Size Doesn't Matter

For as long as I can remember I have played my wargames with large armies, but it hasn't always been that way.
I originally started gaming in the days of second edition 40K, so skirmish games have always been there but for some reason big armies took over and became the norm. However after countless years of wargaming I can't give up, or so  thought. A sudden 'shift' in the local scene has seen an uprising of small scale games and I find myself being dragged kicking and screaming into the fashionable set. Yet I feel dirty, so so dirty. I look ove my shoulder to make sure no-one is watching whilst I order an new plane or new blitzer. Maybe I should get a mistress, perhaps then I would feel clean, or maybe skirmishing is my mistress. Is that why at the end of the day I go crawling back into my hobby room, pick up my army case and without a word I play with my Skaven or Space Marines. That only leaves one question, when my 'mistress' turns and begs me to be with her and her alone will I be man enough to do the right thing or will the vicious circle start over again? Only time will tell . For now though I must go, I hear my beloved calling........ Where did I put that BloodBowl pitch

So much stuff So little time

My first skytrex planes arrived today,this bought a sudden realisation that I have an addiction. No not a bad one but I am addicted to 'Plastic Crack' (or metal as the case may be.) A quick perusal of my man cave will reveal countless unfinished projects, a veritable aladdins cave of miniatures. Is this normal? I know I am not unique in this wierd behaviour there are plenty of other gamers who though they may not admit it, have too many models sat awaiting the loving care and attention they deserve. The wierdest part has to be the fact that even though I will never get them all painted, I still buy more. I even buy different systems, maybe thats why I have hit breaking point, why the fog that has obscured this monstrous pile has been lifted. So my fellow gamers I stand before you today and declare that I will break this habit. With that in mind I pledge that I will not buy anymore miniatures and use my time to give all those poor insignificant toy soldiers the TLC the need. ther is one wee clause to this declaration, I have stated that in a previous post that I intend to try and qualify for this years ETC, for the time being I will be using Skaven, but there is a chance that nearer the time I will need to change my army selection to suit the needs of the team. Oh my God I am addicted, already I am making excuses so that I can get my fix.
 And now for the obligatory picture

Geneva here we come.

I have decided in the coming year to try and qualify for Northern Irelands ETC fantasy team,as this is a whole new game system for me I will be keeping a blog on my progress and experiences. This blog will be posted over on Wargaming Ireland.Give it a look and follow me on my path to the biggest and greatest Tourney in the world.

I am Gamer hear me ROAR!

As gamers it seems we are always labeled as Nerds but are we? I have always been a firm believer that I know what I am and where I came from, nerd has never featured in that picture. Maybe I am though. I mean, I read a lot of sci-fi, I read comic books (well 2000 AD) but that's where I draw the line. Perhaps there is a scale of nerdetry, maybe I am a small nerd in a big pond, There are always the big questions like,"Who shot first Han or Greedo?" (Now as I grew up in the 80s to me it will always be Han who shot first, but to be honest I couldn't really care I just want to see dogfights in space.) These will always cause massive debate and perhaps this is where the true 'nerd' will come to the fore. Recently I had a crisis of 'faith' OK that's probably not the right word but it will do for now. Anyway, during the last game of a tournament I was losing badly when suddenly my tray full of models fell onto the floor and scattered everywhere, that's when it happened, that was the moment when it occurred to me that I might possibly be a nerd. As I surveyed the damage close to tears I suddenly realised that they were TOYsoldiers. It was a moment of illumination, that I was a 27 year old man playing with toys, and as I looked around the room I saw other grown men and women playing with toys.
Descartes said "Cogito ergo sum" or "I think therefore I am". This may or may not be true. As I said at the beginning I have always believed I Know what I am, therefore it is more apt to say "I game therefore I am Nerd"

I see what you did there

WYSIWYG. (What You See Is What You Get.) It isn't hard to understand is it? So why do some gamers think it's OK not to adhere to it? I would understand if it regularly required obscene amounts of GS work, or vasts amounts of scratch-building, but 99% of the time it doesn't. There is nothing more irritating than ignoring an enemy unit you believe can't do any harm, just to find out that at the critical moment it has an Icon or Locator Beacon allowing that unit to deep strike and mash your Land Raider into the ground. AAAARGH. Now don't get me wrong I'm not some kind of rules lawyer, when you are playing practice games in a local club environment proxying units is OK. No one wants to spend money on units they later realise they will never use, but when it is competitive surely even the worst gamer can understand the common decency in WYSIWYG. Or maybe I am playing the game all wrong? Maybe it is all about the win? In my next game maybe I will fore go all of the moral obligations that make me not only a compassionate gamer but also a decent human being. Win at all costs will be my catchphrase and then again maybe not, as I know deep down it is not who I am. 9 times out of 10 I will give my opponent a buy when they forget to roll for reserves or when they declare an assault I will let them shoot the unit they forgot.

Looking at the above it becomes startling clear why I sometimes don't do so well at tournaments, but of course I am a nicer person because of it.

Tournament feedback

So the tournament went well, me and my team mate came 7th with 2 wins and a loss. Despite the promise of a cash reward it was one of the most laid back tourneys I have attended. I had 3 great games with 3 great opponents and I hope Lisburn gaming club have more in the future.