40K - Harlequins - Troupe of the Eternal Lament

I decided, with the new Aeldari Codex including the rules for Harlequins, it might be time to expand the Dance of the Midnight Effusion Kill Team into a full 40K Patrol Detachment - or even a Battalion!? Also, the new White Dwarf (#474) includes revised rules for Harlequin Kill Teams, so that required some reorganization. 

40K

The Current Troupe - Troupe of the Eternal Lament

(The Dance of the Midnight Effusion was the name of the Kill Team - which amounts to a single Troupe of Players. So I thought I'd keep that name for the Troupe of Players and say they are part of the larger Troupe of the Eternal Lament). 

So far, all I've done is re-base miniatures I already had. These are harlequins from the original box set that I bought back in the late 80s. I rebased all of the Character models onto 32mm bases - to differentiate them from the Harlequins of the Troupe dancers. 

Troupe Leader - Dwol'yyk'faldyl'ven'yaksak'de - the Master of Ceremonies - armed with .Shuriken Pistol and Aeldari Power Sword. AS with most of the Character Models in the force, The MAster of Ceremonies will likely be given a Pivotal Role, but I haven't selected one yet. 

Shadowseer - Vylindal'min'zyl'fadyll'wenyl - Vision of the Dark - Shuriken Pistol, Mistave, Hallucinogen Grenader Launcher (This is the biggest "counts as" - as none of the weapons this model is carrying really matches what the current Shadowseer is supposed to be carrying... Ah, well, I probably won't EVER be playing competatively with these, so hopefully no one will care!) 

(Actually, I think this is currently the ONLY "Counts As" - I do have a lot of unpainted harlequins carrying odd weapons - laspistols, WEBBERS, etc!? - Any of those with weird things, I'll just call Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade - the Standard Gear) 

Solitaire - Klin'fylindil'myrsutyl'zenob - The Lonely Loner - Solitaire's Weapons

Fun thing about the 9E Codex - Solitaires in the previous edition were armed entirely differently than this original Solitaire and so it would have been odd fielding this one, clearly armed with Harlequin’s Kiss and  a Neuro Disruptor when the standard-no-options-loadout was Harlequin’s Kiss and Harlequin’s Caress. But in THIS edition, the standard loadout with no options is "Solitaire's Weapons". I wish MORE troops has more generic sounding weapons listed.... 

Death Jesters - these are all independent Character models (i.e. each is a separate Unit), from left to right: 

• Mal'wynairfel'Zenvodnyl -- Harvester of Sorrow - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade
• Reafryln'adyl'prybt - Fearless Reaper - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade
• Brakyl'dylil'narfatess - Remorseless Scythe - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade

Troupe - Dance of the Midnight Effusion  

• Wilk'nes'fyl'ori'nos'del'ven - The Bard - Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Me'del'wik'felyk'pard'trum - The Merchant -  Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Embrace
• Wilk'nes'fyl'ori'nos'del'ven - The Bard  - Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• El'wisq'vi'gwith'nel'nor - The Queen - Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Dar'lyk'vel'fro'dow'nyel'zen - The Witch -  Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Vok'no'fel'pred'zyl'wen - The Prince -  Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Mya'den'freg'lad'zyp - The Maid -  Fusion Pistol and Harlequin's Kiss 

For now, I can currently field them as a Patrol Detachment:

HQ (1-2)

• Troupe Master (1) - Shuriken Pistol, Aeldari Power Sword, Plasma Grenades - 4 Power
• Shadowseer (1) - Shuriken Pistol, Mistave, Hallucinogen Grenader Launcher - 5 Power

Troops (1-2) 

• Troupe (6) - Assorted Weapons - 4 Power

Elites (0-2) 

• Death Jester (1) - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade - 3 Power
• Solitaire (1) - Solitaire's Weapons - 6 Power

This is only 22 Power, but any of the character models can be given a Pivotal Role - which gives them an additional special rule (that only ONE can take in an entire force) for one extra Power Rating. So I can make it a 25PL Detachment by making three of them Pivotal Role characters. 

I do have enough minis to make three more Troupes, which would mean I could field them as a battalion detachment, if ever I got around to PAINTING them!? 

