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Strength_Hammer

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  1. Strength_Hammer
    The Season of War is almost upon us!

    What a year we have had in the Age of Sigmar.  The End Times had come and gone while the remnants of our community clung together and shape our destiny with the new game we loved.  I want to applaud everyone who came through The End Times and stuck with Age of Sigmar particularly the community leaders (Dan Heelan, Wayne Kemp, Russ Veal, Dave Witek, Big Jim, and others I am sure I am missing).  This community focused and maintained course and now we are reaping the rewards!

    Right now we have the opportunity to shape the story of our game through a month long Campaign (July 14th - August 14th).  I have the benefit of have 2 FLGS within a 10 minute drive of my house, but the AoS scene was on a life line.  One store supported it fully and so I supported them from Day 1 by buying the starter box and all the campaign books as they came out.  I ran events monthly for the few of us wanting AoS to be a success.  The second store pulled back as the local community reeled from the backlash caused by The End Times.  Their shelves usually reserved for Fantasy shrunk and other systems took over.  I still showed up and played an AoS game here and there to gauge interest and network to little effect and bought the odd AoS item here and there in hopes the community would grow.

    I focused my efforts on my FLGS that supported the game and continued to bring in the new AoS models time and time again.  This paid off initially for our small group as Gamesworkshop gave us a nice bit of credit to use for scenery on our tables and some prizes for a small tournament.  I am proud to say we can easily fill 3-4 tables of nice Gamesworkshop Scenery Kits.  The event was small, but a success.

    Now with the summer campaign kit out the continued efforts paid off once more as my supporting store got in the kit for the event and handed it to me to run as I see fit for the event.  I took the early copy of the Generals Handbook in hand (expect my review soon) and began to flesh out what we wil be doing and began my campaigning to get more players hooked to try the game out and be part of the story.  In a twist my second FLGS decided it was time to join in and also got a kit and are allowing me to run their event.  Last night I got the ball rolling by talking up the event, game, points system, and free swag being given out.  Long story short it worked and we have over 10 sign ups and models being sold at both locations.

    It feels like a true David and Goliath story with this little community exploding into the big guy in town (knocking down x-wing, and 40k in my area at least for a bit it seems).  My efforts are now clear.  I need to run these events effectively and most of all do it in a way everyone has fun to keep the momentum going.  My little core group are ready for the next challenge of shaping our future community as we battle to shape the Story of Age of Sigmar.

    Good luck with your events everyone and I encourage you all to keep it relaxed and open.  My events will allow large armies battling on the field to simple duels to help decide the fate.  We even have some people who just wish to paint to provide support to their chosen alliance.  All will be counted and recorded and the new players are chomping at the bit for the 14th to come.


    The Realm of Ghyran is ready for War in earnest...and who will prevail in the coming war?  Only The Faithful!
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  2. Strength_Hammer
    Happy New Year everyone!  2017 has finally arrived and that means setting a few goals and resolutions for the coming trip around the Sun.  Here are my Hobby resolutions and goals for 2017.

    1) Attend more Events and go for a Podium.  I have always been competitive and while I am one of the consistently better players in my area I am pretty sure I will be suffering "Big Fish, Little Pond" syndrome with this goal.  Nonetheless I want to try to hang around the top tables at some major events and go for a podium.  All that said I want to make sure I have fun and give the best game possible to my opponents.

    2) Make more friends in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Scene.  As I attend more events I want to try and meet some of the people I talk to on social media face to face.  I would also like to try and create or join up with some Hobby Sykpe nights as well.  I am usually to timid to jump into one I might see posted on Social media, but if I wish to create more friendships in the scene I will have to overcome this feeling.  We have a great and welcoming community and I doubt I have any need to worry.


    3) Grow my Hobby.  If you take a look at my Cover Photo you will see I have created a Facebook Page for my Hobby uploads Called "Odiamh Wargaming" in order to consolidate some of my Hobby picture spam and blog posts as well as create a brand (of sorts) for my Hobby.  My Twitter posts will appear there as well as I hope to reach the goal of 1000 followers this year.  As I begin this new chapter I welcome all positive critiques to be sure I can put out good, quality content.  You will still be able to find my Blog in the usual place as well as posted on TGA.Community.

    4) Help my local scene grow.  When The End Times ended I found myself pretty much alone.  Most of my group disappeared due to school, work, or just being done with Warhammer.  I held onto the glowing chuck of The World That Was right along with Sigmar and eventually people began to join me in the Mortal Realms.  Some players are new and some are returning players.  It is time to move forward more then ever and grow the groups I either run or am a part of.  I dream of a healthy Age of Sigmar Scene in my area for competition and Hobbying (maybe even enough interest to have a Grand Tournament in the area).

    What are your goals for 2017?  Let me know in the comments.  I wish everyone the best for this coming year and may you hobby go wherever you want it to take you.  Don't forget that I will be bringing you this blog weekly so be sure to comment and let me know if you have any topics you would like me to cover.

    Happy Hobbying!
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  3. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  The year is coming to a close and a new year is about to arrive with abundant blessings from Papa Nurgle.  If you haven't seen the Nurgle reveals head over to the community site to check them out, especially the video from the Warhammer Community Team.  As typical at the end of another great Hobby year, I want to take a look back and make share my hopes for the year to come, but instead of focusing on releases I wanted to look at it all from a Community standpoint!





    We came into the year in stride as a community.  We were growing and connecting more than I have ever seen and more and more people began putting out content for us all to enjoy.  We were secure in the knowledge we would receive a new Generals Handbook and we have some great releases like Blades of Khorne, Disciples of Tzeentch, and Kharadron Overlords to keep the meta constantly evolving on our tabletop.  While the release of The New Warhammer 40,000 did pull some players it hasn't done much to slow down the pace of our community and honestly the break-in Age of Sigmar releases was a good chance for us all to catch our breath as we readied ourselves for the coming year.

    Locally, my club went through some changes as well over the past year.  We had lost the gentlemen who organized our events and we began to band together once again due to an illness.  A few people began to try and get some momentum again, but they tended to focus on only Warhammer 40,000.  Other games such as Age of Sigmar were stagnant despite the overall positivity and a large number of releases.  It motivated me to take the reins and organize the club.  While there were some who didn't like the changes I was trying to make or the direction I was trying to steer the club in I had supporters.  Those supporters were more often than not the younger players who are our future and their enthusiasm really kept me going.

    My local club now has a great new venue, multiple club days each month that let us play all of our favorite game systems, and now new club shirts for us to wear when we all venture forth to events like Adepticon this March.   I am happy to say our club is working together better then we have before.  There is still plenty of room for improvement and the road ahead isn't any less difficult, but seeing this turnaround has been one of the most satisfying hobby accomplishments I have achieved to date.

    New Banner for my local club
    While I am excited about my local group it is hard not to be just as excited about all the positive changes going on elsewhere in the country as well.  We have seen multiple new(er) Regional level events in Midwest Meltdown, Nashcon, Renegade Open, SoCal Open, and Battleshock Bash to name a few.  I am sure there are some I missed but as Age of Sigmar grows more and more events keep popping up and the National events such as L.V.O., Adepticon, and Nova Open are seeing more and more players for Age of Sigmar each year.

    We can't neglect that Narrative play is firmly part of the scene now as well.  Coalescence was a great success, we have seen the release of Battletome: End Times, other great narrative events such as R.A.W., Nova Open Narrative, and the upcoming R.O.E. and Adepticon Narrative are really solidifying Narrative play as one of the three pillars of Age of Sigmar just as much as Matched play has been for a while now.  They have begun stepping up their blog as well with more regular posting so be sure to check it out!

    The greatest thing we have received this year is the chance for us, as a community, to recognize our Warhammer Heros.  We all have them in our lives and Games Workshop is giving us the tools to acknowledge them and their hard work all so we can enjoy this game to its fullest.  To be nominated by anyone is an honor as it lets your hero know their effort is having a positive effect on you, and your community.  There is still a few days left as of this post going up so if you haven't done so be sure to nominate your Warhammer Hero.

    New Nurgle on the way!
    So such a great year behind us, what do we have to look forward to as a community?  We have already seen that Nurgle will be getting his own Battletome to put him on the same footing with Tzeentch and Khorne.  The Malign Portents clock is continuing to count down with a few reveals of the mighty champions we will be adding to our armies.  I suspect that Slaanesh and Aelves will see some sort of a return this year as well either in a new army or at the very least a bit more lore about what is going on with that plot line.

    We also have even larger events to look forward to as well!  Adepticon and L.V.O. are reporting the biggest Warhammer Age of Sigmar turnout seen to date.  It is promising that more and more players will join our community over the next year as the popularity of the game continues to grow.  The Regional events will most likely be larger and even your local scene might see more fresh recruits or returning veterans to the roster.  Knowing that we will be receiving another Generals Handbook in 2018 as it is officially a yearly release will reinforce to newer and returning players how supported this game is and that Games Workshop wants to continually improve the game with the support of the community.

    While we know that Games Workshop will continue to reach out to us and us reaching back to them to help grow and improve Age of Sigmar I want to talk about a project you can look forward to coming out shortly after the new year.  The U.S. AoS Community Modular Pack.  I and many other U.S. Age of Sigmar players, community supporters, community leaders, and content creators have been working together since an initial meeting with Games Workshop at Adepticon last year.  I am happy to say that the project is coming into the final stages and soon will be released.

    Just some of the U.S. AoS Community Group
    The pack is created by U.S. Age of Sigmar players for U.S. Age of Sigmar players.  That's not to say it doesn't have merit elsewhere in the world, but there are unique challenges that the U.S. faces with growing our community and where this game could grow that we hope to answer.  There will be more details to come soon, but the pack will break down into multiple modules such as sports, scenario selections, painting, and much more while focusing on the three levels of play we see here within the use due to our countries size being Local, Regional, and National so please look forward to it very soon.

    Last, but not least we should take a moment to congratulate the Warhammer Community Team over at Games Workshop.  They have really stepped it up this year with their involvement directly with the community.  Creating great content int he form of Daily Painting Videos, fun release trailers, and openly talking to us through all forms of social media.  They keep setting the bar higher and higher and they keep reaching for me and I cannot wait to see what the year to come has to offer.


    I hope everyone has had a similar great 2017 with Warhammer Age of Sigmar and that your hopes are even higher for an even better 2018.  I do want to take a moment to thank you,, my readers, readers for continuing to be my motivation to improve this blog and keep to the twice a week schedule.  I am very happy with how far along my blog has come over the past year and, but there is still parts I am looking to improve in the coming year.  I am happy with where the blog is, but I am not satisfied as my goal is to continue to improve for you and myself.  Let me know what you loved best about 2017 and what you might be hoping for in 2018. 

    Happy New Year and as always, Happy Hobbying!


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  4. Strength_Hammer
    Hello everyone!  I wanted to take this week’s post to run down my games from The Age of Sigmar Championship that I participated in at Adepticon 2017 this year.

    I decided to take the Stormcast Eternals to the event.  My intention was to take the Warrior Brotherhood, but after the changes that occurred in the new book, it simply wasn't a worthwhile option in my opinion.  With only a limited amount of time to adjust my list, I decided instead to use the Hammerstrike force. Because the Hammerstrike force acts similarly to the old Warrior Brotherhood, I decided to go with what I was more familiar with.  An added bonus was that it also meant I only had a few late painting nights to be prepared for Adepticon.  Now on to the games!


    My List for the Event
                                                                                 

    Game 1 - Opponent: Steven, Army: Sylvaneth



    Steven and I had a great game, despite my nerves at playing my first tournament game at Adepticon.  He made sure that we had a good time playing.  The game really had a back and forth sequence, with no one ever gaining the upper hand until the final turn.  In this first scenario, we were to fight over pieces of terrain each round in order to score points.  I decided to play very aggressively and kept him from ever leaving his deployment zone.  I was able to keep my objective secured, but due to how the scoring worked with battle line units versus non-battle line units, I was behind on points.  Sadly I was unable to kill off his Kurnoth Hunters quickly enough in the remaining rounds to prevent him from capturing his objective for one round giving him the win in the end.  I really enjoyed myself and Steven was a great opponent.  My only real criticism was his substitute GW forests.  He had cut the shape of the Citadel Wood on a Mousepad material and was using them for his forests.  It took a bit away from his army and since there were no trees in his forests or even circles to represent where the trees were supposed to be.  This really allowed him freedom of movement and line of sight that would have otherwise would have been obscured.  That said, I would happily play him again in the future if some more accurate representations for forests were used.
                                                                                 

    Game 2 - Opponent: Gabe, Army: Stormcast Eternals




    Game 2 put me in a mirror match of sorts.  I have always had the Achilles heel of not being able to beat my own army, in a matter of speaking.  Gabe was still new to Age of Sigmar, but his commitment was obvious as he had an exceptionally painted Stormcast Army.  In this scenario, we were fighting over 4 objectives and we deployed spread out knowing we each had a Hammerstrike Alpha-Strike waiting in the wings.  He had the initiative which meant I had to blunt his spearhead.  He devastated my right flank with shooting and Paladins.  The survivability of my Concussors, and a few brave Judicators who punched above their weight class allowed me to essentially take his large paladin unit out of the game.   I targeted his flank in the opposite corner from his Alpha-Strike with my ten Retributors and deployed my Protectors on his other flank.  I was gambling here as my Prosecutors were killed off, but both units made clutch 9" charges to get me into combat and gain the upper hand.  With his Retributors essentially removed from the fight and mine cleaning up, I just had to stall his battleline with mine to claim victory, which I successfully accomplished.  Another great game under my belt and I went into game three 1 -1.
                                                                                 

