JMGraham

Wow - sometimes I scare myself. this just in: http://www.lse.co.uk/AllNews.asp?code=qjocmh66&headline=Games_Workshop_Shares_Down_24_As_FirstHalf_Profit_Tumbles

High-proof neutral grain spirits like this are a fantastic base for making your own bitters.

Weekends can work fine for me for something like this.

DAN! THIS! You HAVE to make custom scenario-specific upgrades. That is sheer genius! Let folks find artifacts/equipment/crazy powers during the adventure and carry them to the next game (if they choose to use the points on them).

Just tossing out a general "I hope folks step up and get involved" for the leadership positions. Of course, I'm happy to step up and help out any way that's needed, but since I've done a lot of stuff before, I think the long-term health of the club is better served by others stepping up. Kevin, you still owe us a second term as Pres before you go all FDR on us, right?

Dark Tower's stocking issues should be fixed - it was more of a FFG production issue than anything. they just got a lot more of the early expansions, etc. stocked. I'd be down for playing more games of it, but don't want to give up other games. Thankfully, X-wing can be a pretty quick before or after game of another system. Hey - Is there a list out there of the cards and ships? I've got a bunch of the basic models, but I know the expansions have additional pilots and upgrades that weren't included in the base set. Is there any way to pick the cards (or just the info) up without getting new ships?

I, for one, would love to see Tyranid fortifications modeled as Imperial fortifications. Manned by an Imperial Guardsman. With a hole in the back of his head for the 'Nids to "access", ala Starship troopers (the movie).

The FAQ for the old "Codex: Tyranids" is obviously invalid, because we now have a new "Codex: Tyranids". If folks are arguing that an FAQ for a Codex that is no longer used still counts for the new Code ... :/ ...well, that just seems like ridiculous rules lawyering at it's worst. It seems very, very obvious that the FAQ is full of references to outdated things that no longer exist. To pick and choose based on what might apply to the new book is folly; everything was meant to apply to the old book.

Oh, almost forgot. If I were doing it, I'd do single master, set SS pool of models, but upgrades not counting towards the pool (as everyone has access to them).

No Pathfinder next week, right? I asked if we could skip another week because Evan will be in town from San Francisco.

Mark and Josh, you two are not casual Malifaux players. You are all-in players. Not that your opinion doesn't matter, but you represent a different demographic then many Walpurgis attendees. When I talk about things benefiting a folks with large collections, the more serious players, y'all are exactly the kind of folks I'm talking about (myself included). Perhaps I'm wrong, and perhaps putting things out there like that wouldn't changes folks' impression, and wouldn't change the mindset and demographic of attendees. Perhaps it wouldn't make folks think that "the player with the most toys wins". If I were running this thing (which I'm not this year), I wouldn't want to take that risk.

I really think allies add a lot to the game. Personally, I'd be a sad panda if I couldn't bring the all-nurgle CSM/Daemon ally list I've been planning since I played Obscure Reference last OFCC. Honestly, I think some books (like say, CSM) aren't complete without allies.

I think you just convinced me to take star cannons on wave serpents (where the other weapons serve an anti infantry and anti light vehicle role), and bright lances on a separate platform (like the war walkers). I've found that mixing weapons with different roles on the same unit ends up making it less effective. Just played against a venom spam list tonight (with tau allies). It was pretty brutal, and would have eaten my Chaos alive, save for the fact that I was using my Necrons. Barely, just oh so barely eeked out a win. Really fun game, but it didn't leave me real excited about venoms. We've got a local player who uses the Baron. Scary, scary fellow.

:( :)

The rationale behind single master, set pool has always been that it levels the playing field between casual players and hardcore collectors. There are few players for whom Malifaux is their primary game, and Walpurgis draws out a lot of casual players who enjoy the game, but don't play competitively (and as such have only a single crew). Heck, some players only have enough models for a 45 ss crew, with no sideboard. Because a large portion of Walpurgis' player base are not huge collectors, and because the tournament is supposed to be fun for everyone, it makes sense to level the playing field where possible. Rules as written might be fine for one-up play or competitive organized play, but Walpurgis would not be as successful as it has been if it was run as competitive organized play. Walpurgis is different. Honestly, for me multiple masters really would screw with the narrative.

You'll still be done by 9, right? @Loren - I'll mix things up a touch, but stick close to what I know. The Eldar are a long time from seeing the table. I've got me a Chaos army to master (and paint), so that I can become an avatar of destruction in time for for the OFCC.

You may want to write out a last will and testament, make sure your affairs are in order, tell your wife you love her, and what not. Cause it's going to be like that. Actually, I don't need anything else other than 2 Night Scythes and advice - should I stick to what I know, or should I try and make the army stronger than the one I typically play, and hope that the list strength cancels out my lack of experience with it?

Whatever you do guys, DON'T EAT THEM! Just saying.