If I had the additional 18 minis painted to make 2-4 more Troupes, they could be fielded as a 40 Power Battalion Detachment:

HQ (2-3)

• Troupe Master (1) - Shuriken Pistol, Aeldari Power Sword, Plasma Grenades - 4 Power
• Shadowseer (1) - Shuriken Pistol, Mistave, Hallucinogen Grenader Launcher - 5 Power

Troops (3-6) 

• Troupe (6) - Assorted Weapons - 4 Power
• Troupe (6) - Assorted Weapons - 4 Power
• Troupe (6) - Assorted Weapons - 4 Power
• Troupe (6) - Assorted Weapons - 4 Power

Elites (0-6) 

• Death Jester (1) - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade - 3 Power
• Death Jester (1) - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade - 3 Power
• Death Jester (1) - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade - 3 Power
• Solitaire (1) - Solitaire's Weapons - 6 Power

Again, Pivotal Roles could be given to six of them for a total of 46 Power... I guess I need ONE more group of 6 Troupe Players to make 50 Power... (I should probably worry about painting THE ONES I HAVE before seeking out any new ones, though...) 

KILL TEAM

The most recent White Dwarf included new Kill Team rules for Harlequins! So far I have only glanced at the Kill Team organization rules. So, the Dance of the Midnight Effusion Kill Team has been reorganized as follows

• Wilk'nes'fyl'ori'nos'del'ven - The Bard - Lead Player -  Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Me'del'wik'felyk'pard'trum - The Merchant - Player -   Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Embrace
• Wilk'nes'fyl'ori'nos'del'ven - The Bard  - Player -  Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• El'wisq'vi'gwith'nel'nor - The Queen - Player -  Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Dar'lyk'vel'fro'dow'nyel'zen - The Witch - Player -   Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Vok'no'fel'pred'zyl'wen - The Prince - Player -   Shuriken Pistol and Harlequin's Blade 
• Mya'den'freg'lad'zyp - The Maid -  Player - Fusion Pistol and Harlequin's Kiss 
• Vylindal'min'zyl'fadyll'wenyl - Vision of the Dark - Shadowseer - Shuriken Pistol, Mistave, Hallucinogen Grenader Launcher
• Mal'wynairfel'Zenvodnyl - Harveter of Sorrow - Death Jester - Shrieker Cannon, Jesters Blade

Next Up? I have units of Howling Banshees and Guardian Defenders on the workbench (along with a hundred other things - but the Howling Banshees and Guardian Defenders are closest to the front and most likely to be worked on...) that I only need to finish 2-3 minitures for to complete units - and then have a complete Aeldari Force that's useable with the new Aeldari Codex. 

Kill Team: Nachmund

 I did a thing... 

I had kind of sworn I wouldn't get another one of these until I painted a few of the Kill Teams that came in the LAST TWO boxes I bought... but FOMO got the best of me.

I think I really am done buying these... I can't think of a combo that could possibly get me THAT interested again... 

Well... maybe if there was an INQUISITION Kill Team... An inquisitor with a rag-tag group of acolytes... and their opponent in the box were NOISE MARINES!? If they did THAT match up in a box, I would totally break down and buy that. But what are the odds of that...? 

So far they've done Imperial Guard and Ork Kommandos in Octarius, Sister Novitiates and Tau Pathfinders in Chalnath, and now Aeldari Corsairs and Chaos Space Marines in Nachmund. 

In the White Dwarfs they've included advanced rules for Mechanicus, Thousand Sons, Harlequin and Genestealer Cult. 

What will be next? What haven't they done...? Drukhari (though the Corsairs are kind of related and include Drukhari...), Necrons, Space Marines, Death Guard, Daemons, Talons (Sisters of Silence and Custodes)...? 

Something completely different?! Like the Rogue Trader box they did for the previous edition of Kill Team!? 

I'm a little surprised there hasn't been ANYTHING for Space Marines - especially considering how people crowed on about how their old Space Marine Kill Teams weren't playable... 

I've had Harlequins on the workbench all week - just re-basing the last of the older , previously painted ones - so I could use them with the new Kill Team Rules in the latest White Dwarf - or as a Patrol Detachment in an Aeldari army - with the new Codex. 

40K - New Aeldari Codex

 Well I did pick up the new Aeldari Codex Saturday... I've really only had the briefest of looks through it. 

(TL/DR: Eldar being reorganized, stay tuned for pictures later this week, maybe) 

There are things I like about it, so far.  

Others... well... 

I DO like that the Assuryani and Harlequins and Ynarri and Corsairs are all included in this book. And it looks like there is lots of cool new stuff for narrative Cursade Campaigns. 

