Well, crap...

Well, crap.  Got word that it does appear that the Armored Gopher is closing.  I have to admit that does leave quite a void in the community, and I do feel badly that over the last few years I've not gotten out to game or buy stuff...  Many reasons for that, but mostly just sounds like excuses.  I stopped playing 40K, moving on to X-Wing and Armada...  Both of those games are MUCH smaller in terms of expense without the completely open ended investment that 40K represented.  But the games just sort of fell off for me.  My standard once/week gaming became less and less frequent with the girls in extracurricular activities and reality...  My own health issues of course being one of them.  But still, crap.  Do wish there was more I could have done, but it does seem to be far too late at this point.  Maggie and I were talking about this and she once again asked if going in on a game store would be something I'd be interested in...  I have to say, no.  There was a reason I quit playing Magic, Drinking, etc...  Pretty sure I'd burn out VERY quickly were I to go down that path, so best perhaps to avoid it for myself.

I've seen far too many game stores come and go over the years, and this was definitely my favorite of them.  The policy of making everyone welcome, etc...  That and it was in an awesome location...  Well, the store was REALLY nice, living in Tolono I had a bit of a trek to get there, so it was not just something to pop in to viit...

Watching a number of my coworkers wander off to interviews, kind of amusing for me since I'm no longer responsible for anything outside of my own Department.  My wife has had 2 and another Monday, so REALLY good chance she'll move before I do at this rate :-)...  Nothing I'm worried about at this point though, have a good job and I'm not going to stress myself over things I should not...  :-)  Well, there is a phrase I generally use here, but I'll keep it G rated...

Hmmm, more random gaming stuff...  Have to schedule an Armada game which should be a fairly simple one for me then next weekend the second X-Wing League event.  Looking at:

FennCobraManaroo1 (100)

Manaroo — JumpMaster 5000	27
Attanni Mindlink	1
K4 Security Droid	3
Unhinged Astromech	1
Rigged Cargo Chute	1
Anti-Pursuit Lasers	2
Ship Total: 35
Fenn Rau — Protectorate Starfighter	28
Attanni Mindlink	1
Autothrusters	2
Concord Dawn Protector	1
Ship Total: 32
Talonbane Cobra — Kihraxz Fighter	28
Attanni Mindlink	1
Cloaking Device	2
Vectored Thrusters	2
Ship Total: 33

Or:

Unnamed Squadron (100)

Hera Syndulla — VCX-100	40
Fire-Control System	2
Twin Laser Turret	6
Intelligence Agent	1
Nien Nunb	1
Ghost	0
Ship Total: 50
Ezra Bridger — Attack Shuttle	20
Autoblaster Turret	2
Phantom	0
Ship Total: 22
Ahsoka Tano — TIE Fighter	17
Veteran Instincts	1
Sabine Wren	2
Scavenger Crane	2
Cluster Mines	4
Captured TIE	1
Sabine's Masterpiece	1
Ship Total: 28

Alternate on the Second one would be the Accuracy Corrector and Auto Blaster Turret...  But the TLT is pretty insane on that platform.

The first one is likely what I'll fly with...  Need to paint up one of my Mandelorian Fighters and likely magnetize the Jumpmaster to get it back on the bloody peg...  Second one is amusing, but seems like a gimmick to me.  I like the S&V Aces and this would allow me to get good, modified shots in and win or lose based on the dice rolling and my own skill/audacity flying them...

Work stuff, X-Wing and Armada...

Kind of in a holding pattern on work…  Waiting to see what, if anything comes of the Madigan Combine trying to get all pay to State workers stopped while we are without budget.  Should be thrown out, but of course IANAL per usual…  Seems odd that she’d do this as presumably it is part of her job to protect the State from lawsuits and there would be a number of fairly powerful Unions asking the hard questions about Federal labor laws and the requirement to be paid, etc…  But who knows I guess.  But in any case it does seem to be driving a wedge into the budget talks.  Seems very unlikely that we’ll have a budget for the State for another year.  Since I now have a theoretical budget and I know where the cuts will have to be made…  Well, drawing up the list of things we do so that the Department can decide what we stop doing.  Also seems to have scuttled my plans to refill the line of one of my people who is leaving.  He WAS retiring in November, but I was able to convince him to stay on a bit longer.  Hate to see that much talent and institutional knowledge walk out the  door, but…  Does seem to be the way things go at the University unfortunately.  At this point cuts are pretty much going to have to be in the salary lines.  In theory we were going to have a mid-year raise…  Well, I say “we” in the general term, not me.  Not really a big deal I guess as I got a raise when they corrected my title.  So, that ALMOST made up for the far below average raise I got last time when I was stuck between Departments…  ‘course that would be why I am so dead set against making “agreements” between units at the University.  It leaves the people affected in the middle with neither side really covering them when something goes wrong or when something HR related needs to happen.  Having been caught between like that I can say it sucks.  Eh, enough of that, all a bit negative and nothing can be done about it at this point.

