Balancing Your Army

[Guest Article]

When you’re going for a tournament, you will not know what you’ll face beforehand on that note it is important when building your army to make a “jack of all trades” army. You need to be able to counter almost anything, Hordes, Mechanised, Heavy Infantry whatever your possible opponent may throw at you, either in Warhammer or in 40K.

Every codex or army book has something to counter anything. Template weapons are excellent for hordes or deepstriking armies. Unit affecting spells do the job too (dwellers below and purple sun in a sense). On the other side every army also gets something to kill elite units. Power weapons, meltaguns in 40K are a perfect example of this while in Fantasy high strength units, no armour save spells and multiple attacks are suited for this. When you face an opponent with high armour saves there are 2 things you can do, 1) negate his armour save (low AP/high strength) 2) let him/her make enough saves, even on a 2+ there will be some fails when you have to take 10 saves.

In 40K some things you need to keep in mind when building your army are:

Do I have enough troops to claim objectives at the end of turn 5? This is the whole point about 2/3 of the games of 40K to claim objectives

Have I got enough ‘punch’ in my army to finish off my enemy. You can’t claim objectives when your opponent is still covering the field with his troops, and in kill points games you will need to finish his units off.

Did I put my eggs in one or multiple baskets? It can work if you spend a lot of points in 1 unit (say terminators in a landraider) but this is risky, since once this unit is gone you’ve lost a big part of your army. That’s why the multiple small units tactic works very well, it is a blowback of you lose the unit but not that bad since you got 7 more of them and it was only 150 points (for example).

Would I enjoy fielding this army? After all it stays a game and you have to enjoy the game, that way your opponent will enjoy it more too and you’ll both have a fun experience.

In Warhammer the things you should keep in mind differ, because the game is constructed differently, here are some of the most important items:

What are my strong and weak phases? Some armies just are stronger in some phases than others, Dwarfs for example are weak in movement and magic offense, while they’ve got a very good shooting and combat phase. Daemons do well in the magic phase but lack ranged. And then there are armies that can do every phase well, High Elves and Empire are the perfect examples of this. With the right build they got something good for everything.

Have I got enough magic defence? Magic is a big part of the game, you can choose not to take any mages yourself but in that case you should think about what you’d do if your opponent takes some mages and starts throwing all these spells at you. In my experience you can certainly dispel without mages, it’s just harder especially when facing lvl 4 mages (which everyone like so much now). I always take a lvl 2 in my army, for a it offensive power and just the little boost when defending.

Are my victory points (especially general and BSB) well protected? Since both of these can deliver your opponent some easy victory points if sniped they should be well protected, put them in a unit, give them some armour, make sure they can take the “Look out sir!”.

Did I put my eggs in one or multiple baskets? It can work if you spend a lot of points in 1 unit (say a horde of chaos knights) but this is risky, since once this unit is gone you’ve lost a big part of your army. That’s why the multiple small units tactic works very well, it is a blowback of you lose the unit but not that bad since you got 7 more of them and it was only 150 points (for example).

Would I enjoy fielding this army? After all it stays a game and you have to enjoy the game, that way your opponent will enjoy it more too and you’ll both have a fun experience.

And the golden tip when you’d like to go to tournaments, take some friends with you, practice a lot beforehand (versus different types of armies), listen to advice and feedback of others on your army list and as always enjoy.

Martijn

BTP Correspondent from the Netherlands.

The Dark Lords of Commoragh Feast Tonight

Also, the Federal Reserve celebrates its 100th birthday!

Lots of zeroes.

I advise you, dear reader, to purchase durable consumable goods (eg canned goods). Try and get up to at least three months worth. Personally, I am also stocking up on chocolate as a barterable item.

Mission of Every Soldier

This is part of an article in a local paper:

"He flew B-17s, an ancestor of today's B-52 fighter jet that can fly halfway across the world to deliver its deadly cargo with robotic precision. The weapons are more advanced today, the enemy more fluid. The mission -- maintain order in the world -- remains the same. The common desire of every soldier, to do his duty, return home and bring as many of his friends as he can, hasn't changed. "

The mission of the US Military is to "maintain order in the world"?

