support you army, you can throw in some extra artillery to deal out more ranged damage. Or you can throw in a nice sturdy combat unit to support in case you get locked into combat. But there is still one thing missing in our army, and that’s the general. There is no thing obliged to take with this army, whether you like a standalone combat hero (treeman ancient, Dragon Slayer), a supporting ranged hero (master engineer, noble with hail of doom arrow) or take some magic (which I can strongly advice, even if it’s for pure defensive purposes).

Keep in mind this is a very specific tactic for very specific armies. If you’d like to give it a try watch Shawn’s battle reports with the Wood Elves for some ideas. And one of the most important things in this army is that you should have at least 75% of shooting units, preferable the same models.

Martijn V.

BTP correspondent from the Netherlands

How is that?

How is it that my GPA in my senior year of high school was 0.6 (you read that right, Ds and Fs) but only missed four questions on the SAT?

Myth of War Prosperity Explained by Zorg

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If war made a country prosperous, or got them moving economically again, then we should agree with another country to build an enormous fleet each year, sail it to the middle of the ocean, and sink the entire thing.
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A soldier is a drain on resources. He needs shoes, clothing, food, and ammunition but does not make any of those things. They have to be appropriated by force from the shoe-maker, the tailor, the farmer, and the munitions factory laborer. Or indirectly through other taxation.
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If there are no soldiers at all, or an insufficient amount, then liberty is compromised as other nations can roll in and crush the working citizen. So, that's out of the question.
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The question is: what is the correct number of soldiers needed? Is there such a thing as too many? Is there any number where you would say "wait a minute"? Five million? Ten million? A hundred million?
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How many does it take to secure liberty? Should a country even have a standing army?
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If you live in the US then I want you right now to say how many people are laboring in the armed forces. Do you know? If not, you should know.
_______________________________________________

Side note: it is my opinion that the entire US Federal Government should be funded by tariffs and "miscellaneous". Corporate and personal income taxes should be completely eliminated. Most functions currently performed by the federal government should be moved to the states (where citizens have more control). The entire federal budget should be right around 100 Billion, mostly for the needed level of military spending. Everything else should be State, county, city or (even better) individual.
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Just imagine it for a moment: no IRS, no exposing your personal finances to the government, getting paid in cash, prices falling by 20% or more all across the board, huge influx of investments into the US. And more importantly, you would be free.
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Huge downside of this idea: you, yes you, will have to take care of the old people next door. You, yes you, will have to personally get involved.



Response from Mike Dunn

according to the department of defense website, there are 2.6 million americans in the armed forces. I'm sure that number is smaller that it actually is if we counted everyone who is indirectly involved with the military and the national guard. That number might be one percent of the population. In my opinion, that is way too high for 'peace time.'

Many of the founders expressed a sincere fear of a standing army. We never had a standing army until world war 1. Until that time, almost everyone was sent home after the wars ended.

That's why we have the 2nd amendment.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

It's my understanding that the founders intended for the entire body of the nation to be 'the militia.' Americans used to be encouraged to keep weapons, not for self defense, but to kill the bad guys who would come and steal our country. I believe that average americans should be allowed to have military grade weapons. Who would attack us if every person in every house had their own firearms and knew how to use them? If someone attacked, they would be fighting 300 million americans defending their homes. If we needed to go someplace around the world, we wouldn't need any training, and the government wouldn't have to buy anyone any weapons, we'd all just bring our own, like the Revolution. We would have a well trained public and wouldn't have to waste money on training our soldiers. Everyone would just know what to do.

If the terrorists can keep the United States from winning in Afghanistan for 10 years with no formal organized military, certainly 300 million americans can keep any foreign country off our land, provided each citizen has the means to do so.

How would Hitler's Russian campaign have ended if russians had been allowed to keep and practice with weapons; if each russian had the military skills and equipment of the germans? How much money could russia have saved and spent on ships and aircraft instead of boots and bullets?

___________________________________________
Hey Shawn,

I just wanted to point out something I took away from that blog entry which is that the Zorg clip, rather than explaining the "myth" that a country prospers from war, is actually playing exactly into the point you are making against it.