Oohh.. Night Spinners look kinda sexy. It's a dual kit that's easy to magnetize, I hope? WG death squad is right! They were really quite brutal. I actually don't know Dark Eldar well at all, and have been avoiding them because HQs tend to be an expensive tax to pay for allies unless you really want the HQ. What are the viable (for this sort of list and theme) Dark Eldar HQ? It does sound like a lot of these suggestions are ones I can switch between by switching out upgrades or weapons - which is good!

I've always used single master mainly because 1) that's how everyone I know plays, and 2) multiple masters doesn't make sense from a narrative perspective, and Walpurgis is a narrative-first event. As a competitive game, the multiple master might be the way it was designed, but Walpurgis isn't a competitive event.

Any suggestions on what to replace the Fire Prism with? If they're as good as folks say, I probably shouldn't do more than 2 Hornets. I had added the CTM so that the Prism could fit in with the speed theme for at least one turn. Otherwise, you're right - 6" isn't exactly fast. I reckon I could do more War Walkers, but I am interested in the variety that a Prism would add. Plus, the model is just so cool! I'd love to put the Farseer in a unit, but short of beefing up a jetbike squad and starting with it on the board, I don't know what to do with him. Man, I wish the Corsair list was updated. It'd be way cool to ally Craftworld and Corsairs together, with a bunch of Wasps for troops. I love the idea of a bunch of Zentradi Battlepods dropping from the skies and leaping around.

Wat'chu talkin about, JO? Fluger's comments are in line with my thinking. During the movement phase, move into position, with the rear facing where you want to go. Unload the Wraithguard. Forgo a turn of shooting (or at least shoot in a different direction), and then use VE to turn back around and protect your rear. That should give the Serpent a bit more survivability, while eeking out another 4 or 5 inches for the Wraithguard. Chances are, any assault threats to the Serpent will have been wiped out by the Wraithguard. Combined with the Spiritseer (who I think is great, and don't see as a "tax" at all), this means a 6" move, plus a 6" deployment, plus a d6" run, before laying down the flamer templates. Given how expensive (and how utterly devastating) the Wraithguard are, I figured it's worth the investment to get them where they need to be. Fluger, convince me to take starcannons. My thought with the lances is, while I have plenty of high strength shooting in this list, I don't have much to reliably take out AV 13 or 14. I'll annihilate light vehicles, but for the heavy stuff, I just have the Fire Prism. Against TEQ, I have volume of high strength fire, with some armor-ignoring shenanigans (D-scythe, monofilimant). If I take the hornets, they'll be putting out 8 S8 AP2 shots. 8 more S6 AP2 shots from the starcannons would be great, but doesn't really add to what I already have. I'm thinking that the 4 S8 AP1 Lance shots can still be effective in an anti-TEQ role, but also fill a hole in my army.

Jon, don't forget you have to be finished and packed up by 9. Super-secret meeting, and all that. *wink* coughteamxenoscough

Yep, Forge World. Hornets are 11/11/10 2HP fast skimmers with star engines stock, and a pair of eldar weapons (which can include pulse lasers). They also have a rule that they can still snap fire their weapons after moving flat out. With Holofields they chock in at 95 points a piece. They pretty much epitomize what I'm after - fast, lethal, and fragile as hell. Depending on the setting (and the prevailing opinion on Forge World), what else would you suggest slotting in? Before I had filled that space with another Fire Prism (which I still might), but I liked the variety (and the look) that the Hornets have. Aww Fluger, I'm blushing! Re: the Mantle Seer, I used the Mantle because I don't know where else to put him. I want him to be mobile, stay out of the thick of it, and still be able to support my troops. The thing is, I don't really have any appropriate units for him to hang with - no backfield objective holders of the like. I can dance around and keep him out of sight, but figured the Mantle would be nice extra insurance (though by no means a guarantee of safety). I've heard the same thing about the Warp Spider Exarch from just about everyone. You'd think I'd listen! I imagine that'll be something that, after some playing, I'll be able to realize for myself that my Theoryhammer doesn't match reality (or, at least, isn't worth the points). I'll give the non-D-scythe Wraithguard a thought. That'd be some nice point savings as well. In my game vs Mukie, though, those D-scythes were incredible. Actually, the Spirit Seer was really useful (not a tax at all). The ability to Battle Focus with them (I was using Iyanden) let them get just into the position they needed to delete one of Munkie's squads at a key moment. The CTM for the Fire Prism is just to give it some added mobility. That one turn of being able to move halfway across the board and still fire the big gun just sounds like fun. If I get boxed in and need to reposition, or if I want to get behind a vehicle, or if the flow of battle shifts, I like the idea of a get out of jail free card that doesn't make me sacrifice a turn of shooting. I should also point out that I'm not looking for an optimal army; just a competitive one that fits the playstyle I'm after. I'm thinking this fits the bill, it's just a matter of tweaking and fine tuning (for which I really appreciate the feedback!). It's been my experience that, at high levels of play, the difference between a competitive list with some less optimized choices and a purely optimized only-the-best list is negligible. At that level of play, it's more about how well each player can respond to their opponent.

Nice :)