Live Warhammer 40K at Origins

Posted by Ranillon on 29. April 2010 22:18

Last year we here at 40KOrigins helped advertise the Warhammer 40K LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing) event at Origins and we are doing so again.  Kettle of Fish Productions is doing another live role-playing event call Vox Recidivus.  Here is the description they sent along:

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Kettle of Fish Productions, the heretics behind 2009's Nox Terminus, present a new live-action roleplay experience set in the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium. Join us at Origins Game Fair this June for Vox Recidivus!

Just beyond the border of the Imperium is a world dark and terrible, primal and ancient. It is a world that abhors the presence of Mankind, forever untamed and unconquered. It is a world where the eternal die and the lost return. Tonight, a Rogue Trader shall claim it, a Heretic shall remake it, and an Inquisitor shall purge it to the core!

Cast of Characters

Radical Inquisitorial Coterie

Lord-Inquisitor Bellatrix Nightfall - Her mission takes her beyond the edge of the Imperium
Old Stewart - Savant, scribe, confidant, and Psyker thrall
Mort - Young man-at-arms and product of the Schola Progenium
Brother Kant - Mendicant monk, spiritual advisor, and curate

Radical Inquisitorial Coterie

Inquisitor Gorderic Zail - Ruthless Inquisitor, former apprentice of the late Mortiphonsus Plaxx
Sister Thalestris - Sister of Battle and enforcer of Zail's will
Blank Peter - Wind-wiped savant, lore master, and assistant to Inquisitor Zail
Interrogator Percunctor Mox - Silent master of pain, more machine then man

Lost Imperial Guard Detachment

Commissar Galt - Sole voice of Imperial authority
Father Thaddeus - Regimental Chaplain
"Sparks" Gibsen - Jittery combat Psyker
Bester Cordwain - Gunnery Officer
"Crooked" Max Keel - Penal Legionnaire
Bertram Tannen - Grizzled veteran
Jim Altair - Imperial Guard cadet
Jove Mordred - Departmento Munitorum Attache

Crew of The Jeweled Chalice

Lord-captain Malifax Randal - Rogue Trader of some renown
Feral Gore, The Render - Primitive tribesman and Randal's personal guard
Margaret "Blue Eyes" Trismegistus - Hedonistic young Navigator, the shame of her Household
Explorator Obed Grendizer - Xenoarcanist and seeker of lost knowledge
Baz Zkullkrakka - Ork slave

Inhabitants of Ze'ev 761

High Oligarch Gral - Aged local warlord
Eleazeno - Bloodsword shield maiden and enforcer of Gral's will
Pablovis - High Priest
Fair Xant - Daughter to Pablovis
Speaker Talos - Tribal shaman
Menex - Enterprising young hunter
Sophron - Young warrior recently returned from his rites of passage
Procles - Tribal elder and lore keeper
Man Tom The Young - Bewildered prophet

Please direct all questions and character requests to Kettle of Fish Productions at SpathiPrime@yahoo.com

 

The Top Ten Problems With the New Tyranid Codex

Posted by Ranillon on 26. April 2010 23:15

Number 10 -- Psychic Meltdown:  In the past a Tyranid could use its psychic powers without fear of a Peril of the Warp.  No longer -- the bugs can now turn their brains into cottage cheese with the best of them.  That wouldn't be so bad (although I always thought of Tyranid mastery of psychic energy as one of their advantages), but the powers they can use are not overall any better than before.  Likewise, while there are more individual powers you are more restrained as to what can take which.  This roll also reduces the Zoanthrope to not much better in terms of mental zapping than before -- yes, it now has a better Ballistic Skill, but that is neatly negated by the chance it can blow itself up.

Number 9 -- What's Up with the Pyrovore?  This is my vote for the most lazily designed unit of the year from GW, maybe the decade.  The fluff says that it is suppose to be a deadly mixing of creatures and a terror on the battlefield.  However, in reality it's just a Space Marine scout with a heavy flamer and power weapon.  That's not particularly clever or effective.  In fact, such a slapdash design is a sign of little effort or originality.  A better design would make the creature beefier with more attacks, but make them Rending rather than Powered.  As it is the Pyrovore is a cool model with embarrassing rules.

Number 8 -- The Tyrannofex:  When More is Less:  As impressive as it may seem of the surface the Tyrannofex is really just a bloated, unfocused unit design that costs lots of points.  It's big and hard to kill -- yet slow.  It has plenty of shooty -- but only one is really impressive while having good range.  It has armor ignoring attacks -- yet not enough to warrant its huge cost.  The Rupture Cannon is the obvious choice for the unit, but doesn't need to be mounted on a huge monster.  Much better would have been a Bug Basilisk sporting the Cannon that isn't as beefy, but also 100 points less.

Number 7 -- Why Pay Normal Price When You Can Get it for Twice as Much?  I am still trying to understand why precisely the Hive Tyrant and Carnifex were doubled in cost.  Where they really that broken?  In some ways I suppose this isn't a big deal as ultimately what matters is the overall effectiveness of the army.  Still, these extreme price hikes nevertheless leave a bag taste in your mouth, especially if you are a long time player of Tyranids.  It's almost as if GW wanted to punish the army's most fervent enthusiasts.

Number 6 -- The (Bumbling) Attack of the One-Hit-Wonders:  Synapse bestowing immunity from Instant Death is gone and in the process the new codex creates a mix of bugs vulnerable to one-shot kills.  Something with a Toughness of 5 is not too bad as Strength 10 weapons aren't common, but those with a measly 4 Toughness are so much Krak Missile bait.  This includes the Parasite of Mortrex, Pyrovore, Venomthrope, Lictor, Zoanthrope, most types of Tyranid Warriors, Raveners, Shrikes, and Biovore.  All have multiple wounds, but only the Parasite and Zoanthrope have good enough armor to compensate for the chance of Instant Death.  The effectiveness of the others is therefore necessarily iffy and random -- come up against an army with a lot of Missile Launchers or the equivalent and suddenly you've brought the wrong units.  On a more subtle level it makes all those extra wounds less meaningful than they seem.  It would have been better to keep the immunity and just altered the points accordingly.