Bear with me,

When you put the clip into context of a country at war, it was Zorg who initiated the conflict by pushing the glass off. That means Zorg represent the participant country and the robots would be the "standing Army" belonging to the country (him). The argument he makes it to think about all the people who make the robots, and how much they prospered and will be able to go home and feed their children...so on and so forth. Now, a country at war commissions the tools of war, and thus companies in the business of war win the contracts and profit greatly during war times. This would represent Bell Helicopter, Lockheed-Martin, Barretta Firearms, Colt, etc. There is no doubt that these entities benefit from war. But to be implying that the country at war is prospering, would be if Zorg himself said that he was the one who was made money and took food home to feed his children. But in the end that is never stated, and ultimately Zorg has lost the glass, and still had to paid for the robots.

In summery, the clip shows that when a country goes to war, it is drained financially, and the companies that create the instruments of war prosper.

I agree that there is too much defense spending and that we have built up our forces more than is necessary (heck, i'm IN the service and think that). It seems wrong to me when an 18 year old can sign a paper, go off to be trained for 4-12 months and be bringing in 35,000 a year from the start (gross starting salary for an E-1). However, i felt that the clip was used somewhat out of context and actually illuminates this point ^ (although it takes a bit of closer inspection as the point is not directly stated).

Regards,

DS

P.S. I've been keeping up with the Valhalla vids. and I like what i'm seeing. The Orks look sweet, the board looks sweet, and I am totally on the same page as you about tourney games vs friendly/RPG games of 40K, so i'm SUPER looking forward to next month!

Doin' Grate

Sunday I was a lazy whiny wench. Fussing and grousing, and with all the human appeal of a cheese grater.

Now it's Monday. Oh sweet Monday and back to work. Yay-tastic! It's 7am and I'm at the studio. I am standing by to set up new orders, answer questions and generally be your favorite person.

I'm starting a new program, running until further notice: if you've made an order in the last 30 days you get 30% off on your cost of models, just like a new client.

Just put up something on eBay after six years. Just for kicks and giggles.

Revenge of Spikey Boots

I played a 2200 pt game against Renn's Blood Angels today. He added a unit of Scout Bikers, nasty buggers those. And two Baal Predators.

I didn't record the game as we just wanted to play something low-key and just for fun. I tried a completely different list:

2x Warboss
30x Nobz
3x Battlewagons
13x Boyz

Well, it was a lot of fun (Dawn of War, Objectives) but by turn five neither of us had any scoring units, so it was a draw no matter what. It's a tough list, the Nobs tore through the toughest the Blood Angels had, even Death Company. Seventeen Power Klaw attacks takes care of Feel No Pain.

That particular list is lacking in flexibility. The Nobz can only be in so many places at any given time. But they are hulking gorillas, extremely hard to take down with wound shenanigans. I think that a strength of the Orks is their randomness. Lots of small stuff with weird rules. If you can't have fun playing Orks then I don't know what to say.

A major breakthrough of mine recently is to realize that I don't know the rules very well, and I don't play very well. I don't think it's doing justice to the thousands of people that watch our Batreps. That said, I believe there is a segment of the gaming community that might be left behind with all the super-competitive stuff out there. I'm not criticizing that, but I am more of a champion of the casual player, hearkening back to the golden age of miniatures battles, when it was all new and magical.

I want my content to appeal and be useful to the new player. Tutorial in nature. Friendly. But even friendly games should be played correctly.

I don't like tournaments personally. Oh, I think they're fine, but there's a whole world associated with friendly play, with "Miniatures Battles as RPG" that I am afraid may be left behind. I want to champion that world.

Reality will Laugh at your Good Intentions

"The Dictator Fallacy" by Jim Babka

fal·la·cy -
* a misleading or unsound argument.
* Logic. any of various types of erroneous reasoning that render arguments logically unsound.

Do you . . .

* believe in our Constitution with its different branches and its separation of powers?
* support the idea that The State should be managed by elected representatives?
* oppose monarchies, dictatorships, and other authoritarian forms of The State?

I bet you'd answer "Yes" to all of these questions.

Despite answering yes, nearly everyone pretends, at some point, that they can design laws and programs that manage human behavior, leading to an ideal social result.

* Maybe even you believe you know the best way to solve a particular societal problem with a better organizational solution.
* Perhaps you admire and support a particular candidate who claims he has just the right incentive, program, or regulation that will do the trick.

Well, if you ever catch yourself (or another person), making such a pronouncement, then you can KNOW that either you (or they) are wrong. You see . . .

When you have "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people," YOUR "grand design" won't work. Why?

Unfortunately, other people will also be involved. This is, after all, a representative government with separation of powers. Your scheme will be touched and affected by lobbyists, legislators, bureaucrats, and judges. Then it will be imposed on a group of people, many of whom will NOT cheerfully cooperate because they do NOT appreciate your brilliance.

