Wedding prep...

Is no fun whatever...  Oldest daughter (Kaitlyn, Maggie's oldest) is getting married next Sunday....  REALLY looking forward to getting past this.  Maggie is stressed beyond belief with the constant changes and silliness..  Me, I'm just trying to keep quiet and maintain a bit of sanity...  So, the cats and I are all keeping the same low profile :-)  Maybe it will all go the way it should and things will work out...  Here's hoping at least...

Missed out on the Magic event this weekend, and there is no way I'll be able to make next weekends...  Trying to get Maggie out to play, but I'd say it is a safe bet it won't happen for a few more weeks after this all blows over.  Me, I'm looking to trade off some ancient cards for something a bit more modern...  Seems like a bunch of really neat stuff out there these days...

40K, league night again tomorrow, trying Eldar with more or less a slight variation on what I've been bringing.  No clue who I'm playing, but I've decided I really need more actual Troops...  2-0 so far, but both missions were Kill Points and my list had so few Kill Points that I was at a pretty serious advantage on those particular missions.  In both games the secondary was objective based, and I think I only would have held one in both cases...  Mind, one would have been enough for a win had the game played out exactly like it did, but I'm guessing Dave would have held back a squad or so of the Hunters to contest/hold at the end...  Still Wraithguard with Eldrad and a Phoenix Lord are REALLY tough to kill off in anything like a timely fashion like say, 5-7 turns :-)  But this week I'll have at least 2 other "Troops" who are just there to contest/hold objectives in the mid/late game...  You know, assuming they don't just get themselves killed off early...  But reserves/flanking might be how I run them...  Depends on the mission.

October Dave and I will be headed to Bloomington to play in a teams tournament based almost exactly on the Adepticon stuff...  So, either a Fleshtearer list based on Death Company, Death Company Dreadnaught in a Lucius class Drop Pod...  The Lucius Class Pod allows the DN to assault out of Deep Strike, so turn one, it hits right on top of the enemy, melta gun if possible and then either DN CCW or the Claws of Eternal Combat...  The Blood Talons allow me to quite simply erase a squad of Marine type opponents every close combat phase...  Broken and silly, but we're playing in a tournament, so...

My other possible thing to bring would be Deathwing.  Belial, 2-3 Deathwing Squads with TH/SS and LC Terminators and a Cyclone Missile Launcher...  One option is 3 squads and either 2 Typhoon Class Speeders (MM/2 missile shots) or a min Squadron of Ravenwing with 2 melta guns (scouts, fearless bikers, etc...) or drop to 2 squads of DW and bring a Land Raider Crusader...  Just roll up the field and dare them to engage...  Or sit back and hold the objectives in cover with 2+/3++ saves on fearless troops who also have heavy weapons and all power weapon/thunder hammer type weapons in HtH...  The safer choice certainly.  BA win or lose big.  And the army is based on a gimmick play.  If it works it is deadly, if not...  Well...

 :-)

Changes...

Last Friday I wandered off to the weekly "Caffeine Break" meeting that Craig Jackson organized and have now become something of an institution at the University...  Weird feeling, like I am actually in "middle management" now.  I've been going to these meetings for quite some time now, but I was pretty much just some random IT guy who mostly sat quietly and listened.  Now I'm much more involved in the discussions, and I actually know pretty much everyone there...  And a lot of us have moved up in the ranks as it were.  Not saying there is a direct correlation between attendance and promotion, but it is really interesting to watch.  Have to admit that between that and the peer coaching thing I've gotten myself into a pretty good position for the future there.  Kind of a good thing after the last few years prior to Craig and Bart helping me along into Atlas where I more or less painted myself or allowed myself to be painted into a corner in Math.  Allowed me to change jobs without walking away from what I built over the years.  And now I have actual minions :-)...

Gaming, time for me to get my cardstock drop pods put together since it looks like I'm going to be playing over at Flatcon with Dave in a team tournament...  Fleshtearers for me :-)  We're just here to air assault and kill things.  We hold objectives by being the only things alive at the end of the game :-)....

Labor day gaming and beyond

So, 1850 for tomorrow.... I think I'll bring something completely different...  Same base with:
Eldrad
Wraithguard maxxed for Troops

But then Scorpions maxxed out for a flank run
Harlequins with Seer and Death Jester to march across the table
War Walkers (BL/SL) x 3
Viper (BL/ SC)
Fire Prism
Guardian Bike Squad (SC, Warlock w/ spear)
Wraithlord (ML/SL or BL)


Not sure how it'll do, and the Scorps might be better as Banshees or a min squad of each perhaps...  Dunno, I really like my Scorps, so I tend to bring them a lot more...

