Netrunner: A Classic CCG is Reborn

Along time ago in 1996, after Magic had created a brand new genre of gaming, a new CCG was popping onto (and often out of) the market every time i visited my local gaming store. One of these, a little game called Netrunner, was written by none other than the creator if Magic himself - Richard Garfield. It was themed on cyberpunk style corporate hacking, and in an original twist it was 2 player asymmetric, with one player taking on the role of the Mega-Corporation, and the other playing the insidious hacker breaking in to the network.

Netrunner was quite a revolutionary game bringing bags of new tech to the SCCG genre. However it also suffered from issues in balance, and it was discontinued relatively quickly. This is one of those games that the players have never let die, and the crew on http://www.netrunneronline.com/ have apparently worked to balance existing cards, as well as release their own virtual expansions online. The game obviously inspires loyalty in its players.

The M42 Project - A 40k Alternative

I should have posted this a long time ago. I want to bring to the attention of all my readers the brave and original efforts of the crew at the M42 Project. This site is an attempt to build a set of balanced, simple wargaming rules in order to provide a directly competing alternative to the behemoth that is the 40k rulebook.

The site's progenitor is Sandwyrm, one of the contributors to The Back 40k; an excellent 40k blog that I have been following for years. I always liked his content there and so when he dropped the bombshell that he was making a serious attempt to write an alternative rule set for his 40k armies it got me excited. I quickly subscribed to the new blog he set up to document this endeavour.

Life Sized Space Marine Armour and then some

Sometimes people do amazing things. And then you meet some dude named Thorssoli. This gaming legend has done the most awesome thing that a 40k fanatic could ever do - he's gone and built himself his own full scale Space Marine power armour suit!

Actually he's making a whole bunch of them, even one with a heavy bolter AND the custom backpack. They stand 8' tall for christ's sake! Of course words fail to convey even an ounce of the ability this guy have. Have a look for yourself!

Want the full story? Then do what I have been doing over the past few months - start on page 1 of his forum blog and keep reading.

The Forum

As I am apparently terrible at providing in-depth articles at the moment, I thought I'd try to spam you with a few little things like this until I am inspired to write something with more heft. Anyone else nervous about 6th edition?

The Necron Abyss Conspiracy

I now have around 6000 points of Crimson Fists, of which around 4000 points are painted. I start with a coat of Necron Abyss across basically the whole model. It's a great color - dark but still visible, and as close to purple as a blue can get whilst staying manly.

So imagine my horror when, listening to the last episode of the Turn 8 podcast, the host drops the bombshell that Necron Abyss and Regal Blue (a disgusting blue reminiscent of Ultramarines) both map to the same foundation colour accordin to Games Workshop.

Tau List for Arcanacon (1200 pts)

I'll be at Arcanacon in three weeks (28th January) and lists need to be in by midnight tomorrow so for those of you attending who are as lazy as I am PULL YOUR FINGER OUT. Download the player pack here.

I have been working on a 1200 point for a few weeks now. Basically a streamed down version of my usual 1500 point list that I have a lot of experience with now and am starting to master :) This is what I had up to this point:

A Time of Reflection

    This fella above is my rough skeleton for the Squad Smackdown prize. Look out for further updates over the next few weeks as he gets assembled and painted. I'll be going for a sandy arena style base, with judicious application of blood, and green stuffed internal organs :)  
(Battle Bunker Aki suggested he should be wielding a knife, as part of the story of dismemberment being told; I can see his point...)

Things have been a little bit quiet over here on A Plague Spreads recently. I've suffered from a nasty case of blog burn-out after having made it through the grueling Squad Smackdown series of posts. With my precious little free time it was a lot to take on and I needed a break from the blog afterwards. Dont panic though, because here I am again, re-energized and with a tonne of ideas for new posts. Expect content on the following:

• Some innovative scoring ideas that could be incorporated into existing frameworks
• An in-depth look at Terminators across all the codices (this was inspired by The Independent Characters)
• Trying my bit to help change the Games Workshop corporate mindset
• Flames of War

In addition, I'm looking forward to writing a new series of posts subtitled "Crunching Fluff". The premise is to take a fluffy list and optimise it - without tarnishing the original theme. I can come up with themes on my own, but if you have a list that needs it's fluff crunched then please email me - I'll be happy to help!