Can someone set me straight on this? Don't soldiers take an oath to uphold the US Constitution?

Here it is:

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

This engages a soldier in a fundamental work, a human work, a divine work; to protect the citizenry from those who would threaten their liberties, their civil rights. For that I am thankful, and would incline my freeman's head to such a person; he or she who would risk life and limb to keep the Bill of Rights held up high.

More here.

In my estimation the current enemies of the US and the Constitution are the Central Bankers.

The Constitution is a document that disperses power. It breaks up the consolidation of power. It puts the maximum influence and freedom in the hands of the individual. When I hear the phrase "maintain order in the world" I hear a call for the exact opposite of what the Constitution has at its heart.

I've also wondered what happens when a soldier's orders conflict with the Constitution. For example, if a soldier is ordered to fire into a crowd of protesters. Or to search the homes of a citizen without a warrant. Or to disarm the local population.

Do you know what percent of GDP (net effort of all citizens) is spent on the military? It's 4%. Is that high? Yes, comparatively. My question is: at what percent would you say it's too much?

My current congressional representative (Jason Chaffetz) is doing a lovely job and I feel well represented. However, in his last missive he says that he believes that "Defense" should be at least 4%. That struck me as odd. So he would have no problem if the military were at 20% of GDP? What about 80%?

The Utah Republican party platform calls for a military of "sufficient" size. I read that as meaning "big enough for the job but no bigger".

Highest was WW2 by the way at 37%.

So, where are you? What percent should it be? Really, I would like to hear some responses.

Adepticon 2010 Flashback

Stumbled on this vid taken by AG productions while we were in Chicago last year.


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Strong Enough

I happened across this video where someone expresses the strength of my own opinion. Bankers in orange sounds about right to me. If you're not at least as upset as this guy then you don't understand what has happened to you.

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Skaven

Just picked up a Skaven Army (the one Renn has been working on for a while). In the next 24-48 hours it will be refurbished and pics put up. As it stands now this is what we're looking at:

10x infantry Heroes of various sorts (1x Grey Seer, 1x BSB, 1x Queek/Chieftan, 1x Sniktch/Assassin, 4x Warlocks, 1x Chieftan on War Litter, 1x Chieftan)
263x various infantry (at least190 clanrats)

2x Doomwheels
1x Plague Furnace
11x Weapon Teams (3x Doomflayers, 5x Plague Mortars, 3x Warpfire Throwers)
1x Warp Lightning Cannon
8x Rat Ogres
4x Packmasters

All on magnetized movement trays, various sizes for your convenience.

Lots of expert conversions. For example, all Rat Ogres are from recent kits.

Counts are not exact but that's pretty much it. The big deal here is the sheer massed amount of infantry, which a Skaven army desperately needs, and what makes the Skaven such an incredibly hard army to do right.

Price tag is $3200. We can add/match whatever additional models you want at standard rate.

Ron Paul talks a lick of sense


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And a blurb of one of my faves, Naomi Klein

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Here are some more interesting ideas. Look at the last half if you are short on time. Interesting listening. As you may know I'm a fan of the research of "The Shock Doctrine" but not the conclusions. Here she asks an interesting question: What's the new normal after this?

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She says "Brazil levels of inequality". It makes a question pop into my head: is this inequality justified? I mean, is there such a thing as someone who is so completely un-accomplished, who has been so lazy and and irresponsible that he deserves to live in a shed? Right now the workers at BTP are propping up various welfare addicts (yes, including corporations, the worst kind of recipients) through our dutiful and painful Payroll tax payments.
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Personally, I do not want banks regulated. I want their charters revoked; the power to use fractional reserve banking (legalized counterfeiting) rescinded completely. I dream of a world without banks. Abolish the Federal Reserve.

Tyranid Testimonial

A client opens his package from BTP.


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Dilbert Future

I just found one of my favorite all time books on Google books.

Patchyoo, Patchyooo

That's the sound of me deflecting your whiny bitchiness with my happiness shield.

--Veronica, Better Off Ted

BTP on 11th company podcast

I talk about the phenomenon of pro-painted armies on the tournament circuit.

