HMGS Cold Wars 2023 Day 3 Epic Tourney

 

        I have my bounding marine list. This is a straight up codex marine list. That I plan to move and fight them like US marine infantry platoons.

Table

        Then there is this guy. I can't cross the river. I would have to chose corners to keep my guy from placing the Blitz behind the river. 

        In the end we got Kal to add two bridges and shifted river and swamp at the end towards the center by 5cm. That way you could slip around the end.

My List;

                The double Tacs with Vinnies gave everyone the choose a BTS. I had moved Vinnies from my SC cause I didn't want to expose the SC. And then never looked at the points. I gave away a BTS like this to Bill. The other games I could protect them as they took a beating.

Game 1 was against Dino Orks and there was a cubic butt ton of them. I could not touch the BTS and I did not want to get near it. Nor the steam titans. I popped the Orks rides and the boar boys. In the end it was Blitz and DTF. Space Marines 2 - 0.

Ork List

        Sweet steam driven titans

Game 2 was Squats. I got away with this one. The land train was DC4 with 8 shields. Another one I just stayed away from. I had no idea the stupid bikes were full of macros. I had two chances to jack their world only to watch them smash my sweet candied ass. All four engages I bounced on! I was watching the game sliding down the drain. 

        The Squats failed the last 3 activation in turn 3. Then my last activation, the Tbolts got one hit and Alan failed the rhino save. I got TSNP, DTF. Space Marines 2 - 0.

Squats

Those little bastards have +4 heavy bolters. Everyone else have +5.

Game 3 was Bill with Tau. This was the river board. The only table neither of us played on. I won and could have selected corners. But it was funnier to break Kals's balls about it. Kal let us shift the river and got two bridges for us. 

            Turn 1 Bill went after my Tbolts. He wanted air superiority. It cost him a Cuda and 3 activations to kill one. His broadsides on over watch kept me from even trying to get T&H and sidelined them in turn. 

            This time I failed 3 activation in turn 3. Bill's planes failed to come in also. Turn 3 it was Blitz to BTS. Turn four I won the activation smashed his BTS. Then retained to break the broadsides. Bill tried to shoot me off the Blitz. I failed to engage him off his Blitz. Then Bill's suits died in a cross fire and all the planes failed him. BTS, DTF, TSNP to BTS. Space Marines 3 - 1.

Mountain

2023

Bought = 6, 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 10

Games hosted = 5

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

HMGS Cold Wars 2023 Day 2

 

        It was a good day for Cold Wars. No snow! There were more people then last night, more games. Not every gaming table was full. The clubs running events had everyone of their tables full. The GMs I know and spoke to said; if they were not full, walk ups filled the games.

        The Samurai big game was amazing. Great terrain! That dude has more stuff then I do. Another dude had Geo-Hex out and it looked like you always want it to. Almost makes me not want to sell it!

        The Flee market was junk. Fall In was spectacular. I scored crazy good. It was stuff I would have tossed. I saw some new epic. The guy wanted ebay prices. The best deal was Warmaster Ancients and Medieval for 40 in very good condition. I am not interested in sitting on them for a year to make 25.

The Bad

        The Vendor area was missing half the normal Vendors that come year after year. Some of the biggest floor space taking up Vendors didn't show. I got another battle mat, 3D seal boats, a gator, and a few minis.  Badger got just about all the money I spent. The video guy had a copy of Alariste, but not the series. I really want the series. 

        Y'all know I love me some Foundry paints. A 3 pack is 12 beans. I think a GW pot is 8ish. Foundry is bigger and better with tops that actually seal. Now Badger Games carries the full line.

Games

        We played about 3 1st turn primers for Matt. He wanted to sort his army list for tomorrow. 

        Then we played Last of the Mohicans. Peter (Pete) Panzier, the dude that wrote Osprey's Little Bighorn campaign book was the GM. I meet him first thru Dad like 15 years ago. He was trashed, talkin smack and ball breaking, and funny as hell. Pete was doing standup the whole time. 

        The game was a hybrid of mini and D&D. I am not a D&D guy. I love fog or war stuff. This was a little much. The rules, how stuff worked, event cards, and element capabilities changed throughout the game. 

Mountain

2023

Bought =  6, 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 7

Games hosted = 5

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

HMGS Cold Wars 2023 Day 1

 

        I left the house got to PHL in an hour and 20 minutes. First time ever that airport was easy. I found Matt outside baggage next to a police car. I walked up and offered him coke. It was 40 minutes from PHL to Valley Forge thru Philly on 76. We grabbed lunch and cigars. I forgot the cigars,beer, scotch and a mat at the house. 

        Well some good, some bad. I got my badge right away. There was no problem parking. HMGS had everything up and ready to go. It was wicked empty people wise for an opening night. There were 9 games running full of people opening night. Thats really good, more than Fall In had.

        The Casino is half assed it. There was no vending on the gaming side. The bar was closed again. You could only get water from the front desk or you would walk across site to the casino. Soda and beer at the casino. 

Why the fuck was the bar not open for a convention?

        There is no more cigar smoking at the Casino bar. That was a highlight of coming here. We could burn a stick inside at the bar with a drink. 

        RF&F Stones River 30Dec1862 scenario straight out of the main rule book. HMGS said I was booked full. Only 2 of 6 ticket holders showed up. I had 3 walk ups. Then twisted Matt's arm to play. Everyone picked it up by round 2. I did have an adult child, Allen type, that struggled with basic addition and counting. Other than that the guys played on with little help. We went from 5:30ish to 8:30. CSA pushed the Union of the salient controlling 2 of the 3 objective points. 