Also gearing up to play in a team tournament in mid Oct over in Bloomington with Dave...  I'll probably bring my Fleshtearers...  I'll be the shock troops to throw the wrench into the works for the other side...  Dave can hang back with Razorbacks on objectives while I go forth to cause havoc...  And IIRC there is an Apocalypse unit that allows a DN to assault out of deep strike.  Now, a Death Company DN hitting pretty much exactly where I want it to on turn one to be followed by my Death Company with Chaplain Lemartes...  Maybe a Land Raider to hide them behind?

Not sure this idea will work, but...

Playing Eldar in the current league, I know I need more Troops...  But giving myself a REALLY solid "Rock" unit to stand there and just take whatever punishment is being dished out and just survive and be Scoring and Alive at the end of the game...

Eldrad
Karandras
Wraithguard, full squad with a Spiritseer w/ conceal and Singing Spear

Yes, insanely expensive, but we play with a LOT of area terrain.  Stealth from Karandras for the unit gives me a 3+ re-rolable cover or armor save against almost anything (Fortune from Eldrad) on a unit of T6 Fearless Troops assuming I am 50% in area terrain...  But even just walking out in the open, you'll have a 4+ cover save.  Yes, not the hyper competitive list, but good luck killing them in the few turns you'll have...  And 2 decent or better HtH IC's waiting in the squad should you get them in HtH...  The wizard is just OK, but the Scorpion is just brutal...  Does mean the rest of the army at 1850 is a bit sparse, but I think they'll win me some games just by not losing...  :-)  Be funny in any case...

August coming to an end...

Well, new league starting up at the Store (Armored Gopher Games) tonight, and since I packed my Eldar last night, looks like they'll be what I play.  I considered the DA, and if we are not locked to a single army this league I might play them a week or two...  1850 points is a LOT of Terminators for people to deal with, but I really only see one or two viable builds for the DA: Deathwing, Ravenwing and a mix of them...  For a tournament with just a few games, I can see playing it...  But for 8 weeks?  No, I'd get bored too quickly I think...

So:
Eldrad
Maugen Ra
Pathfinders (7)
Wraithguard (Troops, max unit)
War Walkers
Scorpions (w/ Exarch for Infiltrate/move through cover)
Banshees w/ Wave Serpent (Exarch)
and ?  I think that was it...  Might go with the Scorpion Phoenix Lord in place of Ra to get stealthy, infiltrating moving through cover HtH nastiness...  Overpriced, but it would I think scare the hell out of some folks to have them hit the backfield...

Work is...  Work :-)  Getting new people by next week, and so I will be MUCH better off I am thinking.  But until then, much running about...

22 August and beyond...

Well, classes began today...  Busy day at work, looks to be the norm for now at least.  But things are starting to look up...

Not 100% sure what I'll be playing in the upcoming league, but Eldar and Deathwing are the frontrunners...  Eldar are fun if less "competitive", but they might surprise a lot of the locals...  Deathwing are hard.  Terminator troops with Ravenwing support that might just be fun, but only for a bit...  Pretty boring build really.  Effective, yes...  But so very limited.  :-)  I'll likely take the Eldar into the league just to play something different...

Base build:
Eldrad
Wraithguard (fully kitted out as Troops)
Pathfinders (7 seems to be the magic number)
Scorpions?
War Walkers?
Banshees?

Not sure beyond the base...  And then there is the possibility of taking Maugen Ra for the circus of doom :-)  We'll see...

Mid-August, gathering storm :-)

Ah, it’s that time of the year again…  And the Faculty and Students are coming back…  This year though I have 3 Departments to be responsible for and there are major changes sweeping through while this is going on…  The fun never ends.  Ah well…

Spent some time cleaning ancient firearms this weekend….  I’d forgotten a bit just how perfect the M1911A1 just feels.  Now, as an Engineer, I KNOW it isn’t the best in terms of balance, accuracy, etc…  But to me it just feels right.  The one I have was produced in 1935 IIRC, and rebuilt after I left the Army…  It is the same old Colt that I’ve carried for the last 20 years or so and across several continents.  Yes, the new Sigs, Glocks and the like are very pretty, and probably every bit as good…  Many would argue better, but still…  The old Colt has always just worked when I needed it to, and it just feels right to me, and I’ve always been very big on loyalty and tradition I guess…

Bike is having some electrical difficulties…  I am REALLY hoping it is just a dead cell or three in the battery, but I’ll be working on her tomorrow to check the grounds and the voltage to see if she is charging at all…  Really hope so because the bike is really quite nice to ride in to work, etc…

Oh, I have a new office…  A real office in the Psych building…  Haven’t seen it yet, and I’m sharing it in the short term with my new boss, so that will be a bit odd in the short term at least…

Gaming?  Dunno…  Really finding myself missing Magic, so might get back to playing that a bit…  Looks like we’re doing something like the Adepticon tournament for the next league…  Not at all sure what army I’ll bring out to play, but the Eldar might be it for this one…