There have been some changes to the troop types, however, that are going to throw a BIG OL' SPACE WRENCH into my traditional force composition!? 

A LOT of my troops have suddenly become "Elites" in the new codex. I now have a FEW TOO MANY Elites and not enough Headquarters... or... other stuff... Are least not to field proper core detachments (the ones that refund you the Command Cost of the detachment if your warlord is included in it)... 

Warlocks went from being Headquarters to Elites...

Dire Avengers went from being TROOPS to being Elites...? 

Wraithlords went from being HEAVY SUPPORT to being Elites!? 

Ugh... it's the 8th Edition Astra Militarum Codex all over again. (or was it 7th when the basic Troop element went from being an entire PLATOON to a single infantry squad and EVERYTHING ELSE in the platoon became separate Elite elements!?)  

So... for headquarters... you can now have Farseers.. Autarchs... the GIANT FREAKING AVATAR OF KHAINE... and Phoenix Lords.... In the fluff, these are all commanders of entire ARMIES!? 

If you want a small, up-to-platoon-sized Patrol Detachment, it's going to be a Farseer, Autarch or PHOENIX LORD leading it!?  

If you're wanting to field something between a platoon and company sized force (a "Battalion" detachment), you're going to need at least TWO of them.  

If you want a full-sized/reinforced Company sized force ("BRIGADE" Detachment) you will need at least three!? 

They really seem to want to turn the game into HIGH POWERED HEROES leading around a small host of... other things... and it'll probably come down to a throw-down between those heroes...? 

All we need is CHALLENGES to return. Remember those? Maybe it wasn't a thing in 40K, but I'm pretty sure it was a thing in Warhammer Fantasy where your general could issue a challenge to the opposing general, if they were within a certain distance and the whole battle would stop and the two would fight their own little duel and the winners army would gain a huge morale boost and the losers army would melt away... and if you didn't accept the challenge, pretty much the same thing happened anyway...? Was that Warhammer Fantasy? Am I thinking of something else...? 

I digress... 

Then there are the Dire Avengers. Aspect Warriors are the Professional Warriors of the Craftworlds, and Dire Avengers are the bog-standard, Shurican-Catapult-armed-shooty-bang-bang, foot soldier of the Aspect Warriors. These used to be TROOPS. They made up the core of the warfighting professionals. Well now they are ALSO ELITES...

Troops now have to be made up of Guardians (either Guardian Defenders or Storm Guardians), Rangers or Corsairs. Guardians have been, for the last few editions, just citizens of the craftworlds, that have taken up arms in dire times - usually to defend the craftworld itself!? Rangers are outcasts that technically don't even belong to a Craftworld anymore, wanderers, doing their own thing, but are sometimes called upon to show up on a battlefield if they happen to be in the area or have some specific knowledge and are leading the rest of the army to an objective... 

And then there are the Corsairs - Pirates, that are DEFINITELY NOT part of a craftworld (can can't even be used to fulfill the basic troops requirement, so it's really just Defenders and Rangers...) 

Finally Wraithlords... These three hard-hitting, muthafukkin' wriathbone constructs powered by souls of dead Eldar, pretty much WERE my Heavy Support (along with a single unit of three Dark Reapers) now they are Elites... and each has to be fielded as a separate until 

So... 

I went from having 4-6 units of elites (once all the minis I have are painted), depending on whether two options are fielded as two units of five or a single ten  (all being easily fit into a Battalion or Brigade Detachment). Now I will have 10-18 units when everything is painted (again, depending on whether units are fielded as multiple units of less than maximum size or a smaller number of units at their maximum size. EVEN IF they were fielded at MAXIMUM SIZE, I have TOO MANY for even a BRIGADE Detachement (the largest Core Detachment) and no longer have enough Heavy Support options to field a Brigade... 

I know... I know... WHO CARES!? I could just play Open War games with forces designed around scenarios and completely ignoring "battle-forged" force compositions... 

I do like the idea of being able to field a force that actually conforms to the current rules (but that also fits a narrative and "makes sense" fluff-wise) - just in case I actually played against... someone else outside of my home... or in a league... or if I went to a tournament again someday... 