By failing to appreciate these events, you have fallen victim to the Dictator Fallacy.

The Dictator Fallacy is the belief that any law or program will be implemented in just the way you intended -- as if you were the king.

Your more perfect vision could only be actualized if you were the czar. Yet to want that power would be to denounce the Constitutional principles and representative democracy that you claim to adore.

There are at least six major ways your plan will go awry.

First, the legislative branch will have its say. They'll wheel and deal. They'll modify your perfect design. Senator Foghorn will secure a new federal building in return for his vote, while hordes of lobbyists will secure exemptions, loopholes, or extra benefits for their clients.

Second, the executive branch will then interpret the law. They will mangle your plan to fit their political goals. In accordance with The Slippery Slope Law of The State, bureaucrats and prosecutors will work diligently to stretch the limited power you intended to convey so that your focused plan will become swollen, unfocused, and perhaps, even abusive.

Third, the Courts will get in on the act too, forbidding some aspects of your design, while permitting other things you never intended. By this point, you might not even recognize your plan.

Fourth, the People will then react to the law. Some will comply; others will resist. Nearly everyone will look for loopholes. Attorneys, accountants, and consultants of all stripes will have a new industry, vested in navigating around your law to the greatest degree possible.

Fifth, the real "unintended consequences" of your plan will begin to manifest themselves. You may even discover what most policymakers experience; your proposal will boomerang, worsening the very problem you presumed to fix. Consider these examples . . .

* laws to curb narcotic use will entangle children in the violent, black-market drug trade
* fancy plans to restrict gun ownership will coincide with an increase in burglaries in your own neighborhood

Reality will laugh at your good intentions.

And here, we must go down an important rabbit trail. When our program fails, it is easy to be blind to the obvious. The very normal human reaction is to assume that things would've worked better if only our intelligent design had been followed -- that our uniquely brilliant scheme could've made The State more efficient and effective. We . . .

* bemoan the fact that legislators, bureaucrats, and judges mutilated our plans.
* complain that the people weren't made to see how this was for their own good.

Now, hopefully, it's evident. We'll NEVER witness your wonderful, pet plans, materialize. The only way that your more perfect vision could possibly have been implemented, was if YOU were the king.

Sixth, comes the most brutal blow of all.

The power you give a politician you love to do something you favor, is . . .
. . . the same power that people you abhor will use to do things you oppose.

Since you aren't a dictator you simply have to accept that officeholders change. Partisan majorities switch hands. The power you wanted to give to good people will always end up in the hands of bad people.

But for too many would-be dictators, "unintended consequences" simply means that they never intended for their opposition to acquire power again.

This is the trap that snares naive, do-gooders who . . .

* fantasize about what they would do if they were the boss, while forgetting that they supposedly despise dictators.
* fail to take into account that the people who really run things aren't as brilliant or purely motivated as they are.

Do you ever support expanding The State because you imagine that a larger State would do things the way you would do them if you were in charge? If so, then you have made yourself (and others) a victim of the Dictator Fallacy.

The Dictator Fallacy means that no matter how well-intentioned you are, no matter how good you think your idea is, your new regulation or initiative to solve a problem won't . . .

* be passed by you,
* administered by you, or
* adjudicated by you.

Nor will . . .

* everyone cooperate with your scheme.
* the new powers you create always be controlled by people you like.

You must choose . . .

* A limited constitutional republic, or . . .
* The horrifying Frankenstein creations that result from The Dictator Fallacy.

HT: The concept of the "Dictator Syndrome" was created by Downsize DC co-founder, Harry Browne, in chapter five of his 1995 book, "Why Government Doesn't Work." That chapter was titled, "If You Were King (The Dictator Syndrome)." http://harrybrowne.org

Orange Peppers

My wife and I have started eating better. The problem with changing habits is that the changes don't usually last. It takes a few runs up the hill to get it to be a permanent thing. Tamie is really into it-- kale chips, green smoothies and what-not but I am being careful to make sure that I only eat things I like while at the same time trying new and healthier things.

I was looking at a box of Trix. Ingredients: Corn Flour, Corn Syrup and Corn Meal. Tons of genetically modified government-subsidized corn.