Home site.

Specific podcast.

Dark Eldar Update

[Got this in from a viewer, so this is third-hand information.]
Just watched your video regarding the new DE and thought you might want to hear this:

"I had a chance to have a chat with Jes Goodwin today and got some more info regarding DE release schedule.

He said that they will have 90% of the Dark Eldar models in the Codex released by June next year, so no more than 7 months.

Basically people have waited so long for this release and as it looks set to be so popular he wanted to get everything out quickly.

There are 4 new plastic kits coming next year, he wouldn't say exactly what they were but that the Venom is definitely coming soon and they have models for both flyers listed in the Dex on ready to go (but he wouldn't confirm if these were part of the 90%).

He said that the models which would take longer were the special characters, so these may form the missing 10% which means we have a lot of new models coming soon.

He is still working on a few bits, something he wants to do is have Haemonculi passengers/hangers on the Raider but isn't sure how best to do that.

The Wych passengers/hangers on for the Raider will be included in the plastic Venom kit, but there isn't another suitabe release to make up Haemonculi equivalents.

He also said that now that rapid prototyping and CAD technology has progressed the design team can use 2 ups instead of 3 ups which means that making larger apocolypse style kits (Stompa and Baneblade) in plastic is now more possible.

This means that they are currently working on one of these types of kits as the sales for the Stompa etc were very good, but wouldn't say whether they had decided on what this would be, although I got the impression he wanted it to be Eldar.

Talking of Eldar he said that producing the Dark Eldar had fired up his enthusiasm for a new Craftworld Eldar Codex and models, and he has lots of ideas for this. However this hasn't even started yet so a new Eldar Codex is a long way off."

8800 point Tyranid army soon to be on the block

Just a quick heads up. It's Hive Hades style (pale flesh and dark purple carapace). It's loaded with options, magnetization, custom conversions. Probably going to split it into two or three parts totaling $3900 approx.

Also includes Heirophant (largest creature published) and two heirodules.

Or I might just split it up into completely distinct lots. Here are some sample pics (not everything)

More pics.

TYRANIDS
				pts./model
HQ:
	Hive Tyrant		3	170	510
	Tyrant Guards		6	60	360
	Tyranid Prime		2	80	160
FAST ATTACK:
	Raveners		9	30	270
ELITE:
	Lictors		3	65	195
	Hive Guard		6	50	300
	Doom of Malantai		1	90	90
TROOPS:
	Tervigon		2	160	320
	Spine Gaunts		60	6	360
	Termagaunts		40	5	200
	Hormagaunts		40	6	240
	Genestealers		35	14	490
	Broodlord		2	60	120
	Warriors		9	30	270
HEAVY SUPPORT:
	Carnifexes		8	160	1280
	Zoanthropes		6	60	360
	Malanthrope		1	150	150
	Trygon		2	200	400
	Mawloc		1	170	170
	Spore Pods		4	40	160
SUPER-HEAVY SUPPORT:
	Hierophant Bio-Titan		1	1250	1250
	Barbed Hierodule		1	540	540
	Scythed Hierodule		1	600	600
				Total	8795

Tyranid Organisms

We are still making custom Tyranid stuff from scratch:

Assembly only--

Swarmlord: $135
Ninja Swarmlord: $195
Magnetized Limbs to switch out a Swarmlord/Tyrant: +$70
Tyrannofex or Tervigon: $135
Tyranid Prime: $65
Doom of Malan'tai: $65

+$85 for painting on large creatures

http://www.bluetablepainting.com/view_gallery.php?galleryID=3419
http://www.bluetablepainting.com/view_image.php?imgID=83783
http://www.bluetablepainting.com/view_image.php?imgID=83769

We make one that is a bio-vore style one, the Omega. We can make that a shorter barrel if you prefer.

I had one made for my Mesa Nids with a short gun made from a whole Venomthrope body. That's my personal fave. Later versions of this had a very long tail added.

Recently we've been doing one that looks like a giant Hive Guard and people seem to really LOVE that one.

Flying War Walker

At last something that doesn't suck in the Eldar Fast Attack section.

