Horrendous Hordes Arrive!

The Brotherhood of the Most Hated arrives in force to planet Nydrazom.

They are coming!

The Horrendous Hordes arrive this Sunday!  In our new Warhammer 40,000 campaign, the Imperials are on the defensive as Chaos forces pour onto the planet and threaten to overrun the lines!

I wanted to try something a little different this time, but the campaign fundamentals are all the same.  Only this time, the forces of Order start as the defenders, and the campaign is hinged on how much progress the forces attacking the planet make against the stalwart Imperials.  If the forces of Order consistently push back the attacks by the Destruction players, the planet can be saved from plunder and Chaos thrown back into the warp!  If not...only slaughter and death for the inhabitants and defenders of this idyllic world.

It will be first come first serve on Game Day, so get there early to set your defense pattern or attack vectors.  By the end of the day, all will be set and Attack Round 1 will be well underway.  This time, games are arbitrary in size, so any size force will work.  1000 points seems to be a favorite, but 1500+ games are encouraged!

We'll be using several different missions for the game itself, and we'll have a Horrendous Hordes  Mission Table on hand at the Wargate in the Battles Book.  This table will have special missions set for each tier of the attack, so missions won't get stale!  In all missions, Destruction players are attacking, so remember that when choosing army lists.

We're going to have a few new armies on the table, and everyone is excited to begin the new campaign!  Remember to check each week on the campaign page for progress on the Nydrazom Battlefront.  See you on the battlefield!

---

"So it begins."


Brother Kleitos turned his head slightly to regard Brother Onisiphorous enter the open bay of the Land Raider.  The techmarine was attended by two servitors carrying gear, and nearby a servo skull interfaced with the machine-spirit of the battle vehicle.  


"We have received the order to move, Brother Kleitos.  Gather the Sword Brethren."  Onisiphorous intoned, detached as always.  "Today I ride to battle with you."


"What are our orders?" Kleitos asked, giving a hand signals to the driver and to another member of the Sword Brethren to begin embarkation procedures.  


"Intercept and destroy."  Onisiphorous interacted with the viewscreen in the Land Raider's bay, and brought forth an image of the landscape.  "Chaos forces are expected to make planetfall here," he gestured to a group of icons near the coast.  "We are to reinforce the Lumisi Armored Divisions already in place."


The Sword Brethren performed redundant weapons checks as they strapped into the transport, wordlessly preparing for battle.  Kleitos gave them a quick inspection and turned to the techmarine.


"We are ready."

Shrodinger's Doan - A Short Essay on Group Timing

Howdy folks!  Happy Christmas weekend!

Today I'm going to talk about one of the ways we can move a huge group through the stages of encounters in an RPG.  Yes, I'm going to tackle that bugbear - splitting up the group.

We have a large regular turnout here at the Wargate, and sometimes all those characters can't be doing the same thing at the same time.  Forcing that can take it's toll on your verisimilitude, but fortunately you don't have to worry about it anymore.  Using a theory I call "Shrodinger's Doan" and using the scientific principle (or at least a hollowed out idea) you too can run split groups in the same session with relative ease.

Sometimes groups become split apart by chance or misfortune, and sometimes they do it by design.  No matter how it happens, you'll eventually have to narrate actions from different groups happening in different locales but at the same point of game time.  This can happen during any narrative action, but is most prevalent during combat.

It can be jarring to have to bounce between each player as you would normally, as they are in different scenes and the setups can be very different.  Also, it sometimes leads to a lot of player confusion in a larger group that has seven or more players, and therefore actions, going on.  Therefore, I believe the best way of dealing with these sorts of situations is to deal with them entirely separately from one another with each individual group..

When one group strays from another, focus on one group above the others for a while.  Leave the others in sort of a "momentary pause", sort of like you see in movies and on television.  Something dramatic happens to one group, whose members are left at that spot ready to jump into the action from that point.  Switch to the other group and take their actions and resolve the scene, then go back to the group you left on pause.  It's really that simple, but technique issues arrive when certain questions pop up.

What happens if one group's outcome is dependent on another?  What if they need to accomplish a certain action in a certain combat round at the same time?

This answer might be hollow, but my advice is try to avoid those situations.  Try not to engineer a scenario so it's hinged on actions like this, as it can be a nightmare to run unless you happen to have a second GM and table to help with the book keeping.

It's not just the book keeping, however, that can drag this sort of thing down.  You have to maintain a steady pace of entertainment to keep the whole group engaged.  While one group is waiting, keep the immersion steady by asking members of the second group questions about their combat readiness, or any other dramatic inquiry that might engage the player in that scene.  Kind of like rolling dice behind the GM screen for no reason other than to get your player's attention.