What does the Grey Knight FAQ mean for Draigo Wing?

You have of course all seen the new Grey Knight/BRB FAQ. Plenty of people have gone over it in detail. What I want to do is quickly examine how the rulings effect the the viability of running pure Draigo Wing lists.

3 New 40k Podcasts

It's seems like 40k podcasting is experiencing a Renaissance. New podcasts are appearing overnight and starting to fill up my "To Listen" pile. Well I have made good progress getting through them in the last week but if this keeps continuing I am going to have to start making some hard decisions about my podcast diet :)

The first new podcast on the block is Preferred Enemies. I have listened to 4 episodes and a bonus now and I've got to tell you - I'm totally hooked! The hosts are down to earth and just doing a great job of providing interesting content. I think I just really relate to them. Their discussion on the current calls for a GW boycott was open-minded and level headed.

The second podcast is Screaming Heretic, a "sister" podcast of Eternal Warriors (aka Dice Like Thunder for the old school out there). The hosts are friends with the EW crew - girlfriend in one case. Huh? Yes that's right, this one has GIRLS. Huh? Yes, that's not a typo, it's a plural. Last time I heard girls on a 40k podcast was that hobby segment they used to have on DLT - and someones partner delivering fresh muffins on 40KUK. I've only listened to a couple of episodes so far, it's been mostly a "get to know you" so far. Stand by for more opinions...

The final podcast I hasn't actually listened to yet, so this one is at your own risk :) Told you I was getting behind in my podcast listening queue. It originally started out also being called Preferred Enemies (!) but that obviously wasn't going to work. Check out Tyrant's Due. I'm downloading the 4 available episodes now from iTunes...

Hope you find these little updates helpful. If you haven't seen the phenomenon that is the Squad Smackdown, check it out and place a bet on whose got the best CC troops in 40k - there are prizes to be had!

An Aussie Perspective on GW Pricing.

In case you rely solely on "A Plague Spreads..." for all your GW news, those bastards have switched all their metal to resin combined with a price rise of up to 25% on some models. Simultaneously they have banned their UK resellers from servicing customers from outside the EU.

First of all I want to give a heartfelt thank you to those of you in the northern hemisphere who are expressing their anger at the way us Aussie gamers are being treated by GW. Actually I am excited to see the blogging community responding to this crisis. Our international community might just be a new power in the fight for the rights of GW customers.

New Podcast: 40K UK

If you have been listening to The 11th Company over recent months then you would have heard the "40K UK" segments. Its content covers the UK tournament scene hosted by Dave Symcox, with his trusty side-kick (who's name I can't remember - it's not my fault they have nothing about him on the website!). To be honest they have become a highlight of the podcast to me. So when I found out that Dave was ready to cast off a new podcast into the internet sea you can understand my excitement.

On The 11th Company the boys were basically reporting on their tournament experience. They live in Nottingham which is the home of Games Workshop, and the center of 40k activity in England and perhaps the world! The segments consisted of them discussing the outcome of each tournament they attended, and Dave interviewing opponents and others live at tournaments. I like Dave's relaxed competitive outlook and enthusiasm for the game.

Adepticon Results: Space Wolf Victory!

For those of you who are interested, the Adepticon 40k championship was won a few hours ago by a Space Wolf player, against an Imperial Guard opponent. Well done Tony Kopah on what must be a sweet victory after a grueling couple of days with 8 games played. This is actually the same guy who won the NOVA open last year, so obviously extremely talented. Two positions in the American ETC team were up for grabs to the top players of this tournament - I wonder if he'll be joining up?

I actually got up at 3AM (down here in Australia) to watch the games broadcast live! Sat down and did some painting whilst watching and listening to the Independent Characters' ustream broadcast. It was fun to be a part of, but in all honesty it was difficult to follow and thus kind of boring. The overhead view was good but next time include the whole table guys! If they could mike up the players then the whole experience would improve immensely, as we could tell what was going on with every roll. As it was it left a lot to be desired. Mike up the players!

