The Sin City Dispatch #4

Hey everyone and welcome to Issue #4 of the Dispatch!

In this issue, we will start out taking a closer look at the upcoming releases for AT-43 and Warhammer 40,000 including a little bit of information about the "big announcement" that Rackham had for us. Next we will continue our look into the squiggly bits of the gamer mind as we kick it back up a notch. Last but definitely not least we will head to the Workbench again to see how the green glory of Waaagh Dakagrub shaping up. So sit down and strap in because we are about to hit the ground running!

Incoming!!!
Upcoming Releases for AT-43 and Warhammer 40,000

Rackham finally had what I am assuming is their "Big Announcement" this week as they have become Rackham Entertainment. While this is a new company, they say that they will "continue to count on the unique expertise of the RACKHAM SA Design Studio". The announcement goes on to say that the Design Studio has already "conceived the products" for the next twelve months and that Rackham Entertainment will be able to "market these new products within a very short period of time". Part of this plan involves new releases coming out at the same time worldwide and on a monthly basis, starting with Wave 8 at the end of November and Wave 9 at the end of December.

They go on to say that they will be work to "ensure the North American stores will receive on a regular basis these new releases as well as marketing and promotion tools...including the establishment of organized play" and that "Very soon we will be able to tell you more about...all the surprises we have ready for you."

So what does it all mean? From the sound of things, Rackham has been purchased lock, stock, and barrel by a new company that will be picking up where Rackham had left off. This is good news for veteran players since it sounds like they will not be doing anything too radical to the game system other than making sure that releases actually come out on a regular basis. What other "surprises" they have in store we will have to wait and see but for now the future is looking better for AT-43.

Speaking of AT-43, there were more pictures of the Cogs released and it looks like someone in charge agreed that the whole orange thing was totally ridiculous. This is what the new Cogs look like.

This is a definite improvement over the old paint scheme. After all, who doesn't like red body armor? No news at to a release date for the Cogs yet but from the announcement also said that a new release plan should be coming soon.

Another thing of note is the new format for the attachment boxes that will be coming out in Wave 9 but more on that in the next issue. (Don't you just love teasers?)

On the 40k side of things, there are only two major releases coming out at the end of the month; the Realm of Battle Game Board (which you can see pictured below) and the Scenery Painting Pack.

Both of these are...interesting products. The board looks cool and the Scenery Pack seems to have a lot of useful items in it for terrain building but the price...youch! The Game Board comes in a $200 while the scenery pack is another $40. Sure this is not a bad idea but I mean really, why would anyone spend that kind of money on this stuff when you can get it elsewhere for much, much less? Great concept guys, but I just can't see this as being worth it. I'd much rather buy a ton of miniatures instead.

What A Tangled Web We Weave...
A Look Inside the Gamer Mind

Bringing Your Game Up A Notch

In the last Dispatch I talked about bringing your game down a notch for friendly games. This time we are going to take it back up again for the serious stuff.

Leagues and tournaments are great ways to get in some more competitive games. What you are playing for varies (anything from pure fame and glory all the way up to cold hard cash) but the idea remains the same; you are there to win. Period. Well, almost anyway but more on that later.

When you are preparing for a tournament, it is important to remember that you need to have an army list that is flexible and can handle a variety of situations. It is all well and good to have a rock hard force to crush your enemies but if you can't take control of objectives then you might be heading straight for disaster. Controlling objectives in the game is a key aspect in both AT-43 and 40k, but in both cases this can only be done by certain units. You need to make sure that you include enough of these unit to be able to take the objectives and also weather the storm of enemy fire as they try to take those objectives away from you. Skimp on these core units and you will wind up with an army that can't do the basic things you need to win.

Once you get to actually playing the game, it is vital to remember just what your objective is. While it can be a ton of fun to just blast your enemies apart, it may be all for naught if you ignore your victory conditions and lose the game. Staying focused should be simple enough to do but getting distracted during the game can be even easier. I know that I can think of a few times that I became so focused on destroying a unit that before I knew it the game was over and getting sidetracked by my bloodthirsty little rampage had cost me the game. Stay focused, secure your objectives, then kick butt in the time you have left.

The final and most important thing is make sure that both you and your opponent are having fun. When the game start to go your way it is easy to get carried away and before you know it you start saying things that could rub your opponent the wrong way. Nobody likes a sore winner so try to keep this in mind before the trash talk really starts to fly.

The opposite of this can happen as well. You can get angry and frustrated by how poorly your army is preforming and all of a sudden the whole gaming experience has gone to hell in a hand basket. I have been on the receiving end of this frustration before and let me tell you it is no fun! I actually had such a bad experience that after winning that particular game I was literally ready to pack up and put the lot on Ebay as soon as I got home. My opponent told me later that he was just frustrated how poorly his army kept performing but even so the incident left a bitter taste in my mouth that has kept me from playing the game again. Sore winners can be bad but a sore loser can be a thousand times worse.

This wraps up our dive into the gamers mind on bringing your "A" game but remember that the most important thing is to always make sure that everybody has a good time. After all, it is just a game.

From The Workbench
the Next Big WAAAGH!!!

Since the last Dispatch, I have managed to add some more details to my Kommandos to really make them stand out from the rest of the Boyz. The first of these modifications were face masks quickly followed by some backpacks.

The metal Kommando minis made by GW are wearing a cloth over their faces so by using a little bit of ProCreate epoxy I was able to make the same thing on mine. The backpacks are made by Pig Iron Productions and come on a metal sprue with seven backpacks and twelve pouches. The main downside to these is that they are a little small of Orks (gettin' inna doz pouches wud be fiddly) but I still like the effect that they add to the miniatures. I have also been able to get ahold of some burna bits for my Kommando heavy weapon troops along with more Boyz so I will be able to field the full mob of fifteen Kommandos if I want to. Bigger is always better with the Orks so it is good to have that option.

I also made some changes my Kommando Nob Skumgrot Nazshak to give him that extra "punch" in close combat.

First I cut off his big choppa just above the wrist. This is a breeze to do because the plastics are soft enough that I could actually do it with just an x-acto knife. Next, I took an old Space Marine power fist that I had lying around and I cut it off at the wrist as well. Then I pinned the fist onto his arm and used some more ProCreate to sculpt a bandage around the join. Voila! Instant Nob with power klaw. I also like the position of the power fist because it looks like he is waving his troops forward as they sneak up on their enemy.

Some changes were also made to Mad Doc Gutsnaga. In addition to a surgical mask and apron, he finally has the needle on his syringe! Yay!

I actually did this after I accidentally broke off the old syringe but I really like how the new one turned out so it was all for the best. The only downside right now is that I still have to get my hands on some Grots for the Mad Doc and my Nobz. I had wanted to wait until the new plastics were released but I think that I might be better off getting the Warhammer Fantasy Goblins and converting them just so that I can get them onto the table.

For the core of my horde of Orky goodness, I have been able to pick up a bunch of Ork Boyz minis putting me well on the way to having a pretty good sized army. My primary focus for my troops is going to be boyz with sluggas and choppas but I want to field a unit or two of shoota boyz as well to give my horde a little bit of range. To give them a little bit of maneuverability on the battlefield I am going to mount them in a trukk but there is a twist. Instead of using a regular Ork trukk I am converting a Tau Devilfish.

As you can tell this is still a work in progress but so far I am pretty happy with how it is turning out. I especially like what I have been able to do for the new engines on this thing but more on that in a future Dispatch...

And The Parting Shot

Well, that just about wraps it up for this issue of the Dispatch but before I go there is some good news; more battle reports will be coming soon! A new LGS just opened up much closer to my house and the owner is really interested in getting some in store 40k happening so once I get a little more work done on my Orks the battle reports will be back!

Well, that's all for now but until next time, may all of your dice come up Dragons!

The Sin City Dispatch #3

Hey everyone, welcome to the new home of the Sin City Dispatch!!!

In this episode of the Dispatch, we will be looking at the latest releases for both AT-43 and Warhammer 40,000. Next I have a new segment where we delve deep into the mind of the gamer... and try not to touch all those bizarre squishy bits. You never no where they have been. Last but not least we will be taking another look at the Workbench to see how my Waaagh!!! is coming along in all of its green glory. So sit down and strap in because we are about to hit the ground running!

Incoming!!!
Upcoming Releases for AT-43 and Warhammer 40,000

The big news for AT-43 right now is that Fantasy Flight Games will no longer be distributing either this game or Confrontation. There seems to be no official word from Rackham about what is going on except some remarks about a big announcement later this month. After my time with Mongoose Publishing and all of their wonderful "big announcements", this really doesn't seem to boad well for the game but only time will tell exactly what will happen.

In sharp contrast, the Games Workshop front has a number of new releases for the Space Marines that have already hit the shelves. I am not going to touch on all of them but there are a few that really piqued my interest.

The Sternguard are one of the new elite choices that are available for the Marines.

Proving some serious ranged support, the Sternguard have a number of ammo options that they can choose from which really gives them the ability to handle almost any situation on the battlefield. I have even heard that they can all be equipped with their own combi weapons which is a nasty little trick. Kit a bunch of them out with combi flamers and then say goodbye to those cover saves! As for the models themselves, they are certainly not bad but they are kind of pricey especially if you are going to be fielding a full unit of ten. Personally I think that I am going to use the regular Tactical Marines with various bits to make my own Sternguard.

The Vanguard squad is another one of the new elite choices that the Marines can field.

Equipped with power weapons, these guys pack a nasties punch than the regular Assault Marines and they are able to Deep Strike in using their jump packs. The downside is again the miniatures. They look cool and all but with true line of sight would you really want a bunch of guys that are that high off of their bases? Then there is the cost which is pretty high for these ones as well, making this another unit that I would rather just convert some of the plastic Marines so that I could field them.

On the vehicle front there is the new Land Raider Redeemer

Equipped with a twin-linked assault cannon and two massive flamers, this beast will let you charge right through your enemies lines before openning up to unleash its payload of Marines. The kit can also be used to make the Crusader variant but personally I don't know how you could pass up on those flamers.

The last one that I am going to cover is the one that I have loved the concept of ever since I first saw them in the old Rogue Trader. The Space Marine drop pod.

While drop pods have been made by Forge World before, this is the first time that they have been available for a reasonable price. Now you can finally field the Marines the way that they were intended, as the Angels of Death falling from the sky to smite the heretic! Yep, I love these things. And as an added plus you can equip them with a Deathwind launcher so that you can start dropping templates on you enemies while your Marines charge into combat. What's there not to love about this?

One other thing which is not out just yet but should be coming soon (at least that's what I'm hoping anyway...) is plastic Grots. Yes, that's right. Soon it will be possible to field a reasonably priced Grot shield for your Ork horde. What is there not to love about that? Appearing to be almost the same as the current metal minis, the new plastic Grots are supposed to be a one piece figure. And the great part is that now I don't have to convert a bunch of Warhammer Fantasy Goblins to make my Grots. The Orks just keep getting better and better.

What A Tangled Web We Weave...
A Look Inside the Gamer Mind

Bringing the Your Game Down A Notch

Your first thought might be "What a minute. Doesn't he mean up? Why would I possibly want to take it down a notch?" Normally I would agree but read on and you will see what I am talking about.

As gamers we get together with others to have a good time pushing around some miniatures and maybe win a couple of games. In some cases you want to bring your A game; tournaments, leagues, when you are playing that really annoying guy that no one can beat. In these cases, there is nothing wrong with making you list a hard one and bringing the hammer down on your opponent. Friendly games are a beast of another color though as these are usually just played to have a good time. This can make them the perfect opportunity to just go a little crazy and try some things that you normally wouldn't.