It's ok to leave one group on cliffhanger for a few minutes while you resolve a certain set of actions for another.  In fact, you will probably have to deal with this sort of split in your group at some point.  Don't worry too much about it, and split the groups up so they can be dealt with one at a time.  If one group's goal must happen before the other, you know which group to focus on first.  If not, go with the smaller group - these can usually be dealt with as a minor "off" scene before you return to the larger group, and other players tend to have the attention span to remain interested in smaller vignettes.

I'll leave you with an short example from one of Captain Video's Hunting Humans game:

Agent Doan manned the helicopter bay's machinegun, fixing it on the guard towers and making sure they had their heads down.  There was a rocket or two, but no problem.  The rest of the team disembarked the heli as we sat it down in the middle of the compound.  In a few short seconds, the assault team was away - but we had one issue.  Who was going to stay with the chopper?


Doan volunteered, and as the assault team entered the building the guards on the compound's perimeter regained their composure and closed in on the vulnerable helicopter with Agent Doan inside.

What happens next is where the art form begins.  Remember when I said smaller groups should be done first? That's just a rule of thumb.  In this example, the action follows the assault team inside the compound.  Thus, Shrodinger's Doan - is Doan alive when the assault team returns to the chopper, or is he dead?

For purposes of the scenario above, it was dramatically superior to follow the assault team - since Agent Doan's untimely demise would definitely change the course of the mission and would have immediately prompted metagame responses - such as returning to secure the chopper.  The Storyteller decided to resolve Agent Doan's battle around the helicopter after the assault team had exited the building, out of time with the other group.  This was a longer stretch of downtime for Doan's player (me!) but in the end it was a great example of split groups.

Even though one group was like eight and the other was only one.

We're going to be in session on Christmas Day this year, so if you're in the neighborhood and want to stop by for a game or two feel free!  It's the last weekend for our Q4 game, so get in the final battles this weekend and  prepare for the New Year - which will be filled with more games than the last two combined!

We've grown a lot in the last year and a half, and we're only gaining momentum.  My sincere thanks goes out to everyone who's made that possible and contributed to our club by participating in our games.  Next year's going to be fantastic for the Wargate!

See you on Game Day!

Things to Consider About Mordor

Greetings from the Forbidden Zone!

Well, the Mordor RPG game has been going on for about 9 weeks now, and the death toll has been quite high!  We did manage to make it through a whole session without anyone getting killed, so I thought today was a good time to reflect on a few things that make adventuring in the Dark Lands a little bit - trickier, say, than the idyllic forests of the Elf Lands.

As our player characters come and go quickly here, it can be tough to get a bead on how things go.  I've noticed a few things that everyone should remember whilst delving dark secrets in the land of Mordor.

1. Everything is black, even the air.
The land of Mordor is black.  All the rocks are black.  Everyone's clothes are black.  The shadows are blacker than black, but remember - there's a lot of ash and smoke in the air at all times.  Orcs must not live very long, because if violence doesn't take them, the poisonous air of their territory would eventually cause serious problems.

2.  The Food is Scarce
There's only one place in the whole dark land where anything grows - around the Lake Nernen and it's tributaries in the far south.  Amazingly, enough is made there to feed all of Sauron's legions.  However, that doesn't mean they are well supplied.  It's insane how often these resources get misappropriated, though the threat of Sauron's wrath helps make sure everything gets done in a surprisingly orderly fashion.

Out in the field, it can be tough.  Outside of rations appropriated at the Forges, there isn't much out there.  Hunting is not really an option, because nobody wants to eat a giant spider.  Those things are rancid.  In fact, it's much easier to eat a fallen enemy - or in a pinch, a comrade or two.

3. The Water is Poisonous
Like food, water is quite scarce in the dark land.  Any free standing pools of water are probably so acidic the water would likely kill anything foolish enough to consume it.  Most drinkable water comes from underground grottos watched over by jealous taskmasters.  Also, dark terrors sometimes rise from the depths and claim a few lives before being driven off, making those very underground water holes as terrifying as they are treasured.

Lake Nernen provides fresh, drinkable water as well as it's other bounties.  Aside from carrying water from Nernen, it's advisable to make sure there are at least a few days worth of water rations for each orc, though orcs tend to drink noticeably less than men or elves.

4.  Everything and everyone hates you.
Life is rough in the Dark Land.  It's also cheap.  Swords and food are not cheap.  Therefore, you might at any given point be killed for your gear, flaps or maybe just to be eaten by starving orcs.

Everyone is a hater in Mordor.  Orcs kill each other in petty squabbles over trinkets or rights to booty all the time.  In fact, the Uruk-hai at the Forge area must patrol in full battle gear just to make sure the rabble doesn't get out of control, and they'll haul offenders off to toil away at the Forges beneath Mt. Doom.

Great care must be taken by war leaders not to ever show weakness - i.e. getting knocked unconcious, or maimed and nearly killed.  Orcs aren't known for their loyalty, and just a few flaps or the promise of a good chunk of leg can change the course of a promising warlord in a flash.  Look out for yourself, and for your gear.  Coins have a mysterious way of disappearing, along with anything else valuable, in the company of raiders from the east.

