D(emo)-Day at the Cave!

This past weekend, the Wargate hosted a Demo Day at the Cave (our friendly local game store) for Flames of War!  Several club members showed up to help show off this awesome game, and we had great fun with some buddies who frequent the game store.  We made a video cataloging the event, and it's available here for you to check out what went on Saturday, December 14th, 2013.

Please forgive the background noise...

Throughout the two demo games, we answered questions and ran through how Battlefront organizes its' product lines.  There was a lot we couldn't get on camera, but the momentum towards Flames of War here in Ada has definitely picked up.  We're going to do all we can to promote some competitive gaming for the system, and are considering sponsoring a tournament day as well if the interest is there.  Beyond that, there's always the campaigns we run here on the site.  There's always room for more fighters on the Eastern Front!

To everyone involved in the Demo project, thanks for turning out and making it an awesome day.  You guys are great fun to hang out with, and were patient with us for being novices at making web videos.  Apologies for the terrible production value - but we just received our nice lighting rig (courtesy Jerry Wargate) and installed new software for media production.

Now hopefully we'll learn how to use it!

Warmachine Unit Types: Battle Engines and Colossals

Welcome back to the Gate!

This season is our third Warmachine campaign, marking a full three years we've been pursuing armies here at the club!  As you might know, we don't really stay with the trendsetters as we're really just too caught up in our own thing...which is why I'm only now penning this article outlining these newer unit types for the club. 

Today's spat of words is a continuation of an older article detailing Warmachine Unit Types.  We went over the basics in that article, and today I'm going to make sure all the Gate Keepers know that in spite of how we've been playing, Privateer Press continue to make awesome updates and add new things to the game we all really enjoy.  The business model they have embraced goes a long way to making Warmachine one of the top games here, and who knows what the future may bring?

Now, a look at Battle Engines and Colossals.  These have been added in Privateer Press's yearly updates to the game.  If you didn't know, each year (usually during the summertime) a new volume is added to the game that details new models for each of the factions.  Battle Engines were a gift from 2012's Wrath supplement, and Colossals were added in the expansion of the same name last year in 2013.  Both of these unit types represent rather large machines of destruction, dwarfing the other units. 

We've added units from these books to our armies, but we haven't actually added any of these big pieces.  There may be some stigma for our club regarding large models like this, but that's mostly because of an entirely different company and their questionable business practices and disregard for customers.  We have deliberately avoided the huge units for years and years now, but mostly since no one - not a single, solitary one of us - think that a tank for a battle game is worth hundreds of dollars.  However, thanks to Privateer Press... we might get to see some serious majesty on the game board.  Battle Engines and Colossals have special rules all their own, but these integrate with the base game completely and nothing seems out of balance.  

Privateer Press, like Battlefront, take their game seriously and realize that the competitive aspect is one of the main draws of the game.  Here at the Wargate, we're gamers first and foremost...modelling is a distant second or perhaps third priority for some of us.  We appreciate that they take the time to make sure that everything works together well and no one is penalized for not possessing the latest super weapon.  Kudos, guys.  You've earned our trust and admiration, and we'll show that with our wallets.

Khadoran Gun Carriage, Battle Engine.

Battle Engines are large machines of war that run the gamut from horse drawn carriages to strange electrical walkers.  They are autonomous - your warcaster won't have to allocate focus, and the army's officers can focus on their own troops.  Battle Engines cost about as much as many heavy warjacks, and can effectively fill the same role in your army.

Though they are on par with heavy warjacks, they'll cost a few more bucks.  If you're looking for a large unit for your army or just want to paint something large and imposing, this is a more cost effective way to add one than a colossal.  The models are fantastic, and the tactics that could be devised with such an asset can drastically change how your army works.

Cygnar's Stormwall Colossal compared with a heavy warjack and warcaster models.

Colossals are just that - the Warmachine answer to a certain style of giant model made popular (and insanely expensive monetarily) by another company.  However, there is a much stronger appeal to we Gate Keepers for these units.  It will set you back about a hundred dollars (USD) give or take, but it's made of resin and metal and they look absolutely awesome on the battlefield.  If you're in the market for a ridiculously sized monster of a unit, you've found what you are looking for.

Colossals behave exactly like a warjack does, but basically is the equal of two heavy warjacks and has the points cost to match that.  In fact, though each one's rules are different and a certain subset of rules apply to the colossal, they are pretty much exactly that - two heavy warjacks in one.  You'll have to make allowances for that...or plot the list entirely around an approximately twenty point monster - which has a certain appeal to it as well!

As we continue campaigning in the Iron Kingdoms, you can expect to see more varied unit types.  We take things painfully slow around here, but don't worry.  More players are joining the fight in the Iron Kingdoms, and more armies are being raised for the battle.  For this year's release, Warmachine gains a new faction - The Convergence of Cyriss!  Our campaign is drawing to a close, there's only one more week left!  Get in those last hits on your opponents and gain as many points as you can to obtain the narrative and bring your army to the fore of our ongoing story!

Army Building in 6th Edition 40k

If you're anything like me, you've already built several armies for Warhammer 40,000.  Every edition we have new things to consider when building our actual lists, whether those changes are brought about by the basic rulebook or the new codex for whatever the newest army is.  For many of us, especially when we possess multiple armies, this isn't necessarily a happy day as it means everything that has come before is now invalidated.  Maybe you have more points now because what you have already collected is cheaper points-wise than it was in the previous edition.  That trend has been going strong since 1997, when GW decided they wanted us to have bigger armies.

Now, however...it's a little more than annoying.

Since the release of 3rd Edition way back when, we've really only had to worry about re-configuring the lists we own when the new army codex is released.  There was the whole "Trial Assault Rules" deal that changed up how armies played, but that was before 4th Edition.  Now, with 6th Edition, they have changed the very Force Organization Chart we're all used to.  A lot of rules from past supplements have been absorbed into the main rules - and even if you don't have a new codex, you still have to pay attention to these changes.  Maybe it's your opponent fielding new units, or worse (as in my case) you realize your army simply isn't up to stuff in the new paradigm.

Let's take a quick look at the new points created by the new Force Organization Chart and the new rules available in the rulebook.  We're not going into individual codecii, this short post will consider the rulebook alone.


Flyers

Well, it's neat and all - but do these machines really belong on the table for the sort of game that Warhammer 40,000 has always been?  Yeah, they've been around for years but not as a solid part of the gaming system.  It used to be that you had to field them in specially prepared games (using Forge World pieces) and that kept it from being overused.  Now, pretty much everyone has flyers, or they will by the end of 6th Edition.

There are a few rules that really make these things worth a lot more than their points value - in effect making them something almost mandatory.  6+ to hit from any ground weapons that do not possess Skyfire, and Blast weapons cannot be used against them since it's a Snap Shot.  Not every army has been issued Flakk missiles (or the equivalent) yet.  I really don't have to point out how that will skew certain lists to the top for the next few years of tournaments.

You might say - "Well, Dave...since you're so clever, why don't you just take some Fortifications or Allies with Skyfire weapons?"  It could be that I don't feel that I should be forced to change my list to account for an artificially created threat (whose presence only thinly even makes sense) or buy the current New Releases to do the same.

Personally, I was fine when these were Forge World pieces.  I really think that this sort of support doesn't belong in a 28mm game, and is best implemented on smaller scales such as 15mm or 6mm.


Allies

An interesting development to be sure.  I don't even know what to say on this matter as I don't feel strongly one way or the other.  We always sort of played this way anyway, and it's nice to see a real rule governing it like Warhammer Fantasy Battle.  There are two points that should be made, however.

First, there will be two types of player who makes use of this rule.  One player will see some tactical advantage of combining forces (how about 4 Demolisher cannons?) cram out the spam with cheese.  The other guy will either be fielding what models he can (because all he has is a few Eldar and Space Marines) or have some sort of "fluff cruft" associate with the army.  Basically, the Power Gamer and the Play Gamer.

Second, I really don't see any real issue with the power gaming.  I've already pointed out that taking Allies with Skyfire is pretty much the only real advantage an army can gain against the new threat implemented by this edition - all other threats and answers were already in place.  If anything, it just lets us see different models more often.  Yeah yeah, you can take nothing but Obliterators and then take 60 orks to help hold objectives - but you could have just used cultists and there's not really much of a difference when it comes down to bullets and beans.

We'll probably only use this rule to create team games easier.  We've seen a lot of these sort of games, but the idea of a "married" list seems anathema to most players.  I've yet to run across one.


Fortifications

So, now I can really jack with the game board and force the scenario to behave in a certain way.  Oh yeah, and since you can give Bastions and Aegis Skyfire weapons, this might be mandatory in your army.  Certain builds are going to find that the Fortifications rule is something they couldn't live without, while other builds will blanch at having to give up 100 points.

It might depend a lot on your build, but your standard "play" is going to dictate whether or not you need a Fortification.  You know what your "play" is - you look at the objectives, you deploy your army, and then they carry out your plan.  Seize and deny objectives.  Score secondary objectives, etc., etc.  If your army has a theme based around a "play", you might definitely consider adding a Fortification over adding a flyer.

Non-MEQ's will probably make the most of this.  It was a real game changer when I added an Aegis Defense Line to my Imperial Guard infantry battalion.  Still, MEQ (marine equivalent, Sv 3+) with a certain play in mind (such as a heavy weapon laden force) can make great use of certain types of Fortifications, and the ability they offer to change the battlefield before the first piece of terrain is laid.


The Changing Game

I for one am stoked about the game changing.  However, since none of these things were explicitly stated, I can see a few folks getting angry after being punished game after game.  I've heard lots of arguments about "flyers are in the game now DERP get a skyfire or your own flyer DERP"!  Yet that's kind of a null argument when you think about it, since the whole snap shots only deal seems kinda tacked on to make flyers a better choice.

So, now you have a totally different army for this edition.  That's fine, it's good to change it up every couple of years.  Maybe you have models you can't use, but just put those aside...they'll probably be usable next edition.  Even if these new additions to the game were simply sales strategies designed to kick out flyer and fortification kits, they've been doing that sort of thing for a long time now.

What's more worrying is the stance that GW has taken lately with regards to their Retail Policies.  Much has already been said about them, and I won't go into the specifics here.  What I will do is put forth the notion that the masses are restless, and GW is on the verge of alienating even hardcore fans like myself.  GW itself would do well to take notice - there are lots of other game publishers, some of them here in the United States, that are more affable and easier to work with.  If they continue to be a huge bully, and continue to price their models higher and higher (despite telling us originally that resin would be cheaper) there's going to be some changes.

Around here, at least.

Warmachine Unit Types

Well blimey, we've had almost two weeks since our last post!  Thanks for the small vacation - that's our longest lull yet!  However, we're never resting here at the Wargate - our current campaigns are right on target! That brings me to today's topic...

With Warmachine becoming a fixture in our pantheon of games I wanted to do a short primer for those folks who aren't versed with how units are delineated and armies constructed in Warmachine.  Compounded with the recent announcement by Privateer Press of a new Iron Kingdoms role-playing game (which I believe we're going to see here at the Wargate soonish) it felt like the right time to discuss this.  If  you're not a Warmachine player yet, take a second (or even a first) look and join us in Immoren in a different kind of armored warfare!

There are four basic unit types available in Warmachine.  These are warcasters, warjacks, units and solos. Each of these units will be described in a little more detail below, but for now just know that each army will possess the ability to buy units in those four broad categories.  There is a fifth unit type that was made available last summer with the Wrath book:  the battle engine.  I'm not covering those here, however - this is a beginner's primer and the battle engines are a new addition to the game.

After you have decided which army you're going with, the next step is to pick a warcaster.  You have to pick a warcaster before you choose your army, for a number of reasons.  Warcasters don't remove points from your army total, instead they add points to your available total, but with one caveat:  you must spend the extra points on warjacks.

Once you have chosen a warcaster, choose your army in one of two basic ways.  First, you can simply take units straight out of the book.  You have your army points limit and extra points from your warcaster, and there is nothing stopping you from taking whatever awesome units you want from the army list.  However, your second option is a "tier" list based on your warcaster.  Each warcaster will have a "tier list" card that shows you what the restrictions and bonuses you can accrue with that warcaster by taking certain units.  For instance, Lt. Caine of Cygnar gains bonuses if he takes ranged warjacks and Arcane Tempest Gun Mages.

Cryx Warcaster - Lich Lord Asphyxious

Your warcaster is your most important and arguably most powerful playing piece.  It's the most important because most games are over if your warcaster (which represents you, the general, on the tabletop) dies.  Warcasters possess fantastic stats, but also possess a range of special rules and are able to cast a plethora of spells.  Each warcaster has his own theme to build on, so check out the spells and feats of each warcaster when choosing one.

Mercenary Warjack - Mangler

Warjacks are the big robot things.  Yeah, they might have different names, like bonejack or helljack.  These monsters are the real line-breakers, and each one is tailored to a special battlefield need.  You can mount heavy assaults with some, while others can deliver a punishing amount of firepower.  Each army has access to a large range of warjacks for it's warcasters, however if you are using a tiered list for your warcaster you may be restricted to certain types.

Protectorate of Menoth Unit - Temple Flameguard

Unit is the term for a squad of soldiers.  These aren't powerhouse individual like warcasters, but regular troopers from your faction.  Units are capable of fulfilling a lot of roles on the battlefield, and unlike warjacks can actually control an objective on the map.  Units can pose a major threat to other units and solos, and can cause problems for even the mightiest warcaster.  Beware warjacks, however - unless your unit is tailored to fight against a 'jack, the high armor ratings of such units means your soldiers will struggle with them.  Briefly.

Khador Solo - Koldun Lord

Solos are heroic individuals who are more powerful than a normal soldier but not as awesome as your warcaster.  They typically possess several fantastic skills and are usually very cheap to include in your army.  Solos usually work well with units, and in some cases represent a more advance warrior from a unit available to your force.  These warriors can add special rules to your arsenal you wouldn't otherwise possess, and can be critical to achieving success certain forces.

All in all, Warmachine is a tight game.  The mechanics are easy, the models are cool and building an army is fun.  Don't listen to those nay-sayers - even if it shares elements with other genre of games, it doesn't mean it's not successful at the blend.

The Forest of Shadows continues this week!  We're going to see some neat project logs this season from our clubs' jaunt through Immoren.  The 15 point armies we've been playing with are small and easy to paint up, so why not give it a shot?  It's cheap (for a wargame) and doesn't use up much space (for a wargame) or time (for a wargame)!

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!

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!

Standard in Casual: Scars to Phyrexia

Well it's been a little while since I've talked about a block - about 1 block!  So today, I'd like to talk about some of the things that I've been leaning on in Standard Constructed the last several months.  Again, I won't be talking about the block's mythics, but some other things I feel deserve to be discussed a little more than they have. 

1. Tempered Steel

Wow.  I know this is getting more play these days, but back when Scars first busted out I didn't see too many of these being played - even though it pretty much seized me from day 1!  I've had the most luck playing with this Enchantment, more than any other deck I've been able to construct.  

There's two different deck tactics to use with this, and I've been very successful with both.  Both are mono white, and use artifacts A LOT, except for the obligatory Revoke Existence and Condemn.

Try it with the following:  Signal Pest, Ornithopter, Memnite, Pierce Strider, Peace Strider and Steel Hellkite!  Fast and furious!  I'll talk about my other idea, my favorite Tempered Steel deck...

2. Myr Battlesphere

Ok, this is ridiculous.  Here's how it goes, assuming 3 lands by turn 5.  Turn 1, Land.  Turn 2, Land and Gold Myr.  Turn 3, Palladium Myr.  Turn 4, Myr Turbine.  Turn 5-7, tap Turbine for Myr and cast Tempered Steel or other myr.  On Turn 7 (or whenever you reach 5 myr and a turbine), and every turn thereafter, use Turbine to fetch Myr Battlesphere.  Don't sweat your opponent's removal, it's rarely enough.

It gets more ridiculous if you add Myr Galvanizer, Darksteel Myr and Hovermyr - which incidentally are my favorite myr!  Now, think about the Battlesphere's ability.  You have two battlespheres, two galvanizers and an army of smaller myr boosted by Tempered Steel.  You can blast your opponent with two rounds of Battlesphere bangs and THEN have them all untap to defend!

3. Skinrender

My hatred of phyrexians is well documented, so why would I bring this up here?

Well there are two phyrexian cards I actually like, and I feel it's a terrible pity they are phyrexian, because I don't use those spells.  AT ALL.

Well, the aforementioned Pierce Strider is still a favorite.  The other phyrexian card I hate so much I use it is the ubiquitous Skinrender.  This is a great removal spell that's a bargain for black at 4 mana for a 3/3, but add to that what is basically a death sentence for an enemy creature and presto!  Instant Constructed goodness!

It's enough for me to include in my Constructed black removal deck.

That's all I've got to say for now.  We'll be doing an M12 draft at the end of The Rough Edge of Night, and Innistrad will be right behind that, so October is going to be a big month for our club's Magic nights!

I'll try to keep the posting faster in September, so give us some clicks!  

Dark Heresy Career Differentiation

Hey folks!

We're still preparing the article on our actual Dark Heresy personas, waiting for minis to be painted yadda yadda yadda. So I'm going to take this moment to talk about something that folks have been asking me lately, and that's what the hell the Dark Heresy Careers are all about. There might have been a bit of confusion around these character types because they aren't really analogous to most fantasy 'classes'. Instead they are distinctly couched in the lore of Warhammer 40,000 and their game role may not be recognizable to someone who hasn't read a ton of books on the subject.

There are splits in each of the Career Paths, and I'm going to go over each of those and hit one or two major points for those splits. I will talk about Alternate Ranks and Elite Advances in a later post, as we're just trotting out the basics here. After reading this article you'll have a pretty good idea of where you want to go with your character, and can begin to worry about other permutations. Lets get started with the first Career Path from the main rulebook, Adept.

The Adept

This character relies a lot on his intelligence to get him by. With access to tons of knowledge skills through the first three ranks, this character has the potential to be a top notch investigator right out of the gate. At Rank 4, you'll have a choice between the Inditor rank and the Chirurgeon rank. This is simply a choice between minor specialties, with the Inditor gaining access to tech skills and knowledge, and the Chirurgeon gaining medical skills.

At Rank 6, you may choose your Career Path from the Lexographer or Comptroller trees. Lexographers are steeped in Forbidden Lores, and eventually develop psychic powers. Comptrollers are more down to earth, learning as much Scholastic Lore as he can stomach and gains more bonuses to social situations due to his station.

The Adept will be a very intelligent and knowledgeable character, but won't gain many combat skills. That's alright, as the need for characters who can make sense of the mysteries of the 41st millennium vastly outstrips the availability of such folk.

The Arbitrator

This character has a good all around Career Path. The Arbitrator is tough, canny and has access to knowledge and investigation skills. The Rank tables (where Skills and Talents are selected) are larger than most other Careers at lower rank, and the player can simply select from several options to advance their Acolyte.

At Rank 6, you'll be able to choose from the Proctor or Intelligencer Career Ranks. This is a simple choice: the Proctor tree is the combat tree, focusing on Heavy Weapons at first and then as the character progresses they will gain access to command skills and have a high resistance to fear and insanity. The Intelligencer is the Arbites Detective, and this character can gain a large amount of both Scholastic and Forbidden Lore during his Career.

The Arbitrator character is skilled at many areas, and this means this character will be in the thick of the action at nearly all times. Able to investigate wrongdoing as well as do combat against those responsible, this character will always be a welcome addition to any troupe of Acolytes.

The Assassin

The Assassin Career is for those who want to fight. This Career Path focuses more than many of the others on Weapon Training and combat Talents. Like a few other Careers, this Path is rather straightforward. The Rank Tables are large, and you'll find a large number of subterfuge skills as well.

At Rank 6, the Assassin Career Path diverges into the Freeblade and Death Adept branches. The Death Adept is the classic Death Cultist - a very hard combatant to face and live. Death Adepts become more and more steeped in battle lore until they are a whirlwind of hatred in battle frenzy. Freeblades are more suave, the classic assassin taking contracts from the upper echelons of society. As Freeblades progress, they gain more and more influence and leadership skills until they are quite talented socialites.

The Assassin character is going to excel at combat, both ranged and hand to hand. They are silent and quick, great for tailing marks or staging ambushes and diversions. These characters may not be the best at interrogating captured prisoners, but will be invaluable during the fighting that's bound to happen whilst the Acolytes are in the service of the Inquisition.

The Cleric

This Career Path represents a character that has a broad base of learning, another good pick for all-rounder. The Career Path isn't as varied as some others, but the Cleric gains a fair amount of combat and social skills. There is also a variety of resistance Talents that make the character a little harder for enemies or horrific situations to influence.

At Rank 6, the Cleric has to choose between the Exorcist or Confessor Careers. The Exorcist gains the terrible Forbidden Lores of Chaos, and the specialized Weapon Training to combat those threats he is cursed with the knowledge of. Eventually, the Exorcist will pile on the Talents that let him resist enemy coercion and will be steeped in the lore of the Ordos and the Inquisition. Confessors also learn impressive combat skills, but focus more on social Skills and Talents that allow them to police his fellow man for signs of heresy. Eventually the Confessor will gain huge amounts of standing that will allow them a great amount of influence in the highest circles of the Imperium.

The Cleric Career is tough and resilient, and can specialize later on in combat or social oriented Career Ranks. This Character can provide guidance against daemonic foes, or influence planetary rulers with their piety. With this set of skills, the enemies of the Emperor should beware his Clerics!

The Guardsman

This Career Path represents a 'Fighting Man', a soldier with a military set of skills. Unlike the Assassin, which specializes in close-quarter fighting, a Guardsman relies on guns and tactics to win the day (though their melee skills can be quite respectable). The Career Path is narrow, and the Rank Tables aren't as large as some other Careers. The Guardsman, however, will learn a great many useful combat and coordination skills prior to the choice of Career Paths.

At Rank 6, the Guardsman gets three choices for his next rank. He can choose from Assault Veteran, and specialize in close quarters combat with blades and assault weapons such as meltaguns. He can also choose the Lieutenant Path, and gain command and social skills on the way to the top of the chain of command. The Scout Path provides stealth, trained senses and focus while harassing the enemy with guerrilla and sniper tactics.

The Guardsmen is going to be a staple in Acolyte groups. This character is able to help coordinate firefights and can fight up close and personal with the best of them, but won't have many non-military knowledge skills. With plenty of options for specialization, this is going to be a character who can lend weight to any combat and come out in one piece on the other end.

The Imperial Psyker

This character is a special case, and starts out the gate with access to Scholastic and Forbidden Knowledge it takes the other Careers several ranks to catch up with. This Career Path makes heavy use of Psychic Disciplines, and starts the game with Psy Rating 1, so they can use thier powers from the beginning. As they progress, Imperial Psykers increase the breadth of their Lores and the power of their disciplines.

At Rank 4, the Imperial Psyker must choose a path. The two choices these characters have is between the path of the Savant, the militant psyker-soldier; and the Scholar, which appropriately enough focus on their learning and skills rather than the training of a soldier. While the Savant will learn military skills, destructive powers and special weapon training talents, the Scholar will learn much about Lores, Trades and even be highly trained in Medicae.

Imperial Psykers are a very interesting character to play. Able to use strange abilities and learn valued skills, the Pskyers are a welcome addition to any Acolyte cell. Just be warned - the powers of the Warp are not a trifle, and meddling with such things in a careless fashion will only damn your soul to a screaming eternity as the plaything of the entities that live there.

The Scum

This character is a rogue, a sly fox that lives on the edge of society. These characters have a certain kind of moral ambiguity that is looked for in potential candidates for service to the Emperor's Inquisition. For the first several Career Ranks, these characters get a broad selection of "subterfuge" skills and talents such as Blather, Barter and Unremarkable. After a few Ranks, the Scum will be quite skilled at getting into and out of the seedier situations his Career will inevitably thrust upon him.

At Rank 6, the player must choose between the Cutter Career Path, or the Fixer. The Cutter is a dirty fighter who specializes in assault (including mugging and burglary). The Cutter eventually establishes himself as a heavy hitter in the criminal underworld and gains a ton of social skills once he makes it to the top. The Fixer, on the other hand are masters of the con-game. They gain a huge amount of social skills and can weave elaborate plots as the flit among the powerful, social elite.

The Scum is a character who will live by his wits, always needing to be one step ahead of his pursuers. They are readily equipped to deal with threats by a variety of means, whether interaction, investigation or combat. Just be sure to brush up on your Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites) when you get the chance - you might soon need the help with the legal system in the Imperium!

The Tech-Priest

The Tech-Priest, like the Imperial Psyker, is a special kind of character whose main talents lie somewhere just outside the other Career's ken. This character is trained in the mysteries of technology and has a deep rapport with the Adeptus Mechanicus, the strange and aloof Priesthood of Mars. As a servant of the Machine God, the Tech-Priest will learn how to harness his own cybernetic potential as well as learn many skills that deal with technology and learning. Through the basic Career Ranks, the Tech-Priest has access to a staggering number of Skills and Talents that should make specialization a snap.

At Rank 6, the Tech-Priest character must choose between the path of the Technomancer, or that of the Mech-Deacon. The Technomancer is a specialized loremaster, and during his career he will have access to plenty of Lore and Talents that add to his fortitude. The Mech-Deacon travels a much more varied path, travelling amongst those who are not adherents to the ways of the Omnissiah. They learn various Trades and how to handle heavy weapons, for unbelievers are often an unruly lot.

The Tech-Priest is a tough character with a range of exotic abilities. They are adept at using their special social circumstances to open doors where others cannot. A very important part of any Acolyte cell, the Tech-Priest character can make the difference between being able to operate critical devices, which are all too common in the service of the Inquisition.

The Adepta Sororitas

Exclusively females, the Sisters of Battle Career Path is available in The Inquisitor's Handbook. This is an interesting Career with many options, but initially all Sisters will learn basic military skills and have a strong indoctrination to the Imperial Creed. They will learn to be vigilant and proficient with the sacred bolter.

At Rank 4, the Sister must make a choice between three separate paths: The Dialogous, the Hospitaller, or the Militant. These are rather easily denoted by their names, and offers the Sister a broad choice in terms of character development. The Dialogous is the social character who is very learned, and possesses a large amount of Lore skills and bonuses to Interaction skills. The Hospitaller is the medical Sister, who tends the wounded with their vast knowledge of injury and medicine. The Militant is the power-armored Bolter Bitch, the Sister of Battle that is an iconic warrior-nun (with guns!)

Sisters of Battle characters are quite valuable to the Emperor's Inquisition, able to perform acts of piety on par with Clerics while administering death to the faithless. In any capacity the player chooses, the Adepta Sororitas will be quite handy to the player group, able to fill a gap in the groups composition by selecting the appropriate Career Path. Try not to lose your faith, however - corruption can gnaw even at the most pious of souls.

Conclusion

I think most folks have learned that Under a Vast Grey Sky isn't a combat game as I've run Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in the past, or a dungeon run where the adventure locations are spelled out and put in front of the players like dominoes to knock down. Try to think in terms of the investigation, and what skills might be needed. While certainly some combat prowess will be needed (it is certain to happen every session), it won't win you day this time.

Thanks for reading folks. Leave me some comments!

Also, let Jerry know if you want your Wargate T-Shirts! They are $20, just let him know next time you see him!

