Talkin Tactics 6- Damn Drop Pods....

So, after an extended hiatus, I decided to finally sit down and put fingers to keyboard for another installment of "Talkin Tactics". Its been a little while since my last post, or any post for us here at the Forgotten Chapter, and I just wanted to say that its not because we have gotten bored the posting or have lost the will or desire, its merely because many of our lives have had huge changes occur in the past couple of months, and those changes have kept us quite preoccupied. But, after having a couple of really fun 2 on 2 games, we at the Forgotten Chapter began to get the "bug" again for writing, especially after it took me an extra ten minutes in deployment just to bubble wrap my imperial guard Leman Russ tanks with a crap load of guardsmen just to keep my friend from being able to drop pod his dreadnought close enough to melta my tanks. After realizing how vulnerable almost any army can be to a drop pod assault, I began to mentally formulate a discussion on the different tactics involved with using drop pods. I have been wanting to write this article for a while now, and that game gave enough spark to finally force my hand to shake with desire to write. But enough about how and why, lets get into the tactics.

Introducing The 403rd "The Forsaken"

Hello All,

This is my first attempt at posting any of my work online, so please excuse the cell phone picture quality. As soon as I get a better camera from the wife I will try and get new photos.

But here is my first completed squad from my Imperial Guard army, the 403rd "The Forsaken."

C&C's are very welcome. I don't claim to be a great painter so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Allow me to Introduce Myself

My name is Imperial General Falcon. I am the newest Chapter Brother to The Forgotten Chapter, however I have known Roll the Dice 22, High Marshal James, and Unlike Crash Zach for a much longer time frame but that is another story. I have been playing 40k for almost a year now-I began last November and have been addicted ever since. I have participated in two tournaments since then; a doubles tourney at Valhalla's in the spring, and most recently the Fiest of Blades at Black Knight Video Games (which is also my home store). The armies I currently run include: The Imperial Fists (a vanilla space marine list), Tau, and the Angels Encarmine (a Blood Angels list). The Imperial Fists are my bread and butter along with my first army. The Tau came second and I compiled an army at the beginning of this summer. In fact this was the army I played in the Fiest of Blades. The Angels Encarmine is my latest army; one which I had wanted to do for a very long time and just recently had the funding to put it all together. Literally the army is still boxed up and on the sprue-I hopefully will have it built and ready for action by this coming weekend. In another post I will further discuss my play styles and strategies that go along with each army (along with pictures of each). This post is an effort to give you somewhat of an introduction and a little background information about myself. One thing I can tell you is that I originally laughed at my chapter brethren for playing a year ago, and now I am obsessed with the game. I cannot get it off of my mind most of the time and find myself at different times of the day reviewing previous games(even if I did not play), how they could have been played differently, how certain events/decisions impacted the overall flow and results of the game. I also consistently try to review the current lists I have for each of my armies and how I could improve them or play them differently. For example I have been carrying my Blood Angels Codex everywhere (like a child with his blanket) reviewing it and learning as much about my new army as possible. I am all about learning/improving and am always looking to grow as not only a player, but as a member of the 40k universe. Any kind of commentary/advice whether it is praise or disgust given to me is greatly appreciated. As far as my 40k future is concerned; who knows! All I know is I am excited for it; excited to play, grow, learn, and become more absorbed in the game! Even though I just finished purchasing my Blood Angels army, I am already considering building a Chaos Space Marines or Space Wolves army at some point in the future. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and please do not ever hesitate to approach me especially if you are looking to get into this game; I understand how difficult it is to become plugged in without someone helping you along (as do my chapter brethren; they were/still are helping me!).

Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher

Check out These Awesome new models from Forgeworld. I know my up and coming Imperial Guard army will eventually have two of the sexy beasts. Forgeworld also posted Experimental Rules and Apoc Rules.