5.  The Great Eye is Upon You
There is one thing, and one thing only, that compels orcs to be as orcs.  The Great Eye, Sauron, is alive and well in Mordor.  His spirit is the will that drives the actions of the Nazgul, his undead lieutenants, and marshals the armies of evil against the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth.  His eye is real, and it's looking at you.

Shamans of Sauron's power exist in the orc clans, nearly religious demagogues who give the orcs something to look forward to.  It's sort of like church (of Doom) where Salvation is reached through domination of others.  One thing is driven into the masses - Sauron will not be denied.

Some orcs can feel the Eye more than others, in the way some Men are more spiritual than others.  Most just accept that if they step out of line, someone with a red eye design on their armor will beat them into submission.  No matter how close to their dark deity they feel, one thing is for certain - the light of they Eye can be seen and felt.  For his slaves in Mordor, there is no denying the Dark Lord's presence.  There is no escape from the pressure of his will.

That's enough out of me for today.  The playing the morally bankrupt servants of Mordor in Ruthless Raiders of the East has been an absolute blast!  Middle-Earth is one of our favorite settings, and we have tons left in store for this hapless universe!  Have fun this holiday season, and we'll try to keep the posting regular!

Modern Format!

"I told you kids to get off my lawn!! ARRRRRRR!!!"

Howdy!

I've briefly talked about Modern format before, but today I wanted to take a moment and say what a welcome addition this is to the ways we can play the game.  It allows some of our recent favorites to be merged in truly diabolic ways, but without some of the old cliches of Classic or Vintage.  We've adopted it as the "de-facto" format at the Wargate, outside of Block and Limited variants.

I've been playing with a few neat ideas and thought I would share them.  Feel free to drop in your own suggestions and ideas in the comments section!

First, let me just say that Modern can be quite competitive, though I've only encountered an "infinite-loop" once so far in Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind and Curiosity.  Which is a nasty combo I probably shouldn't have said anything about.

As a deckbuilder, I'm pretty mediocre even in Limited.  I basically always build the same deck - an aggro creature beatdown deck.  In Modern, my favorite things to do so far have been revisit Shadowmoor, Ravnica and Alara blocks to get a few of 'kewl' hybrid mana decks going!

Nobilis of War + Boros?  Deus of Calamity + Gruul / Alarans?!  Yes, please.  This is just what occurred to me immediately upon learning of Modern format, but both of these deck concepts are mainly just aggro ramp decks that culminate in a huge critter.  What other neat things can be done with Modern format?

Here are five concepts that could be very viable in Modern, with a jumping off point that I've been pondering - but what are your ideas for the key cards?

• Land Destruction (Stone Rain!  Is there something better than this spell?)
• An Artifact Deck (Mimic Vat + Pierce Strider?)
• Counter Control (Low cost counters & creature control!  What if they don't have creatures?)
• Slivers (Slivers from Time Spiral Block, but which slivers / spells to include?)
• Flipout Ascension (Sigil of the Empty Throne & Luminarch Ascension & Armored Ascension)

Think about how many different spells are available.  Even if you're restricted to a certain block for a set of spells (such as Slivers only being in Modern in Time Spiral) that doesn't mean you have to include the traditional complements.  

I tend to think of decks in terms of armies.  That's why mine are always creature based!  What are some non-army deck ideas for Modern?

If you're coming to the Wargate sometime soon, think about Modern format deckbuilding and put one together.  Someone will be down for a constructed game from a new challenger, that's for certain!  At the next draft, remember you'll be able to use those cards for Modern format as well as the draft - which might lead to some interesting picks!

Index Mardannon: Vae Salubrious Subsector

Vae Salubrious

								1	Vae Salubrious
	1					3		2	Abraxia
								3	Lucruzu
		2						4	Corgarth
								5	Artax
					4
		5

The Cornerstone of Imperial Faith

Vae Salubrious is one of the most prosperous and secure of all the subsectors in Mardannon.  Throughout the sector, the name Vae Salubrious is associated with Saint Ermenhild – who as the legend goes freed all of Salubrious from the grip of tyrannical aliens during the Old Crusade.  As well as the Cardinal world of Vae Salubrious itself, the sector also boasts many other strong Imperial presences in several key systems within Salubrious.  Despite this, a growing number of worlds in this subsector and beyond are falling victim to the malignant influence of the Eye.

Fleets of warships marshal around the installations of vital importance and rally the armies to fight in wars both near and distant.  Imperial authorities hunt for small cells of cultists spreading the hateful corruptions of the Dark Gods.  Though corruption by Chaos is rife here, so is the Righteousness of the Emperor.  If the struggles between the faithful and the corrupt continue to escalate, Vae Salubrious could become a new warzone all too close to the center of Imperial power in the subsector.