While at the natural foods store with Tamie the other night I was impressed by the broad array of different options. Tons of different natural sugar alternatives, many dozens of various grains, organic local produce. Most of it 1.5x to 2.0x the price of government-subsidized products. It then occurred to me that maybe the natural foods store would be what the regular store would look like without the federal government subsidizing certain foods (eg corn, sugar). It then hit me further that a relatively small number of Congressmen were making my choices for me. They decided that corn would be the food of the masses.

Without even thinking about it, just enjoying different new foods and vegetables, I have lost six pounds since January 1. I'm down to 208. I'd like to be a smooth $1.97 again.

This morning I had a whole wheat pita covered in Tamie's home-made hummus; avocados, orange peppers, and tomoatoes. My body is readjusting to this new type of food. I still crave filling carbs. I still want a McD's Angus burger. But I am starting to crave pears and sweet peppers, too.

I had a lot of things to put on a studio update today but the clock ran out. The Orks have many new and wonderful additions. For Valhalla things are evolving apace in terms of event planning (ie how to run the games). The idea is maturing into something wonderful. I can't wait. Tickets are now available. We are ready to shoe-horn you in. You can get an event pass for $350 (three days food/events) if you want to find your own lodging in the area. If it were me, I'd get three of my friends on board for $400 each and take up in the Barracks. Remember you can pay half in the month following the event so if you have $175-200 you can get started at least!

My current visual opiate is Doctor Who, 2005. I remember watching the first few episodes and losing interest, but the series certainly gets better. Some are richly written, well-thought-out, campy, and some are a bit freaky. I wouldn't let my kids watch just any one.

On General Welfare

James Madison (one of the most Federally Oriented founding fathers) had this to say about the General Welfare clause.

If congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands, they may appoint teachers in every state, county, and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post roads; in short, everything, from the highest object of state regulation down to the most minute objects of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress….Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of limited Government established by the people of America.[Letter to Edmund Pendleton, January 21, 1792]

Amazing what he lists as obvious stretches of federal control.

Stone Corridors comments on our scenario

We are actively working on scenarios for Valhalla, an event with narrative/themed games. Miniatures battles as challenging as ever, but with a storytelling bent.

Here's what he had to say.


And more comments from another viewer:

Hello Shawn,

This is in response to the epic show-down that was the recent Blood Angels
v. Orks batrep that you and the guys posted. First, that board is
out-freaking-standing. And the armies, as always, looked fantastic. Second,
it's always great to see a great game, with great sportsmanship. You all
always seem to have a ton of fun. Now, on to the scenario:

I'm a fan of objective scenarios in wargames, and the one you presented is a
pretty standard objective style game. I have a few observations based on
some of the criticism that it's gotten.

1. Objectives in the starting areas (or close to the starting areas): As
people have pointed out, and I think someone during the game noted this too
(perhaps you Shawn?), objectives in the starting area don't mean too much.
However, I'd like to pose a counter-argument for keeping them, or at least
one of them. Without at least one objective in the starting area, there is
no incentive to start a Troops choice in that area. Why not deep strike all
of your troops (if possible), to get to the objectives faster? An objective
in the starting area also keeps even the worst match from being a shut-out,
which is just a nice perk for some of us.

2. I've heard at least one call to make starting areas the short edge so the
game board becomes longer. It seems to me the idea is to have two armies
rush towards each other and meet to fight it out in the middle areas. The
faster that happens the better, in my opinion. This also keeps deepstriking
from being a complete game winner. In a long board, a deepstriking army
could potentially drop on the fifth marker (or the "game winning" marker),
then backtrack towards their starting area picking up the rest of "their
side" markers while the other army is busy trying to catch up to them. This
is still a viable strategy in a shorter board (at least theoretically), but
takes a lot more work to pull off.

3. And last, I've read some complaints about how the game ended as a draw
but with the Blood Angels wiped off the board. Frankly, I think that's
outstanding. Objective-based games aren't about killing all of the enemy.
It's about accomplishing objectives. And I feel like 40k is the perfect game
to have an army get wiped out to the model while also being successful at
its goal. Is there anything better than three units of Blood Angels giving
their lives in a last stand against a Waaagh! of Orks in order to keep the
greenskins from winning? You don't need to wipe out an enemy to break them.
Which is something signified by the use of Troops choices to take
objectives. Support and elite troops are great for taking the battle to the
enemy, but troops are how you sustain a war. There's an extra level of
tactics involved in a game when your goals are to kill your enemies Troops,
keep your Troops alive, while also taking objectives. Killing everything
else of theirs will make your job easier, but it won't win you the battle.
And that's what makes objective-based games more interesting than all out
battles. So, bottom line is, above anything else, please don't make wiping
out the enemy a win. Sacrifice is what 40k is all about.