    Game 3 - Opponent: Cody, Army: Sylvaneth



    I went into game three feeling great and I met Cody at the table and felt a bit worried as I saw Sylvaenth yet again and I feared I would suffer the same fate as before.  The scenario involved waiting for meteors to arrive, so turn one went quickly, but we had traded some shots between our forces.  I had some lucky rolls on my part, as his dryads were removed entirely from the board.  Cody had deployed entirely in the center section which paid off for him as his meteor arrived in the center of his army, while mine fell to my left.  I was able to put a strong defense on my objective and I knew I had to break through his army to prevent him from scoring to try and take the win.  Once again I found my Prosecutors dead after turn one, but some great charge rolls from my Retributors, Concussors, and Lord Celestant on Dracoth allowed me to strike into the heart of his army and begin fighting toward his objective allowing me to prevent him from scoring for a few turns.  The game got very bloody and we were cheering each other on the whole time as we removed our toys.  I took off most of his force, but Allarielle wouldn't fall.  She remained steadfast to the end and even managed to kill off my General in the last round for a moral victory.  I took the game, but found a great opponent, and had one of the best games of Age of Sigmar I ever played.
                                                                                 

    Game 4 - Opponent: Gavin, Army: Flesh Eater Courts





    Scenario four saw us fighting over multiple objectives once again, and I knew I was in trouble due to the lasting power of Flesh Eater Courts.  I went as aggressive as I could, and threw everything I could at his line.  He held on and began to regrow which put me on a back foot for the rest of the game.  I managed to throw some curve balls at him managing to keep the scenario to a draw.  In the end, though, he came out ahead on kill points which gave him the win.  Sadly, this was my least memorable game and it did not have anything to do with the army or how it was played.  My opponent didn't seem to want to participate in the game.  I tried cheering on his Zombie Dragon eating my Retributors, but was denied any response.  When I finally whittled down the monster, I was met with a grumble as he removed his model with irritation.  I felt this could have been a much more exciting game, but the social contract was not met, so I put my hopes on my last game being a more memorable ending to the event, win or lose.
                                                                                 

    Game 5 - Opponent: Peyton, Army: The Legion of Azgoth



    Game five paid off as Peyton was my favorite opponent of the event.  He played exceptionally clean with his entire army and he was one of the finalists for painting which meant I got to play against one of the best painted armies I have ever seen.  The last scenario had us running for three objectives in the middle and holding onto them to score while keeping them away from the enemy.  We both went very aggressive and I managed an early lead.  However, the number of points you scored was based on the turn number so even with an early lead, it was anyone's game.  Peyton baited out my Alpha-Strike and kept my Paladins out for most of the game.  This was a bloody game like the others, but with some power stances and clutch rolls on defense and offense from both sides.  The game was thrilling all the way down to the end.  With each of us holding one objective elsewhere on the board, the game came down to my Lord-Celestant and lone Judicator Prime chasing down his General who held the third objective.  He had one wound and all I had to do was kill him to take the win.  I rolled max attacks for shooting and melee and Peyton stepped up and rolled every single save allowing him to retain the objective and win the game!  This was a thrilling and memorable end that I had hoped for in my final game.
                                                                                 

    Overall I really enjoyed the scenarios as well as the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Objective system.  My only critique is the scenery needs and update.  It was clearly built for eighth edition fantasy and lacked Line of Sight blocking terrain.  Alex who T.O.'d the event has already acknowledged this and plans to correct the situation.  Alex put a lot of heart and effort into running a great event and from my perspective, I can say he succeeded!  I managed to place 44/104 in the end and scored well in Sportsmanship and much better in painting then I expected.  This has become a must-attend event for me yearly and I look forward to what next year will bring to the Age of Sigmar Championship!  Feel free to follow me on my Twitter so we can meet up next year if you are attending.

    Until next week Happy Hobbying!

    Edited by Grudgegamer

    Scenarios and Secondary Objective List:

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  5. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  Today I will wrap up my personal Adepticon coverage as I take you through my games from the Age of Sigmar Team Doubles and the Grand Tournament.  I say my personal coverage because next week I am having Paul return to talk about the Narrative event he ran now that The Gibbering Dome's halls have quieted down.  All in all, I had eight great games with wonderful opponents and while days of gaming can become draining near the end I came out of it all energized for me.  The body might of wanted rest, but my mind wanted more Warhammer.



    Team Doubles
    Originally when tickets went on sale for Adepticon I was going to skip out on the Team event and look at taking a few hobby seminars.  However, Mike who I knew through Twitter reached out and asked if I would like to be his partner for some fun in the event.  He wasn't looking for someone to smash opponents off the board with, but someone to enjoy a day of gaming with and I couldn't pass up the offer.  I am glad he reached out to me as the event, while long, was a lot of fun.  My Khrone teamed up with his Skaven mastermind and we set off for some fun and chaotic games.


    The first game saw Mike and myself facing Adam G., who runs Imperium Games, and his friend Tony C..  They gifted us with some really nice custom Combat Gauges from Adam's store which is always a nice surprise.  Mike and I were given the first turn and while we reached as far as we could Adam and Tony deployed far enough back to prevent any of my units getting stuck in immediately.  While I feel proud that Mike's Skaven and my Khorne did well to keep the spells from the Lord of Change at bay Adam and Tony did not need to rely on magic to win the battle.  Some great movement plays from Tony's Sylvaneth kept my Bloodletters out of the battle for too long.  At the end of Turn, four Mike and I knew the battle was lost.  Adam and Tony gave a great game and were very fun to play and chat with during our time at the table.  Mike and I took away a few lessons for our next opponents as well.


    Game two put us on some lower tables were we met some players who, much like Mike and myself, were there for fun and rolling dice above all else.  Those players were Cody B. and Travis L. with their Kharadon Overlord and Fyreslayer army.  This scenario had each team bid a number of minutes in which to deploy to determine who would go first.  Mike and I practiced between rounds and we bid one minute to our opponents five.  They were wide-eyed as they saw our very low bid, but with the timer going Mike and I managed to deploy with two seconds and patted ourselves on the back.  Sadly this was the only victory we can claim from the game itself.  While it only took four three and a half turns for Mike and I to admit defeat, with almost no models left on the field, we got to hang out with these cool guys as they offered beer and friendship.  One thing I will remember from our game with Cody and Travis is their dice with mugs of ale on the six's.  When a six was rolled we all took a drink and I was never happier to see an opponent roll so many six's!  Gentlemen, DRINK!


    The final game of the day allowed Mike and I one final attempt at redemption. We were lucky enough to play some great fellas who traveled from the UK to play.  Al M.(a fellow Moore!) and Darren J..  They had brought a wonderfully painted Stormcast army and much like our other opponents were ready to have a fun game.  The scenario had a bit of randomness to it as the objective would move around each turn so it was anyone's game.  Early on Mike and I put ourselves into a nice advantage, but Al and Darren would not be denied and they fought to the bitter end to bring our game to a draw.  It was bloody, exciting, and a lot of fun.  We were all very excited to see that in case of a draw each team received a minor win so all of us walked away with one "win" under our belt to boot!


    I had a great time playing with Mike and am happy to say he offered me the "right of first refusal" to be his partner next year as well.  It was a long and fun filled day and I was happy to have a partner such as Mike to hang out with as we battled our way through it all.  Be sure to find mike on Twitter at @exorre to check out his wonderfully painted Skaven as well!

    Grand Tournament


    Saturday rolled around and it was time for the big show.  The Age of Sigmar Gran Tournament.  Before I dive into my games I want to give a big thanks to Alex, his Wife Kari Ann, and all those who supported running and preparing for the event.  It was an amazing turnout and one of the best run events I have ever been to and the team that did deserve high praise for all their work so we can play some great games together.

    The day started off on a high note as I arrived early and was randomly placed on Table two!  I joked that it is the highest table I will be at for the entire event and went to prepare myself for my first opponent.  I was running my Daughters of Khaine list and while it is not the exact list I wrote for my Warhammer Community Tactica articles it was very close, but due to time constraints I wasn't able to finish my Khinerai in time so had to shuffle things around a bit.  The core of ninety Witch Aelves remained as did Morathi as my General.




    My first opponent was a very polite and friendly gentleman by the name of Josh A..  Josh had brought a Stormcast force which included a Prime!  I was excited, and a bit scared, to see a great and underused model on the table.  Josh Null deployed his force giving me not much to do at the top of my turn as the objectives hadn't dropped yet so I simply moved up a bit to get closer to the middle of the table and hoped to survive his alpha strike.  Josh brought the hammer and while he killed off a fair amount of my Witch Aelves as well as removing Morathi at the top of Turn two it simply wasn't enough and being able to roll handfuls of dice was too much to bear.  My Kraith ability triggered a fair number of times this game as well and by the top of turn four I had secured all the objectives and removed his last Liberator giving me a Major Win.  Josh and I chatted through the first break and drank some coffee and I was glad to have so much time to chat with him.  He is a solid person that I hope to play again one day.


    After a nice break, the pairings were posted and I jumped for joy as I saw I was headed for the great Table one!  It has always been on my Hobby Bucket list to grace the top table for a single round and due to my previous victory, I managed to do just that!  My Opponent was Cody B. who was there with his lovely wife and their child.  He had brought a Sylvaneth army and he was as excited as I was to be playing on the top table.  As I deployed I felt confident in Morathi's ability to hold down an objective and I turned her into her Snake form right away, but it was really Cody's scenario to lose and while I pushed him to make mistakes he played it perfectly and was able to take the victory.  While I did very well keeping him from summoning more Woods the one mistake I made was attacking his unit of Dryads with Mystic Shield and Throne of Vines on it.  I managed a large number of saves which he promptly made in order to have me nearly kill off an entire unit of Witches.  We had a good laugh at the sight of it all and despite the early set back the game remained close until turn four when he was able to kill off my remaining Heros and leave me with nothing left that could hope to take down his Treelord, but we both carried on and claimed some Secondary and Tertiary objectives with what we had left.  I suffered a Major loss but it was thrilling to play such a great person on the top table and make a new friend such as Cody.


    While I expected to be knocked down in tables after my Major loss my third game saw me kicked very far down and with a long road ahead of me to fight back up I encountered Kyle K. and his Undead force lead by nonother than Nagash himself.  Morathi was Scared and I was Scared for her in the coming battle.  I was given the first turn and once again I turned Morathi immediately and threw her at forward and as many Witches as I could in hopes to remove Nagash as quickly as possible.  While I gave it everything I had it simply wasn't enough and while I wreaked havoc on his Gravegaurd Nagash surviving kept Kyle going strong.  The magic phase was a tense, but thrilling time for both of us as we waited to see if he would successfully cast Hand of Dust on Morathi or not.  Do to some bad dice rolls and some great dispell dice from me I staved off the inevitable until turn four.  Neither one of us had enough left to claim a Major Victory and with him winning the roll for turn four it came down to his he could remove Morathi or if she would kill him in combat to decide who would take a Minor Victory as we would draw on the objective and look at total killed.  Nagash did it with style and Morathi was removed giving me a Minor Loss.  It was a tense and fun game and the story told on the table was one I will remember, but next time Morathi will not be denied!


    Sunday arrived and we all shuffled into the hall for our last two games after a night of rabble-rousing.  After the usual few minutes extra wait for those who might have had too much fun the night before the drops sorted our pairings posted.  I looked for my place and was very excited to play a very good friend Neil L. who you might know from my blog as he runs the Rend 4 club in Ohio.  This was a great way to begin the day and I hoped to exact revenge against his Khorne from the stomping they gave my Morathi and my army in a practice game a few weeks prior.  However, he had Skarrbrand and while I feared I might lose Morathi quickly I was determined to put her to good use.  I had the first turn and Morathi transformed, Mindrazored herself, and took off toward his Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster.  Mortahi got to work and while I took his General down to almost nothing she failed to kill it.  Neil ran his General away, a fact that I will never let him live down, and quickly brought in Skarrbrand to do the dirty business of killing Morathi.  Morathi was removed, but the battle was far from over.  Neil made one error and moved off his objective in the first round and after realizing he wouldn't score pulled a few back in hopes to kill me off and claim some of my objectives to make up for his deficit. Unfortunately for Neil, my Witch Aelves were inspired by Mroathi's sacrifice to Khaine and proved that they can outfight Khorne any day and I began deleting his units over the next few rounds giving me a Major Win.  Playing Neil was great fun as he has become a very close friend since I met him last year at Adepticon and neither one of us pulled any punches in our brawl.  Next time we meet we have a rubber match to see whose army reigns supreme!


    The final game of the event paired me against Jake L. and his Kharadon Overlords.  I had come to fear this matchup as it could quickly end a game with a few good rounds of shooting.  While Jake position, deployed and had fantastic target priority his dice let him down and while he killed a few key pieces he didn't do enough to blunt my army and the battle got Bloody and quick.  It was back and forth with great saves and tight play from both of our armies, but the game ultimately came down to turn five priority roll.  If I won I would have claimed a Major Victory by capturing all four objectives, but if he won he would be able to draw on the objective and since he had killed more of my force by this time he would claim a Minor Win.  We rolled and Jake won the roll.  It was a Minor loss for me, but it capped off the event with a final and exceptional game with a truly great player and person.

    At the end of it all I placed 67th of out 164 (total players after drops) and while it keeps me at the mid-table hero level I am happy to say I placed higher percentage-wise this year than last year.  I am also very happy with how my army performed.  The Witch Aelves are brutal in combat and Kraith really worked well for them and caused a good bit of fear for my opponents.  I plan to continue running a Witch Aelf Horde for quite some time with the only change is give command of my army to a Slaughter Queen as opposed to Morathi.  She is targeted to quickly and while I wanted her command ability to be a great force multiplier she was either dead or transformed before it became effective in combat.  The army is an absolute blast to play and I was happy to see other Daughters of Khaine out in force at the event.  I can imagine everyone will be seeing much more of them in the coming months!


    Top Painted Armies


    I wanted to leave you all today with pictures of the top painted armies from the event.  The hobby was high for the majority of the armies, but these were the cream of the crop and truly inspiring to continue to improve my own hobby in the future.  I am looking at you Idoneth Deepkin!

