Those that know me, even just a little, will know that I am not a fan of sports, watching or playing. For some reason though I’ve always had a soft spot for Blood Bowl. I have played every iteration of the video games on the Xbox and both of the previous releases of the tabletop game. I even read some of the older books. So how is that I love a sports themed game when I detest sports? It’s all about the conflict. A game where you can have an ork kill or maim a player outright is one I am more than willing to give a solid try. Each time I’ve played I’ve lost on the tabletop and still found it quite enjoyable. The Season 2 Edition seemed like the perfect chance to finally beat my son.
Not much has changed in terms of general gameplay, but at the same time EVERYTHING has changed. That’s a bit of an exaggeration but we are seriously talking about some big changes. First off is in value- the core box comes with enough models to play a full team! This is huge! Every iteration previously required you to purchase additional boxes to have enough on the pitch. I hope this is the trend going forward. Previous editions made an effort of using star players but they always felt like they were missing something. With Season 2 we get to see them offer a bit more panache on the field, no longer just cool looking models. The rulebook includes rules for a plethora of star players, each with their own special stats to make playing them more worth it. It even adds another layer to setting your roster. Additionally previous editions required you purchase your heavy hitters separately but you get one for each team.
As always when it comes to causing carnage on the field I’m no slouch but when it comes to planning through openings to score points there is still some sort of disconnect. Playing multiple games with my son he managed to win each time but not before losing several players along the way. We had a total blast with the game and hope to try out a few of the other teams as they release using the new ruleset. The rules are much easier to understand than in previous editions, leaving fewer questions regarding how to interpret them. If you enjoy sports, fantasy tabletop games or beating the crap out of your opponent you will enjoy this game.
Exploding Kittens has a new expansion called Barking Kittens and we were able to not only play it but blowup members of our family as well!
We’ve talked about the Exploding Kittens brand before but this time we are talking about the latest expansions- Streaking Kittens and Barking Kittens for the Exploding Kittens card game.
Streaking Kittens
This $5 pack of carts adds one HUGE advantage- if you find the Streaking Kitten card you get to hide an Exploding Kitten in your hand without having to defuse it. The idea is to get someone to steal the worse of the two cards from your hand and inadvertently blow themselves up. In our game this would have worked quite well for my wife’s dad if the rest of us weren’t already aware he was drawing a kitten into his hand- no one stole cards from him again until he blew himself up.
Barking Kittens
There are several new additions here that make for some great combinations. My favorites were the Alter the Future and Personal Attack cards. Personal Attack cards force the next player to take three full actions on their next turn but doesn’t end your turn like other attacks do. Having multiples of these cards allow you to overload the next player with several actions and may just remove them from play. Alter the Future works similar to the See the Future cards in that you can see the next three cards in the deck but with this variation you get to change their order when you return them to the deck. This means if you know a kitten is coming up you get to control how soon they do.
There are several other new cards in both expansions and are worth learning how to use them all. Playing the game we loved the new cards and their changes to the core game and hated when someone else used them against us. Both expansions are essential for any fan of the game and a ton of fun to use.
The Exploding Kittens have released another feline-centric game with A Game of Cat and Mouth.
In our house there is one species of pet that ranks higher than all others and that is the majestic feline. My son’s love for cats is so strong that if there is a cat on it or it is cat themed it is almost guaranteed to win him over. It’s no surprise that Exploding Kittens is one of his all time favorite games to play. When he learned that the team behind it were releasing another cat themed title he was more than excited. We received our copy of A Game of Cat and Mouth soon after he heard the news.
Players rapidly use magnetic paws to launch balls through the eyes, nose or mouth holes in the divider between sides. The first player to get all white, all yellow or the single black ball on the opposing side wins. The launchers themselves make use of the most powerful magnets I’ve ever seen that didn’t have electricity amplifying their strength.
Getting the balls through the holes require a bit of skill but with a little practice and even a four year old can do well at the game. The entire family has a blast with this game. This game is so much fun it even draws the attention of one of our own cats.
Poetry for Neanderthals is another family fun game created by the team at Exploding Kittens.
The Exploding Kittens team are back with another insane concept for a family game in Poetry for Neanderthals. Since it’s inception Exploding Kittens has been a staple in our household and the team of the same name was responsible for several of our favorite family games. Conceptually the game is quite simple, dividing into two teams players will take turns describing a word or phrase but must do so using only single syllable words. If at any point they gesture, use more than one syllable, use the word they are trying to describe or a few other instances or rule breaking then they will get hit with the inflatable club. Not going to lie but I felt like Captain Caveman while wielding it over my daughter’s head.
Every player during our games end up getting hit at least once or twice, most of us for gesturing. I was really bad at giving clues without moving because I am naturally very animated when I talk.