Thanks for reading,
Jason

Teach Me a Lesson

I am now issuing a challenge for a "good" player to come to the studio and beat me down. Any takers?

Clunking Along

I went to sleep around 9:30pm. I got up around 1:30am. I'm answering emails, getting an aggressive start to the week.

I am actively on standby for any inquiry you may have. I am eager to set up projects for late January and February. We are ready when you are!

Remember, you can pay for a project in any increments you like, breaking it up practically how you see fit. I just need to know the target date for completion.

Tickets for Valhalla are on sale now. Several have asked if there will be events later in the year. That's the plan! Right now we are concentrating on the first two events. However, a rough draft is that we will have one in April (probably for Warhammer Fantasy), and then two events a month through summer and fall.

We do plan on going to Adepticon, yes.

I'm almost through season 6 of Star Trek TNG. It's soothing background material and suitable for public consumption.

Over the weekend I read this rather lengthy article about Playing to Win. I am not a competitive player by any definition. However, recording the batrep this weekend made me realize I really don't know 40K that well. I am not playing very much these days and that is going to change. I need to know my genre about 5x better.

Valhalla: Ork sneak pics

At the February Valhalla event, the plan is to have both formal and informal games. For the formal, scored games it will be four games over two days. Normal games (one player against another) as well as scenario games (one player playing a pre-set scenario). It is for this type of game that we are building two or more studio armies. One of those is the Junkyard Orks. By this coming Tuesday they will be completely done, except for two Stompas.

So that means you might bring your own army, but play one or two games using the Orks. Or a few games where you play someone playing Orks. Maybe even a BTP staffer. Or you can just play your own army the whole time.

Scenarios and rules and what-not will be published in advance.

I have avoided using the word "tournament" because we are not out to find the best players of the group, but rather to tell an epic tale. If your score is the highest that gives bragging rights, but not much else.

Here's what's in it:
2x Warboss on foot
2x Warboss on bike (one FW)
2x Mekboyz
1x Zagstrukk
9x Trukk chassis
3x Supa Zzappa upgrades for Trukk
4x Battlewagon
1x Lifta-Droppa
60x Slugga/Choppa Boyz
40x Shoot Boyz
6x Big Shootaz
3x Rokkit Boyz
10x Stormboyz
11x Lootaz
13x Kommandos
7x Nobz on Bike
36x Nobz on foot
4x Painboyz
13x Burnaboyz
3x Meganobz

Coming up!
2x Stompaz

A batrep was recorded today; Renn's Blood Angels vs James with Orks. I hope to get the first two parts up soon.

Lastly, some math on Valhalla. The Barracks sleeps four. The ticket is $1600. However, split four ways that's only $400 each (lodging, food, most transportation, and event for four days three nights). And you only have to pay half up front. Time to get some buddies together and make the trip!

Valhalla Now Open!

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.


[Read the whole thing! If you have any questions or wish to purchase a ticket contact Shawn at bluetablepainting@gmail.com or phone 801 372 8545]

Dates
In February and March of 2011, Blue Table Painting is hosting two events. The setting is a 196 acre estate twenty minutes up the canyon from Spanish Fork Utah.

You can arrive as early as Thursday 11am on February 24, and ends on Saturday February 26 at 9pm. Optional Saturday night stay (contact us for details).

The second event has the same schedule, March 24 to 26.

A ticket includes lodging, food and admission into all gaming events. Tickets are first-come-first-served. Payment options:

• Paid in full up front (check, MO, cash, or major Credit Card)
• Paid half down and half on arrival.
• Paid half down and remainder in February (spread out as you please).

You will be like our honored houseguest.

Tickets do not include airfare. Some transportation is provided gratis; we're making a few pickups at the airport and will be running shuttles from the studio in Spanish Fork to the ranch. Possibly also some trips into town if you want that.

Rooms
There are five rooms. A ticket gets you the room for the three days (two nights). There are only five tickets for rooms, and ten "event pass" tickets for a total of 16-24 guests. As you can see this is a very limited number. All rooms have a plasma TV with sattelite channels.