Gaming…  I picked up the new captured Rebel TIE…  Looking forward to running that.  Should be interesting at least.  I think there are a fair number of things I can do with it…  Running with the Ghost for a Lothal Rebel theme just feels right at least J…  Otherwise I am playing with some Mindlink builds…  I REALLY want Cobrabane to work, so I have one with him, Fenn Rau and Manaroo…  Fun and a win quick or die trying sort of build.  The TIE Defender/Bomber build was successful, but…  Frankly boring to me.  And since I’d rather have fun than worry too much about placing in the top 4 of the event…  Well, the fun builds I think are where I go back to.

Armada…  Had a game this evening.  Have to say it was the most frustrating one I’ve had.  Boring as hell too…  No fire between ships at all, just a few fighter stands dying, mostly mine.  Mind, my opponent did NOTHING illegal, it just felt like the rule interactions were just bad…  Escort meaning I could only fire at that, but if I did I took damage from the fighter it was protecting due to its special rule (named pilot).  And the Intel to make my Fighter Heavy and moving the one that was Engaged a millimeter to cause the damage that the Pilot ability causes…  Nothing to be done really J  The Rebels do have some tricks I suppose, but when the game is won or lost on technicalities it is just a lot less fun for me…  Why I think X-Wing is where I’d be placing my focus into…

Back from Chicago, gearing up for Armada and X-Wing...

Well, LONG weekend in Chicago…  My wife and one of my daughters wandered off to see Hamilton up there.  They said it was amazing, and I’ll take their word for it J  Different places to visit and some really good food…  Specifically, the Italian Village was amazing.  Far better I think than I’ve ever had up there before.  Old school Italian place, so pretty much my speed…  Took the train up there Thursday night.  Was actually quite nice.  Train was full and delays were a reality, but the cost was not so bad and they had WiFi on the vehicle so we could all kill time on our various devices.  Same for the return trip, though the delays were nowhere near so bad…  Since the freight companies own the rails themselves, they get to set the schedules, etc…  NOT like in Europe where last I rode trains.  Still, all in all not bad.  If you ARE going to do it would suggest you do as we did and avoid the busy times…  Fares were better and it was less crazy J…

Gaming, Armada still plugging along, have another one Wednesday…  Joe attacked one of our locations and I think might be unpleasantly surprised to find a full Rebel Base there.  So, the mission is set and I get to choose the bonus like say, a Planetary Ion Cannon…  Which of course I will.  Not TOO bad I suspect but it will punish him for going slow and I can be waiting on the other end with Ackbar’s fleet…  It’ll be brutal I suspect, but I think we’ll be fine…  Since the cannons hit any facing, I suspect they ISDs will already have damage when they make it through.

X-Wing, we had our firt League event, the next one is the 12^th…  I played m TIE Defender/TIE Bomber list and did well, placed 5^th.  Frankly, was pretty happy with that.  Only a few days out of surgery and nowhere near fully recovered, I was pretty dead on my feet by then.  Should be fine for the next one.  Looking at various lists to play as the Wave 10 stuff should be out by then…  It is officially Legal for the Chicago Regional this weekend, so…  I’m playing around with the idea of:

Unnamed Squadron (100)

Hera Syndulla — VCX-100	40
Accuracy Corrector	3
Autoblaster Turret	2
Intelligence Agent	1
Nien Nunb	1
Anti-Pursuit Lasers	2
Ghost	0
Ship Total: 49
Ezra Bridger — Attack Shuttle	20
Rage	1
Autoblaster Turret	2
Phantom	0
Ship Total: 23
Ahsoka Tano — TIE Fighter	17
Veteran Instincts	1
Sabine Wren	2
Scavenger Crane	2
Cluster Mines	4
Captured TIE	1
Sabine's Masterpiece	1
Ship Total: 28

Or

Aggressor/Lancer (100)

