Yet another Saturday has come and gone, as I looked at some of the guys playing and chatting I felt a certain rush of pride. Most of the lads have been coming to the shop since we started their grasp of the rules and knowledge of tactics has grown incredibly well. When Sue and I first set the group up we were still on fourth edition rules and whilst Sue had no knowledge of the game, my knowledge was primarily first edition and a smattering of second. I stopped playing 40k about 15ish years ago and parted with an army that was in excess of 3500 points. The game is now on its fifth edition of the rulebook and there are several expansions that weren’t even considered when I first started playing.
I was introduced to the game when Games Workshop first published Space Hulk; I still have my original copy complete with the Genestealer and Deathwing expansions. Last year GW published a limited print run of third edition SH. Naturally I had to have a copy, I got home with my rather heavy box, ripped off the cellophane wrapping and admired every last component. It’s very well produced and pays excellent tribute to the very first edition. In fact the first mission that is played is exactly the same as the first mission in the original game. The models that come with the game are, and I don’t use this phrase lightly, exquisite, original SH terminator models were a bit dull. With very little detail and they were all identical, the only way of telling one from another was by placing the flamer component on a model. The new models are so well sculpted each one has a unique pose and individual detailing. No two models are the same. The Genestealers have been reworked as well, although there are less ‘stealers in the box, first Ed had around 40, the new copy has only 19 purestrain Genestealers and a Brood Lord, but again no to models are the same. I am looking forward to painting them and I plan to follow the published painting guide as closely as I possibly can. A first for me as I prefer to steer away from the GW paint schemes as they can be a bit hard going. Apart from finishing Bens Necrons, finishing my Space Marines, starting the Tau, making a start on my buildings and a couple of side projects, I hope to have the Space Hulk models painted by Christmas. I was hoping to have them done in time for the June tournament, but that seems a bit unlikely now. It’s not impossible but it is a bit of a challenge to have the models painted to a high standard so that we can run a few demo games on the day.
Anyway I’ve digressed a little from my opening paragraph, what I was leading into was the pride I feel when I watch the guys at the shop. They have learned so much and play so well, I was wondering if I’m needed there anymore. It was always my plan to get the group established and then hand it over to the younger guys and let them run it how they wish. But now I have a new project in hand with getting the older players sessions established, I know that it’s not all me, there are others who are involved. Not least Sue, she is so generous in allowing the lads use of what is effectively a quarter of her shop space for a group of noisy oiks to throw dice and run around like mad things, plus giving us permission to use the shop once a month for the bigger boys to do exactly the same.
I must admit the one thing that bothers me with the younger players is there lack of focus. I played against two of them today. What should have been a 90 minute 6turn game turned into a thirty minutes two turn game. With the two lads investigating new and interesting ways of doing up their boot laces, I could have had the game won and the table cleared in those two turns. Not to mention the constant questions about my tactics and how I managed to eradicate entire squads. I would have minded if it was a different question each time, being asked 40 times what the AP (armour piercing) value of a lascannon is, does get a bit tedious eventually. I was told that my marines has won the battle, but I think that had the game been a little more flowing and my opponents a little more attentive, I may have played on a little longer. The problem is that I’m ensuring I leave the shop a bit earlier than usual so that I can be home in time for Dr Who. So in about two months I’ll have to make sure I take my keys with so that I can lock up at the end of the day as I don’t doubt there will be a few times when we over run in the evening.
I hope that in a few years time when the group is still going I shall be there sitting in a corner yelling at the guys to keep the noise down and concentrate on their games as I’m fairly certain that some of the lads that come now will still coming along, even if it does mean upsetting the girlfriend so as they can play with their toy soldiers.
No battle reports this week as I didn’t have a particularly memorable game, next time I take on two opponents I will let them know beforehand that I expect them to pay full attention to what’s happening on the table and not their footwear fastenings.
Happiness is hyper-cooled plasma cannons!
Ta ta!