A good example of this would be try an very vehicle heavy list in AT-43. Since most vehicles can't control objectives you are really putting yourself at a disadvantage but visually it would look pretty cool to just see a ton of walkers out on the board.

Conversely, you could try the opposite end of the spectrum and go infantry heavy. This option would be especially hard against an opponent that can throw out a lot of indirect fire templates but it would be one heck of a challenge. Heck, you might even stumble on a new tactic to try out in the next "serious" game that you play. The great thing about doing this kind of thing is these games are just you and your friends having a good time and maybe a laugh or two as well, even if it is just because of how crazy that list was.

So remember; bring your "A" game to the tourneys but if you are just playing with friends then don't sweat it. Just get out there and have some fun!

From The Workbench
the Next Big WAAAGH!!!

As I mentioned before, I have had family in town so unfortunately I have not had as much time to work on my army as I would like. Even so, there has been some progress made so let's take a look, shall we?

First up is my Warboss, Wazgul Dakagrub.

Nothing special here really, I just like the miniature so I wanted to put up his picture. I might add a little something to it to personalize it but on the whole I think that GW did a great job with it.

Next up is the leader of my Nobz unit, Mornob Ursog.

Mornob is a really basic conversion as all I did was build my own Waaagh pole for him. The pole itself and the cross piece are just a piece of sprue cut to size while I cut the glyph out of some spare styrene sheet that I had lying around. As a finishing touch, I added a skull with a top knot that I had chopped off one of the other Nob minis.

Next up is Mad Doc Gutsnaga, the painboy for my Nobz.

Instead of using a Nob mini for him, I decided to just convert a regular Ork boy. His back pole and glyph were made out of more of the spare styrene though the pole itself it actually a small I girder. To make his bone saw, I just cut off the end of his choppa and carved some saw teeth into it.

The 'urty syringe was a little more involved though I am having a heck of a time finishing it. I cut off the barrel of his slugga and then attached the clip to the top of this piece to make the back half of the syringe. The tube that forms the main body of the syringe is actually just part of a stirring straw that I cut down. I added a few bits of styrene to this just to add some detail but the real problem is the needle. I had cut a piece of styrene and glued it on but it broke off pretty easily so I am not quite sure what I am going to do to fix it. Maybe some brass rod or part of a paper clip so that it is stronger. I also still need to do some putty work on the Doc so that I can add a surgical mask and an apron. More pics of that once it is finished.

Rounding out my HQ choices (at least for now) is my Warphead Gorbog.

I have heard that weird boyz aren't very useful in the game but I really liked the idea of making my own just for the fun of it. Just like the Gutsnaga mini, I went with the regular boy for his figure. It seemed really fitting in this case since I see the weird boyz as some kind of runt compared to the rest of the Orks. For his staff I just cut the head off of his choppa and then added a top knot to the bottom of the handle. To top it all off, I drilled out a spare Marine head that I had lying around and stuck it on the top.

Just like Gutsnaga, Gorbog is not done either. I want to try to make some Waaagh lightning out off some thin wire and the have it shooting out of his eyes, hand, and the Marine helmet. I have never tried anything like this before (painting lightning yes, making lightning no) so I am not sure how it will work out but I am excited to see what I can come up with.

Last of my conversions from the Black Reach set is Wortslag Gorgut, the Nob leading the Boyz.

This one is another pretty easy conversion as I just added a back pole with a glyph but this time I also added a Marine shoulder pad for a bit of flavor.

As you can see, all of these are for the most part pretty minor changes and additions to the basic miniature but I really like the way that they have added to the whole flavor of the force. Now I just need to get them painted but more on that later.

And The Parting Shot...

Well that about wraps it up for this issue but I wanted to share this picture before I went.

This is a scratch built Chaos Warhound Titan. This is done in scale for 40k which means that it probably stands about 12 inches tall. The really sick thing is it is made out of paper. Isn't it amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it? Wonder how many paper cuts he got while he was making it...

Well, that is all for now but until next time may all of you dice come up paper Dragons. :)