        Cold City for beers and dinner. They have Weihenstephaner Beer on tap. Then off to the Holiday Inn on points. 

Mountain

2023

Bought = 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 2

Games hosted = 2

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

Epic Traitor guard part III

 

        Just about everything was done on the road. I have been sitting at home waiting for things to happen. This lot has taken a long time to kick out. I am back home again. They got washed.

        All flocked in the chocolate tile grout. 

        The Italian's Traitor Guard seem to have come with separate command packs. It was so long ago I don't. I don't have enough Command dudes. I do have a Mars 2. It is amazing the level of detail it can print the very first time. Dudes scaled down from 32mm and I didn't have to adjust after the 1st print. 

Mountain

2023

Bought = 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 195

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 69

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 6

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 2

Games hosted = 1

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

Net Epic Armageddon Eldar Vs Tau 3000pts

 

        Pre Cold Wars game with Kal at 6 feet under. I did not take my Cold Wars list. It would not have given Kal a challenge or even test his list out. I took a Viorla Tau with one detachment of Riptides and one 139 suit, 2 Crisis suits x8, 2 Fire Warriors with PFs, 2 Broadsides and a PF detachment.

The big suit Tau will remain shelved!

        The Tau ate up detachments. I think they took 3 in turn one. Out of 9 total activations, the Eldar had 4 left for turn 3. And they were all at 50%. The only thing they could not kill were the Eldar titans. 4 - 0, no BTS.

        The list is still broken. With a tuned up list especially for the Viorla and veteran player maybe. Jon, Dave, Andy could most likely take them down with a non-tuned list. The list is worse than the Knights. Where the knights have just trash for supporting units. The Viorla have very good supporting units. 

         Initially the Rip Tide type suits had everything. Amazing weapons, range and saves. Then it was the survivability of the Rip Tide types. They would not go away. Now it is the goodies you can take in supporting roles. 8 Crisis suits for one? 

        Broadsides move 15. They should not be allowed to garrison in this list. If our opponent does not bury his placed objectives deep into your half of the table, overwatched Broadsides are laying it down once you step off. Other than that they were handled as usual. 

        

        The Crisis suits, two detachments of 8, operated together removing a detachment every time they fired. 24 shots hitting on 4s with 30% macro attacks. No marker light! If not breaking the Eldar so badly they would never be a threat. The suits took damage but never enough to break them. 

        I think their size should be restricted to a max 5. You'll lose 2 or 3 every time they are shot up properly. With 8 they still are around jacking stuff up. In the normal Tau list they are not as damage resistive with 4 or 5 total suits.

        The Breachers and Path Finders not a factor in our game. They were the only Tau detachments to take a beating. The marker lights were used 2 or 3 times, sniper never. The Breachers never got to firefight. 

        The 139 suit was easily handled. The Rip Tides were never tested. They operated under the over watch of the broad sides. 

Mountain

2023

Bought = 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 2

Games hosted = 1

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

In House War Gaming table

            My War Gaming table is two drafting tables. These are the wood ones. If you use drafting tables, don't use the metal ones. The drafting tops are removed. The top surface is created and leveled with 1/2 inch ply. I added a 2.5 inch lip all around for Geo-Hex. With the long ends pushed together, you get a 6 by 5 1/2 table. If you use the drafting tops, you get a 6 1/2 by 7.

    Originally I had this craft store foam felt like stuff covering the wood top. It lasted about 3 years. It was hard to clean up. The flock stuck to it like glue. The Plastic GW board stayed in place and it held the Geo-Hex too. 

    Over the years it took a beating. I damaged it trying to get the flock that came off the mats and tiles off. I never glued the felt/foam down. The felt/foam was held in place with staples. The stuff came off no problem. No damage to the surface. My wood did warp over time. 8 more screws solved that problem.

    This time carpet glue and tool box liner was use. The glue needs to go down very lightly. Otherwise you will end up with dents and rolls created by the glue under the liner. It took 4 rolls of liner. I could have done it with 3. 3 rolls would have created 6 seems. Where 4 rolls created only 2.

        I took this time to lower the lip on the 6 foot side. I am no longer using Geo-Hex and don't plan to anymore. Actually I am going to sell it all. The lip now sets 24mm off the surface. The short edge can't be lowered. There are drawers there. A new piece of wood would have to be sourced. 

        The sides and under lip of the surface had the liner stapled in place. The first half went down like a dream. The second half I created dents with my elbows from too much glue.

        On the 2nd half, I noticed my side boards are 1/2 inch short. VV says the gap was always there. I don't remember, but it must have been. The table didn't grow over night. 
 

        VV help secure the sides on the 2nd half. Then asked to play Epic. 1st game was an Epic refresher for my kid. She got TSNP and DTF to me getting BTS. I should take her dice. They are worse than Dave's.

        VV won't be at Cold Wars. As she is on punishment again, x2. 

Mountain

2023

Bought = 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 1

Games hosted = 1

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3  

Epic Chaos Collection part V

 

        It is hard to know what will sell. Some of this I thought would have to be tossed or given away. 

***520 worth is gone already*** 

The EC & DG army components, new plastics & 42 more detachments total

Mountain

2023

Bought = 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 0

Games hosted = 0

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3