Philadelphia 750pt Combat Patrol League

combat-patrol

Just put out on the PAGE Center City listserv:

40k players,
I’m happy to announce a special event we’ll be running this winter: A 750pt Combat Patrol tournament league. Hopefully everybody can and will join in, I think this will be really fun. We’re going to be pushing this out to the players at Redcap’s as well as Internet forums, hoping to reach out and find even more players around Philly.
Details are online, but basic scheme is: Reg is $3, all going toward prizes for the winner. The tournament will run for 5 rounds. For the first 3 rounds, pairings and mission rules we be posted. Players will then have 2 weeks to meet up and play their matches, either on their own or at PAGE or Redcap’s. It’d be great to have everyone get together at Redcap’s to play on Saturday, Jan 16, but it’s optional.
The final 2 rounds will be held at PAGE the last week in February, Sunday the 28th. If we get a bunch of non-PAGE people to sign up it could be a really big night of 40k, and we might make the final missions pretty dramatic and exciting to match!
Pretty standard Combat Patrol rules apply, caveat a 750pt limit rather than 400pt. All those details are on the web. Missions will be narrative oriented, following a storyline through the tournament. Most will have asymmetric scenarios—matches will be two games, with players alternating roles. Should take about 3 hours total.
Let me know if there are questions, and start getting your strategery on! Jason and I have already started whipping up 750 pt lists so we can ensure we get all our preferred units painted! In addition, Redcap’s just happened to have 750pt 40k gaming on their schedule for this Saturday (Dec 19th) at noon. That’d be a great chance to start trying out your list. I’ll be there, and it’d be great to see some other PAGE players there as well!
Thx

Hopefully the missions and rules may be of use to others outside the Philadelphia area, and it’d be great to meet any Philly area lurkers out there! Expect bat reps, narrative updates, and mission scenarios to show up on this blog as they develop.

More Info!

New Camera: Canon S90

As an early Christmas present to myself, I recently ordered a new camera, a Canon PowerShot S90. My fiancee got a new bicycle, now well outnumbering my own, so I figured a self-present was justified. Before ordering I debated a lot between the S90 and several other options, namely the Canon G11 and Panasonic Lumix LX-3. The full debate and the rationale for that type of camera (high end point-and-shoot, as opposed to a cheaper point-and-shoot, DSLR, or 3/4) will have to be the subject of a longer future post. However, it came today, and—damn—am I impressed already. First of all, it only took two hours to fully charge, is tiny, has an amazing screen, solid looking menu system, and worked right off the bat downloading to my Mac (Linux will be the big test later). But, what about the real deal? How’s it shoot?

In a word: Incredibly.

Freshly armoured Sergeant Titus and battle brother await reinforcements arriving from the background!

Freshly armoured Sergeant Titus and battle brother await reinforcements arriving from the background!

titus-preview2

Click on the photos for the true glory to show through.

I think those look pretty good, and that’s without doing anything except autocorrecting the white balance afterward. No adjusted shutter speed, timer & stand, lightbox, or anything. By the time I get all that set, I’ll have to have learned to paint much better for the minis to do the photos justice! Expect many more pics to show up in this blog from now on. Awesomesauce!

Flight of the Eisenstein

the_flight_of_the_eisensteinFlight of the Eisenstein by Swallow is the fourth book in the Horus Heresy series. It focuses on Captain Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard at the moment the Heresy begins in earnest.

Synopsis

The story opens with the Death Guard assaulting and obliterating some random alien colony ships, identified as belonging to the Jorgall. For a refreshing change of pace these aliens are fairly different, with insectoid physique and many mechanical augmentations. Interestingly, in many respects the aliens and their tactics resemble Vespid Stingwings of the Tau Empire, between their vaguely buglike structure and jump pack oriented tactics. Besides being an interesting battle sequence, during the battle Garro is given a prophecy by the very alien that seems to be the main concern of a group of Sisters of Battle sent to join the assault, providing some structure and foreshadowing to the remainder of the story.

Afterward, the story moves to Isstvan III where a planetary rebellion is to be crushed by a large contingent of Space Marines. This, of course, is where Horus launches the Heresy overtly, massacring the Marines on the surface. Flight of the Eisenstein covers this pivotal moment from orbit, with Garro and his loyal men barely escaping a group of traitor Marines sent to assassinate them. They then daringly break through the traitor fleet and escape into the Warp.

In the Warp the ship is plagued by its damage, exposing it to the full horrors of the Warp. Walls bleed and distort, strange shadow creatures emerge, and the dead traitor Marines are resurrected as the first Chaos Plague Marines. Eventually the ship is forced to drop out of the Warp, stranded and vulnerable.

Lost, near death, unable to get home, Garro and crew sends a clever but risky signal, leading Rogal Dorn and the Imperial Fists to their location. Though skeptical, Dorn is eventually convinced of Garro’s claims and takes his men home to Terra, where they alert the Empire to the uprising. The fate of Garro and his remaining men is left somewhat open, but it is strongly implied that they are being inducted to become some of the early forces of the newly forming Inquisition.

Thoughts

This is an excellent book, through and through. Having not read any of the previous Horus Heresy books, I was worried that I would be lost with only my general knowledge of the revolt. Fortunately, Flight pretty much stands on its own. General background is good to have, but you don’t need details from the previous books.

This is one of the best 40k books I have read. It really focuses a lot on character development and the universe, punctuated by solid action sequences. Garro is a fairly stereotypical but good, literary Marine—noble, introspective, badass. He’s interesting and portrayed well, particularly his doubts and religious growth. These are really the focus of the novel, with the accelerating development of the cult of the Emperor occupying much of the story. Garro’s anxiety about his role in the universe, his doubts about himself, and his uneasy, hesitant acceptance of the Emperor’s apparent godhood are excellently conveyed and a great read. He is probably the most two dimensional Space Marine I have encountered in 40k fiction, a good thing.

Many of the interactions and other characters are also great, providing a good look at different aspects of the 40k universe and actually including a lot of humanity and emotion. Notably, several Primarchs make an appearance, most notably Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists and Mortarion of the Death Guard. Primarchs are frequently not handled well in fiction and background story, but here they convey just the right amount of power and menace. The slowly growing church is also a good peak into the early age of the new era.

On top of all these, the portrayal of the Death Guard on ship in the early parts of the book are fascinating. The usual Marine cliches are downplayed, in favor of intrigue and undercurrents, and a few fascinating rituals. Most notable are Mortarion’s ritual cups of poison, and the simple dressing and undressing of Garro in his armor. The relationships and incidents between Garro, his vassal, and the to-be traitors and loyalists are great, really carried by the tension between Terrans and other worlders, humans and Marines, and the growing divides among the ranks.

Notably, this is the most human portrayal of the Space Marines I have seen. I am not sure if that is because of the specific chapters and characters involved—which makes sense, given many of their members are on the steps of revolt—or that things changed greatly after the Heresy, became more buttoned down. It could also be simply that I just haven’t read enough books about the Marines; most of the 40k novels I’ve read are about the Imperial Guard.

Conclusion

All in all, Flight of the Eisenstein is a great read. I’m not sure how well it could stand without some knowledge of 40k—it’d probably be a little tough to follow and less dramatic—but within that context it’s excellent, and pretty solid outside it as well. Definitely recommended.