Room A: Chief Librarian's Chamber
This is the master bedroom of the house. It is on the main level, adjacent to the library. It has a second door that opens onto a balcony that overlooks the stone patio. It has a private bath with a jetted tub and walk-in closet. This room is double-occupancy and includes a pass for up to two people (ie food and gaming events). This ticket is $1200.
[this room already booked for February event]
[this room already booked for March event]

Room B: Inquisitor's Sanctum
This is a ground level room with a private bath. It has a outer door that leads to the Great Stone Patio. This room is double-occupancy and includes a pass for up to two people (ie food and gaming events). This ticket is $1200.

Room C: Captain's Quarters
This is a ground level room with a private bath. It has a outer door that leads to the stone patio. This room is single-occupancy only. The bathroom is adjacent but not interiorly connected. This ticket is $800.
[this room already booked for February event]

Room D: The Barracks
This is a second-story room with views overlooking the valley three directions. It is quadruple occupancy, with four single beds. So, if you want this one you get to bring up to three friends. And even more! You can have up to six people, with each additional person being +$300. This room has a private bath, plenty of closet space, and the biggest TV in the house. This ticket is $1600.

Side note: I think this is the least expensive option for a group. If you do the math it ends up being $400 per person. Plus this room is a lot of fun.

Room E: The Chapter Master's Suite
This is easily the best room in the house, basically a miniature house to itself. A miniature kitchen, washer-dryer, personal balcony, walk-in closet huge bed, plasma TV (like other rooms), and the most spectacular view in the entire house. You will be set like a king. This room is double-occupancy and includes a pass for up to two people (ie food and gaming events). You can upgrade occupancy to three people for +$300. This ticket is $1600.
[this room already booked for February event]

Common Areas
There will be plenty of wargaming tables all set with lavish terrain. There is also a game room with a billiards table. There will be one or two fridges stocked with goodies to be had at any time you like. Want to come out at 3am and make a plate stacked with delectables? Go on ahead! (just be sure to have your robe on!). A library stocked with army books.

Event Passes
You can purchase an event pass which covers you for the three days to completely participate in gaming events and eat what you want. You just have to find a place to stay down in the valley and drive up each day. Later, we will have suggestions for places to stay posted. Cost for a three-day Event Pass is $350.

Food
Kevin, a veteran of the restaurant and catering industry, is coordinating the (enormous amount of) delicious meals and snacks that will be provided throughout the event- all inclusive.

PDF Menu

Meals will be served, buffet style: Breakfast 7am - 9am, Lunch 11:30am - 1pm, Dinner 5:30pm - 7pm Snacks and Beverages will be provided throughout the event- and all hours, self-service.

It is our objective to provide the very best food we can. Sample menus will be available, and are subject to change without notice. If you have any special food requirements or allergies, please let us know. We'd like to be accommodating.

Gaming Events
All events will be announced solid by January 10, 2010.

There will be a tournament for 40K as well as themed events. We are emphasizing friendly play. The boards will be world-class and with plenty of space to move around. The tournament is not mandatory! You may want to just play pickup games.

Painted armies only. Games at 2000 pts.

We will have other games available like Space Hulk or Necromunda. All painted up of course. While initial events are geared to 40K, there is no reason not to play some Fantasy as well. We will have studio armies available for use (no charge of course) for casual play. The plan is to have all sorts of games up there. A lot.

We are interested in doing something different than a typical tournament where a small handful of people come out on top. We would prefer to do a spectacle with an element of storytelling. The various table represent key battlefields on a particular planet.

Prize Support
For every participant there will be a minimum of $100 retail of prize support. Plan = spread it around more than a normal tournament.

Your Hosts
The event will be hosted by Sarah and Shawn with other BTP staff coming in and out for games or to help out. Would you like to be a guest on the Morning Show?

Prepared Armies
You can bring your own army to the event. Also, if you want you can have your army done by BTP in advance and ready for you to use at the tournament. As a third option you can rent an army. We will make any army list you want for $300, just to use. If you decide to buy the army you get $350 towards it.

FAQ
You can bring your own army if you want. That will be the normal thing.
If these first two events are successful we plan on having others throughout the year.
We will have events for a variety of different game systems, notably Warhammer Fantasy.

Miscellany
We are working on internet service. But there might not be any by January. There is also no cell phone service! You will be incommunicado possibly. Well, there is a land line you can use to let people know you have arrived safely. At first, I didn't like this, but there is something to be said for peace and quiet.

Terms of Service

• We reserve the right to refuse service.
• Utah taxes may apply.
• The ticket is purchased from HollingsGate LC., the corporation under which we are running the events.
  
