Well, on another note altogether… It appears as if I’ve actually stopped drinking again. I don’t think it was a conscious decision or anything at this point, I just pretty much stopped. I think it was because I could feel my self control slipping more and more as the stress level increased…  Kind of amusing watching “Being Human” or any Werewolf movie/show and identifying so well with the Werewolf. It’s really frightening living with the knowledge of just how much havoc and destruction (physical and emotional) you can cause if you slip even for an instant. Henry Rollins had a quote that went along the lines of “I look at my hands and see the scars. I cannot forget what I did to get them”… Not an exact quote, but I have his books on a shelf in the basement somewhere and not in a searchable electronic format… But I think he just says it a whole lot clearer than I ever could. As time passes, I can see some of the scars starkly against the tan of the normal skin, and every time I look at that hand I remember why it is scarred and why the knuckles are ever so slightly deformed from the breaks over the years… Some are not so obvious, bones that were broken and my knee that will likely never really recover to the level of the other one. Places I’ve been and things I’ve done. Lots of stress this year, it keeps pushing me closer and closer to the edge

Anyway, I’m working on changing jobs. I’ve been at the Math Department for 8 years now I guess… It’s become something of a dead end position over the last 5. There’s been two years of pay cuts, most of the rest static or “minimal raises”. Yes, it was a big raise coming over from GSLIS, and there was one year I got another big raise, but that was a while ago. So, I guess it’s time that I got back to a “Management” position. Done that a while ago, and I have to admit that I burned out in 1994 playing Army. The life or death decisions being made on the fly are a “bit” different than the fairly trivial ones I’d have to make in an IT department. So, in order to move up and more importantly preserve my sanity, I think it is time to move on and up. I am hoping to get moved over to Atlas, the College level IT department. At the very least I’ll not be on my own there, they have a fairly complete set of skills over there, and it will make the job a whole lot easier… Failing that, I guess it is time to start sending out the resume of doom…

Up to 1000 points...

Playing in a team league… Random partners, so not at all sure what will be fighting alongside my lads. So, I’ll be fielding 1000 points, and making sure I have a “complete” force that can stand on its own. In this “flight” we randomly roll for partners, etc., then we can pick our lists after opponents have been determined…

So, if I’m facing off against a Marine force:
CCS (Master of Ord, Las Cannon, 2 x Grenadiers in a Chimera)
2 x Vet Squads (Meltas, one LC one ML, Chimeras)
Leman Russ (LC in hull)
Colossus or Basilisk
Scout Sentinel (Missile Launcher)
Vendetta Gunship

Facing off against a horde force:
CCS (Master of Ord, Las Cannon, 2 x Grenadiers in a Chimera w/ stubber)
Vet Squad (Meltas, missile launcher, Chimera w/HS)
Infantry Platoon:
PCS (4 x flamers)
3 Squads (GL/AC, one Commissar to deploy as a big blob more likely than not)
Leman Russ (HHB)
Hydra (+ PHS)
Valkyrie (Rocket Pods, Heavy Bolters)

Ah, up to 750 points for the Team League tomorrow...  Looks like I'll be bringing out a (proxied) Colossus.  Seeing WAY too many things just hiding in cover all game, even Marines.  Thinking of one of my old DI's with the "No Problem...  No Problem what so ever"...  Mind SSG Berry was a REALLY big guy, so he could pull that off sounding like a pissed off Darth Vader :-)

Other units I'll be bringing will be the Command Squad all loaded out, a Platoon Command Squad (4 flame throwers), a Vet Squad with the standard loadout (Chimera, Demo upgrade, 2 Meltas) and the line Platoon with 2 squads w/ melta/heavy weapons.  A Commissar in the PCS and the Platoon to keep things going the "right" way...   A bit light on vehicles for me I think, but we'll see who I get paired with and if it works out...

Just a quick shot of the "steampunk" Sentinel along with some of the lads in progress...  Second pic is the ancient "Death chicken" class Sentinel along with one of my Vets in progress...  Marine Scout shotgun, different color uniform for the squad to differentiate them from the Line Dogs :-) 

Vets...

Well, finally building more of my Praetorian Imperial Guard… Working on a Veteran Squad, been fielding them with the Demolitions upgrade, Shotguns on the lads and a pair of Melta Guns… Dug out the ancient Praetorian Sentinel, but missing the driver… Will be scratch building it I guess. I’ll have to break out the camera and put up some WIP pictures, they’re coming along quite nicely though. Need to decide on a uniform color for the Vets…

The FLGS (The Armored Gopher, http://www.armored-gopher.com/) is starting up a teams format league. Should be interesting, not sure which army I’ll field, so it’ll probably be random…

Playing the local tournament tomorrow, thing I'll field this:

1500 IG Tournie 2 1500 Pts - Imperial Guard Army

2 Company Command Squad (HQ) @ 180 Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun (x1); Lasguns; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour;
Sniper Rifle (x2)

1 Company Commander @ [22] Pts
Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour; Refractor
Field; Senior Officer

1 Veteran Weapons Team @ [34] Pts
Lascannon; Close Combat Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Bodyguard @ [15] Pts
Laspistol and CCW; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour; Look Out - Arghh!

