Wednesday 18 July 2012

"The White Ravens"

For those of you who remember the battle report I wrote a while back in Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse, the inestimable (and rather busy) Mr. Andy Hawes has finally blogged his version of events. With photographs, no less. Enjoy.

Monday 16 July 2012

Battlefront backtrack

Having slated them for what I considered a dumb policy decision, I feel it's only fair to note that the general reaction HAS caused them to change their mind.

A bit.

And I quote:
"In the interests of compromise and fairness to everybody’s opinion we will change the word “all” to “majority” (meaning over half) in the tournament rules for the 2013 season."
To be applauded, I think. Although the hardened cynic in me wonders why they said 'for' not 'from' the 2013 season :D

Thursday 12 July 2012

Battlefront go all GW

From the Flames of War official site via the excellent Neil Shutt of Meeples and Miniatures (actually on the Facebook group). Empasis mine.
 "The final change we are making is that from the new season all the events we run with will be only allowing Battlefront miniatures to be used. This is bound to cause some debate, so let me be clear as to why we have chosen to go down this path. Joe, Gareth and our events cost a great deal of money to run: a little over a quarter of a million American dollars this year alone. And, although it seems childish to draw a line in the sand and say, “If you want to play at our events and support the FOW hobby, you should not be bringing other people’s models along,” it is absolutely that simple. Our business is a business and we want Flames Of War to grow; we intend to give it the best support we can, but this support has a cost." 
I wonder. Where have I seen that before? I already knew I disliked FoW, but this just takes the cake.

Sunday 1 July 2012

I will buy nothing more from Games Workshop

At the beginning of July, Games Workshop put their prices up, by up to 60+%.

At that point, taking advantage of a no-postage deal from one of the online stores, I picked up another modular gaming hill and two packs of movement trays.

And that's it: the end.

I no longer want to buy their paints. I'm certainly not investing in their new range, or wasting my time trying to figure out what colours from their old range translate to. I can do that just as well with Army Painter's new range.

I have no further need for movement trays - GW's were pretty neat, but not at a 60% markup over what I was paying- I'm pretty sure by the time I'm done with the two new packs I'll have enough of all the sensible sizes, and I can reuse them when I need to.

Any more scenery I'll build myself or buy from someone else.

If I ever have a desire to play a scifi-themed wargame, I'll either play WarMachine or Sedition Wars. I'm certainly not about to pay £45 for the sixth edition of a set of rules that seems to get a new release every two years along with tournament rules that render half my army obsolete, and all of it illegal if I don't buy it from them at their inflated prices.

If I ever have a desire for a fantasy-based wargame, I'll play Kings of War. Also, see above re legality of armies.

If I ever can't find opponents for WAB (and, let's face it, I can't pay ForgeWorld for any more material for it, even if I wanted to), I have Hail Caesar, or I'll explore War and Conquest.

Likewise, for WW2 I have Operation Squad and I Ain't Been Shot Mum. Kampfgruppe Normandy was beyond a joke at its RRP, even before Warhammer Historical got canned.

I certainly have NO remaining desire to fill the pockets of a company who have canned the only products of theirs I cared about, and price their rules and miniatures at a level that is frankly an insult to my hobby, and a detriment to new blood with shallow pockets.

Not only that, they've removed their one path to accidental discovery of other wargames settings, since after all, even when Warhammer Historical was alive, you couldn't buy its products in their stores, or play them at their premises. Their cultish, closed-shop policy is hiding the real joys of my hobby, and the historical learning aspects, from a potentially large percentage of the next generation of wargamers.

Since they don't call their hobby wargaming, and take great pains to mark the distinction at every chance they get, then I'm going to take them at their word.

"The Games Workshop Hobby" is not wargaming.

The Games Workshop shop is not my friendly local wargames store.

I am a wargamer.

End of story.
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