Hola, muchachos de Espana! (I don’t know how to type the squiggly thing above the n)

Two firsts, right here on Four Strands!  Our first international game, and our first Space Hulk post!  My family’s friends from Spain arrived yesterday, and it turns out they play Warhammer!

Hector Rueda, pictured above, plays Skaven for Warhammer Fantasy, and borrows a friend’s army to play Chaos Daemons in 40K.  His younger brother Dario doesn’t play but collects and paints various GW minis.

Their mom forbade them from playing video games for more than an hour, so I broke out Space Hulk.  Hector and Dario played mission 1, Hector as Space Marines.  He was doing well, but got too close to several intersections and let the genestealers jump him.  It went downhill from there.  Dario emerrged victorious, but then retired due to traveling fatigue.

Hector and I elected to play mission 2, him as Space Marines.  Yes, Space Hulk fans, THAT mission 2.  The one that is near goddamn impossible against a good Space Marine player.

Above, see our setup.  THSS Sergeant is on the extreme left, regular Terminators in the gray and green rooms.  Chainfist Termie in the red room near the top right, Assault Cannon near the lower right.

Turn 1 Terminators: Hector moved the assault cannon up, looking down the hallway towards the (not pictured) genestealer entry point.  Chainfist guy ripped down a door to come join him.  The two regular marines moved to the left side of the board to support the sergeant.

Turn 1 Genestelers: I brought a 3 blip on, down by the assault cannon, and another 3 on the other side.  Both blips moved up and hid.

Turn 2 Terminators:  Hector moved the assault cannon up and went on overwatch, chainfist broke another door.  Used a lot of points both turns to get chainfist up to the other red room.  THSS Sergeant advanced, one Terminator looked down hall on overwatch.

Turn 2 Genestealers: I brought on a 1 and a 3 near the assault cannon.  The blip already on the board revealed as 3, and ran up the hallway on top in the picture.  3 blip moved up behind the other 3 ‘stealers.  Lone blip up by the THSS just advanced and hid.

Turn 3 Terminators: Assault cannon moves up, turns, and opens the door.  Chainfist moves up behind him on overwatch.  THSS sergeant approaches a corner around which the lone blip is hiding.  Other termies move up on overwatch.

Turn 3 Genestealers: Drew a 1 and a 3, put both by the THSS.  A genestealer pops out, takes an overwatch and regular shot from the assault cannon (he spent a point).  It lives through both and eats the asscan for breakfast.  It has just enough movenent to get right next to Chainfist.  All the other ‘stealers move up behind him, ensuring swift doom for the chainfist guy.  Blips by THSS move up, one reveals as 3 and they hide around corners and behind doors.

Turn 4 Terminators: THSS moves up, smacks a ‘stealer to death, goes on guard with points.  Other termie moves up just far enough to see a ‘stealer and kills it with the free bolter shot you get while moving.  Doesn’t have points for overwatch.

Turn 4 Genestealers: Drew two 1s, placed by THSS side.  Swarm of stealers eat chainfist guy and move up as fast as genestealers can.  Another stealer pops out and eats the guy who got the lucky shot last turn.

Turn 5 Terminators: Last regular termie moves up, kills a ‘stealer, and goes on overwatch.  THSS sergeant moves up, attacks a ‘stealer, and dies.

Turn 5 Genestealers: Because the termie on overwatch is only looking one direction, a stealer pops out from the other way and kills him.  See the pic below!

Result: Genestealer victory!

Analysis: Hector isn’t very experienced at Space Hulk, and it shows because he went OFF GUARD with the THSS sergeant.  Never go off Guard unless genestealers are 6 or more spaces away.  He also looked down the smaller hallway with the Assault Cannon.  Correct procedure is move asscan down the hall, with another marine at the junction on overwatch.  This would allow 3 spaces between ‘stealer and Termie, not one.

Look forward to a 40K or Gothic battle report with Hector sometime soon!

EDIT: Had another Space Hulk match with Hector, this time mission 3.  The most memorable part was the last Terminator, the Assault Cannon which was completely out of ammo, going toe-to-toe with waves of ‘stealers.  Look at this pile of bodies!

6th Edition 40K? A look into the future?

For those who haven’t read BOLS’ rumors on 6th edition, here it is: http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?t=15933&page=12

Big Changes:

-Squad “leaders” are now more important.  Various tests are taken with their characteristics.  If a squad doesn’t have a leader in their entry, like Necron Warriors, the owning player picks one.  ICs become the “leader” of a squad if they join.  So my history of killing the Sergeant of my regular Terminators is over?  Do I have to buy him a chainfist?

-Models can only make one armor save normally, or two in certain situations.  Will massed fire become much more important?  We shall see what these vague, incomplete sentences mean.