Number 5 -- Change for the Sake of Change:  This is more annoying than anything, but the new codex takes an almost perverse delight in using old names to describe new powers.  In turn they tend to be more complex without really adding anything overall.  It stinks of a designer who just wanted to "brand" the new codex as his own by fixing what wasn't broke.

Number 4 -- Why Take Termagants without Tervigons (and Vice Versa)?  To my mind a classic sign of a bad design is when you would be insane not to use the unit in question.  In this case it is Tervigons with Termagants -- why would you ever take one without the other?  It wouldn't be so bad if the other staples of Troop selections -- Hormagaunts and Genestealers -- weren't such obviously inferior choices.  Mind you, Termagants would be as well without the Tervigon, but that is the point.  So, we are left with a situation where the good old "horde army" design for Tyranids has turned into the "Tervigon + Termagants" design.  I'd better do up a few more of the former...

Number 3 -- Where are the New Army Designs?  Maybe this is just personal taste, but another attribute I look for in a codex is a wide range of different basic force designs.  For instance, the new Blood Angels codex offers the chance to play a competitive all flying army.  By comparison, the Tyranid book doesn't even though it is primed to do so.  Where is the character that would allow you to take gargoyles as Troops?  Likewise, there really aren't any 'new' designs available in the new codex while old designs have been, if anything, more marginalized.  An all Genestealer force is now not viable while a generic horde army becomes a not-so-generic Tervigon and Termagant army.  Likewise, a 'Nidzilla force is no more elegant than it ever was.

 

Number 2 -- The Genestealer Has Been Nerfed (Biovores too):  I hate to use the term most because it tends to be overused, but in this case I think it applies.  The one-two punch of Rending being partially de-clawed and the 'Stealers losing the ability to have 4+ armor completely changes their battlefield role (and to something less meaningful).  Remember that Space Marines -- you know, those guys that go around with loads of AP5 Bolters -- outsell all other armies by a wide margin.  Thus, they'll be the most common army you fight and now they can make genestealers melt like sugar cubes in the rain.  Playing a 'Stealer cult is therefore no longer viable.  Heck, Stealers as common Troop choices are questionable.  Their only real remaining role is as an ambusher that sticks to cover and tries to jump unsuspecting targets.
Oh, and with the advent of only one type of Spore Mine Biovores go from marginal to meaningless.

And, the Number One Reason Problem with the New Tyranid Codex -- We Will Likely Have to Wait the Better Part of a Decade to Get a New Codex:  'Nuff Said.

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P.S.  Before people start thinking otherwise this list does not mean I believe the new book is worthless or non-competitive.  There is definitely stuff to like -- Trygons most of all -- and army designs that can challenge anyone.  I just expected something more inspirational and clever.  What we got instead was a mediocre codex that isn't likely to increase the popularity of the force (e.g. we might gain players, but will are also going to lose just as many).

Feline Update

Posted by Ranillon on 23. April 2010 23:42

Since I had a post about them when they were eight-week kittens I thought I would post an update picture of my two cats (that and it's a Friday night and I'm feeling lazy).  They are now officially six-months old, but almost full sized.  (Healthy) Siamese top off at 7-9 pounds.

Both have turned out to be sweet cats that are quite affectionate and playful -- and quite intelligent.  That's good because it makes them more interesting and compelling.  For instance, it took me literally three minuts to teach Leo to play fetch (Now he brings me toys when he wants to play).  However, it also it means they get bored easily.  As a result "entertaining" them can sometimes be a chore, but the company is worth it.

Martin (Left) and Leo Scheming

Trivia Answer of the Day:  All Siamese are born a pure creamy white, but gain their points (the dark parts) due to a fur color gene that only activates at temperatures under their normal body temp.  That is why the points show up at their extremities -- nose, ears, feet -- since they are the coldest parts of their body.  This gene remains active throughout their life.  Thus, if we were to move to a cold climate they'd naturally grow darker while a hotter climate would make their points lighter. 

This can also happen if I were to let them get big and fat -- since body fat under their skin is colder it would cause their entire coats to turn dark brown.  I actually saw a Siamese like that once.  I thought it was a mundane -- and hugely obese -- sort of cat mix and was flabbergasted to learn that such a completely dark brown feline was actually a pure blood Siamese! 

Needless to say, I plan on keeping them to a reasonable diet once they become full adults (at about one year old).

We now return you to your regular gaming show already in progress...

Honored Imperium Sprues

Posted by Ranillon on 22. April 2010 20:53

I bought a copy of the new Honored Imperium terrain box.  It's pretty good -- and surprising.  The pieces are larger than I thought.  The statue is a good five times taller than a regular Space Marine.  I just wish I could buy the statue separately.  Oh, well.

 

Get Your Free Dice (at Origins)!

Posted by Ranillon on 21. April 2010 00:01

I talked about this earlier -- a free gift for anyone who plays one of our games this year.  Well, here is the trial version I got back from the manufacturer the other day -- the official 40KOrigins.com six-sided dice:

Click for Larger Version

This is just the prototype so changes might be made, but I generally like it.  The red is meant to match the same general color of our signs and banners we use at the fair itself.

The plan is that you get one free for playing one of our games -- and that is one per game.  So, if you play a lot then you get a lot.  We may also provide them in sets for larger prizes.

If anyone has any opinion about it feel free to give them in the comments section of this post.