Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Trygon!!!



Last weekend contained two events for me, the Anderson Paint fest and the Warpstone Painting Contest. The Warstone contest was held at local GW stores across the country, with the challenge to paint one of the new Trygon's in a weekend. At my local GW, this entailed a time line of Noon on Saturday, with judging at 4pm on Sunday. That's right, for those mathematicians out there, that's 28 hours. Pictures of my Trygon follow:








I have to say that I was very impressed with the overall contest. There were 15 people pre-signed up for the challenge and there were 12 Trygons on the table for judging. I kick myself for not getting great pictures, but I can say that my model was in the bottom 3 on quality (in my opinion). There are a couple techniques and "tricks" that I picked up to improve my model in the future. First of those is gloss varnish on the shell/carapace. The majority of the models, and 3 of the 4 winners (1st place, 2nd place, and a tie for 3rd) had their carapace glossed. This had a couple effects I noticed. First, it drew the eye to the model. Second, it seemed to hide small blemish's and mistakes on the carapace.

The second technique which was on all 4 of the winning models was "hash's" painted onto the shell. This is a style that seems to be very popular and certainly showed its strength in this contest. Here is a sample picture of what I mean:



I am not sure how much affect this will have on my Eldar models, I expect very little. Its a technique that is very suited for carapace/shell but I do not feel it fits with the Eldar models. This is something I will have to think about.

Anderson Painting Fest
In addition to assembling and painting my Trygon for the paint competition, I also had the first Anderson Painting Fest on Saturday. The idea was to get a group of friends together specifically for painting in a group. I offered drink, food, and snacks along with the use of my paints (I have the full GW paint collection) and my Spray gun/Compressor for the groups use. In exchange, I asked that the focus be on painting the large collection of unpainted terrain that I have. Disapointingly, this was not a huge success. Of the 8 people invited, only 2 showed up. Now, the three of us had a great time working on both terrain and our Trygons and actually completed 7 pieces of terrain. This still leaves a fair amount in the bin, but it was a definite chunk.

So I need to do some thinking if I plan to do this again. Overall, the initial idea seemed to be well-received but there were a variety of reasons people did not make it. Moving past those who were sick, I need contemplate where things went sideways.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Painting Points Update / Change



Ok, I am headed to bed after spending a full day painting. Good news, I think my model looks good. Bad news, its a Tyranid and not an Eldar. Now, have no fear faithful readers, I am not pulling my Tyranids out of the closet and sinking the DTP. I did, however, assemble and paint a Trygon today for the local GW Warpstone painting contest. This was done in concert with my "Anderson Paint Fest" which happened today. I will speak on that in another post.

I did realize that there is something lacking in the overall Painting Points system I have. A Trygon is twice the size (and overall work) of other monsters in the WHFB and WH40K systems. Its twice the size of my Carnifex and/or Hive Tyrants. With this in mind, I am adding it to the same category as Vehicles, adding a "Large Monster" category. I am also adding a Gargatuan Creature category to the Superheavy points.
  • Infantry = 1 point
  • Cavalry or bikes or DTP Exarch Bases (40mm bases)= 2 points
  • Monster or Dreadnought = 5 points
  • Vehicle or Large Monster = 10 points
  • Superheavy vehicle or Gargantuan Creature = 20 points
No pictures yet, but I will get some tomorrow after the judging.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Adepticon Model Approval



I have been preparing for Adepticon in March of this year and realized that I have non-standard models which should be approved prior to my heading out there. I have not finalized my list yet, but I figure if I get approval for the different modified bases on my models up front then I will not have to start every game with:
"Hello opponent, I run non-standard bases on my models. Even though they are clearly not modeled for advantage, would you like to object and win the game that way or would you like to actually play a game?"
Now, typically the answer is "no problem, lets play a game", and to be honest, my opponents have little to fear as I am rarely (if ever) on the top tables. Then again, I may get much better at playing over the next 3 months and it might matter. More importantly, I can reach out to the Adepticon crew and get approval ahead of time, which will make this a non-issue.

