Tag Archives: Games Workshop

On the Tabletop

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar

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Introduction

Facebook adverts got me again. I often like to think that I’m immune to advertising. And, most of the time, I am. However, every now and then, the targeting bastards get me and I throw some money at an impulse buy. So, when I saw that they offered two instruction booklets and two sets of Warhammer armies for only 7 bucks, I pulled the trigger. The actual price for each successive shipment for Warhammer: Age of Sigmar is around 80 bucks. So, not insignificant, but still a good deal for what they offer.

What Do They Offer? (Part 1)

Well, if you want to check it out yourself, you can go to their web page and see. But, we try to go above and beyond whenever possible here at 2 Generations Gaming. As such, I’m going to show you what came in the first shipment. Then, each month, as I work my way through the new box, I will update with the new stuff. Already, I’m excited for this series.

The first models and source book

I took Thursdays as my miniature day. I missed one day, so it took me three weeks to assemble the first two sets of miniatures. Then, I played through the scenario this afternoon to get some pictures of the actual set up and battle. The orc ended up coming from behind with a scorching 3 damage turn and finished off the priestess on the next turn. If he hadn’t, she most likely would have taken the win the turn after.

Character Traits for Knight Arcana

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Rolling a d6 to determine her destiny

What Do They Offer? (Part 2)

The second set of miniatures and source book.

I messed up a couple of these miniatures while taking them off of the holders and assembling them. Luckily, I had my trusty glue and that allowed me to fix them quickly and easily. As you can see, I still haven’t painted them, but that’s coming. I know, I know, just adding to my pile of shame. But I have my schedule now, so perhaps I can dig into this one like I did my Lego pile. I have only 2 more models to build there.

The second source book added armor saves to the battle. I only played through one round of combat to show the difference. But, now that I’ve played this one and the tutorial for the Starter set, it makes me want to play even more. By the end of the year, with the assistance of the subscription, I will no doubt be an expert noob of the game.

Armor Save

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Not so fast, fellas!

The Verdict

The Warhammer: Age of Sigmar subscription is pricey. I won’t lie to you and say it isn’t. 80 bucks a month is a bit of a non-starter for many of you, I’m sure. But, if you’ve ever wanted to get into Warhammer, it is one of the cheaper price points out there. Nothing says you can’t join and then quit after a couple of months. I intend to keep my subscription for as long as I can afford it and build this army to its fullest.

On the Tabletop

Warhammer 40k Gameplay First Impressions

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Introduction

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my progress in painting some miniatures. Emboldened by that progress, I purchased a Warhammer 40k Recruit Edition starter kit from your local multinational conglomerate. As the images later show, I only assembled some of the Space Marines from that set. No paint, yet. In spite of that, I wanted to actually try some game play. As a result, what follows after a brief explanation are my Warhammer 40k gameplay first impressions.

Thankfully, the set comes with a map and some scenarios to teach you the rules in the context of actually playing the game. I still contend that the best way to learn is by doing. So, I sat down last night and I played through the first two scenarios. As he watched me set up the map, Quinn asked, “Is that Dungeons and Dragons?” “No, Warhammer,” I responded, “but it’s similar.” I realized too late that I should have asked him to play. Then, this article could have told parents how accessible the game is to kids. Based on my limited knowledge, quite. But, a missed opportunity in any case.

Band on the Run

This scenario finds three Space Marine soldiers against 5 Necron Warriors. I only assembled and painted 3 Necrons, so two empty based stand in for the other two. Also, as mentioned, no paint on the Space Marines. Next time, all models painted and ready for service. I promise.

Lone Wolf left on the battlefield

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I played through the scenario as read through and applied each rule. Surprisingly, the first two marines went down very quickly. After that, for some reason, the last guy stood his ground and tried to take on all five of the Necrons by himself. I honestly don’t know what I expected. He held his own for 5 or 6 turns before the dice ultimately betrayed him. After that, I came to my senses. Why not just run? The objective of the Marines was to make it to the other edge of the map to “reunite with their brothers”. So, I replayed the last few rounds of the scenario and he easily made it, thus ending in a draw, as the rules stated.