The Hornet.

Family Pictures

This afternoon we all piled in the minivan and headed to a local park for family pictures. I warned the girl-photographer that my tradition is to transform into half-demon-half-man; and expressed hope that I would remain in my fully human form this time around. I did quite well.

The weather was perfect for it, partially cloudy/overcast and just the right temperature. The kids were all dressed in browns and earthtones, painstakingly prepared by my wife. She really does organize that stuff really well.

After that we headed to Wal Mart and picked up a fish tank. Everyone including Willow got to fish (ha!) one out of the tank and name it. I got a really big one who I named Hyperios! Willow was absolutely transfixed.

We put in rocks from the yard. K went out and collected them in an Easter basket. I was having trouble getting the pump to work until my wife happened into the room. She has a fixit aura that seems to just make things work. I say that she is my good luck charm.

Dr. Spaceman

What is your contingency plan for a crapstorm of this magnitude?

--Jack Donaghy

The last few days we have slept in. The whole family is tired; up late. I've been watching Japanese robot anime so I've got an almighty hankering to do up a Tau army. This morning was lovely, the sun slowly growing in strength as it streamed through the drapes, holding my darling wife in my arms as the children came in to say good morning one by one.

I have a green flannel sheet on my side of the bed, just draped over. It feels so good. It feels like growing up. I slept a lot in sleeping bags and they always had flannel on the inside, so it's pure comfort.

I took the kids to school then headed to work. Shannon and Sarah filtered in shortly thereafter and we pretty much got a lid on the whole operation. The last few days it's been like it should be-- I keep an eye on the Inbox and answer each item as it comes in. I really want to ramp up the response time.

Someone filled the bird feeder with peanut M&Ms and I think that gave me heartburn. I think I must have aten a pound of them. I shot a lot of vids today, but didn't get them processed. I'll get them up tomorrow.

Got the Dark Eldar pricing sheet up. Or you can request it via email bluetablepainting@gmail.com

The $300 special is going, see a few posts back. Here is how I recommend it for Dark Eldar (this is for Artistic License-- +$15 if you want to pick colors):

#1 $300
1x Archon
20x Kabalite Warriors (or Wyches if you prefer)

Add 5x Incubi = +$80

#2 $300
4x Raiders

#3 $300
????

Plastic Alchemists

I am looking for Alchemist plastics by Rackham. They are discontinued, but should be had at a notable discount. If you know of a source of any, anywhere, of any type OR wish to trade some in (or have me pay cash!) please contact me at bluetablepainting@gmail.com

Game Postponed

Dunn couldn't make it down today, our game is postponed until Saturday morning. The good news is that there will be more painted models.

Stuck in the Drive Thru

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Spanish Fork

It's happened. I've been in Spanish Fork seven years and it's become home. I had a dream last night, really a sequence of dreams, that I was in a glorified version of Spanish Fork. It was like an old Spanish city with brickwork and ivy; old tall European buildings. I was taking pictures and driving around in a 1920s green car. It was loud and open-topped. It had a tall rectangular front window split into two with the side-view mirrors oddly in the center of each one, held out from a bar extending from the middle vertical bar. I went to a soccer game, wrote a story about two women at the water-treatment plant, rushed my kids to the bus station (only to miss it) and had all the pictures framed. It was quite a night.

All a dream.

It is now Wednesday morning. Monday and Tuesday were double-stacked with things to do. With a few exceptions I have cleared my Inbox and all projects are sorted, assigned and underway. I am now just watching my email for new ones, ready to answer them right away. That's where I like to be. I don't like days of delay to get back to people, and I assure you I'm working hard on it.

I have a game with Mike Dunn today: 2500 pts Rainforest Elves vs Skaven. That will be televised.

Also, Dark Eldar are on order, I have a whole army's worth coming in on Friday and if no takers then I'll make them post haste into a studio army. You'll see a 40K batrep real soon. We have also had a preliminary meeting to discuss possibilities for the unpublished models from the codex. There are about six: Wracks, Beastmaster Beasts (three kinds), Cronos and Talos. The latter does have a published model, but it's absolutely horrid.