-Most universal special rules now have a level in parentheses, such as Feel no Pain (1).  Higher levels are better, or ignore opposing special rules of lower levels.  Rock on.

-All of the things that a unit can do are spelled out clearly (according to this guy) and make sense.

-Units have actions they can do in the appropriate phase.

-Units have reactions they can do whenever the right situation permits, like shooting back when getting shot at.

-Terrain rules are slightly different and look like they make more sense.

-There are 5 phases now!  Preparation, movement, assault, shooting, and consolidation.  Splits certain parts of the turn into places that make the turn make more sense.  Hopefully will not be confusing for older players.

-Everything wounds on a 6 if it didn’t wound before.  Beware flashlights, Wraithlords!

-Wound allocation says “wound against majority,” and there are “armor groups” which I hope means different types of save.  Looks like a modified version of the 4th ed wound allocation.  There are also “directed wounds” allocated by the enemy.  Snipers get one of every two wound “directed” so sniper scouts and ratlings could make a comeback.

-Cover saves are nerfed and depend on squad leaders.  Confusingly worded here, I bet it’s explained with a picture in the 6th ed book.

-To hit is different and can be modified!  Squee!

-PISTOLS HAVE AN EFFECT IN CC!  They are a CCW, OR you can use their strength instead of yours, but gain no bonus from an additional CCW.  AP 1 2 or 3 pistols gain Rending (2) in CC!  Plasma pistols will make a comeback!

-Blast templates now determine cover without LOS, which makes sense.

-Vehicle damage is changed.  Language is confusing, but it looks like there are no more positive modifiers.

-Vehicles in a squadron treat immobilized as a weapon destroyed as long as they have weapons left.  This fixes a big problem in vehicle squadrons.

-Looks like buildings might be used often.  There are rules for shooting and ramming a building.

-Flyers!  Flyers have to move straight and then can turn up to 45 degrees.  Hard to hit, and cal always shoot all their guns.  Can “change” into a fast skimmer and back.

-Blast weapons get “instant death” against swarms!

-All missions are now about “victory points.”  Not the old victory points mind you.

-You get 1 for every tank, walker, IC, MC, or squad leader killed.

-You get 2 if a non-scoring unit holds an objective during your preparation phase.

-You get 3 if a scoring unit holds an objective during your preparation phase.

-Players get strategy points to spend to modify the mission.  They can place automatic guns, change the way Reserves work, change night fighting or terrain, or other stuff.  You can re-roll one failed roll during the game for each strategy point unspent.  Strategy points can also be spent to go first.

-There are also narrative objectives that you and an opponent can choose to use! Hooray for variety!

-Apocalypse rules included!  Permission only?  Who knows?

Looks like they’re changing the game up.  Adding more complexities while streamlining old ones.  I’m optimistic.

On my plate: 6-22-11

Hoo boy.  Getting laid off and finishing a school year takes more time that you’d think.  Plus intruders from Spain are visiting and my ability to paint or model will be nonexistent.  However, I’m getting back in the saddle.  With a little help from Forge World.  So, without further ado, here’s what I’m going to be working on.

-Azure Flames: Twin Linked Autocannon from Forgeworld.  I USED to have a left and a right to do a Rifledread.  This has somehow changed.  I lost the right TL Autocannon, and had to buy another from Forgeworld.  Priority one: Get this done by July 8th.  Why?  I have no idea. I’m certainly not taking a rifledread in a 40K game against Lexington.

-Epic 40,000: Finish Terminators.  I’ve got some basecoated, but I ran out of free time while working on them.  They’re next.  Then I fill out the rest of my 3000 pt. “teaching list.”  Then, strip my Great Gargant and paint 3000 pts of Orks.

-Warmachine: Menoth starter box after Epic.  ON HOLD.

-Necromunda: Delaque gang.  ON HOLD.

-Azure Flames: I recently bought 5 Maximus armour Marines from Forge World.  I’m going to custom-mod these by adding sculpted flames and braziers to them to make the Lightguard: Chapter Master Perseus’ Honour Guard.  I’ll never use ’em but they’ll look FANTASTIC.  I’ve also got a few plans for another famous Azure Flames character… Status: ON HOLD. The Flames are complete enough for now.

-Orks: Need to complete painting all minis, possibly buy one more box of Boys but no more. Status: ON HOLD though I might bump these in front of the Flames now that the weather’s nice.

-The Saratogan 58th: Need to build most of the minis and paint up at least 1500 points to start learning how to play Guard.  Status: ON HOLD.  Way too much on my plate to start an army from almost scratch.

The Dice Abide

Lexington just clued me into his new communal blog: The Dice Abide. Some good stuff there.  I’ve added them to the blogroll.  Check it out.