Surrounded!

In the second scenario, a sole Space Marine lieutenant (not 100% sure of the rank, but either a higher ranking soldier or simply a stronger one) squares off against a swarm of Necron bugs. This one introduces the player to close combat and the concept of units.

The official map

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Again, I ended up playing through this scenario twice. The first time, the bugs completely overwhelmed the single soldier. Maybe not completely shocking, but a bit surprising. Every part of the scenario talks about how strong and durable the soldier is and how squishy the bugs are. So, I reset everything, read through the rules again, referenced what I needed from the first scenario, and played again. This time, the marine held his own and eliminated the bugs with ease. That’s more like it.

The Verdict

My Warhammer 40k gameplay first impressions are overwhelmingly positive. The games move at a quicker pace than some other miniature games I played. Some of the rules take time to digest and work through, but that’s true about any game. Like I said in my introduction, I want to finish my armies and get out there and play an actual game. Before that, though, I have a couple of more scenarios to learn a few more rules.

On the Tabletop

Warhammer 40k/Hordes Model Update

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Introduction

I speak frequently of my desire to play miniature games like Warhammer. I even went so far as to order a few “mystery boxes” from Privateer Press and a subscription service I just found a couple of weeks ago. Once, about five years ago, I signed up for a beginner paint class at one of the local gaming stores. Last year, I ordered a learn to paint kit from Amazon. All of this done in spite of the fact that I had no time to actually sit down an paint the models. That all changed when I switched jobs. I finally painted two of the beginner models. That gave me enough confidence to write this Warhammer 40k/Hordes model update.

Hordes

The surprise box I got from Privateer Press contained units from the Skorne Command. After finally getting a chance to look at everything, the units included aren’t covered in the codex book. Peculiar. So, without a proper army, I decided to write this post instead of a post covering actual game play. Besides, I bought some games through Humble Bundle that I can play on Steam if I need to get the fix of playing the actual game.

When I finally opened the package containing the units, I cringed. Oh, I thought, these have to be assembled. Unwilling to take that risk at the time, I put them back in the box and promised myself that I’d come back to them. Unlike those promises in the past, I kept it. So, a couple of days ago, I took the risk and grabbed the glue. After examining the contents closer, I thought, this doesn’t actually look too bad.

The result. Honestly, other than one highlord (or whatever, some guy with a fancy helmet) who I ended up throwing away, it went pretty well.

You notice they are still only a “pile of gray plastic” as I saw it referred recently. I still need to come up with a story for the army. Yes, you know me. Nothing works without a good story. I brewed up an idea a couple of days ago. I researched if it makes sense, but found little either way. So, I that as a good sign. As long as it makes sense to me, who cares? Unless I find a play group, who else will ever see it?

Here goes. The unit got cut off from their army in a forest. Their commander (dude with the fancy hat) died from a trap. Ever since, they took matters into their own hands. Dying their armor green with silver accents to camouflage better. I still need to flesh out their mission.

Warhammer 40k

Okay, now the magic happens. Yes, I learned nothing. I might be overpromising and underdelivering with that opening. Nevertheless, I stand by my confidence. I came a long way from that first painting class. While my models still show evidence of beginner’s mistakes, they still look good. And, I even painted these ones!

The green wash caused me problems. But, the rest of the paint job went well. Still minor beginner mistakes like painting the wrong part, but overall, a success. One of the guys lost his arm, so he just grafted a gun in there and continues to march.

The Verdict

I love painting. It brings me zen in the same way that building Lego does. I may not be the best, but I’m getting better and that’s what counts. While this Warhammer 40k/Hordes model update doesn’t talk anything about actual war, look for that in the future. I both found some other models in my box while getting the supplies and ordered a beginner kit that has more Necrons and some other soldiers. So, I plan to put together a couple of armies and march them against each other soon.