Vae Salubrious System

• Vae Salubrious 

• History:  After Saint Ermenhild cleansed the system of Orks near the beginning of the Old Crusade, he became Governor of the system and petitioned the Ecclesiarchy to build what would become the Temple of the Emperor Salubrious, renowned for its splendor across the Segmentum. The Salubrians attributed many great acts to Ermenhild in his lifetime, so much that the Ecclesiarchy named him the ‘great savior’ of Mardannon for inspiring so many with the piety of his governed world.  With his elevation to sainthood after his death, his conquered planet became the only Cardinal world in Mardannon.  

• Geography:  Vae Salubrious has a mixture of temperate and extreme climates, comparable to a class 3 habitable atmosphere.  The planet has six largish continents, and chains of islands ring the equator.  Seasons come and go on the surface, and the industrialization of the world has not yet scarred the soil or the sky.  Orbital stations and a massive Sky Fortress provide the facilities needed by Battlefleet Command. 

• Inhabitants:  The Salubrians are a pious lot, as to be expected.  St.  Ermenhild is revered across the entire sector as the purveyor of Imperial faith in Mardannon and numerous other deeds, such as the assignation of the noble families on many worlds in the Vae Salubrious, Mardannon and Pandaemus subsectors.  Many of the aristocrat inhabitants of this idyllic world can trace their lineage five thousand years to a nobleman who was appointed by the Saint himself.  Pilgrims flock there by the thousands to tread the ‘Trail of Blood’, walking in the exact spots where St. Ermenhild stood tall against the hated xenos, all those thousands of years ago.

• Attono Vittium 

• History:  Cleansed at the same time as Vae Salubrious, Attono Vittium was utilized as a staging area for forces of the Inquisition and Ministorum during the Old Crusade.  Soon after colonization and the construction of the orbital fortresses, the system became the target of predations by Eldar pirates. Nearly four and a half thousand years later, Eldar frequently attack the orbital stations, and raid the shipping lanes into and out of the system.  They have even gone so far as to attack the hives themselves in some cases, both in small teams working on the surface and in at least one recorded incident a full scale warhost assault.  

• Geography:  Attono Vittium is a temperate planet, or at least was up until a little more than a thousand years ago.  At that point, the huge hives that dominate both poles started a degeneration of the environment that continues to this day.  Across what would be the upper and lower temperate zones of the planet rage massive “Tornadics”, “Cyclonics” and “Hurricanii” that generate massive electrical discharges and winds that most structures simply cannot withstand.  Tech-priests agree that the activity is caused by a destabilization within the atmosphere most likely generated by the planets’ two massive hives.  Along the Equator, there is a small and growing hive on one of the continents with a higher altitude, where the storms do not reach – yet. 

• Inhabitants:  No one knows why the Eldar continually attack, but several Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors suspect the hand of alien death cults in the midst of the populace of Attono Vittium.  The planetary governor has declared war on the heretics in the Wasted Lands (the storm zones), but generally the folk of this world are a pious and loyal lot.

  

Abraxia System

• Abraxia 

• History:  Once a bastion of the Imperial Guard and the staging point of the Imperial Navy, Abraxia is a key component in the security of the entire subsector.  After the Old Crusade, Abraxia became the center of the Adeptus Arbites for the whole of the sector.  With this tradition in place, the people of Abraxia found their calling.  The entire planet is geared toward the administration and dispositions of the Arbites, and the planets defenses boast some of the most sophisticated and powerful weapon systems. 

• Geography:  Abraxia has massive oceans with a high saline content, rendering most of it undrinkable.  There are a few large land masses that could be called continents, and upon three of them are huge hive cities that constantly work to produce items that are intended for use by the Arbites.  The most central continent is the largest, and upon it is the Fortress Precinct of the Arbites, complete with orbital dock and defenses. 

• Inhabitants:  Abraxians are mostly ignorant of the Arbites presence, except how it applies to them.  The hivers here are of a lower class than is found in similar hives across Mardannon, but this low education level is fostered by the Arbites, who see the locals being rather thick as an asset – both for themselves and the unknowledgeable inhabitants. 

Lucruzu System

• Lucruzu Primus 

• History:  Colonized nearly one millennia after the Old Crusade, Lucruzu Primus has developed over the last four thousand years into a thriving Imperial World.  The Guilders who run the space lanes have carefully cultivated this outreach into a trade hub within the subsector, oftentimes moving product through this system on the way out of the subsector. 

• Geography:  Idyllic by some standards, Lucruzu Primus has seven large landmasses arranged mostly in the temperate zones of the planet, resulting in large geographic areas with varied ecotypes.  Most of the planet is rolling hills and deciduous forests, and spotted with many oceans. 

• Inhabitants:  Most inhabitants of Lucruzu Primus belong to one of the several large guild trading houses.  Others are either serfs or slaves.

