Game Day 5-14-16

Good morning folks and welcome to a bat-rep of Infinity!  Well at least as much as I can remember and as best as I can remember.  It's been awhile since I've been able to get a game in so I was pretty pleased to have been able to come out and play.  I consider this my first "real" game of Infinity in that it was with someone who knew what they were doing and it wasn't just two people sharing a rulebook trying to figure out which way the gun points.  Anyways let's get started!

The board setup was pretty awesome

So I got to play against Scott, who is a great patient guy to play with btw (thanks Scott!), and to help me get more acquainted with ITS and how Infinity plays for the objective we settled on the HVT mission and 300 points.  Scott brought his Tohaa and I went ahead and took vanilla Nomads.  Not really knowing the diversity of objectives my specialists were specialized and I ended up with 2 F.O.'s, a doctor, and a hacker, with no engineer.  So yeah first lesson learned: take more specialists in both frequency and types.

My right side setup

Here is my list (honestly I could not tell you Scott's even though he told me):

• x2 Alguacils - Forward Observer, Combi-Rifles
• Reverend Custodier - Lieutenant, Hacking Device +
• Intruder - MULTI Sniper Rifle, X-Visor
• Reverend Healer - Combi-Rifle
• x2 Gecko TAGS - x1 Dual Combi-Rifles, x1 MK12
• Mobile Brigada - Boarding Shotgun
• Lunokhod Sputnik - Heavy Shotgun, Crazy Koalas, Arkylat-Kanone

How my right side was holding up turn 1.5-2

Scott ended up deploying first and I in my error had him go first so I could react.  For some reason I thought reacting would be a better start than acting.  So after deployment I realized that I had some errors made already, mostly that Scott's HVT was off on the other side of the board from the majority of my specialists. Scott's triads of aliens weird thingies did a fantastic job of moving up and dropping v-smoke down so I had little opportunity to react.  On my turn my left side was able to move up just fine with little difficulty but my right side had problems for sure.  The Geckos did a great job of absorbing fire, but being hit with K1 rounds made short work of any armor I had.  Thankfully they have 3 STR each so they continued to be a strong presence for a good part of the game.  Going back to my left side I think it was on my turn but my Lunokhod Sputnik with the Arkylat Kanone managed to get a shot off against one of Scott's models peeking out from the corner.  I had a moment of "yolo" and fired at this model with my glue cannon.  A lucky roll later and turns out I had immobilized his Lieutenant for the rest of the game.  Sweet deal!

Lunokhod keeping the left side dangerous with those koalas

Going back to my left side I was able to move my Lieutenant, the Reverend Custodier, up to a position where I could make a dash for his HVT around the building's corner.  My right side was doing its best to hold back Scott's weird alien thingies but it was a slow battle of attrition that I was not winning.  Eventually he was able to take out some key models helping the line hold and was able to move up and start getting a couple objectives in.  Back to my left side I took out whatever it was that was in camo, scanned it for an objective and went over to his HVT and was able to hack it for another.  The game ended up being a draw overall, which I was more than happy to take.

How I felt throughout the game

What a game!  I feel like I've learned quite a lot from playing against Scott.  Number 1 is making sure your lists are appropriate for the scenario.  Honestly I think it was by luck I was able to secure 2 objectives more than anything as my planning was not the best.  I've also learned the importance of making sure you have a nice range of specialists as well, since you never know what the scenario will dictate.  In general I think I've also learned quite a bit about the flow of Infinity in general as well as the uses of different weapons.  Boarding shotguns aren't too bad if you get a hit off with models behind to get blasted as well.

Shout out to Scott for being a patient teacher and a good sport to play against, it was a great game and I look forward to more in the future with the rest of the Infinity crew in the area!  Well that's all for today, tune in next time for whatever I ramble on about.  Until then happy gaming!

Let's talk Guild Ball

Hey there wargame fans to another beautiful day (maybe, depends on where you live) and another article to muse over for a few minutes.  Today I wanted to go over a game that's been tickling my fancy and seems to be catching the eye of many internet wargaming sites/personalities.  That game is Guild Ball (main page right here) and it seems to be growing in popularity.  Nowhere near the big name games right now but it's still one that has raised an eyebrow or two.  So let's chat!

So what is Guild Ball?

A pretty good question if you ask me.  Here's how I grasp it: Rugby written with Warmachine rules.  I don't see it as being a Blood Bowl American football style clone, but a different game altogether.  It is a miniature sport game set in a low-fantasy world where different guilds have their teams who play this rugby-esque game for money, fame, babes/studs, power, etc.  It's a game created by a company called Steamforged Games ltd and it seems pretty solid overall from my perusal.

Alchemist players favor AoE effects and board control

The different guilds have variety in playstyle and aesthetics so that most gamers can find common ground with a team.  The main site does a great job of giving you an idea of how each team plays and gives you a slideshow to look at each model.  Now the team sizes are not very big so if you're expecting like a 15 man team then think again.  I believe the model range for each guild is about 9 models at this point and they are all unique so you don't need copies.  The models are made of white metal and are scaled at 30mm from what I can tell but some models will be larger/smaller.

The entire current range of the 9 Union guild members

Rule-wise is where I get the Warmachine part from.  The rules appear pretty solid with only some minor confusion being how you determine damage in attacks (which is probably just me being confused) but otherwise is written concisely and pretty clear.  The flow of the game seems to be solid and I can't really see any major issues cropping up during play. 

The goal of the game is simple, get to a score of 12 (lower point values for smaller games).  You can do that by scoring goals, 2 points, knocking out enemy players, 2 points/knockout, or combine them together.  Some guilds focus on doing one or the other, some focus on battlefield control, AoE's, some with traps, and other styles.  Games at their full size last about 90-120 minutes on average (per their rulebook) and each team has only 6 models on the field.  When you select your team you pick a Captain, Mascot, and 4 other team members.  I suspect as more models become available per guild you will see a wider range of team combinations and tactics, for now the variety is somewhat limited but still not like MERCS.  

Pros and Cons

So here is how I see Guild Ball in a 'Pros and Cons' kind of way: it seems to be a pretty solid game with good mechanics and easy to learn rules.  There is enough variety in the guild choices to be interesting and to make sure that most play styles have a home (sorry no horde style).  The company seems dedicated to making sure that players interested in trying it out don't have to go too out of their way to try the game (I mean they provide paper cutouts for models and the rules for free on their site).  They also seem dedicated to growing the game beyond the initial set of models and keeping the flow of the meta going.  Price-wise it doesn't seem like it's a bad trade-off considering you don't have to buy several models (I think an average was like 15-20USD/model) so getting an entire set of a team currently might run you about 120USE currently.  Not too shabby if you ask me.  Rules and mechanics are pretty easy to grasp and experienced Warmahordes players will find the transition even easier.  I am also a fan of the mechanic where you never truly lose your team members in the game, they just get easier to beat up again and again and again.  It helps prevent that "well I might as well give up SINCE EVERYONE IS DEAD BASICALLY" mentality commonly found in other games.

Meanwhile the Butcher's favor straight forward tactics of brutality

Now for the cons.  I had a conversation with one of my dear friends and fellow wargamers, Rollo, about Guild Ball and he said it as thus (paraphrased as close to quote): "When I think of war games, that's what I want.  I want war, battles, fighting, and Guild Ball is well a sport and I don't really want to play a sport for my miniature game."  I think that might be the biggest con for many is that it's not a game about war, it's a game about a sport.  Sure it's low-fantasy and has a lot of wargaming elements to still be a bloody sport but in the end it's a sport game.  Another con is that despite it gaining some traction on the internet it still remains to be seen (at least from what I can tell) just how popular it will become.  This equates to being able to get games in easily which also can heavily influence just how attractive the game can be.  Compared with giants like 40k, X-Wing, Warmahordes, and Infinity I think Guild Ball will have to keep up the work to make sure it has a place in gamer's hearts.

Overall Impression

Guild Ball has that appeal for me because of the quirkiness about it.  As I might have made it known earlier I do not find Blood Bowl interesting, and in general given my preference of games I like war/military, but Guild Ball somehow tickled a heartstring.  I appreciate the game designers not having wild or exotic team members (like undead, or fey, etc) and keeping the low-fantasy theme in model design.  The cost and ease of gameplay appeal to me and I think the company's dedication to bringing new team members in their seasons also helps broaden the tactical opportunities presented for each guild.  I also do enjoy the model's aesthetics and when it comes down to painting I think I can take my time since at most I will be painting 9 figures.

Of course if you're not into the sports aspect of the game or want something more than low-fantasy then this game might not be for you.  If you are intrigued then of course head on over to Steamforged games here, get some paper models (or sub if you've got models already) and try it out.  I for one will probably grab a couple guilds for me and the wife (looking at Alchemists, Mortician's, then whatever she likes) and have it around in case I run into someone interested playing or is already a fan.  I hope you've enjoyed my thoughts on the matter and I hope you have some good die rolls out there.  Until then happy gaming friends!  

Game day and an end of an era

Good morning fellow gamers and welcome to a long awaited post.  It certainly has been awhile but truth be told I've not done anything worthy of posting.  I've taken a small hiatus from painting, I've had no games, and I've not assembled any models.  I don't think I've even really read up on any news related to gaming.  Suffice to say I've recently had some gaming done, last Saturday in fact, as part of the end of our Journeyman league.

I ended up playing 3 games, only one of which I was able to get some pics with my phone (it was being used as the deathclock for the first 2).  So I'll be brief with the 3 game synopses.

First game was against Josh and his Circle army, we played the Outflank scenario and I went with pDenny and he with pKromac.  My list focused on having a lot of bodies on the field with the ability to spawn more models (mechanithrall/necrosurgeon + bane thralls/BL Tartarus).  Josh was anticipating more of a jack challenge and so brought some heavier beasts with him and not so much in the way of infantry.  Suffice to say pDenny's debuffing easily took care of his Gnarlhorn and Warpwolf Stalker, eliminated his Trackers, and had him concede the game.  At one point his Stalker had a -6 to his ARM (Dark Shroud + Crippling Grasp + Feat lel) and the look on his face?  Priceless.

Mike vs Josh next to my game

Second game was against Sam and his Trollbloods.  This time I went with Scaverous versus pMadrak as Sam was still learning the game overall and I figured I'd like to try Scaverous with a full army and without the Ripjaws and Leviathan.  Sam had positioned Madrak up front without a wall to block incoming spells or shots.  So all in all it was a quick game with Scaverous hitting him with a Feast of Worms followed with Telekinesis to allow Erebus loaded with focus to charge in for the win.

My setup for the last game

My last game was against Courtney and her Retribution.  She decided to try a different warcaster and went with Garryth while I went ahead and took pAsphyxious.  Suffice to say her list was not prepared for a scenario and so she had some difficulty holding the objectives.  We ended up playing Incursion as she was not used to scenarios and we felt that it was a good "starter."  I do have to give her Mage Hunters some credit, they did not die out as quickly as I had hoped.  I have to give my mechanithralls credit, three of them took out her parasited Phoenix in one charge move (much to her annoyance).  Eventually Courtney took a gamble to charge Gaspy and secure a win, and honestly she would have if she were not an inch short.  Subsequently with a fully loaded pGaspy (who still had his feat up btw) he was able to stab Garryth to death and secure the win.

Mid-way through the game

So with that the Journeyman League ended but also my last game of Mk II with it as well.  Since Mk III is around the corner I have resigned my current Warmahordes gaming, as many have done as well in the community.  What a wild ride it has been.

I started getting into Warmahordes a little bit after Mk II came out.  Mike and I both viewed the game with hesitancy as we weren't too keen on steampunk.  With some disillusionment from GW, the availability of the starter rules from PP, and the relatively cheaper buy-in price we started proxying some models from 40k and tried out this game.  It was a blast!  I still remember Terminators being my warjacks and a space marine captain as my warcaster.  Mike dabbled in Circle before coming to terms with his Legion heritage and I was drawn by the Protectorate's deliverers (ironic since they aren't that great of a unit in Mk II).  Since then we invested heavily both in money, time, and heart.  There's something to be said about a game like Warmahordes that inspires an entire community to come together as it has, and it's one I am proud to be a part of.

When you find that game that just treats you right

So with the coming of Mk III I've got to say I've been very pleased with how Mk II has been for me.  While not perfect there were many a good game had because of the clearly written rules.  I've met plenty of great people, had a lot of good conversations, and great memories with this game.  Hell even my wife started playing (which says a lot if you know her).  So I bid a fond farewell to Mk II (kind of brings a tear to my heart) and I look forward to Mk III.  It might be a crazy ride in the future as well but I am sure it'll be a good one.

How it feels to say goodbye to a cherished edition

How about you all out there, how do you feel about your career in Mk II and the upcoming Mk III?  Let me know what you think and I bid you happy gaming and great die rolls.  Cheers!