40k in review for the year

Well, my last Codex that I purchased has been the Dark Angels and before that Chaos. I bought a few models with the Shroud Speeder being my last purchase of GW items so far in 2013. My last two events was a tournament in June and playing at the Kalm in Alabama in May. I had a blast at the Kalm despite some setbacks and it was good to see my family. With Bolt Action taking up most of my time and looking for a new job 40k hasn’t gotten much attention.

This year, the Kalm is out for me due to starting a new job and low leave balance (that I need to save for my 10 year anniversary!) but I do plan to do some fun games. I am unsure if I will go to tournaments anytime soon as I just frankly hate the meta right now and until that settles down I don’t want to go play a cheese fest. I’ve always wanted a good solid game and not a game of big, bigger, even bigger!

Thoughts:

Adding Forge World was the shadow of doom to the game, including it as “official” is crap. FW is big boy toys with people with lots of money to piss away, granted with the price hikes of late the entire game is going in that direction.

Already brought up the price hikes…wow steeper and steeper every year.

Finecast gone….good! It sucked ass.

Adding Escalation rules for more defenses and super heavies? Really? Super Heavy vehicles are just stupid to add to the mainstream. This is a push to sell crap that isn’t selling.

I am looking forward to the Ork Codex and future IG releases, that may revive my faith in 40k. I have read the Inquisition book and think it would be great to play with for some laughs in game.

Overall, I am going to sell some of my stuff. Things I won’t use anytime soon or have used in the past two years. I need to reduce the clutter and make space. In the past it was reasonable to collect this and that…now, it is just THIS and only this within limits. I do plan to have fun with 40k but on my own terms and not GW’s anymore.

I do plan to finish up various armies that have been long neglected and back into the painting circle as well.

My armies as they stand:

Tau (going to be sold)

Orks (waiting on the book)

IG (waiting on the book)

Space Wolves (staying for now)

Dark Angels (staying for now)

Inquisition (staying for now)

Chaos (Keeping Iron Warriors, Word Bearers, 1000 Sons & Death Guard. Khorne gone)

Demons (Keeping for now, for Word Bearers, etc)

Fantasy Vampire Counts (keep)

Fantasy Chaos (get rid of, the small bit left)

Am I giving up on 40k? No, but I am going to a more casual play for this year while I wait to see what happens when the dust settles. For now, I want to play some of the new Kill Team games and just general fun games for now. I have been lax with articles and I hope to perhaps revive that with painting, reviews and some flashback articles also.

Happy New Year!

Wow, so true about the 40k Meta

This is from Bell of Lost Souls and is so true...

I've been quiet of late with 40k since the Kalm and my last tournament in June (I think) at Darkside. With my old job being phased out I had to find a new one (and did) so the job shift, a death in the family and the holidays has really thrown a wrench into regular gaming.

Mostly Bolt Action has attracted my gaming time as the 40k meta is going in a direction I just flatly don't like. Which the BOLS cartoon sums it up, 40k is turning into Magic. You have to spend money on the latest things and expensive items to get the game winning results, first they opened up rules holes that created deathstar combos and now they are slipping Forge World in and now they are trying to slap more super heavies and defensive kits into the game all for the all mighty dollar. While I respect they are a company and their job is to make money, it is at the expense of the quality of the product that makes us want to be a consumer for it.

Then the rumors are flying at first saying there is a 7th on the way, which is a lie as not enough time has passed but there is discussions of online updates aka 6.1 rules to keep the changes "soft" and not cause sticker shock to the players. Wow, what a load....if they do small updates and sell them cheaper, say $30, do three of these, they make the same if not more than they do on a new book and not even releasing a new rules set. Low work and high profits! All electronic also! Everyone is saying "wow what a concept"! NOT! GW did this I think it was back in 4th, where you had to have a stack of White Dwarf mags to keep p with the meta of the changing rules.  It was in print instead, but it is the same concept. It made things very complicated and hard to keep up with which is what caused them to move to 5th and then 6th which became a train wreck because they didn't think ahead on their changes.

Oh well, to me it is like watching Nascar and you see the wreck about to happen and you can't do a damm thing about it but watch.

Maybe with the Ork book on the rise I may slip back into gaming casual and try a local tournament or two to see what the waters are like again.