I'm not crying or making any sort of claim that GW is just doing it to fuck over the older players and making us buy more toys... I can even kind of understand why they made some of those changes. Some having to do with changing fluff as the narrative of the 41st millenium continues to develop... Some having to do with aesthetics and style of play... Its just annoying to have to try and make the shift... I'm NOT going to have to run out any buy ANYTHING new... I just won't be using some units as much as I might have... and other units I thought would only be used in scenarios, if it fit the narrative, are now going to be staples in the army (Guardians).

So given the current situation, what CAN I do... 

Here's what I have painted (or... very nearly painted!): 

• Farseer x1 - Headquarters
• Guardian Defenders x10 (one unit of 10 with weapons platform) - Troops
• Rangers x15 (2-3 units of 5-10) - Troops
• Warlock Conclave x2 (one conclave of two) - Elites
• Dire Avengers x20 (2-4 units of 5-10) - Elites
• Howling Banshees x10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Wraithguard x5 (one unit) - Elites
• Wraithlords x 3 (3 individual units) - Elites
• Warp Spiders x10 (1-2 units of 5-10) 
• Dark Reapers x4 (one unit - need one more to make COMPLETE unit of 5) - Heavy Support

This totals about 96 Power Level. With this what can I field...? A Patrol Detachment! (like the 25-Power Level Biel-Tymm Patrol Detachment I put together last September to potentially start a .. but with a bit of a different make up) 

A Patrol Detachment includes 

• 1-2 Headquarters
• 1-3 Troops
• 0-2 Elites
• 0-2 Fast Attack
• 0-2 Heavy Support
• 0-2 Flyers
• (up to one dedicated Transport for each Infantry unit taken) 

So, I can't even put together the same Patrol, as THREE of the units in that detachment are now Elites (Warlocks, Dire Avengers, Wraithlord) and a Patrol Detachment limits Elites to two... In addition to that, the Power Ratings of a few of the units have increased and it would now be a 27 Power Level force... 

The Farseer will now be my only Headquarters. 

Currently, Rangers will fill the Troops requirement - 1-3 units of 5 or 10 - They've increased from a Power Rating of 3 per five rangers to 4. I COULD include the Guardians... but I feel like a Combat Patrol, lead by a Farseer, should be made up of professional warriors, not cooks and poets and janitors pressed into service as "Guardians" 

A maximum of two Elites could be chosen from Dire Avengers or Howling Banshees or Wraith Guard or Wraithlords (though the Wraithlord has also increased in Power Rating)... 

Warp Spiders could be taken as a Fast Attack Option

Dark Reapers could be taken as Heavy Support... but the unit is now understrength so I probably won't be taking them at all for a while until I can source one more... 

A few options for 25 Power Level Combat Patrols:

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Warp Spiders (5) - PR5

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Warp Spiders (5) - PR5

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

(Technically, I can field THREE Warlocks for PR3, so I could paint up a third to include with the two indicated in two of the options above...) 

I like the first option, as it's basically the Ranger Element of Maesenir's Rangers Kill Team, with a Farseer, Warlocks and a handful of Warpsider. Narratively, it could be seen as Maesenir finding something needing to be dealt with and calling upon the Biel-Tymm Fleet for a little bit of back-up and Farseer Thymiltelyir shows up with his Warlock entourage and a rapid reaction team of Warp Spiders... Yeah. I think that might be the one I use... 

To field ANY larger force, I would now have to finish up the other Farseer that I have (and/or the model I'm hoping I can pass off an Autarch). With that, however, I could instantly field a Battalion Detachment, which increases the number of Elites I can field to six... which, could be MOST of the ones I currently have painted... but not all. Even fielded at their maximum sizes, I'd have EIGHT Elite units: Warlocks (2), 2x Dire Avengers (10), 1x Howling Banshees (10), 1x Wraith Guard (5), 3x Wraithlords (1) 

Incursion Level (Power Level 50) Battalions could look like:

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlock (1) - Elites - PR 2
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Guardian Defenders (10 + Weapons Platform) - Troops - PR5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8

STRIKE FORCE (Power Level 100) would require deciding which Elites to take, which to leave behind, and require a few more NOT-ELITE units to be finished up... but could look like... 

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Guardian Defenders (10 + Weapons Platform) - Troops - PR5
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8 
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8 
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8
• Warlocks (5) - Elites - PR 5
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Warp Spiders (10) - PR10
• Swooping Hawks (5) - PR4

(This would require painting 15 Rangers, 3 Warlocks, 5 Swooping Hawks) 

(Y'know, instead of just using the Dire Avengers and a third Wraithlord That i COULD have in the previous edition...) 