• You will agree to a code of conduct, which is basically "be extra courteous to others". With so few people everyone needs to be on best behavior. You are an honored houseguest and so guest-like behavior is the order of the day.
  
• For the first two events we are 18 yrs+.
• We do not serve alcohol. This is a non-smoking facility. Areas are available for smoking outside.
  
• You will not be sold to or solicited while at the event. The terrain will be for sale, inconspicuously, and you are welcome to "talk shop" with Shawn, but you won't be approached by vendors.
• Food will be provided buffet style for all meals. Snacks and beverages are included in the ticket cost and available self-service throughout the event.
  
• If on account of some act of nature or unforeseen cataclysm we can't use the main facility we should have a backup location of comparable nature OR you may be refunded the cost of the ticket.
  

Country Doctor

I came across this article about the free market and healthcare. One of the best things I have read for a while.

Bullet Points

Got in extra materials, enough to make a Space Wolf army. Also got a small Space Wolf army for sale, pics forthcoming.

Didn't quite get to the Valhalla vid/announcement, will do it Friday (today).

Gave away two armies for the giveaway thing.

Mike Lee Sworn in Today

.This is not a vid of the actual swearing in, just a taste of how awesomely versed in the Constitution Mike Lee is.

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Talkie Toaster

I passed out around 7:30pm, so tired. I just meant to take a little nap. I woke up at 1am, and started keeping up on emails. I put on a few episodes of Red Dwarf, an opiate for an overworked mind.

Valhalla Update

We have been working furiously behind the scenes. Here are some bullet points:

New schedule:
February 24-27
March 24-27

Both of those are Thursday checkin (11am at studio, 2pm arrival at Valhalla!) with departure Saturday night or Sunday morning (if you want to see yourself out-- we have the day off!).

First game board is nearing completion. It is amazing. Vids coming of that before week's over. Over 100 Orks done for scenario games. Catachans (not Blood Ravens) are the other army. That leaves a Blood Raven army ready for someone to commission (or any blood angels) just sitting here ready to go. Game board / planet theme is now Catachan.

Tons more details forthcoming on Thursday. Vids and everything.

Horde Painting

I'm still running that horde painting special. 50-100+ figures, L3 infantry for $5 each painting.

I would also do bulk deals for the cost of models, too, if you want that. You can send models ready to paint.

Suggestions:
50+ Space Marine infantry
50+ Wyches or Kabalite Warriors
50+ Orks
50+ Gaunts

This would be absolutely great for a Warhammer Fantasy army. Nowadays you need at least 75 infantry. For a Skaven army this would be awesome because you need at least 200 figures really. You could make a beastly Warriors of Chaos force with this special. Fifty chaos warriors would be a mammoth beatstick and weigh in around a thousand points everything included. Lizardmen, Vampire Counts, Beastmen (oh man you need to do a Beastmen army), and Dwarfs would benefit particularly from this special.

Now's your chance to get your massed troops done. Heck, you could even do a combined item: like a massed Space Wolf infantry army with six Razorbacks, 36x infantry and 15x Long Fangs. I'm open to ideas.

Skaven Releases

You can order the new Skaven stuff as early as January 10, with arrival around January 15.

The Skaven spreadsheet is updated now so you can order these items, done and painted if you pleased. Or you can just email for a quote.

PS- the army give-away is concluded. I gave away the Industrial Orcs and the Ogres.

Tower-Tastic

Check out this terrain. I just stumbled on it and haven't really looked at the site, but yeeesh, amazing!

Horde Economics

[Guest Article. PS- looking for article-writers]

This article will discuss the use of hordes and their usefulness, where it starts and where it ends. Before we can dig into the depths of hordes and their use we first have to explore army composition in general. In this edition the percentages opened our eyes for things we never imagined to be possible, 2 Chaos Lords or 6 Goblin (3 of them Night Goblin) Warbosses in one army for example. But due to all the goodness it presents we don’t see the forest anymore, all the shiny trees are in the way. That’s why I advise to start with the core, that’s the thing that’s most important at least 2 sturdy blocks of core. Once I got that I move onto a general, some more core and then fill it up with what I like/want in my army. You probably think this is logical, but a lot of people don’t do this and end up with an army not beefy enough to sustain damage.

