Scaverous model...

Since I've already pre-ordered the guy, I might as well do something to make looking at him tolerable. I think he'll mesh well with the Talos from Games Workshops Dark Eldar line.

This is a lot closer to what I felt Scaverous should look like, so I'll see if I can't use the parts to make a legal Scaverous that doesn't suck. I know a lot of people like the new model, but it seriously looks as if a Slayer impregnated the Cankerworm, and the offspring robbed a warehouse labeled "Weapons even Games Workshop thought was lame". It does require me to buy a GW product, but as my spine closely resembles a wet noodle, it should come to no surprise that I already placed the order.

The Talos kit should also give me all sorts of nifty stuff, I can use to enhance a lot of the other models I feel are lacking. Maybe my Terminus should feature some yummy tentacles as well, if I ever use him again. Scaverous can out-tank him, is on a medium base, and has so many crazy abilities. He also has more WJ points, so getting an Ogrun Bokur to block Eyriss should be a minor investment. Scaverous is crazy tough, so I'll just have to work around his silly spells and model.

• Step 2: Make a nice model.
• Step 3: Explain to everyone that Librarians are bad motherfuckers.
• Step 4: Punch them in the face if they disagree, then shout "I told you so".

This probably only works, if people know I actually am a Librarian. That just leaves step one, which is figuring out how to bend the conversion rules as much as possible; A converted model must contain a majority of parts from the WARMACHINE or HORDES model for which the rules were written. The end result of any conversion must be something that is clearly identifiable as the intended miniature and accurately represents its weapons and equipment as listed in its rules.

I could technically melt him, recast the metal as a Talos, add a Scythe, write Scaverous on it, photo document it, and call it a day. Realistically though, I'll need to think up some way of retaining a parts majority, leave it clearly identifiable as Scaverous, while avoiding the whole "your mother was humped by a Slayer" feel. A challenge... I like it.
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Croe's Cutthroats received...

I've received my Croe's Cutthroats. It's a unit I've been wanting to pick up since I got in to the game, but it's just such a poorly thought out unit. They have such poor range, and their best ability requires something a ranged unit will rarely have, which is back strike bonus. They also have pathetic stats, need help hitting the broad side of a barn, and run away if someone so much as looks at them.

Now it's no secret that I loathe Scaverous, but he does bring one thing to the table, and that's the opportunity to field these guys and do well with them. I've decided that this will be my reason not to hate him, which I need since he should be in the mail shortly. I don't know if I'll ever actually field Scaverous, but it was a nice excuse to begin the Witch Coven project I've been playing around with.

The Witch Coven has Occultation, which would make Cephalyx Overlords actually playable. Curse of Shadow & Stalkers should prove interesting, and Croe's can be included to fit the stealth theme. Bane Thralls with unit attachment and Tartarus can provide a great blockade, and a couple of Arc Nodes sprinkled on, would make the list playable

The Witch Coven of Garlghast

- Deathripper

- Deathripper

- Deathripper

- Stalker

- Stalker

Skarlock Thrall

Bane Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)

- Bane Thrall Officer & Standard

Cephalyx Overlords

Croe's Cutthroats (Croe and 9 Grunts)

The Withershadow Combine

Bane Lord Tartarus
 

Everything painted as dark and brooding as I can manage. Should be fun, but will probably destroy my win-statistics.

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I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat!

I had a little talk with a club member a few weeks back, but I forgot about it until tonight. We were discussing hiding models, and how far you could really take that in a tournament setting. Now I'm not talking about cheating, but about using terrain and models to make your models disappear from your opponents mind.

The topic came up, when one of my opponents lost a game, because he missed a Bile Thrall hiding behind Terminus. It's not the first time it's happened either, so it got us talking. Now I'd like it to be very clear, that I never try to conceal the fact that he's there, and I even point out to my opponent that I'm putting him back there, but during a round there's so much going on, that eventually someone will miss it. I'd like to take the time here to note, that anyone actually hiding their models (putting dice cups over them, camouflage, whatever) should be hunted down and beaten with hammers.

In last nights game it happened with my Scavenger, as I placed it behind a solid structure that completely blocked my opponents view of the model. When my turn came around again, and I was spending a lot of time staring at that particular farmhouse, my opponent eventually asked me what I was doing. Now he survived the assassination attempt due to a mistake on my part, but he completely missed both the Scavenger and Stalker hidden behind the house.

How much of an impact this can have is determined almost exclusively by the terrain on the table, as hiding models behind linear obstacles is hard, while hiding them behind solid structures is easy. It also takes skill to hide models, since your opponent is moving around and checking the table from a lot of angles. The thing is, that while this is perfectly legal in every way, it feels exceptionally dirty, and not in the good way.

It feels like robbing your opponent of the information he needs to formulate a plan of action. I know many games are won and lost on the information available, and how well a player is able to exploit that information, but usually the blame is on your opponent, because he's a lazy bugger that couldn't be bothered to read up on your faction.

In this case you're making a legal move, but with the intent of placing a model in a position where it will remain unnoticed by your opponent, and thus keeping a vital piece of information from him. It works incredibly well, but it feels like taking the game of the board and out in the real world. So, leave me a comment and tell me what you think.... part of the game, or bad etiquette?
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