Check It Out: Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher

Stormraven For All?- Army Specific Units

Ah yes, the Stormraven once again. No, I'm not trying to beat the dead horse anymore than it needs to be beaten, but the Stormraven brings up so many good thought provoking issues. The one that comes to mind, was proposed by a member of The Forgotten Chapter in response to a situation that occured to his army at Feast of Blades 2011. He told me that "when" Games Workshop decides to release an FAQ, or some kind of rule that makes the Stormraven able to be used by all space marines, that he would field at least two of them. I responded with the simple word "if." I field two Stormravens in my Grey Knights army, and love using them. My friends therefore hate playing against them, as I am constantly harrassed about how " over the top" their rules are. BUT, they are always quick to point out that they would field them in an instant if they could. Now, Im not trying to be greedy or stingy, and its not that I dont like sharing, but I beleive that the Stormraven should be an army specific unit, in which only certain armies can use it. There are reasons for such an opinion, as I would not say such a thing without doing more than just thumbing my nose. Many things come to mind, but the top three are: variety of play, the "fluff" of the game, and the desire to keep armies "different" by preserving some army specific units and rules. Such things are used to maintain the dreaded F word.... FUN within the game.

6th Edition...... Already?

Its been a little over a year since I first heard rumors about the possibility of 6th edition being only a couple of years off. At first, I just said its someone trying to get out their own cheesy version of what they want to see in the next edition, but as every month has passed, I have seen more and more rumors and possible rule changes posted. Now, before you read any further, this is not going to be a cut and copied post about the latest rumors on what the new rule changes will be. This is a discussion about whether or not the hobby and its fans are ready for 6th edition, and if by releasing this new edition, it will help or hurt the hobby. I will discuss some things to expect, and of course I might go off on some tangents about other things, but for the most part I want to focus on the timing of 6th edition and its potential impact on what we know now about the game.

Its been only three years. Three years and some change to be more innaccurate about the timeline, since we saw 5th edition hit the shelves. There were many changes, some subtle and some quite important (true line of sight...), but ultimately it created more than just new rules, it made it necessary for everyone to once again buy new rule books, as well as forcing Games Workshop to update all of its codexes. More than anything else, all players had to adapt to the new impacts that the rules changes caused to their respective armies. Some armies where not effected (such as Orks) while others where pushed even further into obscurity (Dark Eldar, Grey Knights, Necrons). While I will admit that adapting to new rules adds more fun challenges, it also nullified certain strengths for specific armies. Games Workshop should have updated all of its codexes right away, making sure that all armies got to benefit from the new rule changes immediately. Some armies will undoubtedly get left behind, leading to another lapse in consistency amongst the rules between different codexes from different editions. I think that before a new edition is released, all of the codexes should be brought up to speed, to at least ensure a level of consistency amongst the rules for different armies. I wonder if bringing in a new set of rules in a brand new edition is going to help the hobby, in terms of keeping the game fair and balanced so that all armies have the chance to compete on the tabletop.

Counts-As: is it Good or Evil?

With the national tournament season in full swing, and the Feast of Blades Qualifiers behind us I'm left with one sour note in my otherwise bittersweet song of an experience. No, I'm not sour that I didn't get an invite to the November Invitational and I'm not regretting the army I brought. Out of a long day at Black Knight Games in Littleton, CO, the only thing that has been eating away at the back of my mind is the thought of how people over use Count-As models in their army. Is Counts-As overused in our community?

Since our wonderful 40K community finds it necessary to fill our thoughts with a specific jargin and lingo, lets define what a Counts-As model is. Before I lay my thoughts out on this digital paper, I thought it necessary for everyone to be on the same page in terms of understanding. A count-as model is one that is meant to represent a model that the current Games-Workshop product line does not offer. Typically this is done to represent a unique Independent Character from any given codex or the like.

Tournament Talk...........BOHICA

So I'm not a very seasoned tournament player, but I've learned (in the 3 I've played in)........that in order to be competitive, one must get rid of any fun, balance, and desire that they have for a specific army list.

Running a balanced list makes sense to all of us, but doesn't really hit home at most tournaments. And you can get rid of the fun because it comes to ultra competitive, and you have those people that call every little rule, then scrutinize you for not knowing the rule book, cover to cover. You know, that guy who's played since 1st Edition. His models look somewhat dusty, because the morning of the tournament, he took off the shelf. And he's included in every conversation in the room, because he knows everything about everything 40K related. And forget about running that cool character you like in your codex.......cause unless he's EXTREMELY over the top, and around the points value of say.........300, then he's not gonna match up to that one character who is.....and you'll get squashed.