The game is a great exercise for the old noggin because you have to be a quick thinker to score points and avoid losing them at the same time. First game was parent’s versus the kids and some of the kids got bored early on (one was watching a movie and the other was too distracted to play) and so we started over for a round of boys versus girls. It was a close game but us boys won by only a couple points. Everyone that played to the end loved the game (4 of 6 members of the household) and the other two had fun until pulled away by the call of the children’s film on tv. We are all looking forward to the next game night we get to spend on this game.
Maledictions is a Warhammer Horror Anthology from the Black Library and features such names as Graham McNeill and Josh Reynolds!
There are numerous anthologies published by the Black Library that are centered in the 41st millennium but Maledictions is the first in their Warhammer Horror lineup. Some of the authors have been around since the earliest days of the Black Library like Graham McNeill, Josh Reynolds and C L Werner. There are even some newcomers to the ranks of fabulous writers- Cassandra Khaw and Lora Gray! Lora Gray you may remember from last year’s Digital Horror Week.
The worlds of Warhammer 40k have always had a tendency to fall along the lines of horrific between the machinations of Chaos or the terrifying swarms of the Tyranid. This means that these stories must be absolutely dreadful to be labeled as Horror. Many of these stories however are about on par from what we’ve come to expect from the Black Library but a few definitely pushed the envelope a bit further. What makes this book really stand out is that it is the first I’ve seen that contains both Warhammer Fantasy AND Warhammer 40k stories. Overall this book is a great read when you are looking for easier to digest stories. These stories still kick some major ass despite their length.
Here’s the full story and author list (some of which were previously released by the Black Library as short stories outside of this collection):
Nepenthe by Cassandra Khaw
The Widow Tide by Richard Strachan
No Good Deed by Graham McNeill
Crimson Snow by Lora Gray
Last of the Blood by C L Werner
Predation of the Eagle by Peter McLean
The Last Ascension of Dominic Seroff by David Annandale
Warhammer 40k was the first game that brought me into tabletop gaming and still holds a high place in my heart with 9th edition.
The kind folks at Games Workshop have once again shared their games with us, this time the 9th edition of Warhammer 40k (as always this holds no sway on our opinions). Commonly referred to as just 40k or the trending hashtag of #New40k. Warhammer in all of it’s iterations will hold a place in my heart as the game that introduced me to wargaming, tabletop miniatures and painting.
Back when we were with PopNerdTV our friends wrote a battle report as the official review for 8th Edition. We are here with the 9th edition of Warhammer 40k and are back to the traditional review format.
Without wasting much time we are just going to jump right in. As a whole I love this edition. Some of my biggest complaints came from previous editions where tanks and other warmachines couldn’t fire their weapons when opponents were in base to base contact. Thankfully they have finally rectified this clear error. The focus has deviated from being on rule sections and moved to styles of gaming- Open Play, Matched Play and (my favorite) Narrative/Crusade missions.
Now it surprised me to see this first drop relatively early into the COVID pandemic and my first impressions from the community was that it would not do as well as expected. In only a couple days the limited edition Indomitus boxset was not only sold out but Games Workshop even announced they would print however many copies were needed to allow anyone who wanted the coveted set to purchase their own copy. This did two things and both were brilliant. The first being that any customer could get this box that was originally going to be a limited release. Lastly the scalpers who were responsible with the purchases being sold out would not be able to sell them and price gouge the fans who actually wanted to play the game. Any company willing to raise their middle finger to scalpers deserves my patronage for certain.
Let’s talk about the models. Every model in the Indomitus release is a new sculpt with some truly badass poses. I always disliked loyal Space Marines but these models look awesome enough that I want to either field them or convert them for my own chaos armies. The new Necrons are not to be ignored either. The Skorpekh Lord and Destroyers are by far some of the best Necron sculpts ever produced.
Here is our live unboxing video:
Look below for some truly badass Necron paint schemes from our friend John Ashton (shared with permission):
WELCOME TO THE ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF A OUR SERIES WHERE WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON ONE OF THE EXCLUSIVE CHAOS WARBANDS FROM WARCRY. THIS TIME WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE UNTAMED BEASTS.
The Untamed Beasts are one of the warbands in the core box for Warcry and hail from Jagged Savannah in Ghur, the Realm of Beasts. The Realm of Beasts is a land of danger where only the strong survive. Everything in this realm is dangerous and likely trying to kill you. The Untamed Beasts hate civilization and everything to do with it. The structures of civilization are so hated by them that some leaders will kill members of his tribe to avoid the risk of feeling loyalty because even that is too strict.