As I was already taking pictures, I figured I would post them here. Taking another look at my various models is always a good thing, especially when those who I do not play regularly get to see the comparisons. In addition, I think this might be the first time I am posting a picture of a Grav Tank on the Tank bases.

Enjoy.



























Thursday, January 7, 2010

DTP goes to a tournament



I attended the IFL 4th Quarter tournament on Saturday January 2nd, and had a great time. Despite losing 2 games and drawing 1 my opponents were enjoyable to play against and it was a great day overall. Then, as a very pleasant surprise, I brought home the "Best Appearance" award from teh tournament, scoring 2nd place in appearance. The first place appearance score won "Best Overall", so was not eligible for the Appearance award as well.

I will post lists in a bit, but let me first talk about some thoughts related to the day and to myself in general. Looking at the scores, I scored a solid 2nd place across the board on my soft scores. I scored 10th place overall out of 22 players. My soft scores I am very happy about, and very comfortable with.

Appearance - (33 out of 40) Second place on appearance (and getting the Appearance award) is something I am very happy with. I have no illusions that I am a Golden Daemon level painter, but I have put a lot of work into my army on both the painting and modeling aspects. Following some thoughts after the tourney this summer, I did add a Display board to the army for this tournament. It helped in carrying my army table to table and it may have also helped with the appearance scoring. I did this very simply, but it definitely provided some context for the army.

Theme - (29 out of 30) I came in second place on theme behind Bill D's Space Marine army. His army is painted to support a charity he takes part in, painted all pink and black with pink ribbons as insignia (shoulder pads, shield markings, hull marking on vehicles). To be fair, I voted for his theme myself, so coming in second behind him is not disappointing.

Sportsmanship - (38 out of 40) Scoring nearly max points on Sportsmanship is something I am very happy about. I have done a lot of thinking and talking about sportsmanship in a game. I like to think I am a top performing sport and also a desired opponent to get. A friend of mine recently commented that he has noticed I have the ability to cheer as much for my opponent as I do for myself when things are going well. Overall I work at remembering this is a game and even in a tourney setting both people are supposed to have fun. I hope this does not become hard as I play more and my win record improves.

Battle Points - (18 out of 90) Wow, that puts me in a solid last place. Funny enough, I played a very expierienced Space Wolves player to a tie, and then lost badly to both Raven Wing and Black Templars! This is funny as the Space Wolves and this player were both topics of conversation in my small group of friends prior to the tournament.

Overall Thoughts - So I am looking forward into 2010 and planning the start of my year around going to Adepticon and taking part in a couple tournaments this year. I put my scores from this tournament into contrast with those plans and have come to a couple opinions and conclusions. First, I am very happy with where my soft scores sit. I think I have a theme for my army that "Knocks anyone looking at it over the head", as I recently commented to a friend of mine Jay. This is good, its easy to identify, and overall it is part of the "claim to fame" for my army. When it comes to painting, I can certainly improve and am getting better with each model I paint. I have received a couple tips on how to go back over everything I have already done to apply some simple adjustments (highlights, washes, etc). This should bring the overall quality of the appearance up another level without requiring a complete re-paint of the army. As for sportsmanship, I already commented how pleased I am there. Overall, I am confident I have my soft scores in line with how I enjoy the game and expect I begin regularly scoring at the top of the field for soft scores.

As for battle points, there is only one way to rectify my poor showing here and that is to play more games. I clearly need more experience with the game and with the missions. One of my 2010 goals is to get those games in and increase my skill at playing. I feel I have a fairly strong handle on what my army is, and I am starting to get a feel for how it works best (best in relation to competitively). What more games will help me learn is
  • First - really teach me how my army is supposed to work, even in strange situations.
  • Second - how other armys work and what to expect
  • Third - overall tactics for the game
These three things should greatly improve my overall playing, which should not only increase my battle point score but also provide a more challenging (and I hope enjoyable) game for my opponents!


So, lets take a quick look at the day.