The Rangers above COULD also be fielded four units of five and one unit of ten

I COULD have fielded a Brigade Detachment in the past - once everything was painted (or even just a few more units were painted) but now I'm going to have a hard time making up that minimum three Heavy support requirements... I'd need second unit of Dark Reapers or another War Walker - if I'm wanting to keep it all METAL... 

Maybe I'll just stick to big battalions and be limited to six Elites - three of whom will be Wraithlords. 

What I WILL have when all the stuff I currently have squirrelled away is painted... 

• Farseer x2 - Headquarters
• Autarch x 1 - Headquarters
• Jain Zar (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Fuegan (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Baharroth (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Karandras (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Guardian Defenders x20 (two units of 10) - Troops
• Rangers x30 (3-6 units of 5-10) - Troops
• Warlocks x5 (one conclave of up to five) - Elites
• Dire Avengers x20 (2-4 units of 5-10) - Elites
• Howling Banshees x10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Striking Scorpions x 10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Fire Dragons x 5 (1 unit of five - unless I find three more) - Elites
• Wraithguard x5 (one unit) - Elites
• Wraithlords x 3 (3 individual units) - Elites
• Warp Spiders x20 (1-4 units of 5-10) - Fast Attack
• Swooping Hawks x5 (1 unit of five - unless I find one or two more I need to make 10) - Elites
• Dark Reapers x4 (one unit - need one more to make COMPLETE unit of 5) - Heavy Support
• War Walker x1 (on unit) - Heavy Support

All of this adds up to about 188 Power Level.. (which is about 3600 points...?) The LARGEST games are "Onslaught" which are played at 150 Power/3000 points. I think most tournaments are built around Strike Forces which are 100 Power/2000 Points? So I have LOADS to play around with... 

The ONLY thing I'm even considering trying to track down would be ONE metal Dark Reaper to finish up a unit of five.  

It doesn't even include the Wraith Knight (another 23 Power Rating) it is a plastic model... buuuuuut, I'd be okay using it (or tanks, if ever I got some) with this force. 

It also doesn't even include my Harlequins - which are included in this book. I haven't read far enough to determine if they have to be included in separate detachments... 

ALSO, I have a SECOND Aeldari force I'm kind of working on... in a large lot that Keiran and I bought off a local guy (for some metal stuff to finish up units) I ended up with a bunch of plastic stuff and a resin Eldrad Ulthran. So I thought I'd try to put together a separate Ulthwe Patrol Detachment, lead by the Big Elf himself! (If ever the Corsairs Ill be getting in the Kill Team box are used in 40K, they will probably show up in THIS detachement!) 

• Eldrad Ulthran - Headquarters - 8 PR
• Guardian Defenders (10 + weapons platform) - Troops - 5 PR 
• Guardian Defenders (10) - Troops - 4 PR 
• Corsair Voidscarred (10) - Elites - 8 PR

I also have an extra Warlock I could paint as Ulthwe I could add to this... If ever I got all these done and wanted SOME kind of additional options, I might pick up some of those sweet new Storm Guardians! 

Hopefully in the next week, I'll finish up the few final minis I need to finish up the Howling Banshees and Guardian Defenders - as well as the second Farseer, that I apparently now need - and post some pictures of these complete forces... 

Then I need to come up with some opponents - either my own guard, or maybe help Finnegan reorganize/finish up some of his T'au or Orks or Deathwatch... and THEN we can actually try these theoretical options out!? 

(I suppose I should read through the Harlequin options and finish rebasing those, too, at some point!)

February Games

This month also got off to a slow start and I thought it might be a repeat of January... but things picked up about halfway through... This probably COULD have been split up into two pots... but by the time I realized I should have, the month was almost over... so... 

Sunday, 6 February 2022

Almost a week into the month before we played any games... 

Amanda and I played Wingspan - with ALL THE EXPANSIONS!? 

Sometimes, when playing with just the two, I try the goal board that's point per/max five, rather than points for most. Sometimes it works better... sometimes it's just to easy to get five... Like this one... 

My sanctuary at the end of it all... 

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

On Tuesday, after school, Keiran actually asked ME if I wanted to play a game?! Well I wasn't going to past THAT opportunity up! 

We played Splendor and they were delighted to WIN - for the first time EV-AR!? 