Now I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a major tournament winner who has ran a balanced army. I play the close-combat heavy, Black Templar, and even I run a balanced list. For, the biggest reason, because I paid for a full codex, and I want to use it all. Not just 3 or 4 pages out of it. And I love the fun in having different attributes to an army. I build balanced lists because I want to challenge myself, and challenge my friends. I don't see any fun in just 2-turning people, walking threw them. When I think about really nasty army lists, I think of "The Drive-by Tau", The Imperial Guardsmen "Leafblower", or "Mech-Vet",............(those damn guardsmen), and almost any Space Marine "3 Land Raiders Down Your Throat".

No!! I wanna go First!!-The Importance of Stealing the Initiative

The Armies are ready to go. Infiltrators have been placed, meat shields have been deployed, the wall of orks are ready, and the basilisks are prepared to unleash an onslought of firepower. BUT, just when your figuring out your first movement and target priority, your opponent rolls one last dice to see if he can steal the initiative. The dice bounces and rolls and finally lands. All six of those pips are staring at you, almost making the shape of a middle finger being held high right at your face. Just when you though you where gonna go first, you have to take the opening volly of fire. So what? Does it really matter if you go first or second? Is it gonna change that much of the game?

Eldar Army For Sale

Hello All, I have my Eldar army for sale. 90% of which is unpainted.

I am asking for $250 for the lot but am willing to entertain offers. I would like to sell it as a whole but am willing to split up for the right price.

Email Unlikecrashzach@gmail.com. I can provide pictures if you need them, the whole army is in new/like new condition. I will accept paypal for out of state/city payment and shipping.

Here is what I have:

-2 Farseer's (1 w/Spear, 1 w/witch blade) (Unpainted)
-6 Warlocks (Unpainted)
-10 Rangers (Unpainted)
-20 Dire Avengers (Has White Primer)
-12 Howling Banshees (1 Exacrch w/Mirror Swords, 1 Exarch w/Executioner) (Unpainted)
-10 Warp Spiders (Unpainted)
-2 Wraithlords (Unpainted)
-1 Falcon (Painted)
-1 Wave Serpeant (Has White Primer)

I have most all of the bits for all of the plastics that I will include as well

Black Knight 2 News- Terrain building July 16th, 2011

So, this is for all the people that live in Colorado. Black Knight 2, located at Bowles and Kipling (same shopping center as Harbor Freight and Jumpstreet) is hosting a terrain building/painting party. This is intended to help bolster the available terrain there at the store, and to increase the amount of terrain needed for The Feast of Blades tournament that they will be holding later in the month. They are gonna supply some foam and paints, but bring anything you would like to make. You can even bring anything that would ork for terrain (old washed cans, packaging foam, etc) will work great. Remember that anything built will be staying in the store for the gaming community to use. So, remember to stop buy and build some terrain, check out the store and chat with the knowledgable employees and maybe buy something. They have a pretty good inventory of 40k stuff and will be getting more soon. PLEASE come by and support your local gaming store!! The Forgotten Chapter will hopefully be stopping by too and may even get a game in while we are there.

Talkin Tactics......"Multiple Combat"

For those of you who have enjoyed the perks of this little baby.....then you'll understand where I'm coming from. I LOVE this rule.......especially when your playing against the "Hammer of the Emperor"........damn those guardsmen..........and they have "several" tanks just lined up along the back side of the board, and you finally get close enough to play "whack-a-mole"!!!

Now this rule can be a bit tricky, but if pulled off, you could have the potential to wipe that smirk off your opponents face with one swift move.

Lets just use a standard Assault Marine Squad as the guinea pig for this one. Starting off with the full 10, after carefully maneuvering yourself across the board, you get close enough to launch an assault. And if you are close enough to have the 6" charge with every model, you can, with some careful placing of your models, try to take down more than one unit. Some Pros......you can tie up more than 1 squad of your enemies, preventing them from doing damage somewhere else. Another is just obvious, killing off more than 1 unit in one turn. Futher making you opponent change their game plan......unless you have 180 greenskin on the board. A BIG con.....and I mean risky, spreading yourself out too thin to tackle the objective at hand. If you throw 10 assault marines into 2 or more units of basic Tyranid gants.........probably not gonna be able to withstand the kickback.