My List:

2000 Pts - Eldar Roster - Dead Tau Project - Bill Anderson

HQ: Autarch
1 Autarch @ 100 pts ((pp.29 & 60 Eldar); Fleet; Independent Character; Master Strategist; Forceshield; Mandiblaster; Power Weapon; Shuriken Pistol; Fusion Gun; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades)

HQ: Farseer
1 Farseer @ 138 pts ((pp.26, 28 & 60 Eldar); Psyker; Doom ; Guide ; Fleet; Independent Character; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Runes of Warding; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear)

Elite: Fire Dragons
6 Fire Dragons @ 274 pts ((pp.32 & 62 Eldar); Fleet; Fusion Gun; Melta Bombs)
1 Fire Dragon Exarch (Fleet; Crack Shot ; Dragon's Breath Flamer; Melta Bombs)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Starcannons)

Elite: Howling Banshees
9 Howling Banshees @ 327 pts ((pp.31 & 63 Eldar); Fleet; Banshee Mask; Power Weapon; Shuriken Pistol)
1 Howling Banshee Exarch (Fleet; Acrobatic; War Shout ; Banshee Mask; Shuriken Pistol; Executioner)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Scatter Lasers)

Troops: Dire Avengers
9 Dire Avengers @ 307 pts ((pp.30 & 64 Eldar); Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult)
1 Dire Avenger Exarch (Fleet; Bladestorm ; 2 Avenger SC)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Bright Lances)

Troops: Dire Avengers
9 Dire Avengers @ 307 pts ((pp.30 & 64 Eldar); Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult)
1 Dire Avenger Exarch (Fleet; Bladestorm ; 2 Avenger SC)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Bright Lances)

Heavy Support: Fire Prism
1 Fire Prism @ 160 pts ((pp.43 & 67 Eldar); Holo-Field; Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; Prism Cannon)

Heavy Support: War Walker Squadron
1 War Walker Squadron @ 140 pts ((pp.44 & 66 Eldar); Scouts)
1 War Walker (Scatter Laser; Starcannon)
1 War Walker (Scatter Laser; Starcannon)

Fast Attack: Warp Spiders
9 Warp Spiders @ 247 pts ((pp.36 & 65 Eldar); Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Warp Jump Generators; Death Spinner)
1 Warp Spider Exarch (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Withdraw ; Hit & Run; Warp Jump Generators; Death Spinner)

Total Roster Cost: 2000

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My opponents all played some type of Space Marine army, which was interesting to me. As I remember, well more than half the players at the tourney were playing Space Marines of some flavor including Chaos. Overall of the 22 players I believe there were only 3 Eldar, 3 IG, 1 Tau, and 2 Tyranids. Below are the lists of my 3 opponents, in order of the games.

Ben L's Space Wolves
2000 Pts - Space Wolves Roster 2000 Pts - Space Wolves Roster

HQ: Rune Priest
1 Rune Priest @ 105 pts (...in Power Armour)
1 Rune Priest in Power Armour (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Wolf Tail Talisman; Bolt Pistol x1; Runic Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Independent Character; Psyker; Jaws of the World Wolf; Living Lightning)

HQ: Rune Priest
1 Rune Priest @ 105 pts (...in Power Armour)
1 Rune Priest in Power Armour (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Wolf Tail Talisman; Bolt Pistol x1; Runic Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Independent Character; Psyker; Living Lightning; Storm Caller)

Troops: Grey Hunters Pack
8 Grey Hunters Pack @ 215 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Mark of the Wulfen; Wolf Standard; Bolt Pistol x8; Bolter x7; Close Combat Weapon x7; Meltagun; Power Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Drop Pod)
1 Grey Hunter w/ Mark of the Wulfen (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol x1; Bolter x1; Close Combat Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Rending in CC only)
1 Drop Pod (Storm Bolter)

Troops: Grey Hunters Pack
8 Grey Hunters Pack @ 215 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Mark of the Wulfen; Wolf Standard; Bolt Pistol x8; Bolter x7; Close Combat Weapon x7; Meltagun; Power Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Drop Pod)
1 Grey Hunter w/ Mark of the Wulfen (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol x1; Bolter x1; Close Combat Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Rending in CC only)
1 Drop Pod (Storm Bolter)