The semi finals were Orks vs Wolves and IG vs Nids. Great to see a variety of Codices in the top four - pity that it lead to such a typical final lineup. It was great to watch the speed of these players, there was a two hour time limit and they were racing through their turns - especially the Ork player! There is no way I could play that fast with any semblance of tactical acumen.

An Exciting New Podcast

It's turning out that the things I want to see in 40k are actually happening. Firstly, an FAQ for Dark Angels was released that makes an all terminator force a competitive reality. Now the 40k Basement podcast crew are back in the game! If you don't know what I am talking about, check out my podcast reviews - you have some episodes to download.

Well the new show is El Pee and The Man, and actually it's just Mr Hyde and Parker from the 40k Basement. These two guys are hilarious and have great chemistry together. They are actually doing a live show with video (of them sitting on a couch), and releasing this as a live stream, as YouTube video, and as a podcast. Each hour of the podcast is a different download, because there is an hour in the middle of the live show where they eat pizza, drink beer, and interact with listeners through the chat feature.

The Codex Project

Now this is an intriguing happening. A respectable group of 40k net-celebs have joined forces in an effort to create a new online community. Their goal (which I share) is to create a respected central body that publishes and certifies fan created Codices and other rules. They have a vision of clubs and even some tournaments allowing the use of alla new online community certified Codices. Check out The Codex Project for the lowdown.

There might be something you can do to contribute! Rules, photos, artwork, layout, playtesting, editing and fluff writing are all required for a TCP codex. They are built by a team with a single leader - but that leader will be changed if progress stalls. They anticipate that it will take a long time for a Codex to reach certification from scratch - perhaps in the realm of 6 months to a year.

After hearing about the site on an episode of The Overlords podcast, I got very excited and went straight to the site. Ended up my introductory post on the forums was their virgin post! I have started posts linking to each of my fan Codicies - the Crimson Fists and the Death Guard. I am happy to contribute these rules to TCP in the hope of seeing some set of rules certified for these forces.

Oh by the way I have another Codex in the works - hopefully I'll have it ready to publish in a couple of weeks. Sadly I don't enough models to give it a proper playtest but hopefully TCP can help with that.

Send in the clowns...

The Battle Bunker Crash

I'm getting excited about a new tournament coming up on February 13th - the Battle Bunker Crash. It's of course being held at my local store The Battle Bunker, and the price is $30. This includes 4 games at 1500 points (it's going to be a long day) and lunch will be provided as we can crank up the BBQ. It's being organized by Josh, who is a regular club member and a great opponent. Expect favoritism to be shown towards Daemons and Dark Eldar ;)

Interestingly the winner is based solely on Battle Point scores - there is no comp! This is relatively rare in Australia and I am looking forward to pushing my list building and tactical skills to their limit. I usually play balanced lists that don't get punished by comp in my experience. It will be interesting to see what others bring. My only concern is that I dont want to be playing games against unpainted armies - I always make sure that my army is fully painted at tournaments.

Another novel twist is that they are going to provide 8 missions on the day, and the final 4 will be determined by vote. Not something I have heard of before - we will have to wait and see how this pans out.

I am thinking of bringing my Tau out of retirement for this. I've been playing my Crimson Fists recently and having fun, but I suspect that I am more competitive as a Shas'el. Tau are best at low points values as they quickly fill the FOC. I am going to take this opportunity to fill in a few gaps in my Tau collection and take the most vicious optimised list possible - the list is made but I'm not going to publish it until after the event :P Anyone got a spare Piranha or a couple of Broadsides lying around?

Breaking News: New FAQs! 3++ Saves for Everyone!

I don't believe that it has happened, but Games Workshop had finally done it! They released a number of FAQs an hour ago on their website, including Dark Angels and Black Templars.

Now all marine 'dexes have the same rules for Storm Shields, Typhoon missile launchers and Cyclone missile launchers. This is awesome news for loyal players, they truly deserve it. And I can play my termis as counts as Deathwing again, yay! I feel like a persistent itch has finally been scratched.