Asajj Ventress — Lancer-class Pursuit Craft	37
Push the Limit	3
K4 Security Droid	3
Black Market Slicer Tools	1
Engine Upgrade	4
Shadow Caster	3
Ship Total: 51
IG-88B — Aggressor	36
Lone Wolf	2
Fire-Control System	2
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
Autothrusters	2
Ship Total: 49

Just a few things to work out in practice rounds. I am not 100% on the weapon load outs and the like, but it is I think a good start…

 The new TO has made the official ruling that you must have the actual cards and material for the game as the winner of the last one used a printed list that included the Emperor…  Who is only available in the Imperial Epic Raider class ship, so a VERY pricy card.  Guessing there was a fair bit of bitterness from the other lads in the top 4 cut who drove over from Bloomington/Normal to find out that this was allowed in an event where there was money on the table in the form of prize support.  That changed, depending on attendance, the payout varies, but with 18 players there the winner could I think buy a large based Ship with their winnings…  I tend to run casual events and always play what I have (being of Scottish decent, you work with what you have and make the best of it), so no effect for me personally…  Some of the longer term players though…  Well, lists will have to be adjusted.  I run things over at the Gopher, or I did, I assume I will continue to as they are changing ownership and as I state up front that it is a casual event, proxies are allowed, etc…  And as we are playing for old tournament kits, nothing particularly interesting frankly and certainly nothing like actual money on the table…  Is a MUCH more relaxed event.  Frankly I prefer that most of the time.  Mind, it only takes one person to bring in a top tier list and kill the relaxed environment, but…  So far so good.

Surgery, and some actual gaming!

So…  Had Cataract surgery this week.  I suppose a slight downside of me not drinking or doing illegal drugs would be the way that the anesthesia hit me so hard.  It was a good 36 hours before I was fully clear of it I think.  Even now, my appetite is nonexistent and I have to force myself to actually eat.  A random pill and a group of eye drops being the course of medications.  But the left eye is clearing up and when I get my glasses changed to matching prescriptions or can wear contacts (with the correct prescriptions) I will I think have my vision back to 100% (corrected to).  So, looking better in the long run I guess…  Just still kind of in the “this sucks” range at the moment.  The hardest part honestly is that I cannot work out.  Got so used to working out in most cases a few times a day that I am getting anxious to get back.  I do not however want to undo the excellent work the surgeon did, so I wait.

Gaming wise we are doing the “Correlian Conflict” in Armada…  Got in my first game last evening.  Won, but it was pretty bloody on both sides.  ADM Ackbar with his MC-80 Assault Cruiser is absolutely deadly, especially in this limited environment.  We are limited to a single upgrade initially, so the normal ships that get flown are…  Different now.  Felt odd not having the normal spread of upgrades that I take as standard, but barring 2 stupid mistakes on my part it would have been absolutely brilliant…  I should have had faith that the Assault Cruiser would erase the Victory Class Star Destroyer before the next turn and I should have understood the rules for warping out…  The Assault Pelta “died” by leaving the field…  It had 1 Hull point left, so I was REALLY concerned.  Should not have been it turns out.

X-Wing this weekend…  First Month of the Titan League, so bouncing between 3 builds:

DeathfireRyadStele (100)

"Deathfire" — TIE Bomber	17
Extra Munitions	2
Concussion Missiles	4
Cluster Mines	4
Long-Range Scanners	0
Ship Total: 27
Countess Ryad — TIE Defender	34
Juke	2
Engine Upgrade	4
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 38
Maarek Stele (TIE Defender) — TIE Defender	35
Juke	2
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 35

Build #2:

DeathfireRyadStele2 (100)

"Deathfire" — TIE Bomber	17
Seismic Torpedo	2
Extra Munitions	2
Concussion Missiles	4
Cluster Mines	4
Long-Range Scanners	0
Ship Total: 29
Countess Ryad — TIE Defender	34
Push the Limit	3
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II	1
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 36
Maarek Stele (TIE Defender) — TIE Defender	35
Juke	2
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 35

And Build #3 for something different:

Aggressor/Lancer (100)