• Velan Thracia 

• History:  When the Lucruzu system was first being brought into the Imperial fold, it first had to be cleansed of orks.  Upon Velan Thracia, a great battle was fought and the ork horde was broken, and the light of the Emperor shone across the system.  Instrumental in this was Colonel Edmund Bragiska, now known as St. Bragiska the Lightbringer.  Now, Velan Thracia is a shrine world dedicated to worshipping the Emperor and venerating the Lightbringer as liberator of Lucruzu from the foetid alien. 

• Geography:  There are six major continents on Velan Thracia, and only one sits astride the equator.  The others are large temperate masses and the Polar Regions.  The main continent supports many jungle / desert areas and mountains, with plenty of freshwater.  Two of the temperate areas contain high mountains and deciduous forests; the others are volcanic in nature. 

• Inhabitants:  The occupants of the shrine regions of Thracia are mostly servants of the Ecclesiarchy or pilgrims from on or off world.  There are mining stations dotted across the volcanic temperate zones and the Polar Regions, but the main continent and the stable temperate continents are given over to temples venerating the Emperor and the Saint.  One of the temperate zones is a massive graveyard, where the military defenders of the system are interred in a huge catacomb network.

• Silex 

• History:  Originally a station for Mechanicus acolytes to study solar phenomena at the edge of the system, Silex was attacked nearly 300 years ago by unknown assailants.  All contact with the system has been lost for that time, though there are disturbing rumors that the installations of Silex have not been silent, and that heretic warriors ply the stars from the hidden bases here. 

• Geography: Silex is a small block of ice, barely a planet at all.  Most of it is solid, but there are heavy waters underneath what most would take as continents.  There is a thin atmosphere with a heavy cobalt taste and a freezing cold temperature.  Though there is oxygen and it is breathable, it is unhealthy to do so for long. 

• Inhabitants:  The former inhabitants of Silex were Mechanicus engineers working with sub-zero equipment and cold weather experiments.  It is unknown what has become of them.

  

Corgarth System

• Praesaepes Caementum 

• History:  Four and a half thousand years ago the first hives were built on Praesaepes Caementum.  It was, at one time, a green world filled with mountains, forests and freshwater.  Now, it is a different story – the hives have choked the world with terrible pollution that it cannot overcome.  Ash wastes cover most of the planet, with silt seas and jagged mountains covering the rest.  The entire system is beset with Eldar pirates, making spacing a risky affair in this area. 

• Geography: Ash wastes cover most of the planet, with silt seas and jagged mountains covering the rest.  There are six major hives on Caementum, with huge interhiveway roads that rise above the wastes and seas like huge cities themselves. 

• Inhabitants:  Many of the inhabitants live within the hives, but a few ragged bandits eke out an existence on the interhiveways, in abandoned way stations and overpasses.

• Corgarth Contineo 

• History:  Until about three thousand years ago, Contineo was largely overlooked for colonization.  Except for large hab domes for Mechanicus and Guilder workers, no one lived on the largely unexplored surface.  Now the world has developed far enough that the Guilders are taking a larger interest in continuing to exploit what meager resources are to be found here. 

• Geography:  Most of the surface is covered in salt water oceans, and the planet has four large continents that support a variety of ecosystems, mostly deciduous forests and jungle. 

• Inhabitants:  Most of the inhabitants are Guilder paid workers who live in cities dotted along the surface.  Many Mechanicus adepts are present in research facilities within the cities and in the wilderness.  The Ecclesiarchy is taking steps to bring a large and opulent shrine to the Emperor here, to further develop the fortunes of this world.

Artax System

• Artax Majoris 

• History:  Populated sparsely three millennia ago, densely forested Artax did not develop as quickly as would have been hoped, and the Guilders sort of…forgot…about the place.  It has degenerated over time to a feudal world, where the common folk only dream of space travel. 

• Geography:  Artax Majoris is covered in salt-water oceans and has fourteen small continents, which all support a number of ecosystems in a number of different climates. 

• Inhabitants:  The inhabitants of Artax Majoris are the major point of interest here.  There are no spaceports or hives, but walled city-states with a very low level of technology.  Ministorum activists are at work amongst the population, readying them to be integrated with the Imperium at large.  That work, however, is already a thousand years old and the people simply aren’t ready for spacecraft yet – and so a Mechanicus Deep Space Watch Post monitors all entry into the system.

Time to Prime!

Army Painter :  Skeleton Bone spray primer!

If there is one thing we at The Wargate take seriously, it is Priming. This is the bare bones and meat of the model and table top wargame world. Simply put, to model is to prime. Today I, Jerry Wargate, will take you on a small crash course into the cold and cruel world of priming.  I will be using some of my beloved Skeleton Bone Army Painter Primer on my new Necromunda gang, the Abu Dabis.
This stuff in my opinon is the liquid gold of primer. Good quality and long lasting, The Army Painter puts out alot of awesome products for hobby people to use and experiment with. Check out the website and order some supplies at their website, here.  The Tallarn Imperial Guard (Abu Dabis!) models by Games Workshop will be my examples.