After Amanda got back from teaching yoga, we played For Sale. (Which we haven't played in a long time!) 

Didn't get Amanda in the playing picture... so here are the two of them with the box. 

Friday, 11 February 2022

Played with Ellysium and Prelude

Amanda (red) played Inventrix with Ecology Experts and Research Network - took Ecologist Milestone.

I (blue) played Credicor with Io Research Outpost and Mining Op - took Tycoon and Generalist Milestones and Desert Settler Award.

I actually won a game of Terraforming Mars! Yay! 

Saturday, 12 February 2022

If playing Terraforming Mars on Friday weren't enough, we played again TWICE on Saturday evening!?

The first game we played on Hellas 

Amanda played Credicor with Nitrogen Shipment and Power Generation - took Diversifier and Energizer Milestones and Cultivator Award.

I played Vitor with Supply Droop and Metals Company - took Polar Explorer milestone and Space Baron Award.

I won this game as well. 

Amanda suggested "best two out of three...?"

I'm not sure she understands how that works... as I'd already won two!? 

In the second game, Amanda played Tharsis Republic with Bio Lab and Society Support. She took Gardiner and Planer Milestones and Banker Award

I played the Mining Guild with Acquired Space Agency and Self Sufficient Settlement and took Mayor Milestone and Miner Award

Both tied for Scientist Award.

I had SO MUCH steel production... and just couldn't draw any building cards!? It was ridiculous!? 

Friday, 18 February 2022

Some friends, Kurtis and Tania, came over on Friday to play games.... They're both co-workers of Amanda and both recently started dating each other (Though I've known Kurtis for longer than he's been working in Amanda's office) 

We started with Wingspan. 

Of all our games, I don't think we've used the Food Cost of Played Cards goal before!? 

My Sanctuary at the end of the game. SO close to filling the board. my bonus card awarded 2 points per card in the row with the fewest... so would have been cool to get two more.. but it just wasn't happening. I had one more I COULD HAVE played, but went with eggs for my last activation instead... The card was only worth two points... and it would have taken two eggs to put it into play - so, net zero... Or I could gain eggs, discarding food or card for an extra one... for four eggs and four points... IF I'd played the card I would have also not had to share the round end goal... but that would have only gained two points... so... still better to do the lay egg action. 

Afterwards we played a quick game of Azul. I think Kurtis had suggested it because he thought Tania might like it. She did. She totally crushed it... 

THEN we played Bananagrams - which Keiran owns and we haven't played in AGES... but Tania is a bit fan 

This was mine at the end of the game. 

Saturday, 19 February 2022

Friday evening, Amanda and I played Terraforming Mars again. 

Amandas mess of cards at the end of the game. She played Thorgate with Mining Ops and and Galilean Mining... She took all three milestones: Diversifier, Energizer AND Rim Settler.. AND took the Cultivator and Eccentric Awards... (after I sponsored the Cultivator!?) 

How it all looked at the end. I had a LOT of cities and got a lot of points from them... but not nearly enough to catch up... 

I was playing Tharsis Republic with Acquired Space Agency and Martian Industries and trying to build a lot of space stuff... I almost single-handedly heated up Mars... A lot of Amandas points were from the milestones and one card (I forget which) that she got out on the first turn - along with a couple that gave her, like 8-10 power generation - which scored her 2VP/turn by spending energy resources... it was crazy. 

Sunday, 20 February 2022

Sunday we played Terraforming Mars again... 

Amanda played Cheung Shing Mars with Power Generation and Self Suficient Settlement. AGAIN she scooped three milestones before I could get any - took Terraformer, Planner and Builder milestones. She also won the Thermalist award

I played Phoblog with Biolab and Business Empire... got off to a slow start and Kind of knew I wasn't going to win by the second or third turn when Amanda took her third milestone!? In the end I won Scientist (with 10 tags!) and Landlord Awards and put a LOT of greenery and cities out there... but just couldn't catch up. 

After supper, Keiran suggested they'd like to play a game and settled on Azul. 

They just crushed us... like 64 points to Amanda's 49 and my 40!? WTF!? 

Finnegan and I stayed up STUPID late and binge-watched all of Space Force season 2. 

Monday, 21 February 2022

Monday was Family Day in Saskatchewan (and the beginning of public schools February break) so everyone was at home and, theoretically, not working or having much to do... so we did get in a few games. 

Amanda and played Carcassonne. 

Afterwards Keiran suggested we play Azul again. Amanda suggested we try on "the OTHER side".

She refered to is as "the hard side".  Without the pre-printed pattern, she had a really hard time figuring out where things could go without messing things up. 

I didn't find it particularly challenging. You can basically follow the same sort of pattern that is printed on the opposite side... but start with whatever is easily available the first round or two and then follow that patter. Yeah. Totally rocked this one. Keiran also did really well.

Friday, 25 February 2022

Friday was my birthday. I'd really hoped to host a weekend of in-person gaming, but the way things have been here in Saskatchewan in terms of Covid, that didn't seem like a great idea... Which was a bit of a downer. 

And then the whole Russia invadine Ukraine thing... ugh... 

Despite all this... I tried to stay positive and have a good time. 

We went and got donuts from Darkside Donuts and a non-dairy "ice cream" cake from Fable Ice Cream - both located just a block away! 

The cake we had with lunch. Actually there was a lot left over and it would last a few days! 

It was delicious. 

Then Amanda played a game of Terraforming Mars with me. I played my 50th game of Terraforming Mars on my 50th birthday! 

"Oh, you thought I was going to go easy on you? Think again! 

Pretty much from the get-go, it was pretty clear I was going to lose - Amanda just got an AMAZING group of cards to start with and scooped up all three milestones in the first few turns and was generating just piles of money and resources... 

She was playing Point Luna with Metals Company and UNMI Contractor.

I was playing a game of catch up the rest of the game. 

I did not catch up... 

I played Ecoline with Early Settlement and Mohole.. 

We Terraformed Mars. I got a lot of greenery and cities out there. I did a fair bit of the temperature raising. But Amanda has SO MANY cards in play - I think she had 39 points of cards to my ten or eleven...? And then the three milestones!? She ended with 150 points and I had... maybe 120...? 

After Terraforming Mars we nipped downtown to pick up some supper from Seasoned Fusion. 

We had the donuts from Darkside for dessert. 

In the evening, the family joined in for a few more games. 

Everyone joined in for Splendor.

I think they LET me win... 

(this also happened to be my 40th game of Splendor!) 

Then we Finnegan dug out Five Tribes - which we have apparently not played in 3.5 years! They very definitely did NOT let me win this one... I was dead last. 

Saturday, 26 February

I tried to run a game of Wrath & Glory online. I didn't have much prepared. We spent most of the time discussing the situation in Ukraine. We did develop the background a bit more. Everyone arrived on Xoxigar Secondus. One of the tank crew died of Space Herpes and had to be replaced with fresh meat from the Reserve Squadrons.... that's about it... 

And that's it for February.... 

How are things going for  GAME PLAN 2022 Q1...?

Well....

The miniature-game-a-week-plus-game-report thing hasn't happened so far... 

5x5 Challenge...? 

So far I have played:

• Terraforming Mars x6
• Azul x3
• Wingspan x3
• Carcassonne x2
• Splendor x2
• Wrath & Glory x2
• Bananagrams x1
• Five Tribes x1
• For Sale x1
• Marrying Mr. Darcy x1
• The Silver Bayonet x1

Terraforming Mars is done and looks like a contender for a 10x10 by the end of the year. We'll probably play two more games of Azul and Wingspan in March to get in five of those... Splendor might make it to five (seems kind of lame having two short an easy games on the challenge - Azul AND Splendor...) Maybe Carcassonne? 

It WON'T be Wrath & Glory as we are only scheduled to play every other week... so we'll probably only get two games of that in. 

Everyone had a lot of fun playing Five Tribes... could we play it four more times in March?!

I'd LOVE to get some miniature games going on... but I just haven't had the energy. I also haven't been painting much. Usually it's the PAINTING of miniatures that gets me excited about PLAYING with them... no painting... no playing... which is ridiculous, because I have SO MANY, FULLY-PAINTED that I could EASILY set up any number of games in any number of periods... bah. 

Maybe the new Eldar Codex coming out next week will get me motivated to play some 40K...?

Interest in Silver Bayonet has waned and unlikely to recover. Neat idea, not enough there to keep my interest. So many other systems I could do the same thing in and have more fun and better campaign rules. Song of Blades and Heroes... Savage Worlds... I'd actually thought about replaying the last game we played USING Song of Blades and Heroes to see how it compares... but just didn't get to it.