Asajj Ventress — Lancer-class Pursuit Craft	37
Push the Limit	3
K4 Security Droid	3
Engine Upgrade	4
Shadow Caster	3
Ship Total: 50
IG-88B — Aggressor	36
Lone Wolf	2
Fire-Control System	2
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
Black Market Slicer Tools	1
Autothrusters	2
Ship Total: 50
The first 2 are VERY similar with only a few minor changes…  I am actually liking #2 better I think…  The Seismic Torpedoes give me the option to fire as an Action AND drop the Cluster Mines in the same turn…  Oh, and shoot, albeit with the mighty 2 dice Attack the TIE Bomber has…  The TIE Defenders are just darn solid ships and that is a build that I think should do well anywhere.  The Lancer/Aggressor build is more of a “fun” one that I might just fly to be contrary….  Funny thing is that I’ve done a LOT better just playing the “fun” things over the years, so…

Thus it begins... Work, Work Out and even some Gaming I guess :-)

Beginning of the Semester is always fun, but this is my first with severely reduced Staff…  And I am finding the shortcomings of the SCCM automation that we are using.  Well, not so much shortcomings, in GENERAL the stuff works brilliantly…  Just in my case as I try to apply this en masse it begins to show the chokepoints quite clearly.  The networking in my main building is fairly “ad hoc” and as such there are always going to be some odd cases…  Just when one of them is affecting several of my large Classrooms…  Well, it becomes an issue.  In any case, the support from our local SCCM expert has been quite helpful and I have to admit that he is one of those I hired and snagged for my Region that I was always the most proud of.  His ability to so quickly pick up technical skills combined with his excellent work ethic and customer support skills have made him one of the most valued members of our team.  Great to have him, and I know this current effort would have been substantially more difficult without his efforts on my behalf.

But in any case 99% ready with Windows 10 replacing Windows 7 in my Classrooms…  Just in time for my eye surgery…  Tuesday is the only day it could be done.  Sucks, but honestly at this point my eyesight in my left eye is pretty much nonexistent and driving me nuts always “kind of” seeing things moving in my peripheral vision.  Not to mention the fairly constant pain from the eye strain and headaches…  So, hopefully it goes well and this will correct it.  Since my father JUST had both of his done, it seems a consequence of my many injuries to that side that I get to have this done 20-25 years early.

Working out VERY regularly and the 20 minute runs on the Elliptical are actually getting easier all the time.  NOT running really yet, but I am getting my endurance back.  Strength training is going quite well also.  Getting back to the levels I was when I was actually in shape.  Never going to be able to run 20 miles in full gear/armor again I suspect, but at least the 5K coming up in the spring should not kill me. 

Gaming?  Armada a few times and we’re gearing up to run the “Correlian Conflict” campaign.  Playing Rebels of course.  I actually have that written on my arm.  “Ní Bhóna Ná Choróin” Irish/Scot Gaelic for “Neither Collar Nor Crown”, something associated with the Rebels there, or so I am told J…  But I have my list fairly well set for that with the Assault Cruiser, Assault Frigate and a Modified Pelta Class Assault Ship…  So, going with the theme of “Assault” to keep with my “slightly” more aggressive Garau nature I guess..  Oh, and heavy Fighters to go with the heavy Fighter/Bombers with Rogue on all of them so they can run independent and not need to be driven by my Ship’s commands…

X-Wing coming up next weekend as well…  Since there will be money on the table I suspect that I’ll run my Imperial list with the 2 TIE Defenders along with the TIE Bomber…  Solid list against most things, although it DOES rely heavily on at least average Agility Dice to avoid damage…  When I lose, that is usually it.  Higher risk to go with the higher reward per usual.  Just picked up the TIE Striker and it is “neat”…  I’ll likely repaint it as a “Narn” ship (B5) with the Red/Black patterns…  Large flat surfaces just like their ships I think…

Armada coming up, and flipping switches I guess :-)

Saw and reposted this on Facebook:

Not strictly speaking true of course, I came to UIUC for 2 years, but then dropped out to enlist.  The rest?  Yeah, that part was true...  I drank a lot.  Now, being Scot/Irish and saying that puts my drinking on borderline alcoholic I'd guess, and so would my ex (she's a Psychiatrist, so professional opinion in her case).  But the lads in my unit drank a LOT.  Oddly only when we were not "in the field" or on Deployment, so that was never an issue.  We all had a fairly keen survival sense in a line combat company, and being so tightly knit we'd never voluntarily endanger each other.  I understand that was not always the case as we had some folks who were still in after serving in the 70's...  Very different Army, and why I'd never want a conscript force.  I think Heinlein said it best when he commented that "a nation that has to resort to enslaving it's populace is not worth saving" or something to that effect.  But we were all volunteers.  In any case, my driver was previously a minor league baseball player with insanely good reflexes and better than 20/20 vision.  He COULD actually hit targets with his M-16A2 out to 1000m...  Not sure how effective it would have been, we never really had to test that being part of an Armored Division with actual weapons to use at those ranges.  Me, I fire a LOT better on the move, and the old M-2 was pretty easy when you understood that you do not actually fire AT a target, but sweep the weapon across it while firing...  But in any case, in his example he'd drink a case of Bud Light every night.  Friday and Saturday that and a fifth of Tequila or Whiskey (NOT Scotch, so not Whisky :-)).  Every night.  But like flipping a switch, nothing at all when we hit the field.  Was kind of weird, but the whole field/Deployment mindset was really like flipping a switch with a lot of things changing and in general all of us becoming far more serious.  Well, perhaps "serious" is not really the right word.  Our humor was always a bit dark, but it got a LOT more so in those conditions...  It was all pre-internet for me and my generation, so in a lot of ways I think it made that transition a lot easier.  No real way to keep in constant contact with the real world when we were out and about...  Hell, for the most part we didn't even know where we were other than the grid coordinates that the new GPS system gave us...  THOSE were nice.  Having had the opportunity to call for fire (Artillery/Air support) on more than one occasion, that level of accuracy combined with my ability to correctly estimate distances from my position made things REALLY accurate there.  Being really good at math does have some practical applications :-)...    Not entirely sure where this was going, mostly remembering simpler but far less fun times I guess.

Might be "casualties"...  One of my people had a cardiac episode this week, still waiting on things like EKG and the like, but he is feeling a lot better.  Having done that particular thing myself a few years back, I'm keen to have him rest and recover fully before coming back...  Hopefully before I go in for cataract surgery next month of course, but if not, so be it.  Yes, injuries catching up to me and I get to have this done a full 20+ years before it "should" be necessary.  Looking forward to contacts/sunglasses again...  Oh, and clear vision...  But this looks like my Engineer will be back soon...  Was not really the case in the old days of course with some of my people actually dying on me...  :-)  That's part of my Army times I don't go into much, a lot of my time there was "less fun"...  Yeah, lot of it was boring, some of it made for funny stories ...  Maybe some day I'll actually write down the more interesting stuff...  Not now though.

Gearing up for an Armada event tomorrow.  Should be interesting, a group of us are driving over to Bloomington ...  Deciding on my standard Rebel Bomber list or my old standard Rebel Gun Line with Ackbar on "Home One" to lead them out...  Accuracy has become a lot more important with the Flotillas getting Scatter and the ability to just dodge an entire attack...  Leaning heavily toward the Gun Line as a more fun force...  The Bombers can be a pretty vicious one...  Not sure what the local scene there is, and I do not want to be to first to bring out so vicious a list...  Besides, I have the fleet painted...  Guess Mike and I will be posting pictures tomorrow...

Slap on some paint and go...

Getting some of my Armada ships painted up to keep my "Crimson and Greys" theme going...  Honestly not even sure why those colors, except I used to wear a funny hat in crimson at one point...  But this way my stuff will look like it a) belongs together and b) is different than the other players stuff...  More important in this game given that there are simply not that many different ships out there at this point...  So, my stuff will be obviously different.  NOT nearly so nice as a lot of the other players who repaint their stuff, but these are mine :-)...

Nothing too fancy, but like I said different than the standard pre-painted mini you can buy...

Looking at repainting my new X-Wing stuff as well...  Probably go "Red Baron" or "B5 Narn"

For my ARC-170's...  I did some minis in "Martian" camo back in the old days and the red/grey/black works surprisingly well...  Might go this way with my Mandelorian fighters as well...

Job is...  Interesting...  With the budget issues, getting back to rebuilding things and making things just work for new research groups.  Not bad, but I have to admit I got a bit spoiled over the last decade or so when I COULD go with an off the shelf thing and just buy it to make the problems go away.  I DO remember the bad old days when I had to spend a lot of time salvaging and rebuilding broken machines to get SOMETHING working.  NOT there yet and we should avoid it here..  I hope :-)...  Well, getting practice with an actual budget to control, so I'll know first hand where we stand I guess...

Did not get the new job, but I AM learning how better to actually interview which I suspect in the longer term will be a far better skill to have.  Heck, I learned break falls REALLY well being the biggest guy in Aikido class, so the getting thrown around to learn is nothing new and I do tend to learn a lot better that way I find.  We'll see how things go from here I guess, but pretty good for the moment and just getting ready for the longer term I guess now...