Games Workshop is truly awesome.

Clean your models! Remove all excess molding and scrap materials. Complete assembly is not required. Inspect them twice and maybe ask a friend to check them out to see what you have missed.

All cleaned up!

Stage Two
Find a dry and low air flow area to prime in. A garage is perfect, or any like wise building. A clean dustless surface for your models to rest on while priming is a must! Any clean box top will do. I find pliers to be helpful as well as paper towels for any messes.

Jerry Wargate blowing out any old primer in the can.

Stage Three
Shake the can and pop the cap off, its time to prime! I always waste about 6 seconds of air/primer from the cap on my box top first to blow out any impurities or excess thinner out of the can everytime I use it. Rather waste a little primer than waste a model. It allows any old primer or gas to blow out before you use it on your own models.

Lined up and ready to receive the gift of color!

Spray primer from 8 inches away from the model or more. I lighty spray and cover each from one side and move down the line. Stop frequently and check your work to see if you need to adjust your grips or timing. You want it on there smooth yet not covering any of the models detail.  Moving around the table at different angles and spraying primer from different points will allow a nice coverage to your models.

Watch the fingers!

As a 2nd option, some will find it easier to do each individually. This makes pliers a worthy tool. This method shown in the picture above allows easy priming and accurate coating.  It  can take a lot longer but it is a sure way to get your models where you want them to be primer wise.

Completed!  New gang time!

Stage Four
Let them sit and dry for at least 15 min. Check each model for any missed spots that need more priming, apply as needed, and your complete! Ready for Paint!

Everyone knows painted models fight better!

Jerry has been fired up about the latest Necromunda campaign with the rest of us, and promises to regale us with the further exploits of the Brotherhood of the Most Hated next month when Warhammer 40,000 season starts!


Where's your newest project at?  Got some stuff to show off now that it's ready for battle?  New project logs for each campaign season are always appreciated, so plan your own project logs for upcoming seasons and we'll get up on the 'gate!

Krampusfest 2011!!!

Hard to believe it's been a whole year since our last Krampusfest!  With all the gaming going on, it feels like it's just been a few months!  Well, it has - twelve to be exact.

This year, we had a huge turnout for the festivities.  There was plenty of 'authentic' German cuisine, in honor of the holiday's origins.  Big Matt and Dirty Greg cooked up a truckload of awesome grub, and everyone pitched in to make our festival quite lively!  I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone involved - great job!  You set the par for awesome feasts (as far as gaming events go)!

Dirty Greg's ration plate.  Don't ask what it's made of.

Of course, what would Krampusfest be without a Krampus!?  This year, he brought his beatstick to punish the wicked at the Wargate!  He didn't hang out for long, but a few love-taps from that heavy metal thwacker and you'll be happy to remember you're supposed to run from Krampus!!

The Dark Lord and the Krampus.  Merry Christmas.  You're welcome.

My Mom & Dad even stopped in to make sure the Krampus got after people.  After enjoying a hot meal, they hung around for a bit while the orcs in Mordor went stab-happy on one another.  We got to see a few familiar faces that we haven't seen in a while, and the game was quite enjoyable despite all the murdering.  Sometimes, you just need to feel evil, and Krampustag is a great time for all that!

Our game table runneth over!

Aside from all the holiday stuff today, all the campaign pages have been updated - so check out the scenario log for Raiders of the Ruthless East and double check your Gang Rating for Gangs of New Waco!

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did!  Thanks again for chipping in and making Krampusfest the holiday we want it to be, and next year will only be more grandiose!  It's the official holiday of the Wargate, so make plans to attend next Krampusfest!

Rulebook Ruminations: The Book of Spirits

Our World of Darkness game has been over for a few weeks, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about our game and the systems that were used.  There was a little confusion over the direction the game took, which I personally think was both very different from any WoD game I've ever played and the best one I've had the chance to take part in.

The Book of Spirits is almost indispensable for any WoD game, including any of the "supernatural" type games such as Vampire, Werewolf and Mage.  In the book are chapters on how people view the spirit world - which is almost universally incorrect.  Most of the first part of the book focuses on how spirits are perceived by various folks, and how their backgrounds and prejudices can affect what they believe.  A good portion of the book is given over to these ideas and the notion that it should be similar with players.

The Spirit World is detailed and they give a lot of examples on spirits themselves.  Not ghosts, mind you - that's different.  The Spirit World is the world just beyond ours, while ghosts linger in the Twilight of our world - the invisible part.  Confusing?  Not really - the Twilight is part of and within our world, while the Shadow (Spirit World) is like a twisted reflection that's connected to our world.  It can be confusing in game, because spirits in the material world usually manifest in the Twilight - that is to say, they are invisible.  Therefore, it can be very easy to confuse ghosts and spirits.