The members of Untamed Beasts are closer to wild animals and are only interested in things that can be taken from the corpse of a predator. They are also the only faction that, by default, begins with a creature of Chaos with them- a Rocktusk Prowler! This lion is one of the biggest powerhouses in this faction’s arsenal, especially if it is within 4 inches of the Beastmaster. With an 8 inch movement, 20 wounds and high damage output it will be a priority target for your opponents.
Overall this faction has it all. It has faster units, strong attacks and decent defense. The only downside is that the more basic fighters are a bit on the weak side. Most competitive lists include two and sometimes even three of the Rocktusk Prowlers. This requires purchasing either a spare Warcry boxset or the Age of Sigmar boxset for the same warband which comes with twice as many sprues as the Warcry version. The AoS version is the best way if you are planning on running three as it comes with two of them.
PLEASE ENJOY PAINT JOBS PROVIDED BY THE AZ WARCRY AND THE PUBLIC AGE OF SIGMAR FACEBOOK GROUP:
WELCOME TO THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF A NEW SERIES WHERE WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON ONE OF THE EXCLUSIVE CHAOS WARBANDS FROM WARCRY. TO START THINGS OFF WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE IRON GOLEM.
The Iron Golem is one of the warbands in the core box for Warcry and hail from Ferrium Mountains in Chamon. For those that aren’t aware Chamon is the Realm of Metal in the Warhammer world. It is home to the Yellow Wind of Magic, specifically transmutation. Being from the realm of Metal it is not a surprise to see the members of Iron Golem to be covered in armor.
The units within Iron Golem are slow, deal decent damage but can really take a beating. This warband is best used as a training faction. Most units only have short ranged attacks, moderate melee attacks and a high defense.
Out of the box, either the core set or faction only box, a couple of the models offer some customization options. Specifically the Signifier can be modified to be a Prefector. By name these don’t mean much but the Signifier is essentially the Banner Bearer for the group. Changing him to a Prefector offers you a higher critical hit damage but in exchange you lose the Buffs provided by the Signifier. Personally I went for visual aesthetic of the Signifier. I typically go for the higher damage units and minimal buffs but the look of the Signifier was so awesome I couldn’t not use him.
The reason I say this is best for learning the game is because of the high defense. The more of a beating you can take the longer you are in the game. For trying to win with this faction you are best off using your lower cost Legionnaires to soak up damage while you move your heavy hitters into position.
PLEASE ENJOY PAINT JOBS PROVIDED BY THE AZ WARCRY AND AGE OF SIGMAR PUBLIC FACEBOOK GROUP:
WARCRY IS A GAME THAT FOCUSES ON SMALLER SKIRMISH BATTLES AND NOW YOU CAN READ ABOUT THE EXPLOITS OF YOUR FAVORITE WARBANDS!
Each story follows a specific warband at their core, focusing on what really makes them tick. One of my favorite warbands by appearance was the Unmade and David Annandale’s tale about them, The Harrower, made them actually make sense. They are addicted to pain, sometimes cutting off their own limbs and attaching weapons to them. Seems rather extreme to me but seeing it through the eyes of the warband you could see why they relished losing their limbs. Each drop of blood, each ounce of pain they feel is joy for them, a blessing from their gods. At least that’s what they tell themselves and each other. This is just one example of the great stories within.
Each story is full of action and more than that just sucks you in as a reader. Most books take me months to read as I typically read about two or three pages a day due to my schedule. This book only took me two weeks to read!
If, like me, are a fan of the chaos gods, the game of warcry or stories about anti-heroes cutting down their foes you will absolutely love this book!
Here’s the full story and author list (some of which were previously released by the Black Library as short stories outside of this collection):
The Harrower by David Annandale The Method of Madness by Peter McLean The Devourer’s Demand by Ben Counter Proving Ground by Sarah Cawkwell Eight-Tailed Naga by David Guymer The Iron Promise by Josh Reynolds
GAMES WORKSHOP HAS NOT BEEN SITTING AROUND DURING THE QUARANTINE AND INSTEAD HAVE PREPARED THE NEW EDITION OF WARHAMMER 40K!
It feels like it was only months ago when Games Workshop released Eighth Edition but in fact has been close to three years! Based on the fact that this is only the sixth edition in about 20+ years I would consider three years plenty of time. I will say it now, some of the changes that have been leaked are very much needed for the betterment of Warhammer 40k. (Keep in mind when this article was written this was first announced.)
SO WHAT CHANGES ARE COMING?
There are a ton of changes but the best part is that the recently released codices and expansion books (ie Psychic War) are still compatible! The best change in my opinion is the fact that even when in close combat tanks and other war machines can still fire! Realistically this makes sense because if I’m driving a tank and you are poking it with a stick or a sword I’m still going to fire my massive guns at the targets that are a bigger threat. In Eight Edition we saw a major decline in the use of armored units because a horse based army could swarm it and make its weapons useless so I expect to see armor coming back in a big way for tournaments and local games alike.