    Another great Adepticon full of gaming, friends, and fantastic opponents is wrapped up and I cannot wait until next year for even more fun.  I hope you enjoyed my coverage and be sure to check back next week as Paul recaps his Age of Sigmar Narrative event, The Gibbering Dome.  Until next week, Happy Hobbying!
    Chuck Moore


    Visit my Blogs main Page!
  6. Strength_Hammer
    730 days, three armies, 756 models painted, countless games played.  No matter how you define time with your Hobby it is a fact that we have had Age of Sigmar for two years now and what has those past few years looked like for all of us in The Mortal Realms?  I hope to share my view on the past few years and my hopes for the following year to come in today's post.

    In order to grasp where we are now, we need to look back at where this all began.  The ending of a world.  I won't go into the full details of the End Times, but it was decisive in the community at the very least.  Some players like myself really enjoyed the unfolding events and the drastic changes that let Warhammer Fantasy go out with a proper bang!  Others did not like the changes to the gameplay and fought hard to hold on to what the game was and avoid what it might become.  As that world ended we also so a community end along with it.


    Rules and Preorders came out this day for the Game we love
    When Age of Sigmar was released there were those who were hesitant.  Some people outright left the Hobby or the game and a few went to make their own game to continue the torch of rank and flank fantasy battles.  A very small group, myself included, picked up the game day one and began to build and search for anyone who wanted to play.  The release was not smooth or handled in a smooth way in regards to Public Relations and Marketing.  It is clear with the recent release of #New40k that Games Workshop has seen the issues and corrected them for how they launch a game and when Age of Sigmar dropped they were still what we consider "The old GW" as opposed to "The New GW" they have become.  Either way, the community shrunk, drastically and there were very few safe havens for those of us wanting to play and talk about Age of Sigmar.  Then Twitter saved the day as the community gathered there and we could all enjoy each others hobby and games played and discuss anything and everything in The Age of Sigmar.  This foundation of the community would grow in the following years as we have seen.

    One of the biggest issues was the lack of a point system to allow players to play pickup games and have a fun and relatively balanced game.  In the U.S. this is a large way in how we play as with such large regions we rely on a community driven standard on what size army to carry along to an FLGS in order to get a game going quickly.  While it is important to have a discussion with your opponent before a game for many reasons the need for a point system and general points played at saves a lot of time as part of the conversation would be solved before it began.  We saw a number of point systems develop to help give us what we need.  SDK, MO-Comp, etc... all came about from within the newly forming and still small community.  We heard about these systems through a few different channels via Twitter, Podcasts, and Blogs.

    We saw a large number of Podcasts and Blogs being created as well.  Some have survived and going strong while others silently disappeared and a few have decided to take a well-deserved break to focus on life outside of the hobby.  A few over in England really took the bull by the horns and worked directly with Games Workshop in order to create The Generals Handbook.  Heelan Hammer, Bad Dice, and Facehammer were all involved and are still involved with each iteration of the book.  When The Generals Handbook released it was a game changer.  Suddenly interest for the game was growing and people wanted to play.


    Shortly before this time is when Games Workshop came back to Facebook and social media.  We saw the creation of the Warhammer Community Team as it is now through small videos here and there.  After a while, we saw Warhammer TV develop with daily painting tip videos, weekly streams, and success in taking the wind out of rumor sites and posts online.  The availability of Age of Sigmar was at an all time high.  I could hobby while watching live games and let us not forget the Warhammer Age of Sigmar App for tablets and Smart Phones.  It has changed since its first iteration, but for the better.  We can view all the rules, unlock points, and build our forces conveniently on our phone with added options such as being able to name and take custom images of our models to print out the lists.  While this was a great change to the app we cannot forget Tony P. and his gift to the Age of Sigmar world with Scroll Builder, which is now hosted and incorporated into the Community Site.

    Games Workshop has also stepped up their presence at independent events across the globe as well.  They offered great support to the LVO with Terrain on top of running the Age of Sigmar event as well as streaming.  They continued this trend into Adepticon and soon Nova Open over here in the States and South Coast GT, Facehammer GT, and soon Blood and Glory in the UK.  They even brought back their own Age of Sigmar Grand Tournament with multiple Heats throughout the year.

    While the community team has been driving forward we have received plenty of updates to our Armies in an ever evolving Battletome format that keeps getting better.  We saw the conclusion of the initial Campaign "The Realm Gate Wars".  We had a fantastic Summer Campaign with The Season of War.  A full Skirmish update has come out and a full Path to Glory supplement is on its way.  We even had the announcement of the next version of The Generals Handbook (2017).

    All of this has inspired many great pursuits, projects, and events from the global community.  We have seen more Grand Tournaments come about with Nashcon, SoCal Open, Midwest Meltdown, Battleshock Bash and of course the Global Event of Coalescence.  We have seen many groups get together to grow Age of Sigmar even more with support and acknowledgment from Games Workshop which was unheard of just a few years ago.

    While we have been through a bit of a lull as #New40k was being developed and released I am sure we are right around the corner from much more Age of Sigmar and honestly, the small lull was a bit a nice break to cool those Hobby engines a bit for what is next.  I can't wait to see what is coming this year, please be Aleves, and as a community, we should be excited and rally around this game we love along with each other.  The Age of Sigmar Community is one of, if not the best, Wargaming Communities out there with a great back and forth between us and Games Workshop.  The Warhammer Community team are a small group of wonderful people doing great things and we are a large and passionate audience that could accomplish even greater heights by working together as we have been doing so far.  Consider what you might be able to do for your local club or possibly a larger area of your region to grow the awareness of Age of Sigmar and build your community beyond where it currently sits.


    Just a small part of the friendships I have made in this Hobby (I need pictures with more folks!)
    On a personal note, I want to say thank you to everyone I have met within the past few years through this Hobby and this game.  This game and hobby have become so much more to me through all of you.  I have made what I feel like are friends for life all due to my love of rolling dice and painting little toy soldiers.  It's humbling to think about, but it makes me very glad to know how welcoming and supportive we as a community are to one another.  Finally going to GT's and conventions this year has really opened up the Hobby world for me and I encourage everyone to attend at least one in the coming year.

    I am sure I didn't even cover half of everything, but it was enjoyable to just let the memories flow and I hope you enjoyed this little recap of the past few years.  Perhaps I will add more in a follow-up post at a later time if I feel there is more to be added, but for now, I will leave it here.  May the next year of Age of Sigmar be even greater than the last and until next week, Happy Hobbying!
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  7. Strength_Hammer
    Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays!  Today I wanted to bring you something a bit different to hopefully bring a bit of festive cheer.  It is very much outside my comfort zone, but it was a nice exercise in writing for me and I hope it is a good read for you as well.  Grab some Cocoa and a plate of cookies as you read my take on a Classic Tale of "A Christmas Carol" set in our favorite place, Warhammer Age of Sigmar.  I present to you, A Sigmas Carol".
     
       
    Part 1   Sigmar glared out the window of Sigmaron his mighty fortress, watching the mortals below in Azyrheim move about the city.  It had been almost seven years to the day since his return to The Mortal Realms and his war to recapture was still in its early stages.  Looking at the Mortals below, however, Sigmar would never be able to tell there were mighty battles being fought throughout The Mortal Realms.  Mortals and Demi-Gods alike where giving their lives to drive back Chaos, but below he saw Joy, Laughter, and Celebration, it irritated him.   "Humbug" Sigmar Growled with gritted teeth.  "How can they Celebrate while we sit on a knife edge for survival against the denizens of Chaos?"   Sigmar knew the Mortals were creating a new tradition in honor of the first Lighting Strikes of Stormcast Eternals setting foot in The Realm of Fire.  It was the eve of that mighty anniversary and one Sigmar saw as just another day with each passing year.  The Mortals, Aelf, Duradin, and Human, chose to honor the day, and those leading up to it, with an event they called Sigmas.  Sigmar didn't feel it was a good name at all, but it had stuck as the tradition began to take shape.     The Mortals would feast, exchange simple gifts, sing songs, and decorate every bit of space they could for the holiday and all sense of work ceased for a few days despite the war effort and its demands.  As if on cue Sigmar heard a knock at the chambers might door.   Sigmar shook his head.  It would be the Grungni asking permission for his Duardin smiths to partake of the festivities.  Sigmar resisted this allowance every year prior.  He needed his Stormcasts Reforged and their weapons honed by Grungni's smiths.  War didn't end simply because of a silly holiday.   "Enter."  Sigmar bellowed, but the door was already opening as The Duradin Smith-God strode purposefully toward him.  Sigmar wasn't shocked by Grungni's forwardness, in fact, he very much liked this about him, but the sight of Grombrindal walking behind Grungni caught him off guard.   "You know why I am here Godling." Grungni said approaching Sigmar.  "You have said no every year prior, but this year I will have my way!"   Sigmar sighed.  "Without your smiths how will the army be reforged?  What battles might we lose by taking part in this ridiculous tradition the Mortals have created."   "They created it in your honor!"  Shouted Grombrindal before Grungni could stop him.   "I asked no such thing to be done.  I asked for their support in the War against Chaos, not for this distraction."  Sigmar responded cooly, tired of the played out argument.   Grungni stepped forward giving Grombrindal a sideways glance informing him to shut up.  "Godling, you were Mortal once and you held traditions that I found silly, but they meant a lot to you and your people.  Let them have this brief escape, they need it.  Besides your armies are doing well and the souls returning from the field of battle have slowed to a crawl."   Sigmar sighed once more knowing to continue to resist was fruitless, shrugging he gave finally gave in.  "Very well Grungni, let them have tonight and tomorrow off as the tradition has become."   Grungni smiled and began to leave, but Grombrindal held fast prompting Sigmar to raise an eyebrow inquisitively.  "Is there something else?"   Grombrindal shifted from one foot to another uncomfortably for a moment.  "Sigmar,  my feasting hall is open tonight and I want to extend the warmth of my Hearth to you.  Join us in celebration tonight."   Sigmar glared down at the Mighty Duradin  Gormbindal shared a lot in common with Sigmar being from The World That Was and once being Mortal before coming to Godhood.  However, their shared commonality would not persuade Sigmar.  "While I allow this ridiculous tradition to grow it does not mean I like it in any way.  Your offer is mighty, but I must refuse it as I hope to see this silliness become a memory in the future so we can focus on what matters.  Defeating Chaos is the only thing that should be on our minds."   Grombrindal scowled clenching his fists dangerously.  "Fine, do as you please."  Growled the Duradin as he stormed out.     Sigmar saw a sadness in Grungni's eyes as the pair left, but it was no matter.  Defeating Chaos was all that mattered.  He turned back to the window as Celestial Snow began to fall.  There would be a storm this night.   As night fell on Azryheim Sigmar brooded over the war table in his chamber, plans forming in his mind in his War on Chaos.  A noise from behind caught Sigmars attention and he whirled around to face the unknown intruder but froze upon seeing who it was that stood before him.   "Forgive my intrusion."  Whispered the Ghost of Karl Franz.  The ghost stood there obviously weary.   "How are you here?  You died defending Altdorf millenniums ago as my spirit entered your Mortal form that fateful day."  Sigmar replied attempting to hide his shock.   "Just as you held on to the last remnant of our dead world so to did I cling to you and my old body.  I am of your lineage after all.  I have come to deliver a message."  The ghost said.   "What would that message be?"   "Tonight you will be visited by three spirits.  Heed their wisdom.  To not do so would mean victory for Chaos and the death of another world."   "I will win this war against Chaos have not doubt, my armies will prevail!"   "Have caution Might Sigmar.  No all battles are on physical and not all worlds lost can be clung to.  Heed their message to save us all."  The ghost of Karl Franz pleaded before fading away into the darkness.   Part 2   The hours passed and Sigmar let the conversation with his dead descendant pass from his mind.  A bell tolled from the city below and a sudden gust of wind blew open a large window in the Chamber scattering papers from his War table and letting Celestial Snow blow about the room.  Sigmar walked over to shut them back up but was stopped by the first messenger The Ghost of Karl Franz promised would come.   "And just who are you to make such a frigid entrance into my warm hall?"  Sigmar growled as he closed the window with a slam.   "Come now, you do not recognize me?  It has been years beyond counting since you thought of me, but I thought you would know me."  The messenger replied as two ghostly wolves appeared from behind the figure.   "Ulric?"  Sigmar said with awe.   "Whats left of me.  It is taking all my will to cling to this form after what that Aelf did, but I come to bring you a message and guide you as I once did when you worshipped me as a Mortal."  Ulric said flatly.  "Come, time is short for me to give you this message.  Take my hand."   Sigmar complied.  Still shocked to see his long-dead god before him.  As their hands touched the windows burst open once again letting the Celestial Snow envelop the pair.  Soon all Sigmar could see what the blind whiteness of the Celestial Snow.   Suddenly Sigmars Vision cleared and he was standing in the center of a bustling city.  Sigmar did not know the city well, but he knew which city he was in.   "Altdorf...but how?"  Sigmar gaped at the buildings all covered in fresh snow from the night below.   "You ask far too many questions Son of Bjorn."  Ulric replied.  "This is the past, before The End Times."   "Why bring me here?"   Ulric simply pointed toward a group of people gathered in the square.   The pair walked over to see why the group had gathered.  A royal wagon from the palace was handing out ale and roasted meat to the men and women, and small toy swords to the children.  Sigmar watched as two young boys played Knight and Orc.  They battled fiercely shouting the names of Sigmar and Reiksguard as they went about.  The child playing the Orc dropped his guard for a moment and took the wooden sword to the army causing a slight bruise to begin forming.  Sigmar knelt down to heal the wound instinctively, but as he reached for the child his arm passes through him.   "It is a vision Sigmar.  We cannot interact with this world."  Ulric instructed.   As Sigmar stood he was once again whisked away by Snow to discover he was in a new location.  Sigmar froze being overwhelmed by memories and emotions.  It was the home of his birth, The home of The Umberogen Tribe. Sigmar said nothing as he had no words for what he saw.  The one women he ever truly loved was walking past him singing to herself.  Ravenna was her name and due to a cruel twist of fate she was killed before Sigmars eyes in the past, but here she was whole and alive.   Sensing his thoughts Ulric spoke.  "It is well before her death."   Sigmar watched as she busied herself with her task.  She was wrapping different items in some simple cloth on a table outside her home.  Once complete she carried door to door offering them as a gift to celebrate the coming of winter.   "She celebrates a holiday Son of Bjorn.  Or is that a bit ridiculous?"  Ulric Mocked.   "I-I was unable to prevent her death."  Sigmar stammered.   "This isn't about death Sigmar, it's about life.  She the joy she spreads and how the gifts she freely gives is lifting the burdens of those around her.  There is still battles being fought, but this moment is what makes those battles worth the fight."  Ulric said.   Ravenna turned suddenly and for a moment appeared to lock eyes with Sigmar and offer a smile, but as she walked toward him she passed through him as if he was a spirit to who she was really looking at, her brother.   "Take me home spirit.  Your message is delivered."  Sigmar demanded not taking his eyes off Ravenna.   "So be it son of Bjorn."  Ulric stood still as snow whipped up around the pair to take them away.   Sigmar was alone in his chamber as the snow vanished from sight.  He sat down with his head in his mighty hands.   Part 3   Sigmar recovered himself quickly as the next hour or so passed, but he tensed as the bell tolled below once more.  He stared at the window waiting for the next messenger.  After a few moments, he let his body relax.  Perhaps his ordeal was over.  As he turned to go sit next to the roaring fire in his chamber he saw an unfamiliar Duradin standing by the fire.   "Are you the next messenger?  You seem more corporal then the others."  Sigmar questioned.   "Aye manling.  I am.  While I look whole I can assure you I am as dead as the others.  The name is Bugman."  The Duradin offered Sigmar a mug full of ale.   "My thanks."  Sigmar said taking the mug and quaffed a mouthful.  As he did the world began to spin until all became blackness.     When Sigmar awoke he was in a great hall where feasting and merriment filled the atmosphere.   "Welcome to Grombrindal's feasting hall,"  Bugman said as he sampled a bit of ale from a discarded mug spitting it out.  "Weak..."   Sigmar looked around to see all of Grungni's Smiths filling their bellies with Ale and Meat.  There was a roaring hearth and sat by it was Grombrindal looking as sour as ever.  He sipped on a mug staring into the fire.   "Why does he appear so Bugman?  What has caused him to be so isolated when surrounded by so many others?"  Sigmar asked.   "There is very few here who share his struggles and the one who could share his connection with has decided not to attend the feast,"  Bugman replied.   "It is me, isn't it?"  Sigmar said already knowing the answer.  This was no trip to the past, but the present happenings going on within his very realm.   Sigmar watched Grombrindal as he shut himself off from those around him becoming more and more irritated by the festivities around him.  Festivities he was trying to embrace.   "If the present course continues then this festival will die as you wish, but so will some of the spark that keeps all these Duradin going."  Bugman stated.   Sigmar kept staring at Grombrindal realizing for the first time how the stubborn old Duradin sought to connect with his past in any way he could and how Sigmar had been killing that past for The White Dwarf.   Bugman offered Sigmar another mug of Ale and without thought, Sigmar gulped another mouthful.  The world spun and Sigmar awoke back in his chamber with no sign of the Bugman other than a barrel of Ale labeled with XXXXX.   Part 4   Sigmar sat in silence waiting for the bell to toll from below once more and bring him the third and final messenger.  As the bell peeled its notes darkness enveloped the room that event the roaring fire could not push back.  A tall figure in black robes, wielding a scythe in one hand and an hourglass filled with ash in the other while a raven perched on his shoulder.   "You have come.  Let's get this over with Morr."  Sigmar said exhaling.   The spirit said nothing as he transported them through the darkness to their destination.  After an eternity of darkness, they stood in the streets of Azryheim.  People trudged through the snow filled streets hurrying to their destinations wearing grim faces and saying little if nothing to others they passed.  The air was filled with brooding that weighed heavy on Sigmar.  Celestial Snow fell from above, but its presence felt as if it was closing in on them.   "What has them in this state?  Have we lost the war is Chaos winning?"  Sigmar asked.   The spirit shook his head and pointed toward Sigmaron up above.  Mounted to the great fortress was four heads of the mightest daemons Sigmar had ever seen.  One representing each of the Chaos Gods.  Above them, all staked on the wall was the body of Archaon himself as dead as the others.   "Have we won?  Are we winning the war?  Why is everyone so sullen?  Show me someone who is happy about this I beg you!"  Sigmar pleaded.   The spirit complied and took them outside of Sigmars chamber in Sigmaron.  The door was open and Sigmar could see his future self-smiling as he overlooked the scene of people below, oblivious to their downturned mood.   "Does he not see that his people suffer despite these mighty victories?"  Sigmar asked.  "Who has sapped their joy?"   The spirit of Morr simply pointed at Sigmar, but not his future self, but at him directly.   "Me, but how?  Defeating Chaos is my goal and there should be cheering in the streets at all fo this!"  Sigmar shouted.   Morr wrapped them in darkness taking them to the great hall of reforging.  Before him, Sigmar saw the Smiths reforging Stormcast at a rate that would exhaust even his mighty form.  He strode out of the smithy to the chamber beyond he saw row after row of countless Stormcast reforged and ready for the next battle, but they were as machines.  Each one was entirely void of emotion and presence due to countless reforging.  On the far side of the hall, Sigmar saw a portal they were marching through directly to the realm of Chaos.  The Stormcast where throwing themselves unendingly at the Chaos Gods very Realms only to be sent back, reforged, and march forth to do the same again in what seemed like only minutes.  The cycle was unending and horrible to behold.   "How am I any better than them."  Sigmar whispered.  He was shocked that he had become that which he hated so much and his future self-appeared to be happy about it all.  Relishing in his victory, but taking the very heart from those he fought to save.   "I do not wish to see any more spirit!  Take me back!  Sigmar beggingly shouted.  The spirit did as he wished and Sigmar fell into darkness as he continued to shout to be free of this vision.   Part 5   Sigmar awoke sitting bolt upright with sweat running rivulets down his head.  He threw himself out of bed running to the window to see Celestial snow covering the city reflecting back the glow from Mallus.  He dressed and ran out of his chamber grabbing the Barrell Bugman had left him the night before.  He paused only as he saw Grungni ahead of him in one of the mighty halls.   "Grungni, what day is this?"  Sigmar asked.   "Much to your displeasure it is Sigmas Day.  I am off to talk Grombrindal out of his insane plan to launch a new campa-" Grungni said being cut off.   "Where is he?"  Sigmar demanded.   "Still in his Feasting Hall, I am told."  Grungni barely gave the answer before Sigmar set off.   "Have Sigmaron's entry chamber opened and invite all in for a drink, food, and merriment!"  Sigmar shouted back as he headed to Grombrindal's hall without knowing if he was heard or not.   Sigmar ran on still carrying the barrel until he came upon his target.  He took a few breaths and entered.  Before him, he saw Grombrindal, the Smiths, and countless other Duradin surrounds Grombrindal in full battle gear.   "What is the matter Sigmar?"  Grombrindal demanded.   Sigmar looked at the Duradin and smiled.  "It is Sigmas day and I have this ale.  I need friends to help me drink it if they are willing."   Grombrindal shifted uncomfortably as he did before, but this time he cracked a smile and let out a laugh and shouted.  "The campaign is off until that barrel is empty at the very least!  "Merry Sigmas one and all! "   The End   I hope you enjoyed my attempt at an Age of Sigmar Twist on a Holiday Classic.  Happy Holidays Everyone!  Until Next time, Happy Hobbying!    
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  8. Strength_Hammer
    Weeks ago I decided to finally begin Airbrushing in earnest.  Until that moment I was honing my skills with a brush (and even did a lot of priming with a brush) with  a plethora of techniques to still learn.


    Here is my weapon of choice.  Found a great deal online.
    I managed to find a great deal on the brush above and purchased it without a second thought (over one year ago).  Then I let it sit in the box unopened for about eight months.  To be honest I was intimidated by the thought of starting down the path of learning this new tool.  After my eight months of fear I decided to open and examine the device and shortly realized I needed an air compressor (which allowed me to delay a few more months as I searched for the right compressor).  Shortly after Christmas and Birthdays rolled around and my friends and family bought me everything I could need to begin airbrushing!  I had no more excuses so I delayed a few more months anyway and finally began.


    I decided to go right into it by priming models from minute one and after some trepidation I began to get a feel for the flow and flew threw my Army to what you see above.

    After the initial night of airbrushing I was fully invested and I spent the entire next day creating the concept Aelf Army (Dubbed "The Survivors of Rhana Dandra") you see above.  I created a black to white gradient in about 5 different layers using all the techniques I have heard about over the years.  To top it off I did a spot color of Electric Blue with a small highlight of blue mixed with a bit of white.  I don't feel this army is done, by any means, but I plan to go back to it soon with some subtle washes to add the illusion of color to a few more pieces of each model.


    With my motivation high I tackled a few more small projects with some Dark Angel Terminators, an old White Dwarf model and some converted models below.

    I had a few Witch Aelves left over from my Dark Elf army and converted them up to be a Mistweaver Saih and a Tenebrael Shard to lead my Concept Army.

    Currently I have moved sprayed a sea of Green as I have begun my Orc force for Age of Sigmar.  Let the WAAAAGH Commence.

    Looking at it all now I can say the thought of airbrushing is much more frightening than actually airbrushing and I encourage everyone (if able) to look to add this tool to your painting tool belt even if its just blocking colors as you see me here.  Listen to podcasts and pick up insight they may offer and I can highly recommend checking out Kenny Boucher and his weekly Twitch stream(Here is a link to his YouTube Channel).  His stream is was great encouragement to finally begin airbrushing.  Kenny and the podcast he is on The Long War is a great source for Warhammer 40,000 tactics and they are committed to "Bringing Hobby Back".

    Until next time. #OnlyTheFaithful

    Also I promised big news in the last Post.  I am planning on starting a YouTube channel the beginning of next year.  Keep and eye out for updates!


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  9. Strength_Hammer
    It is that time of year for us to muster our forces and display them proper in Armies on Parade!

    Every year I watched as hobbyists across the globe created armies and display boards for their local Armies on Parade.  Seeing the projects was always a great way to get my hobby mojo going either through the White Dwarf or Online posts by the community.  This year I finally have a Games Workshop location within driving distance and I am finally able to participate.
    I decided to use my Stormcast Chamber (The Reik Eternals) as they are one of my newest armies and only had minimal work to finish the army from a painting stand point.  Then came to the decision of designing my display board.  Such began the process...

      The outline of my board
    Thankfully I work in the building industry so foam insulation board is easy to come across.  I gathered a few pieces and after some wire and glue I had a base.  I decided to go with a raging river on my display board to represent a variation of the River Reik.  The foam was a new medium for me and after some guess work it began to come together.  I cut the River into shape and used a candle to create the wavy pattern for the river you see above.  After adding some foam rocks created from the scrap it was time to paint!
      The color blocked out

    The river comes alive!
    I have to admit painting the river was an exciting challenge.  I know there is plenty of room to improve, but I am proud of what I was able to accomplish.  After some quick drying with a hair dryer I was able to flock and trim the board which admittedly was my least favorite part.
    With added scenary
    I even added a sign complete with sloppy hand writing!
    The whole process took me 3 days from start to finish and while there is much I would like to redo I am very happy with the finish product and will take my knowledge with me to next years display board to make it bigger and better!
    Good luck to everyone participating this year and I look forward to seeing your work online (I hear rumors GW is putting up all pictures from the stores on one website)!  I will leave you know with a few shots of my Army on Parade and I will report back if I manage to pull out a podium!



    #OnlyTheFaithful
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  10. Strength_Hammer
    Hey everyone!  Happy Autumn Equinox!  Today I wanted to begin talking about my project and army plans for Armies on Parade 2017.  The date is already fast approaching, but I wanted to ensure I wrapped up my current Khorne army before diving into this one.  As of this post, there are Thirty-Two days before our parade week beings for Age of Sigmar.  On October 23rd Warhammer and Games Workshop stores across the globe will be full of amazing themed and painted Age of Sigmar Armies and I intend to be one of them while looking to earn a Gold place once again.  With the changes to Armies on Parade this year there are different paths for me to accomplish this as well.

    Teaser Poster for my Project
    Quite a long time ago, before the ending of The World that Was.  I had hoped to one day create an Autumn themed Wood Elf army.  Autumn is easily my favorite season due to all the festivals, and pumpkin flavored everything.  When I finally got to painting my Wood Elves I went a different route in order to allow mixing of the Elven races due to the End Times lists that could be created, but I put my Trees on hold as they were now Sylvaneth and for the past few years they have sat in my hobby room waiting to be painted, but other projects kept popping up I felt the need to do more.  Stormcast Eternals, Blades of Khorne, and finishing my newly named Aelven models.
    I have wrapped up my Khorne and was looking for a new project.  I decided to rebase my old Alef models on to rounds, but that is a very simple project despite the time it will take.  Then I saw Armies on Parade announced for 2017 on the Warhammer Community Website.  I immediately looked to my Khorne as it is freshly painted and painted to a higher level than other armies I own due to my improving skill.  However, I couldn't come up with a unique theme to a board for the army.  The color scheme is unique but beyond that, I haven't put created a narrative for the army.  Then I looked at my unpainted Sylvaneth, resigned to their fate of always being on the back burner and I decided I would paint them and find a fun and unique twist on the olf Autumn theme I wanted to do for so long.
    A glimpse into my Hobby Journal
    It was over coffee (Pumpkin Spice Latte if you were wondering) with my wife that the theme struck me and stuck.  We were talking about how much we enjoyed the Fall Harvest Festivals in our area as well as reminiscing about our early days on World of Warcraft and the fun Autumn Holiday events that went on within the game that we spent many hours enjoying over the years.  I thought why not theme my Sylvaneth around this?  So I set to task and drew up a plan and wrote out a list of what I would need.  I don't plan on any extreme or silly conversions on the models themselves, but I plan for tilled fields and Autumn Harvest for basing.
    Some Inspirational Art to help me plan
    I wanted to theme the board as a farm in the process of harvesting its crops in preparation for the upcoming festivals I have imagined within my own little slice of the Realm of Life.  I will incorporate my current model's int he army as well as three Citadel Woods as well.  With my plan laid out, I headed off to a local hardware store to pick up some great precut 2'x2' Foam boards as well as some miniature rustic farm tools and equipment from a local craft store.  I am sure there will be more added as the weeks go on, but I had enough to get started with my concept.

    Perhaps an Allarielle is needed to complete this project
    I plan to build and prime my models this weekend which shouldn't be much of a challenge as it is only around 1000pts in matched play.  I will prime with a darker brown and go over it with a reddish and lighter brown to help blend the Autumn Foilage that will be prevalent in the force as well.  It will still take quite a bit of effort, but I am up for the challenge.
    As I said earlier there have been some changes in Armies of Parade this year that add more award categories to the event.  The first large change is the separation between Age of Sigmar and 40k by having parade weeks separated by games.  My area is very 40k heavy and most of the armies last year were from that system.  That might have helped me stand out and achieve Gold last year, but I like that I will now be competing against other Age of Sigmar armies specifically this year.  They have also offered different categories to win.  Young Bloods, First Army, Monsters and Machines, Best Theme, Best Scenic Board, Best Painted are now all up for grabs and I believe it will add more diversity and participation.  I plan to contend for Best Theme and Best Scenic Board with my project this year and I am excited to really get stuck in with this project.

    Fun Fact:  I carve these same two pumpkin designs every year

    I will be posting continues progress here as well as on Twitter and plan to do a full post as the project comes to completion.  If you have a Games Workshop or Warhammer store nearby I highly suggest you participate this year.  Time is running short, but there is nothing like a deadline to complete a project.  If you are working on a display for Armies on Parade let me know as I would love to see what you are planning.  Until next week, Happy Hobbying!

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  11. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  Today I wanted to show you my completed Entry for Armies on Parade 2017.  This weekend Hobbyists from around the world will be heading to their local Warhammer or Games Workshop stores to participate in Age of Sigmar Parade Day.  Last year was my first Armies on Parade as it was also the first year of my local area having an official Warhammer Store outside of Friendly Local Game Stores (FLGS).  I took my Stormcast Eternals on a pretty simple Display Board with a raging river running through and due to fan vote I was able to take Gold and it has driven me to reach outside of my comfort zone and push myself past last years efforts to strive for Gold once again.




    As you may have caught above this Saturday is Parade day for Age of Sigmar which is a change from how Armies on Parade used to be run.  In its prior form, all armies across Age of Sigmar (previously Fantasy), 40k, and lord of the Rings were entered and judged and voted on together with a single Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal being offered to the winners.  The new change sees Age of Sigmar and 40k judged separately and on different days.  They have also added multiple categories with the chance of winning a Gold Pin while everyone who participates gets a Silver Pin.  The new categories for this year are Best Painted, Best Theme, Youngbloods, Best Board (and possibly more).

    I am curious as to what the "possibly more" could be as it is stated on the official Armies on Parade website, but sadly they haven't been as proactive on the posts there running up to the event.  I imagine it could be along the lines of "First Army", "Most points painted", etc...  I really find the event enjoyable both before and after having a store able to participate, but I outside of Twitter and White Dwarf there wasn't much build up this year.  Granted it has been very frantic and fun in the way of releases so I cannot complain too much, but those without a shop near are missing out on all the hobby goodness across the world I feel.  Hopefully next year we will see a bigger build-up to the event and even more improvements to the overall structure.

    My Theme this year was to take the 1000pouints of Sylvaneth I have had laying about for the past year or so and create The Harvest Sylvaneth where I would blend the fun of Autumn harvest festivals with a touch of the dark and wet days of fall before winter begins taking its grasp.  A lot of the project was really just going with my gut and not overthinking anyone aspect.  If something looked off I just reworked it until I felt happy with the result, which in hindsight did not happen as often as I would have expected simply jumping in with both feet.
    I really focused on painting up the bulk of the army first to get the color's set that I would need to compliment and contrast on my board, but after I felt finished with the army I found myself returning to them as I worked on the display board itself.  While I was viewing them as separate projects coming together they really became a single project where I could not look at one without seeing the other so the board and army really grew together as I neared completion.  It really became an organic project that took on its own life.  

    I plan to take the army to a full 2000pts in the near future despite my earliest intentions to paint it and walk away from it post Armies on Parade.  It was a joy to paint and the quick pace my scheme allowed me to turn out models really keeps the motivation high.  I would be foolish not to include Alarielle as it is a fantastic model and if I am honest I bought these models just for the excuse to buy her new model to paint up.  I think I will also add a few more units of Dryads as well as Drycha and finish up with some more Kurnoth Hunters with Bows and Scythes.  It wouldn't take much to give the army the boost to be competitive on the table.

    I also feel that I will revisit the board, although in subtle ways.  I am also considering the large undertaking of buying five more pieces of 2x2 foam and creating an entire game board using this theme with more static terrain built directly on the board such as more fields, hills, and perhaps some ruined cabins.  While I have Terrain as well as an FLG Mat I think a custom made autumn board could be fun to make and use during some fall gaming events for some fun.  The challenge would be keeping ti consistent and as damage free as possible during storage.

    This year with the changes to event and inclusion of new categories I plan on competing for a few specifically.  While I am happy with the painting standard of my army there are plenty of fantastic painters in my local area and will be a heavily contested area.  I decided to put my effort into Best Theme and Best Display Board.  These categories play more to my strengths within the hobby and as I continue to work on improving my painting techniques and skill before next year's Armies on Parade.

    One of the other goals for this project was to get more comfortable with colors I do not normally use. This was also the goal of my recently finish Khorne Army that used White as its primary color.  Yellow and Orange have always alluded me in ease o fuse in my painting, but using them throughout this force have given me a new level of comfort for future projects.  With more comfort, I have more flexibility in future armies and projects and hopefully improvement of my skills as a hobbyist overall.

    There was one aspect of the army that gave me pause for thought.  Basing.  I wanted it to match the dark and wet display board, but the army itself has dark tones throughout and I was worried it would blend too much.  Thankfully after some input, I added some Leaf Litter to the bases to give it a bit of brightness against the muddy basing which helped separate it from the display board but still allowing it to be part of the scene as a whole.

    I struggled with this same issue on my Khorne.  Basing is one of my weaknesses as that I hope to correct on future armies.  I always tended to be lazy and do the quickest finish in the way of green turf, but this can get very boring unless you put a lot of extra work into the base.  I still wish to rebase all my older armies as part of "My Great Aelf Rebasing Project".  However, I have found myself waffling on if I should rebase them all or simply create a new Aelf Army in line with my "Generated Free City" using new models and sculpts as well as my improved level of painting skill (opposed from when I painted the armies years ago).  Time will tell if the project involves rebasing or a brand new army.

    What has pleased me the most is how well received this army has been amongst friends and different chat groups.  Medals are nice and winning is the goal for Armies on Parade, but the sense of satisfaction and happiness I already have from the compliments and encouragement to continue this army has really motivated me.  I am holding back a tiny bit though as I wish to knock out some small project laying about as well as continue working on my Shadespire armies.  Have no doubt that these won't take long and I will be back into army painting in no time as I just can't seem to stay away from it for too long.
    If you are participating in Armies on Parade this weekend I wish you luck in taking Gold.  Regardless you should be proud of completing a project for the event!  If you can post a picture of your project in the comments so we can all check them out.  If you are not participating and I have a Warhammer store nearby I really suggest stopping out to get some inspiration and join in on the fun of Parade Day and consider participating next year.  I will post pictures of my local Parade day on Twitter and I hope to see the feed fill up with everyone's Parade Day pictures as well as pictures from the Realms at War Event that is happening as well over in the UK (#Raw17)!  Until next week, Happy Hobbying!
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  12. Strength_Hammer
    My original plan for this weeks post was to talk about my "top secret" Age of Sigmar Aelf army, but while working on said army today I began thinking about rebasing and base sizes.  That train of thought gripped me to the point I decided to make this post about my thoughts on the subject.


    Remember when this picture dropped?
    Many people have rebased an old Fantasy Army or are currently in the process of doing so.  Some are using inserts while others are clipping models from their old squares and putting them on "appropriate" size round bases.  So what does appropriate mean?  What looks the best?  What may give the best advantage in game play?  What I have laying around?

    There are valid points for every argument here so what are we to do?  My local scene is still small and most were very upfront and vocal that they will never rebase.  I thought about rebasing as well, but with my local scene keeping squares for the chance of old edition games I decided it was best to leave my square based model as they are and simply begin a new army and use rounds (until my local scene changes its mind).

    Everyone has seemed to settle on some standards for basing and that is a great thing, but something written (and proven to work) would help resolve any left over feelings for staying square.  Thankfully the SCGT 2016 packs dropped and BAM (timing is everything)! We have something written down to push the community to rounds.  Is it required?  Yes...and no...

    You must be on rounds, but you can blue tac your squares to rounds.  A simple fix that shouldn't bother anyone to much.  On top of that I really like how you wont lose paint score, but are not eligible to win painting awards unless you are fully committed to rounds bases.

    I really like the concept of being able to go up a base size if you choose.
    I can see this being adopted across the Tournament (and eventually the casual) community in the months to come.  Just like Mo/Clash Comp came around and suddenly turned this whole AoS tournament ship in the right direction I believe SCGT Pack will push the community toward round basing as the standard.  The community is still growing and it is an exciting time to be one of the faithful!  Now back to basing my army....

    #OnlyTheFaithful

    I have no affiliation with SCGT or Heelanhammer Podcast, but if you are interested in viewing the tournament packs or checking out their podcast please do so here: http://heelanhammer.com/
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  13. Strength_Hammer
    Hello everyone!  I wanted to start a sub-series focused on building a community around Miniature War Gaming (particularly Age of Sigmar) by sharing my experiences.  My hope is to speak with other community members during this series, and share ideas to use with local gaming groups.  Part one of this series will focus on developing your local scene.  I will explore connecting a personal gaming group to a larger scene in future articles.



    Before I dive in I want to preface the article a bit.  I had written an article about building the community, but after some friendly and honest critique, I saw how generic and boring the article was to read.  Instead, I am bringing you a fresher and much more personal experience, my experience to be exact, of the challenges in developing a local scene.  Please enjoy.

    At the end of Warhammer Fantasy 8th edition, my local scene was falling apart.  My friend that was leading it all at the time was out of steam.  The dropping of Age of Sigmar took what little wind he had in his sails away.  I can't blame him either, as he had been playing for over 20 years in the Old World.  Within a few years, the scene went from tournaments of 24 attendants and up to just him and myself showing up.  Thankfully he has returned to the scene and is playing games somewhat more regularly, but he is no longer leading the group.


    I decided to take up the reins and try to regrow the scene shortly after.  I debated with myself “why I had chosen to lead the local scene?”  I found my answer after a bit of thinking.  I truly love this hobby and this game, and I didn't want to see it die in my local area.  So I began taking steps to rebuild.  I began showing up to play and teach Age of Sigmar to anyone who would try, but it was weeks until I managed to get anyone to throw dice with me in a game of Age of Sigmar.  I won't lie in the fact that it was very rough and heartbreaking at times.  My best advice is to never give up and keep showing up to play.  You may not get a game in every night, but eventually, you will be playing consistently with a small group.

    Over time I had a few small groups of people playing regular games and it felt rewarding, but I faced a new challenge.  These small groups played only 15 minutes apart from one another, but no matter what I did they simply would not communicate and to this day they still are separate entities with the only connecting being myself as the consistent Age of Sigmar player who leads the scenes.  This has been immensely frustrating, to be honest.  I have tried to set one-day tournaments with prize support, narrative events, and even simple open games days to get everyone together.  Nothing so far has worked, but I have not given up on it happening yet.  I hope to ultimately bring these groups together and get them playing with my consistent group (a scene I happily play with but have no part in leading) of game buddies that are a bit farther away.  I do not know if this will ever happen, but I continue trying.


    There have been very exciting times within the groups that made then take leaps and bounds in a positive direction.  The first was the release of the Generals Handbook.  Many players who were on the fence were finally convinced, as they now had an easier way to set up a game with other players.  Those players who held off for so long found themselves with points and small local groups within reach to begin playing with and we welcomed them with open arms.  Shortly afterward, we had The Season of War, which we all had something to play for in capturing our perspective cities in order to change the future of the narrative.  It was a fun and exciting time.  As scenes grow, more and more types of players will join in.   Occasionally, however, you will attract people who can be harmful to a local scene.  This is a topic I am going to save that for the next installment of my "Building a Community" series.

    I hope my honesty won't keep anyone from stepping up to lead their local scene.  It is a very tough and can be thankless work, but if you are doing it for the right reasons (love of the game and hobby), then the happiness you will experience as positive growth happens will outweigh any of the drawbacks.


    Feel free to follow me on Twitter and until Next Time Happy Hobbying!

    Edited by @Grudgegamer on Twitter


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  14. Strength_Hammer
    Welcome to Part 2 of my Building a Community Series.  If you missed Part 1 please check it out here.  I apologize for the delay in getting this article posted.
    In this installment, I want to talk about poisonous players and the current challenges with this type of player that I am currently facing.  I will not be calling out anyone by name, as that is not the direction I want to take this article.  My wish is to show you my personal dilemma that I have encountered while trying to grow my local scene.  Hopefully, my experiences can help others to better prepare for these obstacles.  
     
    So first let me set the scene.  When the 8th Ed. Warhammer Fantasy scene died, I decided to take the reins and lead the Age of Sigmar division of our gaming club, Ligonier Legions.  Our club has three main game systems that we run, Flames of War, 40k, and Age of Sigmar.  We typically meet twice a month, and Flames of War.  Flames of War is the most popular of the games and was guaranteed a date each month.  This left 40k and AoS competing for the other date.  During this time, I was only in charge of running the Age of Sigmar events.  I did not have any authority on picking the dates for which games would be played.  This worked for about a year, until recently.  The senior member who handled all the higher level duties, as well as running the other game systems, burned out trying to manage it all.  He tried listening to everyone in how to run things and gave in to every request.  By trying to make everyone happy, this quickly made everyone unhappy.  Instead of playing the three main games we were supposed to be dedicated to, we were playing older editions, board games, open games days, build leagues, paint leagues, etc.  This led to bitter people blaming everyone else and generally beginning to create a poisonous atmosphere.

    This should bring everyone up to speed.  At the end of 2016, I arrived at a combined 40k/AoS event.  The senior member who had been running things up to this point told me that he was done and needed a break from all the aggravation.  I was thrust into the position of club leader and running the 40k events as well.  I now organize all the events; however, I did have to put someone in charge of running Flames of War, as I am unfamiliar with that system.  I had seen this coming, so I had a bit of mental preparation to take over long before it actually happened.  The thing I wasn't prepared for though was the complaining that followed, and the poisonous players trying to assert their views.  I never realized how a few people could bring a group down and inhibit its growth so easily.
    Over the past year of running AoS, I have learned to run events and gaming groups with the view that "if I was a player, how would I like this to be run".  My first order of business was to adjust how we shared time.  I wanted more focus on 40k and Age of Sigmar.  These two game systems have a bit of player cross over, as well as a stable core.  We now have a solid rotation of 40k and Age of Sigmar, and are able to keep Flames of War consistent each month.  Unless the group wants to run an open games day, in which case Flames of War has to volunteer to give up their day.

    It did not take long after this adjustment for those poisonous players to assert their opinions and make demands that had pulled down the previous leadership.  It has been challenging, to say the least.  These players have refused to accept that Games Workshop has changed for the better and cling to older editions with zeal.  They have had no love for 40k as it stands now for the past year, arranging for previous edition play outs that have had a reduced turnout month after month.  When I put the word out that we will rotate 40k and Age of Sigmar they suddenly began defending the game of 40k as if nothing was all that wrong with it anymore.  They debated my change because I was taking time away from their failing games for Age of Sigmar.  I have explained myself, but they didn't grasp my long view.  I understand they want their old editions to become the “new” way to play in the area, but I know we can grow all of our game systems to be equally supported by the player base.  
    They talk about wanting to run older editions of Fantasy and 40K even though in the past these events have failed to draw players.  I decided to not simply say no, as I feel that isn’t the right path.  I told them that it could be a fun idea and they should organize it on one of our open days.  I put the ball in their hands and said go for it.  So far they are unwilling to step up and organize it but continue to nag and make comments to other players.  You must be cautious if you have players who may be poisonous to your larger group because they could easily get the ears of the newer players with negative remarks or even outright complaints.  When my new players show up, I just want them to have fun playing some games, and not have people who take a negative view on the game drag them down. When this happens in my group, I combat the problem in two ways.  I counter with my excitement for the game.  If this fails, I have no problem pulling the person aside and asking them to set a better example for the younger players.  I have seen this succeed in the short term, but old habits tend to die hard so you need to keep aware of the poor attitude returning.

    The long and short of all this is there will be some people that may be poisonous to your local group for one reason or another.  My advice is to set your course and see it to the end.  Some people may drop off, but others will join you and those are the players you will want to focus on.  It is important to adjust your course from time to time but always head towards your goal of growing your scene.  Don't let anyone drag the whole group down, keep motivated, keep active, and keep it fun along the way.  All the negative talk will not be able to stand up to the real examples of fun and excitement you will bring to the community.  You will fall occasionally, but focus on the good and don't let it drag you down.
    Until Next Time, Happy Hobbying!



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  15. Strength_Hammer
    Welcome to Part 3 of my "Building a Community" Series.  If you have missed Part 1 and Part 2, please check them out in the links below.  Today I want to talk about my local club’s tables, terrain, etc...
    I need to be honest with myself.  Building and painting terrain can be a chore for the common hobbyist, with the exception of a few notable exceptions.  When I go home to hobby I would rather build lists, paint, or convert models while catching up on Warhammer TV streams.  I could go on and on about the parts of the hobby that I love, but it would take some time until I mentioned building and painting terrain.  I am falling short in raising the bar in that regard for my local scene.
    When I took over the leadership position of my local club, I inherited a ramshackle assortment of terrain and gaming mats that the club has collected over the past decade.  Most of which has been donated from less hobby enthused patrons, to say the least.  It is the same terrain in service today.  While it is great to have anything to put on the table when you are just starting out, our club has been around for a number of years.  Despite my motivation to take the club beyond where it currently stands, I have not managed to rectify this situation.
    A classic piece of terrain, but it has seen better days...
    When we show up for Club Meets, we begin by setting up uneven tables in the basement of our local library.  Old felt mats, not even cut to the proper size, are then laid out.  Terrain, that has seen better days, is then spread out among these felt mats.  It is time to correct the situation. My goal has always been to motivate others to play and enjoy Age of Sigmar, and that must include playing on quality tables.
    Basic field at my local events
    Many hands make light work, and building and painting does not require a high level of hobby skill, but it does require a time commitment and perhaps even a few dollars.  Hopefully, I can get the club on board with taking a few of our standard Club Meets throughout the year to spruce up our tables.  My goal isn't to have Holy Wars or Realms at War level of tables, but I would like our club to be able to host a small size one-day event without the feeling that the playing area is lessening the experience of the players.
    While I need help from my club to improve the tables, I realize I will have to take on most of the responsibility myself to make it all happen.  I have worked with my FLGS owner to purchase some Games Workshop terrain for use at the club so each table can have a few high-quality pieces.  I need to motivate myself to paint these up quickly to inspire everyone else to put in their effort, so we improve our club as a whole.  It won't be an overnight change and it might not be very easy, but it needs to be done.
    A beautiful table by Steve Herner One day I hope to play on it myself!
    Luckily, I have a few stalwart friends that I know I can count on.  Others I may have to drag along in this process, but that is part of being a motivator.  My hope is everyone steps up to help, even if it is only in a small way.  The fear is that there are a few who feel they are above this endeavor or do not feel like it is a good use of time.  No matter who is on board or possibly not on board, I will give it my all to inspire and motivate others within my club to create the best playing experience possible.

    A lovingly crafted table by Ming
    Another thing to keep in mind is that our club currently shares terrain between 40k and Age of Sigmar.  While this is great for starting out it will have to change so we can theme our tables wholly within The Mortal Realms.  While hills can easily pass for both games I doubt a High Elf Dragon Prince would land next to a power generator and a chemical plant any time soon.  As a club, we will need to acknowledge and sort our terrain between the two games to prevent unnecessary damage and keep it thematic.  I have seen firsthand how players from other systems can be careless and downright abusive to terrain that they know is not theirs.  Hopefully separate tubs will be enough.
    I have fallen short of my goals for this club so far, but I will work to correct it with their help.  Currently, I am striving for having 6 tabletop standard tables with 8-10 quality pieces of terrain for each prepared by the end of this summer.  I would like to invite anyone who has advice on the matter or from anybody who has been in a similar situation.  I will continue to keep everyone posted on my progress on this topic.

    Until next week, Happy (Terrain) Hobbying!
    Building a Community Links: Part 1 Part 2
    Edited by @Grudgegamer
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  16. Strength_Hammer
    Welcome to Part 4 of my "Building a Community" Series.  If you have missed Part 1, 2 or 3, please check them out in the links below.  Today I want to talk about how I will attempt to bring unity to my local club.
     
    Later this month my local club, Ligonier Legions, will meet as we usually do.  However, instead of setting up immediately for a gaming event, I have set up an open forum to let members determine the future of the group.  After speaking with a few dedicated club members, I believe an open forum is my best option to bring us all together.
      I see three major cliques that make up our club that I hope to have a meaningful discussion with at the meeting.  In previous articles, I spoke about a small subsection in my local community who were poisonous to the whole with how they wished the club to be run while not actively stepping up to run events themselves or thinking beyond their own short term goals.  On the opposite side, I have another small group dedicated to my vision.  The third group is the majority of the club.  They are made up of younger and newer players.  I wish to let everyone voice their opinions so they get their points across and let the group as a whole react.  My hope is that I can perhaps bring them around to my long view approach to growing our club.
     
    The majority appear to be enjoying the current games that we conduct and do not seem to mind too much one way or another how things are run or handled.  This majority is just looking to show up and have a few games with some friends, but I hope this will give them ownership in the club and help get us all moving in the right direction.
        My major concern is that the small group, who does not appear to be happy with the recent changes, speaks out in a negative non-constructive way.  What I predict is that they voice their displeasure without offering any positive ideas on how to improve on my ideas to grow the club.  I hope I am wrong, but I am preparing to lead the conversation away from negativity to be sure we come up with positive ways to enact any change members wish to see in the club.  While I am preparing for this inevitability, I have hopes that we will be able to clear the air and find the common ground that I am sure is there.
     
     
    While it may seem that the point of the meeting is to get the grumblers on track with me, I am more focused on the younger members.  The younger players are the future and will one day take the wheel and lead this club.  I want to make sure I lay down a solid foundation for them to build off of when the burden is placed on their shoulders.  I need their input so I can try to set the club up for future success.  I want to see what they like and what they do not like.  Perhaps we are playing a game that is getting to much focus, while one they really want to play isn't getting enough attention.  Is gaming the only thing they want to do when we meet?  Would more hobby days be in order or more seminar-style events to teach better tactics?  Do they want a competitive or narrative focus?  This majority is my focus and I look forward to what they will have to offer.

    After Adepticon, I have come to realize just how different my club’s mindset for this hobby is compared to me.  At Adepticon, I was surrounded by so many people who cared about every aspect of the hobby.  There were beautifully painted armies, strategically satisfying games, and opponents who want to have a fun game instead of focusing only on winning.  My local club is lacking in these philosophies and I have set my path to correct these failings.  It has to start somewhere and it needs to start with me.
     
    I will be reporting back next month sometime to let you know how the first open forum club meeting went.  After that, I will be focusing on other articles besides the Building a Community series so I can put a light on different subjects.  If you have any tips, advice, or have done this within your own club please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@odiamh) as I would love to talk more about this before the meeting.
     
    Until next week Happy Hobby!
    Edited BY @Grudgegamer

    Building a Community Series:
    Part 1
    Part 2
    Part 3    
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  17. Strength_Hammer
    Welcome to Part 5 of my "Building a Community" Series.  If you have not read Part 1, 2, 3 or 4 please check them out in the links below.  Today I will discuss the recent town meeting I held at my local club and the rather quick turnaround I have seen in members since. 

    At our last club day, I felt it was best to hold a town meeting to get everyone together to discuss the future of the club.  I felt a lot of what I was trying to do wasn't being received properly or was being misinterpreted.  I was told that a few people felt I was going to ruin the club!  I needed to get everyone on the same page as me, and I needed to alleviate any fears while finding out what they wanted as well.  We took an hour at the beginning of our Club day and I lead the discussion.


    I began by explaining what my views on where the club is at, what I feel we can be, and how I felt we could get there.  I think it shocked a few members when I told them where I felt the club was as a whole currently. Our poor tables and fractured philosophies made us unwelcoming and unattractive to gaining new members or having other clubs come visit.  After I a few minutes of explaining how our current environment was road blocking us it began to sink in and we started going around the room giving everyone a chance to voice their thoughts.  It became obvious that I wasn't the only person who felt our club was stagnant and needed to change as a whole to survive.

    I am thankful that we had a fairly diverse group at the meeting albeit a smaller turnout than I would have liked, but it was also Easter weekend and the opening day of trout, so it wasn't entirely unexpected.  Competitive members, Narrative members, and Hobbyist members all offered advice on how to improve the aspect of the club they found themselves within.  As the ideas on how we can and should improve were discussed I challenged each of them to implement these action items themselves in order to help the club as a whole become more of what they would like to see.  Ideas such as going out to other FLGS's and clubs to play with them and discuss our local scene and what we wish to do.  Setting up monthly hobby days on Skype with one of our best painters discussing tips and just to work on projects together.  We discussed ways to improve our current table situation and committed to 12 Tables total, with 4 tables having quality terrain within a few months.  Some members offered to us their 3D printer to make nice centerpieces for tables and others generously offered to cast terrain themselves, they even brought in a few painted pieces they had cast they would exactly what we are looking to add to our tables!  The club is also dedicating its next meeting day to repair and create new terrain for our tables.


    The biggest change we all agreed on was to remove the original change I had put in place when I began organizing the group.  Originally I felt that dedicating each day to one specific game would help each game grow, but over time it was obvious that people who played one game simply didn't show up if their game was not the focus.  After suggestions from a few of the members at the meeting, we will now be running all three of our main games, 40k, Age of Sigmar, and Flames of War at each club day.  We want to be more attractive to others coming in and what is better than a room full of gamers as opposed to the small groups we were getting with the focused days,

    Afterward, I described the meeting as a Minor Victory.  I felt a lot of the misconstrued ideas and plans were streamlined and everyone began to take ownership in that their actions will make our break this club.  It was a week or so later that I saw it was closer to a Major Win.  I saw members going to the other local FLGS's to play games and gain interest in new players to come join us and see what we are doing in Ligonier.  Suddenly the Facebook group began having daily posts and discussions from everyone, not just the same few who were always posting.  I feel energized to put forth whatever more effort I can to improve the club because for the first time I don't feel like the only horse pulling this cart.  The younger gamers, the older gamers, and even those who I felt were poisonous gamers are all going the same way and I could not be more proud.



    I will continue posting updates as the club continues to improve, but I feel this is a good place to wrap up this series, for now at least.  If you would like to check out what we are about please check out the clubs Facebook page here or follow me on Twitter.  Perhaps in the next year or two, you might see us at Adepticon or Nova wearing the club shirts we are creating or if you are within driving distance we would love for you to join us one day.  Until next week Happy Hobbying!

    Edited by Grudgegamer

    Building a Community: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4



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  18. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone! This past weekend my club held a very important event in place of its standard gaming days.  We had determined at our Town Meeting that our terrain was in need of a facelift and we committed to repairing, repainting, and if needed replacing terrain from our club collection.  I also committed to painting up all of my terrain so when I am running Age of Sigmar events such as Coalescence I can also bring a few extra tables of quality terrain as well.




    I went to this project with the mindset that if I am unwilling to paint my own terrain how could I possibly motivate others to fix up our community terrain?  While painting my own terrain was motivating for the club as we came up to the club terrain day it really began to stretch my endurance.  While some terrain like the new Games Workshop has a lot of fun little detail to spend some time on other proved to be monotonous with priming and dry brushing becoming the standard.  All that said it was educational going through the process on my own terrain.  
    I also spent time using a hot foam wire cutter and some sharp knives creating hills along the way.  I cannot express how easy these were to create and very friendly on the wallet as well.  If you are needing some simple terrain to get on your or your clubs table I can honestly say you could have a table full of line of sight blocking hills done to a decent standard in an afternoon. 


    Our local library which is our normal meeting location was completely booked through the month.  Thankfully we had another FLGS nearby with a lot of space who was willing to host us as we got to the task.  I picked up the clubs terrain early from our club FLGS and headed over to the hosting FLGS.  I arrived and one of our younger members Luke had already arrived and was eager to get going so we began unpacking and setting up shop.

    Over the next hour or so more and more club members became coming in to help out.  It was great to see every rally around a single task to improve the club as a whole.  There was a wide variety of hobbyists as well.  The hardcore gamers, the high-level painters, and the casual group all joined it.  The time really passed quickly as we all chatted hobby and upcoming releases.  It was a real bonding experience for those who were able to attend.


    I think the key detail of the day was who showed up to begin taking our club to the next level.  While it is worth noting that a few members who let me know there were schedule conflicts and they couldn't attend I noticed that those who showed up were the younger players.  I feel I was able to relay to them how important they are to the future of the club as it will be them leading it one day.  They are enthused about what I have been pushing with taking the club to a higher level and growing once again.  It wouldn't be possible without the support of the entire club, especially the younger players.

    The fruits of our labor paid off as we managed to repair and repaint all of the club terrain in about six hours of hard work.  It was great seeing the looks of accomplishment on everyone's face and the care with which everyone put the terrain away in its boxes to be transported back to our FLGS.  The club showed up and took ownership and they will see the fruits of their labor during our next game day when we play with the terrain.


    If your club is in needs to up their game tables I can recommend dedicating a single day to repairing and even building new terrain.  It is a great way for everyone to take ownership in the club as well as bond as a community.  If you do have a day like this coming up let me know as I would love to check out some pictures or offer any advice I can.  Follow me on Twitter if you would like to see pictures from the next club game day where we will begin using the freshly updated terrain.  Until next week Happy Hobbying!
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  19. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  In just over a weeks time the second Coalasence Global Narrative Event Day will take place.  On March 17th Warhammer Age of Sigmar players are planning to gather for some fun narrative gaming for glory and fun.  Following up on last summers successful event I will be running this event once again in my local club.  The Neon group have outdone themselves once again and Games Workshop even gave the player pack a nice facelift to make it look stunning.  There is still time to jump on board and host this free event so head over to Neon Blog to sign up and get the pack!



    I really enjoyed running this event back in June and while the story of the Godbeast Eristrat this event is purely focused on the current story revolving around Shyish and the Malign Portents.  If you haven't picked up the Malign Portents book yet I highly suggest you do so.  The level of detail it dives into about Shyish is worth it alone.  Be sure to check out the companion website as well for even more stories and details about this strange time in The Age of Sigmar.
    The event also coincides with the Global campaign, Dread Solstice, as well where players across the world are helping shape the future and story of The Age of Sigmar.  Every game will count toward reporting so be sure to track the wins and losses at your table and report them to your participating location.  

    One of the coolest additions from Malign Portents is our four Hero models, one for each Grand Alliance.  While their power and use in Matched Play is debatable they are perfect for a narrative game and with an event themed around their release I thought it necessary to make them part of my local event.  Each of my players can bring their respective Malign Portents Hero for free in addition to their armies and my local club has been very excited about this as there is no reason not to play with these great models now.  I am allowing proxies for these models, but if players want to win the infamous "Coolest Award" from my event they should find time to buy and paint one of these up.

    The pack is laid exceptionally well and is built for each scenario to grow from 100 to 1250 to 1500 points from game to game.  I love the idea of growing your army each ga,e, but sadly this will be the one item I change.  Since the event is the weekend before Adepticon time has been a bit of an issue for my local club as we all scramble to prepare.  For my local event will be playing each game at 1000 points only.  This is twofold as it will allow us a fun and quick day of gaming and as a lot of my club will be playing in the team event at Adepticon we can practice the use of our armies in a relaxed fashion.  It is a small change, but one I felt worked well for myself and the players at my event.

    One of the great ideas from last summers event was to add your local story to the overall narrative.  As I am a big fan of Aelves I used Tyrion and Teclis as the driving force in my local lore and made fun little teasers involving them and the event centered in my local area.  I even brought Tyrion and Teclis as leaders of my Aelven army last year to play as my ringer army and have some fun on the tables.  I couldn't resist doing this once again and with the well-timed Daughters of Khaine release who better to involve this time other than Morathi.  I plan to theme my ringer force once again around her and Teclis will be my be Harbinger, although with slimmed down rules. 
    As I did last year I will also create a small wrap up teaser after the event to help tie in my local result with the overall narrative and, hopefully, set up some plot devices for the third event in June.  If you want to see how the first Coalescence went to my local club be sure to check out the article I posted about it.  The post also lays out my local story from beginning to end in case you wish to read that as well.


    Much like last year, I couldn't see running this event without some fun prizes.  While a smaller event I did not go as overboard as I did in June, but I got some nice prizes and certificates for my players to battle over.  I made the certificates using a PDF created by the Neon Team which I printed at a local shopping center as 4x6 pictures and picked up some simple frames to put them in.  I love doing these nice little awards and they are well received by my local club when I create them for my events.  All in all, each award costs less than two dollars so it is worth doing even if you do not have any prize support.
    Narrative gaming is a lot of fun and a great way to play Age of Sigmar.  While Matched Play may get the spotlight it doesn't mean you should shy away from doing both or even doing Open Play.  Each of these pillars is great ways to keep your gaming in the Mortal Realms varied and fresh.  I encourage you to participate in the Global Coalescence event day on March 17th, even if it is just you and a friend playing the scenarios.  Be sure to report your overall winner as laid out in the pack to help be a part of this great event! Let me know if you are running a Coalescence event in the comments below and be sure to keep an eye out for coverage of my event in a future post.  Until next week, Happy Hobbying!
    Chuck Moore

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  20. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  While I am busy at Adepticon I wanted to briefly cover the recent Malign Portents Coalescence Global Event that took place this past weekend.  I was able to run the event for my local club, Ligonier Legion, once again and we had a great turnout for a fun day of gaming!  If you haven't seen the global results Death won the event overall.  If you are thinking about running narrative gaming in any way or wish to try your hand at running the upcoming June Coalescence event be sure to keep an eye on the We are The Neon Blog.



    One of my favorite parts of the Coalescence events is how I can take the global narrative and add my own local lore for my event.  At the first event, I had Tyrion and Teclis as the driving forces behind my local lore and with the recent release of Daughters of Khaine, I couldn't resist adding Morathi into my local story.  In order to loosely tie it to the first local Coalescence, I had Teclis as part of the story.  He formed an alliance with Morathi in order to find out what was going on in Shyish.  


    The awards prepped, and tables full of terrain we began the event.  I was blown away to have so many players for the event considering Adepticon was right around the corner, but I was happy to see a gaming hall full of Age of Sigmar.  The day went by smoothly with two-hour rounds and breaks in between.  All in all the pack was solid and clearly laid out and everyone at my club showed up with a great attitude to play and craft their narrative as the day progressed.  I was excited to see an odd number turn up which allowed me to play all three games and get some more practice with my Daughters of Khaine and enjoy some narrative games before a major GT.

    I really enjoy running a narrative event as it is more laid back as the point of the day is about the story and not just about who wins or looses.  With players across all skill levels of painting and gaming, it is also a great time to talk about our passion and help each other improve with strategy, painting tips, and perhaps get one another excited for our next army.  We had some great hobby on display and while some players are much newer to painting everyone was happy to put in a model to be judged for best painted.  Seeing the club share their enthusiasm for the hobby despite their level is great o behold.

    After a well fought three rounds my local club saw Death win out overall in a surprise defeat.  My local area is often Order and Chaos heavy, but the Death players showed up to play and seized the win.  Awards passed out and our event logged for the global narrative we all headed over for the standard post-game beer and chats.  It was a fantastic day and I am more excited ever to dive into the June event and make it even better and try to max out our venue.

    I want to give thanks to the NEON team and Games Workshop for the effort they put into creating this pack and event.  It was a top-level event that my local club will always be running as long as the packs keep on coming.  Knowing that we are connecting to the large global community really drives us to make it bigger and better.

    The global event wrapped up all that I had left was to tidy up my little narrative which you can read above.  I cannot wait for the June event and I plan to bring much more detailed coverage on it as the month draws closer.  Until next week, Happy Hobbying!
    Chuck Moore
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  21. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  Today I wanted to run down the Coalescence event I ran at my local club last Saturday as part of the Global Narrative.  It was a great day of wargaming with a room full of players really getting into the setting of the event.  The tables were full of smiles and friendly banter all day as well as exciting games and stories being created!
    We ran the event at our local library which is our usual club hangout.  We play in the basement where we can be as loud as we like and there is plenty of space to set up all the tables we need.  I set out early to grab some coffee and relax a bit before all the madness began.  It was a great time to reflect on what I needed to do to ensure everyone had a great time.
    The local Library where the event was held

    I was very lucky to have some players show up early to help set up the tables and the terrain.  In about thirty minutes we had everything set up right now time as the players began to roll in with their armies and excitement for the games to come.  I called everyone together and gave a brief rundown of the day and encourage everyone to play within the spirit of the event.  
    The calm before the storm
    This was my first real go at being a true Event Organizer.  I have run small events with my club, but never before have I branched out across the region to get as many players as I could for the event.  It was a lot of work even for a one-day event and even though it was nerve-wracking it was one of the most fulfilling experiences within this hobby and I fear I might be hooked to T.O.ing.

    I want to give a shout out to the Steel City guys and the Rend 4 crew from Ohio who made the trek out for the day.  Being able to play different people is the best way to grow as a war gamer both socially.  These players brought fantastic hobby, great attitudes, and really helped make the event.


    Game 2 in full swing
    When the dice began rolling we had 11 players show up which meant I had to play the ringer so no one was sitting.  I worked my ringer army into the fluff from my event and brought Tyrion and Teclis to the table.  I paired players off with the goal of players playing at least one person they have never played before at least once in the day.  The great part of the narrative event structure was I could freely choose who plays who throughout the day.

    The Event Pack was very nicely written and I had one minor questions throughout the day which was great considering I had to play along with everyone else.  After game one we saw Chaos in ascendance and due to the player mixed Chaos was the favored to win the event, but Order saw things differently and fought back every step of the way.  Destruction and Death were out in force, but could never really foothold on the other two Alliances.

    The FLGS owner Norm choose to Photobomb
    After the dice were down everyone pitched in to help clean up the tables and rest the Library basement back to how it was when we had arrived.  After three games the last thing anyone wants to do is moved heavy tables and put terrain away, but many hands make light work and it was done in no time.

    We all gathered at the FLGS The Toy Soldier Gallery.  I calculated all the results and handed out the awards.  Thankfully we had some great prize support so most everyone went away with some models and an award, but the real winner of the day was the Game.  Everyone knew they were part of something bigger with this event.  They all fought to have a piece of the global narrative.

    The winners of the day!
    As is customary we all gathered at the local bar to share stories and talk about our next hobby projects.  After a long day of gaming, no matter how fun, it is great to unwind and just talk about our games and what they are inspiring us to do next.  I couldn't have asked for a better group of players that day and a lot of friendships and group connections formed that will mean bigger events for us all in the future.

    Relaxing afterwards
    In the end, Order managed to upset Chaos in the final round.  While Chaos led the way all day they managed to drop the ball in the last game while Order came up big for the upset.  Tyrion and Teclis would be proud to see the Shard attuned to Order and safely in the hands of Sigmar.
    Order attuned The Laurel Diamond in the end

    I hope you all enjoyed this brief recap of my Coalescence 2017 event.  It was a great success with lots of support assistance from the NEON team to help me confidently run my first larger event.  I can safely say I will be running more larger events in the future by working with other Club leaders in the surround region.  I hope to have a continuation or a new story for Coalescence 2018 as you can be sure it will be bigger and better.  As always have a great weekend and feel free to follow me on Twitter.  Until next week, Happy Hobbying!
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The story of Coalescence 2017 
    Tied to my local Story set in Hysh










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  22. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  Today I will be following up from my Guest Post on the How to Neo Blog on TGA and will be discussing how I plan to run the event itself on the June 10th.