Standard in Casual: Magic 2011 Breakthroughs!

It's been quite some time since my last Magic: The Gathering article, and so I thought it would be a good time to review some things from Magic 2011 that I thought were truly remarkable the first time I saw them. Rather than re-hash musings on the mythic cycles of Titans or Planeswalker-ed spells, I chose just a few spells to talk about that are fueling my magic induced frenzy of death at the moment.

Right now, both M10 and M11 are legal in standard until next month when M10 rotates out. M11 will soon be the only basic set in Standard, when Scars of Mirrodin releases in October. Shards of Alara will no longer be Standard legal, and the entire metagame will shift. Long ago I abandoned Shards when Zendikar brought true power back to the mono and dual colored decks (this is where I live - 3 colors always bothered me somehow on a primitive level). So for me, Scars will mark the end of my old enemies and a bigger card pool. Many of the cards in M10 are available in M11, and so certain deck themes will be allowed to continue into the Zendikar-Scars Standard environment.

These spells I think are acknowledged but somehow marginalized. I feel that they are a vital component of some of the most serious builds out there, even if people don't play them very much.

Fire Servant

Man this guy is hot! In Zendikar, we had Quest for Pure Fire, which allowed us basically to double the damage we could deal in one turn. With this guy, if he's been summoned then he's going to harm you. Note that only instants or sorceries are doubled, unlike the Quest. Still, with the right deck, especially one sporting a couple of Quests and Kiln Fiends or Chandra's Spitfires. The criteria required for each one of those abilities is slightly different, but interrelated.

Another angle one could take with this is loading the deck with tons of instant and sorcery spells (duh), but include your Quests and maybe some Reverberations to deal with those like minded fools using magic to hurt you. There's a lot of potential for damage dealing here, even if you stick to Lightning Bolts and Fireballs.

Phylactery Lich

Now here we have a winner. This guy gets it done, let me tell you. The biggest problem with the Lich is choosing which artifacts to include! Equipment seems a no-brainer, and with Scars coming up this particular card is set to become even more ridiculous. At three black mana, it pretty much demands mono-black - but a mono black deck filled with artifacts is totally awesome too!

It's easy to throw in all the high cost equipment, but you really have to include several artifacts that require a lower investment in mana. Sword of Vengeance is awesome, but requires a 6 mana investment to get the most use out of. Speed is of the essence in the format, where 2 turns could see you facing a great many elves or even eldrazi spawn turned hateful. Trusty Machete only requires half that, but what about Pithing Needle or other 1 mana artifacts? Definitely a prospect worthy of further discussion.

Steel Overseer

This is probably the most ridiculous yet. With Scars being an artifact heavy set, and probably block, this is one of the spells with staggering potential right out of the pack. I had the opportunity to duel a mage who got three of these onto the board...in a few turns I was dealt with thoroughly. In that game, I had my indestructible liches from earlier!

The possibilities here are almost endless, but the obvious choice is an artifact deck! These guys make it all possible...bring out your Ornithopters, Triskelions and Pilgrim's Eyes! Who even wants to contemplate the even deadlier Myr deck that will be possible in Scars? I'm sure we'll definitely see a marked appreciation of the value of these cards as the potential these monsters will bring to decks increases.

On the flip side, these will be high priority targets for your opponent. Want to keep em safe? Make sure to bring your Whispersilk Cloaks!

That's all for now, or until Wizards of the Coast sends me a Cease and Desist Order for using the card images on the site. Well, their AutoCard program doesn't seem to work in the Blogger shell, which is a shame really because that's a really neat effect. Oh well, I guess if I get an email / letter from their legal team, I'll just cut the entire Magic: The Gathering section from the blog and there will be no further mention of Magic at all on the Wargate. Since I'm pretty much the only player of Magic at the Wargate (save for a few oldschoolers) I'm talking to myself anyway. It also probably won't matter that I don't have any ads or banners here either. I'm small time.

Until then, I'm gonna do it my way. With pictures.

Standard in Casual: Zendikar to Eldrazi!

Well, we're almost to M11. No, I don't mean the 11th Millennium - I mean the year's big Core Set release for Magic: The Gathering. It's called Magic 2011, and it's going to change the Standard format in a big way - especially after Magic 2010 is rotated out with Shards of Alara when the Fall set hits this year (it's called Scars of Mirrodin, so I heard).

Actually, I don't really care to talk about any of that. I do want to take a moment and share my feelings about the latest block, which consists of the sets Zendikar, Worldwake and Rise of the Eldrazi. Each new block alters the way we play the game, and keeps everything fresh in and changing. Each new set is like a new season or game - one we have to learn if we want to excel in the competitions.