Understanding the layers of the world is important, but only to the Storyteller who must process everything.  Except for certain Mages and Werewolves, no character in the game is going to understand exactly how the spirits work, since the spirit lore required is not really possessed by anyone.  Be warned, however.  This can lead to confusion around the gaming table, which is bad.  When starting from scratch, it's best to go lightly at first - until your players realize what they are dealing with isn't the normal sort of ghost or goblin.

Spirits can be defeated, but usually not physically.  They are not your normal antagonists or allies, and once players realize they can't apply "pressure" to the "head" you'll have a neat story where they find the spirit's weaknesses and bans.  They are simply too strange and alien to be handled by your player's normal attitude of "shoot first and don't bother with any stupid questions".

Bans are special weaknesses that have to be exploited by your players, and due to their abstract nature can be very strange and powerful.  This is pretty much the best way to gain power over a spirit.  One ban in our game belonged to the spirit Dust-Eyed Coyote.  The players (who didn't know this at the time) had to reveal the knowledge that they had been tricked by the spirit, and exactly how they knew.  Doing so would bind the spirit to answer three questions, as his special powers had to do with the realm of secrets.

You can really get creative with spirits and their bans, and make them part of the plot and setting rather than just setting up enemies to be destroyed.  Not that spirits can't be destroyed...but it's fairly complicated when you know nothing of the individual spirit.

Inside the book is a treasure trove of cool stuff and nifty ideas, and not a whole lot of "crunch".  This feature alone makes it usable in any game, since it would be very easy to take ideas from this book and apply elsewhere.  Most of the new WoD books that aren't the basic rulebooks tend to follow this design philosophy - and it's great.

However, I think this book gives a great basic "setting" for mortal characters.  The Spirit World can make any sort of horror game playable with the WoD rules, because as Storyteller you can do anything you need to with spirits.  There's a real flavor to this setting, and one I've decided to exploit for my Western setting.  In fact, I pretty sure all the WoD games I run for mortals will be set in the Old West, with the Book of Spirits firmly in hand.

This is without a doubt one of the best WoD books I've ever read, and it will pretty much be used in every single game I run in that system.

D&D Realms: Middle-Earth

A lot of folk tend to think that Middle-Earth, as an RPG campaign setting, is the exclusive province of Iron Crown Enterprises' Middle-Earth Roleplaying or Deciphers' Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game.  However, both of those are long out of print - and for some Decipher's game just didn't hit the spot, which presumably led to its' demise long before the planned three books (based on the movies) actually were published.  Rolemaster was fallen back on, since it's by and large what MERP was anyway.

I think there is a huge gap somewhere in the list of largely acceptable systems to run your Middle-Earth game in.  That gap's name is Dungeons & Dragons.

I've heard a lot of arguments why D&D isn't a good choice for this sort of campaign.  These run the gamut of the preposterous to the mildly poignant - but I want to talk about why Middle-Earth is a good fit.  In this article I will be referring to 3rd Edition.

Which basically makes this a non-article.  D&D is pretty much the base-level for fantasy games, mechanically speaking.  Everyone seems to know how to play, and 3rd Edition, in our experience at any rate, is quite intuitive.  New players pick it up easy.  Best of all...absolutely no changes to rules are necessary.  It's a fantasy game based on a fantasy world.

Middle-Earth itself is sort of a "base-level" for RPG's, as everyone can admit to being familiar with it since the movies made it cool again...but it still has a hidden mystique about it.  Not everyone has pored over all the books written about Middle-Earth...and in fact, an alarming number of gamers haven't read too far into Tolkien's works.  There's a lot of Middle-Earth that we've not explored before.

We're probably going to see a lot of Middle-Earth rpg using D&D at the Wargate, though the specifics of each session may vary from campaign to campaign.  For instance, Jerry is running "Orcs in Mordor" currently, and we've spoken at length about a great number of other possible campaigns.  There are a lot of nifty campaign ideas, being bandied about, but I'm not going to spoil those here just yet.

The only real "question" you can level at D&D's ruleset for Middle-Earth games is how it treats magic.  Changing or limiting magic in general is the standard practice, because of the Middle-Earth setting's fiddliness with such things.  There are several ways to fix the issue, but care must be taken with tinkering with the ruleset.  This is especially true since D&D's mechanics weigh heavily on how the progression must be handled.

Each DM will have his own ideas, but things to expect will include one or more of the following.

1. Limiting of spell selections.
2. Abrogation or redaction of class features.
3. Limited Race and Class selection.  Usually involves "Wizard", "Druid" and "Cleric" removed entirely.
4. DM Fiat "Feats" or "Features", earned in game by roleplaying.  Certain DM bonuses may change the dynamic or can be used to help the party along in the progression by performing a critical role.

The list goes on, but this is pretty basic.

I've got a few Middle-Earth stories of my own to tell, and Jerry's already fired up about "halflings".  