Another great addition is Conquest gameplay. It is essentially a way to play narrative games where your characters or units improve over time. This is similar to Necromunda and how your gangs improve as you continue. This will even help promote slow grow leagues as players will become more invested in the successes and failures of particular units and less on their win/lose ratios.
SO WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY THINK ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR WARHAMMER 40k?
Regularly on my show #TableTalk I mention my local community through our sponsors at Games U in Gilbert, Arizona. With the owner’s permission I reached out to the public Facebook group to gather their thoughts.
Dylan Smith- “The timing seems a tad misplaced. Granted, they likely planned this out years in advance, but to me it overshadows anything else Warhammer 40k related until it drops. Plus, COVID messed everything up I feel rather significantly for the consumers.”
Jeff Caples (owner of Games U)- “
I personally am encouraged by what I see so far. Tanks firing in CC is great news, the changes as I understand them to flying vehicles seem on point and I am very interested to see how they address terrain as I felt it was mishandled in the last edition.
I am also very keen to see what they have put together for the very small combat patrol scale. My son is almost 10 and I am hoping it will be something he can really sink his teeth into without me having to sort of water it down for him.”
Patrick Cortez- “Wishlisting here
I’m hoping Command Points and Strategems are less of a crux or focal point of darn near every turn, every “major” activation.
Some armies have fantastical “cheap” monster strats and efficient CP generators.
I miss clean Warhammer 40k and not the MTG card hijinx feel. Of strat this or that.
I’m sure stratagems and CPs aren’t going anywhere.”
Matt Campbell- “I don’t see any updates to Character targeting and I think it needs to be addressed. Characters have to be the “closest model” and it should be more like “closest targetable model.” When I cannot shoot something 5″ away in the open, because something else is 3″ away on the other side of a wall and I cannot see it, that’s a broken rule. I don’t have models that ignore terrain or los rules so why does the closer out of los model protect that Character?”
Alexander Zhang- “I’m hoping the game scales better when it’s small like they suggested. I think I’d be able to jump in more if smaller scale games were a more regular thing.”
Edward Morlan- “
After the QnA I like what I am seeing. I have sent them feed back on every one of their questionnaires that the terrain rules need to updated and changed.
It seems like others have felt the same. From the sound of it we will have options before the game to announce the different terrain types. Honestly obscure is the only type they mentioned and the only one we need. Simply saying you can not shoot through a piece of terrain because that template is obscuring is soooo good. Suddenly the forest templates become usable again.
The Tank and Monster rules really help a few armies that we have not really seen in several editions, namely Tank commander guard like the armageddon steel legion, and Nidzilla. I for one am fine with that. Sure it makes getting into combat with tanks and Riptides risky but honestly it should be! There is a reason you put tankbusta bombs and power klaws in your units of boys! You will have to commit to charges versus those things and have some weapons that can help you finish them off.
Going back to 7th edition flyer rules is also great. I have frankly hated the battle filed force bubble that 8th had for them. The cap on -1 or +1 to any units saves means that while the eldar flyers are still good they will no longer be game breaking. Heck we might even see a drop in points now that the negative is capped.
Excited to see all the CP mechanics. I like everyone starting with the same size pool based on the game size. I hope the CP starting pool for 2000 points is large at loke 15cp. I also wonder if their will be ways to increase the cp pool with army choices not just take them away. Really looking forward to this and the terrain rules the most.
Never got a answer on how they will address the slower dice for horde armys in combat. Currently if you have 2 units in combat with 4 units all together in a big blob ( common with orks vs guard ) it can take 45 min trying to roll that one combat out. I puts a serious disadvantage on horde armies in tournament. If we are only ever able to get through 2 or 3 turns in 2 hours we will average way less points then a elite army that finishes all there games.
I hope the missions hit where they are supposed too. That between them and the new rules we no longer have to ask people if they want to play ITC, Book, or some other tournaments rules. If they pull it off it will be nice to just play out of the book with no other 3rd party rules mixed in.
Crusade sounds like the most fun. Nothing to say except I am looking forward to having the info in my hands and will likely be playing most of my games as crusade games.”
There were several other comments but to avoid making this overly long we’ve had to drop some of those from the list. Personally I am very excited about the announcement and love the teases models for both the Space Marines and Necrons.
NO ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT SOME TEASER IMAGES OF THE NEW MODELS, RIGHT?
I have seen some complaints about the new logo but it reminds me a lot of the one they had in second or third edition when I first started playing so I approve.
If you haven’t yet be sure to check out their cinematic trailer for the new release:
I still get chills watching that! oh and James Workshop did a video highlighting the big changes as well:
