Climbing Sprue Mountain #4 - Marienburg

Ah, Marienburg, sweet Marienburg. The very inspiration for the start of this blog. It was around about a year ago that I read Marienburg: Sold Down The River for WFRP and got hooked on the idea of a human fantasy army to face up to all the grizzly and ghoulish nightmares of the Warhammer world. Since then I've played around with a whole host of ideas, bashed around a fair few minis, and found myself down numerous dead ends. Such is hobby life.

I've finally settled on a way forward though and it's really down to having a solid bash at climbing sprue mountain. As you'll see when I talk about my Genestealer Cult, I've found good uses for almost all the GW Empire figures as cult members (more on that tomorrow). I'm now set on making my Marienburg army completely from non-GW minis, specifically those that fit a more 'realistic' or 'historical' 25/28mm scale. This will make it entirely different from anything else I'm working on and thereby add some spicy variety to my time whittling.

To that end, the population of Marienburg has been stripped back to the swashbucklers and seadogs from Foundry and Black Scorpion, and a handful of LotR hobbits. From here on in I'm going to build a real/historic scale army that can be fielded in historical wargames as well as fantasy. The fantasy elements - a few halflings, elves, ogres and dwarfs scattered through the rank and file - can be added or omitted as seems fit. So, in an odd turn of events, while everyone has been going batty over Dark Vengeance I've been browsing Pike and Shotte box sets and dropping by the Perry Miniatures site.

A couple of salty fellows from the Foundry range accompanied by Pirate Long John from Freebooters Fate

These seafarers from Black Scorpion seem to be on the look out for something...

Hobbitses

Ghorgon - Stage One WIP

Of all the Warhammer monster kits I've worked with, the Ghorgon is my favourite. When I put the model together I was pleased to find that the Cygor parts are all interchangeable, so I was able to make mine look even more dynamic and powerful with the upper left arm pointing upwards, and the lower right arm grasping a ripped apart statue as a weapon. I held off attaching much of the 'skull-bling' (TM GW) as, well, there is such a thing as too many skulls, even on a raging psychopathic beast such as this.

I decided to get started on the paint job yesterday as I was pretty exhausted and didn't feel up to the close attention my giant requires in the final stages - more on that next week I think. Once again I employed the white primer, bone undercoat spray method, followed by sepia shading to bring out the detail. I've started to work on the foundation tones of the skin with Flesh Tint ink from Daler Rowney - once again (yes, again again) I've found it to be perfect for me. Overall, I think I'll keep the palette very limited on this one, with the possibility of some very fine detail picked out in contrast colours. Should be fun!

Fabulous Warhammer Maps

I've just found a great website that has fantastic copies of all the maps of the Warhammer world a GM, WFRP player, WFB campaign organiser, or just a plain old fan could desire. Some people will doubtless be familiar with it, but it's simply an amazing resource - check out Gitzman's Gallery.

The City of Nuln - soon to feature in my current WFRP adventure (as long as the PCs don't get horribly murdered on the way there...)

Under Siege

My plans to expand into gaming systems other than WFB might be a little delayed given the news that a further set of expansion rules is on the way. In another 'leak' from a Spanish edition of WD we're offered the cover of 'Blood in the Badlands', which will apparently include an up-date for the siege rules.

The Improbable Business Model (The Quiet Rules Revolution: Part 3)

How do you know what to expect when you face a new army on the table top? Very few of us will own all the current army books for WFB or 40k codexes. The basic stat lines for each troop type are included at the back of the main rulebook for WFB, but these do not include one vital piece of information: the points value. One reason this is important is because understanding relative points values is key to comprehending how different armies can be fielded. Points values, as we all know, are a closely guarded piece of company 'property' and if I was to provide even a partial list of them on this blog I would probably receive a cease and desist letter from GW's solicitors within days or weeks.

To have a comprehensive understanding of all the rules for WFB would cost you a whopping £360 at the current price of the books as listed on the GW website. This really annoys me. WFB is the main table top war game that I play and I'm denied a good working knowledge of the full range of rules. There are other ways to find out about how different armies play, through joining a large gaming group or by reading about them on the internet, but that's hardly a sufficient substitute. *Let me apply a quick undercoat to the elephant in the room... I know people can get copies of these books for free from the web... I couldn't possibly endorse that kind of behaviour here*

The alternative approach that I suggest below will never happen in reality because it is highly unlikely that GW will ever change their current business model in favour of one that would actually benefit gamers - I'll briefly outline it anyway and even put forward a business case.

The Improbable Business Model

Aspect 1: GW release a comprehensive rulebook containing all game rules plus the full lists for all armies in the game, points values etc. included. This provides the basis for all kinds of play from competitive tournaments to 'oldhammer' campaigns. The best games have, at their core, simple design concepts. Fluff is at a minimum and can be found elsewhere.

Aspect 2: A range of source books is released. These contain a wealth of background information, campaign rules and scenarios, optional rules, tables for generating unique characters and units, and so on. These would help reinstate the roleplay aspect that I think is so lacking in the structure of the GW profit-orientated approach today. Some of this could even be released for free (shock horror) on the web. 

The Bottom line argument: With access to the full range of basic rules, players will get a flavour for all the different forces in the game and many will start collecting a wider range of armies. A good range of source books allows those who are so inclined to opt-in to playing in a 'deeper style', while maintaining a steady feed of new products into the range.

Given that this plan very quickly hits the brick wall of reality there's not much point in arguing the case any further. It's a pipe dream; a pure exercise in wishful thinking. So what was the point of all this? The important thing, as I see it, is to find an alternative is the disenfranchisement brought about by the likelihood that huge swathes of the rules for WFB are kept at arms length from the majority of players. In line with my other posts this week I'd say that it's important to act as if the fundamentals of this improbable business model were actually true.

Fluffy Rules Are Better Than Balance Rules (The Quiet Rules Revolution: Part 2)

Over the weekend I had a good read of some of the unofficial player-produced army books for WFB. In the past I'd given these a cursory glance and nothing more, but as I've had rules on my mind I thought I'd give them a closer look. And what I found was a veritable goldmine.

Take the Dogs of War book for example. This contains rules for pikemen - a unit type that isn't currently catered for in 8th edition. The rules are outlined as follows:

This would be an excellent and characterful addition to an Empire army, particularly my Marienburg army, which is mostly comprised of mercenaries. Pikemen gain a real advantage in terms of extra ranks and always striking first, but they are still just basic level humans, so making the most of that advantage would still require good tactics and some luck. Their basic points value is listed as 6 pts, which seems fair, although the additional single point increase for each model to equip them with heavy armour looks under costed to me. But then, if these are the mainstay for the DoW army and the only ones to have heavy armour available, then that's fine. For another example, here are the rules for crossbowmen:

The inclusion of the Pavise is a great touch. It adds a little protection from missile fire, a good bit of borrowed historical detail, and makes for some good modelling opportunities - I have some WotR Perry mercenaries that look fantastic with them either on their backs or wedged in the ground in front of them. One final example, this time from a character:

All these additional rules have one thing in common: they are all unit or character specific, rather than stemming from some common formula. If there's one thing that really lets the recent editions of WFB down it's the way that balance is built into army lists through the sharing out of roughly positive and equal enhancements. They may be characterful in name, but the mechanic is one that is shared across various races. What I like about the above examples is that they might be game changing either in your favour or in favour of the 'enemy'. More than this, I like the idea that the characterful attributes/weapons/items of a unit or hero could turn out to be either a blessing or a curse, depending on strategy, circumstance and accident.

The Dogs of War book, along with the other (as they say) strictly unendorsed and unofficial army books, provides a wealth of ideas. They are not perfect by any means; Lorenzo has a magical sword that negates all armour saves. But they do show, I would argue, that fluffy rules are better than balance rules in making table top war games that are enjoyable and challenging to play. They illustrate how to take the basics that are provided by GW - the human stat line for example - and then enhance them, not to give a player an advantage, but to stretch their tactical nous and present them with a varied and unpredictable gaming experience.

Ultimately games like WFB and 40k should be played for fun, character, and as forms of fantasy roleplay. They are not competitive in the way chess could be simply because they belong to a different family of games. They can be played in the spirit of competition but that should never be the main aim. Some kind of balance achieved through a points system is a helpful mechanic, as this will stop games regularly ending too soon simply due to an overwhelming force on one side or the other. Of course, sometimes a scenario might call for this and that's just fine... as long as everyone involved is enjoying their evening.

GW Do Not Own Your Gaming Experience (The Quiet Rules Revolution: Part One)

This week I'm going to write a series of posts about rules. I'm going to use 8th edition Warhammer fantasy battle for most of my examples, although the general thrust of the arguments will be more-or-less applicable across various gaming systems.

I was inspired to do this by an overheard conversation in my local games store yesterday, where two guys were complaining about how evil/corporate/bastardly Games Workshop was these days, and how they didn't play either WFB or 40k anymore. This wasn't the first time I'd listened to this kind of 'argument', so let's begin by dispelling some common misconceptions.

1. GW products are overpriced - something that is demonstrably untrue if you live in UK.

2. GW are corporate bastards - true, but then this is only a problem if you want to play in their stores or tournaments, and frankly if you're an adult, why on earth would you want to do that?

3. The current design of army lists ties you into buying massive armies - an issue easily circumvented through intelligent gaming with likeminded peers. 

All these issues are interconnected, of course, but it's really the last point that interests me at the moment. I have to admit that I do like playing with the most recent edition of any given rule set most of the time. (The only notable exception being my preference for 2nd edition WFRP). I'm not one of those gamers who wishes we'd never left the 1980s and I don't stand by arguments that earlier editions are simply better because I don't think that they are. I am, however, very sympathetic with the manifesto for 'Oldhammer' that Zhu has outlined. The five core aspects of the manifesto are:

1. Have a games master - this will help build and maintain the narrative

2. Don't be shackled to army lists, be creative

3. 2000 points is not the only level to play at; much smaller works just as well

4. Don't worry about game 'balance' 

5. Never play in tournaments 

These are all approaches to gaming that I hold close to my heart - if you don't want to play like this, then I don't want to play with you! However, I don't think that we need to go back to earlier editions in order to fulfil these practices, even though they stand in stark contrast to the majority of corporate mono-culture that GW pump out. The current edition of WFB can quite straightforwardly be adapted in order to fit with this manifesto. If you find you 'need' to field hoards of 50 or 60 halberdiers then the fault lies in your approach to gaming, not within the pages of the rulebook. 

That, in short, is the main argument that I'm putting forward today. It seems so obvious, but in the face of the constant GW marketing onslaught it can admittedly be hard to remember. GW do not own your gaming experience. They offer up armies, rules, miniatures and so on, and you have the choice of how to use them. As long as the people who share your gaming experiences and leisure time agree with you then you can do whatever you like. It seems churlish (to say the least) to abandon everything GW have to offer just because you find their marketing and legal departments objectionable - I do, but I also apply a good dose of sense to the choices I make. 

The Dark Gods Are Smiling Today

Hooray for more rules!

The look on Lietpold's face
is simply priceless

Oh yes, the Dark Gods are surely smiling today, because Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos is now available for pre-order on the Forge World website - this certainly is a cause for celebration and any doubters will surely be persuaded by the shots of the absolutely gorgeous art work used throughout the book.

Also on pre-order is a new character for Empire armies. Lietpold the Black is a mercenary general and the mounted model looks absolutely superb. It joins the list of possible miniatures for my first Forge World purchase - given the range that they're coming out with I'll have to take the plunge sometime before the end of the year.

A brief thought about chaos and balance

With the publication of Tamurkhan: Throne of Chaos finally on the horizon I decided to whet my appetite for all things chaotic by reading my old Realm of Chaos books, particularly The Lost and The Dammned because I've always had a soft (and slightly slimy) spot for Nurgle. Interestingly, I'd completely forgotten about a piece of gaming advice that's given on the very first page of TL&TD:

Brother Paulo and I are often reminiscing fondly about the time when the different fractions of chaos were at war with each other - we both prefer the idea of armies dedicated to one chaos god to the combined chaotic forces that are now possible in both 40k and WFB. In addition, it's striking that back in 1990, the greater powers of chaos were recognised in game terms with the advice that they should only really battle each other; something that was of course feasible due to the narrative of conflict between the daemonic forces.

House Rules for Warhammer 8th Edition

I've always liked tinkering with rules. A few months ago I ran a short greenskins v dwarfs campaign with Dr Bargle that included a number of scenario specific rule sets. For example, in one battle a column of wolf and boar chariots dragged a number of spear chukkas. These used the following bespoke rule set: 

• Movement of the chariots is as normal and the spear chukkas are already loaded - the chukkas can be released in a turn of the controlling player's choice and MUST be released if the chariot is destroyed or enters close combat
• On the turn the war machines are released, roll on the artillery dice to determine direction for facing
• Now the loaded shot is fired due to the chukka crashing into the ground - resolve the shot using the BS of the crew with any normal modifiers. 

Much incompetent-goblin-fuelled hilarity ensued. Recently, however, along with the members of my regular small gaming I've got to thinking about some more solid 'house rules' that we could use. The purpose of these rules will be simple: to help ensure an enjoyable and characterful game. None of us are interested in math-hammer, hero-hammer or mega-unit-hammer. We all adore pouring loads of narrative into all our gaming exploits - we are, at heart, roleplayers of the old school. And so, with more than a hint of trepidation (knowing what the internet can be like...) I've decided to chart the development of our house rules on this blog - I've included a separate page for just this purpose here.

Our first rules for play testing are as follows, and are an attempt to keep the scale of battles lower than 8th ed often encourages, and to allow for tactical diversity in objective-based play:

(i) Any unit with individual models with a basic points value greater than 5 pts cannot be larger than 25 models;

(ii) No unit may have more ranks than files - e.g. a unit with a width of 5 models can be no more than 5 models deep.

I will keep a record of how these influence our games and any amendments we make to them.