    The best way to prepare for a large event is to take time the day before to set up the gaming area.  I am currently planning to head down to the Library the evening before to set up tables as well as lay the mats and terrain.  The quicker I can get to the venue in the morning and the lighter I am able to travel the better.  I have been asking players for my event to register with me via email and a good number have done so, but it is inevitable that some local players will show up without having registered which is not an issue but this eventuality needs to be part of my preparation.  Hopefully, I will have enough tables set up for the day without eating up any extra space for the other game systems going on that day at the club.

    So I am all set up and get to the venue early.  Now it is time to lay out all the prizes and set up a   small space for myself so I can lay out any documents to hand out to the players.  One of the best parts of any event is the excitement right before it all begins and if I am fully prepared I can spend some time chatting with everyone before we kick off the first game.  I also plan to have the players sign in and determine what Faction they are fighting for within the event as well as note their army.

    Once the players are settled it is time to begin and in most events, I would set up random pairing followed by Swiss pairings for each round in most events, but most events I run are matched so I can have a bit of fun with this step.  I plan to look at the players and their armies and mix them up so everyone can play someone new in each round as well as pair players up based on general skill or army capability.  This may seem like a bit of micromanaging, but with a narrative event focused on story over winning I think it could lead to some exciting moments with not much additional work on my end.

    One item I am currently planning out is game time length and this is a bit tricky as each game is of different point sizes but with a narrative focus, it is hard to predict how long the games could take.  Finding the happy medium is key as I also need to allow time for lunch and judging of Armies and painting.  Do to the venue we must wrap up by 4:30 to give ample time to put tables away and store the terrain.


    Being a narrative event the awards are also based around the narrative and as such the judging is a bit more involved.  Some of the awards will be player chosen, others will be chosen based on impartial judges, and a few will be determined by myself.  I will be asking players to track some statistics on their sheets, but the best way is always to be around the tables.  One to answer any questions and to see the stories develop myself!  Each player will be experiencing their won story, but I have the fortune to watch the overall narrative develop as all the games are being played.  This will let me see who could be best suited for some of the awards being given out by myself at the event.

    Another possibility to be ready for is to play the ringer.  Typically it is best to have a second person help you be the ringer, but with a narrative setting I will be the ringer myself if needed



    After clean up, we will head over to the FLGS to hand out prizes.  Norm who runs the shop (The Toy Soldier Gallery) will be helping me present the winners their awards.  This is what it is all about!  The excitement of announcing the winners and explaining what each award represents is the fulfillment that makes running events worth it.  Expect to see pictures posted on my Twitter from the event as well as going Live on Twitter to hand out the awards!  
    When the awards are all handed out, there are only one thing left to do.  Head over to the local bar to share a drink and talk about our victories and defeats of the day.  This is a great time to ask the players what they enjoyed about the event and what they did not.  The info you gather at this time is paramount for the last step of any event.  Planning for the next one!
    Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter with any questions you may have.  Until next week Happy Hobbying!
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  23. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  If you have known me for a bit you will know that I prefer to play the "Good Guys".  Aleves, Duardin, and more recently Stormcast Eternals are my mainstay.  I enjoy their background and how in The World That Was Order was typically the underdog and on the backfoot, but despite the inevitable End Times they still fought and tried to save it all.  Whenever I would buy a starter set or a bundle I would always sell or trade off the Chaos without a thought.  I never truly identified with those armies, but that has all changed.



    Now that armies are quicker to get on the table and my skills as a hobbyist has improved I found myself looking elsewhere than Order.  However, nothing really came out of that looking around.  I attempted a large Orruk force I got a great deal on, but soon lost my inspiration for the project.  Part of it was due to most of the units being compendium and the other just an overall wanting to go back to my Stormcast and hope for Aelves to be released.  I did manage to keep enough motivation to create a small war band that might one day grow, but for now, is being used as my force for Skirmish.

    I was looking for a fun side project to work on with a few friends and Path to Glory seemed like a good fit.  Everyone seemed keen to all pick a Chaos god for our armies and I agreed.  After the decision was settled I was put with Khorne due to my lack of dedication I took who the god who was left out.  I looked at Chaos, but never let anything sink its hooks in other than passing interest in the fluff without examing the army play styles.  So I was gifted the Khorne Bloodbound from the Starter set since I had traded mine off long ago.  However, I wanted the iconic Bloodthirster and a few Daemons to add as well and looking at building a 1000pt list for the total of our event it seemed like I was set.


    Shortly after they announced The Blades of Khorne Battletome and I knew I was going to do well in the campaign by having a great way to mix my new Daemons and Bloodbound into a cohesive force with army specific abilities.  A few weeks later I attended Adepticon, which was my first Major event, and I was lucky enough to get an early look at the Blades of Khorne Battletome.  This is when the Damn broke and my Fall to Chaos went from Bunny Slope to free fall without a parachute.  I fell in love with the army and what it could do as far as fluff and playstyle.  I am happy to say I have over 2000pts with plans to add more in the future.

    So far I have built and removed the mold lines for the army and have begun priming the force in preparation to paint.  I am hoping to complete the army by Nova and take it along for some narrative or pickup gaming.  As I paint the army over the next few months I will be bringing you my insights, hobby, and plans for the army.  I don't consider myself an expert on the army in any way, but I am excited to share my experience.


    I hope you will join me in the coming months as I bring you Road to Nova and Falling for Chaos series.  If you have any insights into the army I would love to hear them and if you are attending Nova Open 2017 I would love to say hi so let me know if you will be around.  Until next week, BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, and Happy Hobbying!
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  24. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  Today I wanted to talk about Khorne in a light not usually seen, but these parts of his persona were integral in my choosing to follow the Blood God over any other as I began my Fall to Chaos.  These character traits also helped in the choice of my color scheme choice of White and Gold across the army.

    Everyone sees Khorne being all about Blood, Rage, and Skulls and while these are indeed part of who Khorne is he also represents Strength, Honor, Discipline, and a Motivation unsurpassed by other Chaos Gods.  Khorne is a warrior above all else and to be a warrior is to be steps away from being in his service.  A lot of these positive traits can be viewed in Hero's across the Mortal Realms, Sigmar, for example, could be seen as Khorne's mirror image, but with the control to not fall so far into the Rage that consumers The Blood God.

    Khorne is about strength.  He doesn't even skip leg day at the gym!  Might of arms and the ability to kill any opponent you might face in hand to hand combat is his way and the way of those who follow him.  Using other means to kill such as a bow, poison, magic, or having others fight your battles is a good way to earn his ire.  We can all relate to wanting to be strong and wanting to be able to handle any situation we may encounter.  Being strong allows you to tackle things head on physically and anyone who goes to the gym on a regular basis enjoy pushing themselves to be stronger.  Khorne would be pleased.

    You always know where you stand with Khorne, he hates you, but he might respect you if you share qualities with him, qualities of an Honorable Warrior.  He won't stab you in the back or use trickery to come after you.  You can be certain that if Khorne is after you, it will be on the field of battle with weapons in hand.  His honor will not allow him to kill you in any other way.  He wants you to put up a fight and is not opposed to Champion Duels to settle things.  He would rather see two champions fight to the death in an honorable duel instead of a watching an army slaughter the defenseless or cowardly.  If his champion wins then his strength and loyalty will be rewarded, but if his champion falls then he knows he was weak and not worthy of saying his name.  As I said you always know where you stand with Khorne.


    In order to follow Khorne, you must be disciplined of mind and body.  While it is true the rage of his persona can ruin discipline among his followers that are only if his champions fail to maintain discipline.  Why are his Champions able to hold Discipline in an army of frenzy murders?  They are the most disciplined and examples of who Khorne is and what he represents.  This filters down and while the army appears to be screaming lunatics running across the board they are in fact a disciplined army using their straight forward martial tactics to win the day.  Sadly, Rage can cause this to break down from time to time, but the same can be true due to pride or the promise of power in other armies.


    Khorne's followers, to me, are the more proactive and motivated bunch.  You don;t see them sitting around and waiting very often and if you do they are usually not happy about it.  The Chaos Gods are always ascending and descending, but you never really see Khorne stop and regroup.  He and his followers simply carry on killing as much as they can, even amongst themselves.  Nurgle is happy to wait for his time in the sun, Slaanesh will revel in excess to extremes, Tzeentch will play his grand game.  Khorne can receive the Death of a world as a gift and immediately go looking for more.  He is always pushing himself and his followers for more.  Khorne the Motivator!


    So I have fallen to Chaos and I plan to enjoy it a bit, at least until the Aelves drag me back into the light.  I really look forward to finishing painting my army so I can get it on the board. I see a nobility in Khorne and that is what I am painting them with Whites and Golds as they are typical colors of purity.  I will focus on their noble aspects and I do enjoy the duality the colors are giving to the models.  Perhaps turning a blind eye to the rage and blood is proof of my fall?

    I think I will end my Falling to Chaos series here as I don't know where else I could take it at the moment, but I hoped you enjoyed my insight on Khorne and my new found love of Chaos.  See you all next week, Happy Hobbying!
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  25. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  Another week has come and gone and I bet you're sitting at home, or perhaps sneaking a quick read in at work, or possibly commuting home and passing the boredom with today's post.  However, if you are reading this I bet you are similar to me with your passion for our Hobby and the ever present thoughts of painting, building, and playing games are within you.  Sadly, not all of us are can count our Hobby as our profession, and sometimes it might be best to keep it separate.  How do we strike that balance between our Hobby Life, Home Life, Social Life, and Work Life?  I hope to share with you today my thoughts and how I attempt to obtain Hobby Balance.

    Picture of me doing my best to not think about Painting a model  (Shortly after I went and painted a model)
    As I write this I think about the hectic time I am having this evening.  I drove home from work after a nine hour day followed by household chores and cleaning my gutters before tomorrow's rainstorm.  I won't lie and say this post has been crafted over a few weeks as I am writing it the night before it goes up.  After all the chores are completed I plan to cap the night off with dinner and build some Blades of Khorne while relaxing with my wife.

    I am no pillar of hobby balance as you can see.  I do my best to keep it all portioned appropriately and despite tonight's imbalance, I will be back on track shortly working toward balance.  I do not believe a true balance will ever be reached as it's an ongoing process that we as hobbyists must be aware of as we paint those armies and squeeze in those games.  Just as I will never be satisfied with my latest paint job I will never feel as if I have given enough time to each aspect of my life, including Hobby.

    It's great to catch up with friends on life even during games
    Work is a necessary task, the hours of toiling can be broken up with Hobby.  List building in your head is a fun past time of mine.  I do take a peek on Twitter as the day goes on and chat with the fellow hobbyists to give myself short mental breaks.  Even on lunch I head to the gym and put on the recent podcasts or an Audio Book to ensure I keep up to date with what's going on in the Lore or Community.  Likewise, your commute home is an excellent time to catch up on Audio Books and Podcasts.

    At home, the hobby time may seem close at hand, but we have families to spend time with and responsibilities to clear off our plates.  I am blessed to have a wonderful wife who acknowledges and encourages my enthusiasm (obsession) for this hobby and I can spend the night relaxing with her while building or painting.   While I keep true to one hour a night for my hobby there are times when I put the hobby away to give her my full attention. In turn, she lets me take nights, especially before and event, to hide in my hobby area and let myself get lost in all the madness.

    Building a fence and visitng the Warhammer Store are both parts of Hobby Balance
    My friends and family know about my hobby and understand that my blank stares while we are at a local coffee shop or dinner usually means I am thinking about the Hobby.  They laugh and ask how my latest project is going and from time to time join me in painting on group hobby days!  It wouldn't be fair to expect my friends to always let my hobbies take precedence so when they suggest a night of fun or an event to attend I use it as a break from the hobby.  While constant immersion in Warhammer is a great way to live it is necessary, I believe, to set it aside completely in order to keep it fresh and prevent burnout.  Besides your friends and family are the ones who will keep you grounded while building you up in areas beyond the hobby as well as in the hobby.  Even with your friends who partake in this hobby, I find it important to spend time with them specifically not doing anything hobby related.

    After event hangout where Hobby talk mixed with Non Hobby Talk
    Despite our best efforts times will arise where we might have to put a part of our Hobby aside in order to focus on the other parts of life that demand our attention.  We have seen it within the community when hobbyists are getting married, having children, or taking on more responsibilities at work.  It is a hard decision to step away from part of or all of you Hobby, but sometimes it is necessary.  We saw it recently with Dan Heelan and Wayne Kemp taking a break from Podcasting.  I have a lot of respect for those two for making that call as they could try to push on and keep putting their podcasts, but over time the demands elsewhere would see them put out a show that is not up to the quality they expect of themselves.  The flip side is they might continue putting out a great product, but other aspects would begin to suffer.

    My friends, family all know I build, paint, and play with Toy Soldiers and love to immerse myself in the stories.  They encourage it and in turn, I must do the same for them and their hobbies and interests.  While work may be a grind from time to time it is okay to take a moment to chat on twitter or think about your next project in order to keep enthusiastic about our hobby.  Give time to your Hobby and squeeze every spare moment of the day, but keep in mind this world is more than painting and building models.  Spend time enjoying the world outside the hobby, but it never hurts to keep an eye out for the next project inspiration while you do so.  Keep you Hobby with you, but don't let life pass you by.

    Some Potential Sylvaneth inspiration from a rcent trip
    I hope some insight can be squeezed out of this post, but I would be happy to continue this topic either on Twitter or in future posts if you all think it would be worth exploring.  Please let me know and until next week, Happy Hobbying!






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