1 Master of Ordnance @ [30] Pts
Laspistol and CCW; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour; Artillery Bombardment

1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Multi-Laser; Hull Heavy Bolter
#Smoke Launchers [0]
#Searchlight [0]

0 Infantry Platoon (Troops) @ 365 Pts

4 Platoon Command Squad @ [110] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Grenade Launcher (x4); Frag Grenades; Flak
Armour

1 Platoon Commander @ [20] Pts
Laspistol; Power Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour; Junior
Officer

1 Commissar @ [50] Pts
Bolt Pistol; Power Fist; Frag Grenades

9 Infantry Squad #1 @ [115] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Lasguns; Meltagun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Sergeant @ [15] Pts
Laspistol; Power Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Commissar @ [45] Pts
Bolt Pistol; Power Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

9 Infantry Squad @ [70] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Lasguns; Meltagun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Sergeant @ [15] Pts
Laspistol; Power Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

9 Infantry Squad @ [70] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Lasguns; Meltagun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Sergeant @ [15] Pts
Laspistol; Power Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

3 Heavy Weapon Squad (Troops) @ 105 Pts
Commander: Platoon Command Squad; Lascannon (x3); Close Combat Weapon;
Lasgun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

3 Heavy Weapon Squad (Troops) @ 90 Pts
Commander: Platoon Command Squad; Missile Launcher (x3); Close Combat
Weapon; Lasgun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

0 Infantry Platoon (Troops) @ 190 Pts

4 Platoon Command Squad @ [60] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Grenade Launcher (x4); Frag Grenades; Flak
Armour

1 Platoon Commander @ [20] Pts
Laspistol; Power Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour; Junior
Officer

7 Infantry Squad @ [65] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Lasguns; Grenade Launcher; Frag Grenades; Flak
Armour

1 Sergeant @ [5] Pts
Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Heavy Weapon Team @ [20] Pts
Autocannon; Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun; Frag Grenades

7 Infantry Squad @ [65] Pts
Close Combat Weapon; Lasguns; Grenade Launcher; Frag Grenades; Flak
Armour

1 Sergeant @ [5] Pts
Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Heavy Weapon Team @ [20] Pts
Autocannon; Close Combat Weapon; Lasgun; Frag Grenades

1 Hydra Flak Tank Battery (Heavy Support) @ 75 Pts
2 Twin-linked Hydra Autocannon; Hull Heavy Bolter; Auto-targeting System

1 Leman Russ Battle Tank (Heavy Support) @ 165 Pts
Battle Cannon; Hull Lascannon

1 Basilisk (Heavy Support) @ 125 Pts
Earthshaker Cannon; Hull Heavy Bolter

2 Ogryn Squad (Elites) @ 130 Pts
Ripper Gun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Ogryn Bone 'ead @ [50] Pts
Ripper Gun; Frag Grenades; Flak Armour

1 Scout Sentinel Squadron (Fast Attack) @ 40 Pts
Front Armour: 10; Side Armour: 10; Rear Armour: 10; Autocannon

1 Scout Sentinel Squadron (Fast Attack) @ 35 Pts
Front Armour: 10; Side Armour: 10; Rear Armour: 10; Multi-Laser

Models in Army: 81


Total Army Cost: 1500

Lots of bodies, lots of heavy weapons, etc... Should be interesting at least...

So, I broke out the ancient Praetorian Imperial Guard army I’ve had for “a while”… I understand the lads have been out of production for a few years now, and fielding a Light Rifle Company of them is somewhat difficult these days. I’ll probably be filling in with some modern 28mm British figures: http://www.perry-miniatures.com/index2.html has a nice looking Highlander range from the Sudan Campaign, and http://www.wargamesfactory.com/wargames-factory-store/british-firing-line-zulu-war has some pretty nice looking Brits. The Martini-Henry is very different than the Lasgun of the GW guys, but it will look OK I think.

I Played them this week in the campaign against a Tyranid force with 9 Zoanthropes, 2 Tervigons, 2 Tyrannofex and a boatload of Termigants. I fielded a Company command squad with Master of the Ordanance, CPT, Bodyguard, Las Cannon, Medic, Standard and in Carapace Armor. Infantry Platoon, command section with Commissar, LT and 4 Grenade Launchers . 2 Line Squads with SGT (power swords), Grenade Launchers and Mortars. I made a “Blob” squad by combining them into one really big one. 2 Heavy Weapon squads with Missile Launchers and a Special Weapon squad with 3 more Grenade Launchers filled out the Platoon. The other Troop section was a Vet squad with Melta and Plasma guns mounted in a Chimers IFV. Also fielded a squad of Orgyn, squad of Ratlings, 2 Sentinels, 2 Leman Russ tanks (one normal, one Exterminator), and finally a Battery of Artillery with a Griffin and Basilisk. Lots of stuff… Won, but only because I got the one extra turn I needed and then time ran out. I am loving having so many things classed as “Troops” so scoring units are everywhere… Not liking the 3 BS, so only hitting 50% of the time for most units. Ogres and Sentinels worked out well, and the normal Russ was awesome. The Exterminator and the Griffin were both “eh” at best… Exterminator throws out 16 shots per turn, but BS 3 means that only half hit, and nothing to punch through heavier armor… So, it mowed some cheap troops on turn one, then only saw heavies from that point on… Jamie was quite smart avoiding it with vulnerable stuff, so it did very little overall… The Greif and Basilisk were a squadron, so they had to shoot at the same stuff… Not a good choice on my part.

Learning from that? Ratlings remain in the case, the Griffin gets modified into a Hydra AA tank, and the weapon mix gets changed. Vets get shotguns, GL’s go to Meltas for the Platoon based stuff… Probably go with another Platoon for bodies…