But let’s get on-topic and discuss the use of large blocks and especially hordes. The definition of a horde according to “Merriam-Webster”:

a political subdivision of central Asian nomads

a people or tribe of nomadic life

a teeming crowd or throng ; swarm

Now we know that a horde is a swarm you get the idea. According to me a block of core (in 8th edition) should be at least 30 strong, to get the most out of your attacks and ranks. If 30 is my norm, my horde is 50, I know that this 2/3 increase of the unit but it is worth it. Because when you field your guys 10 wide you get to fight with an extra rank, meaning 1st rank, 2nd rank support, 3rd rank support (and 4th if you have spears and didn’t charge). The chance that you get all 10 guys in the first rank in combat is slim, 7 is the number you will see more often, but still then you got 7*3=21 attacks (possible more if you have 2 attacks base, or a champion). Not only that, but you are likely to have more ranks (you got 4). The downside is the large footprint of the unit, it’s a unit-affecting-spell and template magnet. But since you got a lot of guys you can take some casualties and need a lot of losses before you lose 25%. And once you have lost a sustainable amount of model use your musician to make a swift-reform and go 6 or 5 wide à more ranks.

What troop types are suitable for a horde? Well that differs on taste, but what I find is that models up to 12 points per model are suited for a horde (perhaps in a quantity of 40 once nearing the 12 points). But there are of course some models that extend tremendously and are almost designed for hordes.

Goblins: WOW big surprise, small guys can’t do a lot, but small guys with 20+ attacks hurt, there got to be some 6’s in there. Downsides, low leadership and armour saves.

Skaven: The ultimate horde army, same as goblins but slightly more effective, they are cheaper and get higher LD due to their ranks. Downside low armour saves.

Orcs: Very nice, brutal, hard combat units. With shield and/or spears they are amazing, S4 (in first round of CC), T4, WS4. Downsides, low armour save and low initiative.

Chaos Marauders, probably THE best unit in the in game. With a certain build that is… Give them flails and the Mark of Khorne, (in a unit of 30 they are 6 points per piece if the unit gets bigger less due to the Mark.) A basic lay-out, WS 4, I4, frenzy (2 attacks in first rank) and S5 in first round of CC. I call this build the “Meat grinder”.

There are of course many more that are suited very well… (Gors, Empire halberdiers, Skeletons (VC & TK), Zombies, Ghouls, men-at-arms.

And many many more which I haven’t delved into yet. You can of course try yourself and unit size and choice of unit is always something personal.

Another nice feature of hordes is that when you start losing a lot of models and your ranks get touched, you just need to combat reform back to 5 files and you got the double of your ranks, meaning you probably are steadfast, and there is not a thing as nice as being steadfast, that’s what makes tiny models (goblins and skaven slaves) viable. Because it doesn’t matter if you lose 8 slaves to that ogres as long as you can get at least 1 wound on them you are grinding them down on the long term because you aren’t going anywhere. Another nice feature is that you can use big inexpensive units such as 60 slaves or goblins to tie up your opponent, just throw it in front of their hardest hitting unit you couldn’t hurt anyway and he will be fighting it for a while, all the more time for you to finish the rest of his army and come out ahead in victory points.

If you liked my article, got any comments, want to ask me something or whatever else let it know ;-)

M. Versteeg

BTP correspondent from the Netherlands

Useless Lump

One sick kid (G) and a little daughter stayed at home with me while the rest of the fam went to church. I was a complete lump. A useless sack.

I finished reading Color of Magic. I watched like five movies. Just laying in bed.

My wife is doing some kind of veggies-only cleanse so I'm on board with that about 30% just because I'm lazy and won't make my own food. Tamie has spoiled me.

2010 Retrospective part 02

2010 was an eventful year. In fact, 2008 and 2009 were years of earthquakes for me in life as well.

Earlier this year I was elected as a Precinct Chair, which is like an unpaid mini-congressperson in some ways. I went to multiple political conventions and was part of an upheaval in which a belleweather Republican senator (B. Bennett) was unseated and a more constitutionalist-type was put in his place (Mike Lee).

My wife and I were called as Cub Scout leaders with all the attendant planning and training.

I read the Book of Romans for the first time. With understanding. The X = 1 of the universe is the mercy and condescension of God, not the obedience nor goodness of man. My prayers used to begin with "I'm sorry" and now they begin with "Thank you".

Blue Table Painting took over the downstairs. I became 20% more jaded and practical. I realized that I can't impose my high hopes on others. Some people just want to do their work and collect a check. And that's OK. Each person is different and has a different approach to life and happiness.

I am looking forward to 2011. I wonder what new and wonderful things lay ahead.