So this move can be risky, but thats the kinda game I personally like to play. To give the perfect example of how this can be an amazing tactic......for my Black Templars, I run a 10 man Assault squad, all with melta bombs, accompanied by my Marshal..........lol, nasty I know. Given the opportunity that I got close enough, I leaped over some cover, my Marshal breaking off the group in the process. And low and behold what lies within only a few inches of all my units. A non-moving Manticore, an immobilised Vindicator, and a 6 man Imperial Guard Command Squad. Now given what we just talked about..........my Marshal breaks off and wipes out the command squad, and I split the attacks of my assault squad, onto the 2 tanks. 5 melta bombs each, auto hit, you can imagine the rest.

Now in this instance, it worked to perfection. But I can tell you from experience......it is VERY risky. Not throwing enough attacks at one particular unit, not having the numbers to survive the defenders reactions. Its a toss up for most players.

So for those of you who live on the "edge", or for those of you with more models than you can count on everyones fingers and toes..........go for it! But if your the new Grey Knights......and you have a small handful of units, this might be something worth thinking about. But either way......just remember that they are just models. You can pick them back up after they die. Its a game, and its suppose to be fun.

"Ebay!? Why not Black Knight?"-Buying Online vs. Buying in Store

So, after converting two more members of The Forgotten Chapter to loyal supporters of our new favorite store (which is Black Knight 2 in Littleton, CO), one chapter member said something that stuck with me. He said that the new place was awesome and that he would totally buy a lot of stuff from there, but he would still try to buy specific things online. I soon had an epiphany ( or the hamster fell off the wheel in my brain) why do we love checking out new stores but still buy stuff online? No great fasting or mythical search across frozen landscapes and over open deserts was needed, as the answer to my question soon came to me in multiple parts. It just so happens that we all like to buy from stores and online, so which one is better? Are there certain things that are better to get in the store than online? Does the difference in price really matter?

Black Knight Games 2 - Green Walls and Stuff

So, on a balmy Sunday afternoon, the day before Independance Day, I found myself in the new Black Knight Games 2 store in Littleton, CO. The store has both tabletop and video game systems and accessories. The shelves still have holes that will definitley get filled, and the green walls will make sure that you dont fall asleep while your opponent takes his sweet time deploying (Just like I am taking my sweet time writing an article on deployment). The "atmosphere" in the store is a good one, and it feels like you can come in there and get a game in without having the store "mosquitos" walk around and criticize everything you do, while failing to understand the importance of deodorant in modern society. The staff seems very nice, and they are willing to bring in ANY items that you want or would like to see. I think that one of the biggest advantages to being an up and coming store is that you have the ability to ask your new customers what they want to see and match your inventory to the needs of your customers. Established stores already have money vested in items on their shelves, and have to maintain certain items until their stock is cleared, which can take a while. New stores have the money, room, and ability to tailor their inventory almost immediatley to the demographic, so dont be afraid to tell the guys at your new store what you want to see, cause it may just come true if enough people agree with your requests.

Red's Corp - Red Scorpions

For all you Red Scorpions lovers (HighMarshalJames) check out this blog. Red's Scorpions are beautiful. I think my favorite part is the battle damage to the vehicles, typically I do not like battle damage since it would not go with fluff (those techmarines like shiny vehicles) but this is very realistic and impressive.

Red's Corp - Red Scorpions

Here is a quick picture from his Blog:

The Casual-Competitive Player

After trolling through my usual places (Warseer, The Back 40K, 3++ is the new black, Bell of Lost Souls just to name a few) I came across a blog post on BoLS about the gamer that is not completely Fluffy but also isn't the hardcore doucher Tournament guy.

Here is the Link to it: The Casual-Competitive Gamer

Here is the post for those to lazy to click the link. I believe everyone at The Forgotten Chapter falls into this new category, granted none of us have won a GT or even a local tournament (granted we have only played in a couple so far) but we are still fairly competitive but typically with beer in hand:

New Chapterhouse Studios Products for June

The infamous Chapterhouse Studios has released a few new kits that are compatible with our favorite 28mm Wargaming company. Our friends the Imperial Guard, Grey Knights, Space Marines, and Dark Angels go some love this month. I am on the fence about a couple of these items but overall I think they will bring a lot of new cool looking armies to the gaming table. These items should be up on the site within the week, so go take a look!!!

Chapterhouse June Releases

The Rapid Reponse Chimera

 

Talkin' Tactics #4- The Rugged Rhino

We have all had one. Its that one car, truck or SUV that never died. It still worked for you even though the seats were trashed, it held oil about as well as a pasta strainer, and power steering was still a dream that this car would never see. No matter what however, this vehicle never failed you. It was always there for you when you needed it, which was often. Thats how I see the space marine rhino. While it doesnt have the biggest armor value or weapons payload, its always there to get your troops across the battlefields of the 40k universe. You could use them for decoys, to block line of site, to keep troops safe while holding objectives, or just annoy somebody with the stupid stormbolter on top. It may not have lasted till turn 7, but it was there when you needed it 8/10 times. What else could you use to move your guys across the board while creating a mobile firing platform and ensuring that pesky low level massive amounts of firepower cant widdle down your troops, AND only cost 35 points?! This vehicle is such a mainstay in most 5th edition space marine armies, and I think that sometimes it gets overlooked when it comes to new tactics and strategies. It is such a versatile vehicle that it can do a multitude of different things, but dont get too careless with it, becuase for all its advantages it can still be blown up with a single shot.

Black Knight Games #2 Opens Today

For all you Denver gamers, Black Knight Games has opened their second store in the Metro Area.

The new store is located at Kipling and Bowles in Littleton, CO.

Confirmation from RM40K

Head down and check them out, I know I am surely going to try and check the place out this weekend!

The Dice Thrower in All of Us#3 - Avoiding 40k "Burnout"

By now, if your reading this post, its probably not your first visit to a 40k blog website, and will most definitely not be your last. Your probably one of the countless masses of 40k fans who check up on their favorite 40k websites weekly or daily, making sure to keep up to date with the newest tactics and strategies, as well as news and rumors. Your probably one of those people who listen to podcasts and hang out at the hobby shop to talk it up with fellow gamers. You probably crack inside jokes amongst your gaming buddies that involve women and not rolling double "1"s with the dice. If you agree with any of these statements, then you have the 40k "bug", that neverending desire to know more, play more, paint more, read more, and write more things 40k. We all have it here at The Forgotten Chapter, and it is one "bug" that we want to keep. We all have spent countless hours thinking about 40k, with no regrets whatsoever. BUT, what happens when that appetite for 40k begins to diminsh? How do we keep interested and involved in something that is slipping away? What happens when your start to experience... BURNOUT.......?

Keep Your Friends Close............But Your Enemies Closer

I want to cover the aspect of having close friends, battle brothers, clicks, whatever you want to call it. Whether it be playing at your local hobby shop on a weekly basis, or at a friends house on their own table, having close friends can be one of the best ways to raise your level of play.

In our group, what we joke around as "The Forgotten Chapter", we have 5 guys that usually play around 2-3 times a week. I am sometimes more towards 3-4 times a week because the table is at my place. We are all very competitive players and all have very solid lists. The good thing is that we all share our ideas with eachother. Whether is be rumors about upcoming armies, rules that are buried in the rule book (that to still this day we uncover new ones), different tactics. Anything. I have to admit that none of us would be on the level we are if we didn't have this so-called brotherhood we have. It allows you to raise the bar for everyone else around you, making everyone better.

I can't count the number of hours that we have spent chillin around the game board, talkin' tactics, painting tips, whatever comes to mind. Having a number of friends can help brainstorm some sick ideas for a new army someone just picked up. Your friends know you, know your play style, and what would strike you as interesting. 5 brains are better than 1......lol

Talkin' Tactics #3-Stormraven vs. Land Raider

One opponent stares at the dice as it rolls across the board. He is going to deploy first. But, what does his opponent have? What should he prepare for? Is it going to be a goliath on the battlefield, barreling at his line with a slow and steady purpose, or is it gonna be a quick and swift skimmer with the stinging power of the mightiest of weapons? If it is one of these, which should he fear more?

After discussing both the pros and cons to fielding a Stormraven and a Land Raider, I figured it was time to compare them directly to one another. Both vehicles have definite strengths and weaknesses that I have already discussed in greater detail in earlier posts. Here I will examine how those strengths and weaknesses compare to one another and try and give a better situational understanding of when and where these two beasts shine, and how they might stack up against one another. By now, many of us have played with or against a Land Raider and a Stormraven. I myself used to use a basic Land Raider in my 3rd edition Grey Knights army, but soon dropped it for the tactical flexibility of three dreadnoughts. After the new codex came out, I absolutely loved the tactical capabilities of a Stormraven, and how they can add so much variety of play and create unusual situations for both the enemy and myself. The Stormraven at its basic form is cheaper than the Land Raider of any variant, but lacks the awesome firepower that the latter can wield. The basic Stormraven comes equipped with a twin linked assault cannon and heavy bolter, with the upgrade capabilities of replacing the assault cannon with a lascannon and the heavy bolter with a multi-melta for free. Replacing either one of these will give the Stormraven more tank hunting ability, making the vehicle more deadly towards mech heavy lists. The Stormraven can add side sponson hurricane bolters for 30pts and can even replace the heavy bolter with a typhoon missile launcher. The different weapons payload can make the Stormraven more versatile, as you can field them in almost any situation and find it useful. The Land Raider variants tend to be more expensive than the Stormraven, but have a heavier payload without having to add weapons onto the vehicle. The Land Raider variants are not as customizable as the Stormraven, leaving you with specific fixed weapon variants. Now, the customizability of the Stormraven does not mean it is a better vehicle, it just means that you can tailor the skimmer to fit almost any situation where you want it to be effective.

"Get Skinny!!!!"- The Importance of Terrain

So, after an extended weekend that included 7 games (6 wins and 1 loss if anyone cares.. damn space lizards...), I decided that its time to mention something that is so pivotal to the battlefield of Warhammer 40k, yet most of us completely forget to appreciate it for making the game fun and interesting. If the title didnt give it away, then I guess I will inform the uninformed. Its Terrain!

So how can something be so asthetically pleasing yet be such a pain in the backside at the very same moment? Well, it has to come with the fact that terrain, like in real life, changes and intensifies the battlefield in so many different ways, providing much needed cover, while still denying line of sight and free movement all at once. So why have terrain on the battlefield? If its such a bother, then why have it in the game? These answers, like many others that involve this game, come from real life battlefield conditions and scenarios. Every battlefield is going to have terrain on it. Wars are hardly fought on flat surfaces with nothing in the way of the opposing forces. Especially in modern (and post-modern/futuristic) style battlefields, wars are fought in cities, forrests, jungles, mountains, etc. All of the aforementioned places have objects that troops can hide behind, as well as things that can deflect or deter optimal line of sight and ammunition effectiveness. Terrain can be both a positive and a negative, and should never be overlooked. It can clearly change how the game is played, and WILL add both fun and frustration to any part of the game.

Feast Of Blades 2011

For all the Denver gamers out there, it is time again for the Feast of Blades Qualifiers. I did not get to play last year but I am going to give it my all this year. I believe most of The Forgotten Chapter will be playing this year, although seeing how our "home store" has since closed (RIP Freddy's) we are currently looking for a new store to call home and hopefully contend in the FoB going forward.

Anyway, onto the main reason for this post. Here is my initial Feast of Blades Salamanders list. All C&C are welcome. I played the Dusk Raiders primer mission with this list against RollTheDice's Stormraven Grey Knights and managed to pull of a minor victory against him (2-1).

The Dice Thrower In All of Us #2- When Painting Gets You Down

Everyone has been there. The models are assembled, the army list is complete, and the super glue has dried to your finger tips. Now the time comes to add some "color" to those models, making them into living, breathing things rather than hunks of molded plastic. BUT, instead of rejoicing with excitement, you try to think about something else you could be doing besides painting. While painting models is quite a fun venture, there is a point that most of us get to when we wonder why all 300 of our guardsmen need to have an insignia on their shoulder, or a painted face with eyes. When you look at those models and sigh in discomfort at the thought of painting so many little things with even smaller detail, you know the "dice thrower" is preparing to strike again.

Forge World............Brains or Bust??