Troops: Grey Hunters Pack
7 Grey Hunters Pack @ 205 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Mark of the Wulfen; Wolf Standard; Bolt Pistol x7; Bolter x6; Close Combat Weapon x6; Plasmagun; Power Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Drop Pod)
1 Grey Hunter w/ Mark of the Wulfen (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol x1; Bolter x1; Close Combat Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Rending in CC only)
1 Drop Pod (Storm Bolter)

Troops: Grey Hunters Pack
7 Grey Hunters Pack @ 205 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Mark of the Wulfen; Wolf Standard; Bolt Pistol x7; Bolter x6; Close Combat Weapon x6; Plasmagun; Power Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Drop Pod)
1 Grey Hunter w/ Mark of the Wulfen (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol x1; Bolter x1; Close Combat Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Rending in CC only)
1 Drop Pod (Storm Bolter)

Elite: Wolf Guard Pack
1 Wolf Guard Pack @ 480 pts (Wolf Guard in Power Armour; Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour; Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour)
5 Wolf Guard in Power Armour (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Melta Bombs; Combi-Meltagun x1; Power Fist x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack)
1 Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour (Unit Type: Infantry; Terminator Armour; Storm Bolter x1; Chain Fist; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack)
4 Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour (Unit Type: Infantry; Terminator Armour; Power Weapon x3; Storm Bolter x3; Combi-Meltagun; Power Fist; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack)

Elite: Wolf Scouts Pack
9 Wolf Scouts Pack @ 205 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Scout Armour; Mark of the Wulfen; Bolt Pistol x6; Close Combat Weapon x9; Meltagun; Power Weapon x2; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Behind Enemy Lines; Counter-attack; Infiltrate; Move Through Cover; Scouts)
1 Wolf Scout w/ Mark of the Wulfen (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Scout Armour; Bolt Pistol x1; Close Combat Weapon x1; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Behind Enemy Lines; Counter-attack; Infiltrate; Move Through Cover; Rending in CC only; Scouts)

Heavy Support: Long Fangs Pack
5 Long Fangs Pack @ 115 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Close Combat Weapon x5; Heavy Bolter x5; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control)
1 Squad Leader (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Close Combat Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control)

Heavy Support: Long Fangs Pack
5 Long Fangs Pack @ 140 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Close Combat Weapon x5; Missile Launcher x5; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control)
1 Squad Leader (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Close Combat Weapon; Acute Senses; And They Shall Know No Fear; Counter-attack; Fire Control)

Total Roster Cost: 1990

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Zack’s Black Templar

2000 Pts - Black Templars Roster

HQ: Commander
1 Commander @ 156 pts (Marshal)
1 Marshal (Crusader Seals; Frag Grenades; Lightning Claw x2; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)
1 Iron Halo
1 Teleport Homer
1 Terminator Honors

HQ: Emperor's Champion
1 Emperor's Champion @ 140 pts (Bolt Pistol; Crusader Seals; Frag Grenades; The Black Sword; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)
1 Armor of Faith
1 The Black Sword

HQ: Black Templars Chaplain
1 Black Templars Chaplain @ 126 pts (Master of Sanctity)
1 Master of Sanctity (Crozius Arcanum; Crusader Seals; Rosarius; Frag Grenades; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)
1 Rosarius
1 Terminator Honors

Elite: Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad
5 Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad @ 215 pts (Lightning Claws (pair) x5; Furious Charge; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)

Elite: Sword Brethren Terminator Squad
5 Sword Brethren Terminator Squad @ 240 pts (Power Fist x5; Storm Bolter x3; Assault Cannon x2; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)

Elite: Venerable Dreadnought
1 Venerable Dreadnought @ 180 pts (Dreadnought CCW; Storm Bolter; Extra Armor; Venerable; Tank Hunter Skill; Multi-Melta; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds; Drop Pod)
1 Drop Pod (Power of the Machine Spirit; Storm Bolter)