I play almost exclusively Standard format. That is to say, the last two blocks and the Core set. Currently that consists of M10, Shards of Alara, and Zendikar blocks. Recently I traded my Shards cards off, mostly because I really wanted to get back to dual color decks being the norm (at least for myself). You still see the triple colored Shards decks in the Casual room, but they are fazing out. Soon I'll trade my M10 - I'll be sad to see some spells go (like my currently Standard legal Shivan Dragons!) but I have no desire to play in Extended - things can get real silly, real quick.

I have drafted Zendikar and Worldwake both on the real and on MTGO. Of all the new things that have been released, a few of the new additions to the Standard format really caught my eye. Rather than run all through them, I'll hit on what I think are the highlights that get me a high win rate.

First of all, I'll start with the three Standard decks that got me the highest win rates, so far, least to greatest. These are all born of the current Standard format, mainly from M10 and Zendikar block exclusively.

3. Zendikons

The zendikons are giant hedron shaped structures that have existed upon Zendikar for thousands of years and no one really knows why. There are five different flavors of zendikon, one for each land. Why are these so powerful? Take a look...it's almost a hidden ability most people don't think of - these enchantments basically make creatures with Haste (can tap and attack on the turn they come into play). How? Because a permanent has summoning sickness ONLY if it comes into play during your turn, but if you cast this enchantment on a land you already have had in play, that land is not subject to summoning sickness. Add the fact that some zendikons are 3/3 or 4/2 and you have a hefty hit of Haste for just a few cards. My dual colored Standard in Casual deck bears 8 Zendikons, and has a 80% win rate.

2. Timothy ++

The old Timmy decks (built in blue and usually around Prodigal Sorcerer and Zuran Spellcaster back in the '90's) have seen somewhat a resurgence. In Standard right now, there are five Tims I can think of off the bat - Prodigal Pyromancer from M10 (a red version of the original Tim, we like to call him Eric), Vithian Stinger from Alara block and Cunning Sparkmage from Zendikar (basically the same card though the Stinger can also Unearth), the level up version of Tim called Brimstone Mage (which fully leveled deals Lightning Bolt damage) and to a lesser extent there are others as well, such as Blood Cultist and Deathbringer Thoctar. Why is this old engine still running, other than these awesome new cards? The answer is Gorgon Flail from M10 - creature gets +1/+1 and Deathtouch (whenever this creature deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature). Yeah - zap with a Tim to Deathtouch an Eldrazi monster. Generates tons of concessions. Win Rate in Casual is 80%.

1. Allies

Of all the new abilities in Zendikar, this one, I believe, is the most SICK. Take a look at this guy: Kazandu Blademaster. Now consider that you ONLY have allies and land in your deck. Every turn you summon another ally, then another, then another. There are a few spells that add allies, such as Join the Ranks (puts two 1/1 Ally tokens into play, triggering 2 ally waves for 4 mana). A second turn Kazandu Blademaster or Oran Rief Survivalist is murder - and add in a few others for extra effects. Some allies put counters on themselves, others put counters and themselves or others. Blue has card drawing powers, red can give all your allies First Strike and other attack bonuses, black has life loss allies and white has the single most stupid ally of all time - it's not our friend the Blademaster, it's the two mana Ondu Cleric. Gain life equal to the number of allies you control. Now consider it's turn six, you have three allies in play (one is the cleric), you play an Oran-Rief Survivalist (gaining 4 life and all other ally abilities) then you play a Join the Ranks (gaining 5 and then 6 life) and set off three sets of your allies powers for six mana, total. If you had a Hagra Diabolist, the same play would net your enemy life loss equal to (4+5+6=15 life). If you had Kazuul Warlord, you would put 3 +1/+1 counters on each creature you control (one each time an ally comes into play). These are in my opinion, the BEST option for playing in the new block, and even in the new standard. Win rate in Casual is 100%. No Lie - I have tested a red/green ally deck and a black/white as well, both have the same win rate.

So in conclusion, I'd like to let everyone know that the game is on! Magic is STILL one of the most competitive and widely spread games around. It's a strategy game that is quick and getting ever more brutal with each set. The game changes every three months, with new spells coming into Standard, and every three months spells rotate out. This creates an ever changing environment that truly demands skill to navigate successfully.

I'll admit, I don't buy boosters anymore. It's too cheap to find exactly what I want online on Ebay, usually for one dollar for four cards. Rares are more expensive - but not by much. Magic Online lets you experiment with whatever kind of deck build you want for pennies on the dollar, and you can play on demand. To all those gamers out there who once loved Magic, I issue the call to battle! Re-ignite your planeswalker spark and grasp a Lightning Bolt or Oblivion Ring once more!