It appears that the following FAQs have been updated:

• Space Marines
  
• Space Wolves
  
• Blood Angels
  
• Dark Angels
  
• Black Templars
  
• Dark Eldar
  
• 40k Rulebook (very minor)
  

New 40k Rulebook FAQ Summary

If you didn't know, a new FAQ has been released for the 40k core rulebook. Oh no, have Games Workshop screwed it up? Has one army suddenly become overpowered? Did they answer any questions that were frequently asked? Well for all the lazy people out there I will now give you a summary of the changes that seem important.

Q: Who gets a cover save when two units are intermingled? (p21)
A: The unit with the model closest to the enemy that is firing does not have a cover save.

This is a great ruling, the "my units get cover from each other" defense is no longer usable. Not that I have ever seen this locally, but apparently it is a common occurrence in Europe? Of course, this just points out how stupid it is that units give each other cover in the first place.

Q: If a unit of multiple wound models has already suffered a wound, must the next wound taken be allocated to a model armed the same or can it be allocated to a differently armed model? (p26)
A: It can be allocated to a differently armed model. Note that this can potentially leave multiple differently armed models wounded at the same time.

Damn it I wish that this had been ruled the other way! I got all excited when I read the question. But the answer is of course as it is already played. Wound allocation flaws are one of the major fails of 5th edition.

Q: When a model that can move outside of the Movement phase, for example jet pack infantry, is falling back, can it use this move? (page 45)
A: Yes, though it must follow the Fall Back! rules to determine the direction it will move in.

So Warp Spiders can't teleport forwards any more when running off the board! Sensible.

Q: An Independent Character attached to a unit that is reacting to being assaulted, or making a pile-in move, must move before other friendly models to attempt to get in base contact with an enemy. What happens if the Independent Character is blocked from getting to enemy models by friendly models around him? (p49)
A: If it is possible to move friendly models out of the way to make space for the Independent Character then they must move first. Followed by the Independent Character and finally the rest of the unit can move. If the Independent Character is still unable to make it into base contact he must move as close to the enemy as possible.

Wow, that came out of nowhere! This is good, you don't have to worry so much about the placement of ICs before assaulting. They will usually get to grips with the enemy now.

Q: In a multiple combat involving opposing vehicles (except walkers) and non-vehicle units how would a pile  in move work? (p63)
A: Pile in moves must be used to try and make it into base contact with the non-vehicle units.

This is an interesting one to bear in mind.

Q: If a transport vehicle is completely surrounded can a unit inside disembark by moving through the enemy models? (p67)
A: No. Models that disembark are still subject to the normal movement rules regarding moving through other models as per page 11.

Right. I assume this does not apply to emergency disembarkation. It was near impossible to deploy a model less than 2" from the vehicle when it was surrounded anyway. I guess now all you need to do is block the exit door, not the area around it.

Q: Can models moving out of the way of a tank shock after passing their Morale test be forced to move off of  the board if that is the shortest distance to get out from underneath the vehicle? (p68)
A: No, they must move the shortest distance that also keeps them on the board.

Oh well. I don't think I ever managed to pull off this maneuver anyway.

Q: During the first turn of the game does a scout move count as the preceding Movement phase when working out any saves from shooting, for example the 3+ cover save from turbo-boosting, and the to hit rolls in combat against vehicles? (p76)
A: Yes.

Damn those Vendettas!

Q: When a vehicle is destroyed by a Destroyed – Explodes! result on the Vehicle Damage table you replace the vehicle with a similar sized area of difficult ground. What, if any, cover save does this area of difficult ground confer? (p61)
A: It will confer a 4+ cover save to any eligible unit.

Really? This doesn't explain anything GW. What I want to know is does the area of difficult ground count as area terrain? If it doesn't, then what does a model have to do to be "elligible"?

Q: If only some of the models in a unit have the Stealth special rule, does the whole unit benefit from the +1 cover save? (p76)
A: Yes. In effect the ones with the Stealth special ruleensure their colleagues also find good places to hide.

Well that is stupid. At first I couldn't think of anyone this applies to, but apparently Space Wolf characters can take a saga that gives them stealth. So now we have Fenrisian Wolves with a 3+ cover save? Wow the puppies really needed that boost GW.

Well that's all folks, not really very much to digest. It looks like there are roughly 50 Qs and As in the document - which you can check out here. Most of them however aren't questions that I have ever seen a serious dispute over.