Next on my list of things I want to cover is the use of ForgeWorld models. Now I'm sure, just like most of us out there, we've all taken a look at the website and drooled.........I know I have plenty. Plenty enough to fall into its grasp and buy some over priced model (that does look sick I'll add), but now it doesn't even find its way into my army list.

Stormraven Supplemental Post

I realize now that I have forgotten a couple of tactical advantages that go along with the use of the Stormraven gunship. I failed to properly address the potential use of the dreadnought/troop transport combination, and how effective it can be coming out of the same ship. While utilizing the full transport capacity of the vehicle can push the points value up, the advantage of having a system that can deliver not only an attacking unit but also a dreadnought right into the enemy line can force your opponent to change their plans immediately. The other advantage to embarking a dreadnought in a Stormraven with another squad is that if the the Raven gets destroyed, the dreadnought only takes one str4 hit the the rear armor. While 6's can be rolled, most of the time the hit wont do anything, leaving the dreadnought still closer to the enemy than it would have been had it been deployed at the table edge. This tactic makes the Stormraven an effective delivery system for troops and dreadnoughts, getting the units up into the fray of the battle as quickly as possible. There are always risks associated with such bold maneuvers, but if there was no risk in the game, than it wouldnt be as fun as it is!

Confidence: Who Needs It?

A lot of people don't realize how much confidence plays into their 40K strategy. Perfect example, the last game I played was with my Salamanders and half baked Eldar against HighMarshalJames' Black Templar and our friends Imperial Fists and half of my game was lost due to not having confidence in strategy and my Eldar. Confidence can be a game changer and you didn't even know it. Because I didn't bother to keep my confidence high and stick to my game plan I changed my plans and let the enemy walk all over me. 

Talkin' Tactics #2- Stormraven

Although my last installment involved another space marine vehicle, there is a reason to my madness for writing about two tactical situations involving two different space marine vehicles. The madness will be justified in later posts, but as for now, lets discuss some tactics involving this unit that can bring absolute death from the sky!

The Stormraven s quite a versatile vehicle that is currently only available for two space marine armies. The Blood Angels and the Grey Knights are the lucky few who can use this vehicle as a pure gunship or transport unit. The pros and cons to choosing such a vehicle are somewhat similar to that of the Land Raider Crusader, but the tactics involved in the use of such a vehicle can be vastly different.

Some May Call it Destiny........

Hey whats up, I'm HighMarshal James. I'm also a local 40K player from Denver, Colorado. Been playing for just shy of 3 years. But I've had various roommates over the past 6 years that have been lifers, so the interest has always been there for me. My first and only finished army so far is my Black Templars, and I absolutely love them. I also have an aspiring Eldar army, but with my upcoming wedding......most of my purchasing has been put on hold.

In my first installment, I'd like to cover how amazing it is when a player comes arcoss an army that just fits their play style. And to boot, ends up falling in love with that army. A prime example of this is myself, of course, choosing the Black Templar. Another is my fellow blogger UnlikecrashZach who, when he got back into the game, chose to play Salamanders. And I've got to tell you, fit him perfectly. They are a finese army, need to be played very tactical, and he pulls it off nicely. We've recently given him the nickname General Patton, for his thinking.

I, on the opposite side of the coin from the Salamanders, have chosen Black Templars for their attitude towards combat. Kill first, ask questions later. You can ask any of my close friends, I'm the one at the front of the pack, getting in your face, causing problems early. They fit my play style, as do I fit theirs. Something that has really stuck with me, and fits our topic nicely, is from the Black Library book of Helsreach. The Salamanders use drop pods to reinforce the Templar ranks at the battle for the docks. They help push back the advancing Ork army, but at that moment, the Salamanders actually decide to fall back as well. Now this is completely against the Templar way, as they would rather chase down, and kill every enemy left. The Salamanders want to prepare for the second wave of attacks, but the Templars want to push forward so there is no second wave.

Now I see a benefit in both of these tactics, but favor the Templars. Like I said before, kill first, ask questions later. But thats to each his own. Eldar, in my opinion are VERY finese, and what we like to call........squishy. They require alot of speed, numbers, and very careful moving. Not as tough as marines, but can equal almost any army in firepower. All except the Imperial Guard.............those damn guardsmen. They hold a special place in my heart..........no they don't.