Remember, Krampus Day is almost here!  We'll be celebrating the festivities on Sunday, December 4th here at the Wargate!  Bring your Krampus Day cheer and we'll make it a year to remember!

See you on Game Day!

Glorfindel's Blades

 Howdy folks!

It's high time we started some Middle-Earth Project Logs, so here's our first.  These minis are for my Rivendell army (for the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game by Games Workshop) that I've been collecting for a few years, but haven't gotten around to painting.  I'm horribly slow at this, if you've not picked that up by the infrequency of my own project logs here on the site.

We've had more than a few project logs the past few months that deal with using Army Painters' QuickShade,  but I thought it was time to unveil what is the first project I've truly used it for on my own.  Well, I should say this is the first project I've completed on my own using QuickShade, but I'll show off some of my poor attempts at painting aliens later on.

Glorfindel is my favorite elf.  He's already smote a balrog on the slopes of Gondolin in his previous life, and now back from the Halls of Mandos to lead my force to supremacy in Middle-Earth.  I like Elrond and Erestor, but Glorfindel's always been my first choice for leader.  During this past campaign he really proved his worth many times over, and was the main reason the Enemy's forces retreated so quickly!

These models are painted with various paints from GW and Vallejo, but the true secret is the QuickShade and Anti-Gloss Spray.  These materials alter how the model shows it's colors, and the QuickShade really does wonders on the smaller models.  I'm looking forward to using these products on a variety of projects going forward, especially Flames of War.

The bases are finished to represent Mirkwood, where the battle around Dol Guldur continues to rage.  I used Games Workshops' Glade Grass, some Clump Foliage from Woodland Scenics, and another Army Painter product - Poison Ivy.  Really neat material, and this was my first attempt at using some to break up the monotony of the bases.  Definitely added to the repertoire of neat project materials.

I'll be adding more stuff for Middle-Earth Projects next season!  Until then, prepare your forces for our next Strategy Battle Game campaign!

Standard in Casual - Magic 2012 Edition

A few months later, Magic 2012 is pretty much almost at the middle mark for it's run in Standard.  Today I want to say a few things about my favorite cards from the set, and elaborate on them a small bit.  Our draft tournament is coming up soon, so it pays to think ahead!

1. Chandra's Phoenix

This is a great, great addition to decks that are heavy on instant spells. I love red's direct damage abilities, and I love to build decks that are based on Shock and Fireball!  Yeah, you can get a few sideways looks in certain circles, but come on.  Nothing says loving like a nuke to the face, and just because your combo is fancy doesn't mean my Shatter and Red Sun's Zenith is somehow less than worthy to beat you.

Anyway, this bad girl is exactly what those decks needed to pull out some interesting wins.  Anything less than 16 creatures in a deck and you're running the risk of getting over run by your opponents' monsters on the board.  Even trading removal spells on a 1 to 1 basis vs. a deck with a large number of creatures and you're going downhill.  This lets you trade creatures on a more even basis, and the Haste really comes into play late game when you need a finisher.  Got 2 Phoenix in your Graveyard?  Lava Axe on your main phase, then attack!

2. Vengeful Pharoah

The days of huge and powerful drops costing six or more mana are gone.  Today, you have to look at what's offered in your color that's both Rare and cheap to drop.  Generally, the cutoff point is five mana.

Vengeful Pharoah is up beside recent black monsters like Phylactery Lich from M11 and is only a little more expensive.  Instead of the invulnerability of it's  undead predecessor, it has a different ability (which will make a certain black Modern deck interesting) that can remove offending creatures and put it back on the board in a round.

At this cost, however...it pretty much demands you play solid black, unless you can somehow outsmart the mana.  For me, I usually play solid colors when I build constructed, usually using a single set.  Four copies of these in a deck and you'll be putting your opponent on creature defensive as soon as you muster the mana.

3. Dungrove Elder

Hexproof is quite interesting.  If you're an older player, Shroud kept your opponent from playing removal spells, but also kept you from targeting the creature with Equipment and anything else beneficial.  This keyword removes that targeting restriction from your own spells and abilities, while still keeping your opponent's harmful spells off your monster.

Though there have been a few Hexproof bashers before, and the always fantastic Sacred Wolf.  This is literally an upgraded version of the Wolf, with a scaling ability that demands a solid green build.  With a few other cards, keeping a total anti-magic shell over your creatures hasn't been easier.

Got other creatures that don't share the Hexproof ability?  Spread it around with some Asceticism.  With foot soldiers, a "boss" type and all the support abilities available, Hexproof as a deck idea is viable.

Well, that's about enough out of me for today.  There are some neat abilities that are emerging as deck themes, what's not reassuring is that Mythics dominate the landscape so much.  In Limited, it's really less of an issue as every player does not possess four copies of every Mythic in the set in the same inane and thoughtless arrangements.

Soon we'll be scheduling the M12 Draft Tournament, so see your Project Coordinator for details!