Troops: Crusader Squad
9 Crusader Squad @ 228 pts (Bolt Pistol x8; Close Combat Weapon x7; Frag Grenades; Meltagun; Power Fist; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)
1 Rhino (Storm Bolter; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)

Troops: Crusader Squad
9 Crusader Squad @ 228 pts (Bolt Pistol x8; Close Combat Weapon x7; Frag Grenades; Meltagun; Power Fist; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)
1 Rhino (Storm Bolter; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)

Troops: Crusader Squad
5 Crusader Squad @ 95 pts (Bolt Pistol x4; Close Combat Weapon x4; Lascannon; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)

Heavy Support: Predator Annihilator
1 Predator Annihilator @ 153 pts (Twin Linked Lascannon; Extra Armor; Smoke Launchers; Lascannon x2; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)

Heavy Support: Land Raider Crusader
1 Land Raider Crusader @ 293 pts (Extra Armor; Hurricane Bolters x2; Multi-Melta; Power of the Machine Spirit; Twin Linked Assault Cannon; Smoke Launchers; Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds)
1 Blessed Hull

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Jamie H’s Ravenwing

2000 Pts - Dark Angels Roster

HQ: Sammael, Master of the Ravenwing
1 Sammael, Master of the Ravenwing @ 205 pts (...on Land Speeder)
1 ...on Land Speeder (Bolt Pistol; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Twin Linked Assault Cannon; Twin Linked Heavy Bolter)

Troops: Ravenwing Attack Squadron
1 Ravenwing Attack Squadron @ 415 pts (Bike Squad; Attack Bike; Land Speeder)
5 Bike Squad (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Teleport Homer; Bolt Pistol x5; Plasmagun x2; Twin Linked Bolter x5)
1 Sergeant (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Teleport Homer; Plasma Pistol; Twin Linked Bolter x1)
1 Attack Bike (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Teleport Homer; Bolt Pistol x1; Twin Linked Bolter x1; Multi-Melta)
1 Land Speeder (Assault Cannon; Heavy Bolter)

Troops: Ravenwing Attack Squadron
1 Ravenwing Attack Squadron @ 415 pts (Bike Squad; Attack Bike; Land Speeder)
5 Bike Squad (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Teleport Homer; Bolt Pistol x5; Plasmagun x2; Twin Linked Bolter x5)
1 Sergeant (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Teleport Homer; Plasma Pistol; Twin Linked Bolter x1)
1 Attack Bike (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Teleport Homer; Bolt Pistol x1; Twin Linked Bolter x1; Multi-Melta)
1 Land Speeder (Assault Cannon; Heavy Bolter)

Troops: Ravenwing Attack Squadron
1 Ravenwing Attack Squadron @ 415 pts (Bike Squad; Attack Bike; Land Speeder)
5 Bike Squad (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Teleport Homer; Bolt Pistol x5; Plasmagun x2; Twin Linked Bolter x5)
1 Sergeant (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Teleport Homer; Plasma Pistol; Twin Linked Bolter x1)
1 Attack Bike (Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power Armour; Teleport Homer; Bolt Pistol x1; Twin Linked Bolter x1; Multi-Melta)
1 Land Speeder (Assault Cannon; Heavy Bolter)

Fast Attack: Ravenwing Support Squadron
3 Ravenwing Support Squadron @ 240 pts (Heavy Bolter x1; Typhoon Multiple Missile Launcher; Multi-Melta x2; Assault Cannon)

Fast Attack: Ravenwing Support Squadron
3 Ravenwing Support Squadron @ 240 pts (Heavy Bolter x1; Typhoon Multiple Missile Launcher; Multi-Melta x2; Assault Cannon)

Fast Attack: Ravenwing Support Squadron
1 Ravenwing Support Squadron @ 65 pts (Multi-Melta x1)

Total Roster Cost: 1995

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Monday, January 4, 2010

Welcome to 2010



So a new year and a new decade is upon us. Many of my peers in the blog-o-sphere have posted their 2010 resolutions and plans for the new year. I am not a big resolution person, but I certainly have some plans this year. I have already made a couple changes to the blog such as adding in Disqus comments.