But if your the type of player that doesn't like upfront, in your face confrontation, then the Hammer of the Emperor would be ideal. Same as Eldar. If you like to cause mass confusion, consume anything that moves, the Tyranids would be a good choice. A good balanced choice is almost any Space Marine army. You won't obviously get the numbers you would with bugs or guardsmen, but what they lack in numbers and attrition, they make up for in toughness.

So if your a new player, or even a seasoned one, think about how you would win the war. Would you prefer to sit back and pummel your opponent with barrage after barrage, or an endless swarm of bugs or greenskins, of super genetically engineered soldiers?? Either way, play with confidence, and keep a light heart about the game. Don't let that inner dice thrower come out too often. Because when all is said and done, its just a GAME. Not a life that takes place in 38 millenia......and just have fun. That's why we all got started afterall, we like to use our imaginations, and be kids for a few hours a week.

-HighMarshalJames-

GW Moves to Resin-Like Magic Material

Just posted on Warseer (and kind of on GW's site), GW will be releasing their Citadel Finecast line to replace a lot of their metal figures later this month.

Warseer has a full list of 128 blisters that will be up for advanced order soon.

GW Metal to Resin is a Go

Talkin' Tactics #1 - Land Raiders

This blog series will focus on a specific tactic in each segment, talking about the pros and cons to using such an idea in your own battles and how to incorporate such strategies into your list building and overall gameplay. In the first installment of "Talkin' Tactics", I figured I would discuss a tactic that I see quite frequently being used amongst my fellow gamers here at the Forgotten Chapter. It involves one of the finest vehicles in the game being used in a seemingly simple but quite effective role on the table top battle field.

The Dice Thrower In All Of Us... #1

So, this will undoubtedly be a series that makes every 40k player think about that dark side that we all have.. That part of us that takes over after a bad turn or round of combat, and soon looks at their dice in hand as a symbol of violence and decides to hurl them across the room, hitting everything in sight like an ordnance barrage large blast. Before you know it, models and people alike are diving for a cover save as the dice are launched everywhere.

Maple Syrup and Scotch

Well I guess its time for my intro as well, and just like my fellow Forgotten Chapter member stated, I hope I dont butcher this either! Im RollTheDice22, a 40k player from Denver that started a little over a year ago. I remember making fun of my friend when he started talking about this board game with dice and little men. After almost dying from laughter, he showed me the website and began introducing me to the different parts of the game. I humored him by looking at the different armies, until a picture of the Grey Knights struck my eye. After that, I began asking questions out of sheer excitement and interest. The rest as they say, is history. I now look back on my initial thoughts and think about how ignorant I was, and how much I enjoy the game today.

As you can obviously tell, my chapter of choice is the Grey Knights, which just recently received a new codex and brought me yelling with excitement out of third edition Grey Knight rules. I also have an IG guard army that I love to change almost every time I field it. We hope that this blog will promote the game, the hobby, and everything in between. I only hope that people will remember that no matter what, this game is supposed to be FUN!
So, if you like reading about new tactics, hobbying techniques, and miscellaneous discussions of the 40k world, make sure to check out our posts. (wow, that sounded a lot like backflips and pancakes....)

Backflips And Pancakes

Lets see how bad I can butcher this introduction.....

I am Unlikecrashzach, a local gamer from Denver, CO. I got into Warhammer 40K about 6 years about and quit after a year due to college. A year ago I picked up the hobby again when I overheard a friend of mine talking about his Black Templars (my first chapter back in the day) at a Halloween party.

Currently, my chapter of choice is the calm, calculated, and founding Salamanders. I also have a small mechanized Guard army that is growing in size. What can I say? I am a loyalist.

The Forgotten Chapter is gaming club of 5 friends in Denver, CO who are consistently engaged in gaming and discussion of tactics, hobby progress, and the occasional thoughts of what we would like to see from 40K. We have started this blog to add all of our accumulated thoughts, tactics, and hobby progress for others to enjoy. So, if eventually someone looks at this Blog and likes what we are selling feel free to send us your lists, tactics, and more importantly comments and we will be happy to discuss them.

If you are ever in the Denver Area, hit us up to set up a game or time to get some hobby talk in.

--Unlikecrashzach