So what are my general plans for 2010?

My primary goal this year is to play more games. As you will read in an upcoming post, I just played in a tourney on Saturday January 2nd and had a great time. After looking over the scores it is clear that I have a lot of room to improve on my actual game play. More on that when I post my tourney review, but I will be tracking games played in a new section to the left.

On the hobby side, I am going to start tracking my painting/modeling by the "Lone Pilgrim Paint Score" system. Back in December 2008 the Lone Pilgrim posted the following formula for easy tracking of painting progress.
  • Infantry = 1 point
  • Cavalry or bikes or DTP Exarch Bases (40mm bases)= 2 points
  • Monster or Dreadnought = 5 points
  • Vehicle = 10 points
  • Superheavy vehicle = 20 points
I am adding in my Exarch/HQ models on the terminator bases to the 2 point category, as I do extra work modding and painting those. I will be using this system for 2010 to track my painting (you can see the box to the left). I have also gone back to calculate my paint points for 2009 so I can track progress against last year.

Looking Back at 2009
As you can see, I have accumulated a fair sized painted army which I have listed to the right. In my "Looking Back" post last year I reviewed my original list and made some changes to my target model goals before working on my titan. Lets look at the list and what was completed:
HQ
1 Avatar (Forgeworld)
1 Farseer with swords
3 Warlocks with swords

Elite
*Complete* 5 Firedragons plus 1 Exarch
4 Harliquins with Kisses plus 1 Shadow Seer plus 1 Troupe Master
*Complete* 3 Howling Banshees plus 1 Exarch with mirror swords

Troops
*Complete* 6 Guardian Jetbikes (2 shurican cannon bikes)
*Complete* 5 Pathfinders

Heavy
*Complete* 4 Dark Reapers
1 Dark Reaper Exarch with Tempest Launcher plus 1 Dark Reaper Exarch with Shurican Cannon
1 Wraithlord with Magnetized Weapons
*Complete* 3 War Walkers with Magnetized Weapons

Misc
*Complete* 1 Wave Serpent Grav Transports with Magnetized Weapons

As you can see, I have knocked out a fair amount of my planned models, while leaving other key models still not started in some cases. I will admit to feeling a bit intimidated by both my Avatar project and the Harlequins. I have the Dark Reaper exarchs along with the Wraithlord on the able currently, and they should soon be done.

Whats to come in 2010?
So lets wrap up the post with some of my plans for 2010. I am planning a "Paint Fest" for this month with a couple friends coming by to for a painting day. My goal is to get a fair amount of terrain knocked out on that day.

On January 23 I plan to head down to Fredericksburg VA for a Rapid Fire tournament. This is a tourney based around 500 point games where the objective is to play fast and accumulate as many games and wins as possible during the day.

March 25 - 29 I will be headed out to Chicago for Adepticon. I plan to take part in both the Combat Patrol tourney on Friday and the 40K Championship on Sunday. I am also going to try my hand at the Poker Tourney Sunday evening. As for Friday night and Saturday, I will be tracking down the Dice Like Thunder crew and aim to crash in on their podcast again. Past that, my only plans are breakfast at Lou Mitchell's for breakfast on Saturday or Monday and getting as many games in as possible.

August 21 I plan to attend Games Day again this year. Even taking into account my disappointment last year, there have been changes made and I am interested to see what those changes bring to Games Day. In addition, I will be playing host to some of the DLT crew as they make thier way out to the East Coast for Games Day.

As always, I will be traveling around the country for work and plan to bring my army along with me. My targets will be some solid 1500 or 1850 point games. I tend to travel to the following areas through the year, so if you are close and want to game, get in touch!
  • Atlanta, GA (often)
  • Dallas, TX (often)
  • San Jose, CA (often)
  • Manchester, NH (during the summer)
  • Raleigh / Durham, NC (occasionally)
  • Seattle, WA (occasionally)